Rise of the TaiGethen

Chapter 20

Today was a dark one. I had to formulate legislation concerning the manufacture and distribution of narcotics. Katura was built as the elven sanctuary. From where did this great evil grow?

The Diaries of Pelyn, Governor of Katura

Boltha was too old for another fight but the Apposan spirit within him would not let him step aside for the younger of his thread. It had always rankled with him that they had been forced from the Olbeck Rise to Katura by a combination of human expansion and elven harmonic pressure — or something like that.

The irrevocable descent of Katura had given him the excuse he had needed to take his people back into the forest and to the Haliath Vale, a place he had coveted for decades. A broad valley floor was threaded through with a fish-laden tributary of the River Ix. The great head of the canopy hid them from human mages’ prying eyes and the richness of resources here allowed a sprawling settlement to grow up along both banks of the stream.

Far to the south, the steep-sided valley was packed densely with trees clawing at the sunlight and eventually led into the sheer landscape of the Katura approaches. To the west, the rainforest ran towards the main flow of the River Ix. To the north, the river broadened into a swamp that was impassable by river craft and was only risked by the foolish, stocked as it was with crocodiles, large constrictors and other lethal predators.

That left the east as the only viable route from the River Ix to Katura. It was very easy to miss the Vale. First you had to find the hunting trails through the forest and up the long steep slope to the crest of the Haliath valley.

If you missed them, you would walk along the sludge of rain runoff, heading gradually up a narrow cut in the forest whose sides fled away into shadow even on the brightest of days. It was a place made by Yniss to trap and slaughter enemies of the rainforest and the place which Grafyrre of the TaiGethen had made his own. It was known locally as the Scar.

Boltha and Methian had been preparing the Apposans to retake Katura, but Grafyrre’s arrival and his news of the human invasion of the forest had changed all that. For days they had put themselves under the command of the twelve TaiGethen cells that had run into the Vale on that dreary morning. Boltha had tried hard not to be excited, he was very old after all, but there was something undeniably exciting about working with the TaiGethen and that feeling was not tempered by the thousands of enemies flooding their way.

Today, though, new excitement had gripped the entire settlement with the arrival of Auum, Merrat, Ulysan and their Tais; all three were legendary TaiGethen warriors of fame and renown who brought an aura of invincibility with them. Word of Auum’s arrival brought old and young alike from their houses and ensured an expectant crowd awaiting his every gesture.

Auum, though, spent little time in the settlement, just enough to see one of his cell, Elyss, to comfortable rest. His only other concern was the Scar and the work that had been done there. Boltha almost burst with pride when he and Methian were asked to accompany the TaiGethen inspection.

The two old friends hung back behind Auum, Grafyrre, Ulysan and Merrat but the Arch motioned them into the heart of the group.

‘This is your land,’ he said.

Boltha met Auum’s gaze.

‘This is a fight for all elves,’ said Boltha. ‘And I will do everything in my power to see it won.’

Auum put his hands on Boltha’s shoulders and kissed his forehead.

‘It is for elves such as you that the TaiGethen fight. For you and for the true heroes still inside Ysundeneth. For Koel.’

Boltha gasped, his heart leapt. ‘Koel lives?’

‘He lives and is at the centre of the rebirth of harmony among elves. When we are finished with the humans in our forest, we will free every slave in every city on Calaius. Koel will be first. Then you and your people can go home,’ Auum said.

Boltha smiled. ‘I wonder how many will. Much has changed.’

‘You will always be welcome in the forest and we will always protect you.’

Auum had walked down to the base of the Scar and was looking along its length. Boltha and Methian flanked him with the other TaiGethen grouped just behind them. The Scar ran in an almost dead straight line north to south, the merest easterly curve taking it off true.

The edge of the swamp was a hundred yards to their right and the approaches at their back narrowed naturally to drive travellers along the Scar.

‘Graf, speak to me.’ Auum began walking. ‘Thoughts, plans and positions. Everything.’

Grafyrre fell in beside Boltha. The two had formed a friendship over the last few days, adopting a familial relationship that had some of Boltha’s friends joking that he had adopted a new son and bodyguard combined.

‘The Scar is eight miles long and the Vale runs beside it the whole way. We will allow the army to walk in unmolested for three miles. I’ve worked on the assumption that they will travel four abreast; it has been their chosen column width so far and the Scar allows it comfortably. This will leave them well short of the first dwellings in Haliath beyond the ridge, but those three miles will mean the whole army is inside the Scar when we can close the jaws of our trap on them.

