Chapter IV:
The Brothers
The Land of Bel Albor
There was a great river that poured from the Mountain of Vitiai and passed into the south. It was called, as all things pertaining to that mountain were called, the river of Life. Eventually it combined its waters with many thousands of rivers and streams and formed the Great Lake, which the elves call Brost. This lake was fed, not only from the west, but also from the east, and by all the rivers that flowed out of the Talon Mountains of the Sunlan Kingdom. The Great Lake was some six hundred and fifty leagues from east to west and nearly 200 leagues from north to south. Beyond Brost was a somewhat inhospitable land called the Dessa, which stretched south to even less hospitable waters. Beyond these treacherous seas was the land of Tel Arie, where mortals dwelt for a long while unmolested by the wars of the elves and the lies of Parganas.
The Far North, as it was called even in the days of Parganas, grew colder and colder as time passed, driving what human settlements remained into Alwan Kingdom. These rich plains were separated from the north by the forest of Athann, a name the meaning of which few recalled even in that age, and still fewer recall at the present time. Seeing as there was nothing but frozen streams and crumbling mountains in the Far North, there were few who traveled beyond the northern forest. Goblins and wolves soon came to possess the land that had once been home to Lord Athann and his sorrowful wife Mainlann.
Three great rivers split the land of Bel Albor as they made their way into the south. In the western region was the Alba River, which marked the eastern border of the Kingdom of Alwan proper; the ruins of Mount Vitiai itself, and its surrounding peaks, marked its western boundary. Along the banks of the Zase River, a tributary of the Alba River, was built the Royal City of Albori, where Lord Parganas himself dwelt.
To the east of this land were the tributary kingdoms that were ruled over by those elves who had fought beside Parganas in his conquest of Mount Vitiai. This whole region was called the Marshlands, and there were at first several dozen kingdoms that divided the land between themselves. Every one of them swore their allegiance to Parganas. The River of Thedul wound its way through the center of the Marshlands, and terminated in the Lushlin Lake.
The great River Esse, whose source had never been discovered, marked the eastern border of Alwan.
Beyond this river, during the first age of Lord Parganas' rule, was nothing but wildlands. But over time certain elves who had fled from the Marshlands settled in the land beyond the Esse. These were the founders of what would eventually be called Sunlan. This land was marked by great hills and valleys, and lush riverlands fed by clean water flowing from the Talon Mountains.
The Departure
'Honor, my son,' Lady Aedanla began, 'is of greater utility to the living than the dead. When the body is perished, you will be naught but a memory in the hearts of others, and when they are gone - in the hearts of no man. To seek honor in death, then, my son, would profit you only insofar as you imagine your name living beyond you in the opinions of others. Have a care for your own heart, and your own memories, and see to it that you first endeavor to preserve your life. Worry about honor, then, at your leisure.'
'What are you saying, mother,' Pelas said meekly. 'Are you saying that I should betray my own blood? Are you conspiring against the son of your own womb?'
Pelas Parganascon, the son of Lady Aedanla and Lord Parganas, was tall and handsome. At twenty-five years of age he stood nearly a full foot taller than his mother. His golden hair was cut neatly just below his ears, and his face was cleanly shaven. He had just emerged from his chambers, taken his sword from its place on the wall and secured it two his belt when his mother approached him. He wore a bright white tunic with a golden belt, a crimson cape fastened at his breast by a silver clasp, and a pair of sandals. On his brow he wore a small crown with a single blue gemstone set on his football. His mother had been waiting for him in the hall.
'No, my son,' she said weakly, with great pain in her voice. 'As though the dark one has not been pain enough for me, your father has seen fit to give him license to slay you. I do not wish Agonas dead; no mother could wish such a thing. But if there is to be kin-slaying....'
'Mother!' Pelas said, making no effort to conceal his horror.
'My son,' she pleaded. 'You shall be the god of Bel Albor, when at last your father ascends to take his place among the astral lords.'
'And shall I begin my reign with the blood of my brother?' Pelas thundered. He knew as well as his mother that she believed not a word of what she had said about the astral lords.
'If it must be so, then it must be so. It is not my will. It is the will of your father, who placed this burden upon his sons.'
On the morrow, Pelas and his brother were to depart from Alwan Palace, and set out for Sunlan, where, Lord Parganas intended, one of them would prove themselves worthy of inheriting his kingdom. Lord Parganas himself had very little doubt about which of his sons would prevail.
'May the spirits of the North take me, if ever I make myself the enemy of my brother.'
