Maelgyn wasn’t alone in not knowing that bit of news, as several of the others at the meeting started talking to one another in dismay, but Gyato quickly motioned them all to silence, with an impatient ruffling of his mane. “We are here because we now know what is really going on, and because we believe Svieda is really the only hope of stopping Hrabak.”
With that, everyone went silent. Maelgyn stared in wonder at those around him. As the eclectic mix of peoples here showed, every nation in the world but his had knowledge of what was taking place, and yet his nation was the one which needed this information the most. Yet now that he knew this information, what could he do with it? It took an army to slay any kind of dragon – even the “weaker” Red Dragons from which his dragonhide armor was made. Fifty Black Dragons would cost tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of soldiers to stop. Svieda may have the capacity to deal with such an assault, but they could not deal with both the dragons and the million armed soldiers of Sho’Curlas’ armies.
“Dear God,” Maelgyn whispered.
“You have resources you may call upon that might tip the balance in your scale,” Uwelain said, drawing everyone’s attention to him. The Borden islander shifted uncomfortably. “The Golden Dragons still reside in my home province.”
Unlike the untamable Red Dragons (which were prized for their hides) or the semi-domesticated Black Dragons (which could – with some risk – be raised as military mounts), Golden Dragons were intelligent creatures who could speak like any of the Five Great Races could, but they rarely entered into alliances with anyone.
Even before the first Humans arrived on its shores, Borden had boasted a small tribe of Golden Dragons. The Sword Kings of Svieda had negotiated with them when colonizing the island, and while they refused a direct alliance they granted Svieda a boon rarely given in return for preserving their safehaven. The Golden Dragons agreed to come to Svieda’s aide whenever another nation employed dragons against it – be those dragons Red, Black, or Gold themselves. Maelgyn’s own dragonhide armor was a gift from the first fruits of that agreement, when the Golden Dragons of Borden Isle defeated a nest of red dragons that had been attacking shipping lanes. They had been called upon four times since that alliance began, and met their obligation each time with honor.
Unfortunately for Svieda, that alliance was now dormant thanks to the Borden Isle Rebellion: The Golden Dragons announced they would withhold their protection from both sides until the war between the Borden Isles and its mother country was over.
Maelgyn frowned. “That won’t do us much good,” he answered. “Whatever you may think, sir, I doubt Borden Isle will rejoin us in time for it to matter.”
“You’ve got some time,” El’Athras said. “Sho’Curlas doesn’t plan to reveal its dragons until Svieda is defeated, if it can help it. Its dragons are still a secret Hrabak hopes to reserve for a later strike against Oregal.”
Maelgyn snorted. “Just how do you know that?”
“That,” El’Athras replied, “is a long story for another time. We need to concentrate on the important things, now.”
“Like returning the Borden Isles to their proper place,” Baron Uwelain added, “As a loyal province of Svieda.”
“How?” Maelgyn asked. “We’ve been warring with Borden for nearly eighty years.”
“El’Athras and Gyato have proof that Sho’Curlas instigated the rebellion. Svieda’s poor treatment of Sword Ivari at her marriage to Laimoth was staged, and Elaneth was corrupted by Hrabak’s lies. Now you are at war with our true enemy. I believe my people will want to join that war, once they learn where their anger should truly be directed even though it means ending the rebellion.”
Maelgyn frowned. That sounded rather... idealistic, to him. “And the current Sword of Borden Isle? What will he think?”
The baron stood up again. “Well, that’s where I come in. Sword Ivari and Lord Laimoth had two sons, Koheil and Elaneth. Elaneth, the presumptive Sword Prince, died leading the rebellion, but Koheil survived the war. He was my grandfather and I am the last of his line. The current Sword Prince, Paljor, is the son of a more distant relative and, to my mind, a usurper. He rules with an iron fist and already is unpopular among the commoners. He will lose the support of the nobility as well, once they see that he is in the pay of Sho’Curlas.
Maelgyn raised an eyebrow. “You’re a descendant of Prince Koheil? I thought he died without having any children.”
