Sovereign Stone (31 page)

He ate his breakfast in silence and packed up his gear without a word. He could see Isabel and Abigail share looks of concern for him and his dark mood, but his sister signaled Isabel to leave him to sort through his despair without interference. She knew him well enough to know that attempting to cheer him up would fail and only leave Isabel feeling hurt for her inability to reach him.

It was Anatoly who interceded. Before they set out, he stepped up close to Alexander so he could whisper harshly into his ear. “Man up. We have challenges to overcome, so what? That’s life.”

Alexander snorted and nodded. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard Anatoly say those words to him. When he was an adolescent and became depressed or defeatist, Anatoly would remind him about reality, usually without much sympathy.

“Fair enough,” he said quietly, before turning to address his friends. “We can’t do anything about this Nether Gate at the moment, so we stay the course and face one threat at a time. Who knows? Maybe the fairies will know something about it.”

Alexander set a fast pace through the mountains. The sky became overcast as the day wore on but the air was still and there was no rain. He kept careful watch on the sky, noting the ravens circling overhead several times during the early afternoon. No doubt Jataan P’Tal was driving his hunting party as hard as Alexander was driving himself and his companions. To her credit, Marla didn’t complain and kept pace without difficulty.

By midafternoon they were tired and hungry. They’d eaten while they walked, so no one had eaten their fill.

The trail followed a series of switchbacks that led up to a ridgeline high in the mountains. They gained altitude steadily but the peaks of the Pinnacles rose higher still. When they finally crested the rise, Alexander realized it wasn’t a ridgeline but the lip of a giant crater formed by a long-dead volcanic caldera. It was easily two leagues across at the widest point and more than a league at the narrowest. The crater was filled with the deepest blue water that Alexander had ever seen. An island covered with countless buildings made of grey mountain granite rose steeply from the center.

Marla smiled with pride and affection for her home. “Welcome to Highlake City,” she said with a flourish. “We have to go down to the water’s edge and hire a ferry to take us across the lake.”

They traveled down another series of switchbacks cut into the rock wall of the crater. As they approached the ferryboat dock, Marla pulled the dragon medallion from under her robes for all to see.

Half a dozen boats were tied up to the docks, and there were slips for half a dozen more. A small building housed the ferryboat office, and a series of rooms cut into the granite wall served as housing for the boat operators. A short, burly man stood when he saw them coming. He smiled with crooked teeth and nodded in deference to Marla when he saw her medallion.

“Good afternoon, Priestess, passage for seven?”

“Yes, thank you. Might I speak with your employer?” she said pleasantly.

The burly young man looked a little wary, apparently hoping he hadn’t given offense, but he nodded and loped off toward the office shack. A few moments later a tall, narrow-looking man with graying black hair and a gaunt face came up ahead of his laborer.

“How may I be of service, Priestess?” he asked politely.

“There are a number of men following us,” Marla said. “If they come to your ferry, you are to allow them passage, but light the warning fire just after they’re on their way.”

He frowned. “How am I to know them?”

Alexander stepped forward. “The leader is a small, swarthy man with close-cropped black hair. He’s probably dressed in black.”

“I will do as you request,” he said courteously.

They paid the toll and boarded the boat. The short, burly man rowed the longboat across the lake to a dock on the island.

Everyone took in the pristine beauty of the mountain community. It was so isolated and untouched. The buildings of the tiny city looked like they were somehow a natural part of the scene.

As they walked through the streets, Alexander couldn’t help but notice the calm and measured pace of the inhabitants. They seemed to be moving with deliberate purpose yet without any urgency or rush. The place was well kept and finely crafted, made mostly from grey mountain granite that revealed sparkling whites and specks of black when examined up close. The buildings were simple yet sturdy and built with attention to detail. They were adorned with little ornamentation, which only served to heighten the appearance of quality construction.

The people nodded in greeting to Marla as she passed and seemed to give her a measure of deference. Alexander noted a few others dressed in similar coarse brown robes and saw that they too were accorded respect. He surmised they were all members of the Druidic Orders that appeared to form the basis of what little government the mountain community had.

