[Lanen Kaelar 01] - Song in the Silence (49 page)

And so it would have been, but Shikrar was
faster. He all but flew to stand between, taking
across his chest plates the swipe
that was meant to appear accidental. It barely scratched him.
It would have
cut me in half.

I fell to my knees.

None of the Kindred had moved.

They
watched.

Akhor

Shikrar stood, wings spread wide to protect my
Lanen, all his being fixed on the furious
figure before him.

“Why, Rishkaan?” I asked quietly.
“This is not for some ancestor you never knew. This burns
in your
heart.”

“Burns! Burns! Yes, yes, you speak truth at
last, Silver King. She must die, she is a Lord of
the Hells in Gedri guise. You have
not seen what I have seen!” he raved. His voice echoed in
the shocked
stillness of the chamber, throbbing with a truth that spoke only to him.
“I have
seen,
I know what is to come. I too have had Weh dreams, Lord Akhor, but mine have
been of
death
and ending. My people, she would mingle the blood of Kantri and Gedri! Her
children
will
be monsters, the world will fill with Raksha-fire and none to stand between because
of
her
!”

Shocked silence swept the low murmurs out of the
air. Where could such thoughts, such
words come from? I had heard tales of madness among
our people but never thought to see it
myself. I did not for a moment believe that he had had
such a dream in Weh sleep.

Kédra called out to all of us, his voice urgent
in our minds.
“Akhor, what is
happening? Are
you there yet? Time is precious. The Lady Rella says that this Marik
will not wait, and I
believe her. Find him, I beg you, lest he do more harm. Quickly, Akhor
my friend!”

I needed time to think, but there was no time. I
could make only a few swift plans. “Shikrar,
take Rishkaan with you to my
chambers. They are nearest, there you will find water and a
place to rest
until this is over.”

“Akhor, no!” cried Shikrar. “The
Chamber of Souls! I must go, I am Keeper of Souls, I
cannot—”

“Then call Kédra to watch over Rishkaan for
you, but guarded he will be. I know Kédra is
Guardian tonight, but I think we need
not fear other Boundary crossings for this while. Wait
for Kédra to arrive before you go to
the Chamber of Souls.” When Shikrar and Rishkaan had
gone I turned
to the others, my people, tumbling as was I in a wind we had never known.
“The
rest
of you, go now out into your chambers, into all our lands. Find if there is
khaadish
missing or aught else. And if you
can, find the hidden thief.”

For one last time they obeyed me. Still in
silence, the Greater Kindred left the Council
chamber quickly. I had seen vengeance
in some eyes, fear in others, wonder and excitement in
the very youngest, but below and
beyond all of these something new. I did not know what it
might be, and
I had no time to think.

Lanen

I knelt still, unable to move. So close to my
dream, so near the joining of the Two Peoples,
and the shadow side of both rose up
to blight my bright, shining vision of peace. Rishkaan’s
words had
pierced my armour of courage with the shaft of a dark vision at least the equal
of
my
own.

She would
mingle the blood of Kantri and Gedri! Her children will be monsters, the world
will fill
with Raksha-fire and none to stand between because of her!

The black pull of despair closed like dark water
over me. If I was truly destined to bring such
evil to the world, better far that I
should die at the hands of the Kantri. Shikrar at least would
be merciful.

“Rise, Lanen. You must hurry, there is no
time.”

It was Akor, speaking in tones that dragged me to
my feet. Whatever I might need must wait
now upon a larger purpose. I stood
ready and asked, “What would you have me do?”

”Wait outside this chamber for Kédra to arrive.
Then you must go with Shikrar to safety.”

“Akor, please, let me do something!
Anything! I have to help you, I must, there must be
something I can do to help stop that
damned son of a bitch—”

Akor waited, a very little time, until I ran down
of my own accord. “Littling, I will not allow
it. What should you do that I and my
people cannot?”

The worst of it was that he was right. I’ve
thought since that if I had any decent sense of the
dramatic I would have begged, nay,
insisted on going with Akor, as so often happens with the
women in the
bard’s tales. I never did have time for those idiots. Why stand by unarmed and
helpless in a
fight, waiting to be taken hostage or distract your loved one’s mind during a
battle?
Despite my anger, my despair, my frustration, I did no more than bow my assent
and
say,
“The Winds and the Lady keep you, dearling. I will await you here.”
And in truespeech,
focussed
as tight as I could, I added the blessing that Jamie had given me when we
parted.
“Akor, beloved, go you safe
and keep you safe, and come safe home to me.”

His own farewell was a swift touch of the mind
like a caress, and then he was gone. I took a
small brand from the great fire that
lit the chamber and followed the passage out. I had little
hope now for
myself, but in the face of Marik and his demon master I cared little for that.
In
my
heart I begged the Winds and the Lady to keep Akor from the evil of the
Rakshasa, and
protect
him from Marik.

It was deep night when I emerged, some hours past
midnight
.
I had not realised we had been
so long in the Council chamber. A brisk wind blew
past, carrying the glorious scent of lansip
on the night air, sharp and crisp.

I sat, leaning back against the rocky entrance to
the Great Hall. Weariness wrapped round me
like my old cloak as I waited for
Kédra under the clear cold stars. Pain and terror, exultation,
delight and
despair may sound the very fabric of adventure from a distance, but even singly
they are
exhausting. Together I was no match for them, and sleep took me.

