Ahead awaited their thrones.
The Mhybe's head snapped up, her body stiffening, writhing in an attempt to break his grip. Small as he was, his strength defeated her.
'Wolves, lass. We've nothing to fear.'
Nothing to fear. Lies. They have hunted me. Again and again. Pursuing me across this empty land. And now, listen, they come once more. And this Daru who drags me, he has not even so much as a knife.
'Something ahead,' Kruppe gasped, shifting his awkward embrace as he staggered under her weight. 'Easier,' he panted, 'when you were but a hag! Now, but you found the will, you could throw me down — nay! You could carry me!'
Will. Need I only find the will? To break from this grip? To flee?
Flee where?
'Lass, hear Kruppe's words! He begs you! This — this world — Kruppe's dream no longer! Do you understand? It must pass from me. It must be passed on!'
They were stumbling up a gentle slope.
Wolves howled behind them, fast approaching.
Leave me.
'Dearest Mhybe, so aptly named! You are the vessel in truth, now! Within you — take this dream from me. Allow it to fill your spirit. Kruppe must pass it on to you — do you understand?'
Will.
She twisted suddenly, threw an elbow into Kruppe's stomach. He gasped, doubled over. She pulled herself free as he fell, leapt to her feet-Behind them, tens of thousands of wolves. Charging towards her. And, leading them, two gigantic beasts that radiated blinding power.
The Mhybe cried out, spun.
A shallow depression before her. A long, low hut of arched bones, hides, bound with hemp rope, the entrance yawning wide.
And, standing in a clump before the hut, a band of Rhivi.
The Mhybe staggered towards them.
Wolves were suddenly all around, flowing in a wild, chaotic circle around the hut. Ignoring the Rhivi. Ignoring her.
Groaning, Kruppe levered himself, after a couple of tries, to his feet. Weaving, he joined her. She stared at him without comprehension.
He drew a faded handkerchief from his sleeve and daubed the sweat from his brow. 'Any lower with that elbow, dear …'
'What? What is happening?'
Kruppe paused, looked around. 'They are within, then.'
'Who?'
'Why, Togg and Fanderay, of course. Come to claim the Beast Throne. Or, in this case, Thrones. Not that, should we enter the hut, we will see two wolves perched on chairs, of course. Presence alone asserts possession, no doubt. Kruppe's imagination tempts other, shall we say, prosaic images, but best avoid those, yes? Now, lass, permit Kruppe to edge back. Those who approach you now — well, this is the passing of a dream, from one to the other, and into the background noble Kruppe must now go.'
She swung round.
A Rhivi elder faced her, face creasing in a sad smile. 'We asked her to come with us,' he said.
The Mhybe frowned. 'Asked who?'
'Your daughter. This world — it is for you. Indeed, it exists within you. With this world, your daughter asks for forgiveness.'
'S-she made this-'
'There were many participants, each and all driven by the injustice that befell you. There was… desperation, the day your daughter was … created. The one known as Kruppe. The Elder God, K'rul. The one named Pran Chole. And yourself. And, when she gathered us within her, ourselves as well. Silverfox sought to answer yet more — the tragedy that are the T'lan Imass and the T'lan Ay. It may be,' he added, one hand making a faint gesture of bereavement, 'that what her heart sought has proved too vast-'
'Where is she? Where is my daughter?'
The elder shook his head. 'Despair has taken her. Away.'
The Mhybe fell silent. I was hunted. You were hunting me. And the ay. She looked down, slowly raised her youthful limbs. Is this real, then? She slowly turned about, looked across to meet Kruppe's eyes.
The Daru smiled.
The old woman.
'Will I awaken?'
Kruppe shook his head. 'That woman now sleeps eternal, lass. Warded, guarded. Your daughter spoke with Hood. Reached an agreement, yes? She believes, having lost the T'lan Imass, that she has broken it. Yet, one cannot but think that there are facets to this … resolution. Kruppe remains confident.'
An agreement. Freedom for the T'lan Imass. An end. Their souls. delivered to Hood.
Spirits below — she has lost them? Lost the T'lan Imass? 'Hood will not abide-'
'Ah, but won't he? Whyever not, dear? If the Lord of Death is without patience, then Kruppe can dance on Coll's pointy head! Which he most assuredly cannot. You shall not return to that ancient body.'
The Mhybe glanced back at the Rhivi spirits. 'Will I age here? Will I eventually. '
The elder shrugged. 'I do not know, but I suspect not. You are the vessel. The Mhybe.'
The Mhybe. Oh, Silverfox. Daughter. Why are you not here? Why can I not look now into your eyes. The begging for forgiveness goes both ways. She drew a deep breath, tasted the sweet life filling the cool, moist air. So easily, then, to take this world into myself. She removed the first copper bracelet, held it out to the Rhivi. 'This is yours, I believe.'
The elder smiled. 'Did its power serve you well?'
She nodded. 'Without measure …'
A presence filled her mind. 'Mhybe.'
Togg, a rumbling power, the will of winter itself.
'We reside within this realm, realm of the Beast Thrones, but you are its mistress. There is one within me. A mortal spirit. Cherished spirit. I would release him. We would release him. From this realm. Do you give us-'
Yes. Release him.
Benediction. Godless, he could not give it. Not in its truest form.
But he had not comprehended the vast capacity within him, within a mortal soul, to take within itself the suffering of tens of thousands, the multitudes who had lived with loss and pain for almost three hundred thousand years.
He saw faces, countless faces. Desiccated, eyes nothing more than shadowed pits. Dry, torn skin. He saw bone glimmering from between layers of root-like tendons and muscles. He saw hands, chipped, splintered, empty now — yet the ghost of swords lingered there still.
He was on his knees, looking out upon their ranks, and it was raining, a wavering deluge accompanied by reverberating groans, splintering cracks filling the darkness above.
He looked upon them, and they were motionless, heads bowed.
Yet he could see their faces. Each face. Every face.
I have your pain.
Heads slowly lifted.
He sensed them, sensed the sudden lightness permeating them. I have done all I am able to do. Yes, it was not enough, I know. Yet. I have taken your suffering-'You have taken our suffering, mortal.'
Into myself-
'We do not understand how.'
And so I will now leave you-
'We do not understand. why.'
For all that my flesh cannot encompass-
'We cannot answer the gift you have given.'
I will take with me.
'Please, mortal-'
Somehow.
'The reason. Please. That you would so bless us-'
I am the.
'Mortal?'