Raging Sea and Trembling Earth: Disciples of the Horned One Volume Two (Soul Force Saga Book 2) (23 page)

E
ight hours
of sleep did Damien a world of good. Twelve would have been better, but he wasn’t going to complain. They ate leftover stew and set out again. Leah stepped between two oaks so big he doubted all of them together could wrap their arms around one. Damien and Jen followed her into a twilight realm of towering oaks and maples, their tangled branches blocking most of the sun. In another month when the leaves came out the forest would feel like it was constantly night. Though the darkness was completely natural and he sensed no corruption, Damien found the atmosphere set him on edge.

The first two hours went easy, the forest floor remained clear of brush and they only had to watch for the thick, snaking roots of the trees. It would have been much easier to simply fly over them, but Damien chose to honor Leah’s request and walk like a normal person.

Gradually the trees became shorter and bushier, the path cluttered and choked with scrubby new growth. Damien couldn’t figure out why the trees would be younger in this part of the forest than they were at the edge.

After thrashing through a patch of chokecherries he asked, “What happened here? I would have thought the trees would have gotten bigger the deeper in we went.”

Leah stopped and turned back. “Not necessarily bigger, but the same size certainly. There was a fire thirty years ago during a bad drought. All the big trees died, many have crashed to the ground, and many more will fall in the years to come. This new growth, while less pleasant to walk through, makes wonderful forage for many animals.”

“Couldn’t you have at least cut a path through it to your grove?” Jen asked.

“That would make it rather obvious where we live. We don’t generally encourage visitors, and those chosen to walk the Green Path will find their way to us regardless. Don’t worry, it’s only another three miles. We’re making much better time than I expected.”

“Didn’t think a couple city kids could keep up?” Damien asked.

“No, you and your sister have been a nice surprise. Though the way you thrash through the woods you certainly won’t be sneaking up on anyone.”

Leah continued on and Damien shared a look with Jen.

Jen shrugged. “Can’t fault her honesty.”

Damien grunted and started walking. Noon came along with a break for jerky and water from a stream. Two hours after noon Leah stopped in front of an eight-foot-tall briar wall. Some of the vines had thorns an inch long. No way was he going through that without using a little sorcery.

“Want me to clear a path?” he asked.

“No need.” Leah raised her hands and the green glow appeared again. The brambles parted, opening a path for them. “We’ve arrived.”

They walked down the vine tunnel which closed behind them. Damien sensed many soul forces ahead, none of them strong. That fit with what Leah had told them in the capital. At the end of the thorn tunnel a simple village of single room huts greeted them. There was no smithy or gardens or anything that looked unnatural. Even the huts resembled heaps of sticks stacked up and tied together with vines. Over the whole thing spread the crown of the biggest oak Damien had ever seen. Some of the branches were as big around as the trees they slept under last night.

A few people were walking around the village, mostly older people and very young children. They dressed like Leah, in browns and greens. The cloth looked rough and homespun. They had no weapons other than an occasional belt knife.

Everyone stared as they walked amongst the huts. Several people called Leah by name and waved. She had a smile for everyone. A little girl ran up with a reed basket filled with roots. Leah took one and bit the end off.

“Thank you, little one.”

The girl held the basket out to Damien and Jen. Not wanting to be rude, Damien reached for the mystery food, scanning it for poison as he did. He detected nothing unnatural or toxic so he helped himself to a small, wrinkled specimen. He bit into it and found the inside juicy and slightly sweet. From the dark, woody exterior he wouldn’t have imagined it would taste so good.

“Thank you.”

Jen finished her snack and nodded thanks as well. The girl ran off to rejoin an old couple Damien guessed were her grandparents.

“What was that?” Damien asked. “I’ve never had anything like it.”

“We call it welcome root.” Leah resumed walking. “Whenever someone comes back from a long journey one of the children will offer them a taste of home. It’s an old tradition. The wise one lives in the sacred temple. We’re almost there.”

Leah led them to the massive tree in the center of the village. At its base was an opening with stone stairs leading down into the earth. It shouldn’t have surprised Damien that a group that worshipped earth energy should have an underground temple, but that didn’t make him any happier about going down those steps. With all the earthquakes they’d been having it would be a good place to get buried alive.

