Elfhunter (67 page)

Galador’s face reddened, but he did not look away.
"We will not shrink from our task, Rogond, but neither should we
engage in folly that cannot result in anything but disaster. We
must be fairly certain of ourselves before we proceed."

"There is no time for certainty, Elf of Eádros!"
cried Wellyn, rising to his feet. "What of Gaelen? If we do not end
this Dark Horror, then what becomes of her? Do we lock her in
prison, where she will neither see nor hear anything of use to the
creature, until she dies for want of the feel of the air? Do we
leave her alone to perish knowing that she will never be free of
him?" He turned to Rogond. "Ask her, Tuathan. Ask her whether she
has any sense that Gorgon knows. She is very intuitive—ask her! If
she is reasonably certain that he has gained little insight, then
that is enough for me."

Galador looked around him at the faces of his
friends. He closed his eyes for a moment then nodded in agreement.
"It is enough for me, as well," he said, returning to his place
beside Nelwyn. She took his hand and reassured him; she knew that
it had been difficult for him to voice such concerns to Rogond.

"Never mind, my love. These things needed to be said.
I know they pained you. It wasn’t fair to compare you to Amandir,"
she whispered.

Ri-Aruin rose and spoke then to all. "I will not
enter into this plan unless I have assurance that all of you are
willing," said he. "You must choose your path now. Will you support
the Tuathan, or no? Provided he receives assurance from Gaelen that
the enemy remains unwitting, will you join in this effort? Gorgon
will sense your trepidation otherwise. All must be united in their
resolve. Choose now." Each then rose and faced Ri-Aruin, bowed
before him, and then turned to Rogond. "I will support Rogond’s
plan," said Wellyn, who stood first. Rogond liked him more and more
every minute. Then Nelwyn, Galador, Fima, Thorndil, and finally the
King himself each voiced their affirmation. Ri-Aruin addressed the
Company, who stood now united:

"Then let us make our plans. We will await assurance
from Gaelen before we proceed with them."

The long afternoon was spent in debate, mostly
concerning the proposed location of the "secret council". It could
not be held in open country, but would need to take place in a
location that was defensible, and where enemies could be seen as
they approached. Gorgon would expect nothing less. It would need to
be somewhere between Mountain-home and the Elven-hold, yet near
enough that they could stage it quickly. Gorgon would be told that
the council had been planned since Ri-Aruin had first learned of
his existence, back in late winter. Because Gaelen had been both to
Mountain- home and the Lake Realm, it would be easy to convince
Gorgon that Magra was already on his way. Oryan would be presented
as a person of considerable importance: the personal emissary of
the Lord and Lady of the Lake.

They obtained a large map of the Lands of Alterra,
spreading it out upon the table before the King. Rogond pointed to
the Barrens, rugged stone hills that rose beyond the southern
borders of the realm. They were surrounded by forest, which would
be perfect for concealing an army. This would appeal both to the
Woodland army, that would lie in wait, and to Gorgon, who would be
able to bring his own forces into proximity undetected. The Barrens
were about a hundred miles closer to Mountain-home if the council
took place in the easternmost hills; they were nearly in a direct
line to the east. "Magra" could "arrive" using the old northern
road, staged for Gorgon to witness.

"The Barrens would be the most logical place," said
Rogond. "Gorgon is not far away from our southern borders. We need
to let him know that the council will take place very soon now, and
we cannot afford much travel time, as both our forces and his will
need time to make ready."

"But, Rogond," said Nelwyn in a worried tone. "What
if he is already taking refuge in the Barrens? What if he is lying
in wait? Won’t he simply slay us as we appear there?"

Rogond shook his head. "No, Nelwyn. He will want to
take
all
of us. Remember his nature—he will not wish to
alert any of us by preying on the others. If he is sheltering in
the Barrens now, I’ll wager he will be gone as soon as he finds out
that we’re planning the council there. He will want to wait until
all are assembled so that he may gain the ultimate victory. Think
what killing Ri-Aruin and Magra would mean to one such as Gorgon.
He might then plan to march on the Greatwood, as he would sense the
dismay and confusion of the Woodland Elves should their King be
taken from them."

