Eldarien finds Rorlain at the edge of Falstead just as the last light of day is fading from the sky and darkness is beginning to cloak the land in deep shadow. He is easy to find, as he has already started a campfire whose light burns bright in the air, orange and yellow, and whose crackling echoes in the stillness of the slumbering village. He looks up when Eldarien draws near and says, "I have some water boiling. I thought you might perhaps like a bit of tea."
"That sounds good. Thank you."
"Of course. Have a seat." He gestures for Eldarien to sit opposite him. "I thought now might be a good time for me to share more with you about my years in contact with the rebels—though that is not what they call themselves."
Eldarien takes a seat, grateful for Rorlain's delicacy in not prying into his experience upon returning to his home, even as he feels by him both seen and cared for. What he needs right now is for all to abide and to mature in silence, and in offering to converse of something else, Eldarien seems an act of surprising and touching attunement on the part of his new companion. And so he replies, "They object to the title? What do they wish to be called?"
"Freedom fighters. Liberators," Rorlain replies. "Something of that nature."
"Perhaps we could find a compromise between the two extremes," says Eldarien. "They cannot claim to speak for all the people of Telmerion, but neither should they be labeled merely as rebels, for I am sure they wish to do more than rebel."
"You, of course, entirely correct. It seems to me that to define oneself merely by what one objects to, what one rebels against, is to mark oneself for destruction, whether one succeeds or fails in one's goals. For with the downfall of one's enemy, one too will fall."
"I am interested in knowing more about this movement," Eldarien says. "I know very little, as I have been away from Telmerion since before the rebellion began. But I also want to know your story and the path that you have walked. I leave it to you to share both in whatever way seems most fitting to you."
"I departed from home shortly after the Minstead uprising," Rorlain begins, "and traveled thence to see for myself what had caused the ferment and to discern if there was aught that I could do."
"Were you already favorable to rebellion before this?" Eldarien asks. "Or, perhaps better said, did you have disfavor for the Empire?"
"My purpose was mixed from the beginning, as had been the experiences of my life," replies Rorlain. "I was born and raised in the Cara'fel Woods, as you know, and so the greater part of my life's experiences have been of the wild and of my family alone within it, with outside contact main only with the handful of other families that make the woods their home. But that is not all. Clearly my parents thought it important for me to know firsthand something of the wider world, and this I did experience at different times and for differing reasons. I traveled to Igny not only for supplies but also to stay for longer periods. For example, I stayed for a duration of four years in my late adolescence, working for some woodworkers in the area and learning the manner of such labor from them. I suspect that my parents also hoped that I would find a wife during this time.
"Much later, after about ten years had passed, I traveled south to Thæme, Rhovas, and Ristfand, staying a while in each place. It was in Ristfand that I first made contact with currents that could be called rebellious or revolutionary. Of course, I had encountered individual or corporate unrest before, but now I encountered much more. If you do not know, much of the manpower for the Minstead rebellion was channeled from Ristfand. The cities are far from one another in distance and yet close in intent and in nature. I learned of this in conversation with members of the so-called 'Guild of Freemen.' They have a secret network in the city, and they often seek out newcomers whom they introduce to their activities. They keep watch on them for a few days to learn of their leanings and make contact if they think it a profitable endeavor."
"Why only newcomers and not those native to Ristfand?" Eldarien asks.
"I assume it is because a refusal will cause less ripples that way. Often they focus on travelers who intend to stay a short while—aiming to give them a very different reason for their visit and even a reason to stay and join the movement. But they also recruit long-time residents, old and new, if they seem trustworthy and, of course, share the revolutionary leanings of the guild. In this case they are simply doubly cautious in breaching such a conversation."
"All of this secrecy sounds very unappealing to me," remarks Eldarien.
"Granted, it is off-putting," Rorlain agrees, "but necessary. Under the peaceful veneer of the Empire's control lies a strain of violence, and any who were found out were often crushed immediately, and by no means in the most peaceful or reasonable ways. But this only fueled their vigor and their desire for rebellion." He looks at Eldarien thoughtfully for a moment and adds, "People's capacity for toleration is astounding and disconcerting. The way that the people of Telmerion have accepted the occupation of the Empire now for two hundred years, and yet also the way that the people of Ristfand have tolerated both the Imperial presence and the rebel presence without taking any sides—as if neither was of any importance to their daily lives—is incredible."
"I think the ordinary person doesn't consider much who rules from 'on high'," says Eldarien, "as much as how this influences his immediate concerns: his daily nourishment, his ability to work for what he needs, his capacity for entertainment and a comfortable life, the peace of his town or village, and his freedom to marry whom he wishes and to raise a family according to his heart's intent."
