Heritage Of The Xandim

34

MATTERS OF TRUST

The Cailleach paused in the open doorway and looked into the kitchen. What a difference a few simple comforts had made to this strange collection of visitors, who were beginning to blossom under the influence of warm baths, clean garments and a good, hot meal. Now they were all gathered in the cosy room on the ground floor of her tower: Taine and Aelwen sat at the table, still holding hands, while Corisand was wedged into the narrow space between the table and the door.

There was no sign of Dael.

Iriana, sitting at the other side of the table feeding scraps of bacon to the cat on her lap, still looked exhausted, her face pale and taut with worry, black shadows under her eyes. Still, that was only to be expected. Her losses had been the greatest, and she had just been forced to make a terrible decision, the repercussions of which would affect many lives - particularly that of the one she loved.

There was no time for grieving, however. The Cailleach knew that she must leave very soon now, and before she did she must set a number of events in motion. Hiding her worries behind a smile, she called out a greeting to her guests and walked into the kitchen.

‘No, stay where you are.’ She waved them back to their seats as they all scrambled to their feet. The scepticism she had sensed in the forest seemed to have vanished since she had brought them here to her tower in the blink of an eye. This newfound respect, she noted wryly, did not prevent them all from starting to talk at once, however.

‘Stop.’ She held up a hand for silence. ‘Let us proceed in an orderly fashion.’ She sat down and poured herself a cup of fragrant taillin, sweetening it with honey. ‘To begin with,’ she said, ‘I must tell you that I have another visitor here. Hellorin’s daughter, Tiolani.’

‘No!’ Corisand stiffened in shock.

‘Tiolani is here?’ gasped Aelwen. ‘How did you manage that?’

‘The same way I brought you and your companions here, of course. I’m surprised that you need to ask,’ Athina said dryly. ‘When she fell, she was caught by some of her comrades in a net, but they were all slaughtered by ferals, save Tiolani herself. I rescued her from them - but before I could do so, Aelwen, she had her whole life shattered all over again . . .’

Quickly, she told them what Tiolani had overheard when Kelon had encountered Ferimon. ‘She must now learn to live with her errors, if she can. I think - I hope - she will be ready to atone, if you will all encourage her, and give her the chance. We need her, my friends - especially you, Corisand.’ She had seen the Windeye’s ears go back and her neck snake out at the mention of the Forest Lord’s daughter.

‘Then that is unfortunate, for she certainly will not help me. And why should she, when I did my very best to kill her?’ Corisand replied. They all could hear her mindspeech now, since the Cailleach had made certain minor adjustments to allow communication to take place.

‘You forget that Tiolani has also killed,’ Athina said gently. ‘She is aware that she must atone, but she does not know how.’ She turned to the Horsemistress. ‘Aelwen, you must explain to her that the only way she can redeem herself is to throw in her lot with us, and help save the world from disaster.’

‘What, me?’ Aelwen gasped. ‘But the last time we spoke she was threatening my life, too.’

‘She was grieving and confused; trammelled in a web of lies, deception and plots wrought by the very one she loved and trusted most. Now she has nothing. If you approach her in the right way she will turn back to you, of that I am certain. She needs comfort and understanding now, but also—’ The Cailleach’s voice turned stern, and a look as implacable as stone came into her eyes. ‘You must impress upon her that her only route to hope and redemption lies with us. It is up to you now, Aelwen. We are all depending on you to bring Tiolani back to us, no matter what your own doubts and feelings may be. Go now. She is in the study. Bring her back to us, for all our sakes; her own not least.’

‘I’ll try,’ the Horsemistress said. ‘For her mother’s sake, I’ll try, but—’

‘Don’t try. Do. Though you may never forgive her deeds, you must find it in your heart to forgive the deceived, confused and grieving child who perpetrated them. That applies to all of you.’ Athina’s gaze rested on each of them, one by one, and lingered on Corisand. ‘Tiolani has not been in her right mind these last few months. It is our task to bring her world back into balance. We must. Whatever she has done in the past, we need her now.’

