Jaunten (Advent Mage Cycle) Read online

  "Oh." A little confused, he just stared at me for a moment. "Well, I'm glad it didn't hurt. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect. You're one of the few Jaunten created in this manner, and not born. I hadn't expected you to black out like that."

  I'd been out at least six hours by my best guess. Personally, I thought it made sense that I'd fallen unconscious. My body, I was sure, was going through the shock of some massive changes. It had simply shut itself down, to keep from suffering any permanent damage. "Are you hungry?"

  Elis kept staring at me, and then his mouth twisted up into a wry grin. "You don't hold grudges, do you?"

  "Not really." What was the point? He'd done what he needed to do. It was water under the bridge now. I just had to get used to it and move on.

  "And you're a man of few words," he observed almost to himself.

  If he was expecting me to just start chattering, he was going to be in for a long wait. Talking was not one of my strong suits. I dug out bread and cheese for a cold supper. The automatic motions of this mundane task let all of my newly acquired knowledge sink in a little more.

  I had no idea what was in the message; it had been sealed before being handed to Elis. I knew that the survival of several border towns depended on it getting to King Guin. At least now I had a more accurate map. Elis had traveled all over Hain several times and was intimately acquainted with the lay of the land. Becoming Jaunten just to get accurate directions seemed a bit over the top, but I was trying to think of good points that balanced all of the bad.

  "Garth?"

  I wasn't surprised that he knew the correct way of addressing me. He had all of the knowledge of his ancestors, so of course he would know the language and customs of Chahir. "Yes?"

  There was a small worried frown creasing his forehead. "Are you all right?"

  "Overwhelmed," I confessed honestly. I helped prop him up against my pack, and he attempted to eat some of the bread. The longer he was awake, the more the life just seemed to drain out of him.

  When he was done, he relaxed completely and let his eyes close. I thought him asleep until he spoke in a harsh whisper. "Garth, I'm sorry."

  Strangely enough, I wasn't. This was an unexpected twist of fate, but I wasn't angry about it. "Don't be."

  His mouth curved up in something that could have charitably been called a smile. "You really don't hold a grudge, do you?"

  I smiled back at him, teasingly. "It takes too much energy."

  "Take my sword with you. It will prove what happened."

  "I'll deliver it to your family," I promised softly. I'd love to have delivered his body to his family as well, for a decent burial. There was no way I could manage that by myself now. Time was very much of the essence.

  Elis and the night passed together, quietly, and without fanfare. I'd barely known him, and yet I mourned his passing. He was a good man and my whole world had changed irrevocably because of my chance encounter with him. His blood was now in my veins. Despite all the knowledge he had transferred to me, there were no memories associated with it. It was like recalling what you had read in a book. I knew very little of him except facts; the flavor of his life was lost to me. I only wished that I had known him better.

  In the first rays of dawn I sat quietly next to his body, studying his face so that I would remember it always. There was no way my conscience would allow me to abandon him there, but the soil was baked hard, and I had nothing to dig with. My control over my powers was so tenuous and unpredictable, but my need to provide this small sign of respect overcame the fear of something going wrong. With grim resolve, I slowly knelt down on the ground and placed the palms of my hands directly on the dirt. I cleared my mind, and concentrated on visualizing an open grave, asking for the earth itself to help make it so. The soil slowly parted and reshaped itself, obediently opening up next to him. I bowed my head in gratitude to the earth, and commended his body into its welcoming arms. With a final look, the earth closed, leaving no hint it had ever been disturbed.

  This was hardly a proper funeral by Chahiran standards, but in my present circumstances, it was the very best I could do. I took the scroll and sword, strapped them to my pack, and headed for Del'Hain.

  ~*~

  Cretins.

  I was high up in the branches of a tree, peering through the softly shifting leaves, as several men in homespun clothing searched intently for me. I'd barely been on the road two hours when my newly awakened abilities had kicked in. I'd felt men moving at a quick pace behind me. It had been six men—the same number that had chased Elis. That might have been coincidence, but I hadn't thought so, and had concealed myself immediately. Good thing I had, for they were indeed after me.