"In that you are right. And the Empire excels not only in leaving the daily lives of its subjects much the same as before but in greatly enhancing them. This makes the Empire's presence, to the ordinary man or woman, seem as something acceptable or even desirable."
"My path was a little more convoluted, but in many respects similar," Eldarien says. "I joined myself with the Empire in the hopes of bringing peace where before there had been bloodshed, of somehow stopping any more villages from undergoing what had happened to mine. I did not know—though perhaps I should have, were my heart wiser—that I would become instead one of those who inflict death unjustly rather than one of those who prevent it."
"Many, indeed most of us, have been blinded by the Empire's tactics," Rorlain says, and then he corrects himself. "Or rather, we have welcomed the benefits brought by the occupation of the Empire and accepted, as regrettable necessities, the negative implications. Clearly, on the surface, the positives far outweigh the negatives, after all. What is a little tax paid yearly to the tribune in comparison with legions of soldiers protecting our lands from brigands and beasts? What is the foregoing of jurisdictional autonomy in comparison with the peaceful coexistence, and at times even authentic cultural fusion, that the Empire's presence has made possible?"
"But what you are saying is that there is a black underside?" asks Eldarien.
Rorlain sighs and then says, "There is, and perhaps there always has been. Or perhaps it is only in recent years that things have begun to change. I wish I knew. I wish I knew what truly happened two hundred years ago and why the clan leaders of old surrendered their power to the Emperor and his legate. Was the black seed already present, and the ill-intent? Or have things only gone awry in our own lifetime?"
"You learned nothing of this in your time in Minstead?"
"Those who lead the rebellion have been blinded by the desire for power and are fueled by hatred and vengeance. It is now like a fire that is too strong, too hot to be extinguished, even were the leaders shown that their rebellion is wrong or misguided."
"So they fight, in truth, for themselves and not for the people of Telmerion?" asks Eldarien.
"That is sadly in large part true," Rorlain agrees. "Often the most vocal proponents of the 'people' are the ones who speak most only on behalf of their own wishes. In this case, it seems a mixture of the two."
"Who then shall speak for the people?" Eldarien muses, more to himself than to Rorlain. "If the Empire speaks for the Empire and not for the people of Telmerion, and even the rebellion speaks more for itself than for anyone else, who will speak for those who have no voice or whose voice is too weak to be heard amid the clamor?"
"A just question... And now you know why I left the rebellion," Rorlain says. "But I wish I knew the answer to that question. I left in disillusionment, in pain, because I knew our fight was not entirely just, and not because I had a better solution. Right now, the only path I know is to walk with you, my friend."
"And I am grateful to have you by my side," Eldarien says, reaching forward and placing his hand on Rorlain's shoulder for a moment. "And thank you for telling me all that you have thus far. But please continue now. You learned of the revolutionary movements while in Ristfand. But you did not join then, did you?"
"No. The spark was kindled then, you could say. But it was only with the conflagration of the Minstead rebellion that I was stirred to action. I did not tell my father what I was doing or where I was going. I told him only that I wished to seek someone to wed so that our homestead could continue to exist in the coming years. I knew that this was something he desired, so I was confident that he would let me go. He did not know why I had yet to marry, and I had not told him. It was something I could never put into words, either to myself or to another."
"You still cannot do so?" Eldarien asks.
"That is true," says Rorlain softly. "I am not sure that I can. Suffice it to say that I felt that a different purpose lay ahead for me and that a wife and children would hinder such a purpose when it came."
"That is truly all?"
"Not much to go on, is it?"
"Actually, it reveals to me a great deal about your character."
"You believe so?"
"Yes. Rare are the men who would remain as you are in expectation of an 'unknown' that may or may not come in the future and for which they hold themselves in expectation."
"Well, I always knew it would come, whatever 'it' may prove to be."
"Then may it be," Eldarien says, "and may it be all that your heart has sought and desired all these years. You are truly more of a marvel to me the longer I know you."
"You praise me too highly," Rorlain says, with downcast eyes. "For me it was nothing. Many act on vague intuitions or murky hopes, longing for more than their present life offers. A person is not tempted to seek out what he has never much desired. My path has often been like this, and my desires have remained simple throughout my life. It is not that I have neither desire nor capacity for marriage, only that my heart is inclined toward, and feels drawn to, something else." He pauses, and his eyes glisten thoughtfully for a moment before he continues speaking, "In fact, only now, after encountering you, have my horizons begun to widen in a way far different than I expected, giving me, as it were, renewed hope of an answer."
"We have seen and done very little as of yet," Eldarien laughs.
"But a large purpose carries you wherever you go, Eldarien," Rorlain says in all seriousness. "Part of it is the depth and sobriety of your own intent, but part of it is...well, part of it is something else. I cannot quite name it, at least not yet."
