The Phoenix Ring(24)

He was actually rather nice, despite the fact that he looked as if he  could kill both of them with his little finger. Aidan hoped he would be  the one to join them on their journey.                       
       
           



       

As the last course came out, some sort of fruit pie, Borin stood and raised his glass in the air.

"I would like to propose a toast, to the new Guardian Of The Light!"

Aidan was about to raise his hand to clink his glass with the others  when Timothy caught his arm, while continuing to raise his own glass.

"Why not?" Aidan asked, feeling a little embarrassed. He didn't know who  this Guardian of the Light was, but he sounded important. To not pay  him homage would be a sign of great disrespect.

"That's what they used to call Marcus Thunderheart," Timothy answered,  "You bear the Phoenix Ring now. They're talking about you, mate. No  pressure or anything."

Aidan sat back in his chair and looked across the table. Aaliyah's cup hadn't been touched.

"Now I know that you've all been waiting for me to tell you who will be  accompanying the new guardian. I am glad to say that I brought the  matter before the elders, and they have now made their decision!"

The moment he said those words, about ten older men and women, probably  in their fifties or sixties, walked into the torchlight. None of them  looked strong or healthy, and some were leaning upon one another. Even  as Aidan watched, one of them turned to the side and coughed, spitting  something red into the grass.

Blood-Cough.

One of the men stepped forward and shakily held a piece of parchment out  to Borin. As soon as he took it, the elders turned around and left, but  not before one woman, probably the oldest, stopped and looked straight  at Aidan.

"You have the same look about you as he did." the woman said, in a  scratchy voice. "You'll do well. Good luck, Guardian." She then followed  her brethren into the night, coughing as she went.

Every eye turned to Borin as he held the parchment in the air.

"The name of the amogh that will be joining the Guardian is …  Aaliyah Brennon!"

The amoghs all burst into wild applause, and someone called for a toast.  Aidan raised his cup, every bit of magic in his body ready to burst in a  rage.

They know she hates us. Why would they try to send her on a journey  where she might be our sole protection? Are they trying to kill us?

He noticed Timothy stand up out of the corner of his eye and leave, without even participating in the toast.

He set his glass down and looked questioningly at master Borin, who  nodded consent. The young mage stood, grateful for the excuse, and  walked into the darkness.

He found Timothy by the front entrance of the camp, whistling a strange tune into the night.

"What are you doing?" The older mage asked, trying to keep his voice  steady. His friend looked as angry as Aidan felt, and he didn't want to  make it worse.

"I'm calling Grogg," Timothy said.

Aidan felt a cold dread settle into his stomach.

He's completely under the beast's thrall. If this keeps up then Timothy is going to hurt himself or someone else.

"Why would you do that?"

"Grogg already told me he doesn't like bad luck. Bringing an amogh is  bad on its own, but bringing a female amogh is like poking a griffin  with a stick. Grogg should know."

Aidan was beginning to wish he had incinerated the goblin when he had the chance.

"Timothy, you look tired. Why don't you let me talk to Grogg, and you  can go to bed early?" he said, pushing as much magic into his voice as  he could without casting a spell.

Timothy seemed confused for a moment.

"Will you tell him that the message is from me?" Timothy asked, swaying a little on his feet.

"Yes. I will. Now go to the cot and go to sleep."

Timothy turned around and stumbled off into the night, mumbling something about gnomes and amoghs.

Aidan felt a little guilty, he knew that Timothy's power deprived body  would be especially vulnerable to any magic, but he knew it had been  necessary.

Aidan waited until Timothy was out of earshot before turning back to look at the eerily dark forest.

"Grogg!" he yelled, "I know you're listening. We're going to have a  friend joining us. You're going to be alright with that, aren't you?"

He heard a hiss that was probably supposed to be a laugh from somewhere in the trees.

"Well good! Because if you get Timothy hurt, I'll feed you to my griffin."

The hiss-laugh stopped abruptly. Aidan chuckled and followed Timothy into the camp.





Bartemus didn't make contact that night, even though Aidan held the crystal until he fell asleep.

The next morning Aidan and Timothy woke with the sun, packing all of their things and walking out the door in five minutes.

They met Aaliyah in the center of the camp with her master, who was bearing a map.

The girl held only a small pack upon which sat a bedroll, far too little  to be going on a long journey. Of course, Aidan was beginning to think  that he and Timothy were carrying far too much. The thing that was  really intriguing about the girl was the weapons.                       
       
           



       

From head to toe she was covered in knives, a bow and quiver, and even  two short swords. That much gear must have weighed at least as much as a  knight's shield and sword, but she bore it as if it didn't exist.

Ignoring the looks of hatred that Aaliyah and Timothy were passing, Aidan approached master Borin.

"Thank you for your hospitality last night, the feast was incredible."

"I hope so," Aaliyah said, "the food you ate in one sitting would have accounted for five or seven meals during the winter."

Borin silenced the girl with a glare, but the words had their intended  effect as the boys looked guiltily down at their stomachs.

Borin cleared his throat. "As you may already know, Argentah is the  closest major city to the Camp, at about fifty miles. Normally there  would be villages around a city that large, but Argentah hasn't appealed  to anyone but merchants and bandits since the road was built. Farmers  avoid the place at all costs. Aaliyah has been to the city twice before,  so she will be able to guide you. You shouldn't have to spend any more  than one night there, but if you do then don't stay at the same  lodgings. Just because you're a sorcerer doesn't mean you're safe in a  city of thieves."

On that cheery note, Borin handed Aidan the map and was about to say  something else when someone started shouting from beyond the camp wall.

The front gates were opened, and a troop of amoghs led by Joshua ran  into the fort, bearing a slightly chubby yet still handsome boy. He  looked the same as he had last night, with one difference.

There was an arrow sticking out of his heart.

Cook was dead.





12





The mages instinctively ran forward, dropping to the ground where they had lain the slain amogh.

The moment Aidan saw the boy, he knew that there was no hope of saving  him. The arrow had struck true, and the heart had probably shredded  itself trying to beat on the sharp barbed tip.

"Saneo," Timothy said, putting his staff tip against the arrow.

"You can't save him, you know. Magic doesn't work on us." Aaliyah said,  for the first time with a hint of emotion other than loathing in her  voice.

"Maybe not," Aidan said, dropping down beside his friend, "But we have enough of a heart to try."

The girl pursed her lips as Aidan let his own steady stream of power  flow towards the boy's chest. It was obviously hopeless, the magic  dissipated three inches away from the amgoh's skin.

Borin watched for a few moments before stepping forward.

"Enough. This has never happened in all the years that I have been this  camp's master. This arrow was obviously meant for one of you."

"How do you know that?" Timothy asked innocently.

"Because," one of the boys said, viciously ripping out the arrow, "this  tip is Rakka steel. It's too expensive to waste on anything but a  sorcerer."

Timothy looked like he was going to throw up, and Aidan felt a bit queasy himself.

"What do we know about the attackers?" he asked, swallowing a wave of nervous anticipation.

"They were obviously amoghs," Joshua said, "The things they did and the  way they operated …  no one else could have done that. I managed to wound  one with an arrow, but that is all. I sent a small team to try to lead  them away from the Guardian, but if they don't leave soon then Cook's  sacrifice will be for naught."

Borin thought for a moment.

"Aaliyah, the main trail will be too obvious, try to deviate from the  path as much as common sense allows. What is the enemy armed with?"

"Each has a crossbow, sword or axe, and countless knives. They are more  than proficient in each one's use. We saw four of them," Joshua said,  unsheathing his own knife. "I've wasted enough time, I must join my  scouts."