The Caller Read online

  I knew how momentous the decision would have been for him – he would not have taken such a step unless he’d been close to breaking point. Selfishly, I wished he had indeed come on up the valley, leaving that old life behind, for here at Shadowfell he would have been safe, for now at least. I could have spent time with him. The others debated what it all meant and whether we could progress with our plans unchanged. Winter was closing in, and any movements out from the safe base here on the mountain would be limited. My own difficult decision was looming.

  Tali was restless. Regan’s death had not only made her our leader – it had unleashed in her a furious drive to get things done, preferably as fast as possible. She let us have a night to rest and grieve. Then she called us to a council.

  It was an inner circle that met: Tali, her brother Fingal, myself, Andra, Brasal, Gort and Big Don. That was the human contingent. But councils had changed at Shadowfell since we’d won the wary support of the Folk Below, the clan of fey beings who lived in the chambers underneath our stronghold in the mountain. So we were joined by their elders Woodrush and Hawkbit, and the warrior Bearberry, who looked something like a short-statured man and something like a badger. In addition there was Whisper, the owl-like being who had accompanied Tali and me when we returned in haste from the north. If not for Whisper’s magic, it would have taken us at least a turning of the moon to travel home; he had brought us back in a single night. Daw, the bird-friend and messenger from Sage’s clan, had already flown out from Shadowfell, back to the forests of the west.

  With Good Folk in attendance at our council, all iron weaponry and implements within our dwelling were shielded and set away. I had hoped my training with the Guardians would teach me how to protect our fey allies from the destructive influence of cold iron, for this was likely to prove a great obstacle when we stood up together in battle, but neither the Hag of the Isles nor the Lord of the North had possessed the secret. Some of the Good Folk had a resistance to iron and some did not; that was all I had learned so far. I’d been told the secret might lie with the most unreliable of the Guardians, the Master of Shadows.

  We gathered in a small chamber with the doors closed. Tali welcomed us, her manner brisk.

  ‘Thank you for being here. This has been a sad time for all of us, and I’m sorry there’s the need to talk strategy so soon. But Regan would have wanted us to get on with things, and that’s what I plan to do. As you know, Neryn and I witnessed the last midsummer Gathering. We saw Keldec’s rule in action, saw it in acts of twisted violence that should have sickened the most hardened person in all Alban. We saw a crowd of ordinary folk stand by and let it happen without a word of protest, because every one of them knew speaking out against the king’s authority is not only a death sentence for the person brave enough to do it, but can also bring down disaster on that person’s entire family. It was thanks to Flint that we got away from Summerfort; him and another of the Enforcers. We don’t know if that man is Flint’s ally, or whether he’s just somewhat less brutal than most of the king’s men. All in all, the Gathering was a vile experience.’ She glanced at me.

  ‘It was sickening,’ I said. The cruel events of the Gathering were burned on my memory; such monstrous acts must not be allowed to happen again. ‘If neither of us has talked much about it, it’s because we couldn’t bear to. You all know what Keldec’s capable of. This was a display of his authority at its very worst.’

  ‘And Flint, as you know, was the prize performance of the day, singled out for particular attention,’ said Tali. ‘But we don’t believe he’s been exposed as one of us. If that was his crime, he’d have faced a far worse punishment than being required to carry out a public enthralment. The fact that I was chosen as the victim must have been coincidence.’

  ‘If the king had known he was a rebel spy, he’d have made sure Flint didn’t survive that day. We saw two of the king’s men forced to fight to the death.’

  ‘I’m sure Flint didn’t know I’d been taken prisoner until they dragged me out for the enthralment,’ Tali said. ‘He was shocked. Though, as you’d expect, he concealed it well.’

  ‘It surprises me that you were taken prisoner at all,’ said Brasal. ‘I’d have thought you capable of tackling a whole troop of Enforcers.’

  Tali grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t be such a fool as to attempt that unless the alternative was certain death.’

