Elves_ Once Walked with Gods Part 17

Battles are fought more in the mind than with sword or bow.

Serrin looked for all the world as if he had been for a gentle stroll in the eaves of the rainforest. His white-painted face bore no signs of stress but his eyes were anxious. Ynissul from every group in the Ultan rushed to him, looking for blessing, desperate for hope. He stopped by each in turn, placing his hands on foreheads, shoulders and cupping chins. Katyett stood as he approached, having to restrain Olmaat from trying to do the same.

'Don't be ridiculous, Olmaat. I think he'll understand.'

Katyett opened her arms and blessed the air. The TaiGethen around her followed her lead. Priest Serrin returned her gesture. He walked into her embrace and kissed her mouth and eyes.

'Yniss bless you, Katyett and your TaiGethen.' He nodded his head at the a.s.sembled Ynissul in the Ultan. 'Such pain. It is much worse here than I feared.'

'Lead us in prayer and we will talk,' said Katyett. 'I have no good news for you, my priest. And you are travelling alone.'

'Not all news is quite so grim.'

Serrin knelt, placing one hand on the stone of the Ultan and opening his other palm to the sky. Katyett saw Ynissul everywhere mirroring him, though few would hear the words from this quiet elf uncomfortable with speech and completely alien to raising his voice.

'Yniss, lord of G.o.ds and father of us all, hear us. Enemies sully our land. The hands of your own would crush the souls of elves. Let Tual guide our hands as we destroy our enemies. Let Shorth embrace those innocents who stand unwillingly before him. Let our faith embrace all those who waver and give them comfort. Let anger and forgiveness, mercy and vengeance guide our hearts. Let us not falter. I, Serrin, ask this of you.'

Serrin stared into Katyett's eyes and she shuddered at the pa.s.sion she saw within.

'Now we will talk,' he said. 'And I will seek the forgiveness of my G.o.d for all the words I must speak.'

'Yniss forgives those who sacrifice themselves in his name.'

Serrin smiled. 'It will not stop the soreness in my throat.'

Serrin switched his gaze at the sound of Olmaat coughing. He moved swiftly to the side of the stricken elf, laying hands on his chest and smoothing the salve that covered his forehead.

'Rest, my brother. Release the pain in your soul. Retain the anger.' Katyett watched Serrin frown and stare deep into Olmaat's eyes, right into his soul. 'You have seen it too, haven't you? What men have brought with them. And you have felt it. Stay with us. We need you.'

Olmaat's eyes were damp and he grabbed one of Serrin's wrists. 'I have no intention of going anywhere. There is vengeance to be delivered.'

Serrin nodded. 'Yet mercy must also exist in your soul, my brother.'

'What I have seen leaves little room for that.'

Serrin kissed Olmaat's eyes. 'Yniss will guide you.'

The Silent Priest stood and gestured Katyett to him. He took her by an elbow and led her away from the ears of others. Katyett felt nervous. There were things Serrin did not know. Terrible things. And she feared the inevitable question. He seemed to sense her anxiety.

'Is Auum still alive?' she asked, hoping to deflect him for a moment.

Serrin released her elbow and instead put an arm about her shoulders.

'It is very difficult to kill Auum. More difficult with each pa.s.sing day.' He paused. 'Jarinn is dead, is he not? I can see no way in which he could be allowed to live.'

Katyett felt stunned. She stopped and looked briefly away to Ysundeneth, where fresh smoke was rising into the darkening sky 'How can you know that?' she asked. 'He was murdered by men acting for an Ynissul cascarg. Hithuur. Olmaat was burned trying to save him.'

Serrin sucked in his lip. 'Hithuur? The betrayal goes high. What I have seen. Katyett . . . Auum was forced to spill the blood of men on the floor of Aryndeneth. They unleashed their magic in the temple. Sildaan has betrayed us too and seeks a return of the Ynissul to dominance over the elves. Throughout the rainforest, villages fear a new War of Bloods. Hope is dying out there.'

Katyett wiped a hand across her mouth. 'Sildaan. Not a name I would have a.s.sociated with this.'

