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The next day, Karn enjoyed a simple breakfast with Shaala, sitting on the balcony of her room and looking over the open plains of the wide valley that encircled the palace.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Shaala said.
Karn nodded as he took in the view. He loved being so high above the ground, especially above a valley as picturesque as the one that lay below. He marveled at the small rivers that wound their way across it, sparkling in the sun, the clusters of forests scattered throughout it and the small but rugged mountains that surrounded it.
“Did you sleep well last night?” Shaala asked him.
“I did,” Karn replied. “So, you believe you can help us in the war against the Cirreone and the Angdar?”
“I’m still not sure, mind you,” Shaala told him, taking a sip of a drink. “But I might be able to. However, I have only just learned of your conflict and there’s a lot I don’t know. What’s happened so far?”
“I’ll tell you everything I knew at the time I left Ensari.”
Shaala then listened as Karn recounted the recent events. He told her how they had stopped Vlaxan and his men at Berring’s Cove and how the Ilara and Maharei fleets had defeated the Aracean fleet in the Strait of Hellesa. Shaala didn’t interrupt him while he spoke and after he had finished, she remained silent.
“Well?” he asked her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but I think I need more time to consider. Can you stay for a few days? If you can’t, I’ll understand. And I’m deeply sorry if I’ve disappointed you... but I need some time.”
Karn contemplated his options for a moment. It was strange though for he thought he was still making up his mind when he spoke. “I’ll stay a while longer.”
“Thank you,” Shaala said.
Inside, Karn felt a little ill at ease. Shaala showed nothing but kindness in her eyes but she seemed disappointed by something, as if she didn’t want him there, and he wondered why. She had asked for a mage and a mage had come.
Shaala smiled, drawing him out of his private thoughts. “Perhaps in the meantime though, I could show you what it is I do. Then you will at least know that I have something to offer and that you’re not wasting your time here.”
Karn folded his arms and leant forward. “By all means.”
Still smiling, Shaala rose to her feet, stretching out her hands. As she did, several exotic and quite colorful birds flew over the balcony, landing on her arms and on her shoulders, while others gathered on the railing.
Shaala’s smile broadened, lighting up her wondrous eyes. “This is my own unique version of the gift. Through my mind, I can communicate with birds and beasts. And I do not control their minds either. I am blessed in that I can persuade them to please my will and they do it of their own volition.”
Karn stood up and looked around him. Now there were hundreds of birds on the balcony and they had all come within a few moments of Shaala’s silent call. He had seen this ability in only one other mage and, even then, it was a pale reflection of what Shaala had just done.
“I can communicate with many different creatures,” Shaala explained. “I could summon a falcon, a pack of wolves or a herd of the antelope from the plains of Saharei.”
“There’s a mage among us who can communicate with us when we’re far apart,” Karn told her. “And she can summon wild animals as well. But not like this.”
“You’re talking about Morgiana Kyndeera, I take it,” Shaala said.
“You’ve heard of her?”
“I know of her, yes. I think on occasions, I’ve sensed her mind. And, I suspect, on some of these occasions, she’s sensed mine.”
Karn smiled. “And what about me? Have you heard of me too?”
Shaala smiled back. “I have now.”
Again, her expression betrayed nothing but Karn was left with the sense that she was hiding something.
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Meanwhile, far to the north, Keld stepped into the gatehouse of the garrison. Pleasant sunlight drifted in through the windows, making it hard to believe that the previous night had been one of the worst in his life.
He saw Tal leaning against the doorway. “What now?”
“We need Lord Adeus to send supplies so we can leave some men to hold our new garrison for us,” Tal told him. “I’ve already sent riders to Ensildahir. Then, once his men arrive, we can leave for Kalishar.”
Where everybody expected the enemy to launch its next offensive, Keld thought. It wasn’t a comforting thought but as he reflected on all the death and mayhem of the night before, he knew most of the men would be happy to see the last of the garrison at least.
He looked at the mage again. For a moment, he hesitated to speak but the worst Tal could do was say no.
“I wonder perhaps if I could take a small detachment of men and head north.”
Tal raised his eyebrows. A wry smile creased his lips. “You wish to aid Valahir. I’ll gladly provide you with what men and supplies I can spare.” The smile faded. “However, if the enemy does attack Kalishar, we will need all the men we can get. So your group may be quite small.”
“A small group is all I’m after,” Keld said. “I want to see where the enemy soldiers are positioned. I might try a series of small attacks, taking on a handful at a time. But I won’t try to take on the whole lot of them myself.”
