pagonel nodded again. It was true enough - nearly every To-gai-ru war-.•or had been wounded at one point or another, and many of the horses carried scars.
„We should turn south and take respite,“ Brynn decided. „In the fields about the Mountains of Fire, perhaps. We rest and heal, and then Behren uill be an open slate upon which we can strike our next mark.“
„As long as you keep the wealth flowing to the mercenaries and the pirates, the Behrenese will know no rest,“ said Pagonel. „Though your delay may allow the Chezru Chieftain finally to pull his wayward force out of
To-gai.“
„Unless we make him believe that we have returned to the steppes,“ Jrynn said with a wry grin. „I will take Agradeleous out there and level sev-ral outposter settlements. Perhaps we can lure even more of the Chezru Chieftain’s soldiers out onto the open steppes, where the winter winds will find them and bite at them.“
The mystic nodded, then he motioned to a pair of diminutive forms walking toward them.
Brynn’s smile was genuine, and only then did she realize that she had not spoken with Juraviel and Cazzira in many days.
„A fine morning,“ the elf greeted. „Though Agradeleous warned us of a dust storm growing in the west.“
„And where is Agradeleous?“ Brynn asked, glancing all about.
„Out fetching water,“ Cazzira replied.
„We have all the water we can carry from Alzuth,“ said Brynn, a bit of suspicion creeping into her voice. As she hadn’t seen the elves of late, she hadn’t seen the dragon since the fall of Alzuth.
„Perhaps he has found nomads to destroy,“ Juraviel remarked, and when irynn looked at him with obvious alarm, he merely shrugged. „It is his nature.“
„He will go back to his hole when I instruct him to do so,“ said Brynn. „I lave his word.“
„And the word of a dragon is to be trusted,“ Juraviel assured her. „But did Agradeleous give to you his word that he would not fly out and take any affered opportunities to attack our enemies?“
Brynn shook her head. „I will have that word next.“
„Take care how tight you hold the leash about Agradeleous,“ Cazzira. warned. „The dragon’s curiosity and loneliness has brought some conciliation from him, but that is not the nature of such beasts. And Agradeleous is well aware that you need him as much as he needs you - more so, perhaps, both in tilting the course of difficult fights and in keeping your army supplied well enough to move freely about the desert. The dragon under stands his value, even if he does not enjoy his role as supplier and not war rior. If you push too far, Agradeleous will use that value against you, do not doubt.“
It was good advice, Brynn knew.
„I have heard whispers that we will break now from the battle,“ said Juraviel.
Brynn nodded. „We are weary and wounded. It is time for some rest both for our health and to put our enemies further off-balance. Let them’ march hard against the windstorms, and the snows of the steppes, while we prepare for renewed battle in the spring.“
Juraviel and Cazzira exchanged looks which struck Brynn as somewhat out of place.
„What? „ she prompted.
„Perhaps the break in the fighting would be the proper time for me and Cazzira to take our leave of Behren,“ Juraviel replied. „We have become no more than observers in this fight, for now your hold over Agradeleous is even greater than our own. Cazzira longs for Tymwyvenne, as do I, for another adventure awaits us in the north, one more pressing to both our peoples.“
Brynn winced at the unexpected words, and for a moment, true panic set in. How could she continue to wage the war without the counsel of Belli’mar Juraviel? Even though she spoke with him less and less, she had always taken great comfort that he would be there for her when she most needed him. She looked to her human companion, at first desperately, as if silently asking him to intervene and argue against that course. But then, in just seeing Pagonel, Brynn came to understand that he, and not Juraviel, had become her true advisor.
Still, when she looked back at the elves, at Juraviel, who had been her companion for years, she feared that she would miss them terribly.
But she understood, as well, their desire to be gone, for a great adventure indeed awaited them in the lands north of the mountains. Brynn had no doubt that these two, so spiritually joined, so alike of mind and temperament, would find a way to unite their peoples. Then how much stronger Lady Dasslerond’s position would become, should the demon dactyl’s stain push the Touel’alfar out of Andur’Blough Inninness, if she had Tymwyvenne’s strength and friendship behind her.
