The Gathandrian Trilogy 02 - Hallsfoots Battle

but more will come. He shivers, but not only because of the cold. He wraps his cloak around him and makes for the well, the cook following close at his heels in spite of what he has said.
    In his hand, the six emeralds pulsate and begin to sing. Something at the well is glowing a faint shade of green and Ralph is not sure, but he thinks he can hear the echo of howling. Despite his unaccountable frailty, he begins to run, or rather stagger, onward.
    He is almost there when the flash of green fire circles the well again and two figures fall through. With them is something black and silver that makes Ralph’s mind darken, but it vanishes from his sight with the sudden influx of the mountain dogs and the tumbling white feathers of what must be a snow-raven. The village square is overwhelmed with a cacophony of sound that tears at the blood and leaves no room for breath.
    In the middle of that is a white cool space where, upward through the air, he can see one bright green jewel. Ralph cries out and it seems to turn in the wind and fly towards him. One of the fallen men reaches out towards the emerald, but he is already too late. As if it has been waiting for Ralph’s hand only, the jewel flies over grasping fingers and lands like a bird in his palm.
    He folds it within his grip and eases it back into the dark pouch, feeling the soothing click as it meets its companions.
    The other man then speaks, but he already knows who it is.
    “Ralph,” the scribe whispers, and breaks open the Overlord’s mind once more.

Chapter Ten: The place of silence

    Annyeke
    Time stopped and, in its place, silence flowed. She remained standing in the ruined Library with its shattered books and manuscripts, surrounded by exhausted people, but she was not there at all. She was in herself and outside the world. She gasped, took a step backwards and it was as if the action resulted in song, a melody breaking out through darkness and light. It warmed her. The colours of her mind shifted, flowing together in an ever changing sky of green and silver, blue and gold. Clouds and air. They were a mirror of the song. Slowly, she spun round, trying to understand where she was and how she could return to where she was most needed. This did not seem like a trick of the mind-executioner; it appeared too beautiful for that. But even so, her responsibilities pressed against her shoulders and she knew she should not spend time here.
    Time is not important. Where I am, time is not.
    Annyeke sat down. The shimmer of light and colour beneath her body held firm. Somehow she had known it would be so. She had never heard the Spirit of Gathandria speak directly, even in her dreams, but she had no need to ask who this voice was. Her blood and her mind told her the answer, and silence was her only response. Annyeke, who had always been first to speak and feel in any situation, found here that words or emotions were not enough. Only silence mattered.
    She waited.
    After a time, she could not ever have explained afterwards, the voice spoke again.
    Will you see what I see , Annyeke Hallsfoot? Will you understand it with me?
    If she had been capable of words in this place of silence, they would have been:
    Show me what you would then, Spirit, for I am only waiting for you.
    The colours of this world exploded into something like the sun, a circle of light she could walk through. Knowing this was what was intended, Annyeke rose to her feet once more and stepped forward. She was shivering, but the beauty around her meant she felt no terror.
    She saw what was happening and how a knife had pierced her beloved city , not in the Library, where she had thought it would come, but in the park.
    Johan and Talus stood on the ruined grass. She could only see their faces. Perhaps her faith was not strong enough for more insight? She could not even see any of the Gathandrians she understood must be there with them. No matter. As her throat grew dry, she knew she would accept what she had been given. Here and now, she could not look away. Both boy and man were staring at a small gap in the falling snow at the edge of the trees. Hardly anything and, in the light of all the unfamiliar events happening at every moment around them, not something Johan would have been concerned about if Talus hadn’t seen it first and asked what it was. Annyeke sensed the moment when the man she loved focused his thoughts upon the mystery and, at the same time, she became aware the boy’s mind was