Then rose Podiss, emissary of Nyissa, ambassador of Salmissra, Queen of the Snake People, and spake with great despite unto the Alorn Kings, saying, ‘Much have I wondered here at the readiness of Sovereign Kings to submit to the will of one with no name of known heritage. My mistress, Eternal Queen Salmissra of deep-wooded Nyissa, will never submit to the overlordship of a nameless Alorn butcher.’
And wroth was grey-bearded Eldrig, King of Cherek, and Cho-Ram also and equally Rhodar of Drasnia. And Cho-Ram of Algaria spake, saying, ‘May it not be that the memory of the emissary of Eternal Salmissra is somewhat short? And that of the snake woman in Sthiss Tor also? Might it not profit her to be reminded of the consequences of offending Aloria? Let us send her the head of this spiteful ambassador that her memory might be refreshed.’
Then rose Mergon, ambassador of Tolnedra to the Court at Vo Mimbre, and spake, saying, ‘Highnesses, Great Kings of the North, much wonder have we seen here. Great Brand, Warrior without peer, hath overthrown Dark Torak and well have we avenged the wasting of Drasnia and the invasion of Algaria upon the hordes of Angarak. I greet Brand in the name of his Imperial Majesty, Ran Borune IV, Crown of the third Borune Dynasty, and extend to the Noble Warder of Riva an Imperial invitation to come to the court at Tol Honeth that my Emperor might honor him as befits the foremost warrior of the West. Let us not, however, hasten into unchangeable decisions in the first flush of admiration and gratitude. Noble Brand, I am sure, will be the first to agree that the arts of war and the arts of peace are in no wise similar. Seldom indeed are the two arts linked in the same man. A battle is soon over and a war endures not forever. The burdens of peace, however, grow heavier with the passing of each year. Moreover, I am troubled by this talk of Aloria. Of Cherek I have heard and of Drasnia also and Algaria. And who hath not heard of the Isle of the Winds and the unassailable Riva? But where is this Aloria? What are its boundaries? Where lies this mysterious land of the North? Where is its capital? In truth, Aloria hath not existed since the sundering which took place in the days of Cherek Bear-shoulders and his three mighty sons. I am disquieted by this sudden re-emergence of a kingdom long buried in the mists of antiquity. Imperial Tolnedra must deal with mundane reality. We can send no emissary to the court of the King of the Fairies. We can conclude no treaty with the Emperor of the Moon. With earthly kingdoms only may we have commerce. Myth and legend, however grand, may not enter into the affairs of the Empire lest we become unsettled in our minds, and the solid rock upon which depends the stability of all the West become as insubstantial mist or shifting sand.
‘Also, Great Kings and Lords, I am distressed by the evident disregard of long-standing covenants and treaties I have here witnessed. Most solemn agreements have here been breached. Many of you have treaties with the Empire, and those treaties state most clearly that you will have no meetings with other Kings without first informing the Emperor of your intent. Is it wise to tempt thus the might of Imperial Tolnedra?’
And rose grey-bearded Eldrig, King of Cherek, and spake, saying, ‘Hearken unto me, Noble Mergon. Upon this field Aloria stands armed. We fear not the might of Imperial Tolnedra. If it please you, you may carry news of our meeting here to Ran Borune. Cherek vessels are swift. It is possible that I myself may be in Tol Honeth to greet you upon your arrival.’
And Cho-Ram of Algaria rose, saying, ‘The horses of the Algars are also swift. I too will be in Tol Honeth awaiting you.’
And Rhodar rose, saying, ‘I and my pikemen came a thousand leagues to this field. The two hundred to Tol Honeth will not even shake the dust of battle from our feet. I also will await your coming in Tol Honeth.’
Then quoth Eldrig, saying, ‘We would instruct your Emperor in geography. The armies of the Alorns assembled are invincible. The boundaries of Aloria are where we say they are, and what we say is to be, will be. And if we must prove this to Ran Borune and to Salmissra, then so be it.’
Then spake the Venerable Gorim of Ulgo, saying, ‘Care must we use here, dear Brothers, lest the Spirit of Torak rejoice at our division. Words of spite and of warlike defiance are easy to say in the heat of a moment. They are difficult to unsay even after years of sorrow have proved their folly.
