The Nemesis Blade (58 page)

When strangers
meet, there is ever a risk of war.

~ Awl

Grinwallin

I
t neared midday on Tunin and
Grinwallin was warm and wholesome, the sun benign with birds
noisily engaged in conversation.

After the cold
of Valaris, it was glorious and uplifting.

Teighlar and
Declan were on the portico. Quilla and Maple were there as well,
and the sight of a Tracloc set Saska’s teeth on edge.

Tristan and
Teroux were astonished by his presence, while Tianoman recalled the
man left Digilan with them. His hands clenched, for it meant he
would now think of Digilan and his father too much.

Teighlar was
clearly none too pleased to have a Tracloc in Grinwallin, but the
sight of Rose brought his good manners to the fore.

He greeted
her, his gaze filled with appreciation, and then swung Saska up
into his arms, embracing her. Caballa was as properly greeted by
the Senlu Emperor, both of them laughing.

Then, “Why is
he here?” Teighlar jerked his head towards Maple.

“We need him,
that is why,” Torrullin said. “Where is Sabian?”

“Here,” came a
lazy drawl from the lower steps. Sabian climbed up and looked Maple
over. “You subdued the Mor Feru at the portal.”

Black eyes
were expressionless. “I could not catch you, however.”

Sabian
grinned. “That was then.”

“Step out of
line this time,” Maple murmured, “and I swear to you, you will not
escape me again. I know you now.”

As Sabian
laughed, Teighlar inclined his head at Torrullin. He saw the value
of a Tracloc. Quilla suspected that was only one facet of the
Tracloc’s value - granted, a good one.

Teighlar
looked to the heirs. “We heard of yesterday’s events. I shall not
put my foot in and speak needless condolences. There is a point to
this delay, which, of course, escapes me.” He chuckled. “It is good
to see you three again. We missed you.”

Tristan
grinned. “We had good times here. Thank you.”

Teroux, who
could not long keep his eyes off Rose, said, “We are going with
you, so I guess we’ll be catching up on missing years.”

Teighlar
glanced at Torrullin. “They are going?”

“They are, and
Saska, Rose, Caballa, and whoever you chose as companion.”

Teighlar
laughed. “Not bad. I chose Dechend. He has a level head in a
crisis.”

“I thought it
would be him.”

“Thirteen,
Torrullin?” Quilla frowned.

“Superstitious, Quilla?” Sabian taunted.

The birdman
ignored him. “We need one more. I am sure it occurred to you also
fourteen would serve better.”

“Indeed, and
look how many I brought to the fray.”

“I am beyond
relieved you saw the wisdom, but we need one more,” Quilla
insisted.

“We have one
more. He will join us shortly. I shall introduce him when he
arrives.”

“You add many
unknown entities this time, Torrullin. Why is that?”

“Where we are
headed, we cannot rely only on what we are familiar with.”

Quilla
squinted up. “You are saying we require the element of
surprise.”

“Perhaps.”
Torrullin faced Teighlar. “Will Grinwallin have leadership in your
absence?”

“Like to
yours, a council of Elders. Dechend would be perfect, but I prefer
having him with me.”

“Nothing will
go wrong. Everything enters a kind of stasis when we leave, as if
time will crawl along. Nobody will feel it, but after they will
remark how little changed.”

“And how do
you know this?”

“Singing
stones, Emperor.” Torrullin noticed Quilla touch the pouch at his
side. “Akhavar’s stones.”

“Handy.”

“Very. Where
is Dechend? He should be with us.”

“He is coming
- organising gear.” Teighlar glanced at the ground where many packs
lay about. “Gods, I have not carried more than a quiver of arrows
on my back in a thousand years. I am too old to go hiking like a
kid.”

Rose
spluttered laughter, and there was general mirth.

Amused,
Torrullin asked, “Why do you need gear? You are an enchanter.”

“You are
unencumbered? Figures, but I am erring on the side of caution.”
Teighlar pointed a finger. “What if your magic is useless in there?
What will you sleep on? Rock? I will not share my bloody thin
little pallet thing with you.”

Torrullin
burst out laughing. “At least we won’t be bored with you
around!”

