Varna Ch. 09

It was her - the elf who'd arrived to defend Tanarive against Tir Albo and my brother Nathal.

- "Go on. Into the woods. You're safe now."

She was right. We were.

***

There must have been almost a hundred elves in those woods. There were humans, as well, including my future-Mother-in-law, and my future wife.

- "I'm no help in a battle." said Saska Tanle. "But I had to make sure that you were safe."

- "We weren't about to leave her behind." said Gerdar Tanle. "In fact, I left Souglad undefended."

- "Are you sure that you want to do this?" I asked her.

Gerdar Tanle stared at me with her one good eye. "Are you having second thoughts?"

- "No. But I would readily understand if you did. The situation is not at all the same as it was a few months ago. You would be taking sides in a war."

- "We already have." she said. "And this is precisely why Saska and I went to Elmina. We know what it will mean for us, and our friends, if Nathal wins. Now we've seen the quality of Merik - not that it comes as a surprise."

- "And Aludar?"

Gerdar Tanle shook her head. "He wouldn't be our first choice. I know that the Esins are related to you, but we know them differently than you do. Besides - if you were to support Aludar, I suspect that your brothers might combine against you, at least temporarily."

- "An alliance of convenience, until they'd cleared the field for themselves? You're probably right."

I turned to Saska. "Are you sure, Saska? It could be very difficult, and quite dangerous, to be connected to me."

- "I know what I agreed to, Tauma. I knew what it might mean, at the time. I'm not afraid."

- "This is not the way I meant to come for our wedding."

- "You're here, and safe now. That's all that matters." Saska looked over my shoulder, and smiled. "Come over here, Glasha. You don't have to step aside for us."

My lover and my soon-to-be wife embraced warmly, like close friends. Sanatha came to join us as well, with our niece in tow.

Gerdar Tanle raised her one good eyebrow. "Aludar's daughter?"

- "She's not a bargaining chip." I said.

- "Of course not. But she could help to begin a conversation with your brother. Or to keep the lines of communication open."

We left off the political talk for the time being. I had to thank the elves, and Tanle's men, for coming to our rescue.

We watched Tir Peneda's somewhat depleted force withdraw. It was highly unlikely that he would return to seek another engagement, but Alissara and Gerdar Tanle agreed that it would be wiser to move a short distance, rather than remain where the enemy had last seen us.

My people were tired, after a long march and a tense, sleepless night, but spirits were still high, given that we'd escaped from our predicament without loss - while inflicting a bloody nose on our pursuers.

When we finally stopped, Sirma was already asleep. I was among the first to join her.

***

When we finally reached Souglad, I was reminded that Gerdar Tanle was a wealthy and influential woman. Her landholdings were considerable, and she could raise 50 fighters without taking the farmers away from their fields.

She should have been a Tir. Only Tir Peneda, the Esins and the Mokshas were wealthier and more powerful. Tir Storum and Tir Beksha were more influential, but Tanle would have been more than a match for them, if only she'd been granted the title.

But she was a woman, and a woman who consorted with elves. So had Tir Albo, of course, but what could be tolerated when it was a man was obviously unacceptable for a woman.

There was good news awaiting us at Souglad: my friends had arrived. Hurmas and Sezima were there.

Hurmas embraced me first, but Sezima couldn't wait, and wrapped his arms around both of us. We opened our little circle to let him in.

- "I'm so glad to see you! Both of you!"

- "No more than we are, to find you safe." said Hurmas.

Then Sezima took over the conversation. He spoke without pause, never stopping to draw a breath, so that neither Hurmas nor I got a chance to put a word in.

- "Osha rode through the night to get to us. We gathered our men, and set out right away. Then we heard that Tir Peneda was heading north, ahead of us. Luckily, we found a guide who could lead us by a roundabout way. It was nerve-wracking, let me tell you - but probably nothing like what you went through. Still, we're here now. We haven't missed the wedding, have we?"

- "No. Come - let me introduce you to Saska."

Both Hurmas and Sezima were struck dumb when they met my bride-to-be - probably because she was standing arm in arm with Glasha, discussing plants in the Tanle garden.

Saska detected their nervousness right away.

- "You needn't worry, my Lords. Glasha and I are very good friends, and we understand each other quite well."

Hurmas had brought 20 men, and Sezima 10, all mounted. Osha, I saw, was still with them, along with one of his fellow (and former) ostlers.

There were more elves, as well. I'd never seen so many elves in one place. Enneiros and his archers were vastly outnumbered by all of these western elves.

- "What are they all doing here?" I asked Gerdar Tanle.

- "They're here for you."

- "What? But... they don't even know me."

Gerdar Tanle sighed.

- "Do you see the elf standing by the well - in that group of four? The blonde one."

I saw the little group. There was only one with blonde hair.

- "You mean Alissara?"

Gerdar Tanle nodded. "You don't know who she is, do you?"

- "She led the elves at Tanarive."

- "She's the Warden, Tauma. The military leader they call upon whenever there is a major threat to the elves."

- "They're here because of her, then."

- "Because she called them. And she's here because of you."

I suddenly felt the weight of the responsibility on my shoulders. People had expectations, and were counting on me to defend them.

- "I see." I said. "Thank you - for telling me."

- "I thought you would understand." she said.

***

Rhigen arrived a day later.

I introduced him to my sister, and to my friends. He was pleased to meet them, but also a little awkward in company - a little stand-offish, if you will. That was natural enough: we were going about armed, and sometimes armoured, and Rhigen, being fey, could not abide the touch of cold iron.

- "I understand," he told me, "why you can't marry Glasha. She seems happy enough with the situation, though. And I've known Saska Tanle since she was a little mite. This could be a very good thing for the west - for all of our peoples."

