The adversary the 13th p.., p.31
The Adversary: The 13th Paladin (Final Volume), page 31
‘How…how are you?’ he asked anxiously.
‘I will feel considerably better once I have been told what it is that is being discussed in the council chamber,’ snorted Aluna. ‘So many centuries of being alive and now I am quite possibly missing the most important council of war ever held in Jorath because I gambolled right into the middle of a Bane Curse like a skittish young foal and am now down here, protecting two lives beneath my heart thanks to a rather attractive pirate.’
‘Twins?’ Ahren couldn’t hide his delight, grinning broadly, the smile only vanishing when Aluna gave him an icy look.
‘And it seems that both of them are fighting for my god’s Blessing,’ she joked, her eyes feverish. ‘At least, that’s what it feels like.’ She bent over for a heartbeat and groaned. ‘I frankly admit that I am afraid of giving birth. Jelninolan assures me that the Bane Curse has vanished, but I nevertheless feel that the two rays of sunshine inside me are going to drain me of all my strength in their efforts to see the light of day.’ She groaned again. ‘Why, oh why, weren’t the THREE as merciful to me as they were to Sunju? She has been spared a soul companion until now.’
‘I’m afraid you are under an illusion,’ countered Quin-Wa cheerfully. ‘Sun Shimmer told Muai that Sunju has regularly been sneaking off to meet a handsome falconer residing in Highstone.’
Aluna shook her head. ‘The poor thing.’ She found it impossible to resist a smile, however.
Khara nodded towards the Eternal Empress and the one-time pirate. ‘Am I correct in my assumption that you two would both prefer to postpone the assault on the Obsidian Fortress?’
Ahren looked up suddenly. ‘But of course,’ he muttered. ‘We can hardly allow you to confront the Adversary in your present condition.’
Aluna’s mood having changed in an instant, she looked at the young couple calmly – indeed, she seemed almost business-like. ‘What are you talking about?’
Ahren first took a deep breath, then he quickly filled Aluna and Carlai in on the latest developments.
‘What a bloody mess,’ remarked the mercenary.
‘What do you think we should do?’ asked Aluna, fixing her eyes on the Thirteenth.
Ahren threw his hands up in a gesture of frustration. ‘Why does everyone keep asking me that?’
‘Because you normally always have an opinion and are never afraid to express it,’ countered Quin-Wa, raising an eyebrow.
‘Not this time,’ grumbled Ahren. ‘I hope…’
A loud commotion from the door to the Heart Hall stopped him in his tracks.
‘What is going on?’ asked Bergen, wide-eyed, his hands reaching for his weapon.
‘News from the castle gates,’ announced the redhaired she-dwarf, her crossbow slung casually on her shoulder. ‘A black-robed lady is asking to be admitted. She wishes to be brought to the Thirteenth.’
A shiver ran down Ahren’s spine. ‘I am coming,’ he said quickly. ‘It’s best if I meet her at the gates and personally lead her through the castle.’
‘And who might this visitor be?’ asked Aluna cagily.
‘The Woman in Black,’ grunted Bergen.
The eyes of the blonde Champion of the gods nearly popped out of her head, so taken aback was she. ‘Are you serious? Did not the last report state categorically that she is a High Fang?’
Quin-Wa nodded.
‘But she isn’t a normal High Fang,’ countered Ahren firmly.
The Eternal Empress fixed her eyes on him. ‘Let us hope so,’ she muttered.
‘We had better hurry,’ murmured Khara, gently embracing Aluna. ‘I agree with Ahren that we should get to the castle gates before all the others. I can easily imagine the First taking matters into his own hand and putting her in chains.’
Ahren flinched. It wouldn’t surprise him if half the members of the council of war applauded such an act. Interesting as it might be to see how the Woman in Black would react to being taken into custody, Ahren really didn’t want to know the outcome of such a move. He waved at Carlai and Aluna, then turned on his heels.
‘You are leaving us already?’ asked the redheaded she-dwarf.
