‘He shouldn’t even be here,’ hissed Auum. ‘He puts the whole expedition on edge.’
‘Why won’t you accept what you are?’ asked Takaar, his face, his whole body imploring.
Auum folded his arms across his knees. ‘I have never had any trouble doing so.’
‘You cannot escape the Il-Aryn energies,’ said Takaar. ‘None of us can. It is what makes us.’
‘Go back to your campfire and your Senserii. Long day’s walk tomorrow.’
‘Don’t you remember, all those centuries ago, what we talked about in the forest outside Katura?’
Auum dropped his gaze. He remembered. The grief had overwhelmed him. Elyss had been murdered in front of his eyes and he had exacted revenge but not understood how. Takaar had told him.
‘What does that have to do with anything?’
Auum was uncomfortable, the eyes of his people on him now.
‘I told you then: every elf has the energies running through them, but not all realise this and fewer still can harness them.’
Auum shrugged. ‘What of it?’
Takaar laughed. ‘And still you refuse to see? Ystormun was searching for the answer with all his experiments on Garan and he failed to grasp the most basic fact. Don’t be as ignorant as him.’
‘Be careful where you tread,’ muttered Ulysan.
‘You are a faithful lieutenant, Ulysan, and his denial is your denial.’
‘I’m tired, Takaar. Make your point and go away.’
Takaar smiled in the superior way he used when he felt he was imparting something of great importance to the unenlightened.
‘You hate magic but you are magic.’
Auum blinked slowly. ‘You don’t get any better, do you?’
‘Every elf carries the Il-Aryn with them; all are inherently magical. It is what gives us our long life. I manifest my energies as an Il-Aryn master, you manifest yours, as do all of the TaiGethen, through your speed of thought and body.’
Auum surged to his feet and marched across to Takaar.
‘How dare you denigrate the gifts of my god? Our god! Yniss bestowed upon us all that we are. He blessed us with the abilities we display. This is not magic, it is faith and it is strength of body. It is belief and it is the work of centuries. We are one with the land because it is the place of our birth. No magic runs through my blood or guides my hand.’
Auum pushed Takaar hard but the mad elf did not stumble.
‘You cannot deny what you are.’
‘I do not,’ snarled Auum. ‘I am born of Yniss and that is my glory, that is who I am. Take your heresy and get out of my sight.’
He pushed Takaar again and heard the Senserii stand and fan out. The TaiGethen did the same.
Auum shook his head. ‘Sit down, Gilderon. I’ll not hurt him. His words do that for him. Just keep him away from me.’
‘You will work it out one day,’ said Takaar, apparently oblivious to Auum’s anger. ‘I don’t expect thanks when you do.’
Auum stared at him, seeing his wild eyes flicking around, unable to settle as the battle in his mind played out yet again.
‘Then you’ll not be disappointed, will you?’
Auum turned his back and waved his TaiGethen to sit down, but he could not. Waving away Ulysan’s offer of company, he walked out into the night to be alone.
Auum carried his mood into the morning. The first sight of the colours of Balaia in daylight had not improved his temper. The Blackthorne Mountains were an oppressive force always in the periphery of his right eye, lowering down. The grass Stein had described as beautiful on the rolling hills was a coarse knee-high pale green plant equally poor for walking through and hiding in.
There were trees dotted here and there, but their scarcity was shocking and what there were had thin trunks, small leaves and looked fit to keel over at the merest push. The dominant ground feature was the Wesmen’s path driving straight for Julatsa. By midmorning they could see the city on the horizon, though it was largely obscured by dust and smoke.
Without Communion there was no information from inside the city, but reports from Auum’s scouts painted a bleak picture. Around five thousand Wesmen backed by shamen had encircled Julatsa. Stein’s face was grey with worry and his appetite for food at the midday break was much diminished. Auum knew just how he felt.
‘Vaart has noted cracks in the walls either side of the south-facing gates, and that’s where the majority of the pressure is being exerted. Some damage is being done by the defenders but the black fire has good range,’ said Ulysan.
‘How long before the walls fall?’ asked Auum.
Stein shook his head. ‘We’ll have invested magical strength in the walls and gates, but it only takes one casting to fail and the enemy to realise it. I had no idea there were so many of them.’
‘Where are your allies?’ asked Faleen. ‘I thought your colleges were united against this enemy?’
‘The greater part of our armies is engaged at Understone Pass, and of course every college must maintain enough defence for itself.’
Auum frowned. ‘What and where is Understone Pass?’
‘It’s a tunnel through the Blackthorne Mountains about four days south of here.’
Auum sighed. ‘I’ve heard it all now. Not only did one of your idiot mages create an apocalypse then tell your enemies about it, you’ve also built a tunnel through your greatest barrier.’
‘It was supposed to help trade, engender trust and eventually bring peace,’ said Stein.
‘It is stupid in so many ways that I cannot begin to start,’ said Auum. ‘You built a tunnel to your enemy’s lands. Rather than force them to sail or come over the mountains, which looks some task, you thought you’d give them a nice easy route. Dear Yniss as my witness, how did you ever enslave Calaius?’
‘Forgive me, Auum, but this is a distraction right now,’ said Faleen. ‘You’re saying, Stein, that we can expect no help from your allies.’
‘The signs weren’t promising before the siege was laid.’
‘And only your city is under siege. Why?’ asked Grafyrre.
Stein blew out his cheeks. ‘The Wesmen want to destroy us one college at a time. They threaten the pass with enough force to ensure they cannot be ignored and, meanwhile, manage to bring thousands to my walls.’
‘Solid tactic,’ said Merrat.
‘Until we showed up,’ said Ulysan.
‘What are we going to do?’ asked Stein again.
‘Where’s Drech?’ asked Auum. ‘Ah, there you are. Been listening? Good. We need to make some big holes in the shaman strength. If we can that’ll relieve the pressure on the walls and leave us free to get inside once we knock a path through the Wesman lines. What did you learn about the Wytch Lord magic? Can you stop it?’
‘We’ve only had brief contact with it, but I can tell you it’s sourced from somewhere beyond anything the Il-Aryn will ever use.’
‘It’s an inter-dimensional magic,’ said Stein. ‘Very hard to counteract.’
‘Tak-’
‘Don’t mention his name,’ said Auum. ‘He’s to have nothing to do with this.’
Drech looked over to where Takaar was speaking to many of the Il-Aryn. The adoration in their eyes made Auum shudder.
‘He has the most experience,’ said Drech.
‘Whatever is cast has to stop them and get my TaiGethen to the Wesmen. I need someone I can trust. That’s you and not him.’
Drech nodded. ‘There is one thing we can do.’
‘Good,’ said Auum. ‘Go and work on it. Stein, can the Wesmen see in the dark?’
‘Not as far as I know.’
Auum chuckled. ‘You don’t help yourselves, do you?’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Stein.
‘What need have we of trees when we have the night?’
Chapter 12
Julatsa means enlightenment in an ancient language. The college seeks to live up to that name but must necessarily deal in the magic of destruction too. It is an uncomfortable path.