The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) Garrett Robinson (poetry books to read TXT) 📖

family weep with the beauty of the songs he gave them, so ancient that I had never heard them before, and rendered in the high speech that had once been common in the courts of the nine kingdoms. We talked until dinner, and then we talked all throughout that meal—even better than lunch had been, and with still more wine—and then we talked for a good long while afterwards.

But sometime in the evening, when the sun had long since set and the moons were making their intrepid way across the sky, we came to business. Victon’s children had long since gone to bed—Nuru somewhat sooner than Zuri, for I had spotted another boy lurking outside the room, beckoning to him. It was only the five of us now, and Oku in the corner, of course. Mag sat up on her couch. Victon and Nuri rose as well, sensing the mood in the room shift.

“Victon,” said Mag. “This day has been the best of long memory. I have not Dryleaf’s gift with words, nor even Albern’s, and so I cannot tell you what a balm it has been to all of us after the long road that brought us here. But we did not come here only for a visit, however long overdue that might have been.”

He sighed, leaning forwards to scratch at the stump of his leg. “Well, of course not. That would have been a long journey to make to see my ugly old face.” Nuri reached over and slapped his arm lightly, and he grinned. “Tell me, my friends. What do you need?”

“We told you of the weremage,” I said. “We are hunting her here in Opara. We know she still works with these Shades, and we think she came here to join more of them.”

Victon frowned and scratched at his stubble. “I have heard nothing of any rogue weremage. Nor have I heard of these Shades. I did not even know about Northwood; there was some rumor of an attack on Selvan, but I took that for Dorsea’s usual malcontence. What could bring them here? Opara may stand on the border, but it is hardly a hub of trade.”

“The Shades have long been devising a plan both hidden and evil,” said Dryleaf. “We should not presume it will be easy to guess at.”

Victon reached over to take Nuri’s hand. “I suppose I was a fool to think I was done with war forever.”

“You still can be,” said Mag. She left her chair to kneel before him, putting her hands on his leg. “We will take care of this matter. You left your fighting days behind you.”

“So did you,” said Victon. Then he chuckled and pounded on his stump with one hand. “But I suppose there is more than one reason I should not return to the field.”

Nuri’s brows lifted. “Not to mention the fact that your wife might kill you if you tried.”

“Another fair point, and one I had not considered,” said Victon. “Yet I may still be of some use. I may not know where to start looking for your renegade wizard—but I know the person who will know where to look. It happens that I am acquainted with Conrus of the family Matara.”

I squinted, thinking, before I recalled the name. “The Rangatira? It … might not be wise for us to speak with him.”

“Oh?” said Victon, looking vaguely alarmed. “Are you in some trouble with the King’s law?”

“No,” I said. “But I do not wish my return to Calentin to be widely known, especially among the nobility.” I had known Conrus when I was very young. That was a long time ago, and I had had my wending since, but still I did not like the thought of presenting myself to him.

“Yet we could hardly ask for better assistance than we would get from a border lord,” said Mag. “Worry not, Albern. I will do most of the talking.”

“And I will visit him with you,” said Victon. “He has been expecting a bottle of my special reserve for about a week now. I meant to entice him to visit, but it seems fate has given me a better use for an unpaid favor.”

“Fate,” I laughed, like a fool. “If you say so, old friend.”

“But come,” said Nuri. “It is far too late for you to make your way back to the city tonight. You must stay here with us, and the lot of you can go in the morning.”

We made all the right sounds of protestation, but she did not have to work very hard to persuade us. Nuri set us up in some of the finest rooms in their very fine house, and we slept even better than we had at the inn the night before.

Nuri woke Mag, Dryleaf, and me just after sunrise. We broke our fast with her and Victon. I had a slight headache after all the wine, and Dryleaf looked to be feeling even more delicate, but none of the others seemed any worse for wear.

Our meals were done, and we were picking through the remains of the tastiest morsels left when Victon clapped his hands. “We shall make for the Rangatira first thing,” he proclaimed. “I readied one of my finest bottles last night before I went to sleep.”

“Will you be accompanying us?” Dryleaf asked Nuri, who was sitting beside him.

She arched an eyebrow. “Do you wish for me to?”

He lifted her hand to kiss it. “How could I wish for anything but more of your astonishingly beautiful company?”

That made Nuri giggle, even as she shook her head. “I could ask no greater compliment, for the blind see the only sort of beauty I have ever cared about. But no, I have many duties here, and I will be little help to you.”

When we were ready, we left the house. In the front courtyard we found that the horses had already been brought from the stable, as well as