by Duncan Lay
‘Making sure you could have a safe future,’ he corrected.
‘I knew you would be protecting us.’ She yawned, then snuggled into him.
Sendatsu lay there, listening to Cheijun softly snore, and shifted to avoid Mai’s knee digging into his side. For the first time in several moons, he relaxed and closed his eyes.
It seemed like barely a moment later when the morning sun had the pair of them bouncing on the bed, wanting his attention. Tired though he was, he was more than happy to give it, to try to make up for the time he had been away.
So they read, and wrestled, and played, while the others slept, although Cheijun’s shouts of excitement eventually woke both Gaibun and Huw. Asami and Rhiannon were sleeping the sleep of Magic-weavers driven to the point of exhaustion and even Sendatsu’s children could not break through that.
Huw sat down with Sumiko’s translation book, as well as the one Sendatsu had taken from the Velsh church, and began to work through it. Sendatsu paid little attention to him, merely pointing out ink and paper when he asked for them. The rest of the time he played with his children.
Gaibun, on the other hand, lay on a couch with his eyes closed, occasionally muttering when Mai or Cheijun got too loud. But when Mai dragged Sendatsu out into the garden, he followed them into the fresh air.
Mai and Cheijun were quickly lost in exploring the new growth in the garden and seeing where spiders and snails had taken up residence.
‘What was it really like out there?’ Gaibun asked as they stood watching the children collecting snails and trying to keep them in a stone circle.
‘Why do you want to know?’ Sendatsu kept his eyes on his children. ‘You have never shown the slightest interest in humans before.’
‘No, but I have always found you fascinating. And they have had a great effect on you. Three moons ago you would never have done any of this — not in your wildest dreams. Yet you go out there for hardly any time, bring back humans and turn Dokuzen on its head!’
Sendatsu shrugged. ‘It is like your worst nightmare, in many ways. There are humans living in old elven villas, houses and barns, properties that were abandoned three hundred years ago. They are falling down and yet they are the best buildings in all the lands. The food they eat, the way they live — pissing inside their own houses, keeping animals next to children … it is everything we were taught to despise about them. And yet, there is a spirit there we do not have. I showed them how to protect their villages by building a wall and they put it up faster than we could, with less complaining. I drew them a picture of one of the crossbows from the tombs of the forefathers and they built scores of them, which work perfectly, just from that. I took a group of young Velsh and spent just one moon training them and already they would hold their own against an ordinary elf. Imagine what they would be like if they had the same knowledge and magic as we do.’
‘Well, at least one of them has magic,’ Gaibun said thoughtfully.
‘Yes, now there is Rhiannon. And where there is one, there will be more.’
‘How did you find Rhiannon?’
‘She found me, she and Huw did. Finding her power was luck — mainly bad luck for her. It must have been awakened by me using my little magic around her and then when she went through huge trauma, she unlocked it. I tell you, she not only saved us once, she saved us twice! Hanto tried to kill us and she sent him packing — Aroaril!’
‘What?’
‘I’d forgotten about him! He knows she can do magic and he’s out there, trying to get back to Dokuzen. If he gets back, he’ll tell everyone that she has magic.’
‘Calm down. How can he get back? All the Magic-weavers are under lock and key. And Jaken is under guard as well. Hanto will just be another traitorous Tadayoshi if he makes it back here,’ Gaibun said bitterly.
‘What?’
‘Well, our clan name has forever been destroyed. We shall go down in history as the ones who tried to rebel against the Council. And your family name will be hated even more, by our supporters as well as our enemies. Doesn’t that make you feel sick?’
‘My name is my own,’ Sendatsu declared. ‘We worry too much about pride and the past. We should be more concerned about the future. I saw things out in the human world, how we betrayed and murdered humans, to make me think we put far too much stock in our history. It is not the source of honour we imagine.’
‘Still, which noble family will be prepared to marry a Tadayoshi now?’
‘That is the last of my concerns!’ Sendatsu snorted.
‘Aye — because you want to marry my wife!’ Gaibun snapped.
