Chapter 16 The Power of Words
THE POWER OF WORDS
The look of horror and pain on Aquilan’s face had Declan’s jaw tightening and his hands fisting at his sides.
Are you thinking of getting involved, Rahven? In Aravae and Separatist politics? His father’s voice slithered through his mind with that hint of a chuckle. Unwise.
Declan said nothing. Vex had scarpered off somewhere leaving Aquilan to deal with this even though it had been his idea to come here.
His father had no idea who Rohannan was.
And even if he’d dabbled with humans in the past, he didn’t really understand what it was like to truly be among them, live among them, believe he was one of them. But an outsider among them, too.
“They were trying to get wood to build their homes and keep their families warm. Woods nearby to where these people have lived their whole lives,” Rohannan continued. “Can you imagine not allowing that? Chasing off children for that?”
He is laying it on a bit thick, Vex murmured.
But Aquilan wasn’t seeing it that way. Not from the way his shoulders curled forward in empathy and one hand fluttered up by his face. Scaring a child would never be acceptable in his view. And, in truth, it wasn’t right. But this wasn’t the whole story. And the whole story needed to be told.
“There must be some mistake,” Aquilan began.
“There was no mistake,” Rohannan countered. “He made it clear that those woods didn’t belong to us. That we had no right to take wood from there. If they don’t belong to us, who do they belong to?”
Ah, well, likely the large Houses Aquilan had to bribe with the land to get them to come here in the first place, Vex chuckled.
Declan’s gaze slid up the street as he noted people moving against the flow of traffic as if to take their places in a play. To pop out on a mark. For the Sun King to notice. And then another sad story to be told. Declan’s lips flattened into a tight line.
Ah, it looks like he’s arranged a show here for Aquilan. And on short notice, too. To start with that little boy was a nice touch! Really gets the tear ducts flowing. Rohannan is a more clever man than I thought, Vex said with a touch of approval.
That just had Declan’s anger flaring hotter. That his father had any admiration for Rohannan was galling. It, again, just showed what Vex did not know. What he was so above he didn’t even see from his perch on his throne.
I wouldn’t admire him, Father. He’s not who he pretends to be, Declan suddenly spoke.
He had very good reasons to actively dislike Rohannan. Ones that only he knew, because he had kept them to himself. But that had just changed. And words, which were never his friends, suddenly felt like weapons–like arrows–that he could unleash in a torrent.
Oh, I don’t admire him! I’m just pleased he’s not a complete idiot, Vex responded.
I wouldn’t go that far. Just wait.
I defer to you, my son. I am fascinated to see your first foray into politics.
Rohannan continued, “So you see, your brother has made clear that we own nothing on our own world and–”
“Tell the rest,” Declan cut in. He didn’t raise his voice. He never did. He never had to.
Rohannan turned his head towards Declan, his lips parting as if with confusion.
Aquilan, who appeared stricken like a graceful fawn, turned towards him as well, blinking.
Declan’s rage flared hotter. Aquilan believed Rohannan, because he had no reason not to.
Aquilan loved people and children. He would immediately feel sympathy for the Separatists especially after witnessing a cherub-cheeked child back away from him in terror.
He would seek to help them. He would bring this tale to Vesslan, but since he wouldn’t know the whole truth, his brother would demolish it and him.
Any wrongdoing would be consumed by Aquilan looking like a fool…
“Tell the rest, Rohannan,” Declan repeated, but this time using the Separate leader’s name.
Rohannan put his hands on his hips. The three troglodytes with him clustered closer.
They jostled each other, but there were no more smiles on their faces.
Declan wasn’t surprised. He knew their type.
They were the same ones who had attacked Finley on the playground, three on one, until he had come and evened the score.
He had commanded them against going up against orcs, but part of him wished they would.
Except he wouldn’t want the orcs to get in trouble after they creamed these three idiots.
“Are you saying our leader is a liar there, Declan?” Warren hitched his pants up.
“Finley, let’s refresh Rohannan’s memory on this,” Declan said coldly, ignoring the big boy.
He would deal with him when he had to. Not before.
Violence with Aquilan here was to be a last resort.
He needed to keep things civil. Until they couldn’t be anymore.
“Are the Separatists unable to collect wood from the forests?”
