They rapidly moved through the hallways. Rada understood the import of their task, but could not help but wonder at the beauty of the White Palace. Statues of carved Almar stood within fountains twinkling with sparkling water. Paintings, tapestries and intricate silver armor adorned the walls. These people were truly accomplished. Rada felt a pang of regret. Now that he unified the Borz, he would have liked to align his people with the great nations as an equal. It was a shame that people of such accomplishment fell to the Deceiver.
The escort halted and motioned Rada to follow his example. Thirty yards ahead a young Elf lay snoozing upon a blue couch embroidered with gold thread. The escort smiled and turned to Rada.
“Do not worry,” said the Elf. “He works for me. I will be but a moment.”
The escort turned and approached the young man. Immediately, the young Elf rose and bowed low. The escort returned the bow and a brief discussion took place. Within moments the young man stretched then dashed from the hallway. The escort waved Rada over and together they entered a doorway opposite the hallway from the embroidered divan.
Rada found himself in a large chamber, lowly lit by candlelight. It looked like the office of a busy member of the royal house. A large Almar desk lie covered in meticulously stacked bundles of documents. An ink well, feather quill and wax seal lie amidst the papers. Several large maps adorned the office walls behind the desk. A number of crossbows and bolts decoratively hung beside the maps and a shield embossed with an unfamiliar crest lay propped in the corner. Certainly this office belonged to a high ranking member of the Elven royal house.
Rada’s escort waved him to a deep recess in the far corner of the room. The candlelight fought to penetrate this area and shadows hid more stacks of paperwork. The escort positioned Rada behind the stacks.
“Please remain here and out of sight, Rada Shan,” requested the escort. “I must attend to a few matters.”
The Elf turned to go then hesitated.
“I am a lowly servant and our journey here remained secret, but the Counselor is a man of great import,” confided the escort. “ No matter who enters the room, do not show yourself. Even if it is the Counselor himself. He is under close scrutiny and we cannot be certain who watches or follows him. I will alert him to your presence when I am convinced of his safety.”
Rada nodded his compliance then moved deeper into the shadows. Most of the room, save the desk, slid from his view. The escort smiled then backed away. On his way toward the door the escort halted and stepped behind the large desk. The Elf furrowed his brow and perused several parchments lying on the desk’s surface. The confidence and demeanor of the man struck Rada. The Counselor chose his people well.
Rada heard the door to the room open. The escort looked to the door then smiled and hesitated before he dropped the parchment within his hands.
“My Lord Teeg, do your duties as Master of Spies include surveillance of members of the royal house and their personal documents? I am sure those items upon my desk are of no consequence,” stated a firm voice.
Rada’s eyes widened at the mention of the escort’s name. The Borz had heard of Teeg Cin Fair. The smile on the old Elf’s face grew. He shrugged his shoulders and extended his out turned hands in supplication.
“It seems that in my old age, my abilities grow dull. I was under the impression you reviewed the defenses stationed around the palace,” replied Teeg to the unseen newcomer.
“I returned. A young runner passed information that you awaited me within my office.”
Soft footsteps crossed the room. Teeg lightly bowed and stepped from behind the desk. A figure passed the darkened recess where the Windrider remained hidden. It rounded the desk on the opposite side of Teeg and settled into the candlelight. Rada Shan held a gasp as the Counselor glanced over the possessions on the desk. Rada’s mentor could not hide his agitation.
“Ah, the impetuousness of youth,” laughed Teeg as he settled on the opposite side of the desk. “The young runner must have seen me enter your office and thought himself providing a service by announcing my presence.”
Paerrow Admir, the voice of the Elven people, straightened the articles Teeg had disturbed.
“Perhaps I might help you discover what you are looking for,” offered Paerrow coldly. “You have been gone long from the Almar Ring and much transpired. If my assistance speeds your task and quickly returns you to duties which willtruly protect the realm, so be it.”
Teeg arched a brow and leaned over the desk.
“I seek a traitor within the House of Valpreux, cousin,” stated the old Elf flatly.
Paerrow’s coolness vanished. He spluttered objections and his face registered utter shock.
“Impossible.”
