Lusam: The Dragon Mage Wars Book Five Page 4

  Neala had heard many minstrels play over the years, and had often suspected that the battles and other historical events which they sang about had been embellished somewhat for the benefit of their songs. But never in her wildest imagination could she have guessed by how much—until now.

  Lusam leaned in close to Neala and whispered in her ear, “Should we leave?”

  Neala shook her head without reply. She studied the minstrel’s face carefully, and when their eyes finally met, she saw what she was looking for: an element of doubt. Neala casually leant over and whispered her suspicions in Lusam’s ear. “She doesn’t know for certain that it’s us. She only suspects it might be, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. I’m pretty sure the only reason she chose to sing this song was to get a reaction out of us. Just try to continue as if nothing is wrong and maybe she’ll lose interest in us.” She kissed Lusam’s cheek as if she had been whispering sweet nothings into his ear, then went back to eating her food as if nothing was amiss. Lusam followed her example, but his appetite was far from what it had been a few moments earlier.

  The minstrel eventually brought her song to a close, and as her final notes faded away the crowd erupted in loud cheers and applause. Lusam and Neala also showed their appreciation, but quickly returned their attention back to their food and ale. Although Neala had not given it any previous thought, now that she did, she wasn’t surprised that The Battle of Lamuria had been adopted by minstrels for the basis of a song. What did surprise her, however, was the fact that the story had spread so quickly, and so far, and in such a short period of time. And judging by the reaction of the crowd, this wasn’t the first time they had heard that particular song either.

  After several minutes of cheering and calling for a repeat performance, the crowd began to settle down. The tall man once again began to make his way through the crowd collecting the minstrel’s donations, and judging by the amount of coin entering his hat, it was certainly a very lucrative song for her. She expertly waited until he had finished his rounds before announcing that she would take a small break—much to the obvious disappointment of the crowd.

  “I think we should finish eating our food and head upstairs to our room,” Neala said quietly, keeping her head down towards her plate. Lusam was about to agree, but was interrupted by a female voice.

  “May I join you for a short time?”

  Neala and Lusam looked up to see who it was, and were stunned to see the minstrel standing before them. She smiled openly at their shocked expressions, and repeated her request once more. “May I?” she asked, pointing towards a stool opposite Lusam. Neala’s instincts screamed at her to deny the minstrel’s request, but a quick glance around the room suggested a more tactful approach was needed. Almost everyone in the room was now looking in their direction, and she was quite certain the minstrel knew that too.

  Neala forced a smile onto her face, then said, “Of course. Please… sit.”

  “Thank you,” the minstrel replied, never taking her eyes off Lusam as she sat down. “My name is Kira,” she said, leaving a long pause for them to reply with their own names.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Kira. Was there a particular reason why you wished to join us?” Neala asked, purposely avoiding giving their names. Kira’s grin widened at Neala’s evasiveness, as if she had just been invited to play an exciting new game with them.

  “So, how did you like my latest rendition?” Kira asked, completely ignoring Neala’s question. Neala glanced around the room again. Most of the patrons had returned to their own private conversations, but several were still looking in their direction, and no doubt could hear every word they said.

  “It was very… entertaining,” Neala replied, non-committally.

  Kira grinned at her reply. “Maybe we could discuss it further after my performance is over? I would love to hear which parts you liked the most, and which you did not.”

  “Unfortunately, we can’t I’m afraid. We have an early start in the morning and we were just about to retire for the night. Sorry,” Neala said, leaving little room for discussion.

  “Oh, that’s a real shame,” Kira replied, sounding genuinely disappointed. “Which way are you heading tomorrow?”

  Lusam took a breath to reply, but Neala spoke first. “We’re heading to Helveel,” she lied, “to see my aunt. She’s not been well lately, and we have to go there to look after her for a while.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she gets well soon. Fortunately, I too am heading to Helveel. Maybe we could travel there together?”

  “Maybe,” Neala replied. “We’ll be leaving the tavern around midday tomorrow. You’re welcome to join us if you like. But why would you even want to?”

  “Well, it’s always safer to travel in a group, especially around these parts with so many thieves around. But I won’t lie to you, my main reason for asking is that I’d like to hear your own tales and adventure. I’m a minstrel after all, and telling stories is how I make my livelihood. I have to get them from somewhere,” Kira replied, grinning widely.

  Neala turned to Lusam and made a motion with her head that it was time for them to leave. As Neala stood up, she turned back to face Kira. “Like I said, you’re welcome to join us, but I doubt that any of the stories we have to share would be worthy of a song,” she said, making her way out from behind the table.

  “Oh… I very much doubt that,” Kira replied confidently. “Tomorrow, at midday then?”

  “Tomorrow at midday,” Neala repeated, as she and Lusam headed towards the stairs.