Declan
muttered, “You should’ve seen him yesterday - a real ray of
goodwill.”

Teighlar
slapped the Siric’s back. “I shall make it up to you.”

Dechend joined
them dragging two packs, dropping them at his feet. He greeted all
with a smile, except Sabian, and frowned at the sight of Maple.

“I suggest a
decent sit down meal before we go haring off,” Teighlar said. “It
is almost lunchtime anyway, and I warrant you lot have not had
breakfast yet.”

In answer,
Tianoman’s gut complained. Everyone laughed and shouldered packs to
head into the Great Hall. This time Teighlar, muttering, carried
his own load, which caused Dechend to grin widely.

“Where is he?”
Saska whispered to Torrullin as they walked. She refused to allow
him to take her pack.

“He is
securing the cottage; he will be here in a few minutes,” Torrullin
murmured. “Saska, say nothing about him, please.”

“Fine; Caballa
and I decided he is your problem. You say as little or as much as
you see fit.”

“You think he
is a problem?”

“Huge. Him,
Sabian and that Tracloc.”

“That
Tracloc’s name is Maple and he is a good man.” He looked down at
her and pulled her to a stop. “And Tian?”

“What about
him?”

“Is he a
problem for you?”

“No, why
should he be?” Saska frowned.

“I want you to
take special interest in him. He needs someone to mother him.”

She stared up
at him. “Mother?”

“Yes, and
perhaps your concern will prove to me it was a mistake, that you
did not let my child die because you have no mothering
instincts.”

Colour fled
her face. “Still?”

He bent
towards her. “Still. Do you think it was only Lowen that kept me
away?”

She breathed
again. “Why do you lay this out now? At the start of a long
journey?”

“It is a
journey about truth; this thing is a lie between us.”

She closed her
eyes and then moved away from him, saying no more.

He muttered a
curse and followed, ignoring Caballa’s look.

Saska, he
noted, said nothing either.

Caballa was
not the faint-hearted type. She made her presence known, forcing
him to a halt. “It isn’t wise to bring out enmity at this
point.”

“It exists.
Stop interfering.”

“Torrullin, it
will take time for Saska to forgive …”

“I do not give
a dinar how long it takes her. Nor do I care if she does or not; I
am the one who must make space for her again.”

That shut
Caballa up for a time, and then, “Are you saying you can’t forgive
her?”

“Are you
suggesting she is the one wronged?”

She licked her
lips, although not out of fear. She realised there were two sides
to the tale of this broken marriage. She understood also Torrullin
blamed Saska more than anything Saska had against him. It was
enlightening.

“What happened
between you?”

He blinked.
“She never told you?”

“Sinsen?”

“No, not
Sinsen. How can I throw stones there? Gods, sometimes I wished it
worked between them; she would be happy now … and out of my
life.”

Caballa
glanced over her shoulder. Saska watched them, her expression
unreadable. The others gathered around a huge round table Teighlar
had clearly prepared in anticipation. Clearly, too, he understood
there would be fourteen before any of them even realised the
requirement. The Emperor was a dark horse.

She looked
back to Torrullin. “It’s about Cat, isn’t it? Saska blames herself
for not being more attentive. It wasn’t her fault, Torrullin. Cat
gave up.”

“You were not
there.”

“And neither
were you. You cannot know how it was.”

He shrugged,
but was clearly angry.

“Torrullin, it
was a long time ago.”

“For me,
Caballa, twenty-six years.”

“Understood,
but had Cat lived, she would still be gone now. Two thousand years
passed for us.”

His control
snapped. “And our son, Caballa? Or daughter? The child would have
been half of me, with longevity. I would have my son or daughter
now.”

Caballa paled.
“That is what this is about? Cat miscarried and pain killed her
after. How can you possibly blame Saska … oh, god. She knew Cat was
pregnant.”

“And the Lady
of Life did nothing.” He strode away.

Caballa stared
after him. Dear god, a child. A child, when he lost Tristamil and
Tymall. A chance to begin again. A chance denied.

She glanced
again at Saska, who sent her a sad smile as if to say ‘now you
see’.

Saska took a
seat at the table as far away from Torrullin as she could, leaving
the space beside her open. Caballa joined her, saying nothing as
she sat.

