Masques (Sianim #1)(48)

He'd always had the ability to do things beyond the generally accepted bounds of human magic - taking wolfshape for extended periods of time was one of those. Before now he could attribute this to the enormous power he wielded. Human magic could heal, but it required a more detailed knowledge of the human body than he had acquired; killing required much less precision. Human magic could not recognize a shapeshifter's natural shape and restore her to it ... as he had done.

His magic had blithely crashed though the laws of magic established for thousands of years. What was he that he could do such things?

He found no answers. He'd seen the woman who bore him only once that he could remember. She'd seemed ordinary enough - for a woman who had spent a decade in the ae'Magi's dungeon. But the ae'Magi had got a son on her and kept her alive afterwards. She must have been more than she seemed.

Wolf had been the result of an ... experiment, perhaps: one that had gotten out of hand.

Aralorn stirred, catching his attention. He got to his feet with relief at being drawn from his thoughts, and went to her.

Chapter Eight

Aralorn was in the habit of waiting until she knew where she was and who she was supposed to be before she opened her eyes - a habit developed from frequently being someone other than herself. For some reason it seemed more difficult than usual. The warm sun on her face seemed as much out of place as the sound of a jay squeaking from its perch somewhere above her.

She moved restlessly and felt a warning twinge from her side that was instantly echoed from various other parts of her body. As a memory aid she found it effective, if crude.

The problem was, she had no idea how she had gotten from the ae'Magi's dungeon to where she was. Deciding that it was unlikely that she would come to any earth-shattering conclusions lying around feigning sleep, she opened her eyes and sat up - an action that she had immediate cause to regret. The abrupt change in position caused her to start coughing - no pleasant thing with cracked ribs. She collapsed slowly back into her prone position and waited for her eyes to quit watering.

Breathing shallowly, she restricted herself to turning her head to examine her current environment. She was alone in a small clearing, surrounded by thick shrubs that quickly gave way to broad-leafed trees. She could hear a brook running somewhere nearby. The sun was high and edging toward afternoon. Mountains rose, not far away, on at least three sides. They were smaller than their Northland counterparts, but impressive enough.

The blankets that Aralorn was more or less cocooned in were of a fine, intricate weave. She whistled softly at the extravagance. Just one of them would cost a mercenary two months' salary, and she was wrapped in two of them with her head pillowed on a third. She should have been too warm, bundled up so heavily - but it felt good.

The bandaging on her hands and wrists was neatly tied and just snug enough to give support without being too tight. Whoever tied them was better at binding wounds than she was - not a great feat. She didn't bother to examine the other bandages that covered her here and there; preferring not to scrutinize her wounds in case too many body parts were missing or nonfunctional.

It occurred to her then that her eyes should belong to the category of missing and nonfunctional items. The method the ae'Magi had used to blind her had been ... thorough; enough so that she had not thought that even shapeshifter magic could heal her. The ae'Magi was a master torturer.

She shivered in her blankets. The unwelcome thought occurred to her that it would be possible for a strong magician to create the illusion of this meadow. Much easier than healing her eyes. She looked nervously around, but she was still the only occupant of the clearing.

Somehow, she'd been assuming that Wolf had found a way to get her out of the ae'Magi's dungeon. It was more likely a ploy by the ae'Magi, either to get more information from her, or to toy with her for a while.

Deciding that if it were the ae'Magi who was going to show up, she didn't want to face him lying on her back, so she found a slender tree growing near her head. She pushed herself back until she bumped into it. Gradually, so as not to trigger another coughing spell, she raised herself with its support until she was sitting up with her back against the tree. She waited for a minute, and when she didn't start coughing she slid herself up against the tree until she was standing, more or less.

She didn't hear him until he spoke from behind her. His voice was without its usual sardonic overtones, but it was still blessedly Wolf's. "Welcome back, Lady."

She turned her head with a smile of greeting that left her when she saw his face. Only years of training kept her from giving her fear voice; even that couldn't stop the involuntary step backward that she took. Unfortunately, her feet tangled in the blanket that had covered her and she fell awkwardly.

From her position on the ground she looked up at the ae'Magi's face. He too had stepped back, albeit more gracefully. He raised a hand to his face and then dropped it abruptly. His face emotionless, he waited until she finished coughing and could talk.

Aralorn found herself grateful that she was unable to speak for a minute, because it gave her a chance to think. The ae'Magi's face it might be, but Wolf's yellow eyes glittered at her - as volatile as the face was not. She would not hurt him again by suspicion.

Before she could clear her throat enough to say anything, Wolf spoke softly. "If I thought that you could make it to safety alone, I would leave you in peace. Unfortunately that is not possible. I assure you that I will leave as soon as you are back ..."