Griffin's Shadow

by Lelsie Ann Moore

  “This way, my lord!” Homan shouted, waving his arms over his head, then pointing in the direction of the horse lines. As they waded through the swirl of bodies, Ashinji felt relieved to see that most of the activity, while frantic, appeared organized. The troops seemed focused, intent on getting themselves and their comrades out of danger.

  Shrill neighs alerted them to the uneasy state of the horses. Ashinji quickly spotted Kian, a groom at his head stroking the big black gelding’s nose. Kian’s eyes gleamed like wet stones in the ruddy light of the fire. He appeared nervous, but not yet panicked.

  “There, there, my friend!” Ashinji spoke soothing words as he approached the horse. Kian threw his head up and whickered. Ashinji took the lead rope from the groom’s hand. “Bring my saddle and bridle,” he ordered. The groom scampered off, returning quickly with the heavy war saddle in his arms, bridle draped over his shoulder.

  While the groom held Kian’s head, Ashinji tacked him up. As he worked, his mind feverishly attacked the problem at hand. The Peregrines would have to ride around the fire line to get to the fords. Once there, he would position them on the Soldaran side of the river, and pray they did not have to hold off the entire human army on their own.

  Even so, Sadaiyo has given me an order and I’m duty-bound to carry it out… The Peregrines must hold the fords until Sadaiyo can bring up all our forces!

  After checking the girth one last time, Ashinji flung himself onto Kian’s back and snatched up the reins. Homan handed up his helmet and he pulled it on. “Mount up quick as you can and get back to the company. We need to ride out now!” He heard Homan call out “Yes, Cap’n” as he spun Kian around and tapped the warhorse’s flanks with his heels, keeping a firm hold on the reins. He could feel the gelding’s mounting excitement through his legs and hands. The big horse wanted to run, but Ashinji held him down to a brisk walk, unwilling to risk trampling a hapless trooper too slow to get out of the way.

  All around, companies were forming up. Sergeants screamed orders and troopers shouted to one another. Bedding and dishes lay discarded on the ground, creating a dangerous jumble for Kian to pick his way through. Smoke and ash filled the air. Ashinji tried to stifle a coughing fit, to no avail. His eyes and nose streamed wetness down his face, but he could not wipe them without stopping to remove his helmet.

  At last, the standard of Peregrine Company loomed ahead. A man ran up and skidded to a halt just in front of Kian, causing the gelding to snort and start in surprise. Ashinji recognized Goran, Homan’s immediate subordinate.

  “Lord Ashinji,” he gasped, then doubled over in a fit of coughing.

  Ashinji waited until he recovered, then asked “Is the company formed up?”

  “Yes, my lord,” Goran croaked. “We were awaiting your return.”

  “We’re moving out now. Our orders are to get to the fords and hold them.” Ashinji pointed over his shoulder. “Homan is right behind me. When he comes up, tell him to bring the company around to the north. There’s a break in the fire there. I’ll ride ahead to scout.”

  “You shouldn’t ride out alone, Captain,” Goran protested. “It’s not safe! There could be humans swarming all over the riverbank by now!”

  “I’ll be careful,” Ashinji replied. “If I see anything suspicious, I’ll hold back and wait for the company.” Goran looked unconvinced, but he didn’t dare argue. Instead, he bowed in acknowledgement.

  Ashinji clicked his tongue and Kian started forward. He steered toward the northern end of camp, the area farthest from the river.

  It soon became clear to Ashinji what the humans must have done. A small party had forged ahead of the main body of the Soldaran force and had crossed the river under cover of darkness. The moon was new, so the only light would have been from the stars, perfect conditions for sneaking close to the elven camp without serious risk of detection.

  Once the raiders had come in as close as they dared, they had spread out and fired the tinder-dry meadow simultaneously on three sides. After completing the job, the raiders fled back to the river to make good their escape.

  Once Ashinji had broken free of the main body of the army, he spurred Kian into a rolling canter. The gelding snorted and tossed his head; the lather on his neck testified to his nervousness in the face of the fire. Still, he obeyed his master and carried Ashinji willingly enough.