"The Barrens are well known to many of us," said
Ri-Aruin, "for although they are no longer part of our realm, they
were once included in the lands of Osgar, my father, before
Wrothgar’s evil forced us to withdraw our borders."

He drew forth an old but very detailed map of the
area, showing several excellent locations for the staging of the
council. He pointed with a long, elegant finger at one in
particular. The others of the Company nodded in agreement, and the
location of the conflict was chosen. Now all that remained was to
carefully set the trap.

They would let it be known that there would be a
relatively small contingent of guards present at the "secret
council’, because the Elves did not wish to attract the attention
of unfriendly eyes that might be keeping watch on the Barrens. In
truth, they wished to tempt Gorgon with the prospect of bringing
down Magra and Ri-Aruin with only minimal resistance.

Everyone would have a part to play in the deception
and would have to ensure that all went as planned. Gaelen, as
Gorgon’s "window" into the proceedings, would have to be especially
vigilant. She could not be allowed to see or hear anything that
would alert Gorgon; all communication with her would have to be
strictly orchestrated and controlled. Rogond knew they would have
to work quickly to accomplish their ends, as Gaelen would not fare
well for long under such conditions. The pressure placed upon her
would be horrific. But then, Rogond told himself, so long as she
knew the objective of the plan, she would apply herself utterly to
it. He gave assurances to his friends that they need not worry.
Gaelen would be more than happy to follow any course of action that
would lead to the downfall of her

enemy and secure her release from his terrible
influence.

The Elves of Tal-sithian, who had tracked Gorgon’s
small army, estimated that it had numbered about thirty, but they
did not know how the Ulcas came to be under Gorgon’s command in the
first place, or whether more would be joining him. The general
feeling was that where there were some, there would be others. Once
Gorgon knew of the "council", he would work as quickly as he could
to add weight to his forces. If given too much time he might very
well overcome the Elves of the Greatwood. The trap must be set
quickly.

The task of communicating the plan to Gaelen fell to
Rogond. It was difficult at first, as Gaelen had to train herself
not to look at Rogond as he traced messages slowly and carefully
upon her arm. She would then write responses to him on parchment,
never looking at them but staring resolutely at something else. It
was frustrating, as communicating in this way took so much time and
concentration. Gaelen, who was restive by nature, could only stand
it for brief periods, though she made a valiant effort.

Rogond was patient with her and tried to cheer her,
but it was difficult at times to make her understand, and this
taxed them both. As time passed, they became more and more adept,
and the process became far less stressful. They took these careful
steps because, although they suspected that Gorgon’s presence was
heralded by Gaelen’s cold chills, they could not be certain that it
was always so, and they took no chances. The only thing Gorgon
would see should he attend these sessions was whatever Gaelen was
focusing on, usually the flowing waters of the river. The sound of
the rushing, gurgling water and the carefully controlled words of
Gaelen and Rogond were all that he would hear.

Rogond had inquired of Gaelen before any further
effort was made, and he had looked earnestly into her eyes, tracing
carefully his question.

D-O Y-O-U H-A-V-E A-N-Y S-E-N-S-E T-H-A-T G-O-R-G-O-N
K-N-O-W-S

T-H-A-T W-E A-R-E A-W-A-R-E O-F T-H-E M-I-R-R-O-R?
C-O-N-S-I-D-E-R W-E-L-L A-S O-U-R F-A-T-E R-E-S-T-S O-N I-T.

She thought for a moment, and then wrote her
response:

I need time to be certain, though I do not believe he
is aware at present. I have been concentrating on trying to feel
the times when he is making use of the mirror, and to glean what I
can of him during those times. I shall apply myself especially to
this question until I am reasonably sure.

She continued to gaze at the river as Rogond traced
his answer. T-A-K-E C-O-U-R-A-G-E W-E A-R-E W-I-T-H Y-O-U.

W-H-E-N Y-O-U A-R-E C-E-R-T-A-I-N W-E W-I-L-L A-C-T
Q-U-I-C-K-L-Y.

Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, H-I-S
T-I-M-E D-R-A-W-S N-E-A-R.

