Redemption (23 page)

Talot knew the area well, and he guided the group along a maze of secondary trails that made Prince Derri's head spin. As hard as he tried to memorize the route, many times there was nothing distinguishable about the place where Talot chose to turn. When darkness arrived, Talot slowed the pace a bit, but he did not halt the group. Only twice during the day did they stop to rest the horses, but the Odessian beauties performed flawlessly. The moon was high in the sky when Talot finally called a halt and dismounted.

"I am Talot of Lom," the giant shouted loudly. "I have brought foreign friends to meet with the council. Reveal yourselves and grant us a welcome."

For several minutes there was no reply. Prince Antion had begun to wonder if the area Talot had chosen to enter was unmanned, but his thoughts soon evaporated.

"Step forward, Talot of Lom, so that we may recognize you," came a voice from the jungle.

Talot dropped his reins and boldly walked forward to the edge of the jungle. The others watched from a distance, but never saw anyone. Only the soft sounds of Talot conversing with someone else convinced them that the Lomites were indeed in the jungle. After a few minutes of conversation, Talot returned to the group.

"We have been given permission to enter Lom," Talot announced, "but the guards are leery. They know of me, but never has someone invited such a large group before. We will be watched closely. Refrain from fondling your weapons if possible. It will only make the guards nervous."

Sandar started to remount, but Talot touched him on the arm. "We will walk the horses," he advised. "We do not have far to go."

Talot took the reins of his horse and began walking towards the jungle. The others followed him in single file. The Lomite guards were not visible, and none of them came out to escort the giant, but Prince Antion was sure that they were being watched every step of the way. The jungle was extremely dark even with the moon high in the sky. The Arin prince was convinced that an outsider would have stumbled long ago, but Talot led the way through a maze of trails and eventually halted in a wide clearing.

"We will camp here for the night," Talot announced. "I would advise tethering the horses. There are some creatures in the jungle that will be unfamiliar to them. Also, we may have a fire if anyone can stay up long enough to enjoy one."

The last statement had been unnecessary. Everyone was exhausted and the group was fast asleep within a half hour. The morning came early, and Prince Antion rose to the faint beams of sunlight filtering through the canopy. He stood and stretched as his eyes took in the jungle scenery. The foliage was dense and he could not see very far, but he saw a Lomite watching him through the bushes. He waved to the man, but got no response. When he looked back a moment later, the Lomite was gone. A few moments later, Talot rose. The giant stretched and yawned loudly, causing the others to wake up. Prince Antion looked questioningly at the giant, and Talot grinned and winked.

"Time is not our friend," Talot said softly. "We can sleep later."

Two guards hurried into the clearing and watched as the foreigners woke up. They waited patiently and then indicated that everyone should follow them. The group left their packs and horses behind and followed the Lomites into the jungle. They were led to a small glade ten minutes away. Prince Antion noticed similarities between the glade and the one he had spent a night in so long ago. As in the other glade, this one had curved stone benches in it, but there were four of them arranged in a large circle. Six elderly men sat waiting for them. The men rose as the foreigners entered the glade. Talot bowed to the men and then took a seat on one of the benches. Prince Antion and the others mimicked Talot's movements and the six men sat down.

"Introduce us, Talot," Balitardi began.

Talot rose and introduced the councilors. He then turned and introduced his friends one by one. Again Jared was last to be introduced, but the councilors said nothing about the man's hood.

"Why have you brought so many illustrious friends before this council?" asked Balitardi.

"As the council must be aware," Talot began, "King Zinan is on the warpath. He has already conquered one of our neighbors and his armies are now marching on a second. I have come to request that the council choose a side in the conflict of foreigners."

"Impossible," interrupted one of the councilors. "Lom does not involve itself in the affairs of others. To do so is to invite foreigners into the affairs of Lom. You of all people should know this, Talot. Lom can only survive in isolation."

"I disagree with that premise," declared Talot, "but that is not a subject for debate on this day. What we must talk about is the survival of Lom."

