I’ll leave the politicking and the decision-making to Nathair.
‘Let me explain the situation as I understand it,’ Nathair said. ‘Evnis, please correct me if I make any mistakes. There are, or were, five kingdoms here in the west of the Banished Lands: Cambren, Ardan, Narvon, Domhain and Benoth in the north, where giants still rule. Ardan was ruled by Brenin, but he is now dead and Ardan has been conquered by Owain, King of Narvon. More recently Rhin, Queen of Cambren, has invaded Narvon and is now pushing into Ardan. She means to take both Narvon and Ardan from Owain.’
‘That will make her powerful,’ Calidus said.
‘Yes, it will. And she is ambitious. I do not think she will stop there. There are two more kingdoms in the west – Domhain and Benoth. I suspect she will turn her attentions towards them if she is successful here.’
‘I like the sound of her,’ Lykos said. ‘She reminds me of me.’
‘Will that not make her too powerful?’ Veradis said. ‘I remember her from your father’s council, and I do not trust her.’
‘I don’t trust anyone beyond this room,’ Nathair answered. ‘And, yes, it would make her powerful. But I would rather deal with one person that I know the measure of than four petty kings in her place.’ Nathair shrugged. ‘In the east, Carnutan is ruled by Gundul, who relies on my support. Isiltir is likely to have Jael as its new king, though Calidus tells me he may need some help in claiming his throne.’ Nathair looked at Lykos. ‘I think you may be of some help there, Lykos. It would give you an opportunity to do more than sail your ships.’
‘He needs something to do, before he drinks himself to death,’ Calidus murmured.
‘I must confess, since I conquered the Three Islands, life has become quieter. Boring, even. I could do with some action in my life.’ Lykos grinned and held his cup up.
‘If it’s action you want, I have just the task for you,’ Nathair said. ‘We shall speak more on that later. So then Isiltir would be in Jael’s control, and Helveth looks soon to be ruled by Lothar, another man in my debt. If the west came under the dominion of Rhin, and she answered to me, then most of the Banished Lands would be under our control.’
‘And my Three Islands are yours,’ Lykos added.
‘Yes,’ Nathair answered. ‘So Asroth’s Black Sun is running out of possible realms to support him.’
‘And what of Owain? Is he not already indebted to you? Would he not make a more suitable ally than Rhin, at least a less ambitious one?’ Veradis pressed.
‘Less ambitious, definitely. But he is small minded, stiff necked and weak – a bad combination. He does not have the strength to weather the coming storm. And in his heart he does not embrace me or the alliance. I am sure of that.’
‘Then we should support Rhin,’ Calidus said.
‘Yes,’ Nathair said. ‘How to do that is what we must decide while we are gathered here.’
They discussed long into the night, making plans, Evnis proving every bit as useful and knowledgeable as Nathair had said. Also to Veradis’ pleasure he discovered that over five hundred eagle-warriors of Tenebral were stationed on ships only a handful of leagues away, part of the new wave of shield wall trained men that had been implemented in Tenebral only the year before. They were to be put under his command, to bolster his depleted warband.
The eagle-guard put him in mind of home, and a thought leaped into his head.
‘Where is Rauca?’ he asked.
All looked at him.
Nathair shook his head. ‘Rauca is dead. He was slain on the night the fortress was taken by Owain.’
‘What . . . ?’
Nathair continued to speak, but Veradis did not hear the words. He felt as if he had been plunged into murky water, everything about him becoming vague, unfocused. Rauca, dead. He knew it could happen, but somehow he had never considered it a possibility for his friend. Veradis looked up, saw Nathair’s lips were still moving.
‘Who?’ he asked, the word snapping the world back into sharp focus for him. ‘Who killed him?’
Nathair looked at Sumur.
‘His name was Gar,’ Sumur said with a shrug.
‘The same man killed near all of my eagle-guard, single handed,’ Nathair added grimly. ‘Sumur, tell Veradis of this Gar.’
Sumur looked down at his lap and took a deep breath. It was as much emotion as Veradis had seen pass across his face since the day Calidus had revealed himself as one of the Ben-Elim.
‘He is Jehar,’ Sumur began.
‘What?’ said Calidus, leaning forward.
‘He is Jehar,’ Sumur repeated. ‘Do you remember when you first came to Telassar that I told you another had come, that some of my sword-brothers had been deceived by this man and had left Telassar on some fool’s errand.’
Veradis nodded.
‘Gar was one of them. He was young then, only just become a man, a warrior, but his father led the deceived, and Gar would cross a world on fire to stay close to him.’