The Quest of the Reluctant Bridegroom
She stirred restlessly, reluctant to wake and face another week of early rising and hard work. What a pity she couldn't meet a handsome stranger who would carry her off to his castle in Spain, where (after a short period of mild misunderstandings to mar their early bliss and make things interesting) they would live happily ever after. She sighed a little..... Romance, alas, was dead in this workday world.
She stirred. There was something sharp sticking into her back. She much have dropped her book in the bed last night. She must have pushed most of the blankets off, too, as there only seemed to be a thin cover over her. Brrr! It was cold.
The toe of a boot caught her in the ribs.
"Come on, up! Get this fire going! I'm cold!" Pendar never wasted time on unnecessary civilities.
She rolled over and sat up, staring about her incredulously. Her familiar bedroom had disappeared. She was in a forest clearing, still shadowy in the half light of pre-dawn. Faint wraiths of mist rose from the nearby river and curled among the trees. The world was dank and still. A tall man stood over her, as handsome as a hero out of romantic fiction, but with a scowl at present marring his features.
"Come on, Aliehs, get the fire going! I'm cold. You're supposed to be an enchantress. And tell those cats of yours to fetch us some breakfast. I'm also hungry!"
She blinked at him, stunned. This had to be a dream. Or was she mad? People had been telling her for years that if she kept reading all that fantasy drivel she would go off her rocker. Oh well, dream or insanity, she might as well play along. At least this was better than finding herself in the middle of a TV soapie. Infinitely better. "The cats. The fire," Pendar reminded her sharply.
Oh yes, the cats. She looked around and three shapes rose out of the dimness around the roots of the oak. She gulped a little. Cats, to her mind, conjured up furry purry little cuddlers, not creatures resembling two black panthers and a leopard. But their names rose easily into her mind: Ytoos, Ykcul and Ydiarf.
"Hunt!" she commanded, forming the picture of rabbits in her mind. To her relief the three cats bounded off obediently. She turned her attention to the fire, not noticing a small scurrying shape, something like a monkey, which followed after the cats. Pendar had built a careful pyramid of small twigs and bark in the centre of a ring of stones, with a much larger pile of wood to one side, ready to add when the fire was going. But the damp of the mist had defeated his usual methods of firelighting, and though he had some small talent at magic himself, he had no intention of wasting it when Aliehs was at hand. His spells needed time for renewal before they could be used again.
Aliehs thought rapidly. Fire. Who could she call on to make fire? Loki? No, he was too tricky. Vulcan? No, she didn't want to end up with an erupting volcano. What about Baal? Bale-fire, that was it. But how to call? Spells usually just seemed to be rhyming couplets. Hmm!
"Oh Baal! Pray answer my desire,
I beg you set the wood afire."
A searing flash crossed the sky, answered by a thundering boom, and the trees about the clearing burst into flames. Pendar gave a wild yell and dived for the river, followed after a moment by the rest of the company.
Fortunately the river was only waist-deep at that point, and they were able to regain their footing and turn to regard the holocaust that was raging in the forest they had quitted.
"What happened?" demanded Liana.
"I told her to light the breakfast fire, and she called on Baal. Baal! I ask you! Anyone would think she'd never practised magic in her life." He turned a suspicious glare on Aliehs.
"Er, sorry," she said hastily. "I was still half asleep."
"Then you'd better wake up and do something. Those pets of yours are hunting in there somewhere."
Aliehs gulped and rooted frantically through her memories.
"Quetzalcoatle, God of Rain,
Put the fire out again."
There was a crack of thunder, and suddenly the air seemed to be nearly as full of water as the river. Drenched and stunned they plunged towards the bank, scrambling out as they heard a roar from upstream. Stumbling and gasping, they fled downstream towards where rising ground offered some hope of sanctuary.
Fear sharpened Aliehs' wits.
"Any god receive my thanks,
Don't let the river burst its banks."
The wild wall of water roared past their refuge and disappeared into the gorge downriver, leaving a turbulent stream brimming its banks. It had not quite overflowed as the rain eased to a steady and dismal downpour.
The other three turned and looked at Aliehs with various degrees of disapprobation. "There seems to be a cave over that way," she pointed out hastily. Pendar looked from her to the cave with the utmost suspicion, but he was extremely wet and the cave did offer some prospect of shelter. He and Shaz, the little thief, returned to the oak tree and retrieved the company's baggage, which was sodden but unburnt. Then the four of them approached the cave mouth cautiously.
Liana ducked and swung round, sword in hand, as there was an explosive noise behind her. Pendar had sneezed. She gave him a disgusted look and turned to peer into the cave.
"I can't see anything dangerous," she reported. "It seems all right."
They entered, Shaz and Pendar dropping the packs with sighs of relief. Aliehs, with a feeling that she had better make herself useful, began to gather the dry leaves and twigs that littered the cave floor into a pile. That done, she paused, gazing doubtfully at Pendar.
"I'll do it this time," he said decisively. He raised his hands and began making passes in the air, but sneezed convulsively in the middle of them, scattering sparks over the rest of the party. With a scowl at Aliehs he tried again....and again....and again.