“Not exactly. The official story was that he passed away while making the journey to be invested as the next Sword following his parents’ deaths. At least, that’s what everyone outside of the Borden Isles believed.
“The truth was, he never left Borden Isle. Instead, he declined his birthright years before his mother’s passing and retired to a barony with his wife. He was a nobleman married to a commoner, himself, and didn’t want to cause further tension after the unrest caused by his parents marriage. It was Elaneth who spun the tale of Koheil’s death, and none of us were aware of it until after he had already launched the rebellion.”
Euleilla shifted slightly. “A royal marrying a commoner caused tension?” she whispered softly.
Maelgyn squeezed her hand reassuringly; that conversation needed to be held in private. “So that means you’re-”
“Prince Uwelain, Baron of Swathburg, and currently second in line for the ‘throne’ of the Borden Isles,” he explained, and then hesitated. “I won’t mislead you on where I stand. My grandfather renounced his claim to the throne, but not those of his descendents. Since he was the elder child, his son – my father – should have been next in line. In which case I would now be ruling the Borden Isles.”
Maelgyn nodded slowly. “With your aid, perhaps we do stand a chance of getting Borden Isle on our side... as long as we have your support.”
“Exactly,” Uwelain agreed.
“That still leaves the problem of convincing the Golden Dragons that our treaty should be honored once more,” Maelgyn mused. “And dealing with the Sho’Curlas army. It’s not looking very good.”
“I agree,” El’Athras said. “So we’ll have to see what else we can do to tip the scales in your favor.”
Gyato was the one who explained. “Since the dawn of time, there have been five true ‘Major’ races which made themselves a part of this world: The Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Nekoji, and Merfolk. The Elves are nearly extinct, I’m afraid, but some like Hrabak, Lady Phalra, and Wangdu, here, remain prominent in the affairs of others. The same is true for all the races besides Humans. We are all dying out. Something needs to be done to preserve us, so El’Athras and I decided on a plan.”
“You seem to have omitted many races bred by the Elves, including the Centaurs, whose creation many regard as the peak of modern Elven achievement,” Kazdre said, laughing. “But I may be a bit biased.”
“Regardless, friend Centaur,” Gyato said, bowing to him, “Despite the Griffons and Dragons that the Ancient Elves created, and the Modern Elves’ attempts to reclaim that former glory with the Centaurs and Dryads, and even the minor intelligent races such as kappa whose existence has nothing to do with the Elves or any other race’s intervention, in truth there are only five major races on this world, races which are strong enough, organized enough, plentiful enough, and civilized enough to form societies with governments, laws, and influence on the state of the world. Of those, only the Humans thrive.
“Because of this, I contacted El’Athras some three years ago with a proposition. It was my belief that, if the stone of the Dwarves and the fire of the Nekoji would combine, we might prove to be a greater power ourselves. If my nation and the last Dwarven nation merged, I believed, it would spark the resurgence needed for us to remain important in this world. It was my hope that together we could keep ourselves from dying out.
“To my surprise, El’Athras, who at the time had only just ascended to become the High Merchant Prince of the Mar’Tok Dwarves, had been planning something similar for several year
s, and our envoys crossed paths with each other.”
“I wish you success in the joining of your two nations,” Maelgyn replied. “But I’m less clear what that has to do with me?”
El’Athras snorted. “I thought it’d be obvious by now, but there’s one more piece to add to what Gyato was saying so let me finish. In the past twenty years, Mar’Tok has made itself a refuge for people of all lands who wish to leave war-torn countrysides or oppressive leadership. We have Centaurs, Dwarves, Nekoji, and even the odd Dryad in our cities and caves. We’ve been building a unified nation, much like Oregal. But, while a scattered few such as Dr. Wodtke are present, Humans are rare here... and it is Gyato’s and my plan to make this a greater nation of all races, utilizing each of our strengths. We intend to have both our kingdoms join your own – to unite our banners under your protection. That is what this has to do with you.”
Maelgyn’s jaw dropped for a moment. “I... must have misheard. Are you offering me the fealty of the last independent kingdoms of the Nekoji and the Dwarves?”
