Jepaul Page 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

  The group moved steadily and easily, always south across Dawn-Saith. None knew exactly where they finally went or why they were constantly drawn in one direction. The Doms looked at each other. Each knew what the others thought but no one voiced anything. They just sensed Jepaul drew them onwards with an unerring instinct, though it was Quon who suggested a different route or occasional redirection, always keeping the southward momentum.

  They found the enchantress warrior women again, where they rested. Belika was pleased to see her tribe though they found her changed, something Saneel commented on to Sapphire.

  “Sapphire,” she observed one morning as she lay, up on her elbow, facing the Dom. He lay negligently sprawled, a smile on his lips as he turned his head to observe Saneel. He fell back with a sigh as she nestled close. “Enough?” she queried, on an irrepressible gurgle.

  “For the moment, you enchanting witch,” came the reply. Her hand moved suggestively, but Sapphire's hand came to rest firmly on hers.

  “Then tell me about Belika.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “What happened to her? We can see she's still with Jepaul, but there is something completely altered in the woman that is Belika.”

  “Is there?”

  “Yes.” Saneel eyed the Dom. “And you know it.”

  “Now how should I?”

  Saneel's answer to the provocation was instant. Sapphire soon found himself immediately and deliberately left short of breath for some time after Saneel released him. Panting slightly he stared up at her, read the challenge in her eyes and weakly laughed again.

  “Oh, witch,” he whispered. “What do you demand of me?”

  “Answers about Belika. Tell me, Dom.”

  Sapphire did.

 

  Before the travellers left, Saneel called to Sapphire who left the group and approached her. He took her hand.

  “You've given me pleasure,” he told her gently. “It's something I appreciate, witch, and I hope it's been reciprocal.”

  “Oh, it has,” she assured him, the oddest little smile hovering about her mouth. She looked up at him. “I'll call her Sappho, Dom, after you, whether we see you again or not. I hope we do.”

  For once Sapphire was speechless. He stared down helplessly into eyes that glinted up into his.

  “My child, I took precautions.”

  The glint sharpened.

  “I know,” answered Saneel affably.

  “Then you -.” Sapphire broke off. “What did you give me?”

  “We knew you'd taken rame, all the Doms actually, so we gave you gatril mixed with fal to counter it. We made the doses very, very small to begin with so you wouldn't suspect, then higher doses over the weeks so you'd be at your most able and willing.” A little laugh escaped Saneel. “You were. I've never known a lover like you, Sapphire, never, and I've known many who needed much more fal.”

  “The demons!” Sapphire suddenly looked intently at Saneel. “All of us?”

  Saneel nodded.

  “You all said you're ancient, Dom, but none of you have really lost much over the syns, or so the other women inform me. They have enjoyed you all as much as I have you and have never experienced what I have with you either. You're all remarkable and we count it an honour.”

  “Even Quon?”

  “Even Quon,” chuckled Saneel. “We kept you all apart deliberately and by using the gatril to start with, quite heavily, you all became pliant quite quickly and forgot about each other or your desire to move on. Chevra tells me she had a struggle with Quon to begin with because she had to,” she paused, “re-ignite his interest against his wishes. But she assures me, once he was interested he was like you.”

  “The demons!” exclaimed Sapphire again. Then he roared with laughter. “And the others?”

  “Likewise, Dom, though Wind Dancer escaped Tyan more than once and we had to add much more gatril to his food to make him relax. When he wouldn't eat, we had to put lisen in his drink.”

  “That should have done the trick,” murmured Sapphire mirthfully.

  “It did,” agreed Saneel, breaking into laughter as well. “It galvanised him as it did Ebon who also resisted until he, too, relaxed and became receptive to Flax.”

  “Do they know?”

  “They do now,” answered Saneel, with another gurgle. “None of you was aware of the other until three days ago when we ceased dosing your food. By then we all knew we could let you go.”

  “Just how long have we been here, witch?”

  “Half a syn.”

  Sapphire looked blank.

  “Half a syn? And none of us knew it?”

  “No. Knellen, Saracen and Javen have all obliged again as well and they now know their own children who were born after you left us and are now half-grown.”

  Saneel pointed to where the Companions stood and then to where girls sat in a circle beyond them.