Lady Aedanla looked to the ground, and tears dripped down her face. 'Then so it must be,' she mourned. 'But know this: your brother's thoughts are darker than yours; he will not hesitate to slay you when the hour comes.'
Agonas wore very nearly the same garments as his brother, but his dark complexion made the luxurious attire look comical. His hair was much longer than Pelas', coming down past his shoulders. When he was in the palace he combed his hair and bound it behind his head with a red cord. Upon his crown there was a green gemstone, and the cape he wore was dark blue, rather than crimson.
'Remember all that I have taught you concerning the rule of the people,' Lord Parganas told him as they sat beside one another in the throne room. They faced an empty hall, lit by sunlight as it blazed down through an aperture in the ceiling. Before them was a stone floor, carried piece by piece from Mount Vitiai more than a thousand years ago. It was now worn and beaten down, but Lord Parganas refused to replace or repair it. There were four thrones in the room. In the center there towered the seat of Lord Parganas, covered with gold and cushioned by red silk pillows. On the righthand and lefthand sides were two smaller chairs, likewise cushioned. Upon these sat the princes, Pelas at his father's righthand side (his mother's request) and Agonas on the left. The Lady Aedanla took a seat just behind her husband, but elevated so that she could see and be seen from behind the king's throne. It was a rare occurrence, but when the four of them sat in the hall together, none could stand before them without trembling.
Agonas sat in his brother's chair, however, as his father spoke to him.
'Remember also,' Lord Parganas continued, 'how the histories must be preserved against all detractors. For the past, my son-'
Agonas interrupted him, '-determines the present, which determines, in turn, the future. To control one's destiny, one must first control his history.'
Lord Parganas would have imprisoned and executed any other man for such an interruption, but he smiled at his son's impatience. 'You have learned well,' he told him.
'I have learned from the mightiest,' he said, bowing his head slightly.
'Now, concerning your brother,' Lord Parganas said with some urgency, looking toward the door to make sure they were alone. 'If you can spare his life, do so for your mother's sake. But I would not have his silk-skin sitting upon my throne. It is a perilous world, my son, and it was only because I was more perilous than my foes that I have won this great realm. If you wish to rule it, my son, then you must be perilous also.'
Agonas looked amused and turned his head toward the doorway. Pelas stood there now, looking cross. Behind him stood his mother, peering out from behind his tall shoulders. She stormed into the hall, passing Pelas as he slowly made his way into the room.
'Lady Aedanla, ' Lord Parganas thundered, 'how dare you surpass the steps of the prince of Alwan!'
'He is no prince in your sight!' she said coldly, 'or you would not let his brother usurp his position.'
Agonas rose from his seat and bowed low to his mother. She ignored him; he took his place at his father's left side. Pelas approached and bowed low to his father and sunk into the cushioned seat at his righthand side.
'I warn you, Lady Aedanla,' Lord Parganas said, showing no emotion, 'you are not my first wife, nor would it be the first time I sent a disrespectful woman into exile, or worse.'
'I shall send myself into exile on the morrow,' she told him. 'So you needn't trouble yourself with any official decrees. Thus you can spare yourself the embarrassment.'
Those words seemed to have hit their mark. Lord Parganas rose from his seat. Lady Aedanla, knowing his temper, cast herself limply onto the ground and shook with fear, weeping.
'I will not see you again,' he told her. She kept her face from his eyes and rose slowly. She turned and fled from the throne room, called for her maidservant, and departed from the palace forever. Her heart ached as she fled, for her love for Lord Parganas had been very great. Her fear for her fair son, however, had broken all affection between them. She could not abide his decision to, once and for all, pit their sons against each other.
Ten minutes passed in silence, neither brother daring to speak to their fuming sire. But finally, Lord Parganas sighed. He spoke to them both with affection, and gave no hint of favoritism:
'Tomorrow begins the trial of the sons of Lord Parganas. I swear by my own throne, which was won through blood and sword, and through fire and death, that he who first sits upon the throne of Sunlan, shall be heir, and I shall depart from this land. I will take up my place among the stars. '
He did not mean for them to believe this, but offered it as the explanation for the succession which must, in time, be introduced to the histories.
'Whosoever sits in that throne shall be lord over all, Alwan and Sunlan alike. It shall be in their hand to have mercy and to pardon whom they will, and to slay whom they will. Whoever sits upon that throne, I say, shall be god over all Bel Albor, and there will be, when at last that realm is in his dominion, none to rival his power.'
'Pelas, my son,' he said sternly.
