20
A second visit—and a final call
Pale light shone down upon the city of Bellinard, and once again I looked at it from a distance. Those at the gates moved slowly forward; however there were considerably fewer than had been there when first I had looked upon it. I watched their movement with grim pleasure, for soon the darkness would come, the gates would close, and the Hosta would enter to claim the Crystal.
Many hind had we been upon the trail, but we were little the worse for the traveling. To my great surprise, Inala was still among us, for she had proven tenacious beyond expectation. The balance of the first darkness had been most difficult for her, for we had slept upon the ground in the forest, with none of the comforts of the city folk. Exhaustion had claimed her quickly, though the chill of the air was sufficient to waken her many times, leaving her shuddering till the weariness took her yet again. My warriors and I had stood watches through the darkness, and when the light came, we prepared ourselves for our travels. Meat was quickly hunted for, and with some small difficulty was the track of the lenga found. Lacking bow and spear, the lenga must be trapped, yet were their pelts needed for their warmth. Within three feyd were the needed pelts obtained, and all slept in comfort through the darkness. Inala found the taste of uncooked meat unpleasant, but forced herself to partake of it, for no fires would the Hosta build. Early upon the fifth fey, we passed a range of low hills to the east, and grazing upon these hills was a set of wild kand. Binat and Gimin took the climbing leather to snare one of the set, and then taught the captive to hold a rider. With one kan were a hand of others easily caught, and soon were we mounted upon the trail. Again, Inala found some difficulty, but was quick to learn whatever was necessary. My warriors, at first amused by her presence, at last approved fully of the city female. Inala lacked the abilities of the Hosta, yet she was willing to attempt whatever must be done, and all with dignity. That is all any might ask of another.
Gimin approached my position, where I stood and gazed upon the city, and her eyes, too, studied the walls. “All is prepared, Jalav,” she said. “We need only await the darkness.”
I nodded my head at these words, finding no wish to speak. Within the walls of Bellinard lay the Crystal we sought, yet through all of our journey, we had been unable to find sign of the males who preceded us. The thought had come that they traveled elsewhere, unaware of the true location of the Crystal, and that disturbed me greatly. When the Crystal rested in Hosta hands, I would send it on and ride in search of the hunter Ceralt, asking Mida to protect him till I, myself, was able to do so. The Hosta home tents would be empty indeed without the male I hungered for.
With Gimin beside me, I mounted my kan and withdrew to where the others waited, seeing Inala busily preparing the nilno we had obtained for her to feed upon. The city female would see to our kand till our return, and great was our fortune that she had accompanied us, for she had aided me in determining the true location of the Crystal. The message had read, “The last of the Crystals may be found within the Palace of the High Seat of the city of Bellinard, buried deep below the ground, fully fifty paces from the first, then left twenty paces farther. There may it be found within, yet not, we pray, by men.” That the place referred to was the dungeons of the Palace, all agreed, still, the balance of it puzzled us till Inala quietly asked if perhaps the first referred to the first of the doors of metal. Slowly we all agreed to this, and then we each of us, save Gimin, recalled the doors of metal within which we had been placed. Behind such a door, then, lay the Crystal, and we must see that it was recovered. Inala would take the kand and the nilno and await us by the caves she had been shown, and should we fail to return by the time she no longer had fodder, she was free to take the kand and do with them as she would. Not pleased was Inala at this thought, yet she was aware of the dangers the Hosta faced, and therefore remained silent.
At the arrival of full darkness, before the appearance of the Entry to Mida’s Realm, we took our leave of Inala, and silently made our way to the walls of Bellinard. All moved easily and well, yet was Larid as concerned for Telion as I for Ceralt, and Fayan, though silent, also seemed preoccupied. Gimin and Binat, displeased with the males who had claimed them, cared naught for their lack of presence, and were eager to return to Hosta lands. All were in possession of their life signs, and therefore did the thought of battle disturb us not at all. Mida’s task would be seen to, and then would we go our separate ways.
Quickly we scaled the wall and then descended and easily found our way to the Palace of the High Seat. Few were the males who moved about, and those, in leather and metal, were as unhearing and unseeing as all city males. About the Palace of the High Seat did we move, mindful of those who guarded the dwelling; seeking an entrance which might be used for my purpose. A small entrance did we find, guarded only by two, and this entrance was the one I desired. With stealth we approached the males, and then were our swords at their faces. Beyond a first, abortive attempt to reach their weapons, they remained motionless, till we forced them within the entrance they had guarded. Once within a small doored area, no part of the main Palace, the coverings of leather and metal were stripped from the males, and I stood coldly before them.
“One of you,” said I to them, “shall accompany us where we would go. The other shall remain here, a dagger to his throat, his life to be lost as well as the first’s, should we be betrayed. Is this clear?”
The males glanced at one another, finding no amusement in their predicament, and then they nodded without speaking. I knew not why they looked shocked; perhaps they had memory of the first of our visits. If so, well and good. Belief in the certainty of their deaths would aid in our effort.
To the first of the males did I return his covering and weapons, the second being well bound upon the floor, the dagger of Binat at his throat. The second looked pleadingly at the first, and the first nodded in weariness, indicating that he would not attempt betrayal. Little note did I take of this indication, for city males are not to be trusted to stand by their word, yet the male did as he was bidden. Larid, Fayan, and I removed our swordbelts, our daggers fast in our fists, and we three preceded the male, our arms behind us as though bound, and so did we present ourselves to the males who stood before the door to the depths, as prisoners being conducted within. Gimin followed to the door of this area, awaiting without for sign of disturbance, yet was the matter easily seen to. The males before the door to the depths fell quickly to our blades, and he who conducted us found the deed done before a sound might be uttered by him. Rapidly, then, did Gimin join us, and the bodies were placed within shadow before we descended.
Gimin and Larid I sent ahead, Larid once more armed, for the large metal door must be approached quite openly. When Fayan and the male and I reached the depths ourselves, my two warriors crouched below the opening in the metal, unseen by those who stood within. The sound of our descent brought the attention I had expected, and Fayan and I walked before the male, as though bound, making no attempt to mask the illness brought by the stink of the dungeons. The males within, seeing only a male with two captives, opened the door, and but two reckid later lay upon the stones in pools of their own blood. Larid and Gimin cleaned their swords, and all entered the door, then we slid the bar of metal behind us.