From Tripha’s back AJ could see for miles and miles. He didn’t let himself enjoy the beauty of the scenery, though. His mind was on more important matters. A small part of his concentration was focused on maintaining his leadership face. That was becoming almost second nature. People liked to know that the one they looked up felt things just like they did, but not too much so. More often they looked to their leader as someone they could rely on for strength.
Even though he would be up in the air, elves had excellent sight, so he maintained that mask even as they flew overhead.
He had to trust in Tripha to cover his magic, because he felt nothing as they flew, or as he inspected each guard they came across. There were only a dozen, thank the Gods, which made his job a little easier. What also helped was that his power had grown lately, becoming more than it once had. Maybe it had something to do with becoming a full, adult elf. Maybe it was being trulion. Or, hell, maybe it was just that he was using it so much it was forcing it to grow.
Whichever it was, he appreciated it. There were six guard points along the barrier, with two guards to each. Six months ago he would have had to individually scan them all. Now he found he could do them in groups of twos.
The first three groups he came across and scanned never noticed what he was doing, and they came back clean. It was at the fourth gatepost that AJ found what he was looking for. A female elf. Not a possession, but a darkness that was hidden just underneath a small shield of spirit, designed to keep others from seeing the truth.
His first instinct was to launch down and take that traitor. But reason overruled emotion. He kept a line to that elf while he and Tripha finished their sweep. To AJ’s surprise, he found another elf, a male this time, who wasn’t full of darkness, but had a small web of control on him. One so total that the elf most likely wasn’t even in control of any aspect of their body. Whoever was controlling them was doing it completely.
Most likely the first one that he had come across. That was the only logical thing. ‘Can you take me down by the female we found?’ He asked Tripha lightly. ‘Keep my magic shielded if you can. I’ll only have a split second to wrap this weave on, and I need to be close enough to do it before they realize. If they do, they might snip the thread they have on the other, or still be able to control them.’
Tripha snorted and shifted to fly back to where they’d found the first elf. In minutes they hit the ground gently, and AJ was sliding off the dragon’s back. Two female elves smiled at him, dropping into their customary bow. One was a sea elf, her hair dangling to the small of her back in many intricate braids, and as blue as the sea. Her eyes started out as blue as her hair, then were ringed in green almost like sea foam, and then a darker blue.
The other, the traitor, was a forest elf, just as he was. An elf that should be tied to Mother Nature. Her hair was a light shade of brown, like the wood under the bark of a tree, and her eyes were green, ringed in hazel and ochre. Her skin was tanned a golden color. She was beautiful. She was a traitor.
“Rise, warriors.” He said gently, giving them a smile. “You need not bow to me here.”
He walked forward as they spoke, stretching his senses as he did. Since he wasn’t questing for anything in particular, just emotions on the air, they wouldn’t have noticed it even if Tripha hadn’t been shielding him. “There’s a new element to the barrier I want to add here, where the forest thins and starts going to cliffs. I’m hoping it’ll stop any attacks from climbing the cliffs up to us.” The lies slid easily from his lips, a talent he had perfected long ago.
Looking at the elf that wasn’t the traitor, AJ racked his brain for her name. After a second he came up with it. “Sheena, would you run down to the other post and grab those two for me, please? This change will affect both posts and I really don’t fancy explaining myself twice.”
“Yes, trulion.” She bowed her head in respect before turning and running in the direction of the next post. That allowed AJ to focus his attention on the other elf that waited. He gave her a smile, same as he would give any other, and kept his poisonous thoughts to himself as his mouth spoke kind words. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of introductions.” He said cordially. Following the elvish traditions he bowed low at his waist, despite being loathe to offer her the back of his neck.
With his senses open wide he knew that she had been uncomfortable before, and worried, but that she was more at ease now. He was acting as he was supposed to. She saw no false note underneath it, and was becoming complacent because of that. She trusted to her disguise. That was her mistake. “I am called Galiina, trulion. It is an honor.” She gave the same bow he had.
Behind him, AJ could hear the others coming, already part of the way back. Now was the time to do this. Galiina was relaxed, at ease, and convinced that he was here for innocuous reasons. He caught Tripha’s eye with his own and smiled at Galiina as he started to weave. “Please, when we are here, working this way, do not feel you have to address me so. I am just Alyck here, grandson to Flreu, nephew to Tadhg.”
The weave was made, now he just had to make sure that his aim was right. He was going off of what he remembered from Roth. That hadn’t been quick because Brian had been half delirious when it was laid on him, and AJ had taken it willingly into himself. This would be an attack, thrust onto an unwilling person. If his calculations were wrong and he failed to get this on the first try, their whole game was up. Galiina would know that she was caught, and she could have a chance to run or fight, or warn Roth somehow.
