Trine Rising

by C. K. Donnelly

  He wanted to feel relieved, shock, however, still held his emotions captive. “With Mirana as your scholaira, Desde’s effectively taking her out from under her orders.” His wife was just as cagey as her father. That did give him some relief.

  The Trine smirked. “We are all painfully aware Mirana does not have an amulet. When was the last time she held a blade, anyway?” Kaarl whipped his head to face him. The tall man squeezed his eyes shut in a wince at his poor choice of words. “She may have to ride with us to the Ford, but I will not have her stay.”

  Was she still in her room?

  “What if the Dark Trine reaches the Ford ahead of us? My daughter will be trapped.” No, she would be in the stables by now, readying Ashtar for the ride. He told her to take his warhorse. She loved the beast. Ashtar would be as much as a bodyguard as he would be. He’d find another horse to ride.

  “I will see to it she makes it out,” Tetric said resolutely. “It is best I do not tell you further about our plans. The fewer people who know of her whereabouts, the safer she is.”

  Kaarl dipped his chin in acquiescence. He laid his hand on the crosshatched glass of the window. In front of the great oak door of Jasal’s Keep, Desde addressed the battle seer unit. Its ranks now swelled with the addition of newly elevated Fal’kin.

  Jasal’s Keep had protected Deren all those long summers ago, but it could do nothing now to keep his daughter safe. For that, he had no other choice than to release his beloved tiny girl from his protection to that of a man he hated as much as he respected.

  “I did not come to discuss Mirana. I have come to ask you again to reconsider my offer.”

  “Tetric, please. Not now.”

  “We may not get another chance to discuss this. Let us combine our forces. You will be my defender commander. There will be none before you. If we work together, you and I, we could turn the tide of this war.”

  He shook his head. “Morgan rides at the head of the il’Kin now, not I.”

  “He is a good defender, but he is not you,” Tetric replied. “The Ken’nar are growing. Their army is expanding. They are far better trained and better coordinated than ever before, more than most of the primes realize. I know it and you know it.”

  Kaarl frowned and nodded.

  “We know because we have not just sat in halls watching visions and discussing hypotheticals,” the Trine continued. “The blood of our defenders, our own blood, has been shed for Kinderra.” He paused, his dark gaze boring into Kaarl. “It is time for this to end. I mean to stop this war, but I cannot without your help.”

  His first thought was for Mirana’s safety. If the man had some insane vendetta against the Dark Trine, she could be killed at his side just as surely as at Two Rivers Ford.

  When he did not reply, the Trine gestured with his chin to the keep looming in the blue dawn light. “What made Jasal Pinal so great?”

  He scowled, confused. “Most do not share your opinion.”

  “He bore the title of ‘Jasal the Great’ for summers before he built that tower.”

  “He was a Trine. He saved Kinderra by stopping the Dark Triumvirate. He was a good man. A great man. Before that.” He, too, gestured to the tower.

  “Ai,” Tetric nodded, “ai, he was all those things. However, his true power lay within the Aspected who served under him. Without them, his greatness would have amounted to next to nothing. They gave Kinderra the first glimpse of peace she had seen since before the Sundering.”

  “I understand what you are saying, but too much has passed between us. If you had only asked three summers ago instead of two.”

  “I did ask three summers ago, and every summer before and after that skirmish.”

  It was no skirmish. The memory of the fight had remained like an open wound in Kaarl’s mind. The Ken’nar had surged across Thyre’s Crossing on the border between Kana-Akün and Trak-Calan, a direction they had least expected. He and the il’Kin had set out to meet them, their forces augmented by some one hundred fighters from Kana-Akün and another hundred from Tash-Hamar. Tetric’s advice, from his very Seeing Aspect, gave them time to form up, but no one expected the Ken’nar to come down in such numbers. Fifteen hundred of them. They had never before appeared in such numbers, usually striking unsuspecting farms and hamlets with mere hundreds, if that. The Trine had held back his forces to cut off any escape the Ken’nar could make back over the crossing. His presence had sent the Ken’nar into a panic. After a brief fight with five hundred of Tetric’s Dar-Azûlan troops, the black-armored bastards broke ranks and made for the Trak-Calan highlands to the north, forcing their mounts to swim the Bherath River. The damage had been done, however. Fifteen il’Kin never breathed again, nor dozens of archers from Kana-Akün. Tash-Hamar took the brunt, with more than half of its defenders cut down.