"I am confused," Balitardi said. "You bring word of the coming battle between Vineland and Caroom. Is that not so?"

"I see that the council keeps well informed," smiled Talot. "You are correct. The armies of Vineland are at this moment marching northward, or at least I believe that they are. I must confess that I have not personally observed this movement."

"We have observed it," interjected one of the councilors. "For a whole day now their armies march northward across the river. Still, this movement of armies does not affect Lom. Why does it distress you?"

"I firmly believe that King Zinan intends to conquer the whole Land of the Nine Kingdoms," declared Talot. "While his surrogates may not move against Lom today, they will at some time in the near future. If we hesitate to stand up for what is right now, who will be left to stand up for us when our turn comes?"

"Many tyrants have tried to invade Lom over the centuries," stated one of the councilors. "They have all failed. I see no reason to believe that King Zinan will succeed where the others have not."

"King Zinan has more power than any of you realize," stated Talot. "His strength does not lie in armies alone. The Borundan king wields the Talent, and he uses its power to destroy his enemies."

"What proof do you have for such a statement?" asked Balitardi.

"I have no proof," answered the giant. "I have only the words of others, but they are probably words that you have already heard. Recently I spent the night in Caxon. I had the chance to overhear stories about the fall the Laborg. The men spoke of King Zinan blowing holes in the city walls with nothing more than a glance at them."

"He also has the power to assume the identity of another," offered Prince Antion. "Twice he has penetrated the royal palace of Anatar. On his last visit, he murdered a man in the library of the palace. There is no limit to what Zinan can do."

"If there is no limit to his power," shrugged one of the councilors, "then why should we even get involved? You paint a picture of a hopeless cause, Prince Antion."

"There is one way to destroy King Zinan," the Arin prince declared. "Zinan has a brother who is capable of destroying him."

"Wouldn't this brother be more likely to join with Zinan and double his limitless power?" asked Balitardi.

"No," smiled Prince Antion. "One is evil and the other is pure. When they meet, only one will survive. I am wagering my life that the pure one will prevail, but that will be too late to save Caroom. It may even be too late to save Lom. None of us truly knows the plans of King Zinan, except that we all hold the firm belief that he intends to conquer all of the nations in the land. This council cannot afford to remain undecided in the hopes that the two brothers will meet before the invasion of this jungle begins."

"I mean no disrespect to Talot's friend," scowled one of the councilors, "but this tale of two brothers sounds like pure fantasy. Have any of you even seen this brother of King Zinan? Are you sure he even exists?"

Jared stood and silently removed his hood. Several of the councilors gasped as they stared into the face of King Zinan. Guards appeared at each entrance to the glade. They stood ready to act, but none of the councilors gave an order to do so.

"I am the twin brother of King Zinan," Jared declared. "Everything said to you today by these people is true. Until I face my brother in a fight to the death, nothing will stop him from conquering all of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms. There are currently soldiers marching northward along the river. Those soldiers will kill and maim innocent people because my brother has demanded it. Regardless of your reasons for wishing to remain above the petty squabbles of your neighbors, how can any of you sit idly by and allow such a catastrophe to occur? Has your desire for isolation overridden your humanity?"

"Those are strong words of accusation," scowled one of the councilors, "and I resent them. Why should we be involved in the affairs of others? Does not a good neighbor mind his own business? If we have a chance to remain out of the fighting, I think it is imperative that we do."

"And when it comes time for Lom to face the wrath of my brother?" retorted Jared. "Should anyone care then?"

"You can prevent that," countered the irate councilor. "Be quick in finding your brother and destroy him."

"Why should I hurry?" shrugged Jared. "As a good neighbor I should not be concerned if I find him before or after he destroys this jungle. Isn't that the thrust of your philosophy, councilor? If I wait until he has conquered all of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms, perhaps he will let his guard down and that will give me an edge."

"You can't mean that?" gasped Balitardi. "Prince Antion said you were pure. You could not have such a cold heart and remain pure."