Aelwen nodded acquiescence, but her eyes were haunted. Without another word she rose, and went upstairs.

Tiolani was walking in the Magic Bazaar, her favourite marketplace in Eliorand. It was a perfect northern summer’s day, the sky a bright, translucent blue and the sun high and strong. A heady medley of scents from forest and garden drifted on the breeze, as the entirety of nature strove to make the most of this short growing season.

The clear northern light was like crystal laced with jewels, throwing dazzling hues into objects that had looked so drab and dull in the dark days of winter. The Phaerie relaxed and opened up to one another, blooming like the flowers that cascaded from window boxes, trellises and balconies, and exploded from garden, pot and urn. The air was alive with laughter, talk and song, and in the Bazaar the traders were calling out the merits of their wares in lilting voices. And such wares there were!

Some bright stalls, with their billowing canopies of moonmoth silk, held all manner of paraphernalia for scrying and magical focus: great chunks of rough crystal contrasting with clear, polished spheres in a rainbow of colours; wands and intricately carved staffs, gleaming mirrors in all shapes and sizes, and gem-studded bowls of silver and gold. There were magical robes that changed colour as required, and kept the wearer warm or cool at need, and food that could change its texture and flavour to whatever the palate desired.

Tiolani was relieved and happy to be home. She’d awakened from a dark, dread nightmare, too horrifying to remember, but now she was home and safe, wandering through the delightful Bazaar with Arvain on one arm, and Ferimon on the other. Wanting to share her feelings, she turned to her lover. ‘How wonderful home is. I don’t think I ever really appreciated it before, but last night I had this hideous, appalling dream—’

‘Did you? Did you really?’ Ferimon turned to her - and changed. Instead of his beloved face, there was the head of a wolverine, one of the most vicious of all the forest predators. He snarled and bared lethal, pointed fangs. ‘Stupid Tiolani. Gullible Tiolani. Your nightmares are only just beginning.’ Suddenly he grew, shooting up into the sky until his gigantic form towered over the city. With a snarl he stooped, those fearsome jaws snapped, and Arvain was gone, devoured.

Tiolani screamed and tried to run, but she could not move a muscle. All she could do was look on in horror as Ferimon devoured the market, gnawed the buildings, consumed the shrieking, fleeing people. When he was done, Tiolani stood alone in a wasteland of tumbled ruins.

Ferimon looked down on her and laughed. ‘Stupid Tiolani,’ he repeated. ‘Pathetic, gullible and naïve. You made me what I am. You gave me the permission, the power, the ability. Soon now, you’ll lose everything - your father, your realm and your rule - and I’ll be laughing from the grave.’ He reached up and devoured the sun, and Tiolani was left alone and screaming in the darkness.

‘Tiolani, Tiolani, wake up!’ The sound of Aelwen’s voice catapulted Tiolani out of one nightmare and into another. Details came at her in a flash. She was still tightly bound in the heavy net, though she was no longer in the forest, but lying on a couch in a room filled with racks of crystals, mirrors, books and scrolls. There was no sign of her captors - and what was Aelwen doing here?

‘Don’t struggle, child. You’ll hurt yourself. You’re safe. You’re safe.’ Only when Aelwen spoke again did Tiolani realise that she was still screaming. With an effort, she brought herself under control, but she could not stop shaking. Everything came flooding back as Aelwen began to cut away the net: her fall, her capture, Ferimon’s death and the terrible, vicious, unbelievable words he’d uttered before he died.

The blood on her hands.

As the last of her bonds fell away, she flung herself into Aelwen’s arms, sobbing. ‘Oh, Aelwen, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’

‘It’s all right, child; you’re safe now. We’ll put everything right, you’ll see.’ Aelwen held and rocked her, as she had done when Tiolani was a little girl, until the sobbing finally faded away. With scalding shame, the girl remembered the way she had treated the Horsemistress, even going so far as to threaten to kill her. She didn’t deserve the sympathy and kindness that she had taken for granted her entire life.