Pelas rose and stood before his father.
'Go, and know that the glory of your mother resides within you.'
Pelas bowed to the ground and departed from the hall.
'Agonas, my son,' Lord Parganas said, in the same tone as before.
Agonas did as his brother had done.
'Go, and know that the strength of your father resides within you.'
Agonas left the throne room and made for his bed-chamber. They would be leaving at dawn, and they would not see their parents again.
They were given no instructions or plans for their coming trial, no weapons or armies; their conquest was to be born of their own labor. They would receive no servants or gold, or anything more than they could acquire by their own ability. 'He who can rise from the dust and make himself into a king,' Lord Parganas said, 'is alone worthy to be a king.'
The First Oath
When Pelas awoke the following morning, he found that his bedchamber had been plundered and all his possessions had been taken away. His head felt heavy, as though he had been ill, and he had no memory of what had happened after he left his father's throne. He thought he could remember heading to the dining hall for dinner, but afterwards everything was clouded and uncertain.
He called for his servant, 'Osli!' he shouted, 'Osli!'
But there was no answer. He stormed out of his room, still wearing his nightclothes. There stood Osli, the silver haired servant who had served him for for the past twelve years.
'Osli,' he said again. The servant ignored him, although his eyes looked uneasy.
'They cannot speak to you, brother,' a voice said.
'Agonas?' Pelas said, with fear in his voice.
'Did you not understand what your father said? No help, brother. We cannot call servants to do our bidding any longer.'
'But my things! My sword, my clothes!'
'Your clothes belong to Alwan, and are no longer in your service.'
'But you are dressed,' Pelas said, looking jealously at his brother's clothing. Agonas wore a brown leather shirt, a pair of cloth trousers and a brown hooded cloak. 'Who gave you those clothes?' Pelas demanded.
Agonas laughed loudly. 'Brother! I got them from a merchant.'
'But father said no gold,' Pelas protested.
'Did I say I bought them?' Agonas laughed harder. 'Here,' he said, passing a bundle to his brother. 'Put these on, and we can be off.'
'We?'
'Yes, "we,"' Agonas chuckled. 'Unless you want to lay siege to Sunlan on your own.'
'But the king said we are to have no help,' Pelas said confusedly.
'Are you even awake, brother?' Agonas said, now growing irritable. 'And to think the people consider you to be the brilliant one!' he mused.
'Have a care, dear hook-nose,' Pelas thundered, referring to his brother's broken nose. 'They say that you are the strong one, but we know better.'
Agonas just stared at him.
Pelas didn't move.
'Are you going to get dressed or not?' Agonas said with a smile. 'We have no help from Alwan, but we are no longer of Alwan. There is no reason we cannot work together, brother.'
'And what will happen when we come to the throne of Sunlan? Who shall win the prize?'
'You can have it for all I care, brother,' Agonas said. 'At any rate, more than likely the perils of the road will be enough to do us both in. But if we make it to Sunlan, then you can have the seat. I am not after a kingdom.'
'Swear it!' Pelas bellowed suddenly, grasping his brother by the shoulders.
Agonas looked at his greedy eyes with horror. 'Swear it now!' Pelas repeated sternly.
Agonas shook his head. 'I swear it; the kingdom shall be yours. What do I care for such things?' he said with a false laugh.
The First Step
'We will need supplies first and foremost,' Agonas said as the brothers departed from the palace. 'We should make our way to Fristan, which is due east of here. Every step toward the rising sun will lead us closer to our goal and further from our father's eyes.'
'You sound as though you are a fleeing criminal, brother,' Pelas marveled. 'Surely we should seek help first in our own town, where men know and love the sons of Parganas.'
Agonas laughed, 'Know AND love the sons of Parganas? My dear brother, have you ever set foot beyond the castle walls?'
'You know that I have!' Pelas retorted.
'I mean, without the parades, spectacles and guardians - have you ever walked the streets like a man?' Agonas had hints of a smile on his cheeks.
Pelas gave no answer.
Agonas explained, 'Even you must know that gold does not grow on trees. From whence, then, does our father fill his treasure houses?'
Pelas swallowed hard, embarrassed that he had not hitherto given such matters any thought.
'You are wise, brother,' Agonas said sincerely, 'wise in many things - and wiser than me. But there is much that our mother has not seen fit to teach you.'
A fire seemed to kindle in Pelas' eyes, but Agonas spoke again before it spilled forth. 'Do not be angry brother; this trial is meant to kill one of us, and our father means it to be you.'
