CITY OF BRIDGES

25

Revelations

The flap to the tent entrance moved to the side as Brendon entered to escape the dry wind. Raising her head from her bunk, Dianah looked up momentarily before dropping back onto her pillow.

Stepping around the desk, Brendon slouched onto a pile of cushions opposite her with a sigh. Chairs that could take his huge weight were scarce. “How are you feeling?” he asked with concern, a rolled strip of paper in his hands.

“I’ll be ok. I need a bit of rest,” Dianah said.

“You’ve been needing more rest far more frequently,” Brendon pointed out.

“We are both over a hundred and eighty you know. One does get tired, especially with all this hiding and fake persona.”

“We agreed it has to be this way. For now. You’ve not been this tired in ages. We’ll seriously need to consider returning to Delta and the Skydancer.” He examined his arms. His body hair was coming back in force. “Time for Rejuve.”

Dianah sat up and reached for a cup of water, the skin of her arms had a dark, metallic look, as did her face. “What’s that?” she asked about the note in his hands.

“A message from Magda. You know, it’s remarkable her pigeons could find us in this mess.”

“I did what I could to imprint this location on their minds.” She slumped back into the pillows.

“She says Leonie has reappeared,” he read the miniature scroll.

“Leonie? That’s amazing!” Dianah jolted upright, spilling her cup.

“There’s more. Zander is off for a trade delegation in Lyhosa. He’ll be gone for about ten days.”

“What an opportunity! If Alexander is visiting Lyhosa, this is the ideal time to get back to the Skydancer and the medicomp.” Bringing the cup with her, she climbed out of bed and walked over to the chair by the desk to refill it.

“This is too convenient if you ask me.”

“Perhaps. I’m certain Magda wouldn’t send us into a trap, but we will remain wary. The opportunity though to get more research material from my last and greatest project. I thought it had all been lost.” She sighed, lost in her thoughts while Brendon went through some other notes. “So, how is it out there?” she asked, finally.

“Not great. If that sandstorm gets any closer, we won’t see any l’ith until they’re on top of us. So far though, the scouts report nothing unusual,” he said.

“That’s something, at least, but it would be good to know what we’re facing… before it happens.” Dianah rubbed her tired eyes. “I’ve been going over these older reports and while they give great detail of the territory, we still don’t even know where their lair is exactly, or its layout. We can’t very well mount a counter-offensive if we don’t know where to fight.”

“Not sure if ‘lair’ is the appropriate word, but I agree it’s a concern. And it isn’t like we haven’t tried. There’s rough ground out that way, and lots of it. We’d need to use half the men here just to cover the area, but even then, it would take a month. And that’s a month of food we haven’t got. A wing of glins’ool scouts would be ideal if they could see past this sand storm.”

“I assume there’s been no word from Reenat or Plenari?”

“I can’t even guarantee the messengers made it through.” Brendon shook his head. “We know there are a few l’ith raiding parties moving around the Vale’s perimeters.” He randomly selected a scroll from the table and looked over its contents. “It would be an awkward time to return to Delta.”

There was a knock on the tent pole nearest the entrance. Dianah quickly covered her face and arms with her cloak.

“Enter,” Brendon called out.

“Your pardon, Mistress Dana, Master Roland.” The man bowed briefly. “We have word that a rollo is approaching from the east… at least, we think it is a rollo.”

“Explain,” Brendon said.

“Sir, this one has spikes. We’ve not heard of that before.”

“Spikes?” Brendon looked to Dianah who had her eyes closed, concentrating. “Nothing registers,” she said.

“I can’t detect him either,” Brendon said after a pause.

“Are you sure of this? And only the one?” Dianah directed the questions to the man-at-arms.

“It’s what Egan told me. He was using the long-eye. And yes, only one was seen.”

“Well then, I suspect we should prepare to meet our guest.” Brendon stood up, tossing the scroll back onto the pile. “This could be interesting. Go and fetch Poul and Garth.” The man-at-arms nodded and stepped out of the tent. “How is it we can’t read him?” he asked Dianah as he lifted the tent flap for her to exit.

“He’s hroltagh,” she said simply as she ducked outside. “I know our abilities are greater now, but we still have still limitations.” She adjusted the cowl.

“You’d think, after all this time and all these experiments, something would’ve registered,” Brendon said over the cutting wind.

“True, but we did leave in a hurry. I will have to look into it when we return, but for the moment, let’s hear what our visitor has to say.” They stood side by side in the sand strewn area in front of their tent.

Poul and Garth, arriving at the same time as the rollo, looked at it quizzically as sand swirled around its squat form.

