Elves: Beyond the Mists of Katura (39 page)

‘Is there no other way down?’ asked Rith, standing near Auum and next to Merrat.

‘In all likelihood there is, but can we stay here until it’s found?’ replied Merrat. ‘Just take it slow. It’s not as bad as it looks.’

‘Right!’ called Auum. He hopped over the wave form and felt the shine of the ice beneath his boots. He turned a gentle half-circle and came to a stop. Balance would not be so easy
for others. ‘Here’s the method and all who want to live should follow it.’

The group gathered, eager to hear his words, wishing to miss nothing in the wind, which Auum guessed was still too stiff for flying though it was easing. The shelf was something over half a mile
wide and the time it took them to traverse it might allow the wind to drop enough for Wings of Shade. They were taking a considerable risk that it would.

‘Those of you who are confident enough to walk, do so slowly and try to butt your toes against the ice ridges you find as often as you can. Do not lean back as you are more likely to fall
and slide. Carry at least one knife in your hand, one in each if you have them. Should you fall, dig the blades in to stop you sliding. Don’t trust to anything else. You’ll gain speed
fast and there is no fence at the bottom.

‘Those of you who do not wish to walk, sit with your legs forward and move yourself with hands and feet. Again, knives in hands. If you have no knife, ask a TaiGethen. Stop when
you’re told to and wait to be lifted from the shelf. Do not be tempted to look over the edge. If you think it’s difficult here, it is far harder down there by the precipice.

‘Take your time. We have all day. Any questions?’

There were none.

‘One more thing: the TaiGethen will walk behind the rest of you,’ said Auum. There were murmurs of dissent and Auum held up his hands. ‘I know how it sounds but think about it.
From behind we can see you slip and slide and we can get to you and help you stop. Ahead of you, we will not see you go, only know you have fallen. Which way carries the greater risk to you and us?
Yniss is with us. And now we pray.’

Auum was surprised to feel more fear on the slow, slippery walk than he had on either of the far more dangerous climbs they had undertaken. Ulysan, walking by him with knives clutched tightly in
his hands, was staring at his allotted Il-Aryn with a fierce fervour.

Auum didn’t blame Ulysan for the way he was dealing with the trauma he’d suffered yesterday, but he needed his friend back and he felt helpless to make it happen. He had said Ulysan
needn’t have any Il-Aryn to watch but he had refused. Auum prayed none of them fell.

They made steady progress. The wind blowing up the slope was helping keep the pace slow and giving people the confidence to lean forward over their feet as they walked. About half the Il-Aryn
and mages had chosen to walk, and while a few had slipped and fallen early on, there had been no panic and confidence was growing gently and quietly.

Two thirds of the way to the edge, Merrat came over, moving fast, his feet sliding across the ice in gentle sweeps. Stein, who with Tilman was walking next to Auum, clapped his hands.

‘Now in my country we call that ice skating,’ he said.

Merrat dug in the sides of his feet and came to a walk by Auum.

‘We should have ice on Calaius,’ he said.

‘I can live without it,’ said Auum. ‘Is there something on your mind?’

‘Are your people being watched by others?’ asked Ulysan.

‘By Graf and Merke, my friend.’

‘Good.’

Ulysan nodded and returned to his staring. Auum shook his head but kept his words to himself.

‘What is it?’ he asked Merrat instead.

‘We’re all so concerned with getting off the mountain that we haven’t spoken about what comes next. Which way will we go? Who will we try to find? We’re about to be
afforded the best view of the Wesman lands we’re going to get. Let’s not waste it, that’s all.’

‘Ulysan, you coming?’ asked Auum.

Ulysan shook his head. ‘Someone has to stop them if they slip. Someone has to be there to grab their hands.’

‘I understand,’ said Auum. ‘Stein, we need you. Come on, Merrat, this is your idea . . . and no skating.’

A short while later the three of them sat near the edge of the dizzying drop down to the Wesman lands, feet braced against ice ridges and knives in hand just in case. The ground below appeared
full of jagged rock spears pointing up to impale them as they descended. Beyond them the ground was less wild but remained doggedly rugged, dominated by mountains and high hills in the distance and
shot through by an overwhelming bleakness.

Smoke rose from the fires of several small settlements perhaps a day’s walk from the base of the mountains, and smudges in the air further afield represented the smoke and dust of larger
towns, perhaps even a city. Auum could see goats and cattle roaming the hills searching for grass and roots, but the mass movements of armies he had half expected to see were absent.