Pelas nodded, the anger turning into sadness, but his lack of protest was as good as an admission. He knew his father's heart well enough.
'But I will not let that happen,' Agonas said through clenched teeth. 'Too long have our parents made us fight against one another. We will show them the strength of their own blood; we will show them how we, who were born of the same womb, cannot so easily be divided.'
Just as Agonas had indicated, the brothers were met everywhere with resentful stares and hateful glances. Some, who understood the meaning of their departure from the palace,
smiled broadly as the two marched to their fates. This was not the first time a prince of Alwan had been sent on a Doom Path, as such errands were called among the elves.
Agonas purchased supplies from one of the merchants at the edge of the city. Where he had acquired his gold was more than Pelas could imagine. Agonas seemed to know every corner of the city, and he knew the names of many of the merchants. When they had enough food and water to last them a week on the road, they left the city through the southern gate and made their way southwest toward Gihln.
'I thought you said we were going east,' Pelas said puzzled.
Agonas pointed his head toward the east. There stood the Great Hill, which rose up on the eastern side of Albori City like a fortress wall, with steep rocks and steep grassy slopes winding their way treacherously down toward the road.
'I see,' Pelas said, finally starting to take their journey seriously. 'You do not want to climb the Great Hill. A wise choice.' He smiled.
A full day later, when the brothers stood about a league to the north of Gilhn, they turned their faces toward the east and left the road behind them. They passed silently across the countryside, passing farms and small villages without notice. Nearly four days after they had left their father's side, the brothers entered the town of Fristan.
In Fristan they acquired horses; Agonas laughed when Pelas asked him, 'What was the price?'
Pelas worried that they had been stolen, and suspected that it was for this reason that Agonas hurried them through the eastern gate of Fristan the following morning.
The horses allowed them to carry more provisions, and they passed many villages and towns without so much as stopping to rest. It was a beautiful land, Pelas thought, 'It is a pity we have to pass through as strangers, and not in our own proper attire.'
'What attire is proper to man?' Agonas said, 'I am more comfortable in boots than I am in golden sandals.'
The brothers continued their journey for another two weeks before they at last approached the borders of Alwan. Pelas had grown so accustomed to the pounding of hoof on stone, the rise and fall of the horse's gait, and the gentle blowing of the wind in his face that it now seemed as though he had, for all this time, simply stood still, watching the world itself pass beneath his feet. They passed over the Alba River on a great stone bridge and entered the Marshlands.
The northernmost portion of the Marshlands was fair and dry. It was not until the waters of the Thedul River drew near to the Lushlin Lake that the land became swampy and uninhabitable. Pelas could scarcely contain his disappointment when his brother informed him that they would be passing through the southern Marshlands, and staying far away from the cities of the Upperland.
'Is this to evade the knowledge of the King's servants?' he asked, thinking such a motive hardly justified the difficult course.
'Why should we do that? If they are faithful to our father, why should they hinder us?' Besides, how would they know who we are? It is not as though we are going to call on our father's generals, or upon the noblemen, however few of them may perchance have seen us in our father's halls.'
'Then why do we make ourselves prey to mosquitos and flies?'
'We have both been princes for too long, brother,' Agonas said. 'We could both use a little toughening up; and there is no place like the Marshlands to sharpen one's skill.'
'And the vermin of the marshes and bogs will do this?' Pelas said.
'No. I would not bring us into the swamps just for that.'
'Then what?' Pelas demanded.
Agonas stopped and faced his brother, 'We have no hope of taking Sunlan on our own, and we cannot command any servant of our father on the basis of our parentage. We must raise a band of fighting men on our own. We must raise an army, brother.'
'And we shall find an army in these swamps?' Pelas said, looking out over the dismal landscape.
'In a manner of speaking,' Agonas answered.
'First, we will need a guide,' Agonas told his brother as they entered Alest, a small town of hunters and fishermen. They were still near enough to Alwan that some semblance of Parganas' rule could be discerned. No guide was to be found, however. 'The hunters know the land well enough,' one man had told them. 'But there are none for hire - least, not so far as I've heard.'
After receiving essentially the same response from a dozen or so others, the brothers pressed on, coming to a place called Gilwel.
At the Mudwine Inn they were told by one toothless old mortal to seek out the two sons of Lohi, who knew the swamps better than any other.
'Bralohi, the eldest, knows the secrets of Marshlands like no other. His word is taken as law by the huntsmen, who count on him for news of their prey. He knows the paths the deer tread, and he knows the dark places, where even the animals avoid.'