It occurred to Brynn then, for the very first time, that the discovery of the Doc’alfar had greatly lessened the importance of her journey to free To-gai, from the perspective of the Touel’alfar. She looked at Belli’mar Juraviel curiously, and then appreciatively, recognizing that he could have left her long ago, that he could have left the dragon’s lair heading north and not south.
„What will you tell Lady Dasslerond about my efforts?“ she asked.
„I will tell her that you have performed amazingly well,“ the elf answered wjthout hesitation. „I will tell her that if To-gai is not free by the hand of Rrvnn Dharielle, then Behren is simply too great a foe for To-gai to break. There is nothing more that you, or anyone, could possibly do to facilitate a •uccessful revolution. Every course you have taken is the correct one, from dodging the Behrenese armies to outguessing the leaders of each walled jtv to enlisting mercenaries and pirates in the south and east. Even your actions in controlling and utilizing Agradeleous have been beyond anything I could have expected.“
Brvnn took all the compliments with the severe caveat that they were being given as justification for Juraviel, perhaps her greatest friend in all the world, to leave her.
„It is a story not yet fully told,“ she countered. „Though one that will likely be completed, for good or for ill, within the next year. Are you not bound to see it through to the end?“
Juraviel paused and stared ahead blankly for a bit, digesting it all. „Would you have me stay?“ he asked, simply and sincerely, and Brynn understood that if she said that she would, then he would not leave.
But the honesty of that question evoked a sense of true responsibility in the woman. She understood the emotions driving Juraviel, for a return to Tymwyvenne, and then with the Doc’alfar to Andur’Blough Inninness, could be as important to the elves as these battles in Behren were to the To-gai-ru. Given that, was she acting responsibly as a friend by imploring Juraviel to stay here with her?
„When the war is complete, if we are victorious, I will send couriers to the land about Tymwyvenne to give a full recounting of the events,“ she offered, and then she smiled widely, „But only if I have Cazzira’s promise that my couriers will not join the army of the Tylwyn Doc!“
Both elves laughed at that, as did Brynn, but Pagonel just looked from one to the other curiously.
„I will explain it another day,“ Brynn offered to the Jhesta Tu.
„A day when I am far, far away, no doubt,“ said Cazzira, and the three shared another laugh.
They chatted easily for some time then, about the adventures that had taken them to To-gai, and with many promises that one day they would meet again. Then Juraviel walked up to Brynn and took her hands in his own.
„There are those among my people who doubt the wisdom of training the rangers,“ he explained. „When they do, we speak to them of Mather, of Andacanavar, who still roams the wilds of Alpinador, and of Elbryan the Nightbird, who saved the world from the demon dactyl. And now, when the doubters speak up, they will be reminded of Brynn Dharielle, the Dragon of To-gai, who freed her people from the oppression of Behren.“
„The To-gai-ru are not yet free,“ Brynn reminded.
„But they shall be, and soon enough,“ said Juraviel.
Brynn bent down a bit then and kissed her dear friend on the cheek, and they hugged tightly and fo
r a long while, and more than one tear made its way down her brown cheek.
„Let us set the army on the road south,“ she said after a bit. „Then I wjii fly you to the base of the mountains, a quick start on your road to Tymwyvenne.“
They heard a distant call for Brynn at that same time; one of her corn manders needed her assistance. She backed away from Juraviel and wiped away her tears, then squeezed his hand once more and headed away with Pagonel.
„It is more difficult to leave her than you expected,“ Cazzira remarked to Juraviel when they were alone.
„I knew it would be hard. I found Brynn after I had lost a dear friend Nightbird, and feared that I would never mend the hole in my heart. I miss him still, I always will, but Brynn Dharielle taught me to smile once more. She reminds me yet again of why we train the rangers, of the good that they can do in the world.“
Cazzira stepped in close beside him and took up his hand in her own, squeezing it gently. Juraviel turned a grateful look toward her, but one that fast shifted to a more serious and fearful expression.