"It's no good," Liana said at last. "We'll just have to do without a fire."
A silvery voice spoke out of the darkness further back in the cave.
"I could start your fire, if you will allow me to be of service. Please do not be alarmed. I am not at all ferocious, although my people do have a poor reputation with your kind."
"Come out where we can see you," commanded Pendar, hand on his sword hilt.
A small dragon moved gracefully forward into the faint light at the front of the cave.
"My intentions are quite peaceful," she assured them. "I was meditating when you entered. I would not have disturbed you, had you not seemed to be having a little difficulty in lighting your fire. If you will permit me?" She moved closer to the heap of twigs and leaves, inflated a pouch in her throat, and took quick little panting breaths, until smoke began to puff from her mouth. Thereupon she leaned over and set the heap alight with one searing exhalation.
At the sight of the crackling blaze, life instantly began to feel more cheerful. The dragon, Ennovy, directed them to a large pile of logs in an inner cave, explaining that her friends Ileus and Ilgnim, who were out hunting at the moment, enjoyed having a fire in cold or wet weather.
At this moment, Ykcul, Ytoos and Ydiarf bounded into the cave, each carrying a couple of rabbits. Ykcul was being ridden by Liana's familiar spirit, a small and very beautiful demon called Ykcup. He handed a bag containing roots and herbs to Liana. She and Shaz soon had a stew pan bubbling over the fire, its savoury odours spreading through the cave, and even beyond, as they soon had proof.
"Oh, thank goodness I've caught up with you at last," said a voice as a slim, dark-haired figure stumbled into the cave. "I completely lost touch with you when all that rain started." She directed a reproachful look at Shaz. "No one ever told me that quests were quite as wet as that."
"They're not, usually," Pendar said shortly. "But what are you doing here, Ariom? Did the King, your father, send you after us?"
Ariom tossed her head at his informal mode of address.
"No, he didn't," she replied. "But I don't want to be Nalavres' step-daughter any more than my father wants to become her thirteenth husband. So I came along to see if I could help."
Liana snorted scornfully.
"What you mean is, you thought you'd come along and see if the rumours about her employing Nova are true. We all saw how hard you fell for him when he came to your father's court last year."
"You weren't entirely immune to his charms yourself," Shaz reminded her.
"You're both fools," Pendar snorted. "Everyone knows he's a practitioner of the black arts. It's even rumoured that he's a computer engineer. They don't come any blacker than that." There was surely a trace of envy in his tone. There was a sudden furore of feline snarling interspersed with canine howls from outside the cave, and they hastily moved towards the entrance, wondering what was going on.
Ennovy's two companions were there: Ilgnim, a fawn coloured cat with black points, and Ileus, a tabby, both slightly larger than Aliehs' three. Their bright blue eyes were gazing malevolently at the party that had been trying to creep up quietly on the cave dwellers: two female warriors accompanied by a large wolf, and four other cats, two black and white, one with short hair, one with long, and another two who strongly resembled Ilnim and Ileus. These were spitting their defiance at the cave's guardians, while Ytsim, the wolf, ranged round behind them, howling anxiously.
Her two friends chittered their annoyance to Ennovy, who turned to the two humans, asking,
"Who are you?"
"I am Yhtac. My companion is Ainigirv. We are Amazons."
"Why were you spying on us?" demanded Liana, dagger in hand. A well-known assassin, she had many enemies, and no mind to be taken unawares.
"Our Queen, Annej, sent us to search for the man who stole Hippolyta's girdle from her," replied Ainigriv. "We caught the gleam of firelight from this cave and thought Aliv might be here. He likes to be comfortable."
"Is the girdle very valuable?" demanded Pendar, always interested in loot. "What does it look like?"
"It is a simple silken cord in appearance. It is always passed on to the new Amazon Queen by her predecessor. Its only value lies in the fact that it is used in certain tests that Amazons must undergo."
"Oh, that one," said Pendar, losing interest.
"Did you say the thief's name was Aliv?" demanded Ariom.
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"A chubby little man with a cheerful disposition?" asked Ennovy.
"That's him. Where did you meet him?"
"Oh, I haven't actually met him, just heard about him."
"Are you quite sure it was he who stole the girdle?" asked Aliehs. "He does seem to have a penchant for falling in love with female warriors. One of your Amazons might have had good reason to get rid of Hippolyta's girdle."
The two Amazons exchanged glances, then Ainigriv said firmly,
"Our mission is to find Aliv. If he doesn't have the girdle, Annej will decided what to do next."
That seemed to dispose of that subject and Ariom said plaintively, "Isn't that stew ready yet? I'm starving."
"At least another two hours," Pendar said repressively. "You can't make a good stew in a hurry."
"What about some coffee while we're waiting?" demanded Ariom, leading the way back into the cave. Aliehs gave her a thoughtful look.
"Coffee? What's coffee?" asked Shaz in surprise.
"Oh, it's just a sort of drink," said Ariom in confusion.
Aliehs felt an itch to have another go at working magic. It was....interesting....and if she was careful.... Pendar had left a small pail standing on the floor of the cave after emptying his pack to dry its contents.
