Wall of Spears

by Duncan Lay

  40

  I have told you all the mistakes I made, so you can learn from them. But you also need to make your own mistakes. For that is the best way to learn and the true path to wisdom. I wish I could give you more but I hope it will be enough. Farewell, my son.

  Sendatsu caught Rhiannon and lowered her gently to the ground. She had a skin of honeyed water at her belt but that would have to wait for a few moments.

  ‘I am Tadayoshi Moratsune Sendatsu, son of Lord Jaken, the last rightful Elder Elf of Dokuzen! Come forwards, clan leaders! Do any here deny my right to rule Dokuzen? If you do, step into this circle with sword drawn and we shall decide it!’

  Silence greeted his words, but it was a shocked silence. The elves stared at him, wondering what was happening, the remaining clan leaders staying safely hidden behind others. He stared around the elven part of the circle, marvelling that none of his father’s generation was stepping up to either agree or fight him. He kept his face impassive as he wondered how he could turn this to his advantage.

  ‘He is the Elder Elf!’ Mogosai roared, going down on one knee. ‘Bow to Lord Sendatsu!’

  Sendatsu stared at Mogosai in surprise, then at the rest of the elves in greater surprise as they went down on one knee to him.

  ‘This war is over. You have all been tricked by Sumiko,’ he said carefully and clearly. ‘There was never any need to fight. The humans are not gaijin, not our enemies. They are our brothers. The truth has been hidden from us for so long. But now you have all seen it. Humans have magic — some of them even more magic than us. Together we shall share both Aroaril and magic, together we shall live in peace, as our ancient forefathers wanted. Many have died. They did not need to. We must make sure they did not die in vain, that their lives purchase peace for us all.’

  There was so much more he wanted to say but he knew he had to keep it simple.

  ‘Put down your weapons, everyone. If there are priests here, they need to help the wounded — all the wounded. If you are not a priest but have a little magic, then help others. There are thousands of wounded and dying men out there. Help them.’

  From the packed ranks, Father Hiroka stepped out.

  ‘He is right!’ the priest shouted. ‘Sumiko was a liar and a deceiver. These humans we are fighting have magic, and can be healed by Aroaril. The church stands with Lord Sendatsu!’

  ‘Thank you, father,’ Sendatsu said, feeling himself relax at the rush of support. ‘Clan leaders, please step forwards!’

  He turned to Mogosai and raised him to his feet. ‘You shall be my deputy,’ he told him.

  ‘But what about Gaibun? Where is he?’ Mogosai whispered. ‘Would you not want him?’

  Sendatsu felt his face twist into a grimace at the memory. ‘He was killed at the very start of the battle.’

  Mogosai’s head dropped for a moment. ‘He will be missed.’

  ‘There are too many who will be missed. But we will rebuild,’ Sendatsu said.

  An uncertain group of elves joined them, several obviously unsure if they were a clan leader — and all glancing worriedly at the unconscious Rhiannon, being tended to by an anxious-looking Huw.

  ‘This is a victory,’ Sendatsu told them. ‘We have defeated Sumiko and her plans to make magic rule these lands. Magic should not be a ruler, it should be a servant of all. Three centuries ago, our forefathers wanted us to live in peace with the other tribes of humans. For that is what we are — I have read the proof, seen the books that make it so. Soon you will all get the chance to see how humans are just like us, even if they do not look quite the same. But now we have to save as many wounded as possible, then we can talk about how we can live together. I ask for your help. I will not demand obedience, like Sumiko. I just ask that you open your eyes and hearts to what I show you, then make up your own mind.’

  ‘Lead, and we shall follow. Be our guide,’ Mogosai said, and the others nodded agreement.

  ‘You shall be the Sendatsu we need for this new world,’ they agreed.

  Sendatsu looked around at them and wished his father could have seen this. More than that, he wished his children could be here. With difficulty, he dragged his mind away from that.

  ‘Come now, there are men dying every moment that we waste,’ he said gruffly.

  Rhiannon opened her eyes to see Huw looking down at her anxiously.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked.

  ‘Hungry. Tired. Thirsty. Mainly tired,’ she croaked.

