The Wolf At War

by Terry Cloutier

  “Verica,” I answered.

  Silence hung over the tent for a moment, then Einhard snorted. “It’s a trick, Wise One. Hadrack has spent many months among Piths. He must have heard the story of Waldin and Verica from one of them.”

  “Perhaps,” Malakar said as I stared at him in confusion. I noticed the bald man was sweating now, beads of moisture pooling across the dark skin of his head. The Pathfinder slicked some of the sweat away with his hand and wiped it on his robe. “Did you hear those names from Piths as the Sword suggests, Ganderman?” he asked.

  I shook my head emphatically. “No, Wise One. I swear that I did not.”

  “Waldin and Verica are the names given to the first Piths,” Malakar explained. “Their time goes back to the beginning of us all, and it is said that the Master created them in His likeness.” He sniffed. “And now you come here expecting us to believe that they were Gandermen all along?”

  I rolled my eyes, realizing that Waldin and Verica had instilled themselves as the Piths’ First Pair. “I swear to you on The Mother and The Father that it is the truth,” I said.

  Malakar frowned with displeasure. “What do those meaningless gods matter now if, as you say, you believe they no longer exist?”

  “Because they do exist, Wise One,” I said. “And so does the Master.” I flipped open the codex and read the passages that explained it all, not stopping as Fitz dropped to his knees, moaning softly with his hands over his mouth as he listened in disbelief. Finally, when I was done, I gently closed the book and held it up. “Just hours ago, the scholar I mentioned earlier, Rorian, appeared in my tent and gave me this. He found it under a stone with a special mark on it in the Ascension Grounds.” I fixed my gaze on Malakar, whose face had drained of all color. “I imagine you know which stone I mean, Wise One?” Malakar simply nodded, his eyes on the codex. “I didn’t want to believe any of this at first, either,” I said. “In fact, I strongly considered destroying the codex and forgetting all about it.”

  “You should have, Hadrack,” Fitz whispered. I could see tears in his eyes. “You have ruined us all.”

  I shook my head. “No, this will not destroy us, my friend.” I lifted the book. “This is our salvation. This codex proves that we are all brothers under one god and that there is no longer a reason for us to fight anymore.”

  “You are naïve, Hadrack,” Einhard growled. He strode toward me aggressively. I clutched the codex to my chest, afraid that he might try to take it. “Do you really think that this proves anything?” He stopped in front of me and gestured to the codex with contempt. “That somehow a few Gander scratches on some parchment mean anything to Piths?”

  “Doesn’t it?” I asked, ignoring Einhard as I focused on Malakar. “What does the Pathfinder have to say about it?”

  Malakar stood stiffly, his face showing the anguish that he felt inside at what he had just heard. “My brothers and I must speak with the Master immediately to make sense of all this,” he said. “Sword, I require you to assemble the chieftains to join us as well.”

  Einhard frowned. “Wise One, I do not believe that the situation warrants—”

  Malakar’s eyes flared. “In this, you have no say, Sword. No one disputes that your voice is heard above all others except for the Queen in matters of war. But when it comes to the spiritual, your voice is silenced, and the word of the Pathfinders takes precedence.”

  Einhard flushed, his face turning angry, then he swallowed that anger and inclined his head. “You are, of course, correct, Wise One.”

  “What about me?” I asked. “I’m a chieftain, too.”

  Malakar hesitated as he headed for the entrance. He studied me for a moment, then shook his head. “Your presence will be too distracting. You will stay here with the Gander slave until we return.”

  “And when will that be?” I demanded.

  “That is up to the Master to decide,” Malakar said. “He will speak to us when He is ready.”

  “And then what?”

  Malakar shrugged. “And then, Ganderman, you find out if you live or die.”

  23: To Brothers, Friends, and Peace!