Teeg’s face remained implacable.
“The facts are evident,” stated Teeg. “There is a traitor in the House of Valpreux and it is my task to uncover its identity. Although you are of impeccable character, all must be investigated. General Chani and his army departed. Luxlor is vulnerable.”
“Nonsense,” replied Paerrow. “Traitor or no, the Almar Ring is impenetrable. Those of us who remain are safe within the trees.”
“So it would seem,” returned Teeg. “The Almar Ring has always been seen as a major obstacle to any ground assault. However, our people never contemplated an assault from the skies.”
“The skies?” questioned a perplexed Paerrow.
“Yes cousin , the skies,” affirmed Teeg. “The threat comes from the skies. TheCounselor poises a knife at the throat of the Grey Elves and we must alert our remaining forces to look to the skies. The Borz Windriders will be upon us soon.”
Paerrow’s body went rigid. Teeg’s eyes narrowed.
“What alarms you, cousin?”
“Your news of course,” muttered Paerrow spinning toward a map on the wall behind him.
The Elf lord stabbed a hand at an empty swatch of the map labeled “The Great Borz Desert”.
“The Borz are two days march from our home,” muttered Paerrow. “How could they possibly advance on the White Palace without detection?”
“They could not,” answered Teeg. “Even with a limited Elven force at home to protect the palace, an army as large as the Borz would only be capable of such a maneuverif they held assurances the way would be clear.”
Paerrow remained facing the map and his head dipped slightly.
“How could they hope for such assurances?” scoffed Paerrow. “They would need to be in league with .... “
“ .... the courtier in charge of the palace’s defense,” finished Teeg calmly. “You gave them such assurances, Counselor.”
The room went deathly silent. Paerrow remained facing the large wall map. The Elf lord hunched toward the ground as he fought with an unseen weight. Suddenly, his hand sprang to the wall in front of him. He snatched a loaded crossbow from the weaponry on display. The Counselor spun and aimed the weapon at Teeg.
“Perhaps youare getting too old for this game, my lord,” snarled Paerrow.
Teeg remained stony faced.
“The Teeg of our youth would have pinned me down with throwing daggers before I found the chance to aim this bow,” ranted Paerrow.
“The Teeg of our youth would never have believed such treachery possible from within his own family,” grated the old Elf.
“Teeg, you are a fool,” snapped Paerrow. “It is your failure to see the power of Amird which leads you to this defeat. Always a champion of the weak minded fools of Avra, you never truly looked at the possibilities.”
“Oh, I looked,” laughed Teeg. “But a world plunged into disorder and the madness of Chaos never appealed to me.”
“Idiocy!” sneered Paerrow. “Fed the lies of Avra. You believe anything told you. Do you honestly think Amird would destroy this world after he wrested it from the control of Avra. This is about power. Avra possesses it and Amird intends to take it away.”
“Now who spouts idiocy?” returned Teeg. “Avra never exercised his power over this
world. He allows all inhabitants the freedom to choose. It is Amird’s jealous heart that intends to dominate all. His misguided followers mirror their master in jealousy.”
Paerrow’s face twisted in outrage. Teeg continued.
“You sat by all these years playing statesman and confidante, but in reality you harbored the same jealousies and petty hatreds which twisted Amird. When Treigh passed on the mantle of command to those of us who followed him to this world, you could not believe he chose Leinor Valpreux over Paerrow Admir. You raged at the slight, unwilling to see the logic of our grandfather’s decisions.”
“Decisions?” erupted Paerrow. “Mistakes! Gaffes! Treigh chose a man adequate in all things and proficient in none. I was the logical choice. I exercised the political will of Treigh Admir for years. I cajoled the population into accepting his decrees and demands. I built a liaison with the Zodrians and negotiated a truce. It was I who ran the kingdom as his years advanced, not that simpleton Leinor!”
Paerrow’s eyes grew wild and spit flew from his mouth as his tirade continued.
“It was all to please her,” screamed the Elf. “She had always been his favorite. If Eirtwin married a Zodrian farmer’s pig he would have made the thing king! She would have smiled and thanked him and the old man would have been thrilled.”