Torrullin sank
into discussion with Teighlar, the seat beside him vacant for the
missing member.

He tried to
ignore his agitation as he waited for that space to be filled.

“We need to
travel the river,” Teighlar said, “and the boat I sent down is too
small.”

“There’s a
river?” Teroux asked.

“Underground,
inside the mountain.” Teighlar grinned. “If that does not scare the
daylights out of you, nothing ever will.”

Teroux turned
to Tristan. “Did you know there was a river?”

“Yes, but I
haven’t seen it.”

“It is no
place to visit,” Dechend murmured. “Dangerous.”

“And why do we
need to travel this dangerous river?” Tianoman asked.

“It leads to
the doorway,” Torrullin said.

“To another
realm?” Rose asked.

Teighlar
answered in affirmative.

Rose frowned.
“A doorway on a river?”

Torrullin sent
her a glance. “In a manner of speaking.”

“As usual
Torrullin is less than forthcoming,” an amused voice sounded behind
him.

Torrullin
ceased breathing. Then his heart thundered into motion. He did not
move, preferring to witness the expressions arrayed around him.

They saw a man
approach, dark of hair, clad in robes. He was smiling and he moved
closer to stand behind the chair Torrullin held open for him.

Most of them
showed surprise.

Saska and
Caballa were noncommittal.

“Hello, my
name is Elianas.” He bowed.

Without
looking at him, Torrullin said, “Elianas, meet Teroux, Rose …” He
went through them, including Saska and Caballa, and ended with, “…
and Tristan.”

Elianas smiled
at each in turn and received a nod from each, along with a smile,
although not, Torrullin noted, from either Saska or Caballa.

Then,
“Tristan, you are the image of your grandfather.”

Tristan merely
shrugged. “Valleur genetics plays havoc with our sense of
individuality.”

Torrullin
lifted a surprised gaze to the man, while Elianas murmured, “I have
heard how alike the Vallas are through time, yes, but likeness does
not deny individuality. We are all of us different inside.” He
paced a hand over his heart.

Smiling then,
Tristan too placed a hand over his heart. “How right you are,
friend.”

They grinned
at each other then.

Torrullin’s
heart thundered into an even rhythm. “Elianas, sit, eat.”

Elianas sat
and drew a plate nearer and did not look at anyone specifically,
while all looked at him.

Torrullin
wanted to scream at them, but the equanimity of the man at his side
gradually calmed his temper.

There was
silence.

Quilla broke
it first. “Elianas, Torrullin? Like the Sword? The one suddenly
missing from your side?”

Torrullin
flicked a glance at the birdman. “Do not go hauling the spooks out
again, Quilla. The sword is in a safe place; I need Trezond for
this journey. Isn’t it about catharsis also?”

“And do not go
playing word games with me, Enchanter.”

Elianas looked
up. “My name was chosen for how it sounds, not over its
meaning.”

“And a bloody
coincidence it is that it is a blade’s naming, I suppose,” Teighlar
muttered, staring with frank curiosity at the stranger. He was not
alone in his perusal.

“Your parents
knew no Valleur?” Tianoman asked of Elianas.

“I do not
think so,” he replied.

Torrullin
stood. He laid a hand on Elianas’ shoulder, and felt a barely
controlled tremble within. Elianas was not as calm as he
projected.

Neither was
he.

“This man is
my brother.”

“He is Valla?”
This from Maple, with a confused frown.

Torrullin
slapped his chest. “This brother.”

Tristan, he
noted, touched his heart again, and smiled in his direction. Thank
the gods, someone would not judge. He winked at his grandson.

Quilla snapped
out. “Never heard of one.”

Torrullin
stared around the table. “Then know him now.” He sat, and he and
Elianas looked at each other. Both smiled.

“Gods,” Saska
muttered.

“Where did you
meet this … brother?” Quilla asked.

Torrullin
lifted a brow at Elianas, leaving it to him to answer.

The robed man
reached out to pluck a bunch of grapes from a platter and removed a
juicy red orb to pop into his mouth.

Smiling, he
said, “In another realm. I guess Torrullin requires my knowledge
for the coming journey.”