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“The blind woman sent you back,” Vaelin hts hiht him then, but now” Erlin shook his head “Now it seerows unchecked”

Vaelin pushed theaccustomed to the realisation that any ansould be slow in coht others and they took rievous and it took uage, their legends, the truth of how our people had taken their land from the their forest, just great skill and fierce courage birthing enough fear to keep us at bay In time, I said ave iven to distraction and sometimes wearied by the often-repeated mistakes and cruelties that beset hulanced up at the misted steps above—“in the end”

• • •

The mountain top lay under a vast silence as thick as the ue shapes visible in the swirling haze as they crested the final step Erlin sagged a little fro stick and eyeing the shadowy forms ahead with naked trepidation “I hate this place,” he breathed, voice soft as he straightened and started forward “But then, so did those who built it, I iine”

They started forward into the s, all showing signs of having been crafted by the same hands that had built the ruins at the base of the s and s a miniature echo of the Fallen City But these were not ruined The silence becas, each ee Despite the lack of dae Vaelin knew this to be an ancient place, the corners of the buildings smoothed and rounded by the elements Also, in contrast to the Fallen City there were no statues here, the only decoration the fadedby centuries of wind and rain Whoever had built this place seely had scant time or inclination towards art

It took onlyat the edge of a wide flat circle, in the centre of which stood a single flat-topped plinth “Memory stone,” Vaelin said

Erlin nodded and Vaelin heard the faint tremor in his voice as he replied, “The last to be carved, by the hand of a god no less”

Vaelin’s mouth twitched in unwanted aod is a lie”

They shared a laugh, only for a moment, the sound of their mirth soon lost amidst the rip on his walking stick and started forward “Shall we?”

Like the surrounding buildings the plinth’s edges had been softened by ages of exposure, though the flat top was smooth and unmarked, the indentation in the centre a perfect circle “You’ve touched this before?” Vaelin asked Erlin

“Four tiuided by the otten city of towering e tribes I wasn’t overly surprised to find the reality didn’t end, it rarely does”

He extended his hand so it hovered over the stone, aze “Ready, brother?”

“I have touched these stones twice before,” Vaelin said, seeing the tree but no threat”

Erlin gave another laugh, harsher this tie is a threat to someone”

Vaelin extended his hand and Erlin took it, entwining the fingers Closing his eyes, he took a breath and lowered their hands to the stone

PART IV

By Alpiran reckoning King Janus Al Nieren was born in the tenth year of the New Sun, under a configuration of stars known to Alpiran astrologers as “The Rearing Lion,” a fact that would provide portents aplenty for ad decades His daughter, by contrast, was born under the comparatively mundane constellation of “The Hay Bale,” named for its resemblance to recently harvested wheat The fact that the Loyal Guild of Iers recently voted to renaeful Flame” says much for the subsequent course of Realm history, not to er’s art

—VERNIERS ALISHE SOMEREN, A HISTORY OF THE UNIFIED REALM: INTRODUCTION, GREAT LIBRARY OF THE UNIFIED REALM

VERNIERS’ ACCOUNT

“Did she know?”

I watched the harbour as we drew near, its vastness testi hub of the lower Boraelin It stretched in a broad curve so, and many ships, more than was usual in fact As we drew closer I noted most arships, an ar haonels hauled into place

Empress Emeren calls her fleet to the capital, I deduced For what purpose?