“And then Thaniel and I came to the battle,” he finished, “and you know the rest.”
“That thing that exploded; did it hurt you badly?”
He shook his head. “No, not me. But it was a close thing for several days whether Thaniel would live or die. Fortunately, he is well now.”
“What was it—that thing?”
“Manon,” he said, more savagely than he intended. “Or at least a piece of him. Florm tells me that it’s one of Manon’s favorite tricks. It didn’t work like he intended this time and in the future, I’ll know better. He won’t catch me off guard a second time.”
She looked down at her plate suddenly and then at his and her eyes flew wide. “I’m so sorry! You haven’t eaten a thing. It’s bound to be ice-cold by now.”
He laughed. “It’s no great thing—I’ve gone without meals before.”
“I’ll send for more.” She rang a small silver bell and then looked at him wistfully. “You’ve seen so much of the world, Aram. I’ve been in this valley all my life. I’d like to see the things you’ve seen.”
“You’ve never been away from this valley?”
She shook her head. “My father and mother came here when they were children, years before I was born. It had become too dangerous everywhere else. Even during the years of the respite, when I was a girl, my father did not want his daughters to venture out onto the open plains.
“The day of the battle, when I first saw you—that is as far as I have ever gone from Derosa.” She sighed. “My people have been at war with Manon for the whole of my life. My mother died when Jena was born; after that my father seemed to grow older and more tired very quickly. I helped raise Jena and Findaen has tried to relieve him of the burden of defending our people.”
She looked up at him with a strange emotion deep in her eyes. “My brother is a good man, Aram, as I think you know, but he is young and not experienced in war. I am glad that you have come to lead us.”
Aram frowned, surprised and unsettled by her statement. “But no one has asked me to lead the men of Derosa, Ka’en.”
“It doesn’t matter. If you lead, they will follow. I know my brother, Aram. You are a natural leader and he recognizes that and is not jealous. Since you have come, his burden is lighter and he has re-discovered his youth.” She leaned across and touched his hand. “You must lead us. Everyone, including my father, knows that it is what must be.”
The door opened and the young man and woman brought more food. Ka’en took her hand away and was silent until they’d left, then she smiled. “You must eat now, but perhaps afterward you might tell me more of the places you’ve been and seen.”
Emboldened by her act of familiarity, he leaned forward eagerly. “I would start by telling you about my valley, Ka’en. It is long, wide, and green, watered by many clear streams and a river that flows out of the mountains far to the north. It is the most livable place I have ever seen. And the city of stone that was carved out of the black mountain on the west of it—well, you have to see it to believe it and appreciate it.”
“I would love to see your city.”
He let the words hang in the air for a moment while he looked at her. Her delicate eyebrows arched a bit as she returned his gaze.
“Would you?” He asked finally.
She seemed surprised. “Yes, of course, I meant it. Would you show it to me sometime?”
“As soon as it is safe, I will take you there.”
“And when we go—can I ride a horse?”
He grinned. “I believe I can arrange it, yes.”
“Then I will hold you to your promise.” She partook of her meal and, with a glance at his plate, encouraged him to do the same. “Besides your city and your wonderful valley, where else would you take me? What other wonders have you seen?”
The course of the conversation was making him feel drunk, giddy, as if he’d been drinking too much wine. With an effort, he forced himself to focus simply on answering her questions and not on the implications inherent in them. He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “In the center of the high plains, where Florm and his people live, there is a city of the ancients, broad and wide and overgrown with trees. In the heart of the city there is a pyramid of stone, four or five thousand feet tall, built by the ancient king Joktan.” He took a bite of his food while she stared at him. “It is a marvelous thing to see.”
“I would love to see it.” The words came out breathlessly.
He nodded. “If you like, I’ll take you there—when it is safe.”
She frowned. “I’m not a child, Aram, and I am not easily made afraid. Why do you qualify every promise with the words—when it is safe? I am not afraid of the unknown. I would go today.”
“I believe you, Ka’en. But it is not the unknown that is a threat. It is what I know is out there that presents the real danger, and I would never put you at risk.”
She allowed a slight smile to touch the corners of her mouth. “I would be with you. Wouldn’t you protect me?”
Secretly, he thought it was a wonderful idea. “Of course.”
“Then I would go today.”
Despite its delightful insinuations, Aram decided to alter the course of the conversation away from dangerous ground where he might become lost and say something impetuous that could erode what was happening between them.
“Far to the east of Florm’s land there is a great inland sea, a hundred miles across and more than twice that distance in length bordered by groves of magnificent trees and bounded on the far side by great mountains.”
He gazed out the window at the brown squares of newly plowed farmland. “When the war is over and Manon is destroyed, I am going to ask Florm to let me build a summerhouse by its shores, back in among the trees. I’ll sit on my porch every evening and watch the moon climb the sky. Perhaps you’d like to come and see that house when it’s built?”
He turned and smiled at her but found that she’d grown suddenly tense. She put her fork carefully down on the table. “What do you mean by what you said, Aram—when Manon is destroyed?”