  Kaarl made a small, hopeless laugh. “If we do our jobs at the Ford, we might not even need to unite our forces.”

  “That is just the beginning,” Tetric replied. “It will take more than that to save Kinderra. I mean for all of us to unite. It was the only way Jasal could truly stop Ilrik the Black. It is the only way to end the war now.”

  For the second time in as many moments, disbelief held Kaarl. One prime. Over all the provinces. “Primus Magne?” He could barely utter the words. “You can’t be serious.”

  “We have no other choice.” The Trine lifted his head, gazing back out the window. “I have no other choice.”

  He shook his head, aghast. “I couldn’t possibly support you. I couldn’t support anyone. Not even Toban.” He shook his head again. “I’m not sure I could even support Desde if she asked me. We’d find another way.”

  The Dar-Azûlan stepped closer. “You would put our disagreements ahead of Kinderra? Ahead of your daughter?”

  Kaarl gripped the other man’s arm. “I love Mirana more than life itself.”

  “I know you do.” The Trine returned the gesture. ... She will never be safe until this war ends ... I need you ... I need you by my side ... As I said before, the Quorum will listen to you ... Desde will listen to you ... I saved your daughter’s life ... Help me now give her a future ...

  He let his arm fall. “Tetric. Primus Magne?”

  ... I am Trine of Kinderra ... I already safeguard all the provinces ... Becoming Primus Magne merely formalizes it within the Quorum of Light ... I am only asking for your trust ... Is that so difficult? ...

  Kaarl stepped back from him and walked over to Desde’s primeship chair. He leaned on it, hanging his head. “It is not a matter of trust. There is nothing the Dark Trine could ever do that would make me believe elevating a Primus Magne and throwing away our Aspect-given right to govern ourselves was the answer. Regardless of our struggles, I have never once doubted your conviction to protect Kinderra.” He raised his head. “Ai, as a Trine, you do give your life in service to all of Kinderra. But I am steward now. It is my duty as well to intercede on behalf of all Fal’kin in interprovincial conflicts. You asked me to work together with you in ending this war. That I will agree to.” He called to his sword and it flew into his hand. He slid it into its sheath with a decisive snap. “As equals.”

  Tetric held his gaze a moment, nodded, and turned to leave.

  The man had saved his daughter’s life, and all he had asked for in return was trust. Tetric didn’t want his trust, though, not really. He wanted his fealty, he wanted to take away his free will to act on his own terms when necessary. Kaarl’s lips tightened. How could he keep his daughter safe if he were a glorified slave?

  Tetric had made a unilateral decision that cost the lives of his il’Kin and so many more, despite the eventual victory it gave the Fal’kin. The man also saved his daughter’s life. He would never count the Trine as a friend, but he owed him as much gratefulness as contempt. “I know it’s not what you want, but my partnership is all I can give you.” ... That, and my undying gratitude ...

  The Trine hesitated by the door but did not turn around. “It is a brutal, de
praved business, this war. Men and women do things that would be considered the most heinous of crimes in any other context. I have. You have. Things I hope Mirana never has to do.” He opened the door. ... Do not make yourself my enemy, Kaarl Pinal ... I beg of you ...

  CHAPTER 17

  “Like a storm gathering on the horizon, the Dark Ones advanced. Our swords were sharpened. Our arrows were nocked. But were we ready for battle?”

  —The Book of Kinderra

  The Ain Magne charged his stallion through the rain toward Two Rivers Ford. He ignored the minds of the thousands of riders who surrounded him, allowing instead the images of the bridge complex to fill his mind. Great spans stretched over the Garnath and Anarath Rivers. They would serve as the swiftest way to move a massive fighting force from the north into Kin-Deren province and farther south. Once he controlled the bridges, he would make up any time lost at Falantir. He would then descend on Deren like a maelstrom borne of the Aspects Above themselves.