'Where can these two be found?' Pelas asked.
'South, south,' the old man said, pointing his finger over Pelas' shoulder.
'Should we trust the word of a mortal?' Pelas asked, causing the old man's face to turn red with anger.
Agonas laughed, 'Why not? What can he hope to gain from lying to us?'
'Now, just- ' the old man began to defend himself.
But Agonas interrupted him with a wave of his hand, saying, 'Brother, we will need to trust worse than this ere our task is complete. And the further to the east we go, the more mortals we shall come to depend upon. It is no secret,' Agonas lowered his voice to a whisper and spoke only to his brother, 'at least, it is no secret to us that the armies of the elves have never marched to victory on their own strength alone. It is said that 'the blood of man quickens the blood of the elves.'
'Where is such a thing said?' Pelas said, horrified. 'Certainly not in Alb-'
Agonas turned red and pulled Pelas out of the inn. 'It is certainly not said in Albori City, brother! But among the mortals, this is a proverb.'
'But the mortals have no memory of the Wars, they have only our father's histories.'
'Do they?'
Pelas looked confused.
'Do you really believe, brother, that they do not speak father to son, son to grandson? Do you think that they have not their own histories?'
Agonas could see the sweat forming on his brother's forehead.
'But in time, the histories must prevail,' Pelas said.
'We shall see what the histories say,' Agonas said, 'only if we survive long enough to write them ourselves. For this we must make alliances with such as can aid us.'
'And you think these huntsmen are the ones?' Pelas asked.
'It is not only hunters who make their homes in Gilwel,' Agonas said, 'The Marshlands are a good place to hide for all manner of criminals, rebels and sell-swords.'
Pelas turned as white as a ghost.
Kolohi
After refilling their water skins and replenishing their food stores, they left Gilwel by moonlight and made their way southeast along the road.
An old guard at the town's gate warned them against this, saying, 'By night there are naught but brigands to be found along that road.'
'Indeed?' Agonas said as they passed through the gates.
They went on in silence until the wooden gates of Gilwel vanished from their sight, leaving them alone in a silent swampland. Thin clouds slowly veiled the moon, casting them into almost complete darkness. Their going was slow now, and Pelas was beginning to feel fearful. His eyes darted around in the darkness, searching frantically for signs of danger. The swamps were teaming with creatures. Fish leaped into the night to snatch bugs from the air while frogs and birds, rats and snakes crept through the brush. On more than one occasion Pelas' horse lost its course and splashed into the filthy swamp water, scattering animals and mud in every direction. 'Ugh!' he cried, pulling hard on his horse's reins.
'Will you keep quiet!' Agonas hissed. 'Are you trying to summon every brigand in Marshland!'
Just then, a dark figure emerged from the night. With one swift motion he knocked Agonas from
his horse. He groaned and disappeared into the darkness.
Another dark form approached Pelas, but he rolled off the side of his horse and onto the ground. He drew his sword and cut the figure down with one slash. Three more shadows drew near, each with drawn blades, shining under the moonlight. Pelas stabbed one, kicked the next into the bog, and disarmed the third, pulling him in front of his own body and placing the edge of his blade to his attacker's neck.
'If you have any honor at all you will cease this unprovoked attack, and save your comrade's life!' he called out with a regal tone to those who, he perceived, yet waited in the darkness.
He heard a sigh from somewhere ahead. A voice called out in frustration, 'If it weren't Falruvis I would send in a dozen men and make an end of you.'
Pelas remained silent as Agonas rose to his feet and looked around.
'What is the meaning of this?' Pelas asked, once his brother had returned to his side and drawn his sword. 'Who dares assail innocent travelers in the realm of Lord Parganas?'
The voice began to laugh. 'Innocent travelers?' it chuckled, 'If you are so innocent, why are you attempting the Bogs at midnight? Only a criminal, and a rather desperate one at that would try such a foolhardy thing!'
'Unless we were seeking the sons of Lohi,' Agonas said quickly.
The laughter stopped. A figure approached them, uncovering a small lamp. Soon other lamps appeared, and the brothers found themselves surrounded by armed men.
'Well, it looks as though we have caught ourselves some ghosts!' the man laughed.
Under the lamplight they could see that the person speaking to them was an elf, for his eyes betrayed a wisdom beyond that which belongs to humanity. His long brown hair was tied neatly behind his head. He wore a chain shirt and leather bracers on each forearm. He carried a drawn sword in his right hand that seemed to be on fire by reason of the light that fell upon it from his lamp.
