The Return of the Sword

Chapter 2-2

Antyr dismounted and offered his hand to Andawyr who clasped it with both of his own. ‘Welcome to Riddin, Antyr, valued friend of Yatsu and Jaldaric. Welcome to the Cadwanen and to whatever hospitality we can offer you.’

‘Thank you,’ Antyr replied, bowing slightly.

‘Remarkable.’

The voice filled Andawyr’s head causing him to look around quickly. The two wolves moved to his side and began sniffing him energetically. He decided to stand very still for a little while.

‘This is Tarrian and this is his brother, Grayle,’ Antyr said, touching the heads of the wolves gently as if to restrain them. ‘Grayle doesn’t say much, and Tarrian usually says too much. They’re my Earth Holders, my Companions. They’re also very impolite,’ he added sharply, looking down at them. The two wolves ignored the rebuke and continued sniffing.

Questions lit Andawyr’s face.

‘We’ll explain it to you later,’ Yatsu said, not without some amusement. ‘Or at least Antyr will try. But I have to warn you, he’s not managed to make either of us understand so far.’

The wolves finally retreated. Andawyr pointed at them and then lifted his hand to his head vaguely as he looked inquiringly at Antyr. ‘Did one of them actually... say something?’

‘Later,’ Yatsu said. ‘Antyr’s story’s even longer than our journey. But he’s come with us because he needs help and guidance. He’s special — very special — and he needs to speak to you — or Hawklan — or both.’

* * * *

The village that served most of the daily needs of the Cadwanol nestled untidily against a sheer rock face. Some way to the west of it was a cave entrance which, together with the towering height of the cliff, made the buildings seem little more than children’s toys.

‘It’s enormous,’ Antyr said softly, as though the cavernous maw might echo his newcomer’s amazement all over the village.

Andawyr, momentarily preoccupied, started slightly, then gave the cave a perfunctory glance before agreeing offhandedly, ‘Oh... yes.’

Antyr caught his companions exchanging a knowing glance.

‘You’ve been telling me what an amazing place the Cadwanen is for long enough,’ he said, with a note of challenge in his voice which told Andawyr that, although Antyr was the stranger, the three men were close friends.

‘It is, it is,’ Yatsu and Jaldaric said, almost simultaneously and with heavy innocence.

‘They’re having a small joke at your expense,’ Andawyr intruded, adding tartly, ‘too long alone in the mountains, probably,’ before speaking again to Antyr. ‘That’s not the real entrance to the caves. We just let people — travellers, passing students — think it is.’ He wrinkled his nose unhappily. ‘We were founded in bad times and secrecy is still important to certain aspects of our work. Regretfully.’

As they drew nearer, Antyr’s attention moved from the imposing presence of the cave to the houses and cottages that were scattered seemingly almost at random over the tumbled and rocky terrain that marked the foot of the cliff. Steep pitched roofs, intricately patterned with green and blue slates, swept down almost to ground level.

As they rode along the winding main street, Andawyr acknowledged the occasional greeting, but although Tarrian and Grayle attracted some long glances, it seemed to Antyr that he and his companions were being wilfully ignored.

Eventually they arrived at a building set hard against the cliff face. A couple of villagers appeared from somewhere and dragged open two large wooden doors. Andawyr nodded his thanks and motioned the others to follow him as he dismounted and walked into the building.

It took Antyr’s eyes a few moments to adjust to the comparative darkness as the doors closed behind them, but the characteristic smell, both fresh and musty, told him that it was a barn. It was tall and airy with a depleted haystack occupying one side while down the other were stalls for horses, and a hanging clutter of rakes, pitchforks and other farming paraphernalia.

As the four men unsaddled and tended their horses, Tarrian and Grayle scurried about, examining the place minutely.

‘Well, well.’

Tarrian’s voice filled Antyr’s mind. It had that emphasis which told him the wolf was speaking to him alone.

‘This is an unusual place.’