"Oh come you dark and bitter drink,
Fill this bucket to the brink."
Pendar gave a pleased exclamation after cautiously testing the contents. It was whisky.
"This will soon fix my cold," he said happily.
Aliehs sighed in exasperation. There was more to this magic business than one thought. Perhaps if she tried a nursery rhyme? But she couldn't think of any connected with coffee. Ah well, improvise.
"Polly put the kettle on,
We'll all have coffee."
It didn't scan, but a large silver pot, accompanied by a cream jug and sugar bowl with delicate porcelain cups and saucers, appeared on the floor of the cave. The liquid that frothed from it when Ariom poured, however, was neither tea nor coffee. Selfish desire had pre-empted a spoken wish for coffee and the traditional tea of the rhyme. What they had was Aliehs' favourite beverage - hot chocolate. No one had any violent objections, so she decided to try for some edibles to accompany it.
"Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Make it of chocolate and sugar and spice,
Coconut, flour and everything nice."
A large plate of lamingtons appeared beside the cups. Ariom tasted one cautiously.
"I never heard of making lamingtons with cinnamon before," she commented in surprise. "But it doesn't taste bad. Not bad at all."
By the time the stew was consumed, everyone was dry and the cave seemed so cosy that no one felt like travelling any further than day. The whisky and chocolate refilled the pots as soon as they were emptied, and Ainigriv produced a small harp from her pack and played for them.
By next morning the rain had stopped and the company prepared to set out. The two Amazons cast about to find any traces that might have been left by Aliv, but the heavy rain had washed out all sign and scent. Pendar, with a rather malicious smile, suggested they ask Aliehs for help.
Cursing the ranger under her breath, Aliehs looked around for inspiration. A pool of rainwater caught her eye. Moving over to it she made a couple of what she hoped were mystic passes in the air, and then swept her hands wide and looked down at the pool. A black square frame showed in the water and a man's face appeared there.... a round and youthful face with amused green eyes, and a wide and arrogant mouth, the head topped with bubbly blonde curls. "I am the Doctor....whether you like it or not," he said. Aliehs blinked and waved her hands dismissively. The face disappeared to be replaced by a scene of two men confronting each other. One with a mop of black curly hair and a scarred face; the other with smooth brown hair and a handsome face. The latter was holding a gun. "Have you betrayed me?" he demanded. As the other moved forward in protest, the brown-haired man pulled the trigger and watched, frozen, as blood spurted and poured from the other's chest.
The scene suddenly enlarged to show other figures in the background, and Yhtac suddenly exclaimed and pointed, "There's Aliv!"
She was interrupted by Ariom. "That was Nova. He killed my father! What black sorcery is this?"
Aliehs gulped. "Jor....I mean....Jor...." She wondered why the name seemed oddly wrong. "...He is your father?"
"You know King Jor is her father," Shaz said. "Or do you? Perhaps you're not Aliehs at all."
The whole group was watching her suspiciously now. She spoke carefully.
"I am Aliehs, but I think I must have come under some ensorcellment. I cannot remember how our quest started, or anything about my life here prior to that."
"You could be lying," Liana observed, hand on dagger.
"No, I had truth spells on her. She told no lies," Pendar reported. "It could be some ensorcellment put on her by either Nalavres or Nova. It's probably one of them who is also responsible for her spells going wrong.
Aliehs let out a breath of relief. "Since my scrying doesn't seem to be working either, let's try a spell."
"Let Aliv's trail be plain to see,
That these two maids may happy be."
There was a path, about fifty yards away on the lower ground, which led to a form. On this, silvery footprints now appeared, heading towards the water.
"Going east, as we are," Pendar commented. "Shall we join forces?"
This was agreed to, and Aliehs, who was standing near Ennovy, asked quietly,
"Can I persuade you to come alone too? I've got a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get."
Ennovy, being a very kind dragon who was always willing to help, agreed to this request.
The company set off together, splashing through the ford in the early morning sunlight. The cats, who had been fishing earlier in the day so had happy memories of the sleek and tasty finned ones they had found there, showed a strong desire to follow the stream banks rather than the trail of Aliv's footprints. Only a firm refusal by their two-legged companions to be diverted from their quest overcame their wishes. They made their disgust for this disregard of their wishes quite plain by the disdainful flicks of their tails, but obediently carried out their usual scouting duties.
It was Ilgnim who first spotted Aliv some hours later. His black ears twitched forward and his bright blue eyes focussed on a figure on the other side of the swamp, which the trail was at present skirting.
The company followed his gaze and Yhtac exclaimed,
"That's Aliv!" and sprang forward, only to be hauled back by Ytsim as she sank knee deep in ooze.
The party gazed around in frustration. The swamp was only about fifty yards across, but it filled the valley bottom for a couple of miles, and they were halfway along. Before they could get around either end, Aliv would have plenty of time to tuck himself away in some corner of the broken and hilly terrain on the far side.
Liana raised her bow, but Ainigriv restrained her.
"We want information, not a dead thief. If you kill him, and he doesn't have the girdle, we may never find out where it is."
