Valley of Shields

by Duncan Lay

  ‘There is a feast prepared outside the village and I would invite anyone not part of the Council to enjoy what the good people of Patcham and Crumlin have made!’

  As expected, the crowd rushed off, until just a handful remained.

  ‘Should we not leave the rest of the business until all have gone?’ Kelyn asked meaningfully, gesturing to the dozen or so lingerers.

  ‘It cannot wait,’ Huw said. ‘And all will know soon enough. Our first act must be to deal with the great threat facing us, the Forlish army advancing from the south. I call on our elven allies to tell everyone here what is going on.’

  Sendatsu nudged Gaibun. ‘You do it.’

  ‘Why can’t you?’

  ‘I can’t leave Mai and Cheijun!’ Sendatsu hissed, gesturing to where they shared a seat next to him, and beside an amused Llewellyn. The grey-bearded, usually grim-faced, headman was pulling faces at Cheijun and making him laugh. It was only a matter of time before he learned half the other headmen were calling him Roowelly behind his back, thanks to Mai.

  Gaibun sighed, then stood.

  ‘The latest information we have is they were moving north slowly, no more than ten miles in a day and sometimes less. And that is travelling on good Forlish roads. When they reach the border and the roads run out, we can expect that to slow down further. However, they seem to have two thousand cavalry with them. It seems likely they will send those out to raid and burn and kill, far ahead of the slow-moving column. No doubt they expect those two thousand will be enough to crush all resistance and then the infantry can be used to suppress you and control the country.’

  ‘How many soldiers are they bringing?’ Powell asked.

  ‘Hard to tell exact numbers. But it is around ten thousand.’

  That deflated the excited mood around the table.

  ‘How can we hope to stop that many?’ Griff demanded.

  ‘Two things.’ Huw held up his hand. He had talked this over with Gaibun and Sendatsu the previous night. ‘First, we need to evacuate the people away from the Forlish attack. They are definitely aiming at the eastern part of the country —’

  ‘Why is that?’ Griff interrupted.

  ‘We’ll ask the Forlish king, next time we’re having drinks with him in Cridianton!’ Powell snorted.

  That brought a ripple of laughter and quieted Griff down.

  ‘Perhaps they have reports of an elf fighting with us at Patcham and elsewhere. The raiders we defeated would have reported back to King Ward. Perhaps they seek to separate us from any possibility of elven aid. Perhaps they know of the location of Patcham and think that is the centre of our defence. Remember, they are used to attacking cities. We cannot know for sure. But they have to go into Rheged first. From there the obvious route is Patcham — and the good news is they cannot travel very fast, no more than a few miles each day.’

  ‘And that’s the good news?’ Griff called.

  ‘Surprisingly, yes. It means we can see where they are going and clear away the people. For that is what we need to do. We have to give ourselves the time and space to let Vales itself join us in the fight. We have to send the people west and north, away from the Forlish. The people of Powys must help by sheltering them. It should not be for long — certainly by midwinter the Forlish will be gone. This land feeds us and shelters us but each winter we have to fight it to survive. We know how to live here — the Forlish are about to find out. If they stick to the valleys, the rain will turn them into bogs and they shall never get out. If they try the higher ground, they must leave their wagons behind and they shall starve. And all the time our dragons will be striking at them, taking a slice at a time. Our pit ponies can run all day on a mouthful of rough Velsh grass and climb any hill this side of the sea. Their battle chargers need oats and hay, coats and pampering, and are too heavy to follow us up the hills of Rheged and Gwent.’

  He looked around the table and saw heads nodding everywhere — but still many doubtful looks.

  ‘They are strung out over ten miles. They cannot have guards everywhere at once. We can strike in different spots, on different days, use both magic and fighting to disrupt their march. With a little luck, we can slow them down to a crawl and they will never get further than Rheged before winter sets in,’ Gaibun told them.

  Now the whole table approved Gaibun’s words and Huw reflected bitterly that although he was trying to tell them the real truth about elves and humans, they still all believed what an elf said. He hid his displeasure to stand once more.