'I am Kolohi,' he said bowing slightly. 'Forgive us, my lords, we knew not who it was that approached our lands.'
'You mean to tell me,' Pelas said, still holding the sword to his captive's neck, 'that you attack before you identify? What foolishness!'
'Foolishness, you say,' Kolohi said, nodding. 'But some might call it wisdom. You say the winter will come, my lord, because so it has always been. You prepare for it, that you do not get caught by it unawares. So it has been in this land; the brigands come from the north at night, and steal away our wealth.'
'Then you, who attack in the darkest hours of the night, are not brigands?' Pelas marveled.
'No, my lord, we are not.' He smiled broadly, 'The servants of Parganas are brigands, and they DO steal from us. They used to come by the main road, during the daylight. But we taught them better. Now they try to sneak through the swamps at night and carry off their taxes by stealth.'
'What nonsense is this?' Pelas demanded. 'The King's men, sneaking into swamp-sick villages during the night?'
'Foolishness, nonsense,' Kolohi said with a grin, 'yes, it is all nonsense. But that doesn't mean it isn't the truth. Does it?' he said, suddenly turning his attention to Agonas. 'You don't seem to be nearly as astonished as your brother, lord Agonas. Why is that?'
'Because I came here to find you,' Agonas said coldly. 'How can I be astonished in finding what I sought?'
'What do you want with me?' Kolohi asked.
'We wish to learn the passes of Gilwel and its swamps. We are going east.'
'We can take you as far as the Thedul River,' Kolohi said, 'But no more. I guess that, though you travel on the King's authority, you do not travel with it.' He clearly understood the meaning of their journey.
'We are going east,' Agonas said, 'but we do not merely want guides and passage.'
'Then-' Kolohi began.
'My father hates the men of Gilwel,' Agonas said. 'It will not be long before he summons his servants from the north and makes an end of your bravado.'
'Ah, yes, I might have expected this,' Kolohi laughed.
'You do not understand,' Agonas said, shaking his head. 'Revenue from the Marshlands has been steadily declining since you and your comrades began to withhold your duties. The very authority of Lord Parganas is openly mocked in these lands, even among the mortals, who ought to fear the elves as gods. This cannot stand. On the eve of next summer, if the lords of Thedua have not utterly destroyed you, then a great host of Albori men will march to your swamps. I do not believe you will be victorious.'
The details of the King's plan seemed to take the humor out of Kolohi's voice. 'What would you have from us, then?'
'You know why we have been sent forth,' Agonas said. 'Aid us; not as guides, but as comrades, and your people will never be taxed again, nor troubled by the Kingdom of Alwan. You yourselves, each one of you, will be nobles and lords, and given lands wherever you choose. Each of you will have an equal part in whatever treasures we acquire on our journey.'
Kolohi was silent for nearly a minute. Then, looking again at Pelas and his captive, he bellowed, 'Oh for the gods! Release the boy!'
Agonas nodded and Pelas let his captive go.
Falruvis was small and thin; he could be no older than fifteen years of age.
'His father would never forgive us if something were to happen to him,' Kolohi said.
'And the others?' Agonas said, looking at the man Pelas had slain.
'Only mortals,' Kolohi shrugged.
Bralohi
Bralohi was more reserved than his brother Kolohi.
Kolohi had laughed when he discovered the sons of Parganas, but Bralohi seemed truly to pity them, especially Pelas, who seemed so wholly unfamiliar with the ways of his own kingdom. 'Lord Parganas knows the troubles that beset his eastern provinces,' Bralohi thought to himself, when he was told that the princes of Alwan were being brought to him. 'Why then should his prince remain so ignorant?'
'Unless,' and Bralohi felt sick as he thought about it, 'he does not mean for him to survive the ordeal.' Then he shook his head, remembering the purpose of such tasks. 'We would be better off mortal,' he said as he reflected upon the cruel ways the elves manage their nobility. He could accept the practice in general, but when their father so clearly preferred one son over the other, it made him feel sorrowful.
'If we could just work ourselves into the graves like men, we would be a happier lot.'
Bralohi and his younger brother Kolohi were the eldest sons of Lohi, who ruled over perhaps the wettest and most perilous region of the Marshlands. In the ancient days their father had served in the army of Lord Parganas. His involvement was such that his services required some sort of reward, but not such that his reward should be great. He was not given, to make a comparison, South Lushing, the enormous flowered fields that lay between Lake Lushlin and Lake Brost. This region was given to Morakiba, the eldest son of fell Arakiba, who departed from Mount Vitiai with Azale in the previous age. Morakiba was said to have personally slain some five-hundred Immortals that day, and now he enjoyed his reward. Lohi killed but twenty-seven, including one of the chief captains of Adapann.
