Part Sixty-five
Duma and Setsugekka entered Trader Kato's. Neither could read the sign above the door very well, but it seemed the busiest place along the street, so they thought they might ask directions there. A Southerling Man came to them and bowed. "Welcome to the shop of Kato the Trader," he said by route, and then he looked upon the visitors. Often he could name the items one wanted at a glance, but he could not guess what these two were looking for. Whatsmore, they seemed terrible to behold. One looked like an Orc given a bath and fancy Elf-made clothing and the other seemed a little girl of the east, but it made no sense that a child could command an Orc, or that an Orc should leave his prisoner so fully dressed and apparently unmolested. An Orc would certainly not carry his prisoner's luggage, unless maybe it was more valuable than the girl.
"How may we be of service to you fine folk?"
Setsugekka's command of western speech was slight, and she understood the dialects of the south no better. Duma could see, now he was inside, that this was a trading post. He had only seen a few, and all had been smaller, and he was certain this Man had mentioned Kato.
Duma was uncertain whether he should mention Kato or not. Mannish customs were still somewhat strange to him. "This Lady was traveling without proper escort, and so I offered to bring her as far as this settlement," Duma said, "Are there females of your race that might shelter her or recommend some place she may shelter until it is daylight? I do not think the roads she travels are safe by night."
Setsugekka felt quite safe in the night, but she did not understand Duma's conversation with the Man. She only sensed vaguely that no harm was intended her.
"And, Gentle Sir, how may we aid you?"
"For now, if it is not too late, I should like to have a look around your shop."
"It is not too late, as our shop is open all hours of the day and night. Please, view our goods, and if you have questions, ask."
Dale, being in some other part of the store, recognized Duma's voice and went to look for him. He found Duma looking at some Dwarf-made tools and metal craft. Elves often disdained Dwarven work, but all other races considered their craftsmanship most excellent and desirable. Dale also saw Setsugekka there and recognized her. "Miko," he said.
Setsugekka lifted her head and saw Dale, and a moment later she saw Tsuki behind him and gasped. She then fell to her knees and began praising Tsuki and asking for forgiveness. At the same time, Dale understood that Duma and Setsugekka had arrived together and demanded to know if Duma had taken advantage of the girl in any way.
"Why do you accuse me of such things?"
"You most often get into trouble with women. It is no leap to suspect it."
"Have I not been good? I only offered her my horse, as she was without proper escort and in the snow at night."
"Well, are you certain she will not claim you did anything improper?"
"Why is Setsugekka begging like Tsuki's disobedient pet?"
Dale stammered in attempt to speak and then turned his head to behold Tsuki, and the girl bowing her head before his feet. "You wore those little wooden shoes in the snow, Tsuki? Why did I not notice?"
"I am well, there was no accumulation."
"Tsuki, why is she bowing to you?" Duma asked.
Beryl and several of Kato's Men gathered to see why all the noise was made.
"She speaks quickly. It has been a long time since I heard the language spoken by a native." Tsuki broke off and then spoke to Setsugekka. "No. Rise. I cannot be what you say. You do not need to bow to me."
Setsugekka stood slowly, but kept her head bowed as she continued to implore Tsuki.
"What is she saying to you?" Dale asked.
"She says I am her Lord. She says I am her god on the earth. I believe she says that now she understands why she was brought to the west, that she was meant to find me and serve me. She asks me to forgive her for not coming sooner, and for not recognizing my signs to her immediately."
"How do you know you are not her Lord?" Dale asked, and laughed.
Tsuki sighed.
"Setsugekka, what tells you that this person is your Lord?" Duma asked her.
"His appearance is that of my Lord. He must be the son of the God's Wife."
"She says you are the son of someone titled 'God's Wife', I think."
"You understand her?"
"Did you not listen? She spoke a form of Elven then. It sounded strange at first, but I can understand more of it now."
"Yes," Beryl said, "It has a most ancient sound to it."
"No. No. This is not right. I am a Man," Tsuki said as he walked away from them. "If she believes, then it is only a symbolic thing. Some primitive and symbolic rite. Some Man dresses as the god and lies with the Priestess during some festival. That is how it is done. My mother was a Priestess, but I am no Lord or prophet of any sort. I was raised by nomads and a Wizard."
Tsuki spoke in his mother's language, and though he added many loanwords to say what he wished to say, Setsugekka understood most of what was said. "Yes, all of that is true, if you say it is so, but I am still your servant." As she said the words, Setsugekka felt faint and then collapsed.
Duma caught her and then lifted her in both arms. Dale only stood by and watched suspiciously. The girl seemed young and pretty and he feared Duma would be tempted to take her. "We must learn more of this girl," Beryl said. He had seen such behavior before and was certain this girl was under some spell of compulsion.
Beryl was not certain whether she was compelled to seek Tsuki, or if finding Tsuki weakened the spell that compelled her to do otherwise, but he wished to find out which was true. There was still the matter of Kato to deal with. "We should go to Kato now," Beryl said sharply.
The Men let them go into the private rooms again and Setsugekka was laid on a soft couch near enough to the fire to be warm, but near enough to a window to breathe fresh air.