  Now, a day later, we were still playing a game of cat and mouse. Only I was the mouse. I wasn't exactly pleased by my position, and not for the first time, wished I was a trained Mage. I would have found it eminently satisfying to exercise a little magic right now. I envisioned blowing the scoundrels away like the fluff on a dandelion and continuing unmolested to Del'Hain.

  While I was wishing, I wanted a hot meal, a soft bed, and a bath.

  I really wanted a bath.

  The man directly under me started swearing viciously. "We've lost 'im!"

  I grinned wolfishly at the top of that greasy head. Idiot! I was running circles around these fools, and it was so entertaining to see them frustrated and incapable of catching me. Still, I was determined to stay focused and vigilant; they had managed to run Elis to ground and kill him.

  The only one still mounted on a horse turned sharply and scowled at the man who had spoken. I knew him to be Manookin, a ruthless man with no morals, and a bullheaded tendency to finish any job he'd taken on. "What do you mean, you've lost him?" Manookin demanded in a sharp, high voice. Coming from such a large man the voice was ridiculously funny.

  "There ain't no sign of 'im!" the tracker protested again, but sullenly now, and with the air of a much whipped dog.

  "I don't want excuses; I want you to find him!"

  That was not going to happen. As long as they were in the area, I was perfectly content to stay up in my tree, out of sight.

  They went back to searching, circling further and further away. One of them hit on the bright idea that I must have been walking in the small brook nearby, to avoid leaving tracks, and they all scampered in that direction. I had to admit, the thought had occurred to me, but I hadn't done it because it was so obvious. Besides, that was mountain water, and would be viciously cold even at this time of year. I didn't want my feet to go numb.

  When I was absolutely sure they were gone, I dropped out of the tree and quickly traveled in the opposite direction.

  Night had long since fallen when I arrived at the town of Murarn. It was a trader's town, connecting the river of Elkhorn with the winding mountain passes of Black Ridge Mountain. That being said, I wasn't very impressed with it. It looked like something constructed by a child, a hodgepodge of rude buildings with shoddy wooden construction and muddy streets. Elis had been here before, or I assumed someone in his lineage had, because I knew how to navigate the streets, and get to a decent inn.

  The Gossiping Goose was nothing to write home about. I could ignore peeling paint and muddy floors as long as I could get a bath, something decent to eat, and a bed without crawling visitors. I stepped through the door and was immediately blasted with loud, raucous, bone vibrating noise.

  Whoa! I stumbled back a bit as I was blasted with noise. The place was packed with men of all ages and all professions too, by the look of it. Serving wenches were weaving in and out of tables with practiced ease, carrying large pitchers and glasses, and occasionally with food balanced on their unwieldy trays.

  Apparently I wasn't the only one that knew this; despite its outward appearance, it was a decent inn.

  The current popularity did make a certain amount of sense, though. We were in the height of the trading season, so there was bound to be an influx in the population. It also meant I could ble
nd in more readily among the crowd of anonymous foreigners, so I didn't mind the ruckus too much.

  I stepped out of the doorway to avoid getting run over by people either trying to enter or leave. I set my sights on the bar, and did my best to steer a straight course towards it, without tripping over someone. It took determination and a certain amount of agility, but I managed to reach that relatively flat, scarred, wooden surface without losing a limb.

  The bartender, a little harried by all the customers, eventually turned his attention to me. His eyes looked bloodshot too, and I had to wonder if he were imbibing a little on the job to deal with all the stress. "What'll be?"

  The question was nearly a growl, and I did my best to look as undemanding as possible. This man could make three of me. I did not want to be on his bad side. "Do you have any vacant rooms?"

  My inquiry made him look intently at me for a moment, and his face gathered up into a frown. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why I deserved such scrutiny. Maybe he didn't understand Chahirese? "Just you? There's no stable room."

