Starblade's answer to their troubles was simple: more magic. More mages. Everyone who had a spark of Mage-Gift should train it, and use it in their defense, while the handful of real mages worked to find an answer to their unstable Heartstone. Magic was the answer to every problem.
But how many times have I seen that using magic attracts problems? Hundreds.
And what happens when we attract something we can't handle?
No, more magic was not the answer. Not to Darkwind's way of thinking.
What we should do is appeal for help to one of the other Clans; we need Adepts who can drain the old Heartstone or stabilize it and take over this Vale for us. Then we can build a Gate and rejoin the rest. So what if they can't Gate in to us? That doesn't matter; and while we wait for the Heartstone to be made safe, we can defend ourselves with stealth, with cleverness.
He had to force his shoulder muscles to relax again, and sank a little deeper into the hot water. In fact, that's what we should be doing about this Adept. We should find some way of luring him out into the open, maybe by 'playing dead.' then we should neutralize him-but the one thing he wouldn't be expecting is a physical assault.
He nodded to himself, the pieces finally falling together for him. that Adept wants something-the power in the Heartstone, probably. He has to be watching constantly for magic power in use, and sending things against us only when he sees it. He really hasn't made an all-out assault against us because he's clever. He knows it would cost him less to take us by attrition than by full force.
And right now, he's hoping to lull us into forgetting that he's out there.
He tightened his jaw, thinking about how Starblade kept dismissing the importance of the scouts, and the threats on the borders. Right. He just might, too.
That brought up another thought. I wonder if he sent those intruders to test us. It could be. And not using magic told him-what? that we don't have mages to spare, probably. He should have a pretty good idea of how weak we really are at this point.
But what if I can use that against him? what if I can lure him out into the open, and find out who and what he is?
What if I could destroy him-or at least convince him that we're too strong, still, to be worth the trial?
He shook his head at his own ambitions. Certainly. And what if I could grow wings and fly out of here for help? the one is as likely as the other.
Best to stick to what he knew he could accomplish.
He looked up through the leafy canopy above him; not long until sunset, and that meant he had better get back to his own ekele. The dayscouts would be waiting to report, the night-scouts to be briefed. And Vree would be waiting for his dinner, for that bit of rabbit earlier was hardly enough to satisfy him.
Reluctantly, he pulled himself out of the spring, dried himself with his shirt, and pulled on the rest of his clothing.
If I can see what needs taking care of, then it's my job to take care of it.
My duties won't wait-whether or not Father approves.
*Chapter Five ELSPETH
Elspeth stood on guard, trembling with exhaustion, with the last of the dulled practice swords in her hands. The Captain went off-guard and nodded. 'Right,' Kerowyn said, just a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
'Let's go through it again.' Did I hear satisfaction? Approval? Gods, maybe all the bruises are worth it after all.
Elspeth shook sweat out of her eyes, picked up the scattered practice blades with hands that still tingled from Kero's disarms, and distributed them randomly around the perimeter of the circle. It was kind of funny, really. This was the one and only time she had ever been ordered to just drop weapons carelessly, leaving them exactly where they fell.
This had been another one of Kero's little exercises in 'attitude.' Today had been entirely defensive; she had not been permitted to strike a single blow.
And she'd had one of the most strenuous workouts she'd ever had in her life.
