Bridge of Swords

by Duncan Lay

  Luckily there was plenty to be done and, once again, Huw and Rhiannon led the village in songs to help the work. The huge piles of rocks that had been unearthed over decades by farmers, cursed as they were rolled and hauled into cairns at the edge of fields, were loaded into wagons and dragged into place around the village. They served a double purpose — not only did they provide a barrier, and a way to stop raiders from riding into the village, but they were also an effective defensive position. Crossbowmen could hide high up and stand almost in safety as they poured a devastating cloud of bolts down at any attackers. And, finally, the smaller rocks could also be hurled, used as missiles themselves.

  In between these crude piles of rock, trees were dragged around to fill in the gaps. It was different from Patcham’s palisade but would prove just as effective, Sendatsu judged. The Crumliners had a reverent attitude to him, bowing whenever he walked past. It was strange but far better than the way some Velsh villages had swamped him in his first days out here. Living in elven buildings, seeing these examples of elven civilisation every day, had left the Crumliners feeling they were close to the elves. He was sure they had the secrets he wanted — but Huw seemed to follow him like a shadow, while Rhiannon was never far away either.

  ‘If only we knew how to make the tiles to repair the roofs — or the glass to replace the windows. Storms have taken their toll over the years. We take care of the buildings as best we can but we lack the knowledge to keep them up to your standard,’ Dafyd explained, before showing a collection of broken tiles, kept stored away safely. ‘Do you know the secret?’

  Sendatsu held the fragments of tile, examined them gently and carefully handed them back.

  ‘I am sorry. That was not my job,’ he admitted. ‘I know they are made from clay, fired in a hot oven somehow, baked into shape and strength — but whether they add sand or rock or something, I do not know …’

  ‘That must be it! Well, the ingredients will be in here — we shall grind up a few and then bind the mixture with water, mix it with clay, try to make them ourselves!’ Dafyd said excitedly. ‘If we fail the first time, we shall try again — and again, until we get it right!’

  Sendatsu smiled — and was about to ask him about Aroaril, when Huw grabbed him.

  ‘Sorry, Dafyd, but the palisade needs elven expertise,’ he interrupted.

  ‘Of course! Still, we can talk more over dinner tonight …?’

  ‘I would like that very much,’ Sendatsu said hastily.

  ‘There are strange tales of an elf, travelling with a bard and a dancer,’ Jin reported, pulling off his human clothes and scratching himself.

  ‘Can’t you stand still?’ Hanto asked irritably.

  ‘Sorry, sir. I think I have lice or something from these human clothes,’ Jin grumbled.

  Hanto sighed. ‘Where has Sendatsu gone?’

  ‘North and east.’

  ‘Interesting. We shall follow him but we’ll need to be careful. There are bands of armed humans roaming around. While you were in the village we spotted the trail of one large band going in that direction. We should move fast to catch him. The last thing we want is for Sendatsu to be killed by a human.’

  ‘Jaken will have the skin off our backs,’ Taigo muttered.

  ‘Aroaril curse Jaken! I want to kill Sendatsu myself.’

  Dafyd’s family made the three of them more than welcome. Sendatsu was relieved to be inside a proper structure again, with real floors, real walls and stairs. However, it had been made to look more like a human house, with rough wattle walls put up to divide the large space into something that could house Dafyd’s extended family, including several sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grandchildren, as well as his and his wife’s parents. Dafyd’s mother proved to be very knowledgeable about herbs and helped replace Sendatsu’s bandage and poultice, clucking with approval at the way it had been treated and was healing without infection.

  They were given the best seats, as well as first choice of the roast pig. Sendatsu was able to eat this flesh now, although he made sure he chose well-cooked pieces, but he longed for some fish, some vegetables and above all rice. He needed something fresh to go with all these oats, meat and rough, grit-filled bread.

  Progress had been excellent during the day and the Velsh were talking excitedly about what they had done, while Huw and Rhiannon played and sang for them. Sendatsu watched the small children laugh and play, chase each other in and out of the sitting adults — and felt a sharp pain in his heart. Each child’s laugh made his heart leap for a moment, then sink deeper down.

