Chapter 62

Zendi’s Rosin – a mineral discovered by Blackshard Zendi of Zorban’s Exploration Consortium shortly after the arrival of the Dragonkin in Sunderland. It occurs in abundance in Sunderland and in the high country of Harani, most sources controlled by Dragonkin Exploration conglomerates. A small quantity comes through the Gray Lands, and there are rumors of it in other mountainous areas. It is a crumbly ore, similar in color to pine tree rosin (thus its name), that when properly refined can create magical fields that can be directed however the refining sets. The first application was to carry vehicles and containers through no space, which led directly to the development of the Dragon Web network. The next major application was in the development of more recent touchstone technology: the permanent imprinting of one task when activated, where no magic operator was needed to trigger the magical effect, only someone to turn it off and on. It is also a key component of devices like jumpstones.

Key Materials for Modern Life, by Marin Silverthorne, Fireburner’s Press

Four tired and road stained riders rode through a canyon in the barren reaches of the Gray Lands. Unlike most places they had rode through lately, the land was more than bare red and gray stone and scrub. A small stream fed by a spring somewhere in the hills meandered down the middle of the area, surrounded by willow and other growth, sometimes even a pine tree.

“It seems so strange to see open water again,” Violetta said, watching a butterfly flit among the growth. A fish broke water and spit at it, but missed.

Ashira, riding slightly ahead of them, guffawed at the comment.

“I know you’ve been riding through some rough country, woman, but don’t think all of the lands here are totally barren and dry. After all, people like me, we don’t live off of the air,” Xhandi said.

“Believe me, I understand that. I’ve seen you eat,” Violetta said, looking up and smiling.

Ruath laughed.

Xhandis shot him a look, but chose not to react. “This stream is the Wastin. It’s a tributary to the River Xandith that heads up near Aufzee’s Freehold.”

“The Xandith turns into a pretty big river by the time it reaches the coast,” Ashira said, nodding. “Hard to believe if you’ve only seen it up here. But from the coast, boats head a good bit inland. And there are people all the way down it, lots of farms and a few towns.”

“Not that far inland,” Ruath said. “It gets rocky and hard to use really quick.”

“Far enough,” Ashira said. “Ask the people of Emyri about why they have a market town. Merchant caravans appreciate not having to take their goods all the way to Resharni with their taxes.”

“Nobody likes paying those,” Xhindi said. “But Emyri worked out a smart deal with the Resharni captains. I’d rather deal with them than those pirates on the coast, myself.”

“I don’t know how the outlanders pay it,” Ruath said. Then he scratched his head and turned to Ashiri. “Isn’t that where you grew up? At Emyri?”

She nodded.

“Not many Peri where there are so many outlanders,” he said.

“There are always some wherever the Mother of Smoke and Fire watches,” she replied, but chose not to elaborate.

They fell silent for a stretch. The only sounds were their animals and the jingling of their gear, and the sound of the stream.

“I expected more people on the road this close to the Freehold,” Xhindi said. “Is something up?”

“Maybe it’s a gift of the Mother of the Peri,” Violetta said.

“Or something else.” Ashira suddenly looked up, and started to ready her bow. “Too far,” she muttered, but she didn’t relax her bow hand.

“What is is?” Xhindi asked.

“Look up there,” she said, pointing to the sky.

The group looked, and spotted a single bird, gyrating high above over the road and places nearby.

“Another spy raven?” Violetta asked.

“I believe so,” Ashira said. “Someone is monitoring the road. This is not the first one I’ve spotted. I saw one two days ago, but one of the Mother’s Peris brought it down. This one…”

“It’s possible, so close to the Freehold that it’s one of the Aufzee clan’s birds. They don’t like surprises,” Xhindi said.

“Or things they think that can cut into their profits,” Ruath said. He spit.

“Keep your hood up, Violetta. Dressed like that, you look like one of us. Just in case,” Xhindi said.

“Do you think they know what I’m carrying?” she asked.

He shrugged. “You’ve been gone a long time. Was there anybody back where you lived or work who might have reported you missing?”

“My work might have,” she said, biting her lip. “Lazin, my supervisor was not happy to give me the time off. And I’ve been gone so long...”

“Whoever is searching probably doesn’t know anything for sure. But they might want to find you to see what you know,” Ashira said. Her eyes never stopped scanning the sky. “And maybe, even it might just be your own people trying to take you home.”

“Hard to believe that would have happened yet.” Violetta shook her head. Dragonkin don’t like to go where they can’t use no space and their magic toys work poorly or not at all. But they may have called in the DIC, who sometimes are a bit braver that way.”

As they watched, a brilliant streak of golden light cut across the heavens, and surrounded the spying bird. Suddenly it fell out of the sky.

“It seems we’re still under the Mother’s auspices,” Xhindi said.

“Well, the sooner we get to the Freehold, the sooner we can get somewhere else,” Ruath said. He nudged his mount on, and the others followed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

At Pixie Hollow, Cullin examined the rest of the boundary wall between where the railing was broken and the King’s Highway. There were no other breaks in the boundary wall or railing.

