The Lord of the Plains (82 page)

‘Do your people not deserve a moment’s
consideration before bringing a girl with human blood into the
city?’

‘I am
so
sorry.’ He bit out acidly.
But he said no more. He trembled with the effort, but he said no
more.

Adila did not step forward to say anything.
It was not out of cowardice or anything like that. Aerlid knew she
would speak to Rose- or perhaps already had- in private.

‘The city has been brought into sight, in a
populated area, for you. That requires a
very
good
explanation.’

Aerlid wondered if Adila had arranged this
for him behind the new Judgement Master’s back.

‘And I will give you one.’ he bit out. ‘But
right now, I am leaving with the mixed girl. Is that to your
liking?’

Rose looked at Aerlid in a way that would
have made him cringe if he hadn’t been so aware of Riley, so close
and understanding everything that had been said. ‘It is.’ she
replied.

Chapter 70

The next night Aerlid returned to the city.
He had not nearly accomplished everything he wished to do there,
and of course there was Rose.

First he made his way to a grassy meadow.
There was a cool breeze. There was usually a breeze in the city
now, even when it was still. Aerlid spotted the man he was looking
for asleep on his back on a large, grey rock.

‘Kaerlid!’ he called out as he made his way
up the hill towards the rock.

He received no answer in return, but when he
finally reached the man his eyes were open and he had a smile on
his face. He did not look very sleepy.

‘Aerlid. Adila told me to expect you.’

‘Did she say what for?’ Aerlid asked as he
made himself comfortable on the ground.

‘Yes.’ Kaerlid’s smile faded. ‘I don’t know
the answer yet. I think I could find out, but the King or Andalla
might notice. But if it’s important, Aerlid, I can find out.’

Aerlid sighed. He had feared that. ‘No, it’s
not that important. If they spot you looking they will likely try
and change the entry point anyway.’

‘I am sorry.’ Kaerlid said genuinely, ‘the
separation between here and there has gotten very delicate lately.
Any change vibrates through the whole thing.’

‘Riley is preparing as if they’re going to
appear right on top of her. Knowing would be nice, but it’s not
worth the risk. Please, think no more of it.’

‘Alright.’ and his smile returned. ‘Tell me
about your adventures!’

‘Certainly, but first, are you comfortable
like that, Kaerlid?’

‘Of course! You should try it!’

‘You’re taking up the entire rock.’

‘I could move.’

‘I’m fine here.’ and Aerlid smiled.

Aerlid spent the next few hours catching up
with his old friend.

Aerlid did not go directly to Rose once he
had finished with Kaerlid. An observer would have thought he was
just randomly wandering around the entire city, perhaps avoiding
the Judgement Master.

But that was not the case. As he walked
Aerlid picked up bits and pieces, some he pulled off structures or
tools. Once he picked up an entire tea set and took it with him.
Valkar who saw him watched curiously. A few asked what he was
doing. A few even helped.

Nobody seemed at all concerned at his
thieving spree.

And then, when he was laden down with metal
in all sorts of forms, he finally came to the rickety tower Riley
had noticed yesterday.

‘Fearlid!’ Aerlid called from down below. He
pronounced it Fe-
arr
-lid.

A round head popped into view at the top of
the tower. ‘What?!’ the man demanded.

‘Help me up!’

‘What’s all that for?! Have you forgotten
how to sing, Moonsinger? You can carry it up yourself!’

Grumbling, Aerlid carefully arranged his
loot around him. Then he began singing. The objects slowly rose,
they stopped around waist height.

Satisfied, Aerlid turned back to the swaying
tower and began climbing, his loot following him up.

At the top it was very windy. Aerlid’s hair
whipped back and forth around his face, but did not obscure his
vision. Fearlid was like all the valkar in that he did not cut or
adorn his hair, though his hair was short.

Fearlid, who looked very much like a rock,
observed him grouchily. There was a hard set to his mouth. This was
normal for Fearlid, so Aerlid was not concerned.

‘What do you want?’ Fearlid demanded. ‘What
is all that stuff?’

‘I need to use your tools.’ Aerlid said.

‘What? You want something made?’ Fearlid
glanced at the sword that hung from Aerlid’s belt. ‘Well, fine.
I’ll make it for you. You don’t want to end up with something like
that again.’

Aerlid, somewhat stiffly said, ‘I enjoy
forging. And I’m quite pleased with my sword.’

‘It has no soul!’

‘Well, maybe it doesn’t need one. I’d like
to do this myself, thank you. But there is something I need from
you.’

Fearlid gazed at him, his arms crossed
across his chest. ‘Out with it!’

