Kirith Kirin (The City Behind the Stars) (60 page)

I had no plan for settling Genfynnel in this or any manner when I rode out of the Tower that morning. My intention was to rid the city of people who might oppose our army when it marched from Arthen. But in the course of my riding I saw it was important to restore order in the City itself, for the sake of those who lived here. This was in my power to do, so I did.

In Laeredon, I lingered with Nixva till the oats and hay were brought. I made safe passage for the carters and they came into the Tower itself. They would tell that story for the rest of their lives. When they had unloaded and the empty wagon cleared the causeway, I set wards again and rose through the kirilidur to the High Place. My work was mostly done, and I sat down to wait.

1

Two armies marched through Arthen in the ensuing days, and another force moved down the narrow mountain pass that leads from Drii to Vyddn.

A force of mounted soldiers moved ahead of the rest, pressing toward Maugritaxa with speed. Among these riders was Kirith Kirin.

The dispositions of Drii troops into the Cundruen Pass made me think. So did the behavior of the Prince’s own army, which split into two forces at the fork of roads in the central part of Arthen. One part of the army moved down the southern roads toward Maugritaxa. The other continued southeast toward the shores of Lake Dyvys.

The main Venladrii force split at the fork of Svorthis and Cundruen as well, with apparently similar goals.

The target of the east-marching forces could only be the Queen’s army encamped on the Vyddn Plain, abandoned there by Drudaen when he rode to fight me at Laeredon. The south-marching forces were meant to garrison Genfynnel and hold the city for Kirith Kirin.

This much I could surmise. But as for Kirith Kirin’s own plans, I could only guess.

By now, the advance party of mounted soldiers had moved well ahead of the infantry and neared the southern edge of Maugritaxa. Soon they would emerge into the north Kellyxa.

Descending from the shenesoeniis, I rode Nixva to the place where workmen busied themselves with repairs to Telkyii Tars. The workmen, seeing me, dropped their tools in fear but I assured them I meant them no harm. Cloakless, I sat astride Nixva in my boy’s tunic, wearing the Bane. I asked the foreman of the work party to ask the new Lord of Genfynnel to come to me.

When the Finra came, I received him near Laeredon Gate. Out of courtesy I dismounted from Nixva when he approached; he was my elder after all. He approached without fear. He wore an elegantly embroidered cap and fine trousers under a jacket with sleeves. The Anyn wear sleeves even after reaching adulthood, a practical custom in winter. I remembered his name, Zaevyeth son of Motaxin of the Finru House of Kruenen. After greetings, I told him Kirith Kirin was approaching north Kellyxa above the Rivers and that armies were marching on Genfynnel to occupy the city. This was news he needed since he must make his own dispositions for their provisioning, and he thanked me for the information. I made a request as well. I needed a falcon of strong wing to serve me. The bird would be returned in good health.

Zaevyeth sent me a falcon from his own aerie, a fine bird whose name was Rik. I gloved my arm and carried her with me to the Height.

Words tamed Rik to fly as I wished, and I tested this by setting the proud creature to circle the Tower while I wrote out my message to Kirith Kirin. The bird obeyed my charms and returned when I had written down my question. My note said this: “I see those marching east and those marching south and cannot guess which place is your destination, nor do I know what is your need. I can ride to you when you’re nearer the city, if you mean to come this way. If this is your wish, throw the gem enclosed into your campfire when you’re ready for me to ride. I will see the sign and come. All this land is under my veil. The Queen’s army is still in Vyddn. Our enemy has withdrawn to Antelek and sits under shadow. I can leave Laeredon and hold it as long as I’m prudent. Yours.”

Blessing the gem to which I had referred, I tied it inside the parchment and secured the whole to Rik’s leg by light cord and binding Words. The falcon suffered this touch and burden without complaint, as if she knew my need. I told her what I meant to do, that I must supplement her eye with my own for a time, and she agreed to the necessity. Speaking Words to wrap her in my enchantment, I flung her toward the sky.

This is simple magic requiring only a small part of the thought, so long as I did not essay to see through her eyes or to control her will. She flew north toward Arthen to find the riders, and the wind carried her at great speed.

Afterward, I reached east into the deep mountains and began to prepare for storm, snow, and wind. These I could bring down onto the Vyddn Plain at will.

The veil could not hide this last movement from Drudaen, and beneath shadow his presence changed. But I got no sense what he proposed to do.

By nightfall, seven days after I took Laeredon, mounted soldiers emerged from Arthen and camped. Those who needed a change of horse got one at the Maugritaxa outposts; royal horses had endurance but the mortal horses had been pressed to the limits of their strength. Rik had another half-day’s flight before she reached their camp, and I checked her progress now and then. She killed, ate, flew on. Kirith Kirin’s horsemen broke their camp before dawn, rode south, and camped again after nightfall. He was pressing them toward Genfynnel. That night my falcon found him, circled the camp and cried down to their hearing.

I was in her eye through all that followed, though I was careful not to take control of her mind, since that would have killed her. Traveling at such speed, Kirith Kirin would have left his own Bird master behind, and I could not let some foolish archer take aim at Rik, and so needed to see what she saw. The strange behavior of the bird was soon noted; she flew in lower circles and indeed, one numbskull did lift his bow. As quickly it was snatched from him by a hand I knew, Karsten, who was first to sense that the falcon flew under my watchfulness. She called for her hunting glove and someone brought it to her. Kirith Kirin found her when the falcon settled peacefully onto her arm, eating tidbits from her hand. He untied the parchment and cord himself. The red gem fell into his hand.