  ‘We have no time to waste. You need to leave today, get back to your villages and spread the word of what happened here today. If you live in Powys or northern or western Gwent, you must prepare your people to help their brothers and sisters coming soon. If it is Rheged or southern and eastern Gwent, prepare them to leave. The Forlish are moving slowly — we need to be faster. If we do, I promise you we shall return here on Midwinter’s Day and celebrate Vales’s victory!’

  ‘And what if they send their cavalry to strike far from their route of march? What if they split apart and strike through the west as well?’ Griff demanded.

  Huw fixed his smile in place. He had wanted to get the headmen away and moving when they were still excited about Vales. Clearing out most of Rheged and at least half of Gwent was going to be an enormous undertaking — and there was no guarantee everyone would leave. The last time he had ridden through Rheged, many of the people were happy to stay and take their chances with Forlish raiders. This was no raiding party, this was an army — but persuading people of that was not going to be easy. Each of these headmen was going to have to convince their people this really was the best thing for Vales.

  ‘We can’t predict anything. But we can be certain they are not going to travel anywhere without their food and supply wagons. And those cannot move fast. So whatever they do, we shall have plenty of warning, thanks to the elven magic and the magic of one of our own, Rhiannon.’ Huw managed to say her name without it catching in his throat.

  ‘They think themselves unstoppable. They will not try to be clever,’ Sendatsu assured the headmen. ‘They will roll in, expecting an easy victory. It is up to you to spoil that for them, by clearing out the land, bringing in any crops and livestock you have.’

  ‘This will be a nightmare,’ Griff warned. ‘You are talking about thousands of animals and people, struggling through autumn rains, searching for warmth and shelter.’

  ‘And the alternative, leaving them behind for the Forlish to enslave and kill, is better?’ Huw challenged.

  ‘I never said that. I’m just warning you that it won’t be as easy as you’re making out.’

  Again, Huw was forced to paste a smile over his face. ‘Then we are wasting time here. To your villages, and spread the word of what has happened!’

  It was not quite the enthusiastic rush he had imagined but surely there was enough time to clear the people away from the Forlish advance. They had at least a whole moon, for sky’s sake!

  He shook hands and patted backs, sending off the men he had worked so closely with over the last moon. But always he was looking for Sendatsu, Gaibun and the dragon leaders and he circled across to them.

  ‘How many dragons do we have ready?’ he asked.

  ‘That is the real question,’ Gaibun said. ‘There’s only a handful who I’d judge as really ready. But, given another moon, we should have close to the full fifteen hundred at least able to wield a sword.’

  ‘Sendatsu? You’ve seen how the Forlish fight.’

  ‘What else do you want to hear? If we had more to train, then things would go even slower. They benefit best from close training. The more recruits we have, the less we can work with each one. I’d say they will be ready to fight but we will lose many of them in the first battle they face. The ones who survive that will be ready for anything though.’

  ‘Don’t forget, we have the crossbows as well,’ Cadel pointed out.

  ‘I haven’t forgotten but nor will I rely on them.’ Huw
sighed. ‘They are best from behind walls — and the Forlish are too good at bringing those down. Besides, these Forlish will have armour and shields and we saw at Patcham how the crossbows are not much use against those.’

  ‘We need Asami, Rhiannon and every Magic-weaver they can bring,’ Gaibun said.

  ‘To help get the people to safety, if nothing else,’ Huw agreed. His mind was racing. Rhiannon would surely be returning soon. Perhaps she had come to terms with what had happened to her. Perhaps she would be interested again in the new High Councillor of Vales — even if he did not have a crown or a cloak or even a clean set of clothes.

  21

  Some of the younger Elfarans began to think they were something special, began to call themselves elves, and think they were better than the Velsh, Forlish and other humans.

  Sendatsu’s song

  Asami walked beside Rhiannon, wondering how she could possibly change her friend’s mind. Every step closer to the Council Chambers made her surer this was a mistake.

