James Barclay - Beyond the Mists of Katura

Stein’s eyes flicked briefly to Gyarth standing behind him. He nodded and turned to his warriors.

‘Bring fire and food. . bread and fresh meat too. Slaughter a cow. Our guests may not enter the village but that is no reason for them to starve. I will hear what they have to say before deciding their fate. No respected warrior should face death on an empty stomach, should I decide they die. You will guard me. Gyarth, with respect, you must return to the village. Your duties await you.’

‘And should the creatures rise up and strike you while your warriors stand guard, unable to assist you, who will save you?’

Sentaya faced down Gyarth’s humiliation and fury. ‘They have not come here to kill me.’

‘You are staking your life on that assumption.’

‘I am staking all our lives on it.’

Sentaya turned away from his shaman, a smile on his face. He was aware Gyarth could kill him instantly but knew that he would not because his masters needed Sentaya and all the warriors at his command when the invasion through the pass was ordered.

‘Sit,’ said Sentaya. ‘Fire and food will be brought. The rest of you must retreat to a distance equal to my own warriors. That is the condition of my parley.’

‘Most acceptable,’ said Stein.

He spoke briefly to Auum, who issued a simple command. His elves trotted away without a backward glance. Auum was a true leader, commanding trust and respect. He stood until Sentaya sat, then did so himself. He was deferential too. Sentaya inclined his head in welcome and the gesture was returned.

‘Tell me,’ said Sentaya, studying Stein and seeing in him an honesty he had not expected of any mage, although his magic remained repulsive. ‘How did you get here? By boat, I presume, since the pass is closed.’

‘We came across the mountains,’ said Stein and, reacting to Sentaya’s expression of surprise, added, ‘The elves are particularly determined as well as keen climbers. Even so, we lost friends on the crossing.’

Auum placed his hand on Stein’s arm and Stein related his words.

‘Auum says this: it was not our choice. We were betrayed by those we sought to join in a war against you. Now we seek to join you in a war against our shared enemy.’

‘Really?’ said Sentaya, steepling his hands beneath his chin. ‘And who is this shared enemy?’

‘The Wytch Lords.’

Sentaya glanced over his shoulder to check Gyarth was gone. He saw some of his warriors approaching, carrying torches and pulling two handcarts. One was piled with wood, the other carried food and wine. Another warrior was leading a cow.

‘You’re so sure they are my enemy?’

Stein spoke at length then, pausing whenever a warrior laying fire or food could hear him. Mostly he related Auum’s words but added his own colour. Sentaya found himself amused at some of the things Stein was compelled to say on behalf of his elven brother.

Sentaya heard about Dawnthief, the alliance and the treachery of Xetesk and the Wytch Lords. He heard of the elven warrior’s personal distrust of magic, and in that they were truly kindred spirits. Auum spoke of the future, should human magic be destroyed and the Wytch Lords have no rivals in power. He painted a picture of desolation and slavery, such as the elves had already suffered at their hands. Auum’s was a compelling story and his desires matched Sentaya’s own for the most part even though his vision of the world beyond this war left Sentaya dissatisfied. But still the Wesman lord smiled when he spoke to Stein and he was becoming used to the pauses in conversation while Stein translated for Auum.

‘He is your brother yet he despises your magic almost as much as I do. It must have taken some effort to speak his words.’

Stein’s eyes sparkled with humour, and Sentaya surprised himself by feeling a vestige of warmth towards the mage.

‘Auum wishes there was no magic, and I can understand his point of view though naturally I disagree with it. But he can see certain of its benefits and would admit it has saved his life on more than one occasion. That is his dilemma.’

‘One I don’t suffer. Auum’s solution destroys the Wytch Lords and their magic but it leaves yours to blossom. That does not serve me. Make me see otherwise.’

Stein shrugged.

‘There is no perfect solution. You desire our destruction and, as a result, we desire yours. The truth is that neither state will ever be achieved and we will eventually battle ourselves to a standstill. Our problem is here and now. Should the Wytch Lords win, they will dominate all who survive, and none of us wants that. Can we agree on that point?’

‘We can,’ said Sentaya.

His warriors had laid out bread and dried meat and a fire was blazing to his right. Racks were placed across it, the now-slaughtered cow was efficiently butchered, and large joints were spiked and laid on the racks to cook. The aromas were glorious and tempting; blood and fat spat on the flames.

‘Similarly, should Xetesk win this fight then it is they who will dominate and that is similarly unwelcome.’ Sentaya nodded and gestured for Stein to continue. ‘The current situation, with Xetesk and the Wytch Lords using the Wesmen to destroy the other colleges, will inevitably lead to one of these outcomes. Surely it is better to have four magical colleges, each one acting as a deterrent to the others? That leaves you without your ultimate victory but it does leave you free to be lord of your lands without the fist of the Wytch Lords over you.

‘It is the best of the options, and it is why we want you to turn against the Wytch Lords and help us defeat them.’

Sentaya sighed. He took a hunk of bread and a clay mug of wine and tried to pull apart Stein’s logic while he ate. The mage and the elf had spoken good sense but their conclusions left him unhappy and, with his last swallow of wine, he knew why.

‘How will you destroy the Wytch Lords?’ he asked. ‘Are they not invulnerable?’

Stein had been expecting this question and spoke quickly to Auum, who deferred to him and asked Stein to speak for them all.

‘I will not lie to you, Lord Sentaya. Though we are enemies, I have the greatest respect for you and I hope that is returned in some measure.’

‘In some small measure,’ agreed Sentaya, and he knew beyond doubt he was not going to like what he was about to hear.

‘The Wytch Lords cannot be destroyed; they can only be trapped in a place where they have no power. To achieve this requires powerful magic. We must draw one of them out and trap him, thereby critically weakening the strength of all six. Only then can we hope to defeat them. Auum believes that Ystormun’s hatred of him stemming from his defeat by him in the elven homeland will be enough to bring him here should you stand with us, challenging his authority.’

Auum smiled. Sentaya dropped his food, leaned forward and grabbed Auum’s collar, pulling him close and hissing into his face.

‘You would bring death to all my people by inviting a Wytch Lord to my village? That is madness so bold I should slit your throat for speaking it. Tell me this is not your plan.’

Just as he had not dodged Sentaya’s hands, so Auum did not resist but waited until he was pushed away. He and Stein had a quick conversation and Auum deferred to Stein again.

‘Think, my lord,’ said Stein. ‘You will have issued a challenge to the Wytch Lords simply by speaking with us, and they will respond in a way that tells your people two things: that they respect your influence and that they fear you, Sentaya. You.

‘So tell your people that Ystormun will come because he is afraid of the lord of the Paleon tribes and has been forced from his hiding place to fight. We will stand by you. Our magic will take his unholy power, and you can strike at his dark heart and eat his soul.