The Brightest Shadow, page 74
They burst into the valley and found Celivia there with Slaten pinned on the ground. She saw them immediately, almost as if she had been waiting for them.
Her hand moved from her cloak, but everyone else moved faster. Slaten rolled away, throwing off her balance. Graenin raised his hand and released a bolt of green sein toward her, while Veron left Hanfel and lunged as she drew her blade.
Tani saw that Celivia had something in her hands - not a weapon, but a thin piece of silver. She snapped it before they reached her and suddenly Celivia contracted into a single vanishing point. The wind seemed to rush from all directions at once, the trees bending toward where she had stood and leaving a whirl of leaves. For a moment everyone only stared at the empty space.
Then Slaten groaned, obviously having injured himself with his movement. Veron sighed and straightened, putting her sword away. "Laeri, get over here and get him in good enough shape to move. We'll wait just long enough to heal, then we're gone. Anyone who isn't with us is on their own."
It was a heartless conclusion, but one that Tani couldn't argue. Elima's sein was diminishing, leaving her body tired and aching. She could fight if she had to, and sustain herself via her own sein if necessary, but her mind was still exhausted. No amount of flowing sein could solve that.
While Laeri took care of Slaten and Hanfel, Veron moved around the valley. She found a pack lying on the ground and tore it open, spilling coins onto the ground. Veron grunted in satisfaction and began grabbing them, shoving handfuls into a sack at her waist.
"Really?" Tani moved closer. "You're doing that now?"
"You think we're going to escape without any money? I don't know about you, but I wasn't carrying very much. If we get out, we'll need to hide, and for that, we'll need to pay. Grab whatever you can."
Tani grudgingly admitted that the older woman was right and took some of the more valuable coins, though she didn't want to weigh herself down with too many. It would be a bitter result to escape such a dangerous battle, only to be found later because they had to take risks due to lack of funds.
At that moment, a roar took her off guard. Tani looked up too late to do anything but watch as a Catai charged out of the tunnel after them. Blood trailed from his body, not all of it his. Veron and Graenin dodged aside, but Melal stood blankly in the center of the valley. He looked up only slowly, realizing he was in danger and coming back to his senses, but it was too late.
Hanfel surged to his feet, tackling the Catai around the waist and slamming him into one of the trees. It shook the Catai and blood flew from his mouth... but the large warrior still managed to draw a knife and slam it down into Hanfel's back.
It must have hit one of his lungs, yet Hanfel surged up, smashing the top of his head into the Catai's chin. The blow rocked the taller warrior back, but not for long before he struck again. They traded several brutal blows, blood flying from them, before the others acted.
Veron took off one of the Catai's arms with a vicious slash, and while he cried out in shock, a concentrated bolt from Graenin hit him in the face. The burst of sein burned out one of his eyes and scorched half his face before the huge warrior dropped.
He fell onto Hanfel's body, but there was no cry of pain. When Tani bent down to look, she saw that he was already dead.
Melal still stood in the center of the path, staring down at Hanfel's body.
"Time's up!" Veron didn't shout, but she spoke tersely and began urging them on, hitting Melal in the side of the head and waving her sword at Laeri. "We can't risk any more of them coming after us, and the bodies will show which way we went. Our only hope of staying alive is to run. Now."
Everyone knew that it was true and obeyed, even Melal. Tani wanted to ask Slaten about his fight with Celivia, but his expression was too grim for her to approach him. He picked up Teren and ran with her, favoring one leg that Laeri hadn't been able to finish healing.
As they ran, Tani kept knives in both her hands, just in case any more attackers appeared. None did, and the stump of her finger began to ache.
Whenever she felt the pain, she looked backward. Toward the valley with Hanfel, Walernel, and Destrela lying in it. And the caverns beyond, holding Elima and so many others. She tried to remind herself that there were worse things than the minor injury she had received.
It was true, but it was very little comfort.
Chapter 54
-
"At that time the Hero will be victorious, all Deathspawn will perish, and the Legend will be complete. This much is inevitable. But will Corah be a united nation sharing in the Hero's glory, or will it be lost in the terrible wars to come? Given the scope of what we face, asking any other questions is foolishness."
- excerpt from a letter written by Lady Karerela of East Corah
-
As they received the reports, Kolanin sat with his hands clasped in front of his face. He hoped it looked like he was thinking, but he was just holding his head up. Though he hadn't fought in the battle at all, he felt as though he had struggled through every fight and seen every death.
Aryabaus sat back in his chair, a throne taken from some defeated Coran lord, and received the information smugly. Subenor paced at the side of the room, but occasionally gave a savage grin. All the other aides moved about quietly, careful not to upset them. They ignored Kolanin entirely, the cup of neth in front of him long ago having gone cool.
"No information on how many of the leaders were killed?" Aryabaus asked. Kolanin could have told him that. It would take days to properly sort through the bodies, if they did anything more than throw them into a pile and burn them. The aide shook his head nervously.
"No, Koreinan. The Catai gave reports on the warriors who fought them, but since many of our Catai fell, our information is incomplete."
"That might be answer enough. If few escaped alive and we lost several Catai, we must have killed most of their strongest."
