WordforRoadMerielThe Word for Road is River Meriel"She saw you, Meriel?" "Yes," says Meriel impatiently. "At least, if she's any good she did. And she is good - I know that. And now it'll start again ... they'll come after me and won't stop until they have me sealed up in one of their dreary little boxes, wasting my entire life watching other people live. And I won't do it, Martin, I won't!" Martin's eyes turn from confusion, to wariness, to growing alarm. The note of panic is strong in her voice. "I'm going," she says with determination. "I thought *you* would understand - but if you're leading us towards Rebma then you don't, not at all." And with a last reproachful look, she dives back into the water and deep, looking for the kind of reeds where she might shake off pursuit. "Meriel!" Martin calls as Meriel dives into the water and away. "It was a direction. Come..." His words become unclear as Meriel, underwater and away, escapes the sound of his voice. The bottom of the river has plenty of plant life. Plant life to hide in and swim within, that seems to stretch all the way to the Ocean, if she wished to swim that far. But Meriel is not heading for the ocean - for that way, all currents lead to Rebma. No, as ever Meriel is swimming against the current - in this case, using the water reeds to cover her escape, and defiantly upstream. The current proves to be more noticeable now that Meriel is pushing against it. Still, while she is a creature of Ocean, Meriel is foremost a creature of Water. Reeds and plants can be found. And as they wave against the ocean-seeking current, Meriel can find that cover. Pursuit does not seem to be immediately forthcoming as Meriel flees past tide grasses, and past benthic river life and schools of small fish. Five minutes later, there is a tugging on the edges of Meriel's mind. A Trump Call. Meriel pauses, treading water for a moment. Whose has her trump? Not Martin - he would have called her long ago had he had that contact. He would, she hopes, have rescued her (even if he was idiotic enough to lead them nearly back into Moire's maw. Honestly, trust a man with *anything* ... So that only leaves Rebma itself. Moire could command a trump to be drawn of her errant scryer any time she wanted. And now the Queen has an idea of where she is and who she is with, so much easier to reel her in. Well, Meriel isn't ready to be caught that way. She gives a little shake of her head and kicks water, heading upstream. Meriel is well aware that a trump contact is nearly impossible to force on a person. It can be a continual drumbeat of attempts that result in the called person giving in, but an actual mind lock to force someone to take a trump contact is at best extremely rare. Thus, Meriel only needs to wait out the call and after sixty seconds of straight attempt, the call attempt ends. The river upstream begins to bend to the left, and as Meriel slides betwixt reed and watercress in her continual flight, a voice comes to her ears. Its clearly some sort of arcane augmentation, since there is no one nearby, and the tones seem to suggest that the origin of the voice is on dry land. "Meriel!" the voice is female. "Meriel!" Meriel can determine that the voice is that of the dark haired Noys. "Stop. Let's talk. Please." "I won't stop but I will listen," Meriel responds. She isn't sure if Noys needs her to concentrate fully on the conversation - if so, Noys is out of luck. Meriel needs to keep her wits about her for dangers in the water. Dangers in the water are few, save for the usual obstacles and currents. The currents are a bit of a tangle, and it does take work to keep Meriel firmly within the plant life and out of sight. "One thing you need to understand," Meriel adds firmly. "I'm not going back to be sealed in a box in Rebma, to live my life out by watching other people living theirs." "They make you watch reality television?" comes the voice of Noys after a few moments. The sound's volume goes up and down a bit "Never mind." Noys says with a bit of a laugh. "I was just talking to Krysta, who isn't happy about what has happened to her since she's come to Amber. Point of fact, Meriel, she's not going back. She's decided to go wandering in Shadow for a few decades, maybe longer." "Martin was an idiot for not realizing that heading back to Amber via Rebma was a stupid thing to do in the company someone who has slipped Rebma's nets. Men!" The voice fades for about a half minute, and then comes back stronger. "I can't stay away from Amber for decades." Noys adds, the voice growing a bit fainter. "However, I swear to you as a Royal