Sendatsu turned from watching Mai and Cheijun use sticks to keep the snails inside their stone prison.
‘Is this what you really wanted to talk about?’
Gaibun sighed. ‘No. I haven’t seen you for moons and then all we have been talking about is how to get ourselves out of a mess. Now that is all over, I wanted to know what happened to you out there.’
‘But you are concerned.’
‘Well, can you blame me? The old Sendatsu would never have done anything. But this new Sendatsu, who is prepared to walk into his father’s house and risk his life — he might do anything.’
Sendatsu looked at his old friend and saw only pain in his eyes.
‘What do you want me to say? I have loved Asami all my life. I cannot stop, even for you.’
‘There are two of us and only one of her. And we both love her but she is married to just one of us,’ Gaibun pointed out.
‘And there is only one of us that she loves,’ Sendatsu said softly.
Gaibun reacted as if hit. ‘Is that why you and your humans are so determined to make out that I am some sort of traitor? You would like to see me thrown into the same cell as your father, then you would be free to steal Asami from me!’
‘That’s not true and you know it! I never said nor thought you would do anything to betray us!’
Gaibun sighed. ‘I know,’ he said.
‘I have always trusted you and I always will. Do you remember how we first became friends?’
‘As if I could forget! My father refused to go anywhere near your parents. I knew he hated your father but I’d swear there was something also as bad with your mother. I think your father delighted in inviting me around to spend time with you, because he knew what it did to my parents, how awkward they were.’
‘I never knew my mother hated your father,’ Sendatsu mused. ‘She always spoke well of him.’
‘Well, there was never any danger of us becoming friends. Until the day I saw those Kaneoki boys attack you and decided I could not let a fellow Tadayoshi be beaten.’
‘I had them right where I wanted!’
‘Certainly — if lying on the ground having them kick you was where you like to be!’
Sendatsu laughed. ‘Hard to dislike someone who has fought by your side.’
‘It was a stupid thing to do, rushing to help you. But it was one of the best decisions I ever made.’
Sendatsu clapped him on the shoulder. ‘You still think so?’
Gaibun grinned. ‘I have had my doubts lately!’
Sendatsu nodded. ‘And who can blame you? But I promise you this, in the name of our friendship, I shall do nothing behind your back.’
‘The humans really changed you, didn’t they?’
‘Not that much!’ Sendatsu protested.
‘Maybe I need to see what life is like out there also.’
‘You should. Aroaril knows they deserve something from us after we betrayed and murdered them, stole magic and kept knowledge for ourselves. And you should think of helping them.’
Gaibun chuckled. ‘A bit early for that! But they certainly made an impression on you. It seems you fell in love while you were out there!’
‘It wasn’t love. It was a huge mistake, which I immediately regretted —’ Sendatsu stopped as he realised what Gaibun meant, and what he had nearly given away.
‘What in Aroaril’s name
do you mean?’
‘Nothing.’ Sendatsu waved him away. ‘I suppose I have fallen a little in love with the Velsh people. It’s hard not to feel something for them, when you are out there. There was one young boy, dying from wounds given to him by Forlish raiders. He could have been Cheijun …’
‘You are changing the subject. And you are as bad a liar as always. I talked about love and you said a mistake — don’t tell me there was a human woman out there!’
‘Ssh! Keep your voice down! My children are just there!’
‘So there was a woman! Aroaril, you slept with a human?’ Gaibun stared at him in disgust.
‘What have we been saying? There is no difference between us! And given you’ve been cheating on Asami for years, you don’t have the right to say anything!’
Gaibun half smiled. ‘All right. I grant you that. So who was she? The daughter of a king? What attracted you? The big breasts, the plump backside?’
‘Gaibun!’ Sendatsu nodded towards his children.
‘Give me details and I’ll keep quiet!’ Gaibun offered.
‘It has been three years since I shared my bed. And they think elves are something like gods out there. It was a moment of weakness and I have regretted it ever since,’ Sendatsu said softly.
‘That’s not what I want to hear! What about her hair? Was it that strange red colour, like Rhiannon’s?’
