Veneficus: Stones of the Chosen (11 page)

“Because he knew that you would not have listened,” replied Elelendise dismissively.

“As you will not … to me … now,” said the long magus sadly.

“Precisely,” she snapped, replacing her left hand on the tense neck of the wolf. “I am as unapproachable, as absorbed in my own fabulous immortality through the campaigns of Penda, as you were in your day with Arthur.”

“And as part of that you have come to tell me that Penda and his marauding Saxon armies will shortly cross into Wessex,” stated Merlin.

“And to see where you will stand in the matter,” she concluded flatly.

“Is my blessing or opposition of any importance?”

Elelendise hesitated for a moment before replying harshly.

“None whatsoever. My king is coming and nothing can stop him. Wessex will belong to us and will be subjected to the strict observances of a Christian, Saxon rule. For the first time since the Romans the entire Britain will be united under one ruler, King Penda. If you, or this boy, or any of your puny ligamen chicklets get in the way, I will feed their carcasses one by one to the salivating jaws of my ravenous Lupa.”

At the mention of its name the wolf bared its fangs and whined.

Merlin stroked his thick beard reflectively. He glanced at Twilight with a look that said, “Remain quiet and composed, and do not use mind-speak. This woman will also understand. There are things going on here that I will explain later. Do not be alarmed.” He glanced fleetingly down into the pale blue eyes of the bristling white wolf and smiled with a faintly green-glowing, disarmingly gentle crinkling of his eyes and a slight movement of his lips. Instantly the bristling fur settled and the pale, malevolent eyes became confused for a moment. Then, just as suddenly as the look of confusion had washed across the pale eyes, it was replaced by ferocity, and the pink lips stretched once more across the dripping fangs into a snarl as it crouched as if to spring at Merlin’s throat. The sudden, almost subliminal change in the wolf’s mien had gone unnoticed by Elelendise, who was too busy being fierce herself to catch it.

“If my blessing or opposition makes no difference, then Penda will do as Penda wishes,” said Merlin. “I have neither the power nor the inclination to stand in his way. My wish would be to continue teaching Twilight the enchantments and provide him with the wherewithal to carry out the rest of my venefical duties until the time comes to hand over. Unfortunately, it’s not Penda and his marauding army that Twilight and I should be worrying about, is it?”

“No,” snapped Elelendise, tossing her long tresses. “We both know that there can be only one venefical counselor for a ruler, and since you are nearing the end of your term and your successor is an untrained boy, there can be little doubt who that will be.”

“Perhaps the boy has something to say about that?” said the long magus quietly.

They both looked at Twilight, who, apart from his earlier outburst, had remained composed and silent and given nothing away as to his feelings. Twilight looked at Elelendise, her fair beauty marred by a sneer of arrogant aggression. His dark, luminous eyes switched to the ferocious Lupa quivering by her side, and his thoughts turned to the previous day when he had placed his hand in the warm resting place of the hare and seen the three full-grown wolves hunt down a small deer and tear its flesh from its body. He decided he hated wolves, but wasn’t in the least frightened of them, especially this one.

“I am thirteen years old and a tyro veneficus of just a few days’ standing,” he said, lowering his eyes deferentially. “I have nothing to give away, I hold no positions, nor would I presume to hold any opinions on such an important matter.”

“Good,” snapped Elelendise. “Then I suggest that you renounce your pica ligamen, forget any instruction in the venefical enchantments you have received, and return to whatever dirty hovel you crawled out of forthwith.” She turned to Merlin. “Meanwhile I will allow you to fade peacefully away toward your end day providing you remain here in this compound, renounce your falcon ligamen, and do not use the enchantments against King Penda’s just invasion of Wessex.”

“You are forgetting one very important matter, and one from which I cannot be released.”

“If you are referring to the venefical presence at the annual Equinoctial Festival of the Dead, you are mistaken. I will accompany you to the next gathering at Stonehenge in the autumn, and you will introduce me as your replacement. I am familiar with the processes, having attended and soothed the mists at our small stone circles with Mael in the north.”

“But they can only be regional gatherings, and as such of little consequence,” said Merlin, gently. “Stonehenge is the epicenter of the raging mists, parliament, and sacred crucible of all the lands where the cowerers have to be soothed with the utmost care.”

“So long as I have the secret, long magus, the soothing of the raging mists is merely a matter of attendance,” she said disdainfully. “You have that secret, and at the appropriate time you will give it to me.”

Merlin inclined his head slightly, which could have meant anything. The wolf-woman took it as tacit affirmation that her demands would be met, and moved briskly on.

“I leave now for the eminently preferable company of my king and his advancing army. When the thunder of that advance rolls over the green sward of Wessex you will both be in the places I have indicated. I will not countenance any insurrection, especially from you, old man. Your days are done. Keep your enchantments in check or the consequences will be dire.”

She spun on her heel and walked quickly away. Locking itself instantly to her undulating thigh like an overprotective lover, the wolf snarled one last time over its shoulder and they were gone.

Merlin raised his hand in caution as Twilight opened his mouth to speak
.

Wait. She will hear. Her force is still too close. This way is safe. Mind-speak requires close proximity. I know you are very angry, especially with what she said about your pica, but you did very well. It was important to maintain a neutral stance, give nothing away, and this you did. The last thing you and I needed was a pitched battle of the enchantments. As it turned out neither did she; the aggression and threatening posture was a cover for uncertainty as to my reaction and remaining power. That showed her inexperience. Had we both started hurling great explosions of sorcery at each other there’d have been no telling what the outcome would be. Now she strides the paths back to her Christian king full of confidence, buoyed by the bravado of her own performance. It is a false bravado
.

