Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (144 page)

“I
think
it might be best to leave things alone,” Shelim said uncertainly. “If Tobiah leads well, then fine, but if he leads badly he must step down or be forced.”

Mazel was not completely happy with that. “If he leads badly many of our people will die.”

“True, but can you honestly say you can beat the outclanners and Tobiah cannot? If so, you must challenge him. It matters not who among the clans leads us to victory as long as it
is
victory he leads us to.”

“No, I cannot say I would win, but battle is always uncertain. Where
did
he find so many new warriors? He only had four thousand, now the number is closer to thirty thousand!”

“They had to have arrived by sea from Protectorate, there’s no other way. The clans outnumber him though; we must have four times his number.”

“You are counting the young ones as well, Shelim. It’s closer to three times now that Dragon Clan is gone,” Mazel said, and the other chiefs nodded.

Dragon Clan is gone. Such a simple thing to say, but the reality was something else. Dragon Clan is gone, twenty thousand warriors dead—at the least twenty thousand. Many of the younger ones had fought and died with their families on those occasions that Navarien had not held his men back. Why did he do that? Why do it on some occasions and not others? It was almost as if he was two different people. He was ruthless against warriors one moment, then ruthless against everyone the next. It didn’t make sense to Shelim, but it didn’t have to. He would work against Navarien no matter how the man chose to lead his men, or what he chose to do with them.

A few days later, Mazel’s decision to allow Tobiah to lead was put to the test when they reached Denpasser. Shelim was riding Nyx beside Larn as he had most days. They had fallen naturally into the habit of riding together on the journey to Denpasser, but a strange thing had evolved. Shelim wasn’t sure how it had happened, but over the time spent with Horse Clan he had found himself falling into the role of Mazel’s councillor. He had become a leader. He had tried to push Larn forward instead, but Larn said he was happy where he was—one step from his right hand.

He glanced at Larn who was chatting quietly with some of the others, uncomfortable with the subject of their discussion. Larn was praising him, and retelling the story of their battle with Navarien’s shaman. He supposed it didn’t matter now they were here. Kerrion was the eldest; let him put a stop to this nonsense.

“Who is Kerrion, father?” Amara said from where she rode her own horse nearby. She had heard him muttering to himself.

“He is my mentor—my teacher. He is very old and very wise.”

“You love him,” Emma said, it wasn’t a question. “Is he our new grandfather?”

“We are not related except in clan and calling. Kerrion is my best friend and my mentor. My father is your new grandfather. His name is Tomik.”

“Oh. Is he a warrior like us?” Emma said.

“He is a very great warrior,” he boasted with justifiable pride. “My brother Torin is as well.”

Amara rode her horse closer. “What does grandmother do?”

“Selima is a weaver. You’ll like them all I promise.”

Shelim could see the tents of the people clearly now. There were many thousands of them, but two areas were conspicuous in their emptiness. One would be filled shortly when Horse Clan took its customary place at the Gathering, but the other was for Dragon Clan and would remain empty. Would Dragon Clan recover someday to take its place again, or if not that, at least a part of its previous greatness? He shivered, not if Navarien had his way.

“I will be leaving you here, Larn. I have things to see to.”

Larn nodded smiling and winking at the girls. “Tomik and Selima are in for a surprise. Kerrion too!”

Amara and Emma giggled in excitement.

“My parents will be, but not Kerrion he will—”

*
That’s right my boy! Welcome back. We have much to discuss, but I’ll come to you. Go see your parents first.
* Kerrion said from nowhere.

“Shelim? Are you well?” Larn said in concern.

“I—”

*
You’re not mad my boy. I have learned a few things since we last saw each other. Julia calls it mind-speech. Good name yes?
*

Shelim nodded at Kerrion’s words, but realised the others had not heard them. “I’m fine Larn. I was just thinking that Kerrion likely knows everything already. You know how nosy he is!”

Larn and the others coughed and tried not to laugh. Calling the eldest nosy was accurate, but a little close to the mark.

*
Nosy am I? It’s a good thing I’m nosy, eh Julia?
*

*
There’s nothing wrong with curiosity, Kerrion. I’m looking forward to seeing you again, Shelim.
*

Shelim
felt
them leave him. Julia was here—The One was here! He frowned; what did she mean see him again? They had never met. The sooner he found out what was going on the better.

