Valley of Shields

by Duncan Lay

  Sendatsu sighed, setting Mai and Cheijun on the ground. ‘So much has changed since I stood here last — and yet it looks just the same.’

  ‘Are there gaijin down there?’ Mai asked cautiously.

  ‘No, they are humans. And they are friendly. Mostly,’ Sendatsu replied, thinking of the two-fingered man he had fought in the village inn the first time he had been here.

  ‘Only one way to find out,’ Gaibun said, hefting the pack on his shoulders.

  ‘They are the same as us. We are like them, inside, even though we do not look like them,’ Sendatsu told Mai, thinking of what he had read of the first Sendatsu’s words. He decided he needed to tell his children the truth about elves and humans.

  The smell of Pontypridd did not seem to have improved, although at least it was not raining. Mai and Cheijun picked their way carefully through the mud and the various kinds of animal dung, eyes wide at the animals and the crude houses. Gaibun said nothing, although his expression spoke loudly.

  Cheijun pointed. ‘What is that?’

  ‘That’s a sheep. You cut off its wool to make clothes and you can also eat it,’ Huw explained.

  Cheijun watched as its tail lifted and it deposited a pile of black droppings.

  ‘What you do with those?’ Cheijun asked, before he and Mai exploded with laughter.

  ‘There are far finer villages than this, up north. And don’t forget, things are like this because the elves stole our knowledge,’ Huw said.

  ‘We know,’ Sendatsu assured him.

  But seemingly every animal they walked past was either in the process of relieving itself, or had just done so, each one provoking fresh laughter from Mai and Cheijun. Sendatsu tried to keep them quiet but it was hopeless.

  The village headman greeted them politely, smiling down at Mai and Cheijun. ‘Welcome to my village — and who are you?’

  ‘I am Cheijun. Are you the Big Poo?’ Cheijun asked, then fell about laughing.

  ‘He is in charge of the poo. All the poo is his.’ Mai giggled helplessly.

  The headman looked askance at Sendatsu and Gaibun.

  ‘They have not seen many animals before,’ Sendatsu explained.

  The headman snorted. ‘Oh really? Where have they been living? With the elves?’

  ‘Well, actually yes.’ Huw smiled hastily. ‘Any chance we can buy some horses?’

  Once they had explained things, they managed to buy three horses, as well as a pack pony, and rode out of the village with relief. Sendatsu put Cheijun in front of him and had Mai sit behind, because he trusted her to hold on — and because he could picture Cheijun trying to lift up the horse’s tail.

  ‘Can we go home now?’ Mai asked as they rode west.

  ‘Maybe we are home now. Would you like to live here?’

  ‘Too smelly!’ Cheijun declared. ‘Too much poo!’

  ‘Would we have to live in that muddy place?’ Mai wanted to know, when they stopped laughing.

  ‘No, we would find a nice spot, build our own home.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Mai said. ‘Do you already have a plan, Papa?’

  ‘Perhaps. We are the same as these people. It is just we stole things from them, kept the knowledge for ourselves.’

  Mai gasped. ‘We stole from them? What did we steal?’

  ‘Never did it!’ Cheijun said immediately.

  ‘Not us. But our ancestors, hundreds of years ago.’

  ‘Then we need to give it back. We have to say sorry and make up for what we did,’ Mai said.

  Sendatsu reached back to hold her hand but his mind turned over her words. She always seemed able to cut through to the heart of things.

  ‘What’s that?’ Cheijun pointed and Sendatsu swung back the other way, hoping it was not another animal’s droppings. He wanted to say more to Mai but, with Gaibun right there, he could not tell them of his plan for Asami.

  Sendatsu tried to use the journey to Huw’s village as best he could, explaining to Gaibun what he had done to protect the Velsh from the Forlish raiders. While they had not visited this part of Vales, the word had obviously spread and every village they passed was surrounded by a new stockade, crude dragon flags flying overhead.

  They also passed a couple of isolated farms. One had been burned out by raiders, while the other had been deserted, the family presumably fleeing for the dubious safety of a village.

  ‘You were lucky to find humans who could understand your drawings and turn them into crossbows,’ Gaibun commented. ‘And that the Forlish did not bring their body armour.’