Tal nodded as he saw what Keld was driving at. “And if you get through the lines and reach Arvenreign, you can let King Aurth know we’ve taken this garrison. And you can tell him all our other news.”
“And,” Keld added, “with the Angdar army weakened after Ensildahir and the fighting last night, the men of Valahir may well be able to end the siege that’s hemming them in and then there’ll be one more army that can join the fight against both the Angdar and Cirreone’s allies.”
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In the late hours of the night, Karn awoke in his room. All was not well in the palace of Bellasaire.
Making no sound, he climbed out of his bed and dressed quickly. A lofty breeze was blowing the curtains around and soft moonlight illuminated the room. He went out of it and walked across the corridor to Shaala’s. As her door was open, he saw that the covers of her bed were pulled back and that she wasn’t there.
His curiosity driving him on, he searched the upper levels of the tower and worked his way down until he found her.
She couldn’t see him as she was facing away from the door, semi–clad, crouched down in front of a small furnace with a hot fire burning inside. He watched and saw that she was holding a sword, heating its blade. Behind her was a flat stone that had been raised above the floor with a hammer on it that she would use to shape the sword once it was soft enough.
As she would have to turn around to do this, Karn couldn’t stay where he was without being seen. And he didn’t want to be seen spying on this woman. Before retreating though, he noticed that Shaala had a large number of completed weapons in this room and it looked as though she had made them all herself. He wasn’t sure if he liked this or not but on the other hand he also knew it was none of his business right then.
He turned to leave but stopped and glanced at Shaala once more. Her smooth skin glowed in the light of the furnace and he knew then that he desired her. He physically and emotionally longed for her. He lingered another moment and then, knowing he was courting danger, he left.
Outside, he considered what he would do next. On the face of it, there didn’t seem to be anything else to do but return to his room and go back to sleep but the warning in the back of his mind was still there.
Relaxing, he took a deep breath. He had always had an intuition for danger – a ‘danger sense’ as he thought of it – and it never awoke without a reason.
He concentrated on his feelings until he could sense where the danger was. Then, letting his instincts guide him, he discovered a series of stairs that descended underground.
As he worked his way down, he noticed that the rooms and passages around him now were much older and cruder than those in the tower and were little more than caves. It was in one of these rooms that the danger lurked.
Karn entered it with caution and looked around. He couldn’t see anybody inside but his impression was that the place was some kind of lair. And seeing a few unfamiliar items scattered about it and a fire burning in an alcove in the far wall, he knew it had been recently occupied.
Then the warning in his mind grew stronger and he turned around to see an enormous man lunge at him. However, even with his naturally fast reflexes, enhanced by the gift, he was too slow to react.
The man grabbed him in a vice–like grip, sending agonizing jolts through his body. Then he hoisted Karn above his shoulders and threw him at the nearest wall.
Winded and immobilized with pain, Karn collapsed to the ground. With some effort, he held his head up so he could see his attacker.
The man had a mane of dark hair, a short beard and a stern, cruel face with venomous eyes set back beneath heavy eyebrows. He was easily over seven feet tall as well, far larger and stronger than any ordinary man.
As Karn looked at him, he felt a tinge of regret. He had made a terrible mistake in coming down here and most likely, it would be his last.
Then a familiar voice rang loud and clear. “Dominicon! Don’t you dare harm this boy.”
The giant turned around to face Shaala, who stood in the entrance to the room. He was breathing heavily now, but from frustration as opposed to exertion.
Ignoring him for the moment, Shaala walked past him and helped Karn to his feet. As she held him, Karn felt an incredible sensation of pleasure. It felt magical to have this woman holding him in a way the gift could never be.
Dominicon for his part was still. In fact, right then, he appeared bored more than anything else.
“I don’t care if you want a companion in your palace,” he told Shaala. “But this is my room. Keep your pets out of it.”
Karn turned to glance at Shaala when all went dark.
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A little bird singing its simple tune on the balcony outside his room woke him. He felt groggy as he pushed back the sheets from his bed, which was unusual for him. He never really felt groggy in the morning, even after his most strenuous days.
He got dressed and went to see if Shaala was awake. She was.
“Good morning, Karn,” she said in a cheery voice. “How did you sleep?”
“Not bad,” he lied. “How about you?”
Shaala looked at him with concern and ran one of her tender hands through his hair. “Are you all right?”
Karn smiled. “I’m fine. I just had a bad dream, that’s all.”
However, as he said the words, vague images of a lair in a cave ran through his mind.