Val gestured for everyone to be seated and called for more wine and fruit to be brought in.
"I am glad that we could all assemble today," he said. "The reports we've been getting are ominous." He turned to Armand. "Perhaps you could enlighten us further?"
Armand took a drink and set the goblet down on the table. "Our forces have suffered two major defeats in the last week. For safety, our people have been pulled back to Kolb Ferry, where we are dug in. From the information Teanna has been able to provide and from what our scouts have brought back, we believe the next attack will come very soon. Cincar and Sibuyan are sending reinforcements, but even with the addition of their people it is unlikely we will prevail."
There was silence in the room.
"Nyngary's border garrisons should arrive in three days," Teanna said.
Armand smiled. "Even another thirty thousand men will make little difference. The Orlocks are simply too numerous. We had better than two hundred cannons at Epps Crossing and the advantage of an elevated position. It made no difference."
Val folded his arms across his chest and sat back. "Bajan will enter the war with each of the five tribes contributing twenty thousand men."
"And I will be there," Teanna added. "I was too late to meet Shakira at the last encounter; she went into hiding immediately after the battle."
"Gawl is moving north from Sennia and James is swinging around the top of Elgaria to join us," Delain said, speaking for the first time. "As soon as they arrive we can begin our offensive, assuming we are all in agreement."
Eric leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I appreciate that, Delain. What's your price?"
If the question surprised Delain, he recovered quickly. "I hadn't thought to put a price on the survival of the human race. To be blunt, I have more reason to hate your family than anyone here, but I'm willing to put that aside. As your cousin said, we must all pull together, or be pulled apart."
An amused smile played at the corners of Eric's mouth. "But surely you want a little something out of this for. the-help you're so generously offering."
Delain's face turned to stone and he started to rise.
"Stop," Teanna snapped, looking hard at Eric. "My cousin likes to play games. Unfortunately, this is not the time or place for that. Alor Satar agrees to relinquish any and all claims on Elgaria forever. They will do whatever is necessary to help you secure your borders against Vargoth and the. Orlocks. Nyngary will lend whatever support may be required, as will Cincar and the Sibuyan. In return, El-garia's forces and those of Sennia and Mirdan will ally with us to repulse the pending threat.
"Have I stated it correctly, cousin?"
Eric gave her a sour look. "I suppose so."
"Prior to your arrival," she said to Delain, "I asked the Kalifar to have his scribes prepare the necessary papers to seal the treaty."
Delain glanced at Val, who nodded in reply. He then turned to Armand. "And you're prepared to support this?"
Several seconds passed before Armand pushed his chair back from the table and stood up, extending his hand to Delain. "We have an accord."
There was almost and audible sigh of relief around the room. Even Eric managed a smile and shook Delain's hand. While the documents were being signed, Val asked Teanna if there had been any news of Mathew.
She shook her head. "I have my people scouring Cor-rato for him, but there's been no word yet."
"An interesting young man," Val said. "I should very much like to meet him again."
"As would I," Teanna replied.
50
The Cave Rivalin
It took a moment for his eyes to become Accustomed to the dark. There was just enough illumination from Collin's light stick. The room was small and square and had seemingly been carved out of the rock itself. Mathew's brows came together. In the center was a large oblong object at least six feet in length. It looked very much like a crypt, except it was made of glass rather than limestone. Curious, he moved closer and saw a dark shape inside.
What in God's name is that?
A second later the answer became apparent. The shape was that of a woman. Mathew stared at her for several seconds and could detect no sign of her breathing. It was impossible to tell her age.
Young, he thought. Perhaps in her late forties.
Nevertheless, something about her profile was familiar.
"Mat, are you all right?" Collin called out, startling him.
"I'm okay, but there's someone else in here."
"What?"
"It's the body of a woman. I don't think she's dead, though."
Collin threw his hands up. "Just find the damn ring and let's get out of here."
Mathew nodded and looked around the room. Except for the crypt, it was quite empty. Since there didn't seem to be any other place for the ring to be hidden, he grimaced
and pushed the lid aside. He had definitely seen the woman before, but where? Her face was beautiful, framed by a mass of dark hair.
She's definitely not dead, he thought. Mathew swallowed and cautiously touched her shoulder. There was no response. He placed his fingertips against her cheek, thinking she might wake up, but again nothing happened. The skin was cold.
So odd, he said to himself. What's she doing in this godforsaken place ? He took a step back and looked at the rest of her. The moment his eyes came to rest on her hand, his question was answered. A rose gold ring on the third finger of her right hand glinted dully in the light. He suddenly knew where he had seen her. It had only been one time and quite by accident, as a result of his first experiments with his ring. He was looking at Teanna's mother, Marsa d'Elso.
Mathew's heart was thumping so hard in his chest he was certain Collin could hear it out in the cave. Get out, his brain shouted. "Mat, are you all right?" Collin called again. It took a moment for Mathew to find his voice. "Yes," he said, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper. "Yes," he said back a second time. "Is it there?"
"I don't know yet. I'm looking now." The thought of touching Marsa paralyzed him. If she woke up, she would kill.him in an instant. Seconds ticked by, how long he couldn't say, but somehow he managed to make his hand move.