"As you say, Koreinan." The aide finished giving his report, though he had little to say. What few resources had been captured. How many had been lost. No names of the dead, and certainly no information on the impact this would have on the region.
Kolanin wondered if the humans he had come to know were dead. Though he wasn't certain that they had been taken by the resistance, he felt reasonably certain of it. As much as he wanted to believe that Slaten and Tani would survive, he knew that the odds would have been against them.
Part of him felt sorrow over the humans who had died in the fight. The warriors might have committed crimes, but there would have been many others who did little wrong and could not defend themselves. Another part of him remembered all who had died in Gerant and felt only bitterness. Many had fallen on both sides now.
No part of him felt any sense of victory.
"What about this so-called Hero? Any indication of him?" Aryabaus directed that question at Kolanin, as if it was his domain. Perhaps it was, in a sense. Kolanin only shook his head.
"I know little more than you do, Seinan." For now. He had instructed Hakkiv to report to him personally. Though the report indicated that he was among the surviving Catai, he had no opportunity to say more. Hakkiv would be able to tell him if a Hero had been present.
Not that it mattered. The outcome was the same either way, and if the Hero died, there would only be another one soon enough. Kolanin had started to think the resistance might have done a better job containing the Hero than Ith Ire, until Gerant. Now he had no more answers and felt too old to attempt any new ones.
"So it is done." Subenor stopped pacing and turned to Aryabaus, a smug look on his face. "The little Coran resistance is destroyed. You know what I want as payment."
"Ah, yes. We had discussed giving you those Rhen texts..." Aryabaus cast him a dark look. "In exchange for helping us destroy the resistance. But in the end, they were defeated without any involvement from you."
Subenor's smile vanished and he pulled his spear from his back, pointing it toward Aryabaus. "If you plan to cheat me, you will regret it. I wasted many days helping you for those texts."
"Relax, human. I care nothing for a few local arts."
"Then why go through this charade?"
"Because I require your services for a while longer." Aryabaus stood up, ignoring the spear point so close to his body. "The resistance was merely a distraction. The goal has always been to take down East Corah and secure its surrender."
"I refuse to get involved in such a conflict." Subenor lowered his spear, however, eyes suspicious. "And I do not think you are foolish enough to demand so much of me. What do you really want?"
"To finish the job we originally agreed. My forces will begin to move southwest once this matter is done, but I have no doubt that a few rats escaped the resistance. I do not want to waste soldiers dealing with them, or have them try to interfere with my plans. If you hunt down those who remain, I will consider our agreement fulfilled."
"That's tolerable, provided that I can roam freely. There are several texts I yet need to acquire, before I can begin my great synthesis."
Aryabaus waved a hand to dismiss the matter. "You know what you want and what I require to give it to you. If the remaining rats interfere with my plans, the deal is off. But so long as you eliminate them before they can distract me from the war, you may do as you wish."
Subenor nodded and stepped back, satisfied. Kolanin wondered what he himself would need to be satisfied. Technically he could have asked more of Aryabaus, since he had assisted in this victory. Not directly, but by resolving other issues, he had made the coming invasion possible.
Would that be his legacy, in the end? Had he tried so hard to build peace, only to have supported the warmongers on Orphos? All he wanted now was for his few surviving accomplishments to endure everything that was to come.
"You look unhappy, Kolanin." Aryabaus turned toward him. "Sad that some of your pet humans might have died?"
"I was not sent here to seize East Corah, fight a resistance, or acquire texts." Kolanin sat back in his seat heavily and looked back without flinching. "I will do my duty, but this is secondary to my concerns."
Aryabaus growled at him, but Kolanin didn't budge. He was too tired for this and had seen too many young warlords like Aryabaus. After a moment, the taller mansthein shook his head and became calm. "Well, it is no matter. Once I have control in East Corah, I and my forces will have no more business in the Chorhan Expanse. I was thinking of suggesting that the command be given to you. After all, you can certainly be considered a human specialist, despite your mixed record."
Once, that would have been exactly what he wanted. Not absolute control, but he could have prevented fools from giving conflicting orders or ruining his carefully laid plans. But he thought about Bundlin and Ith Ire and wondered if it made any difference. "Thank you, Seinan."
"But first, we need to finish this. Until then, I trust that you have planning to do."
Though Aryabaus started to move away, Subenor spoke up again. "What about this spy who did so much for you? No report from them?"
"Sadly, they have been recalled by a higher authority. But it doesn't matter. We got what we needed and we obtained victory. Does anything else matter in the end?"
Kolanin sat in his seat and pondered that question.
~ ~ ~
They sat together without truly being together. No fire, as they stayed cautious even though they thought they had escaped any pursuit. Tani wasn't even entirely sure where they were. Somewhere in the northern part of the Chorhan Expanse, much the same as so many other locations. The sky threatened rain again, clouds hanging low and heavy.
For a time they had spoken about strategy and necessities, but that was over now. As was the resistance - there was nothing holding them together. She had spoken to Slaten about Celivia, only to find they had little to say. Now that she was gone, there was no point arguing about the differences Tani suspected lay between them. Instead they continued to say nothing.
