by Nicole Burr
Esra paused, speechless, as everyone at the table burst out laughing. Adonis’ face reddened as he chuckled jovially. “So don’t say that it isn’t lucky sometimes to be a little clumsy. I got a good wife out of the deal.”
“I’ll remember that,” Esra said with a serious look. “Whenever I want to find a man, all I need is a good hard Vegetable.”
“Are ye sure ye didn’t just knock her brain loose?” Fynn cried. “Maybe she’s just damaged.”
Everyone roared as Esra piled more abnormally large food onto her plate, finally hungry after all of the nervous anticipation. Her father seemed to be very easy to get along with and didn’t mind doing most of the talking, which relieved her mood greatly.
The dinner continued, punctuated by various funny stories and sudden outbreaks of tavern songs. Her father told a bit more of the time before Esra was born when he was courting her mother. Everyone ate well beyond their fill, yet still seemed to find room when heaping platters of desserts came soaring out.
“Where are the Great Keepers of Magick and Strength? Did they not attend the festivities?” She asked Baelin over the noise.
“The Great Keepers dine with the rest of the folks of the Stronghold, so they’re probably scattered about somewhere.”
Esra thought it a good gesture that they did not have special seating in the front to mark their superiority like a King or Queen would. How different things were here. She had never visited the palace before, but she was more than certain that the royalty did not mingle as such, even at special occasions.
Leaning back in her chair, Esra gave a contented sigh as the empty plates and bowls before her lifted up and flew back towards the front of the room. It was a strange sight, the serving platters zipping through the air, everyone talking as if it were a common occurrence. Then again, it probably was, for them at least. The room grew slowly quieter as everyone’s stomachs grew fatter, and by the time Adonis walked to the front to talk to the people of the Stronghold, the noise in the hall had lowered to a lazy hum.
“My good friends,” his voice boomed across the massive hall, “I hope that ye’ve enjoyed yer feast!”
There was a surge of noise as everyone cheered and banged their fists on the tables in agreement.
“Unfortunately, we must end the night on a sadder note. We have received word that Kiran Brae, our great city to the far west, has already been taken over by Tallen and his Elites. It is only a matter of time before they continue over Grey Thorn Pass to Mahesh in the northeast.”
Gasps and whispers swept through the crowd as Adonis held up his hand for silence.
“It will take time to get everyone assembled here so that we may begin our counterstrike. Regrettably, we cannot attempt to reclaim Kiran Brae at this time, so we will focus our efforts instead on the defense of Mahesh. If we can keep Tallen out of the east Kingdom fer the time being, it will buy us much needed time fer further preparation. The good news is that Tallen believes the threat of the Keepers is nonexistent. We have not opposed him thus far as he took over one of LeVara’s great cities, so what has he to fear?
“We must focus our energies upon preparing fer battle and gathering the support of all four races. I fear that Tallen and his army have grown too powerful over the past few years fer the Keepers to fight this war alone. Everything depends upon our unity, everything. If we do not gain the strength of each and every race, the Humans, the Unni, the Shendari, and the Elves, then I fear all will be lost. It seems to be a simple task, to have all the peoples stand together against such treachery, but it is not. A War Council has not been held fer hundreds of years, and the community that once existed between the races has almost vanished. Tallen and his Elites will not be our only obstacle.”
More rumblings swept through the hall as Esra leaned over to Arland. “I didn’t know it would be so difficult to have a War Council.”
“Aye, not only are they worried about conducting the meeting but even getting everyone to attend will be a challenge,” he whispered back as Adonis continued.
“And so I want to leave ye with this before we go to sleep tonight. Let yer one focus in the coming weeks be unity, and remember that each and every race is essential to our fight. The Elders are currently on their way to the Jade Gardens and tomorrow an Assembly leaves to employ the Unni-se. We have already sent envoys to the Shendari and King. In less than two fortnights we hope to hold the first War Council in generations, attended by all four races. And I tell ye this, that no matter what happens at the Council meetings, the Great Keepers have decided that we will wage war on Tallen no matter what the cost, even if we stand alone. The people of LeVara count on us to bring them freedom. Let us hope fer nothing more than an open heart and mind fer those we seek to bring to these discussions. We must relearn how to celebrate our differences and share our strengths so that we may triumph in this dark time.”
Adonis stepped back and off the small platform as the room erupted into heated conversations. The Keeper of War certainly had a way with words. Esra sat in silence and worried that if the War Council was unsuccessful, many more people would die because of it. Baelin must have noticed her concern for he motioned for her to leave the Dining Hall with him. They wove through the crowds of people until they reached the doors, bringing a sudden quietness as they were shut.
“Don’ worry, Esra. I have faith that all will be well.”
“I hope yer right.”
“I am. Now ye need te get yer rest because we have a big day tomorrow.”
“That seems to be a trend lately.”
“Aye, it tis,” Baelin chuckled deeply. “Ye heard that there’s an Assembly leaving tomorrow fer Fira Nadim Forest te talk te the Unni?”
“Oh dear. Don’t tell me it’s us.”