After a few moments, Aelwen pulled gently away, her expression grave. ‘Tiolani, we must talk. First, you should know that I’m aware of what happened in the forest between Kelon and Ferimon - and that you heard the truth at last. Now, let me tell you where you are, and what has been happening.’

There were so many revelations in Aelwen’s narrative that Tiolani found it difficult to comprehend them all, but the most stunning to her was the notion that her father had trapped the Xandim, condemning them to serve the Phaerie all their days, and that Corisand could no longer be considered a mere beast.

How could this be true of her father? Had Hellorin really been so heartless and amoral as to strip another ancient magical race of its powers and its birthright? To destroy their civilisation and turn them into beasts of burden? But there was no denying it. She closed her eyes and shuddered. Had she not planned to rid the world of humankind for good? Like father, like daughter, she thought grimly. Are we really so very different?

Desperately she tried to find some excuse for her actions. Humans don’t count. They aren’t civilised beings, aren’t so advanced, have no magic. They’re only one step above the beasts. Her encounter with the ferals, however, had made her see things otherwise.

‘Tiolani?’ The firm voice of the Horsemistress penetrated the dark whirl of her thoughts. ‘Tiolani? Now that you know the truth, will you come back to us? Will you help us?’

Tiolani blinked herself back to reality, and the face she had known since the day she was born. Something in Aelwen’s eyes, a look of approval and pride, had changed; had gone, she knew, for ever. But even after everything that had happened, there was kindness, pity - and she hoped with all her heart maybe there was still some love. The sight undid her; shattered the remnants of her stupid pride, dissolved the last dark shadows of her hatred and planted, in their place, a kernel of hope. Was there really a way to atone for her terrible deeds, or wash the blood from her hands?

No. She knew in her heart that she could not undo what she had done, and never would. But atone? Maybe. She could hope for that.

‘What do you want me to do?’ she asked.

Aelwen, still holding her hands, looked at her gravely. ‘I told you about Athina, and what she said. She has foreseen that our world is headed for destruction, and she came to prevent that, if she could. But she is losing her powers here and must return to her home, so the future will be our own responsibility after all. She foresaw three people pivotal to the outcome; three who, in the days to come, will hold the destiny of the world in their hands, to doom or to save. One is Iriana, a remarkable young Wizard whom you will meet; one is Corisand; and the other is—’

‘The other is you?’

‘No, child. It’s you.’

Tiolani was stunned. This was worse than she could ever have imagined, and she quailed from the responsibility. ‘How . . . how can I possibly put an entire world to rights?’ she quavered. ‘Look what a mess I made of caring for my own realm.’

Aelwen’s eyes burned into her own, such was the intensity of her stare. ‘Don’t be so spineless, Tiolani.’ The words were like a slap. ‘You can’t afford to be a spoilt little girl any more, whining and wailing when things don’t turn out the way you want them to. One thing is not your fault: Hellorin overprotected and overindulged you. You never had a chance to grow and learn by making your own mistakes, so when you were suddenly catapulted out on your own, with so much power in your hands, your mistakes were catastrophic, and you will have to live with their consequences for the rest of your days.’

Her strong, horsewoman’s fingers ground painfully into Tiolani’s hand. ‘However,’ she went on, ‘the past is done, and now you must put it away from you - not to forget it, never to forget the lessons you’ve learned - but so that you can seize the future. You used your power and authority to take innocent lives. Now, instead, you must save them. It’s time to grow up, Tiolani. Take responsibility for your deeds, and move on. Don’t let those whose lives you ended die in vain. Join us. Help us.’

For the first time since Ferimon’s revelations, Tiolani knew hope.

‘I will help you, Aelwen,’ she said fervently. ‘Tell me what I must do.’

Pride shone in the Horsemistress’s eyes. ‘Come downstairs,’ she said. ‘Meet the others and hear what they have to say. Then we can work out what we all must do.’

