She chewed her lip thoughtfully. Initially I thought we should try to concentrate on Jamal, mostly because of Jamal's popularity, but also because I thought Diric would be like the old whiners. I thought that Diric would be very prejudiced against us just because we're 'green-eyed demons,' and he'd be more in favor of loading us down with more chains than with setting us free. But—I don't know if it was because I'm a female, or some other cause, but Jamal has been incredibly arrogant with me, and Diric has never been less than courteous. I think Diric already believes we are something other than elves. And I know he is far more interested in setting up trade with others than in going to war with them; he's asked me any number of times about what, exactly, our people have to offer in trade. He was very specific in what he was interested in—grain and metals, for the most part, though he'll take raw wool, linen, and ready-made goods. When Jamal wasn't trying to browbeat me, he wanted to know about terrain, and where I was from, precisely—and what our people possess. That sounds like someone looking for booty and an easy target to conquer to me, too, Kalamadea. So, on the whole, I am inclined to concentrate on Diric myself.
Kalamadea looked from her to Mero and back again. 'Two for Diric, one for Jamal, and one undecided. He turned to Mero. Would you like to make further arguments to convince us, or have we convinced you?
Mero rubbed the side of his nose with his finger. I'm not really strongly in support of going to Jamal, he said, finally. If the two of you are strongly in favor of Diric, I'm willing to go along with that. He made a disparaging face. After all, even though I know more about life on an elven lord's estate than either of you, both of you know more about how to read a person's intentions from what he says and does—and doesn't say.
I am quite strongly in favor of approaching Diric, Shana replied firmly, as Kalamadea nodded agreement.
Diric it is, then, Mero agreed. At least he isn't as scary as Jamal. I always have the feeling Jamal is a hair away from doing something I hadn't expected—and whatever it would be, it would probably be unpleasant.
That may be another sign he is not a man of peace, Kalamadea observed.
Shana didn't have anything to add to that—she would have said that Jamal didn't feel safe ; as if he could and would change his moods with lightning swiftness, even though she had never seen such a mood change. Now, to change the subject, have any of you figured why neither elven magics nor human magics work on these folk?
Kalamadea threw up his hands in despair. I am baffled he replied in disgust I have never encountered anything like this, and I am older than the oldest elven lord on this world! I can speak mind to mind with you and Shadow, Shana, but I cannot touch the minds of any of the Iron People. I can mold a bit of rock to my will, but the collar remains stubbornly immutable. And I cannot shift. Now, speaking mind to mind if enough like human wizardry that I can see how, perhaps, they could block my ability to do the same—but not the purely draconic abilities of rock-shaping and shape-shifting! It is most vexing!
Shana nodded ruefully; her own experiments had come to nothing as well, and so had Mero's. Kelyan has no clue how they do this, and I haven't caught anyone actually working whatever magic they do that blocks ours. I'm baffled, too.
These collars are very old, Keman said, softly.
Shana turned to him in surprise. Why do you say that? she asked.
He shrugged. They can't be very new, he said. They're iron, and I've overheard people complaining that they haven't had fuel or metal for the forges for months. If you look at these collars, though, you can see that there is a great deal of wear on them, enough that they could have been around for hundreds of years. In fact, I don't think they were ever intended for humans or elves at all. I think they were meant for animals; huge hounds, most likely. There may be some protection against control or against magic being used against the wearer in them, but I don't think there's much more than that. After all, we can speak mind to mind with each other, we just can't read them. We haven't tried anything else except shape-shifting and rock-shaping, and the rock-shaping works.
Shana nodded, slowly. So the reason our magic is blocked might be something that they are each doing for themselves, and not the effect of the collar at all?
Except in that our magic can't be used on the collar, yes, Keman told her. That is my best guess, at any rate.
Which would be the reason why the elves can continue to cast their illusions, even though they wear similar collars, Kalamadea mused aloud. That is logical. But why can we not shift?'
Have you tried shifting to a form the same size as a halfblood? Mero asked, suddenly intent. Or did you try something larger or smaller?
This is the smallest form we can shift to, Kalamadea told him. And—no, the only thing I have tried is to shift to one of the oxen, and I did not actually try to shift back to my draconic form until last night.
Which is bigger, much bigger. So is the ox. Mero's eyes narrowed. It could be that the reason you can't shift is because your body knows very well that you won't break the collar before it strangles you in a larger form. It isn't magic that stops you at all, it's instinct, to keep you from choking to death.
Kalamadea and Keman looked at one another, startled. After a moment, Kalamadea nodded.
That makes even more sense, he said, slowly. No matter what new form I shifted to, if the 'neck' is even a hair larger than my neck in this form, that is precisely what will happen. I will have to think about this, and perhaps between us, Keman and I can arrive at a form wherein this will not be a problem. He frowned. The trouble is, we have never learned to shift into anything that we did not have the pattern for in nature. I am not certain that we could learn how to do so now.
I wish I could pry more out of Diric, Shana said after a long silence. I have the feeling that I would be able to figure this out, if only I knew the right questions to ask. She toyed with a lock of her hair. I think he's feeling me out—trying to decide if he can trust us. There is something going on here that none of us are privy to between him and Jamal, but it's something that is going to cause us trouble. I think they're in the middle of a very subtle and covert struggle for power.
Huh, Mero said. That actually makes sense, and matches what I've been seeing and hearing.
It matches what I know also, Kalamadea added. I would not call Jamal 'rash,' precisely, but he would much rather control something directly, and that means conquering it if he can, whether it is the power over his own Clan, or the means of obtaining grain and metals, both of which are in short supply among these Iron People.
Keman groaned, and massaged his temple as if he had a headache. This is not fair! I hate being stuck in the middle of a power struggle at any time, but why must I be stuck in the middle of one that hasn't got anything to do with me?
How do you think I feel? Shana retorted. I've been in the center of power struggles since before I was born! No one ever asked me if I wanted any part of this!
You have great hamenleai, Lashana, Kalamadea said, with one of his inscrutable smiles. I said so when Alara brought you to the Kin. Since you are such a center of great change, you can hardly be anything but the focus of power struggles.