‘We are assuming they will send flanking forces up both slopes, but given they will have to stay within earshot of the main column, we have set our principal trigger points about two thirds of the way up either side. The ideal situation is that the tail of their army is only just inside the Scar when the traps are sprung.’

Grafyrre trotted on a few paces and crouched, pointing up the left-hand slope. Boltha knew what he was indicating. Auum looked on and nodded his approval.

‘We have forty disguised log runs, twenty to either side of the scar. The greatest concentration is at the one-mile point, where we hope to break the back of the army and split it in two around a significant obstruction. We expect the army to do two things: exit and retaliate. And they will fracture further while they are doing so.

‘The rest of the traps, snares, log swings, pits and spikes are designed to drive the enemy back down the slopes. We plan to harry the rear of the column into the swamp and I’ll have a significant number of Apposans with TaiGethen waiting to show them the way. We aim to scatter them and pick them off as they attempt to climb out further up the Scar.’

Auum gestured up the slopes. ‘And what happens to those who continue climbing through the traps?’

‘Apposan archers will be hidden in the trees, Apposan axes on the ridges and TaiGethen as a roving defence force in case of any significant breakthrough. I’m not worried about humans breaking through to the east, the forest is so dense there that it alone will turn them back. So most of the defence will focus on the Haliath side. We’ll lead out any slaves who fight free, but the fact is that many are going to be hurt or killed.

‘It’s not a perfect plan but we have limited numbers. I’m happy to make changes as I can, though.’

‘Not necessary, Graf.’ Auum punched him lightly on the shoulder. ‘That’s why I sent you here.’

‘One other thing. Takaar passed through here just before we arrived. Seems he’s making decent progress. He’ll get to Katura well ahead of us.’

‘We just have to pray he doesn’t do too much damage before we get there.’ Auum sighed. ‘Right, next: I want two cells scouting the approaches to give us a half-day warning of their arrival. Give us time to tension and set snares, pits and so on. The rest need to walk the ambush site and ensure there are no holes in our defences. How many snares do you have?’

‘About a thousand. Not all set by us. Boltha’s hunters are highly skilled.’

‘A thousand is good but we can always have more. Boltha, I need as many as you can spare to set snares wherever they can. You’re using balsa and palm branches, I presume.’

‘What else?’ said Grafyrre.

‘Good. We’re ready. I’ll walk the entire Scar later this afternoon. First, Boltha, Methian, with me. It’s time to talk to your people.’

‘They will be honoured,’ said Boltha.

‘My intent is not to honour them but to keep them alive,’ said Auum. They began walking, retracing their steps to the hunter trail that led to Haliath Vale, the only safe passage to the settlement for four miles. ‘I’m glad you’re here, Methian. I’ve heard any number of stories about the situation in Katura. What will I find when we get there?’

‘Will you get there?’ asked Methian. ‘Will you need to?’

‘It would be foolish to assume we can stop them here. We can severely weaken them, but they will break through in significant enough numbers. And there is another army heading for Katura, taking the trail east from Deneth Barine and approaching along the Shorthian channels. So yes, I will need to go to Katura.’

Boltha saw Methian shrivel inwardly. The ancient Gyalan had invested so much in the harmony only to find himself an exile. He tried to speak twice, only to sigh as though he thought he was beginning in the wrong place. The third time he just ploughed on.

‘The few of us who hold to the original reasons for founding the city are practically outcasts. Within the city the threads have divided. The power resides not with the Al-Arynaar but with those controlling the supply of edulis and other narcotics. There are those who eke out what passes for a normal life, working, farming and building, but the city has no soul. Unless it is the soul of a criminal.’

‘And what of Pelyn?’

Methian’s head dropped and his next words were hard spoken.

‘She is lost to drugs, in thrall to the criminal element, and she has disbanded the Al-Arynaar. There is no controlling force within the city. Yet the sheer number of elves there means we cannot afford to abandon them. Boltha and I had thought to retake the city, which is why I was here, but now I hope you will lead us.’

Boltha watched Auum’s reaction carefully. He had expected any number of emotions to surface, but the Arch just studied the path ahead as if he’d been expecting Methian’s words. Eventually he glanced at the loyal old Al-Arynaar.