  The fire roared and crackled like a living thing as man and horse sought to circle around it. Thick clouds of smoke billowed all around, obscuring Ashinji’s vision, but a momentary thinning allowed him to spot the break in the flames. He turned Kian’s head toward the clear space and urged the horse forward.

  Kian whipped past the fire line, hooves throwing up gouts of hot ash. With the flames now behind them, Ashinji steered the gelding to the west and south and gave Kian his head, allowing him to run.

  Onward they raced, the red glare of the flames lighting their way. Up ahead lay the dark wall of shadow that marked the tree line along the far bank of the river. On the near side, the bank—rocky and overgrown with thick tussocks of vegetation—dropped sharply to the water. Ashinji pulled back on the reins and sat deep in the saddle, checking Kian down to a walk. The gelding, barely winded, pranced and jigged at the bit, eager to be off again.

  Ashinji approached the river with caution, wary of the thickets which might conceal any number of dangers. At this distance from the camp and the fire, he could once again hear the normal noises of the night. Crickets chirped from deep within the tangled growth and cicadas shrilled rhythmically from the trees across the gurgling expanse of water. An owl hooted overhead.

  Ashinji brought Kian to a halt and sat very still, listening. With a sigh of frustration, he unbuckled the chinstrap of his helmet and pulled it off. He imagined he could hear Homan scolding him for taking such a risk but he needed a few moments free of the encumbrance of the helmet. A stray night breeze ruffled his hair.

  Kian snorted and threw up his head.

  “What is it, my friend?” Ashinji whispered. A prickling sensation tickled the back of his neck, and the air grew heavy with menace.

  Too late, he realized his peril.

  Out of the darkness they rushed, eerily silent. Kian trumpeted in alarm and reared, striking out with his front hooves. Ashinji clung to the saddle, struggling to free his sword from its scabbard, but too many hands pulled at him. Before he could react, they had dragged him to the ground.

  Kian whirled and let fly with a vicious kick of his hind legs, scattering their attackers and allowing Ashinji to scramble to his feet and draw his sword. Instinctively, he assumed a defensive stance, his eyes and brain analyzing his situation with the speed of desperation. He cursed himself for a fool.

  He faced at least a dozen attackers, all armed, probably one of the raiding parties sent ahead to fire the meadow. For some reason, they had lingered on this side of the river, perhaps to watch what their handiwork had accomplished. Now they had Ashinji surrounded and cut off from escape.

  Without warning, Kian let out a shuddering groan and went to his knees. Ashinji gasped as the big horse flopped over on his side and lay quivering. He saw the pale sheen of entrails through a gaping wound in the gelding’s belly, and horrified, he realized Kian, his mount and his friend, had been gutted.

  Ashinji swallowed his anger and grief. He had no time for them now, for if he didn’t think of some way to get out of this situation fast, he would soon join Kian in death. He raised his sword and shouted in Soldaran, “There are a hundred fighters hard on my heels! They will be here any moment!”

  “This ‘un speaks Soldaran!” one of the humans cried in apparent astonishment.

  “Shoot ‘im an’ let’s get outta here!” another voice demanded.

  “I hear hoof beats!” cried a third.

  Ashinji heard them as well, but it sounded like a lone rider, not Peregrine Company. His heart sank. Who else had been foolish enough to ride out here alone?

  Could it be Homan, coming to search for me…? Bu
t no, Homan would come with all of Peregrine Company behind him, as ordered. Where are they? Surely they should have been here by now!

  The humans all stood frozen, heads cocked like dogs, listening. The hoof beats had stopped.

  “Ain’t nuthin’ but yer imagination, Caius,” one of them spat. The others muttered in agreement.

  Ashinji’s eyes strained to see into the darkness. He knew he’d heard hoof beats. I’ve got to warn whoever is out there, he thought. “Hoy, soldier! There’s an ambush here! Beware and help me if you can!” he shouted.

  The humans flung themselves at him. He managed to dodge the first few blows but a solid swing from a blunt weapon connected with his back plate, knocking him to his knees. Reflexively, he brought his arm up to parry a sword blow.

  “No, no! Take ‘im alive!” a harsh voice barked.