XVI

IN THE DEEP NIGHT

Marik

Ow! This damned spike hurts, I’ve scratched my
chest with it already. Thirsty for blood the
damned thing is. Now take it in the
right hand, run the middle finger of the left onto it—damn! Shouldn’t have hurt
that much. Never mind. It looks rusty as well, I must have Maikel
salve the
wound once I am on board the ship. Now, what did Berys say—yes, that was it,
fill
each
of the four little wells at the corners with blood. It’s damned hard to see the
things in the
dark.
This cloak that hides me from other sight leaches colour from the world. Still,
on
balance
I come out on the profit side of the ledger—I pass unseen, and can see well
enough to
get
where I am going. And anything that gives off light shines like a beacon. Ah,
the moon!

Such pain in my eyes. It is overbright but at
least I can see what I’m doing.

There! The flash Berys said would signal the
beginning, then it goes dark again. Two hours
only have I now, in whicb to make my
fortune and that of my House forever, but for these two
hours I shall leave behind no spoor
of either world: no natural human smell, no Raksha-trace
to lead the
Dragons to me.

I move in a mist of blurred outlines and shadows,
drawn by vengeance and desire, glide like a
ghost across the Boundary and speed
towards their treasure chamber.

Shikrar

As we left the Great Hall, Rishkaan (much
subdued) asked if we might survey his own
chambers, which were close at hand,
before we examined Akhor’s. I itched to be gone to the
Chamber of Souls myself, but I
understood the concern behind his request. When I bespoke
Kédra, he
agreed to meet us at Akhor’s dwelling as soon as he might, but said he was
searching
along
the Boundary for sight or smell of the Gedri Marik and would be some little
time,
and
that we might as well make certain of both our chambers first. He would come as
escort
to
Rishkaan as soon as he could, that I might guard the Chamber of Souls. In
passing I
bespoke
Idai, who flew at best speed from the Birthing Cove. She had just set out,
leaving
Mirazhe
and the youngling in a protected cave. She said little beyond that she came as
swiftly
as
she might.

When we reached Rishkaan’s chambers I was hard
put to it to mask my dismay, for the
disrepair and neglect could not be ignored. I had
begun, over the last few decades, to suspect
that he was one of those for whom
long life was no blessing. It sometimes happens that one
among us will
grow old in mind before his time, and so it appeared to be with Rishkaan. The
only relief
is that those so afflicted often pass into the last Weh sleep well before their
full
years
are accomplished. In sorrow I began to hope for such an ending for Rishkaan. In
any
case,
it was swiftly apparent to him that nothing had been disturbed.

My own dwelling and the Chamber of Souls stood
nearby and we were there in a moment.

Stopping outside the door I lit a branch and
offered in truespeech a prayer of Remembrance
to the Winds as I entered, the
flaming brand in my mouth. The ancient soulgems of my
people, ranged against the back wall
in symbolic patterns and set in khaadish, blinked
reassuringly back at the fire I held
now in my hand, and the soulgems of the Lost lay still in
their rough
cask, flickering as they had through the ages. I bowed in the old sorrow of
their
presence,
and as always renewed my vow to release them if it lay in my power. It occurred
to
me
to speak to Lanen and Akhor about them, if (as I hoped) the Council changed
their minds
after
hearing her words. Perhaps in this new blending of the peoples there might be
new hope
for
the Lost Ones. I breathed a thought to the Winds to guide the Greater Kindred
to wisdom,

bowed to the Ancestors, and we left.

As we returned to Akhor’s chambers, close by the
Great Hall, we found that many of the
Kindred had assembled nearby after ensuring that no
intruder had been near their chambers.

The talk was all of the Council, and of the
Gedri, and of seeing one of the Silent Ones close to
at last. This they had a good chance
to do, for Lanen slumped fast asleep against the outer
wall of the Council chamber. All
spoke softly so as not to disturb her—I wondered what she
would dream,
for all the speech was in our ancient tongue and beyond her ken even were she
wakeful.

Most, I noted with pleasure, remembered to speak
of her by name, and as I listened I realised
that Akhor was right— she was truly
the Wind of Change. For many, the anger that Lanen
had stirred up in them had been
transmuted all in a moment to shame at her words, at their
realisation
that perhaps the Kindred had been unfair to the Gedri through the ages. She had
touched a
deep truth and most of our people were responding, despite the threat of a
demonaided
thief
from among her people, for which she could hardly be held responsible. Few
save the
eldest spoke now of death or exile; I even heard in passing a suggestion that
she be
honoured
as a teacher. I allowed myself a secret smile as I escorted Rishkaan into
Akhor’s
torchlit
chambers. Akhor would have so much joy at least.

No sooner were we inside, however, than Rishkaan
spoke his frustration. ”Hadreshikrar, I
obey our King, but in truth I do not
know why I must be held here. I have seen what I have
seen, and spoken truth in Council.
Are my Weh dreams worth less than those of Akhor?”

“No, Rishkaan, of course not,” I said
sadly, “but you have attacked Lanen, the Gedri child,
while still
she addressed the Council, and that action has yet to be considered. She is not
a
Raksha
to be killed on sight.”