Bridge of Swords (7 page)

‘No, sire! This Hugh has tricked her somehow — with your permission, I will take a squad of men and get her back. They cannot have much of a lead and anyway, we know where they are going. We can be at Browns Brook right behind them,’ Hector promised. ‘She will be unspoilt still, for I have told her never to lie with a man unless I give permission.’

Ward did not move for what seemed like an age, before nodding his approval.

‘I have many other things on my mind but, for your daughter, I am willing to go to a little effort. Talk to my castellan. He shall give you a squad of men. Travel to Browns Brook and bring her back. As for the lovesick Hugh, I want him back here as well.
Although you don’t have to be too gentle about it, I want him alive — so he can understand what I am going to do to him.’

‘At once, sire!’ Hector bowed low.

The chamber of the Elven Council was a glorious confection of marble, a testament to the finest work of the best craftsmen in Dokuzen. Soaring arched windows revealed wonderful views of the city and the wooded hills beyond. Tall wooden doors, intricately carved, pointed the way to an enormous wooden table, around which thirteen seats were arrayed. Beyond that were simple, yet carved and decorated benches, where more than a hundred elves could sit and watch and listen to the wisdom of the Elven Council. But for now the galleries were empty; there were just two figures in the whole of the huge, echoing chamber.

Jaken, leader of the Tadayoshi clan, took his seat carefully. He had devoted his whole life to one goal — attaining power for himself and his clan. Clan Kaneoki had held the position of Elder Elf for the last three centuries. Thanks to his work, that dominance was finally under threat. Now he faced a difficult choice. He could explain everything, throw himself on the mercy of his fellow councillors and their leader, the Elder Elf, and almost certainly keep control of his clan. But the price would be steep. His power and influence would be broken and clan Tadayoshi, rather than being the main challenger for the position of Elder Elf, would instead become beholden to the Elder Elf. No more could he push to ensure his supporters were officers in the Council Guard and Border Patrol, no more would he arrange for those he trusted to be chosen for important posts such as tax collectors and mine overseers. Instead he would have to beg for scraps from the Elder Elf and be pathetically grateful for anything that came his way. His clan would take generations to recover fortune and position.

Or he could gamble for it all. Tell the Elder Elf only part of the story, use the rest of the information for his own ends and make a play for complete control of the Council. Of course, if it failed, he would lose everything. There was every chance his clan would be expelled from the Council, forced to become esemono or worse.

After what he had read, it was no choice. At stake would be not just the power and glory of Dokuzen but dominion over every land. Much of the scroll his son had found was obviously lies but he had found fascinating nuggets of truth. The first was that Tadayoshi had once ruled the elves and been approved by the forefathers themselves. That meant he had every right to act now. Secondly, the barrier was meant to keep the elves in Dokuzen, not the humans out of Dokuzen. And they would be right to fear an elven army with Jaken at its head! He found it ironic such a truth had come from a forgotten elf called Sendatsu, the same name as his son. This Sendatsu had certainly proved more use than his idiot boy.

He blamed Noriko, his wife, for making Sendatsu soft. No matter what he had tried to do to the child, he had never become the ruthless warrior Jaken needed. Certainly he had shown ability with blade, bow and bare hands but never the spine to go with it. Devoting himself to children — what honour was there in such a life? The two brats were at his home now, wailing their eyes out, despite Noriko’s best efforts to keep them happy. Another distraction he did not need. But they would have their uses. He would see they were raised properly.

‘A sad day, Lord Jaken.’ Daichi, the Elder Elf, the leader of the Elven Council and the nominal head of the elven people, took his seat with equal care. ‘I assume you have called me here to announce you shall withdraw from the Council and your position as clan leader due to the shame brought on you by your son’s actions …’

‘Not at all!’ Jaken said harshly. ‘My duty to my clan and to the Council takes precedence. Without me, disaster will befall our people. That is what I am here to talk about.’

Daichi had not achieved his position by letting his face betray his thoughts. But even his years of practice could not help him here. He had never been close to the head of the Tadayoshi and he knew full well Jaken’s ambition to be the next Elder Elf — a position Daichi planned to keep within his own clan. But he respected Jaken’s single-minded determination. The elven people
needed such strength. ‘But Sendatsu, your son and heir, attacked and killed Council Guards and has, from all reports, broken through the magic barrier and is in the human world! Despite the best efforts of the Council, all are talking about it!’

