by Duncan Lay
He turned his back on them and wrapped himself into a blanket. Thinking about his children’s toys made him think about his children — and that was too painful. It was easier just to hit things.
Huw and Rhiannon exchanged a long look.
‘We’re going to have to do something,’ Rhiannon whispered. ‘He’s changing. He would never have done that a quarter-moon ago.’
‘Just a few more villages,’ Huw begged.
‘One more. We have to stop then, ask around, help him somehow. What if he was just to walk away from us?’ Rhiannon shuddered at the thought. No Dokuzen, no dream, no dancing for the elves.
‘One more then,’ Huw agreed, wondering what he could offer the elf.
And then they arrived at Dale Hill.
This small village was sandwiched between a pair of small hills, and had a good view of the land around. But what they found there left Sendatsu infuriated and Huw horrified.
‘We leave food outside the village, in case they come back. Then they will leave us alone,’ said the gloomy village headman, even his moustache seeming to droop.
‘You don’t get rid of wolves by feeding them lambs — any shepherd will tell you that!’ Huw protested. But the villagers were afraid, like their headman, Iddig.
‘You cowards! I have heard some foul things since I arrived in these lands but this is surely the worst,’ Sendatsu raged at Iddig.
‘We are not elves. We can’t protect ourselves with magic …’
‘No, you need to use courage! Don’t you know it is better to die on your feet than live on your knees?’
‘Easy for you to say. You don’t have children to worry about!’ Iddig retorted.
That was too much for Sendatsu and Huw and Rhiannon had to jump in front of him to stop him.
‘We need these people to work with us — hitting them will not help!’ Huw gasped as he strained to hold back Sendatsu.
‘You will fight these Forlish if I have to throw you at them myself.’ Sendatsu shoved Huw and Rhiannon back and turned instead to the shocked villagers surrounding them. ‘I don’t care how long I have to stay here, you will not give up to the Forlish. Is there just one of you with the courage to stand with me against the Forlish, to stop the baby-killers?’
He glared around the villagers and Huw was sure nobody would have the courage to step forwards. He had no idea how to restore the situation either and was thinking how he might get Sendatsu out of there when a young man, no older than Huw, took a big pace forwards.
‘I am Powell. Forlish raiders killed my parents and burned out my farm, a day’s walk to the south of here. I will gladly fight the Forlish,’ he said fiercely.
Sendatsu glared around the rest of the village. ‘Good. Powell is now your leader — does anybody object?’ he snarled.
Iddig opened his mouth, then thought better of it.
‘Good. Now we shall start working.’
The villagers reluctantly began making a wall — with little in the way of trees around, they had decided on an earthen bank, with stakes at the top to keep back horses — but progress was incredibly slow. A couple of families even walked away — loaded up a small wagon or cart and rounded up animals and left.
‘We want no part of fighting. We just want to live in peace,’ they declared, when challenged by Huw.
‘There is no peace. Wherever you go, there will be Forlish raiders. You must stand firm, protect what is yours,’ Huw had tried to tell them — but it was no use.
By the end of the first day, Huw was ready to walk away.
‘We could stay here for a moon and still achieve nothing. The people have no spirit,’ he said sadly.
‘I won’t let them give in,’ Sendatsu swore. ‘They will come around. Besides, the Forlish know to come here for supplies. We have to stop that.’
Sendatsu sat up most of the night, hoping a party of raiders would come to the fire he set outside the village — but nothing happened.
In fact, little happened for days. The people were reluctant to work and nothing Sendatsu did could change that. Huw came to his rescue, however, working with Powell to make him a true leader. The combination of Huw and Powell eventually meant even the most reluctant left their fields and animals and helped finish the wall or work on crossbows.
By the sixth day, progress was so good even Sendatsu felt able to ride away, leaving Dale Hill ready to hold off a Forlish attack and, with their thick earthen rampart atop the slope that led to the village itself, probably one of the best-protected of all they had visited.
But Huw was not prepared to go through another village like that and, even before Rhiannon had a chance to say anything, knew he had to speak to Sendatsu.
