Age of Swords

by Michael J. Sullivan

“Hmm,” the old lady intoned, sucking in her lower lip, rolling it like a curl of dough as she walked around the Fhrey.

  Separating from Persephone at the gate, Suri, Brin, and the three dwarfs had carried Arion around the wall of Dahl Tirre and laid her in their old camp under the wool. Padera had been the only one there. The old farmer’s wife sat in a pile of wrinkled clothes, two deft hands stitching a hole in a shirt far too large for her.

  Padera heaved herself to her feet and laid a hand on Arion’s forehead. Her insanely malleable lips shifted around thoughtfully. The old woman put her thumbs on the Fhrey’s eyes and bent over, as if to kiss her. Then she clutched Arion’s throat, fingers kneading into the soft hollow of her neck. Nodding, she let go and waddled over to the cooking pit. She placed two logs on the coals, blew on them until they caught fire, and then suspended an animal-skin bag above the flames.

  “Well?” Suri asked.

  “We’ll see.” Padera poured water from a gourd into the bag. “Not totally here, is she? Not gone, but not here, either.”

  Suri sat down beside Arion the way she had during most of the boat ride. The Fhrey looked pale, almost white, not that she had looked all that robust before. Suri hadn’t noticed it in the cave, or even on the ship, but when upon familiar grass and dirt, she saw how colorless Arion had become—how dead she seemed.

  “She’s not dead,” Padera said.

  The mystic blinked in surprise, thinking the old woman had heard her thoughts.

  “No, not dead, but very close. She’s teetering. Seen it a thousand times. Usually with the fever. They sweat, they wail, they see things that aren’t there. Then they calm down, just lie quietly…and they teeter. It’s as if they’re trying to make up their minds about leaving or staying.”

  “Is there anything we can do to convince her to stay?”

  “Not really,” the old woman said, pulling leaves from a jar and tossing them into the boiling water. The moment she did, Suri smelled the scent of feverfew. “You have willow bark on you?”

  Suri nodded.

  “Figured you would. Hand it over.”

  The old woman took the bark, broke it up, and added it as well. “If she wants to go, she will, and there isn’t a thing we can do. But…if she wants to stay…we can make it easier for her to come back.”

  Suri hung her head.

  “Guess things didn’t go so well in the land of the Dherg?” Padera asked. “Did you at least get what you wanted?”

  Suri didn’t answer.

  “Where’s your wolf?”

  Brin, who had been unpacking her bag, froze. “I don’t think that—” the girl started to say.

  “I killed her so Arion could live,” Suri said.

  The old woman sucked on her lip again and nodded. Then she reached out and took hold of Suri’s hands. “Stop blaming yourself. That won’t do either of you any good.”

  Suri’s throat tightened, making it hard to swallow.

  Padera rubbed Suri’s back and then walked away. Turning her attention to Brin, she said, “And what are you doing back there?”

  Brin, who had been digging through the supplies stacked at the back of their shelter, said, “I saw a map hanging on a wall in Caric. Made of treated animal skin that was soft like cloth. They drew on it with something called ink. It’s a dye made from a chalky stone, but Roan says she could make something better. There’s a tree called a book pine. She says she can make a resin from its syrup. Apparently, when you cook it, the stuff becomes really dark.”

  “It does do that.”

  “She also thinks a hollow straw, feather, or reed would hold the resin and make it easier to control the marks. I’m looking for some feathers that I think are back here.”

  “And why do you want all this?”

  Brin looked up with bright eyes. “I’m going to write the history of the world. I’m going to put all of it down on soft, cured animal skins so they’re light, easy to carry, and will last forever. Centuries after I’m dead, people will still be able to understand them and know what happened. Even if the Fhrey win this war, even if we are all killed, this will remain. And it will be the truth, the truth about all things. No one will be able to lie or change the story, or forget. Everyone will know there was an evil dwarf named Gronbach, a terrible monster named Balgargarath, a mighty warrior named Moya, a brilliant leader named Persephone, and a genius named Roan.” She looked over at Suri. “They’ll also know about a powerful mage named Suri, a wise Fhrey named Arion…and a brave and beautiful wolf named Minna…the wisest wolf in the world.”

  “Thank you,” Suri whispered.

