Delver Magic Book VII: Altered Messages (58 page)

"Then what is it?"

"I made a mistake. An unfortunate and terrible mistake. I didn't want anyone in Connel hurt, and I certainly didn't want to see a war between the dwarves and the algors. The vow I made was as much out of arrogance as it was ignorance. I tried to bide my time and wait for an opportunity. It came too late. I knew the serps were a devious group, but it all comes down to the fact that they were smarter than me. They knew exactly what to say and exactly what to hold over my head. I tried to find the right balance between saving people and allowing others to act, but it all fell apart when I saw Sy die."

"You saw what happened in Burbon?" Ryson asked in clear shock.

"How could I not? I was connected to the serps and they were watching Okyiq. I was linked to Okyiq as well, and maybe that's where I made my biggest mistake. I listened to the twisted thoughts of a maniac."

"Then you knew he meant to kill Sy!"

"No, not at first. I really thought Sy had a chance. Okyiq made such a big deal about keeping his promises. I could see into the goblin's mind—the links with the serps allowed it. He was going to let Sy go. He was going to keep his promise, but then at that last moment... he just changed his mind. Just like that, he decided to kill Sy. I was shocked. By the time I realized what happened, it was too late. Maybe I could have teleported him out of there, but I was too slow, too caught up in trying to be smarter than the serps."

Ryson was not sure what to say. He had no intention of blaming Enin for Sy's death, but the revelation struck him to the core. Despite knowing it was not true, Ryson could not deny his feelings, and it felt as if the wizard somehow let Sy die.

As if the wizard could read the delver's mind, Enin made a personal plea.

"Don't judge me too harshly, Ryson," Enin requested. "Sy was my friend, too."

"I know he was," Ryson admitted, and then the delver came to grips with an absolute truth. "I know you didn't want him to die. Neither did I. Maybe we're both blaming ourselves for no good reason. I let him stand before Okyiq alone. I keep thinking there was something I could have done to save him. Now I'm thinking you could have saved him too. It all comes down to trying to place blame. I guess it's easier to do that than accept Sy's really gone."

Jure sensed that was all that should be said, at least for the moment. He knew if they kept digging, they'd only create a bigger hole. He decided to turn the attention upon another who had been caught up in the serps' schemes.

"What about Holli? Did she make it out of Burbon?"

"Yes," Enin answered. "After she dealt with Okyiq, I teleported her back to Connel. I guess I did that right. I left her in Connel to watch over the city. She'll make sure everyone is safe."

An uneasy silence fell over the group, until the elf captain decided to make a request.

"I would like to gather my guards and Haven Wellseed and return to my camp. It is important for us to bring Petiole back to the dwarves. I am hoping one of you will accommodate us."

"I can send you back," Jure offered. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go with you. I want to tell Shantree what happened here."

"I am sure she would welcome your return," Birk answered and then headed out to gather the other elves.

"What about you two?" Jure asked of Ryson and Enin.

"I'll send Ryson back to Connel to be with his wife," Enin replied almost despondently, "but I will be going to Burbon. With the serps gone, most of the dark creatures will leave the town on their own. Some, however, are likely to stay. They will need some convincing to do otherwise. Once I have cleared the town, the residents can return."

Return to Burbon.

Ryson considered the thought. Yes, they could return, but Sy wouldn't be there to protect them. There would be an emptiness, for all of them. He wondered what the people would do without their captain. He wondered what
he
would do. It was Enin who gave him his answer.

"I know it's hard, Ryson," the wizard admitted, as if he could tell what the delver was thinking, "but going back to Burbon is necessary, especially for you. You're needed there, just as I'm needed in Connel. It's your home."

"It used to be your home too," Ryson reminded the wizard.

"That's true, and Connel used to be yours. That's were you lived before the magic returned. Seems as if we switched places. Maybe it was meant to be like that. Things tend to happen for a reason, even if we don't understand them."

"I sure don't. It's hard to believe any of this has a reason."

"If we understood it all, it wouldn't be life... it would just be some play and we'd be actors speaking lines."

"I guess, but I'd like to think life has more meaning than senseless acts of violence."

"It's not all violence," Enin replied almost defensively.

The wizard searched for an example, perhaps one to convince both Ryson and himself that there was more to life than suffering. At first, it was difficult, especially after all they had been through, but then the wizard remembered what finally brought him there.

"Do you remember when you first met Stomps?" Enin asked.

The question actually brought a smile to the delver's lips. For one brief moment, he forgot about the pain and recalled the day at Enin's house when he first saw his dog.

"Yeah, I remember."

"At first, you didn't think you should have a dog. You thought it might be too dangerous. As it turns out, you needed him more than you knew."

It was true, but it went beyond that. Stomps changed Ryson's perspective, and accepting that allowed the delver to take hold of a new hope.

"It wasn't just me who needed him. I think it was Stomps who really saved us all. The serps threatened him, and both you and I were both ready to do anything to keep him from getting hurt. That's what brought you here, isn't it?"

"You know how I feel about dogs."

"I do, and that's what I mean. Linda tried to tell me something similar before she left for Connel. She said Stomps was good for me, gave me a larger outlook on life. That's the point. Isn't it? We find the things we care about and hold on to them. They give us the reasons to do what we do."

Enin nodded and found his own smile. He thought of the things he cared about. Life did have more meaning than dealing with the twisted acts of depraved serps. He might have failed in some ways, might have allowed the serps to manipulate his actions, but eventually he found his way... or rather some greater power guided him back to the right path. It was not an easy road, but it was one he was willing to follow.

