The Ways of Mages: Two Worlds (20 page)

Arathin

Nigh
t’
s shadows fell slower now that spring had arrived. Even so, it was cold and Runa wanted to be near the fire. Da
n’
s past reprimands about a hunter being able to take the cold without whining, kept her from saying anything aloud. That did
n’
t mean she could
n’
t complain within her head. Mentally protesting against the cold, Runa raised her hands to her mouth again.

“
Swift! Come on girl! Swift! Come back here
!”
She called for the umpteenth time
.“
Swift
!”
Runa dropped her hands. The dog was nowhere to be seen. She bent down and picked up her lantern. Holding it high to push the darkness farther away, Runa continued on.

Runa could
n’
t understand it. Swift was a relaxed wolfhound. As relaxed as a hunter could get. Runa had raised her from a pup, so she should know her do
g’
s attitudes. Swift was not like Do
l’
s Fashar. That dog was as flaky as anything could be, like a skittish horse.  Runa shook her head.  She could
n’
t leave the camp too far behind. There was no telling what predators were out at this time. She shivered. Mountain lions were common here. 

Listening to the surrounding forest, she could faintly hear the rest of her Pack calling their dogs. For some reason, the dogs all panicked and disappeared into the trees. For half an hour they had been calling the dogs back to them. Runa worried that something terrible had happened to Swift.

Light fell upon a spot of mud. Several paw prints were captured in it. Runa crouched beside them. As a hunter, she needed to memorize her do
g’
s prints so she could track it to the kill. Runa had spent days by a mud patch memorizing Swif
t’
s tracks. That time was well worth it now. They had Swif
t’
s distinctive look.

Something moved in the underbrush. Runa tensed, looking around. Silence. Then there was a thrashing in the brush and a frightened whine. A dark form left the shadows of the forest. Runa caught sight of a grey wolf hound before it crashed into her.

“
Swift
!”
Runa cried. She ran her hands soothingly over the trembling animal. Holding Swif
t’
s head with her hands, Runa forced the dog to look at her. Swif
t’
s warm brown eyes were surrounded by a ring of white
.“
Swift, what is it girl? What has given ye nerves
?”
The dog calmed only slightly under her hands.

“
Is she alright
?”
Came a male voice from the forest. Runa started and looked up. Her eyes caught sight of a shadow leaning against a tree.

“
Wh
o’
s there
?”
Runa said raising her lantern to get a better look at her visitor. The light was having trouble finding him. The shadows seemed against giving him up. Her hand went toward her belt knife.

“
Peace
.”
The man stepped into the light with his hands visible. His curly sand blond hair was only long enough to cover the top of his ears. His frame was well built without a pinch of excess weight. His clothes looked like those of a fellow hunter. She knew him to be a hunter. His tunic had a dog stitched into it with an arrow pointing the same as the dog. His brown eyes were warm and comforting. Runa felt her cheeks warm slightly. She felt silly; she, a huntress, had been startled by this man
.“
Is she alright
?”
He asked again in a melodious tenor.

She stood, brushing her tawny hair behind an ear in a self conscious motion. Swift pressed against her legs, trembling.
 “
I do
n’
t know. She seems
a’
right, but she has the shakes bad
.
”

The man smiled ruefully
.“
It might be me. Animals do
n’
t like me
.
”

Runa nearly gaped. How could anything dislike him? He seemed so kind and protecting
.“
Why
?”
She asked.

He shook his head, watching Swift
.“
Never will find out
.”
Swift shrank from him.

“
Quit it, Swift, there is nothing to fear
.”
Runa scolded the dog. Swift whined.

“
Do
n’
t scold her
.”
The man said and Runa felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment
.“
She is a good dog.  Tell me; are you out here on your own
?
”

“
No
.”
She replied
.“
My group be northeast of here, back t
h’
away
.”
She gestured behind her.

He nodded his head
.“
Would you mind if I joined your Pack for the night
?
”

“
I do
n’
t mind
.”
Runa said quickly. A little too quickly. She blushed again
.“
Although I do
n’
t know about Dan. H
e’
s the Alpha
.”
She said looking at his feet.  She glanced up sayin
g“
I think he would let ye
.
”

“
Thank yo
u
…
”
he raised an eyebrow.

“
Runa
.”
She told him quickly.

“
Ah. Thank you, Runa. Will you lead the way
?
”

She turned and clucked for Swift to walk beside her. She held the lantern up to light her path. She felt the man behind her. If it was
n’
t for that feeling or that she saw him every time she glanced back at him she would have thought he was
n’
t there. He moved so quietly making little or no sound. Vaguely she realized that his accent was not of the wild folk. Hunters, trappers, and guides should all have the same accent. Who was this man? And what about his dog? All hunters had dogs. What had he said about animals not liking him?  A tiny bit of nervousness tickled at her neck. She continued to glance back at him, wondering. Her nervousness was smoothed away. How could anyone who was so wonderful to be around be dangerous?