Tsuki sat in a chair and drew up his legs before him, and bowed his head.
"I will fetch Kato," Beryl said.
Duma knelt beside the couch watching Setsugekka, and though he wished to comfort Tsuki, Dale stood watching Duma. "Does she smell very good?" Dale asked quietly.
"Yeah." Duma then realized what he had said and was angry at Dale's question.
"I think she is a sort of Priestess. They do not marry, but are devoted to their god. You understand? No mortal is worthy to be her lover, and no Elf either."
"Stop. Why do you say such things?" Duma hissed.
"Can you say you do not now find her young and fresh and pleasing to look upon?"
"No, she is of course, but I would not harm her. You say such things to me only because you do not feel for females at all. You are the one who is strange. It is so easy for you, because among Elves or Orcs, there is no wrong in males taking pleasure of each other. It is easy for you to act superior, because you suffer from no temptations to do what would seem foul."
Dale laughed. "What I do would seem foul to some, and apart from whom I choose to take pleasure in, I am tempted daily to do much harm. That is why I warn you from temptation."
"Well, perhaps I am simply not so prone to evil thoughts and deeds as you."
Dale growled. It was likely true. "I suppose you have not taken Ugarit yet."
"Yes. I have not."
"I woulda thought she'd 'av' offered by now."
"She did."
"And…?"
Duma growled irritably. "I think that she would like to breed, and I am not prepared to sire half-breed children."
"Such a union would produce spawn of a mostly Orcish sort."
"She does not even belong to me."
Dale laughed. "You are such an Elf! And maybe Marduk is an Elf too! An Orc would have taken and considered what was taken his, and a Man surely would have considered the female his once she offered herself, if he wanted to have her."
"Then I will be a starry Elf! I will keep my promises, and if Ugarit does not want Marduk to give her away, then they can argue about it." Duma lowered his voice then. "I do not really wish someone to become my companion because they are ordered to, I only think it wise to keep my word."
"That is why you followed. You want to see if we are your enemies."
"I do not think you are, but I will learn who the enemy is. I saw one of them, the ones hiding in the wood. They seem neither like Orcs nor Elves that I have seen, but they are not any more like me. Maybe they are the enemy."
"That may be." Dale looked toward Tsuki then, but Tsuki seemed not to listen and only sat curled, as if asleep. "I would like to learn what is happening myself."
Duma stood to move closer to the fire. "It does not inspire confidence in the Rangers."
"What does not?"
Duma sat by the fire and took some tools from his bag. "Your actions do not inspire common folk to have confidence that the Rangers are able to keep them safe. If an Orc does not have confidence that his Leader is strong and that the Clan will be brought meat and find places to hide from the sun, then they find a new leader."
"I liked it better when you did not speak," Dale said sharply,
and crossed his arms across his chest.
Duma said nothing.
Dale went to the chair Tsuki sat upon and insinuated himself into its seat, beside Tsuki.
Setsugekka woke to the sounds of split logs crackling in the fireplace and polishing cloths against stone. She felt sick. There was hollowness inside her, as if she lacked something that made her well. Setsugekka remembered seeing her Lord. He had been with the red-haired Elf.
Setsugekka sat and saw Duma sitting on the floor near a stone hearth. She had not been inside many western style buildings before, only a few that existed east of the Great River. Otherwise there had been tents of various size and appointment.
Tsuki no longer sat curled, but watched Setsugekka quietly. Beside him, Dale sat, an arm resting on Tsuki's shoulders, and his fingertips lightly touching Tsuki's neck. Setsugekka looked toward them, Looked at her Lord. He was not the god, but the embodiment of the god on earth. Her god also had such a companion as Dale was to Tsuki.
Beryl came then into the room, with Kato walking beside him. Setsugekka had not seen the Halfling at close distance before, but she knew of him and his mission. For a moment, she thought to say that she knew of the mission, but her throat burned with sickness and soon she stopped trying to speak.
Beryl had just told Kato about the gazing crystal Tsuki had discovered, and now he saw the sphere in Duma's hands for the first time. "Demon's fire, Child!" Beryl said, actually raising his voice, "Where did you come by that one?"
When they saw where Beryl's attention was, the others also looked toward Duma.
"It is my bauble," Setsugekka said, "My Master gave it to me."
"Did she say 'Master'? Please tell me it is some foreign word that sounds alike to it."
"It is a bauble given her by her Master," Duma said.
"Duma, by all that is good, put that away," Beryl pleaded.
Duma stopped his work. The stone was not fully polished, but now many gouges were reduced to fine lines and much of the surface shone with a bright white-blue color. There seemed also now some added spark of brilliance at the center of the translucent stone.
"It should go to…" Setsugekka began.
"His name is Tsuki," Duma said. "He is an apprentice Wizard raised from childhood in the west. We are told all his kin were slain by Minions of the Dark Lord in the east."
"My Lord carries the swords of a shrine guardian. The Moon Stone should go to Tsuki." Setsugekka felt flushed and near to collapse as she suggested the stone go to Tsuki.