‘That is what it looks like,’ Jaken agreed. ‘But that is not what really happened. If we concentrate on Sendatsu’s actions, then we shall miss the true plot. The first you will know of it is when the Council is overthrown and you are dragged away to your death.’

He saw the flicker of disquiet on Daichi’s face but then the Elder Elf recovered. Jaken knew he would never show weakness.

‘I know you have many ears across the city and I thank you for the warning. But I fail to see how the actions of one elf can mean anything. Our authority is absolute. Nobody would challenge the Council, obedience is ingrained into the lower classes. This sounds like an attempt to save your clan’s position. I am afraid it will not work. If you want to stay on as clan leader, then I require you to submit to me …’

‘The Magic-weavers,’ Jaken interrupted. ‘Sumiko was behind the whole thing.’

Daichi paused. ‘How can that be possible? It has been centuries since they challenged the power of the Council. They have no power base other than their own magic. And there are too few of them to do anything. They know that the twelve clans, together, would destroy them.’

‘They are dangerous,’ Jaken warned. ‘They are like the snake that hides under the bed, waiting for us to sleep so they can strike. In chaos they see their chance. You think time has tamed them, that they have forgotten they once dreamed of ruling the elves. But we must watch them, now more than ever.’

‘Come, my friend, surely you see dangers where there are none …’

‘They tried once before to rule Dokuzen,’ Jaken interrupted coldly. ‘They think magic makes them better than us, try to tell people they are the only ones who keep us safe from the gaijin humans. Now they have proof the barrier has weakened enough to pass through. Already they are out there, dripping their poison
into every ear. All know the power of the barrier — it is what allows many of the people to sleep sound at night. Now all are hearing how elves can pass through it, so how long before humans can invade? They play on doubts and fears, say the Magic-weavers must take control if they are to save the barrier and protect the people. We keep our position because the lower classes think that is the way of things. We only have a handful of Council Guards and Border Patrol. We keep order because of fear, discipline and habit. But if they believe we are lying to them, if they think the barrier is failing and the Magic-weavers will give them a better life, then we are in trouble. For we will have no army to stop the Magic-weavers. Worse, the esemono have all been trained with the sword and bow. If they were to decide to overthrow us, there is nothing we could do to stop them.’

‘You disturb me, old friend,’ Daichi muttered, and Jaken smiled inwardly at the phrase. It was expected that the Council should call each other such things, even though both knew it was a lie — they had never been friends. ‘But while all that is true, you are drawing a long bow indeed from something that might happen to something that will happen. The lower classes may not be content with their lot but they believe Aroaril ordained it this way — and they do not trust the Magic-weavers either.’

‘Sumiko was the one to attack the Council Guards with magic — not my son,’ Jaken said harshly. ‘My son did not have that kind of magic. He barely had the power to make a flower bloom! And then I received a message, supposedly from my son, threatening to use his trial to spread lies to the people unless I gave the scroll to the Magic-weavers for safekeeping. Old friend, they are up to their necks in this. They did not send Sendatsu out into the human world to protect him. They wanted to show the weakness of the barrier — and they want him to return with human help, to allow them to seize control.’

‘Surely not!’

‘They are the ones who keep the magic barrier in place. Who better to open it to our enemies?’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘Act as if you suspect nothing. Pretend it was all the action of one mad elf. Publicly dismiss my suspicions. That way the Magic-weavers will gain the confidence to put their plans into motion. Meanwhile, I shall be moving to stop them. As soon as they give themselves away, I shall pounce!’

Daichi thought swiftly. If there was to be trouble, if the Magic-weavers were really trying something, it would be better to have a scapegoat in case things went wrong. Far better for blame to be attached to the Tadayoshi clan than to himself. ‘Will you take care of this for the Council? Will you watch them for me — for us all?’

‘It will be my pleasure. Sumiko is to blame for all of this. I have no proof but I feel it, deep inside. I shall bring her down if it is the last thing I do,’ Jaken said vengefully but, inside, his heart sang. He had presented Daichi with an irresistible opportunity and the Elder Elf had snapped at it, as he’d known he would. From great adversity came great opportunity. Yes, he had placed everything at risk but better to gamble and try to win it all than play safely and lose.