"Do something, can't you?" Yhtac spoke impatiently to Aliehs. "You must be able to use some spell to get us over to the other side."
Pendar edged unobtrusively back along the trail, a malicious smile on his face. He'd had more experience of Aliehs' spell than had the two Amazons. This should be amusing, just as long as he didn't get caught up in it.
Aliehs caught sight of the smile and her pride was stung. She'd show him she could work magic.
"Hermes make these maidens fleet,
Give them wings upon their feet."
Quite a good idea, she felt. The two Amazons could fly across the swamp, grab Aliv, and bring him back. Which worked out....in a way. The two took off and flew across the swamp, but unfortunately, largish wings attached to the feet are rather apt to upset the centre of gravity once those feet leave the ground. The unlucky maidens found themselves flying heels over head.
After standing for a few minutes in stunned silence, Aliehs sat down with a despairing thump. Why hadn't she had the sense to realise that would happen? Ainigriv and Yhtac weren't going to be too pleased with her when they returned with their captive. For in so much, things had gone right. The wings had borne them swiftly over the swamp, and Aliv had been so bemused by the unusual sight that they had had no trouble in grabbing him and were now bearing him back between them in what looked like a flying Y. The three landed in an ungainly tangle of bodies. Ainigriv pulled herself free and demanded of Aliehs,
"Get rid of these wings."
Yhtac also pulled herself to her feet and lent point to her comrade's demand by nocking an arrow to her bowstring.
Aliehs' wits deserted her completely at their menacing attitude. She could only stammer around seeking vainly for a rhyme.
Ennovy came to her rescue.
"Hermes to thee our thanks be mete,
Now take the wings from off their feet."
The wings vanished and Aliehs breathed a sigh of relief before turning to thank Ennovy warmly.
Aliv, thinking everyone's attention was safely centred on the Amazons' sad plight, had taken the opportunity to back unobtrusively out of the group. Just as he was about to turn and make a run for it, he felt something pricking into his back. He stole a slow look over his shoulder. Liana stood there behind him, dagger in hand, an amused expression on her face. Shaz gave him a glance of commiseration and traced the symbol of the Thieves' Guild in the air. Aliv's crestfallen face brightened a little. After making certain that all trace of the wings had vanished the Amazons turned their full attention on Aliv.
"Where is Hippolyta's girdle?" demanded Yhtac. "Have you got it?"
"Pendar's put a truth spell on you. He'll know if you're lying," Shaz murmured gently from behind him.
But this was one question Aliv felt able to answer freely.
"You can search me. I haven't got it."
In spite of Pendar's avowal as to the truth of this statement, the two took him at his word and searched him thoroughly. Various bits of the band's property were discovered about his person (whereat Shaz eyed him with considerable respect) but not the girdle.
"Do you know where it is?" Ainigriv asked hopefully.
"No, I don't."
"That's that, then," said Yhtac, Pendar having signified that this was true. "I suppose we'll have to let him go, and return to the Queen."
"Did you ever have the girdle?" Ennovy asked softly.
"No." A blue aura appeared around him.
"He's lying!" exclaimed Pendar. "What did you do with it?" Aliv remained mute.
At this point Snutim, bored by all this talk, gave voice to a yowl of protest in which he was promptly joined by Ileus, Akssup and Yddap.
Aliv took this personally and started with fear. Ytsim, who often felt she was beset and bullied by cats, sat down in front of him and whined in sympathy. Aliv, unfortunately for himself, was not expecting sympathy from a large wolf and took it as an additional threat. Surrounded by menacing figures he decided he might as well tell the truth and hope somehow to wriggle out of the consequences, a feat at which he had become adept over the years.
"I gave it to Nova," he admitted.
"Nova! What in Elena's name does he want with it?" demanded Liana.
"Perhaps he wants to try it on Nalavres," suggested Pendar mockingly.
Nalavres being notorious for the number and shortness of her marriages, no one treated this seriously, so he tried again.
"Perhaps he's thinking of getting married and wants to make sure of his bride....one way or another." He glanced slyly from Liana to Ariom.
"No, actually he wants it to catch a unicorn," Aliv explained.
"A unicorn! What ....?" They all regarded him in amazement.
"He doesn't like it here. It's not his sort of place. It suits Jor down to the ground, and I'm happy enough. There aren't many locks to pick, of course, but there's plenty of employment for a thief, so I don't mind. But Nova thinks magic is....well, childish....and although he could be quite an adept, he refuses to meddle with it most of the time. Beneath his dignity. He wants to go back. And if he can catch the unicorn...."
"It has to grant his wish," Ennovy ended. "Is he so very unhappy here?" Aliv nodded.
"He doesn't fit. He wants to go back. He wants to go....not home exactly, but to where he feels at home."
"Why didn't he ask Annej for the loan of the girdle?" asked Yhtac indignantly. "She'd probably have helped him."
"He doesn't like asking for help," Aliv explained.
"He must have asked you to steal it," Ainigriv pointed out tartly.
"He didn't ask me, he told me," grinned Aliv. "Of course, I could have just skipped out....I've got plenty of friends here...but I'm quite fond of him at times. We've known each other for a long while now. Besides, I enjoy stealing things."