  Lusam waited until they had reached the first landing before speaking. “Do you think she knows?” he asked quietly. Neala placed a finger to her lips and continued towards their room at the far end of the corridor. The long corridor was well-lit with oil lamps, and the dark wooden panelling gave it warm homely feel. The carpet which ran the length of the corridor was thick and luxurious underfoot, and she noticed that it muffled their footfalls almost entirely. It would be difficult to hear anyone creeping around in the corridor from inside their room, she thought, as she placed the key in the lock. It turned with a resounding click and the door swung inwards to reveal a very clean and cosy room. A large bed with more pillows than she had ever seen in one place occupied the rear wall. There was a small table at each side of it, both covered by a large crocheted mat. And on each mat stood a lit oil lamp, as well as a small bowl containing what looked like dried flowers.

  After closing the door and relocking it, Neala walked over to the window and peered out at the darkened courtyard below, then quickly pulled the thick curtains closed. She then removed her tunic and hung it on the door handle, covering the keyhole so that no one could use it to spy on them later. Lusam watched her move around in silence, unsure what had spooked her so much.

  “Are you alright?” Lusam asked, as he watched her continue to pace back and forth across the room. She paused mid-stride and nodded to him, but he could see that something was bothering her. She glanced towards the door as if she had heard someone on the other side of it. Lusam immediately slipped into his mage-sight to check, but there was no one there. He had long since learned to trust Neala’s instincts, so he began to scan beyond the walls of the room for any hidden dangers, but again, he found nothing amiss. He decided to place a soundproof magical barrier around them just in case.

  “Do you think we’re in danger here?” Lusam asked, as she continued to pace slowly back and forth across the room. She suddenly stopped mid-stride and looked over at him, as if his words had startled her out of her thoughts. “It’s alright, you can speak freely. No one can hear us,” he assured her. She paused a moment, then nodded her understanding.

  “No, I don’t think we’re in any physical danger. I just don’t appreciate my… our lives being made so… public, that’s all. I mean, who does she think she is? What right does she have to say those things about us? It was bad enough not being able to move around Lamuria without being gawped at, or whispered about everywhere
we went. And those people witnessed, or at least heard first hand what had actually happened there. I dread to think what it would be like if her version of events became accepted as the truth. Our lives would never be the same again,” Neala ranted.

  Lusam couldn’t help chuckling at her words, and gained himself a stern look of disapproval for it. “What?” he asked innocently. “We hardly live a normal life right now, do we? So I doubt that anything a minstrel sings about is likely to make our lives any less… complicated than they already are. Besides, I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure she won’t be the only minstrel singing or telling stories about what happened at Lamuria. Like it or not, what happened there is part of history now and there’s nothing we can do about it, no matter how much we dislike the fact.”

  Neala took a deep breath to argue, but she knew what Lusam had just said was true. She sighed, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all. “You’re probably right,” she admitted, “but I don’t like it. And I don’t like her, either.”

  “Her? The minstrel you mean? But you don’t even know her,” Lusam replied, a little confused at the hostility in Neala’s voice.

  “I don’t want to know her… and if I catch her looking at you that way again, I’ll—” Neala began to say, but was cut short by Lusam’s roaring laughter.

  “So that’s what it’s all about. You’re jealous—”

  “I’m not jealous! Why would I be jealous of a troll-faced, raven-haired lying doxy like her?” she replied, in a high-pitched tone.

  Lusam couldn’t help grinning at her. “Oh, I don’t know. I thought she was quite pretty,” he said, watching Neala’s eyes go wide at his reply. She squealed and swung at his arm, but he was ready for her. He stepped forward to avoid the blow, took her in his arms, and rolled onto the bed with her as she struggled in his tight embrace. “But nowhere near as pretty as you,” he whispered, gently kissing her forehead. She narrowed her eyes at him, and her struggles instantly ceased. A moment later they were kissing passionately, and it was only then that Lusam realised how hard it all must have been on Neala.

  They had been through so much in their relatively short time together. Overcome so many difficulties, and survived impossible odds together. He knew how excited Neala had been when he had proposed marriage to her, and even though she had hidden it well, he also knew how disappointed she had been when they’d been forced to postpone their wedding due to the reopening of The Rift. He knew that she deserved far better—a chance of a normal life. But he also knew that he could never offer her that life, and he was sure that Neala already understood that. Yet she still chose to remain with him.

  Lusam reached into his tunic pocket, never taking his lips away from Neala’s, and took out a single gold coin. He closed his hand around the coin and encased it within a small magical barrier. He then rapidly increased the heat within the barrier, turning the coin into molten gold. With a single thought, he expertly manipulated the barrier into a new shape, forcing the molten gold to take that form, before rapidly cooling it once more. Although his eyes remained firmly closed, he could still see the results of his endeavours in perfect detail using his mage-sight. He smiled inwardly at the results, and released it from the barrier into the palm of his hand.