‘We can’t do that again. If this village is like Dale Hill, we have to walk away. We took far too long there — who knows how many others were attacked while we wasted time on them? How many lives were lost because we spent so much time on them? How many children, eh? What are you going to say to the parents when we walk into the next village that has been raided?’
‘Don’t you dare tell me that!’ Sendatsu stormed.
‘We need to calm down,’ Rhiannon said soothingly. ‘We’ve all spent too much time arguing with people lately and it has left us short-tempered. We need to eat something and relax for a turn or two of the hourglass.’
Sendatsu reluctantly agreed but he still felt on edge. While Rhiannon was getting a fire going and Huw was seeing to the horses he walked away and opened up his belt pouch, took out his children’s toys for the first time in days. The reminder from Huw was the last straw. He had tried to stay away from the toys, thinking that only weakened him, but he needed them. He kissed them and held them close. Once they had even smelled of Mai and Cheijun … now even that was gone. He felt lost. Why, oh why had he taken that scroll? Why couldn’t life have just gone on as before? Anger and despair warred within him.
‘What are you doing?’ Huw asked.
Hurriedly, Sendatsu stuffed the toys back into his pouch and wiped his eyes on his dirty sleeve.
‘Nothing,’ he said roughly.
‘What is in that pouch? What is it you are hiding?’ Huw demanded.
Sendatsu pushed past him. ‘It is nothing for you. Now leave me alone.’
Huw staggered back under Sendatsu’s shove. Once he would have taken that, would have walked away. But that was a different Huw. He flung himself at Sendatsu, aiming for the belt pouch. Sendatsu reacted instinctively, spinning away. But Huw had a firm grasp of the pouch and the thin leather fastening tore from Sendatsu’s belt, leaving the pouch in Huw’s hands.
‘Now we shall see what your secret is,’ Huw declared.
‘Give that back!’ Sendatsu roared, raw anger swamping through him.
Huw was alarmed by the red fury suffusing Sendatsu’s face and raced over to the fire.
‘Stay back — or this goes in the flames,’ he warned.
Sendatsu drew his sword. ‘Give that back to me or I swear I shall take it from your still-warm corpse.’
‘Sendatsu! Calm down! And Huw, for sky’s sake give him back the pouch!’ Rhiannon jumped to her feet, alarmed.
But Huw was not ready to give in.
‘I want to know what is in here, why he cannot show us — why he threatens to kill me for it.’ He ripped open the pouch and hauled out the children’s toys.
For a long moment the three of them stared at the two objects in Huw’s hand.
‘What are these?’ Huw began.
Sendatsu lost all control. A red mist descended across his eyes and he sprang forwards, intent on getting Mai and Cheijun back by any means.
Huw was distracted by the toys, the last things he had expected to see in there, and was slow to react. But Rhiannon was faster and saw the menace in Sendatsu. She leaped in front of him.
‘Stop! Wait …’ she called but Sendatsu was in no mood for reason. He hurled her aside.
She shrieked as she flew through the air, then her voice was cut off as she thu
mped into the ground and lay there.
‘Rhiannon!’ Huw cried, dropping the pouch and the toys and racing to her side.
Sendatsu’s only thought was for the toys, the symbols of Mai and Cheijun, and he gathered them up, leaving his sword in their place. His next thought was Huw and he turned to pursue the bard — to see Huw on his knees beside the unmoving Rhiannon.
For a moment more, Sendatsu’s anger burned hotter than the sun, but such intensity could not be sustained and it flickered out as he stared in shock at Rhiannon. He ran over and joined Huw on his knees, as they tried to see what was wrong with her.
‘Rhiannon, speak to me!’ Huw patted her hand, stroked her face — but she continued to lay unmoving.
Sendatsu was seized with a terrible fear he had truly hurt her, perhaps even killed her, and he leaned over and slapped her cheeks, not hard but strong enough to gain a reaction.
‘Wh-what …?’ Rhiannon’s eyes flickered open and she stared about wildly for a moment before focusing on Sendatsu.