Tani glanced up briefly as she realized that Melal was nowhere to be found. He had been distant ever since the battle: according to Veron, he was sulking because he had been defeated by a Catai. But in the end, she didn't actually care and looked down again.
"Maybe it's time to go back." She was almost startled to hear her own voice and didn't want to be speaking, but it was too late, the others were looking at her. Tani swallowed. "It's been almost three years since I left home, far longer than a Farwalk should last. Maybe I should go back."
Graenin scowled. "You think the Deathspawn will leave the Rhen alone forever? We cannot grow complacent."
"But we're not going to fight them, not with just the few of us."
"Looking obvious we were never going to fight them," Veron said. "Well, not and win."
That got a frown from Graenin, but he said nothing. Instead, Slaten was the next one to speak up. "I was considering going back too. At minimum, Teren should return home." The girl lay slumped against his side, completely exhausted from their flight. Tani didn't want to see them go, but he was right.
"Where will I go?" Laeri clutched her staff with white knuckles and looked between all of them as if she expected someone to have the answers. "I can't travel all the way back to Estronn on my own, can I? And if I tried to work in the Expanse, someone might find me. If they're still looking for us. Do you think they're still hunting us?"
No one answered, as they couldn't know. Laeri soon lowered her head, as if she wasn't surprised by the lack of answers anymore.
Tani remained sitting. Now that she had said it, she was more certain that she would go back. She wanted to see her master again, to enjoy eating at the village - she even looked forward to arguing with Janemi. But her legs refused to move and standing up seemed impossible.
"Take heart!" She knew it was Melal's voice, yet it didn't sound like him. Tani looked up slowly and saw him striding toward them, fire in his eyes. "We may have failed today, but only because we turned aside from the Legend. This defeat has taught me a great lesson, one that I will not forget."
Veron raised an eyebrow at him. "What fucking lesson is that?"
"The rains will begin soon. After that, Aryabaus will march to war. When his armies depart, we will have a chance to strike and cut the head off the serpent." Melal clenched a fist dramatically in front of him. "But I cannot fight alone, not yet. I will need all of you to stand with me."
"We just did, and it didn't do a lot of good."
"Fear not!" Melal cast Veron a smile that was nothing like his old goofy grin. Instead, his face was fixed in a calm, unrelenting smile that bared his teeth and did not touch his pale eyes. "All of you will have the rains to train and prepare yourself. The next time, we will not be taken off guard. The next time, we will triumph."
Veron looked like she wanted to say something else, but shut her mouth and fumbled within her cloak for something to drink. Tani stared at Melal for a while, then looked to the others. Slaten was unchanged, of course, but Laeri seemed encouraged.
"In one hundred days, let us meet at the ruins of Ith Ire!" Melal drew his sword and plunged it into the earth. "This is my commitment to you. If you wish to leave and abandon this fight, that is your choice. But if you return and join me, you can become part of the Legend itself. Can there be anything greater?"
No one answered that question. Melal remained there for a while before nodding in satisfaction and pulling his sword from the ground. He seemed more like his old self as he wandered off, but as he moved away from them, he began to stride more purposefully. Tani closed her eyes for a long time.
She wasn't sure how long it was, but eventually they started leaving. Veron and Graenin spoke together in low voices, then left. Graenin didn't look back at all and Veron merely glanced at her. Tani doubted she would ever see the two of them again.
Teren woke up and asked Slaten a question in Okeni. He sighed and rose to his feet. She held his hand and they started to walk away, but Tani moved after them.
"Slaten... are you going to come back?"
He didn't answer at first, still looking away. Teren looked back at her curiously. Eventually Slaten sighed and turned around to face her. "I cannot say. Teren wants me to remain with her, but there is no place for me there. Or perhaps anywhere."
She wanted to tell him that he would be welcome to join her, but couldn't bring herself to say it. Perhaps he wouldn't want her pity.
"I think I might return," Slaten said. "In the end, I don't think there's any answer until we know what the Hero and the Legend really are. Anything else I try to do, I won't be able to stop thinking about what's happening. If I ignore it... I have a feeling that one day it will be impossible to ignore and I'll regret having tried to forget about it."
"You may be right. But I think my appetite for answers is more than sated." Tani gave him a weak smile and Slaten eventually smiled back. "Fare well, Slaten. I hope I see you again, but under the right circumstances."
"I feel the same, Tani. Good luck."
With that he moved away, Teren taking his hand again. Tani watched until they became specks on the horizon, then turned back to pick up her things.
She hadn't finished picking them up when Laeri nervously shuffled beside her. "Tani... please don't leave me alone. I want to believe in everything Melal said, but I can't go with him. I just can't."
"But why would you want to come with me?"
"I can trust you, at least." Laeri bit her lip and stared at her in desperation. "You would need to protect me, but I think I could earn my keep. I can help heal you, after all."
Tani sighed and rubbed her eyes with one hand. "Alright, Laeri. You can come with me back home. From there... I don't know. Maybe some warriors who are traveling south can take you to West Corah. It isn't threatened by war right now, so you might be able to find a place there, or a ship back to Estronn."
