A MEETING OF RIDERS

The meeting was called for the following afternoon to take place in the common room of Rider barracks. With the king’s approval, Mara withheld any new message errands from going out. Osric had arrived during the night, and Tegan that morning, bringing their numbers up to a whopping twenty-six Riders in residence. Fifteen others remained out in the field. They would be talked to individually as they returned from their errands.

Captain Mapstone did not appear despite Mara’s coaxing. She refused even to open the door to speak with her face to face. In fact, she said nothing to Mara, except for a terse, “Go away.” Karigan and Mara worried about her, but it made their meeting all the more urgent.

Karigan had never seen so much green jammed into one room before. The lucky few Riders who arrived first claimed all the comfy armchairs and rocking chairs. Most carried in chairs from their rooms.

The inscrutable Lynx chose to stand off by himself in a far corner, sucking on a long-stemmed pipe, his arms folded across his chest.

Karigan went around the room opening all the windows to let in fresh air, then took her place at the head of the table next to Mara. She grew uneasy with all the expectant faces looking their way.

Mara began with a smile. “I’m glad to see you all here. It’s not often we get together in such numbers, but Karigan and I felt it was necessary.

“Before Captain Mapstone’s collapse, she told me she felt there was something amiss with the nature of magic, a concern she shared also with Karigan. She heard of too many strange occurrences happening throughout the provinces. Too many to be accounted an accident. Perhaps you’ve heard the rumors of a stone deer in Wayman, or about the rainbows over the village of Derry.”

There was considerable nodding and murmured affirmatives from the assembled Riders.

“They’re not rumors.” Mara’s pronouncement wasn’t met with a great deal of surprise. After all, more than anyone else, the Riders had been out in the world and saw and heard much. “More reports of such things continue to trickle in during the king’s public audiences.

“At the moment, I’m a little more concerned about what might be happening among us, though Karigan will have more to say about the larger scope of the problem. It is known only to Karigan and me, and to the king and his advisors, that Captain Mapstone’s ability failed her during a very critical moment, while she evaluated Lord-Governor D’Ivary. If her ability hadn’t failed, if she’d been able to detect D’Ivary’s lies and true intent, tragedy in D’Ivary Province might have been averted.”

Some Riders looked stricken, while others watched Mara raptly, waiting for more. Tegan stared at her hands folded on the tabletop, and Lynx stood calm as could be in his corner, blowing smoke rings toward the rafters.

“The outcome of the captain’s ability failing is not what we’re here to discuss,” Mara continued, her voice rising above the general chatter. “The fact it failed is what brings us together today. The captain never shared with me whether her ability recovered after the incident, or if it continued to fail. From outward signs, I’d guess it’s what led to her collapse.” She gazed around the group, putting on a stern expression. “I want to know if anyone else here has experienced a lapse in their ability.”

They had planned ahead that Karigan would come forward first if no one else did. Karigan’s experiences, however, revolved around so many issues that Mara wanted to leave her last. As it turned out, Karigan didn’t have to jump in. Tegan raised a trembling hand.

“Yes, Tegan?” Mara said.

“My ability,” she said tentatively. “I’ve not been able to make an accurate foretelling of the weather for weeks.”

Karigan, who wasn’t surprised by her admission, watched Garth pale. He hung his head in abject guilt. “I’m sorry, Tegan. I had no idea. I thought you were playing a joke on me that day when I got caught in the rain. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“How could you know?” she asked. “I was too ashamed to admit my failing to anyone.”

Others chimed in. Osric M’Grew admitted he could no longer walk through solid objects, and had acquired several bruises attempting to do so. Though he made light of it, Karigan could see the fear in his eyes. Trace Burns said her ability, too, had failed, and this was why they had no idea of how Connly fared. Trace and Connly each possessed the ability to communicate with one another using thoughts, even over long distances.

“How do we know something hasn’t happened to Connly?” Justin asked.

Trace shrugged. “We don’t. But usually I can feel my ability in my mind, but that doesn’t happen anymore when I try. I believe the problem is on my end, not his.”

Other Riders said they had experienced no changes in their abilities, or hadn’t needed to use them in months and were not aware of problems.

Ephram Neddick said, “I wouldn’t call what’s happened to my ability a problem. It works better than ever.” He screwed up his face. “Maybe too well, when I’m overnighting in an inn, if you know what I mean.” His ability, when he chose to use it, was an extraordinary sense of hearing.

“I believe it’s the same with my ability,” Mara said. “Here is one more item for our list: some weeks ago, Reita’s brooch abandoned her, prematurely it would seem.”

Everyone began talking at once. Now that the problem had been aired, some were nervous, while others looked relieved they weren’t the only ones afflicted.