“Not seen one before?” Brendon asked them as he examined the spike adaption and mottled colouring.

“No, sir,” Garth mumbled. Poul shrugged his slight shoulders in response.

“Welcome, friend,” Brendon said to their guest. “I must say, we’re surprised to find you out this way.”

Greetings. I am Styx. I have grave news for you. He directed his thoughts to everyone.

“Please enter. I don’t suppose there’s anything we can get you?”

Nothing is required, thank you. Styx followed them inside. Poul and Garth ducked in under the closing flap and sat on threadbare cushions by the entrance.

Several days ago, I came across a flock of gnashers. They were wiped out by a pack of l’ith. I tracked those l’ith in this direction, to your north. I reported my findings to Reenat, then I decided to seek you out as I heard you were attempting to gather an army.

“Ha. Farmers with no farms organised by a handful of retired soldiers with few weapons makes for a sad army to take on these l’ith. But the men are here and they choose to fight with us. We are grateful of that much.”

“Friend Styx.” Dianah nodded towards the rollo. “We thank you for this news, grave as it is. I’m curious though. We had no knowledge of your impending arrival. I thought it was normal protocol for rollos to send forth a message to the intended recipients?”

Indeed, and I apologise for my secretive behaviour. It was my fear that broadcasting my presence would reduce my chances of success in infiltrating the l’ith nest in an attempt to put a stop to them. One way or another.

Everyone’s mouth hung open in shock at this statement.

“Um… The l’ith are not interested in negotiations. What exactly did you have in mind?” Brendon asked the question on everyone’s minds. “It’s unheard of for hroltahgs to take an active role in this sort of endeavour.”

As my spikes and colouring might indicate, I am no longer your average hroltahg. Recent events have led me to a… change of ‘heart’. Styx didn’t need to use his telepathic powers to read the question in their eyes. I was responsible for the death of a Jart’lekk assassin who was intent on killing someone of vital importance. It was no accident and, under similar circumstances, I would do it again. Since that day, my comrades have chosen to isolate me from our society for fear I am crazy. So instead, I have turned my efforts to assist in the current dilemma we face, the emergence of these l’ith.

I believe they use a form of mental communication, but of a sort I am not familiar. I am aware of it, but cannot fathom any of it, and it is overwhelming in strength; much like someone screaming directly into your ears. My suspicion is that it emanates from one source, the l’ith queen. It is my intention to attempt to open communications with her and come to a peaceful resolution before it goes too far.

“If you can’t communicate—”

Physical contact maybe necessary.

Before anyone could respond he added. I will of course be going alone. I do not expect to return. ‘Roland’, you may still need every able-bodied person you can muster to fight, or at the least pass on what has occurred. I will attempt to send a message of the outcome, but one can assume that if they still attack, then I have not been successful. And you will not see me again.

After a pause, Brendon spoke quietly. “You are right, of course. Our presence would merely hamper your progress. We have knowledge of the area if you require it.”

I would appreciate that. Bring your best man here, I will, with permission, do a quick mind-scan to gather the information.

“Very well then. I’m the one you want, and you have my permission.” Brendon sat on the carpet close to Styx.

Concentrate on the specific area in question. Styx instructed. He gently probed the surface thoughts of Brendon and received all the needed details of the ground surrounding the entrance. All done. Your information will be of great assistance.

“I didn’t sense a thing. You were quick.” Brendon moved over to the chair he had vacated earlier. “Did you get it all?”

I can only assume so. What I have seems complete enough. May I ask though, do you know what the l’ith are up too?

“I kept on hearing stories about them so I decided to research everything I could. I spent years at it, even travelling to the other continents to glean info.”

And what did you find?

“Quite a lot, as it turns out. Do you have much time?”

If I understand your idiom, not much.

“Ah. Better take it out of my head then. It’ll be quicker. Reenat should know of it too.”

Again, Styx entered Brendon’s mind, this time being more thorough with his reading. During his searching, a snippet of thought caught his attention. A week ago, he would have ignored it completely, perhaps not even noticed it, but now he had to take a peek. He moved back when he gleaned as much pertinent information.

That is disturbing work you have uncovered. And this device you used to determine the orbits and season… I have never seen its like before. The scholars in Reenat will no doubt endeavour to continue your work. I thank you. The time has come for me to depart. The sooner I begin, the lesser the chance of being detected. Without further preamble, the hroltahg trundled out of the tent into the dusty night.

“What a strange fellow.” Brendon shook his head.

“Appealing colours, though,” Dianah said.

* * *