Chapter Forty-One

The Wind of War

When Galbatorix stood on the trapdoor in front of the chanting crowd, the rope cutting into his neck, the last thing he saw was Kaelyn, standing at the back of the crowd and staring up at him with horror. 'For the love of gods, you idiot, get out of here!' he muttered under his breath.

There was a clunk from behind him as the lever was pulled, and suddenly there was nothing to stand on. Shock thumped into his stomach as he fell, but the rope only went taut for a second. As soon as his full weight was dangling from it, it snapped about halfway along its length, and he fell straight through the trapdoor to the ground below. He landed neatly on his feet and, without hesitating for even a moment, he ran. Screams rose from the crowd, but it was already too late.

Galbatorix's still-chained hands had begun to glow with dark energy. He reached the spot directly beneath the part of the platform where the group of riders were standing, and unleashed his magic in one massive, reckless burst.

The platform exploded. Shattered wood shot straight upward, and the three riders were sent flying. Galbatorix vaulted through the hole he had made, and hurled himself straight at Menulis, shouting; 'ATTACK!'

And that was precisely what the crowd did. At least half of them charged, scrambling up onto the platform and attacking Menulis' three wounded companions. There were roars from overhead as their dragons came rushing to help them, but before they had arrived one of them suddenly screamed and fell from the sky, hitting the castle's outer wall with a sickening thud, but already dead from the shock of his rider's death. The other two wailed in distress, but landed on the platform, nearly demolishing it, and began to wreak havoc on the crowd with their talons, desperately trying to reach their riders.

The rioters scattered in terror, but it was already too late for one of the remaining two riders. His death did not kill his dragon, but she screamed and flew away, spiralling crazily over the city, evidently made insane. The second one snatched up his rider and flew away, but was struck in midair by a mad, snarling shape that appeared as if out of nowhere. He fell, his wing shredded, and the people on the ground finished him off in moments while Shruikan went after his maddened companion.

And, while all this was going on, Galbatorix fought Menulis. He did so bare-handed, unable to find his sword, screaming and beserk. The old elf fought back, hard and fast, relying on his magic rather than his sword. Galbatorix dodged his attacks and sent back his own, maddened to the point that he made no attempt at all to shield himself. But Menulis was faster and more experienced than him. He forced himself to stay calm, and took advantage of Galbatorix's recklessness, gradually wearing him down. When Galbatorix slowed, weighed down by his chains, Menulis took his chance, and hit him with a powerful spell, directly in the chest. Galbatorix was thrown backward as if struck by a falling tree, and slammed into the castle wall. He slid onto the ground and lay there, groaning softly.

Menulis wasted no time in running after him, already preparing another spell to finish him off. But he had forgotten the rebelling citizens of Gil'ead. A hefty man saw him pass, and smacked the elf in the back of the head with a length of shattered wood. Menulis fell, cursing.

Several people pulled Galbatorix to his feet. He stood, wincing at the pain in his back, and as he looked up, he saw Menulis rise, his right hand, haloed in blue magic, lifting.

'Look out!' Galbatorix yelled. He shoved the people out of his way, and charged straight at Menulis, roaring his battle-cry. 'LAELA!'

Menulis' spell was never cast. Galbatorix slammed into him, bowling him over. The old elf hit the ground hard, and Galbatorix pinned him down and began raining punches down on his face and chest, gathering his chains together in both hands and brutally beating him until he was semi-conscious and bleeding. Menulis made a feeble attempt to fight back, but the fall had stunned him, and Galbatorix's assault made focusing his magic impossible. Unable to think, seeing stars flashing in front of his eyes, Menulis struggled to get away, but there was no escape. Galbatorix's hands locked around his throat, his face suddenly inches away from that of his enemy.

Menulis grabbed at Galbatorix's wrists, gasping for breath. 'Stop! Let go! Please!'

Galbatorix's face, still painted with the dark elvish signs of war, twisted into a mad, animal snarl. 'You killed my parents, elf,' he rasped. 'Sent them to their deaths. Took them away from me.'

'I didn't!' Menulis gasped. 'I swear!'

Galbatorix squeezed more tightly. 'Ingë Taranisäii, elf. Ingë Taranisäii, my mother. She was nineteen years old. Ingë Taranisäii, you arrogant piece of elvish scum, Ingë Taranisäii, the mother of the half-breed. What did you think when you saw me, Menulis? Was I small? Was I innocent? Well? Was I? Did I look like a monster to you then, Menulis, or was I a child? Was I? WAS I?'

Menulis did not answer. Galbatorix's hands squeezed and squeezed, crushing his neck. The old elf looked up blankly at the face of the half-breed, the face that so resembled that of Skandar Traeganni, who had faced him so calmly on the day of his death, and just for a second he thought it was not a man's face but a child's. Just a tiny child, staring up at him, its eyes icy calm and black as night. The eyes of a dark elf.