“Follow me you two,” he said to the girls. “We’ll go visit my parents first then I’ll introduce you to Kerrion.”

Emma and Amara grinned and edged their horses out of the group to follow him.

“I’ll see you at council,” Shelim called back to Mazel and the others.

Mazel waved.

Shelim managed to avoid all the fuss as the other clans realised Horse Clan had finally come. He manoeuvred Nyx around the tents, as people rushed by to greet Mazel and his people. Finally, he reached the camp of the Night Wind.

“We are home,” he said with pleasure.

The girls were looking around and talking excitedly about this or that tent. He listened as Amara insisted the lightning bolts at the top of Kerrion’s tent were the best, and Emma insisted the bison on Kadar’s tent was best.

“I have a shaman healing a child on it,” he said when Emma asked what his sigils were.

“Why?”

“Because the first time I healed someone was very special to me,” he said grunting as he strained to release Nyx’s girth.

He succeeded finally, and helped his daughters with their mounts. He gave the animals a brush down then released them into the Night Wind’s herd. He nodded to Honovi who was guarding this section, and then walked back to collect the girls.

“Mentor!” Darnath shouted as he ran toward Shelim.

Emma and Amara almost pulled their weapons free when Darnath cannoned into him and began pounding him on the back in welcome. Shelim waved a hand at his would be protectors and they subsided to watch.

“—missed you!” Darnath was saying.

“It’s good to see you too, Darnath. Here let me introduce you to my daughters,” he said trying not to laugh at Darnath’s bulging eyes.

“
Daughters!
”

He pulled the girls in front of him. “This is Amara,” he said with a hand on her shoulder. “And this is Emma. Girls, this is my very dear friend and apprentice, Darnath of the Night Wind.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Emma and Amara chorused, but Emma continued, “Can you do magic like father?”

Darnath shook his head. “Not yet, but he’s teaching me. How can you tell them apart mentor?”

Both girls shook their heads; everyone said that.

Shelim smiled down at them mischievously. “Simple. Amara is the pretty one!” He laughed at the gasp of outrage from Emma, but Amara was laughing, and it wasn’t long before Emma was too. They were twins after all. Shelim started them all toward Tomik’s tent while listening to Darnath’s news.

“Kadar was mad, I can tell you!”

“I’m not surprised. How could Kerrion think to get away with leading warriors on a raid without Kadar’s permission?”

“That’s what I said, but Kadar soon settled down when he met Julia. She’s amazing. Kerrion said the pain would have driven anyone else insane, but somehow she survived it. She’s strong Shelim; her magic is…” he shook his head unable to explain. “It’s like the sun coming out from behind the clouds when she uses it!”

“Kerrion said he has learned a few things since we last met. Did Julia teach him?”

Darnath nodded. “Not just him either. All the shaman are meeting with her in the ruins to learn what she has to teach. Her two friends have been helping us with linking and warding, but it’s really hard, Shelim. Will you help me?”

He smiled; Darnath hadn’t changed. “Of course I will help you. You’re my apprentice, but it will have to wait until I can learn it!”

Darnath chuckled. “I forgot you don’t know how yet. Hey, that means I know more than you for a change!”

“Not for long,” Amara said nodding at Emma.

“That’s right!” Emma said.

Shelim laughed and put an arm around each of his daughters as they walked through the camp. It would be hard watching these two choose someone else to be their father, but he wouldn’t step in their way. Once they began to meet other families, they would want a mother as well as a father and shamen never married. What woman would marry a despised shaman?

He ushered the girls inside to find Selima sitting alone working on a tunic for Torin.

“And who are—” Selima began but broke off as Shelim ducked into the tent. “You’re back! Why didn’t Tomik say something?”

Shelim grinned and hugged his mother. “Probably because he doesn’t know yet. I sent Darnath to find him and Torin.” He released Selima to bring the girls forward one under each arm. “Emma, Amara, this is your grandmother Selima—”

Selima gasped in surprise.

“—she’s the best weaver in the Night Wind.”

“Hello,” Amara and Emma said together.

Selima looked at each of them in turn and back to him, before greeting her guests. “Welcome to my tent. What I have is yours,” she said and gestured for them to sit.