Ahren replied with a nod, pulling one of the double doors open enough so that he could squeeze through, Khara, Quin-Wa and Bergen following him out. Getting to the castle gates seemed an eternity to the Forest Guardian, first being led through the darkness by the Night Soldiers, then carefully stepping his way between the magical runes under the curious eyes of his Ice Wolves in the second guarded room, before finally passing through the ring of Dwarfish warriors.
‘Hopefully, we won’t be too late,’ murmured Khara, expressing precisely what her beloved was thinking.
They went out into the bailey through a side door, the Forest Guardian breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the black-robed figure standing unharmed between two of the Blue Cohorts, waiting patiently.
‘You won’t allow your people to do anything stupid, will you?’ asked Ahren, turning to Bergen.
The blonde Paladin shook his head. ‘The Blue Cohorts are under instruction to support the defence of the castle by keeping watch on the ramparts and at the entrance. I certainly did not tell them to hold up our visitor if that is what you are asking.’
It was clear to Ahren that Bergen had not really answered his question as he increased his pace. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another postern in the main castle building fly open, the First together with Falagarda and Yantilla hurrying towards the main gate.
‘Quin-Wa?’ pleaded Ahren, glancing sideways at the Eternal Empress.
‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ she murmured before changing direction and confronting the new arrivals, a heated argument involving colourful invective immediately ensuing, which would have done a pair of squabbling merchants proud whose ox and carts had collided with each other.
‘Let her pass!’ exclaimed Ahren as soon as he was within earshot of the sentries.
The two Blue Cohorts hesitated before looking at Bergen for help.
‘Do what he says, damn it!’ he fumed before turning to Ahren and muttering: ‘You owe me one.’
The Woman in Black paused for a heartbeat before walking under the raised portcullis. Ahren noticed that the shadow of the archway seemed to, quite literally, stick to her figure – a phenomenon that he had often seen occur to Lanlion, thereby shielding him from the sun. Was it possible that the stranger was a Bloodless? Shivering, he suppressed the thought to concentrate fully on the here and now.
‘You have arrived,’ he said, his voice sounding more formal than he had intended.
She bowed her head a little. ‘As promised.’ Then she nodded towards the furiously arguing Paladins. ‘Where does my journey lead me now, Thirteenth? To the tower or the dungeon?’
Bergen narrowed his eyes. ‘As if we could ever imprison you against your will.’
‘Oh, but that you most certainly can,’ replied the mysterious woman, Ahren trying to hide his surprise. ‘I need every bit of strength that I have to prevent myself from being seen by the Adversary.’ She pointed at Bergen’s axe. ‘One blow and my life is over.’
Ahren frowned. Was this a test? Why was the woman almost goading Bergen into attacking her?
‘If you are hoping for a quick release,’ said Khara from beside her beloved, ‘then you are in for a disappointment. First, you must answer our questions. After that we will see.’
The Woman in Black almost imperceptibly bowed again. ‘Spoken like a princess.’
Khara pointed at Quin-Wa’s extended stomach. ‘If the THREE are merciful, then soon I will no longer be Cochan’s heir,’ she said.
Ahren carefully observed the Woman in Black as she looked over at the heavily pregnant Ancient. Her sudden flinch was impossible to miss, and he even thought that he saw a tear falling behind her veil.
‘Let us go to the council chamber,’ said the Woman in Black, her voice little more than a whisper. ‘The many charms that I can sense even in front of the castle will hide me sufficiently without my having to drain myself of my remaining energy.’
Ahren nodded curtly, then led the little group straight towards the First, Quin-Wa, Falagarda and Yantilla, all of whom were still arguing heatedly.
‘What are you planning?’ asked Khara in a low voice. ‘I mean, we can easily avoid them.’ She pointed at the postern from where they had entered the bailey.
‘I am certainly not going to move around like a thief in the night – especially through a fortress that has been erected as a symbol of unity,’ countered Ahren forcefully. ‘The only thing that concerns me is that the First doesn’t arbitrarily draw conclusions on his own. I would rather confront him here than before the assembled council.’
‘Divide and conquer,’ murmured Bergen, Ahren nodding in agreement.
‘You do realise how stubbornly you are behaving, don’t you?’ thundered the First once the two groups had come together. ‘Inviting the enemy into our midst.’
