what?”
“Rucha in the main, though two Loka were among them.”
“How many?”
“A score and two.”
“When?” asked Aldor.
“Yesternight,” replied the rider. “Nay, wait, I rode all yesternight, so two nights back it was.”
Arin’s eyes flew wide.
Two nights back? My dream, the screams, the flashing blades.
Arin looked at Perin and silently mouthed,
My dream.
He nodded, and then both looked at Rissa, remembering that she had moaned in her sleep that same night as well, but Rissa seemed unaware.
Arin now glanced at the Eld Trees nearby.
Vanidar said we are somehow connected, and connected we are: they sense our presence; I sensed their pain.
“These
Spaunen
, who sent them?” asked Silverleaf.
“We know not,” replied the rider. “We were bloodlust mad with grief and the
Rûpt
were all dead ere we thought to take prisoner.”
Silverleaf slapped his leg and said to Aldor, “More than simple killings need answer this rape.”
“Of that I am aware,” replied Aldor, his eyes narrowing.“We must uncover the ones behind this vile deed and bring a hard message home unto the Foul Folk.”
“Retribution,” growled Elora, baring her teeth. “Swift and hard. This must never happen again.”
Arin’s eyes widened at the Consort’s bloodthirsty visage.
Is this how it begins? The war of my vision?
Vanidar took a deep breath and said, “Aye, retribution for my trees.”
“Thy trees?” asked Talarin.
Vanidar nodded. “I was Coron when this forest was first set in the ground.”
Now Talarin’s eyes widened, and he said, “Then the claim of this Darda upon thee is greater than most here. I would be honored to ride at thy side when we wreak vengeance upon the
Rûpt.
”
Aldor made a sweeping gesture, taking in Lian and Dylvana and all of Wood’s-heart. “We would all be honored to ride at thy side, Silverleaf. Wilt thou be my warleader?”
Vanidar looked from one to the other of the company, but when his gaze passed to Arin, she shook her head. “Silverleaf, as much as this felling of the nine pains me, I cannot sheer away from my first duty.” She turned to the others. “Ye all go with Vanidar and the Lian to render vengeance for this terrible thing the Foul Folk have done; thy presence will let the
Rûpt
know the Dylvana, too, will not allow such deeds to go unpunished. But I…I must instead fare to Aralan, fare to Darda Vrka to seek the advice of the Wizard Dalavar. It was the charge of mine own Coron for me to follow the trail of the green stone and try to set aside its doom.”
Vanidar clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles shone white. Then he turned to Aldor. “Arin is right. As much as I grieve at the felling of the nine, as much as I crave retribution, I cannot be thy warleader. We were charged by Coron Remar in Darda Erynian to accompany Arin on her mission, and accompany her I will.”
Silverleaf looked at the others, and one by one they sighed and nodded their heads.
Aldor’s gaze swept over them all. “So be it,” he declared. He turned to the rider. “Loric, sound the muster. I would ride in force unto the Grimwall marches.”
As Loric’s bugle sounded the call to arms, Arin stepped to Silverleaf’s side. “I am sorry, Alor Vanidar, for thou didst engender this woodland, and if any should seek vengeance for the slaying, it should be thee.”
* * *
With all of her goods packed, Arin took one last sweeping look about her quarters in the guest lodge to make certain she had left nothing behind. Then she stepped through the open doorway and onto the porch of the long, low, thatch-roofed lodge, where her companions waited. Little was said as slowly they walked toward the stables, passing Lian dwellings, where inside they could see Elven warriors—male and female alike—girting themselves for war. Now and again a rider thundered past on an urgent mission, and Arin’s heart hammered in her chest.
Is this clamor in any way tethered to my Seeing?
She
“Rucha in the main, though two Loka were among them.”
“How many?”
“A score and two.”
“When?” asked Aldor.
“Yesternight,” replied the rider. “Nay, wait, I rode all yesternight, so two nights back it was.”
Arin’s eyes flew wide.
Two nights back? My dream, the screams, the flashing blades.
Arin looked at Perin and silently mouthed,
My dream.
He nodded, and then both looked at Rissa, remembering that she had moaned in her sleep that same night as well, but Rissa seemed unaware.
Arin now glanced at the Eld Trees nearby.
Vanidar said we are somehow connected, and connected we are: they sense our presence; I sensed their pain.
“These
Spaunen
, who sent them?” asked Silverleaf.
“We know not,” replied the rider. “We were bloodlust mad with grief and the
Rûpt
were all dead ere we thought to take prisoner.”
Silverleaf slapped his leg and said to Aldor, “More than simple killings need answer this rape.”
“Of that I am aware,” replied Aldor, his eyes narrowing.“We must uncover the ones behind this vile deed and bring a hard message home unto the Foul Folk.”
“Retribution,” growled Elora, baring her teeth. “Swift and hard. This must never happen again.”
Arin’s eyes widened at the Consort’s bloodthirsty visage.
Is this how it begins? The war of my vision?
Vanidar took a deep breath and said, “Aye, retribution for my trees.”
“Thy trees?” asked Talarin.
Vanidar nodded. “I was Coron when this forest was first set in the ground.”
Now Talarin’s eyes widened, and he said, “Then the claim of this Darda upon thee is greater than most here. I would be honored to ride at thy side when we wreak vengeance upon the
Rûpt.
”
Aldor made a sweeping gesture, taking in Lian and Dylvana and all of Wood’s-heart. “We would all be honored to ride at thy side, Silverleaf. Wilt thou be my warleader?”
Vanidar looked from one to the other of the company, but when his gaze passed to Arin, she shook her head. “Silverleaf, as much as this felling of the nine pains me, I cannot sheer away from my first duty.” She turned to the others. “Ye all go with Vanidar and the Lian to render vengeance for this terrible thing the Foul Folk have done; thy presence will let the
Rûpt
know the Dylvana, too, will not allow such deeds to go unpunished. But I…I must instead fare to Aralan, fare to Darda Vrka to seek the advice of the Wizard Dalavar. It was the charge of mine own Coron for me to follow the trail of the green stone and try to set aside its doom.”
Vanidar clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles shone white. Then he turned to Aldor. “Arin is right. As much as I grieve at the felling of the nine, as much as I crave retribution, I cannot be thy warleader. We were charged by Coron Remar in Darda Erynian to accompany Arin on her mission, and accompany her I will.”
Silverleaf looked at the others, and one by one they sighed and nodded their heads.
Aldor’s gaze swept over them all. “So be it,” he declared. He turned to the rider. “Loric, sound the muster. I would ride in force unto the Grimwall marches.”
As Loric’s bugle sounded the call to arms, Arin stepped to Silverleaf’s side. “I am sorry, Alor Vanidar, for thou didst engender this woodland, and if any should seek vengeance for the slaying, it should be thee.”
* * *
With all of her goods packed, Arin took one last sweeping look about her quarters in the guest lodge to make certain she had left nothing behind. Then she stepped through the open doorway and onto the porch of the long, low, thatch-roofed lodge, where her companions waited. Little was said as slowly they walked toward the stables, passing Lian dwellings, where inside they could see Elven warriors—male and female alike—girting themselves for war. Now and again a rider thundered past on an urgent mission, and Arin’s heart hammered in her chest.
Is this clamor in any way tethered to my Seeing?
She
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