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Chapter Six
Part Four

“Are you sure you want us here?” Lydia asked. They were in the main hall of Caerdu again, but this time it was deserted except for them, their heart friends, Dariad, Eyvindr, Hried and a few guards.

Eyvindr swallowed and nodded. “Yes. I know you haven’t known me for long, but I consider you my friends. If this is as bad as my stomach is saying, I’ll need moral support. Besides, I think you need to know this as well.”

“Of course.” Lydia nodded as Eyvindr sliced open his palm and headed resolutely towards the mirror.

“My memory of what happened is cloudy, but I remember a trial  – and it wasn’t mine.” He laid his hand against the mirror. His blood spread into the polished obsidian in visible swirls and the shadowy image of a fair hall of shining, white marble appeared. A mixed group of Haltia sat in elaborate chairs at one end of the room, a mirror identical to this one hanging behind them. An equally mixed group of young Haltia were kneeling before them in chains.

“That’s the Elapyron Council,” Dariad said. “So those must be the accused. But they’re barely more than children.”

The mirror rippled again and showed a blue-haired Haltia carrying a scroll. Lydia had to strain to hear what he said but caught something about “dragon-touched traitors”.

Eyvindr narrowed his eyes. “That’s right, there was a dragon attack on one of the outlying villages. Nothing major, but a large number of young Haltia vanished.”

“That sort of thing is tragically common.” Dariad looked puzzled. “Why-”

“They turned up unconscious but alive a few days later,” Eyvindr interrupted.

“What!” Dariad scowled. “That is weird.” He must have caught Lydia’s puzzled expression. “Being captured by a dragon is a death sentence.”

“But not this time?” Lydia said. “I wonder why?”

“That’s a good question.” Eyvindr nodded. “The council decided that since they weren’t dead, they must be traitors. All of them appealed to use the mirror to prove they weren’t and were denied permission. A group of us objected, including a light kin unicorn who vouched for the truth of their claims not to be traitors.” The shadows in the mirror reflected what he said. “The council had us arrested as well.”

“That’s insane!” Karen exclaimed. “Unicorns can’t-” She paled and clapped a hand over her mouth.

“What?” Lydia turned to stare at her sister. Karen wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“I’m starting to remember bits and pieces, I think. Something is telling me unicorns can’t lie,” she mumbled.

Lydia eyed her suspiciously. “We’ll talk about this later only because Eyvindr needs to tell us what happened to him first.”

Dariad was also staring thoughtfully at Karen. “I see,” he said finally. “But I concur, it’s insane.”

“It was,” Eyvindr agreed. “But there was method in their madness. They’d discovered a hole in the binding that makes our attacks fail against dragons.”

Dariad looked like he was tring to say something but surprise had got the best of him. “What?” he managed finally.

“We have to know we’re attacking a dragon.”

“I see, but how would you not know- Oh!” Dariad’s eyes flew wide as he watched the images in the mirror. “That’s apalling. Brilliant but apalling.”

“Um… could someone explain to us?” Lydia asked.

“I’ll try,” Dariad said. “When a speaker with a heart stone attacks a dragon with their powers it kind of fizzles out. Apparently, it only fails if you know it’s a dragon. Those circlets wipe conscious thought from the victim…” he trailed off.

“Which means their attacks don’t fizzle?” Lydia looked back at the mirror. “So they didn’t want the kids to prove their innocence because if they did they couldn’t punish them? That’s dreadful. Hell, doing that to real criminals would be dreadful.”

“Indeed,” Dariad said. “And it seems that with Elapyron City gone, they have turned their attention to Caerdu. Well, they are not using my people that way. I can see the temptation – it would be good to have some way of defending ourselves.”

“So you have a psychological block against attacking dragons?” Lydia asked.

“Sort of,” Dariad said. “It’s supposedly imposed. Legend says that when our ancestors created the Core to take the place of the destroyed Heart of the World the dragons sabotaged it to stop us fighting them.” He turned back to Eyvindr. “So it was the Elapyron Council who put that accursed thing on you?”

“Yes, and it seems on anyone who they could convict of anything. They wanted to build an army I think.” He shuddered. “To be fair I think they were mostly scared.”

“Fear doesn’t excuse this!” Dariad looked like he might say more but was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Enter!”

Brita came in with Alaryia and two of her entourage. All three goblins were carrying packages. Whatever was in them they made Lydia’s skin tingle and she noticed Andrew and Karen rubbing at their arms as well.

“Forgive me, your majesty.” Brita bowed to Dariad. “The ambassador requested an immediate audience with you and the warriors.”

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