Throne of Scars by Alaric Longward Page A

the helpless in Himingborg! It’s nothing but cruel and mad! The only thing she is doing is butchering people who can barely fight. They have families out there in the south part. We are here, besieged. I think we just have to get the Horn and forget the war. Defend and keep the fort, and—”
    She spoke softly, “And you worry, when I told you not to. Have faith. Every death has a meaning. The Horn is what she needs, but before that, she will bring justice to Aldheim. She will take down all the high elven houses and make them live in peace with each other. She’ll give them justice.”
    “She is delusional,” I said as Kiera turned to look up at me. “It is an impossible task, of course, even for her. There are simply too many elves out there. And is it her task, or does Hel demand it?”
    “Hel?” she said with a smile. “Ulrich, do not challenge Hel. Trust Shannon. She has a plan we don’t know much about. Wait. Help her.”
    “She does have a plan,” I agreed. “And I agreed to help her. I’ll get her the Horn. But I’ll not go killing anyone for no reason. I just slaughtered hundreds. Almost Anja!”
    “And Dana,” she said. “You will get Dana.”
    “I—” I began and faltered. “No.”
    “ No ?” she asked, surprised, her face close to me. “We’ll see. Recovering the Horn might mean you will have to kill what you consider innocents. Be prepared for that.”
    “Let the gods judge Dana,” I told her while she looked up at me, her eyes red and full of cunning, and perhaps a touch of care as she smiled gently. “I’ll only help with the Horn, as I said. And I shall not kill any innocents.”
    She nodded heavily. “She’ll be upset if you don’t obey her to the letter. She has too many people challenging her already. But of course you will get the Horn and that is the end of it. You promised.”
    I frowned and held her face. “ Will she give it to Hel then?”
    “She says she will.”
    “Will she?” I demanded. “The Eye of Hel drove Cerunnos mad. The Horn might drive her mad. And Hel might spend an eternity punishing the worlds. There might not be any elven houses living in peace with each other. Unless she means to settle them all in Helheim.”
    “Then she shall do what she will and that’s all there is to it,” she hissed. “But in the end, all will be well. I told you not to tangle with Hel. Do not!”
    “Well?” I snorted, not heeding her words. “I have no faith in Hel. Men make deals back in Earth. Some go sour, wars are waged, people die, mostly innocents, and so it is here as well. It seems everyone seeks to be a god. Everyone desires mighty toys to gain power over the worlds. When Shannon gets the Horn, will she truly give it to Hel? What if she keeps it? What if she decides to bargain with the gods, or this thing that she’s become decides she wants to rule Aldheim for good, just like Cerunnos Timmerion wanted. What if Hel forces her to take war from one to another, until nothing is left? Shannon might … change more than we think.
    I shut my mouth and turned away. I’m an idiot. Shannon surely heard me.
    I looked at Kiera. She’d be forced to tell her.
    No. I’d speak my thoughts to her myself, finally.
    Kiera smiled and looked over the lands. “You have so many doubts. I wonder if you should go at all. But no, you must. We need you. And we all change. Who is to say Ulrich will not claim the Horn to make sure Shannon and Hel won’t be tempted to make a pisspot out of it? Perhaps such a decision will destroy thousands of people in ways Ulrich could not anticipate?”
    I shrugged, tired of the topic. “Or you? You might be tempted to bargain for your life, or death.”
    She pulled me along to the tower not far, where the doorway beckoned with open darkness. “They are ready. And I might be tempted, Ulrich. Though as time passes since my resurrection into this lifeless body, I find I enjoy it, occasionally. But you are right. We all can be tempted. She is