Teeg shook his head and frowned.
“Do you not see the evil which invades your thoughts?” asked the Master of Spies. “Your task was chosen for a reason. Your political capabilities are unsurpassed. You engender a feeling of confidence and security in those you interact with. You grasp the far reaching effects of all decisions.
However, you are distant. Inaccessible. The people and our allies respect you immensely, but you do not inspire them. They trust you, yet do not find comfort in your command. Treigh looked for someone the people would accept. Someone who gave them a strong compassionate commander. A man as accomplished in protecting the nation as he was at healing the wounds she might receive. You have always viewed the people as pawns to bend to your will. You see allies as adversaries to be duped into compliance.”
“You talk as if all I accomplished for the kingdom were tainted and dirty,” snarled Paerrow. “I sacrificed a life for my people. A life in the shadow of others not worthy to stand in my own. Yes, I bent others toward Luxlor’s will. Yes, I forced my will upon others. It was for the good of Luxlor.”
“Was the way you twisted the Borz good for Luxlor?” questioned Teeg accusingly.
Paerrow laughed.
“No,” smiled the Elf. “That was for the good of Paerrow Admir. Treigh never intended me to sit upon the Almar throne, but it has always been my intention to do so. Whether through succession or force, it matters not. The Borz will help me make that intention a reality.”
“Does it matter at all that our people and the people of the sands will annihilate one another in your quest?” asked Teeg.
“Absolutely not,” replied Paerrow coldly. “They are an ignorant people. Roaming the desert and worshipping their Lord as if he bestowed a forsaken waste of sand upon them as a gift. Their delusions grow with each passing day as they mold themselves into the Army of Avra. Little do they know, that army will be a powerful tool in the hands of Amird.”
“Not if I am able to stop them first,” stated Teeg.
Paerrow raised his eyes in mock surprise.
“Stop them?” smiled the handsome courtier. “You’ve definitely slipped cousin. How will you stop them?”
Slowly, Paerrow’s left arm rose and steadied the crossbow at the unwavering figure of Teeg. The Master of Spies stood defiant before him. The corners of the diplomat’s mouth bent upwards as he found pleasure in the power. Suddenly, Paerrow exhaled hard, as if punched in the chest. His eyes widened and the crossbow slowly dipped toward the ground.
His eyes left Teeg and searched toward his side. The black handle of a Borz dagger protruded from beneath his shoulder. Blood darkened the light blue mantle of his garments. His extended arm went weak. The weapon flipped from his outstretched grasp and crashed to the ground.
“I’ve heard enough,” came a voice from the shadows to Paerrow’s left. “I could not let you kill this man.”
Paerrow filled with shock and outrage. His glassy eyes bore into the figure emerging from the shadows.
“I ordered you to lead the assault on the palace,” wheezed the diplomat, blood coloring his teeth pink.
Paerrow staggered to his left. His right hand clasped the handle of the blade buried in the side of his chest.
“You were to obey my instructions,” groaned the Elf.
His left hand locked on the back of a chair, supporting his weight. Rada moved in close.
“You may have counseled,” replied the Borz through clenched teeth. “But a Borz chieftainobeysno one. The decisions I made were for the good of my people and true to my faith. Not once did I follow your advice without first weighing its worth to the Borz.”
Paerrow slumped forward. A cruel smile crept across his face and his laughter gurgled as blood collected in his perforated lung.
“Faith? Faith has been both a blessing and a curse for your people and their limited intelligence. Faith set them on the path, but when twisted, it easily led them astray. You stood in my thrall from the beginning and even now the simpletons of the sands do my bidding.”
Paerrow’s wicked eyes slid back toward Teeg.
“There is no hope for you, Master of Spies,” slurred the Counselor. “Rada Shan orchestrates the death of the Grey Elves. You will follow me shortly as the sun sets on the glories of the House of Valpreux for the last time. General Chani and his army are gone. They cannot protect you now.”
Teeg’s jaw went rigid.
“Chani may be gone and we do not have enough Elves to contend against the Windriders,” returned Teeg. “But a different army mans the Almar Ring now, and it is willing to die protecting it.”
