Legends of the Dragonrealm Vol IV Part 44

That was impossible, though. Everyone knew that there was nothing in the Dragonrealm like Darkhorse.

"So what do I do now?" she muttered. For years, Yssa had depended only on herself. She had not had to worry about others. Now she feared for a companion not even human. "You! What are you doing here?"

Startled, Yssa whirled around. Two soldiers, obviously members of the general's household guard, approached her with swords drawn. Yssa cursed herself for a mindless idiot. Of course they would be on duty even if their master was away. Being confronted by Saress so soon after Darkhorse's disappearance had left her much too befuddled for her own good.

She was not too worried, however. Swords might be a threat to most, but not to a skilled spellcaster. As the pair closed in on her, Yssa stared at their weapons.

The blades twisted, quickly intertwining with one another. Both men stumbled to a halt, tugging on their weapons. The enchantress concentrated, abandoning her latest location for the only one left that she believed to be safe. It frustrated her to keep running, but that was all that was left to her for now.

General Belfour's estate faded, to be replaced a moment later by thick forest. Yssa was back in the land of Dagora, her father's domain. She breathed a sigh of relief.

The sigh became a startled gasp as a hand took hold of her by the shoulder. She tried to vanish again, but nothing happened. Yssa tried one more time with the same results.

Her captor spun her around.

It had been quite some time since she had seen him, but Yssa could never forget Cabe Bedlam.

"I come here searching for my son and Darkhorse and find you instead. What are you doing here?" His expression indicated that he was not at all pleased to see her again.

The sorceress sought to regain her composure. She gave him the same smile that had enchanted so many without magic, but this time the results were not what she hoped. Cabe Bedlam was not at all moved by her beauty and her manner.

Belatedly, Yssa recalled that she still wore the illusion. He did not even know who she was, much less what she looked like. Seeing no reason to continue her masquerade, the enchantress dropped the illusion.

"You!" Bedlam's expression tightened further, as if he had suddenly found himself touching something rather foul. "Tori, isn't it?"

Rather disappointed in his lackl.u.s.ter reaction to her ident.i.ty, Yssa did not immediately reply. The sorceress had changed since the last time she had met him, although admittedly their prior confrontation had been a short one. Perhaps this was simply a side that she had not noticed. Yssa was not certain that she cared for it.

"Darkhorse went looking for my son, who was supposed to be somewhere in Penacles. Darkhorse never came back with him and when I searched for both, I found no trace of their presence. It took some doing, but I tracked my shadowy friend to this general region . . . only instead of him, I sensed you."

"You couldn't. The medallion-"

Cabe's gaze cut off her protest. "I've the experience and knowledge of two lifetimes, although I can't expect you to understand what I mean. Sometimes it helps. Now, I'll ask you this once. What's happened to them? Some notions have been running through my imagination, but I'm hoping that you'll tell me I'm wrong, Tori."

Under his intense scrutiny, any thought of seduction faded. Only one thing interested Cabe Bedlam now. Yssa saw no reason to hold back. The master sorcerer was probably the only one who could really help her. "Lanith has your son . . . and I think he might also have Darkhorse."

"Tell me."

She did, trying her best not to leave anything out that might be of importance. The enchantress spoke of Suess and her masquerade, of Darkhorse's discovery and his determination to rescue Aurim as soon as possible, and of her own role in the situation. She ended with the shadow steed's disappearance and her narrow escape from the other spellcasters.

Yssa kept back only the truth about her origins. Knowing how Cabe Bedlam felt about her father, it made more sense than ever to avoid revealing the secret she had kept hidden so long.

As Yssa explained, Cabe Bedlam's expression grew so grim that the enchantress feared that some of his frustration and anger would spill onto her. Yssa did not relish facing the might of the strongest sorcerer in the land. Fortunately, Cabe's gaze finally s.h.i.+fted from her to the west . . . where Zuu lay.

"d.a.m.n Lanith . . . what right does he have to my son? What right does he have to conquest? All I've ever wanted for the Dragonrealm is peace!"

Knowing he required no answer from her, Yssa took a step away from the robed sorcerer. Although Cabe Bedlam's voice was still quiet, she could sense the energy building around him, sorcerous energy that he would eventually have to unleash somehow. Yssa had a suspicion that it would not be long, either.

"You didn't see Aurim in Zuu, did you?"

"No. I only know what I told you. Trenlen's daughters saw him."

"Who's this Trenlen, anyway? Why did he help you?"