If Leah felt any trepidation she gave no indication. “Come on. The wise one is waiting.”

Damien gritted his teeth and followed her down the stairs. At the bottom, stone gave way to dirt. A green glow suffused the tunnel providing light and casting everything in shades of jade. The tunnel continued to angle down, deeper into the earth.

Jen put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t like this, little brother.”

“Me neither, but we’ve come this far. We can’t quit now.”

Leah looked back at them from a little ways down the tunnel. “Please hurry. He’s anxious to meet you.”

“How do you know that?” Jen asked.

“He’s all around us, at one with the earth force. The whole temple is an extension of his body.”

Damien shook his head. If she was trying to set them at ease, Leah was making a poor job of it.

R
oots
, some as fine as hair and others as big around as Damien’s forefinger, pierced an old man through the back, sides, and legs and held him against the wall, his feet sunk into the earth up to his ankles. His beard looked more like moss growing off a tree than hair. Most disconcerting were the wise one’s glowing green eyes. Despite the apparent wounds he showed no discomfort. Damien forced himself not to stare.

The roots grew out of the wall in a round chamber Damien guessed sat at the center of the complex directly under the great oak. A damp, earthy scent—like after a rain storm when worms covered the cobblestone streets—filled the air. The whole place felt ancient, far older than anywhere Damien had ever visited.

Leah fell to her knees on the dirt floor. “I have brought help, Wise One.”

“Well done, Leah.” The emerald gaze turned to take in Damien and Jen. “Thank you for coming to our aid. In all our years of walking the Green Path no druid has ever committed such a crime. There can be no greater betrayal than to interfere with the earth force’s natural course.”

“They didn’t do the capital any good either.” Damien did his best to keep his expression neutral. Considering he was talking to a man growing out of a wall he thought he did okay. “Do you have any idea who’s behind it?”

The wise one spread his hands. “If I hadn’t felt the ley line shift I wouldn’t have believed one of us capable of something like this, and if one of us could commit such a crime then any of us could. There are only three I trust completely: myself; my granddaughter, Leah; and my second, Eleck. Everyone else I must remain suspicious of until they are proven loyal.”

“So how many people are we talking about?” Jen asked.

“The whole community is three hundred and twenty-seven people, but only forty have the ability to interact with the earth force to a sufficient degree that they could be a part of moving the ley line.”

“That’s not so bad,” Damien said. “We can start interviews today and be finished in another day or two. Anyone that refuses to talk to us you can assume is one of the bad guys.”

Damien sensed the newcomer a moment before he entered the chamber. “Forgive me, Wise One. I came as soon as word of the outsiders’ arrival reached me.”

“Do not be concerned, Eleck. We’ve only just begun our discussion.”

Eleck held out a gloved hand to Damien. “It’s good of you to come. This matter has left everyone most distressed.”

Damien shook his hand. Eleck had a firm grip for a man that appeared well into his fifties. He wore his long, dark hair tied back in a tail, lines of gray shot through it. Fine wrinkles from a life in the sun surrounded brown eyes. Eleck wore the same brown and green outfit as everyone else in the place.

He shook Jen’s hand and eyed the hilt of her sword. “I hope you won’t have need of that.”

“Likewise, but in my experience it’s better to have it and not need it than the other way around.”

“If you say so. We are not warriors here.”

Leah groaned and fell on her face.

Damien took a step toward her.

“It’s all right,” the wise one said. “She’s used up the last of her strength and must rest. Did she explain it to you?”

“The little death?” Damien asked.

The wise one nodded. Beside him a nest of roots grew out of the floor. “Put her here, Eleck.”

Eleck scooped Leah up, carried her over to the bed of roots, and set her inside. The roots closed around her like tentacles, a green glow suffusing the whole thing.

“It might be best to wait until she recovers to begin your investigation,” the wise one said.

Damien grimaced. Every moment they waited gave their enemies more time to cause trouble.

“Can’t Eleck assist us?” Jen asked.