Paerrow’s eyes betrayed the questions in his heart. His mind fought to unravel the mystery Teeg handed him. Suddenly, his body shuddered in a spasm and his hand slipped from the chair. He fell into a lifeless heap on the floor of his office.
CHAPTER 10: BRANCH AND BOUGH, THROUGH THE ETHER
CHIMBRE WRAPPED HIS meld cloak tightly around his body. The Sprite admired the beautiful sunset from his perch in the Almar Ring. The last rays danced amongst the silvery leaves of the forest giants, but none betrayed Chimbre’s position. The gossamer texture of his cloak hid him well. The spider web woven into the cloak reflected the colors around it. The Sprite swayed atop the highest point of the tree capable of maintaining his weight, nearly invisible to all.
Chimbre swept his eyes across the treetops behind him and took note of the others in his party. Comrades perched throughout the highest levels of the Almar Ring. Chimbre turned back and stared out over the great Nagur. He sat furthest out, near the edge of the Ring. He charged himself with the first strike against this deadly yet sadly misled foe.
Rada turned from the prone and lifeless form of his teacher. Questions filled the Windrider’s eyes.
“You needed to discover his treachery for yourself,” said Teeg somberly. “You would not have believed if I lay all before you.”
“I ... I misled my people,” muttered Rada dropping his eyes to the floor. “What have I done?”
“That is not the question,” stated Teeg. “ ‘What am I to do?’ is more appropriate. The trees are alive with an army. They will protect the Ring.”
Once again the Windrider’s eyes rose, full of questions.
“The Ghosts of the Toxkri are upon your people, Rada. The Borz will not be allowed to enter the Ring.”
“The Wisps of the Swamp .... they exist?” mumbled Rada.
His face screwed into an expression of confusion and concern. His head sagged, his vision drifted to the floor.
“They fill the trees of the Ring,” stated Teeg. “And they are deadly.”
Rada’s head snapped up.
“You m
ust get me to the heights of this place,” demanded the Borz chieftain.
Teeg nodded and the pair raced from the room.
The wind rushed through the branches of the highest trees in this portion of the Nagur Wood. Viday drew in a deep breath. The air, heavy with the scent of the thick wood, acted as a heady aroma to a man raised in the barren wastes of the Borz Desert. Viday acted as Rada’s second in command and he praised Avra for the opportunity afforded him this day. Rada honored him with command.Hewould capture the Grey Elf palace.
Viday shook his head to clear his thoughts. He commanded now. Dreams of personal glory courted danger. He must protect the lives of the others. Although the Elven army departed for their rendezvous with Amird’s Ulrog, the Almar palace would remain guarded. The Elves remained a dangerous opponent and Viday promised not to underestimate them. The trees themselves also represented a formidable defense. Today’s task would be no easy feat.
The sun sank low behind him and in his black cloak Viday became another night shadow in the heights of the Nagur. The other Windriders perched within his tree stared at their leader. They waited for a sign. Viday remained patient. He needed the wind to build strength or it would not support his first plunge from the treetops.
Twenty yards to the south another of the massive oaks that rose above the surrounding wood stood filled with Windriders. They too waited upon the actions of Viday. Pride welled within the man again. To carry out the commands of Avra was an honor.
The wind strengthened. Viday tucked his arms in close so as not to snag on the many branches of the oak, then launched his body over the dark canopy of the forest below.
The great black wings snapped outward as the Borz assassin cleared the tree’s taller limbs and fell into open air. The black silk filled with the gusts streaming across the forest’s ceiling and snapped taught against the pressure. Viday’s free fall halted a few yards from the waving green and he slowly rose into the pink sky.
Within moments more of the great, black bats dropped from trees throughout the forest and joined their leader in a thinly dispersed group of night hunters. The dangerous maneuver had only been practiced on the Nagur’s edge a few times. Success was not guaranteed. However, Viday glanced about him and smiled in satisfaction. The group lost no one to the trees. His numbers remained intact. The Windriders slowly rose and fell as they utilized the gusting currents of air that played above the Nagur.
The Mirror And The Maelstrom (Book 4) Page 10