  ‘Now, who would like to see the secrets left behind to us by the elves?’ Dafyd asked with a smile.

  Sendatsu sat up immediately, ignoring the stares he was getting from Huw. Dafyd opened a small cupboard to bring out his treasures.

  ‘Nothing like these over in Patcham, eh?’ he said with a wink at Huw, before bringing them out to show.

  The adults held back the children, who wanted to get close enough to look, and, from the way Dafyd handled them, it was obvious they were the most precious things in the village.

  ‘I dread to think what would happen if the Forlish raiders got their hands on these,’ Dafyd sighed. ‘They are priceless.’

  Heart in his mouth, Sendatsu leaned forwards to see as Dafyd placed them on a long wooden tray. Would they be evidence of worshipping Aroaril? Then his heart sank. It was a strange collection of household items. There were a few clay plates and pots, fragile with time; ordinary things with little value, and a handful of better items — all with flaws. A chipped pot with engraving around the base, a broken plate with a pretty design painted on the edge, a glass bottle with a crack in it. Strangely, all seemed to be marked with soot, or charred.

  ‘These were not found in the houses, but in the fields, left behind by the elves when they left our world,’ Dafyd explained.

  Sendatsu was initially disappointed — then thought again. Why had they not been in the houses, why in the fields? And why did some look they had been rescued from the fire? Was this evidence of violence, or even a rush as the elves fled for Dokuzen? He would ask questions, and damn Huw!

  ‘What do you know of the time when the elves left you?’

  ‘I don’t think Dafyd needs to bore everyone with that …’ Huw began.

  ‘Little enough. My family has lived here for centuries and yet I do not know the truth of it. The memories passed down to me speak of great fear. Humans had attacked elves and they warned us any attempts to follow would meet with death. We cherish these objects, for they remind us of how we have fallen,’ Dafyd said solemnly. ‘Once we could have made objects like this — now we cannot. When the elves left, they took their knowledge and we have gone backwards, instead of advancing. Our craftsmen can only offer crude copies, with neither the patterns nor the quality. But one day, we dream, they will return and once again we shall reach for the stars!’

  The other humans muttered agreement, and Sendatsu leaned forwards.

  ‘How do you know humans attacked elves? Did it happen around here?’

  ‘Oh, of course not!’ Dafyd chuckled. ‘You have nothing to fear! No, we would never attack the elves. It happened elsewhere.’

  ‘You don’t know where?’ Sendatsu pressed.

  ‘Far over the hills,’ Dafyd said vaguely.

  Sendatsu buried his face in his hands. It was a tantalising hint of what had happened but not enough. Nowhere near enough.

  ‘What do you seek?’ Dafyd asked.

  ‘Humans worshipping Aroaril, humans who can speak a different language, who can read, maybe even humans with magic …’ Sendatsu said tiredly.

  ‘What on earth do you want to find that for?’ Dafyd’s son, Edwin, blurted.

  ‘There is no need,’ Huw interrupted.

  ‘Well, there’s no magic around here. Skies above, I wish there was!’ Dafyd smiled. ‘If only the elves would return to us, live among us once more.’

  Then Rhiannon stood.

  ‘Well, th
ey shall return! Sendatsu here has promised to take both Huw and myself to Dokuzen, where we shall meet the elven elders, tell them of events in the outside world and persuade them to come to our aid!’

  Suddenly the roast pork was rising back up Sendatsu’s throat. He swallowed and tasted bile.

  ‘Skies above but that is the best news I have ever heard! With the elves on our side, the Velsh shall be safe, and enter a new golden age!’ Dafyd exclaimed. ‘Thank you, Sendatsu — and thank you, Huw and Rhiannon! If you can do that, we shall sing your praises forever! We shall tell everyone tomorrow — they will be delighted to hear …’

  Sendatsu groaned. Seeing Huw stare at him, a smile on his face, just rubbed salt in this wound.