He was confused by her question. “When he is dead, of course.”
“I don’t understand—why must he die?” She sat very still. “And how can anyone so powerful be killed?”
“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully, still trying to decipher the meaning of her question. “But I intend to find a way.”
“Then it’s not over?”
“Over?”
“The war.”
“Oh, no, Ka’en. No. It’s just begun. Manon will not rest until we are his subjects or he is defeated.”
She gazed at him for a long moment while comprehension dawned in her eyes, then she looked quickly down at her hands. “You must think me a fool. I guess I thought that when you defeated his army that he would sue for peace—that there would be some kind of truce. That he would leave us alone and we would not bother him. What you’re talking about is—”
“—a fight to the death.” He quietly finished her sentence. He understood her now. She had been protected from the world and was not aware of the true nature of their enemy. Now that he considered it, he realized that probably no one in Derosa fully understood the scope of the coming war.
For three generations, they’d been fighting a contracted war of attrition with an enemy they had never seen and whose evil intent they did not truly understand. They no doubt suspected that he simply wanted their lands and their treasure. Like Ka’en, they thought that there was a point where bargaining was possible and Manon might settle.
Aram had come to understand fully the hopelessly wishful nature of such sentiments. Manon’s dark heart lusted for more than could be imagined. More than was contained in the whole of their world. And he would not stop until he had it all.
There was nothing to be gained from encouraging false hope. He leaned toward her and spoke gently. “Listen, Ka’en, you might as well know. Manon will never rest until the entire world is in bondag
e to him. All of it—and everyone. And if Florm is correct, he means to rule the stars as well. That must not happen. It would be the end of all things. No, he must be destroyed and it appears that I must have a hand in his destruction.”
“Why you?”
“Because—it has to be done.” He looked at her and shrugged slightly. “Besides, who else is there?”
She shook her head slowly. “I did not know. I’ve never—I didn’t know that there was so much at stake. We know so little of Manon and his designs. You think—you’re certain that he will never give us peace?”
“I know that he won’t.”
She looked down and moisture collected in her lashes and dropped onto the table. “I didn’t understand, Aram. I thought when you came onto the field that day and scattered his army that we might be near the end of all this.”
“I’m sorry.” He said quietly. “But we are only at the beginning.”
She looked up. “And there will be other battles and more people will die.”
“Yes,” he admitted, but there was a quiet ferocity in his voice. “I assure you, Ka’en, more of his than of ours will die.”
She shook her head. “But some of ours will die as well. You can’t always be as successful as last time. You surprised his army, but he will be ready for you now. We will lose people. My father perhaps, or Findaen or—you.”
She slid her eyes away and looked past him out the window. The silence lengthened out and she did not speak. He realized that she was coming to grips with the truth of what he’d told her. Finally, after a few moments, he decided to move the conversation back to more comfortable subject matter.
“Ka’en,” he spoke her name gently. “My summerhouse—near the sea? Would you still like to see it when it’s done?”
Her eyes came back and settled on his face but her expression remained somber. “Yes.”
“Listen to me, Ka’en. Someday I will show you everything I’ve told you of. If you want, I will show you the world. We’ll go travel it together if you like.” He felt a sudden, desperate need to regain the easy conversation that they’d shared earlier.
She smiled at him with her lips but her eyes remained serious. “Yes.” She said. “I would like that. But how likely is it that it will come to pass?”
He found that he couldn’t lie to her or patronize her. “Time will tell.” He answered simply.
She stood suddenly and moved toward the exterior door. “It’s a lovely day. Let’s take our wine and sit outside on the veranda.”
They didn’t talk for a while, just sat quietly and enjoyed the early afternoon and when conversation resumed she asked him to tell her more of his valley and of his travels. They did not discuss Manon again. Ultimately, the wine did its work and she relaxed and Aram was sorry to see the day wear away. Finally, though, Findaen’s boots rang on the steps and the most pleasant interlude of his life was at an end.
Reluctantly, he stood and offered his hand to Ka’en. He spoke low as Findaen strode toward them.
“Is there any chance that we could do this again?” He asked.
She stood and looked up into his face. “Share lunch? Yes, of course. Everyday, if you would like.”
He tried not to let his sudden joy spill out over his features. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She met his gaze for a moment and then took her hand slowly from his and inclined her head slightly as Findaen approached. “Tomorrow then, my lord.”
She turned and entered the house.
XXI
Aram knew he should go home. With every warm day that passed, the sun ate away at the banked snow up in the mountain pass that closed the way between his valley and the high plains. When that pass opened, Florm had promised to come. And in the back of his mind, a nagging voice reminded him that his city was unprotected in his absence.
But he could not pull himself away from the afternoons spent with Ka’en. Nothing was declared between them, but Aram felt his affection and need for her grow with every day that they spent together and believed that she reciprocated. As yet, however, he had not found the courage to broach the subject openly.