  Hours went by as the skies lightened and the sun slowly rose, but still, there was no sign of either Malakar or Einhard. Two armed Piths stood outside the tent, preventing Fitz and me from leaving, though I wouldn’t have tried to escape anyway, even if they hadn’t been there. I was the one who had set all of this into motion, after all. To run now would only undermine the reason why I had come here in the first place. Would the Pathfinders see the truth and take the path to reconciliation and peace, or would they choose to turn a blind eye to it all in favor of destruction and war? I could only wait and wonder as I paced back and forth.

  “You are going to wear a hole in Einhard’s furs if you keep that up,” Fitz said. He was sitting on a bench, the codex lying open on his lap. The pages inside were hundreds of years old, brittle and easily torn. Fitz had pleaded with me to let him read it, and I’d finally relented after he had repeatedly promised that he would be careful.

  “I’m sure Einhard can find more furs,” I grunted.

  Fitz had quickly gotten over his shock about the Master and the First Pair. If anything, he seemed almost buoyant about the entire thing now. I found his enthusiasm quite annoying as he continuously read passages to me that I already knew off by heart.

  “This part is truly fascinating, Hadrack,” Fitz said, his eyes aglow with excitement. “To think that there are other worlds just like ours in this…” He paused to glance down. “In this place called the cosmos. It’s staggering to imagine all the possibilities that entails.”

  “What possibilities would those be?” I asked, not really caring as I stopped pacing to look at him.

  Fitz blinked at me in surprise. “What possibilities, my friend? Don’t you understand what this means? If there are other worlds like ours, then maybe there is a way to go there and see them for ourselves.”

  “Why would anyone want to do that?” I asked.

  “Why?” Fitz repeated with a snort. “Do you really have to ask that question? For the adventure of it all, of course.” He looked up at the ceiling dreamily. “I wonder what those other worlds are like? Maybe they’re cold and wet like Cardia is said to be, or hot and covered in white sand like the Afrenian desert.” He grinned. “Or maybe it’s just sunny and warm there all the time, with plenty to eat and buxom young women bounding naked through the meadows everywhere you look.”

  “I think you’ve had too much wine,” I muttered sarcastically as I returned to my pacing.

  “Your problem is that you have no imagination, Hadrack,” Fitz replied with a sniff.

  “No,” I said as I stabbed a finger toward the entrance. “My problem is that I have no idea what is going on out there.” I couldn’t stop picturing what might be happening at the Pith meeting and what my forces might be doing. What were Jebido and the others thinking, staring across the river hour after hour with no attack coming and no sign of me anywhere? Did they believe I was long dead? I knew there would be a great amount of unease on the Gander side right about now, with nothing for them to do but wait and hope.

  “The Pathfinders will make the right choice in the end, Hadrack,” Fitz said as he carefully turned a page. “You will see.” He grunted in surprise. “Listen to this. It says here that the Master lives in a place known as Beyond in the Third Realm.”

  I nodded, having read that also. We already knew that The Father dwelled in the realm Below, and The Mother in the realm Above. But now, there was a third, much bigger realm than the other two called Beyond.

  “Why do you suppose they did it?” Fitz asked, looking pensive now.

  “Why did who do what?”

  Fitz motioned to the codex. “Whoever it was that decided to hide the truth from us. Why would they do that?”

  I shrugged. I had wondered the same thing myself many times, of course, but hadn’t been able to come up with an answer that made any sense. “I don’t kn
ow,” I said. “That will be up to the Daughters and Sons to figure out if they can, I guess.”

  “You know they’re not going to be very happy about all of this,” Fitz warned.

  “That’s not my problem,” I replied. “They will just have to learn to live with the truth like everyone else.”

  Einhard stepped into the tent then, ending our conversation abruptly. Fitz stood in surprise at the Sword’s sudden appearance, the book falling from his lap. My friend cursed and dropped to his knees as he gently scooped it back up from the soft furs.

  “It’s all right, Hadrack,” Fitz said, looking relieved as he stood. “No harm done.”

  “Give me that,” I growled as I grabbed the codex from him. I turned to Einhard. “So? What did they say?”

