Esra (45 page)

       Esra looked up at the rolling ladders four times her height that bordered the room.  “No, I’ll start with the top row and maybe we can switch after a while.”

       “Deal.”

       For the rest of the day Nadia and Esra scanned the titles of books in the history, philosophy and poetry sections.  A few names had appeared promising, but upon further investigation it was clear that whatever was in these pages was not what they needed.  By the time their growling stomachs alerted them it was far past lunch, they made their way towards the back of the room, eager to see if the rest of their Assembly had better luck.

       “How’d it go?” Arland looked up hopefully.

       “We got through quite a bit but haven’t found anything yet.  Ye?”

       “Nothing.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment in disappointment before Baelin stood and stretched.  “I say we get something te eat, come back fer a few hours, and then see if Cane can tell us what happened today.  After that we’ll head home an’ see if we can start fresh in the morning.  We only have ten days left te convince four very different races that the only path te freedom is te work together.” 

XXXIX

Although they would all shuffle back across the hall to the Dining Room and later wait outside the Council Room far past dark, they would not catch sight of Cane nor anyone else for the next six nights.  Their pattern would be the same; waking, eating, searching the Library, eating, searching, waiting, finally resigning to sleep.  Esra’s hope was diminishing a little every day as she watched her Assembly comb through countless volumes without a hint of anything that could help them.  And she was wrought with curiosity and frustration that neither she nor anyone in her Assembly had any idea of what was going on behind the Council Room doors.  If Cane had wanted them to help, he was certainly making it difficult. 

“Why have we not gotten word?”  Esra groaned aloud. 

“Maybe the reason fer the long days is because they’ve already agreed to unite and are formulating a plan of defense.” Arland offered hopefully.  Esra appreciated her friends attempt to be optimistic, but she couldn’t help but think that someone would have told them by now if that was the case. 

Finally, at the end of the seventh day, Esra was roused by Nadia in the middle of the night and told that Cane had summoned them to his quarters.

“About time,” she grumbled under her breath as she leaned over to lace up her boots.  When they met with the other three Assembly members and arrived at Cane’s personal chambers they found him pacing the floor.

“Sit, sit.” He motioned towards the overstuffed furniture and wooden chairs dotting the room.  “I’m sorry that we have been unable to speak until now, but the Council discussions have been going much longer than any of us wish.  And I daresay they’re going worse, too.”

He continued before any of them had a chance to ask why. “Prince Bronnen has made it clear that he supports our cause but he lacks resources.  He is painfully aware of the position LeVara’s army is in, which is that it’s non-existent.  There simply is no army.  King Keridon hasn’t seen fit to train one.  He may be able to hand over material support, namely gold and supplies, to aid our fight.  But that only helps if there are people willing and able to fight.  We can’t throw gold at the Elites.  I think that this is the only reason the Prince is hesitant to fully commit to a war.  He worries that he will not be able to hold up his end of the bargain, and he seems to be an honest and realistic young man.

“The Daughter of the Shendari, luckily, believes fully in the importance of uniting against Tallen.  She is small but I can assure ye that the other members hear her position loud and clear.  She is already aggressively on our side without question.  The Elders are divided in their sentiments.  Kered, the eldest of the three members, is also an ally to our cause, although he shows it more quietly than the Daughter.  Danya and Isak, however, say that they are
doubtful about the outcome of such a war and cannot in good conscience commit their people to an uncertain battle
.”

“Heh!” Arland spat.  “How did I know those two would be a problem?  Doubtful about the outcome fer an uncertain battle?  Well the only certainty is that not joining us would result in death and oppression.”

“I absolutely agree,” Cane’s eyes narrowed as he pulled on his already long chin.  “Danya and Isak are very proud.  They want to be the hero, the center of attention.  They are not the type to make hard decisions, to be depended upon to do the right thing like Kered.   They are more concerned with being popular, having power.  Very dramatic and arrogant.  Although I have to say Linae has made it interesting.”

Esra thought about the bold young woman who gave her a great sweeping bow at the Gifting Ceremony, to the disapproving glares of Danya and Isak.  It didn’t surprise her that Linae was creating some waves among her more conservative group members.

“She has a feisty spirit, that girl.  And she has no problem letting the other two know her opinion, whether they’ve asked fer it or not.  I believe the term she used once was
bumbling, frightened fools who are so self-centered that they wouldn’t know a good idea if it kicked them in the…
well, let’s just say she has been very vocal.  Kered has done his ‘pretending to cough’ laugh more than a few times already.  The difficulty is that Linae cannot vote, so the Council is opposed two to one.”

“What about Zakai?”  Baelin asked.

“The Unni-se has surprisingly grown slowly more supportive of our cause.  As a great strategist, I think he knows the odds of beating Tallen and his massive army if we do not unite.  Unlike Danya and Isak, he certainly is no fool.  The problem he is facing is that the Unni are still in constant battle with the Valkors to the south of Fira Nadim.  And there is also the issue that if he does make the decision to align with the other races, it may stir up some deep-seated resentments in his tribe.  However, I think he knows that either way, this decision will not make everyone happy.  His first concern is for the safety and freedom of his people.  But like Prince Bronnen, he faces a more material obstacle.  How many warriors can he send north and still keep his lands protected?  Will the Valkor see this as an opportunity to attack unrestrained?  He may put his people in danger while trying to avoid other perils.”

“There are already seven Council members in favor and four opposed,” Esra pointed out.  “Won’t a vote mean that the majority wins?  Won’t the others have to yield?”

“In other matters, yes, the majority would win.  In cases of war, however, that is not the case.  It was decided long ago that because this Council decides the fate of an entire race of people, their chosen leaders would select their own fate.  This means that if the Shendari vote opposed, then none of the Shendari come.  If the Unni-se votes in favor, then all of the Unni are committed.  For the Elves, two out of three of the Elders that vote alike prevail.  This is also true for the Great Keepers, who need at least three out of the five.”

