The Gathering Storm (Crown of Stars 5)

“Let’s say it’s true,” said Lady Bertha, “for I’ve seen strange enough things that I’m less likely to doubt such tales than I was a year ago. Why should we help the Aoi? You say the land will return and that the one known as Sister Anne, who is also skopos over us all, will raise a great spell against the Lost Ones that will cause untold destruction. But what if this spell would make things better? What if it would banish the land of the Lost Ones so that we need never worry about them again? Wouldn’t that leave us free to fight our own battles and restore King Henry to Wendar? The Lost Ones have no allegiance to us. We can’t know how many of them there are, and whether they’ll be our allies or our enemies when they return.”

Liath nodded. “A fair question, Lady Bertha.” Recalling Eldest Uncle’s trick, she unbuckled her belt, holding it high in one hand. “Imagine that this side of the buckle represents the land in which the Ashioi dwell.” She spoke the words much as Eldest Uncle had, giving the belt a half twist and showing how a two-sided belt became a one-sided belt because of that twist, and how the Ashioi land would return to the place it started. “The spell Anne means to weave can only work if the land lies on Earth. This means that the destruction will happen twice—once when the land intersects with Earth, and a second time when the new spell casts it away from Earth again. This is what we must not allow. We must seek to mitigate the return, and fight to prevent a second sundering.”

o;I have glimpsed the past. I know what immense destruction the spell caused then. I believe that if it is woven a second time, it will cause a terrible disruption in the fabric of Earth far greater than if the ancient spell, the first spell, simply ran its course. Many will die regardless; no one can change that now. But what Anne intends is not only wrong but will bring upon us all ruin arid desolation.

“I cannot command any of you. I only command myself. I have seen Taillefer’s crown spread across the land. I have a good idea of where each stone circle lies that Anne must control to weave the spell. Yet since the spell needs seven crowns to function, it may be possible for us to disrupt it by halting the weaving at one or two or half of the crowns. I will travel as quickly as I can to the central crown, where Anne will lead the weaving. I will stop her. Or I will die.”

Resuelto flicked his ears back as Sanglant’s hands tightened on the reins.

“Aid me if you wish. If you will not aid me, then I beg you, stand aside and do nothing to hinder me.”

She let out a great breath and lifted her chin. She was so bright as the sun’s light cast its brilliance over her. She was so beautiful. As much as Sanglant simply lusted after her, he gazed at her now with much more complicated emotions: desire, love, anger still stirring in its dark pit, but respect as well and pride in her strength. A little awe, perhaps, for the dazzling promise of the power she had unlocked within herself.

It was true she could not command men, but she would go where she meant to go and by having the courage to take that path, others would follow the trail she blazed. He could not battle Anne on any sorcerous plane, but without the strength of an army to back her up, Liath might never reach Anne, and certainly she could never control the chaos and dissolution that would inevitably erupt across Wendar and the other countries in the wake of the cataclysm.

Maybe God had a hand in bringing them together—for surely without each other they could not succeed.

“I have spoken as clearly as I am able,” she finished. “I have told you what I know, as simply as I can. I must set forth soon, and quickly. Today if I can; tomorrow if I must.”

She looked toward the wagon where Blessing lay surrounded by her faithful attendants, but she set her lips together in a thin line and lowered her hand. “That is all I have to say.”

Silence followed her speech except for the ever-present drag of the wind through the grass. It was not warm, but today’s strong blow did not make his bones ache with cold. Clouds gathered along the eastern crags, breaking up into smaller clots as the peaks tore them apart. Nothing else moved.

“You know I am with you.” Sanglant let Resuelto take two steps forward before reining him in. His voice carried easily. “I will do what is necessary to stop Sister Anne.”

“What role do we play?” demanded Wichman, behind him. “I don’t like all this talk of sorcery.”

“Sorcery will not protect us from an arrow in the back. Anne will protect herself with soldiers as well as magic. That is why we need both griffin feathers and sorcerers. Without soldiers of our own, we are too vulnerable to those who possess Henry’s army.”

Wichman grunted, and there was murmuring among those assembled to listen.

“Let’s say it’s true,” said Lady Bertha, “for I’ve seen strange enough things that I’m less likely to doubt such tales than I was a year ago. Why should we help the Aoi? You say the land will return and that the one known as Sister Anne, who is also skopos over us all, will raise a great spell against the Lost Ones that will cause untold destruction. But what if this spell would make things better? What if it would banish the land of the Lost Ones so that we need never worry about them again? Wouldn’t that leave us free to fight our own battles and restore King Henry to Wendar? The Lost Ones have no allegiance to us. We can’t know how many of them there are, and whether they’ll be our allies or our enemies when they return.”

Liath nodded. “A fair question, Lady Bertha.” Recalling Eldest Uncle’s trick, she unbuckled her belt, holding it high in one hand. “Imagine that this side of the buckle represents the land in which the Ashioi dwell.” She spoke the words much as Eldest Uncle had, giving the belt a half twist and showing how a two-sided belt became a one-sided belt because of that twist, and how the Ashioi land would return to the place it started. “The spell Anne means to weave can only work if the land lies on Earth. This means that the destruction will happen twice—once when the land intersects with Earth, and a second time when the new spell casts it away from Earth again. This is what we must not allow. We must seek to mitigate the return, and fight to prevent a second sundering.”

Many among Sanglant’s retinue spoke at once, calling out questions, but their voices quieted as Li’at’dano paced forward.

“What has been done, is done,” she said. “I will aid you, Liathano, as well as I am able. Let me send my apprentice, Sorgatani, with you.”

“You will not come yourself?” Liath asked.

“My strength is bound to this land. If I leave it, I will die. I will send warriors in my stead, three hundreds of them, who will fight fiercely on your behalf.” She beckoned to a stocky mare with a cream coat and, on her woman’s head, startlingly black hair. “This daughter can be called Capi’ra. She will lead those who fight with you.”

“Does Sorgatani know that those who escort me stand the highest risk of dying? We will battle at the center of it all.”

“She knows.”

Liath nodded. “Then we march as soon as we break camp.”

Sanglant broke in before the shaman could answer. Liath had courage and power, but she had little idea of what made it possible to move an army. “We’ll need help if we are to survive such a long and arduous journey. Can you supply us with guides? Food? Supplies?”

Li’at’dano shifted her weight and made a gesture with her hands that finished with a touch to her bow strap. Had she been a horse, he thought, she would have flicked back her ears to show dislike. She addressed Liath, not him.

“Two days’ ride from here lies a stone crown. It is an ancient monument that was erected here long before my people came to these pasturelands. If you can weave the crowns, then you can travel from one crown to another directly.”

The glare of the sun sharpened. Wind snapped banners and pennants. He raced through the implications of the shaman’s statement, and had to restrain a laugh even as he wanted to cry.

“Why did you not tell me this before?” exclaimed Liath, almost shivering with excitement. “Anne will never expect an attack from that direction! I can do it!”