‘One of them threatened Lysael’s life. I’ll start there.’

Boltha shuddered and walked on, following in Auum’s steps and seeing that he managed to leave almost no impression on the wet ground. When the TaiGethen began to speak, Boltha jumped.

‘This enemy will use magic and they do not care who it touches. They are here, in the forest, to finally destroy the elves. Their sheer numbers will overwhelm the spirit of the common elf. Grafyrre should not have involved you in this fight and your settlement will have to go cold. No fires until the humans are gone. No chants, no prayers, no hunting. No evidence that elves live here. It isn’t a place for the young, the old or the elf seeking a quiet life. You cannot stay here, Boltha. Take your people into the mountains to the west until it’s over.’

Boltha stopped so suddenly that Methian walked into his back. Auum sensed the pause and turned.

‘You will not dismiss me, TaiGethen. And you will dismiss neither the courage nor the skill of my people.’

‘I mean no dishonour,’ said Auum. ‘Merely to save the lives of those who are not warriors and should not feel obliged to take on that mantle.’

Boltha nodded and his anger dispersed like river mist under a deluge.

‘You hide away from those you swore to save and so you misunderstand us completely.’

‘Then enlighten me. What do I need to understand?’

‘Elves’ hearts are strong, and our desire for our people’s freedom has never dimmed and will never die. That there is nothing we would not do to end the human occupation. I and all those of my thread here in the Haliath Vale would gladly die in your service to set our people free.’

For the second time, Auum kissed Boltha, this time on the eyes.

‘Then I will be honoured to stand by you in the fight to come, and die with you if that is my fate.’ Auum half turned but turned back almost immediately. ‘I was going to speak to your people… but it should be you. With me at your shoulder.’

Elyss’ room was dark and cool. Boltha’s house was modest but of sound and sensible construction and its position on well-drained land made it comfortable and dry. Boltha was still talking to the Apposans.

Auum had ultimately left him to it, feeling himself surplus to requirements and needing to check on his Tai. Elyss was asleep when Auum moved the curtain divider and stepped in. He walked the few paces to her cot and straightened the blanket which was caught about her waist, pulling it back up to her chin.

The room was sparsely furnished with only a single chair and a small table which held a bowl and jug for washing. Auum thought to dampen a cloth before remembering Elyss no longer had a fever. So he sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her perfect face. High and prominent cheekbones, a delicate Ynissul nose and large oval eyes which opened while he watched.

Elyss smiled and took in a long energising breath, stretching her body as she exhaled.

‘I didn’t hear you come in,’ she said.

‘That really shouldn’t surprise you,’ said Auum.

Elyss laughed. ‘Sorry,’ she said.

‘For what?’ Auum shrugged. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Rested. Ready to go. When will they get here?’

‘We’ve got a couple of days to perfect the trap,’ said Auum. ‘Graf is sending two cells out, Faleen’s and Illast’s, I expect, so we’ll get a half-day warning of their arrival. Build up your strength. You’ll need it.’

‘Auum.’

‘What is it?’

‘Why are you really here?’

Auum leaned back a little way and blew out his cheeks. ‘You’re my Tai. I need to know you are well enough to fight.’

‘Just “well enough to fight”?’

‘Yes. Well, no. Come on, Elyss…’

Auum tried not to squirm but her eyes skewered him. She shuffled herself into a sitting position and took his hands. A thrill surged through him.

‘I know we’re short on time,’ she said. ‘We do not know who will survive the coming fight. I will pray, endlessly, that both of us will walk away. But if we don’t then we cannot live alone or die together regretting what we did not do.’

Auum nodded. His heart was thundering and he wanted, more than anything, to hold her close enough to feel every tiny move she made and to bury himself in her scent.

‘I’m at peak fertility, Auum. There is not an Ynissul that does not feel the pressure to conceive… but I care little for that. I care that the ula I choose is the right one to give my child the best chance to follow me into the TaiGethen. That ula must be someone I love and would lay down my life to save.

‘It’s you, Auum. Would you consent to be the father of my child?’

Auum was unsure if he was feeling fear or feeling faint, but the cold sensation across his body was pure euphoria. He thought he was probably grinning stupidly and he couldn’t have cared less.

‘It would be an honour I could not describe in words.’

‘Then don’t speak,’ whispered Elyss.

Auum drew her towards him and their kiss entwined their souls.