‘It looks like any other barn to me,’ Antyr remarked, in like vein. ‘And if Andawyr can really hear you, you can speak to him as well if you wish.’

‘No, not yet. It unsettles him,’ Tarrian replied. ‘He’s unusual, as well. I think we’re going to like it here. It has a distinctly civilized feel to it.’

‘Fit place for wolves, eh?’

There was a thoughtful pause. ‘I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it’s got promise.’

‘What’s he saying?’ Yatsu asked casually, giving Tarrian a suspicious look.

‘Are you sure you can’t hear him?’ Antyr said.

‘Not a word,’ Yatsu replied. ‘But I can tell when the two of you are talking.’

It was not the first time they had had this exchange. Antyr gave an apologetic shrug. ‘He was just saying this is an interesting place, though what he sees special about an ordinary barn he hasn’t bothered to let me know yet.’

Yatsu laughed softly and cast an appreciative glance at the wolf.

‘Come on,’ Andawyr called out, indicating a small battered door at the back of the barn. ‘Cover your eyes,’ he said to Antyr. ‘We never seem to get round to adjusting the lights and you might have difficulty in seeing. Just walk straight ahead.’

Before Antyr could speak, Andawyr had opened the door and was ushering him forward vigorously. Antyr gasped as a brilliant light flooded into the barn. He had no time to hesitate, however, as Andawyr’s firm grip carried him forward a few paces and through a second door. A soft ringing tone greeted him as he emerged, blinking, into a long corridor.

A tall figure rose from a chair to fill his momentarily blurred vision, then it was waving its arms in confusion as Tarrian and Grayle pushed past it and ran off down the corridor.

Antyr shouted after them but to no avail.

‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, turning to Andawyr. ‘I don’t know what...’

‘It’s all right,’ Andawyr replied reassuringly, though he was staring anxiously after the fleeing animals. ‘At least, I think it’s all right. They’re safe aren’t they?’

‘Oh yes, they’re safe,’ Antyr replied. ‘But anyone who interferes with them isn’t.’ He reached out to touch Tarrian’s mind, but found only uncontrollable animal curiosity ploughing through innumerable new sensations of sight and scent and hearing. ‘They’ll be all right,’ he added unconvincingly.

‘What in the name of Ethriss is going on, Andawyr?’ came an angry voice. It belonged to the figure that had risen to meet them as they entered the corridor. Tall and heavily built he loomed over Andawyr, but a hesitant beard fringing his chin accentuated rather than disguised his comparative youth and this, coupled with his nervous manner, served to make him the more subservient figure.

‘Ar-Billan, we have guests,’ Andawyr said, taking his arm and giving it a discreet but firm shake. The big man was still waving his hands vaguely in the direction the wolves had taken. He gave an incongruous little cry as the two animals abruptly reappeared and hurtled past the watching group in the opposite direction, very much to the amusement of Yatsu and Jaldaric and the annoyance of Antyr.

‘I’m afraid they’re just excited,’ he said apologetically to Andawyr. He made another attempt to reach Tarrian but again without success.

Andawyr, however, seemed more concerned about his bewildered colleague. ‘Guests, Ar-Billan,’ he was saying, insistently. ‘Guests. Commander Yatsu and Captain Jaldaric of Queen Sylvriss’s Goraidin, and their companion Antyr. They’ve travelled a long way and I’m sure they’d all value a bath and a meal before they tell us what they’ve been doing.’ As Andawyr spoke, Ar-Billan’s eyes widened and his mouth began to drop open.

‘Yatsu and Jaldaric,’ he mouthed. ‘I’ve heard about you, of course, but I never thought I’d meet you. It’s a great honour.’ He shuffled awkwardly, then gave the two men a nervous bow, followed by one to Antyr as a flustered afterthought.

‘Bath, food!’ Andawyr urged, prompting him to movement with a nudge of his elbow and a significant look. ‘We’ll deal with the... dogs — don’t worry.’

He gave a small sigh as the big man lumbered off. ‘Nice lad,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘And very bright, though he does stand in his own light at times.’

