The sun was low on the horizon when the Magister of the Conclave came within sight of the gate into the Homesteading. Although Guy's mental communication had been almost instantaneous, and Taryn had had nothing more important to deal with, his journey had taken some time. As well as changing into clothing more appropriate to meeting community leaders than his usual attire, he had chosen to teleport to a location out of sight of the gate and walk the rest of the way, for two reasons. The lesser was that he didn't think that appearing out of thin air would impress the Ogier any more than his son's mind blades had, but more importantly, he didn't want to risk teleporting too near the protective barrier around the forest. Unlike Darius, he had no way to precisely triangulate a landing spot beside the Soulknife, and since he had never been there before, his arrival point could deviate considerably from the one he desired.
The fading light obscured his features as he approached until he was a dozen yards from the hedge. The reactions of the two waiting Ogier when they saw him clearly were surprising and mixed. Kiera shouted a single, harsh word in her own tongue, raising her axe threateningly as she moved to protect Anla, who simply frowned deeply and took a single step back. Taryn stopped immediately and bowed low before addressing the Ogier.
"Good evening Speaker Anla. My name is Taryn Madoc, Magister Eternal of the Conclave of Psionicists. I mean no harm to you or your people, yet I sense a certain hostility from your companion. Might I enquire as to its source?"
Anla regarded him for a moment before stepping forward past Kiera, speaking a brief sentence in the Ogier language as she did so. The younger Ogier lowered her axe with obvious reluctance, but kept it ready to use should the need arise, as the Speaker addressed Taryn.
"My granddaughter sees another in your face," she stated. "The one who orphaned her and her brother with his black lightning."
"Black light–," Guy's surprised outburst was cut off by a curt gesture from his father. Anla didn't miss the exchange, her eyes narrowing as she continued.
"Darien Maddocks styled himself Eternal too, in his case an Emperor, but as I just told Kiera, this is a different world. You may be a different man, despite the similarity of name and title."
"The title was none of my choosing," Taryn responded, slowly approaching the gate. "It was given to me by one of the Conclave Councils when they appointed me to lead them. Against my better judgement, I might add. As for the name, time and usage has altered it to its present form. I've not been called Darien Maddocks for nearly three hundred years, and I haven't missed it."
"Which brings up the point I wanted to ask about."
"How have I lived so long?" Taryn anticipated. Anla nodded. "It's a Talent, much like Brigid's arrow." He briefly explained the rise of psionics and the nature of people's Talents. "Presumably my Longevity awakened after the Fall, just like everybody else's, but I didn't learn about it for over fifty years."
"You don't prolong your life by stealing that of others?" Anla's question was sharp and accusing.
"Not to my knowledge, no," Taryn replied. "I assume the Darien Maddocks of your world does, though. Does this black lightning you mentioned drain a person's energy, leaving behind nothing but dust?" The Speaker's reaction confirmed his suspicions.
"So you do know it," she growled, taking a step back as Kiera's axe rose again.
"Better to say we know of it," Taryn stated calmly. "We encountered it five years ago." He gave a detailed account of what had happened at the Connor's farm, and the predictions Eric and the Seers had had regarding the Coming Storm. As he spoke, the sun set fully, and the twilight darkened into night. Eric and Anastacia used their Power to create balls of light to illuminate the area. The two Ogier gave them little more than a cursory glance.
"We've spent the past five years preparing for the Storm's return, while we try to locate the world he came from," Taryn concluded. "A mystery you might be able to help us solve, perhaps?"
"The Storm," Anla stated, hatred clearly evident in her voice. "A good name for him, He calls thunder and lightning to terrorise the people. He twists nature and kills his world. That's one of the reasons we left it."
"Will you be leaving this one, too?" Taryn asked, having noted her refusal to answer his previous question.