Athina looked around the table at the incongruous group that she had gathered together in her kitchen. Though it seemed a peculiar place to be discussing the fate of the world, she had decided that everyone would feel more relaxed in such homely surroundings - not that the idea seemed to be working so far. She could see that Dael, who had finally returned to the tower, was still angry and upset that she was leaving. Daniel and Kelon, who had also just arrived, distrusted the Wizards and Phaerie; everyone was suspicious of Tiolani; Iriana was still worried about Avithan; and Kelon looked as if he would like to murder Taine.

Well, putting things off wouldn’t help. Athina took a deep breath, and began. First, to make sure that everyone had all the available information, she started from the beginning, with her visions of catastrophe and ruin, and her decision to enter this world. She then sketched brief histories of everyone present, ending with Corisand - which gave her a place to launch into the subject of the Fialan, the story of its creation, and its importance to the future of the Xandim. She was glad that Iriana seemed to have formed a close bond with Corisand. They had come to speak to her before this council, asking whether she could send them into the Elsewhere together, and she had been more than happy to agree. It would be a strain for her to send two rather than one, but she was willing to take the risk since she was sure that the Windeye stood a much greater chance of succeeding with the Wizard’s help.

‘Corisand and Iriana will be sent into the Elsewhere to seek this powerful Stone,’ she went on, ‘for it can, according to the Evanesar, be used to free the Xandim from their long slavery. Also, it must be prevented at all costs from falling into Hellorin’s hands, for he is also in the Elsewhere and will certainly be plotting to retrieve it in order to return to this world. You must understand the danger here. When Hellorin originally formed the portal to bring the Phaerie here, he let a great deal of his power pass into the Stone. He will be looking to regain that lost magic - and that must not be permitted. The intrinsic magic of the Fialan is that it can store and amplify the powers of others - and everything it absorbs is locked within it forever. None of the energies it stores can ever be removed - but they can be utilised. Now—’

‘Excuse me, Cailleach.’ Aelwen held up a hand. ‘What would happen to all the power if the Stone were to be destroyed?’

‘You cannot destroy the Stone of Fate. The Fialan was created to absorb the powers of others. Because of the magic it already holds, there is no physical way to destroy it. It will protect itself if anyone tries. Lives - many lives - would be lost, and all for nothing.’

‘And we cannot use magic to destroy it, can we?’ Iriana asked. ‘It would simply absorb everything we threw at it, becoming ever more powerful, better able to protect itself, and more dangerous.’

‘Yes.’ Athina was pleased with the Wizard’s reply. This young blind girl, with her extraordinary mix of all four Magefolk powers, possessed the intelligence and common sense to use them wisely. For now she was still young and lacked confidence, but because of the current crisis, she was learning, developing and growing at an extraordinary rate. The Cailleach was certain that her name would be carved into history as an example and a beacon of hope to all future generations.

Suddenly aware that everyone was looking at her, waiting for her to continue, she gathered her straying thoughts. This tendency to distraction was getting worse all the time. It was as well that she’d be returning home soon.

‘Iriana is exactly right,’ she continued. ‘She has grasped the paradox of the Fialan: the more magic you hurl at it, the stronger it becomes. She leaned forward, her hands on the table, and looked at them with compelling eyes. ‘But over the ages, the Stone has absorbed enough power to develop a primitive consciousness. Since the Moldan is no fit guardian, I am hoping that the Fialan can be persuaded to pass willingly to either Iriana or to Corisand, but there is no way of knowing who it will choose, and only one of you will be able to wield it. Accordingly, it is vital that absolute trust exists between you. Whoever gains the Fialan must do everything in her power to use it to help the other. Whoever does not must accept the disappointment. The entire existence of the Stone has been marred by violence, jealousy and greed. That is all it knows. It will be up to you to teach it that there is another way.’

‘The Evanesar told Corisand that it could be used to free her people, but how can that be done in practice?’ Iriana asked.

‘As I said, Hellorin let a great deal of his power pass into the Fialan when it was created. It is that power - the Old Magic, the Phaerie magic - that you must use to break the spell. I do not know how it can be done, but the wielder of the Stone must persuade it to release the Xandim.

‘In the meantime, I suggest that you, Tiolani, return to Eliorand to take up the rule of your people once more, with Taine and Aelwen to assist you. It will be your task to support Corisand and Iriana in this world, by giving the Xandim over to them when they return.’