Her arms were folded across her chest in a state of repose. He carefully lifted her right wrist. There was a second ring resting beneath her palm. His eyes flicked to Marsa's face then back to the ring. He stared at it, not believing what he was seeing. Holding his breath, he reached out and took it.
The familiar shiver coursed through his arm the moment his fingers came into contact with the rose gold. Gently, he placed Marsa's hand back in its original position. Mathew squeezed his eyes shut and clutched the ring to his chest. Seconds passed. They turned into a minute and then another as he stood there, immobile. He was so giddy he wanted to laugh. Collin's voice eventually pulled him back to reality.
"Have you found it yet?"
"Give me a moment."
He pushed the lid back into place and put the ring on. Teanna was bad enough, he thought, but the prospect of having to fight both mother and daughter sent a shiver up his spine. He was thinking about that when separate "images of Shakira and Teanna flashed into his mind.
You fool, he nearly screamed.
He'd completely forgotten about blocking them. Furious, at his his own stupidity, he shut his mind to further contact.
Well, congratulations, Mathew. There's no question they know you 're alive now. Why didn't you just send them a letter?
Halfway to the door the answer came to him. However brief, his image of Teanna had been, it was clear and bright. She was sitting in a room somewhere with four other men. Shakira's vision, however, was dark and shadowed, and there was rock behind her, as if she was standing in a . . . cave.
"Collin, they're here!" he yelled.
Collin spun around, drawing his sword in time to see Shakira and two of the creatures literally step out of a rock wall twenty feet from him. Mathew came to a skidding halt a
t the threshold—Teanna's ward was still there. He had no idea how she had created it or how it worked and there was nothing he could do to remove it.
"Get out of here," he yelled to Collin.
It was now obvious why Shakira had hidden herself. It
was unlikely that she could harm him, but she could certainly hurt his friends and family. The creatures advanced on Collin, their weapons drawn.
"We didn't come here to hurt you," Mathew shouted. "Leave him alone!"
The Orlock queen said something to the creatures he couldn't hear and they stopped. Both stood there glowering at Collin, who wisely backed away and put some distance between them. Shakira glanced at him and then looked at Mathew.
"You cannot pass through the ward, Lewin," she said. "You will have to return the way you came."
"Will you give me your word not to hurt him?"
There was a brief delay before Shakira answered. "Come," she said, gesturing with her fingers. "You have my word."
Mathew reached for the rope, but then stopped. "Or me?" he added.
"Or you."
Mafhew stood there, uncertain what to do.
"Orlocks do not lie, human."
He wasn't so sure about that, but there didn't seem to be much choice in the matter. They could continue to stare at each other, or he could try and find a way out of their predicament.
"You need only climb to the top of the ward. I will create a bridge for you," Shakira told him.
Out of nowhere a stone bridge appeared, spanning the chasm. Mathew pulled himself up and tested it with his foot. It seemed solid enough, so he put his other foot down and crossed over. The bridge promptly disappeared.
He half expected to be attacked as soon as he reached the opposite side, but nothing happened. The Orlocks were still where they were and Collin still had his sword out. "Thank you," Mathew said. "My name is—" "Mathew Lewin. Yes ... I know who you are." "And you're Shakira. I'm pleased to meet you." He knew it sounded stupid, but he didn't know what else to say under the circumstances, particularly to an Orlock.
"Are you indeed?" Shakira asked.
"Actually, I am. I've had so many dreams about you and this cave," Mathew told her, looking around him. "I feel like we know each other."
A frown appeared on Shakira's face at the mention of the word dream, but it disappeared just as quickly. "It's always good to meet an old friend," she replied with a smile that had no warmth in it.
Mathew chose to ignore the sarcasm. "I know you hate us—humans, I mean—but it wasn't always like that. A long time ago we worked together. I've seen the Emerald Cavern—Taritna, your people call it. I've also seen the floating pictures of what my ancestors did to yours. It was monstrous, and I'd change it if I could, but the fact is, I can't. We don't want to hurt you. I give you my word."
Shakira seemed to find that amusing. "Your word of honor?"
"I can't speak for everyone," Mathew said, "but Collin I don't hate you and most people I know don't, either. They're just afraid of you."
"They have good reason to be afraid."
"Fine. They have good reason. What is it you want?"
"I want you to turn your ring over to me. Do it and I will let you live."
Mathew's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Just like that?" he said. "Turn over the ring and have a pleasant day. I'm able to protect myself, Shakira, and my friend, too, if necessary. I'm not going to simply hand my ring to you."
"Your ring by accident."
"Accident or not, it makes no difference," Mathew replied. "It's in my possession now and I'm not giving it up. Isn't it possible for people to live in peace? What happened three thousand years ago was something we had nothing to do with."
"Peace is an interesting word coming from you, hu-
man," said Shakira. "You are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of my children at the town of Tremont, in Elber-ton, and in the Elgarian Woods."