  He handed her the skin of honeyed water and she drained it, feeling strength slowly flowing back into her limbs with each mouthful.

  ‘Anything else?’ she asked hopefully.

  A giant oatcake and an apple later, she felt able to stand up and look around.

  ‘How long have I been out?’ she asked.

  The hillside was almost empty, while down below and out in the field, a mass of men and women — from Elfarans to Velsh to Forlish to Breconians — were helping the injured, staunching wounds, pulling out arrows, carrying men to where the priests were healing everyone as fast as they could lay hands on them, not caring which race the wounded man was.

  ‘Not long. After you destroyed Sumiko, all the fight went out of everyone,’ Huw said, his voice breaking a little. ‘It is as if they all woke from a bad dream. Or maybe they were all so tired and hungry that peace seemed easier than fighting. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I have had more than my share of bloodshed.’

  ‘Me too,’ Rhiannon admitted.

  ‘Do you need a hand, do you want to lean on me? Should I carry you?’

  Rhiannon stared at him and he shrugged sheepishly. ‘Sorry. I died a dozen times when you were fighting Sumiko.’

  ‘Where are all the others?’

  ‘Sendatsu was going to find Asami, then all the leaders were going to meet, and talk. It truly is a new dawn for us. The Forlish army is almost destroyed; Edmund is in charge and while we may not come to an agreement right away, I think we can find a way to live in peace. Not least because they know that’s what you want!’

  ‘We have to find others with magic, give it back to the rest of these lands.’

  ‘And we will. That is the carrot — you are the stick. You are the saviour of us all.’

  ‘We all are,’ Rhiannon said.

  ‘Say what you like — everyone saw you bury Sumiko deep into this hillside.’

  ‘I never want to think about that again,’ Rhiannon said with a shudder.

  ‘Maybe not. But it saved us all. I will see my father’s dreams come true.’

  Rhiannon smiled. ‘And I shall make my father’s dream come true by dancing in Dokuzen.’

  Huw paused. ‘Really?’

  ‘Oh yes. Don’t worry.’ She smiled, seeing the expression on his face. ‘I think I truly buried him when I buried Sumiko. The past cannot hold me back — our lives together will be all about the future now.’

  She reached up and swept him off his feet, kissing him hard on the lips.

  ‘Aren’t I supposed to do that?’ he gasped, when they finally broke for air.

  ‘This is a new world. And I can do what I like,’ she told him.

  He laughed. ‘Then stop talking and kiss me again!’

  Asami opened her eyes to see Sendatsu smiling down at her, smears of blood still on his face.

  ‘What happened?’ she gasped.

  ‘We won. Rhiannon defeated Sumiko and I am now Elder Elf of Dokuzen. All are helping with the wounded and soon we shall talk about making a new world together.’

  ‘Am I still dreaming?’ Asami groaned.

  Sendatsu smiled sadly. ‘If you were, I would have Gaibun standing beside me.’

  Asami felt the tears come again. Sendatsu enfolded her in his arms and she clung to him. They stayed like that for a long, long time, then she felt him shift a little, to look down at her. She hoped with all her heart he was not going to say anything about the future. She could not bear to think about that, or the decision she had made — a decision that an
arrow had rendered meaningless.

  ‘We should go and find Gaibun,’ Sendatsu said hoarsely.

  She held him fiercely for a moment more. ‘Yes, we should.’

  Hand in hand, they walked back up the small hill, through the mass of men and women helping the many wounded.

  ‘I thought there would be more hatred still, that our people would never accept this,’ Asami said. ‘You must have said something amazing to them.’

  ‘They were already going down that path. When Sumiko turned arrows on our own people, they began to realise who the real enemy was,’ Sendatsu said with a shrug. ‘Besides, this is only the start. There is a long way to go yet.’

  Asami sighed. How true that was. All the things they had read in the books had to be undone before the past could be wiped out. Then she saw Gaibun’s body, lying alone, and forgot about the past.

  Gently, Sendatsu turned his friend onto his side, hiding the ragged wound in his neck, and they kneeled beside him. Asami stroked his hair and let the tears fall. She grieved for a husband, for a father, for the guilt she felt over her decisions and choices, but most of all, for a friend.

