Wolf's Blood (27 page)

“Then send one spellcaster and one strong soldier with the means of breaking through the iron cages,” Kembrel Speaker said. “We could practice, and time the maneuver so that a second wave—small admittedly, but potent—could follow.”

“It might work,” Amelo said reluctantly. “However, we have no idea how large their forces are.”

“Not overly, if what you and the other Once Dead have reported is based in fact,” Kembrel Speaker said. He was no longer looking at his fingertips, but was leaning forward, his eyes shining. “Think of it. We could time arrivals so that they are staggered. I have talked to the Once Dead from my own land and he says that all the operational gates are not in one building. If we draw attention to one area, then send more though to gates in another area …”

Voices rose now around the table, a hungry babble of men and women suddenly fixed on the idea of breaking the Nexans’ hold on the gates. Bryessidan watched them, wondering just when they had all decided that invasion was the only solution to the problem. The rapidity with which possible tactics were being presented made fairly certain that the idea had been in many minds long before Kembrel Speaker had brought it to his lips.

And I had thoughts too,
Bryessidan thought
, at least from. when my father-in-law stepped from his ship and maybe even before.

But he said nothing, preferring that the others feel they must convince him to join them. Who knew what favors they would barter? Perhaps this would be the means by which the Mires would return to equality among the nations.

Eventually, someone did raise the question of whether it was right to invade a land that had done nothing more than close its borders—“And what may be a temporary closing at that. I cannot say that the ruler I represent would care for having his ability to restrict access to his lands so limited.”

“This is a different situation,” Kembrel Speaker said eagerly. “The Nexus Islands only exist as a ‘nation,’ if you can dignify them with that term, precisely because they agreed to grant access to the gates—and that means to their land. If they had explained there was a problem of some sort—a plague perhaps that they did not wish to spread—then I am sure we would all understand, and, indeed, be doing our best to provide them with medical aid and support.

“This is a different matter. Not only has the treaty by which the Nexus Islands gained their independence been violated, but all the Once Dead who have attempted to use the gates report that they have not glimpsed those who until recently ruled there. These are the very people with whom we made our treaties ten years ago. What we are contemplating is not invasion, but rather an inspection to assure ourselves that our allies are well, and that the treaty to which all our varied nations were signatory has not been violated by some less than scrupulous band of individuals.”

Despite himself, Bryessidan was impressed. He never would have come up with anything like that way of thinking about the matter. Kembrel Speaker must have a mind like a nest of hibernating snakes, all twists and coils.

Reassured that they were not contemplating anything as heinous as invasion of a peaceful power, the gathered dignitaries continued debating possible means of achieving their goal.

At last, after the discussion was becoming repetitive, King Hurwin said in a voice that carried through the chatter like a hot knife through butter, “I believe I know where the Nexus Islands are—physically. I think we can sail there.”

Silence fell.

Bryessidan stared at the older man. Anger kindled, hot coals deep in his belly, anger at himself as much as at King Hurwin.

Fool!
he thought
. You knew Hurwin was playing his own game all along.

Chairs creaked as dignitaries leaned forward to better see the man who sat at what to Bryessidan suddenly seemed like the table’s head, rather than its foot.

Then Chetuk Meadows of Pelland said, “Are you suggesting a two-front attack? Through the gates and by sea as well?”

“Where are the Nexus Islands?” Kembrel Speaker added, a touch snappishly. Clearly, he was not thrilled to have been manipulated so neatly into introducing the question of invading the Nexus Islands only to be upstaged by another.

“How long to reach them?” Wantoniola of Tishiolo asked.

“I remember tales that the oceans surrounding the Nexus Islands were alive with sea monsters,” Kidisdu Laloreezo put in, “so that the only way to safely reach them was through the gates.”

King Hurwin waited out the flurry of questions, then said conversationally, “If the maps I have found are accurate, the Nexus Islands are to the north. In Tavetch’s libraries my archivists found ship’s logs. From these I have gathered that for much of the year sailing to the Nexus Islands is nearly impossible. However, for a few moonspans in summer, the winds and currents permit passage.”

