"No. sir," Darkwind replied, allowing a hint of effrontery to carry into his voice. "I did not."
"And why not?" Starblade asked softly. "You have the power, after all.
"Because I do not choose to use that power, Father," Darkwind said, holding in his temper with an effort. "You know that. As you know my "As I know your excuses," Starblade snapped. "They are not reasons.
You put k'sheyna in jeopardy because you refuse to use your abilities."
"I did no such thing. I kept k'sheyna from jeopardy because I destroyed the interlopers when they would not turn back," Darkwind interrupted." I did so without the foolish use of magic, which might have attracted more trouble, that close to the border. Despite being shorthanded, I did so with the limited resources at my disposal."
"Without magic."
"Without magic," Darkwind repeated. "Because it was not needed, and because other things might have been attracted that it would not have been possible to combat, with only three guards and their birds within range to stand against the threat." He glared at his father. , "If you are so insistent on having mages on the border, Father, perhaps you would care to join us for some of our patrols." And we can lead you about by the hand.
They could not have been more of a contrast, he and Starblade. The mage wore his waist-length, silver hair braided with crystals, feathers, and rainbow beads. His costume, of peacock-blue spider-silk, cut and decorated elaborately, was impressive and impractical in the extreme.
Darkwind, when he was not in his scout clothing, tended to wear brown or gray, cut closely to his body, high-collared and mostly without ornament; his hair was barely shoulder-length.
Most of the mages dressed the way Starblade did, though some made concessions to camouflage by wearing white in the winter and leaf-colors in the rest of the year, garments that could blend in with the woods after a fashion. Not that long ago, he had looked like the rest of them. this is growing tedious.
"Father, we have been over this any number of times. I did my duty; I rid k'sheyna of the interlopers. The point is not that I did or did not get rid of them using magic. The point is that we are chronically shorthanded.
We shouldn't be here at all, Father. More than half of k'sheyna is-elsewhere. What's wrong with us? Why haven't we done something about this situation?"
"That is none of your concern," Starblade began coldly, drawing himself up and staring at his son in astonishment.
"It is my concern," Darkwind interrupted. "I'm on the Council, too.
I am the representative of the scouts. I'm one of the Clan Elders now, which you seem to have forgotten. And as the scouts' representative, I would like to know exactly what we are doing to drain the Heartstone, or stabilize it, and rejoin the rest of our Clan." He drew himself up to match his father's pose, and looked challengingly into Starblade's eyes.
Starblade met the challenging gaze impassively. "That is the business of the mages. If you wish to have a say in the matter-" he smiled, you may take up your powers again. then you may join the mages and have your words heeded." Darkwind felt himself flushing with anger, despite his earlier resolutions." What I choose to do with my powers has nothing to do with the matter. Those of us who are not mages have a right to determine what is k'sheyna's future as well." He paused a moment, and added, the tradition, after all-that every voice in a Clan has some say in the running of the Clan." Starblade looked past his son's shoulder for a moment and took a long, slow breath. "What you choose to do with your powers.is precisely at issue here. He lowered his eyes to meet Darkwind's again, and there was an anger to match his son's in his gaze. "You are risking the lives of your scouts by your refusal to use your magic. Your abilities are required on our boundaries, and yet you will not use them. And I do not accept why you refuse." Darkwind closed his eyes, but he could not block the memories.
The Heartstone, a great crystal-laced boulder taller than he, pulsing with all the life and power of the Vale. Its surface glowed with intricate warm red and golden tracings, as the inner circle of Adepts continued to drain the excess mage-energy from the land about them, to empty the nodes and the power-lines so that there was nothing left that could be used to harm.
That was how the Tayledras left a place; concentrating all the realigned power of the area in their Heartstone; then draining the Heartstone and channeling most of its awesome energy into a new one, at the site of their new Vale.
Power crackled and seethed, pouring into the stone, as Darkwind held to his position, anchoring the West-outside the circle of Adepts that contained his mother and father. the shunting off of the great stone's energy was a dangerous task and required many protectors and guides from outside the main circle; he was an important part e in age. ngw eyna was the youngest Adept of his Clan ever to take such a task and quite conscious of the responsibilities involved.
There was no warning, no unsettling current of unclean energy. just a brightening of the stone, more intense than the last, and a disorienting sensation like lightning strikinghell opened in front of him. A blaze of incandescent white, power that scorched him to the soul. Silhouetted against the hellfires, his mother "I don't trust my so-called 'abilities," Father," he said slowly, shaking off the too-vivid memories. "No one knows why the Heartstone fractured, and the power broke loose." Was it his imagination, or did his father start a little?
"I was the youngest Adept there," he persisted. "I was the only one who had never participated in moving a Heartstone's power before. What if it was something I did, and everything I do magically is forever flawed that way? I will not take that chance, Father, not when what is left of our Clan is at stake." Starblade would not look into his son's eyes, but his voice was implacable.
He gazed down at his hand as if he had never seen it before, examining the long fingers as he spoke. "I have told you, many times, it was nothing you did or did not do. It... it had nothing to do with you."
"Can you be certain of that?" He shook his head and started to stand up. "Father, I know exactly what my abilities are with my hands, my senses. I can't count on my magic-" Starblade looked up, and his expression had changed to one of scorn.
If you have no confidence in yourself," the Elder finished. "Your magic is flawed only if you choose to believe it is so. Songwind was not that-fearful. I remember and loved Songwind. He saw his power as a source of pride, and our Clan was proud of him for it. Our children and old ones are gone from us now, and you have refused those powers to defend what is left of us here. I have little respect for you for that, Darkwind." The heat of Darkwind's anger cooled to ice, as he felt the blood draining from his face. The golden sunlight drifting through the windows and making patterns upon the white wooden floor suddenly lost all its warmth. "The Starblade who is my Elder is not the Father I remember either," he replied. "Perhaps a change of name is in order for you, as well. Iceblade, perhaps-or Brokenblade, for you seem to have lost both your courage and your compassion. Starblade gaped at him in startled surprise. "You are unwilling to face the fact that circumstances have changed. I think that you are terrified to face that change. I don't know-I only know that you seem to think that we who work without magic are not worth aiding. If you see no reason to help the scouts, Father, then we must take what help we can get-even to calling on the hertasi, the dyheli, and the others of the Hills whose wellbeing you scorn in your arrogance." He started to turn, and had taken one step toward the door, when Starblade's voice stopped him.