Wrath of Lions (72 page)

“How long have you known of this?” Bardiya asked in his deep voice.

“A few weeks,” Audrianna replied, motioning to Aully and Kindren. “My daughter and future son-in-law informed me of the existence of this cache the very morning they discovered it.”

“Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

“We had our reasons. We are not captives here, nor are we beholden to you, as you have been adamant in saying.”

“I offered you shelter,” grumbled Bardiya, his tone disapproving. “I provided you with food and water when you were lost and hungry. I saved the boy’s life when he was near death. I deserve to know of all that is discovered within our borders, especially in times like these. You
owe
me that.”

“Bardiya, calm yourself,” said the tall, slender, dark-skinned man beside him. “There is no need for anger.”

“Speak for yourself, Ki-Nan,” he shot back, swatting his friend’s hand away. Aully took a step backward. It was unsettling to see Bardiya so upset.

Lady Audrianna approached the giant, dropping to one knee before him. He did not respond, not even when she grabbed his massive right hand.

“Bardiya, we are eternally grateful for what you have done for us. We are. The only reason we did not tell you about the discovery was because we were unsure what it meant.”

“How so?”

She returned to standing and gestured toward the sea. “Anyone could have placed the crates here, be it our people, Karak’s, or even your own—”

“That isn’t possible.”

“Be that as it may, we could not move forward until we knew more about the situation.” Audrianna pointed to the handsome elf beside her. “My daughter led Aaromar here the very next day to take inventory. He counted two hundred and ninety-four swords of various lengths, ninety-nine daggers, twenty battle-axes, and fifteen mauls, and that is only what was inside the crate that split when my
daughter attempted to open it. One sword in particular caught his eye, which was our reason for not coming to you sooner. Aaromar, bring it out.”

The elf dropped down into the hollow where the large wooden crates had been stacked, and when he reemerged, he dragged behind him a length of sharpened steel nearly as long as himself. Aully gaped at the sight of the sword, which could only be wielded by a giant. She watched as Ki-Nan’s jaw fell open as well.

Aaromar dropped the blade in front of Bardiya, the clang as it struck the rocks echoing around them like a bell. Bardiya narrowed his eyes, staring first at the sword, then at Audrianna.

“This gave you pause? Why?”

“Because it seems to have been made for you, Bardiya. Of all the beings in Dezrel, there are only three for whom such a blade would make sense. And I do not think Ashhur and Karak, being gods, would have need of a man-made sword.”

The giant leaned forward, ran his finger over the cutting edge, then abruptly drew his hand back and shivered. He drummed his shaved scalp, which glistened with sweat and mist.

“Of course, I did not believe you were lying to us,” said Lady Audrianna, “but you must understand my hesitancy.”

Amazingly, Bardiya seemed to be in agreement.

“What changed your mind?” he asked.

“For a week I had the crates watched from the top of the cliff. Not once did anyone pass by this place. The tide came in, concealing the hollow, and then rolled out, exposing it once more. The only thing that seemed to care for the hidden treasure was the seaweed.” She smiled. “But your reaction not a minute ago is what truly proved it to me. The revulsion you displayed on touching the sword could not be feigned.”

Bardiya nodded to her, then glanced again at the giant sword.

“If you would please remove this…thing…from my sight, it would be greatly appreciated.”

“Of course.”

Aully watched Aaromar retrieve the massive blade, straining as he lugged it behind him before dumping it into the hollow. With the sword gone from sight, Bardiya seemed to relax. He leaned back on the slippery rock, grimacing each time his joints audibly popped. His friend Ki-Nan wandered over to the hole, dropped down on his hands and knees, peered inside, and whistled.

Bardiya shook his head, turning his attention to Lady Audrianna.

“I apologize for my outburst,” he said. “As I have told you many times, my people have decried violence, just as Ashhur has taught. The sight of such things as these within our borders is worrisome. Do you have any idea how they came to arrive here?”

