Midnight Tides/Chapter 11

Faded sails ride the horizon
So far and far away to dwindle
The dire script
Writ on that proven canvas.

I know the worlds belong to be
They belong to me
These tracks left by the beast
Of my presence

Then, before and now, later
And all the moment between
Those distant sails driven
Hard on senseless winds

That even now circle
My stone-hearted self
The grit of tears I never shed
Biting my eyes

Faded sails hovering as if lifted
Above the worlds curved line
And I am lost and lost to answer
If they approach or flee

Approach or flee unbidden times
In that belly swollen
With unheard screams so far
And far and so far and away

This Blind Longing
Isbarath (of the Shore)

Hiroth village

Udinaas

Udinaas wakes in the servants' quarters. He muses over the sword, whom it now belongs to, and Rhulad's nature, wondering if the young Sengar will submit to the Warlock King’s authority.

Seren Pedac

Seren Pedac and Buruk the Pale have witnessed the Edur gathering in the citadel and are waiting to hear the outcome, in addition to awaiting on the arrival of the Letherii delegation.

Trull Sengar

The huge chamber in the citadel is crowded with Edur. Rhulad is sitting hunched up, with the sword in his hands. The weight of the gold coins burned into his flesh are heavy. All eyes are on him as Hannan Mosag waits for the sword to be surrendered. He reels back in shock when Rhulad tells him "the sword is mine", and that the Warlock King has been pronounced too weak to wield it.

Tomad Sengar asks who gave him the sword and is told it is "the one who rules us now, the one Hannan Mosag made a pact with". Rhulad continues by telling the Edur that Hannan Mosag was going to betray the pact. Because of this he proposes it is time for the leadership of the Edur to change. He surges to his feet and challenges Hannan Mosag to reveal the secrets of the weapon, reveal the lies. Hannan Mosag refuses and Rhulad tells the gathering that he is the future of the Edur, demanding that all kneel before him and pledge brotherhoood. Binadas is told to come forward and be healed, even though Rhulad had previously no knowledge of sorcery. One light touch and it is done, Binadas' hip is pain free once more. Trull Sengar questions who would give the Edur such a powerful weapon and why, but Rhulad avoids answering telling them of the shadow wraiths being spirits of the Tiste Andii who died at Edur hands and speaks of creating an empire for the Tiste Edur. One by one they kneel, Hannan Mosag, followed by his cadre of sorcerers and the rest of the Edur, naming him their Emperor.

Udinaas

Udinaas is standing in the waters of bay and watches as the four ships of the Letherii delegation arrive. He is moments away from drowning himself when he is grabbed and thrown onto the beach. There is no-one there and he realises it is the Wyval who does not want him dead. Another Letherii slave, Hulad, approaches with news that Feather Witch had tried and failed to cast the tiles, but the Holds were closed to her. They return to the longhouse as the Letherii ships lower the boats for the delegation to the Edur.

Seren Pedac

Buruk and Seren Pedac walk down to greet the delegation. So far no Edur have appeared as a welcoming committee. As the scows beach on the strand, the Finadd Moroch Nevath approaches the merchant and the Acquitor enquiring as to the whereabouts of the Edur. Seren explains that the Edur are preoccupied. Prince Quillas expresses his intention to forbid Hull Beddict to attend any meetings and is told that the Warlock King has already invited him. The Prince asks the First Eunuch, Nifadas, for his opinion on what is happening with the Edur, who suggests that they invite the merchant and Seren to explain what they know. Seren outlines for them the story, the quest for the sword, the return of the body of Rhulad with the sword gripped in his dead hands, of the dressing of Rhulad's corpse for burial and its subsequent return to life. The First Eunuch asks questions of the appearance of the sword and its origin, while Seren describes the hilt as being similar to a technique used by the Meckros, with the bellshaped-hilt resembling links of chain. The First Eunuch links arms with Seren and questions her on the nature of the Sengar brothers and what she has observed during her stay as they walk to the guest house.

Udinaas

Udinaas is woken by Wither who wishes him to walk to the citadel to inform Rhulad the Letherii delegation has arrived. Wither and the Wyval have agreed that Udinaas has to make himself invaluable to Rhulad. As he gets dressed Wither asks why he was raped by Menandore. The bitch has designs she does. No love for Edur or Andii, no, not her. Udinaas asks Wither to explain but gets no reply. He makes his way to the citadel and enters the huge chamber to find all the Edur kneeling before Rhulad Sengar. The Edur Emperor requests that the Letherii delegation be brought before him and Udinaas leaves. Arriving at the merchant's camp Udinaas notes that the wraiths hover around Seren, that they like her, but she does not see them. He requests the Letherii attend the Edur ruler within the citadel, and they follow, although the shadow wraiths guarding the citadel will not let the boydguards in. The Prince is bridling at being kept waiting, but Seren suggests to Udinaas that the Warlock King has been usurped, and asks if Rhulad Sengar is the new king, to which he replies, "No, Acquitor. Emperor".

Rhulad welcomes the Letherii delegation and touches on the notion of a new agreement. Prince Quillas jumps in, demanding repayment for the a confiscated harvest of tusked seals, insisting there is a debt on the illegally harvested seals. Rhulad tells him Hannan Mosag will deal with the matter, and The Prince demands land in exchange for the debt, the remainder of Trate Reach. The Prince is speechless when Hannan Mosag points out to him that the Edur do not have the harvested seals, and that Lether is now in debt to the Edur, for illegal harvesting. The meeting ends and the delegation returns to the guest hall.

Trull Sengar

In the citadel Rhulad sits and asks Fear Sengar to approach him, that he would have a gift from him. He wants an Empress, and the woman he wants is Mayen, Fear's betrothed. Fear has no option but to agree and Mayen walks forward to join Rhulad, face frozen.

Udinaas

Udinaas emerges from the citadel to find the Acquitor waiting for him. She asks what has happened and is told of the new empress. Udinaas requests that she tell the First Eunuch, the Letherii must prepare for war.