The Ambassador's Mission

Unh nodded and looked around, his expression knowing and happy. “Yes. These stones have no power. They have not been raised to have power. They are natural. Safe.”

“So … the stones in the place I was in before were made to be dangerous?”

“Yes. By people. Where was this place?”

“In Elyne. Beneath an ancient ruined city.”

Unh nodded again. “A people once lived in the mountains here. They knew the secret of the stones. But they are gone. All things end.” He shook his head. “Not all,” he corrected. “A few secrets Duna kept.”

“You know how to make gemstones with magic in them?”

“Not me. Some of my people. Trusted ones.” His expression darkened. “And Traitors. Long ago they came and made a pact. But they broke it and stole the secrets. That is why I help the Sachakans, even after what they do to my people. The Duna not forgiven the Traitors.”

“Do the Traitors know how to make caves like the one in Elyne?” Dannyl asked. If he’d known that, he’d never have entered this one like some child exploring for fun.

“No,” Unh replied. “Nobody knows that. Even the Duna forget some things.”

“That’s one thing probably best forgotten.”

“Yes.” Unh grinned. “I like you, Kyralian.”

Dannyl blinked in surprise. “Thank you. I like you, too.”

The man turned away. “We get back to camp now. I found trail.”

It was much harder to get out of the cave than into it, with the stones sliding out from under their feet, but the tribesman set his toes into the rough surface of one side of the crack and climbed out that way. Dannyl created a small disc of magic under his feet and levitated out. Unh seemed to find this very funny.

The walk back to camp was much quicker, since Unh no longer needed to stop and examine the ground. Dannyl was relieved to find that the magicians had let their slaves go to sleep, sprawled on the ground behind them. They were drinking some sort of liquor from the ornate cups each had brought with them. Dannyl accepted a measure of the fiery liquid. He only half listened to their conversation about an Ashaki’s son who had no skill as a trader and was going to ruin his family.

His mind kept returning to the fear that had coursed through him when he’d seen the walls of gemstones. I never even thought to wonder the worth of them as mere jewels, even after I calmed down. Hmm. I don’t think I did last time, either. But then, I was rather distracted …

A memory flashed through his mind of waking up utterly drained of power. Of Tayend, and the realisation of what he’d been hiding from himself for most of his life. That he was a “lad.” That he loved Tayend.

He felt a wave of sadness. A pity we had to change so much. Instead of growing around each other like that romantic notion of couples being like entwined trees, we became uncomfortably tangled, competing for water and soil.

He snorted softly. Such sentimental imagery was more the taste of Tayend’s poet friends. He looked at the Sachakans and Unh. They’d find such notions foolish, though in quite different ways.

Do the Traitors know of the cave? Unh said the crack was recent. I doubt the Sachakans do. From what I recall, the Duna’s main trade is selling gemstones. I wonder if Unh plans to come back with some of his people and harvest them before the Traitors discover them.

Then he recalled what Unh had said. The Duna knew how to make gemstones with magical properties. It was hard to imagine that a people like his could have access to such rare knowledge, yet live a simple, nomadic life.

Maybe it’s not all that simple, after all.

How was it that the Traitors could have such power, but have never left their hidden city? Clearly there were limitations to the gemstones. Maybe they had to be fixed to a surface, in a cave, in great numbers, in order to be an effective weapon.

The records of the storestone did not say it was fixed to anything. If it had been, removing it would have made it worthless. So why bother chasing after the thief?

Lorkin would be very interested to know what he’d learned tonight. But Lorkin was with the Traitors …

… and the Traitors had knowledge of magical gemstones.

Dannyl caught his breath.