“I think the Prince of Dezerea has theory on that,” she said.

Kindren winced, squeezed Aully’s hand once more, and stepped forward.

“I think they were a gift,” he said.

“A gift?” asked Bardiya. “From whom?”

“From Celestia,” Aully said, refusing to shrink away when all eyes turned to her.

Bardiya chuckled. “Why would the goddess give me that which I do not want?” he asked.

“Because Celestia is the goddess of balance,” Audrianna said before her daughter could answer. “There has always been equality between our people and the Quellan, an equality that no longer exists. The same can be said for Paradise and Neldar. So the goddess sent these gifts to allow us to fight for ourselves, to retake what we have lost, to even the scales.”

“Why would the goddess not do so openly?” asked Ki-Nan, lifting his head from within the hollow.

“Because that is not Celestia’s way,” said another voice. From the rear of the group of elves, an ancient female approached. She hobbled on unsteady legs, her cane shaking as the tip sought gaps
in the wet stone. “You know this, son of Gorgoros, for you have studied her as well as Ashhur.”

“Noni, be careful!” Aully shouted. She ran up to her nursemaid and wrapped her arm around Noni’s slender waist, helping the ancient elf draw close to Bardiya. The giant slipped off his perch and dropped to one knee, hunching over so that his gaze was level with hers. Aully studied his face, the twitch of his lips, the furrowing of his brow. It seemed to take extraordinary effort for him to complete such a seemingly simple task.

“Nonallee Clanshaw,” he said, and Noni bobbed her head in greeting. It was the first time Aully ever remembered hearing her nursemaid’s full name come from lips other than her own.

Noni placed a withered hand on the giant’s cheek. “You have always been a fine lad, Bardiya. I was there on the day of your birth and helped bring you into the world alongside your Wardens.”

“Mother told me as much,” Bardiya answered. He seemed to melt beneath the compassion of her touch.

“And I was the first one to speak with you about Celestia’s glory when you were but a tot. Do you remember that as well?”

He nodded. “I was six. The stories you told…they implanted me with wonder, taught me that
all
gods were to be respected, not just my creator.”

“Then you know the way the goddess works.” Noni tilted her head, the side of her mouth lifting into a smile. “You know she would only interfere with our lives as a last resort, when the signs show that the balance she created might shatter.”

“And that is now?”

She nodded. “That is now.”

“So you are saying Celestia put these weapons here to force us into a war?”

“Not at all, Bardiya,” Noni said with a sigh. “She would never
force
anyone to do anything. Rather, she wished for you to have the
choice
. To have the opportunity to defend your life and land should the renegade god attempt to conquer all.”

Aully turned at the sound of a chuckle and noticed that Ki-Nan was standing behind the rest, laughing softly into his fist as he shook his head. She couldn’t decide if he thought her nursemaid’s reasoning absurd or if this was a nervous tic of his in unfamiliar situations. She liked Bardiya’s friend; he had been very kind to her and her people. So she chose to believe that latter.

Bardiya’s voice returned her attention to him. “I take it you will be accepting her gift,” the giant said, gazing at each of the elves in turn. “You wish to return to your home.”

Noni nodded.

“We do,” said Lady Audrianna.

“I cannot help you if you go,” Bardiya said, “and I cannot accept this gift from your goddess, if that is indeed what it is. Do you understand?”

“Of course,” Noni said. She then leaned in to place a kiss on the tip of the giant’s broad nose. Aully rushed back to her side to help her waddle away.

“We respect your sovereignty,” Lady Audrianna said. “We would never ask you to go against your own code of ethics. It is not our place. We simply wished to let you know you have…options.”

Aully passed Noni off to one of her father’s old assistants and then wheeled around. “We also did not want to disappear in the night without telling you.”

He bowed his head. “I am grateful for that.”