He opened the note and I could see his face change. At this point I left Rik to their care and withdrew. To see through the eyes of a living creature is hard magic. As the Sisters teach, all living beings are the same size, the size of the eye of God. I could not waste strength when so much work awaited me on Laeredon. But I replayed the image of Kirith Kirin again and again in my mind.

Two days passed. Rik returned on the second and I had her taken to her master by a servant. I continued my work in the Tower and on the High Place, preparing applications and devices needed when we continued south from Genfynnel. The winds in the eastern mountains gathered. The armies of Drii and Inniscaudra neared Lake Dyvys and the southern end of Cundruen.

The mounted party came half the distance to Genfynnel before Kirith Kirin threw my gem into the fire and called me.

I heard the call near sunrise and my heart lifted. Nevertheless I prevented myself from rushing out of Laeredon like a foolish puppy. I prepared the Tower for my absence, setting a ring of kirin-stones around the Ruling Rock and descending through the kirilidur, kindling watch runes and other devices, keying them to my voice and to the ring I wore. Since there was no Gate to shut, I set other gems into the portal, these armed with wards and Bans of the killing kind. I closed the causeway to passage of any but the Wise and set more Wards in the Tower courtyard, these to warn off stragglers. Summoning the Finra Zaevyeth again, I asked that he set militia near Laeredon, to prevent the foolish from wandering close to the place. I would be absent the city for a day. I was pleased when news of my riding troubled him, and added, to reassure him, “Don’t fret. I won’t go so far that I can’t beat the Keerfax back here. Your city is still under my protection.”

He was relieved to hear this, and set the guard as I had requested. Near midmorning, I rode out on Nixva’s back. We cantered through the city streets. Those who saw us coming fell back into their houses, all but a few who bowed their heads and wished me blessings for lifting shadow. I had expected the fear but not the kindness. My heart felt fuller when Nixva carried me across the Osar bridges.

Kindling the ithikan around the horse and me, moving beneath my own veil, I stretched myself outward and upward, entering the dual trance again, so that as I rode, my eye hovered over Laeredon. Now that I had spent more time at fourth level, this was easy. Nixva, with my aid, carried us at enough speed to meet the mounted party near nightfall.

2

He knew me by the shadow of my speed across the plain and rode out to meet me himself. From Nixva’s back I saw the mounted party halt and the Keikin surge free of the rest. Relaxing the ithikan, I slowed us to something less than a blur. I met him as the boy I wished to be, riding the horse he had given me.

We dismounted and he pulled me close, murmuring words in my ear. His heart beat like mine. “Here you are.”

“I thought you’d never call me.”

Holding me at arm’s length, he stroked my hair. “We thought we’d get close to the city, since there’s time. No need to take you too far from the High Place when you worked so hard to win it.”

By now he had felt the splint on my arm beneath the Cloak and his brow furrowed. “Broken?”

“Yes. During the fight. It’s nearly healed now. Bone takes some time.”

A shadow crossed his face and he pulled me close again. He searched my eyes and I could not hide that the fight had changed me. But while he kissed me it was as if there had never been any coldness in my body. I laughed quietly, feeling like a boy again. He asked, “What?”

“Nothing. I’ve missed you, that’s all.”

We set out walking toward the war party, making camp. The royal horses followed behind, reins trailing the grass of the plain. West of us a farmhouse could be seen, anxious figures standing in the yard. “Poor folks, they’ll be wondering what we want on their land. I’ll send someone to talk to them.”

“Who’s with you?”

“Everyone. The twice-named, I mean. Except I left Mordwen Illythin in charge of Inniscaudra and of the Fenax. He didn’t like it but he had to see the wisdom of it in the end. He’s too old for this, he’s in his last life. He’s taking care of Axfel for you, he said to tell you so. Idhril has the Genfynnel garrison. Unril has the army marching east. We’ll join them as soon as we’ve had our council here.”

So I had been right. He’d meant to ride to Genfynnel and then to join the army again. “As far as I can tell the Queen’s army hasn’t moved.”

“Save all that,” he said. “We’ll have time to talk. Right now, all I want to do is feel you breathing under my arm.”

Near the encampment, other figures hurried toward us. Karsten hurled herself around me and Imral gave me that quiet look of pleasure which I had learned to read as his approval. “Here you are,” Karsten said, noting my arm, “but what’s this?”

“My first wound, and it’s a pretty nice one too.”

She looked into me same as Kirith Kirin had. Something in her searching brought out more of the hurt. We passed sentries already posted and Imral led us to the fire he had laid. Pelathayn roamed the other campfires but soon joined us. Kirith Kirin dispatched Gaelex to the farm nearby to ask permission to camp in the broad meadow and to use the creek water. She took two soldiers with her and was gone. Around us tents were going up. The curious were watching our circle. I saw Brun and raised my hand to her. She bowed her head courteously and then touched a finger to her lips.

Imral brought me brandy from his own stock and I thanked him. They drank with me, all of them, and we sat in the grass in the open air.

A change within the Veil warned me that Drudaen, from his southern Tower, sought after my whereabouts; he knew me to be out of the Tower. Reaching into kei, I made a change in Laeredon to show him I still held the place; he would know the change but still would not know my whereabouts. Nor would he see this camp if I could help it. The veil held. This work carried me away from my friends and they waited and watched. Again I was surprised at how much they understood. “He knows I’m on the ground again. I warned him off.”

“He’s in Cunevadrim?” Kirith Kirin touched my cup to remind me to drink, and handed me waycake.

“Yes. He’s been on the High Place worrying over his loss, I guess. And building defenses he never had to build before.”

Karsten laughed. “Not a happy wizard.” With an expectant look, as the rest settled near us in the grass, the fire licking upward, she said, “Well. Tell us the tale.”