"Reclaimed to what end, Archior Zarr?" Kalen recognized Aevin's voice. "We are too few to populate the plains. Even if we overthrow Fellyre--if, by some madness, they do leave their city defenseless--the beasts of the Dinab will overrun the land."
A glow of torchlight show for only a moment in the tunnel before them before Kalen was pushed out of the tunnel into the council chamber. He missed whatever Aevin said next. He could only stare at the beauty of the cave. Some three or four hundred people stood in a semi-circle by the side of a faintly glowing milky blue lake in a cavern so vast that he could not see the far end. The ceiling could be seen only faintly, shimmering and casting rainbows across the stones in the light of dozens of enclosed lamps, set at random in crevices and shelves of the rock. Vast, upside-down icicles of stone rose, straining to meet their counterparts descending from the ceiling. Strands of crystal ran--
"Kalen." He started at Eldan's voice. Oh, yes. She was mad. Every inch of her looked on the verge of explosion, but she took a long, slow breath. "Kalen. What in Ithien's fair, sweet earth are you doing here?"
"We found him in the passage. Friend of yours?" The man holding him asked Eldan.
"Friend is a strong word, but yes--and he's harmless. He hasn't taken the vow yet, but I'll see to that. Leave him with me and return to your post."
"You don't give orders here, Tellisade. You're under me. Go--the tunnel's unguarded. You're not needed here."
Eldan paled slightly, but obeyed without protest, leaving Kalen under the watchful eye of the heavily armed guard. A few more steps brought them in sight of the speakers.
A broad-shouldered man with a closely cropped white beard was seated on a rocky outcropping spread over with several cloaks. Aevin, Hallin, and one other man stood before him. Hallin was speaking.
"As the noble Archior has said, even if Elni withstands the full force of Fellyre, we have no reason to believe they will not send their armies out to hunt us as they have before. They are not our friends, as Fendrel would have you believe--that much is obvious. But nor are they neutral allies as Aevin claims. There is blood on Elnite hands--Tassin blood. And there will be more if we attempt to aid them."
"Elni is a city, with women and children, not just an army," the third man--Fendrel interjected. "You would leave thousands of innocents to Fellyrian butchery and ravishing for a distraction? Just because you have abandoned all humanity does not mean we should follow you in this madness! How many of us have friends and family in Elni? Would you see them tortured--would you see their severed heads places on Fellyrian pikes while--"
"Enough, Fendrel." The old man rose and all fell silent. "People of the Dinab." A murmur of acknowledgement ran through the crowd. "You have heard this case out. It is for you to vote now: will you follow Fendrel and Aevin to attack and delay Fellyre's advance on Elni, or will we follow Hallin to Fellyre and take the city while its army is abroad?" The crowd began to stir as people divided into two groups. The guard behind Kalen released him to go and stand proudly at Hallin's side. Kalen stayed where he was--he was in enough trouble as was--and watched as the verdict was passed for the death of his people. Forty or fifty people stood by Aevin and Fendrel while the rest of the Tassin formed ranks with Hallin.
The council was quickly dismissed by the elderly Archior. The crowd filed out, paying Kalen no heed. He followed silently.
Grevvin met them at the tree. He stood smiling by a shallow hole in the earth, holding a large stick, and bowed low to everyone as they passed, addressing them at random as lords and ladies, or captains and priests. No one spared him a glance.
"Kalen! Kalen, lad!" Kalen was yanked out of step by Grevvin's grip on his shoulder. "You're not dead!" He prodded Kalen's forehead. "Yessir, the boy's survived!" He shook his head, looking at the hole. "A blessed waste of time, a blessed waste of time. Ah, well, that good fortune of yours can only hold out so long and when it runs out," He thumped the ground with the stick. "I'll be there."
"Kalen, we need to be on our way." He had not seen Eldan come up behind him.
"Ah! Eldan Tellisade, lady of Syxel." Grevvin gave an exaggerated bow. "How gracious of you to grace us with your graceful presence! You would not take my new young friend away so hastily, would you, my dear?"
"Indeed, I would. Come, Kalen." Kalen followed her back into the tree-village and down a different route, straight to Aevin's hut.
"Grevvin wasn't hurting anything. He showed me the way to the council."
Eldan stopped in her tracks. "His name is not Grevvin, and, whatever he has told you, he is not your friend. You're hard enough to keep out of trouble without fraternizing with a Calcidonian."
"A man from Calcidon," Aevin explained, coming up behind them. "The mountain realm. No one knows his real name. He has given a dozen or so different titles for himself over the past seven months he's been here. He's either raving mad or playing some absurd game with us. He's not to be trusted--that much is certain--but he may prove a friend in time." Eldan snorted, and Aevin added, "Ithien help you when you need a friend, Eldan. You can't expect to get through life trusting no one--we weren't made for that."
Eldan declined to argue the point, but ducked inside the hut and set to strapping her discarded gear back on. Aevin pulled a light mail shirt over his head and laced a sleeveless leather jacket over it.
"This should fit you." Kalen caught the leather plate-armor doublet that Aevin toseed back to him. The shoulders were a little broad, but the buckles on the side held it firmly in place. Aevin took to the back of the hut and returned with a small store of traveler's food--biscuits, nuts, and dried meat--and a bundle of weapons, strapped together with a sword belt. Eldan was content with her sword and crossbow, so the men divided the rest of the weapons. Kalen received a short axe and three knives, two for throwing and one long blade, while Aevin bound two straight swords in crossed sheaths to his back and took up a long spear.
"So where are we going?" Kalen asked as they stepped out on to the bridge.
"Elni." Aevin pointed south with his spear. "The rest of the Tassin may follow Hallin and the Archior, but no one should have to face that force unwarned. If their king has any sense, Elni will be emptied by the time Fellyre lays their seige."
"I wouldn't wager on King Dyestan's sense." Kalen almost said more, but he thought better of it. Perhaps Dyestan would prove reasonable. Perhaps donkeys would fly.
"Then let us pray his people can differentiate between loyalty and folly." Aevin smiled a little. "If most Elinites are like you, we have reason to hope."
They set off quickly across a few bridges, while Kalen tried to digest the compliment. What had he ever done or said that made Aevin think that?
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