Chapter 2: Part 10 - Family Is Everything

There was chaos in the hollow at Erin’s feet. On any other battlefield, that would have been an overstatement; there were ebbs and flows to the dance of warfare, ones that any seasoned warrior could read in a heartbeat. But here in the hills above the Grove, in a valley wrapped in mist and shadows and tangling vines, chaos was the only word for it.

Arrows flew and blades sang. Distantly, a wolf snarled and magic snapped into the air like a whip. Over it all lay a miasma of grey smoke, smelling of gunpowder and sulphur. That, Erin thought, was some thief or engineer’s work.

Through it all, bodies moved. The fighting seemed to coalesce and then break apart, each knot of combat colliding with the next before separating in different directions. It was oddly mesmerising.

And Erin, hands reaching for her greatsword, itched to join in.

“What are you waiting for?” Taria Valpari’s dry voice broke her reverie. Erin had wanted her to stay in Divinity’s Reach, but like stubborn old women everywhere, Taria had flatly refused. “An invitation?”

Erin drew her greatsword and raised it above her head. For just a moment, the fighting down in the valley seemed to slow, as though taking a collective indrawn breath ‒ and then Erin brought the sword down and the army massed at her back plunged over the lip of the hollow.

She’d been astonished and a little alarmed to discover how many fighters Taria could muster, even at short notice. She seemed to have every kind of mage and weapons-master at her disposal; they’d begun converging on Blackthorn Manor mere minutes after Taria had given the word for them to gather. Erin and Taria had eventually arrived in the Grove with a force of nearly forty behind them, enough to cause the sylvari some alarm. There, though, as everywhere else, Taria seemed to be known by everyone important. Within moments, they were out of the city and on their way.

Their little army streamed past Erin, vanishing into the murk below. There were shouts of alarm, more clattering weapons, and finally Erin prepared to follow them.

She was called back by Taria’s voice. “You have my permission to kill Artair,” she said, “though I doubt he’ll give you the chance.”

Erin’s grip tightened on the hilt of her greatsword. “I’m not here to do your dirty work.”

“No?” Taria’s eyebrows rose. “Then arrest him, if you must ‒ but know that no cell will hold him for long.”

“That’s a problem for someone else,” Erin said, hefting her sword onto her shoulder. “Once he’s caught.”

The fighting was almost over by the time she reached the bottom of the slope. Most of Artair’s guild had drawn back, Vasha and the two norn sheltering behind their weapons. They were hopelessly outmatched, but they hadn’t surrendered.

It took Erin only a moment to see why. Artair strode from the murk, a greatsword of his own balanced on his shoulder. There was so much confidence in his stride that even Erin, surrounded by Taria’s army, felt a moment of doubt. Even now, could Artair still win?

Erin scanned the crowd. She could see Caolinn and Ruby, Auri crouching beside a dazed-looking Jean ‒ but where was Oska?

Dread curdled in Erin’s stomach. She moved forwards, but every step felt leaden, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. “Where is he?”

Artair smiled broadly. “Your pet thief? I really couldn’t say.”

Erin had a horrible vision of Oska unconscious somewhere, his blood spilling into the warm jungle soil. He couldn’t have left the valley… Could he?

“Hand him over.” Erin knew her voice was rising and couldn’t seem to help it.

Artair looked far too pleased with himself. “I could, I’m sure… But first, I think we’d better come to an arrangement.”

The Archon knew he was outnumbered and yet he was exactly as Taria had described: too slippery by far. Had he known her army was on its way, or did he plan an escape route from every battlefield?

The grass beside Erin rippled and she looked down to see Auri. Her eyes were wide and wild. “Where’s Oska? Where have you taken him?”

Not in the valley then, Erin thought grimly. There were a dozen different portal devices Artair could have used. He could have sent Oska anywhere.

Which meant to keep her guild intact, she was going to have to negotiate.

She wondered, as she lowered her sword, if she would have done the same for the rest of her guild. If it had been Roan or Marissa or Amber in trouble, would she have felt such a potent sense of responsibility? Or was she giving in so easily because this was Oska, the youngest and most difficult of Light’s Memory? Was she treating him differently because she couldn’t help thinking of him as a child?