Tarrian and Grayle returned, to Antyr’s conspicuous relief. They were panting noisily and both of them jumped up to plant their forepaws on Antyr’s chest. They were big animals and he staggered under the impact, making them drop to the floor. ‘What’s got into you two?’ he said, laughing. ‘You’re behaving like pups.’

‘This place is amazing.’ Grayle’s voice burst into both Antyr’s and Andawyr’s minds, overwhelming his brother’s for once. ‘Full of the Song and all manner of learning.’

The images that flooded into Andawyr’s mind had meaning far beyond the words he was hearing. ‘And you’re filling me with more and more questions, each time you... speak,’ he said out loud.

‘They’re speaking to you?’ Yatsu asked in some surprise. He flicked a thumb towards Antyr. ‘You can hear them like he does?’

‘It would seem so,’ Andawyr replied. ‘But don’t ask me why or how.’ He made a dismissive gesture, placed his hands against his temples and announced forcefully, ‘One thing at a time. I went out today to have a quiet think about some difficult questions. Now I’ve got two hundred more, and growing. Let’s get you all fed and watered, then we can talk.’ He looked at Yatsu and Jaldaric. ‘It really is good to see you again. I’m sure you’ve some rare tales to tell. Where are you going first, Vakloss or Anderras Darion?’

‘I’m not sure. I thought we’d stay here and rest a little while,’ Yatsu replied pointedly. ‘I think you need to talk to Antyr first and then advise us. It may be best if he stays here. He’s at least as many questions for you as you have for him. And he has a gift — a skill — that you need to know about. Something far more than just being able to talk to these two.’

Andawyr turned to Antyr and smiled reassuringly. ‘Yatsu and Jaldaric wouldn’t bring you here on any slight matter,’ he said. ‘If we can help you, we will.’

* * * *

A little later, bathed and fed, they were sitting in a bright and spacious room. In common with most of the rooms in the Cadwanen it was simple in style and plainly decorated. Along one side, a large window opened on to a sunlit mountain vista.

‘We’re very high,’ Antyr remarked as Andawyr offered him one of the several chairs that were scattered about the room and then dropped heavily into one himself. Like the room, the woodwork of the chairs was plain and undecorated, but the upholstery was ornately embroidered. Antyr found his unexpectedly comfortable, and almost immediately felt several months of harsh travelling beginning to ease from him. Tarrian and Grayle flopped down noisily at his feet and apparently went to sleep.

‘Actually, we’re quite deep here,’ Andawyr said.

‘Deep?’ Antyr’s arm encompassed the view questioningly.

Andawyr cast a glance at Yatsu and Jaldaric.

‘I don’t think they have them where Antyr comes from,’ Yatsu said casually. ‘Though to be honest we were occupied with other matters than architecture for most of the time we were there.’

Andawyr looked mildly surprised. ‘They’re mirror stones, Antyr. They bring the outside world into the depths for us. We might live underground, but we’re not moles, we need the daylight.’

Antyr looked at him suspiciously, then eyed Yatsu and Jaldaric as if suspecting some elaborate jest.

Andawyr laughed. ‘I can see you’ve been too long in bad company,’ he said. ‘I can’t do it from down here, but, trust me, that view can be changed. We tend to call them windows, but they’re not. Not as you’d think of them, anyway. What you can see is coming from high above us.’

Antyr held out his hand. ‘I can feel the warmth of the sun.’

Andawyr went over to the window and touched a small panel to one side of it. The soft mountain noises of distant streams, high-peaked winds and low-valleyed breezes drifted into the room. Andawyr touched the panel again and they were gone.

‘We can carry many things to where we want them,’ he said. Antyr’s eyes were full of wonder. ‘Nothing magical,’ Andawyr went on, returning to his chair. ‘Just clear thinking, a little ingenuity, and some determination. I’ll show you how they work before you go, if you’re interested.’ He clapped his hands. ‘Now, tell me what you’ve all been up to.’