“It’s odd,” Leila said. “Far enough from the road to make the break look like something besides casual malice. Could someone be trying to cause problems between you and Mistress Gan or Lady Elaine?”

Cullin shrugged. “The ways of people who do this type of thing are a mystery to me. Was it casual, or do they have a reason? I wouldn’t understand either. And since they didn’t cross into my forest, I have no authority over them.” He tugged on his hat. “We need to check with Mistress Gan. Let’s hope they didn’t leave any other surprises.”

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“You need to talk to people more,” a voice cawed, and Morvran the raven landed on the railing near them. He tilted his head to get a better look at Cullin. “You’d find out that people do all sorts of stupid things for all sorts of reasons.”

“You mean like ravens do?” Leila asked.

“Unfair,” Morvran replied. “We’re just curious or scared, most of the time. That’s all the reasons we usually use.”

“Where’d you come from?” Cullin asked.

“Maunzi the Bush Grandmother sent me. She’s looking for you, Leila.”

Leila sighed. “I bet she wants to nag me to invite Mistress Gan to one of her tea parties. She’s been after me for days now. I just know if we do it, Auld Annie will drop by and then there will be a fight.”

“Make an interesting party,” Morvran said.

“Too interesting,” Leila said. “And you won’t have to clean up after they get into one of their magic tussles. And if Uldra shows up…”

“I thought she was down by the river staying with Urisk,” Morvran said. “Maybe you should invite the Birch Woman. She can calm things down sometimes.”

Leila thought on that for a moment. “Maybe….Su and Du like her a lot. Lu I’m not so sure about. If we can keep anybody from playing music, that might work. We wouldn’t want a tea party to turn into a dance.”

Morvran cawed. “Thinking about Maunzi dancing…” He ruffled his wings at the thought. He turned. “Hey, I think Cullin’s getting away.”

Leila looked up and saw that Cullin was indeed leaving them, walking along the fence that separated the Pixie Hollow farmland from the King’s highway. She hurried up to catch up with him while Morvran took to the air.

Eventually they turned up the path from the road to Gan’s house. It didn’t take long before the first pixie met them.

“Here comes the first pest,” Morvran said. He landed on the ground and began scratching.

“Hush, Morvran. This is their home and has been since anybody can remember. It’s not called Pixie Hollow for no reason,” Leila said.

The bird cawed. “They’re still pests.”

“Enough of you, bird,” Cullin said. He stopped walking and waited for the little man to reach them.

“I think it’s Seamus,” Leila said.

“You know them that well?” Cullin asked.

She nodded. “Some of them, especially the women, come and visit me regularly, and tell me all their love problems. Seamus has caused more than one visit.” Leila sighed. “Besides, I’ve been coming over here every few days. It’s so nice to have a friend I can talk about books with.”

Cullin guffawed. “Books. If you want to call them that… you two and your tastes in reading.”

“They make me happy. They make Gan happy. Don’t mock things like that,” Leila said, giving the Tree Shepherd a hard look. “What makes you happy?”

“Not worrying about all of you. Watching the trees grow. Seeing the sprites dance.”

“Watching the trees grow takes too long for most of us,” Morvran said. He flew up and landed on Cullin’s shoulder. “Anything else?”

Cullin was about to answer when Seamus reached them.

“Can I have one of your feathers?” he asked the raven.

Morvran eyed the little pixie. “No.”

“But it would look so good in my cap!”

“Forget it, Seamus. Where’s Mistress Gan?”

“In the front, doing magic with water and fire and rope.” The little pixie flew by, and brushed the side of Morvran’s wing. The raven pecked at him, but Seamus dodged him.

“Laundry day?” Leila asked.

“Everything gets boiled, rinsed, and hung up to dry. I’m afraid she’s going to dunk me in the water.”

“It probably wouldn’t hurt you,” Morvran said. “When’s the last time you changed your pants?”

“Go bicker elsewhere,” Cullin said, and knocked the bird off his shoulder. He continued towards the house.

“There’s a time, Morvran,” Leila said, and followed him.

“You sure I can’t have one?” the Pixie asked. “One little feather?”

Morvran cawed, and took to the air.

As Seamus had said, Gan was doing laundry, her big cauldron set up on the fire. As they drew near, she was hanging up a sheet to dry on a long clothes line strung between two trees.

“We’ve got company,” Moxie said, sitting on the clothes line.

“Leila and the Tree Shepherd,” Dahlia said, flittering near Gan’s shoulder.

“Eh?” Gan said, turning around. “I’m beginning to think I cannot do the wash without someone showing up.” She wiped her hands dry on a corner of her apron, but a big smile crossed her face as she saw Cullin walking up. “Ah, Tree Shepherd! Did you see whatever it was that tore through the lower field this morning? I was wondering if that was going to bring you out to see me today.”

