Wall of Spears (13 page)

Sendatsu embraced his friend. ‘There is no debt,’ he assured him.

‘Let me be the judge of that,’ Gaibun sighed, patting Sendatsu on the back. ‘I know I have no right to ask anything but I would dearly like to see Asami, make sure she is all right.’

‘Well, it’s not going to happen tonight,’ Rhiannon groaned, holding her head. ‘I need something to eat and then at least a day’s sleep before I open another oaken gateway.’

‘Of course. Rhiannon, I am so sorry about hitting you.’ Gaibun turned to her, concern writ large across his face. ‘I am so glad I didn’t just stab you from behind.’

‘Not as glad as I,’ Rhiannon said ruefully.

‘Well, we have survived. Sumiko has tried and failed. Retsu and Asami will take the attackers we captured before the Council later today and she will be in chains by nightfall,’ Sendatsu said.

‘Don’t you mean tomorrow?’ Rhiannon asked.

Sendatsu pointed to where the dawn was lighting the eastern sky. ‘It is already today. This has been a busy night.’

‘But what if Jaken refuses to act? What if he is under her spell, as I was?’ Gaibun warned.

Sendatsu sighed. ‘Then we shall have to find a new Elder Elf. Your father will take over when I force mine to step down. Retsu may not be a friend of the Velsh but he can be trusted to keep his word. I thought Dokuzen needed my father but he has proved to be a pawn of Sumiko.’

‘Sorry — I know I was just hit on the head but I could have sworn you said you’re going to force your father to give up the power he has wanted all his life,’ Rhiannon said.

‘You heard right. He will stop Sumiko or I will stop him.’

This time it was Rhiannon and Gaibun who exchanged looks.

‘Are we to keep going through your leaders until we find one we like?’ Rhiannon asked.

Sendatsu shook his head. ‘Retsu is our hope, if my father will not listen to reason.’

‘How are you going to do that?’ Gaibun asked cautiously. ‘I know Jaken almost as well as you and he will not leave easily.’

Sendatsu pulled his sword out of the ground again. ‘With this, if necessary,’ he said flatly. ‘Now, if you have nothing more, we need to get these cuts we gave each other looked at.’

Mildrith looked over the reports her sons had sent. The pigeon handlers used a code so that long messages could be sent in a few strokes of the pen. She knew her sons would never have learned how to do that — they could barely write their own names. The beauty of this was, even if Ward discovered one of the messages, the handlers were the only ones who could translate it — and they were hardly likely to admit their own treachery. At this end she had to rely on another handler to translate it for her but she had spent days reading how their code was used and now checked the reports from the north with the translations the handler had provided. It never hurt to be careful; for all she knew, Ward had paid the handlers even more to betray her.

But the messages tallied and she digested the news thoughtfully. Despite her bold words to her sons, she was not sure how any of this could be turned to their advantage. She was days away from where the action was taking place and her list of allies was thin indeed. Her determination to stop Ward from giving her sons’ crown to Edmund was undiminished by these obstacles. She was a firm believer in the old saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’. The elves, of course, were out of the question. Not only was it impossible to reach them but she had no idea who to approach. That left the Velsh. She decided to send a message to them immediately. She could give them a little information about Ward’s actions so that, when it came true, they would trust her.

She liked that idea. The Velsh had outwitted her husband once. With her help, they could certainly do so again.

Noriko dressed carefully. She was used to her husband, Jaken, being away and, in truth, she preferred it that way. She missed Sendatsu and wished he could be here but his presence would have made things awkward today. He would have wanted to know why she had received the invitation from Lord Retsu and why he wanted her to be his guest at the Council. She had never got over the regret of losing Retsu and being forced to marry Jaken. They were coming to the end of their lives but perhaps there was still hope for them. If Jaken was away campaigning for seasons, or even years, subduing the human lands, surely there was time for them. Noriko would have been ecstatic with just a few stolen moons of happiness. In exchange for that, she would happily open her veins and remove any shame.

She brushed her hair out carefully and called for her servants to escort her to the Council Chamber. Retsu’s invitation surely indicated that he was finally willing to put aside his sense of honour to pursue personal happiness. It was about time. Perhaps their example could inspire Sendatsu and Asami.

‘I swear that Sumiko will pay for wrecking my home not once but twice,’ Asami said as she stood on the edge of Dokuzen’s park. ‘I doubt we shall ever get the stench out of the house, while the floors and walls have to be replaced.’

‘Let us worry about opening Jaken’s eyes to her treachery first,’ Retsu replied.

‘We are ready,’ Asami judged.

‘I hope so. Do you think we have enough Council Guards around the park?’

Asami smiled. ‘The only ones left in Dokuzen not hiding in the park are the four who watch the doors of the Council Chamber. If we remove them, then people will ask questions and word might get back to Sumiko.’

Retsu nodded. That had been their concern through the early morning of hard work. First the remaining Council Guard officers had to be found, then warriors secreted through the park. Asami suspected that Sumiko would have one or more Magic-weavers who would give Oroku the signal that it was safe to come through. They wanted to catch Oroku in the act of bringing Forlish soldiers into the city but advance notice would allow them to concentrate the thin cordon of warriors around the tree Oroku was going to use.

