Frays In The Weave

Borrowed a tiny bit of the gift from, Escha said. He always refused talking about the gift as something you used. Only a loan, and all loans had to be paid in full or else you died. Harbend didn"t really understand, but then he wasn"t a mage.

He looked up and remembered. The Sea of Gra.s.s. This was where he had spent one glorious season with Nakora. Wonderful memories. Hurtful memories. She was gone, forever.

"Where are we?" he asked. Idiot question!

Escha looked back as if to answer the question. Instead he only shook his head and smiled. He nodded south and a wide path cleared in front of them. There was more than one way to use the gift.

Harbend followed in Escha"s steps. They would walk the last bit. There was no reason to arrive too close to Gring, even if she was a mindwalker.

He looked west. Strange. He didn"t remember the caravan ever veering this far from the mountains, and where was the caravan?

"Escha, where are we?" he repeated, this time in earnest.

Escha turned. "Further east," he answered and smiled that sad smile again. "I believe we are not the first to hunt."

Harbend frowned but said nothing. Gring would have answers to his questions.

Together they continued following the path Escha created ahead of them, Harbend trailing the khar and planning what he would do next.

After some time, he heard horses, and then a rider arrived. He didn"t recall seeing him before. Leather, dirty and torn, a short bow and a quiver dangling at the saddle and a sabre in hand. None of Trindai"s men, that much was certain, but neither did he belong to the men from Ri Khi.

The rider barked a question in a language Harbend didn"t understand.

"Who are you," he asked in De Vhatic, then in Khi and last in Veric. He didn"t receive as much as a glimmer of understanding.

Another rider approached. This one he remembered. From Belgera? Yes, their guide in the capital.

"Do you remember me?" he asked.

"I remember you very well, Master de Garak." There was a haggard smile on his face. "I wish we could have met in happier times."

"Karia Graig?"

"Your memory does you honour," Karia said. "What brings you here?"

"Do you have to ask that question? By rights I should be in Verd now."

Karia bowed in his saddle. "I didn"t, but it was only polite to do so anyway."

"Where is Gring," Harbend asked. He was less than graceful, but need ate his soul.

Karia frowned slightly but pointed across the gra.s.s rather than spitting out the sharp retort Harbend had expected.

Harbend followed Karia"s direction with his eyes. A slight breeze carried the smell of the plains mingled with decay. Suddenly he was certain Gring had already started his work.

Heavy steps announced another arrival. It had to be Gring. Anyone else would have come on horseback. It was.

"Harbend, I thought you would come. Not this fast, but I knew you would come for the sake of your mate."

Harbend stared at her and nodded. What should he say? He looked at her. How long since she cleaned her fur properly? How long had she been doing his work?

"Karia, why are you here?"

"I was sworn to Nakora," Karia answered as if everything came clear with those words. Maybe it did.

"How many are left?" Harbend asked. How many do I get to kill?

"They"re all dead. At least all who rode with us. More where she lived," Karia answered.

Harbend felt fury rising. He"d been cheated. "None left?"

"None," Gring said. "Not here. We are going to her home, as Karia said. Those truly responsible for the dishonour are still left."

Not cheated after all then. He had promised himself to visit revenge on all involved.

"Good," he said. "I have hired Khar Escha"s services for some time. We should be able to arrive there before anyone else."

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d gherin! They don"t even know!" Karia didn"t look happy.

"They do not have to know. What need do the dead have of knowledge?"

Escha grabbed Harbend"s shoulder. "I will help, but are you certain this is the path you want to follow?"

"Want? I must!"

Escha shook his head. The smile was long gone and in its place Harbend saw a sadness so profound that the dead man inside of him momentarily woke. It was no use. He couldn"t afford becoming that man again. "You understand, you must! Trai died and you had your revenge."

"And an empty satisfaction that was indeed. Yes, Trai died. I lost him. He"s gone and my life is bleaker for that, but Harbend, that loss was nothing compared to the memories of what I did."

Harbend shook himself loose. "I will have my revenge, just as you. I can live with what I did. I will not live with what I did not do!"

Escha turned to Gring. "I promised him I"ll help. I won"t like it, but I will."

"I understand," she said.

"I need you to help him. I can jump us all to Ri Khi, but finding people is not my gift. I need the mindwalker you are."

"I have started something I must finish. I am, as you halfmen say, getting second thoughts, but I am honour bound to finish in Ri Khi what I"ve started here."

Escha clasped her arm. Harbend watched them. Escha"s unhappy face was easy to read, but he was surprised to understand that Gring shared those thoughts. No, not so much that she shared them as his being able to read her so clearly. At least that was what he said to himself. It had to be done, or else he would never rest again.

"If we"re decided then we have a long ride ahead of us," Karia said.

He was in for a surprise, Harbend thought grimly. "I said ahead of everyone else. Escha will jump us there."

"I won"t leave our horses. Your blood thirst will have to be delayed."

"Who said you would have to leave your horses behind?"

Karia stared at him, then at Escha. "Are you serious? I"ve heard about the khars from Khanati, but horses?"

Escha gave Karia one of those sad smiles. "Master de Garak is quite serious. It"s taxing, but I could jump a small army all over the world. I might die if I did, but I could."

Karia looked as if he was about to protest, but then he took the reins and turned his horse around. "I guess I had best gather the men then," he said as he rode away. He even managed to radiate disappointment from behind.

It was settled then. Harbend would join the quest for revenge that should rightfully have been his from the beginning. He pushed away the feeling of resentment. Nakora was one to love. He could hardly blame her friends for avenging her.

He settled down and waited for them all to get in order. Gathering men and horses would take its time, and even if he was in a hurry there was little he could do to speed them up.

Leaving the Sea of Gra.s.s, for the last time, he hoped. If he never saw the open plains again in his life it would still be too soon. They had taken too much from him.