‘So, Stein, what do I need to know?’ he asked.

‘All right, a few main features for you. I’ll start with Parve, the seat of Wytch Lord power. It’s almost straight ahead, way to the west of us. You might be able to see a dual
line of low peaks. The Baravale Valley passes between them and points to Parve.’

‘I can see the smoke of the city,’ said Auum.

Stein looked round. ‘Your eyes are really that good, are they?’

‘Yes,’ said Auum. ‘What else?’

‘Wytch Lord influence radiates out from Parve, but on the western coast there is plenty of resistance. That’s too far for us to go. Do you see the lake backed by mountains to the
south of Baravale? Of course you do. Well, that’s Sky Lake and the Garan Mountains.’

‘Garan?’ asked Auum. ‘That’s . . . ?’

Stein smiled. ‘Oh yes, of course, the army commander who became Ystormun’s pet experiment in immortality.’

‘Takaar said Ystormun was trying to make an elf out of Garan. He was the first human that didn’t deserve to die.’ Stein shuffled back half a pace from the edge. ‘Your
ancestor was the second.’

‘Anyway, moving on.’ Stein cleared his throat. ‘The further east you come, the more open the tribal lords are to us, though it’s a relative thing. They still hate us but
they will trade with us. There’s a settlement at Sky Lake and two or three further south where you might be heard.’

‘Do you have any particular names in mind?’

‘Well, there’s Gorsu, whose tribe occupies the lands nearer Baravale, but he’s bent the knee despite his avowed hatred of his masters. There are others . . . Kiriak in the
south but he’s weak, Lantruq of course and perhaps Sentaya. He’s a vicious bastard and quite likely dead by now.’

‘Why?’ asked Merrat.

‘The Wytch Lords aren’t keen on dissension. Reportedly his shamen have access to the Wytch Lord fire but, last we knew, he was refusing to take his people from the fields and arm
them.’

‘We’ll try him,’ said Auum.

‘I don’t know. I’d have gone for Lantruq. Strong leader, plenty of warriors and shamen still under his control.’

‘Where are his lands?’ asked Merrat.

‘You see the tree-covered hills south of Sky Lake? He’s there.’

‘He’s where we go after this Sentaya,’ said Auum. ‘I want to make a statement to Ystormun. Show him we can take his power from him. Kill his shamen if they won’t
turn from him. Then we get Lantruq and we have a real force behind us.’

‘It won’t be that simple,’ said Stein. ‘What can you promise either of them?

‘An end to the Wytch Lords and freedom for their people.’

‘Oh come on, Auum, you can’t promise that. No one can.’

Auum stared at Stein. ‘I have beaten them once. I can do it again.’

‘Yes, you defeated one Wytch Lord a long way from the base of his power, with the help of considerable magical talent.’

‘And with us are more mages, Il-Aryn and greater talent.’

‘Auum, you don’t understand. You can’t beat Ystormun or any Wytch Lord from a distance. My ancestor trapped him in a ring of magic and even then all he could do was diminish
him. He isn’t going to travel to Sky Lake; he’ll just turn his shamen on us.’

‘When he knows I am here, he will come.’

‘You’re sure about that?’

‘I’m counting on it. And when one is killed – or diminished – the word will spread and the Wesmen will turn. The alliance with Xetesk will fall and we will have an end to
this war. Then I can go home.’

Stein was smiling and shaking his head simultaneously.

‘There is a wonderful clarity to your mind, isn’t there? It never allows for the possibility of defeat.’

Auum regarded Stein, wondering if he was being mocked. He shrugged.

‘Those who entertain the possibility of defeat will always suffer the reality.’

There was a silence while Stein digested his words.

‘A sound philosophy.’

‘Can you fly in this wind?’ asked Merrat.

‘It’s borderline but I think so. Carrying elves down will help, I think, given the extra weight. We’ll have to—’

‘Spread yourselves on your bellies! Dig, don’t scratch. Do it now!’

Ulysan’s shouts ripped across the calm of the slope. Auum stood and spun round, Merrat with him and Stein rising more carefully. Three had fallen, one having slipped and grabbed the others
to steady himself so bringing them all down. They were in an untidy heap rotating slowly and gathering speed on the slope only fifty yards from the drop.