  ‘Why did he have to die like this? After we went through so much, it seems so pointless, achieved so little,’ she wept.

  ‘Maybe that is his lesson. We cannot choose the manner of our death. All we can do is control how we live our lives,’ Sendatsu said softly.

  ‘What am I going to tell his child?’

  ‘That he was a brave man, who died fighting for the truth. And he can tell some of it himself. He told me of these notes he had written,’ Sendatsu said, easing open Gaibun’s belt pouch. Gently, he took out a series of notes and handed them to Asami.

  ‘There was more to him than this,’ Asami said.

  ‘Of course. And it will be up to us to tell his child that.’

  They sat with Gaibun for a little longer, then Asami stood.

  ‘I want to take him back to Dokuzen.’

  ‘Then we shall,’ Sendatsu agreed.

  ‘What happens next?’ she asked.

  ‘We have won the war. Now we have to try to win the peace,’ Sendatsu said softly. ‘Come, let me help you with Gaibun.’

  ‘Are you sure? There is so much else that needs to be done. And how can you carry him?’

  ‘That can wait. He’s my brother. And it is my heart that is heavy, not him.’

  EPILOGUE

  You have read Gaibun’s words about himself. But that is not the whole story. He was a better man than he knew. None of us are perfect. All we can do is try to be better than we were yesterday.

  The Council Chamber at Dokuzen was back to its former magnificence, rebuilt using the labour of hundreds of Forlish, Velsh, Breconians, Balians, Landish and Nevlanders, who would take the lessons learned back to their own countries. And not just lessons in building, but in all Dokuzen had to offer. Its secrets were to be shared with all.

  Now people from all the nations were arriving to see Rhiannon Hectorsdottir, the legendary Magic-weaver, dance to the music of her husband, Huw of Patcham. They had been married by the first human priest of Aroaril for three hundred years, Wendi of Patcham, who had lost her husband Glyn to the Forlish, but found peace.

  Sendatsu was at the door to symbolically welcome the leaders of the southern nations and their wives and children. As Edmund had promised, they were waiting in Cridianton for the southern survivors of the battle to return. Edmund had not brought a wife but had instead brought the Queen Regent Mildrith, who had won fame for the way she had nurtured the many orphans the short war had created.

  Inside, the guests were shown to their seats, sitting alongside Elfarans both low and highborn. Cadel and Bowen, the leaders of the dragons, sat on one side of Edmund and Mildrith and a family of fisherfolk from the north of Dokuzen on the other. Mogosai was nodding politely as Griff, the headman of Merthyr, lectured him at length about mining. Behind him, Reynaud was covering a yawn.

  Sendatsu was under no illusions that all were happy with the seating arrangements, but the muttering was growing less. Not only did he have the church on his side but all those who had seen Sumiko buried inside a hill by a human Magic-weaver too. The truth about Sumiko’s treachery, about magic, about the betrayals, about everything, had burst on Dokuzen like a thunderbolt. Things were changing every day.

  Since the battle he had pushed himself hard, becoming lost in the work that needed to be done so he could avoid thinking about Asami. She and Rhiannon were working together to bring magic back to all the lands and he had barely seen her this last moon. Every occasion they had spoken, it had seemed like the wrong time to bring up the future — just getting through the next day seemed hard enough. But it was occupying his mind constantly.

  As soon as he thought that, he caught sight of her, walking carefully, for Gaibun’s child was less than a moon away. She was with his mother, Noriko, the pair of them talking animatedly. He was distracted by her, although he tried to pay attention to the next group of important guests. This was a selected group of soldiers, wounded at the battle of Cridianton but now healed. The first of these was a pair of men, one limping slightly, the other bearing a fine variety of scars. The limping man was accompanied by a small girl and a woman, the other by two women, a mother and daughter, as well as a pair of young boys.

  ‘Welcome.’ Sendatsu held out his hand. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Captain Caelin,’ Caelin said, taking his hand. ‘Although I do more talking than fighting now.’