'I presume Takaar was denounced?'

'And that denouncement unleashed a tide of hatred across Ysundeneth. The temple of Yniss has been burned and hundreds died inside. Ynissul are being targeted for slaughter by every other thread. I had to bring them here or risk more lives. Is Sildaan really the architect of this? It makes no sense. She wants dominance yet it is Ynissul who are dying in their hundreds. There will be too few left. She's just handing power to the Tualis.'

Serrin shook his head. 'It goes higher than Sildaan. It must do. Into the higher echelon of the priesthood. Lorius may have set the denouncement in motion but he would not have wished for this, I'm certain.'

'Indeed not. He died alongside Jarinn.'

Serrin gasped. 'Lorius too? That is a heavy blow. The Tualis are without reason now. Who survived?'

'Lorius and Jarinn are the only two we know have died. We believe the rest of the government is safe but we know little of their whereabouts or plans.'

'Some will be living in fear. Some will be tending to their people. Some will be plotting. We need names. This may not be simply an Ynissul betrayal.'

'What can we do?' asked Katyett. 'Realistically. The TaiGethen numbered just a hundred and seventeen before the trouble began. We are few and this magic seems ma.s.sively powerful. The Al-Arynaar are struggling to keep themselves cohesive let alone maintain order in Ysundeneth. If the threads truly separate we'll be powerless to stop whoever it is from taking control.'

'There is always hope, Katyett. Save the Ynissul gathered here. Have faith that the harmony is strong in the souls of elves and that it can never truly be broken, only hidden. We can return to peace. But only if we believe.'

Katyett studied Serrin's face. Something was missing from Serrin's plan.

'Where is Auum, my priest?'

'Auum has gone to find Takaar.'

[image]

Harbourside seethed. Seven different threads were represented by the time Pelyn reached the harbour master's warehouse. Some carried makeshift arms - boathooks, chains and shovels. Most relied on the weapons with which they were born.

She saw them trade insults across decreasing s.p.a.ce. The knots of elves were closing slowly on the thin line of Al-Arynaar ranged across the front of the warehouse. Several hundred Tualis and Beethans had taken central positions. Gyalans, Cefans and Orrans were there too in smaller numbers. Ixii and Apposans, in tight knots of twenty or so, looked for opportunity on the flanks.

The Al-Arynaar had withdrawn to secure the building. Pelyn was disappointed to see that they had arranged themselves to minimise the chance of fighting one of their own thread. She shouldn't blame them, but the move, conscious or not, spoke much about the state of mind of her warriors.

So far, the threads had not come to concerted blows amongst themselves, managing to maintain their distance from each other. But the gaps were closing. Each wanted first access to the warehouse. The Al-Arynaar were an impediment. Pelyn's appearance took a little of the boldness from them and she was quick to bolster the confidence of the forty or so of her warriors who stood in crumbling defiance.

'Al-Arynaar, I am proud of each of you. Wear your cloak with pride and remember the reason you took it. We stand to defend the harmony for all elves. I stand with you. I will not desert you. I know what you fear. You fear striking down one of your own. I am Tuali. Tualis stand before us. I will strike them down if I must. A Tuali who attacks me has betrayed both thread and harmony. We all know the sentence for such crimes.'

Pelyn swung round to face the approaching mob. Her voice would not reach them all over the shouting, stamping and clashing, and the chanting of ages-old songs that had no place outside a lesson in the history of the bleakest days.

'I am Pelyn, Arch of the Al-Arynaar. I and my warriors, drawn from every thread, are tasked by Yniss to defend our people, cities, buildings and streets. We defend every cobblestone, every pane of gla.s.s and every timber. We will not flinch from our duty. We cannot. Come no further. Return to your homes. Return to peace. The supplies in this warehouse are the property of the city and will be dispensed on the basis of need.'

They paid her no heed. She knew they wouldn't.

'We will strike any who seek to harm us. You are so warned. Al-Arynaar. To ready.'

The swords of the Al-Arynaar, held low until now, were all brought up and forward. Each warrior took a pace to the front to the ready stance. Those with shields moved them into defensive position. Pelyn walked along the thin single line, some fifty yards long. At every pace she spoke for their ears only.

