'Our highest peak is twice this size,' said Icenga. 'You would not reach the top alive.'
'Forgive me if I don't ever try,' said Jhered. He felt faint and weak. The exertion and the altitude were taking serious toll. 'Good idea to build this shelter.'
'The watchers would freeze without it.'
Jhered was reminded of the reason they had climbed up here. 'Right, let's get this over with. Show me where I should look and give me your best magnifier.'
He could see for hundred of miles. With or without the magnifier, just two pieces of shaped glass in a wooden frame, the sense of scale was amazing. Like surveying the whole world. But the feeling of wonder didn't last long. Atreska's green, fertile plains were stained dark with Tsardon away to the west and south. Dust hung in the air and the tracks of marches were plainly visible, snaking away into the distant north.
He couldn't get the angle to see the Gesternan border defences. And to see clear across the country to the Tirronean Sea was a dream but no more than that. One thing that he could see was that the Karku had been right. The Tsardon were marching west and not directly south. And there were at least three forces massing. It was far too much for the Gesternans to repel. He sat back and handed the magnifier to Kovan. He watched the young man studying the distant enemy.
'Why are they doing it?' Jhered asked. 'They are ignoring the highway to Skiona. It's just not the right place for an army from the east to attack. Why march right across the face of the enemy, showing them your route so they can reinforce? What do they hope to achieve?'
‘I
don't know.' Kovan didn't turn from his search. 'Unless they think they will get reinforced from the sea.'
'That's it.' Jhered felt the blood drain from his face and a clamour set up in his chest. 'They don't want to annexe Gestern. Only her coast.'
Kovan sat back down. 'Why would they do that?'
'Because they can always come back for Gestern. What they need is Estorr and the quickest way is straight across the Tirronean Sea.'
'Yes but they won't be able to do that, will they? The Ocetanas will be on station and the rebel Atreskan navy are no match.'
'Not on their own, no.' Jhered looked across at Icenga. 'You overlook the Bay of Harryn from your north-eastern borders. What news from there?'
'The Tsardon fleet has sailed south,' he replied. 'They will be in the Tirronean before long.'
'And the Ocetanas have been forced to commit strength north. They may not have the ships to counter them.'
'There is good news, though,' said Harban. 'We had scouts in Tsard recently. Roberto Del Aglios is marching south. We can put you on a path to meet him.'
Jhered smiled. 'Good old Roberto. I knew you wouldn't let me down.'
Jhered's sudden and rapid reappearance stopped the argument in its tracks.
'Shut up and get up. We're moving.'
'But we can make it work,' complained Ossacer.
'Not now.' Jhered frowned. 'What was it anyway? And don't stop clearing up while you're telling me.'
'Gorian can control the minds of animals,' said Arducius. 'We all can to a certain extent but not over such distance as him. And Ossacer can read the energies of its senses and translate them into images.'
Jhered paused. 'You're saying he can see through another animal's eyes?'
'Or smell through its nose or hear through its ears,' said Ossacer. 'We were going to try it out on a bird. Gorian makes it fly, I see what it sees.'
Jhered was stunned. 'You can do that?' 'It's theoretically possible,' said Mirron.
The possibilities were extraordinary. Jhered calmed their activity with a hand.
'Sit back down. Theoretically. You've never actually done it?' 'No,' said Gorian.
'And what were you arguing about?'
'Which sort of bird we should use and what we should call it,' said Arducius, having the decency to look embarrassed.
'For three hours?' He stared at Menas, who nodded confirmation. 'Give me strength.'
'Well, it wasn't just that,' said Mirron. 'We didn't know where to find it, either.'
Jhered closed his eyes briefly. This was a very long shot but it was worth the attempt for a couple of hours.
'Right. Change of plan. We'll stop here to eat. And while we're doing it, you lot will find me a bird. Eagles see well. And you will fly it north of here and find me a Conquord army marching south. Think you can do that?'
Chapter 58
848th cycle of God, 32nd day of
Solasfall 15th year of the true Ascendancy
Icenga and Harban made ready to turn from them at the furthest reach north of the Karku border in Atreska. Their descent had been quick and clean and the only regret Jhered had was that there were no horses to speed them on their journey.