“Indeed, we are,” Gyato said. “It is our belief that our survival as independent powers will not last, and we want to be the ones to choose who will claim us.”
“And the rest of you – the ones from Oregal, Poros, Squires Knot, Bandi, and so on – what is your role here?”
“We are here merely to assure you that the rest of the world will not contest this claim,” Kazdre said. “Provided you take these lands and use them to stop the threat of Sho’Curlas once and for all.”
Maelgyn realized with a shock that the conversation had shifted from being a history lesson to being an event that would be taught in history lessons for generations to come... and that it was his decision that would determine the outcome. He looked around at the men and women who stood there, staring at them as if burning the moment into memory.
Gyato broke the silence, mistaking Maelgyn’s moment of reflection for indecision. “Perhaps you are wondering if you have the authority to conclude this treaty?”
Maelgyn shook his head. “No. With no king in Svieda, the Law of Swords is in effect. Any Sword has the authority to make treaties for their home province as if they were Kings. You would be ceding your countries to Sopan Province directly, and then I would need to designate them as separate provinces so that indirectly they... oh, never mind. That is for the barristers to decide. There are no precedents, so we will have to set our own. Indeed, for Svieda to survive this war, I fear I would need to accept even if I was less sure. But if I am to lead you, then I need to understand. Why choose Svieda?” he asked. “Why not Oregal, which already protects others of your races?”
“Because there, all non-humans are treated as inferiors,” one of the Oregal Dwarves explained. “There we are all serfs at birth – in a land where serfdom ended six hundred years ago among Humans – and can rise to be nothing more than second-class citizens. Only those who serve in the army may own property, and the taxes are tripled even for those who do.”
“The only way for any of our peoples to not just survive, but thrive,” Gyato noted, “is to find a nation that may respect us enough to treat us as equals, and join with them. And we judge Svieda to be such a nation.”
“To be honest, we’re taking advantage of you,” El’Athras admitted. “We were considering forming an alliance with the Bandi Republic instead, as you weren’t a possibility while you were allied with the Sho’Curlas, but things have changed. Svieda is the better option, and you need us.”
Maelgyn nodded. This was the sort of thing he would have expected his father or his cousins to decide... but he saw no alternative. They had to have this alliance. Without it, Sho’Curlas would wipe out Svieda and the question about authority would be moot. “Draw up the treaty. We have much to do.”
Chapter 13
Spearmaster Wangdu, after doffing his Squire’s Knot regalia to reveal more traditionally Elven clothing, led them out of the chamber. He was obviously anxious, but even so he did better guiding them on their way out than El’Athras had on the way in. Of course, it helped that he was taking them out through the modern entrance, and not the Dwarven Path of the Ancients.
“Wangdu,” Dr. Wodtke said to the Elf, breaking the silence which had endured since Maelgyn had dubbed El’Athras and Gyato Counts of Svieda. “I don’t believe we’ve met before. What is your story?”
“I have been the primary messenger between El’Athras and his spies in Squire’s Knot these past four years, I have. And I’ve done some spying of my own, I have. In fact, if it had not been for me, it hadn’t, Elm Knoll would have been lost, it would.” he replied. “And while we’ve never met, we haven’t, I’ve seen all of you from time to time, I have.”
It took a moment for Maelgyn to realize just what Wangdu was talking about. “The messenger to Elm Knoll...”
The Elf laughed. “Yes, that was me, it was. I was in such an obvious hurry, I was, that your militia captain never even looked to see that I was an Elf, I was.”
“Is Squire’s Knot really in Sho’Curlas hands, then?” Maelgyn asked.
Sobering, the Elf nodded. “Yes. And as soon as this council of war is over, it is, I must head back and try to save my country, I must. I fear this will be my last war, I do, and the Elves will be losing another of their kind once again.”
“Why bother returning to Squire Knot, Spearmaster?” Euleilla asked hesitantly, unsure if she had the right to actually speak to him. Elves were often superstitiously thought of as being slightly ‘above’ Humans by the peasantry. She was a peasant by birth, and while Ruznak had worked hard to remove those superstitions she must still have a few. “It is admirable to resist an invasion, but now... it’s just suicide.”