The Phaerie girl turned very pale. ‘But . . . but my father,’ she stammered. ‘If I let the Xandim go, he’ll kill me.’

‘Slay his only daughter? His only remaining child?’ Athina said. ‘Surely it would not come to that. But I was just coming to the fate of Hellorin.’ Her expression turned granite-hard. ‘The Phaerie, with their powers of the Old Magic, should never have come to this world. They do not belong here. They are a dangerous, unpredictable force, without conscience, without limits. Hellorin, who brought them here, is the worst example of his kind. His ways are the old ways, and in a sense, he has never truly understood the differences between this reality and the one from which he came. The Elsewhere has great magic of its own. It is able to withstand the strains that the powerful Old Magic can place upon its fabric. Not so this world. When I foresaw the chaos and destruction to come, it was the Phaerie I feared most, for they have the ability to wreak such destruction, and Hellorin has the will to use that ability.’

She paused and looked straight into Tiolani’s eyes. ‘Under a different ruler, a more understanding and enlightened ruler, the outcome might be otherwise.’

‘Me?’ Tiolani gasped. ‘But that means—’

‘That means leaving Hellorin exactly where he is, in the Elsewhere, and making absolutely certain he stays there.’ The Cailleach’s tone was flat, matter-of-fact and brutal. ‘Corisand, Iriana, you must do whatever is necessary to prevent him from following you back. Tiolani, you must ensure that his corporeal form remains fettered by time spells. If he cannot return to his body, then he cannot endanger you here.’

‘Exile my own father? Forever?’

‘For your sake, it had better be forever,’ Taine said harshly. ‘Athina seems to think that Hellorin wouldn’t kill his own child, but I know from bitter experience that there is no telling what he might do in a fit of rage.’

Aelwen hushed him with her hand on his arm. ‘Tiolani, you must listen to Athina. I also find it hard - very hard - to consign the Forest Lord to such a fate. But what is the alternative? The Cailleach is not the only one who has received these premonitions. Iriana tells us that her Archwizard has also seen dread visions of bloodshed and catastrophe. Your father is proud and independent. He would never work with the Wizards and the other Magefolk to find a solution. Under the circumstances, I would be very surprised if he had not experienced similar warnings already, but rather than share the knowledge with the other magical races, I believe he would be plotting ways to take advantage of the coming upheaval.’

‘And what about my people?’ Corisand added. ‘If he were here in this world, do you think he would allow the Xandim to escape his clutches? I agree with Athina. For all our sakes, he must be kept where he is.’

‘Can you do it, Tiolani?’ the Cailleach asked gently. ‘Are you capable of exiling your own father? Because if you are not, you must be honest and tell us now, and we will think of another way; one that does not involve you.’

Tiolani’s thoughts were racing. Here was a way to expiate her guilt, a way to help these strangers who had saved her life. A way to give herself another chance to rule the Phaerie, to make herself into a benign, enlightened ruler who would work alongside the Wizards and the Xandim to save the world from disaster. It wasn’t as if she would be killing her father, after all. He would still be alive in the Elsewhere.

She must be brave.

She must be strong.

As painful as it was, she must sacrifice Hellorin to the greater good.

‘I’ll do it.’ She lifted her head and her voice gathered strength. ‘You can depend on me to do my part - you have my word on it.’

Athina nodded gravely. ‘Thank you, Tiolani. Your courage and sacrifice will make all the difference to our success.’

‘And what about us?’ Danel’s voice cut harshly across Athina’s melodious tones. ‘Now that you great folk have finished deciding everyone’s fate between yourselves, what about the poor, ordinary humans? We’ve been enslaved down the ages too, but because we have no bloody magic, no one gives a damn about us.’

‘The world is entering a time of upheaval and change,’ the Cailleach replied, looking from face to face. ‘This is something that you must all understand. And though we are doing everything in our power to forestall the cataclysm to come, I doubt that we can prevent it completely. We cannot stop Fate - we can only work within its limitations and try to minimise the damage.’

