Hand of Grace

The Journey Begins

The second day of riding found Teles, Anne and Rauno riding with the four N'aadians. Anne immediately asked questions of the incubi. The two answered her first questions readily enough, but as time passed and the questions continued, they clamped up into stony silence. Teles saw a flicker of annoyance in Anne's face, but she stopped. As they ate dinner that night at an inn, Anne grumbled, "I should have asked you to bring Kelhon to dinner so I could have asked him questions." The N'aadians had already retired. Anne had cleaned up before eating, hence her later meal.

"Ask him about what, Lady?" Teles asked. He nursed a mug of beer and glanced at his men. They were intermingling with a garrison who had also stopped for the night. Training exercise, they had been told. They had been selected to be part of an elite team and they were currently on a special training exercise to ascertain their potential. The Lady Anne was an incredibly gifted noblewoman who had been asked to record her observations with Lord Teles.

Thus far, no one had thought twice about their party. Granted, it had only been two days and they were still in central Lled. They had a fairly pleasant ride for the next three weeks. The highway to Gates was well-maintained and well-patrolled and there were inns spaced a day's journey apart. As part of the logistics that he had worked through, letters had already been dispatched to these inns in preparation for their arrival.

The highway to Asteria was similarly well-maintained. Rumor had it that if you traveled two days' into that kingdom to Coutore, the cubi there maintained a world gate to Xaldres or River City. He'd seen no such gate on his journey to Coutore fifteen or so years ago, but it was a nice thought to consider.

Having a world gate at every major city...having a cubus residing in Capital City who was strong enough to open a world gate. Though Kelhon was a good friend with whom he frequently conversed and dined, Teles didn't normally think about cubi but during Sol Day when he contemplated Nyia and his child's passing. They were Jove's odd creatures. He knew it was Anne's presence that was making him dwell on them.

"Just stuff," Anne answered.

"Stuff" was probably the most accurate term for it. She had no shame in making inquiries. The problem was that her questions weren't never simple ones like, "How much farther?" or in terms of the incubi, "What's your rank?" She always observed and then asked. Or if there was nothing to observe first, she asked first, listened to the answer and then asked a probing follow-up question. It was almost as if she had been trained to question. The end result was that she learned a lot more than the other person had originally intended to ever reveal. No wonder the aloof N'aadians and their secretive incubi didn't like her.

By the fourth day, Anne was no longer asking questions. She listened intently to the men and she intently observed her surroundings. It was easy to forget that she was even there. She still talked and wasn't wooden or lifeless like those who gave up the will to live. She wasn't even resigned to be in this world or because of their mission. She just seemed to realize that no one else was interested in having conversations that would satisfy her curiosity so instead she chose to watch. Teles debated whether he should engage her, but ultimately he knew he was responsible for so much more than her entertainment. He was responsible for her safety.

Nineteen days after they had ridden from Capital City, their scout reported the first sighting of the city parapets of Gates. They were still a day's ride away. He rode back to check in during early evening, but he had someone with him. Someone who looked vaguely familiar...

"Hail, Lord Teles," the soldier said without waiting for introductions. The man didn't salute. His right arm was in a sling and his left hand held the reins of his horse. "Our camp isn't too far away. Join us."