'For this he must receive something,' Lord Parganas had thought, 'But what else remains? There are too many heroes among the elves.'
So he decided to give him the Swamps, the wet, stinking bog that lies at the very heart of Bel Albor, between the Greater and Lesser forks of the Thedul River. But Lohi proved himself to be a cunning businessman, and an even more cunning politician. In time his influence came to extend beyond the rivers to the lands that lay to the east and west of his original reward. The town of Gilwel marked the northernmost reach of his arm.
In a kingdom of mortals it is inevitable that times of peril, draught, disease or war should deplete the treasuries, requiring their lords to levy taxes, confiscate the goods of their enemies and otherwise increase the wealth of the kingdom. But a prudent king, born among the immortal elves, if he plans well, will see naught but increase. It is hard to estimate just how much of the toil of
men is consumed by planning for successions, inheritances, sicknesses and retirements. But among the elves this is not so.
'Lord Parganas has enough gold to fill a lake,' Lohi said, after some five-hundred years of heavy taxes. 'If he wishes still to collect from the Swamps what little we can conjure up from the soil, then he will pay for his gold with the red blood of his men.'
Lohi himself did nothing openly against Lord Parganas. Sworn to secrecy, his youngest sons departed from him with the charge that they defend the people of the Swamps first from Lord Parganas' tax collectors and later, when their rebellion was discovered, from his warriors and mercenaries. Lohi publicly denounced and condemned them, disowning and cursing their names. But it was well known in the Swamps and in Albori alike that this was naught but a charade - though it could not be proven to be such. In this way Lohi grew more powerful, all while remaining, by all official accounts, faithful to his old commander.
Gilso was a small village - an encampment one might justly call it - situated next to a small lake of fresh water. There were large nets cast over every window to keep the mosquitos from entering the houses, all of which more closely resembled tents built out of wood than anything Pelas had heard called a house before. The largest and finest of these belonged to Bralohi, who was commander over all the rebels.
The night following the arrival of the princes, he summoned his chief servants to a council.
His eldest son, Aebral, sat at his side, looking so much like his father that they could scarcely be discerned one from the other (a circumstance that, among humans, is prevented by the process of aging).
Falruvis was there, still young enough to be distinguished from his father Ruvis. Ruvis had a deep scar across his nose, which he had acquired during Lord Parganas' last battle against the Holy Mountain. Falruvis was his youngest son - his other children had all perished attempting tasks not unlike that on which the sons of Lord Parganas now embarked. There was an air of great importance about him; Ruvis looked uneasy and almost ashamed to be seated near him. He gave Pelas an awkward glance and swallowed hard.
It had never struck Pelas, until that moment, just how rare it is to be a youth among such ancient creatures. Though he was older and stronger than Falruvis, it was by a mere handful of years. In a short while (infinitely short in elvish reckoning) the two of them would pass into the ageless perfection of their countrymen, leaving the shortness of youth behind for an eternal prime. In that moment he suddenly pitied the boy, seeing how nervous he felt to be in the presence of his important father, as well as in the presence of the stranger who had captured him, and, as it were, demonstrated his inexperience to all of his companions.
'He feels,' Pelas thought, 'not at all unlike how I feel when Agonas mocks me.'
Bralohi made no introductions. He began the meeting by going over some less important matters concerning the portioning of food and the maintenance of their encampment. He made some arrangements with one of the elves concerning the mortals they employed.
'The mortals wear out,' the elf complained, 'in body as well as spirit. Death is an enemy we do not understand as they. He stalks their paths and shadows their steps every day of their lives. When their hair turns grey, then Death has his hands upon their throats. We cannot press them much further than this.'
Pelas suddenly grew interested. He had very little experience with humans. The palace servants were all immortal, and only on rare occasions did mortals enter the city of Albori, and then only as slaves or criminals to be executed.
'Are there many mortals in the Marshlands?' Pelas asked. As soon as the words departed from his mouth he realized how ignorant a question it was.
Agonas' face turned blood red and he stared at the wooden table with a hint of an embarrassed grin on his mouth.