  "Just me," I answered quietly. Okay, so he understood me fine. So why was he looking at me like that? A feeling of unease was spreading up my spine. Maybe it hadn't been a prudent idea to stop in a town.

  He nodded and called out, "Obana!"

  A thin wisp of a girl appeared like magic at my elbow. Her watery blue eyes focused on me and she frowned, just like the bartender. Okay, I know that I'm travel stained, have a bloody bandage on my right hand, and am obviously foreign with my pale skin and blond hair. These people, who draw their livelihoods from the travelers who regularly troop through their town, are surely used to seeing all sorts. So why am I getting this reaction?

  "One room?"

  I nodded curtly.

  Her tone was neutral as she rattled off the prices. "Bath's a copper more; meal comes free with the room. Eight coppers altogether." She waited to gage my reaction to her pronouncement.

  Either things were much more expensive here than in Chahir, or they were taking advantage of the busy season. Either way, that was a steep price. I attempted a bit of haggling. She faced me down, without a word. Apparently the current demand greatly outstripped the supply, so they weren't concerned in the least about losing my business. In the end I paid the price she asked, and trailed after her, up the well-worn stairs to my room.

  She bobbed a curtsy as I stepped in. "I'll bring up towels for your bath. Bathing chamber is down the stairs in the very back. There's soap there to use."

  I nodded absently, my eyes taking in the general appearance of the room, especially the clean coverlet on the single bed. Well, it didn't look infested. That was a plus.

  The door closed, and I slung my pack from my weary shoulders, depositing it with a satisfying thud next to the bed. It was then that I noticed the washstand and the mirror attached to it.

  Great good gods!

  My eyes slowly transfixed on the reflection in the mirror as I took in my appearance for the first time in six days. My hair, once a dirty blond, was now completely white. My eyebrows were as well. What under the heavens had caused this?

  The only thing that I could think of was that this must be a side effect of being made Jaunten. But why? Why would it turn my hair white?

  None of my Jaunten knowledge had an explanation for this, which wasn't exactly reassuring. What other changes would my body be undergoing? And was this the result of becoming Jaunten, or was this another manifestation of my Mage ability?

  Or was it a combination of both?

  At least my eyes were still green. I'd look really odd with pale skin, white hair and white eyes. I still looked a little peculiar with such stark white hair; no wonder people had been giving me strange looks!

  Resolutely I turned away from the mirror, dug some clean clothes out of my pack, and headed downstairs. I'd go get that bath, a warm meal, and go to sleep.

  Surely everything would look better in the morning.

  Chapter Two: Trouble, Part II

  Things were not better in the morning.

  Actually, they were worse.

  Somehow, and I'd really like to know how, my personal hunting party had managed to catch up with me. I know they're on horseback and I'm on foot, which gives them the advantage, but at the same time they have to dismount regularly to search for tracks. Shouldn't that be evening the odds a little?

  Busted baskets!

  I was quite vexed by this whole scenario. I'd barely been packed, and on the way down to the common room for breakfast, when I saw Manookin asking questions of the bartender. I quickly scrambled back upstairs into the first vacant room and made my escape out of a window. Now here I was on the edge of town, with a grumbling stomach and no chance of getting breakfast, with six dangerous men on the lookout for me. Grrrrr.

  The only thing to my advantage right at this moment was that they didn't know what I looked like. They'd followed my tracks, yes, but they'd never gotten a good look at me. All they had to go on was that I was traveling alone, and on foot. Fortunately, at this time of year, lots of people fit that description.

  Well, actually, I couldn't count on that. With Manookin talking to the staff at the Gossiping Goose, they'd at least have a bare description to go off of now. Curses! I had to find a way to get past them, and I had to do it quickly.

  As I walked through the streets, hat kept low over my head in an attempt to hide my very distinctive hair, my eyes lit upon a stable. Hmmm. Now there's a thought.