"You are correct," nodded Jared. "I am incapable of such folly as ignoring the screams of my fellow man. My question is, are all of you capable of carrying that guilt for the rest of your lives? Can you really sit here and say that thousands of deaths are not on your hands because you weren't required to stop it?"

The group sat around in a clearing in the jungles of Lom waiting for word from the council. High sun had come and gone, and the daylight was beginning to fade.

"What can possibly be taking them so long?" Monte asked with frustration. "Don't they realize that Caroom is doomed if they do not act quickly?"

"They are being asked to commit their citizens to a war that does not directly threaten their borders," Prince Antion replied. "No matter how strongly we feel about the matter, the council must do what is right for its citizens. Be patient. I believe they will see the necessity of acting boldly."

"Do you really believe that?" asked Winona. "I doubt it. The council is just like a royal family. They see no profit in attacking the Vinelanders because the treasury has already been looted by the Borundans."

"Enough with your utopian philosophy," snapped Prince Derri. "Harangar is very much like Lom. Both places act solely in their own best interests, and both are willing to kill innocent people who dare to step foot in their holy places. Salacians would not hesitate to attack if their troops were close enough, and we would not be doing it for gold. There are times when man must act because it is the right thing to do. This is one of those times."

"I agree," stated Prince Umal. "If the Lomites would just allow the Odessians to ride through their jungle paradise, the Lomites would not even have to fight. My people would relish the chance to aid Caroom."

"We should have offered that suggestion," interjected Sandar. "Perhaps they would consider letting the Odessians ride through."

"The Lomites and Odessians are friendly neighbors now," Prince Antion shook his head, "but it was not always so. Before the Great Peace there were constant border wars in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms. The Lomites are a small nation and they remember those wars well. They jealously guard their territory. They are more likely to fight the Vinelanders themselves than to allow a foreign army to ride through their jungle."

Talot entered the clearing and all eyes turned to greet him.

"Have they decided?" asked the Arin prince.

"You would have been informed if they had decided," answered the Lomite. "I know nothing more than you about their decision."

"I thought you were with them?" frowned Prince Antion.

"No." Talot shook his head. "I was meeting with old friends and checking on the progress of the Vinelanders' march."

"Are they still marching?" asked Monte.

"They are," nodded the giant. "Their army is mostly on foot, but the end of their column should pass us soon."

"If the council does not act soon," frowned Prince Derri, "there will not be enough time left for your fellow citizens to get organized to attack."

"As I said," smiled Talot, "I have been spending time with my old friends today. If the council agrees to attack, the Lomites will be ready."

"And if the council decides against getting involved?" probed Prince Antion.

"There is nothing in our laws that forbids our citizens the right to travel to other lands," grinned Talot. "I feel confident that many of my fellow Lomites will be desirous of a trip across the river. If you do not mind, I feel compelled to join with them. I cannot urge my friends to action and then refuse to join with them."

"I will go with you," Monte eagerly volunteered. "I have been kicking myself for not staying in Caxon to help defend my country, but I thought that the Lomites would surely help."

"And they will," the giant nodded to Monte. "Your presence will be greatly appreciated."

"Someone needs to stay with Jared," declared Prince Antion.

"You are all going?" gasped Winona.

"So it would seem," nodded Prince Derri. "Who knows? Maybe some of those Vinelander soldiers still have a coin or two in their pouches."

Winona glared at the Salacian prince, but no one noticed. At that very moment Balitardi entered the clearing and cleared his throat for attention. Everyone turned and waited to hear the decision of the council.

"The council has decided that Lom must make a bold and unusual step to ensure peace within the region," the councilor declared. "Lomites will cross the river tonight and follow the Vinelanders north. We seek a person to ride to Caxon to deliver a message to King Justin. I was hoping that one of you would volunteer."

"I will go," Monte quickly volunteered. "I am a Caroomite and will have immediate access to the king."

"Excellent," smiled Balitardi. "You will have to ride like the wind as timing has become critical. We will need a signal from Caxon as to when we should attack. To defeat the Vinelanders with a minimum of bloodshed, both countries must attack simultaneously. We must convince the Vinelanders that their cause is hopeless and force them to surrender. Come with me, Monte, and we will work out the details and get you on your way."

