Venom and Song (30 page)

“I . . . I don't know,” said Jett.

“And just how do we take these Elven lives?” asked Goldarrow. “Do we let the Spider King raid Elven villages until the debt's paid? Or would the Sentinels choose who lives and dies? Jett, don't you see the lunacy of this? The Spider King may have once been a respectable Gwar. The enslavement of his family, maybe his own parents, surely wrought havoc in his life. But he
chose
this. And he has departed from reason if he believes he will ever quench his thirst for vengeance with more blood.”

There was a long pause. “I never thought about it like that,” said Jett.

“You are young,” said Grimwarden. “Your emotions run hot, especially yours.”

“And beyond the usual trials of your teenage years,” Goldarrow went on, “you've had your entire world turned upside down. You've seen death. You've fought and bled in war. You've left your Earth homes behind and so much more.”

“Yes, you've suffered more than anyone should have to at your age,” said Grimwarden. He stepped away from Jett, and one by one his gaze fell upon each of the Seven. “But that is no excuse to call evil that which you have known to be only good. If we have wronged you, it is out of benevolence, not deceit. Do you all understand that?”

“Yes, sir,” they together replied.

And that was the end of it. Muttering as he left the room, Grimwarden said, “To think I should live to see the day when I reprimand all Seven Lords of Berinfell.”

A few shell-shocked minutes after the Guardmaster departed, Tommy looked sheepishly to Goldarrow. “We really screwed up, didn't we?”

“Well . . . yes,” she replied. “It is this very error that divides so many good children from their good parents.”

“What do you mean?” asked Kat, her stomach churning.

Goldarrow said, “All too often, especially in your world, teenagers flooded with passions begin to second-guess their parents, even to the point of distrusting those who love them most.” Kat began to cry. Goldarrow embraced the young lord and said, “That struck very close to the bone.”

“I'm sick of crying,” Kat growled.

Goldarrow rubbed Kat's back and said, “As a very wise person once told me, ‘not all tears are evil.' Let it go, Kat.”

Kat's body seemed to convulse. Her words came out in an anguished moan. “I wish I could see my mom. I wish . . . I wish I could tell her I'm sorry.”

The other six lords looked on and wrestled with thoughts of their own.

Warm yellow light from a trio of oil lanterns fought with shadowy corners and tall, dusty bookshelves for control of the North Study's atmosphere. The light won, casting ruddy light on the cheeks of two elite Elven warriors. Grimwarden and Goldarrow sat so close together they were almost one being. So riveted were they to the book Tommy and Kat had found that they'd completely ignored Mumthers's call for lunch . . . and dinner.

Having finished the complete
Histories
section, they went on to read the rest of the book:
The Prophecies
. Page after page, they'd come across passages that filled them with wonder, hope, horror, or confusion. The section they read now flooded them with all of these, and more.

Having read the dense text four times already, Grimwarden read it aloud.

“ ‘It shall come to pass in the years of plenty that the Sunchildren will forsake the old ways. Great glory will they ascribe to themselves, glory stolen from Ellos, Maker of All. And in those times, their eyes will be darkened. Just as the eclipse blots out the sun, they will see no more than their closed hearts reveal. In their wickedness, the Sunchildren, yea the very same offspring of Ellos, will forget the gifts of mercy and freedom given them of old and will dare to fetter another race.

“ ‘Speak now the cries of Genesset! Wash in floods of water and blood! The long winter will end, but barren, bitter gray will remain in their hearts. Mountains will vomit despair. Rivers will course with frigid tears. And the rain that falls will not quench or cleanse. Marred will be the Sunchildren and the captive Stonechildren both. Deep will that splinter drive. Even so—'”

Goldarrow's touch interrupted. “Stonechildren?” she repeated. “The Gwar?”

Grimwarden nodded. “There can be little doubt.” He was quiet a moment. “You understand the repercussions . . . what this means.” It was not a question.

Even the tired expression on her face told the tale. She understood fully. “Even in the Golden Age of Elves . . . we were wrong about the Gwar. They, too . . .”

“Are children of Ellos,” Grimwarden finished.

“What about the Saer? The Nemic? The Taladrim?”

“Enemies and allies alike,” said Grimwarden. “All created by Ellos. And all his children.” He breathed out a heavy sigh and his shoulders relaxed. “May Ellos forgive us for our arrogance. We must get word to the elders.”

“Wait, Olin,” Goldarrow said, her brow beetled in concentration. “The Nemic and the Taladrim have other gods. And what of the Saer who name no god?”

“Between the two of us, Elle, I am not the most wise. Give me a spear and an army, and I'll know what to do. But all this thinking makes my head hurt.”

“But surely the other gods they name, they are not the same as Ellos?”

