Answering To Ana: Chapter Eight

The Sixth Month of The Year 3028 of The Realm1

I was beginning to wonder if father would ever let us go, Flami mused as they soared away from the Palace, saddlebags bursting with gifts from the Emperor.2

You can understand his reluctance, Will argued, feeling that Flami’s dislike for his father was swaying his judgement. Milsero wasn’t there, Larrlo wasn’t there. I know that Larrlo isn’t as respected abroad as I am, but his presence would have made a difference. The most important person present now, after Idano himself, is Jata, and you know most people are either afraid of her or think she’s some child who plays with animals. And we’re the ones Aisang wants to help, not your father.3

I know, I know, Flami replied, sighing.4

“Will?” Iasyn asked, sitting behind Will in his saddle whilst he rode bareback, trusting Skialla not to spill him. “We’re getting closer, I can sense it. Over the sea, over the cities and into the mountains! I’m going home!”5

“That’s right,” Will replied, smiling at Iasyn’s infectious enthusiasm. “You’ll have to direct me when we get closer – I’ve never been this far North before, and I don’t really know what we’re looking for.”6

He had been surprised by Jata’s reaction when he told her where he had found Iasyn. He had asked her to accompany him to the North, to find Iasyn’s mother and her home, but Jata had refused. It was the first time he had seen her afraid of something, and although he hadn’t known her for very long, he knew that it took a lot to scare his aunt.7

Idano was pleased by Jata’s decision to stay behind, and Aisang’s warriors were pleased to know that almost all of the Riders would be staying in The East for another week or so. Despite the fact that they lost most of their matches, they delighted in fighting the Riders, discovering new techniques every day. The Riders learnt as much as the Easterners through their competitions, and Will himself had learnt a few new moves, when he had not been tied down in negotiations.8

He had left Lady Larshia and Sir Karao in charge in his place, hoping that the two Riders would respect his decision not to take them with him. Only five Riders accompanied him, all of them male, a fact that Iasyn seemed quite comfortable with. Minaro had been chosen for the skills he had proved time and again, Gari for his blind loyalty and to avoid alienating the young Rider. Ballri and Shaunu needed no explanation for being picked – they were Will’s closest friends, beyond Flami, and he trusted them with his life. Naru was the last member of the group. Will also knew that each of the men he had chosen could keep a secret under almost any circumstances. The men had been thrilled to be picked, although Ballri noted that his ‘maids’ would have to find new customers whilst he was away.9

Now that he had known the girl for nearly two weeks, Will was immune to Iasyn’s charms. He no longer found himself caught by unnatural desire as she smiled at him, though he knew her beauty affected his fellows, Ballri most of all. At his request, a cot had been placed in his room at the Palace, and Iasyn had stayed with him day and night. Until she was returned to her mother, he felt that he was responsible as her parent, and he didn’t let her out of his sight. Flami quickly stopped rumours that Will was spoiling the beautiful child’s innocence, but heads had still turned as Leader and seer-child walked along the corridors. That, more than anything, was the reason Idano had let Will leave before negotiations were finished. He knew how most of the Easterners felt about the blonde girl, and was worried that, even with Will’s protection, some of the more superstitious among them may do something stupid.10

“You’ve gone too far west,” Iasyn told Will as the Great Lake came into view far in the distance. “Find the Old Road and follow it North until it disappears, then I will know where I am, and I will guide you to my home.”11

Will obliged, shivering as his fellows did at the mention of the Old Road. The Old Road was a continuation of the Great Road, which went through the middle of The Realm, past Crasira, up to Starton. When it met the Great River, the road suddenly became as dangerous as Starton’s darkest alleyways, without the security of the patrolling Royal Guard. Only those who could afford mercenaries, or were strong enough to protect themselves, travelled on the Old Road. The good thing was that it was instantly recognisable, even from this height.12

As they passed the last known settlement, Sir Padru’s home of Lilton, Iasyn stiffened and her eyes closed. “My mother has been waiting, waiting for so long,” she whispered, but her voice carried to all seven Riders. “She knows I am coming, she can feel it in the air. She is so grateful, so, so grateful. She will tell you your fortunes, every one of you, for the long-awaited return of her daughter. Fly north quickly, Willano!”13