  “Theirs?”

  “Theirs. They'll have sisters soon.”

  “Sisters?”

  “We made sure of that, Sapphire. Our understanding of narcotics is wide-ranging so we can use what we need, sparingly, to ensure an outcome we want.”

  “And your males?”

  “They mostly produce boys, though sometimes a girl if we need a warrior,” came the reply.

  Sapphire looked quite puzzled.

  “Saneel, how did you do this? We are a collective with Jepaul and would have sensed your purpose.”

  “We know that, Sapphire. You think you found us?”

  Sapphire nodded.

  “No,” said Saneel gently. “We sensed your coming and your considerably enhanced power that would defeat us if you were aware. So we placed chinge all round your camp for days, so that way we could bring you here, unaware, only allowing you to come to for the moments you thought you found us. We then each took one of you to a pavilion where we kept chinge around you until you lost all sense of time and place and ate and drank what we gave you. Wind Dancer and Ebon may have resisted, as Quon did, but only our advances. They had no more notion of where they were than you did, the chinge keeping them as you were, contented, willing and, finally, giving us what we wanted. We've not harmed you.”

  “Jepaul?”

  “No child for Belika.” Saneel frowned. “Not yet anyway.”

  “Was he aware?”

  “We think so. But he was very contented and Belika says he made no attempt to discuss anything or to move from her. Nor did he ask about any of you. His whole attention was Belika. She's lucky to have him. He's a fine specimen.”

  “More so than us,” muttered Sapphire ruefully. “We are so very, very old.”

  “Not at all,” reproved Saneel, another chuckle escaping her. “You've served us astonishingly well. Believe me!”

  There was another deeper chortle. Saneel stretched up to Sapphire. He eyed her austerely, then he simply smiled, put his arms about her and kissed her very gently.

  “You have truly lived up to your titles of enchantresses, haven’t you?’

  “Have we?’

  “Oh, yes, Saneel, indeed you have. We’ve known of enchantresses and seductresses but long, long ago, though we didn’t immediately connect them with Maenades – yourselves in fact. You’ve given us renewed life and vigour, haven’t you?”

  “Maybe, Sapphire.”

  “Thank you, Saneel – so much.”

  “And you,” she whispered after him, as she watched him cross to the horse provided for him.

 

  What none of the Doms was aware of was how they were energised as never before in long syns, their figures erect, springs in their steps and their appearance that of men who no longer looked very, very old, just mature. That was down to the prolonged inhalation of chinge and use of gatril and fal, powerful drugs indeed. It was an unexpected and beneficial result. Jepaul's step was light.

  The Doms had much to discuss and they all looked remarkably sheepish when they realised how easily they'd
been manipulated. They felt foolish being so gullible and set up watches to ensure they weren't caught that way again. To be so vulnerable was dangerous. But they certainly began to notice the appearance and energy of each other, something that preoccupied their minds for long days as they rode and ruminated privately. They all decided it was the drugs and put it behind them. The Companions had no idea of what had happened and the Doms preferred it that way. For the moment. Jepaul said nothing.

  They met another group of mimoses who eyed the travellers interestedly, made tentative overtures, then galloped away when they were rebuffed. They didn't even look long at Jepaul. The travellers now knew what could be eaten, harvested and dried and carried. They had a clearer knowledge of where to find water. After a long trek they finally reached the shore where they once left a stolen boat. To their utmost surprise they found it where they left it, somewhat dilapidated and in need of repair, but that was undertaken without too much difficulty and all crowded aboard. Sapphire's navigation had them come close to where they stole the boat.

  And now they met those who chased them. They stood stolidly as they eyed the group disembarking and crossing the reefs towards the inland lake. They waited, a phalanx of silent men. It was Jepaul who strode forward, his tall form towering over those gathered as he quietly confronted them.

  “We took your boat,” he admitted, his voice richly mellow and deep.

  “Aye, ye did and all,” came a growl of agreement. “That was some time since. Ye've been gone long syns.”

  “But we also return the boat.” Jepaul paused. “We asked you to help us but you refused.”

  “Aye, we did.”

  “So we had no option but to take the boat.”

  “That's as maybe.”