  “And I’ll write about my parents, too, so they will never be forgotten. In a way, they won’t really die. Anyway, I’m going to mark it all down, so no one will ever forget us, or them. I’m also going to include what I learned from the tablets. It will be the most complete story, the best story ever, and it will never be forgotten.”

  “What will you call this story?” Padera asked. “The Tale of Clan Rhen?”

  Brin shook her head. “It will be about more than just our clan. More than only Rhulyn or the Gula. It will be about everything.” The young girl paused and thought. “I know. I’ll call it My Book Pine Markings. That’s true enough.”

  “A century from now do you think anyone will know who My is? Maybe you should use your name. Call it Book Pine Markings of Brin.”

  “I like it. Yeah, I’ll call it that.” Brin smiled.

  Padera brought a bowl of the brew over and spooned a little into Arion’s mouth. The Fhrey moaned, but she didn’t cough or choke. The medicine went down.

  “Padera,” Brin said, “isn’t there anything else you can do for her?”

  “This will help. It’s the best I have to offer.”

  “Suri?” Brin asked. “What about you? Can you do anything?”

  Suri looked up confused. “Like what?”

  “Mystics aren’t healers, child,” Padera explained. “Tura knew some of the healing arts. They understand herbs and such, but that’s not their calling.”

  “No, not as a mystic,” Brin said. She took a step closer, glancing nervously at Padera as if she was uncomfortable speaking around the old woman.

  Brin focused on Suri and said, “What you…what you did when we were leaving Belgreig, and the other things, when we were down in Neith. Well, if you could do all that…couldn’t you…” Brin glanced at Arion. “I don’t understand how it works or what’s possible, but it seems like you and Arion can do just about anything, as long as you aren’t trapped in a prison and cut off from…sources. And here you aren’t. I was just wondering…is there anything that you can do? I mean, have you tried?”

  Suri hadn’t. The thought had never crossed her mind. The moment it did, the second Brin said it, she was gripped by both excitement and fear. She had no idea how to go about healing someone, no clue at all. She might make things worse, but holding Arion’s cold hand, looking at her pale face…Is worse even possible?

  “If you can do something,” Padera told her, “do it soon. She’s teetering, and more often than not they fall on the far side.”

  Suri’s hands trembled. It wouldn’t be like opening and closing the ground, and it wouldn’t be like creating a dragon from her best friend. She didn’t have a weave carved in stone to follow or a mentor to whisper in her ear. She would have to guess, and guess, and guess all the way through, blindly groping for a path that might not even be there. She would be starting with a single loop of string and trying to make a specific pattern, one she’d never seen before. If she failed, Arion might die because of her. Can I live after killing them both?

  Suri sat, unsure of what to do. Leaving things alone had to be the wiser choice. If she did nothing and Arion died, at least that death wouldn’t be on her hands.

  Brin and Padera watched her expectantly. She couldn’t take their stares and closed her eyes to block them out.

  You’re just afraid. That’s your biggest problem. You’ve touched the cho
rds, know what they feel like. You understand the immense power residing there, and you’ve seen what that power can do. You’re afraid that by using the Art you’ll hurt someone you love. It’s that fear that’s holding you back, and it’s that fear you must face and overcome to gain your wings.

  She rubbed Arion’s hand. It felt so cold, so dead.

  What should I do? Tura, Minna, Grand Mother of All. Please, help me decide. What should I do?

  “Look at that,” Padera said. “First one I’ve seen down this way. Thought the sea winds would be too strong for them. Fragile, you know.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Brin said.

  Suri opened her eyes and caught a flicker of movement to her right as a butterfly fluttered in under the wool. Big, beautiful wings of green and gold were outlined in rich black. The visitor made no sound, just hovered for a time. In all her years, Suri had never seen one like it. Then as they watched, the butterfly turned and fluttered out again.

  “Just stopping by to say hello, I guess,” Padera remarked.

  “I don’t think so.” Suri took a deep breath, raised her hands and said, “Hold on, Arion. I’m coming.”

  Glossary of Terms and Names

  Agave: The prison of an ancient one deep in the heart of Elan, discovered by the dwarfs about six thousand years in the past.