Ulysan was chasing them, bursting through the line of now stationary walkers and shufflers and heading across the slope to try and catch them. Auum’s heart was in his mouth; Ulysan was
going too fast. He set off too but Merrat was ahead of him.

‘My people,’ he said. ‘I’ve got this.’

He skated away, his movements fluid and his speed increasing quickly as he moved at an angle to intercept the flailing elven trio, none of whom could drive a knife into the ice to slow their
progress.

‘Spread yourselves out!’ called Auum, setting off along the edge, his feet finding purchase hard to come by and the ice ridges cracking under his feet. ‘On your bellies and use
those knives!’

Merrat was closing on them fast but they were starting to panic. They were clutching one another rather than fighting their instincts and spreading themselves as wide as they could to gain
maximum friction. He saw one knife strike hard into the ice, but the blade snapped and the Il-Aryn shrieked with frustration and fear.

Fifteen yards before they reached the edge of the precipice, Merrat dived full length, catching one of them about the chest.

‘Hang on to each other and spread out!’ he ordered.

Instead they tried climbing over each other to reach him. Merrat stabbed hard at the ice, scoring a trench. The blade shrieked as he pushed harder, slowing them but not enough. Auum ran faster,
trusting his feet, whispering a prayer to Tual to keep him upright.

‘Merrat! You have to get your other knife in! You’re going too fast.’

Merrat tried to turn his body. ‘Hold on to my legs, let me free my arm!’

But the Il-Aryn were lost to reason. Two had hold of Merrat and the third was clutching for him, denying him the chance to save them.

‘Let him go!’ roared Auum. He was closing but nowhere near quickly enough. ‘He has to use his other knife! Listen to me!’

The first elf’s feet slipped over the precipice. He wailed and grabbed again and again at the clothing of the others while his momentum carried him further over. It was horribly slow to
Auum’s eyes but the end was inevitable.

‘Shove them off!’ cried Auum. ‘Merrat, you have to stop your slide! You’re going over!’

Ulysan thumped down, grabbing Merrat’s knife hand and driving the blade in a little further. He was spreadeagled at right angles to Merrat and his other hand swept down with a desperate
force, the knife clutched in it finding a crack and wedging hard.

‘I’ve got you, Merrat,’ said Ulysan. ‘I’ve got you.’

‘Hang on!’ called Merrat as they slowed dramatically.

The two clutching Merrat gripped harder, and the one over the drop swung out lazily, his legs scrabbling at the precipice and his hands knotted in the trouser legs of another. They crunched to a
halt. Auum slithered to a stop above them.

‘Nobody move. Hold fast, hold your nerve and you’ll live.’

Marack, Nokhe and Hohan slid down and knelt to haul the Il-Aryn back to safety. Then they moved the elf away, who was sobbing his apologies and thanking Yniss for his rescue.

‘Never mind Yniss, thank Merrat,’ muttered Auum.

He walked past Merrat, reaching down to squeeze his shoulder. The other two Il-Aryn were detached from Merrat, who dragged himself to his knees and brushed the ice from his jacket. Ulysan had
rolled onto his back, and Auum knelt in front of him, leaning in to kiss his forehead and eyes.

‘You did it, Ulysan. You saved them all from falling.’

There were tears in Ulysan’s eyes, like the welling-up of memories.

‘I did,’ he said. ‘This time I could reach them.’

Auum reached down a hand. ‘But remember there are some times when you cannot.’

Ulysan took his hand and stood. Merrat pushed Auum aside and hugged the big TaiGethen.

‘You saved me, brother.’

‘Any time,’ said Ulysan.

Auum turned to Stein, who was walking slowly towards them.

‘Get us down off this mountain. I don’t think my heart can take any more.’

‘How far to Sky Lake?’ asked Auum.

They had descended the precipice without further incident and Auum had led long and passionate prayers of thanks for their deliverance to Yniss, Gyal and Ix. It felt wonderfully warm and calm at
the base of the mountains. Auum had stared up at the snow plain where they had stood so recently, wondering what madness had led him to think it had been a good plan.

Yet here they were: depleted, drained and hungry but very much back in control. They were hidden from enemy eyes by the jagged rock formations that surrounded them, and while rocks were gathered
to be heated for a thin stew made from everything they had left, most of the elves were lying down wherever they could find a spot. Auum didn’t blame them one bit.