  “As I said, we return it. It's now repaired and usable again and we thank you for not continuing to pursue us.”

  “Some of ye are very old and not seen afore, though not looking as frail as before which we find interesting.”

  “Yes.”

  “Who are ye then?”

  “Travellers.”

  “The dark shadows left off and followed ye.”

  “They would, yes.”

  “Are ye of them?”

  “No.”

  “Do ye seek them or do they seek ye?”

  “Both.”

  There was a long pause as the fishermen eyed Jepaul consideringly. The spokesman stroked his beard as he wrinkled his nose in thought.

  “They stopped preying on us to follow ye.”

  “So we did benefit you?”

  “Aye.”

  “We wish to continue our travel.”

  “Where?”

  “South.”

  “With those who are with us? They say they seek ye. Their descriptions match except ye are no longer a boy but grown to maturity and different, aye?”

  Jepaul and the others looked a query. The man turned to signal to the men gathered with him to fall back. When they did, a man and tall boy could be seen. There was a sudden hiss from Elementals and Companions together.

  “Are they your prisoners?”

  “Sort of.”

  “So they spoke of us?”

  “Aye, in a way. Enough to figure they were connected with ye in some way. We've expected ye back so kept them here as hostage since ye stole our boat, though time kept passing. They said one day ye'd come. Ye have.”

  “Can you let us near them?”

  “Aye.”

  The leader signalled again. The man was ungently propelled forward by two burly men and two other fishermen jerked the boy forward as well. The travellers could see they were clean, clearly fed, but they looked tired and as if they couldn't believe they truly saw the group who stood looking at them so intently.

  “Javen!” said the man huskily. “Javen!”

  Javen stepped forward with a warm smile.

  “Gabrel, my old friend. We said we'd be back. And we are.”

  Hands were urgently grasped then released before Gabrel turned to Quon with hands extended. They shook in Quon's grip.

  “Maquat Dom, you're a sight for sorely troubled, trapped travellers.”

  The baritone voice broke. Quon’s smile was warm and intensely welcoming.

  “Gabrel, I'm so sorry you were taken hostage.”

  Quon drew Gabrel forward to Knellen who strode forward. At the sight of his eyes the fishermen drew back, startled and wary, but Knellen ignored them as he stooped to Gabrel in welcome. And what also shook the fishermen was how Quon was addressed.

  Gabrel and Javen spoke together briefly before Gabrel turned to acknowledge the others in the group though some were unfamiliar, including Doms and Belika, but he smiled broadly at Saracen. Then he moved back and brought forward the boy, an arm protectively about him.

  “You won't recognise the infant you left behind,” he managed to tease.

  They watched Knellen stoop steeply to look closely across at the youth while Gabrel glanced back speculatively to the Elementals and the Companions. His eyes wandered past them, to rest on a very tall figure who watched proceedings curiously, his odd eyes going from one person to another. Gabrel stared incredulously at Jepaul and rubbed his eyes.

  “Lad!” he gasped.

  He fell silent, disbelieving. Jepaul crossed to him, took an outstretched hand and bent his head so he could more comfortably converse; Gabrel's eyes showed how shocked he was at seeing the mature man grown from the gangly youth he'd known. Then he and Jepaul turned their attention to the youth who now wonderingly raised his head to stare a long way up at a young man unlike anyone he'd ever seen. Jepaul bent.

  “Cadran,” he murmured. “You're not a baby anymore, are you?” The boy shook his head, his eyes still wide. “I'm Jepaul, but you won't remember me.”

  Cadran shook his head.

  “Jepaul,” came the shy response from a young one who drew back to be close to Gabrel. He also looked uncertainly across to Knellen.

  The Varen then gestured to the boy. The Elementals saw how Knellen stared hard down at the tall youngster. He was startled. He drew in his breath at the sight of the young face. The youth growing quickly to manhood had Marilion's hair and eye colour as well as her expression and smile, but, thought Knellen, disbelievingly, Cadran was the Mythlin. Though the Varen species in many respects resembled clones, there was still invariably a trace of individuality in most. Cadran’s resemblance to his father was uncanny, even to the slightly pointed teeth as well as the eye and facial shape. His head shape was Varen. Then Knellen considered the boy again: he was clearly of mixed parentage.