„Do you think that she will win?“ the Touel’alfar asked in all seriousness.
„I do not truly appreciate the power of her enemies,“ Cazzira replied. „But Pagonel does, and I believe that he thinks she will win out.“
„You are surprised by these humans,“ Juraviel remarked.
„It makes me regret our practice of giving them to the bog,“ Cazzira admitted. „Never have my people viewed them as anything more than the goblins. I did not understand that they could be so self-sacrificing for principle, or so loyal.“
„Tymwyvenne will change in the years ahead.“
„Tymwyvenne already has,“ Cazzira replied. „The fact that you, and especially Brynn, still draw breath is proof of that!“
Juraviel, still watching the woman and Pagonel walk away, merely nodded.
„Have you yet solved the riddle of why your Chezru Chieftain desired you murdered?“ Pagonel asked, sitting beside Merwan Ma that same night, in a sheltered place off to the side of the main To-gai-ru encampment.
Merwan Ma looked at him and snickered. Always the same question, every day. „You are a patient one,“ he said.
„I am willing to allow you to come to accept the truth of it in your own time,“ the mystic replied. „I believe that you will tell me, one day soon, because you will realize that the cause I support is just.“
„Just?“ the Shepherd scoffed. „You call the destruction of cities just? You believe that the blood of the thousands spilled upon the desert sands is just?“
„Regrettable, but unavoidable,“ the mystic answered, breaking out his
ck and handing some food to his prisoner. „Do you believe that there is other way for To-gai to break free of the iron grip of your former mas-er? Or is it that you believe that grip to be just? „
„Chezru Chieftain Yakim Douan is the God-Voice,“ Merwan Ma insisted, nd he pushed the food away. „His decisions are inspired, divinely so. He onquered To-gai to show the To-gai-ru a better way of life, and though there was immediate pain -
„He conquered To-gai to fatten the purses of his greedy Yatols,“ Pagonel interrupted. „And to increase his own power, though now, with Brynn’s campaign, he may be regretting that decision!“
„You know nothing.“
„I know what I see, and what I have seen from your God-Voice is imperialistic and opportunistic, and nothing more.“
„Because you do not understand that he speaks with Yatol!“
Pagonel drew out his knife again, and flipped it over in his hand so that the handle was out toward Merwan Ma. „You know what Yatol commanded concerning you,“ he said dryly.
„I know no such thing,“ the defiant Merwan Ma replied. „I know what a rogue Chezhou-Lei tried to do, and I am grateful that you saved my life. Beyond that, I have only your reasoning that the act was somehow connected to my master.“
„My reasoning and your own memory,“ said Pagonel. „For you understand more than you will reveal. You know something, about the Chezru Chieftain likely, that he finds dangerous. Deny it as you will - to me, for you cannot deny it to yourself. When you view the act of the Chezhou-Lei and my reasoning in light of your own memories, you know that I am correct.“
„I will not betray Yatol, however you choose to twist my words!“
Pagonel smiled and rose in response, leaving the food beside the troubled young man. „We are moving this very night, so you should eat, and eat well.“
„To another city, to justly murder everyone within?“ the Shepherd asked sarcastically.
„To the Mountains of Fire, to heal our wounds and rest out the winter sandstorms,“ the mystic replied, and a horrified expression crossed Merwan Ma’s gentle face.
„The home of the Jhesta Tu!“ he said.
„Near to it, though few, if any, will view the Walk of Clouds.“
„But I am doomed to that fate, I suppose,“ said Merwan Ma, eliciting a puzzled expression from Pagonel. „That you might use your ancient torture techniques upon me to gather the information you desire,“ the Shepherd reasoned.
„Ancient torture techniques?“
„I know all about your order, about how you can take the skin from a man without killing him, that his whole body burns with horrible fires’ T know about your rituals, drinking the blood of babies and enemies. You b lieve that because you hide in the mountains far to the south that the worlH would have forgotten about the atrocities of the Jhesta Tu, but we have nOt I assure you!“
His bluster was somewhat tempered by the sincere laughter of Pagone] „You know the stories the Chezhou-Lei tell, and the Yatols tell, becaus they fear that if their subjects learned the truth of the Jhesta Tu, we would not be so hated. And they need to hate us, don’t you understand? Because without an enemy to hate, without a threat from somewhere, keeping a nation in obedience is a much more difficult process.“
Merwan Ma hardly seemed convinced.