Then the void took him.

When Galbatorix finally let go of Menulis' neck and got a little unsteadily to his feet, he found himself surrounded by people. They had crowded around him, keeping a safe distance, but were all watching him closely.

Galbatorix muttered a word and the chains holding his wrists together snapped. Shruikan came down to land beside him and the people ran, but they quickly returned while Galbatorix was healing his partner's injuries. He turned away from doing this, and saw someone coming toward him. The man wordlessly held White Violence out toward him, and he took it and put it into its sheath on his back. 'Thankyou.' He looked at the rest of the crowd, which was watching him expectantly. 'Thankyou,' he said again, more loudly. He glanced down at Menulis' body, and felt an odd little chill when he realised what he had done. 'You saved me,' he told the watching people. 'And I thank you for that. Today you discovered that the riders are not invincible. You dared to fight back, and you won.'

'We fought for you!' one man shouted suddenly, raising his fist. 'Rider's Bane! Lead us to the castle and we'll take it!'

The rest of them roared their approval, and, without waiting for him to react, swarmed toward the castle gates.

Galbatorix drew White Violence and limped after them. They had reached the gates and were trying to force them open, but the solid wood refused to budge.

'Out of the way!' Galbatorix commanded.

The people moved aside, and Galbatorix held his hand out toward the gates and spoke a string of words in the ancient language. They swung open with a loud crack of breaking wood, and he charged through them with his new followers behind him.

The storming of the castle was fast and brutal. Within less than half an hour the guards holding it had surrendered, and Galbatorix found himself ensconced in the castle, surrounded by people singing his praises.

'…and that's about it, really,' he finished.

The Forsworn had listened closely to the story, amazed. All of them were clad in new clothes and had washed, and they were looking considerably better for it.

'Only a few hours after that,' Galbatorix resumed, 'The city's nobles came to me and said they'd decided to hand the ruling of the city over to me. Because, quite frankly, they didn't have any other options. I'd probably have killed them if they hadn't. It took a bit of effort to get everyone out of the castle, but they went in the end. I closed the city up and ordered everyone to stay inside. Didn't want the news to get out any faster than it had to. I sent Menulis' heart to Ilirea in a box, with a letter saying it was mine. I forged his handwriting. Sent out a bunch of other fake letters in his name, spread the word that I was dead and you'd all been massacred. It should create some confusion for a while, which will give us room to manoeuvre. After that I couldn't afford to leave here, but I knew that I had to contact you and let you know what had happened. Thank gods it worked, because as soon as the elders realise that I've been impersonating Menulis they'll send every rider in the country here to get me. There's already been a few near-misses. I'm very sorry for disappearing on you like that. But I knew you'd be able to survive without me, you're all capable. More capable than me, in some cases. But something good came out of this whole mess – we've got a stronghold now.' He paused, sighed, and pointed his walking stick at Roland. 'And now you're going to tell me off.'

Roland did not smile. 'Correct.'

'Well, go ahead, then,' said Galbatorix, sitting back with a resigned expression. 'I'm listening.'

'Sir… Galbatorix… I'm only going to say this once, but I mean it. You have got to stop trying to fight the war on your own. What you did was extremely irresponsible, and quite frankly it was not the sort of behaviour I've come to expect from the leader I've entrusted with my life. This is the second time you've gone rushing into danger without thinking it over first, and it certainly isn't the first time you've been dishonest with us.' Roland spoke firmly, his gaze steady. 'I will be honest and say that I am deeply disappointed in you.'

The others listened, not saying anything. Tranah, Strein and Vander looked grim, Morzan angry, Tuomas and Gern dismayed, and Kaelyn ashamed.

Galbatorix remained unreadable. 'Yes…' he said once Roland had fallen silent. 'I was prepared for you to say something like that. And I'm sorry.'

'Apologies are fine,' said Roland, without a trace of his normal good humour. 'But what I really want is your assurance that you will stop this sort of thing and act responsibly. Our lives are in your hands, along with your own, and I'll thank you to treat them a little more carefully in future.'

At that, Orwyne said; 'Now, steady on, Roland-,'

'Be quiet,' said Roland. 'Sir, I'm not trying to make you feel bad here, but I want to impress on you that we cannot afford to have you do something like this again.'

Galbatorix's jaw tightened very slightly; the only hint of anger he showed. 'And what exactly was that, Roland?'

'You failed to confide in us, and you abandoned us,' said Roland. 'For the gods' sakes, sir, you're our leader. How can we possibly work alongside you if you don't tell us what we need to know? You left us without a leader, and if we had not been lucky we could very well have all died or been captured. And that would have been it. The war would have been over.'

'I trusted you,' Galbatorix said sharply. 'I knew you could survive without me. And I didn't intend to do any of that. I promise.'