And there was the issue of Kemul. Derosa was a small place and word of how the princess and the tall, dark lord from the valley spent their afternoons was soon disseminated about town. No one said anything to Aram or Ka’en but Kemul, who continued to come to dinner at the palace and stubbornly take his seat to Ka’en’s left, glowered his disapproval across the table at his rival even as Ka’en acknowledged him less and less.
Aram largely ignored Kemul but sitting in his seat of honor across from Lancer, he could feel the waves of disapproval that emanated from the broad-shouldered young man devolve over time into sullen hatred. The issue of Ka’en’s regard would have to be addressed, Aram realized, first with her and then with Kemul. The stalemate couldn’t, and shouldn’t, continue.
On the afternoon of the sixth day as Aram and Ka’en sat in the shade of the east veranda on a particularly warm day, a pleasant lull developed in the course of their conversation and Aram decided to take the plunge. But, just as he turned toward her, a clear, sharp voice suddenly penetrated his mind.
Lord Aram. Lord Aram from the city of Kings.
Startled, he looked at Ka’en. Her eyes had gone very wide. Aram leapt to his feat and went to the rail overlooking the valley. The voice repeated its call and when he saw no one below him on the ground, he instinctively looked up. High in the air, riding the wind on broad, majestic wings was an enormous golden eagle.
“Here.” Aram said, as loudly as he dared.
The eagle spun down out of the sky and hovered on the currents a few feet above the roof of Lancer’s house. Ka’en stood beside Aram along the rail as the eagle spoke into his mind.
“Lord Aram, I am Alvern of the great spire of rock that stands between the two rivers. Frinna, sister of Cree, asks me to convey the message that there are many horses in your valley.”
Aram stared at him. “Many horses? How many?”
“More than ten. More than a hundred.” The eagle answered. “The use of numbers is not a strength of the lords of the air. We are very clever with distance and direction, but with numbers not so much. I myself have looked down upon the whole of the world from Kelven’s Mountain to the Tower of Manon, and south to the great ocean. But I cannot use the numbers of men easily. There are more than ten, and more than a hundred.”
“It will suffice. Thank you, lord Alvern.” Aram inclined his head. “Please send word back that I am on my way and will be at the city in three days. I am very grateful for your time and effort. If there is any way I can repay your kindness, please speak it.”
“There is no need, my lord. I have heard of your deeds and am honored to serve. You may count on me in any circumstance.”
With that, the eagle angled his broad wings and with a few mighty strokes went away to the north over the roof of the house. Aram turned to Ka’en. She gazed back at him with wide eyes.
“Aram, you can speak to creatures? Well, I know you can—I have just witnessed it. I heard its voice as well. How is such a thing possible?”
He looked at her intently. “You heard the eagle’s voice? Inside your mind?”
“Yes.”
“It is an ancient ability—gone from the earth for a long time. But this is a new age, and such things have been recovered—you heard his voice, too?”
She laughed lightly. “Yes, I told you, I did.”
Only enormous strength of will kept him from sweeping her into his arms and twirling her about. Instead, he smiled broadly and nodded.
“That is a marvelous thing. I’m glad, Ka’en. I’m glad not to be the only one.” Then he frowned. “But it means that I have to go away. Florm and Thaniel have come and I need to see them.”
He gazed at her lovely face for a long moment. He wanted very badly to kiss her but since as yet nothing was established between them he resisted the compulsion. Though he felt reasonably confident of her feelings, she
had not uttered any declaration on which he could base taking such an action.
She looked back at him with her delicate eyebrows arching ever so slightly. Finally, when he did not speak, she smiled.
“But you will come back.”
“Would you like me to come back?” Instantly, he felt foolish for asking it, like an inexperienced boy.
She started to laugh but stifled it quickly. “Of course—why would I not?”
It wasn’t the answer he wanted but it would have to do.
“Then I will come back in a few weeks. I have to see what Findaen’s men have discovered to the west, anyway,” he finished lamely.
She touched his arm gently with her long, tapered fingers, and let her hand rest there a moment, making his flesh burn under his clothing.
“I will be here.” She said.
Reluctantly, he turned away from her and went to his room to collect his pack and his weapons.
He did not wait for evening but found Findaen and Lancer and took his leave of them, explaining the situation. Findaen informed him that he expected Jonwood and his companions to come back from their reconnaissance of the western plains within a ten-day period.
“Good enough.” Aram said. “I may be detained for a while longer than that but I will return as soon as I can.”
The sun was still three or four hours in the sky when he left the river road west of the town and headed north into the hills. About midnight, he slept by the spring where, the previous fall, he and the horses had waited for the arrival of Manon’s army. The second night, he camped near another spring just below the summit of the great east-west ridge.
Three days after leaving Derosa, he crossed the rivers and entered his valley. It felt good to him to be home but in a larger sense, home seemed empty. Ka’en was not here. Then, as he turned the corner of the intersection of the roads by the pyramids and started up the avenue toward the city, he began to see horses grazing in the fields off to either side. They appeared to number in the hundreds.
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