Finley, who had been frowning and clearly debating whether to speak up, stepped forward, pushing his glasses up his nose. “They are. They just need to apply for permits.”
“Permits? Paperwork? For our own forests!” Rohannan attempted to wiggle out.
But Declan saw the hurt lessen in the Sun King’s beautiful face and confusion begin to bloom.
“Did they get those permits, Finley?” Declan continued.
“No, they did not,” Finley answered, a slight smile forming on his lips. “They refused to follow the rules.”
“Wait, wait,” Rhalyf said, coming over as well. “Finley, you told me this story the other day, didn’t you?”
“Yes, yes, I did,” Finley nodded.
“Oh, my.” Rhalyf’s expression grew dark and his smile more of a knife-slash across his face. “Forgive me, Declan, for interrupting. Now I understand. Please continue. I am fascinated about this refreshing of Rohannan’s recollection.”
Aquilan’s eyes widened at Rhalyf’s clear anger.
The charismatic elf was a secret blade. His edge was concealed by silky smiles.
But Declan understood Rhaly. He’d had to be agreeable among many disagreeable people.
He charmed and danced his way through most of them, but he knew when to fight. That was good.
“And, Finley, were they just gathering dead wood from the forest floor or cutting down a few mature trees for their alleged homes or firewood?” Declan continued.
“They were not. They were going after the oldest trees in the forest. One that had been there a few hundred years or more. Ones that the Aravae had specifically requested they not touch,” Finley continued in his best professorial manner.
“It was explained that these old trees were necessary in order to strengthen and teach the younger ones in the forest to grow.”
“That… that is true. That is something we do. Something we know,” Aquilan murmured. “If you cut down the elders, the forest will not flourish as it should. Is this true, Rohannan?”
Rohannan’s cheeks had flushed an ugly red and he was chewing on his toothpick even as he tried to keep the smile on his face. “Those are our trees and if we pick larger ones, we can take less of them and–”
“So you could have harvested wood from the forests if you had simply filled out some paperwork, but you refused to do that. You were requested for the health of the forest going forward not to cut down certain trees, but you decided that you were going to cut down those trees anyways, correct?” Declan asked Rohannan, but he didn’t wait for the Separate leader to answer.
“Finley, did they go to cut down those trees in the open or did they attempt to do so secretly?”
“I think they intended it to be secret,” Finley said with a flash of a smile at the now glowering Warren, Dean and Jeff.
Jeff was cracking his knuckles. Warren drew a hand underneath his chin as if in a slicing motion. Dean bared his teeth. But Finley knew that he was safe. Declan was right there.
“It wasn’t intended to be secret. We don’t need to secretly cut our own wood,” Rohannan objected, but his voice had lost its rich, confident timbre, and his upper lip kept writhing back from his teeth at Declan.
“Really? You didn’t? Are you sure about that? When did this alleged innocent mission to collect wood occur, Finley? What time of day… or night did they take a five-year-old out into the woods to cut down those trees?” Declan inexorably continued.
“Oh, it was about 2 am,” Finley answered.
Aquilan’s expression was now completely neutral. No longer was hurt or worry creasing his lovely features. He was withdrawn into himself. Drawbridge drawn up. And that was a damned shame and all Rohannan’s fault.
“So you routinely and non-secretly go to cut down trees in the middle of the night, Rohannan?
You risk the Leviathan and the other nighttime creatures in the forests to gather your wood when it's a hundred times riskier than during the day? And you bring children with you? Or did you use those children as shields–as props–just in case the Aravae caught you doing what they asked you not to?” Declan stepped towards the Separatist leader so that there was just a foot between their chests.
“Hey! Back the hell off!” Dean snarled and moved to shove Declan with one meaty fist.
“Don’t use magic, Rhalyf,” Declan said as he snatched Dean’s wrist expertly and twisted it just enough that the young man gave out a pained howl.
Dean went down on one knee while the other boys started to rush forward, but they stopped and scattered backwards as lightning raced across the ground in front of them.
The scent of the Void–cold, bitter ozone–had filled his nostrils and had been flowing from his cousin before the lightning appeared. “I need no assistance.”
“I see that. I just wanted to get in on this,” Rhalyf admitted as electricity still crackled around his fingers. “You’ve made it look so fun.”
“Declan, there is no need for violence,” Aquilan said calmly.