‘The Alorn Kings would name Brand of Riva Overlord of the West by reason of his overthrow of the Maimed God Torak—and also by reason that he is Alorn. Tolnedra and Nyissa would honor Brand for his victory, but would perhaps not wish to submit themselves to his Overlordship— because he is Alorn. Might not an accommodation be reached, dear Brothers? Let us give Brand an Imperial Princess of Tolnedra to wed and one third of the treasury of Nyissa as tribute if he will withdraw from the uncomfortable eminence into which he hath been thrust.’
‘Never,’ hissed Podiss, emissary of Eternal Salmissra.
And troubled was Mergon, ambassador of Tolnedra, and he spake, saying, ‘Surely the Gorim of Holy Ulgo speaks in jest. The Imperial Princesses of Tolnedra are the fairest jewels of the Empire. Their bestowing is decided oft-times even before their birth.’
Then Brand, Warder of Riva, who had remained silent, arose and spake, saying, ‘Peace, Brothers. No wife do I require, since she who shared my youth and bore my children awaits me in Riva. To me she is a greater jewel than all the princesses of all the empires of the earth. And I require not the treasury of Nyissa—nor of any other kingdom. What should I do with it? The walls of Riva are complete, built by Iron-grip himself, and he it was who clave the rock that the river might come forth to bathe the feet of the city. What need hath a Rivan of treasure? We have one treasure already, and our race hath guarded it with our lives for two thousand years and more. Would you inflict another treasure upon us to guard? How many lives do we have?
‘The honor which the Kings of Aloria would do me is beyond my power to bear. I am quite bowed down by the weight of it. But how might I, in far-off Riva, maintain dominion and Empire? How might I know when the people in deepest Nyissa hungered, or the herds in farthest Algaria perished of thirst, or the caverns in Holy Ulgo fell down, trapping the Children of UL beneath the earth? And what of the Gods? Will Nedra permit a son of the Bear-God to hold power in Tol Honeth? Will Chaldan or Issa accept my Overlordship in Arendia or in the land of the Snake People? And what of mysterious UL? And of Aldur, the God who stands apart? Overlordship may not be bestowed by men, but must come as a duty imposed by the Gods.
‘I may not, therefore, accept this honor. And must we all be wary here lest in our seeming power we rise up to such height that the Gods become offended with us; or, if our contentions become too great, might we not see again the disputation of partisan Gods? And if the Gods make war, will they not destroy the world?’
Then rose the Aged Man who had counseled the Warder of Riva and spake, saying, ‘Great is the wisdom of Brand. Hear his words, Oh, Kings and Lords of the West, and offend not the Gods by thine impiety. And yet, might there not be some token of gratitude to Brand and to Riva?’
And Gorim of Ulgo looked long at the Aged Man and knew him and spake, saying, ‘Thou knowest, Immortal One, that Torak is overthrown, but is not slain.’
‘Yes,’ quoth the Aged One.
‘And thou wouldst fulfill the prophecy?’ quoth the Gorim.
‘It must be,’ quoth the Aged One. ‘If we bring not the prophecies into fruition through our own efforts, then will they come to pass in our despite and oftentimes in strange and unseemly ways. The outcome of the great battle is still in doubt, and I would do all that might be done to aid the Champion of the West. If he be not victorious—if he be slain—foul Torak will overcome the world and master it, and all men will be his slaves.’
And the Gorim of Ulgo spake, saying, ‘The prophecy is old, and its meaning may have been clouded by the falling of so many dusty years upon it. Art thou certain, Immortal One, that it hath not been twisted by some events of the distant past?’
And the Aged One spake, saying, ‘The auguries still hold true. The prophecy is intact. He will rise and will seek out his throne, and a
great princess shall be his to wife. And at his coming shall Torak shake off his sleep and come again against the West. And the two shall meet and struggle, and one shall be slain and the other shall be Overlord of all the World.’ And he turned unto the Alorn Kings and spake, saying, ‘This was not well done, Eldrig of Cherek. He who would twist a prophecy for his own ends casts his impiety into the teeth of the Gods. The final battle is not yet come, and Torak is not slain.’