Sending a quick prayer heavenward, AJ kept his pleasant smile on his face, feeling as Galiina relaxed even more. Then he struck, sharp and fast, like a cobra. The net met her instinctive shield as well as the shield that she used to hide her dark from him, but it sliced right through them and wrapped tightly around her center. Before she even had time to suck a breath in, to form even a half a thought, she was his.
AJ studied the weave for the first time from this angle. He had been on the receiving end, but he hadn’t been perfectly coherent to understand it all. The instant he’d put it on her he’d done the only part he knew for sure, which was locking off her control of anything. She couldn’t touch her magic, couldn’t move a muscle. Nothing.
Experimentally he sent his will along the thread that was now between them. His will was simply for her to close those accusing eyes. Almost the instant he thought it, her eyes closed. Interesting. Was this controlled by will alone? Obviously not a mere thought, or else he would have had her in extreme pain by now with the anger that was in him. But, if he put his will behind the thought, like so…
Galiina tossed her weapon to the ground. Next she pulled her boot knife, the knife at her waist, and a blade from under the leg of her breeches. All of them she tossed to the ground.
About that moment was when Sheena returned with the two men from the other outpost. Everyone froze, staring at where AJ and Galiina stood. They couldn’t see his magic but they all knew that something was going on.
AJ stayed silent, inspecting the net around her, using it to analyze her in a way he had never looked at another being before. He could see the line she had going from her to one of the males, a night elf, that stood with them. As he’d suspected the net was a tight one, similar to what he had on her. But hers was almost a possession. She had incorporated a part of her will onto his core so that he really had no control, and no idea of what he was doing.
The very first thing AJ did was force that cord to slowly retract back into Galiina. He watched the other elf, Ero, as he was slowly set free. A light started to come into Ero’s eyes, one that AJ almost instantly recognized. He used his own magic to slam a shield down over the elf not a moment too soon. “Contain him!” he called to those around him, pointing with a finger at Ero. The other two elves didn’t hesitate; the note of command in AJ’s voice left no room for argument.
In an instant they had the elf physically contained. He bucked against them, his voice a shrill cry in the night. AJ had the shield on tight so that no magic leaked through. All too well AJ recognized the madness that was lighting Ero’s eyes. He had felt its twin before. But it looked like where AJ had born up under it and, with Brian’s help, risen above it, Ero hadn’t had the benefit of a bonded partner to help keep him sane. There wasn’t much sanity left in the mind that AJ tentatively touched.
He turned his eyes to Galiina again, his anger an almost living thing. “Let’s take this one back to the castle. Tripha, if you wouldn’t mind going ahead and sending new guards to these posts? I hate to leave them unguarded until others arrive, but I don’t really have a choice.”
Tripha gave a grumble and settled himself to the ground. “I will stand guard until you can send elves to take my place.” He said nobly. AJ hadn’t wanted to ask him to do that, feeling that it might have offended the dragon’s honor. But he was relieved that Tripha had suggested it. Wordlessly he let their magic touch, showing his friend the appreciation he felt for everything. Tripha sent back a feeling of love and respect.
The smile sliding from his face, AJ turned back to the others. It was Sheena who dared ask “What is going on, trulion?”
“Galiina is a traitor.” He told them. Ignoring their gasps at the news, he looked to Ero. “You will need to carry him. He isn’t sane right now and is not to be trusted to be free physically or magically. When we arrive, no one but myself or my baka is to touch him. Not even the King. Are we clear on this?”
The two nodded. AJ brought his attention back to Galiina. He loosened his control, allowing her to have control of her own face, as well as her legs and feet. Once she was free her eyes opened. She had heard everything he’d said and knew that the gig was up. There was no denying it now. So when she opened her eyes, all the darkness and hatred inside of her seemed to be there inside of those eyes. Her lips curled in a sneer. Without a word she spit on the ground at his feet.
AJ simply looked at the spit, and then back up at her. Here he had one benefit that she did not. He had been a captive before, and he knew the mentality. When your back was against the wall and you were utterly helpless and you knew you were going to die you had nothing to lose. All you could hope for was a quick death. With that mindset, you tried to anger your captor enough that they’d kill you quickly. She was trying to start angering him, and damned if he was going to let her.
“Let’s move.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flreu was waiting in the front room of the castle, seated upon his throne. It was almost the same as when AJ had first brought Brian before him. There were elves everywhere who were watching their procession. The King sat upon his throne, watching them come. What was different was that this time, Brian stood by Flreu’s side, hands clasped behind his back. This time AJ wasn’t worried or afraid as he approached his King. He wasn’t the one who was on trial.
When they reached the front of the platform, AJ dropped to his knees. He felt Sheena and the other elf, he thought that his name was Vanir, lay Ero on the ground and then kneel themselves, each keeping their magic on Ero to keep him still.
Galiina stayed standing; her head lifted defiantly, long hair thrown back. With a small growl and a pulse of magic, AJ brought her down to her knees and into the bowing form. Much as it sickened him to have this kind of control over someone, he would not tolerate a traitor standing so defiantly before the King.