  Another image, however, continued to nudge at his consciousness despite his attempt to focus on the upcoming battle. Mirana Pinal.

  Her ability to find a single hidden mind had made him change his initial plan of attack on the Ford to prevent the discovery of his tactics. His Sight now told him, however, his Ken’nar would take heavy losses because Kin-Deren province rode with many more Fal’kin to the Ford instead of the few hundred he originally anticipated.

  He gritted his teeth. The reason for the change in their response to his impending attack was obvious: Mirana had seen his plans with her Aspects, correctly interpreted the changes in the skeins of time, and warned Kin-Deren’s leadership.

  He had been right to be wary of her interpretation skills, but he hadn’t been wary enough. Now, instead of the glorified skirmish he had been expecting, it would be a long, protracted, bloody battle. The jarring from each hoof strike of his mount clamped his jaws tighter.

  He wrapped his presence with a thicker blanket of life-force reflections. Those around him were so intent on staying upright in the mud as they rode, to say nothing of the battle ahead, they would not feel the draw from themselves.

  If Mirana forced his hand to change the skeins of time once, he would change them yet again. He still had the element of surprise in his favor and he intended to use it to the fullest.

  What if she gleaned this knowledge from the Aspects, too?

  The Ain Magne gripped his reins as tightly as he clenched his teeth. His second wanted the Pinal girl dead. He reconsidered the idea once more.

  No. She must remain alive. His Aspects had shown him the incomprehensible power of Jasal’s Keep, and she somehow played a role in unlocking its mysteries.

  If her oh-so-skilled interpretations were compelling enough to call an entire province to war, he more than needed her alive. He needed to control her, an amulet in human form. He needed to control her to control Jasal’s Keep. He needed her as much as the Ford. Maybe even more.

  Mirana did not know him yet, but she would. By the time he was ready to reveal himself to her, she would understand the true gift of the Aspects Above. She would come to understand the Power from Without.

  The Ain Magne eased the tension in his body and gave his horse free rein over the sodden ground. The beast was sure-footed, and he held no fear of falling in the treacherous mud.

  He grasped his amulet, savoring the way the crystal’s facets slid against his palm, its heat warming his hand.

  ... Hear me, my second ...

  ... Ëo hac ... his seer second returned.

  ... What is your location? ...

  ... Two days from the Ford, my lord ...

  He gripped his amulet tighter at his lieutenant’s answer. His forces would arrive too late at that pace for this next phase.

  ... What are your orders, Great One? ...

  ... Prepare for a much larger force ...

  ... How much larger? ... his second asked, unease edging his mind-words.

  ... Some two thousand Fal’kin now ride to the Ford ...

  ... Although our fight will be more difficult, my lord, our victory is still at hand ... I have seen this can only help our ultimate cause ... his seer second returned.

  The Ain Magne raised an eyebrow. ... How so? ...

  ... My lord’s own prescience held the answer ... The Fal’kin were indeed more inclined to take this new bait ... Kin-Deren will now be emptied of her Fal’kin ... Her provincial troops will be squandered at the Ford ... The citadel itself will lie all but defenseless ...

  The Ain Magne smiled. The boy was good. The boy was very good.

  ... You are correct, my second ... Well done ... We still have much to overcome, however ... All must be ready by the time I reach the Ford ...

  He called several images in rapid succession to the young seer’s mind. His lieutenant grew silent. The Ain Magne waited for a response and wondered if his servant dropped the connection to his mind.

  He began to strengthen his hold on his second’s mind when the seer returned ... I am not certain we can accomplish your orders in time ...

  ... You must if we are to gain the Ford ... I have every faith in you ... His words were kind, as he meant them to be, but they also contained a note of warning. His second’s mind lingered within his own. ... What is it? ...

  ... The girl rides to the Ford ... There is a danger with her there ... I have seen this ... She is a danger to our plans ... A danger to you ... The vision of Jasal’s Keep preys on my mind and my Sight ... She should be eliminated ...

