The Road To Kalbakar, Wyrms of Pasandir #1

CHAPTER 11 - TOWER OF MEMORIES

Teodar's urgent words were still in my mind as the emptiness of in-between-places faded. 'Don't go there! Not yet. You want to find out about your family first. Port to this place.' He gave me an image I knew all too well, and without a thought, I ported.

All around us it was dark, silent and freezing. After the heat of the Hellesands, this was another hell; a cold place I hated above all others.

'Why here?' I said. 'Of all the spots in the world, why here?'

'You did it.' Teodar's familiar voice sounded different, almost happy. 'Bit of a rough ride, but you'll learn. At least you went where I suggested. Now look around and see what you can discover about your past.'

'Why here?' I repeated, but he was gone.

I put my hand to the stone wall and shivered with the cold sleekness of its icy covering. I still had nightmares about this place.

'Naudin? Kellani?'

A groan and a whispered "Flamin' balls of fire," announced Kellani had come to. 'What the heck happened?'

I didn't know what to say as I stood there in the semi-darkness. 'Naudin?' I called.

Silence.

'Naudin!'

'Don't shout,' the young mage's voice answered from farther away. 'You'll wake the neighbors. I've been outside; it's snowing.'

Naudin came in, dressed in some primitive fur coat reaching to his ankles. Snowflakes clung to him as the spots of a leopard.

'I see it does,' Kellani said. 'Where did you get that coat? Where...? Curse it, where are we?'

I swallowed. 'We're in that ru-ins place I told you about; where my family got killed.'

They both looked at me.

'Are we now?' Kellani said slowly. 'And how did we get here?'

I shook my head dumbly. 'I ported.'

Kellani leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. 'You did? Just like that? The handportal was tuned to Boomer House, Wargall said. So how did you change it?'

'I didn't use that portal thing,' I said. 'Wouldn't know how. I ported by myself. Sorry for the bumps; it was the first time.'

They stared at me in silence.

'Ah, Eskandar?' Naudin said finally. 'Can you bring us home, too, or are we stuck here?'

I blinked and thought of places I'd been. Several images tugged at me. 'I can get you to Seatome, back to the dig site and to several other places you perhaps don't want to be.'

'Phew.' The young mage blew out his breath. 'Then all is well and it's still an adventure. Good; I always envied my dads and the uncles their big stories.'

Kellani waved her big fist impatiently. 'But why are we here?'

I shifted on my feet, feeling helpless. 'Teodar told me to go and look around this place for traces of my past; that's all.'

Kellani growled deep in her throat. 'There'll be all hell to pay when we don't show up at Broomer House.'

'If we call them now, they'll order us home,' Naudin said. 'Somehow I don't want to.'

She looked at him without speaking. Then her lips curved in a slow grin. 'I have suffered those tall stories, too. Both Mother's and Dad's.' She slapped her hands together. 'We'll not call them yet. Let's start searching the place; see what funny guy Teodar wants us to find here.' She turned and raised an eyebrow at Naudin. 'The snow's a bit chilly after the desert. Where did you get that natty fur coat?'