Mercedes Lackey - When Darkness Falls

His father had told him in advance how the votes would be signified. Blue Magelight for "yes." Red for "no." Unlike a vote of the High Council alone, only a simple majority would be needed here.

But when the lights began to rise up in the Temple of the Light, every one of them was blue.

THE ceremony itself — the formal investiture — would not occur for a sennight, as — this time — the High Council was determined to do everything in the traditional fashion. Though Cilarnen was technically a member of the Mage Council, he would not join it until then.

He did not mind. Let them have their small victory. He had won the greater war.

At last, released, he had gone outside the walls to find Kellen and seek news of his friends.

And to tell them his.

* * * * *

"ARCH-MAGE?" Kellen's jaw dropped gratifyingly. That gawky farmboy look was back.

Cilarnen found it rather endearing, actually. If — after all Kellen had seen and done — he could stand there and gawp at Cilarnen like a rustic fresh from the villages, well, perhaps Cilarnen need not worry too much about becoming cold and distant and proud once he was given the ring and staff of the Arch-Mage's office.

"Apparently nobody else wanted the job," Cilarnen said, though that wasn't exactly true. "Do you want to come to my investiture? Kardus will be there."

"Kardus is a Centaur ," Kellen said, nearly sputtering.

"I know Kardus is a Centaur," Cilarnen said patiently. "But he's my friend. And since I'm going to be making a lot of changes in Armethalieh, I thought I'd give everyone fair warning of what to expect. I've asked him to stay and help me settle in. And he's agreed."

Kellen shook his head. "'Know what to expect.' They'll never expect you."

"I know. But they're stuck with me now. The appointment of an Arch-Mage is for life — or until I resign. And I intend to live a very long life, and make a lot of changes. You'll see."

"I suppose we all will," Kellen said.

* * * * *

THAT evening Kellen dined in Redhelwar's tent. It was a melancholy occasion, with so many familiar faces absent, but Vestakia was there.

With the death of the Prince of Shadow Mountain — her father — and the routing of the Demon Army, Vestakia, too, had recovered much of her health and former vitality, though she was still too thin. But the wellspring of life that surged outward from the Standing Stones had affected her as much as anyone else.

"The Healers say that the wounded are recovering much faster than normal," she said. "And the Wildmages — " those who are left, Kellen mentally supplied, "well, they say their Healing Spells are working far better than even they expect. So it is a very good thing for everyone!"

"A very good thing indeed," Redhelwar agreed. "The army should be ready to return to Sentarshadeen within a sennight. The Centaurs, the Wildlanders, and the Mountainborn wish to go directly home, of course, and I see no reason why they should not. Which is why I have another task for you. Kellen."

"As always, I am at your disposal," Kellen said automatically.

"Good," Redhelwar said. "I wish you to take a strong force, five thousand horse, and follow the trail of those creatures who fled the battle. I do not think — now that Their power has been broken — that they will be able to enter the Elven Lands, but I will not have them settle in anywhere to cause trouble. Take any who will volunteer to go with you — by now you know the quality of this army as well as I. It would please me greatly did you report upon your progress when you can."

"I will leave at once," Kellen said. He'd be just as glad to be gone from Armethalieh, all things considered.

Redhelwar hesitated. "Do all that you can, but join us in Sentarshadeen in three moonturns. We shall… say goodbye to Idalia then. You will wish to be there. Andoreniel will wish it also."

Kellen bowed his head. "I'll be there."

* * * * *

HE spent the next day assembling his force and getting together his supplies — all from Armethalieh, this time. Early the next morning, they rode out. No trace of fire damage was visible in the forest now.

Though Vestakia would have been useful in tracking the Tainted creatures, Kellen left her behind with Redhelwar's force. Her presence was not absolutely vital to the success of his mission, and she was still recovering from the effects of her long linkage to the Demon Prince's mind. It was better that she travel with the slower-moving army, in relative safety.

After so much death, so many losses, he could no longer bear to risk her life.

Scouts ranged ahead of the column of Elven Knights and light mule-drawn wagons, searching for signs of the Enemy, whether its monsters, or the vassal-races that had fought beneath the Endarkened banner. Kellen doubted they'd find many of either here in the Delfier Valley; it was far too warm, and the creatures of the Endarkened were creatures of darkness and cold. Without the magic of their masters to protect them, this would not be a comfortable place for them. Still, it didn't hurt to be careful.

And vigilance took his mind off other things.

Idalia had not been laid to rest here in the forest. Redhelwar had told him that she was being taken back to Sentarshadeen. The Wildmages had bespelled her body until it could be hung in the Flower Forest itself. It was, Kellen knew, a very great honor.

He'd rather have had his sister back.

They spent three days in the Delfier Valley, crisscrossing it, looking for signs of the Enemy. They found none. But they did find a number of villages that had been hastily destroyed by Demon magic, their inhabitants taken to fuel the Demon Queen's spell, and a few terrified surviving refugees who told grief-stricken tales of Demon raids. They fed them, did what they could for them, promised them that the Demons were gone, and sent them to Armethalieh, promising them that more help would be provided to them there.

Now, at last, it was true.

On the morning of the fourth day, they reached the edge of the bounds.

Here they stopped to convert their wagons to sledges, though even beyond the edge of the Mages' weather-workings, the snow was beginning to melt and soften. Despite that — and though the Wildmages who still traveled with them said that the time of heavy storms were past — True Spring was sennights away.

Kellen held himself fortunate that he did have Wildmages. Though the Mountainborn were returning home, several of the surviving Lostlander Wildmages had agreed to accompany Kellen's army — at least as far as their own settlements at the western edge of the Elven Lands.

They journeyed onward.

* * * * *

THEIR first destination was Stonehearth.

The Centaur village was the closest settlement outside the Delfier Valley, south and east of Armethalieh. It was where Hyandur had taken Cilarnen, and Sumaraldiel, one of Kellen's trackers, reported that something had passed this way ahead of them, a day or so before, though the wind had blurred the tracks in the snow so much that he could not tell what it might be.

Whatever it was, Kellen was sure it must be something bad. The Delfier Valley refugees would have headed for the City, and Wildlanders in this area would not have dared to move at all — at least not in the last few days.

He was right.

They caught up to them just outside Stonehearth; a mixed force of Frost Giants and dwerro traveling together. Less than fifty of them, but certainly enough to destroy Stonehearth, if they managed to reach it. They were quickly and efficiently overwhelmed by a tiny portion of Kellen's force, without injury to the Elven Knights.

But the battle made Kellen think, and think hard.

The remains of the Enemy forces would be straggling across the Wild Lands in small clumps such as these — all across the Wild Lands. If he kept his own force together — large, comparatively slow-moving — he would never be able to search out all their hiding places before they dug in. Or raided and moved on. He wasn't sure where the Enemy stragglers were going — probably they didn't know themselves, but it was a good bet they were trying to either get back to the Demon stronghold — wherever it was — or at least back to the mountains beyond the Elven Lands before summer.