“Rise, my children.” Flreu was using his kingly voice, full of age and power. They obeyed him, coming to their feet. “What have you brought before me, trulion?”
Taking a deep breath, AJ forced himself to be logical and practical, not emotional. He looked to Sheena and Vanir. He gestured for them to step to the sidelines. “Before I make my explanations, my King, I beg your indulgence in one matter first. This one, Ero, has been through a terrible trauma. He is in need of immediate attention that can only be provided by myself and one other.”
AJ locked eyes with Brian for a moment. He spared an ounce of energy to speak along their bond. ‘I need you to stay in the room, and I don’t trust to drop the shield I have over him right now and pass it along. Too much might leak out in the in-between time. But would you mind standing with him, maybe speaking to him? He was held almost identical to how we were. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet, but the madness is strong in his eyes, and when I touched his mind there wasn’t much left that was sane anymore.’
Brian’s response was a wordless sensation of love. Then he moved around the throne and over to where Ero was being held. He did not touch the elf, but knelt beside him. Ero was curled against the wall into a tight ball, rocking slightly. Sheena and Vanir had made their physical shield around him to keep him contained instead of just holding him perfectly still. Brian stayed a safe distance back, but he kept up a soothing litany to the unresponsive man.
Free of worrying over Ero for the moment, AJ turned his attention back to the King. “My King, I regret the necessity of coming before you this way.” AJ dropped to one knee, resting his hands on the upraised knee and bowing his head. “I am ashamed to tell you what a fool I have been. As trulion I have failed our people.”
“Tell me what makes you think this is so, that I might make this judgment for myself.”
Sighing, AJ kept his head bowed as he told how he had been feeling lately, that there was something he was missing. He was candid about how he’d pushed the thought aside. He told of lying in the sun with Brian and Tripha, and how he had come to the realization of what he had been missing. His own foolishness at wanting to believe that one people were better than another, that they were not evil, and in doing so, how he had allowed one that was evil to remain in their midst.
“I believe she has been a spy for a long while, my King. There is darkness in her that I recognize. It is the taint of evil; of blood magic. To what extent of betrayal she has committed to, I do not know. But I will be taking her below to question her about this.”
For a moment the hall was deadly silent. The idea that someone so close to home had betrayed them was so disheartening that many were bowing their heads in shame. Other were muttering with anger.
King Flreu raised a hand, gesturing for silence. “Though you were shortsighted, I decree that this was not done intentionally, nor with malice. Much has been thrust upon your shoulders, trulion. That you had such strong faith in your kin is an admirable trait. I see small foolishness in this, but no dishonor. Indeed, you honor us with your faith.”
A burden eased off of AJ’s shoulders with those comments. He rose, smiling at his grandfather. He grew tense again, though, when an elf stepped up to the dais. All had a right to speak before the King. The elf bowed, waiting until Flreu recognized him, and then he stood. “My King, I do not question the honor of the trulion, nor do I seek to dishonor him. But he seeks to question this one. I would ask how he means to do this questioning. Under this atrocity, she is elf, and therefore naturally resistant to questioning.”
“I guarantee you that when I come back, she will have given answer to the questions I ask.” AJ said in a voice gone low. He felt Galiina stiffen internally, her mind scrambling to continue to find a way to break free. But AJ had done one thing that Roth hadn’t been able to. He had repaired the loose threads before applying it to this woman. His net was seamless.
The elf squared his shoulders, looking from AJ to the King. “My King, as a race, we do not condone torture. That is what he intends to do, to torture a confession out of her. We are not a party to this treatment of others. Physical torture goes against everything that we are in our lives, most especially against females.”
King Flreu made to speak, but AJ was quicker. He forced Galiina to stay completely still as he stepped away from her. Surprisingly it was easy to maintain her shield without really thinking too hard about it. Lucky, too, because anger was gripping him. “You would dare to question me?” He hissed at the elf that stood tall before him. “You would seek to question your trulion in what he chooses to do with a traitor? There is no mercy for those who would betray us.”
“As a people we do not condone torture.” The elf insisted, his eyes troubled. “Our King knows this, and will not allow you to do this.”
To the surprise of all present, the King spoke in a soft voice, his words ringing with a shocking truth. “Think you that I have any control over the trulion? The son of my daughter, yes. The friend, maybe. But not the trulion. In this, his speaking with me is merely a courtesy. If we denied him, he would take his prisoner and go elsewhere.”
Rising to his feet, Flreu looked around at them all. “I have heard two sides to this, and I know what my own heart is. I feel that I also know the heart of my grandson. I trust in his decisions as trulion, and I trust in the spirit of Alyck the elf. He shall take his prisoner below, with my blessing.”
Looking into AJ’s eyes, Flreu nodded, dismissing him.