  Age of Lothian: The time during which Lothian ruled as the fane of the Fhrey people. Lothian’s reign began following the death of Fenelyus and after he prevailed in an Uli Vermar, when he was challenged by Zephyron of the Instarya.

  Aiden (Fhrey, Miralyith): One of the leaders of the Gray Cloaks, a secret Miralyith society.

  Airenthenon: The domed and pillared structure where the Aquila holds meetings. Although the Forest Throne and the Door predate it, the Airenthenon is the oldest building in Estramnadon.

  Alon Rhist: The chief outpost on the border between Rhulyn and Avrlyn. Staffed by the Instarya, the fortress acts as a bulwark preventing the Rhunes from crossing into the Fhrey lands. It was named after the fourth fane of the Fhrey, who died during the Dherg War.

  Alward (Rhune, Nadak): The new leader of Nadak, one of the two clans destroyed by the Fhrey.

  Alysin: One of the three realms of the afterlife. A paradise where brave warriors go after death.

  Amphora: A delicate storage vessel with an oval body that tapers near its base. It has two handles near its top.

  Ancient one: A being whom the Dherg claim predates the gods of Elan. He was found by the Dherg, locked deep underground in the Agave.

  Anwir (Fhrey, Asendwayr): Quiet and reserved, he is the only non-Instarya Fhrey member of Nyphron’s Galantians. He has a penchant for knots and uses a net for a weapon.

  Aquila: Literally “the place of choosing.” Originally created as a formalization and public recognition of the group of Fhrey who had been assisting Gylindora Fane for more than a century. Leaders of each tribe act as general counsels, making suggestions and assisting in the overall administration of the empire. Senior council members are elected by their tribes or appointed by the fane. Junior members are chosen by the seniors. The Aquila holds no direct power, as the fane’s authority is as absolute as Ferrol Himself. However, the Aquila does wield great influence over the succession of power. It is the Curator and Conservator who provide a challenger access to the Horn of Gylindora.

  Arion (Fhrey, Miralyith): The former tutor to Prince Mawyndulë and onetime student of Fenelyus. Also known as Cenzlyor. Arion was sent to Rhulyn to bring the outlaw Nyphron to justice and was injured when a Rhune named Malcolm hit her in the head with a rock. She fought Gryndal, a fellow Miralyith, when he threatened to destroy Dahl Rhen and kill all its residents.

  Art, the: Magic that allows the caster to tap the forces of nature. In Fhrey society, it’s practiced by members of the Miralyith tribe. Goblins who wield this power are referred to as oberdaza. The only known Rhune to possess any Artistic ability is the mystic known as Suri.

  Artist: A practitioner of the Art.

  Asendwayr: The Fhrey tribe whose members specialize in hunting. A few are stationed on the frontier to provide meat for the Instarya.

  Asica: A long Fhrey garment similar to a robe. Its numerous wraps and ties allow it to be worn in a number of configurations.

  Atlatl: A device used to extend the distance a spear can be thrown.

  Aurochs: A breed of large ancient cattle.

  Avempartha: The Fhrey tower created by Fenelyus atop a great waterfall on the Nidwalden River. It can tap the force of rushing water to amplify the use of the Art.

  Avrlyn: “Land of Green,” the Fhrey frontier bordered on the north by Hentlyn, and by Belgreig to the south. Avrlyn is separated from Rhulyn by the east and south branches of the Bern River.

  Balgargarath: A creature residing in Neith who prevents the Dherg people from returning to their home city.

  Battle of Grandford: The first official battle in the war between the Rhunes and Fhrey.

  Battle of Mador: During the Belgric War, the battle between the Fhrey and Dherg when Fenelyus first used the Art, crushing the Tenth and Twelfth Dherg legions under a pile of rock that subsequently formed Mount Mador. The battle turned the tide of the war by stopping the Dherg advance.

  Belgreig: The continent to the far south of Elan where the Dherg people reside.

  Belgriclungreians: The term Dherg use to refer to themselves and their kind in the years after settling in Belgreig.

  Belgric War: A war between the Fhrey and Dherg. Also referred to as the Dherg War and the War of Elven Aggression.

  Bern: A river that runs north–south and delineates the border between Rhulyn and Avrlyn. Rhunes are forbidden from crossing to the west side of this river.

