Just not, apparently, a close enough one. She'd been going to ride up there tomorrow, since it would have been four days without word.
She sighed. She should have gone sooner. She knew how single-minded Cilarnen had become once he'd gotten the idea that getting his magic back was possible. It probably hadn't even occurred to him that he should let someone know what he'd done and what he was about to do.
And he'd made fun of the Wildmages for being solitary!
"There are only seven on the High Council now," Cilarnen went on. "Lord Anigrel Lord Anigrel, oh, that is a mockery! House Anigrel was never particularly high among the Mage Houses; when Ceonece Anigrel married Torbet Dusaynt there was a great scandal, as he was a commoner, like poor Tiedor, but he had a strong Gift, and House Anigrel fostered him… Anyway, Lord Anigrel proposed sending the Militia to evacuate Nerendale. The villagers had petitioned for relief. According to the Council, the Wildmages were raiding in the Valley and killing villagers, and they were afraid to stay."
"Wildmages!" Kardus said in disbelief. "But that's "
"Part of Anigrel's plan," Idalia said bitterly. "So the Council which apparently means Anigrel these days sent a detachment of the Militia to move them."
"Yes," Cilarnen said. He pulled his blankets more tightly around himself, staring down at his empty cider mug. "I knew when they would arrive, and I knew there would be Mages with the Militia, so I sent out my next Far-Seeing Spell two days later to find any Mages outside the walls of Armethalieh, since I didn't know where Nerendale was, or what it looked like. And I found them. Forty soldiers and two Journeymen, Masters Juvalira and Thekinalo. The villagers didn't know they were coming, and they'd made no preparations to leave. They stood around and argued about what they needed to take. Juvalira and Thekinalo could have made them stop, but they didn't.
"Then six of Them came." He stopped, staring at something only he could see.
It took little effort for Idalia to imagine what had happened next, however, and then it did take an effort to keep from grabbing him and shaking him until his teeth rattled. They should never have left him to himself for so long without checking on him. He might have listened to her, or maybe not, but he would certainly have listened to Vestakia or Kardus.
What he would not have done was gone looking for Demons while he was all alone, no matter how much the Allies needed to know what he might learn.
"They saw you, didn't They?" she said quietly.
Cilarnen jerked as if he'd been stung by a wasp, and stared at her in startled surprise. Then understanding grew in his expression as he realized how she must know. She'd faced the Demon Queen through Kindolhinadetil's Mirror.
"I thought I'd been careful enough. I'd shielded the glyph. It went undetected in Armethalieh if it had not, the Stone Golems in the Council Chamber would have alerted the Mages. But They knew I was watching all along. They wanted me to watch, as They... played with the people there."
"That is Their way," Kardus said gravely. "They wish to spoil everything They touch. They are the enemy of all who walk in the Light."
"And now all those people are dead," Cilarnen said, a despairing note in his voice. "And Anigrel will make it seem as if the Wildmages are responsible, and make everyone in the City even more terrified of Wildmages, if that's even possible. Idalia, you'll never get an alliance now. He's seen to that."
She wasn't going to let him talk himself into a complete blue funk.
"Unfortunately, They've made one huge mistake. You saw what really happened at Nerendale and you can testify to that before the High Council under Truthspell," Idalia said.
Cilarnen stared at her, hope and confusion mixed in his expression. "But… I've been Banished," he said blankly.
Idalia laughed shortly. "Somehow, Cilarnen, I think the entire Elven Army at your back might just be able to reverse that decree. But what you need right now is a bowl of soup and a warm bed. I'll inform Redhelwar about this now, but I don't think you'll be making your report to him until sometime tomorrow, because horrible as this news is, it isn't urgent.
"But once you've recovered, if you can use the High Magick to see places that we can't, don't be surprised if Redhelwar has a long list of tasks for you."
Cilarnen drew a deep breath, obviously at the end of his strength. "If I'm all that Armethalieh can send to help, be sure that I will do all I can."
Chapter Eight
Hare and Hound
THERE WERE TEN women in Ondoladeshiron who must be taken to the Crowned Horns. This was Ancaladar and Jermayan's second trip. He'd grown up with Caronide, Heryelion, Miranaya, and Firetaldo, just as he had with Amentiel, Missondore, Estauril, Viranarya, Aryante, and Ingatuuile. Aryante was the youngest she had been a child when he had left Ondoladeshiron while Missondore was nearly four centuries his elder. Estauril and Heryelion were close enough to his own age for the three of them to have played together as children.
But they were all part of the fabric of his life. The fabric that seemed to be unraveling so drastically now. The people of the War City were careful and practical. Sentarshadeen was the City of Peace, and Ysterialpoerin was the City of History. But Ondoladeshiron, the War City, was where the armies mustered in time of danger, and it was always… watchful.