‘It’s something I can’t make-’

‘Well that’s just about everything!’

Aerlid sighed in annoyance. ‘But I want it
quickly, within a few days. And I don’t want it to have a
soul.’

‘You don’t-?’ Fearlid gaped. Then he snapped
his mouth shut. His brows lowered like thunderclouds, ‘very well!
Tell me what it is and I’ll make it once you give back my
forge!’

Aerlid explained what he wanted. Fearlid
nodded curtly once Aerlid was done. ‘Moonsingers! I’ll make it,’ he
repeated. ‘But don’t complain when it turns out a useless lump like
that,’ he made a sharp gesture towards Aerlid’s sword, ‘or what
you’re making now!’ And with that Fearlid, grumbling all the while,
began climbing down the swaying tower.

Once he was gone Aerlid turned to look at
the small forge and sighed. The flimsy sticks holding it up did not
seem nearly strong enough. Add that to the way the tower swayed and
wobbled… He rather wished Fearlid didn’t enjoy having the wind in
his hair while he worked. Was it really so difficult for the valkar
to build a blacksmith’s workshop on the
ground
?!

By the time Aerlid was done for the day, he
felt more than a little seasick.

Fearlid was very,
very
unimpressed
with the beginnings of his creation. Aerlid thought it was starting
out quite well. And Riley would be thrilled.

But he had to go see Rose now. He could not
leave without seeing her.

Finding her was not that hard. She was the
Judgement Master, after all.

It was a bit jarring though, seeing her
surrounded by so many Sunsingers- the other judges.

She spotted him quickly. She waited for him
to approach her. There was some space around her- the other judges
near but not intruding.

‘Judgement Master.’ Aerlid greeted her.

‘Moonsinger. You have some things to tell
me.’

‘I do. Where shall I begin?’

‘You may not bring the mixed girl here
without warning, Moonsinger.’

‘I was told she would be welcome here.’

‘Welcome? If you believed that you would not
have offered to take her when she was born. No, Moonsinger, she may
enter the city. But we require warning first.’

‘Very well.’ he said stiffly.

Her tone cooled. ‘And to me, Adila is not
the Judgement Master any longer.’

Aerlid bit back an angry remark and smiled.
‘Of course, Judgement Master. My apologies.’

She inclined her head gravely. ‘Why did you
request the city move here?’

‘For one, I thought the Queen might wish to
meet her daughter.’ he answered very coolly, a thin smile on his
face. ‘Secondly, I have been informed the ehlkrid are coming. I had
some questions about that that I thought important.’

‘They are coming.’ Her tone was as cool as
his. She did not smile. ‘The shields we gave the humans last time
are still operational. There is no reason for us to interfere. At
all.’

Aerlid knew a warning when he heard one.

‘I won’t be asking the valkar for help,
Judgement Master.’ He said, some of the ire leaching from his
voice, leaving merely tiredness.

‘And the girl?’

Aerlid looked surprised. ‘How will she ask
the valkar anything without my assistance?’

Rose’s eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t know,
Moonsinger. That does not mean it is impossible.’

‘I will explain things to her. We don’t
expect any help, Judgement Master. No one is going to try and force
the valkar to interact with humans. Or ehlkrid. Or anyone.
Alright?’

Aerlid did not leave quite then- in fact he
spent more than a day in the valkar city. He still hadn’t quite
finished with Fearlid’s forge.

‘They could come down here.’ Riley was
saying. ‘There are no humans here, the gemengs are getting
better.’

Aerlid stared, slack jawed, as Riley just
turned him into a liar.

‘Riley.’

‘Aerlid, they don’t need to be so afraid.
They don’t need to miss the ground.’

‘It’s an interesting proposition.’ Adila
added with a smile.

Aerlid glanced at her.

‘I will suggest it. I think some will gladly
come and visit if they know there are no humans.’ she went on.

Riley looked pleased.

‘Adila,’ Aerlid hissed. He was wishing
fervently Riley had brought this up when Adila
hadn’t
been
present. ‘Rose is going to get upset!’

‘Rose is the Judgement Master, not the
Queen, Aerlid. And I’ll of course mention this to her as well. But
if other valkar wish to walk upon the earth it has never been a
judge’s role to prevent them.’

‘Adila, the gemengs are exceedingly violent.
And there
are
humans not far. Safety cannot be promised. And
with the city leaving…’

‘It can never be promised. I doubt many will
come, but I know some will. We’ll be careful. And you know the
city’s location is a minor issue. It’s not going far besides, it
will circle back before the ehlkrid return.’