"That is what the Stump will decide," Anla replied. "I will allow you to speak if you will, but Ogier do not make hasty decisions. The choice to come here was made after many months of debate." She turned back toward the forest and called out a sentence in Ogier. A light appeared from within the trees as another Ogier emerged, carrying a hooded lantern, which he handed to Kiera. Anla turned back to Taryn. "Kiera will escort you to the lodge where I assume your people were planning to stay, and in the morning, she will bring you to the Stump. I bid you good night, Magister Taryn." With that, she headed into the darkness of the forest, the other Ogier following closely.
Kiera stepped back as the five humans passed through the gate, leading their horses carefully in the dim light of the lantern. The Power-channelled lights vanished abruptly as their creators passed the boundary of the Homesteading. When they were all through the gate, Kiera closed it, before setting off down a narrow trail, at a different angle from the path the Speaker had taken. For a minute or two, nobody spoke, until Kiera stopped and turned to the Psion walking beside her.
"She's just going to use you, you realise?" Taryn raised an eyebrow quizzically as she continued. "My grandmother's only letting you speak to support her argument. She'll use your resemblance to the Tyrant Emperor and the tale of your encounter to justify her assertion that this world is no safer than the last, and that we should flee once more."
"She may be right," Taryn replied quietly. "Some of the Seers' predictions are particularly dire. It may be safer for you to leave this world until it's all over."
"It doesn't work like that," Kiera laughed bitterly. "Besides, some of us are tired of running and hiding. Most of the children have known little else, but our views don't count, because we're not old enough to express them at the Stump."
"You're still considered a child?" Brigid asked curiously.
"For another two years, yes," the Ogier replied. "And if Grandmother has her way, we'll be worlds away by then." She resumed walking steadily along the path. "She's been trying to get us to leave ever since we discovered your people here. I think she wanted a world without humans, but the Book opened onto this one."
"What does she have against humans?" Anastacia asked. Kiera laughed out loud, as she looked back to the princess.
" 'Humans are the same whatever world they inhabit,' " she said, imitating the Speaker's clipped tones. " 'They destroy the land that nurtures them and care only for power, doing anything it takes to obtain it.' Her words exactly, although I've seen little in my life to counter them."
"They're true enough," Taryn nodded soberly, "to a point. I've seen it happen many times in my life, but there is another side to humanity."
"Most humans just want to live in peace," Anastacia added quietly. "It's only a few that spoil it for the rest, but those are the ones that are always remembered."
"Is Anla likely to get what she wants?" Taryn asked Kiera.
"Probably," the Ogier replied. "She has a way of making people support her. Only the children and a few of the Elders will argue agianst her, but our voices won't count, and theirs are too few."
"A persuasive woman, then. That would explain her title," Taryn mused. Kiera laughed.
"She didn't earn that title by being eloquent," she explained. "That's what we call the one chosen to deal with the non-Ogier. She's the Speaker because she's the most human of us, and among Ogier, that's not considered a good thing. No offence intended."
"None taken," Taryn responded smoothly. "I know better than most what we're capable of." He said nothing for several paces, his head bowed in thought, before looking up to Kiera. "Tell me about the Book." Kiera faltered slightly before responding.
"I shouldn't have mentioned that," she said quietly.
"It's what the Ogier use to travel between worlds, isn't it? I'd like to know how it works."
"I'm not really allowed to talk about it," Kiera said uncertainly, tensing up. "Can we speak of something else?"
"Of course," Taryn replied smoothly. "Maybe you could tell me what to expect at the Stump."
Kiera relaxed, happy to discuss the conventions of the Ogier meeting, such as they were. By the time she finished, they had reached the Draken's hunting lodge, and its new owner had unlocked the door. Guy activated the psionic bulbs on the porch, the strange properties of the Homesteading dimming their usual brightness to a dull glow. As Taryn thanked the Ogier for the escort, the other four humans led their mounts round to the stable alongside the main building.
When they returned after taking care of the horses, Kiera had gone and a purple fire flickered fitfully in the lodge's bare stone hearth. After the events of the day, the two couples were in no mood to stay up talking, and headed off to their bedrooms. Taryn stayed awake in the main room, maintaining his psionic flames, considering all the information he had learned from the two Ogier, both spoken and unspoken.
