expected, Aelwen and Taine had planned to meet Corisand and her companions – supposing
their
plans worked out, and they won the Fialan and found a
way to return from the Elsewhere to their own world – at a hidden place that Taine had discovered during his life of spying and concealment.
This location, closer to the border than the city, was where another river, the Snowstream, descended from the northern mountains and flowed down to join with the Carnim. Just before the
confluence the Snowstream plunged through a narrow gorge, and it was in this shadowy and secret place, filled with the roar and power of the constricted torrent, that Taine had found a cave,
partway up the cliff. It was far from easy to reach, but that only made it more secret and safe for the conspirators.
Since the Windeye and the Wizard would be forced to travel on horseback with no flying spell, it would take them a few days longer to reach the cave than Tiolani’s party. Had the plan
worked out, that would have given Hellorin’s heir time to assemble all the Xandim, on the pretext of taking a count of all the herds and studs, so that Corisand would be able to take them all
together when the time came to free them. When they met at the cave, Aelwen and Taine would be able to tell Corisand of the current conditions in Eliorand, and they could make further arrangements
from there.
That had been the plan – until Hellorin’s Chief Counsellor Cordain had ruined everything. Tiolani was now his prisoner, and she knew everything, including the location of their
meeting place. Would she use the information to purchase her freedom? When Corisand and the others arrived at the cave, would there be a mounted patrol of Phaerie warriors waiting to trap them?
‘We need to move, and fast,’ Taine continued, ‘but which way shall we go? Back towards Eliorand? To the cave? Or should we return to our friends at the tower and warn them of
the danger? Right now, we don’t know whether Iriana and Corisand succeeded, or if they’re even alive.’
Aelwen saw the shadow of worry pass across him: the sag of his shoulders; the biting of his lower lip; the fleeting frown. ‘They’ll be all right,’ she reassured him.
‘Look what they went through before we met them. They’re survivors, and between them they have a lot of resources to draw on. If anyone can bring the Fialan back from the Elsewhere,
they can.’
Taine took a deep breath and straightened. ‘You’re right, of course. Together, combining their two different sets of powers, they’re a force to be reckoned with. But if they do
get the Fialan, we can’t risk them being ambushed when they come to meet us. Because if Tiolani exposes the rest of us to save herself, Corisand and Iriana could walk straight into a
trap.’
Aelwen stared at him, appalled. Unaccustomed to intrigue, her mind had been concentrating on their own present peril, not the future risks to their other companions. ‘Whichever way we go,
I can’t get us there yet,’ she said. ‘Not with another apport. I expended too much energy bringing us all the way here.’
‘You’re right,’ Taine agreed. ‘You ought to eat, and then sleep for a little while, supposing we can find somewhere safe. Besides, we need to think things through very
carefully before you take us on another jump. We were lucky last time. Next time we need to know exactly where we’re heading, and we should probably do it in stages, so it doesn’t
exhaust you so much. If you’d burned yourself out last time, attempting so much . . .’
‘Don’t.’ Aelwen shuddered. ‘We might never have materialised at all, either of us. Would we have died? Or been caught for all eternity in some endless limbo? It
doesn’t bear thinking about.’
‘We won’t think about it. It didn’t happen and it won’t happen next time, because we’ll plan it out and take greater care, making several small jumps.’
Easy for you to say, Aelwen thought. But she
their
plans worked out, and they won the Fialan and found a
way to return from the Elsewhere to their own world – at a hidden place that Taine had discovered during his life of spying and concealment.
This location, closer to the border than the city, was where another river, the Snowstream, descended from the northern mountains and flowed down to join with the Carnim. Just before the
confluence the Snowstream plunged through a narrow gorge, and it was in this shadowy and secret place, filled with the roar and power of the constricted torrent, that Taine had found a cave,
partway up the cliff. It was far from easy to reach, but that only made it more secret and safe for the conspirators.
Since the Windeye and the Wizard would be forced to travel on horseback with no flying spell, it would take them a few days longer to reach the cave than Tiolani’s party. Had the plan
worked out, that would have given Hellorin’s heir time to assemble all the Xandim, on the pretext of taking a count of all the herds and studs, so that Corisand would be able to take them all
together when the time came to free them. When they met at the cave, Aelwen and Taine would be able to tell Corisand of the current conditions in Eliorand, and they could make further arrangements
from there.
That had been the plan – until Hellorin’s Chief Counsellor Cordain had ruined everything. Tiolani was now his prisoner, and she knew everything, including the location of their
meeting place. Would she use the information to purchase her freedom? When Corisand and the others arrived at the cave, would there be a mounted patrol of Phaerie warriors waiting to trap them?
‘We need to move, and fast,’ Taine continued, ‘but which way shall we go? Back towards Eliorand? To the cave? Or should we return to our friends at the tower and warn them of
the danger? Right now, we don’t know whether Iriana and Corisand succeeded, or if they’re even alive.’
Aelwen saw the shadow of worry pass across him: the sag of his shoulders; the biting of his lower lip; the fleeting frown. ‘They’ll be all right,’ she reassured him.
‘Look what they went through before we met them. They’re survivors, and between them they have a lot of resources to draw on. If anyone can bring the Fialan back from the Elsewhere,
they can.’
Taine took a deep breath and straightened. ‘You’re right, of course. Together, combining their two different sets of powers, they’re a force to be reckoned with. But if they do
get the Fialan, we can’t risk them being ambushed when they come to meet us. Because if Tiolani exposes the rest of us to save herself, Corisand and Iriana could walk straight into a
trap.’
Aelwen stared at him, appalled. Unaccustomed to intrigue, her mind had been concentrating on their own present peril, not the future risks to their other companions. ‘Whichever way we go,
I can’t get us there yet,’ she said. ‘Not with another apport. I expended too much energy bringing us all the way here.’
‘You’re right,’ Taine agreed. ‘You ought to eat, and then sleep for a little while, supposing we can find somewhere safe. Besides, we need to think things through very
carefully before you take us on another jump. We were lucky last time. Next time we need to know exactly where we’re heading, and we should probably do it in stages, so it doesn’t
exhaust you so much. If you’d burned yourself out last time, attempting so much . . .’
‘Don’t.’ Aelwen shuddered. ‘We might never have materialised at all, either of us. Would we have died? Or been caught for all eternity in some endless limbo? It
doesn’t bear thinking about.’
‘We won’t think about it. It didn’t happen and it won’t happen next time, because we’ll plan it out and take greater care, making several small jumps.’
Easy for you to say, Aelwen thought. But she
Similar Books
