by Duncan Lay
She had to drag her thoughts away from that as she heard Daichi roar. With difficulty, leaning on her staff, she went to him, gulping down rice balls and fresh apple juice on the way, anything to restore her strength. But the tiredness was deep in her bones and it was a struggle to focus on what Daichi, surrounded by many of the clan leaders, was saying to the survivors.
‘Where is Gaibun?’ Daichi demanded.
‘He has returned to look for more survivors. He knows they must be out there but perhaps do not have horses. We shall be in regular contact and I will be able to get them back easily enough,’ Asami said.
‘This is an outrage!’ Moshin seethed. ‘Konetsu betrayed and killed, filthy gaijin carrying his head on a spear!’
‘And not just his head. The heads of all the fallen,’ a plump elf declared. ‘I saw it with my own eyes, before I was forced to flee or join them.’
Asami narrowed her eyes. Tokosai was a notorious braggart from Daichi’s own clan.
‘They took the heads of the fallen? We must teach these gaijin a lesson they will never forget,’ Moshin said.
‘There were thousands of them, with crossbows, armour, shields and horses. We did not stand a chance. As good as we are with sword and bow, we would need thousands to defeat them,’ Tokosai announced.
‘There are not tens of thousands of them. There is no more than two thousand. We can defeat them easily,’ Asami interrupted.
‘So says the female Magic-weaver,’ Tokosai sneered.
‘You saw two thousand earlier. But who knows how many there are now,’ Daichi said. ‘Lord Konetsu would not have been defeated easily by mere gaijin.’
‘But they are not mere gaijin!’ Asami protested. ‘These are warriors from an undefeated army.’
‘They were like the autumn leaves or fish in the sea,’ Tokosai declared. ‘We slew them until our arms were too sore to lift our swords and still they flooded forwards. Lord Konetsu must have slaughtered a hundred by himself and was only overcome when the others had to clamber over a wall of bodies to reach him from the back.’
Asami stared at Daichi and the other clan leaders, who were nodding in agreement.
‘Lord Daichi, wait until you have heard from Gaibun. He was Lord Konetsu’s second-in-command and will have a better idea of what happened —’
‘Do you suggest I am lying?’ Tokosai blustered.
Asami stared at him with loathing. ‘If you are insulted, Tokosai, I am happy to meet you with swords at a time and place of your choosing. And I shall beat you again, as I did when we were learning the sword together.’
‘I cannot fight a Magic-weaver and an elfmaid! It would be beneath my honour,’ Tokosai informed her loftily.
‘There will be no fighting among ourselves when we have such a threat to our south. We shall marshal the clans and go to defeat the hordes of gaijin flooding through our southern borders,’ Daichi announced.
Asami tried one more time. ‘Lord Daichi! Please, let me show you through magic how many humans there are. The number is below two thousand and they can be defeated easily. The real threat, the real horde, will come from our western border —’
‘We cannot let this challenge go unanswered. The humans must know our strength and our people must know they have a powerful leader. If we send a small force south, everyone will be talking about it. They will say you cannot protect them,’ Moshin said persuasively. ‘And, if there is another army to our west, when they see how we have utterly destroyed their southern force, they will turn and run. We have more than enough time to destroy those to our south and then get back to cover Dokuzen if there is a second attack.’
‘We must be strong,’ Daichi agreed.
‘Word of this is flying through Dokuzen. All know a horde of gaijin is to our south. They have to know they can trust in you, that you will protect them,’ Moshin continued.
‘Please, listen to Gaibun, he can tell you —’ Asami interrupted, seeing Moshin’s words strike a chord with Daichi.
‘Muster the clans!’ Daichi roared and the clan leaders echoed his call. ‘We shall march south and send these gaijin back to the pits they came from.’
Asami felt her shoulders slump as the Council hurried away. She wanted to run after them, force them to listen to her, but she did not have the energy, or the will, for such a hopeless task. They would never believe the truth, when lies were what they wanted to hear. She would have to send a bird after Gaibun — but she already knew he would not return unless he was sure there were no other elves left behind. And, even if he did get back before the clans left, Daichi was not going to change his mind. Nothing short of seeing the full Forlish army marching into Dokuzen would achieve that.