'Then what did you intend, may I ask?'

'Listen to me,' said Galbatorix, cold-eyed and unsmiling. 'I didn't plan this. I meant what I said before I left for Gil'ead. I didn't know it would end up like this. I didn't think I was going to survive, but when I realised I was going to, I had no way of contacting you.'

'Explain yourself,' said Roland.

'All right. I came to Gil'ead to save Kaelyn, like I said. I knew I had to come alone. If any of you had come with me, you'd have been spotted from a mile away. You know there isn't any cover around the lake. On the way there, I decided… well, I had no intention of going down without a fight. I had to make sure Kaelyn was out of danger first, though.' He glanced at her. 'You wouldn't run. I kept telling you to run, but you wouldn't. I thought they were going to kill me before you were at a safe distance… thank gods Menulis interfered.'

'I'm sorry-,'

'Don't be; you couldn't have known. Anyway, once you were out of the way, I used my magic on the rope. Weakened it about halfway along, so it'd snap as soon as it took my weight. And then I attacked. I wanted to take that bastard Menulis down with me. I hadn't known the crowd was going to do what they did, but they did. And after the fight was over, you'd already gone, and I was in the middle of a rebellion. I'd been planning to make a run for it if I could; go after Kaelyn and get back to camp, but I couldn't miss an opportunity like that. And the next thing I knew I was in charge of Gil'ead, and you were all miles away.'

'I see,' said Roland. He seemed very slightly placated. 'But there is still one thing in your story that doesn't add up. Kaelyn says you took an oath that you wouldn't fight or run. You swore it right in front of everyone.'

Galbatorix shrugged. 'I lied.'

'In the ancient language?'

'Yes.'

The others looked nonplussed. 'You can do that?' said Tranah.

'I've always been able to do it,' said Galbatorix. 'All dark elves could do it. That's how I turned traitor without dying.'

'Well, with respect, sir, don't you think you should have told us?' said Roland.

'To be honest, no,' said Galbatorix.

'Why?' said Orwyne.

'That ability,' said Galbatorix, 'Is one of my most powerful weapons. It's already saved my life once. And it's a weapon that can only work if people don't know about it. I didn't tell you because the fewer people know about it, the better. And that reminds me. Before we do anything else, everyone in this room is going to take an oath. None of you will ever tell my secrets to another living soul. Swear it. You first, Roland.'

Roland glanced at the others. 'That seems fair enough, sir.' He placed his hand on his chest and recited the oath, wording it carefully. Then the others had to repeat it, one by one. Even Hugh and Rikash took it, though they had to be coached on the pronounciation first.

Afterwards Galbatorix said; 'Good. And Roland… you're right. I was wrong to rush off like that, and I promise that from now on I'll let the Forsworn work as a team and be more careful to keep myself safe. Hugh, Rikash… you are free to return to your home. I've had it cleaned out, and one of your neigbours is keeping an eye on it. You'll be compensated for your troubles. You can leave now.'

The two of them took the hint that their presence wasn't required, and stood up to go.

'May I go with them, Master?' said Kaelyn.

'No. You'll stay here.'

Kaelyn didn't try and argue. She hugged her parents goodbye, and once they had left Galbatorix locked the door behind them and returned to the table. 'Now,' he said. 'We have things to discuss. I've been making plans.'

'We're listening, sir,' said Roland.

'Good. First of all, I have some information. Two days ago, Shruikan caught an elvish messenger travelling from Ilirea. I… persuaded him to tell me what he knew. The elders have gathered all the most powerful riders together, and have sent them out to scour the countryside, looking for all of you. It's lucky you made it here without being detected, because nowhere will be safe soon, especially if the wild dragons start helping them. But I have news on that front, too. The reason why the wild dragons haven't mobilised yet is that they have a new leader. The last one, Thornessa, was ready to help the elders, but it seems she's been replaced. I don't know who the new leader is, but our course is clear. I must talk to him. If I can win his support, or at the very least turn him against the elders, the wild dragons will be neutralised, which will give us a huge advantage. But it will be dangerous, and we'll have to be careful about it. We all know what the wild dragons can be like.'

'I agree,' said Tranah. 'I mean, that we should try and win their support. The dragons are quite close to the elves, but that doesn't mean all that much. They're fierce and they don't believe in fighting for anything unless there's an immediate benefit in it for themselves.'