‘Do you understand what needs to be done?’ he asked the senior Council Guard officer.

‘Yes, lord. We watch and wait — and capture as many gaijin as we can.’ He saluted.

‘Excellent. We do not know when they are coming through, so keep a sharp watch.’ Retsu looked around the park one more time and nodded in approval. There were more than sixty warriors hidden in the bushes, every one of them an expert with the longbow. The Forlish would not know what hit them.

‘Come, we need to get to the Council Chamber and have something to eat before the meeting begins. It would not do for one or both of us to fall over while addressing the Council,’ Asami said.

‘Indeed. But we shall need to take it slowly. I hate to say it, but Hiroka was right. I feel like I could eat a cauldron of rice and then sleep for a day and a night.’

‘Something to look forward to later.’ Asami smiled. ‘Will Jaken listen to the Council?’

‘Faced with proof of Sumiko attacking both you and me, as well as bringing Forlish into the city, he will have no choice. The Council, indeed the people, will not stand for that.’

‘Well, if he does not listen, we shall make you Elder Elf,’ Asami suggested.

Retsu sniffed. ‘Do not joke about such things. The overthrow of a second Elder Elf, after what happened with Daichi, might be an event Dokuzen never recovers from. Of more certainty is the need for you to take over the Magic-weavers again. With both Sumiko and Oroku as traitors, there is no other. I just hope it will allow you to enjoy the child you and Gaibun are about to bring into this world.’

‘Yes,’ Asami agreed carefully. Taking over the Magic-weavers was one thing, becoming a mother was something else. At least it was a problem for another day.

‘What are we waiting for?’ Edmund demanded.

‘I am supposed to receive a signal that all is clear and I can bring you all through,’ Oroku said irritably. ‘You do not understand the power of magic. Opening the gateway will leave me weakened and unable to do much to help you.’

‘We never expected your help, we know what we must do,’ Edmund said with a confidence he did not entirely feel.

Oroku had sketched the route they must take to the Elven Council for Edmund and his sergeants, as well as highlighting landmarks they could use to get themselves back once they had set the building on fire. That was all well and good but Edmund would have been far happier to have scouted it thoroughly himself. Trusting a traitor was never easy.

Edmund glanced over his shoulder at the fifty men he would be bringing through. All carried crossbows, tinder and flint, and small casks of Breconian brandy; not to drink but to help set a fire deep in the Elven Council building. Most sat silently, wrapped in their own thoughts as well as the long, grey, hooded cloaks Oroku had suggested they use to disguise themselves. No sense in fighting until they had to. He noticed three talking together, the eccentric scouts he had used several times before. They always seemed to come back from these things, which was why Edmund had wanted them along.

‘We cannot wait any longer,’ he judged. ‘Take us through now.’

‘But we could be walking into a trap! Without the signal, I don’t know what is happening on the other side. Don’t forget, I only just escaped from one of my enemies,’ Oroku argued.

‘It doesn’t matter. We have to go now,’ Edmund insisted. ‘I shall go first.’

‘On your own head be it,’ Oroku muttered.

Edmund stared at him and Oroku looked away.

‘Tell your men. They must hold tight to the staff or they will become lost …’

‘We have been through that a dozen times already. Stop wasting time. We go now!’

Edmund waved to his sergeants and instantly the men came to their feet, forming a neat line behind him.

Oroku sighed, then closed his eyes for a few moments before thrusting his staff deep into the tree.

‘Go!’

Taking a deep breath, Edmund hefted his sword and stepped through.

Despite Father Hiroka’s attentions, both Asami and Retsu were exhausted by the time they reached the Council Chamber. The combination of no sleep, little food and blood loss had them both reeling.

‘After this, I am going to go home and sleep for a moon,’ Retsu said, sitting down and beckoning for a servant to bring him food and tea.

‘At least you have a home to go back to. I have a slaughterhouse filled with the bodies of Sumiko’s killers.’

‘It was more important to ensure the park was guarded. And some of the other clan leaders might want to see the evidence for themselves. I have more than enough spare beds at my home anyway.’ Retsu accepted tea gratefully, sipped, then spat it out again.

‘What?’

‘It is Noriko — what is she doing here?’ Retsu ignored his still-tender leg to jump to his feet and hurry over to where Noriko sat on the bench reserved for guests of the clan leaders. Was she here at Jaken’s request or was there some other reason?

‘My lady.’ He offered her a short bow. ‘As always, it is a pleasure to see you.’

‘Lord Retsu. Thank you for your invitation to be here today.’ She stood and bowed in return.

He hid his confusion behind another bow. He might be struggling to make sense of the fog in his mind but he knew full well he would never dare invite the wife of the Elder Elf to be his guest at anything, let alone a Council meeting.

‘I must admit I was surprised to receive such an invitation — surprised and delighted. With my husband absent and likely to be so for many moons, I wanted to show you how much your offer means to me,’ she said politely, yet Retsu could feel the heat in her gaze.

Tired as he was, he felt himself respond and it took all his iron will to not give in.