And Eldrig was wroth and rose up as he would smite the Aged One, but the scales fell from his eyes, and he knew the one before him, and he trembled before him, and spake, saying, ‘Forgive me, Ancient One, beloved of Aldur and companion of Belar, that I did offend the Gods and thee. I wished only to live in the days of the fulfillment of the prophecy.’
And the Gorim of Ulgo spake, saying, ‘Great King of timeless Cherek, the prophecy will be fulfilled. Not in thy time nor in mine, however, shall it come to fruition. But the day will come when the King of the West shall ascend his throne, and the last battle shall be fought, and the fate of the world shall hinge upon that coming and that battle. What we have seen here is prelude. In the fullness of time shall the battle be joined, and we must be content that our part in this is needful and the world is better for our having done what we have done.’ And turned he unto the Aged One whose eyes were ever in shadow and spake again, saying, ‘And wilt thou abide his coming?’
And the Aged One answered, saying, ‘Yea, I will abide— even if it be unto the end of days.’
And the Gorim spake, saying, ‘UL is with thee, even as Aldur and Belar. His blessing is upon thee, most Ancient of Men.’ And then rose he and spake in a great voice that all assembled might hear, saying, ‘Here is promised the Princess of Tolnedra to be wife unto the King of Riva who will be the savior of the world. This is the will of UL and of Aldur and of Belar and of the other Gods also. Let no man gainsay the voices of the Gods, lest the Gods in their wrath rise up and destroy him and all his race.’
And Mergon, ambassador of Imperial Tolnedra, was distressed, and rose he and spake, saying, ‘But all the world knows that the Hall of the Rivan King is empty and desolate. No King sits on the Rivan Throne. How may a Princess of Imperial Tolnedra be wed unto a phantom?’
And then spake the woman who was ever at the side of the Ancient One who counseled Brand, saying, ‘From this day forward upon her sixteenth birthday shall each Princess of Imperial Tolnedra present herself in the Hall of the Rivan King. In her wedding gown shall she be clad, and three days shall she abide there against the coming of the King. And if he come not to claim her, shall she be free to go wheresoever her father, the Emperor, shall decree, for she shall not be the favored one.’
And Mergon spake, saying, ‘All Tolnedra shall rise against such an indignity. It may not be.’
And the woman answered, saying, ‘In the day that Tolnedra fails in this shall the West rise up against her, and we will scatter the Sons of Nedra to the winds and pull down thy cities and lay waste thy fields and thy villages. And the people of Nedra shall be as the people of Mara, who are no more. And, like Mara, shall Nedra weep alone in the wilderness that his people are no more.’
And the Kings of Aloria rose, and Eldrig spake, saying, ‘To this, pledge I Cherek.’ And Cho-Ram said, ‘To this, pledge I Algaria.’ And Rhodar said, ‘To this, pledge I Drasnia.’ And Ormik said, ‘To this, pledge I Sendaria.’ And the Gorim spake, saying, ‘I also pledge Holy Ulgo to this. Tell thine Emperor that in the day that he or his line fails in this, in that day shall Tolnedra surely perish.’
And then spake Podiss, emissary of Nyissa, saying. ‘And what of my Queen, Eternal Salmissra? What voice hath she in thine ordering of the world?’
Then rose the woman and cast off her cloak. Queenly was her bearing, and her brow was touched as with frost, and she raised up her hands, and behold, the garments of Podiss fell inward as it were the man within had dissolved as snows before the breath of spring. And a serpent emerged therefrom. And the form of the woman became cloudy and indistinct, and there emerged from the mist which surrounded her a great snowy owl, and she did grasp the serpent in her talons and did bear him aloft into the heavens.72
And in the space of a little time did she return, and the woman resumed her proper form and Podiss also. And trembling was he and ashen-faced.
And the woman spake, saying, ‘Inform the snake woman in Sthiss Tor what hath befallen thee. Tell her what an easy thing it is for the owl to destroy the serpent. Fail not in this, lest I seek thee out and bear thee again into the sky and dash thee down upon the earth beneath. In the day that Eternal Salmissra raises her hand once more against the Rivan King shall I plunge my talons into her heart and destroy her utterly.’