“Afraid so. I’ll see ye in the morning. Cane wants te speak te us before we leave.”
Esra groaned as she shuffled down the steps towards Nadia, who was already waiting for her at the bottom. For some reason she had the sense that getting a day off for leisure was something that wouldn’t happen for a very, very long time.
XXII
The bright light of morning shone in Esra’s round window much too soon, but she forced herself up and dressed before Nadia even knocked at her door.
“Morning,” she greeted Esra cheerily. “We won’t be leaving until this afternoon, as there are a few things we need to take care of before we go. Namely meeting with Cane and giving ye a quick lesson in Tur.”
“Alright,” Esra sighed, trying to get excited that she would at least be going on an adventure to someplace new. She had dreamt about the Unni-se chief Zakai and his deadly weapon, the flail with chain and spiked ball. He had swung the long metal handle around his head as he ran towards her, screaming like a charging Vernok. She had tried to move, terrified, but her feet seemed stuck to the ground. She awoke in the middle of the night with the thin blankets plastered to her body in a cold sweat.
Cane was waiting for them in the Magick Room at one of the round tables. Baelin, Arland, and Fynn were already seated, as was a man Esra didn’t recognize. She tried to appear unnerved as she approached, giving her old teacher a tired smile while she took a seat.
“Esra, this is Nor, the Great Keeper of Strength,” Cane motioned towards the small man at his left, who was sitting calmly with his hands folded in his lap. She was unsure of how to greet such a person as a Great Keeper, but he bowed his head slightly and she returned the gesture.
“Hello, Esra.” Nor spoke very evenly and quiet enough that Esra needed to lean forward slightly in her chair to hear him. He was small for a man, a good head shorter than Esra, and had little tufts of white hair sprouting from assorted places on his scalp. He appeared to be very old, well beyond Cane’s age, although she didn’t know exactly what that meant since Great Keepers were immortal. Wrinkled skin hung loosely from his arms and Esra wondered how this man could be a portrayal of strength.
“Looks can be deceiving,” he answered her thoughts, causing h
er to blush deeply. He smiled kindly at her and paused for a long moment, appearing contented to sit and take his time. “I have your first test.”
“Oh,” Esra exclaimed in surprise. “Already?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “I know that you have only just arrived, but it is time.”
“What must I do?”
“As you well know by now, the War Council will convene in two fortnights. The Elves have already sent their representatives and the King will be sending his son, Prince Bronnen. We have an Assembly on their way to plead our case to the Shendari. I must say our relations with them have been greatly improved since Fynn has been able to communicate with a few of the members. We have high hopes that they will be able to select a Daughter to send to our Council. The trouble, Esra, will be the Unni. There has not been a Human allowed in Fira Nadim Forest for almost a hundred years, since Baelin was born.”
“Since…what?” Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to swallow. She must have heard him wrong.
“Since Baelin was born,” Nor continued. “He is ninety eight, you know.”
The look of astonishment on Esra’s face must have been very plain, as Baelin looked away in embarrassment. “Ninety eight? But that’s impossible! He can’t be more than thirty!”
“Nay Esra, it’s true,” Baelin replied softly, meeting her eyes. “I am a fourth Unni. My grandfather was chief when he took a Human wife, my grandmother. She gave birth to the half Unni that was my father, who also married a Human.”
Esra’s head spun as she tried to follow the chain of events almost a century ago and what this meant. His massive stature, gold tinted eyes, even all the soft, dark hair that covered his body now made sense in a new way. And since the Unni could live for hundreds of years, it was no wonder he appeared to be so young.
“Do ye remember how I told ye my first Assembly died?”
“Aye,” she thought back to their night by the Fire when Baelin had opened up to her for the first time about his past.
“Well, they died of old age, not in battle.”
“Oh my.”
“Looks good fer an old man, don’t he?” Fynn jested.
“I’ll say,” she agreed. Looking back at Baelin and the pained look on his face, she had a sudden urge to let him know it was alright, that this news did not change the fact he was her best friend. She reached under the table and took his hand, gently squeezing it for a moment before letting go. Esra saw his shoulders relax slightly and she turned to the Great Keeper Nor.
“So why is this a problem? Shouldn’t the Unni make an exception fer such a time?”
“It’s not entirely that simple. The Unni are naturally inclined to privacy and do not appreciate visitors in any sense of the word. They are wary of Humans and their ways, and even more so since the unification that once existed between the races has collapsed. They have become more and more independent and secretive, and are virtually impossible to contact or communicate with. There was also a bit of an…incident…that caused some of the Unni people to shun Humans. But that is another story altogether, one which we will leave for the journey.”
“But what could I possibly do about all this?” Esra asked, still confused.
“Your first test is to bring Zakai, the Unni-se, here for the War Council.”
“Bring him here?”
Esra sat for a moment in stunned silence. Not only was she supposed to accompany her Assembly to Fira Nadim Forest, but she was expected to bring back the Unni-se himself. Had she not been so utterly terrified of this prospect she would have burst out laughing.