"Well, I accept your words as you speak them, then," Eldarien replies. "But let us return to your story. How did things unfold when you came to Minstead?"
"I arrived a few months after the first sparks of rebellion caught fire," Rorlain answers. "By then, the city of Minstead was entirely under rebel control, and the Imperial forces had withdrawn their occupation to the outlying towns and villages. Armed conflict had resolved itself to small skirmishes in the plains or the woods and along the roads. The rebels fought with guerrilla tactics, hiding out of sight and waiting for a passing Imperial patrol or caravan, seeking to thin their numbers or to cut off their supply. The forests and roads were dangerous places, not only because of the possibility of fighting, but also because the Imperial forces were becoming restless, suspicious, and eager to eliminate this threat. I myself did not know of the situation at the time, of course, and only learned the details after arriving in Minstead. They told me that I was fortunate to have made it to the city without being stopped and interrogated by an Imperial patrol.
"Suffice it to say that I joined up with the rebels immediately. They are a fighting force far different than the soldiers and knights of the Empire—more a band of farmers, blacksmiths, lumberjacks, and ordinary citizens than trained fighters. Training was done in whatever time we could spare, but many of us fought without ever having trained with a blade. There was no trial period, no apprenticeship in warfare. They were more concerned with the possibility of having a rat in their midst and questioned us thoroughly—and watched us keenly. But as for fighting, they simply placed weapons in our hands and assigned us to a group in the wilderness. That is where, in a company of thirty rebels, I had my only taste of battle and of death inflicted by men upon men. I was involved in two encounters, both of which were ambushes of patrols of Imperial cavalry. They were short affairs, and neither time did I get into physical proximity with the enemy. Most of the Imperial soldiers were felled by arrows—mine included—before we engaged them in armed combat. Only three of the men in my group were lost in these encounters, while we slew a good twenty or thirty trained soldiers, a few of whom were knights."
"It seems like the rebel tactics were quite effective," Eldarien says.
"They were at that time," Rorlain replies, "though I imagine things have changed quite a bit since then, as the Empire has learned to counter their enemy."
"Did you ever make the acquaintance of any of the leaders of the rebellion? Wygrec Stûnclad, for example. It is good to know the manner of warfare being waged, but above all I wish to know more about the reasons, about what drives those who fight in this war."
"Wygrec has taken up a kind of leadership of the city, or at least he had when I was there. He acts as a sort of clan leader, or even more, as the unnamed or soon-to-be high king of Telmerion. I did not speak to him directly, in person, but I had contact with many of his confreres. They said that the fight was against the injustice of the Empire, not only in response to particular actions of oppression, but also in the deep conviction—which all shared very strongly—that Telmerion belonged in the hands of the Telmeric people alone."
"What are Wygrec's reasons for fighting?" Eldarien asks. "Or rather, I imagine that they are the same as what you just said, but do you know what catalyzed his fight against the Empire?"
"That," says Rorlain, "is actually common knowledge. But I suppose I shouldn't expect you to know, since you have been away from our land for so long."
"It indeed seems that I have missed a lot."
"The events behind the rise of Wygrec Stûnclad are evident, though it is uncertain how deeply he is moved by the personal circumstances of his life or how deeply these personal circumstances simply led him to a conviction of the evils of the Empire."
"To what are you referring?"
"Wygrec lived in a small village not far from Minstead," Rorlain answers, "and he was a blacksmith of high repute. Many from the surrounding regions turned to him even before the smiths of their own towns. It seems that the Imperial knights and soldiers also often relied on him for work, whether the simple fitting of horseshoes or the repair of arms or armor. And one of the knights stationed in the Minstead guard would frequent his smithy. Eventually it became apparent that this knight came for more reasons than metal. He had taken a liking to the blacksmith's wife. All came to a head when the knight brought accusations against Wygrec before the regional governor. I am not aware of the nature of the accusations, but suffice it to say that Wygrec was imprisoned in Minstead, under Imperial guard, while said knight took his wife as his own, and against her own will, it seems."
"So it is true," Eldarien says, "that Wygrec has deeply personal reasons to fight and probably a great deal of anger spurring him to do so. And yet it is also true that the very actions of the knight who treated him thus, and the fact that he was allowed to bend the law to fit his own lusts, probably awakened Wygrec to a sense of the injustices perpetrated under the very gaze of the Empire and in its name."
"Precisely."
"Thank you for your explanations and your sharing, Rorlain. This is quite illuminating for me, though questions still remain. I am sure that there will be more to say as we continue to journey together."
"Yes," Rorlain says. "I will be happy to share whatever else comes to mind or to answer any questions you may have."
"But for now, let us get some rest," concludes Eldarien, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair in weariness both physical and emotional. "Tomorrow we make for the barrow and will find what we shall find."