  Einhard wrapped his arms around me without warning, giving me one of his breathtaking embraces. “It would seem that the Master Himself is watching over you, puppy.”

  I closed my eyes in relief, feeling all the tension leaving my body. The Piths had taken the correct path toward peace. I returned Einhard’s embrace, matching him squeeze for squeeze before finally I stepped back. “The Master spoke to the Pathfinders?” I said.

  “Yes,” Einhard nodded. “In His usual vague way, of course. But it was enough to confirm that some of what you claim might be true.”

  “Some?” I said with a frown, feeling a sudden lurch in my chest. “Might be? What does that mean?”

  “It means that not all the Pathfinders agree as to what He meant,” Einhard said.

  I took a deep breath, afraid by Einhard’s expression that despite everything, I had failed in the end. “Which means what, exactly?” I asked.

  Einhard moved to the table and poured himself some wine. “It means the Pathfinders will return to the Ascension Grounds, where they hope to get a clearer answer from the Master about all of this.”

  I nodded, trying not to show my anxiety. “And what about you and your army? What will you be doing?”

  “We will be returning with them, Hadrack,” Einhard said. “Our war with Ganderland is over, at least for the time being.” I started to break out in a grin just as Einhard frowned. “But should the word of the Master be interpreted differently, then we will return. Nothing will stop us from destroying Ganderland if we do come back a second time.” He tapped the codex. “Not even you and your little book of scratches.”

  “I never wanted any of this, you know,” I said.

  “I know that,” Einhard replied. He looked down at his mug. “I have always believed the Master meant for us to wage this war on your people, Hadrack. It has not been easy for me to hear that those beliefs might have been wrong all this time. But despite what we have learned, I am still not convinced we won’t be back, though I am glad that you and I don’t have to cross swords today. I had no wish to kill you.”

  I chuckled. “I’m not so easily killed, old friend.”

  Einhard nodded, the hint of a smile on his lips. “I know. Neither am I.”

  We stood staring at each other then, both grinning like fools, until finally I asked, “So, what happens if you do come back? Do we start this all over again?”

  Einhard raised his mug. “That, my friend, is something we can worry about another day.”

  “Well, there you have it,” Fitz said, beaming as he approached us with two mugs of wine in his hands. He handed one to me. “Now, let’s do this properly.” He lifted his mug. “To brothers, friends, and peace!”

  “To brothers, friends, and peace!” Einhard and I echoed as we banged our mugs together.

  It was already well past midday, and Fitz and I had almost made it to the western side of the ford, when suddenly I paused Angry as a thought struck me. Fitz and his borrowed horse continued onward, the young lord oblivious of me as he continued with his mostly one-sided conversation. Thousands of Ganders were lined up at our defenses, cheering as we approached, and it took a moment for Fitz to realize that I wasn’t beside him. He rode back to me with a puzzled look on his face.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Son Oriell,” I grunted.

  “Where?” Fitz asked, looking around.

  “Not here,” I said. I felt for the codex where it lay nestled in the band of my trousers, assuring myself that it was still safe. “Son Oriell is the problem. The bastard is probably in Gandertown right now, working to undermine things on behalf of Pernissy like the little weasel that he is.”

  “Most likely,” Fitz agreed. He glanced across the river, where our men continued to cheer and wave, urging us to keep riding. “I’m not sure this is the time to bring that obvious point up, though, Hadrack. Perhaps we can address it once we’re safely out of the reach of those heathens. What do you say?” He looked over his shoulder at the sprawling Pith encampment. “Just because Einhard has promised peace doesn’t mean some angry warrior with a grudge to bear won’t come riding our way soon.”

  “What happens when the House learns what’s in the codex?” I asked, ignoring his concerns.

  Fitz shrugged. “Well, I would guess it’s going to be a pretty traumatic time for everyone. But people will get used to the idea of a third god, eventually. Just like I did.”

