The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (novels in english .TXT) 📗

as ashiggreth haunted her. How much did it remember? No one knewexactly how much of the victim’s memories remained. Over the yearsthey had discovered that most didn’t even remember their names,having become nearly mindless creatures of pure hunger, but on afew occasions they had encountered a few that retained the abilityto speak and obviously some of their memories. Those were theworst, for they sometimes fooled their former loved ones intotrusting them.

Stephen had mentioned a sudden mist,presumably summoned by the shiggreth. In the past only Timothy, theleader of the shiggreth, had possessed any magical capacity, beyondthe usual life-draining abilities of his kind. If the undead onethat had resulted from Mordecai’s death retained some or all of hispowers—the consequences were unthinkable.

Penny’s emotions finallysettled, drifting down from anger and confusion to a more tolerablemelancholy depression. She also felt embarrassed for her behaviorwith Rose. While she still felt her anger had been valid, herreaction had been unforgivable. I owe heran apology, she thought,grimacing.

She went to look for her, but shecould find no sign of the Thornbears. Their room was empty, andthey were nowhere to be found.

Peter confirmed her suspicion as soonas she went downstairs, “Sir Dorian and Lady Rose departed roughlya quarter of an hour ago, Your Excellency. Sir Dorian told me toinform you that they had decided to stay at Lady Rose’s city housefor the rest of their stay in the capital.” The chamberlain’s eyesrevealed nothing of his inner thoughts on the matter.

“What about the guard detail?” sheasked.

“He took two of the men at arms, therest Sir Dorian left to guard you, along with Sir Cyhan and SirEgan, Your Excellency,” answered Peter promptly.

“Very well, find Sir Cyhan and sendhim to my room,” she ordered.

Peter’s eyebrow twitched for a moment.“Yes, my lady.”

She stopped him, “I’ll thank you tokeep your thoughts to yourself Peter, unless you would preferanother job.” Penny had had enough of other people’s opinions andjudgments.

Her chamberlain bowed crisply, “As youwish, Countess.”

She didn’t bother acknowledging hisresponse; she was already heading upstairs toward the bedroom. Onceshe had shut the door behind her she began peeling off layers ofclothing, shedding her dress. As sometimes happened, her irritationhad left her feeling confined and restrained, and tight clothingonly made it worse.

She had the dress off before Cyhan’sknock on her door.

“You may enter,” she said promptly,while giving herself one last check in the mirror.

The large knight entered the roomquietly, shutting the door behind him before standing attentively afew feet within the room. “You sent for me Countess?” he asked,ignoring the obvious meaning of her attire.

“I need to work off some energy,” shetold him.

“Here?” he saidincredulously.

“Where else?”

“The room is too small, and while thatmight provide excellent practice in close quarters fighting, itwill undoubtedly result in significant damage to the furnishings,”he replied flatly, demonstrating the point by unsheathing his swordand swinging it in a slow arc.

Penny thought for a moment but came upblank. “There is no practice yard here, and it would be unseemlyfor me to practice in the street.”

“The kitchen then,” suggested Cyhan,“It is slightly larger, and most of the furnishings and equipmentthere are significantly more durable.”

It will also have theadded benefit of putting Peter’s uncharitable suspicion torest, she thought, still annoyed by thememory of his expression.

“Very well,” she nodded, moving to thedoor, her chainmail rustling audibly now that its sounds were nolonger dampened by the dress she had worn over it.

“Are you still wearing your armorunder your dresses,” the large warrior questioned as he followedher.

“I only remove it to sleep, andsometimes not even then,” she replied without lookingback.

“Your safety is our responsibility,”he returned.

“Safety is an illusion,” said Penny,“but this armor was made for me by my husband, and it’s the closestthing to safety I have left now. I will not trust my family’sprotection to anyone else.” She stopped for a moment before asking,“Does that offend your pride?”

Cyhan was slow to answer, and when hedid it was with more words than she had heard him offer in quitesome time. “It might bother some, but any true bodyguard would beglad. Your safety should be their primary concern.”

“I did not ask ‘any bodyguard’, Iasked you,” Penny reiterated.

“I cannot judge you for doing exactlyas I would do myself.”

Chapter 5

I had been wandering the city foralmost two days since my encounter with Myrtle. In the past I mighthave sought shelter somewhere, but in my present condition shelterwasn’t really a necessity. Rain, heat, cold, none of those thingsbothered me anymore. I never got tired or fatigued, so I simplywalked. Avoiding the city guard was a simple task that hardlydistracted me from my real task, which was entirelyinternal.

I followed the threads of memory thatI had found, regarding the creation of the shining gods. Eachrecollection led to others, and it was merely a matter of time topiece them together into a logical whole. The information Idiscovered, lurking in the shadows of my mind, was at timesshocking. It was also sad. At long last I learned the story behindmy daughter’s parents, my ancestor Mordecai Illeniel and his lover,Moira Centyr.

While I examined these things, Ilearned secrets that made my confrontations with the shining godsseem laughable. It was no wonder they had sought to eliminate theIlleniel family. Their creator had left the keys to their undoingindelibly recorded in my ancestral memories.

I still had no easy answer for how todeal with Mal’goroth, though if the things I had learned about thehuman gods held true for the dark gods of the She’Har there mightbe one person that held the key to their defeat.

I had a larger problem, though. Myfeelings, my emotions, had faded. The grey emptiness that had beenmy existence for the past few months had returned. The only feelingstill remaining to me was a dull longing, a craving—to recover thepassion I had so recently discovered. I only knew of one way to dothat.

Increasingly my mind returned to thesame thought, Myrtle.

I still remembered where her home waslocated, and I often found myself wandering in that direction. Iwas drawn to the memory of her vitality, her emotions—her life. Iwanted more of it.

Initially I chided myself for suchdesires. I knew they