Answering those questions meant treading in dangerous territory, but Yssa did the best she could. "Someone I know from when I still lived there. He doesn't care for what the king is doing. Neither do his daughters."

Cabe clearly knew that she had not told him everything, but fortunately, he chose not to pursue the matter. "Do you remember where it was Aurim was supposed to be?"

"Yes." She described the location, but he seemed dissatisfied.

"Be silent for a moment. I'll try something." Cabe shut his eyes before the enchantress could reply. Energy continued to gather around him.

Yssa sensed a spell, probably a probe since she noted no changes around them. The sorcerer was seeking the mind of his son.

Moments later Cabe opened his eyes, frowning. "Hard to say, but I think I know where they are. Strange, though . . ." "What?"

"Darkhorse . . . it was as if he were in two nearby but different locations." The master mage waved off his 'own comment. "Zuu reeks with sorcery. It's even worse than we thought. Once I rescue them, we'll have to talk to the Gryphon. Lanith's gone too far."

"What are you going to do?" Yssa had a notion, but prayed that she was wrong.

Looking at her as if she should have understood immediately, Cabe replied, "I'm going in there, of course."

This was too much for her. Darkhorse she could understand charging into the fray, but Cabe Bedlam was supposed to have more sense. Had he not faced down the Ice Dragon, the Quel, Shade the warlock, and countless other foes? Surviving such adversaries required not only great skill and power, but also intelligence.

Yet . . . it was his son that the horse king had kidnapped. Even though her father and she had been estranged for several years, she knew that she would have tried to rescue him if he had been in the same predicament as the younger Bedlam.

"You don't know Zuu the way I do, though," she told him, feeling a sense deja' vu. "You need me. I know the city."

Cabe eyed her with some skepticism, probably recalling their previous encounter. "This is something I'd best do alone. This time, I know what to expect."

Before she could say anything more, the sorcerer turned his gaze in the direction of Zuu. Yssa sensed power rising from within and around the master mage. Once again, Cabe Bedlam's incredible power astounded her. The enchantress briefly toyed with her old notion of seeking him as the perfect mate, but she doubted that even at her most seductive she would be able to turn his head. The sorcerer had that look that said he was very much married and enjoyed being so. Yssa had never seen the Lady Bedlam, but decided that the other sorceress had to be someone very special.

"I see the barriers," Cabe whispered. "Interesting. Grandfather would've liked their design."

Yssa had no idea what he meant by that, but the matter was moot. Cabe Bedlam blinked . . . and was gone.

"More stubborn than Darkhorse," she muttered. That was it, then. Cabe Bedlam had gone to retrieve his son and comrade from Zuu. If anyone could do it, he could. That left Yssa with the question of just what she should do next. Return to her father? Not yet. Perhaps she should journey back to the former Barren Lands. It was the one place Yssa was certain that Saress would not find her, not that the witch was probably looking for her anymore. Saress certainly had better things to do than go pursuing Yssa yet again. They had played this game often enough.

The gra.s.slands, then. No matter how stirred up her emotions were, the enchanted field where she had brought Cabe and Darkhorse after their last encounter always soothed her. It still amused her how anxious the shadow steed had been to depart it. The gra.s.s would never have harmed him. It probably could not have done so even if it had tried.

Yssa felt for the medallion her father had given her. Considering how poorly it had worked so far, she was tempted to just leave it here, but her father would be upset with her if he found out. She decided that she would return it after she had spent some time recovering her calm.

Yes, a rest would do her nicely first . . .

What sounded like the crackle of thunder made her stiffen. A sudden, powerful gust of wind threatened to push her against the nearest tree. Yssa sensed sorcery, but from exactly what source or direction she could not say.

A man-sized projectile materialized out of the air, flying past at a remarkable rate of speed. Only as it dropped toward the earth did the sorceress see that it was a man. Cabe Bedlam, in fact.

Too startled to act, Yssa watched as the other spellcaster plummeted to what certainly had to be his death. He had materialized far too high up and flown at far too swift a speed to land safely. Belatedly she raised a hand, trying to concentrate enough to cast a spell.

At the very last moment, the sorcerer's progress slowed. A small blue aura formed around him. Cabe Bedlam struck the ground hard, but not nearly so hard as Yssa had feared. Probably he had been knocked unconscious.

She started toward him but then had to leap behind a tree as the air opened up again. This time, a half-dozen figures appeared. They stood together, surveying the area with varying looks of interest and trepidation.

In their lead was Ponteroy. In one hand he held a short staff topped by a crystal carved into the head of a horse. Yssa knew that the gaudily-clad sorcerer used the staff to better focus his own powers.