I hate her.
Twilight’s face showed real emotion for the first time.

Of course you do, and that is fine so long as the hatred doesn’t affect your judgment.

Do you hate her?

I hate what she stands for. Fifty years ago I, too, pursued the same goals, the representation of aggression and domination of a stronger force over weaker opponents. To what end? I learned the hard way that such a show of arms and aggression only begets an uneasy peace until such time as the weaker opponent has had the time to raise its strength. The deaths are then multiplied, and it’s all due to the first act of aggression. Wessex will be the loser in Penda’s invasion; the many battles will tear the realm apart, divide the people, and slow all forms of progress. The bells of war toll only for the egos of those who require the domination of others as balm. For everyone else it’s a vile and wretched battlefield mired in the blood of loved ones for causes they will not gain from and cannot understand.

What are you going to do?

Knowing exactly when one’s life is to end concentrates the mind wonderfully upon matters uncompleted and things not done. Of the many tasks, duties, and spontaneous deeds I have attempted, for better or worse, I have never yet repelled an invasion.

The flashes of green, purple, and turquoise glinting on the wings of the pica caught the evening sun like miniature rainbows as they swooped in to perch around the compound. Every now and then a pair of falcons streaked over the tree line like two golden arrowheads aimed at a branch. Slightly uncomfortable in each other’s presence, the massed pica and Merlin population of Wessex gradually settled down until every alert bright brown-and-yellow eye rested upon the log where their liege-lords sat waiting.

Merlin rose to his feet and looked around the tightly packed feathered ranks occupying every available perch and vantage point. As his gaze passed each pair of falcons, their talons came up in a salute. Then Twilight stood up and went through the same process with the pica, of which there were many more pairs.

Merlin spoke loudly, in a tongue they could all understand.

“We have received a visit from a venefica from the north whose name is Elelendise. She is liege-lord of the northern wolf and was accompanied by a particularly ferocious white-furred specimen. Elelendise came to tell us that Wessex is about to be invaded by the army of King Penda, the ruler of Deira and Mercia, to whom she is counselor.”

He looked at Twilight, who picked up the story.

“Elelendise was most threatening, and warned us that any resistance to the invasion of this realm would be met with death. In addition, I am to give up my beloved pica and all other venefical claims and knowledge. I must also return immediately to my settlement and resume my former life as a village boy.”

There was a great deal of affronted shuffling and angry dipping of heads in the massed pica ranks.

“And I, likewise,” said the long magus, “was ordered to renounce my ligamen to you, my trusted falcons, and see out my days here in this compound without using the enchantments against the invader.”

The falcons flapped their wings in agitation and also dipped their heads in disapproval.

Twilight waited for them to settle down again before he continued.

“We have decided not to accept her conditions and to oppose this invasion with all the powers at our command.”

Every bird rose on its spindly legs, flapped its wings, stretched its neck heavenward, and gave way to its own particular ululation. The cacophony continued for some time as the pica vented their entire arsenal of full-throated warbles, and the higher-register falcons screeched in unrestricted stridency.

Merlin held his hand up.

“It is obvious that our decision pleases you, and we thank you for that. However, the way ahead is fraught with danger and uncertainty. This Elelendise has only recently taken up her residency and is a strong and aggressive opponent, and the mighty army of King Penda marches on Wessex fresh from the elation of a great victory in the Welsh Marches.”

In a blur of movement Phi zipped out of the trees and landed alongside them on the log. Seconds later he was joined by Bell. The leaders had arrived for a council of war.

“We saw her arrival with the white dog and knew she brought trouble,” Phi said. “Her power was palpable and carried a signature aura not unlike that of your own. Is her power stronger than yours, my lord?”

Merlin thought for a few moments. “Not stronger, but probably more enduring for she is much younger. Sorcery is a taxing business and will always favor the fittest. However, that gap is made up by my experience, especially in matters of warfare. As you know it is a subject that I am most familiar with. I also have Twilight here, who, although untaught in the enchantments, will still be able to help.”

“Will you continue to control the raging mists?” asked Phi.

“Yes, although she has made it very clear that I am to hand over that control at the next autumn equinox. But I swear on the Seven Hills of Rome I will never usurp ten thousand venefical years of containment by handing that duty to her.”

“When are you expecting this Penda and his cutthroats?” asked Phi.

“Just as soon as it takes his army to walk here from the Marches. No more than a week at most.”

“What do you want us to do?” asked Bell.

“For the time being keep a careful watch all around the northern edges of the Wessex lands, especially for the scouts who will be sent ahead of the army to ensure the way ahead is clear. We need to know exactly when Penda arrives at our borders. Beware also of the conspicuous apparitions that Elelendise will set as her advance warning systems. Watch from high in the skies, from the trees, the bushes, and the long grasses. You will know all her messengers or spies by their power signature, as it will be a weakened version of her own. She can also take many forms, but the one thing she cannot change is her aura. Also, treat all wolves as hers, especially those with white fur. Immediately if you spot any of these things or are suspicious of anything unexplained, let me know. In the meantime Twilight and I will begin to lay our plans.”

Phi cocked his head to one side, rather mockingly.

“Wolves don’t have wings,” he said.

Bell joined in with a chuckle. “Nor do they have a brain.”

Merlin raised a long finger.

“And this white guardian dog of hers is no exception, but you can never be sure just what form or unnatural skills her messengers will display. When you pass this information to all your flocks make sure that they understand this. And remember, if it’s unusual or unexplained, don’t engage it in any way, just let me or the boy here know immediately.”

When all the birds had taken their leave to keep a careful watch on the Wessex borders, Twilight began asking his own questions.