“So we may get one race but not another?”

“Correct.  In a smaller battle, this may not present a problem. In fact, many Councils concluded with split votes.  But when it comes to Tallen, there can be no separation.  It is imperative that everyone unites.  We cannot defeat such large and powerful forces without each and every one of our allies.” 

“What can we do?”  Esra asked.  “Can we help protect the Unni from the Valkor?  Or maybe we can negotiate a truce?”

“A truce, I fear, would be impossible.  The Valkors do not care much fer reason.  They are fueled by their aggression, not logic.  As fer helping to protect them, I am afraid that is also not an option.  We would be depleting our own resources, which we need fer our own defense.

“As fer Danya and Isak, I would leave them fer last.  Hopefully by then ye will have gained the support of the Unni-se and the Prince, which ye can argue certainly gives us a better chance of a favorable outcome.  We only need one of the Elders to change their minds fer the Elvish vote to pass.  If ye could find a way to convince them, find out what it would take to get them to change their position, that’s all we need.  But these are all a lot of ‘ifs’.  And only four days left to do them.”

Baelin looked up at the pacing form before him and rose from his heavy wooden chair. “Well then, we won’t waste any time.” 

XL

       The next afternoon Esra’s Assembly had a stroke of luck.  It was an insightful observation by Nadia that as the Keeper of Charm, Arland had good fortune.  So maybe if they weren’t finding anything, it was because he was looking in the wrong spot.  So they recruited Arland to join them in scanning the high rows of books for helpful titles as the other two continued looking over the meeting accounts.  Less than an hour later, Arland had wandered away from his sister and came back with a hint of excitement.  He explained that he felt it important to go over a mercantile section previously examined by Esra and Nadia on the third day. 

       “I just feel there’s something there.” 

       “But we’ve already been over that section,” Nadia argued.  “We didn’t find anything except a bunch of old ledgers and lessons on trade improvements.  Not exactly what we need, some logbooks about how many copper pieces a barrel of grain was worth two hundred years ago.”

       “Something’s there, I know it.” 

       Nadia shrugged and continued looking over a row of agricultural books.  “Alright, well yer the lucky one.  And ye’ve found some stranger things in stranger places.  Go get us a book, Charm boy.”

       A few minutes later Arland came rushing past them, ushering them towards the back of the room where Baelin and Fynn looked up in surprise. 

       “There,” Arland said breathlessly, tossing the book in the middle of the table.

       “
Adventures of a Chicken Trader: The Tales of Whippleton Humgard
,” Fynn read.

       “Whippleton Humgard?  Adventures of a Chicken Trader?  Ye can’t be serious,” Nadia groaned.  “Yer saying that this is the answer to a hundred years of intolerance between the races?”

       “Aye,” Fynn interjected.  “Either that or he thinks he can appeal te Tallen’s humorous side.  Maybe try te offer him some Chickens in exchange fer conquering LeVara.  Might jest kill him with laughter.  Or perhaps we could train them some Hens to peck out the Elites’ eyes.”

“Very funny,” Arland chided, giving the archer a hard punch in the arm.  “I’m incredibly serious.  Most of the book is utterly useless, I agree.  But chapter four details Whippleton’s encounter with a small tribe of isolated people to the far northwest of the Kingdom.  They did not keep many material possessions, as they were modest people.  Most of the items they kept were simple and useful rather than decorative, but they were very interested in this Chicken creature that the traveling man had brought with him.  Since the people had nothing of value he wanted, Whippleton decided to eat noonmeal in exchange for a few eggs and be on his way.  But when he sat and ate the bread and stew he was served, he was amazed.  It was the most delicious bread he had ever tasted.  Asking the man who had baked it what the ingredients were, he found it was not much different from the usual flatbread he made for himself.  He then asked the man to detail the process, which was vastly different than his current method.  So the answer lay in the preparation.

“Whippleton decided that he would indeed trade with these people.  Since he ate on the road so much, it would be a great achievement if he could find out how to improve his simple bread making skills.  He asked the man if he would teach him how to bake his special bread in exchange for three Hens and a Rooster.  The man eagerly agreed and the trade was made.  The tribe now had access to a good they had not possessed before, and Whippleton had learned a new skill.  Both sides had gained.”

“Alright, but isn’t that the basis of trade?  Each side exchanges different things so that both can improve?”  Nadia pointed out.

“Aye.  In this case one side traded a good and the other a service.  We can apply the same principle to the Council members.”

“Ye mean give them Chickens?” Fynn asked. 

“No,” Arland laughed, “give them each something they need in order to fight.”

“He’s right.” Esra’s excitement was growing.  “So what does each side want that they don’t have?  The Humans need trained soldiers and the Unni need help defending against the Valkors if they are to send their warriors.  I can’t believe we haven’t thought of this yet!  So we get the Unni-se to agree to send some commanders to train the Human army.  That’s their specialty, as we have seen firsthand from Mox, Shova, and Hadvi when they taught the townsfolk of Wilspry in record time.”

“But what can the Humans give the Unni?”  Nadia asked.  “They have no warriors to send.  That’s the exact predicament we’re trying to solve.  Both sides need soldiers.”

Baelin nodded his head enthusiastically.  “We need something te aid in the defense against the Valkors besides more soldiers.  What about a wall?  Something much too tall fer the Valkor te climb over and too strong fer them to breach.  A stone wall.  It could run the entire border of Shadow Glenn.  The Unni are good with wood, but not very skilled with stone.  We could convince Bronnen te send stoneworkers te build a wall fer protection in exchange fer training his soldiers.”