Of the other spellcasters, most, including the older woman, were vaguely familiar to her, but their ident.i.ties were not so important as the fact that despite their obvious anxiousness, they began to search the area very methodically. This was not the collection of misfits that she recalled from several weeks back. They still had rough edges, but the Magical Order looked much more like a cohesive fighting unit than Miklo had indicated during their final meeting.

"Look over there," Ponteroy commanded a youth, the only one completely unknown to Yssa. She suspected that he was one of the students kidnapped from Penacles, but now he seemed an eager servant of Lanith.

They were searching for Cabe Bedlam, of course, but fortunately, Ponteroy had chosen to focus on the wrong area. That meant that she had a chance to get to the sorcerer first and spirit him away before the others noticed.

Crouching and hoping that the medallion would do her some good after all, Yssa moved slowly toward where Cabe lay unmoving. Fortunately for the master sorcerer, he had landed behind some trees. Yssa also noticed that she could barely detect the unconscious spellcaster, which meant that he had woven a fairly complex s.h.i.+eld spell around himself. That would not hide him forever, though, which was why she had to reach him quickly.

The sorcerer's still unmoving form worried her immensely. The enchantress began to wonder whether he had been more severely injured than she had first thought, but since he lay on his stomach she could not see what his face might reveal. However, when Yssa tried to turn him over, an invisible barrier more than an inch thick prevented her. No matter how she tried to move him, the spell would not allow her to get any grip.

"Sometimes you can be too safe," she whispered to the unconscious figure. Yssa quickly glanced at the hunters, now distant, only partially visible forms. The longer they took, the better. She needed time to decide how to get around Cabe's protective spells.

Then a second crackle of thunder made her look around with renewed anxiety. She sensed that someone new and much more capable had joined the pursuing mages, someone with abilities far more impressive than those of either Saress or Ponteroy. An unfamiliar voice said something unintelligible, something that made Ponteroy reply angrily. The newcomer added one more comment, then an unnerving silence ensued.

Yssa redoubled her efforts to move Cabe. She tried to pick up his head, but only managed to cause him to s.h.i.+ft a little. However, the movement evidently was enough to wake the sorcerer. Cabe Bedlam groaned, then slowly opened his eyes.

Yssa leaned close, whispering, "I can't touch you! Let me touch you so that we can get out of here before they find us!"

He closed his eyes, seeming to drift off again. However, the protective spells around him lessened, then vanished. Cabe opened his eyes again. "Do what . . . you can now. My concentration is still too . . . I can't focus enough . . . yet."

Yssa nodded, seizing hold of him.

A figure clad in brown sorcerer's robes suddenly materialized at her side. Yssa looked up into an ugly face whose most dominant feature was one of the longest, sharpest noses the enchantress had ever seen. The spellcaster was bald, not even having eyebrows. He reminded her of a vulture.

"Here he's lying," the vulture called out, "and he's got someone with-"

A heavy branch suddenly swung down and swatted the bald hunter in the face, cutting off his words. With a groan, he fell back, stunned.

Having momentarily disposed of one foe, Yssa found her mind now blank. She had to take Cabe away from here, but the question of where was too much for her muddled senses.

From all around her Yssa felt the use of sorcery. The other spellcasters were acting in concert now, creating some sort of prison . . . and yet she could still not focus her mind. Should she take Cabe to her father? That did not seem wise. Should she take him to the gra.s.slands? He might react to them the same way Darkhorse had. Why of all times was it impossible for her to think?

As if sensing her dilemma, her companion whispered, "The Manor. Take us there. Let me show you."

With one hand, he touched her forehead. An image of a place formed, an image so lifelike, Yssa almost tried to reach out and touch it.

It was a house, an abode, but like none she had ever come across in her life. Ma.s.sive stone walls merged with barriers formed from the very earth. Chiseled marble and cut wood had been used to build much of the structure, but the right side seemed to have been built into a huge and still living tree. Atop the roof and overlooking the front entrance was a metallic figure, a tall Seeker. The avian creature was so realistic he seemed ready to swoop down on unsuspecting newcomers.

The building was at least three stories tall and wider than some barons' castles that Yssa had seen. A small army could have dwelled within those walls.

"There. The Manor," the sorcerer concluded. "Now you know where to go."

She did and just in time, too, for several yards away, a second figure materialized. He was not one of the original hunters, but Yssa knew that he had to be one of their fellows. Although escape was what she should have been concentrating on, the enchantress could not help staring first. Before her stood a handsome, golden-haired man who resembled a hero from the epics spun in the taverns of Zuu. Her heart beat faster and Yssa had to remind herself that this man was an enemy.