Jermayan had been saddened, but not surprised, to see the changes war had brought to the city of his birth. Of course many of the city's inhabitants were away with the army, since Ondoladeshiron sent more students to the House of Sword and Shield than any other of the Nine Cities, and so he had been prepared to see much of the city deserted, but Rochinuviel had asked everyone to move their dwelling-places to the district nearest the Flower Forest, in many cases occupying the homes of those who were away.
It had seemed to Jermayan as if the city had shrunk.
There were many practical reasons for the Vicereign's request, of course. If the people were gathered close together, they could watch over one another. There was less chance that any of the Dark-tainted creatures who now roamed the Elven Lands might attack a lone dwelling at the edge of the city and overwhelm its occupant. And the nearness of the Flower Forest provided its own subtle protection from Taint, as well as raising the spirits of all who gazed upon it.
But the sight of the streets of empty shuttered dwellings at the outskirts of the city had brought home the reality of the war to Jermayan as nothing else had, despite the terrible battles he had fought, despite seeing Windalorianan destroyed. Watching Ondoladeshiron quietly dwindle, without fire or battle, was like watching a loved one slowly die of a long wasting illness. It had a silent horror that struck him to the roots of his being.
Even if we win this war, nothing will ever be the same again.
"They said that a thousand years ago," Ancaladar said for his ears alone, breaking into his reverie as they flew toward the Crowned Horns. Jermayan was never quite certain whether the dragon read his mind, or was simply an uncannily accurate guesser. It would certainly take no great sorcery to guess the direction of his mind lately, Jermayan thought ruefully. He had been all but rude ever since they had arrived in Ondoladeshiron. Fortunately the mirror-relays had been working well between Realthataladon and Ondoladeshiron, and everything he and Ancaladar had needed had been waiting for them, so their wait there had been brief, giving him less time to brood over the changes to the city. All they'd needed to do was await the break in the weather that Ancaladar had said was coming.
"And you see? The world went on. Different, and also good," the dragon continued insistently, finishing his argument.
Yes, my friend, but we won that war, Jermayan answered silently.
Ancaladar snorted explosively. If they had not been carrying passengers, Jermayan was certain he would have been treated to some spectacular aerial acrobatics to jar him out of his mood. Ancaladar said nothing, but he did not need to. Jermayan could easily imagine the dragon's reply:
"If you do not win this war, you will not need to worry about the state of the world at all."
Jermayan sighed. He wished he could share Kellen's faith that matters had taken a turn for the better, but Kellen was the only one who seemed to think they had. For all their sakes, he hoped Kellen was right, but he simply lacked a Knight-Mage's vision.
A movement on the snow far below caught his attention.
A pack of Coldwarg was loping across the snow in search of prey. They were difficult to spot, being nearly the color of the snow, and it was motion more than color that had attracted Jermayan's eye.
Some of the pack looked up as Ancaladar's shadow passed over them. But the dragon did not attack, and they ignored him as they ran on.
So many… Jermayan thought. A pack of such size would make trouble for even the army, should it encounter them. No lesser band of travelers would be safe. They seek to tighten their grasp upon us by proxy, isolating us from each other through weather and Their creatures.
Finally the Fortress was once more in sight. Today it gleamed like the bright crown of the mountains it had been built to be, in those ancient days.
* * * * *
MASTER Tyrvin had not been pleased to hear he must open the doors of his fortress again, and not once, but more than a dozen times so that Jermayan and Ancaladar could bring the women of the Nine Cities to him. When Kellen had visited here earlier in the winter, he had convinced Tyrvin of the need to keep the fortress sealed against any who might be a Demon in disguise. Only Andoreniel's decree, made for the most logical and compelling, if not the best, of reasons could have convinced the Fortress's master to obey.
Fortunately I need endure my old friend's silent reproaches only once more after today, for there is only one at Ysterialpoerin who must come here, and then this task is done.
As he landed, Ancaladar broke through the ice-crust on the snow at the foot of the causeway with the sound of an axe biting into wood. Where the crust was unbroken, it was thick enough to bear Jermayan's weight, and he quickly moved around Ancaladar, helping his passengers from the carrying baskets and then cutting the baskets free of the harness the dragon wore, for they would only hinder Ancaladar on his flight to Ysterialpoerin, and at any moment they might need to fight.
By the time Jermayan was finished with his task, the Knights waiting on the narrow causeway that provided the only access to the Fortress had reached the dragon's side and were shepherding Jermayan's charges up the causeway. Jermayan prepared to follow.
"Will you be long?" Ancaladar asked, turning his head to look directly at Jermayan.
"I must see Ashaniel; she left word last time that she wished to see me, but she was asleep when I came, and they would not waken her. But I will be brief."