"So we all go to Nalavres' court," Pendar concluded.
"Goodbye and good luck," Aliv said cheerfully, preparing to depart.
"Oh, no, you don't," Ainigriv said firmly. "You come along with us. We might need you to steal the girdle back again. Guard him, Akssup, Yddap."
So Aliv was marched forth along the trail, until they came out of the forest to behold Nalavres' castle shimmering in the distance, across the expanse of a wide lake. There was neither bridge nor boat in sight, and the castle itself seemed to waver in and out of vision, and change form in an odd fashion.
"She keeps it moving in and out of this dimension," explained Ennovy. "It's not here long enough for anyone to invade it, or even sneak in."
"So how do we get in?" Shaz demanded.
"And what do we do when we get there?" asked Aliehs, feeling with some dismay that someone would probably shove that problem into her lap.
"That's easy," Pendar said. "We call Nalavres to let us in, and when we get there, Liana assassinates her. Simple." His tone implied that they must all be half-wits not to have thought of this solution for themselves.
"Oh, fine! She won't have any safeguards at all, of course. She's such a simple trusting soul," Liana said sarcastically.
Pendar shrugged. "You're the assassin. That's your problem."
"I've had an idea," Shaz interrupted. "Suppose we present these to Nalavres as coming from King Jor?" She dragged a handful of flashing jewels from her pack.
Pendar pounced on them, a gleam in his eyes, only to toss them back in disgust.
"They're just paste. You don't think Nalavres is going to be pleased to get that junk, do you? She'll just think Jor's a cheapskate."
"Exactly," Shaz replied. "And just perhaps she'll decide she doesn't want to marry a cheapskate - or else that he's too poor to bother with."
"You don't think she'll notice that all the pieces are copies of jewellery she already has, do you?" queried Aliv, with a knowing look.
"Doesn't matter if she does," Shaz responded. "We just say the King wanted to give her something he knew she'd like, so he had the jeweller copy things she already had." Pendar gave Shaz a suspicious look, which she met with one of bland innocence. He shrugged.
"If you want to mess around with fake gems, I suppose you can. I'm only interested in real treasure."
"You are real treasure," Shaz informed him with a straight face.
Pendar's visage assumed a smirk.
"Yes," she continued. "You should have been buried years ago."
Pendar's smirk faded, and he made a dive for Shaz, but tripped over Ssecnirp, the black and white long hair, who snarled at him, offended by such lack of consideration. Pendar gave up, but resolved that Shaz would pay for that remark in the not too distant future.
"The fake jewels might work, I suppose," Aliehs said. "No harm in trying. If it doesn't, Liana can try an assassination. And if that doesn't work either, perhaps my magic will come off for once."
Before anyone could raise any more objections, Pendar raised his voice and shouted,
"Nalavres we come to thee,
From one who would your husband be."
"But Father doesn't want to be her husband," Ariom was stung to protest.
Pendar raised a sardonic eyebrow.
"You can tell Nalavres that, if you're stupid enough. I'm not going to."
A cloud of shimmering mist had detached itself from the castle and blew across the lake towards them. The next moment they were all whirled into its enveloping embrace and lost contact with the ground and each other. The cats and Ytsim yowled their protest at this mode of travel, but it was only a few moments before they were deposited in what appeared to be the castle courtyard.
A figure in full armour stepped in front of them, saluted stiffly, then wheeled and marched slowly towards the huge metal studded doors at the top of a flight of steps. The companions, after a moment's hesitation, followed in his wake, with the cats going before them in a fan shaped formation, Ytsim clinging close to Ainigriv's heels. The doors swung open as they approached and they entered into a vast hall, walled in black marble, and roofed and paved in red. There were no windows. The light came from a flickering fire of blazing torches held by two long lines of motionless, black clad women. The lines converged towards a dais where a queenly figure clad in shimmering white awaited them. She gleamed as a focal point against the sombre background and they felt themselves drawn towards her almost without volition.
"Pretend we're all tired and worn out," hissed Liana. "We've got to gain time to familiarise ourselves with the palace."
They came to a halt in front of that imperious figure, the cats spread out before them, Ytsim still close behind Ainigriv.Pendar bowed low.
"Hail, Mighty One!" He stifled a yawn. "We bear greetings from our master, King Jor." Here Shaz and Aliv collapsed in a heap on the floor. "Far have we travelled...." Yhtac staggered a little, and then leaned on his shoulder, "and I fear that at this time...." Cavernous yawns from Aliehs and Liana, "we cannot do justice to the messages we bear." Ainigriv leant on Ennovy and snored gently. "May I beg you, Imperious One, to grant us time to rest?"
"Indeed, it would seem that you are sadly in need of it, since even your manners seem to have deserted you." There was a whiplash in that cold voice.
"Your pardon, Regal Lady. The hardships we endured were many. Fire, flood, famine...." His voice trailed off wearily.