She turned her attention to the leader of the humans. ‘This new era will be your opportunity, Danel. You cannot conquer the magic-using races - you would be mad to try - but you can influence their attitude towards you by helping them in their time of crisis. In other words, this is the perfect opportunity to make yourself some powerful allies, and—’

‘Help them?’ Danel spat. ‘I’d rather die.’

‘Then die.’ Athina shrugged. ‘If that is your choice.’

With a sullen glare, Danel lapsed back into silence.

‘There are already some independent humans in my realm,’ Iriana said. ‘The fisherfolk who live up and down the coast near Tyrineld. They started by chartering their boats from the fish merchants in the marketplace. A tithe of the catch goes to the merchant, then the remainder is theirs to sell or trade. Now they are beginning to build their own boats, and working to become truly independent. If you’ll leave the Phaerie realm and come to us, I’m sure there will be a place for you.’

‘I can find a place for them in my own kingdom,’ Tiolani snapped.

‘Surely - at the end of a spear,’ Kelon sneered.

‘Enough.’ Athina’s voice cracked out like a whip. ‘It reveals a great deal about the nature of humankind that when everyone else is making great sacrifices to assist this undertaking, you are only concerned with what we can do for you. The decision must be yours, Danel, whether the humans will be part of our company or no. If you think it better to return to grubbing for survival like wild beasts in the forest, constantly looking over your shoulders for the Wild Hunt, you can leave immediately. Your people have been well fed and clothed today, so you’re ahead of the game. If, on the other hand, you decide to join us, we would expect you to pledge us your loyalty; but we would welcome you gladly, and do our best to render you all the aid we can.’

‘Yes, you’ll help us if it’s to your own advantage,’ Danel snarled. ‘Where was your help when we were being hunted down by the Phaerie? Where were you in the winter, when we were dying from cold and hunger? Where were you when we were betrayed into doing the dirty work of a Phaerie traitor?’

She looked around the table, her eyes bright and fierce with contempt. ‘No one helps the humans. As always, you just want to make use of us, for your own convenience. Well, you meddlesome crone, if what you say is true, and this period of chaos and disaster is upon us, there should be plenty of opportunities and rich pickings for us among you high-and-mighty folk with magic in your blood. I hope you’ll all kill each other, you Wizards and bastard Phaerie, and when this world is well rid of you, the humans will grow fat upon your leavings, and rule the world at last.’

She got to her feet, pushing her chair back so violently that it overturned, and stormed out, with Kelon, his face pale with dismay, a step behind her. As he reached the door, Aelwen spoke. ‘Kelon, please. You don’t have to stay with her - with them. Come back to us, I beg you. There will always be a place for you in this company.’

He gave her a chilling look, so bitter, bleak and empty that Aelwen blanched. ‘You’re wrong,’ he said. ‘There’s no place for me here. He took it.’ With a last snarl at Taine, he was gone, and the slamming of the door reverberated through the silence he left in his wake.

‘My, what a display of intelligence and courtesy we’ve seen in the last few minutes. It makes me proud to be human.’ Everyone looked in surprise at Dael, who had been sitting so quietly throughout the discussion that most folk had forgotten he was there. He crossed the room to Athina, and took her hands. ‘At least it made me see sense. I’m sorry I was angry with you earlier. That ignorant human and her Hemifae friend have made me realise that you aren’t simply abandoning me without a thought: I can trust these people with my future.’ He gestured around the table. ‘The Lady Iriana spoke of the free fisherfolk of Tyrineld. Maybe, if she would take me, I could go there when . . .’ For a moment his voice failed him, and he swallowed hard. ‘When you’re gone.’

‘Of course you can come with me,’ Iriana said kindly. ‘I was dreading the thought of trying to get home alone, and once we’re there, I’m certain that the fisherfolk would welcome you.’

‘Thank you, Iriana.’ The Cailleach’s voice rang with gratitude and relief. Rising to her feet, she took a deep breath. ‘I think we have accomplished all we can by talking. Now the time has come for us to act.’