“I’m at your disposal, of course,” Eleck said.

“No, you have your own tasks and if you neglect them someone will certainly notice. Best to wait. I will speed her recovery so you can begin tomorrow.”

Damien had been around enough leaders to know a final verdict when he heard it. He bowed to the wise one. “As you wish, sir.”

“Eleck, show them to the guest quarters.”

K
arrie sat
beside her father on a little padded stool in the throne room and listened as guard after guard came in, reported on the rescue effort, and went. It seemed almost nonstop, one tale of catastrophe after another. To make matters worse Daddy had sent Damien and his sister to hunt down whoever caused the quake. As much as Karrie wanted to finish their conversation of two nights past even she recognized preventing another quake was the priority.

Off to one side the archmage and a pair of sorcerers had their heads together, deep in conversation. After two days of going nonstop, even the invincible Lidia Thorn looked worn out. How was Damien holding up? Karrie knew she shouldn’t worry. Damien was young and strong. If anyone could figure out what had happened he and Jen could.

Two of the door guards hustled in and announced, “Duke Iceborn and his heir, Sigurd.”

What in the world were Sig and his father doing here? Daddy waved the guard he was speaking to away just as the duke and Sig entered. Both men wore blue and white robes trimmed with arctic fox fur. The hilt of a sword jutted up over Sig’s shoulder.

Karrie had heard the story of his duel with Damien. How did he dare wear a sword after that? Maybe he counted on his rank and size to protect him.

The duke swept through the room with Sig at his heels. It was easy to understand where Sig inherited his size; the duke stood well over six and a half feet tall. His thick, gray-streaked beard hung down to the middle of his chest. The duke paused before the throne and bowed to the king. Sig emulated his father, but by his sour expression he begrudged the effort.

Her father stood up and he and the duke shook hands. “So good to see you again, my king.”

“Rasmus, Sigurd. Nice of you to visit, though I wish the situation was better.” Her father sat back down. “We could have offered you a proper welcome.”

The duke waved off his apology. “If there’s one thing we in the north understand, it’s that men are helpless before the wrath of nature.”

“What brings you to the capital?” the king asked.

“The weather finally cleared enough to make travel reasonable and things have calmed sufficiently that I deemed it safe to travel. We missed the ceremony honoring the young man that drove off the dragon and I wanted to thank him in person for what he did for my duchy.”

As his father spoke Sig’s face twisted into ever uglier expressions. He clearly hadn’t come to thank Damien. For just a moment Karrie was glad Damien was out of the city. If he were here she suspected things with Sig could get very nasty very quickly.

“Unfortunately Damien is out on a mission. He just left yesterday morning.” Her father shrugged. “Bad timing.”

Rasmus smiled. “I’ll be in the city for a week or two, discussing business with some southern merchants. Perhaps he’ll return before I leave.”

“Perhaps,” the king said. “Where are you staying?”

“We usually stay at the Golden Dancer, but they’re still cleaning up. The owner says it will be at least two days before we can move in.”

“Well, you’ll have to stay in the castle until then. We suffered some minor damage, but the sorcerers have repaired it already. Dale.”

The castle seneschal shuffled over. “Majesty?”

“We have guest rooms for the duke and his son, correct?”

“Yes, Majesty. The servants have been concentrating on cleaning up the occupied rooms, but we can have them ready in an hour or two.”

“Perfect. Karrie, be a dear and escort Rasmus and Sigurd up to our rooms until Dale has the guest chambers ready. You and your mother can keep them entertained for a couple hours, right?”

Karrie would have preferred to swim in a pig trough than spend two hours entertaining Sig. She smiled and hopped to her feet. “Of course. I’m sure Mom will be thrilled to have guests.”

He had the good grace to wince at that. They both knew Mom hated having nobles staying in the castle. Their presence disrupted the servants’ routines and made everything harder. It was one reason they so seldom had formal gatherings.

“Your Grace, Sig, please follow me.”

She led the two noblemen out of the throne room and up the back stairs to the royal quarters. She pushed the door open and found her mother sitting at the dinner table sipping a glass of wine. Mom had on her favorite white dress, devoid of lace or decoration. She had a small piece of embroidery with her and was studying the stitching in search of mistakes. John sprawled half-asleep on the couch.