"Very well. I shall grant you time to rest. Who am I to deny my future step-daughter that beauty sleep which she so sorely needs?" Her glance made it plain that the words were meant as an insult, and Ariom stiffened indignantly. Her words of protest, however, were cut short by a savage kick on the ankle administered by Pendar. He bowed once more to Nalavres, expressing deepest gratitude on behalf of all.
They were led to a luxurious suite of rooms. The luxury even extended to a heated pool, the sight of which elicited whoops of joy from the Amazons. They plunged in, followed by Ennovy, Liana and Ariom, much to Pendar's satisfaction.
"Don't you want to bathe, too?" he asked Aliehs hopefully.
"I'd like to," she admitted, "But Ytoos doesn't like me bathing. He seems to think I'll drown and either plunges in to rescue me, or sits by the water and yowls." Pendar shrugged. He would have preferred to explain his plans to only Shaz and Aliv, but Aliehs wasn't likely to be able to foil him, and might possibly be useful.
"I want a word with you two," he said, escorting Aliv and Shaz firmly away from the pool. Aliehs followed, wondering what he had in mind.
"I've had a much better idea about the fake jewellery we were planning to present to Nalavres," he told them. "I won't go into details yet, but it's essential that we get hold of the real ones. You two can manage that," he said, looking at Shaz and Aliv. "I'll explain the rest later. Off you go."
"Wait a moment," interrupted Aliehs, who was not at all keen on having Aliv go off with Shaz. "I might be able to magic the jewels up here. That would save a lot of trouble."
Pendar snorted derisively. "Your magic usually provides trouble, not saves it. No, my plan is better."
"I can do it," retorted Aliehs indignantly.
"From your dark vaults I bid you nigh,
Your jewelled facets come to eye."
Dozens of enormous spiders immediately descended on the area, their multi-faceted eyes reflecting the light like a myriad of gems.
Aliehs gave a yelp of fright, and Pendar growled in disgust.
"Get rid of them!" he ordered.
"Back to your darkness, away from the light,
Hence do I bid you, spinners of night."
The spiders crawled away into the shadows in the far recesses of the room, and Aliehs inwardly resolved to search her bed well before crawling into it. Pendar turned on Shaz and Aliv.
"Get going," he ordered crisply. They left, and Pendar turned back to Aliehs. "I just happen to have another set of fake gems with me," he explained blandly. "When those two bring the real ones back, you take charge of them..."
"Why me?" Aliehs demanded.
"Because Shaz doesn't trust me," Pendar explained. "When you get them, we swap them and present the false ones to Nalavres as originally planned. We'll have to keep those two out of the way at the presentation. You'd better think up an errand for them. Then we get away as fast as possible. I might even give you one or two of the smaller pieces later on." He smiled down at her, so certain of his charm that Aliehs spluttered with indignation.
"Thanks for nothing. What about the rest of the company? And what about the King? We're supposed to be saving him from having to marry Nalavres. And you don't imagine this fake jewel thing is really going to discourage Nalavres, do you?"
Pendar shrugged. "He might even enjoy it. She's very attractive. A short life, but a merry one."
In the meantime, Shaz and Aliv had had no trouble in finding their way to the treasure vault, both seeming quite familiar with the route.
"Pendar's probably getting Aliehs to magic up another false set of gems," Aliv remarked.
Shaz spluttered. "I don't like his chances. Her spells have been having the oddest results ever since this quest started. Personally, I think Pendar's already got a fake set to swap with the real ones as soon as we produce them. If there was only some way to get out of this castle, we could just scarper with them ourselves. But as it is...." She shrugged.
Aliv grinned at her. "Not to worry, we'll substitute your false set for the real ones. Pendar swaps the real ones for his false set, and presents the fakes on Nalavres. Then I swap my false set for the real ones, and hope Pendar doesn't check them too closely afterwards."
"Brilliant," Shaz said with admiration. "Oh, there's the door. Shall I work on it, or will you?"
"Me," replied Aliv. "What's that?" he added, startled as a flat furry creature slid beneath the door.
"I don't know, but look! What's that in its mouth?"
"An emerald!" Aliv exclaimed, bending down to take the green stone. The creature, however, evaded his reaching hand and shot off into a small crevice in the wall, where it vanished from sight.
Aliv shrugged and turned to work on the lock.
"Nova must have installed this for her," he muttered to Shaz. "No spells at all."
They were soon inside, and glanced eagerly around at the shelves which held a dazzling array of jewellery, flashing in the light of the torches they carried. Aliv picked up a spectacular diamond necklace, then gave an exclamation and bent to examine it more closely. Dropping it back on the shelf, he began a rapid but thorough examination of the whole display. Shaz, after a quick look at the necklace, followed his example. When they finished, Aliv held a diamond and ruby tiara, and Shaz a large pearl brooch and a diamond studded belt.
"Fakes. All but these," Aliv muttered. "Who's responsible, I wonder? And why hasn't Nalavres noticed?"
"She's never had much taste," Shaz told him. "As long as it looked flashy, she'd be satisfied."
"Pendar won't be. Do you think he'll believe us?"
"Why don't we try her other treasure vaults? The one where she keeps her gold? We won't be able to carry much, but it might be enough to sweeten Pendar's temper."
