Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 17

She breathed it all in. She enjoyed her slave's power over the forest. Yet even as she took in the silence, sparks of annoyance gathered in her mind. Her face remained cool and impassive as her frustration grew. Finally, the Rashaka stopped pacing. Its body froze and looked off into the forest. Milady walked to its side and waited.

A short time later, five Rashakas posing as men walked out of the woods and into the clearing. All wore simple clothes of skins and leathers, like hunters or frontiersmen. One stood in the center with two Rashakas on either side of it. The human guises of those on the sides were young and nondescript. The one in the center smiled as they approached her.

The one in the center was in the form of an old man. Its hunched withered form kept pace with the younger looking Rashakas on either side of it.

"You are late," said Milady, glaring at the wrinkled being before her.

"I am not one of your slaves, Milady" hissed the creature giving a wry glance at the Rashaka behind her.

"Your assignment was completed days ago. What have you even been doing?"

The wrinkled face broke into a crooked grin, "Feeding," it said gesturing in the direction of the small town. The younger faces surrounding the old creature smiled wickedly.

"Our lord," began Milady, carefully keeping her distaste to herself. "Has decreed that you will be under my direction until this particular mission is completed."

The thing that looked like an old man nodded. "We will come with you," it said.

The Rashakas with it shed their human guises and disappeared into the trees. Milady's slave returned to its guise as a driver and helped Milady into the carriage. The old creature climbed in behind her.

It sat across from her its crooked smile broke across its face again,

"You have brought our brother back to us," it said looking at the strange box.

"That box is not your concern, Stavis," said Milady curtly.

Stavis regarded her with its strange green eyes. "You opened it, yes?" it said. "Our brother's scent lingers on your skin."

"I said it was not your concern," she repeated. "What news of your children?"

Stavis leaned back and closed its eyes. Its wrinkled brow furrowed in concentration, "Our children. Our children," it repeated as if in prayer. "Our children hunting the man are on the road to a port."

"Which port?" asked Milady sharply.

"Port Silver. The Deathkeepers are helping him."

The woman stiffened slightly. "But they have his trail?" she asked.

"Oh yes," it hissed.

"And the girl?" she asked.

The creature opened its eyes. "They have divided her scent again. Some follow the boy and the Warden. Most follow the hunter. She'll be with the hunter. The boy is broken. What of the Answerer?"

"He is someone else's responsibility. Who is this Warden?" asked Milady, suddenly curious.

"A legacy of the Caelestors. Old magic. Old magic in an iron hand," replied the monster holding up its right hand. She looked at the gnarled spotted old hand with distaste.

"I have heard of him. Why do your children waste time with him and the boy? The girl is our prize."

"There is strong blood in him and the boy," said the old creature softly. "And we have an old debt with the Ironhand."

"So you are wasting precious time and resources for meat and and some feud?" asked Milady contemptuously.

"If they are not destroyed, they will be knives in our backs," it hissed.

At first she thought the cretin was making some sort of joke. The thought that one man, whatever his magic talent, and a boy could be a danger to something like it and its Rashaka children was ludicrous. She looked at its old face searching for a sign of mirth. She found none. The creature was deadly serious.

"Very well, you may hunt the man and the boy, but I want the girl. She is our priority."

"The girl will be taken soon," said Stavis its voice grating across the air, "Our children know where she is going."

"Will they have her by the time we reach them?" asked Milady

"Trust us," whispered Stavis looking over at the strange box once again.

She smiled slightly and looked out the window. She soaked in the quivering feeling of success. Soon, very soon, Cassandra would be hers.