  ... I will deal with her myself ... I have told you before, she is not your concern ...

  ... We outnumber the Fal’kin excra and yet you have changed our battle plans because of her, now a second time ... You would not think twice to kill one of your own if he or she interfered with your strategy this way, and yet you allow her to live ... Kill her, my lord ...

  His servant was correct. However, the young seer, for all his skill, still did not understand what was at stake.

  ... You will give me Two Rivers Ford ... Mirana Pinal will give me Kinderra ...

  ... Am I not the one who rides at your vanguard? ... Has not my blood been spilled on your behalf? ... I owe all I am to you, but it is I who will lay Kinderra before you ...

  This was an interesting—and unexpected—development. His seer second had begun to view the girl as a rival. This development was as dangerous as it was beneficial. Dangerous, because such jealousies could become destructive. Beneficial, because those destructive jealousies could be used to eliminate problematic situations. If it should come to that.

  ... I will not remind you again ... She is not your concern ... the Ain Magne called.

  ... But you are ... I put you before my own family and province ... You and our conquest of Kinderra, they are the only things I live for ... My lord, if you do not want her killed, let me capture her for you ... A sense of feral desire washed through his second’s mind. ... I will ensure she will remain compliant for harvesting ...

  ... Your only task is to get me the Ford ... The Ain Magne sent a scorching reprimand through the young seer’s mind, nearly breaking their connection. ... Do you understand? ...

  ... Ai, Great One, ai ... Ëo comprende ... came his second’s reply, faint with pain.

  ... You will move into position by midnight next ... I will be at the Ford soon ...

  The Ain Magne brought his awareness back to himself. The rain now came down in torrents. The horse of a battle seer who rode next to him slid in the mud, nearly throwing its rider. A young defender reached out with lightning-fast reflexes and grabbed the other mount’s reins, steadying the steed and the seer.

  “Gratas Oë, Ëi cara. Gratas,” the battle seer stammered, more than aware that, had she fallen, the surging horses behind her would have likely trampled her to death.

  He smiled, noting the exchange. The defender showed promise despite his youth. For many, many summers now, the Ain Magne had captured Fal’kin fighters, or cornered disloyal Ken’n
ar, and obliterated their wills with his powers to make them more perfect warriors. It was painful, as much for the victims as it was for him. He sensed their agony through that same Aspect he used to cause their pain. He hated it, but it was necessary, for nothing great could be accomplished without sacrifice. Only when he had enough Ken’nar to quell any Fal’kin resistance would Kinderra finally be at peace. There was no agony he would not endure to see that accomplished.

  The thousands who rode with him now. How many would see the dawn two days hence? What good had killing ever done the land? Death was the ultimate failure. Once dead, beings cherished by the Aspects Above, along with their sacred gifts, were gone forever. Not only did his harvested warriors still live, but they also ceased fighting against him and now obeyed his commands without question. Most important, though—even imperative to his plans—they continued to use their Aspects in service to Kinderra.

  He would make certain the young defender’s Aspect would continue to serve Kinderra.

  The Ain Magne surged his stallion forward.

  CHAPTER 18

  “Aspecta il’Defende dam forte. Aspecta il’Sanarente dam ain. Aspecta il’ Vidë ísi magne ken tuda fár Ida dam comprende.”

  (“The Aspect of Defense gives strength. The Aspect of Healing gives wholeness. The Aspect of Sight, however, is the greatest of all powers for it gives knowledge.”)

  —Ora Fal’kinnen 38:5–7

  Thank the Aspects.

  Her mother finally called for them to camp for the night. The torrential downpours had made the blistering ride to Two Rivers Ford all the more exhausting.

  Mirana reined in her horse Ashtar, slowing him to a trot. Her father insisted she ride his enormous warhorse even though she could barely straddle the chestnut destrier’s back. Tetric coaxed his mount to a walk beside her as the two thousand Fal’kin from Kin-Deren province around her brought their steeds to a halt.