  Lusam gently broke off their kiss and looked deep into Neala’s eyes. “I love you,” he whispered, and took hold of her hand. She took a breath to reply, but instead, he saw the shocked recognition on her face as he slid the ring onto her finger. She gasped and pulled away from him slightly so that she could see for herself. Life had become uncertain for them both of late, but he knew at that moment, the look of pure joy on Neala’s face would be burned into his mind forever. Tears of joy welled in her eyes as she looked between Lusam and the ring. She threw her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly.

  “Oh… I love you too,” she whispered, through her joyful tears.

  ***

  The sun was barely cresting the horizon when Neala shook Lusam awake.

  “Eh… what’s up?” he asked, sitting up in bed, still half asleep.

  “Nothing. We just need to get out of here without that minstrel seeing us leave,” Neala replied, pulling her boots on. Lusam looked towards the window and could see the first signs of light filtering in around the edges of the thick curtains. He hated early morning starts, and had been looking forward to a little time in a comfortable bed for a change.

  “I thought you told her we were going to Helveel?”

  “I did, but if she sees us heading off in the other direction she will know I was lying, and I don’t want her following us.”

  Lusam yawned and stretched out his back, then rubbed the sleep from his tired eyes. Neala was already fully dressed and standing at the bottom of the bed waiting for him to get dressed. “What about breakfast?” he asked, suddenly feeling hungry at the thought of a day on the road without food. Neala rolled her eyes at him.

  “We need to get some supplies anyway, so you can buy something to eat then,” she replied, walking over to the window and throwing back the curtains.

  “Hey! Do you mind?” Lusam said, quickly grabbing the blanket to cover himself.

  “Sorry,” Neala said, chuckling to herself. Lusam shook his head, muttering something under his breath about lack of sleep and privacy, whilst attempting to get dressed under the blankets. By the time he was done, he felt little more awake than he had done earlier when Neala had rudely awoken him. Absent-mindedly, he started heading for the door.

  “Not that way,” Neala hissed, as she opened the window. “This way.” She didn’t wait for a reply, and climbed out through the window without another word. By the time Lusam had reached the open window she was already on the ground below, no doubt courtesy of the nearby iron drainpipe, he thought. He didn’t even attempt to climb down by the same means. Instead, he first opted to levitate himself high above the tavern roof, before dropping back down to the ground where Neala was waiting for him.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, in an angry whisper. “Someone might have seen you up there.”

  “I doubt it at this time in the morning,” he replied, sarcastically. “Besides, do you know where the stables are in this town? Or where the store is for the supplies we need? Because I do now.” Neala shook her head and muttered something under her breath, which intensified a moment later when he informed her that she was heading in the wrong direction.

  They found the stables already open and willing to sell them a couple of reasonably priced horses, along with all the tack they needed to go with them. The supplies store, however, was another matter entirely, and they found themselves having to wait for almost an hour before it opened. Neala knew how late the minstrel would have likely stayed awake the previous night, and doubted that she would even be awake yet. And even though they were now at the opposite end of town, she was still keen to get underway and put as much distance between them as possible.

  They soon had everything they needed for their onward journey to Fairport, and were heading east along the wide dirt road. Neala kept glancing behind to see if anyone was following, and was relieved when they finally came to the first bend in the road. Her relief was short-lived, however, when they both heard rustling coming from the nearby trees. Lusam instinctively erected a magical barrier around himself and Neala, fearing that they were about to attacked by thieves. But what emerged from the treeline shocked them far more than any thief could have done.

  “Oh… hello. Fancy seeing you two here,” Kira said, grinning widely at them both, as she led her horse out of the trees.

  “I thought you said you were going to Helveel,” Neala said acidly.

  Kira looked at her, and her smile widened. “I had a change of mind. As it seems, so did you. How fortunate for me. Now I’ll be able to take you up on your kind offer and travel with you, after all,” Kira said, mounting her horse with a satisfied grin on her face.

  At that precise moment, Lusam was very grateful that looks couldn’t kill.


  Chapter Five

  Tiana stared out of the kitchen window at her children playing outside in the dirt. That was all The Badlands were—dirt.

  Dirt and misery.

  Tiana missed her home in the Empire, terribly, and she knew that she would never see it again. If she did ever try to return, the Empire would kill both her and her children. But for what reason, she did not know. All that she did know, was that she’d been forced to leave everything of her old life behind and flee south with her two children, taking very few possessions with her.

  Her husband had always been an extremely ambitious man, never content with his lot in life, and had always tried to climb his way up through the Empire’s ranks. He understood all too well the dangers involved in having those type of ambitions, and as such, had put in place certain safeguards to ensure his wife and children’s safety should he ever fail in some way.

  As a rule, failure within the Empire was never taken lightly and the cost for it was often very high indeed. But the code word Tiana had received from her husband suggested whatever he had done, went far beyond mere failure. They had agreed that if she ever received that particular code word, she must leave their home immediately with their children and seek refuge at her cousin’s house in The Badlands. Then if her husband was still able, he would join her there as soon as it was possible for him to do so.