A Mirror Against All Mishap by Jack Massa

Author:Jack Massa [Massa, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Triskelion Books
Published: 2017-12-27T22:00:00+00:00

Eighteen

In the morning white mist clung to the hills, and a cold drizzle drifted down. It was the fourth day of Second Summer, 15 days till the alignment of the moons.

Amlina and her companions returned to their boat, accompanied by Izgoy and one of his sons, Durfsky, who would be their guide into the mountains. Durfsky was a sturdy young man, with the same curly hair and heavy eyebrows as his father. He stood head and shoulders taller than Izgoy, but bowed his head and listened deferentially when the elder man spoke.

Wilhaven and the Iruks lashed down the oars and gathered the last of their baggage for the march inland. Amlina took the opportunity to weave extra protection over the craft, envisioning a cloud of awe and apprehension to descend on anyone approaching the boat. She gave explicit instructions to Izgoy regarding the watering of the bostulls. Windbringers were a rarity this far from the sea, so she made sure their needs were clearly understood.

When the witch finished speaking with the headman, Glyssa was crouched in front of Kizier, saying farewell. Amlina knelt beside her.

“Once again, my friend, we must say good-bye.”

Kizier eyed her gravely. “Yes. I shall miss you both. But I take comfort in the knowledge that you will look after each other.”

Amlina caught Glyssa’s eye, and both of them smiled. The witch thought again of how strong in spirit Glyssa was, and how dedicated she had proven herself to the hard disciplines of training. Yet, in that moment, Amlina also glimpsed a cruel vulnerability. Glyssa had been badly damaged by her enthrallment to the serd. No telling how long that wound might take to heal. Amlina gripped Glyssa’s hand and they stood up together. They left Kizier with the other bostulls, humming quietly in trance.

Izgoy led the party to a corral at the edge of the settlement. Inside the enclosure stood a small herd of aklors—wooly, six-legged beasts with long necks and barrel-shaped bodies. They were shorter and stouter than the breeds Amlina had known in Larthang and the Tathian Isles. Izgoy pointed out two that he recommended as excellent pack animals. The witch called on her intuition and selected two others instead.

Durfsky fitted reins on the chosen animals and led them out of the corral. Assisted by the Iruks, he loaded and tied the group’s baggage onto the creatures’ backs—bed furs, the canvas sleeping tent from the boat, the witch’s trunks and bags, enough food and oil for several days march. The travelers expected to purchase more food from herdsman in the hills, while streams and springs would provide fresh water.

With the gear secured, they bade Izgoy farewell and set off. Durfsky led the way, Amlina a step behind, then the Iruks single file. Lonn and Wilhaven brought up the rear, each tugging the reins of an aklor.

The trail curled into the hills. The mist dispersed, but the rain only fell harder. Before long they were trudging and slipping in mud, soaked and miserable. In the afternoon they came on a large herd of sheep and woolgoats huddling in the wet grass.

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