  “Not everyone can just shrug things off as easily as you do, Fitz.” I fixed my gaze on him. “What about all those Sons and Daughters, and all those eager apprentices and their endless lessons? What happens to them when they realize everything that they have been taught their entire lives was a lie?” I sighed, thinking of Jin and how devastated I knew she would be. “And now that we know the Master created the First Pair, does that mean the Pathfinders should by rights gain control over the House? And if not them, then does it go back to how it was with the Sons and Daughters being equals and resentful of one another? We could have three factions vying for control of the House instead of just the two once this comes out.”

  Fitz scratched at his scalp. “I hadn’t really thought about that,” he admitted. I could see worry rising in his eyes now. He groaned. “What a mess. No Son or Daughter is going to accept bowing to Pathfinders, Hadrack. This thing could still end up in a war.”

  “I know,” I said with a frown. “But whatever happens, you can bet Pernissy and Son Oriell will still try to use the information in the codex to their advantage somehow.”

  “Then we don’t tell anyone,” Fitz said firmly.

  I glanced at him, assessing how serious he was. I had already come to that conclusion a few minutes ago, but I’d wanted Fitz to reach it on his own without any obvious prodding from me. “So, you’re saying we keep our mouths shut about this,” I said, looking as though the thought had never occurred to me.

  “Only for now,” Fitz hurried to say, mistaking my look for one of disagreement. “It’s going to take the Piths weeks to return to their own lands. Then maybe months before they know for sure what the Master wants. Why turn the House and kingdom upside down with turmoil now when it will do nothing but help to weaken us against our enemies?”

  I nodded to him in admiration. “I hadn’t thought about it like that, my friend, but you’re right. Telling anyone about all of this now does nothing for us.” I tapped the leather-bound tome through my clothing. “I’ll keep it with me for now. Once we’ve dealt with Pernissy and know what the Piths plans are, then I will give it to Daughter Gernet.”

  “A splendid plan,” Fitz said, grinning. “I’m glad I thought of it.”

  I smiled as I motioned Angry toward the river again. “So am I, Fitz. So am I.”

  Fitz and I were treated like conquering heroes when we got back to the camp, though I was surprised to see Malo amongst the cheering men as I wearily dismounted. After destroying the siege engines, I had instructed Malo to take his men north and find a crossing over the White Rock before joining my rear reserves until he heard from me. The House Agent shouldn’t be here, I knew, and he was the only one not cheering as he stood regarding me with his arms crossed over his chest and a dour expression on his face. Nothing ever seemed
to please that man.

  Jebido was the first to greet me, and I forgot all about Malo as my friend put his hands on my shoulders and shook me. “I swear, boy,” he said. “You have more lives than a barnyard cat.”

  I grinned, then waved for silence until a hush fell over the assembled soldiers. “Men of Ganderland!” I shouted. “I have negotiated a peace with the Piths! The war is over! They are returning to their homeland with their dead tomorrow!” A roar rang out at that news, and I raised a hand to the men as they hailed me before finally I turned away.

  “How in the name of The Mother did you manage that?” Jebido asked in wonder as Baine pushed his way through the jubilant soldiers to embrace me.

  “It’s a long story,” I said, watching as Fitz stood on his horse’s saddle, balancing precariously. I guessed it was something the Piths had taught him during his captivity. He waved his arms at the assembled army, urging them to even louder and more boisterous cheers. I put a hand on Jebido’s and Baine’s shoulders. “One I might even tell you two about someday.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?’ Jebido grunted, his smile dissolving.

  “It means that I am tired,” I said. “I’ve been up all night, and I need some sleep.”

  I made my way through the cheering soldiers toward my tent, with Jebido and Baine following and Fitz hurrying to catch up. Then I groaned when I saw Malo waiting outside the entrance.

  “We need to talk,” Malo said.

  “Another time,” I replied, in no mood for the House Agent as I pushed my way past him and into the interior.

  “It needs to be now,” Malo insisted as he followed me inside.

  I sighed, turning to face Malo as Baine, Jebido, and Fitz entered behind him. “What do you want?” I asked in a tired voice.

  “Why did Rorian come to see you?”