  Black bronze: A metal alloy whose recipe—known only to the Dherg—utilizes gold, silver, and copper. It’s especially important in the making of sculptures.

  Blue Sea: The body of water due south of the known lands and east of Belgreig. It’s believed by some to be endless; others think it marks the boundary where the world ends.

  Book of Brin: The first known written work chronicling the history of the Rhune people. It dates back to the time of the first war between the Rhunes and Fhrey.

  Breckon mor: The feminine version of the leigh mor. A versatile piece of patterned cloth that can be wrapped in a number of ways.

  Brin (Rhune, Rhen): The daughter of Sarah and Delwin, Keeper of Ways for Dahl Rhen, and author of the famed Book of Brin.

  Brown, The: Known as Grin the Brown by Tura and Suri. A ferocious bear who terrorized residents of Dahl Rhen. She was responsible for the deaths of many residents, including Mahn, Persephone and Reglan’s eldest son; and Maeve, the dahl’s Keeper of Ways. The beast was eventually killed by Persephone.

  Caratacus (Fhrey): The sage adviser who brought Ferrol’s horn to the first fane, Gylindora Fane. Creator of the Forest Throne.

  Carding: The step that comes between shearing and spinning wool. Combs are used to detangle, clean, and intermix fibers, turning them into a continuous aligned web.

  Carfreign Arena: A large open-air field in Estramnadon where contests and spectacles are held. It was there that Lothian defeated Zephyron in a particularly gruesome Uli Vermar challenge.

  Caric: The Dherg port city across the straits of the Blue Sea from the Rhune village of Vernes. It was built just outside Neith, the Dherg home city.

  Cenzlyor: In the Fhrey language, the term means “swift of mind.” A title of endearment bestowed by Fane Fenelyus upon Arion, indicating her proficiency in the Art.

  Clempton: A small village of Dureya, home of Raithe (the God Killer).

  Cleve: A simple and practical type of short sword, favored by the Instarya tribe of the Fhrey.

  Cobb (Rhune, Rhen): A pig farmer and gatekeeper in Dahl Rhen.

  Conservator of the Aquila: The keeper of the Horn of Gylindora and, along with the Curator, one of the two Fhrey most responsible for administering the process of succession. The Conservator is also respo
nsible for picking a new Curator when needed.

  Coppersword: A moniker for Herkimer (Raithe’s father). It was bestowed upon him by his enemy, the Gula-Rhunes, because of the unusual weapon he wielded.

  Council of Tirre: A meeting called by Persephone to bring all the Rhulyn clan leaders together with the purpose of appointing a keenig to rule over all the Rhunes and lead the battle against the Fhrey.

  Crescent Forest: A large forest that forms a half circle around Dahl Rhen.

  Crimbal: A fairy creature that lives in the land of Nog. Crimbals travel to the world of Elan through doors in the trunks of trees. They are known to steal children.

  Cul: A Rhunic profanity often used for a despicable person.

  Curator: The vice fane who presides over the six councilors of the Aquila, elected by a vote of senior members. The Curator leads meetings of the Aquila in the absence of the fane, and chairs the Challenge Council, which decides who gets the right to blow the Horn of Gylindora. Together, the Conservator and the Curator are the Fhrey most responsible for determining the succession of power and administering the Uli Vermar challenge process.

  Dahl (hill or mound): A Rhune settlement that is the capital city of a given clan and is characterized by its position on top of a man-made hill. Dahls are usually surrounded by some form of wall or fortification. Each has a central lodge where the clan’s chieftain lives, along with a series of roundhouses that provide shelter for the other villagers.

  Deep Shaft: The passage in Neith that leads to the bottom of the city.

  Delwin (Rhune, Rhen): A sheep farmer; husband of Sarah, father of Brin.

  Dherg: One of the five humanoid races of Elan. Skilled craftsmen, they have been all but banned from most places except Belgreig. They are exceptional builders and weaponsmiths. The name is a pejorative Fhrey word meaning “vile mole.” The Dherg refer to themselves as Belgriclungreians.

  Didan (Rhune, Dureya): One of Raithe’s brothers.

  Door, the: A portal in the Garden of Estramnadon that legend holds is the gateway to where the First Tree grows.

  Drome: The god of the Dherg.