‘My lady, we must talk. After the Council meeting,’ he said in the end. He had to know who had sent that invitation. Was this some trick of Jaken’s, or something else entirely? Jaken knew only too well how Retsu felt about Noriko but it had hardly been secret knowledge among the elves of their generation.

‘Lord Retsu. We are about to start!’ A call from behind put an end to his random thoughts. He did not have the time nor the ability to make sense of this now. But there was no rush.

‘Go to your duty. I shall be waiting for you,’ Noriko said with a gentle smile.

They bowed briefly and then Retsu took his place at the Council table, forcing a smile of welcome to his face. There were few people in the audience, for there was no Elder Elf present. But it was the clan leaders who mattered.

‘My lords, I have news of a horrifying betrayal. Lady Sumiko has been secretly working with the Forlish and plans to bring them into the heart of Dokuzen,’ he began.

He glanced around the table to see the reactions, trying to gauge if any were in league with Sumiko. From their faces and shouts of anger, it looked like they were all as shocked as he had been.

‘My lords, I call on Asami, former leader of the Magic-weavers, to explain.’

He sat down and rubbed his shaking leg. He could see it now. Sumiko and Jaken disgraced and Noriko free at last. It was all within his grasp.

‘Something is happening in those trees over there!’

The call went up and down the line and Council Guards converged on the stand of trees where Asami had seen Oroku disappear. Guards stood carefully, staying in cover as much as possible, but nocking arrows and bending their bows. The Forlish were about to receive a terrible surprise.

Edmund burst into another world. The lushness and beauty of the plants around him hit him like a blow. He had seen nothing like it before. He forgot where he was for a few moments, until a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and forced him to the ground.

‘Stay down, sir, let us look around,’ a familiar voice muttered and he looked back to see Caelin and his ever-present pair of scouts behind him.

‘That was a horrible way to travel,’ Ruttyn muttered. ‘I never want to do that again. Well, once more of course, to go back.’

‘I loved it.’ Harald chuckled. ‘It’s the perfect way to get rid of the wife’s mother!’

Caelin shoved them out to his left. ‘Secure the area,’ he hissed. ‘We don’t know who might be around.’

More Forlish were stepping through now and Caelin sent them in all directions, forming a tight ring around the oak tree.

‘What’s that?’ Ruttyn hissed and they dropped to one knee, crossbows out.

A figure stepped out from behind some large bushes and Caelin tensed, fearing this would signal some elven attack that would kill them all.

‘When I signal, loose your arrows and keep loosing until none of them move,’ the Council Guard officer ordered, then stepped out of the bushes, his arm raised.

‘Wait!’ a frightened voice squeaked and a figure ran towards him, hands in the air.

‘What are you doing here? I have archers hidden in the trees and one signal from me will see you riddled with arrows!’

‘But I was just looking for the sword I dropped here yesterday. It was a gift from my friend Tokosai, a favoured nephew of the Elder Elf Daichi and I —’

The officer blinked in surprise at the flow of nonsense from what he guessed was a young noble, judging by his fine clothes. ‘Slow down and explain yourself! Do you know that a band of gaijin raiders could be coming through here at any moment?’

‘Gaijin?’ the noble squealed. ‘Where?’

The officer looked around. Not here, obviously. So where were they?

‘Spread out again. Keep watching. I shall interrogate the fool,’ he ordered.

‘I thought you wanted to speak to me …’ the noble began, but trailed off when he realised the officer’s meaning.

‘If this is the best the gaijin can do, we have little to fear,’ the officer told his warriors.

An elderly elf, dirt staining his strange grey trousers and flowing top, holding cut flowers in his hands, stared at Caelin in surprise.

‘Come here! Are you alone?’ Caelin hissed, waving him closer. ‘Are you with the traitors?’

The elf backed away, raising his hands, his eyes wide in terror.

‘Don’t be a fool. We won’t hurt you if you talk but we’ll fill you full of bolts before you take two steps,’ Caelin warned him but the elf turned and ran, all the same.

‘Stop him!’ Edmund ordered.

Crossbows twanged and the bolts converged on the elf, slamming into his back and sending him tumbling over.

‘Spread out and search this place. Make sure there are no others,’ Edmund hissed. ‘The traitor Oroku told us he would have allies here, so search carefully.’

‘Do you think that was one, sir?’ Ruttyn gestured towards the fallen elf.

‘I bloody hope not, or we’re all in the shit.’

Caelin took the lead, as he knew he was supposed to do. Now he was here, the fear was gone and all he thought about was the task at hand.

They were in some sort of beautiful garden, bounded by high stone walls. At one end was what looked like stables and store rooms, there was some other strange structure and then what was unmistakeably a house, although nothing like any house Caelin had seen before. The best stone masons and carpenters in Forland could not have come close to anything like this.

Instinctively, he started his search there, easing into a beautifully tiled corridor.

‘Sarge, I can smell dead bodies,’ Ruttyn whispered.

Caelin grinned wolfishly. ‘I’m making you into a scout after all!’

Caelin, Harald and Ruttyn worked together as they checked the rooms, one watching the corridor while two darted into each room, confirming it was empty. The reek of death, of blood, brains and bowels became stronger with every pace.