storm (72 page)

            “You've been to Eyra already?” Pellaz said.  “Vaysh, it's barely even light!”

            “Aren't you concerned?  Ponclast might have taken him, as he took the Parasilians.  Yet nohar seems that bothered.  Well, I am.”

            “Why would Ponclast want Abrimel?”

            Vaysh pursed his lips.  “The son of the Tigron should be of prime importance, surely?  There's something wrong if he's not.”

            “Abrimel opted out of family and political life,” Pellaz said. “It was his decision.  We have never been close.  If he's disappeared now, it's because he has no interest in what's going on.  Also, he doesn’t like being around me.”

            “We shouldn't leave here until we know where he is.”

            Pellaz sighed.  “You do as you please, but I cannot.  If you really want to remain here, Attica can take on your duties as personal aide to me temporarily.  You must instruct him.”

            “I might do that.  I could catch you up.  My
sedu
can use the otherlanes to do so.”

            “If that is what you wish.”

            “I hope my fears are ungrounded, but I feel uneasy.”  Vaysh paused.  “You might as well tell me the truth.  The strange mood you've been in: it's the Freyhellan, isn't it?”

            “I don't want your judgements.”

            “I won't give them.  It's not a bad choice.”

            “There's no choice involved,” Pellaz said.  “It's aruna, that thing we need, remember?  It's nothing more than that.”

            “As long as you're happy about it.  I don't want there to be another episode like Rue.”

            “This is not another Rue episode.  Give me credit for some sense, Vaysh.”

            “I'm surprised, that's all, given the way you feel and the rumours that have been circulating, which I presume you've heard.  Will you talk to me about it?”

            “There's not much to say.  Look, I must start preparing myself for the journey.  Stay here if you wish and search for Abrimel.  I don't have much time.”

            “I'll ready your bath.  Everything is packed and most of your luggage has been delivered to the livery yard.  I've left travelling clothes out for you, which are quite ceremonial.  You want to look good as you lead our hara out of Imbrilim.”

            Pellaz touched Vaysh's face.  “Thanks.  I know it'll all be perfect.  You always think of everything.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Preparing an army for overland travel is a huge operation.  The warriors themselves are the easiest part to manage.  What is more complex is the vast infrastructure required to support their needs and the needs of their staff.  An army on the move is like a mobile city, and it has to sustain itself.

            The wagon train set off long before the warriors and their leaders, moving slowly with an armed guard around them.  No herd animals would accompany them, as it had been decided there were more than enough wild and feral cattle, deer and sheep that could provide meat, although there was a danger that their numbers would be decimated with so vast a company.  Hara were appointed to oversee this aspect and to plan hunting parties carefully.

            The only members of the Hegemony who would make the journey were the Tigron, Tharmifex, Velaxis and of course Ashmael, who believed himself to be in charge of everything, and no doubt wished that Tharmifex wasn't involved, as the Chancellor of the Hegemony would probably interfere in many of Ashmael's decisions.  Eyra would remain in Imbrilim to relay information, although two of his senior Listeners would be part of Ashmael's support staff.  The remainder of the Hegemony stayed in Immanion.

Back home in Phaonica, Caeru was sick with nerves, because more than one har had intimated subtly that he might end up being Tigron if things went badly.  Not that things would go badly, of course.  He shouldn’t really worry himself about that.

            Everyhar knew that Cal had gone to Galhea, but further information had been sketchy, seeing as Cobweb and Snake had had to head off into the wilderness.  Caeru wished that Cal would simply turn up at Phaonica as if nothing had happened.  If it came to the point where he had to become like Cobweb and adopt a different role, he'd go mad.  It just wasn't in him.  Fond memories of Ferelithia haunted his dreams.  He had summoned his Kamagrian friend Katarin to Immanion, who he'd known when she'd been human and who had stood by him during the bad years with Pellaz.  She now worked for Opalexian, and no doubt the Kamagrian needed her out in the world, gathering information for them, but Caeru didn't care.  He needed her more.  He needed a familiar face around him.

            Katarin arrived in the evening, dusty with travel, and met Caeru on his terrace.  She spoke of Pell's sister, Mima, and how everyone in Shilalama feared for the Tigron.  “Lend me a
sedu,
” she said.  “I should go to Megalithica.”

            “That is not going to happen,” Caeru told her.  “I need you, Kate.”

            “I know.  I'm here.”  Katarin embraced him for some moments, then drew away.  “How's the mood in the city?”

            “Tense.  What can we say to our hara?  We don't know anything.  I have nightmares of the Varrs killing everyhar in Megalithica and stealing our
sedim.
  I have dreamed of them pouring out the sky to bring ruin to Immanion.  It's not beyond possibility.”

            “You'd have some warning,” Katarin said, which didn't help at all.

            “We transmit cheerful propaganda about how well things are going in Imbrilim, but for the Ag's sake, these are hara we're trying to bamboozle, not humans.  It doesn't work the way it used to for human governments.  Hara sense the truth, and it simply breeds more distrust and anxiety.”