* * *14

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Will asked Iasyn quietly as he helped hr out of the saddle.15

“Of course,” she replied instantly. “I have seen this place in my dreams every year that I have been away, and I can sense my mother’s presence. This is the place.”16

Will walked forwards slowly. He ran his hands over the huge boulder that blocked the cave’s entrance, then braced himself and heaved. The boulder didn’t move an inch. As the other Riders ran forwards to help him, a cold voice echoed from within the cave.17

“Who are you, strangers? Why do you seek the Hermit?”18

“We are Riders, from The Realm,” Will cried boldly. “We wish to hear the tales of our futures, and we have a gift for the Hermit.”19

The boulder rolled aside loudly. Will drew his sword, and pulled Iasyn back from the entrance. A woman stepped out, blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders and past her waist. Her skin was fairer than any Will had ever seen, and beautiful. Her eyes were Iasyn’s shade of piercing blue, but ancient beyond words. The Hermit had the body of a young woman, but the eyes of a being from the beginning of the world.20

“My daughter?” the Hermit asked as her gaze fell on Iasyn. She ran forwards and scooped the girl into her arms, planting kisses on her forehead. “Oh, Iasyn! For so long I have waited, alone, bearing my burden. Now you are here and everything is right! I have turned away so many, unable to speak, unable to see, without you here by my side. Now I can welcome them all once again, and do what I was set in this world to do.”21

She gave Iasyn one last kiss, then looked at Will. “Leader Willano, you are ever welcome here for the wondrous gift you have given me. Now that my speech and my sight have returned, I will grant your request. However, I must warn you that there are things in any future that would be better unknown. If I tell you your future, I must tell you the good and the bad, and you must accept the knowledge. There may be things I can say that would destroy you.”22

Will bowed his head. “That is a chance I’m willing to take,” he said softly. “My father took the risk, and so must I.”23

The Riders at his back murmured their agreement.24

“Who will go first?” the Hermit asked. “It can be neither Rider nor Prince.”25

Gari stepped forward. “Please, my lady. I would go first.”26

The Hermit smiled, and took Gari’s hand. “Leave your weapons out here, please. Their presence is forbidden in my home, for I am sworn to neither harm nor kill any living thing, and I despise the stench that all steel carries.”27

Gari pulled of his sword belt and laid it on the ground. He followed the Hermit into the cave, and Iasyn skipped after him. Though the Riders would have made no effort to eavesdrop, they sensed the spells and wards that sprung up around the cave to prevent them from doing so. They pulled off their own sword-belts and removed any other weapons in silence, then sat down on the rocky ground, waiting for Gari to return.28

Flami, no matter what she says, you know that I love you, don’t you? Will asked silently. Nothing that happens can change that.29

I know, Flami replied. I’m scared, he admitted after a pause. I’m scared that she might tell me something I really don’t want to hear. What if she says that I’ve only got ten days to live, or something like that? What if she tells me that I become a really bad person.30

She won’t, Will promised. Whatever she tells you, it won’t be that. You may a fiendish temper, but you’re a good person. Too good.31

* * *32

“Leader Willano, Prince Flamaro,” the Hermit called, as Ballri sat down beside Shaunu, grinning at his friend and partner. “If you are still sure that this is what you want, come in.”33

“What, together?” asked Will, confused.34

The Hermit smiled. “If I have seen correctly, Willano, you and the Prince do everything together!”35

Ballri and Shaunu laughed as Will blushed. Gari, polishing his sword aggressively, scowled.36

“Welcome, Leader Willano, Prince Flamaro, to my humble home,” said the Hermit, and she sat down on the floor, easing herself into the position that Will had seen Eastern mages use for meditation. “Before I start searching through the maze of Time, I want you to know that what I say will happen, but that I cannot predict when or how. It may be that what you think and what I mean are not the same at all, and I would advise you to be wary of being misled. Though I can see the future, I cannot distinguish between tomorrow and next century, and, unless they stand here before me, I cannot tell one good man from the next.37