Before Enin sent Ryson back to Connel, he made one last request.

"When you see Stomps, tell him he saved Uton. It'll make him happy."

Ryson met with Sergeant Klusac just outside of Sy's old office. Neither wanted to enter and Klusac decided it would be best if they didn't, at least not at that moment. He suggested they talk while they walked the streets of Burbon. He believed it would help if the people saw them together, and hopefully, would reassure the town, give everyone a greater sense of security.

"I was surprised," Klusac revealed as they passed several streets. "I expected a lot more damage. Not that they didn't cause their share, but I expected the town to be leveled."

"I think they wanted to use it as a base," Ryson offered. "It wouldn't have helped them if they destroyed the whole town."

"I guess that ended up being in our favor. Most of the wall is intact. We just have to reinforce a few sections. Unfortunately, most of the guard outposts were flattened."

"I saw a few houses that were wrecked, but not many. My guess is they were probably fighting over who got to sleep where."

"Or maybe there was food inside. They ate through quite a bit of our food stocks that we had to leave behind."

"There were quite a few shags," Ryson noted. "I think they could have plowed through a warehouse in less than a day."

"Anything else you notice?"

"The webs from the bloat spiders were already starting to break up when I made my first scout outside the wall. They should be completely gone in another day, but I'd post some warnings and maybe a few guards along the north road. That's where it was the heaviest."

"What about the people? What's your take on how they're handling all of this?"

"They're happy to be home. No one's complaining about the cleanup. They seem a bit anxious about the food supplies, but once shipments start coming in from Connel, that should die down."

"You think they'll start to feel safe again?"

Ryson considered the question. It was an important one; for him, for Klusac, and for the entire town.

"It's going to take some time. We had to completely evacuate. The people might not have seen what came at us, but they can figure it out. I think they realize we were dealing with a sizable horde of goblins. That may take a while to forget, but word is spreading that the serps were behind it all and they're gone. I'm guessing they'll start feeling better about things pretty quickly."

Klusac believed the delver was probably right, but there was another key factor to the security of Burbon, one that could not be replaced so easily. He realized they were both avoiding the real issue that brought them together in the first place and decided to be blunt.

"I guess I'm really asking whether they'll get used to not having Sy around."

Ryson was quiet at first. Talking about Sy still brought considerable pain, especially in Burbon where the captain died. Ryson didn't want to, but instinctively, he looked up toward the roof from where he watched Sy's final moments. Thinking about the captain tied his stomach into knots, but he knew if he was going to be of any help, he had to answer.

"That's going to take a while, probably a long while, but if you're asking me if they're going to feel safe under
your
protection, then I would say yes. The people trust you. I trust you."

"That's good to hear because I'm in a difficult spot here, and I need your help. I don't want this position, but I'll take it. It's what Sy would have wanted me to do. He also would have wanted me to work with you to keep Burbon safe. I'm going to rely on you more than you expect."

Ryson was more than willing to help, but for whatever reason, he remembered the arguments he had with Sy. He could almost hear the captain's voice in his head. It was strange how crisp it all was. He recalled how they argued over the dark creatures. Sy wanted them removed at all costs, but Ryson would never go to that extreme. He wanted to keep the town safe, but he had his own beliefs on how far they should go.

"I'll do all I can," the delver offered, but then gave his own conditions, "but you know me. You heard some of the arguments I had with Sy. You know I have my limits. I can't cross them for you any more or any less than I could cross them for Sy."

"Don't worry about that. I know what you mean and what you're about. I won't ask you to kill anything, but I will need you to understand what we face here. I'm not Sy. I have to earn the respect of every soldier and every citizen. They won't let me lead them if I don't."

Ryson found Klusac's honesty refreshing and he agreed with the sentiment. What he didn't understand was what he could do to help in that regard.

"What is it you need from me?"

"Stay in control," Klusac said firmly, "at least for a while."

"That's it?"

"I don't think you understand what I'm saying. Like I said before, I know what you're about. This is a tall order for you. You're a delver, and I realize there's something inside of you that makes you want to race off at the first hint of a mystery... or even a strange scent in the air. Problem with that is Burbon is all about order. We lost it a few times, but Sy was able to bring it back. With Sy gone, we can't afford any disruptions right now. We also have to make people feel safe. That means we need you
here
."

"And you don't want me just running off."

"Not for a while. More than that... you need to be seen scouting just outside the walls and keeping an eye on the streets."

"I don't mind doing that at all. Stomps would love it."

"That's your dog, right? That dog could be a godsend. The more the people see you relaxed and having fun, the better."

"Anything else?"

"What we're doing now, we have to do more of this too. We have to be seen together. The people need to know we can work together. You might think you and Sy had your differences, but you agreed on a lot more than you probably realize. He trusted you, and he knew you trusted him."

"What about you?" Ryson wondered aloud, as he directed his delver curiosity toward the new captain of Burbon's guard. "Do you trust me?"

Klusac did not respond immediately. He knew he trusted the delver, but he had certain reservations. If they were going to work together, he couldn't lie to Ryson, or himself.

"Yeah, I trust you, but I also worry about you. I don't know what it's like to be a delver, but I know you've been in the middle of just about every crisis ever since the magic came back. Sometimes you go searching it out—maybe because you can sense it—sometimes it finds you, but your life has hardly been calm and settled over the past few seasons."