  ‘The elves are coming! The elves are coming!’ several of the children began singing and dancing, making up their own steps, while the adults clapped along. The children’s voices were the last straw. In them he could hear echoes of Mai and Cheijun, the last time he had heard them, as they had been coming down the passageway of his father’s villa. He had heard them but not seen them for that one, last time …

  ‘Enough!’ Sendatsu roared. ‘The elves are not coming back — they care nothing for the struggles of humans. And if you hope elves can solve all your problems and make everything golden and happy, then you are fools — the stories of the glory of the elves have been handed down from village idiot to village idiot!’

  He glared around the room and a couple of the smaller children began to cry. Stunned silence greeted him from the adults.

  ‘Well, time we were all abed, don’t you think?’ Dafyd’s wife, Vivien, said brightly and loudly into the gap.

  Instantly the family was up and about, collecting plates, treasures and children and moving as one, as though all knew what the others were doing.

  In no time at all, the three of them were left alone in the room.

  ‘There are blankets there, and fresh straw for beds. We’ll leave you to it — you must be tired,’ Dafyd said hurriedly as he was tugged away by his wife.

  ‘Wait, I am sorry …’ Sendatsu called, too late, as the last of them disappeared.

  ‘What aren’t you telling us?’ Huw asked softly.

  ‘What?’ Sendatsu replied defensively.

  ‘Your reaction just then. It is as if there are things about the elves we do not know and you don’t wish to tell us …’

  ‘Well, you don’t wish me to speak to the Velsh by myself, so I count us even on that score. If I had spoken to Dafyd alone, this would never have happened. So it’s your fault as much as mine,’ Sendatsu told him sharply.

  ‘What about Rhiannon then?’ Huw fired back. ‘Perhaps you could tell her — I am sure she has proved worthy. After all, you are going to take her back to Dokuzen …’

  Sendatsu glanced at Rhiannon and felt a new surge of guilt. But she was his best weapon — his only weapon — against Huw.

  ‘I want to return to Dokuzen. And I know Rhiannon wants to go also. I’m just trying to complete my mission and get back home swiftly. If you and Rhiannon do not want to go there …’

  ‘I want to go to Dokuzen!’ Rhiannon interrupted.

  ‘There you are then,’ Sendatsu pointed out, restraining the urge to wince at what he was doing. ‘It is Huw holding us back …’

  ‘I am trying to save lives,’ Huw spat, outraged that Sendatsu was using Rhiannon against him. Well, two could play at that game. ‘The Forlish are raiding my people every day and they killed my father. I would have thought you, Rhiannon, would want some revenge on the men who killed your father and wanted to rape you …’

  Rhiannon gasped and Huw had to fight to keep his thoughts off his face. The lies were eating him up inside but he had to do whatever it took to get the elf to help his people.

  ‘We can do both,’ Rhiannon insisted. ‘We just have to work together, and not argue among ourselves.’

  Huw and Sendatsu glared at each other.

  ‘We need to move faster,’ Sendatsu said. ‘We can’t spend days on one village.’

  ‘We should leave tomorrow,’ Huw agreed.

  ‘There. All settled. And we can be friends again.’ Rhiannon smiled.

  Sendatsu managed something closer to a smile than grimace. ‘I am going to bed. We have another early start.’ He stood abruptly and hurried over to where the straw and blankets waited. He thumped some straw into shape and rolled himself into the rough blanket. He wanted the pair of them to go to sleep quickly, so he could say goodnight to his children. They seemed very far away at the moment. He waited as long as he dared before taking out the toys …

  ‘What are you doing?’ Huw demanded.

  ‘Nothing.’ Sendatsu tucked them away again and rolled over.

  16

  The Velsh knew far more about mining than we did. So while we were happy to pretend that we were wiser, more knowledgeable than any other humans, we were also happy to steal their knowledge. We set up our own mines with their help, we created our rice paddies with help from Breconia, we set up a fishing fleet thanks to the Skillian Islanders. We were happy to work with humans when we could take something. Giving was another matter, of course.

  The village was a hive of activity when they left the next morning, as Crumliners worked on their protective wall and a couple of them practised with their finished crossbows.