She looked at him and nodded. Then she held him in a
gentle embrace, whispering in his ear. "You are so strong, and keen
of mind, and faithful. Thaylon, the Trustworthy, I name you. We
will prevail over our difficulties, and so long as you stand beside
me, I shall not fear."

Then she drew back from him and truly smiled for the
first time in a long reckoning, unaware that she had, in naming him
Thaylon, given him again the name of his birth, though, of course,
he did not know it.

Gaelen went out alone into the forest for the
remainder of the day. She intended to apply herself to discerning
the extent of Gorgon’s awareness, and she thought she knew just how
it might be done. Like Rogond, she was keen of mind. Gorgon might
well have chosen a different victim had he known then the thoughts
turning within her; she would now welcome his intrusions upon her
senses, for through them she could attempt to gain insight.

Deep in the Barrens, Gorgon rested in his lair,
unaware that Gaelen would turn the use of the mirror to her own
purposes as he grasped it in his left hand. He stifled a small cry
of pain and shook his head in frustration. She was alone again from
the look of things, and was somewhere in the forest. That would not
suit his purpose, and he nearly abandoned his effort, but he had
learned to wait at least a few minutes before doing so, as the pain
had usually lessened a bit by then (actually, he just became used
to it), and she might yet reveal something. This time he was
rewarded, or so he thought, as she began muttering to herself.

"About time someone did something about this horror.
After all, we carried the King’s message to Lady Ordath ages ago!
The Elves of Tal-sithian are behind us, of course, but what of
Mountain-home? We shall need their aid. I’m not certain this course
of Ri-Aruin’s is wise. I wish Nelwyn were here…I would speak of it
with her."

Speak of
what
with her? What of Mountain-home,
indeed? What did Ri-Aruin intend? Gaelen now had Gorgon’s full
attention, but he would get nothing more from her this day.

When enough time had passed that he realized this, he
broke contact, and when she sensed that he had gone, she nodded her
head slowly in satisfaction. She had paid very, very careful
attention during this exchange and had detected no hesitation at
all from him. There was a feeling of voracious eagerness, as though
she could sense his thirst for any information that would aid him
in planning some great day of reckoning. She sensed no trepidation,
no hint that he knew that she was aware of him.

She rose and stretched her body in a small patch of
sunlight, banishing the lingering chill. She would wait until
tomorrow to find and report to Rogond; perhaps Gorgon would try
again tonight to gain additional insight, and she would again pay
careful attention, refining her skills at discerning his mood. The
better she became at this, the better it would serve them. Though
she was still revolted by his presence, she smiled inwardly as she
sensed his cold heart probing and questing for information that he
would never receive. He was the victim of the mirror now, though he
did not know it.

Having received Gaelen’s assurance that Gorgon was
unaware of their knowledge of the mirror, the Company now set about
the task of setting the trap. This involved a number of carefully
staged scenarios in which Gaelen was present. She had perfected a
series of signals to let them all know when the now-familiar icy
feeling assailed her, and they would then be aware that they were
all speaking in the presence of their enemy. They went on their
guard immediately if Gaelen alerted them, and they would be
extremely careful until she let them know that the feeling had
passed.

At such times, Rogond felt a nearly overwhelming urge
to take her in his arms and comfort her, for though she
concentrated hard on the task before her, her eyes still
occasionally betrayed her revulsion and vulnerability. And though
Gaelen had professed her faith in him, naming him Thaylon, she
still had not responded directly to his declaration of love for
her, and he dared not force her decision now. She had warned him of
the consequences of doing so.
If you press me, I shall turn from
you, do you understand?
He did indeed.

As much as he might want to hold and comfort her, he
would have to wait until she came to terms with her own feelings
and had decided what her course would be. His future would be in
doubt and darkness until then, but there was nothing to be done for
it.

For now Rogond was thankful for the difficulty of the
task set before them, as it would occupy him completely until it
was accomplished, and he would not have to worry so about Gaelen’s
choice. She could not afford to be distracted by such matters at
the moment, anyway. At least he was in his proper place at her side
and would remain there until she sent him from her, or until his
life’s end.