The Shadow Roads

Thirty-four

It stood in the center of the river, rising like a tallship, stone sails billowing in the filtered light of later afternoon.

“There is your island, Sir Hafydd,” Kai said. “The Isle ofWaiting. The Moon’s Mirror is said to lie there, though I did not see it whenI traveled here with Sainth.”

Hafydd rose up in the stern of the boat, staring down theriver. He glanced around toward the west, shading his eyes and gauging theheight of the sun. “Sunset is still some hours off. We will go ashore and findthis mirror.”

The island proved to be farther off than they first thought,its great height creating the illusion that it lay closer, but in time theyreached its shore. Beneath the massive cliffs and towering ramparts Lord A’dennethought they must look like a water insect, skimming the green surface of theWynnd.

“There is a landing place at the far end,” Kai said, “orthere was-an age ago.”

What had appeared at a distance to be great billowing stonesails now proved to be the remains of walls, and all about, stairways wentwinding up, their stone treads weathered and worn away. Trees broke through thestone in many places, roots heaving up steps and paving stones, reaching outfrom between the stones of walls, doing what siege engines could likely neverhave done when the fortifications still stood.

As the boat passed, the men stared up at the stoneworksabove. It was a quiet place, apparently dry, for many leaves had turned reddishbrown, and a thin carpet of the fallen lay upon the ground and the ruinedbattlements. In the filtered light that fell through the high overcast ofsmoke, autumn seemed to have come to the isle-as though it lay outside of thetime that governed the rest of the world.

At the southern end, a small, man-made lagoon welcomed them,and they drove their craft over the still waters up to a half-submerged stonequay.

Lord A’denne climbed out stiffly, stretching his back,cramped from his unaccustomed duty at the oars. As usual, the black-clad guardsgathered close about their master. Another stood a few paces from the noblemen,and A’denne did not need to be told what duty he had drawn-they would neverleave them unwatched again, or let them near their master without Hafydd’s expresscommand. He had wasted his one chance-and, worse, he felt that Hafydd had madea fool of him, feigning weakness to lure him into the attempt on his life. Ifit were possible, he hated the sorcerer even more.

Kai was lifted out of the boat and set in his barrow, wherehis servant tried to make him comfortable. The legless man was in agony, A’dennecould see. Hafydd held back the herb Kai needed to govern his pain andportioned out just enough to keep Kai in near-constant torment. There was noreason for this cruelty that the nobleman could see, but then such viciousnesswas not founded in reason.

Hafydd turned on Kai then. “This is the place …” thesorcerer said. “You’re certain?”

“Yes. This is the place Sainth brought me,” Kai said, “anage ago … when I still walked upon the earth.”

“Then I wonder what use I have for you, Kilydd …?” Hafyddsaid softly.

“None,” the little man answered, “unless, of course, youwish to return to the land between the mountains.”

Hafydd nodded to the flowing river. “Oh, I think this branchwill join the Wynnd eventually.”

“I wouldn’t wager gold on it. This place is like no other.It lies on the border between the hidden lands and the world that we know. Youwill see when you climb up. The stairs do not lead where they should, nor evento the same place twice. Even Sainth was confounded. As for leaving … Youmight set out down the river, but you will soon fetch up on the shore of thisisland again. The Isle of Waiting, Lord Caibre. Without me you will wait herean age or more.”

Hafydd turned to his guard captain. “Search him for weapons!See that he does himself no harm.” Hafydd turned back to the man in the barrowbut still addressed his guards. “He has harbored his pathetic life this long, Ihardly think he would chose to end it now-but we will take no chances.” For amoment more the knight stared at Kai, who met his gaze and would not lookaway.

“Haul the boat up on the quay and make it fast to a tree. Wedon’t want to be swimming when we leave.” Hafydd turned brusquely away andmounted the stair. Lord A’denne helped Ufrra and Beldor Renne bear Kai’s barrowup, and it was not light, even with Ufrra taking half the weight.