            “Then tell them the truth.”

            “The Hegemony fears it would induce panic.  Hara might flee the city while they can.  We wish to avoid that.  We want to keep things calm here.  More
sedim
arrived the other day.  Stablehara just went to work one morning and found the empty stalls full again.  We don't know where they came from.  They are mulish.  They just stand there looking splendid, full of mystery.  Who sent them?”  Caeru wrung his hands together.  “If they are here, does that mean the ones in Megalithica are in danger?  Will we need replacements?  What good is that?  If the
sedim
know what's going on, why don't they help us properly?  Ag, I'm shivering!”

            “Sit down,” Katarin said.  “I'll get your staff to bring us drinks.  Also, I'm starving.”

            “Sorry, I should have ordered you something.”  Caeru sat down at his table.

            “You stay here,” Katarin said.  “I won't be a moment.  Tonight, whatever the future holds, we will get drunk together and not think about it.”

            “OK.”  Caeru smiled shakily and watched her leave the terrace.  The evening air was full of the scent of lilies and the tang of the ocean.  It reminded him of home.  He began to weep.

Whatever intentions Pellaz had had to keep Galdra har Freyhella at a distance during the journey to Fulminir, they came to nothing.  The fact was that he found strength in Galdra's steady and serene support.  Galdra made no demands; he was easy to be with.  He was discrete until it no longer mattered, and even then kept his own counsel.

            On the morning that he left Imbrilim, Pellaz went with Attica to the gathering point outside the town where all the highest ranking hara would meet to begin the march northwest.  The atmosphere among the pavilions, which were all in the process of being dismantled, was close and tense.  The air smelled of turned earth, because the ground had still not dried out from the recent rain.  It smelled of manure and crushed grass.  The sky was overcast, the air warm and humid.  Few hara were speaking, perhaps because many of them were still affected by whatever last minute celebrations they'd indulged in the night before.  Pellaz wore ceremonial armour that appeared light and insubstantial, as if crafted from mother of pearl, but which was in fact very durable.  Over it, he wore a long cloak of dark green fabric.  His hair was plaited tightly down his back.  A warrior held Peridot's bridle as Pellaz swung up into the saddle.  All the
sedim
were harnessed.  They were war horses now.

            Around the Tigron, leaders of other tribes were also mounting up.  The majority of them had been given
sedim,
although the creatures had been given private instruction by their Gelaming handlers that if a situation looked dire, they must take their passengers to safety via the otherlanes.  An abundance of leaderless tribes was not a viable prospect, in the Hegemony's opinion.

            Pellaz gathered up the reins and gazed about him.  There was Ariaric, Archon of the Maudrah, surrounded by leaders of lesser Jaddayoth tribes: Mojag, Garridan, Natawni and Gimrah.  Lianvis of the Kakkahaar was nearby with Herien and Rarn.  Heron har Sulh was next to Ormelte of the Colurastes.  And there was Galdra, like a warrior from myth, wearing wolfskin, his hair in braids, hanging over his chest.  For the briefest moment, Pellaz caught a tang of Galdra's scent, imagined the feel of his skin.  Then the image shattered as Pellaz laid eyes on a vaguely familiar har mounted on a huge black horse, rather than a
sedu,
and realised it was Spinel of the Irraka, which had been a small-time and rather feckless tribe that Pellaz and Cal had run into many years before.  Pellaz hadn't even known the Irraka still existed, never mind that they'd joined the alliance.  He caught Spinel's eye and signalled a greeting.  Spinel stared back for a moment, as if he'd been punched, then cautiously returned the gesture.

            Ashmael rode through the crowd, accompanied by Tharmifex and Velaxis.  He brought his
sedu
up alongside Peridot.  “Well, Tigron,” he said, in a clipped voice.  “Are you ready to lead your hara?”

            “You will allow me to do that?”

            “It'll create a good impression leaving Imbrilim.  You always look first-rate in a procession.”

            “Why, thank you, general.  You flatter me.”

            Ashmael grinned savagely and turned his
sedu
away towards his elite guard.

            “Are you ready, Pell?” Tharmifex asked.

            “Is everyhar else?”

            “More or less.  We might as well make a start.”

            Pellaz leaned forward and patted Peridot's well-muscled neck.  “Well, old friend.  This is it.  Lead your brethren with pride.”

            The
sedu
threw up his head and walked forward.  The crowd parted to let him through.  Velaxis and Tharmifex rode behind and Ashmael's guard fell in behind them.  Before they even reached the end of the pavilions two
sedim
came cantering between them.  They bore Terez har Aralis and Raven Jaguar.  Pellaz felt his eyes mist and blinked quickly.  Emotions were running high today.  “You were supposed to stay in Immanion,” he called.  He didn't need to point out why.  Everyhar knew he regarded Terez as his closest heir, despite what other hara might think on the matter.