† † †
Eldarien awakes with a sword to his throat. Dawn has not yet come, but the early morning light has begun to illuminate the sky, and when he opens his eyes, he sees a heavily armed man standing above him, with similar figures not far behind him. His garb is that of a lawbringer, an officer of justice in service of the Empire, and his face is marked by cruelty. This Eldarien sees immediately as he looks up and lets the sleep fall away from his eyes.
"Stand," the man growls, "I will not take a man lying down."
Eldarien rises to his feet and looks around. Perhaps a dozen men stand before him, all outfitted with armor and weapons. Under his leather shirt, Eldarien wears his mail hauberk, in which he had learned to sleep long ago, but his sword lies on the ground beside where he slept, now unreachable. Rorlain stands in the shadows about a yard or two behind Eldarien, fully armed and with fire in his eyes. The man who had awakened Eldarien sees him but gives him no notice. Instead he speaks and addresses Eldarien.
"My name is Irilof Vandirel, deputy to the great lawbringer, Lord Dirn, and I speak and act in his name and with his full authority. We have come to arrest Eldarien Illomiel, the captain who has betrayed his duties to the Empire," he says, with haughtiness in his voice, as if his office has given him some privileged access to life beyond ordinary men, "and our orders are to take you either dead or alive. It matters little."
"Then, if you allow my companion to go free," Eldarien responds immediately, "I shall give myself up willingly."
"No," whispers Rorlain through gritted teeth. He draws his bow, knocks an arrow, and aims it at Irilof before anyone else can move. "If you try, you shall fall where you stand."
In response, the man laughs, though he does not take a step forward or reach for his own weapon. "We have a rash one here, don't we? Do you not realize, peasant, that you are outnumbered ten to two? If you were to strike me down, you would just as surely and quickly fall at the hands of my men. And perhaps your friend here would lose his life in the process. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"
"Rorlain, please," Eldarien says softly, with a wave of his hand indicating that he should lower his bow. "We have no other choice."
After a moment of hesitation, Rorlain lowers his weapon, though he leaves the arrow knocked on the string.
"Good, good," the man says. "Things should not be more complicated than necessary."
"Can you at least tell me why I am under arrest?" Eldarien asks.
"Surely you know? And surely, indeed, I have already stated the reason?"
"I sent a letter requesting removal from the military and release from my oath, or a new discernment of its terms."
"An unusual and illicit favor, and you left without its being granted. Far be it from a knight of the Empire to withdraw his oath in the face of battle. It is a sign of the greatest cowardice."
"You do not speak truly," Eldarien says. "You must know that this is not what led me to such action. May I at least face a court of law when we reach Brug'hil?"
"Brug'hil?" Irilof replies, raising his eyebrows. "That city is a long way from here, and much could happen on the road. No, we are going to Ristfand, and there you shall face trial. But I suggest you prepare yourself for swift execution."
"There is another lie that I detect in your voice," Eldarien says, ignoring the man's words.
"And what might that be?" replies Irilof. "You speak with arrogance in the face of the might of the law. So speak quickly, that we may be on our way."
"You have come to take me alive. Whatever the reason may be, it is important that I still draw breath."
Irilof laughs again, and Rorlain growls in response.
"Ignore it, Rorlain," Eldarien whispers. "It is the weak who must laugh to prove their superiority."
"Silence your tongue before I remove it from your mouth!" cries Irilof, turning suddenly from mockery to rage. The two men understand clearly the message: the man who stands before them is weak, in both laughter and anger. But the weakest men are often capable of the greatest evil, and so they both withhold any response and remain silent.
At last Irilof continues, "Yes, you are correct, traitor. You are needed, but only as a tool in service of greater purposes. And once you have served that purpose, we shall need you no more. Indeed, then you shall be a manifest enemy and will not be allowed to live."
"You speak clearly of your plans before your foe is even subdued," Rorlain says, making a move to raise his bow again.
"It is because he knows I will not resist," says Eldarien. "Let my companion go free, and I will surrender myself willingly."
What follows these words happens so quickly that there is hardly any time to react. Irilof cries out, "Take them both!" and the men accompanying him charge forward, drawing their weapons. Eldarien raises his hands in surrender, and Rorlain hesitates, raises, and then finally lowers his bow. Soon both Eldarien's and Rorlain's hands are bound behind their backs, and their legs are tied together so that they cannot run without hindering each other: Eldarien's right leg to Rorlain's left, with only six inches of navigable rope free between them. Their weapons are also confiscated in a bundle carried by one of the guards.
"So where, in truth, are we going?" Eldarien asks, when all the movement has stopped.
Irilof replies, "We go to the barrow of Sera Galaptes."