“And we are grateful for all you’ve done for us,” said Kindren. He draped an arm around Aully, kissing her on the top of one pointed ear. She squeezed him in return, grateful for the millionth time that he was by her side. “
I
am grateful. I will forever be in your debt, and when this is all over, should we both come out breathing, I will do all I can to close the rift between our peoples. That is my promise to you.”

The giant smiled warmly, looked first at Aully, then at Lady Audrianna.

“You have chosen a fine husband,” he said, “and an even finer heir. Young prince, I look forward to that day, should it ever come to pass.”

“As do I.”

“But how do you plan on retaking your home?” asked Ki-Nan. The giant’s friend had circled back and was standing beside the giant once more. “You cannot hope to recapture the forest with only thirty of you.”

“Oh, but we do,” said Audrianna. “There have been no disturbances for months, not since the death of Bardiya’s parents. I have known Detrick for a very, very long time. He is a much gentler soul than even his brother, my husband. He would never have agreed to such egregious horrors as have been committed in his name. The Meln family name runs deep in Stonewood. At worst, there is a rebel element that is making Detrick’s life…difficult. It has been quiet for far too long for us to consider any other possibility. We owe it to our people to return home, with a young prince and princess whose command of magic grows each day, and assist them in their fight for freedom.”

“And if you are wrong?”

“Then we shall meet our error head on rather than in hiding,” said Kindren.

“We miss our home,” added Aully. Her insides clenched. “
I
miss
my
home. We don’t belong here, Bardiya.”

The giant smiled at her, held out his hand. She went to him and accepted his embrace. His body swallowed hers like she was a mouse, but rather than being scared, she actually found it comforting. She suddenly wished Bardiya would cast aside his beliefs and join them. Should their assumptions prove wrong, it would be advantageous to have a giant on their side…even if that giant seemed to ache every time he moved.

“When will you be departing?” she heard him ask from above her.

“In two days,” her mother’s voice answered. “We will string our own bows and take what weapons we require from the cache, and then we will be gone.”

“I will miss you,” said Bardiya.

Aully leaned back. “Not too much, though,” she said, grinning. “We’ll be sure to come visit often after we retake the forest.”

“You do that,” the giant replied.

From the look on his face, she could tell he didn’t believe a word of it.

Bardiya watched as the Stonewood Dezren walked back to their camp. The sun was descending in the sky, casting a glow around the elves as they moved steadily away from him. It made them look like celestial beings descended from on high to walk among them, a thought that made him shudder.

He stole a glance at Ki-Nan, who shielded his eyes with one hand as he waved with the other. His friend was smiling, but he had known Ki-Nan for long enough to know that his expression was less than sincere. He had been much more terse than usual since his return, with occasional dark moods.

“What bothers you?” he asked finally.

Ki-Nan turned to him. “Nothing, Brother. Why?”

“You cannot lie to me. I know you too well. Tell me.”

“You already know,” Ki-Nan said with a sigh. “I won’t go over this again.”

Bardiya grunted. He and Ki-Nan had taken to debating the virtues of peace and nonviolence almost nightly since his friend had emerged grievously wounded from his skiff. Only recently had those arguments come to an end, and not because the two had reached an agreement—it was simply easier for them to ignore the issue. But there was no
ignoring it now, not when his friend’s gaze constantly returned to the buried crates and the sharpened steel that resided within.

“I only ask you to trust my judgment,” Bardiya insisted. “These tools of destruction are evil. They’re not welcome in Ker, nor will they ever be.”

“We already fashion our own spears and arrows,” Ki-Nan said. “Is a sword really so different? Seems to me they serve the same basic purpose—slicing flesh, bringing blood. One is simply more efficient than the other. That does not make them evil.”

“Evil does not lie in the practicality of the tool, but in the
intention
. You know this as well as I. We use arrows and spears to feed our families. When we end an animal’s life, we put it to good use. Its meat fills our bellies, and its hide creates our clothing. We use it for survival. The sword, on the other hand, is used only to main and kill. There is no practicality, no pure intention.”