She needed to talk to Rhiannon. But first she needed rest.
The horses had stayed where they were left at the base of the hill and Gaibun took the freshest-looking six. He did not know how many others he would find and would have liked to take them all — but there was no way he could control so many horses, especially through the woodlands.
He hoped to find more survivors. He could not bear the thought four in five had died — and certainly not the thought of leaving others behind to the Forlish. And the way it would impress Asami was a pleasant bonus.
Huw looked at the map and groaned.
‘Are you sure of this message from Asami?’ he asked.
‘No, I thought I’d waste all our time by telling you something else,’ Rhiannon snapped.
Huw glanced at Sendatsu. ‘I deserved that.’
‘So Daichi has fallen into the Forlish trap and will send every able-bodied elf south, just as we feared.’ Sendatsu sighed.
‘We don’t know for sure if the Forlish have a trap planned. They might think they can take Dokuzen with just two thousand,’ Huw said hopefully. ‘Or the elves might defeat the Forlish cavalry and get back to Dokuzen before the rest of the Forlish arrive.’
‘Do you really think the Forlish will make it so easy for them?’ Rhiannon asked.
‘No.’
‘If they are looking to crush us, then they are not taking it seriously,’ Cadel warned. ‘They have been making little progress through Rheged and they barely send out any scouts. We ambush any that we find but it is a good day when we can pick off three.’
Huw poked at the map, trying to measure distances on something that was hand drawn and not to any particular scale.
‘They are barely making five miles a day,’ Bowen said. ‘At that rate they won’t even get to Gwent before winter sets in.’
Huw opened his hands. ‘So what do we do?’
‘Send messages to Daichi. Tell him there is an army on his western border, prepared to invade,’ Rhiannon suggested. ‘He has to acknowledge that and keep most of his warriors to protect the city.’
‘And what if he ignores us, as he has ignored Asami’s warnings? We can’t let Ward get his hands on Dokuzen. Imagine what he would do with the magic and the knowledge there.’ Sendatsu looked at the others. ‘We must be ready to go to Dokuzen’s aid.’
Rhiannon snorted, while Huw shook his head.
‘I had to work hard to get my people to agree to become a country. Many already doubt the benefits. They were hurt and angry when the elves refused to come to our aid. I told them we didn’t need the elves, that they were betrayers and murderers. Now I must tell them to go and help those who turned their backs on us?’
‘I didn’t say it would be easy. I said we need to be ready for it.’
‘I shall send word to Daichi. That is the best approach,’ Huw said. ‘But we must keep a close eye on those Forlish. The only good thing is their slow progress is allowing our people to get away.’
He did not add that many of the villages who were taking in Rhegeders were doing so with only the greatest reluctance. The fear their southern cousins would want a slice of the richer farmland of Gwent and Powys was becoming a major concern.
‘Rhiannon, you’ll need to use magic to get the message to Asami. Daichi must take notice of what we sa
y,’ Huw said, with more hope than belief.
Sendatsu reached out to his children and they were quick to snuggle in close, one on each side.
‘What story will you tell us tonight, Papa?’ Mai asked.
‘A special one. Our true history, what brought us here and why we are helping the Velsh.’
‘Will there be battles?’ Cheijun asked.
‘There is magic, and betrayal, and death. It is a sad story but you need to hear it.’
Mai wriggled around until she could look up at him. ‘Papa, I heard Huw telling some of the village children something like that today.’
Sendatsu kissed the top of her head. ‘I know. I heard it as well. That is why I am telling you our history now, so you can understand what happened and what Huw is saying.’
‘Is his story wrong?’
Sendatsu hesitated. ‘Not wrong,’ he said carefully. ‘But told from a different view.’
‘Won’t be as good as yours. You tell the best stories!’ Cheijun declared.