There were two stairways ascending from the quay, and Hafyddchose the left. The stair wound steeply up through the autumnal trees, itsuneven treads allowing not a moment of inattention. The bootblack tried to helpwith the barrow where he could, but was too small and almost more of ahindrance, getting under the feet of the others, until Beld warned him away.Finally, the stair crested at a landing. The bases of columns could be seenthere, in a field of dried mustard-colored moss. The view over the windingriver was beautiful, Lord A’denne thought. The thin light upon the treed banks,the glittering waters. Everyone caught his breath after the climb, then Hafyddturned to Kai. He gestured down what appeared to be an old walkway that slopedup and curved out of sight, cliffs both below and above.

“Where does this lead?”

Kai shrugged. “Not to the same place twice. That is thetruth. I spent almost a fortnight here with Sainth, and soon gave up trying tounderstand the place myself. But Sainth was more tenacious, exploring everyinch of the island, coming to some understanding of the maze, if anyone couldunderstand it.” The little man shrugged. “Let me warn you-do not let yourcompany become divided, for you will not soon find each other again.”

Lord A’denne saw the black guards glance at each other, apprehensive,he thought.

“We don’t have a fortnight,” Hafydd said, and set out alongthe mossy walkway.

The trees were strange, yellow trumpet flowers hanging downfrom some, others with whirling silver bark and leaves the colors of sunset.Beneath their feet a carpet of leaves crunched as they walked. Light filtereddown through the stained sky-smoke from Hafydd setting the world afire-and thesilence of the place was lulling. Lord A’denne found himself slipping intodaydream, and he wanted nothing so much as to lie down and sleep.

Part of the bank had fallen away so that the pathwaynarrowed. Only one might pass at a time, so the entire company fetched upthere, sorting themselves into single file.

A’denne fell in behind Kai, the bootblack, Stil, behind him,followed by Beldor Renne and Hafydd’s last guard. The embankment had erodedaway over the years and in places become so narrow that Ufrra bore Kai upon hisback, while his barrow was moved with difficulty by Lord A’denne and Beldor,with Stil trying to help and getting in the way, more often than not.

At a particularly narrow point, the bank broke away beneathStillman’s feet, and the boy lost his balance and fell. Before Lord A’dennecould react, Beld threw himself after the boy, the two of them going over theedge. A’denne spun around to find Beldor clinging to a thick root, his fistlocked around the boy’s arm. A’denne and Ufrra hauled the two of them up, Beldcursing and swearing.

“Stay out of the damn way, boy!” the Renne said, brushingthe dirt from his clothes.

Lord A’denne realized that Kai was doing as he was-staringat Beld in wonder. The cripple and the nobleman shared a look. This was the boywho, a few days before, Beld had threatened to kill if Kai did not lead Hafyddto this very place. And now he had almost lost his own life trying to save him.Lord A’denne could not begin to explain that. The man had tried to murder hisown cousin. Why would he care about the life of a bootblack? Unless there wassomething about young Stillman that they did not know. Or something aboutHafydd’s plans.

They carried on for some time along the western shore of theisland. At last they found a stairway, though it led down. In half an hour theyarrived back at the quay on the south end of the island, having traveled in,more or less, a straight line north. Hafydd glared at Kai.

“It was not my doing,” the legless man said evenly. “That isthe nature of this place-paths lead where they should not, where they cannot,most would say.”

“And this mirror-you don’t know how to find it? Look at mewhen you answer.”

Kai gazed up at the knight. “If Sainth found it, he saidnothing to me-which was not unlike him, as you would know. I brought you here,but I can do nothing more than guide you back.”

The sun fell in among the hills in the distant west, settingthe river ablaze. Firewood was gathered and a rough camp pitched there on thebroken quay. Hafydd relented and gave Kai some of the mysterious seed to subduehis suffering, though Kai did not ask for it, nor did he ever complain. He wasclearly never going to show weakness to Hafydd.

“Tomorrow I will leave you and your servant behind with theboy,” Hafydd said to Kai over their meager supper. “A’denne, you will come withus, as will you, Lord Beldor.”