“Nay,” said Grimwarden. “
Nyas nai necro arwis elloas aberne my. Llyas ca vex vespris mara logis. Wy vala e' Genesset ca cerrath a' llyam
.”

“Now here you have wisdom well beyond mine,” said Goldarrow. “I have not kept up in my studies of First Voice. You said, ‘Never be God,' and something about ‘the doors of Heaven.' ”

“Hmmm, that is surprising,” said Grimwarden. “You understood more than you think. It is translated: ‘You must not have any other god before me. They are ignorant and powerless. The doors of Heaven are closed to them.' ”

“But see,” said Goldarrow, “they cannot enter Heaven, so—”

“Many have interpreted it that way,” said Grimwarden. “But the text does not say that these races cannot enter Heaven. The only reality implied is that while they are following other gods, they may not enter Heaven. If they follow Ellos—”

“Like the Gnomes,” muttered Goldarrow.

Grimwarden felt a strange exhilaration at this new realization, like ancient bonds had been broken and at last he could inhale a full breath. He smiled as he said, “It seems Ellos has no prejudice toward race or culture. It is only the condition of our hearts that matters.”

“If they are turned toward him,” Elle sat back.

Grimwarden paused a thoughtful beat. “If only our people had known long ago.”

Goldarrow covered half her face with her slender hand. “No, Olin,” she said. “We knew. We've always known. But we chose our own way.”

Grimwarden's joy vanished like the sun behind a very dark cloud. “There it is,” he said. “Spoken plainly in the open.”

“All is not lost,” said Goldarrow, leaning forward and pointing to the page. “See what it says here:

“ ‘Even so, a seed of light is sewn. A remnant will forsake the dark path. Chains will be broken. Light will again sparkle on the towers of the City of the Sun. Berinfell will rejoice in new freedoms, and once more Elves will look for Ellos the Mighty. And they will find him. Ellos will go before the Sunchildren against their enemies, and they will win victories such as will be made into song, and be sung through the ages. There will be such a peace as Allyra has never known.' ”

“When?” Grimwarden asked hungrily . . . desperately. “When will that be?”

Goldarrow stared at the text. “Alas,” she said, recognition dawning on her face. “That peace has already come and gone.”

“Why do you say that?” Grimwarden asked.

“Read the very next line,” she said.

Grimwarden read:

“Then will come the Plague of Spiders
.
”

“I'm telling you,” said Kat, in her customary seat on the secret balcony. “It's all about us.”

“What?” Jett blurted out from his customary place by the pile of muffins.

“Come on,” said Jimmy, pacing near a window. “What yu're sayin' is that a three-thousand-year-old prophet knew what we'd be doin' now? Funny, that.”

“I don't think it's that funny,” said Tommy. “But I think Kat's right. Read it for yourself.”

“You have the book?” Jett nearly spat muffin crumbs out of the window.

“No,” said Kat. “Grimwarden and Goldarrow have it. But I wrote down some of the prophecies. Look.”

Jett took a look at the parchment roll. “You wrote ALL that?” he asked.

She nodded proudly.

“I can't read your handwriting,” said Jett.

“Oooh,” Kat growled. “Then listen.” She read an excerpt from the page where she had scrawled her notes.

“‘Seven Elven Lords in their halls of light.

Lords of Berinfell, beware the Spider's bite.

Seven will be old and Seven will be young,

When the Spider King's onslaught has begun.

The walls will shiver. The walls will shake.

Under his staff the walls will break.

Children of Stone and Children of Night,

Empty the throne of the Children of Light.

Not to slay but something worse.

For even his minions fear the Curse.

Allyra weeps for its fallen Elves.

Where once lived light, now darkness dwells.

For an Age and an Age, the black stain will spread.

As a new world falls into the Spider's web.

From tunnels long and caverns deep,

The Children of Light will rise and seek

Their own who were lost but never slain,

They return to end the Spider's reign.

But malice broods in mountain's heart.

And menace is born by forgotten art.

As storm clouds fill the eastern sky,

All hope will flee and courage die.

Lest the Rainsong be heard o'er both mountain and field,

The Spider will reign and the line of Lords shall yield

Bound by jaws of rock, discovered by no Lord alone,

The Rainsong lay dormant upon the Keystone.

One will be found, and one will be lost.

For travelling this path requires a cost.

Power unmatched and victory assured.

Secrets revealed and tempest endured.

Seven Elven Lords in their halls of light.

Lords of Berinfell, beware the Spider's bite.'”

“Okay,” said Jett. “So maybe that is us.”

“So we can't win?” asked Autumn.

No one answered at first, but then Johnny spoke up. “You were always the smart one,” he said. “And I'm not much for books and all. But I don't think it says we can't win. Sounds more like we won't win without this Rainsong thingy, whatever that is.”

“Brilliant,” Jimmy said, patting him on the back. “That's right brilliant.”