“Yes,” he said. “Maybe we should have a talk.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In the Gray Lands, Violetta and her party came to a crossroads not long after the stream they had been following veered to the south. The roadbed opened up into a wide area, and a pylon carved from some gray stone marked the center of it, with writing facing each direction. To the north the road continued, curving around a large rockface. Another road continued to the west, and to the south was a third road. The road to the south seemed the least traveled of the three, more rutted and with weeds trying to grow through the trail. They stopped for a moment and Xhindi dismounted near the pylon.

“What is this place?” Violetta said, joining him on the ground. Her gryphon called softly as she stepped toward the Jinn, and she patted the beast’s neck to calm it. Looking up at the pylon, she noticed that the faces were carved with placenames.

“The great crossroads, the locals call it.” Xhindi pointed south. “That road heads south and follows the river. Eventually it ends up at Resharni on the coast. The way west heads to Artha, for those who don’t want to go through the Lilu and bandits that hide out on the route to Runi Blahn. It’s a long road, and in some ways, trickier, but it has good water and farming villages along the route. Too many people for many desert monsters, but the bandits like it well enough. And Artha’s no bigger than Runi Blahn, but you can get to the rest of the world from there just as easily. The road north takes us to the Freehold, and beyond that, the road into the mountains where the Daoine like to visit – far enough from the Holy Mountain that all their magics work and even the Dragon Web functions.

“Our choice once we’re done with Aufzee’s Freehold, is to head south to the coast, or head west to Artha, go back to Runi Blahn, or go north.” Xhindi said. “That’s about it.”

“Three roads?” Violetta asked. She looked at the roads. They were as empty as the road they had been traveling. “With all the traffic we’ve been seeing, it’s hard to believe there’s a need for even one.”

“It’s early in the year for things to be coming from the South,” Ashira said. “The sea routes are just calming down enough for goods to arrive, and the first caravan masters are probably just starting to drift into Emyri. And Aufzee’s Freehold is just a minor point on their route.”

“Black opals, star gems and Zendi’s Rosin do get some attention. Otherwise, nobody’d come to this dusthole,” Ruath said, shifting in his saddle. “Their goods from down south sell well enough, but its the gems that bring any traders. They pop in and leave, as quickly as possible. I’d like to get in there and gone, myself – whichever route we take.”

Violetta was surprised by Ruath’s list of goods. “Zendi’s Rosin? They mine it here? The stuff they use to make touch stones? The minerals that make the Dragon Web carriages work?” Violetta said. “I’ve always heard the Dragonkin Exploration faction had locked up all the places where they could mine it. That’s what they told me at B & F. I never had any reason to doubt them.”

“They wish they had it all, greedy things. Veins of it run all over the Grey Lands,” Xhindi said, remounting. “And when they burn through all the ore in Sunderland and Harani, well, they’ll have to deal with us.”

“That time has not yet come, Xhandi of the Southern Firesouls.” a woman’s voice called out.

Stepping out from the shadows around a recess in the rock that walled the right side of the road, a woman dressed in the gauzy veils of the Called rode forward, followed by two men in black and white armor. From the way they carried their weapons and rode, it was obvious they were the woman’s honor guard. She lifted a hand and they stopped as she rode forward.

“Shrine Mother,” Xhindi said, bowing his head as she joined them. “Seeing you here is a surprise. It is seldom you leave the shrine grounds.”

“I was sent,” she replied and drew a little closer to the band of four. “I know you, Ashira of Emyri, and your trials, and you, Ruath the wanderer and your angers. Be blessed.” She rode up closer to Violetta and lifted her veil, and looked up at her questioningly, with golden eyes that seemed to probe into the Daoine woman. “You...I do not know you, or why you are chosen. The Mother showed you to me when I was sitting in the shrine and sent me here to find you.”

“I…” Violetta began, but the Shrine Mother turned back to Xhandi.

“Much has happened since you were here last, son of the Firesouls. Zethan the Aufzee has passed back to the Mother of Smoke and Fire.”

“Has he?” Xhindi said. “That is sad news. He held the Freehold together with a firm hand needed in such a wild place with the type of people who gather here.”

“And his son’s hand is not as strong, at least not yet. Strange people have come here, spreading rumors, buying up all the rosin available, and complaining of the rules that the Mother had put on the Aufzees when they founded this place.”

“Let me guess,” Xhindi said. “They want to divert water to wash out more rosin, and let it drain back into the river. And bring in slave miners. People have been calling for that as long as I can remember.”

“Not that they pay miners much above starvation wages,” Ruath muttered. He rubbed an old scar on the back of his hand, as if this discussion brought up old memories.

“That is truth,” the Shrine Mother said. “But now, there are more calling for it, and a weak dam for holding it back. Come, I will get you all to the Shrine safely. After that, we will see what the Mother of Smoke and Fire has planned.” She turned her gryphon and headed back to her honor guard.

“Sounds like trouble ahead, Xhandi,” Ashira said.

“This whole trip has been nothing but trouble. What’s new?” he replied. “Let’s go.” He began riding.

Ashira nodded and followed, with Violetta falling next in line.

“I hate this place,” Ruath said, and reluctantly took up the rear.