  “I’m a Varen. I answer to Knellen.”

  “Master,” responded the boy, going to his knees. “My mother taught me about you. I honour you.”

  “Where is she?”

  Gabrel spoke very quietly.

  “She was bitten by a muggen, caught a fever and died within hours. I did all I could to save her. So did Cadran. The lad even sucked out some of the poison and became ill himself.”

  Knellen bent and immediately raised Cadran.

  “I’m sorry, child, that you’ve lost your mother, but Gabrel is a father to you.” Cadran nodded, his fascinated eyes staring up into the Varen’s. “You do not need to honour me. That’s neither necessary nor wanted, Cadran.”

  “My mother says you must be respected and always obeyed.”

  “Another Jepaul of sorts,” commented Quon, eying Cadran interestedly. He turned back to the fishermen who stood silent and a little withdrawn. He beckoned them. “We apologise if we caused you distress.” He paused, then continued, “Our need was most urgent.”

  “Are ye truly a Maquat?” demanded their spokesman. Quon nodded tiredly. It had been a long day. “None have walked Shalah in many ages.”

  “I have.”

  “Ye aren’t thought to exist now.”

  “Well, I do.”

  “Ye ask us to believe that?” Quon nodded. “When Shalah is in the state she is? How could ye leave us?” Quon didn�
��t answer. His eyes looked mournful. “How could ye not notice and alleviate the suffering of people?”

  “I am only one,” answered Quon, a touch of irritability and fretfulness in his voice.

  “Come then,” came the brusque response.

 

  The village had few luxuries but accommodation offered the travellers was spacious and comfortable and they were immediately encouraged to join the villagers for the communal meals. It took them all a day or so to settle and organise themselves but though they felt initial hostility and suspicion that abated, they were soon viewed mostly with increasing curiosity.

  Wind Dancer and Ebon intrigued the fisherfolk. The former’s height dwarfed them as did Sapphire’s and Jepaul’s. Flame’s powerful physique, allied with his height and flaming head, simply made them stare at him. They saw more of Dancer and Flame than they did of Sapphire who wandered around interestedly but spent most of his time in the water. Knellen, with his strange eyes, made them nervous. Belika baffled them and she was left strictly alone after she drew her lips back when something said annoyed her. Saracen was quite happy among them and was quickly accepted. Javen, who simply picked up with Gabrel again as though they’d not been apart for syns was, the fisherfolk decided, other than Saracen the most normal of this assorted group. And Jepaul simply also made them stare, especially when he pulled out a pipe and made music that sounded unlike anything anyone on Shalah had ever heard. It was quite otherworldly.

  But the fisherfolk clustered about Quon. He was cared for and tended gently and with respect. This attitude soon extended to the other Elementals though nothing was said of who or what they were. It was noticed that the people had a developing deep bond with Quon as well as with Jepaul and Sapphire. It was also noted by members of the community that each Companion seemed to have an affinity with one or other of the older travellers, something that gave the fisherfolk much food for thought as they watched the interplay of relationships day after day.

  It was observed how the Doms monitored Cadran who slowly came to feel comfortable about Elementals and Companions. It was seen that, like Marilion, he was instantly subservient to the Varen and also obeyed Gabrel as he’d always done. He was, the Doms learned, once very close to his mother. Gabrel said the young one went through a prolonged period of profound mourning. It was only the ex-slaver who got him through it. Their bond was deep.

  Gabrel wasn’t surprised to see Knellen take over the boy and start to train him as he once did Jepaul, at the same time as Cadran also began to learn about his Varen heritage too. His eyes lit up when Knellen talked with him. For Cadran, Knellen was the undisputed Master. But the Elementals, studying the youth closely, saw Cadran was much more than just a half-Varen, half-candamaran young one of nearly nineteen syns. His unusual empathy with Jepaul that manifested itself in only a day after they all met up showed that.

 

  As the days passed, with no one in a hurry to move on, the Doms continued to watch the Companions to assess how far they’d developed from their time on the Island. Change was significant. Their understanding was more comprehensive and their mental faculties much sharpened and very acute, their sensitivity and awareness to all things round them markedly heightened. Quon, studying them, sometimes felt they were now at the basic levels of junior elementals, a thought that struck him forcibly as time went on and made him increasingly reflective about Salaphon and the Island. The bond each Companion had with one of the Elementals deepened too, though no one commented on it as the ties were slow developing but no less powerful for that.

