Thompson - Seabird: an Invitation

Seabird-An Invitation

-Book1 of Seabird- The First of the Narentan Tumults

bySherry Thompson

GryphonwoodPress 545 Rosewood Trail, Grayson, GA 30017-1261

SEABIRD-ANINVITATION. Copyright 2007, 2009 by Sherry Thompson

Allrights reserved under International and Pan-American copyrightconventions.

Publishedby Gryphonwood Press www.gryphonwoodpress.com

Nopart of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or anymeans, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording orby any information storage and retrieval system, without the writtenpermission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

Thisbook is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places andincidents are the product of the authors imagination, and anyresemblance to actual events, locales or persons is entirelycoincidental.

Firstprinted as a portion of Seabird :November 2007

Prologue- Intothe Place of Three Tombs

Onehundred years ago, on a world unknown to Earth

We wont need any moretorches. The old enchanter gestured toward the sparkle of bluereflecting offthe cavern walls ahead. Stream light will serve to guide usnow.

Nortis bowed toward Lord Thaddis, thendropped the new torch he had just retrieved back into the moldywooden chest by the wall. The partially spent torch in his other handcast sporadic light along the rough stone passage, pick ing out seepage paths and ice-edgedpools underfoot. Nortis checked the rope knotted about his arm andexamined the bonds on their prisoners slender wrists. As shestrained away from him, little puffs of vapor escaped from under hervoluminous hood, mark ing herrapid breaths.

She murmured, Please! Yourein peril! He isnt--

Nortis fumbled for his dagger in alarm.He hissed a furious, Silence! intend ing to add more, but the telltalequaver of the single word convinced him that was pointless. Could there be anyaction borne of more folly than threaten ing a sorcerer, even one bound?

What did she say? Thaddiswas already several yards ahead of them, the enchanters bentsilhouette defined more by the blue glow beyond than by theflicker ing torchlight.

J-just Please!. AndI think she started to threaten me. Or us.

Humph! She cant harm us,Nortis. Trust me. Lord Thaddis turned and resumed walk ing toward the glimmer ing Stream.

Nortis used his forearm to blot hissodden leather sweatband. Then, draw ing a determined breath, he noddedand tugged the rope.

Why had he told the enchanter only someof her words? He shook his head. Everyth ingwas confused--not as it shouldbe. Though he loved and revered his master, he yearned to be finishedwith this task. To return to their home in the northern forest, theenchanter in his study and he tak ing care of his masters needsand his modest retreat.

In all his travels, he had never visiteda prison chamber devised for sorcerers, nor had he ever had charge ofa follower of Wenos Zex. How vulnerable and fragile the bound Nerolifemale appeared asshe walked beside him. Who would think such malevolence could bespell-cloaked so thoroughly? Why did she keep up this pretense ofinnocence even now? What had she meant about peril? Andthe words, He isnt. Who isnt?Lord Thaddis? He isnt what? Would to Alphesis he had let herfinish her words! Finish them and finish a spell of destruction aswell?

No, not possible. Thaddis claimed she couldnt harmthem. As one of the Order sworn to defend the land from evil, hewould know. Still, it wouldnt hurt to take precautions.

Nortis thrust his left hand within thepocket of his woolen jerkin and gripped the silver amulet he hadhidden there. With his fingers press ing the sacred seabird hard againsthis palm, he hurried toward the great Stream. The soft footfall ofthe Young One whispered beside him but Nortis counseled himself torefrain from look ing towardsher. If she spoke again, he simply wouldnt listen.

As for her warning of peril, she knewwhere they were taking her and why. She very likely knew the names ofthe Zexian sorcerers she would be joining. Three prisoners inside andone to be added. Lord Thaddis would have to find the door between thetwo Streams and he would have to open it, however briefly. Could aprisoner get out as she entered? Would she try to help the othersescape by distracting Lord Thaddis?

As the enchanter drew closer to thesparkl ing bluelight of Alphesis Stream, he paused and lifted the five-sidedwooden box he carried until he held it above his head.

Nortis drew a breath in anticipat ionof the chime-like language ofblessed enchantment he had heard on a few precious occasions.

Thaddis glanced toward him. Then,mutter ing gutturalwords mixed with hisses and whistles, he tossed the box upward as ifaim ing itat the rough-chiseled ceiling. The box rose and then hovered inplace.

Nortis shuddered at the hideous soundscom ing fromhis masters lips--sounds only Zexian sorcerers would speak.This was noth ing like the language of enchantment.What had that Neroli sorceress done to him?

Like the slow unfold ing of a nightmare, his masterscloak darkened from enchanter blue to sorcerer dead black. Horrorripp ing throughhim, Nortis stared at the colorless cloak. This was no trick of the light, noshadow cast by Stream-light.

The prisoner struggled against the ropelike a thrashing fish. Then voicing a cry of pain or despair, shesquatted on the cavern floor and pressed her hands to her chest. Withthe hood over her bowed head, she looked like nothing more than apile of quivering cloth.

He isnt, she had said . How could she know moreabout his master than he did? Simple. She knew herself innocent,maybe guessed the real reason Thaddis wanted her. What was inside thebox? Implements needed for a ritual?

Nortis collapsed against the icy wallfor support. Loosed by his shak ing fingers, the remain ing torch clattered on the stonefloor of the passageway. As the torchlight sputtered and died, Nortissaw Thaddis plainly for the first time. He had lied to himself evenmore thoroughly than Thaddis had lied to him. How could he haveignored the peculiar sounds behind locked doors, the scrolls whiskedout of view when he entered the enchanters study--so manywarn ing signs,so many hints about what his master had become? Too late now.

Thaddis, the sorcerer Thaddis, glancedback toward him and demanded, Nortis! I told you to forget thetorches. Br ing theprisoner here. Quickly!

At the brief glance, Nortis pressedhimself even harder against the chill stone but Lord Thaddis was already fac ing the float ing box and the Stream just beyondit. Lift ing hishands again, the sorcerer spoke once more in Zexian chant, thenthrust outward, palms forward. The wait ing box ceased its hover ing and obediently floated away fromthe bank out over the flow ing Stream light. Mutter ing in approval, Thaddis nodded asthe box proceeded on its slow journey toward the far bank of theStream.

Nortis scrabbled at the wall forbalance. Cold malevolence flowed past him--Lord Thaddis strid ing toward the prisoner in hiskeeping. His knees seeming tomelt, Nortis collapsed onto the rough-chiseled stone. He barely felt the rope be ing loosedfrom about his arm.

Get up! Yank ing on the rope of the whimper ing prisoner, Thaddis called over hisshoulder, Come along, Nortis! Or Ill give them twoinstead of one! He drew away, this time accompanied by thesoft patter of a second set of footfalls.

Nortis scrambled to his feet. Hisfingers and palm a solid fist about the amulet, he tottered towardthe blue-green Stream ahead. Its light dazzled him, even though thebrilliance was partiallycloaked by the two figures stand ing between him and the bank.

Lord Thaddis had his hood pulled lowover his eyes, as he had earlier that day, complain ing of the sunset glare when theyleft the trees of Kolora behind and before they entered the cavern.