"She says this stone should be given to Tsuki. Tsuki, you do wish me to restore it for you?"
"Is this truly the stone you believe?" Tsuki asked Beryl.
"The very seeing stone taken by the Dark Lord, used to corrupt and seduce many who would otherwise have been allies to the Free Peoples. It must be tainted. Duma, put it away."
"The Dark Lord was your Master?" Duma asked Setsugekka.
She felt unable to speak and so tried to gesture her disagreement.
"The Dark Lord would not have given away such a thing," Tsuki said, "Not that I claim to understand his ways, but I cannot imagine him doing so."
"Unless it was a last moment plot to have evil survive his passing!" Dale offered.
"When he was destroyed, he did not have forewarning," Beryl said, straining to sound calm.
"Of course, we saw your fine portrayal," Kato said brightly, "but Duma seems no different than usual. Where is this other stone? Perhaps we might test them. It may be the Moon Stone no longer functions, if it has suffered damage. Though…how valuable do you think they are, really?"
Dale brought the Star Stone into the firelight.
"How did your people come by it?" Tsuki asked Kato.
"Sold to us by a fisher of the race of Men who was said to have found it in the river when diving to free a wedged anchor. Thought it an Elven artifact of some kind. Traded it for a new boat, though I did not expect to find much of a market for such a unique but rather useless item. My knowledge of ancient lore is lacking. If only I had some person working under me familiar with Elven lore!"
"Caeirg," Beryl scolded.
Kato laughed nervously. He then asked, "Can we test them?"
"No," Beryl said, "I would not advise it. There remain stones unaccounted for."
Duma crept toward the chair to offer the Moon Stone to Tsuki. Tsuki could sense enchantment in it from the moment his fingertips touched the sphere. "There is no taint. I would swear to it. The stone will serve one who wills to wield it, and without any prejudice but that which may come from the one who holds it."
"Keep the stones if you will," Beryl said, "I trust you, Tsuki and Dale, more than I might many others, to use them well, but I cannot say I advise use of them."
"Perhaps, until we find ourselves in some secure place, we should keep the stones wrapped and stored away," Tsuki suggested. "Duma, I will trust you to hold this one a while longer. You may work to remove these surface flaws. It seems it does not effect the enchantment, so be careful from now not to touch the stone with bare hands. If some other has ability to view our actions over far distances, we cannot help that now, but to touch the stone could allow direct contact between minds, and I believe that would be dangerous. Return the stone to my keeping when your work is finished."
Duma now looked suspiciously at the stone, but he had come to trust Tsuki greatly and he took the stone, using a polishing cloth to cover his hand.
"I think that we should see Kato to the completion of his mission as soon as it is daylight," Dale suggested, "I would have this journey ended; there are many new puzzles to consider."
"An unprecedented host of masterless Orcs gathered to our north, for one," Tsuki said.
"I do not think they shall be satisfied until they find some plot against their race or have my life…perhaps both. Let's sit and rest just a while longer and not go out tonight."
"Dawn then," Kato began, "We shall seek my contact at dawn, and then you may part from my company with clear conscience."
Dale mumbled agreement, but he did not think they would seek to part ways with Kato, though he certainly had many Men here who might escort him north in safety. When others in the room looked to Beryl, he also did not appear to be satisfied to leave Kato, only because the message would then be delivered.
As those in the settlement of Eldsbridge rested through the night, Annavala was running back to her lord and Grandfather, Khyarhrondo. The Rómendar of Lord Forhrondo sighted her, being practiced at seeing through the camouflage of their own people. Their Lord had ordered Annavala taken, for he had designs to rule over all the Rómendar, and then when the Wizards had opened the way west, Forhrondo would take it all.
Other Rómendar believed, as they were told, that their purpose in the west was to destroy the abominations, and this was true enough, but Forhrondo knew from the Blue Wizards that many of the western Elves were departing, and he meant to have those Men and so-called Sylvan Elves under his rule as well.
The Dark Lords had subjugated his people and resistance had proved futile, and so they had hidden rather than resist, until the Blue Wizards found them. They had hidden rather than become abominations. Now Forhrondo meant to remove any future reason to hide. His people would reveal themselves and conquer. They would not be subjugated or made into amusement for decadent Elves of the west and those Men friendly with them.
Khyarhrondo would be an ally in defeating the abominations, but would then become an obstacle. Annavala would be the assurance that Forhrondo lead the Rómendar. Forhrondo would be deprived of his most loyal guard and warrior, and if necessary, would be swayed by her captivity, or he would be slain.
Annavala had suspected there might be some attempt to remove her Lord from his position, and though she had not guessed the method or time, she recognized the attempt when she saw Hwesta. He was one of those Romendar that had been altered by the Wizards to appear as one of the western Elves, and thus aid the Wizards in manipulating the Halfling, the Rangers, and even the abominations. The actions of Hwesta and his company were the reason abominations left the mines and went in numbers against the Rangers, and the reason Rangers now were occupied with defending lands of the west against the foul ones.
Annavala fought well and with courage, but Hwesta had his company with him and Annavala was overwhelmed.