Gorian and Ossacer hadn't managed to find Roberto, though the experiment hadn't been a complete waste; they had achieved control of a bird in flight. The Karku reported the army marching down the course of the River Gull, south and then west deep into Atreska. He was keeping the river between them and any Atreskan rebels and Tsardon invaders from the central north and west. Without confirmation, Jhered had to trust the reports on his position and direction.
'They are an amazing gift,' said Icenga. 'Keep them safe.'
Jhered looked across at the Ascendants, grouped together like they always were but, unusually for them, silent. Perhaps Jhered's message about what they faced had finally got through. Kovan and Menas were comparing their blades for heft and balance.
'I'm just beginning to realise it.'
'But watch Gorian.
’I
don't like the way he thinks.'
Jhered nodded. Icenga pushed the tips of his fingers together in a peak and bowed his forehead to touch them.
'Journey well, friend of Kark. May the lords of stone and sky bless your journey.'
Jhered put his right fist to his heart. 'My arm and heart are yours, Icenga. We would not have got this far without you. Harban, I am honoured to know you.'
'Travel well, Paul Jhered,' said Harban. 'Stop this war before it shatters the mountains.'
Jhered inclined his head. 'With every breath available to me.' The Karku trotted away back into the mountains and were lost from sight.
'Men of honour and integrity,' said Jhered. 'They've put their trust in you lot. Don't let them down. Don't let me down.'
Jhered assessed their position. Icenga had left them next to the bamboo-shrouded banks of the River Gull where it plunged underground and, he had been assured, fed the Eternal Water. He had to smile. According to the Karku, almost every waterway fed the Eternal Water. He wasn't sure they believed it themselves but it made a good myth.
The mountains were at their back and ahead were the gentle rolling plains of southern Atreska. The change in landscape could hardly have been more stark. To the west, he could see woodland, settlements, and the splash of late solasfall colour across the hillsides. The green and yellow of crops awaiting harvest, the blue and red of late flowering shrubs. Still a beautiful country and so difficult to believe that tens of thousands of soldiers were marching across it.
Their route would take them along the course of the river and hopefully into the path of Roberto's scouts and so to the man himself. He would be marching quickly and unopposed, probably wondering why he had not been attacked. Jhered knew the answer. The Tsardon had no need to. After all, marching towards the nearest Gesternan border crossing, Roberto was heading the wrong way.
But while the Tsardon wouldn't attack Roberto's army until pressed, they would certainly sweep up a small party travelling north to meet it.
'We must be careful,' said Jhered. 'We will travel slowly and keep out of sight as much as possible. Menas, I need you to work to our east. If there are Tsardon this side of the river, we need to have warning to hide. We're fortunate with cover in the river valley but we could be surprised and we are in no position to take on a raiding party.
'The rest of you, I know I keep saying I want quiet but now it's important. Keep your voices down. Particularly at night. It's warm so I expect we'll be doing without fires. You were safe in Kark. You are not safe here. Understand?' The Ascendants nodded. 'Good. Kovan, any scouting in your training so far?'
'I've hunted stag and boar with my father,' he said. 'Tracking but no scouting.'
'It'll do. I need you to sweep behind us. Only a short distance. Tsardon scouts might well be mounted. Check for tracks east and south too. Don't take them on if you see them. Come to me.'
'I won't let you down.'
'I don't doubt it.' His gaze fell on the Ascendants once more. 'Come on. We'll stay near the river bank. The bamboo should curtain us from eyes the other side and the trees on the slope will mask us from the east. Trust Menas and Kovan. Listen to what I say and act on my orders without question. Menas, Kovan. Go. Report back every three hours.'
'My Exchequer,' said Menas.
She placed her hand across her heart and trotted away into the woodland ahead. Kovan nodded and broke away to the rear. Jhered led the Ascendants down the shallow slope almost to the river's edge. The bamboo that grew thickly along its bank was a comfort but he had to guard against complacency. It was a hot day in the open with only the trees that studded their path ahead to provide cover from the sun.