‘Today I am not your enemy,’ said the Woman in Black calmly. ‘Unless you force me to be.’
Ahren rolled his eyes. ‘Can we at least agree to talk first?’ he asked.
Yantilla was clearly struggling to contain her anger, only nodding half-heartedly and turning away once Ahren had given her a stern look, leaving her in no doubt that disobeying him was out of the question.
Falagarda, however, seemed far less willing to compromise. ‘Do not allow her lies to lead us into dire misfortune, Ahren,’ she pleaded. ‘We are not yet ready for an assault.’
‘Silence!’ snarled the First. ‘Every word that this woman hears will eventually get back to the Adversary!’
To Ahren’s horror, the Woman in Black nodded. ‘A keen observation.’ She pulled her robe in tighter. ‘If I do not soon come into the protection of the Bane Runes, my Master will inevitably pick up on what I see and hear.’
The First made a move to reach for the weapon on his back, but Ahren placed a hand on the old man’s forearm.
‘We will talk,’ said the Thirteenth firmly. ‘Must I remind you of Four Claws? Engaging in a dialogue with him instead of fighting him for centuries would have saved you, him and many in Jorath from so much suffering.’
Ahren hated pouring salt into the still fresh wounds of the First, but his words had the desired effect. The veteran’s face was suddenly filled with doubt as he stood there in silence. This was sufficient for the Forest Guardian to lead his group past the age-old Paladin.
When they were halfway to the council chamber, they were met by Likis, who had been hurrying towards them. He glared at the Woman in Black as if she were a Glower Bear.
‘Is this her?’ he murmured.
‘It is indeed,’ replied the woman, highly amused.
‘Be so good as to call the council together,’ said Ahren to his friend. ‘The sooner we get the answers that we need, the faster we can reach a decision that hopefully won’t lead to rack and ruin.’
‘How dramatic,’ commented the Woman in Black dryly as Likis shouted out instructions to his servants while the others continued on their way.
Ahren turned sideways to look at her.
‘You do not agree with my decision, then.’
‘Oh, but I do,’ she replied. ‘One false move and Jorath has a new god – a single god. And he will by no means be merciful – nor will he ever again lie down and go to sleep.’
A shiver ran down Ahren’s spine on hearing the woman’s words, but what bothered him the most was the sobriety with which she spoke – as if she didn’t expect to be alive whenever the outcome of the war was decided.
‘I think I heard a tone of resignation in her voice,’ whispered Khara into his ear, thereby confirming his own suspicions. They would, thought the young man, have to judge everything that the mysterious woman had to say in the light of the low value she seemed to be placing on her own life.
Before Ahren had time to brood any more, they had reached the council chamber, whose doors were wide open. Only Sleeps-in-Treetop was in the room, and once Ahren had led the group in, the gaunt woman pointed at the fireplace, in which the Forest Guardian had burned the piece of wood.
‘One to one,’ muttered the Ancient cryptically. ‘My diligence is your shield and your cage.’
The Woman in Black, however, seemed to understand what the shaman meant, walking straight over to the fireplace. Immediately, two complicated circles began to glimmer, one on the floor around her, the other on the ceiling, each of them containing dozens of sorcerous runes and with a diameter of a good three paces.
‘Impressive,’ said the Woman in Black. ‘She has investigated the magic in the burnt log to discover how best to supress my power.’
‘Your strength is like water from a poisoned well,’ countered Sleeps-in-Treetop sharply. ‘You would be a better person without it.’
The Woman in Black snorted but showed no other reaction.
Ahren sat down near the new Charm Circle so that he could lend the stranger some support if the mood in the council chamber were to become hostile. Khara, clearly understanding his motivation, sat down beside him.
Slowly but surely, all the council members came into the room, Ahren’s closest friends following his example by placing themselves in the vicinity of the Woman in Black, who was standing there in silence. The more the room filled, the greater the atmosphere of mistrust seemed to grow. Hardly had the last person – Likis – entered the room when the double doors were slammed shut and Sleeps-in-Treetop fell, once more, into a trance, thereby magically sealing the large chamber. Ahren immediately got to his feet, thereby seizing the initiative.