Sendatsu chuckled. ‘Then listen carefully and I shall tell you what I learned about our real history, what even some of the elders in Dokuzen don’t know.’
Gaibun arrived at the oak tree Asami had picked out, longing for a hot meal and a bath. He had been out in the forest for the last day and a half, searching for stragglers and avoiding Forlish patrols. The latter was remarkably easy. He had expected them to flood forwards, seek to find and kill as many elves as possible, but their advance was careful, and slow.
In fact, on every occasion, the first reaction of the Forlish was to retreat rather than press forwards, which allowed Gaibun and the ragtag group he led to evade them every time.
Asami had been in contact regularly, the birds flying down to him twice a day, drawn by the necklace. He did not know if that was some more of her magic or because they could see the shiny necklace from a long way up, and he did not care.
He had collected just seven others, four of them wounded, and was reluctantly convinced that was all that remained from the one-hundred-strong patrol that had marched to meet the Forlish with such arrogance. Three out of four of that patrol was now dead. At least there were no complainers among this group — all were delighted that someone had returned for them and that they had been found.
Once again he stepped through the gateway last, arriving in the main park of Dokuzen. He looked around for Asami, wanting to hold her in his arms — but the sight that confronted him made him stop dead. ‘What is happening?’ he gasped.
On every side, as far as he could see, elves were lining up. It looked as though every male elf in Dokuzen aged between twenty and forty was there. Some were obviously coal miners, others fishermen or farmers. As well as the warriors in their clan blocks, their families were there to bid them farewell. Gaibun had not seen so many elves in the one place since the last Testing Day, when the entire nation gathered as one to celebrate elves coming of age.
‘Daichi has fallen into the Forlish trap. He intends to take every clan south,’ Asami said.
‘But you must have told him —’
‘More than once. But he chose to believe Tokosai’s lies about an uncounted horde and could not accept that Konetsu was killed by anything less than an overwhelming force. Then Moshin told him the people would think him weak if he acted sensibly, so he mustered the clans. He thinks he can smash the Forlish and get back here before any more Forlish attack, if it even comes to that.’
Gaibun groaned. He wanted a bath. He wanted to slip between the sheets of his bed, preferably with Asami beside him. But he forced himself to walk over to where Daichi and a thick knot of clan leaders stood talking. This time his father was with them, albeit on the outside. He was surprised to also see the buffoon Tokosai standing there, although Tokosai cowered behind Lord Moshin when he saw Gaibun.
He bowed to Daichi and also to his father, although Daichi took much longer to acknowledge him.
‘Greetings, young Gaibun. Welcome back. I understand you have been finding stragglers from the disaster that struck Lord Konetsu. You are a brave warrior and it gives me pleasure to tell you that we shall avenge the deaths of Lord Konetsu and your comrades.’
‘Lord Daichi.’ Gaibun bowed again. ‘With respect, you have not been told the truth. The Forlish number no more than two thousand and you do not need half of the warriors assembled here to drive them back. What has Tokosai told you?’
‘You must be tired and confused from your brave ride,’ Moshin said immediately. ‘Lord Retsu, please take your son home and let him rest. He has done Dokuzen great service.’
‘You are doing what the Forlish want!’ Gaibun said. ‘Tokosai did not see their numbers because he was running too hard —’
Moshin swelled with anger. ‘Enough!’
Next moment Gaibun’s father had taken his arm and was steering him away.
‘They do not want to hear sense,’ Retsu hissed. ‘Do not give them reason to turn on you.’
Gaibun let himself be carried along. ‘What do they plan?’
‘Moshin will lead just about every warrior we have south. The defeat of Konetsu and your patrol has shaken Dokuzen. Daichi already fears the people do not respect him after the rebellion of Jaken. He cannot let this go unpunished, or he is finished. Tokosai has told them what they wanted to hear, that there were more gaijin than leaves in the forest. Nothing you can say can change their minds.’
Gaibun wrestled his arm free of his father’s grip. ‘And the bigger army of Forlish on our western border? What of them?’
