Sometimes, in his darker moments, Pied thought that the Elves had the wrong Elessedil as King. One of the others might have done a better job—say, the King’s younger sister, Khyber. Headstrong and independent, she was forever sneaking around behind the King’s back to visit her exiled uncle, which was a constant source of trouble. But she was true to her beliefs, chief of which was that Ahren Elessedil was the best of the lot and should never have been blamed for any of what had happened after the Jerle Shannara had returned.

Kellen thought otherwise, of course, as had his father. There was no reasoning with either one. There was no forgiveness in their hearts for perceived treachery, however misconstrued the judgment rendered.

“What can I say to him, Drum?” he asked quietly, their destination right in front of them now.

Drumundoon shook his head helplessly. He had no answer to that question. Pied marshaled his courage and resolve for what lay ahead, saluted the Home Guard on duty at the tent entry, nodded for Drum to wait, and entered.

Kellen Elessedil looked up from his own set of maps as his Captain of the Home Guard appeared through the tent opening, his young face eager and intense. Pied knew that look. It meant the King had decided on something and was impatient to act on it. It didn’t take much thinking to know what would happen next.

“Good, you’re here.” The King’s impatience was revealed in his tone of voice. “The reports from the scouts are all in. Guess what they tell me, cousin?”

“That you should attack.”

The King smiled. “The Rover mercenaries have all pulled out, the whole bunch of them. Boarded their airships and flown off. They’re on their way home, back to the coast, off the Prekkendorran. We’ve confirmed it. This isn’t a stunt. Either they’ve quit or they’ve been dismissed, but either way, they’re gone. The best pilots, the best craft, the best of everything, gone. The Federation is on its own.”

Pied nodded. “Any idea as to why this happened? Have we heard of a rift between the Federation and the Rovers? Anything out of the ordinary, I mean. Now and then, some of them quit anyway. But not all of them at once. Why now?”

“You’re suspicious?”

“Aren’t you?”

The King laughed. “No, cousin. You’re suspicious enough for both of us. You always have been. It’s worrisome.”