“Willano, you have sorrows and secrets in your past. You were arrogant, and a bully, ignorant of your true identity, but abusing your position as so many others do. You discovered your magic, and you learnt to fight, unaware of the rarity of your skill. You acted as though you were something, unaware of just how special you were. Now that you know, you have been humbled, and you show great respect to all those around you. Your parents are lost to Morto’s Realm, taken so soon after you discovered your true self. This is your past.38

“Flamaro, you knew who you were from your birth. You were brought up knowing exactly who your parents were, though the rest of The Realm is ignorant. Even conceived under such shameful circumstances, you have been noble and honest beyond all expectations. Your temper has threatened to undo you, as it did your father before you, but the tact and diplomacy you learned from him have often saved you. You have made history by joining the Riders, and you will continue to make history for years to come.39

“I see many more sorrows and secrets littered across your paths. I see hatred and jealousy, love and passion. So many will fall for your looks and charm, only to have their hearts broken as you stick doggedly to your promise, the promise you made to each other. You have both lost so many, and yet another loss draws close, one which will shock The Realm even more than it shocks you, and will send you to war. The outcome of that war depends on one individual, whose decision will affect you greatly. You must hope that he chooses the right path. Though both lead to power, only one is good and pure. 40

“You will live long, and though there are great pains and terrible burdens in your lives, you will be happy. The greatest betrayal will come from one who is close to you both, one whom you will trust completely. At the end, when all is lost, you will die in each other’s arms, and the truth will be revealed. The one who betrays you will repent, and all rifts will be healed. Your children will have happy marriages, forming strong alliances, which will be sorely needed once you have moved on. It is after your deaths that the game comes into play, and the Great War arrives.”41

Will and Flami were silent for a few seconds, thinking about what the Hermit had said, and making sure that she had finished. Then Flami spoke.42

“You say ‘the greatest betrayal’. Does that mean there will be other betrayals? Will many of our friends turn against us, before our final hour comes?”43

The Hermit closed her eyes. “A betrayal already committed will be uncovered, but the truth will be hidden again, until the very end. I see small betrayals, small and few, before the great ending, when you will feel that the world has deserted you and left you completely alone, but for each other. She will come for you, against her will, ready to place a heavy burden on her shoulders, and you will take that burden from her. Do not let her kill you, for it is up to you to kill yourselves – not in cowardice, but with valour, for in doing so you will save her from her own conscience.”44

Will sighed, trying to make sense of the Hermit’s words, and yet anxious not to attach meanings where there were none. He suddenly realised something. “How can you see like this?” he asked. “Iasyn can see things almost at definite times and places, and she can name, to an extent, the people in her prophecies. You cannot name time, place, or person, yet you can see events so clearly, and you can control what you see. She seems to have no control over her sight – it is the vision that controls her.”45

The Hermit thought for a minute. “No two seers work in the same way,” she replied. “I can teach Iasyn to control her visions, to accept them only when she wants to, and to navigate through them, finding the information she needs. Aside form that, I can offer no explanation, just as I cannot explain what I have told you.”46

“Thankyou. Is there anything we can do for you before we go?”47

“You have done everything I could ever want. You returned my daughter to me. Please, do not dwell on what I have said, for it may be that in doing so you will lose all happiness from your life. I have seen it happen before, and it will happen again. Take care, Riders.”48

* * *49

“That was interesting!” Ballri said loudly as they dived down towards Starton. Nobody had spoken at all for the duration of the journey. “It seems Shaunu and I will be happy for a long time yet!”50

Will smiled. “Did the Hermit speak of anything but sex to you, Ballri?”51

Ballri chuckled. “Of course. She also said that I would become a great warrior, and my name would be remembered for centuries. Did she speak of anything but sex to you and Flamaro?” He winked.52

Skialla shot a burst of flame at Ballri, which the man dodged, roaring with laughter. Will shook his head, grinning, pleased to see that Flami had not reacted angrily to the big man’s words. He decided to drop the subject, not wanting to share what he had been told, and aware that none of the other Riders appeared to want to. It was hard to guess what might have been said to any of his friends, but Will was sure that one of them would be the one to betray him. If that was the case, he knew that they would have been told what they would do, and he watched them for any signs that they would bring his downfall, but all still looked at him with admiration.53

