Deltora Quest #7: The Valley of the Lost (4 page)

W
ith Lief and Barda supporting Dain between them, the companions began to make their way out of the city. Dain’s eyes were dark and blank. His feet stumbled and dragged. Cold sweat beaded his brow. The terrible shuddering still racked his slight body.

Lief was sorry to see his suffering, but somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered at Dain’s collapse. Had the boy not trained with Doom and the Resistance for a year? Had he not faced Ols and other terrible dangers as part of everyday life?

Dain had hoped to find his parents in Tora, and he had not. But how could this shock and disappointment fell him so completely? It was as though his heart was broken like Tora’s stone, and the light of his spirit had been snuffed out like the green fire.

They walked on, all but Dain glancing from side to side at the houses they passed. Clearly visible through gleaming windows were the sad signs of vanished life: food as fresh as the day it was made, wonderfully painted plates and dishes, embroidered cushions and hangings. In almost every house there was a weaver’s loom on which cloth of miraculous fineness hung waiting for the long-vanished weaver to return.

The looms reminded Lief of his mother. How often had he seen her sit weaving cloth for their garments and household needs? Lief knew that his mother’s skill was great, because other people had told him so. But the threads she had to use were coarse and dull — nothing like the threads of Tora, which glowed like jewels.

The finest thing she had ever made was the cloak he now wore. Into that she had put her greatest skill. And love and memories besides, she had said.

Where was his mother now?

I, of all people, should understand Dain’s grief, Lief thought. I know what it is to miss and fear for well-loved parents.

But you have not given up hope, a voice in the back of his mind whispered. You have not abandoned yourself to despair and become ill in body and mind. And did Jasmine give in and die when her parents were taken? Did Barda despair when his mother was killed and his friends were slaughtered?

Lief shook his head, to drive the voice away. People have different strengths and weaknesses, he told himself. I should not blame —

His thoughts took a different turn as another idea came to him. Perhaps there was something else behind Dain’s collapse that he did not yet understand. All the signs were that the boy was not simply grieved and disappointed, but deeply shocked. More shocked than was reasonable, if he had told the whole truth.

The entrance tunnel was before them. They entered its cool shade and once again Lief felt that mysterious tingling run through his body. He walked in a dream, moving out into the sun with regret.

He and Barda lowered Dain gently to the ground. The boy lay shivering as if with cold, his great eyes staring sightlessly at the bright sky.

“Dain, you must try to be strong,” Barda urged softly. “You are making yourself ill.”

He said the words several times, and at last Dain responded. Slowly the blank eyes came back into focus. The boy swallowed, and wet his dry lips.

“I am sorry,” he murmured. “Finding the city empty … was a great shock. But that is no excuse.”

Kree screeched, flapping his wings warningly.

“Someone is coming!” Jasmine exclaimed, drawing her dagger.

Lief looked across the lake, but it remained still.
The danger was coming by land, then. From the hills that rose beside and beyond the city.

Kree soared upward, preparing to investigate.

“No, Kree!” Jasmine cried. “They may have bows and arrows. Stay with us.”

The bird hovered for a moment, then reluctantly came back to earth.

“Jasmine, are there many?” snapped Barda.

As she had done so often before, Jasmine knelt and put her ear to the ground. “Only two, I think,” she said after a moment. “Both tall. One heavier than the other.”

Dain was watching her intently, plainly very impressed. Lief saw that the trembling in the boy’s limbs had eased. Having something else to think about seems to be just what Dain needs, he thought. But he found that he was slightly annoyed.

Yet why should Dain not admire Jasmine? he thought, turning his irritation on himself. Anyone would admire her skill! Then it occurred to him that if he was still inside Tora he would not be angry, but quite calm.

The city’s spell is wearing off, he thought. I am almost back to normal.

And at last he understood what the tingling in the tunnel had meant. He understood why Tora remained perfect and untouched after over sixteen years of emptiness.

“Lief!” growled Barda. “Quickly!”

Lief drew his sword and hurried to join his friends. They were standing shoulder to shoulder, making a barrier between Dain and two tall figures approaching from the hills. The figures seemed to shimmer in the dazzling sunlight.

Were they bandits? Ols?

“Tora is protected by magic,” Lief said rapidly. “Magic that works on hearts and minds. The tunnel drains away all evil. If we return there, nothing can harm us.”

Barda glanced at him quickly, then back at the city’s shining walls. Lief could see that he was measuring the distance in his mind, trying to decide if they should risk turning and making a dash for safety. But it was too late. The strangers had seen them, and quickened their pace.

Dain began crawling unsteadily to his feet.

“Dain — go back to Tora,” Barda ordered. But Dain shook his head stubbornly, feeling for his dagger.

“Dain!” Jasmine exclaimed. “Go!”

“If they are Ols, I can help,” Dain said, through gritted teeth. “I will stand with you, or die. I have had enough of weakness.”