'None of these can fight. Remember your training. Fight for your brothers and sisters. No one before you can beat you.'

'And if they fight among themselves?' asked one.

'Then let them. Those who remove themselves are doing the rest of us a favour. Any of you want any of these to bring up the next generation of elves? Think on it and temper your sympathy.'

The s.p.a.ce in front of the Al-Arynaar was disappearing quickly. In the centre the Beethans and Tualis closed on each other, both groups pressing forward into the inadequate s.p.a.ce. There was no clear leadership and the formation was chaotic. The inevitable happened. Right at the back the two sides came together. Fighting broke out. Fists and feet. Pushing and shoving. For now.

'Steady,' called Pelyn. 'Hold your positions.'

The advance was immediately distracted. Heads turned. People began to move back. Elves stepped out of line. They collided with their foes. The two threads surged at each other.

'Hold!' shouted Pelyn. 'Hold!'

Bodies were hitting the ground. With a ma.s.sed roar, Tuali and Beethan let fly at each other. Pelyn saw a boathook buried in the top of a skull and blood fountain into the air. The wielder was engulfed in furious Tualis. Chains whirled and crashed down. Feet stamped on bodies that lay in the dirt of the cobblestones. Fingers raked across faces. Fists ripped out clumps of hair. Knives flashed in the fading light as the rains closed in.

Behind the warring factions another group was on the move. They headed left around the conflict. Running hard. And from the right, others moved to mirror them.

'Flanks, brace for attack. Centre, hold your ground. Facing forward. Jakyn, with me,' said Pelyn.

Pelyn ran to the right. The Apposans and Ixii closing there were well armed and fierce. They moved in an organised unit, ten wide and four deep. Swords and axes to the front and sharpened staffs and javelins to the back. Al-Arynaar turned to face them. They did not flinch in their approach.

Elven blades clashed outside the harbour master's warehouse. The Al-Arynaar line bowed inwards but held. Pelyn ran to its centre. She could feel the reluctance all around her. Jakyn blocked a straight thrust aside, exposing the flank of an attacker. He shoved the iad back rather than disembowel her.

At the far right of the line an Al-Arynaar fielded an axe on his shield. Again, he shoved forward when a thrust above the shield would have finished his attacker.

'Bring them down!' shouted Pelyn. 'Fight, don't play.'

She pushed between two of her people. Three Ixii faced her. One ignored her, aiming a blow at the Al-Arynaar on her right. The other two came at her, both meaning to strike overarm. Pelyn swayed inside one blow and blocked the other up and out right. She smashed her left fist into the face of the first Ixii. He staggered back, unbalanced.

Pelyn twisted her blade out from under the hilt of her enemy's, leaving his body entirely open. Pelyn did what she had to do. She rammed her sword into the Ixii's throat. Arterial blood sprayed out. The ula clamped his hands to his neck, trying to scream. He collapsed forward.

Pelyn locked eyes with the iad behind.

'Flinch and perish,' she said.

She stepped up and thrust her blade into the Ixii's chest. The iad stared at her in mute shock. Pelyn was aware of a roaring around her. Fury. Indignation. Pelyn dragged her blade clear.

'I warned you!' she shouted. 'Disperse.'

But it had gone far too far for that. The Apposan and Ixii alliance surged again. An Al-Arynaar Second Reverent lost an arm to a huge chopping blow. Another was stabbed in the midriff and fell forward, taking her attacker down with her. And everything Pelyn's words had failed to stir was brought to the boil in an instant. A third Al-Arynaar deflected a strike to the neck. He riposted, bashing his shield out into the Ixii's face and driving his sword in waist high.

Pelyn ducked a wild swipe, dropping to her haunches. She swept out a foot as Katyett had taught her, tripping the Apposan. He fell sideways, unbalancing another. Pelyn rose, lashing a kick into his face, and disengaged from the fight. She backed into the small s.p.a.ce in front of the warehouse doors and looked out over the harbourside.