'Yes,' said Galbatorix. 'And… well, if I can talk with Thornessa… she and I met in Ellesméra, and we got on well. I think I can probably find a way to persuade this new leader, whoever he is. In the meantime, I have an idea about what else we should be doing. The capture of Gil'ead marks the end of our time as fugitives. We have ordinary humans following us now. Just about every one of the people in this city are prepared to fight for me. There were a few who stayed loyal to the elders, but they've been dealt with. I made it clear that I won't tolerate opposition. Now, if we need to, we can mobilise the army here and send them out to attack different targets, but we have to be careful. The instant the elders realise we're here – and it'll happen very soon, you mark my words – we'll be attacked from everywhere at once. Elves, dwarves, dragons, other riders… every damn person in the country will come to fight us. But if we can capture more cities before then, and get ourselves more strongholds, we'll have a much better chance of winning. Now, here's my plan. We're going to split up again. Morzan, you, Gern and Tuomas will go to Teirm. There are two riders there. Kill or capture both of them. Use any means necessary. Roland, you, Orwyne and Vander will take Dras-Leona. Tranah and Strein, you and Kaelyn will stay here with me. Understood?'

'Yes, sir,' said Morzan.

'A good plan, sir,' said Roland. 'But-,'

'No arguments,' said Galbatorix, cutting across him. 'I appreciate your advice, Roland, but I am your master, and you'll do as I say.'

'I – yes, sir,' said Roland, rather stiffly.

'Good. Now go. We'll discuss this again later. Get some rest.'

They paused for a few moments, looking at him.

'Go on,' Galbatorix snapped. 'Oh, Kaelyn… you stay behind, please. I want a word with you.'

They left, casting slightly apprehensive glances at both Kaelyn and Galbatorix. Kaelyn remained behind, feeling an unpleasant coldness in her stomach.

'Now,' said Galbatorix, once the door had closed and they were alone. 'Are you all right? They didn't hurt you too badly, did they?'

'They whipped me,' said Kaelyn in a rather distant voice. 'But I'm okay. I've got scars on my back now, just like you.'

Galbatorix nodded. 'I see. Well, I'm glad you're all right. If you'd been killed, it would have been my fault. And quite honestly, I'm tired of seeing people die because of me.' He stood up and limped over to the wall, where a large chest stood. He opened it and pulled out a long object wrapped in cloth. 'This is for you,' he said. 'I couldn't find yours, so this'll have to do.'

Kaelyn took it and unwrapped it. It was a sword. Its blade was dark ocean blue, and its hilt was silver, decorated with sapphires and emeralds. The engraved name on it was Sœr Nađr Tǿnn.

'Menulis' sword,' Galbatorix said briefly. '"Sea-Serpent's Tooth". You may find it useful.'

'Thankyou-,'

Galbatorix waved her into silence. 'Now,' he said. 'Listen closely, because I'm not going to repeat this. From now on, you'll stay with me and do as you're told. No arguing, no distracting me, no unnecessary questions. You'll treat me as your leader from now on. Speak to me when you have something important to say; otherwise, leave me alone. Your training is complete. Therefore, I'll expect you to act like a proper rider. When you ran away here, you put yourself and Gern in danger, and your dragons as well. You could have lost all your lives at best, and at worst cost us the war. I never want to see you act like that again, is that understood?'

Kaelyn felt as if her stomach had turned to ice. 'But Master, they had my parents-,'

'Be quiet. I am your leader, and I make the decisions. The outcome of the war, and the lives of thousands of people, depend on me, and I can't afford to spend my time putting myself in danger by dragging you out of it. Do you understand?'

Kaelyn couldn't look him in the eye. 'Yes, Master,' she mumbled.

'You're only young,' Galbatorix said more gently. 'I understand that. We all make mistakes. I'm not angry with you, but you have to understand that. Roland was right to say what he said. I've been acting like a hot-headed boy, not a leader. Now it's time for both of us to grow up. All right?'

Kaelyn swallowed the lump in her throat with some difficulty. 'Yes, Master.'

'Good. Now go and get some rest. I've got work to do.'

Kaelyn left without saying a word, her head bowed. Galbatorix watched her go. He felt cruel, but he forced himself to keep calm and say nothing. Still, he knew that he had done the right thing. He had looked upon Kaelyn as being as much like a sister as a daughter. Her youth and innocence had reminded him of his old self, and his friendship with her had encouraged him to act like it again without even realising he was doing it. It had clouded his judgement and, even though it hurt him inside, he knew he had to put aside the boy and act like a man. And if his friendship with Kaelyn suffered as a result… well, it would probably be for the best. The fact that he cared about her had already hurt the pair of them once, and he berated himself for forgetting that he was supposed to be leading the Forsworn, not using them as some self-deluding replacement for the family he'd lost.

'No,' he muttered aloud. 'Not for me, not ever again.'

He had to put aside his feelings for them now, and he knew it. Even if he didn't want to.

He sighed unhappily, and rubbed his aching back. It was still giving him trouble, even though the fight with Menulis had been some time ago. He'd have to ask Roland for a remedy of some sort.

In the meantime, there was work to do. He picked up his walking stick again, and limped out of the room.