A’denne spread his blankets upon the hard stone and laid hisaching muscles down. He desperately needed sleep, but thought how poor suchsleep would be upon this hard mattress, then he knew no more. Morning was uponhim in what seemed like an instant.

The men broke their fast quickly, some bathing in thelagoon. Kai caught Lord A’denne’s attention as he readied himself for anotherstrange expedition.

“There is a flower growing here. I have seen it. It blossomsblood red and grows in little patches. It is the seed I require. If you have achance to steal some away …”

Lord A’denne nodded. It was a measure of Kai’s desperationthat he would beg such a favor-for certainly Hafydd would be in a rage to learnanybody supplied Kai with the herb. But A’denne did not care. He was going togive his life for something, and if it could not be Hafydd’s death, thenrelieving Kai’s agony would be his cause.

Hafydd had them bear two things with them that day-a woodenbox, which was trusted to Beldor Renne, and a large earthenware pot, stopperedby a cork sealed with wax. This burden Hafydd almost entrusted to A’denne, butthen changed his mind and gave it to one of his guards with an admonishment notto drop it. A’denne wondered what might be carried in these two containers,and whether it might be worth his while to send either of them over aprecipice-if such an opportunity were to be offered.

They went up the same stair, but at its crest found not thewalkway of the previous day but another stairway branching to the right. For amoment Hafydd gazed at this, his black-clad guards glancing one to the other,shifting about uncomfortably-showing some human weakness after all.

Hafydd made up his mind quickly and led his company up, hisguards scurrying to surround him. The path curved around the southern end ofthe island, running almost level for a time, then another set of stairs tookthem up. After a time they came to a place where a stair branched and climbedwhat appeared to be a cleft in the natural stone. It was all but overgrown,roots, and even mature trees shouldering the stones apart, breaking through todaylight. Hafydd sent two men along the now-level pathway they had beenfollowing, to see if it continued much farther, but they did not return withinthe hour as he ordered.

“Shall I go search for them?” Hafydd’s guard captain asked.

“No,” Hafydd said, shaking his head. “I should have heededKai’s warning. Hopefully they will find their way to us again.” He pointed upthe stair. “We will try this way.”

They climbed the stair in the warm sun, wondering what mannerof place they had been carried to-where paths led off … but did not bring youback again.

Kai sat in his barrow in the shade of a tree that leanedover the ancient quay. Occasionally a golden flower would fall near him-like atrumpet dropping from the sky-though they made only the softest sound whenthey fell. The day so much resembled the one previous that Kai had the strangefeeling that days were merely repeating themselves. A thin light fell throughthe film of smoke that still spread over the sky, and a soft breeze from thesouth caressed his face and carried the musky scent of the river.

Ufrra busied himself about the encampment. His big handspiled firewood that he and Stil, the bootblack, had collected. Hafydd’s guardhad spent the morning pacing back and forth across the broken quay, but now hesat in the sun, his back against a large block of stone. He wore no helmet, andstrands of his black hair wafted in the breeze, tickling him into partialwakefulness-but then he would fall back asleep again.

A lull in the breeze hushed the whispering of the trees, andUfrra stopped his labors. Kai nodded to him, and the mute picked up a heavystick of firewood. He crossed to the slumbering guard without hesitation andraised the club high. Something warned the guard, and his eyes snapped open asUfrra swung his cudgel down. The guard rolled aside, the blow glancing off hisshoulder. He reached for his sword as he came to one knee, but a second stickcaught him hard on the temple and stopped him cold. For a moment he seemed tohang there, frozen in time, then Ufrra struck him on the skull with a secondblow, driving him to the cobbles. A third blow caved in the bone, and the guardlay still-still as the stone that made his deathbed. The boy, Stillman, stoodwide-eyed and panting, his bloodied club gripped by white fingers.

“Thank you, boy,” Kai said.