Retsu shook his head. ‘They are not moving towards us but instead heading north into other human lands. The humans there sent Daichi a warning, claiming they were not the targets and offering to come to our aid — and that was the last straw.’
‘How do you mean?’
Asami joined them, bowing low.
‘Lord Retsu,’ she greeted him. ‘It has been too long.’
Retsu snorted. ‘With good reason. Thanks to you two and Sendatsu, our entire clan is in disgrace!’
‘Father, Jaken plotted to kill half the Council and then depose Daichi,’ Gaibun pointed out.
Retsu glared at him. ‘By your actions you have made things worse, not better, for our people. Daichi has ultimate power but he looks over his shoulder and fears what is being said behind his back. If Jaken was still on the Council, we might have a chance to make him see sense. Not now. Asami brought a message from your human friends to the Council and only succeeded in convincing Daichi that this was all a plot by those humans to get elven help in their war.’
Gaibun glanced at Asami, who nodded slowly. That was a bitter memory indeed. She had been so hopeful in presenting Huw’s warning to Daichi but he took it as another attempt by the Velsh to secure elven help in their fight against the Forlish. In that context, Huw’s offer to help the elves fight the Forlish made it even worse. Daichi had flown into a rage.
‘So what do we do?’ Gaibun asked.
‘We survive,’ Retsu said bleakly. ‘He is sending all but a company of Council Guards south.’
‘I thought he wanted to keep warriors around him at all times?’
Retsu shrugged. ‘He is sending every male from clan Tadayoshi south to lead the attack on the gaijin, so he has little to fear from a group of greybeards and mothers.’
Horns sounded behind them and they turned to see the mass of warriors moving off, some on horseback, most on foot.
‘Aroaril help the Forlish who meet them,’ Asami muttered.
‘Aroaril help the rest of us,’ Gaibun said.
‘Go home, the pair of you. Go home and do something useful, like making me a grandchild. You are obviously not cut out for this thinking and strategy. Be like Sendatsu and worry about family, not politics.’
‘What are you doing, Father?’
‘Me? I am marching south with the rest of them. You don’t think Daichi would trust the leader of clan Tadayoshi to stay here in Dokuzen with him, do you?’
He strode away, leaving them staring at each other.
‘What do we do now?’ Gaibun said.
‘Talk to our friends. It is the only thing.’ Asami sighed.
‘What can they do?’
‘Little more than we can,’ Asami admitted. ‘It is all up to the Forlish. At least Moshin has elves like your father with him. When they see how small the Forlish force is, they will realise the truth.’
25
Without the wisdom of the forefathers, some of the elves began to do bad things to the other human tribes, thinking they were somehow better. They even began calling them gaijin.
Sendatsu’s song
Sergeant Caelin was more convinced than ever that Ruttyn and Harald were his lucky charms. Since they had joined his squad, men had been dying around him all the time — yet he survived, as did they. So he kept them close, for what he was doing now was just as dangerous as crossing the barrier. He had spent the last three days patrolling forwards, searching for the huge elven army they all knew was going to come roaring out of Dokuzen, eager for revenge.
Wulf had not pushed too far north, fearing being cut off and slaughtered in the elven woods. Instead he had prepared a series of defensive positions, where he planned to hold up the elves and enrage them even further. But he was relying on Caelin and the other scouts to detect the elves before they got too close.
That all sounded fine while sitting in a warm tent enjoying a goblet of the captain’s wine. Out here, in the woods, with every tree potentially hiding an elven archer, it was a different story.
Caelin had come to know this part of the woods well over the last couple of days of patrols and liked the way the old oak tree on a small hill gave a great view of the surrounding countryside.
‘The first we will know of it is when the arrows start pinning us to the trees,’ Ruttyn said, yet again.
‘We’ve been over this. A large army cannot move unseen through woodland,’ Caelin told him.
‘But this will be no normal army. They’re elves, able to move silently and see in the dark,’ Ruttyn declared.
‘You’re thinking of cats. It’s easy to tell the difference. Elves don’t have whiskers and tails,’ Harald said wisely.