  ‘And this is your wife and child?’ Sendatsu asked.

  Caelin smiled. ‘In a manner of speaking. This is Hild. I picked her up as we retreated through Forland. Her mother managed to get away from the elves and we met up in Dunholm. Her husband wasn’t so lucky, so now we look after Hild together.’

  ‘You are most welcome,’ Sendatsu told them, turning to the next man, who was shorter and more muscular, with curly hair.

  ‘Ruttyn’s my name. And these aren’t my family either; they’re my mate’s. But he never made it,’ Ruttyn said. ‘He begged me to look after them.’

  ‘I’m sure he never said that. Harald used to make some terrible jokes about me,’ the older woman said, with a gentle smile.

  ‘That’s his wife’s mother,’ Ruttyn explained.

  Sendatsu nodded uncertainly, not really seeing what the joke was. The two women were tall, blonde and striking, and seemed to be perfectly pleasant.

  Ruttyn leaned in closer to Sendatsu, while Caelin shook his head in the background.

  ‘Between you and me, I thought I was falling into the biggest latrine pit we’d ever faced when I swore to look after them. But it turned out I came out smelling of roses.’

  Sendatsu was not entirely sure what he meant but smiled anyway. ‘I suppose we all have,’ he said, looking over to where Asami and Noriko were walking past.

  Caelin turned to see what was happening and gasped, reaching out to grab Asami’s sleeve.

  ‘What is it?’ Asami asked.

  ‘You were the one who took Hild, helped keep us alive.’

  ‘Well, mostly,’ Ruttyn said.

  ‘What of it?’ Asami asked.

  ‘I remember now where I had seen you before — it was here. We saved your life when the traitor Oroku wanted to kill you in this chamber.’

  ‘Really?’ Asami asked.

  ‘Aye. And then you tried to keep us alive in return, so now we can be here, with families of our own.’

  ‘Life does take strange turns.’ Noriko smiled gently. ‘As I was saying to Asami. We just have to make the best of it.’

  There was a long pause and Sendatsu cleared his throat.

  ‘Well then, if you want to head inside —’

  ‘Wait, your mother is right. We need to talk,’ Asami said.

  Sendatsu nodded, his heart suddenly pounding, while Noriko directed Caelin, Ruttyn and their families across to one side.

  ‘Your mother has been telling me we should talk,’ Asami said.

&n
bsp; ‘She always was something of a meddler,’ Sendatsu said, trying to smile.

  ‘There is much to learn from her story. We cannot make the same mistakes. I have not said anything about us because I was grieving for Gaibun. I could not think about the future while dealing with the guilt of the past.’

  Sendatsu let out an explosive breath. ‘I thought as much. I was happy to wait for you, as long as it takes — as you were once prepared to do for me.’

  ‘Well, I have to think of the future now,’ she said wryly, gesturing down at her swelling belly. ‘And your mother has persuaded me that there is no right time — we just have to speak.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘I have to tell you something,’ she said. ‘I was going to choose Gaibun over you. I knew he would never accept losing me, when you might. I had to have one night with you, but that would have been our only night together.’

  Sendatsu leaned back. ‘Why do you tell me this now?’ he asked softly.

  Asami reached out to hold his hand. ‘Because, as much as I want to be with you, I cannot have any lies between us. If you want us to be together, you have to know everything.’

  Sendatsu raised her hand up to his lips. ‘You shame me,’ he said softly. ‘I would sooner give up breathing than give you up. We shall raise each other’s children and, maybe, some of our own as well. And I shall do all I can to make you happy.’

  She smiled, although her eyes were brimming with tears. ‘I had to make my own peace with Gaibun, do you understand? If I had come to you earlier, it would not have been right.’

  ‘All that matters is we shall be together. We have all had a long and strange journey, but we are now where we want to be.’

  She pulled his face down and kissed him gently. They stayed together until a gentle cough made them move apart.

  ‘Should we just go inside and leave you to it?’ Ruttyn asked.

  They chuckled and Sendatsu hugged Asami gently.

  ‘Let us all go in together,’ he said.

  ‘Sounds good. Where’s Hild run off to?’ Caelin asked.