  Sendatsu had wanted to speak with Dafyd and the other older humans who lived in the elven homes — but Huw had insisted on doing the talking with them while Sendatsu gave the villagers a last chance to use his knowledge on the protective wall they were building.

  ‘They did not know anything valuable. They know nothing about Aroaril or magic,’ Huw told him as they rode away.

  ‘How do I know you will tell me the truth?’ Sendatsu accused. ‘What if they did know everything I seek but you plan to wait until we have visited another fifty villages before telling me?’

  ‘Oh, Huw wouldn’t do anything like that. He doesn’t lie,’ Rhiannon said immediately. ‘You can trust him — I do.’

  Huw pasted a smile over his guilty conscience. ‘See?’ he said.

  ‘I think I need to talk to them anyway. There could be things you don’t understand in their replies, things that lead to new questions,’ Sendatsu said sourly. He had been unable to sing the goodnight song to the toys. This whole situation was getting worse by the day. He was now riding further away from home and getting no closer to answers. Last night Asami would have opened the gateway home for him … but he had not been there.

  Now they were heading into a thick wood, which divided Crumlin from the next village.

  ‘Well, you can hardly blame Huw for wanting to keep Dafyd and his family away from you after the way you yelled at them last night,’ Rhiannon pointed out. ‘You have a duty to these people. All the centuries the elves have been away, we have kept alive their memories. They think you something special — and when you act like that, yelling and abusing them, it does two things. First, they begin to wonder if the old stories are true and second, they are less likely to help us. You have to remember you are a hero to them. You need to act like one all the time …’

  ‘I don’t care what they think about me and I don’t want to be a hero,’ Sendatsu interrupted.

  ‘But you should! They need you to be a hero — and you are the first elf anyone living has seen! Children will remember you and speak of you for years to come. You must think of the children next time …’

  That was too much for Sendatsu, who began to laugh — because if he did not laugh, he would cry.

  ‘Why are you laughing? What is even funny here?’ she shouted.

  Sendatsu shook his head and wiped his face. ‘There is nothing funny,’ he assured her.

  ‘Then what was that?’

  ‘You wouldn’t understand.’ He shrugged. Explaining this would reveal things he had to keep hidden.

  ‘Why not? Because I’m a woman, or because I’m a human?’ she accused.

  Huw was thoroughly enjoying thi
s little exchange and wondering how he might be able to provide a comforting shoulder for Rhiannon, when he heard something off in the bushes to his right.

  ‘Quiet!’ he snapped.

  ‘What? Don’t tell me you are on his side as well!’ Rhiannon stormed.

  ‘No — I think there’s someone out there.’ Huw gestured.

  Instantly all three fell silent, watching the low bushes where Huw had pointed.

  Sendatsu drew his sword slowly, keeping the sound of steel slithering out of the scabbard to a minimum, while both Huw and Rhiannon reached for the elven crossbows strapped to their saddles.

  Nothing moved.

  They looked around in all directions, listening as hard as they could.

  Sendatsu could feel his heart pounding. The woods were silent — not a bird or an animal noise could be heard. That was not good. He glanced over his shoulder, back to Crumlin and safety. But the trail took them past huge rocks, covered in plants, as well as fallen trees and thick bushes. If anyone was waiting for them back there, they would be easy prey. But the woods ahead stretched out in front of them, miles and miles of uncertainty. It was decision time and Sendatsu knew it was pointless talking it over with Huw and Rhiannon. The humans were aiming their crossbows nervously off into the bushes — crossbows that were almost useless from horseback and in this terrain. Going back seemed the sensible option — but what if that was what the watchers wanted? Anyone who could remain unseen in the undergrowth for so long was not going to make a basic mistake like rustling bushes long enough for even someone as inexperienced as Huw to notice. Surely the intention was to make them turn back — right into the trap.

  So Sendatsu did the opposite.

  Before they had a chance to question him or argue, he shouted at the top of his voice and kicked his horse into a gallop. The big Forlish horse reacted instantly, racing forwards down the trail. As he went past both Huw and Rhiannon, he slapped the rumps of their beasts with the flat of his blade, stirring them into a gallop as well.