And the Kings and Emissaries were amazed at the enchantment they had beheld and looked upon the woman in fear and in wonder, knowing that she was a Sorceress.
And spake the Gorim of Ulgo, saying, ‘These then are the accords which we have reached here upon the field at Vo Mimbre: The nations of the West will prepare themselves against the return of the Rivan King, for in the day of his return shall Torak awaken and come again upon us, and none but the Rivan King may overcome him and save us from his foul enslavement. And whatsoever the Rivan King commands, that shall we do. And swear we all fealty here unto the King that shall return. And he shall have an Imperial Princess of Tolnedra to wife and have Empire and Dominion in the West. And whosoever breaketh these accords, will we do war upon him and scatter his people and pull down his cities and lay waste his lands. We pledge it here in honor of Brand, who hath overthrown Torak and bound him in sleep until the One comes who might destroy him. So be it.’
And it was done as the Gorim had said, and all agreed to it and were bound by it.
And in the fullness of time prepared the armies of the West to depart and to return each unto their own kingdom. And before he left called Brand to have the Prince of Mimbre and the Duchess of Asturia brought before him again, and it was done.
And Brand spake, saying, ‘I have a mind to see thee wed before I depart. What sayest thou to this?’
And Korodullin of Mimbre spake, saying, ‘I am content, for my fair fellow-prisoner hath won my heart, and I will wed none other.’
‘And what of thou?’ quoth Brand unto Mayaserana, Duchess of Asturia. ‘Wilt thou still seek river or rope, knife, or spear to separate thee from thy life that thou mayest avoid thy wedding?’
And she answered, saying, ‘Forgive the folly of my childish speech, great Brand. I am a woman now and gladly will I wed noble Korodullin that the wounds of Noble Arendia be healed. And in truth would I wed him even were Arendia not wounded.’
And Brand smiled and caused a great wedding to be prepared, and the people of Arendia rejoiced in the marriage of Korodullin and Mayaserana.
And one last time spake Brand unto the Kings and nobles before he returned to Riva, saying, ‘Behold, here has much been wrought that is good. Boundless Mallorea and fell Angarak have been overthrown, and Evil Torak is quelled. His dark presence moves no more in the world. The covenant we have struck between us here prepares the West for the day in which the Rivan King returns and Torak wakes from his long slumber to contest with him for Empire and Dominion. All that may be done in this age to gird the West against that great and final war hath been done. And here have the wounds of Arendia been healed by reason of the wedding of Korodullin and Mayaserana, and the strife which hath bloodied the fair fields and forests of Noble Arendia for two thousand years and more is ended. I am content with it all. Hail then and farewell.’
And he turned from them and rode north with the Aged One and the Queenly Woman as always by his side. And they did take ship at Camaar in Sendaria and set sail for Riva, and returned no more to the kingdoms of the West.
At Tol Honeth
AFTERWORD
To me it has fallen to wrestle the chaos of documents, ancient and modern, herein contained into some kind of order. This has not been a task which I have undertaken willingly
. The documents, for the most part, have no verifiable authenticity, and no scholar wishes to have his name appended to such questionable material. Moreover, it is clearly evident that many, perhaps all of the manuscripts in hand were pilfered from one source or another, and I personally find it odious to deal with material so obtained.
Unfortunately, in my capacity as tutor to the Imperial Household, I am subject to Imperial whim. Thus it was that when her Highness, Ce’Nedra, Imperial Princess of Tolnedra, and now (unfortunately) Queen of Riva, charged me with this task, I had no choice but to comply as graciously as possible. This is small reward for the support and protection I gave her on that ghastly journey ten years ago. True to her nature—and, I might add, to the nature of all the Borunes—Princess Ce’Nedra has chosen to ignore one of the most time-honored traditions in the scholarly community. It is customary, if I may be so bold as to point it out to Her Majesty, for an Imperial tutor to be named to a major chair at the Imperial University upon the completion of his service to his pupil. It was for this reason and for this reason only that I accepted my post in the Palace in the first place. I assure her that my fidelity to the near-impossible task of hammering some minimal semblance of education into a willful. arrogant, spoiled and over-pampered pupil had no other motive.
The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of THE BELGARIAD and THE MALLOREON (The Belgariad / The Malloreon) Page 27