  Ashinji looked around wildly, seeking any opening that would allow him to live, and caught sight of the unknown horse and rider, standing a spear’s toss away in the darkness. His heart leapt into his throat.

  “Help me!” he screamed.

  No! It can’t be happening! I won’t let it!

  The rider shifted a little in the saddle as if trying to get a better view of the unfolding violence. At the same instant, Ashinji caught a glimpse of the rider’s armored chest and the intricate designs lacquered onto its surface. Even in the dim starlight, he recognized the pattern.

  “Sadaiyo,” Ashinji whispered.

  “Help me, Brother!” he screamed again.

  A sharp blow to his shoulder, followed by searing pain, cut off his next cry. He looked down to find an arrow sprouting from the narrow, vulnerable space between the edge of his breastplate and his left pauldron.

  “Sadaiyo…help,” he gasped, and slumped to the ground.

  As he lay bleeding, his body slipping into shock, his mind drifted along the threads of several thoughts. First, he felt admiration for the skill of the human archer, then profound sorrow for all he was about to lose, and finally, bitter hatred for his brother’s betrayal.

  “You idiot! I told you I wanted ‘im taken alive!”

  Ashinji struggled to raise himself off the ground so he could face his slayers with some semblance of dignity.

  The humans closed in, weapons raised; intent as they were on killing him, none of them had spotted Sadaiyo. Through a gap between two of his attackers, Ashinji watched Sadaiyo wheel his horse and lash the animal’s flank with the quirt-end of his reins. The horse snorted and sprang away, disappearing into the dark.

  Ashinji choked back a sob and forced his face to settle into a calm, expressionless mask, determined to meet his death with bravery.

  I’m so sorry, Jelena my love! I tried to survive for you…and for our child. I guess it’s no longer up to me to be your protector. I’ll see you again, when we are reunited in the loving embrace of the One.

  The humans had formed a tight circle around him, looking down on their victim.

  “Hurry up and do it!” Ashinji snarled in Soldaran.

  A man stepped forward, raised the butt of his sword and swung downward. Ashinji’s head exploded in pain and his mind dropped away into oblivion.

  ~~~

  “Hmmm. You are asking for a very difficult manipulation, my lord. Very tricky.”

  “Can you do it, old man?”

  “Yeeees…I can…but…”

  “The memory must be completely erased and replaced by a new one, and the tampering must be undetectable.”

  “Memories cannot be erased, young man. They can, however, be walled away behind barriers and made inaccessible to the conscious mind.”

  “Can you render the barrier itself invisible, so that even a high-level mage can’t detect it?”

  “Depends on how high.”

  “The highest. A Kirian.”

  “Oh, my. That is high…. I can disguise the barrier, make it look like part of the background, so to speak. It will for all intents and purposes be invisible to all but the deepest probe, but if this Kirian you wish to hide from knows what to look for, it won’t remain hidden very long.”

  “What about the replacement memory? Will it feel authentic?”

  “Oh, yes. You, yourself will believe it to be true, and so will anyone casually scanning you. I must warn you, though, there is a chance, especially as time goes by, that the barrier will eventually break down and allow the genuine memory to reemerge.”

  “Yes, well…I don’t care. I need only hide it for awhile. So, mage. We come to the last detail. Name your price.”

  “I can ask for no less than thirty gold, my lord.”

  “Thirty…! My entire monthly allowance is only twenty!”

  “Nevertheless, that is my price, young man.”

  “Goddess’ tits! If my life didn’t depend on this…Very well. Thirty gold. Do I need to count it out for you?”

  “Oh, no, my lord. I trust you. Now, I’ll just put this away and you lie back and make yourself comfortable…”

  ~~~

  Sadaiyo emerged from the mage’s cottage, feeling a strange mixture of sadness and relief. He had come to the old man’s home on the advice of Lanic, seeking respite from the tormenting guilt of witnessing Ashinji’s death at the hands of a human raiding party, nearly three weeks ago.

  The mage had helped Lanic in the past with some painful memories; for a reasonable sum, the old man entered a person’s mind, softened the edges, removed the hurt, and soothed the guilt, thus allowing acceptance and healing.