"Great idea!" exclaimed Aliv, hugging her.
They left the treasure room, carefully re-locking the door behind them. They made their way along the dim passages to the gold vault. This time it was Shaz who dealt with the locks.
Aliv exclaimed with satisfaction as he beheld the great pile of golden coins, and began hastily to fill his pockets. Shaz, more cautious, tested the weight of a couple of coins and then rubbed them briskly together. Aliv turned in surprise at her expression of disgust.
"Lead, coated in gold paint," she told him.
Aliv began testing for himself. After fifteen minutes he had two genuine gold coins for his efforts. "We'd better get back," Shaz said uneasily. "Pendar will be wondering what's happened and Nalavres may send for us at any time."
Aliv looked around the treasure vault in disgust, then spotted another of the flat furry creatures gliding across the floor. It dropped a coin and after nosing around for a moment picked up another and glided out.
Aliv picked up the coin it had dropped.
"Lead," he said briefly. "No, don't interfere with it," he added. "Let's follow."
They kept some distance behind the creature until it slid under a door and disappeared from view.
"The Chancellor's quarters," Aliv said. "Keep quiet about this. We might be able to make something of it. But we don't want anyone else butting in."
They returned to Pendar and reported on the false gems and gold, and were believed once he had put truth spells on them.
The others had finished their bath by this time, and were sitting around eating and drinking.
"Why did you want the real gems?" Ainigriv asked Pendar, puzzled.
"Never mind," he said shortly.
"If she hasn't spotted that her own stuff isn't real, presenting her with more fakes won't get her disgusted with Father," Ariom said. "So what are we going to do to save him?"
"Liana - " began Pendar.
I couldn't kill the Nalavres we saw. Her life essence, her soul, was missing. We'll have to find and destroy it."
"How do we find something when we don't know what it looks like?"
"It has to be in something that was once part of her body...A fingernail, a drop of blood..."
"Her hair," interrupted Yhtac. "Didn't you notice how short it was?"
"That's it!" Pendar exclaimed. "We must find some excuse for wandering through the palace so we can find it. If we destroy it, most of her power will be lost. She should vanish from this dimension."
A knock at the door interrupted him. The figure in armour stepped aside as Pendar opened the door. The person standing behind him bowed.
"Chancellor Adnileb," she introduced herself. "Nalavres desires to know if you are sufficiently rested. If so, she will receive you now."
Like the torchbearers in the hall, she was clad in tunic and trousers with a cloak over all. But in her case, the trousers were gold, and the tunic red and gold, two colours which also slashed the black of her cloak.
"Quite rested, and most grateful for the Imperious One's gracious hospitality," Pendar responded.
She led the way back to the hall where Nalavres greeted them.
"I trust that the fatigues of your journey are now forgotten. Most of you at least look a little cleaner. What messages do you carry?"
Pendar went down on one knee, and held forth the fake jewellery.
"Majestic One, King Jor sends greetings and these poor gifts for which he begs your acceptance."
Nalavres picked up the jewels, a pleased smile appearing on her face.
"How sensible of him to bow to the inevitable. Some of my chosen husbands have been extremely reluctant. Adnileb's father, for instance, was most reluctant to become my consort, and ultimately I was forced to use most distasteful methods to overcome his reluctance. It was regrettable that our marriage was so brief. But his daughter and I are now the best of friends. I am sure that you and I will soon be on the same terms." She looked at Ariom. "I do of course insist on complete obedience from my step-daughters, But I am sure you will give me no trouble over that." She pulled the silver thongs of the whip she carried through her fingers, smiling gently as she did so. She then turned as if to speak to someone behind her, but finding no one there, frowned. "Where is Nova?"
"Hunting, Imperious One."
"Who gave him permission to leave the palace?"
"You said he was to have everything he wanted, Majesty."
"But not leave of absence when I require him. Fetch him!"
A flick of Adnileb's fingers and a sharp whistle summoned up a sleek cloud on which she sped out of the hall.
Nalavres maintained a stony silence until the cloud shot back into the hall, and Nova and Adnileb stepped from it.
"When I require your attendance I do not expect you to go out hunting," she informed Nova, who raised a supercilious eyebrow and remained silent. Ainigriv nudged Yhtac.
"He's carrying the girdle," she murmured. "Try and create a diversion."
But before Yhtac could think of anything, Ykcul came to her aid. A beautiful creature, he was accustomed to receiving his due measure of attention. He now felt that Nalavres had held centre stage for quite long enough. He moved forward, rubbing against her legs, and looking up in the confident expectation of receiving the praise he felt he was due. Instead, Nalavres, seeing long black hairs all over her white skirts, struck out at him with her silver whip.
She missed, but Ykcul was outraged by this intolerable behaviour and turned on her, snarling. The whip sang through the air again, and he backed, knocking into Yddap, who retaliated with a ready paw. In an instant the hall was in pandemonium as the cats merged in a snarling tangle and various people either leapt in to stop the fight, or leapt back to avoid it. Both the leading torch-bearers were knocked sideways in the ensuing scuffle, and they went down like rows of dominoes, each knocking over the next in line. Most of the torches were extinguished.