  Even though it had been more than a full moon since the night of arrests and drama, all knew of Asami as a Magic-weaver and gave her suspicious stares. Rhiannon wore a long cloak and hood but her height marked her out as something different. Asami found herself sweating, wondering if they would be stopped by guards or, worse, surrounded by some sort of mob. The guards could be dealt with, as she had the official summons from the Council, sealed by Daichi himself. A mob might be harder to stop.

  But they made it to the Council Chambers without much more than a few angry comments, which were easy enough to ignore. The guards at the front door accepted the summons without question and showed them inside, where they were met by a minor noble of clan Kaneoki.

  ‘This way. When the Council has finished its debate, you will be shown inside and allowed to begin.’

  ‘So you have someone who can play music for me?’ Rhiannon asked.

  The noble looked affronted. ‘How dare you talk to me without the proper respect, gaijin!’

  ‘Apologies,’ Asami said swiftly, noticing Rhiannon clenching her fists and knowing that now was definitely not the time to demonstrate her magic powers. ‘She does not understand proper manners. I understood Lord Daichi was going to have musicians here?’

  The noble unwound a little. ‘There is a group waiting. I would suggest you be the one to speak to them, however!’

  ‘I shall be sure to remember that,’ Asami said, dragging an outraged Rhiannon behind her. ‘You have to calm down,’ she warned her friend. ‘They are all going to be like that.’

  Rhiannon took a deep breath. ‘You are right. I forgot. But I shall be calm. After all, what I am doing is for my people. If the Council sees and acknowledges that humans can sing and dance with the best of Dokuzen, then our races will grow closer.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ was all Asami was willing to say.

  ‘Think of it,’ Rhiannon told her. ‘Once they have seen what I can do, they will be able to appreciate that humans can do magic. This could be the first step in changing relations between our peoples. The thought of that being lost might even mean Daichi will send an army to help the Velsh against Ward’s army!’

  ‘You are hoping for too much,’ Asami warned.

  ‘You have not seen me dance, nor heard me sing.’ Rhiannon laughed. ‘Audiences have always been captured as soon as they see me. Father always said …’

  She trailed off and Asami pounced. ‘Don’t do this for him. He does not deserve it.’

  ‘I do nothing for him any more,’ Rhiannon insisted.

  ‘Are you so sure?’

  ‘It is for me only. This is what I want.’

  ‘I wish I could believe your words,’ Asami said softly.

  ‘I will change history with my dance.’

  ‘You can do that with your magic. There is no need for this.’

  ‘You will see.’

  Asami sighed.

  Things only grew worse when they met the musicians. Asami knew them all, by reputation rather than person, and the idea of playing a tune for a gaijin to dance to went down about as well as if they had asked the three elves to play naked for a crowd of esemono. Only the promise of gold was enough to get them to agree.

  ‘What shall we play?’

  ‘“The Song of the Elves”,’ Rhiannon said immediately. ‘It tells the story of the day you left our lands.’ She smiled at Asami. ‘Huw played it for me when we performed for King Ward.’

  ‘What song of the elves? We know more than a hundred. You need to tell us its real name,’ the leader said slowly and insultingly to Rhiannon.

  ‘Can you sing a little for us?’ Asami suggested.

  So Rhiannon cleared her throat and sang and Asami felt a little better about the whole thing. Even the musicians admitted they could play a tune like that.

  ‘See, nothing to worry about.’ Rhiannon smiled.

  Asami dared to think this would be all her friend hoped — but that was dashed when they were called into the chamber.

  It may have been a celebration of the power and majesty of the elves but it was also huge, echoing and draughty — and not even the full Council waited for them, while the public galleries were almost deserted, just a couple of bored-looking older elves slumped over the wooden rail.

  ‘I thought this was going to be full. I thought Daichi told you he would make your people attend,’ Rhiannon whispered hotly, looking around the empty hall.

  ‘It seems not,’ Asami said worriedly.