Hurwin looked over at Chetuk Meadows. “I think your suggestion of a two-front attack would be wisest. Unless we are willing to use this summer to explore and delay our attack until next summer, there is no way we can test the information I have found. A fleet would need to sail provisioned for a return voyage, just in case the seaways have changed. As for how long the voyage took? That can only be estimated. If we decided to take this course of action, further study of the maps and logs in my archives—and perhaps in other archives as well—would be wise.”

Kidisdu Laloreezo raised his voice. “And sea monsters? The water dragons that were said to make the seas around the Nexus Islands impassable?”

King Hurwin shrugged. “I have sailed since I was a child, and although I have seen many wondrous things, I have never seen anything that could be termed a sea dragon—or a sea monster either. I have seen whales, sharks, seals, walrus, and any number of aquatic creatures, but nothing that could be called a dragon—although any creature is a monster when it is trying to sink your boat.”

As we will be monsters to the Nexans,
Bryessidan thought.
As they have made themselves monsters to us.

Rae of Pelland spoke for the first time that meeting. “I have made some small study of creatures that seem to have been common in the days when the sorcerers ruled. King Hurwin says he has never seen a sea dragon. However, we have ample evidence that in the days before querinalo there were flying dragons. They were not precisely common, but the sorcerers apparently used them as steeds. Although not a one remains today—at least that I have found—I have seen and handled tack and trappings far too large for any horse. There are other remnants as well: dragon tooth and scale used in armor and ornament. Paintings done apparently from life.”

“But there are none left now,” Bryessidan prompted.

Rae looked at him as if she thought he blamed her for the absence of dragons.

“There may be thousands,” she said coolly, “but although I have sought them, I have never found them, nor have I spoken to anyone living now who has seen one—although there are old men and women who say that their parents claimed to have done so when they themselves were children.”

Bryessidan waved a hand in something like apology for his abruptness. “What I am attempting to ask is this: What do you think happened to these dragons, and do you think the same things happened to the dragons or sea monsters that were said to inhabit the seas surrounding the Nexus Islands?”

Rae shifted her posture, standing tall with her hands clasped within the flowing fabric of her embroidered yellow sleeves.

“There are many theories as to what happened to the dragons,” she said. “One is that they, like the sorcerers of old, contracted querinalo and died from it. This is persuasive for many reasons. Dragons must have possessed some form of inherent magic. How else could a creature so large manage to fly—and to fly bearing the weight of one or more humans as well? Querinalo—especially in its earliest manifestation—was known to attack with a ferocity directly proportionate to the magical ability of the victim.

“Another theory, and one that is persuasive for other reasons, is that the dragons were not precisely natural creatures. This proposes that they were created or summoned by means of magic. When the sorcerers died, the dragons died with their creators or vanished back to wherever they had been summoned from.

“Both of these theories account for why dragons—and various other beasts that were known only through their association with sorcerers—have not been seen since querinalo moved us into the modern age.”

“So,” Bryessidan said, “if dragons vanished either because they caught querinalo and died or because they were creations of the sorcerers who once ruled these lands, then do you think it likely that we will find them inhabiting the seas surrounding the Nexus Islands?”

Rae pursed her lips. “The tales told regarding the Nexus Islands pointedly state that the sea monsters—or dragons in some versions of the tale—were put there to guard the islands from invasion. Most creatures do not stay put once whatever held them is gone, so, even if the sea monsters survived querinalo, they should have dispersed to their native waters in the interim. The likelihood of finding a sea monster in those particular waters seems no higher than of finding them anywhere else, and—as King Hurwin stated earlier—even those who have sailed the oceans their entire life have no evidence (beyond the occasional wild tale) to prove they have seen actual sea monsters.”

“I wish we knew more,” Wantoniola of Tishiolo said. “Planning a battle against opponents whose numbers we do not know, whose defenses we cannot spy out in advance is bad enough. To do so within such a narrow time frame—that is, if we are to send a fleet rather than merely press through the gates—is worse.”