Twelve elves sat in the council: Bralohi and Kolohi were seated at each end of the table, Ruvis and his son Falruvis were seated beside Aebral. Also facing Pelas and his brother sat an elf named Dalta, who had long black hair (an unusual trait among elves), and an enormous elf warrior named Ginat. Beside the princes a warrior named Sol sat with two others, who were introduced as Cheru and Oblis.
'You will find,' Bralohi said with almost a fatherly voice, 'that outside of Albori, the better part of your father's kingdom consists of mortal towns and villages. Most of the cities belong to the elves, but the farm-folk are almost all mortal men.'
Sol added (it was he who had spoken to Bralohi just before concerning the mortals), 'Mortal men are born with fell Death within their sight. This drives them to a degree of rashness that is not to be found among the elves. Among us a courtship of a hundred years is not altogether unheard of, and the children come here and there, scattered across the centuries like drops of rain in the desert. But for men, all the days of their lives are as their last days, and they live them in frantic pursuit of gratification.'
Pelas fell silent, envying for the first time the hours his brother Agonas had spent learning from his father.
After another hour of what Kolohi complained were 'small matters', Bralohi turned to Agonas. 'You told my brother that there would be a great army coming to this region by the time the summer heat is upon us. Is this true?'
'It is,' Agonas said confidently.
'And how many warriors will he send?' Bralohi asked.
Agonas hesitated for a moment, but Pelas began to speak, saying, 'My brother underestimates your peril, my lord. The Lord Parganas will not be content with anything less than absolute victory. He did not do what fell Azale failed to do because he was a weakling. He has not risen to act against you yet; but when he arises to address the rebellion of this region, it will be in full force. All the hosts of Alwan will be at the ready. He may have winked at the strife in the Swamps till now, but when he comes, be certain that he comes to slay and kill and destroy his enemies utterly.'
Fear appeared upon Bralohi's face at those words.
Agonas nodded in agreement. 'I learned the arts of war from Parganas himself,' he said. 'There is none like him, not in all Bel Albor. Take my brother's words to heart.
'What would you have us do? We are already traitors and outlaws. Our father, in word, disowns us. We cannot withstand such a force.'
'Then flee,' Agonas said. 'I have already told your brother what your reward will be.'
'Nonsense,' Ruvis interrupted. 'Master Bralohi, you are letting these pups, scarcely older than my stupid Fal, command your will! They shall not command mine.'
'Hold your peace, Ruvis,' Kolohi said in anger, 'How dare you take such a tone with your master's son!'
'My master does not recognize Bralohi, or Kolohi, as his son,' Ruvis said. 'We are equals here.'
Falruvis turned pale, looking at the hard faces of those who opposed his father.
Sol sighed and leaned over the table, 'Let us start from the very beginning. It is true that we are all equal, insofar as Lohi calls us - CALLS us - outlaws. But do not pretend, if in the end master Lohi wins the day, that you are the equal of his sons. They, though dishonorable now, shall be honored above all other elves.'
'And beneath his boots I suppose you shall be honored next,' Ruvis said, leaning back in his seat.'
'Enough,' Bralohi ordered. The room fell silent. Oblis had risen from his seat with clenched fists. 'I will not require your muscle, friend,' he told him. 'You doubt these men, Ruvis? So do I. They have everything to gain from such an 'offer', and little to lose. Consider their position; they are not heroes or conquerors yet, they have no real goods to offer us by way of trade. Only a promise - the wages of tomorrow's labor. We shall see what they make of themselves.'
Agonas made to open his mouth, but Kolohi shook his head.
Bralohi continued, 'I am not so foolish as to doubt a man's word, simply because a man stands to gain something from his claims. We shall see. You said that the might of Thedua would come against us first, and if that should fail, then Lord Parganas himself shall see to our destruction.
If this is so, then we will wait until Thedua's men arrive. If they come against us in open war, so as to show the King of Alwan their competence, then we will believe that our time is spent, and we will follow you on your fool's errand, grateful to have escaped with our lives. But if summer comes with no threat from the north, then we will cut your throats and sink your bodies into the bogs.'
Pelas swallowed hard.
Agonas nodded and said, 'We agree; and in the meanwhile, we will do our utmost to serve you and your cause.'
This seemed to inspire some trust on Bralohi's part. The others would not gainsay him, and so it was agreed that, if war came, the people would follow the sons of Parganas into the east. But if war came not, then the sons of Parganas would be, 'cut in pieces, tortured, maimed and in every way treated like traitors, deceivers and devils.'
Later that night, when the whole camp had gone to sleep, Agonas whispered to his brother, 'Now, good Pelas, we must find a way to make our falsehood into a truth.'