For a long moment they locked eyes, then he felt the prickle of horror as he saw the fear in her gaze.
‘Get away from me!’ She scrabbled backwards.
‘No, please — I am so sorry.’ Sendatsu held out his hands.
But Rhiannon kept backing away, her jaw set, her eyes cold.
‘I think you should explain,’ Huw said softly. ‘What are those toys and why you are willing to kill us for them?’
Sendatsu looked at the toys in his hands, then back at Rhiannon, who was gazing at him with something close to hate — and he dissolved.
The fear and anger that had been inside him for so long burst out, like poison from a wound.
Huw and Rhiannon gaped at the weeping elf, then looked at each other, then back to the elf.
Sendatsu was incapable of words now, hands holding the toys, arms wrapped around his chest, rocking back and forth.
Huw wanted a reaction from the elf — but he had not expected anything like this. He had always known there was something strange about that pouch but this was more than he had imagined. Huw had to know the truth. And there was only one way to get it. Besides, the sounds Sendatsu were making were uncomfortable to listen to. It was too personal. He had to do something for the man — elf. He locked eyes with Rhiannon and then gestured towards Sendatsu with his head.
Rhiannon’s eyes widened with surprise. Was Huw really suggesting they go and comfort Sendatsu, after what the elf had just done? She shook her head furiously. Her glittering future with Sendatsu, the glorious life together in Dokuzen, lay in ruins around her. She had not even begun to work out what that meant — but she knew she wanted nothing more to do with Sendatsu. But Huw was gesturing insistently, while Sendatsu’s wailing had not stopped.
She looked at Sendatsu, now in the foetal position on the ground, sobbing in a way she had not heard before. It was as if his heart was being torn out with every breath and, despite the anger and hurt she was feeling, she had to know why.
Slowly, reluctantly, she joined Huw as they edged towards the stricken elf. Huw was the first one to reach out, patting Sendatsu on the back. Rhiannon reached out hesitantly, then stroked his hair.
Sendatsu reacted instantly to their touch, curling himself into a ball, and his sobs redoubled.
‘Talk,’ Huw said gently, patting the elf. ‘Talk to us. Get it out. Whatever it is, it is poisoning you inside.’
But Sendatsu was unable to do anything more than wail.
Huw gestured at Rhiannon and she gritted her teeth, then reached out and held Sendatsu, unable to stop remembering how she had held him before, when they were in bed together.
‘Tell us,’ she managed to say, almost choked by those memories.
Huw stretched out as well, enfolding both Sendatsu and Rhiannon, until all three were locked together. For a long moment Sendatsu resisted them, then he clutched them back, like a drowning man reaching for a helping hand. The two humans looked at each other, a little dumbfounded, as he clung to them but his sobs seemed to slow, to drop off in intensity until, at last, he was silent.
‘Tell us,’ Huw said into the silence. ‘What is it?’
‘My children,’ Sendatsu managed to say, in a thick, almost strangled voice. ‘I had to leave them behind in Dokuzen.’
Huw and Rhiannon stared at each other and he saw the shock in her eyes, the flare of anger, but he held up a hand, begging her not to say anything yet.
‘Well, of course you want to go and see them. But surely they are safe with their mother …’ Huw suggested gently, pleading to a fuming Rhiannon with his eyes.
There was so much she wanted to say, and Huw’s warning was not enough to stop her — then Sendatsu raised his head and she saw his face.
He was red and blotchy from crying, his eyes and nose were running — but he had such an expression of utter desolation that her angry words died in her throat — for now.
‘My wife died years ago. My children are with my parents. But I cannot visit. My life is forfeit unless I can return with evidence of what really happened when the elves left. Unless I find the answers I seek, I can never see my children again.’
Huw and Rhiannon stared at him with a mixture of shock and horror.
‘So the elven leaders haven’t sent you on this mission?’ Huw found his voice first.
‘No,’ Sendatsu admitted. ‘They’ve sent elves out here to kill me, or at least bring me back. If I do find my answers and go home, I must overthrow my father and the Elven Council.’