They walked at a steady pace. The ground was dry and easy. The river's moisture fed the lush grass and gave it a comfortable spring underfoot. Their furs were rolled and tied about their waists and their packs were stocked with Karku trail rations of dried meat and bread.
Jhered found himself relaxing in spite of their circumstances and it was almost an hour before it occurred to him that there were a lot of birds here. They weren't flocking but either it was his imagination or they sat in the bamboo or trees to watch them pass, or soared and swooped overhead while the path ahead and behind was clear.
He said nothing until they paused in the shade when the sun was at its hottest for a quick bite to eat. The Omniscient was giving them memories of solastro to take into the long cold of dusas. The grass around the Ascendants was growing. Not quickly but it was undeniable, like a fringe around their legs and feet.
'You're bringing the birds, aren't you?' he said.
'We don't mean to,' said Arducius. 'It just happens. Actually, it's mainly Gorian. He's the Herd Master.'
Jhered gestured at the grass. 'And this. Does it just happen too?'
'Yes,' said Mirron. 'Ever since full emergence.' She smiled beautifully. 'It's lovely. Things grow where we walk if the pool of energy is there.'
Still, Jhered couldn't square it with the Omniscient. It sat uncomfortably with him though he had already used their powers himself when it suited him. He tried not to feel a hypocrite but that was what he was. A man sworn to uphold the Conquord's faith, protecting those who threatened it the most. Yet these children were not evil. They were innocents. Jhered felt a pang of guilt add to his inner confusion. If anyone was going to turn them from that innocence, it was him.
He smiled back at Mirron. 'Do you feel the life as it grows?'
'We cannot shut it out,' said Ossacer. 'Life is everywhere. All we can do is sort and suppress the lifelines and energy maps so they don't overwhelm us.'
'I don't pretend to understand,' said Jhered. 'But tell me. How easy is it for you to see the, the lifelines, is it? The lifelines of, say, a horse or a rider. How far away can you sense them?'
'You want us to stand guard at night,' said Gorian.
'The thought had crossed my mind,' said Jhered. 'So?'
'If we concentrate, we can see something that large moving through a forest quite easily, I should think. Despite the mass of energy in a place like this,' said Gorian. He looked to the others for confirmation.
'You think?'
Arducius shrugged. 'We've never done it before.'
'Well,' said Jhered. 'Nor had you controlled an eagle before but that was extraordinary. How do you feel about trying to impress me again?'
'We don't do it to impress you,' said Ossacer. 'We do it to learn.' 'Whatever makes you feel better,' said Jhered. 'Come on, eat up. Let's get moving.'
Night fell quickly this late in solastro. Gorian sat with his back to a tree while the others slept behind him under the furs that had served them so well in Kark. They had camped on the bank of the river. It was a chill night, another sign of the coming of dusas, but Jhered had stuck to his word and had not let them light a fire. Of course, all the Ascendants could use the energy around them to keep themselves warm but it was a wasteful exercise and didn't help when they were asleep.
Menas had returned to the camp at dusk, reporting that Tsardon scouts were patrolling ahead a few miles away. Groups of riders between eight and ten strong. It was a scary thought and had made whispers of their conversation that evening. As a further consequence, Jhered was awake too, shadowing his watch in the darkest hours of the night.
Gorian let his mind open to the energies surrounding them. They were duller; the world was at rest. He traced the slumbering life maps of the trees around them, gentle pulsing greens and browns; and the river behind its curtain of bamboo. It was shot with the life of the fish that traced its course and remained a stunning, shimmering kaleidoscope.
Out on the ground, nocturnal creatures snuffled and crept. He could just about make out the low shambling shapes of badgers, the fleet colours and energies of mice and rats and the smooth lines of foxes. But it was difficult to track them for long. All of them could sense him but he focused his mind on projecting darkness, tweaking their fear reflexes and keeping them away. These were creatures of such small mind and so easy to bend to his will. He wondered if he could turn a horse from its path. Or ten horses. With a rider aboard it would be a true battle of wills and power.
It was something the others weren't fully aware of yet. In an animal, the will and mind were inextricably linked to the energy map and lifelines. An Ascendant interrupted the lifelines to control the animal, like he had with the eagle and gorthock. The sharper the mind, the harder it was to control and the more energy he had to draw on to perform the Work. It was tiring. Or it would be until he learned a way to use the energies of nature to help him.
