3 When Darkness Falls.8 (65 page)

"I See you, Kellen," she said, without turning around. "I promise you, if I see another four centuries, and spend all of them standing here, I shall never get used to this bridge, useful though it is."

Was that how old she was? He'd never asked, of course. He didn't know whether it was rude or not to ask Elves their ages. It had simply never come up.

Well, Idalia
had
once said that Keirasti was old enough to be his grandmother…

And apparently more, by several hundred years.

"I have good news," he said. "I've just spoken to Shalkan. He tells me that Jermayan is alive."

"Alive!" She turned around. "Leaf and Star! This news comes in a good hour! It… would be good to know how such a thing can be, of course."

"I'm not really sure, and neither is Shalkan. But he and Ancaladar are with the army, and they'll be here soon. We can ask them then. I was hoping that you'd accompany me to let Vestakia know."

"Now this is a duty I shall be happy to discharge," Keirasti said, grinning broadly. She swung up into Orata's saddle and the two of them turned back toward the camp.

* * * * *

VESTAKIA simply burst into tears when she heard, flinging herself into Keirasti's arms.

It was one of the reasons Kellen hadn't wanted to be alone with her when he gave her the news.

He knew that every night now, when she slept, Vestakia's dreams took her to Shadow Mountain, into the mind of the Prince of Shadow Mountain. Closer, each night, to his innermost thoughts and plans.

It was a place nothing of the Light should have to go.

But the images — the impressions — Vestakia was able to relay to him were important than even Vestakia's life.
They
were changing
Their
tactics.

Vestakia wasn't completely sure, but she had the idea that Shadow Mountain was calling its Allies back to it, out of the Elven Lands and the High Reaches. The Ice Trolls and the Frost Giants. Something
They
called Dwerro. Others she wasn't quite sure of.

Every creature that owed fealty to
Them
, and could withstand sunlight, was being massed together.

I think
They're
finally going to meet us on the battlefield,
Kellen thought.

But by now Kellen was wise enough to know that the traditional battle the Elves had always hoped for could only end in disaster for the Allies. Even if their numbers were evenly matched — something he had no way of knowing — the Endarkened would have more powerful Mages at their beck, and far more of them, than the Allies could possibly hope to put into the field. Even with this new Ally that Idalia had summoned.

Unless they could take Armethalieh before the battle and turn it to their side.

He made up his mind.

When he left Vestakia in her tent, he sought out Isinwen.

* * * * *

EVEN in a camp with no prospect of imminent battle, there was much to do. Those who were not on patrol were hunting, or felling trees to feed Artenel's seemingly-endless need of lumber. And anyone who was not doing that had armor and tack and weapons to care for, sword-drill to perform — for the army could not be allowed to grow slack in its temporary leisure — or the thousand small housekeeping tasks of an army in the field. In addition to all this, everything must be kept organized and running smoothly, and as Kellen's Second, much of the work of seeing that everyone knew where they should be and what tasks fell to them in the particular hours of each particular day fell to Isinwen.

He rose to his feet as Kellen stepped into the large tent — made from three others — that had been designated the command center. It would be nice to have a more permanent structure, Kellen supposed — even six braziers were not enough to truly warm it — but it was only temporary. Most of the army would be moving onward soon, and with it the need for such a place would end. Only Artenel's artificers, and a few hundred Knights left to guard them, would remain to continue the work on Fortress Halacira. It was one of the reasons Artenel was doing his best to get so much of the work done now, while he still had so many hands to aid him.

"I See you, Kellen. There is fresh tea made."

"I See you, Isinwen. I come to begin the day with good news, lately received. The army marches south from Ondoladeshiron, and should join us in a sennight or so. And better: Jermayan and Ancaladar march — or rather, fly — with them."

"I do not ask how such a miracle occurred," Isinwen said firmly. "It is magic, and this is something I have never understood. But I am grateful for it."

"So am I," Kellen said. "And since this is so, I find I must go to Sentarshadeen after all, and that immediately. I shall leave Halacira in your charge, unless you counsel me against it."

Isinwen paused to consider.

"I believe we are secure here. Vestakia can warn us of
Their
approach, and the caverns make a more secure fortress by the day. The forest — what there is left of it — is free both of any Tainted enemy and any merely mortal foe. The camp runs smoothly, and riding Shalkan, your journey will be a swift one. Besides, should there be grave need, I believe Cilarnen will be able to send word to Shalkan over a distance, if not to you."

"You're probably right." While it was true that the Wild Magic seemed to be incompatible with the High Magick in some mysterious way — and so Cilarnen could not reach Kellen directly — no such difficulty existed between Cilarnen and Shalkan. Not only would Cilarnen be able to locate Shalkan by magick, he should also be able to talk to him.

"I'll be back in a day, then. Two, perhaps."

"And all will be just as you have left it. Leaf and Star go with you, Kellen."

"And abide with you, Isinwen."

* * * * *

SOON Kellen was riding over the snow on Shalkan's back. Except for the snow and the fact that he was riding to Sentarshadeen instead of away from it, the previous several moonturns could almost not have happened. He and Shalkan were off on their own, upon an adventure.

And what would happen when he reached his goal was as much a mystery as it had been on that other occasion.

Very soon they reached the edge of the area where his army had been logging, and the forest once more resumed its serene beauty. There had been several snows since the last time the supply sledges had traversed the road between Halacira and Sentarshadeen, and the road was only discernible as a wide space where the trees were not. But that didn't matter to Shalkan. The unicorn ran across the top of the snow, not even leaving footprints behind.

"And may your humble steed ask what you're going to do in Sentarshadeen?" Shalkan asked, as he covered the distance to the city in a ground-eating lope.