Mathew's temper rose. "That wasn't something I wanted," he said. "They were coming to kill us. I was only trying to protect myself and my friends. Look, we can argue about this until the sun stops moving, but it won't change a thing. I'm not giving the ring up and I doubt that you have the power to take it, so I ask again, what is it you want?"
"An arrangement," Shakira replied. "You said you want to live in peace—so be it. Your friend can go free, as can your wife and the companions traveling with her. You, however, will remain with us."
The expression on Mathew's face at the reference to Lara made Shakira smile.
"Yes, Orlocks are not nearly as stupid as you think. We have been watching this area for some time and we knew the moment you arrived. The priest and the two women are now our. . . guests. If you would like to see them again, I suggest you cooperate. At a word from me, they will be killed, along with your son and all the other humans in your village."
"Don't listen to her, Mat," said Collin. "She's trying to trick you."
Shakira's gray eyes shifted to Collin for a second before settling on Mathew again. In reply, she reached into the pocket of her dress, pulled something out, and tossed it to him. Mathew recognized the object at once—the necklace he'd given Lara on her birthday years ago. It was something she wore constantly.
"The choice is yours," Shakira said. "The time of the humans on this world is at an end. You may delay the future, but you will not stop it. You will accompany me back to Taritna. There, I will link your ring with mine. Once the war is done, the remainder of your race will be removed to the Wasted Lands. They can stay there forever as far as we're concerned. The less we have to do with you, the better. I will have your answer now."
"Well, here's my answer," said Collin. And without warning he pulled his dagger from his belt and threw it at the Orlock.
Shakira did no more than glance at it and the dagger disappeared into thin air.
"Stop," Mathew said quietly, hold up his hand.
Collin stared at him in disbelief. "You're not thinking of doing what she says, are you? You can't trust an Orlock. She's bluffing."
"Maybe," Mathew said quietly, before he turned back to Shakira. "I need more time to think about this. Showing me a necklace doesn't prove anything. You could have made a duplicate, for all I know. I'll need to see my wife and her companions for myself. Where are they?"
"They were seized by my people and are unharmed. You may look if you wish."
Her plan was clear now. By linking their rings together she could control both and double her power. Not even Teanna would be able to stand against her. He desperately needed more time. Mathew fixed the image of Lara in his mind and concentrated.
"It's no good," he said after a several seconds. "That's something I've never been able to do. All of the rings are slightly different, and mine doesn't work that way. I want to see them in person. You can block me if you want. I won't do anything to stop you."
That surprised the Orlock, nevertheless, she nodded to the creatures and they withdrew into the shadows.
"I will meet you at the bottom of the hill, Lewin."
The moment they were alone, Collin spun on Mathew. "Are you out of your mind?" he snapped. "If you let her block you the way Duren did, you'll be defenseless."
"It's already done," said Mathew. "She can maintain it only as long as she keeps her concentration intact."
"And then what? She might have a hundred Orlocks down there waiting for us. What are we supposed to do challenge them to a name-calling contest'?"
"I need to see that Lara, Ceta and Father Thomas are all right," Mathew whispered fiercely. "Just follow my lead and stop arguing."
51
Tyraine
The path up the hill had rarely been used. It was narrow and barely wide enough to accommodate two men at a time. Gawl and Colonel Haynes were in the lead with forty-eight fully armed soldiers behind them.
Gawl pulled the watch from the pocket of his vest and looked at it. "Sunrise in half an hour," he whispered to Haynes.
; The old colonel nodded and pointed ahead of them. Less than a mile away the gold dome of Coribar's church rose up, unmistakable against the city's skyline. So far they had been lucky. Gawl knew little about the sleeping habits of Orlocks nor did he have any idea where in the city they now lived. He and his men were on the outskirts of Tyraine, close to where the coast road began.
It was eerie to look down at the buildings and see no lights. Only the church showed any signs of life. Still, the scouts had reported seeing Orlocks there earlier that day.
The king raised his hand. If everything went according to plan, Edmund Bain would be bringing the ships into position in approximately thirty minutes and the attack would begin. It had been several years since he'd yisited Tyraine, but he remembered the city's layout well enough. Nearby were a number of houses. He didn't know whether they were inhabited, because the scouts had been unable to get close enough to find out. That information was now imperative. As much as he wanted Terrence Marek dead,
he was not willing to throw his men away in a foolhardy attempt to reach him.
"Haynes," he whispered, "I want you to take five men and set fire to those houses down below us. We'll wait ten minutes and see if any rats come out of their nests."
Haynes nodded and disappeared into the dark with his men. The rain had turned into a cold blowing spray that penetrated the bones. Gawl wiped his face and motioned to the rest of his men. Silently, they moved off toward the nearest home and waited. Their wait was short-lived.
Less than five minutes later the first tongues of flame could be seen coming from the houses four streets below them. Then the shouting started as Orlocks ran from their dwellings carrying buckets of water. Gawl waited a while longer, observing. There were no signs of movement along the street they were on.
So far so good, he thought. The creatures haven't come up this far yet.
Two minutes later Colonel Haynes and his men reappeared.
Mitchell Graham - [Fifth Ring 03] - The Ancient Legacy(V1.0) Page 37