The Elf paused mid-step, and everyone else stopped around him. He turned to her, and with an appraising eye, asked, “And just what else would you have me do, my Lady, what else? I am a Spearmaster, I am – one of the last wielders of the Elven Spears my Ancient brethren developed, they did. My home has been sacked, it has, and there seems little else for me to do but to fight, it does.”
“You could join me,” Maelgyn offered. He, too, had reservations dealing with Elves, but only because he knew they were some of the most powerful beings in the world... and some of the most manipulative. Even the strongest of First Class Mages were considered inferior in battle to an Elven child, so gaining a veteran Elven Spearmaster at his service would be a small coup in and of itself. Besides, any Elf involved in this war, on either side, would need close watching, and what better way to watch someone than to have them nearby? “At least as far as Sopan. Once there, we can see what we can do. Depending on how things turn out, I might be able to provide you with enough resources to restore Squire’s Knot, if that is still your wish. As it is, one lone man cannot restore a kingdom.”
“I am an Elf, I am,” Wangdu noted, his eyes glinting fiercely. “You might be surprised at what I could do alone, you might.”
“I might,” Maelgyn agreed jovially. “But only if you’re around to surprise me.”
The Elf laughed slightly. “Perhaps,” he said. “I’ll think it through, I will. El’Athras wants us both to wait for a couple days, he does, before we leave. Perhaps I’ll have a decision by then, I will.”
Maelgyn raised an eyebrow. “A couple days wait? I’m not so sure about that. I want to get to Sopan as soon as possible.”
“As your wife’s doctor, I’d strongly advise rest,” Wodtke noted. “The poor girl just recovered from a plague, so the least you could do is give her a couple days to get her strength back.”
“Right, of course,” Maelgyn agreed, berating himself mentally for having forgotten Euleilla’s health problems. “Well, I could always see the sites. Never been in a Dwarven cave-city before this trip.”
“I could, too,” Euleilla added. “I’m having fun.”
Maelgyn raised an eyebrow. “‘Fun?’ We were nearly killed several times by mudslides, we have twice fought in battles to the death, and you con
tracted some kind of plague, yet you find it ‘fun?’”
“Yep.” She smiled mischievously.
He grinned. “Good.”
Wangdu shook his head sadly. “You humans are a strange lot, you are.”
“Well?” El’Ba asked as they returned. “What did the old man say?”
“Old man?” Maelgyn asked, surprised. “What old man?”
“El’Athras!” El’Ba exclaimed. “He’s the only merchant prince in the city who’d consent to see a human prince. Most of them’d rather kill ya than talk with ya.”
Maelgyn blinked. “I suppose that’s why he told me not to let anyone know who I was.”
El’Ba snorted. “You did a right good job of that, now didn’t ya? Ah, well, it don’t matter. What’d he say?”
Maelgyn hesitated, and then relented. The news would soon be public, and El’Ba had earned his trust more than most. He had helped arrange for Euleilla’s care, and would soon be entrusting his son to Maelgyn’s service.
“You deserve the truth, but I’d ask that you keep it to yourself until it is formally announced. El’Athras and Emperor Gyato of Caseificio ceded their nations to me,” he explained. “It was as much of a shock to me as I expect it must be to you.”
El’Ba blinked. “Oh. Well, that’s not as much of a surprise as you might think. It’s just what El’Athras’ rivals accused him of planning. The only reason most Dwarves have yet to rebel is that they see the sense of it. Mind you, some do care, and very strongly, so be careful who you say that to.”
“I imagine the word will come out soon enough,” Maelgyn said. “El’Athras is preparing his cavalry and archer corps to join the war effort against Sho’Curlas. There are representatives from several other nations who may let something slip. Oh! And there’s an Elf I’m hoping will stop by to discuss some things, later. I trust that won’t be a problem?”
In Treachery Forged (The Law of Swords) Page 15