  ‘Tali let the Enforcers capture her because putting up a fight might have drawn their attention to my presence as her companion on the road,’ I said. ‘It’s fortunate that Flint was the one chosen to carry out her punishment, and that the two of them had the presence of mind to fake an enthralment.’ A shiver ran through me as I remembered it, the pretence that the enthralment had gone terribly wrong, with Tali so convincing that even I had believed her a damaged, witless remnant of her true self. Afterwards, the queen had demanded that she be disposed of, and Flint and his companion had taken us up into the woods, where they’d simply let us go.

  ‘We were lucky,’ Tali said soberly. ‘Unfortunately I was seen by the entire crowd that day. The king and queen and their court; every single troop of Enforcers; a large number of ordinary people who travelled to Summerfort for the so-called games. And because my appearance is a little out of the ordinary,’ she glanced down at the elaborate tattoos that circled her arms, spirals and swirls and flying birds to match the ones around her neck, ‘those people would all recognise me again. That means I won’t be able to leave Shadowfell until it’s time for the final confrontation.’ She looked over at Fingal. ‘The same goes for you.’ Her brother’s body markings were almost identical to hers.

  ‘What about Neryn?’ asked Andra. ‘She’ll have to travel.’

  ‘I was in the crowd,’ I said. ‘People did see me, but not with Tali apart from when they were dragging her out of the open area and I elbowed my way through to follow them. We did meet some folk when we were travelling toward Summerfort, of course. But I don’t stand out as Tali does. Besides, as you say, I have to go; I’m only halfway through my training. I still have the White Lady and the Master of Shadows to visit.’

  ‘This fellow with Flint, the other Enforcer,’ said Fingal. ‘He must have got a good look at you.’

  ‘He did.’ I remembered the open-faced, fair-haired warrior who had checked whether I had supplies for the way, and had asked not a single awkward question. I had seen him in dreams, too, for my dreams of Flint were especially vivid, thanks to his ability as a mind-mender. ‘I believe he’s a friend. If he wasn’t, he’d have expected to make an end of both Tali and me in the woods that day. I’m sure that’s what the king and queen intended to happen.’

  ‘Let’s hope you’re right, Neryn, because if you’re not, Flint’s in even more trouble than we thought,’ Tali said. ‘As it is, there’s the account Daw brought of his meeting with Sage. I’m still finding that hard to accept. When we met Flint in the isles, he gave us no reason to think he’d suddenly walk away from his position at court, especially at a time when his services are so vital to the cause.’

  ‘It costs him dearly to do what he does,’ I said. ‘Of us all, he has the hardest part to play.’

  ‘The story was that he rode back to court with the Enforcers who came to fetch him,’ Big Don said. ‘What we don’t know is whether he was in their custody, a prisoner, or whether he managed to give them some plausible excuse for heading off on his own like that. Flint’s pretty good at lying; he’s had a lot of practice over the years, and from what he’s told us in the past, the king’s often inclined to believe him where others wouldn’t. Maybe he can talk himself out of this.’

  ‘Either way, it’s disturbing.’ Tali’s jaw was set grimly. ‘If there’s any chance Flint’s lost the king’s trust, our source of information from court is gone. He won’t be sending word out and we won’t be sending messengers in. That will make it much harder to have everything in place for midsummer.’ She had
many elements to coordinate: not only the fighting force of Shadowfell itself, but groups of rebels in various other locations, along with the personal armies of three of Alban’s chieftains. And that was only the human part of the rebellion. Provided I completed my training in time, I would be calling in a substantial number of Good Folk to fight alongside Tali’s human warriors.

  ‘We’d offer our own kind tae bear messages,’ Woodrush said, ‘if it werena for the cold iron in those places. Your man will be travellin’ tae Winterfort wi’ the king and his court for the cold season, aye?’

  ‘Correct,’ said Tali. ‘They’ll be there until early summer. A long way, even for bird-friends. Your folk have been an asset to the cause; we wouldn’t be where we are if you hadn’t spread the word across Alban for us. But as you say, both the king’s residences will be full of Enforcers armed with iron weaponry. If Flint’s in some kind of custody, we can’t help him. He’s on his own.’

  ‘I’m hoping that before midsummer I’ll learn how to protect your folk against cold iron,’ I said to Woodrush and her companions. ‘I’ve been told the Master of Shadows may know the secret. I’ll visit him after I’ve travelled east to find the White Lady.’