Silence was an unsettling blanket around her. She wanted to talk, but she had a problem.  Runa was
n’
t much of a talker. She was more of a listener. He seemed to be the same way. The silence was grating on her.

“
So what be yer name
?”
she finally asked.

“
Qwin
.
”

“
Oh
.”
She fell silent again biting her lip
.“
Where do ye come from
?
”

“
Faraway north
.”
Qwin replied.

Runa glanced back at him
.“
Near the dead lands
?”
              The lamp light caught his puzzled expression
.“
Ye know, the barren mountains where the dead live
?
”

“
Ah. The Niram
i’
s Grave
.”
A pause
.“
Near there
.
” 

“
I’
ve only seen it once when I visited my cousin in Wazan. It was creepy
.”
She shuddered. One could always see storms raging through those barren teeth. Once she had been walking Swift and she had seen a man with no legs. He had been ghostly. Swift did
n’
t notice him. So when Runa had decided to flee, Swift had thought it to be merely a game.
 “
How do ye stand liven near it
?”
She asked.

She glanced back in time to see Qwin shrug
.“
One gets used to it. I think I see your camp ahead
.
”

Runa looked and saw the welcoming fir
e’
s glow
.“
That be i
t”
she confirmed.

***

The hunte
r’
s camp was small with a nice fire burning. Over it was a bubbling pot that smelled good. The hunters who were in the camp were all sitting in a ring around the fire. Many of them cast him measuring glances. They were uneasy because the dogs were uneasy. The wolfhounds all shied away from Kaishan. He could see the poor beasts trying to flee again. He recognized this reaction. All animals tended to react negatively to his presence. Fellow predators went almost as weak as rabbits. It was rather annoying after a while and undermined harmless looking illusions. He sighed quietly. Animals were also unaffected by illusion. They saw what was underneath. He could only act as harmless as he could. The hunters could think as they willed. He only hoped that they would be willing to share some information with him.

Runa sat with the younger hunters across the fire. He saw her and some other girls sneaking him glances. They did
n’
t seem to fear him. Their dogs, however, did. They kept their mistresses away from him. Kaishan sighed, annoyed. The dogs kept looking at him as if he might suddenly attack. He could smell their fear in the air. It was irritating when all he wanted to do, at the moment, was talk.  Surely the dogs would relax after a while when they saw he made no threatening overtures. Kaishan mentally grunted. Like that would e
ver
happe
n
…

“
So what be yer business in here parts, Qwin
?”
Asked a stickily built man with several axes in his belt.

“
Wandering though
.”
He replied. The man furrowed his brow. Something Kaishan noticed was that these people had an accent and they seemed to expect him to have it too.
Has it really been so long since last I played this game?
He sighed. He knew it had to do with his illusion. He had mimicked what he had seen the hunters wearing when he flew over earlier. All the way down to the hound and arrow embroidered in the tunic. But he seemed to be missing something. All well. Too late to change it now, that would be breaking character. All he wanted was information. If they wanted to fight him, well that was their problem. He was
n’
t concerned. In fact, if he was honest, a small part of him thirsted for a fight. He had no idea what it was that was causing this violence within him, and because of that he did
n’
t trust it. He cast out with his mind searching for what it might be, but could
n’
t sense more than a trace.

“
Wanderi
n’
though? Where is yer Pack and dog
?”
The hunter continued when Kaishan raised an eyebrow. The man pointed at the hound on his tunic
.“
Yer a hunter, are ye not? Where is yer dog
?
”

Ah.
That explained a lot. They all had dogs. He did not and could not have one because the stupid animal would run from him. The hunter within smiled. He knew then how to get his information without these kind people ending up dead
.“
My Pack and I were up near the Niram
i’
s Grave when we were led by a soft voice into the hills. I told my Pack that it was probably a trap, but I was ignored
.”
Kaishan shook his head
.“
A storm struck and killed them in a torrent. My dog died trying to help me ou
t
…
”
He trailed away. Through his lashes he saw them all turn pale
.“
I came south to see if I could find someplace where the life was good and the memories were scarce
.”
There,
he smiled inwardly.
That would explain the missing accent and the lack of s dog. And would put them into a pitying attitude. They are more likely to give me what I want that way.
Kaishan saw it work as the people around him made the assumptions he wanted them too. Perhaps it had
n’
t been too lon
g
…