  ‘It was less luck and more hard work,’ Huw remarked.

  ‘Well, when the Forlish army marches north, we’ll see how much hard work gives you. I would rather be lucky.’ Gaibun sniffed. ‘How are you going to defeat a shield wall?’

  ‘Isn’t that how are we going to defeat a shield wall?’ Huw asked.

  ‘I am a trainer only. I’m not here to fight gaijin.’

  Sendatsu signalled at Huw. ‘I said much the same thing when I first came here.’

  ‘Yes, but you always were soft-headed,’ Gaibun said with a grin.

  Sendatsu ignored him. ‘Well, my dragons proved that, if we can get inside a shield wall, our skills are far greater than theirs.’

  ‘Again you talk about ours and theirs! Do you know how strange that sounds?’ Gaibun asked.

  ‘We are all the same. We are all humans — we just look a little different, as this book proves,’ Huw insisted.

  ‘Speak for yourself. The day I call myself human is the day I die!’

  ‘Is that really how you feel? Even after seeing Rhiannon in action?’

  ‘Perhaps we were the same once. But we are very different now,’ Gaibun argued. ‘We behave and think differently.’

  ‘Because your people betrayed and murdered mine!’

  ‘Do you want me to help you or not?’

  Sendatsu calmed them both and directed the conversation back onto how they might train the young dragons. Much to Sendatsu’s relief, Gaibun was eager to offer his thoughts.

  ‘We need to split the recruits into small groups, no more than ten or so, put a couple of the dragons you already have in charge of them. Then they can back up our instructions, help those who are struggling, spot what we miss, as our eyes cannot be everywhere. Of course, you know they will not be ready in just one moon.’

  ‘They need years to stand against you or me — but don’t forget the Forlish have little individual skill,’ Sendatsu said. ‘Their strength comes from their shield walls. Besides, autumn is almost upon us. In another two or three moons, the Forlish will be unable to do anything. The weather will defeat them far easier than the Velsh could. We might have as much as six or seven moons to get them ready.’

  ‘Leaving aside the thought that I cannot see myself living here for six moons, my point still stands. One moon or six moons, they will be half trained at best.’

  ‘But half trained by elves. That will make them think they are better than our enemies. And isn’t that worth something?’ Huw interrupted.

  Gaibun nodded grudgingly. ‘For a human, you sometimes make sense,’ he admitted. ‘But don’t think that means I like you.’

  ‘You don’t have to like me. You just have to save my people.’

  Sendatsu was pleased they had reached some sort of understanding. The memories of his last trip through these lands were still fresh, the despair and hunger and struggle — but this was very different. For one he had familiar food, but mainly because he had Mai and Cheijun with him. He tried to make a game of everything, from sleeping out and eating to looking after the horses. Cheijun found much of the trip hilarious, while Mai was happy to listen — and they both enjoyed Huw singing for them each night. He hoped it meant they would be willing to stay here.

  They steered clear of villages but any travellers they met on the road were delighted to see elves, and left Gaibun in no doubt that the humans loved the idea of elves.

  ‘Yet they do not know the
truth,’ Huw said.

  ‘Maybe wait until we save them before you tell them,’ Gaibun suggested.

  This was all very encouraging — but then they rode into Patcham, to be greeted by a seething mass. They had been spotted from miles away and people rushed in from the fields and out of the huts to see them.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Mai cried at the wall of sound and crowd of people pressing forwards.

  ‘Aroaril, was this what it was like for you?’ Gaibun gasped.

  ‘We need Rhiannon to use some magic on them!’ Huw cried.

  ‘That might have been the worst thing,’ Sendatsu replied, thinking of how they had been forced to leave the village.

  It was not just the villagers who were pushing forwards. Hundreds of young Velshmen were there, as were dozens of headmen and their families.

  The only thing keeping them back, as on the day Sendatsu, Huw and Rhiannon rode out of the village, was a line of Dragon Warriors, led by Cadel, Tadd and Bowen.

  ‘Leave this to me,’ Gaibun offered. ‘Quiet!’ he roared, his magically enhanced voice echoing across the village.

  It had no effect.

  But he did it twice more and, by the third time, the Velsh had settled down enough for Huw to address them.