  ‘It doesna add up.’ Hawkbit had been unusually silent. Now the wee man fixed his eyes on me in grim question. ‘Ye were gone frae first shootin’ until last leaf-fall, seekin’ oot the Hag and the Lord and learnin’ what ye had tae learn. There’s twa more Guardians tae visit, and ye’ve only till midsummer tae get it done. And one o’ them’s the Master o’ Shadows. Ye canna –’

  ‘We don’t say cannot here at Shadowfell,’ Tali put in firmly, silencing him. ‘And we don’t say impossible. Neryn and I were caught up in the crowd heading for the Gathering; that slowed us. And before that, I made an error of judgement that took us out of our way.’

  There was a silence, in which I suspected everyone was thinking the same thing: And that can happen again, or something very like it.

  ‘But yes,’ Tali added, ‘time is indeed short. Even if Neryn’s gone from here immediately the paths are open again after winter, she barely has time to do what must be done.’

  Whisper ruffled his snowy feathers. ‘Winter is close,’ he said. ‘But no’ yet here in its full force. Why must you wait until next spring tae travel east? Go now, and you can be awa’ from the highlands before the snow lies ower the paths.’

  ‘Neryn might get through,’ said Brasal. ‘But at this time of year she’s just as likely to get caught in a blizzard and perish from cold on the mountainside. We’ve seen that happen; we don’t want it again.’

  Whisper was still looking at me, waiting for me to speak.

  ‘But you could get me there much more quickly,’ I said, meeting his gaze. ‘Is that what you are suggesting? Overnight, as you did when you brought Tali and me home?’ The prospect of heading out from the warmth and safety of Shadowfell again so soon made me feel sick.

  ‘It would be possible.’ There was a but in Whisper’s tone. ‘I havena attempted a journey tae the Watch o’ the East before. It wouldna be easy. The White Lady is a private creature, and so are the folk o’ her watch. Or so I’ve heard. Taking you there so quickly would be a considerable test o’ strength.’

  ‘But you could do it,’ Tali said, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. There was no doubt this would offer us a great advantage. ‘How soon?’

  ‘As soon as Neryn can be ready,’ Whisper said, but there was a wariness in his voice. ‘I dinna promise I can find the White Lady, mind. But I can take Neryn tae the spot where I believe she is most likely tae be found, and I can stay wi’ her while she undertakes her training.’

  ‘You wouldn’t need to stay,’ said Tali, her mind clearly racing ahead. ‘You could return to the north until it was time for Neryn to move on again.’

  Whisper turned his great owl-eyes on her. ‘You would leave your Caller wi’ nae guard?’

  ‘We’ll provide the guard. Gort has already volunteered to do that job; when they travel by human paths they’ll make a convincing husband and wife.’

  ‘Ah,’ said Whisper on a sigh. ‘This is a mair taxing journey, as I told you. I havena the strength tae take mair than one.’

  There was a silence, and then Tali said, ‘Couldn’t you take Gort first, then come back for Neryn?’

  ‘It isna like carrying folk across a ford or balancing on a bridge,’ Whisper said. ‘It sucks awa’ strength. I can take only one. Neryn needs nae guard but me. I can keep her safe.’

  Tali opened her mouth, plainly about to tell him that what he was suggesting ran contrary to the plan decided on when I’d first reached Shadowfell, a plan made by Regan and herself with the agreement of the entire rebel community. The entire human rebel community, that was. It was only later that we had won the support of the Good Folk. There was a set of priorities, and one of the top priorities was my safety. Regan had not been prepared to let me leave the protection of Shadowfell without the best guard he could give me. On my previous journey, that guard had been Tali. Now Regan was dead and Tali could not come with me. But it was quite clear from the look on her face that she doubted Whisper’s ability to keep me safe.

  ‘Can you tell us where the place is?’ Big Don spoke before Tali could. ‘If we have allies in the area, one of your bird-friends could take a message to them, and they could provide additional protection for Neryn.’