"Who're you?" he demanded. The voice was the same one that she had heard giving commands to Ponteroy.

Yssa desperately thought about Cabe Bedlam's home, the mysterious and legendary Manor. She pictured it as he had shown it to her.

"Stop-" the other sorcerer began. A brief hesitant look crossed his features, then fury took over.

His darkening visage was the last thing the enchantress saw before the world around her faded.

For a moment she and Cabe hung suspended in the middle of nothing, then, thankfully, a new scene unfolded. Gone was the forest, although in the distance Yssa could still see tall trees. Instead, the pair of them had ended up in a huge, well- manicured garden that stretched long into the distance. Some of the bushes had been trimmed into the shapes of animals. A marble walkway led toward what looked like a hedge maze. Here and there, benches dotted the area.

Someone cleared their throat. Yssa looked over her shoulder and saw a tall, scarlet-tressed woman dressed in a beautiful forest-green gown. Behind her was the back of a huge edifice one side of which was part of an immense tree.

"I would venture to say," the woman remarked in a very cold voice, "that you must be the one he called Tori. Now would you like to explain to me what you're doing with my husband?"

Knowing more than most about the legendary Lady of the Amber, Yssa involuntarily cringed.

"It's all right, Gwen," muttered Cabe. He untangled himself from Yssa and tried to rise. Halfway up, the sorcerer seized his head in both hands. "Except for every bone and muscle aching and an incredible throbbing in my head, that is. If anything . . . if anything, Yssa probably saved me from capture."

"Yssa? I thought her name was Tod and what's this about capture? You went to find our son." Lady Bedlam's tone grew anxious. "What's happened to him, Cabe? Where is he?"

"He's a prisoner of Zuu. The young woman he met in Penacles was evidently a sorceress working for the horse king. Saress was her true name, I believe."

"A . . . prisoner." Cabe Bedlam's wife grew furious again, but at least this time her fury was not focused on Yssa. "How dare that barbaric horse trainer hold my son! We have to get him back immediately!"

"That may not be so simple--" Yssa began, clamping her mouth shut the moment the other sorceress looked at her. She had made a mistake reminding Gwendolyn Bedlam of her presence.

"What she means," Cabe quickly interjected, "is that Zuu is better protected than I could ever imagine. I can't even get inside the city walls. In fact, when I tried, I was thrown back so hard it stunned me for several minutes. If not for Yssa, Lanith's spellcasters would've captured me." He shook his head, then grimaced in evident pain. "They acted in unison, nearly perfect unison. I felt it even as they hammered me. I don't think I've ever heard of spellcasters working so well together, not even the Dragon Masters."

He suddenly turned his face away from his wife, but Yssa, who now had a clear look at it, saw the anxiety and pain. Her suspicions about what she had seen just before they had escaped were now verified by his obvious pain. He knew the golden-haired sorcerer who had nearly captured them.

If she could not see his expression, Gwendolyn Bedlam could certainly read his turbulent emotions in his actions. The enchantress put a comforting hand on her husband's arm. "Cabe, what is it?"

Swallowing, Cabe looked at her. "Gwen, one of the attackers was . . . it was Aurim!"

"That's impossible!" She jerked her hand away. "He wouldn't-"

"And I don't think he did." The robed figure stared at Yssa. "Did you sense it? Did you get a chance to probe him?"

It had not occurred to Yssa to do any such thing. All that had concerned her was to escape, taking her stunned companion with her. "I didn't . . . I don't understand . . ."

"No, you wouldn't. I probably sensed him just before you did, I suppose. I reacted without really thinking. I could feel the presence of my son, but when I tried to speak to him through his mind in order to avoid alerting the others, I ran across-" He stopped, clearly unable to believe what he was saying. "There was another mind overlapping his own. I couldn't even reach Aurim's!"

"Possession?" Lady Bedlam snapped. "Not possession! Not after what Toma did to him!"

An intelligent force Yssa recalled MiIdo's last moments again. "The thing in the palace! The thing that Lanith controls!"

Oddly, Cabe Bedlam shook his head. "I would've thought so, but it can't be. That can't be what I sensed . . . and yet, what I sensed could not be the truth, either." He looked at both of them. "What I sensed . . . was Darkhorse."

"What?" both women cried. Yssa wondered if Cabe still suffered from a concussion. He had to be mistaken.