"If Firareth were here, I'm sure he wouldn't be interested," Kellen answered. Shalkan bucked warningly.

"All right! I'm going to ask Morusil for the army. He's the one who's been signing the dispatches in Andoreniel's name," Kellen said quickly. He had no desire to end up on his back in the snow, and no doubt of Shalkan's ability to put him there, Knight-Mage or not.

"So you're going to take command?" Shalkan asked.

"I don't want to. Maybe there's another way. But we have to take Armethalieh
now
. Before
They
figure out just what's going on with that 'Big Fish' Cilarnen told me about. And that means taking the army over the Border. Into the Wild Lands. All the way to Armethalieh."

"It's a long way," Shalkan said.

"You did it in — what? A day and a half?"

"I took us from Armethalieh to Idalia's cabin," Shalkan corrected. "And I'm a unicorn, if you'll kindly remember. It's at least a moonturn from Idalia's cabin to Sentarshadeen — in summer. So perhaps two, in winter, from Sentarshadeen to Armethalieh, if nothing goes wrong, and your army makes
very
good time."

"At least most of it will be downhill," Kellen said, remembering the terrain he and Shalkan — and, later, he and Shalkan and Idalia — had crossed.

"So you can slide all the way there," the unicorn agreed, picking up his pace.

* * * * *

SENTARSHADEEN looked peaceful and untouched, though Kellen knew from the dispatches that the Shadow's Kiss had struck here at least as hard as in any of the surviving Nine Cities. But plague was a quiet assault, and at least he had seen nothing of the forest blight that was ravaging the Wild Lands on his ride here. So far this part of the Elven Lands had been spared that, at least.

When Kellen reached the Unicorn Meadow, he unsaddled Shalkan — he knew that Shalkan would be eager to exchange gossip with the unicorn herd here, and he'd be sure to hear the choice bits of it later — and carried Shalkan's saddle down to the House of Leaf and Star.

The door opened as he reached it.

"I See you, Kellen Knight-Mage."

Kellen regarded the woman standing there. "I See you," he said politely. "I greet you in the name of Leaf and Star."

"My name is Taranarya. Be welcome at our home and at our hearth."

* * * * *

SHE conducted him to a room he'd never seen before — though Kellen suspected he'd have to be a great deal older than he was now before he saw
all
the rooms of the House of Leaf and Star — and asked that he accept the hospitality of the house. Kellen was resigned to a certain amount of formality; if someone didn't come along in a reasonable time to ask him his business, well, he'd just go looking for them.

Meanwhile, there was plenty to look at here.

The waiting room Taranarya had conducted him to was designed to resemble a birch forest in autumn — without, however, slavishly copying it. Kellen wasn't quite sure how the Elves managed to convey such a powerful suggestion of autumn forest, because whenever he looked directly
at
something — the pale cream wood paneling of the walls, the intricate geometric pattern of the black and yellow carpet, the four cylindrical stoves at the corners of the room — it didn't look particularly sylvan. But when he looked at the room out of the corner of his eye, the forest was there: the tumble of yellow leaves underfoot; the tall slender birch trunks against a backdrop of more yellow leaves; it almost seemed as if he could hear the wind through the branches.

He was always amazed by what you could do without magic.

HE hadn't been there very long before two more Elves appeared, bringing tea and a selection of pastries. He recognized one of them from one of his first visits to the House of Leaf and Star.

"I See you, Lamarethiel," he said.

"I See you, Kellen," Lamarethiel replied.

"It would please me greatly should you and your companion desire to stay and drink tea with me," Kellen said cannily. "I have been long away from Sentarshadeen, and would know how the city fares."

He had counted on the fact that Elves were constantly curious, and always willing to gossip — and that someone who served in the House of Leaf and Star would probably know almost as much about what was going on as, well, a unicorn.

Lamarethiel and his companion, Javondir, did not disappoint him. Kellen heard — after a discussion of the weather, which, since he was going to be taking an army through here soon, was actually something that interested him for a change — all the details of the arrival of the Wildmages Catreg, Tadolad, and Kannert and their strange ways — butter in their tea! — of the wonderful recovery of the Shadow-kissed over the last sennight — and particularly since Midwinter — of the fact that Dargainon was expected to recover fully, that Tyendimarquen still showed no signs of plague — by the grace of Leaf and Star, and that Morusil was still well. In fact, since Midwinter, there had been no new cases at all.

In turn, of course, Kellen was expected to provide news of his own, and so he did. He spoke of the final battle against the Shadowed Elves at Halacira, and their complete defeat. Of the building there of a new fortress where the families of the Allies could take refuge within the Elven Lands. Of the fact that Redhelwar's army, even now, marched south from Ondoladeshiron to join him at Halacira.

"There is more, of course, but it is news best shared first with the King's Counselors. I had hoped, of course, to speak to Morusil… "

"I shall see if he is here," Lamarethiel said, rising to his feet gracefully. "And I thank you for the news you have brought, Kellen. It has made… interesting hearing."

"I have enjoyed the chance to tell it," Kellen answered politely. He was definitely getting better at dealing with Elves.

After Lamarethiel departed, Javondir excused himself, saying that he would bring fresh tea.

Kellen went back to admiring the room, trying to decide just
how
the illusion of a forest was created.

When Javondir returned, bringing fresh tea, Morusil was with him.

Idalia had said that Morusil had survived the plague, but Kellen had left Ysterialpoerin before the first cases had appeared there, and he had never seen what the plague left behind in its aftermath. The livid bars of purple that marred Morusil's face and neck came as a wrenching shock to him. He sprang to his feet as the aged Elven Counselor entered the room, leaning heavily on an ornate wooden staff.