They dismounted and stabled their dragons, then headed to the baths. Will decided not to use his private bathroom today, since the Riders’ baths would be virtually empty with the other Riders still in The East. He collected a robe from his room, and was the first to arrive at the baths. Seconds later, Flami appeared, grinning.54

“It’s so nice to see you here, Willano. I don’t think you’ve taken a bath with us for, oh, at least two months!”55

Will laughed. “I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing you with all those other men,” he replied, and the two friends undressed, then dived into the warm water.56

“Ah, Willano!” cried Ballri, as the door swung open. “My friend, how delightful to see you. We were thinking it was about time you took a wash – that body of yours must be filthy dirty, given how long it is since you deigned to visit the baths last!”57

“I’m afraid the water may not give much benefit to your skin, considering how much muck I’ve transferred into it!” Will laughed. “I think I’ve remembered why I took my baths alone now – there’s nobody to tell me how incredibly muddy I am!”58

As Ballri and Shaunu stripped down, the big man grinned. “You did take them alone then, dear Leader? There was nobody else present to rub you down? I can assure you, I don’t mind if you want the Prince to scrub you now. Shaunu and I were going to take advantage of the emptiness of this enormous pool – we don’t mind if you do the same!”59

Flami sent a jet of water shooting towards Ballri. The man made no effort to stop it, but shook the water from his hair, and leapt into the pool.60

“You want to play, do you?”61

Flami yelped and swam to the far side of the pool, laughing. “Actually, I’d rather not if it’s all the same. Please save your pleasures for when we’ve gone – I don’t think we could take the excitement!”62

Will swam over to join the Prince. “You know, a game doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” he mused.63

Ballri leapt on the comment. “I knew we’d make a man of you!” he cried. “You’d make an excellent recruit for the Royal Guard if ever you wanted to join, Will!”64

“I don’t mean that sort of game,” Will said quickly, to Ballri’s disappointment. “But given how few people are here for us to annoy, and the childish moods we all seem to be in, what do you say to a water fight?”65

Shaunu finally slid into the water. “A water fight in a huge pool full of water. Where’s the fun in that?”66

Will grinned. “Now you just answered your own question. This is a huge pool full of water.” 67

Shall we? He asked Flami, and the Prince grinned. They slammed the water with their magic and sent a huge wave rolling towards Ballri and Shaunu. The men screamed, flailing their arms in the air, and disappeared under the water as the wave struck them.68

They shot back up to the surface, and jets of water shot out from their hands, arcing across the pool to crash onto Will and Flami’s heads. The fight continued, as thundering torrents of water crossed the room in every shape and form, soaking the floor and the walls. After half an hour, the door opened and Naru walked in, to be hit by a mass of water in the shape of a dragon. He shook his fist at the Riders in the pool, examined his dripping clothes, and lifted all of the water out of the pool.69

“Uh-oh!” laughed Will and Flami together, like little children.70

Naru dropped the water, and it fell back into the pool, shattering onto the four men’s heads and jumping out of the sides.71

“That’s going to hurt for a while!” Shaunu complained, rubbing his head. He climbed out of the pool, shook himself off like a dog, and pulled his soaking robe off the hook, groaning.72

“Pool’s all yours,” Will told his cousin as he climbed out.73

“Aren’t you going to do something about this mess?” Naru asked.74

“Fine.” Will clicked his fingers and a wave of heat ran over the room. The walls, the floor, and the clothes and robes at the side all dried instantly. He pulled on his robe, handed the other to the Prince, and grimaced as he caught his reflection in the mirror. With another click of his fingers, his hair smoothed back into place.75

“And now we proceed to the bedroom,” Ballri whispered to Will as they walked out, earning himself a sharp slap from the Leader.76

Well, why not? asked Flami eagerly. They expect that we will anyway, so we might as well. I really think I’m beginning to warm to these strange friends of yours!77