He moved into place beside her and frowned at the approaching strangers. Then suddenly his eyes narrowed. His mouth firmed to a hard line.

“Doom!” he muttered, and turned away.

Startled, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine realized that he was right. Now they could see that the taller of the
approaching strangers was the man who called himself Doom of the Hills. Doom, who they had last seen in the Resistance stronghold. Who had held them prisoner for three long days.

To their amazement they saw that Neridah the Swift was with him. Why had he chosen her as a companion? As they drew closer, Lief could see that Neridah’s lips were curved into a smile. But Doom’s face was stern.

“Do not relax!” muttered Barda. “They could be Ols, trying to deceive us.”

Plainly, Dain thought not, and Lief did not, either. But still his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. Doom had shown himself to be as dangerous as any Ol, in his way. He was not to be trusted.

When he reached them, Doom wasted no words on greetings. “So, Dain,” he growled. “You are where you wanted to be. Are you satisfied?”

“You knew!” Dain burst out. “You knew all along what Tora was, Doom. You lied to me!”

“Of course,” said Doom coolly. “For what else was keeping you strong but hope? Has seeing that your hope was in vain made you feel better, or worse?”

Dain’s face clearly showed the answer. Doom nodded bitterly. “Ever since you came to the stronghold I have been seeking your parents, Dain. I had hoped to be successful before you could find out that they were not in Tora. But you could not wait.”

“No, I could not!” cried Dain defiantly. “But that is not my fault. I did not know the truth of things. I am not a child, to be protected and fed with fairy tales! You drove me to what I did by deceiving me!”

Doom stared at him for a long moment. Then, surprisingly, his grim face relaxed into what could have been a smile. “Once you would not have spoken to your elders that way,” he said. “Such a polite, obedient child you were, when first I met you.”

“I am not a child!” Dain shouted furiously.

“No, it seems you are not. Perhaps …” Doom seemed to ponder. “Perhaps I was wrong.” His lips twitched. “It does not happen often. But it is possible. If I beg your pardon, will you come back to the stronghold with us? You are sorely missed.”

Dain hesitated, swaying uncertainly.

Barda, Lief, and Jasmine glanced at one another. In all their minds was the thought that many problems would be solved if Dain agreed to go with Doom. But they had to be sure he would be safe.

Lief stepped forward. “We have learned, since seeing you last, that it is not wise to trust appearances, Doom,” he said in a level voice. “Before Dain decides what he wishes to do we would like you, and Neridah, too, to go into Tora.”

Doom’s dark eyes turned on him. And now there was no warmth or humor in them.

“You need not stay more than a moment,” Lief
went on, refusing to be cowed. “The Tora tunnel discovers evil far more quickly than your Testing Room.”

“So — you have discovered Tora’s secret!” sneered Doom. “Congratulations! But what if I refuse to agree to your request? What then?”

N
eridah moved to stand beside Doom. Barda and Jasmine stepped into place beside Lief. The two sides glared at one another. Then Barda spoke.

“If you refuse to go into Tora, then we must assume that you are Ols, and act accordingly.”

Doom’s sword was in his hand in an instant.

“No!” shouted Dain, thrusting himself in front of Barda. “You must not fight! You are not enemies, but on the same side!”

Doom’s face did not change. “I am still not sure of that,” he said grimly.

“And neither are we, twice over!” Jasmine exclaimed. “For if you are really the man Doom, you have treated us badly and we do not trust you. And if you are an Ol in Doom’s shape, you are a danger to us all.”

Doom’s eyes flickered. Plainly, he could see the sense in Jasmine’s words. Yet still he did not lower his sword.

“How can it harm you to prove to us that you are what you seem?” Lief murmured, deliberately keeping his voice low and even.

“We do not have to prove anything to you!” Neridah cried angrily. “Doom and I have been together since we left the stronghold. We can swear —”

Doom put out a hand to quiet her. “What we swear proves nothing, Neridah,” he said. “Ols most often travel in pairs, do they not?”

Then, as if Neridah’s interruption had somehow helped him to make up his mind, he shrugged, sheathed his sword and began to stride towards the city’s shimmering light. Neridah, plainly surprised and angry, hesitated, glaring for a moment, then swung around and stalked after him.

The companions followed. When they reached the tunnel they waited as Doom and Neridah went on alone. Lief had been tempted to enter the tunnel, too, but somehow knew that this would not be wise. He could not afford all his passions to drain away at this moment. A little anger kept one alert. And one could not be too alert when dealing with one such as Doom.

So he stood and watched, and saw what he otherwise might not have seen. As the two figures walked through the tunnel, the air began to fill with colored sparks, swirling like dust motes lit by the sun.

“I saw nothing of that when we walked through,” breathed Jasmine. “I only — felt.”