The fighting Beethans and Tualis battered into the rear of the thread allies attacking the Al-Arynaar. To her right, Apposan and Ixii were simply swept away. To the left it was a little harder going. Out towards the harbour, twenty or more bodies lay on the ground and b.l.o.o.d.y smears tracked through pools of blood.

'Jakyn!' The lad ran to her. 'I want those doors open. We need a place to go. Quickly now.'

The Tualis and Beethans turned on the Al-Arynaar. The full force of hundreds of enraged elves was focusing on a tenth their number of Al-Arynaar. Pelyn made for the centre of the line. Three boathooks flew in on lengths of one-inch rope. The sharpened ends snagged cloak and armour. Two warriors were simply upended and hauled into the enemy. Fingers tore and teeth ripped. Tualis streamed into the gap.

'Fall back!' shouted Pelyn. 'Fall back to the doors.'

The enemy came at her. She was alone for the moment. Four of them with many more behind though her surviving warriors were closing, narrowing the breach with every heartbeat.

Pelyn drew a dagger with her left hand and moved into a fluid fighting position. Both blades were forward and she bent slightly at the waist to increase her reach while maintaining her balance. The quartet came at her in a rush. None had blades. One had a chain which she circled high over her head. A second carried a pickaxe that appeared too heavy for him. He was young yet, immature.

The chain wielder brought her weapon down overhead. Pelyn leapt back, thudding into the timbers of the gatehouse. She hadn't realised she'd strayed so close. The chain struck sparks from the ground. Pelyn pushed herself off the wall and jabbed her dagger into the pickaxe chain-wielder's gut, leaving it where it lodged. A hand raked in from the right. Pelyn swayed back, feeling nails tear into her cheek and across under her nose.

Pelyn slashed her blade out and right, feeling it glance off the Tuali's skull, ripping his scalp open to the bone. The second unarmed elf hesitated. Pelyn straightened. The iad did not know what to do. Pelyn kicked out into her groin and battered the pommel of her blade into the back of the iad iad's neck, sending her thudding onto the cobblestones, her head bouncing unpleasantly.

Pelyn turned to the pickaxe carrier. The Tuali youth was staring at a blade deep in his stomach right below the breastbone. Jakyn pulled his weapon clear and stared at Pelyn.

'We were at school together,' he said.

'Well he didn't listen well enough.'

'Door's open.'

Pelyn nodded. 'Al-Arynaar. Disengage.'

The Al-Arynaar shoved forward and paced back, buying themselves a yard of s.p.a.ce. The Tuali and Beethan alliance of convenience held. They paused for breath.

'Into the warehouse. Now. Jakyn, the door.'

Pelyn and Jakyn rolled the big single door open. Jakyn ran to its other end, ready for his next order. Al-Arynaar sprinted in. The last four came in backwards, swords fencing away at the press of the enemy. One tripped over the rail. Beethan and Tuali ran inside.

'Jakyn, close it.'

The youth pushed hard. The door slid quickly, beating into the body of an unlucky Tuali. The door bounced back a little. Al-Arynaar dragged her inside. Jakyn closed the door.

'Brace it. Seal it. Anyhow.'

Jakyn kept his weight on the door, which juddered with the blows of the enemy without. Al-Arynaar were at work on the inside bolts. Others killed the enemy inside. A moment's respite.

'We won't stop them getting in for long,' said Jakyn.

'Then let's find ourselves a way out,' said Pelyn.

'If there was one, surely they'd have entered through it by now,' said a warrior.

'You're thinking too big.'

Pelyn turned away from the door, which was heaving under blow after blow. Axeheads were already biting through its timbers. The warehouse was huge. Racks stood against each wall and ran away for a hundred yards in six columns. They carried pretty much every conceivable item of any use to the city. Meticulously laid out and organised. Such was the mind of the harbour master.

From ship's masts, anchors, hawsers, sheets and sails, through every kind of pot, plate, mug and server in tin and clay, through a myriad plumbing and guttering joints, through carts, saddles, yokes, barrels, hoops, locks, keys, medical supplies . . . You could wander the shelves, racks and nets for ever.