Karrie almost sighed in relief. John’s presence would make the next two hours much more bearable. “Hi, Mom. We have guests.”

The queen looked up from her stitching, a minute frown creasing her lips. “Rasmus, Sig, this is a surprise.”

“Audra, terribly sorry to impose.” The duke swept a deep bow. “You’re looking as beautiful as ever.”

Her mother laughed. “And you’re as bad a liar as ever. Would you like some wine?”

Mom slipped into full hostess mode. She’d trade witless prattle with the duke all the while trying to pry out of him his true purpose for visiting. Mom was brilliant at that sort of thing and Karrie knew she’d have to learn how to do it herself before long.

The duke joined her mother at the dining room table and Karrie went to sit beside John on the couch. Sig sat in the chair across from them.

“I hadn’t expected to find you here, John,” Karrie said. “I figured you’d be out healing the injured.”

He groaned. “I just spent the last twelve hours fusing more broken bones than I can count. I’ve sealed cuts and plucked wood and stone from flesh. I’m so tired I can hardly see straight, much less set a bone. The queen was kind enough to offer me a place to rest while the servants finish putting my room back together.”

Karrie patted his knee. “Sounds tough.”

“I think the quake produced more wounded than the war, though thankfully fewer deaths. You know, Damien’s friend Salem has turned out to be a brilliant healer. We might have lost many more people if she hadn’t been here. Anyway I just need to catch a few hours’ rest and I’ll head back out.”

“Why don’t you go rest somewhere else so Karrie and I can talk in private,” Sig said.

Karrie didn’t like the way Sig was staring at her with his bright blue eyes. The last thing she wanted was for John to leave her alone with him. “We don’t want to chase John off. He was here first after all. Whatever you have to say I’m sure we can count on his discretion.” She looked at John and raised an eyebrow. “Right?”

John must have caught the desperation in her look because he sat up straight and nodded. “Absolutely, I’m the soul of discretion.”

Karrie offered a grateful smile. “So what’s on your mind?”

Sig shot John a venom-filled look then turned his hot gaze on Karrie. “I think we should wed. I’m the strongest of the four dukes’ heirs. It only makes sense that I be the next king. With me on the throne you’ll be free to raise our children and do whatever else it is queens do. We can make the announcement tomorrow.”

Karrie was so stunned for a moment she couldn’t speak. This arrogant prick thought he could march into her home and announce that she was going to marry him just like that. A moment later the irony that she’d done essentially the same thing to Damien last winter struck her. Was this the same anger he’d felt at her presumption? For the first time the true weight of what she’d asked of him settled over her.

How had she presumed to command his heart? Did the fact that she loved Damien and Sig only wanted to use her make her actions any better? Karrie liked to think it did. She also hoped Damien would forgive her for what she was about to do.

“I’ve already promised myself to another.”

“Who?” Sig’s face turned red and the muscle at his jaw bunched. “I’ll kill him and we can move on from there.”

“Damien. We were going to announce it when he returned from his mission.”

Beside her John turned the start of a laugh into a cough.

Sig’s face grew even redder and Karrie half hoped he’d collapse on the spot. “Damien. So he stands against me once more. When he gets back I will challenge him to a duel to the death. You’ll see which of us is the strongest and most worthy to be king.”

“Good idea,” John said. “That worked out so well for you last time.”

Sig growled like an angry dog. “This time will be different. We’ll have a true sorcerers’ duel and I will defeat him.”

John shook his head. “You and three friends together couldn’t beat Damien in a sorcerers’ duel.”

Sig leapt to his feet. “I will beat him!”

He stalked to the door and slammed it behind him.

Her mother and the duke looked over at her. Karrie shrugged as if to say she had no idea what had happened. How did they not hear Sig shouting? Must have been some sorcery trick.

“So does Damien know you two are engaged?” John asked.

“Not exactly.”

“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled when Sig tells him then challenges him to a duel.”

“I’m sure.” Karrie held her head in her hands. What had she done?