Monte and Balitardi left the clearing and the others began to prepare for battle. Winona saw Jared talking quietly to Prince Antion and approached them. They stopped speaking as she approached, and she figured that they were discussing leaving her to guard Jared. She had other ideas.

"I think you should stay with Jared," Winona told the Arin prince. "The two of you are both vital to the more important quest. I will travel with the others to aid in healing as I can."

"We are all going," declared Jared. "I berated the council to risk the lives of their men. I will not stand idly by while others die because of my brother."

"But you must remain pure in body and in spirit," frowned Winona. "You will be of no help whatsoever on the battlefield. You should remain safe here in the jungle."

"I am going," Jared repeated adamantly before walking away.

"What has gotten into him?" scowled Winona. "You should demand that he stay here where he will be safe."

"Jared told me that normal weapons will not harm him," the prince said accusingly. "He said that Orro told him so and that you should also know it. Is that true?"

"Normal weapons won't hurt him," admitted Winona, "but that is not the only danger facing Jared. He can be attacked magically, but there is a worse fear that I harbor."

"Explain," demanded the prince.

"I am a wielder of the Talent," stated Winona, "yet I am also a warrior. There will be no effect on my use of the Talent if I kill with my weapons, but Jared is a special case. When Orro spoke of keeping him pure, he meant much more than making sure that he did not use the Talent with evil intent. Jared must be truly pure. He must not lie or kill, even by mundane methods. He must not strike out in anger or seek revenge. Every time you put Jared in a place of stress, you endanger his mission. Let him stay within the jungle where he will be safe, not only from physical harm, but also from emotional turmoil."

"The decision is his," shrugged the Arin prince. "Jared has finally accepted his lot in life. I have faith that he will withstand all temptations. Besides, it is his will that I follow, not my own. While I may lead my people into battle, it is for Jared's sake that I do so. Stay close to him when we cross the river. Do what Orro has sent you to do."

Winona frowned, but she nodded in acceptance.

"Are you also immune from physical harm?" asked the prince. "Is that true of all wielders of the Talent?"

"Oh no," Winona shook her head. "The Talent manifests itself quite differently in you and Jared than in other people. It is not the same at all."

"I have trouble understanding what is inside me even after all of my sessions with Orro," sighed the prince. "Can you explain it in terms that a lowly prince would understand?"

Winona laughed at Antion's self-deprecating question. The laughter eased her feelings of apprehension.

"Orro explained it to me in terms of water," offered Winona. "The Talent within you is like a cup of water surrounded by a towel, the towel being your body. The Talent resides within you, but the towel never gets wet. You have no access to the Talent, and you cannot use it. For a normal wisper, there is no cup. The water merely resides within the towel, and the fabric is always damp."

"So for a wisper, the Talent is always available?" asked the prince.

"Unless the towel becomes dried up," nodded Winona. "If you constantly wring out the towel, you drain the Talent from your body. You must wait a while for it to saturate again. In rare cases, one can lose the absorbent quality of the towel by wringing it so tightly that it never again absorbs the Talent. In those rare cases, the wisper would never be able to wield the Talent again."

"Even if they were able to dip into my cup?" asked the prince.

"Even then," nodded Winona. "It takes a small amount of Talent to accomplish that. If you have none to start with, it is impossible. You must understand that you are a rare creature. Cups of Talent do not normally exist. The Talent has filled you to fulfill its own needs and that is to provide a reservoir for Jared to use in the fight against his evil brother."

"But how does that make Jared immune from physical harm?" inquired Prince Antion.

"Jared, and I suppose, Zinan as well," explained Winona, "are not towels. They are giant sponges. They each hold enormous quantities of the Talent, so much of it that it makes their bodies impervious to physical harm. When a sword strikes one of them, that sword is actually striking the Talent itself. The blade will crumble before it harms Jared."

