The Warden

Chapter 48

He would never walk beside her, preferring to station himself behind the entire group where he could keep an eye on her movements. Her shapely figure held no allure, knowing what she was. Her black presence in his mindeye kept him ever aware of that fact.

At times, he had questioned why he had even come. He would never trust Lady Telias. Ever. Though she kill a hundred wighties with her bare hands before him, he would never give her his trust. Her rusty reek brought back too many memories for that. But two men he could trust had thrown their lot in with her. In an examination by law, two witnesses were all that was needed to convict a man of an accused crime. To require more than the law seemed to him a bit petty. So here he was, Masis Domrae, born heir to the duchy of Asthurn, now Warden of Haimlant, with the general of the sovereigns' security on guard some yards off, and the High Mage of Haimlant lying cocooned in a blanket, awaiting the arrival of a wightie.

The sheer absurdity of it all made him nearly laugh. His blank face held it in.

"Sleep well?" asked General Biligrim. He walked back into the matted ring they had slept in.

"Well enough," replied Masis. "Though I'm not sure I can say the same about Master Elwith."

"I'm not so soft as you might think," said Master Elwith, rolling over. "I wasn't raised with silk sheets and goose-feather pillows like some."

Creaking to his feet, Master Elwith stifled a groan as he tried to straighten. Masis and General Biligrim shared a sidelong glance, as the stiff mage proceeded to crack his spine back into place, his hands aiding the endeavor. A few curses issued from the High Mage until finally he stood upright.

"Just not as young as I once was is all," grumbled Master Elwith, glaring at the general's and Masis' mockingly meek faces. "Why don't you show proper respect to your betters and elders?"

"Of course, sir," said General Biligrim, mock contrition on his face. "Please, forgive my impudence."

He nudged Masis.

"Yes, of...of course," said Masis, barely keeping a smile off his face, "Master Elwith, please, forgive us for our cheek."

"That's better," said Master Elwith, nodding. "In my time, such disrespect for the High Mage wouldn't have been tolerated."

Still twisting and stretching, Master Elwith uttered more curses as he tried to wake his body. Bending and reaching for his toes, a small but unmistakable eruption of gas escaped his behind. Such was too much for the already struggling Masis and general.

They fell into each other exploding with laughter. Hooting, gasping, and shaking, either man could hardly draw breath. Masis, with his heightened senses, tried to wave away the foul smell. His efforts did little.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure this is all very amusing," said Master Elwith with a harrumph, "but don't you think that's enough. We're not children after all."

Masis attempted to stop and the general made the same effort. Both men coughed and sniffed. The general burst with a single peal of laughter which tugged a hiccup from Masis. Each new snort and snicker built off each other, escalating the men back to their near hyperventilating state. Lost to his laughter, tears began to roll down Masis' cheeks. He had not laughed like this for quite some time and not all the tears were humorous.

Without warning, a wall of air flowed past Masis and the general disappeared from his side. His eyes sprang open. They darted first to the scowling High Mage and then to the dazed general sprawled out in the grass several yards behind him.

"So, it's true," said Master Elwith. "I wasn't sure if the annals were exaggerating or actually telling the truth."

General Biligrim wheezed from where he had been thrown as he rolled onto his stomach. "The truth about what?"

"Of whether or not the Warden would be affected by magic, of course," responded Master Elwith, off-handedly.

"Oh, of course," said General Biligrim, getting his knees under him. "And you needed to test that theory while I was standing right next to him?"

"I thought the moment was as ideal as any. The fact that both of you were laughing at my expense only sweetened the pot as it were. Besides, I've never felt so free to work magic now that I have this robe."

Masis sniffed at the article in question. The sheepy odor still lingered along with the stinging scent of the lye soap they'd tried to wash it away with. Since Master Elwith had introduced him to the garments back at the rail-ship, Masis had wished to burn every last one. The robes Master Elwith and General Biligrim wore might not have looked like much but they had disturbing properties. The High Mage had explained that they had magicked sheep to produce wool that when woven properly would conceal the wearer from night wights. In truth, they did more than that. They concealed a person's lifelight entirely from any with mindeyes open to See. Till that moment Masis had not realized how much he had come to rely on his mindeye to navigate and understand the world around him, especially people. The robes changed everything. He had not been able to anticipate Master Elwith's Working or read his emotions leading up to it. Somehow, it seemed perverse and utterly wrong.

Masis frowned as he swallowed. "What did they say about Wardens? The annals I mean?"

"Well, the observations made over the centuries concerning the Warden were that magic was utterly useless against him or her. It rolls off or over a Warden like water from a duck's back. They are in essence immune."

Kyla had explained something similar to Masis while training him, but up to that moment he had never entirely understood what she had meant. Such an immunity could be useful, and possibly problematic.

General Biligrim staggered back to them, rubbing his chest. "All very nice. But again, did you have to test that theory while I was standing right next to him?"

Master Elwith sniffed. "It seemed like as good a time as any."

The general squinted at the High Mage. "I'm sure it did."

The High Mage squinted as well.

To Masis the light had not changed all that much, but now he cast his attention toward Wilo. The sun had already slipped under the horizon. Little remained of his death glow.

Where are you, beastie? Masis wondered.

He cast his Sight out around him, opening his mindeye to more than the immediate vicinity.

And there she was. Her dark splotch stood barely outside their little matted ring.

Masis kicked himself mentally for his carelessness. If Kyla were here she would have killed me after killing the wightie.

"Why don't you join us Lady Telias?" called Masis.

Both Master Elwith and General Biligrim turned about trying to discern her location.

"Why don't you shout a little louder next time," said Lady Telias, slipping into their group. "I don't think they heard us all the way in Monvé, but why don't you give it a try."

"How long were you standing there?" asked Masis, his hackles raised at the barb.

"Long enough to know what a wise old man once told me about groups of boys was true."

"And what was that?"

Lady Telias turned to each of them while she spoke. "Simple. One boy, whole brain. Two boys, half a brain. Three boys... no brain at all."

General Biligrim cleared his throat, looking away. Master Elwith found the cuffs of his robe of particular interest in that moment. Masis simply scowled.

"If you're through with all your antics," said Lady Telias, "I suggest we continue. We only have a few hours to the crossing at the Serpent's Tongue and then only a day before we reach the night queen's encampment. So, let's not dawdle."

*DON'T FORGET TO VOTE*