Huw and Rhiannon sprang to their feet, equally horrified, but for different reasons.
‘So our plan to get the elves on side can never happen — we are teaching my people to defend themselves, just so we can invite Ward’s armies here to finish the job and crush us properly?’ Huw exclaimed bitterly.
But Rhiannon’s voice was louder.
‘So you lied to me? You were never going to take me back to Dokuzen? You just said all that to get me into your bed?’
Sendatsu thought about lying but, really, what was the point now?
‘I am sorry. I know it was a mistake and I have regretted it …’
‘Not as much as me!’ Rhiannon stormed. ‘You were just using me for your own pleasure!’
Sendatsu nodded sadly. ‘I was weak. I am sorry.’
‘Don’t tell me that now! So why did you not say anything? Why did you promise me a life back in Dokuzen?’
‘I had not been with another woman since my wife died. I stopped thinking and lost control. You are beautiful and I could not help myself. Then I had to keep up the pretence because thinking you were going back to Dokuzen made you the perfect tool to use against Huw …’
Rhiannon turned away, fighting tears of humiliation, hurt and fury. She had thought herself special but, all the time, he had been lying. Like a fool, she had fallen for it all. She did not know what was worse — how he had manipulated and lied to her or how she could have been so stupid to believe it. Her father had always warned her about men like this — she just never thought an elf could be like a man. And Huw had tried to tell her, tried to warn her — and she had laughed at his concern, even accused him of trying to trick her because of his own feelings towards her.
‘Rhiannon, please believe me — I am so very sorry,’ Sendatsu said, but she just held up her hand.
‘I don’t want to listen to you any more. I have heard too many lies in the last moon, been given so many false promises that I cannot hear you now.’
She realised she could not bear to look at him. If she did, she might act on her feelings, which told her to grab one of the elven crossbows and pump a full dozen bolts into his lying face. How he must have lain awake, laughing at her stupidity, after using her! Her face burned with shame and anger at what she had done — at how she had behaved.
She needed time to come to terms with this. Abruptly she started walking away.
‘I need some space,’ she declared. ‘I am going for a walk.’
&nbs
p; Huw heard her say the words he had longed to hear — and it gave him no pleasure at all. The devastation on her face at Sendatsu’s lies was wrenching to see. Without thinking, he hurried after her.
‘Rhiannon …’ He reached out for her arm but she ripped it away.
‘Don’t touch me! I do not want to be touched by a man now!’ she snapped at him.
‘Sorry — I was just worried about you …’ Huw stepped backwards.
Her face softened a little. ‘I am sorry too. Sorry I did not listen to you. You have been such a good friend to me, Huw, saved me from King Ward at Cridianton, tried to warn me about Sendatsu. At least I know you would never lie to me.’
‘Of course,’ Huw agreed, the knowledge of his lies to her sitting heavily in his gut.
‘But I really need to be alone, need some time to think.’
‘I don’t want you going off by yourself. You never know who or what is out there.’
‘The mood I’m in, any Forlish need to stay away from me,’ she said grimly, but with the ghost of a smile.
‘At least take a crossbow with you.’
She shook her head. ‘It would be too tempting to use on that lying bastard. I can’t believe I lapped up his stupid lies! You were the one to see through it, and I wouldn’t listen to you either.’
‘Don’t blame yourself,’ Huw urged. ‘I believed him as well. As did thousands of Velsh! Look at all those villages we told would be safe when the elves returned to protect us … what are they going to think now?’
But Rhiannon was not thinking about Velsh villages.
‘I hurt you, Huw,’ she said softly. ‘You have never acted on your feelings for me but I know they are there. And I flaunted my desire for Sendatsu — my desire for glory with the elves — in your face. That must have hurt but you never said so. You never let it show.’
Huw turned away then — the memory of that time in his house, sitting in his father’s chair and listening to Sendatsu and Rhiannon making love, was still red-raw.
Rhiannon reached out and gripped his shoulder briefly. That was all the contact she was prepared to have.
‘I am sorry, Huw. I am not fit company right now. There are things I need to think about. Give me a little time.’