Free Sovereign by Simon Brown Page B

said automatically, 'But the present has no boundary.'
    Lasthear's face blushed. 'Who told you those words?'
    'I… I don't know.'
    'What incantation were you using?'
    'I don't know. It came from somewhere inside my head. I've never heard it before.'
    Lasthear let her go. 'I'm sorry if I startled you.'
    Jenrosa suddenly became conscious that she and Lasthear were the centre of some attention. Chetts were looking on as if they had been witness to some important occasion; Haxus soldiers just stared at them strangely. At that moment she heard Lasthear breathe in sharply.
    'What's wrong?' Jenrosa asked.
    'I have never been in this much water before,' she said.
    Jenrosa took her arm and guided her back to the shore. Lasthear thanked her and quickly mounted her horse to put as much distance as possible between her and the water. When Jenrosa mounted, the others took it as a signal to go back to whatever it was they were doing before she entered the harbour. A short while later she and Lasthear were alone. For a while neither spoke; eventually Lasthear let out a gust of air, as if she had been holding her breath ever since being up to her waist in water.
    'I knew there was something special about you since the first time we did magik together, but I had no idea…' Her voice trailed off.
    'You're not going to go on about the Truespeaker again, are you? Because if you are—'
    Lasthear shook her head. 'No.'
    Jenrosa shut her mouth.
    Lasthear looked at her with uncertainty, as if Jenrosa was no longer the person she thought she was. 'We have a story about a great magiker—'
    'Oh no,' Jenrosa interrupted quickly, holding up her hands. She could feel in her bones this was going to be about her in some way. 'I'm not going to listen to this.'
    'He died over a thousand years ago,' Lasthear went on.
    'Oh,' Jenrosa said, suddenly feeling foolish.
    'In his time there were no Chetts, or Kendrans or Amanites or Haxans. There was only one people, and they were new to Theare. This great magiker was a man who was so honoured by his people that they made him their ruler. For a long time the people prospered under his rule, but as he got older he started having visions, terrible visions. At first he told no one about them, but instead wrote them down in great books. One day an acolyte read one of the books and went mad. When the magiker king found the body of the acolyte he knew immediately what had happened, and he realised his own madness was so great that one day it could destroy everything he had helped build. He called to him the greatest among his people and told them what was happening, and what he intended to do about it. He created four great talismans and put into them the four aspects of his power: his generosity, his wisdom, his strength and his hope.'
    'Four talismans?' Jenrosa asked suspiciously.
    'Yes, you see already. Four talismans that became the four Keys of Power. When he had finished making them he died. Instead of ruling in his name, the great ones he had called together fought among themselves for the talismans. One of them eventually gained control over all four, but by then the one people had divided into all the tribes that exist today.'
    'What was the name of this magiker king?'
    'Colane Oeser.'
    Jenrosa shook her head and laughed lightly. 'Never heard of him.' For some reason she could not explain, she felt relief at that.
    Lasthear shrugged. 'It is not important. What is important is that his passing marked the break-up of the one people. The legend goes on to say that the people will be united again when one like him reappears.'
    Jenrosa stiffened. 'One like him?'
    'It was said he could see all possibilities for any course of action at the same time. He often said that "The past is the same, but the present has no boundary."'
    'No!'Jenrosa said loudly. 'No, this I will not believe!'
    Lasthear looked sadly at Jenrosa but said nothing.
    'No!' Jenrosa cried. She pulled hard on her reins and galloped away from Lasthear and