  Now, Sadaiyo could begin the process of forgiving himself.

  As he rode back to Kerala Castle beneath a sky heavy with storm clouds, he thought of the last moments of Ashinji’s life—he’d tried so hard to reach his brother, but the humans had rushed him and beaten him back.

  There were just too many of them! I tried, Ashi, I really did…but by the time I could get a few arrow shots off, they’d already cut you down. I couldn’t even retrieve your body…they dragged you away across the river. Ai, Goddess! How will I tell our parents? How will I tell your wife?

  A cold drizzle pattered down from above, and Sadaiyo pulled the collar of his heavy, fur-lined cloak close around his neck. Tomorrow, he, along with a small contingent of troops, would leave Kerala and head back to Sendai to report on the actions at the border.

  Within the last week, the weather had turned, and with the first frost, the Soldaran army had withdrawn to Amsara Castle. The bulk of the elven force that had marched out from the capital would remain in Kerala to serve as a deterrent against further incursions, but no one expected the humans to return before spring. Winter had brought an end to all military operations.

  I’ll be glad to get back to Misune, Sadaiyo thought. He spurred his horse and the stallion sprang into a gallop, throwing up clods of mud with each stride.

  ~~~

  The old mage hunkered down by his fireplace, savoring the heat of the flames. In his wrinkled hands, he held a small glass sphere. The sphere glowed with a soft white light, like a large, illuminated pearl.

  Good thing I thought to make a copy of this memory, he thought as he rolled the sphere gently between his palms. Never know when it might come in handy. Always prudent to keep a little insurance.

  The old man chuckled and began recounting his coins.

  Chapter 19

  Shattered

  Eight weeks after Sadaiyo led his army out of Sendai, a small contingent returned to the city. A messenger arrived midmorning, sent ahead with news of the expedition’s success. The human army had withdrawn to Soldaran territory, and Sadaiyo had left behind the bulk of his forces to guard the border. They would remain encamped around Kerala Castle for the entire winter and into the spring. The loss of their numbers would no doubt prove a serious blow to the defense of the Tono Valley, but the elves dared not leave their vulnerable southeastern flank unprotected.

  Jelena heard the news as she finished her morning routine, assisted by Eikko, the hikui servant girl whom she had met soon after her arriv
al in Sendai. Eikko’s duties had gradually shifted as she and Jelena had become better acquainted. Now, instead of helping Lady Amara with the twins, the young servant spent most of her time as a companion to Jelena.

  A note, delivered from her father, informed Jelena of the company’s imminent arrival. Brimming with excitement, she threw on her clothes and hurried down to the parade ground.

  The weather had grown much cooler in the weeks since the army had left, and today, a chilly wind numbed Jelena’s cheeks as she exited the castle’s main entrance. Eikko, who followed dutifully after, clucked in dismay. She shook out the heavy woolen cloak she carried and flung it around Jelena’s shoulders.

  Jelena murmured her thanks and pulled the warm folds close about her body, shivering a little from both excitement and apprehension.

  For the last few days, she had been unable to shake the feeling that all was not as it should be with Ashinji. She could not lay her finger on it; no unusual dreams disturbed her sleep nor had she any flashes of prescience. Nevertheless, she felt unsettled and out of sorts.

  Part of it, she knew, could be attributed to her advancing pregnancy. The child had grown quite active in recent weeks. Perversely, she—Jelena’s doctor had informed her that she carried a girl—seemed most energetic at night, when her mother wanted to sleep.

  “Your Highness, you really shouldn’t wait out here in this wind,” Eikko admonished. “It’s too cold. I know you want to be here to greet Captain Sakehera, but he won’t arrive for a while yet.” The hikui maid tugged gently on Jelena’s sleeve, a liberty she never would have taken with an okui mistress. “Come back inside,” she coaxed.

  Jelena pursed her lips in irritation and snapped, “Stop fussing, Eikko!” Immediately, she regretted her ill temper. Eikko is only concerned for my well-being and that of my daughter, she thought. Chagrined, she apologized. “I’m sorry, Eikko. I didn’t mean to be cross with you…I miss my husband so much and I want to be right here when he rides in.”