“Still,” Loris Ambler of Azure Towers said thoughtfully, “there is potential for success—even without a fleet, and if we could get a fleet there, then success would be assured.

“If a fleet is to be assembled and provisioned,” King Hurwin said, “and reach the Nexus Islands while the winds and currents are favorable, then we must act quickly. Those of you who represent others must take counsel with them and learn whether they will agree to join us in this bold venture. I believe some of the Once Dead may be able to facilitate communication, but their abilities are limited, am I correct?”

Amelo Soapwort rose. “Some of the Once Dead can talk mind-to-mind, but only to others who already possess this talent, and only if they have already met and established a linkage.”

“Some help then,” King Hurwin said, “but nothing like the gates for speedy trading of information. I suggest we take a vote now—not whether or not to go ahead with this matter, but whether to consider bringing the matter before those who must make the final decision.”

Ambassadors and emissaries looked at each other. Bryessidan thought that they must have discussed this matter earlier. Really King Hurwin wasn’t asking much, just that they agree to bring the matter up with their superiors.

King Hurwin looked at Bryessidan. “Will you call for a vote?”

Bryessidan knew the power of coercion involved in a show of hands, so he did not wait for someone to suggest a secret ballot.

“Who is for breaking up this assembly in order that the emissaries may return to their homelands and put the question of whether or not a joint attempt should be made to pass into the Nexus Islands——by force if necessary—and discover the reason for the current interruption of service?”

He heard numerous quills skittering across paper and knew his wording was being taken down. He was pleased to think he had sounded very polished, especially given how little time he had been given to prepare.

As the quills ceased their motion, hands rose around the table. Bryessidan counted aloud.

“Very good,” he said. “We are unanimous.”

“Now,” King Hurwin said, “I would like to suggest another vote—that other than the most elementary preparations, we all agree not to act until we know who is with us and who is not. Many of the plans discussed involved using the gates, and I fear that premature probing may give away what element of surprise we possess.”

Bryessidan gritted his teeth, once again feeling that head and foot of the table had been reversed. Quills skittered, and then King Hurwin said sharply, seeing Bryessidan was not going to serve as his echo, “Well? Are we agreed or not?”

Again hands raised, but Bryessidan noted that the agreement was more tentative. Only the fact that no one apparently wished to be seen as disagreeing kept the vote moving.

“Unanimous,” King Hurwin said. “Very good.”

Very good for us
, Bryessidan thought as he rose to dismiss his guests,
but not nearly so good for the Nexans, not nearly so good for them at all.

BLIND SEER PROVED less able to read the notes taken by the various maimalodalum than he had hoped. Although the wolf had come to comprehend an astonishing amount about how various signs stood for sounds, and how these sounds in turn fit together to represent words, his wolf’s eyes were not made to focus for long at such a close distance.

Then there were the idiosyncrasies in the different handwriting styles used by the varying maimalodalum. Some of these resulted from the peculiar shapes of their hands. Hope’s writing really did resemble bird tracks, while Powerful Tenderness’s massive fists could not handle the delicate quills the bird-woman preferred. He wrote with the burned tips of sticks. his characters jagged and bold.

Within a short time, it became evident that having the various scribes read their notes to Firekeeper and Blind Seer would be far more efficient than the pair attempting to decipher them on their own.

Embarrassed by her lack of literacy, Firekeeper sat with unwonted patience through the long sessions. Although copies of the notes were being made for them to carry back to the Nexus Islands, Firekeeper had been shamed and felt her only chance to redeem herself would be to find something of significance among the varied texts that the maimalodalum themselves had missed.

She had her opportunity on the second day. The materials Hope and Powerful Tenderness had read to them on the first day had been more than enough to confirm the maimalodlum’s conclusion that the Fire Plague had originated in the New World, and that it had dealt its damage in waves. By the second day. Firekeeper was beginning to despair that the archives would contain anything more of significance when Surf Hands, whose turn it was to read to them, picked up a nearly flat journal, the yellowing pages of which were fastened between wooden boards covered in something that cracked and flaked under even the fox-woman’s delicate touch.