  The musicians had barely taken their spots when Daichi waved to them.

  ‘Begin! And hurry now — we are finished for the day,’ he ordered.

  Cautiously the musicians began to play and Rhiannon joined them, her first few notes reaching up to the very roof. The Council, minus at least three clan leaders — presumably ones working in the mines or in the northern fields and not replaced from within their clan — turned to watch and Asami smiled encouragingly at Rhiannon. She had a wonderful voice, different from an elf’s and with a much lower pitch but still easy on the ear.

  But then she began to dance and Asami’s heart fell. It was close to elven dancing, a few of the steps were even the same, but it looked as though it was a clumsy copy. To Asami’s eye, Rhiannon was strong and skilled but, to those who watched the best elven dancers all the time, it was laughable.

  ‘Who is she? Is that a gaijin?’ an elf in the gallery asked in an enraged whisper that carried around the chamber.

  A couple of the Council did laugh, while others went back to the business of clearing up their papers. Even Rhiannon’s song, which was still the equal of many Asami had heard, failed to move them. Two even got up and walked out, still talking, almost right past Rhiannon.

  Asami bit her lip and died a little for Rhiannon with every heartbeat, every tiny insult.

  Finally Rhiannon reached for one last pose and her song stopped. A few moments later the musicians also finished, a little doubtfully.

  Daichi looked up from the table.

  ‘All over now? Good!’ he declared. ‘This meeting is now closed.’

  And they picked up their papers and walked out, without acknowledging a bowing Rhiannon.

  As soon as they had gone past, Asami rushed over and grabbed Rhiannon’s arm.

  ‘We need to go,’ she said firmly, although her heart went out to her friend when she saw the stricken expression on Rhiannon’s face.

  ‘But he said I was the best since the elves, that I could dance for the elves …’ she mumbled.

  ‘We really need to go.’ Asami pulled Rhiannon along. Rhiannon was bigger but Asami would not be stopped and hurried her back to the room where her covering cloak waited.

  By the time they had got back to the dressing area, Rhiannon’s emotions had changed from shock to indignant fury.

  ‘I should go back out there, force them to sit and watch me with the magic,’ she snarled. ‘They did not even give me a chance!’

  ‘That was what I was afraid of,’ Asami told
her quietly. ‘You could have given them the greatest show they had ever seen and they would have ignored it, for you are a human.’

  ‘Well, they are about to learn just what a human can do!’ Rhiannon dropped her cloak on the floor and made for the door.

  ‘Wait!’ Asami grabbed her arm. ‘You can’t — they must not know what you have been doing here. They will hunt us both down.’

  Rhiannon hesitated.

  Asami pressed her advantage. ‘I thought you were wonderful and, with a moon or two training with some of our top dancers, you would be able to dance for the Council again. But for now they were only seeing a human, not a dancer.’

  ‘I so much wanted to change things.’ Rhiannon bit back tears that threatened to replace her fury.

  ‘You still can. But not here, not now. Come, we need to go back to my house, and think what to do next. Here, put your cloak on.’

  Rhiannon slumped down into a chair. ‘That’s the sort of thing my father would say. I can’t believe what happened. He told me the elves would want to see me dance but even that was just a lie.’

  Asami picked up Rhiannon’s cloak and then dropped it again when she saw her friend’s tears.

  ‘You are better than them. You are not just a dancer or a singer, you are a great Magic-weaver who can also sing and dance,’ she said soothingly.

  ‘He is truly dead to me,’ Rhiannon managed to say.

  ‘Good! He should be! After what he did to you, he deserves to die a dozen more times!’

  Rhiannon was incapable of answering, so Asami just hugged her until the tears died down, searching for the right words. ‘You discovered that almost all of your life had been a lie. That is not something you can just forget about.’

  ‘But I want to!’

  ‘As anyone would. I wish it were so easy. There are many things in my life that I regret, things I wish had been done differently. But you cannot go back; you make your choice and then you live with the consequences.’

  ‘But I did not know I was making the choice!’