  ‘I’m not having messages flying around that could reveal Neryn’s whereabouts,’ Tali said. ‘A bird-friend can fall into the wrong hands. Ideally Neryn would have two human protectors, one to stay with her, the other to prepare the way for when she needs to head on. We have allies in the south; they can be useful to her. The word’s gone out that we’ll be wearing the thistle as our token, discreetly of course.’

  Whisper and the other Good Folk had gone rather quiet. ‘Don’t forget why I’m travelling to the east,’ I put in, concerned that we might be causing them offence. ‘The person I’m seeking out is a Guardian, ancient, powerful and fey. An entity who, if the rumours are correct, has retreated from the world to wait out the dark time of Keldec’s reign. The White Lady may not be prepared to speak to me if I’m surrounded by human protectors, however well intentioned they are. She may even take exception to Whisper, since he’s a Northie. But at least he is one of her own kind.’

  ‘The lassie speaks wisely,’ said Woodrush. ‘The word is, the White Lady’s never been ower-fond o’ company, save that of her ain wee circle. I dinna think she’ll mak’ the task easy.’ After a pause she added, ‘Her place o’ refuge – I’ve heard tell it’s a spot forbidden tae men.’

  ‘Another thing,’ I said. ‘When I do find the White Lady, I’ll need to stay with her for training. That might take a while, and whoever comes with me may have to spend a lot of time just . . . waiting.’ I glanced at Tali. She had found waiting tedious in the isles, but she’d used her time fruitfully in the north. There, she had befriended the Lord of the North’s captains and helped them reorganise their fighting forces. Between us, she and I had won the support of that army for the rebellion. ‘Whisper could use the time to talk to the Good Folk of the east,’ I suggested. ‘He could start winning them over. We have support from west and north now, but the other Watches . . . It seems those folk are not so approachable.’

  ‘Easties, they’re odd folk,’ said Hawkbit, the wee man who was a leader of the Folk Below. ‘Flighty. Quick. Touchy. A body canna get a grip on them.’

  ‘Will-o’-the-wisps,’ put in Bearberry.

  ‘Hoppity-moons,’ said Woodrush. ‘A glint, a flash, a flutter and they’re gone.’

  ‘What about the south?’ asked Fingal. ‘Is that going to prove equally difficult? Even if Neryn does go now, there’s little time left.’

  ‘We canna tell ye aboot the Watch o’ the South,’ said Hawkbit. ‘Save that we wouldna be venturin’ there in a hurry.’

  I glanced at
Whisper. If he was taking me to the east, he’d likely be the one going on to the south too. There would be no coming home to Shadowfell in between, with the entire mission needing to be completed well before midsummer. The more I thought about it, the harder it was to believe I could do it in time.

  ‘If it werena for this matter o’ cold iron,’ Whisper said, ‘I’d be suggesting you dinna trouble yoursel’ wi’ the Master o’ Shadows. Dinna you think he’s as likely tae teach you the wrong thing as the right? For now, I’d say we gae ane step at a time. I can take you tae the east. You’ll save a season if you travel wi’ me.’

  Tali folded her arms, her brows crooked in a frown. She looked at me. ‘You’re the Caller, Neryn. In the end, this has to be your decision.’

  ‘You’re the leader. I’ll abide by your decision, whichever way it goes.’

  She managed a smile. ‘I’m not qualified to make the judgement. Whisper’s offer seems to make it possible for you to get everything done before midsummer, which is essential. But it is risky. If you have doubts, or if you’re simply not ready to head off again so soon, then wait and travel in spring, taking Gort as well as Whisper. It’s vital that you stay safe. We need you at the end; we can’t win this without you.’

  Tali and I had not long ago returned from our travels to face the terrible news of Regan’s death. The thought of heading off again so soon was a leaden weight on my shoulders. The vile things I had seen on my journey still haunted my dreams. But there was no defeating evil unless people had hope. There was no going forward unless folk held on to their belief that the future could be bright, that a lamp of goodness could still shine in this realm of darkness and despair. And, although it would be far easier to curl up and hide, as many of the Good Folk had done, there would never be change unless people were prepared to take risks, to step forward and fight for a better world. I knew this well; I had known it a long time.