The Runes of the Earth

silence and loneliness, the freedom from astonishment, which my spirit craved.

“There I became Unfettered. The Haruchai had spoken of such men and women. From them I had learned the words, though I did not know the song.”

In a frail voice, he recited:

“Free

Unfettered

Shriven

Free-

Dream that what is dreamed will be:

Hold eyes clasped shut until they see,

And sing the silent prophecy-

And be

Unfettered

Shriven

Free.”

Then he continued his story.

“Sunder and Hollian my parents had set themselves to heal the life of the Land. For myself I chose another task.”

Abruptly the character of the battle changed. Too many of the kresh had been slain: too many howled at the fire in their fur, or at the torment of their crippled and dangling limbs. First one at a time, then by twos and threes, then all together, the pack turned to flee.

“I wished to comprehend the Land’s spirit. I did not purpose healing. In my astonishment, I did not conceive that I might attempt so great a task. But I dreamed that if I could teach myself to harken to the essential language of the Land, I might hear of truths or needs which would enable those who came after me to provide deeper balms, more fundamental restorations.

“And betimes,” the old man admitted, “I imagined that if I could but tune my ears and Earthpower to an adequate acuity, I might learn from the gutrock itself how the Land might be rid of its most ancient and implacable evil.”

The ur-viles followed, killing every beast within reach of their power. The cries of the kresh filled the rift, a forlorn ululation. But the Ramen did not give chase. Instead they began to move among the fallen, searching for any of their comrades who were dead or injured, and ending the pain of the maimed wolves.

“For many years-a generation and more among the folk of the Land-I came here, to this place, this rock.” More and more, Anele leaned on Linden’s support. He had no strength left for anything but words. “Here with the Staff of Law and Earthpower, I studied stone in every flake of mica and complication of granite, every cunning mineral vein, every trace of recollected heat. Each ripple of texture and flake of loss I memorized until it became the substance of my heart. And when at last I had brought my mortal flesh into consonance with the Earth’s bones, I found that I could hear the speech of mountains.”

Bearing three dead comrades, and five sorely wounded, the Ramen ascended the rubble, led by the Manethrall.

He has no friend but stone.

“Have I spoken of years and generations? Sunder and Hollian my parents far surpassed the span of ordinary men and women. By the measure of other folk, I was an old man when I inherited the Staff of Law-and more than old before I discovered true hearing-for I had inherited also the longevity of Earthpower and Law.”

When the Ramen reached the gutrock, Stave joined them. And Liand did the same drawing Somo behind him. Blood streaked his left arm, but Linden could not gauge the extent of his injury.

“Much I learned here,” Anele breathed hoarsely, “more than I am able to contain. I heard hints of the Durance, and of the skurj. In such matters the Elohim played a part entwined with Earthpower and the Worm of the World’s End. Yet always I remained myself, incapable of the burden of astonishment. With the Staff and my own nature, I had opened a storeroom crowded immeasurably with memories and lore. Yet I was who I was, and could not attain the stature of such knowledge.”

On the open stone, the Ramen set down their hurt and fallen comrades. The dead they placed respectfully aside, then turned to tend the wounded. Some of the hurts looked grievous, but none of the Ramen cried out or made any sound.

“A better man might have felt the geas of the Earth’s need and found an answer. I did not. I could not imagine that the peril pertained to me, for the Staff exceeded me always. Therefore I only listened, and heard, and did naught.”

The Manethrall did not stay with her people, but instead approached Linden and Anele, with Stave beside her. The other Ramen gestured for Liand to join them, but he ignored them to accompany the Manethrall and Stave.

“Thus my doom came upon me at last, and I fell from the Land’s service through no cause but my own littleness and folly.”

As soon as the Master reached her, he said impassively, “Linden Avery, we must not tarry here. If these ur-viles will permit us, we must return to Mithil Stonedown while daylight holds. You have seen that I do not suffice to ward you. We require the greater safety of habitation and other Haruchai.”

But the Manethrall woman forestalled him with a severe movement of her hand. “Depart if you will, Bloodguard,” she told him sternly. “We will permit the old man to speak. Long have we wished to hear his tale.”

Obliquely Linden heard in the woman’s voice that she did not trust Stave. For some reason, she considered ur-viles less threatening than Masters.

Anele had not paused. He seemed to hear no voice except the lament of the stone’s memories.

“In one clean dawn, pristine and cherishable, while I rested from hearing in the kindly cave which had become my home, I felt the thing of wrong-the thing which destroyed me-and was fearful of it, for I had never known its like.”

At last, the ur-viles ceased harrying the kresh. Still in formation, they turned to climb back up the jumbled slope.

“In some fashion it resembled the Sunbane’s touch upon the Land. And in some fashion it echoed the seeping vileness which mars the waters flowing from Mount Thunder’s depths into the embrace of the Great Swamp. Yet it was neither of those. Rather it was fresh- new-born to harm, and virulent beyond my comprehension. This stone could not have described such abomination to me. It would have rent itself asunder in the telling.”

The wedge ascended steadily; but the Manethrall gave it no heed, although Stave regarded it askance.

“For a time,” Anele moaned, “my fear held me, and I faltered. Yet gradually I remembered courage, and determined that I would go forth to gaze upon this thing of evil.

“A simple choice, I assured myself, to go forth and gaze only. I would decide upon a better response when I had perceived its nature. Or perhaps when I had learned to understand it-”

Abruptly Stave insisted on the Raman woman’s attention. “Do not miscomprehend, Manethrall.” He may have wished to interrupt Anele’s tale. “Your presence among these mountains is a great boon to the Land, unexpected among the perils of these times. If you will consent to accompany us, or to return to your ancient homes upon the Plains of Ra, all the Haruchai will rejoice in your presence.”

He did not sound joyful, however. Instead his tone conveyed an adamantine resolve as he added, “I intend no disrespect when I say that we must depart now.

“I do not speak for the Chosen. As you have discerned, she is the Ringwielder, and will do as she must. But the old man is in our care, and we do not permit his freedom. He must return at once to Mithil Stonedown.”

Gasping, Anele stumbled to a halt as if in dread; as if the Master had laid cruel hands on him. His thin form sagged against Linden’s support.