Aully turned to Kindren and opened her mouth, but her betrothed shushed her with a finger to the lips. “Not yet,” he mouthed, his lips moving darkly.
They inched in closer, and finally Aully could make out the words that were being spoken. The tones all four used were hushed and secretive, and she noticed their hardened expressions, their eyes scanning to and fro as if they were suspicious of who might be about. From the fear in her heart, and Kindren’s tense posture, she knew they no longer had any intention of scaring these four, and she feared the reason why they crept closer by silent agreement, listening, watching.
“Enough, Aeson,” Conall said. “There’s no one there.”
“I thought I heard something,” the elf named Aeson said.
“It’s just your mind playing tricks,” said the other, whose name she didn’t know. “These catacombs have that effect on you.”
“I don’t know, I thought I heard something too,” said Joseph, glancing behind him.
“Ignore it,” demanded Conall, looking annoyed.
“Yes,” said the unknown elf. “Let us get back to business. I don’t like being down here any longer than necessary.”
“Of course you don’t, Iolas,” said Aeson. “Do you have anything to add?”
Iolas jabbed his fists into his hips and glared at the human Crestwell.
“We want assurances,” he said. “Our cousin the Neyvar is not one to follow blindly.”
“What sort of assurances are you looking for?” asked Crestwell.
“The land we’ll receive for our assistance. We want it named now.”
Crestwell shook his head. “I am sorry, friend, but that’s not possible.”
“Why?”
“We don’t know which lands will be livable come the end. What happens if we promised you, say, the hill country around Lake Cor, and yet that area is razed of all living things?”
Conall shook his head. “These details don’t matter. Who cares for the razing of the land? A simple sacred word and a sprinkling of seed is all that’s required to fertilize the soil. We are not slaves to nature as you are.”
Joseph Crestwell cocked his head and eyed the elf with skepticism. “It is not nature that worries me. Your old home…if that is all it would take to heal it, why haven’t you done so?”
Conall crossed his arms and looked away.
“You know why.”
“Exactly. We play in the lands of gods, and nothing can be certain. It was the power of a god, your goddess, as a matter of fact, that made your home uninhabitable, and now we risk squabbling between two more gods. Karak is righteous, but his brother is not, and I fear the damage he may bring upon our lands.”
“Well,” said Iolas, “we would still like a specific land named. If that area is devastated, you can simply name another one later.”
Joseph sighed. “You people need to understand that this is not going to happen. You are arguing with the word of a god here. If Karak promises that you will be rewarded, you will be rewarded. To think he could lie is blasphemy.”
“He is not our god,” Aeson said. “And I do not hear these words from his mouth, but a human’s.”
“I speak for Karak.”
“So you say,” muttered Conall. “A human’s word. A liar’s word.”
Iolas stepped between them, his hands spread in entreaty. “There is no need for fighting,” he said. He turned to Joseph. “As the eldest present, I promise you our cooperation.”
“I would prefer if the Neyvar were here to confirm this,” Joseph said.
“And my cousins of the Triad wish Karak was here to confirm your promises,” replied Iolas.
“So are we agreed then?” asked Conall, voice tinged with defeat.
The human reached out and shook his hand. “We are.”
“Very well,” said Iolas. “We will inform the Neyvar that we are moving forward. Shen and the Ekreissar will sail across the river a fortnight from now and guard the Rigon passage from then on. We will use Thyne ships to prevent flight into the west or the delta. Fear not.”
“But you haven’t answered my greatest concern,” said Joseph Crestwell.
“Which was?”
“Will Lord and Lady Thyne agree to this?”
In answer to that question, Conall smiled menacingly, the sight of which sent a shiver up Aully’s spine.
“They will,” he said. “The Dezren are a languid race, too agreeable for their own good, and they have been since their first creation. They’ll agree to the terms we give them, and if they don’t, the days ahead will not bode well for their future generations. If there is one thing cousin Ruven is not, it is indecisive. The Thynes know this. They’ll obey.”
“There is one further condition.”
Conall frowned. “What is that?”
“No matter how you plan to execute your plan, I have been told to instruct you that the delegation from Stonewood shall remain untouched. No member of the Meln contingent is to be harmed.”
“Consider it done,” answered Iolas, cutting off his cousin. “That can be arranged.”
“Very well then,” said the human, offering a bow. “I must return to Veldaren to inform the Highest that our strategy is in place. My only other concern is the giant Gorgoros and his people. My father says they are the largest threat to our victory. They cannot be allowed to interfere as events unfold.”
“Fear not,” said Iolas. “We have reached out to the Dezren in Stonewood who are sympathetic to our cause. I am certain they will deal with Bardiya swiftly and brutally.”
“Excellent. And if I may speak frankly, let it be said that my respect for your race only grows. It is unfortunate that your goddess destroyed your lands. I understand your decision, but I wish that you had been the wardens for our young race rather than the ones we received. If that is any consolation at all.”
With that, Joseph reached out, lit a small torch from the larger one, and turned on his heel. He marched out of the chamber, passing within a few short feet of Aully and Kindren. The youths scurried behind a leaning sarcophagus to stay out of sight of the elves, who had much stronger eyesight. Some grumbling between the three elves came next, and then they too exited the chamber, carrying the burning torch with them and leaving the two youngsters trembling in complete darkness.
It took more than a few minutes for Aullienna to gather her courage. She slid across the wet ground and touched Kindren’s thigh. He was breathing heavily and lightly sobbing.
“They’re gone, I think,” she said.
Kindren muttered an unintelligible response. She heard him rummaging about behind him, and then he spoke a few words of magic. A sudden flare of brightness blinded her. She held her hand in front of her face until her vision adjusted to the newfound light, and then peered through her fingers into Kindren’s mournful face. He seemed to have aged a hundred years in the short time they had listened to the four conspirators. The heavy bags under his eyes drooped, and the corners of his mouth were set in a frown. He didn’t say a word, only stared at her.
“What were they talking about?” Aully asked, nudging him with her knee.
“I don’t know,” her betrothed replied, his voice shaking. “I’ve heard Conall poking fun at Father when he visits the palace…and Father just sits and takes it. I never knew why, but now…now.…”
“Now what?”
“He has no respect for us,” he replied, sounding defeated.
“And he threatened your life,” Aully said. “What’s going on? I mean, what kind of help are they giving the humans? Why would anyone harm my family? What’s going on between the brother gods? Why are the Ekreissar coming here?”