“It must be invisible to those who are inside.” Barda rubbed his hand over his dazzled eyes and turned away.

In seconds Doom and Neridah had disappeared in a cloud of dancing light. But in only a few more moments they became visible again, walking slowly back the way they had come.

As they stepped out into the sunlight, both seemed dazed. Their faces were smooth and strangely still.

“So — you are satisfied now, I hope?” Doom said. But the words held no sting, and his eyes looked lost. Groaning, he sat down, his back against the city wall.

Neridah, Dain, and the others stared at him in confusion. Wearily, he looked up.

“When anger, hatred, and bitterness have left a man who lives by little else, what is there left for him but emptiness?” he asked with a slight smile. “That is why I do not enjoy visiting Tora. I have done so only once before — and that was enough.”

“Who are you, Doom?” asked Lief suddenly.

For a moment he thought the man would not answer. Then Doom’s shoulders slumped and his eyes closed, as though he did not have the strength to refuse.

“I do not know who I am,” he said. “I do not know what I have lost, along with my name. My memories begin in the Shadowlands. I was fighting a Vraal in the
Shadow Arena. I was injured. Everything before that is darkness.”

His hand moved slowly to the jagged scar on his face.

“But you escaped?” Lief prompted. Perhaps it was cruel to use Doom’s present weakness to find out more about him. But it was a chance that would not come again.

“I escaped the Shadow Arena,” Doom went on. “They were not expecting that. They thought I was finished. I fled across the mountains, pursued and with no clear idea of anything save that Deltora was my home. On Dread Mountain I turned and faced my pursuers. I escaped once more, but it cost me dearly.”

He sighed deeply. “I travelled on, more dead than alive. At last I was found, given shelter, and healed by a good man.”

“A man who lived in a place called Kinrest,” murmured Jasmine.

Doom glanced at her, and again he smiled, though his eyes were filled with sadness. “So you have seen his grave, and know I took his name,” he said. “He saved me, but I brought death to him. The Grey Guards who had not died on the Mountain pursued me to his cave. Doom was a man of peace. He had no chance against them. But thanks to him I was strong once more. I killed them all, and scattered their bones.”

A touch of the old savagery was in his voice as he spoke those last words. Lief realized that the calming
effect of the Toran tunnel was gradually wearing off. Doom was silent for a moment, and when next he smiled, it was merely a bitter tweak of the lips.

“You have taken advantage of me, I fear,” he said, climbing to his feet. “I hope your curiosity is satisfied.” His mouth was tightening, his eyes darkening. The grim, familiar mask was settling back onto his face.

“Doom, I knew you had been through much,” breathed Neridah. “But I had no idea …” Her voice trailed off as Doom shot her a cold look. Plainly he did not want her sympathy or her admiration. Her face reddened. Then she tossed her head angrily and moved away from them.

“I did not pry into your affairs out of simple curiosity, Doom,” said Lief in a low voice.

“No?” Doom looked into his eyes for a long moment. Then he turned to Dain. “I am due to meet Steven the peddler in a few days,” he said flatly. “He has new supplies for us. Will you come with me? Or do you choose to remain with your new friends?”

“There is no choice, Doom. Dain must go with you,” Barda said quickly. “We have a hard, long journey ahead of us.”

Dain’s sensitive skin flushed red. “I do not want to be a burden to anyone,” he said through stiff lips. “I will go with you, Doom, to meet Steven.”

Doom nodded shortly. Then, as though despite himself he resented having Dain so easily cast aside,
he lifted one eyebrow. “And where are you travelling, that your journey is going to be so hard?” he demanded.

Even long afterwards, Lief did not know why he said what he did then. It was the impulse of a moment. Perhaps he felt the urge to give Doom some information, as a sign of trust. Or perhaps it was simply that he was tired of lies.

“We are going to the Valley of the Lost,” he said clearly.

Barda and Jasmine turned to him, astonished that he should speak so freely. Dain looked curious. But Doom nodded, his face darkening.

“I thought it might be so,” he said. “And I warn you with all my heart to turn your faces from the plan. The Valley is not for such as you.”

“What do you know of it?” growled Barda.

Doom looked over to where Neridah sat looking out over the waters of the lake, and lowered his voice.

“It is an evil place. A place of misery and lost souls. I know of many who have entered it, seeking the great jewel that is its Guardian’s prize.”

Lief glanced quickly at Barda and Jasmine. Both looked startled and watchful. He wet his lips.

“A great jewel?” he asked carefully.

Doom looked at him with something like scorn. “Do not insult me by trying to pretend. I know it is your
goal. A diamond, it is said, larger and more powerful than any ever seen. Beautiful. Pure. Priceless.”

He shook his head. “It is no secret in these parts. Its fame has lured many before you into the Guardian’s clutches. All entered the valley in hope. All came to wish bitterly that they had never seen it.”