‘And that’s the crux of it, isn’t it? Stein. Not that I don’t trust him, but for all that he knows, and all that he does and says, we really have no idea what we’re going to face in Balaia, do we? We’ve set out so unprepared. He has no idea of the force that might or might not be laying siege to Julatsa, does he? His Communion can’t penetrate whatever the shamen have cast around his city.’
‘Exciting, eh?’
‘No, not really.’ Auum squeezed Ulysan’s shoulder. ‘Thanks for listening to my rambles.’
‘You just need convincing it’s worth it,’ said Ulysan.
‘Maybe. I don’t want anyone to die on that miserable rock. And they’re going to, aren’t they?’
Ulysan raised his eyebrows and said nothing.
The longboats sat low in the water and offered no protection whatever against the freezing sea spray carried on the chill westerly wind that lashed across the benches. Hoods were drawn close, faces were turned away, and those on the oars pulled hard to speed them to shore.
Auum had taken first stint and now sat forward. The swell was growing, making progress steadily more difficult, but they were under no threat of being swamped, just of freezing to death before they reached the shore. Auum willed the land closer and smiled at the irony given his fear of setting foot there.
They were about half a mile away now. Esteren and the elven ships were heading back to Korina, the capital of Balaia, to trade, restock and look as innocent as possible, a much easier task now the warriors and Il-Aryn had been offloaded. Two of the quartet of sisters had stayed with the fleet, with Ephemere and Cleress joining the raiding party. Esteren would bring the ships back to the landing point as soon as he was able.
The two Il-Aryn were in another boat, as were Drech and Takaar. Much to the latter’s annoyance, Stein was with Auum. Something about the human was compelling. He was fearless and strong-willed, unafraid to speak his mind, and Auum could respect that. But there was something else that made him fascinating, and Auum had just worked out what it was. He waved the mage forward and, when the human sat down, spoke immediately.
‘You don’t find this at all strange, do you?’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Stein.
‘You’re sitting in a boat full of TaiGethen, who remain the sworn enemies of all men, guiding a raiding party on your own country. You have no control or influence over us, just the word of a race that has no trust in yours.’
Stein shrugged. ‘That’s where our relative lifespans give us such different views of the world. Men did unspeakable things to the elves and we still bear that shame. But today’s men weren’t there, weren’t even born for hundreds of years after it all came to an end. We can’t change the past, only make the future one that benefits all of us.
‘But you, so many of you, were the elves enslaved. You were caught up in the cruelty of Ystormun’s plans. You suffered personally, lost so many friends and loved ones it breaks my heart. For us it’s history, for you it’s memories.’
‘I hear you.’ Auum nodded. ‘And your current situation, on this freezing boat full of warrior elves?’
Stein chuckled. ‘It feels completely right. I’ve been preparing for this all my life, as did generations before me. The honour being mine is a reason for great pride; the necessity for it a reason for great anxiety.’
Auum smiled. ‘How much help do you really think we can be?’
Stein jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
‘Look how much help you’ve been already. Ten ships and all souls aboard taken from the Wytch Lords. That’s a big blow by any standards. You don’t see yourselves with my eyes, and I’ll tell you this. You’re fast. Don’t get me wrong, the Wesmen are good fighters, but they have no chance against you. And I don’t suppose anyone has any way of combating the castings you can bring to bear either.’
‘When do we tell him we were only fighting at half-speed?’ said Ulysan from the oars.
Stein looked from one to the other. ‘What’s he talking about?’
‘There is another state of combat,’ said Auum, glaring at Ulysan’s back.
Stein gaped. ‘Even faster?’
‘Yes,’ said Auum.
‘Why didn’t you use it?’
‘It’s tiring. We can only use it for short periods of time before having to rest, so we couldn’t risk it. In any event, it should only be employed in dire circumstances.’
‘All right, but-’
‘No more. That knowledge goes no further.’
‘Understood.’
Auum smiled into his hood, seeing Stein champing at the bit for more.
‘Time you explained what I can see on your coastline.’
Stein stared into the darkness and sighed. ‘Well, I suppose I can hazard a few guesses, although I can’t see too much. Dead ahead is Triverne Inlet, where we can find safe landing. The lights you can see to your left are the town of Jaden. The mountains stretching away from you to the right are the Blackthorne Mountains, which run the whole breadth of Balaia. Our legends say two land masses were thrown together by angry gods and mountains cast up where they collided. It’s as good an explanation as any.
‘To the west, the Wesmen have their lands and live under the thrall of the Wytch Lords. To the east are the lands of man: beautiful, green, lush and welcoming. Just a pity we can’t stop squabbling about who owns what. It’ll take us a couple of days to reach Julatsa when we land.’
The flotilla of longboats rowed into the inlet a short while later with Stein directing them to a shore of mud and pebbles on the eastern side. Auum felt the grating of the keel and the boat rocked left and came to a halt. He stood, feet on the wood, and stared at the ground before him.
‘Yniss forgive us for what we do,’ he said and stepped onto foreign soil for the first time in all his thousands of years of life.
Other boats hit the beach and elves spilled out. Kit was moved fast onto shoulders, and Stein led them up a sharp rise. Cresting it, Balaia was laid out before them in the stark colours of night. Auum took a deep breath, tasting the scents of grass, flowers and animals with the pervading odour of man covering everything.
In the immediate landscape there was little but grass growing on gentle rolling rises that led away to the south and east. There were isolated stands of trees and the occasional group of buildings of human design but not a great deal else. Auum could see the lights of Jaden and the mass of buildings that made up the town. Julatsa was too distant to see, but the smoke and dust smudging the night sky almost directly south gave away the besieged city’s location.
But the dominant feature was the Blackthorne Mountains, which rose from the far side of the inlet where the land met the sea. They grew steep and impenetrable and fled away south, great sentinels of rock capped in white, dividing east from west in the most spectacular manner.
It was an extraordinary natural feature, and either side of it two peoples had grown to be such entrenched enemies that, if Stein was to be believed, only the extermination of one would satisfy the other. Or perhaps it was just humans who desired the extermination of any challenge to their assumptions of authority and ownership.
Auum looked around at his people gathered on the rise and staring out at the new land. A hundred and five TaiGethen, a hundred and thirty Il-Aryn, twelve Senserii and Takaar stood with their backs to the chill wind blowing off the mountains.
‘We need a place out of the wind to rest and eat,’ said Auum. ‘Are these buildings I can see inhabited?’
‘I’m not an expert on every farmstead, Auum,’ said Stein. ‘But I doubt there’s anyone there at the moment. A significant Wesman force landed in the inlet for the siege, and I guess most isolated farms got burned out. Any smart farmer will have run to Jaden, which so far, has been left alone.’
‘Let’s start there,’ said Auum, turning to face his people. ‘A short walk and we hope to find a place to rest and eat. This place feels strange and smells stranger. Look to your brothers, sisters and your gods for strength. Faleen, Merrat, Grafyrre, take your cells and scout the route. We’ll follow on. TaiGethen will walk the flanks and secure our rear. Il-Aryn, look to Drech for your orders but stay within the warrior corridor. Let’s move.’