“He’s right,” Nathaniel added supportingly. “We can’t let magic die. There must be a way.”
“What about the dragons?” Sir Ruban queried. “I have seen them put out the worst of fires.”
Gideon was shaking his head before the captain had finished. “The doorway is barely large enough for a human to fit through.” The old master cast his eyes over Asher’s sleeping companion. “And Avandriell is too young and too inexperienced to fight a fire this big.”
“So what are our options?” Kassian pressed.
“Perhaps,” Sir Ruban suggested, “we should take the fight to Alijah while there is still enough magic in the world to aid us.”
“Our options are few,” Gideon admitted. “But I don’t think we should even consider challenging Alijah and Malliath until we have a better understanding of the damage done to the tree.”
“If we wait,” Sir Ruban countered, “do we not risk having no magic at all?”
Vighon shook his head. “Regardless of the magic at our disposal, The Rebellion is in no shape to face Alijah and his Reavers right now. As much as I would like to make our enemy pay for what they’ve done, our priority is seeing to the wounded, gathering our strength, and investigating the damage to the tree. We aren’t going to beat Malliath without Ilargo and Athis and we’re not going to beat Alijah without magic on our side.”
“What if you only need to beat one of them?” The question came from the shadows, beyond the firelight. There were none on the council, however, who didn’t recognise the voice of Inara Galfrey, no matter how weak it sounded.
Gideon’s head whipped around. “Inara?”
The Guardian of the Realm entered the light, her fatigue there for all to see. Inara waved away the concern of many and declined the offered seat from Vighon, choosing to stand instead.
“What are you talking about?” Kassian asked her.
Inara looked at Gideon. “Have you told them?”
The old master appeared reluctant to answer her. “No,” he confessed.
“Told us what?” Kassian blurted impatiently.
“Malliath and Alijah are still bonded by one life,” Inara declared. “We have only to kill one and they will both perish.”
Asher’s attention sharpened to a point, the old assassin in him demanding action. It was like a sweet voice in the back of his mind. Avandriell stirred and opened her jaw to yawn. The voice in the back of his mind then quietened and he reminded himself that he was a ranger, not an Arakesh. He was part of something here, something more important and bigger than himself. Besides, he had tried to kill Alijah once before using the methods of the Arakesh and it ended badly.
He returned to stroking Avandriell’s head, discarding the urge to sink into the shadows and track his prey across the realm.
Nathaniel adjusted his position on the small barrel. “What do you mean, Inara?”
Asher listened intently as the Guardian went on to explain what she had discussed with Gideon the previous day. She detailed their findings and laid it out for those who might not be accustomed to the way of dragons and their companions. Ultimately, it came back to the ranger’s initial conclusion: focusing their efforts on killing Alijah alone would end the war.
Throughout Inara’s speech, Gideon remained seated with his arms folded and his hand covering his mouth. The look in his eyes told Asher that he didn’t fully agree with his old student.
“So we only have to kill one or the other?” Vighon questioned out loud and mostly to himself. “Focusing our attack on Alijah alone would improve our odds.”
“It would if we knew where he was,” Asher announced, speaking for the first time.
“I thought you could track anything,” Kassian quipped.
“Not through the sky,” Asher replied dryly. “I agree this changes the way we view our enemy, but they’re in the wind and beyond our reach. There’s a reason Alijah and Malliath have fled rather than secure this site. They have only to wait now. When magic is gone,” he said, glancing at Athis and Ilargo, “so too are their greatest threats. Right now we have a foothold. We should take advantage of our enemy’s absence.”
“Asher is right,” Gideon spoke up, though his words were directed at Inara. “We have access to the tree here.”
“Until the doorway closes,” Inara countered. “The Drakes fled before we even set up the camp. Without their magic down there, the doorway will close.”
“All the more reason to do what we can now,” Gideon argued. “I do not wish to return to Drakanan while Alijah and Malliath could follow us. I will not put the eggs at risk needlessly.”
A tension filled the gathering until Queen Reyna shattered it. “I think we can all agree on our priority here. Nobody wants to live in a world without dragons, therefore we cannot allow magic to fade away.”
“Are we all in agreement?” Vighon asked, looking from Inara to Gideon. “Magic is our priority? And only then, we take the fight to Alijah?”
“Aye,” Inara voiced first. “As long as we are in agreement on our strategy,” she added, looking pointedly at Gideon.
One member after another gave their aye in agreement, but it was Gideon’s response that drew Asher’s gaze. He watched the old master’s jaw clench as he agreed with the council and Inara’s stipulation.
“Aye,” Asher finally said, the last to do so. He continued to watch the old master, vowing to speak to him later rather than in front of the council.
“We cannot speak for the dwarves,” Faylen said.
“I will speak with Doran,” Asher volunteered. “I don’t think he will be ready to leave the plains yet, but I wouldn’t rely on them staying too long - this land is too exposed for any dwarf’s liking.”
Vighon gave Asher a look of appreciation before addressing the council again. “I would like to see this tree for myself. Though, I must admit, I have no idea