Ainigriv took advantage of the commotion to get Ytsim to seize the girdle from Nova.
"Leave the animals to fight it out," Pendar hissed. "Scatter and try to find that hair. Meet by the great door."
Ennovy pulled a packet of pungent powder from her pouch and scattered it over the fighting animals. They fled in disarray, knocking over anyone in the path, and Ennovy moved back to the entrance doors to meditate until the rest returned. It was Ykcup who found the hair. He presented it, in its crystal casket, to Liana, who made her way swiftly back to where Ennovy waited. Ennovy called Ileus and Ilgnim to round up the others.
When they were all assembled, Liana held up the casket.
"How do we destroy it?" she asked. "And what will happen when we do?"
"We must burn it," Aliehs told her. "And as for what will happen, I know no more than you."
"Wouldn't it be safer to get out of the castle with it first?' Aliv asked apprehensively.
"Does anyone know how we can leave?"
Silence, broken by a distant imperious voice, clearly giving orders. Liana placed the casket on the floor and Aliehs raised her hands.
"In this hair her power lies,
With this hair her power dies.
Far away her magic flies,
Loosened are her spell-born ties."
She brought her hands flashing down, and a beam of energy brought hair and casket to a grey ash. It blew away as the castle dissolved into nothingness, leaving them standing on bare rock. Adnileb shot past them on her cloud, and a voice behind them said bitterly, "I hope you're satisfied."
They turned to see Nova regarding them, a strange smile on his face. "Do we all starve together?" he inquired. "Or do you have some way of getting over the lake?"
"I could try a wing spell again, I suppose," said Aliehs doubtfully. She couldn't really visualise Nova fly heels over head.
"No," said Pendar decisively. "We'll swim."
Nova's smile reappeared. "Try the water," he invited.
It was icy. Swimming was definitely out.
"If only we had a cloud as the Chancellor does," said Aliv mournfully.
Thinking of Adnileb gave Aliehs an inspiration. There were two gods who might be able to help them.
"Llivrot send us magic blades,
Naed I beg you lent us aids.
May this water solid be,
That from this isle we may win free."
The lake froze solid and a pile of skates appeared. Aliehs gave Pendar a smile of triumph. For once a spell had come out exactly as she had intended.
The party donned the skates and set off across the lake. The cats and Ytsim followed without trouble due to the fact that they all had a padding of fur between their claws, which gave them a good grip on the ice. Ennovy found that her extended claws made good skates, and using her rudimentary wings for power, and tail for balance, she soon outdistanced the rest.
Once on the far side, Shaz and Aliv melted quietly into the forest. They were going to pay a visit to ex-Chancellor Adnileb to see if they couldn't add to the mystery of the vanishing treasure.
"What are you going to do now?" Ennovy asked Nova.
He shrugged. "I've lost the girdle, so it's no use searching for the unicorn. I suppose I'll have to find another employer. Prince Sivart perhaps. Or else I can wait until Nalavres recovers her power and comes back."
"I could help you catch the unicorn," Liana and Ariom spoke simultaneously.
"Is either of you qualified?" Pendar asked maliciously.
"I'll summon it up for you," volunteered Aliehs, made overconfident by her recent success. Before anyone could stop her, she recited:
"Come creatures with a single horn,
Come strange horses of the dawn,"
"Dawn doesn't rhyme with horn," Yhtac began to quibble, but her words were drowned by a stunning clap of sound as half a dozen rhinos arrived on the scene, each in a thundering bad temper.
With one accord, the party scattered, most of them shinning up nearby trees. Unfortunately for Nova, he was not quite quick enough. One of the rhinos' horns ensured that he wasn't going to sit down in any comfort for some time.
Assailed on all sides by demands that she get rid of the beasts she had invoked, Aliehs muttered despairingly,
"I wasn't really calling you,
Please find a home in Sydney's zoo."
To her relief, the massive creatures disappeared, but one look at the furious faces peering down from the surrounding trees convinced her that she had better follow their example.
Descending cautiously on the far side of the tree she made off quietly through the undergrowth beside the trail. Ariom and Liana could help Nova find his unicorn. Yhtac and Ainigriv could go along with them, or return to Queen Annej with the girdle, whichever they preferred. Ennovy would probably return to her cave to meditate. She didn't care what happened to Pendar.
"Are you listening to me?"
She was going to take the news of their successful mission back to the King. He would no doubt be grateful, and with his daughter away he might be lonely. Aliehs closed her eyes and smiled as she pictured what might happen....Until a voice recalled her to her senses.
She knew that voice.
"Yes, Matron. Of course, Matron," she returned automatically.
"You have been doing a lot of overtime lately, and I can only think that this accounts for your strange behaviour. We are, therefore, giving you two weeks sick leave and hope this will help you return to normal. Off you go."
Darn. Back to the workaday world; dreams ended. Still, with two weeks off, she'd have plenty of time to write up an account of her adventures and send it off to Sue. She'd have to get on to it right away...just in case anyone else had happened to have shared that particular dream, and had had the same idea of writing it up.