‘We shall do as you suggest,’ Daichi agreed.

‘A wise decision, Elder Elf.’ Jaken bowed his head, masking his triumph with the ease of long practice.

The garden of Sumiko, High Magic-weaver of the elves, was rightly famed throughout Dokuzen. Twice the size of the usual villa garden, Sumiko refused to have it tended by gardeners, as was the habit of the rich. But then she did not need to. Plants bloomed or shrivelled at a moment’s thought, no matter the weather or the season. She liked it to reflect her mood, could make it do anything she wished. Here she had the ultimate power, here her decisions were obeyed instantly — unlike elsewhere in Dokuzen, where she was forced to grovel before the power of the Council, as all Magic-weavers had done since they had shut themselves away from the humans.

Now, as she walked the garden accompanied only by her two trusted deputies, it was a riot of colour and movement. Her
deputies, talented Magic-weavers in their own right, stepped carefully as plants writhed around them.

‘This is our chance,’ Sumiko said joyfully. For centuries the Magic-weavers had kept to their lowly station in life, bided their time and nursed their grievances. It had fallen to her to right ancient wrongs and restore her order to glory. The relief she felt meant the flowers were exploding into colour around her.

‘Sensei?’ the senior deputy, Oroku, a powerful elf now running to fat, ventured to ask.

‘The people are whispering, fear is loosening the grip of the Council. Our time is coming. Finally we will have our revenge. For the first time in centuries, we have proved the barrier that separates us from the humans can be passed. Events are in motion and the truth will at last be told.’

‘Proved, sensei?’

‘I didn’t know it would work. Obviously I hoped.’ Sumiko shrugged. ‘Luckily Asami was up to the task. Her strength is amazing but, now it has been done once, it will be much easier next time.’

‘So you didn’t know Sendatsu would survive when you had her send him through?’

‘Of course not! The barrier has stood strong for centuries! But now we have proved it is decaying, and should gain the rest of the information we need from Sendatsu, and the humans.’

‘What will that mean for the humans?’

‘Who cares about the humans? It will mean the Magic-weavers will rule the elves. I shall be triumphant, and those evil bastards Jaken and Daichi will bow at my feet.’

Oroku and the second deputy, Jimai, stepped back as plants writhed across the pathway in front of them, waving vines menacingly. She shivered as she imagined it. In elven society, there were many different classes, and all were acutely aware of where they stood in its hierarchy. Except the Magic-weavers. By all rights they should be admired, hailed above all others. Magic was difficult and dangerous. It was a natural part of the world, an energy that flowed through everyone and everything. If you
were an elf or, better yet, a Magic-weaver, you could sense that energy and draw on it, use it. But anything you took had to be replaced by your own energy. Try to do too much and you would die. But for the careful Magic-weaver, strong and well trained, the magic could be used to do all sorts of things. Anything you found in nature could be replicated — but also changed. The power that allowed a tree root to crack solid rock over ten years could be taken and compressed into a heartbeat. Those able to wield it deserved to be raised high. Instead they were despised, treated like outcasts, not to be trusted. It stung Sumiko, like a thorn under her foot. It seemed a small thing but bear it for too long and it would drive you mad.

‘And how will the incident with Sendatsu achieve that?’ Jimai, lean where Oroku was plump, ventured.

‘Patience,’ Sumiko counselled herself, as much as the others. The plants shrank back, allowing the pathway to open once more. ‘Sendatsu is a means to an end. If he had given me the scroll, then we would already be triumphant … but in confusion comes opportunity. Sendatsu is concerned about one thing only — his two brats. It is almost impossible to believe an elf, especially the son of the brute Jaken, would be like that. But then this life is full of mystery. Anyway, he will be the perfect tool for us. He knows he cannot return unless he has some evidence to back up what he read in that scroll. Who knows what he will find — but if there is anyone who can return with what we need, it will be him. Meanwhile, we need to prepare the way. I need everyone to be out talking to the people, let their fears grow about fading magic. Say two things — first, the thought their children could fail their Test of magic and be banished from Dokuzen, and second, the magical barrier is fading and will soon be gone. They ignore us usually but, when there is fear of magic, who do they turn to? The Magic-weavers, the guardians of the magic. We must get everything ready so when Sendatsu does return, we can rise and the Council will fall,’ Sumiko said with relish.