  The Jaunten were allowed to commandeer supplies as they needed them. It meant that I would have to show Elis's sword to the stable master there in order to get a horse. That would be a dead giveaway to my plans. At the same time it would nullify their advantage of being mounted while I was on foot. A calculated risk, as the saying goes.

  Standing at the corner of the street, I debated for a moment, but couldn't see any other way to gain a better advantage. I decided it was worth the risk. Besides, I was footsore. If it came down to a race, they would definitely win.

  I let out a resigned sigh and made my way to the stable. This had better work, or I was in serious trouble.

  The only man in sight was large and smelled strongly of smoke and sweat. I would lay odds that he was not only the owner of the stable, but a blacksmith as well. Clearing my throat a little, I waited for him to turn and give me his attention. "Forgive the interruption, but I need a horse."

  Pitch black eyes narrowed at me distrustfully. "I heard the words 'no money' in there somehow."

  Very carefully, not to put his back up, I slid the sword out from its scabbard and turned it so that he could see the crest engraved on the hilt.

  His eyes flew wide in shock and locked on the crest. "You're Jaunten?"

  Unofficially? "Yes."

  He didn't look happy, but he pointed toward a big black horse at the far corner. "Morgan's the fastest."

  "Gelding or stallion?" I was really hoping gelding; an experienced rider I am not.

  "Gelding."

  Miracles never cease. "I'll take him. Please give me your full name so that you can be reimbursed."

  The talk of reimbursement made him a little happier. He even saddled Morgan for me, which was very much a good thing. The only time that I have been on a horse was when visiting my Uncle Carl's farm out in the country. I think the last time was almost six months ago.

  I tied my pack to the horse, took a deep breath, and heaved myself into the saddle. Morgan snorted and shifted under me, no doubt sensing that he had a novice on his back. I was hoping that he was a kind gelding and not plotting to take advantage of my inexperience. In fact, I said several prayers to this effect as I kicked him into a walk and guided him out of the stable.

  Riding out of the town, I did see two of my pursuers. They weren't looking for a mounted rider, so their eyes slid right over me, without the slightest hesitation. I was sure that Manookin would figure it out, eventually, that I was no longer on foot. That would take precious time, and I intended
to take full advantage of their ignorance, and lack of foresight.

  As soon as I was clear of people, I kicked Morgan into a lope. That was when the exact difference between knowledge and experience made itself known. Elis and all of his ancestors were excellent horsemen, so technically, I knew how to ride. My aching backside, however, didn’t see the distinction.

  I gritted my teeth as I bounced a little in the saddle, trying to find the rhythm of the horse and flow with it. Maybe by the time I reach Del'Hain I will get the hang of this. If not, well, a certain part of my anatomy was not going to be happy with me tomorrow.

  ~*~

  My home city of Tobadorage was not a small city, by any stretch of the imagination, but in comparison to Del'Hain, it was little better than a small tourist shantytown. It was late in the evening by the time I crested the last hill, letting me have an unhindered view of my destination. Del'Hain spread out over the valley and crawled up the surroundings hills. It was just dark enough for people to start putting up lights. The resultant orange glow almost made the surrounding structures look as if they were on fire.

  As captivating as the scene was, I could only focus on the lateness of the hour. The fact that I still had a party of hunters on my trail also dampened some of the awe I experienced. They might be an hour behind me, but not more. I had pushed Morgan to his limits trying to stay ahead of them, and I knew the big horse was hoping that I would stop soon. He'd slow the pace a little unless I kept my knees firmly pressed against his sides, silently urging him on. Being all day in the saddle, I was looking forward to parting company with him soon, too. If there were any justice in the universe, I would never be required to ride all day like this again! Various parts of my anatomy were very unhappy about my traveling method of horseback, and my skills as a horseman.

  I navigated my way to the main gates of the city like I had done it a hundred times before, which felt rather odd. Would I ever get used to being Jaunten?

  The guards at the gate were alert, which was a nice change. Most guards that I had encountered weren't. They stopped me five feet from the gates, pikes at the ready.