Jhered was walking towards him. The Gatherer was very quiet but Gorian could see his energy map; bright, vibrant and very, very tall. Its outer tendrils reached out at the air around him, linking him with the earth and the elements in a way he would never be able to sense. That's what made the Ascendants different from every other citizen. Funny, really. Animals knew they had a link and used it. They could follow the energy of the earth and the thermals in the sky or in the water. But humans were blind to it. Most humans.
'There's nothing bad out there,' said Gorian without turning.
Jhered walked on and stood at his right shoulder. 'Did it disorient you when you first had this all-round sensory vision? How did you know which way was forward if you were walking at the same time?'
Gorian suppressed his senses and looked up at Jhered, massive and imposing from down here, but still just a man who didn't understand.
'Energy gets stronger and brighter as you near it,' he replied. 'It wasn't a problem.'
'Of course not,' said Jhered. 'Are you all right to carry on?' Gorian nodded. 'I'll take Mirron's watch. She's tired.' 'All right. If you're sure.'
'Anyway, if the Tsardon come, there's something I want to try out.'
Jhered dropped to his haunches so that their faces were level. 'You will try nothing. You will tell me and we will deal with what we face. I am your commander. I give the orders and I make the rules.'
'You don't rule me,' said Gorian. 'No one rules me.'
'Why must you bait me, boy?' Jhered's face was cold, the lines of energy dimmed. His voice was a hiss and his eyes did not blink.
‘I
will not repeat myself. You will do what I say and we will all stay alive. Do not cross me.'
Gorian felt his heart pounding and his body trembling. Jhered's face was so close he could make out every scar and line even in the darkness. He couldn't find the words to get back at him. The forest was chaotic behind him, Gorian unable to focus well enough to separate the maps surrounding them.
‘I
must practise my abilities,' he managed.
'Not tonight. Not if we are under threat. You must only use those Works of which you are absolutely certain.' Jhered's voice softened.
‘I
can see you're afraid. Could you perform a new Work right now if you had to? Any Work?'
'I'm not sure,' said Gorian.
'No. Fear does strange things, even to one such as you. That is why you must act under my command. I will show you what to do when the time comes.'
Jhered rose and Gorian felt a familiar anger. His sensory vision cleared, the flares and splashes of colour calming down to more familiar lines and shapes. Trees, rodents, birds. Men.
Gorian grabbed Jhered's arm and dragged him back down.
'Someone's coming,' he whispered.
Jhered nodded. 'All right,' he said, his voice low and calm, easing Gorian's anxiety. 'Tell me how many, how far away and in what direction.'
'There are six that I can see. No, seven. They are walking. Not quite towards us. They are at the top of the slope, about thirty yards away.'
'Good. Now tell me, are they walking down the slope or along it? You have time. Keep calm because you know they can't see you.'
Gorian found Jhered's voice incredibly comforting. 'They are coming down towards the river but they will pass to our right unless they change direction. They are in a line.'
'Good.'
'What do we do?'
'Nothing at all,' said Jhered. 'Just sit as quiet as you can. They aren't tracking, probably just coming down to get some water.' 'We must wake the others.'
Jhered tensed. 'Not yet. For once in your life, trust me.' 'We can't just sit here.'
'Yes, Gorian, we can. And we will.' Jhered put a hand on his arm. 'If they come close, tell me. When they are beyond your sight, tell me.'
Gorian watched the Tsardon, if that was who they were, walk carefully down the slope. They had no light with them, no energy flare bleeding into the darkness. They made no sound that Gorian could hear with the river at his back. It was hard to concentrate and only Jhered's presence by him lent him the courage to keep the figures distinct from the rest of the energies of the forest. It should have been easy. They were awake, their lifelines bright with activity. But it wasn't. He felt undone by his fear. It was something he would have to conquer quickly.
The figures moved on. Gorian concluded they were on an animal trail or something like it. They didn't deviate at all. And it was with a growing relief that he watched them closing down to the bank of the river and away out of sight. Just as Jhered said they would.