Princess of Amber that I'll keep you from involuntary servitude, in Rebma or elsewhere, Meriel.You aided me, and mine, and now I will aid you, if you will stay your flight. I'm sure Cas and Pol would agree, too. Running by yourself out here if you're unfamiliar with Shadow, is dangerous." Meriel hesitates. She can see the sense of what Noys says, but the reality of Rebma and her fate there is all too close. She heaves a deep sigh. "I knew that Priya would have to tell Moire," she says disconsolately, "but I did hope that could wait till I was actually in Amber. I'm sure the King would protect ... Anyway. How soon will we be back in Amber?" "A couple of days, perhaps. Depends on how fast we shift." Noys voice comes back after a few moments delay, either in thought or trying to catch Meriel. "You understand what the Golden Circle is, I am sure. Beyond the Golden Circle is a secondary set of shadows that some in the Family call the Silver Circle. Shadows with varying degrees of uncommon dealings with Amber. Beyond that is the Bronze Circle, where dealings with Amber are rare. I believe, although we'd have to ask Martin to be sure, we're somewhere in the Bronze. Certainly if Queen Moire was able to reach here to confront you, Meriel, we can't be any further away." "Of course, there is always a Trump Gate." Noys finishes. "I get the feeling that Martin was preferring a leisurely trip back to Amber, though he can be talked around to a quicker return if desired." "I wouldn't have minded leisure, and exploring a little," says Meriel. "It would give me time to become familiar will all this land stuff like ... gravity. But if Moire knows ... " "Knowing about gravity is important. Even in outer space." the voice of Noys replies. Meriel blows some reflective bubbles against the current. "Do you promise that if Moire sends for me, you'll open a trump gate so we can all get through and escape?" she says at last. "To a desert or someplace far away from water, if necessary." Noys says after a moment. Even underwater and cast through a spell, her voice is solemn and formal. "So do I, Princess Noys, daughter of King Eric, promise, and so do I swear to Meriel of Rebma." "And Meriel of ... of Rebma accepts," she responds, with the oddest little catch in her voice. "Good. I will maintain the spell." Noys says. And then, without more ado (but still keeping a very careful and wary eye as to her surroundings) she began to swim back to where she had seen Moire and left the others. The swim back begins easily enough, especially since Meriel doesn't have to fight the current. A mile or so of swimming though, and she feels something arcane, a probe, wash over her. Its like the esoteric equivalent of the sonic pulse of a whale. A few moments later, Noys' voice comes. "I just felt something, Meriel. Someone is looking for you or me. Or both of us." Noys says. "I'm sure it came from this shadow, it can't be Moire but I don't know more. If Lorius were here, he could have traced it." "It may not be more but it could be some of her minions," replies Meriel. "When she makes up her mind, she nmoves fast." Under the water, her face takes on an expression of stubborn determination. "Where are you? I'm coming ashore. And I need to go to Amber - now!" "On the river bank, some meters downstream of where you are, I think." Noys' voice comes. "You swim quickly." "I'm on the same side of the river as the rest of us." Noys says "Come ashore, or at least surface and we'll get back to the others quickly and get a Gate going, and Moire will have an empty net for her troubles." "Unless you wanted to leave as soon as you came ashore and call the others later." the voice of Noys adds. "If you think its that dangerous." "It could be," says Meriel. "I've heard .... " And then she is silent, perhaps because she is swimming fast, perhaps because she doesn't want to say any more but suuddenly the water at Noys feet heaves and the Meriel slips from it as simply and cleanly as most people dive in. She's wet, but she doesn't seem to notice. A look of surprise comes across Noys' face at Meriel's sudden arrival and appearance. "Let's find the others," she says briefly. "Yes" Noys says, recovering from her surprise and leading the way. The path along the river is nowhere near as interesting as the river bottom, a route with a view of the river that runs toward the sea. After a mile or so of walking, the, path briefly reaches a rise that allows Meriel a chance to walk up an incline for a change, and then descends again toward the beach where Meriel can see the remainder of the group are standing... Backlinks |