Sendatsu said nothing but his face answered for him.
Gaibun gasped. ‘Aroaril! It was Rhiannon!’
‘I never said that —’
‘It was! You still cannot lie well!’ Gaibun rubbed his hand over his face. ‘This explains many things.’
‘What? And for Aroaril’s sake keep your voice down! If anyone else was to hear …’
‘Of course. You would not want Asami to hear that.’ Gaibun nodded.
Sendatsu stared him in the eye. ‘Do not tell her, please? It is not so much for me but more for Rhiannon. She needs Asami’s help to deal with her magic. Nothing can jeopardise that.’
‘Oh, it’s for Rhiannon, eh? Of course, I understand.’
‘It is about her magic! Asami is the only one who can help her.’
‘Is this the magic that you gave her?’
Sendatsu stopped his pleading instantly. ‘What? How could I give her magic?’
‘Well, you slept with her. Perhaps you passed some of your magic on to her that way.’
Sendatsu was sure this was a joke, but Gaibun did not offer a wink or any other sign it was indeed a light-hearted remark.
‘How can I give her magic? It is not some disease! Besides, she has ten times the power I have. Surely it stands to reason — if I take your mad idea seriously — that she would receive a little magic from someone with huge powers?’
‘Well, it is a possibility!’
‘It’s an impossibility! I slept with her twice and she showed no sign of magic for at least a moon after that.’
‘Ah,’ Gaibun said. ‘So it wasn’t just one mistake then.’
Sendatsu ground his teeth together to keep the angry words from spilling out. ‘It was a mistake, a moment of weakness.’
‘I don’t understand it but I’m your friend and I will keep your secret safe,’ Gaibun promised. ‘I am not out to hurt you. But I need you to stand with me, especially if Jaken starts accusing me and Daichi looks like he will add me to the pile of fallen Tadayoshi elves.’
‘I was always going to anyway.’
‘And Asami?’
‘I stay away from her and you keep your mouth shut?’ Sendatsu said.
‘I never said that.’ Gaibun shook his head. ‘The two things don’t have to be reliant on each other.’
They looked at each other awkwardly, a silence broken by Cheijun rushing up.
‘Papa! See snails!’
‘What is your answer?’ Gaibun asked.
‘I need time to think,’ Sendatsu replied, allowing himself to be dragged away by a laughing Cheijun. Gaibun watched them for a moment longer, then went inside again.
Sendatsu did not want to go back inside and continue their conversation but, finally, had to give in to Mai’s and Cheijun’s calls for something to eat. He took them inside in trepidation but found Asami and Rhiannon had finally stirred into wakefulness, and Gaibun volunteering to go out and get some food, for there was nothing in the villa. It had been cleaned up moons ago, while Sendatsu was in Vales, the aftermath of Sendatsu’s battle with Hanto and the Council Guards all removed, the blood scrubbed away and the broken furniture replaced. But it had also been cleaned out.
With Gaibun gone, all were smiling and laughing, caught up in the relief and joy of having gambled and won.
‘It seems strange to be sitting here, after what happened,’ Sendatsu said as they watched Mai and Cheijun taking turns on a wooden rocking horse.
‘It seems strange for us to be here at all,’ Huw said, staring up at the towering frescoes along the walls.
‘Well, it is all over now. We have done it. You are back, you have your children and we are all to be rewarded by the Elder Elf.’ Asami yawned.
‘It feels like a dream,’ Sendatsu admitted. ‘It’s hard to think there is no need for fear, that we can get what we wanted, all we dreamed about, and live in peace.’
‘I can bring the Magic-weavers back, restore Dokuzen’s respect for magic, while Rhiannon can even dance for the Council and the nobles — while secretly learning magic.’ Asami smiled. ‘I think it is more like waking from a nightmare to greet a bright new day!’
‘Well, after the Forlish have been defeated, I hope we can begin to create a proper relationship with the Velsh and elves. They might not see my magic but once they have seen me dance, they will begin to see us in a new light,’ Rhiannon said.