"Is this similar to the spell you cast on me in Hyrem?" asked the Arin prince.

"Similar," replied Winona, "but also different. The protection I cast upon you is a temporary thing, and it is not impervious to harm. It hardens your skin for a period of time, but the sword is still striking your body, not the Talent. Should an arrow enter your eye, it would do the same damage as before. It is only your skin that is toughened like steel, and I do not know how long it lasts."

"How much Talent do I have?" asked the prince, "and how much does Jared have?"

"For an ordinary wisper," mused Winona, "I would say that you carry ten times the amount of Talent. I cannot begin to fathom the depth of Jared's Talent. He could drain you completely in a matter of seconds. That is why Orro spent so much time training him on the control he needs to beat Zinan. He will draw slowly from your cup, striving to maintain a level just high enough to overcome Zinan's attacks."

"Is there a way that we can help Jared when the time comes?" asked Prince Antion.

"It will be a tremendous battle," Winona shook her head, "but we will not see anything. The battle will take place within their minds. There will be nothing that we can do."

Prince Antion stared blankly at the rest of the group preparing to depart. Finally, he turned and looked Winona in the eyes.

"I want you to protect each of our group just before the battle," he instructed. "Do not use your own Talent, but instead draw upon mine. Without the need to protect Jared and Monte, I should have plenty of Talent to spare."

"And if Zinan is within the host across the river?" frowned Winona. "What then? You will be empty."

"King Zinan is not nearby," stated the prince. "He is far to the southwest. Jared informed me earlier today. I will make sure that my cup is replenished before we go near him."

* * *

Heavy clouds rolled across the face of the moon bringing the blackness of night over the land. King Rihad looked skyward and nodded appreciatively.

"Give the signal, Kanior," he said softly.

"Are you sure?" asked the Odessian warrior. "This will be a blatant act of war."

"Only a fool would believe that war is not already upon us," answered the Odessian king. "We must act to save Caroom or another one of our allies will be lost. Are you afraid of this action that we are taking?"

"Not at all," answered the warrior. "I believe it is the right thing to do, but I feel that it is necessary for someone to challenge you. I want to make sure that you realize the possible repercussions of this decision."

"I have thought of little else," smiled the king. "I thank you for your efforts, but we are attacking. Give the order before the moon reappears."

"It will be my pleasure," grinned the warrior.

Kanior raced over the summit of the dune and hurried down the other side. He sped across the barren sand and slid into a long trench that had been dug the night before. Forty Odessian warriors sat in the trench waiting for word to attack. They had no horses or boots. Dressed only in their undergarments, the men slid their sheaths over their heads and positioned them on their dark-stained bodies.

"It is time to go to war," Kanior announced quietly. "Let the enemy's blood warm your chilled bodies."

Without a word the forty men crawled out of the trench and headed towards the Vine River. Silently they slipped into the frigid waters of the river and began swimming across. Kanior watched until he could no longer see his warriors, which was not very long under the moonless sky. The warrior slid out of the trench and quickly crept over the sand dune where King Rihad waited with the rest of the army.

When Kanior returned, the king raised his hand high and signaled for the horsemen to prepare. His signal could not be seen farther than a few paces, but each Odessian warrior relayed the message to those around him. The warriors mounted their Odessian beauties and moved into formation, the long sand dune screening their presence from the Vinelanders. King Rihad mounted his horse and stared into the darkness where he knew the bridge over the river sat. He could not see the bridge or the soldiers guarding it, but he waited for a signal to charge.

On the far bank of the river the Odessian warriors crept out of the river. Their bodies shivered from the cold, and they fought to control their chattering teeth. The Odessians split into four groups and moved stealthily towards the bridge. The Vinelanders had posted sentries, but only on the bridge itself. The rest of the encampment was sound asleep. Two groups of Odessians converged on the bridge, each group crouching along one of the sides of the bridge. A third group crept through the sleeping bodies to infiltrate the engineers' camp. The fourth group moved away from the river to the farthest reaches of the Vinelander encampment.