“Zakai is Baelin’s uncle, so we are hoping that helps to smooth things over a bit, or at least allow you a council with the Unni-se.” Nor rose to leave, bowing at the others in the group before turning again to Esra. “The Great Keeper of Destiny has seen our fate if this does not come to pass. You must find a way. Good luck.”
He exited the room before Esra could fully absorb what had just occurred. She sat staring open mouthed at the people around her table.
“What just happened?” She asked croakily, blinking away the dizzy feeling behind her eyes.
“Ye’ve just got yer first test!” Arland squeezed her shoulder encouragingly. “I must say it’s a big one, but have no fear. We’ll all be with ye.”
“With me? With me?” The hysteria was spreading through her chest as her dream replayed itself over and over in her head. “With me to where? To the land of slow, painful deaths?”
“Esra, get ahold of yerself,” Cane said firmly. “Ye may have gotten the sense that the Unni are very…fierce…and although they may fight as such, they are not an uncivilized people. They are simply different from us.”
He was right, but the fear in her was nearly overwhelming. More than anything, Esra was someone who could not tolerate people who judged others unfairly, who could never see beyond their own small world. The combination of the vivid nightmare and the enormous amounts of stress she was under had created this image of the Unni as a frightening, barbaric race, just as Cane had guessed. It was disappointing to her that she felt this way, but she could not deny it. She wanted to believe in the strong people who brought Yanquor Trees from across the Kingdom to help build this fortress of learning.
The Elves, the most similar to her own race, had not frightened her in the least. Especially now that she knew a few of them. She was conscious that they had many differences but had nonetheless been ready to accept them. Even the Shendari of Fire Lake had intrigued her as a secretive and eccentric race. Yet for some reason the thought of going to meet the Unni horrified her. Maybe because they were known as ‘the war people’ or were physically intimidating, with horns and yellow eyes. But no matter what the cause, Esra knew she was being unfair. Cane and her grandparents did not raise her to be so intolerant, so prejudiced. Isn’t this what she was fighting against, intolerance and injustice? After all, Baelin was one of them, or at least partly, wasn’t he? And although he fought with great power, wasn’t he a very gentle man? And one of Esra’s best friends?
“I’m sorry, I’m just frightened,” she apologized, looking towards Baelin then back over to Cane. “Ye have not taught me to be so narrow-minded. Of course I will try to do what I can to bring the Unni-se back to the Jade Gardens.”
“Well, ye know what they say about fear,” Cane said mildly. “If we never had fear of anything, there would be no need fer courage.”
XXIII
The Assembly met in the Magick Room for a lesson on Tur after checking that the Skycatchers were being readied for their journey. In the interest of time, Humi, the Keeper of Speed, was packing Nadia and Esra’s clothes into carefully tied bundles for the Horses as they practiced. They all took a seat around one of the round tables in the back of the room as Arland reviewed the basics of Tur.
“When ye hear the word Tur, it refers to both the language and the magick that a Keeper uses to communicate or access knowledge on various subjects. So if ye remember, Tur is how Keepers speak with one another. We can even use these spells over great distances. Also, ye cannot get into the Stronghold without it, as a spell protects the fortress from outsiders.”
“A Keeper can store information with Tur like they could on a scroll, maintaining maps, spells, and details about our task. It comes in very handy in cases like today, where we do not have much time to prepare. When five Keepers come together we can communicate directly with the Great Keepers.
“There are two ways to use Tur. One occurs at the beginning of a task or lesson when the information is ‘written’ on our arms by the spell. We can use this Tur independently. It would be very difficult if one of us was captured and we could not use Tur to complete our task or guide ourselves home. We will all see the same map no matter where we are or who we are with if we call upon it. The other form of Tur takes no preparation and deals with communicating with each other. We do this as needed during a task, especially if we need to split up or stay quiet.”
“So how does one get
a map or other knowledge onto their skin?” Esra asked, turning over her arm.
“A Great Keeper must do this fer any new information or when we receive another task. Remember, a task is different from a test. A test is a specific challenge fer a particular Keeper which will result in a Gift when complete. Tasks are what Assemblies are given to complete together fer various reasons.”
“So we don’t need all five of us to say, look at a map?”
“No, only to speak with a Great Keeper.”
“But what happens if someone is captured or dies?”
“We can still communicate with each other, just not the Great Ones. Also, Tur is invisible to all of Tallen’s forces. This has been one of the greatest defensive spells ever created by yer father, Adonis. Tallen gives off a specific magickal aura, as all sorcerers do. Similar to how each Animal has a unique scent. He has left his ‘mark’, ye could say, on each of his minions. Adonis was able to use this to devise a way to block the discovery of Tur around those associated with Tallen.”
“Very useful. Cane told me that most of the Elites are soldiers, not sorcerers.”
“True, many are skilled warriors but possess no magickal abilities. Of the group that captured ye in the forest, only two were able to cast spells. Natural sorcerers in LeVara are few and far between, especially when most of them reside at the Stronghold. That is why we are so concerned that Tallen has found a way to ‘convert’ a non-sorcerer.”