‘So you really want to dance, not just use that story to explain why you are studying with Asami and secretly learning to control your magic?’ Sendatsu asked in surprise.
‘I have always wanted to dance with the elves,’ Rhiannon said defiantly, her eyes strangely bright and glittering.
‘Perhaps you could come and show me outside. And I could show you a few exercises for the magic in return,’ Asami said gently.
‘Already? Shouldn’t you rest?’ Sendatsu asked.
‘She saved my life yesterday when Sumiko dropped the roof on us. Believe me, it is the least I can do.’
She grabbed Rhiannon’s hand and hurried her out of the room.
‘What was that about?’ Sendatsu said.
‘I’m not really sure.’ Huw picked up what he had been working on. ‘But I need to show you this. I’ve been translating the writing of that other Sendatsu. Sumiko only read out the bits she wanted us to hear. Then she said a strange thing when we confronted her, tried to tell us that the book held too much truth, the world wasn’t ready for it.’
Sendatsu turned to the bard. ‘What?’
Huw took a deep breath. ‘Our suspicions were right. There are no elves or humans. We are all the same. Look!’
Sendatsu felt his good mood disappear instantly. He sat down with Huw and read what he had written, which was tricky with all of Huw’s crossing out and changes and made more difficult by Cheijun trying to climb into his lap.
He felt a chill go down his spine in the first few sentences alone.
‘We need to tell everyone,’ Huw said. ‘Sumiko was right about one thing — this is more than we ever expected! I’ve barely begun and already it looks like it explains everything about why the barrier went up, why you call yourselves elves and not Elfarans, and why my people have no magic nor worship of Aroaril.’
Sendatsu held up Huw’s shaky translation.
‘Are you sure of this? What if Sumiko’s book is not right and we have mixed up a few words —’
‘It is right! I know what I did but, more than that, I can feel it in my bones. This is all true.’
‘I fear so. But we can’t use it. Not yet anyway.’ Sendatsu smoothed the paper out on the table. He had not forgo
tten the child’s body he had found murdered at the Velsh church, nor his vow to help the Velsh. But, back in his home, with his children in his arms, it seemed much harder to concentrate on that and not focus on fears of what might happen if he offended Daichi and the remainder of the Council.
‘This will turn Dokuzen on its head. We’re not elves but humans with grand ideas? We murdered and lied to keep the magic to ourselves? Daichi might be in our debt today but we’ll find ourselves in unmarked graves if we try to use this. My people are not ready for it.’
‘What about my people? They have been suffering for three hundred years because of what you Elfarans did to us!’
Sendatsu shook his head. ‘Don’t you understand? This book says Daichi should not be the Elder Elf. His ancestor murdered and stole that right from my clan. His ancestor was the one behind stealing magic, Aroaril and knowledge from the Velsh and Forlish and others. But, if we announce that to the world, what do you think he will do?’
Huw subsided. ‘Nothing good,’ he admitted. ‘But we can’t just ignore this — otherwise we are just as guilty as every elf that covered up the murder and betrayal.’
‘I’m not saying we ignore it forever. But we are on the verge of an alliance between elves and Velsh —’
‘Between Elfarans and Velsh.’
‘Whatever you want to call us,’ Sendatsu said with a touch of irritation. ‘Do you want to throw that alliance away? Because Daichi will never accept what is in here.’
Huw sighed. ‘Sumiko was right,’ he said sadly. ‘She told me that the book would bring us nothing, that the truth was too powerful.’
‘The truth will come out — but let’s defeat the Forlish first, eh?’
‘Yes, we have to do that. But we cannot leave it there. Reading these words makes my blood boil. My people have suffered so much pain and death and distress because of greedy Elfarans. We should have Aroaril, we should have magic.’
‘And you will,’ Sendatsu said.
Huw pulled the paper back towards himself. ‘There is one other thing that cannot be ignored. The first Sendatsu says he was betrayed firstly by the Magic-weavers and then by his best friend. And he writes that he fears history is doomed to repeat itself.’