Artair looked even more satisfied ‒ and perhaps, more flatteringly, a little relieved. “A wise choice. My terms are simple: my Talons and I walk out of this valley, unharmed and untracked, and Oska will be returned to you. After a suitable interval, of course.”

Erin struggled not to grind her teeth in fury. Artair had the upper hand and he knew it all too well. But what was capturing him worth, compared to Oska’s life?

Whatever else happened, however else this war unfolded, she had to be better than the Archon himself.

“An hour,” she said. “You have one hour to return Oska once you leave the valley.”

Artair’s eyes narrowed. He’d been about to argue for a much longer lead, she was certain. But perhaps he could see, finally, that Erin wasn’t prepared to give in so easily ‒ and there was Taria to contend with, too.

The Valpari matriarch had come down the hillside silently and alone. Her small army parted to let her through, until she came to a stop at Erin’s side. “Artair. I’d say it was a pleasure to see you, but then I’d have to bite off my own tongue.”

Erin grimaced at the image and noticed Artair had done the same.

“An hour,” he said suddenly, the words directed at Taria. He even offered her an elegant bow. “Your grandson will be delivered to you unharmed. You have my word.”

Taria didn’t dignify that with a response. There was a faint creaking of leather as Artair moved; Erin realised he’d shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He was still eyeing Taria as though she might have her secret weapon hidden somewhere about her person ‒ but there was something else in his gaze, too. He was, Erin thought, almost scared of her.

He abruptly straightened, as though realising he’d given himself away. “Could I trouble you for a meeting, Lady Valpari? There is much we should discuss, though perhaps with fewer… onlookers.”

Erin thought Taria would refuse outright, but she inclined her head. “Perhaps.”

“Another time, then.” Artair shifted his greatsword from one shoulder to the other. His smug grin had returned. “And you can tell Oska we’ll continue our ‘conversation’ in the future, too.”

‘Conversation’? Meaning a fight, knowing Oska. He’d almost certainly tried to kill Artair; Erin was starting to wish he’d succeeded.

Taria, too, seemed to have tired of the meeting. She raised a hand and her army drew back, allowing Artair ‒ with the greatest dignity ‒ to withdraw. The rest of his guild followed, with many nervous sideways glances. Artair, Erin wasn’t surprised to see, didn’t look back.

“Are you sure about this?” Erin murmured to Taria, once they were alone.

Taria was silent for a long time, her gaze still fixed on the trampled ground where Artair had stood. “When you reach a certain age,” she said finally, “you learn one very important fact: family is everything.”

Erin nodded. Her own family ‒ Light’s Memory ‒ might largely be of her choosing, but that only meant she agreed more strongly.

They didn’t have to wait long for Oska to return. He emerged from a portal directly in front of them and went sprawling on the ground. His hands were bound behind his back, but his legs were free. He leapt up in a fury.

“That bastard,” he spluttered. “That plant-headed bastard. He drugged me. He actually drugged me!”

“You should be thankful he did no more than that,” Taria said. “Fool boy. What did you think you were doing, facing Artair alone?”

Realising it was his grandmother who’d spoken, Oska fell silent. There would be more complaints from him later, Erin knew, even if he held his tongue for now. Artair had surely made an enemy for life.

But he appeared to be unharmed, which meant Light’s Memory and the Valpari family were both reunited. Artair might be gone, but Erin was certain they hadn’t seen the last of him.

“What now?” she asked Taria. She got a sharp look in return.

“Now, you keep your guild members under control and let me make the next move,” Taria said. She turned, scanning the members of Light’s Memory behind them. Her gaze lingered longest on Auri, who’d retreated to stand at Caolinn’s side. When Taria spoke again, her tone was softer. “You and I must talk, Erin. I have a favour to ask.”

A favour, for Taria Valpari? Erin wasn’t sure whether to be flattered, or to run away screaming. Instead, she merely nodded.

“Tomorrow, then,” Taria said briskly. “At the manor. And bring the twins ‒ if they don’t get away from you before then.”

“Of course,” Erin said, wincing inwardly. Taria and Oska both seemed determined to drive her mad. It was only a matter of who got there first.