  ‘My friends, I have with me Sendatsu, who you all know, and his friend Gaibun, here to help train more dragons for us. But I have a great deal of important news and little time. I ask you to return to your homes, and for all the headmen and leaders of the dragons to meet with us in the magnificent new building you have put up. There will be plenty of time for all to meet an elf!’

  For a moment Sendatsu was worried the people were not going to listen to Huw but they at last parted, allowing them to ride into the village through the gates, past the fresh wood that showed where the battle damage from the Forlish catapults and ram had been repaired. The empty area in the village, where they had pulled down huts to draw the Forlish onto their defences, had been filled by Kelyn’s magnificent new hall. Well, magnificent by human standards, of course. It also seemed to lack a whole wall but Sendatsu decided not to mention that.

  There they handed horses over to waiting dragons and met an eager Kelyn, who could obviously not wait to show them what he had done.

  ‘We put it up in just a few days — not quite finished, of course, for we still need to plaster the walls. We’ll have that done with wattle and daub soon — if we don’t get it done before the frost sets in, the whole thing will just crack and fall away — but I think you can get the idea,’ Kelyn gabbled as he showed them around.

  ‘It’s wonderful,’ Huw said, looking up at the soaring roof.

  Usually the Velsh huts were round, with low roofs and the chance to stand up straight only in the central area. This hall was long and square.

  ‘We had plenty of help — your boyos have been bringing in extra dragons every day. We’ve had hundreds of hands.’ Kelyn grinned. ‘They’re going to be needed when we have to mix the pig shit into the mud for the wall plaster!’

  Behind him, Gaibun shuddered, while Mai and Cheijun fell around laughing.

  That seemed to be the perfect introduction for the dragons, so Sendatsu brought the three leaders across to Gaibun.

  ‘We did just as you said — each of us found five more to bring here. We have been training them as best we can over the last half-moon, just the basic strokes, as you showed us —’ Cadel began.

  ‘How well can you fight with those straight swords?’ Gaibun interrupted.

  ‘Why don’t you show him?’ Sendatsu offered. He would have drawn a sword himself but he had Mai and Cheijun to watch.

  ‘Do they have bokken? I would not like to hurt them.’ Gaibun stretched his shoulders.

  ‘No need.’ Sendatsu signalled to Cadel and Bowen.

  The two dragons drew their swords and took up position opposite Gaibun.

  ‘These boys have been using a sword for less than three moons,’ Sendatsu reminded him.

  ‘I’ll do my best to see they survive then.’ Gaibun stood loosely, balanced perfectly.

  But Cadel and Bowen were also in position and attacked swiftly, at the same time, forcing Gaibun to block and back away.

  As Sendatsu expected, Gaibun tried to get them entangled in each other and negate their advantage of numbers. But they split apart and came at him again, forcing him to block and fend as he fought for space. Angry now, Gaibun pressed forwards but Cadel spun to the side and he had to step back or expose himself.

  Gaibun paused for a moment and then sprang at Cadel, raining blows at the young Velshman, who blocked and covered, backing away. It seemed as though the next blow would crash through his defences but somehow Cadel kept it out, until Bowen came to his rescue, making Gaibun break off his attack.

  ‘Not as easy as you thought, eh?’ Sendatsu called, signalling for the dragons to sheathe swords, bow to Gaibun and step away.

  Gaibun took longer to put his blade away but he returned the bow cautiously.

  ‘You trained them reasonably well,’ Gaibun admitted. ‘But they have a long way to go.’

  Sendatsu smiled. ‘That is why we are here.’

  Huw was only slightly distracted by the ring of steel on steel, although many of the village headmen watched and applauded the work of the two Velsh dragons.

  He warmly greeted all the headmen he remembered — and gave an even warmer greeting to the few he did not know.

  ‘Where’s that dancer who was with you? We heard tell she can use magic — or is that another one of those tales, like the one about the flying elves?’ Llewellyn of Catsfield asked. ‘Weren’t you two going to Walk The Tree?’

  Huw forced a smile. Thoughts of Rhiannon were still raw.

  ‘No, we never got to Walk The Tree. She is back in Dokuzen, learning to use the magic properly,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you more about that later. Now, is everyone here?’

