The Road To Kalbakar, Wyrms of Pasandir #1

CHAPTER 14 - CONFRONTATION AT A CAMP (Part 2)

We sat round a comfortable fire in front of Mazuun's headquarters hut. An old man served a thick stew and coarse, dark bread while we spoke of many things. Mazuun told of his life in the Peaks, while Kellani and Naudin explained the Weal and its four nations. Jem managed to appear sitting down, and listened. Her face was strained and I wondered what she was thinking. It must be a far cry from the dying court of Nanstalgarod to these dark, rain-sodden woods.

The warmth of the campfire made me drowsy and I sat hunched in my hairy coat, barely awake.

Suddenly, the sound of someone walking through the undergrowth alerted me. Then a deep, hearty laugh boomed out, followed by some quip or other to the soldiers outside the commander's camp.

Mazuun stirred and shook off some of his gloom. 'Lord Thar returned.'

A tall, broad-shouldered man walked from the trees towards the light of the fire.

'All is well in the woods, Commander,' he said. 'No monk showed their face; we can rest easy tonight.'

Mazuun's face relaxed as he looked at the big man. 'Your patrol went well, Lord Thar?'

'Quietly, Commander. We walked around content as squirrels in the spring.'

'Danger!' Jem's voice whispered in my mind. 'He's a no-mind.'

I blinked and turned to look at her, but she had disappeared. A fleeting moment, I wondered if she'd fled into her bottle, but then I saw her hovering among the treetops.

'He alone is a no-mind,' she said. 'His men are human. They believe he's truly this Thar.'

I tried to feel the tall man's mind, but found only blankness. 'I can't read him at all,' I thought. 'The guy ain't there.'

'That's how it works,' Jem answered. 'His mind thinks on a level we can't sense.'

'Mazuun,' I said carefully.

The young lord turned his head. 'Thar, meet Eskandar, Wyrmcaller Kambish's grandson. Eskandar, this is Lord Thar, my father's most faithful retainer.'

'This boy is Kambish's grandson?' Thar said gravely. 'Has he proven his identity? I don't remember the son of Kambish having a baby; he could well be an impostor. This is not safe, my friend.'

I smiled. 'True, safety is gone, now. Good Lord Thar, noble friend and defender of Kalbakar; have you heard of Ozoezd recently? He had a bad accident, which cost him some friends and his good looks.'

I had expected denial, lies, but not Thar's deep-toned guffaw.

'Oh-ho, thou doth knowest too much, young sirrah.' He coughed. 'You know too much, I mean. If that is the wyrmcaller in you, it just spelled your death.'

He threw his head back, and while his laugh boomed among the trees, he changed. His body grew, his ruddy countenance melted into a scarred jinni face, and the sword in his hands smoked.

'Gods!' the young lord yelled and drew his weapon. 'He's not Thar!'

'Your eyes are better than your wits,' the jinn said. 'I am not Thar.'

'Run, Mazuun,' I said tersely.

'No! I'll fight with you.'

'How typical,' the jinni sighed. 'He's such a fool.' His sword shot out to kill Mazuun, but my hook deflected his stroke and for a heartbeat, we both staggered.

'Back!' I commanded. 'You can't help me.'

Mazuun didn't listen but jumped at the jinn, who simply backslapped him into Kellani. Both fell among the bracken outside the circle.