- "I hope so."

Rhigen frowned at me. "When was the last time you practiced your magic?"

- "Rhigen - I'm getting married. And I don't know if you noticed, but there's a war on."

- "All the more reason." he said. He insisted, there and then, that we go and practice. First, though, he found Glasha, and gave her a scathing reprimand for having let me fall out of the habit of using magic.

- "But he hasn't." she said. Glasha quickly told him about the attempt on my life in the baths, and of my over-exertion that night, when we'd escaped from Elmina.

- "That's... impressive." said Rhigen. "It's a good thing to stretch yourself, a little. Not too often - and definitely not too far - but it can help you improve. Always remember the edge of the cliff, Tauma."

He took us out to the same field where he'd begun training me, when we first met. He picked up a stone, and placed it atop an old tree stump.

"Knock it off." he said. "Wait - knock it as far as you can. Don't just tip the stone. Punch it off. Kick it as far as you can."

- "Rhigen..."

- "You can't do it?"

- "The last time we practiced," I said, "it was with pinecones."

- "You hadn't killed a man without touching him, then. You're past pinecones. Show me what you can do."

I gathered in the aether. Truth be told, I didn't like being reminded of what I'd done to that man. I didn't regret it; if anyone deserved to die, it was that assassin. But I was afraid of what I might do if I lost my temper.

This was only a rock, though. No one would get hurt, especially if I was careful. I gathered a little more aether, and shaped it. Not a spear, this time - I visualized a club, to knock the stone off the stump.

- "Show me!" snapped Rhigen.

I didn't like being yelled at. Annoyed, I slapped the rock with my aether club. Hard.

To my amazement, the rock didn't just fall off the stump. It flew through the air, a full fifteen feet, before slamming into the trunk of a tree, leaving a deep gouge in the bark.

If I was amazed, Glasha was shocked. Even Rhigen looked... perturbed? Concerned?

- "We have to practice more." he said. "I need to study this."

***

Our wedding was a relatively small one. I was glad of it.

There were hundreds of people in Souglad: humans, elves, half-orcs - even a fey. Gerdar Tanle provided food and drink for all of them, but she also restricted the key portions of the ceremonies to our closest friends and loved ones. Hurmas and Sezima were my best friends, but I was glad to have Yazgash and Durgat there, and Enneiros as well.

Glasha and Sanatha stood for Saska, along with her young cousin, Tiva. Hurmas, Sezima and Durgat stood for me. Yazgash and the other half-orcs were delighted, but Durgat knew that I hadn't done it just to please them.

I hadn't had time to pack anything before our hasty departure from Elmina, but Gerdar Tanle had found some formal clothing for me. I wore a fine linen shirt, and an over-tunic that hung all the way to my knees. It was extremely light, dyed a beautiful green, and trimmed with ermine fur.

- "You look like an elven Prince." said Sezima.

- "He looks very fine." said Sanatha. "I didn't know that he could dress up this well.

My bride wore a very simple high-necked gown of green and gold, which was very flattering because it highlighted her slender form. Her long hair was gathered in a loose braid, hanging over her shoulder. Her head was bare, except for a very fine filigree web of gold.

Gerdar Tanle tied Saska's wrist to mine, and we swore our vows to each other - though both of us were careful to speak a piece of those vows to Glasha.

Saska looked lovely, and her conduct was impeccable. She made every effort to include my sister, and of course Glasha. Saska was also well aware that our private ceremony was also very much a public occasion, and I realized then and there - if I hadn't known it already - that Saska Tanle would make an excellent Tir's wife... and even a wonderful Duke's wife. I was just beginning to consider the possibility that that Duke might be me.

I drank only moderately, and rolled my eyes at Sezima's ribald jests. Saska and I accepted (or endured) all of the compliments we were paid. By this stage, we were both nervously eager for the most public part of the proceedings to be over, so that we could proceed to the private.

Finally, we were able to excuse ourselves.

Despite my mild protests, Hurmas, Sezima and Durgat carried me to the bridal chamber.

- "It's so that you can save your energy." said Sezima. "You'll need it."

They just threw me on the bed, and then were slowly pushed out of the room by Glasha, Sanatha, and Tiva. Sezima made a show of resisting, declaring his undying love for all three of them, and begging to be allowed to stay. When the males had finally been chased away, the three ladies helped Saska into the bed.

Tiva shyly kissed me on the cheek, then went to her cousin's side. Sanatha did likewise, but she also whispered in my ear: "You're a lucky, lucky man."

Glasha kissed me, too.

- "I love you." she reminded me.

Then she went to the opposite side of the bed, where Sanatha had just finished kissing Saska. Glasha took her place, and kissed Saska.

- "I love you, too." she said.

The three women fussed over the placement of candles, added another blanket to our bed, and generally made a nuisance of themselves until they'd had enough of tormenting us.

Finally, Saska and I were alone.

- "I quite like our friends." I said.

- "I love many of them." she said. "And I'm fairly sure that I'll come to love them all before too long."

We were lying on our sides, looking into each other's eyes.

- "I think that asking you to marry me was one of the wisest things I've ever done." I said.

- "I hope that you'll always feel that way." she said.

***

We stayed alone, in bed, for the better part of the next two days. Glasha, Sanatha and Tiva brought us food and drink, and assured us that they were keeping everyone else away.

But even they couldn't keep Gerdar Tanle out of our bridal chamber. Two days after the wedding, my new mother came into our room. She looked absolutely jubilant. I would have thought that her excitement had peaked two days ago, at the wedding, but she was even more animated now.

- "You won't believe it." she said. "I can hardly believe it myself."

- "Believe what, mother?" said Saska.

- "They've come. They're here."

- "Who've come?" I said.

- "The fey. The fey have come."

*****