‘This woman has come here of her own free will and just as willingly placed herself in a ring of Spells. She is ready to answer our questions. In view of the fact that I deliberately invited her and am grateful to her for saving my life on more than one occasion, I expect everyone here to show her, at the very least, a modicum of respect.’
‘Let’s get this over with,’ growled the First. ‘As soon as she has spewed out her “truths”, we can have her removed from the chamber again.’
Ahren glared at the veteran. ‘Let us please listen to what she has to say first before making any judgements – understood!?’ he barked. He was just on the point of asking his first question of the stranger when the chamber doors opened again, and Culhen trotted haughtily in.
I have been selected to be the eyes and ears of the companion animals, announced the wolf as he sauntered in an exaggeratedly serene manner towards Ahren. The wolf’s voice sounded strangely hollow in the young man’s head. As we are all connected to Sun Shimmer, the others are unable to hear their Paladins.
Ahren affectionately tickled Culhen under his chin. He suddenly realised how much he had missed his friend. And how is it then that we can talk to each other?
Because both Sun Shimmer and I are concentrating really hard. Imagine that you are standing in a doorway between two rooms. Sun Shimmer is in one chamber, and your mind is in another.
‘Camentumar sends greetings,’ said the Woman in Black to the wolf in a low voice. ‘He had no desire to yield to the authority of a city, never mind a castle, and is wandering around in the hinterland.’
Culhen lowered his head respectfully to the stranger before sitting down on the floor, close to Ahren. The way I see it, you have once again provoked the majority of your allies to turn against you, said the wolf, his tongue lolling. This is what happens when I let you out of my sight for even one day.
Can we just leave it, please? muttered the young man miserably. This situation is going to be difficult enough to manage without your sarcastic comments.
‘Why is Culhen here?’ asked Falk, his question earning murmurs of approval. ‘And where are our animals?’
‘They are attending a meeting with Sun Shimmer,’ explained Ahren. ‘Culhen is their representative, so to speak.’ He was half expecting objections, but the other Paladins proved mature enough to accept the situation.
The First got to his feet, and Ahren cursed inwardly. Culhen’s appearance having distracted him momentarily, he had now lost the initiative and would no longer be able to steer the council of war from the beginning.
‘Given that the Thirteenth has summoned this servant of the Adversary without consultation, I propose that we vote on whether she has the right to speak here or not.’
The veteran had spoken through gritted teeth, his features unyielding. Ahren was convinced that he was now paying the price for having wounded the age-old Paladin by having referred to Four Claws.
‘I vote that she answer our questions and gives us as much information as she can,’ said Ahren, raising a hand. Those beside him quickly followed his example, as did nearly all the Paladins – only the First voting the other way. He was joined by Kamkanzakur, Falagarda and Yantilla, the age-old Paladin clearly having all the military decision-makers on his side.
‘Aluna being unable to attend, I shall speak on her behalf,’ announced Quin-Wa. She peered long and hard at Ahren before adding: ‘We both support the proposal of the Thirteenth.’
The First waved his hand dismissively before pointing angrily at the Woman in Black, who was still standing quietly in the Charm Circle. ‘Then speak!’
‘What do you want to know?’
Ahren looked at the stranger. ‘You drew my attention to Belsarius’ Sanctum,’ he said. ‘Is the Adversary aware of what the Ancient discovered through his research and does he know of his theory?’
The Woman in Black shrugged her shoulders. ‘Perhaps. What is his theory?’
‘A trick!’ snarled the First. ‘She is spying on us – no more than that!’
Ahren sighed. They would make no progress if this continued. Trust needed to be developed in some way. ‘Why don’t we begin by you telling us who you really are?’
‘You mean, what she is!’ interjected Falagarda witheringly.
‘Alas,’ murmured the Woman in Black, her eyes fixed on Ahren, her voice taking on a tone of earnest confidentiality. ‘Perhaps you are right. From the moment I looked away from the Adversary, there has been no more going back for me anyway. Once He has enough time, He will be able to read my mind and discover where I have been today and with whom I have spoken. And, His suspicions having been thereby aroused, He will take apart my mind – bit by bit – and discover in the recesses of my memory how I have helped you all.’