After they were seated and Selima served them food and drink as courtesy demanded, Shelim told his mother all that had happened to him over the last two seasons, but much of it was not a surprise to her.

“Kerrion told us of your battles, but he never mentioned the little ones.”

“We’re not little!” Emma said.

“That’s right!” Amara said backing her sister. “We’re to be warriors in two summers.”

“Only if you’re ready,” he cautioned.

Both girls shook their heads as if tied together. “Of course we’ll be ready; Tomik will help.”

“And just what will I be helping with?” Tomik said as he entered the tent with Torin just behind him.

Shelim stood and embraced his father and brother. “I think you have just volunteered to train my young warriors.”

“Yours?” Tomik said looking at the children.

“It’s a bit sudden I know, but you’ve just become a grandfather. Congratulations!”

Selima and the girls laughed at the amazement on Tomik’s face, but Torin was looking from the girls to Shelim in puzzlement.

“How can you tell them apart?” Torin said.

Shelim and the others groaned.

“What?” Torin said even more confused.

“Everyone says that!” Shelim and the girls chorused.

A short while later, Shelim had told his story and it was now Emma’s turn. Tomik was very interested in her knowledge of Navarien’s battle at Calvados. They were quiet when she spoke of the people leaving the city in a snowstorm, and Tomik held Amara close when she cried at the retelling of her parent’s deaths. Emma was stronger than Amara; she held back her tears.

“They defeated themselves,” Tomik said shaking his head.

“How so?” Torin asked.

Tomik explained. “Stones from the sky are frightening, but by Emma’s account not many were killed by them. It was the fear of being struck down in such a way that made the Lost One’s flee. Had they thought about it they would have realised there was more chance of dying by arrow than by stones from the sky. They missed their chance to destroy Navarien that day, and now we are paying for it. Dragon Clan has already paid.”

“Has Tobiah beaten Kadar yet?”

Tomik frowned. “They fight tomorrow. Do you know something of who will win?”

“Tobiah will be chief of chiefs. I have
seen
it. Whether he will be a good one is another matter—one I know nothing of. I told Mazel just the other day that it matters not who leads us as long as he leads us to victory.”

Tomik agreed, but Torin was less sure. “It does matter who leads. There is much honour to be gained from leading the clans.”

Shelim sighed. He should remember that warriors were greatly concerned with the gaining of honour. Here was another thing that brought home the changes he had undergone when becoming a shaman. All he thought of now was saving the clans. If he could think of a dishonourable but nonetheless sure way to defeat Navarien, he would seize it and to the winds with his honour. That thought would have been shocking a mere summer ago, come to that he still felt uncomfortable with it, but that did not change his determination. Unfortunately, he didn’t know of a way to defeat the outclanners except by fighting them to a standstill.

“Defeat in this fight will mean the end of us all, Torin,” Shelim said. “Honour has no place in this kind of fight. We are not raiding for horses now. We are trying to save our families and clans from extinction.”

Tomik nodded, but Shelim could see Torin was not convinced. Torin was not ready for change. Most would prefer to live as the clans had always lived, but until Navarien was defeated that would not be possible. Change was the order of the day. Could the clans change enough to cooperate in this war? He hoped so.

By the God and all that is good, let it be so.

* * *

Julia supposed the ruins were impressive, they were ten thousand years old after all, but she wished they had a decent roof. The weather had improved markedly, but it was still cold. She warmed herself with magic, and sighed in contentment. She was really supposed to be supervising her students as they practised mind-speech, but they needed little help. Mind-speech was easy, it was what came next they had difficulty with, just as she had done. Shields and warding would be extremely important in this war, but they were hard to learn. She knew they would get there eventually, but did they have enough time?

Lucius and Mathius were not here today. They had stayed with Keverin to talk with the chiefs. The loss of Cadell as a candidate for chief of chiefs was causing problems. Many felt Tobiah unsuitable, but they had fallen victim to their own honour. They had all agreed that the leader would be whoever won the contests, but they had been confident it would be Cadell. Julia thought Kadar should have made certain Cadell won by throwing the fight, but of course, that would be dishonourable! Now they were stuck with hoping Kadar could win against Tobiah—a near impossibility.