  And Knellen worked very hard in his training of Cadran. He was aware that the young man had syns to catch up to be at the level he should be for one of his kind. And Cadran, intelligent and willing, learned very fast, especially as Knellen had him spar with Jepaul as well. This brought the two younger ones very close.

 

  They left the fisherfolk. They began, reluctantly, to continue heading back the way Quon, Knellen and Saracen, with a child/Jepaul, had trekked long ago. They followed almost the same route, but where they first met the slavers they deviated and headed more directly south and they certainly avoided where they now knew the Cefors lurked. It took a long time to reach the vicinity of cities but it was Saracen who finally knew exactly where Quon headed. It was to the Grohol.

 

  One evening, Saracen strode across to Dom Earth and stood, sturdily, his look down at the resting Doms a grave and frowning one.

  “Quon, do you seek the Grohols? I sense you do. Am I wrong?”

  Quon looked up with interest.

  “No,” he answered placidly. “How do you know?”

  “I've been asked why you're so close and what you may need.”

  “By Ospre?”

  “Yes.”

  “I see.”

  Quon chewed his lower lip meditatively while the other Doms listened enquiringly. Saracen waited through the long pause. Sapphire stretched.

  “It's Cadran, isn't it?” he asked, his voice oddly flat.

  “Aye, it is,” sighed Quon.

  “He's too Varen in part to be safe in any city, isn't he?” Ebon's voice was sharp. His observation made Wind Dancer comment.

  “There's enough in him to make the curious ask questions and others to threaten him,” he observed.

  Quon turned his head.

  “Knellen,” he called.

  The Varen got to his feet and ambled over to the Doms, crouched so he was eye to eye with Quon and tilted his head in a question.

  “What is it? Something troubles you?”

  “Knellen, how Varen is Cadran?”

  Knellen was thoughtful for a few moments.

  “He mostly resembles his mother for colouring, Quon, and though he'll have the Varen build and height, his frame's less bulky. But -,” Knellen paused again. “He has the pointed teeth, though not like ours to the same degree, and has the distinctive head shape that clearly show his Varen heritage.”

  “Would it be immediately recognised?”

  “Almost certainly, Old One. Why?”

  “We approach cities, Knellen, and we're well into Varen precincts and have been for some time. You've seen some, haven't you?”

  “Yes, but so far they're no threat.”

  “But they could be to Cadran?”

  “Undoubtedly. He shouldn't even exist. It would be assumed the candemaran died long before he could be born.”

  “Then it's not safe for him, is it, as young as he is?”

  Knellen knit his brows, his forehead puckered before he replied,

  “No, Quon, it isn't.”

  “Then we must leave him somewhere safe for the moment.”

  “I agree. He needs to be with people who can help his development. For a Varen he’s still very young.”

  Quon glanced at Saracen.

  “You suspected this, didn't you?”

  “Aye, we knew he needed protection, just like Jepaul before him.”

  “Then we must get him to your people, Saracen. I sense they're very, very close.”

  A slow smile came to Saracen's face at that.

  “But of course, Dom Earth.” Saracen's smile broadened. “They await him, Maquat. Ospre says Gabrel should accompany the boy so the child has a father figure with him.”

  “We'll talk to Gabrel,” murmured Quon, getting to his feet. “Doms?”

  “Agreed,” responded Wind Dancer. Sapphire and Ebon nodded.

 

  Cadran was troubled by what confronted him but Gabrel quietened him and Jepaul talked long with him. The Doms were calmly reassuring but it was Knellen who finally took the boy aside, for quite some time, and it was after that the youngster was tearfully reconciled.

  He reluctantly accompanied Knellen and Saracen, Gabrel beside him with a gentle arm round his shoulders. Jepaul watched him go, an expression on his face hard to interpret. Only Quon noticed it. When Saracen and Knellen returned they said Cadran had settled unexpectedly and quickly with the Gro
hols, Gabrel was contented and the Grohols were fascinated by a half-Varen boy.