„Yes, you will visit the Walk of Clouds, Merwan Ma,“ Pagonel remarked
„If only because I wish you to see the truth of the Jhesta Tu with your own »
eyes.
„Why would that be important to you?“
„Because I suspect that you are intelligent enough to see the truth, of my order and of so much more,“ Pagonel replied, and he bent low and patted the man on the shoulder. „I will leave you to your thoughts, and to your memories, my friend,“ he said, and walked away.
A perfectly miserable Merwan Ma lowered his head into his hands, wanting simply to clear his mind of concerns and memories, and of future problems. But that last word Pagonel had uttered, „friend,“ stayed with the poor Shepherd for a long, long time.
Once he had thought Yakim Douan to be his friend.
„You rode three horses into the sand to rush here to tell me that Yatol Bardoh will not be following you back to Jacintha, as I have ordered?“ Yakim Douan said to the poor, trembling courier.
„Yatol Bardoh instructed me to deliver his response to you as quickly as possible, God-Voice,“ the man stuttered.
„His response?“ Douan asked incredulously. „What makes you, or him, think that he has the option of any response? He is to do as I instructed, do you hear?“
„Yes, God-Voice!“
Yakim Douan eyed the man threateningly for a short while, watching him squirm under that withering glare. Then he put on a disgusted look and waved the man away. „Ride five more horses into the sand, if that is what it takes,“ he instructed. „Find your Yatol and tell him that the God-Voice is watching his every move closely, and is not amused.“
„Yes, God-Voice,“ the trembling man said repeatedly, and he bowed with every retreating step.
Yakim Douan waved everyone else out of the room, as well, and collapsed in his chair, thoroughly frustrated. With the Dragon of To-gai nowhere to be found, he had ordered Yatol Bardoh and his fifteen thousand soldiers
rk to the Jacin
tha perimeter, to set defensive positions against this most
strating of enemies. But Bardoh’s courier had come in to inform Douan
, t jjjg man was turning for Avrou Eesa, his home city, and was taking the
Idiers with him, ostensibly to help guard the farther reaches of Behren, ‘, outer rim of the country, which was obviously more vulnerable to the Dragon of To-gai.
But Yakim Douan had lived through centuries, and he understood the southern turn to be much more a militarily tactical movement. Yatol Bardoh was using this time of crisis to further his own position, obviously. With Grysh dead, Bardoh was probably the second most powerful man in all of Behren, especially when he had fifteen thousand of Yakim Douan’s soldiers at his disposal!
Both Douan and Bardoh knew that the outer cities were not very pleased with the tight defensive stance about Jacintha and her neighboring cities, and were feeling abandoned and afraid. So now Yatol Bardoh could act the part of savior to them, and if Douan went overtly against him, even under the pretense of commands from Yatol, he would risk losing the loyalty of all those people in the outer regions. Yes, they were Chezru by religion, but the pragmatism of simple survival often trumped the tenets of religion.
So now Yatol Bardoh apparently saw his chance to further his own position among all the towns of the south and west. Given the fact that Yakim Douan had been speaking fairly openly about a time of Transcendence for a couple of years, who could guess how powerful the man hoped to become?
Yakim Douan took a deep, deep breath, trying to steady himself. He had to look beyond the immediate situation, beyond the Dragon of To-gai. She would be put down soon enough, obviously, but because of Yatol Bardoh’s impudence, Douan had to look ahead to the time of Transcendence. He had to find a way to placate the man, to satisfy his ego and his craving for power and glory, then he had to make sure that the man would follow the precepts of Transcendence.
Else all could be lost.
„Damn you, Dragon of To-gai!“ Yakim Douan said suddenly, and he pounded his fist forcefully on the arm of his chair.
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