  ‘There are more coming in from Rheged and also from northern Powys and far western Gwent,’ Kelyn answered. ‘But they are on their way — we heard that from the dragons. Another day or two and they shall all be here.’

  ‘When all get here we shall meet, and I shall tell you how we can make a united Vales, how we can hold off the Forlish — and how magic is going to make the lives of all our people better!’ Huw declared.

  ‘And these are the clan leaders of Vales?’ Gaibun asked Sendatsu as they joined the headmen, looking around at those assembled, many of them dressed in crude outfits, usually dirty, and almost all wearing scruffy beards. Most had obviously not bathed recently. ‘They are going to form some sort of council and elect Huw as their Elder Elf?’

  ‘Yes,’ Sendatsu agreed.

  ‘Aroaril help us all.’

  ‘Concentrate and reach into the magic. Feel the rhythm of the world around you and how you can change it to your own tune,’ Asami said gently.

  Rhiannon took a deep breath and reached into the magic.

  ‘Take the tree and use it. Jump to the next and keep its memory fixed in your mind before you move to the next.’

  Rhiannon’s breathing was deliberate and calm, Asami noted with approval, watching with the magic as Rhiannon moved through the trees, following Asami’s instructions and keeping them in order, not letting them break free, no matter how they strained against her. She had begged Asami to show her how to open a gateway and Asami had finally relented, won over by Rhiannon’s extraordinary talent.

  ‘You have it now, you are past the barrier. Place the staff through to hold the gateway open,’ Asami instructed her.

  Rhiannon took the oaken staff and pushed it through the gateway she was keeping open, using it to help hold the trees in place.

  ‘And now all you have to do is step through,’ Asami said. ‘You have done it!’

  But, instead of stepping through, Rhiannon withdrew the staff and let the trees slip away. Asami nodded approvingly. Travelling long distances was tiring — and wasted energy that could be spent on other magic.

&nbs
p; ‘Excellent! You are ready to enter the highest ranks of the Magic-weavers already.’ Asami smiled.

  Rhiannon grinned back. ‘What else shall we do today?’

  ‘Well, it would be nice to take a break. I’m starving and have been working since before dawn,’ Asami said. ‘I have to deal with the other Magic-weavers before helping you.’

  ‘Of course. I forget the passage of time when we’re doing magic!’

  Asami nodded. In the days since Huw, Sendatsu and Gaibun left, she had worked from dawn and long into the night, first with the young Magic-weavers and then Rhiannon. Opening a gateway was one of the final tasks she had shown the human girl. She had been around magic for many years but never had she met anyone with such an appetite for it — or a mind that saw all the possibilities in the world and sought to make them happen.

  Rhiannon had mastered working with birds in the first day, sending them ranging far south in search of the Forlish. Asami guessed the human army would not be in sight yet but Rhiannon was able to describe the borderlands around Dokuzen so well that Asami knew she was able to control the birds perfectly.

  It was thrilling for Asami. The remaining Magic-weavers were the young and limited of talent and it took huge amounts of time and enthusiasm before they responded. To leave that and work with Rhiannon, to find her equal, albeit from a different race, made it worth all the effort.

  But it was more than just magic. For a start, both came from societies where your worth was defined by who you married — but they had sought to break free of that. Rhiannon had not had a female friend before, while Asami had spent more time with Gaibun and Sendatsu than other elven girls her age. Although she loved their company, they did lack something in the conversational stakes.

  Asami and Rhiannon found themselves talking about anything and everything — from growing up to ordinary life, to magic and their hopes for the future.

  ‘I did hope for Sumiko to hold to her word, for that was our best chance of breaking the clan system. Sendatsu and Gaibun do not see it but I feel it all around me, like a net, pulling me back at every opportunity. I was given away like a prize, unable to choose who I wanted to be with. If that was all torn down, if your life could be decided on your skills, on what you could do, not who your parents were, then this would be a better place,’ Asami said passionately. ‘I have more magical power than any elf but Sumiko, I can change the world around me — but am blocked at every turn by family and duty and responsibility, told I must go back into the little box society has made for me. No wonder I listened to Sumiko’s words and believed them. I heard the words but not the meaning behind them, to my regret.’