Ufrra crouched before the child and pried the club from hishands. The child burst into tears, and, for a moment, the mute took himawkwardly in his arms.

“Can you launch the boat yourself, do you think?” Kai asked,as the boy pulled free, wiping his eyes and nose on a sleeve.

“I’ll help him,” the boy volunteered.

“I’m sure you will,” Kai said, “but it is a cumbersome craftfor so few.”

Ufrra could barely get the heavy boat to move, but theyquickly levered it up and found some round sticks to lay under it to act asrollers. Kai watched the stair apprehensively as this went on.

“I think I hear voices,” he whispered, as Ufrra and the boypushed the boat toward the water. It slid the last few feet and splashed intothe lagoon.

“Get the guard’s sword and dagger,” Kai whispered to theboy, as Ufrra wheeled his barrow toward the boat.

There was no question by then-there were voices coming fromabove, and they could hear footsteps thumping down the stair. Ufrra tumbled hismaster aboard, then dashed back to snatch up an axe and some bedding. Stillmanvaulted over the gunwale as the mute shoved the boat out into the waters.

A black robe appeared at the foot of the stair then, and theguard shouted. Ufrra fit oars between the tholepins and dug them into thewaters, turning the boat sluggishly about.

The guard ran to the water’s edge but there he stopped, cursing-clearlyunable to swim.

By the time the other guard ran out onto the quay, Ufrra wasrowing out of the lagoon into the broad river. The guards found bows and camerunning out onto the crumbling seawall, sending arrows after the quicklyretreating boat. A small rain of them spattered down around them, one lodgingin the floorboards between Kai and his servant. The bootblack ducked down inthe stern, trying to hide himself beneath a thwart. Fewer arrows were landingnear, by then.

“We are almost out of range,” Kai said to the boy. “In a momentyou’ll be safe.”

Just then a missile came hissing down and lodged itself inUfrra’s thigh. The mute faltered, letting go one oar which thudded aboutbetween tholepins then pivoted overboard. Stillman made a dive over the sideand fetched it, dripping, from the river.

He placed it back between the wooden pins and, manning thatoar two-handed, helped Ufrra take them out of range, the current assisting inthis endeavor. The men on the shore gave up shooting, and as they watched theirprisoners escape, shouted imprecations and threats.

“Where is Hafydd?” the boy gasped as he pulled at his oar.

“Still wandering about the island,” Kai said. “It seems hedidn’t listen to me when I warned him to keep his company together-all thebetter.” Kai glanced down the river. “Help me into place, and I will man an oarif I can,” he said. “Hafydd will be in a rage when he learns we’ve escaped, buteven so I don’t think he’ll come after us. He has his master to serve. Revengeon Kilydd will have to wait-a very long time, I hope.”

The island was a maze contrived by a madman-a sorcerous madman.Hafydd led them up steps and along pathways that disappeared when they triedto return. Once, they were forced to scale a near cliff, and arrived atop aruined parapet to find a place they had passed earlier, though all were sure ithad been lower down and to the south.

Hafydd took out his sword there and ordered the others toleave him in peace. He was heard muttering and chanting to himself, then hestruck the flat of his blade upon a stone, making it wail and quaver like sometortured spirit of the dead.

Lord A’denne rested on a fallen log, trying not to look toointerested in what Hafydd was doing. If this were magic the knightperformed-and it most certainly was-then perhaps Hafydd would be weakenedafterward. The nobleman glanced casually around. Hafydd’s guards had beenordered to leave their lord in peace, but they had staked out a perimeteraround him-ever vigilant, their eyes on the nobleman. If only there were someother to perform the assassination while the guards watched him-but there wasonly Beldor Renne, whose loyalty might not be certain. He had risked his lifeto save a bootblack. Would he not risk it to save the land between themountains?

Hafydd turned in a circle, holding out his wailing blade.The sound made A’denne shiver, so haunting and otherworldly did it seem. ThenHafydd stopped. A’denne could make him out through the leaves. He stopped, andhis eyes sprang open.

“Sianon,” he whispered.