Marla led the way through a maze of streets that wound higher on the little mountain island until they came to the central structure built on top of the island peak at about the same altitude as the lip of the crater surrounding the entire lake. It was a large dome made of the same grey mountain granite as the rest of the structures but the architecture of the building was impressive. There were thousands of tons of stone resting on the strength of a series of arched ribs that provided the structural support for the entire massive building. Lesser buildings radiated away from the central dome. Marla stopped and took in the place for a moment before she spoke.

“The Hall of Druids,” she said, gesturing to the central dome. “It’s been a long time. I didn’t realize how much I have missed this place.”

She led them into the entry hall of a broad three-story-high building with colossal granite pillars in two rows supporting the massive, stone ceiling beams overhead. Standing behind a small oak desk centered on the entry doors was a young man dressed in simple grey robes. He nodded respectfully to Marla.

“Greetings, Priestess, welcome home. How may I be of service?”

“I must speak with the High Priest of Tanis.”

“Of course, I will send word at once,” he said, then turned and nodded to a collection of other young men and women seated along the wall. One came quickly and took a note into the bowels of the giant building complex. “May I show you to a waiting room and offer you some refreshments?”

“Yes, thank you, we’ve had a long journey.”

One of the acolytes led them to a comfortably appointed room off the main hall, while another brought a tray of food and flagons of wine. It was a simple meal of nuts, berries, smoked fish, and dried venison. Everyone ate their fill, and almost on cue, another acolyte came to the chamber just as they finished their meal.

He led them through a maze of austere granite corridors and stopped at a large oak door. With a bow, he opened the door and waved them through. Marla went first, without hesitation, followed by Alexander. They entered into a simple but well-appointed sitting room with a fire crackling in the hearth and a kettle of water steaming gently nearby.

Richly stained hardwood bookshelves lined the walls, and a deep-red carpet covered the cold stone of the floor. All around the room stood well-crafted brass lamps and a number of comfortable-looking chairs and couches. Central to the room was a large table with a number of heavy wooden chairs surrounding it. There were several books on the table, some stacked one atop the other, while others lay open.

A man of medium height and build with fair skin, blond hair, and grey eyes sat at the table reading one of the volumes. He wore the same coarse brown robes as Marla and had the golden medallion of a dragon hanging from his neck, except his had a single vibrant red ruby set where the eye of the dragon would be.

He looked up and smiled politely but without joy. Alexander could see at a glance that he was a man of considerable magical capability, though, like Marla, his colors looked somehow different than those of a wizard.

“Welcome home, Priestess Tasselheim. I see you’ve brought guests.”

“High Priest Callahadran, it’s good to be home,” Marla said with a much more genuine smile. “May I present Lord Alexander Ruatha and his companions.”

A puzzled look came over his face followed by a frown. “I mean no offense,” he said with measured courtesy, “but I thought the line of Ruatha perished millennia ago.”

“Until a few months ago, I thought as much myself,” Alexander said. “As it turns out, Mage Cedric hid my bloodline to protect it until now. I have reclaimed the throne, and I’m fighting to protect Ruatha from the ambitions of Phane Reishi.”

He smiled again without humor. “As I’m sure Priestess Tasselheim has told you, we have no wish to participate in the affairs of the outside world. May I ask your purpose here in our secluded little community?”

Alexander caught just a hint of wariness in his colors. No doubt he was worried that Alexander might be there to press them into taking sides in the war that was raging in the distance.

“High Priest Callahadran, I have come to the Pinnacles to petition the Fairy Queen for aid. I have reason to believe that she is the only one who can help me prevent untold suffering.”

Callahadran tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. “Surely, you understand the danger you face if you enter the Valley of the Fairy Queen. Only her most trusted priests and priestesses are permitted to enter with any hope of returning. Whatever you hope to gain from Queen Ilona, I fear you will have to seek it elsewhere.”

 “I’ve taken them before Lady Tanis,” Marla said. “Our patron has granted Lord Alexander safe passage within the Pinnacles. Queen Ilona will honor that agreement.”

Anger momentarily ghosted across the High Priest’s face. “On whose authority did you summon Lady Tanis?” he asked Marla pointedly.

She didn’t back down. “Lord Alexander saved my life. According to our law, I am obligated to offer him guidance through the Pinnacles. His path takes him into dangerous places and so I sought to safeguard his passage by securing for him the blessing of Lady Tanis. A blessing which she offered, I should add.”

He was taken aback by her last statement. “How has she blessed this outsider?” he asked with rising anger. When Alexander withdrew the dragon tooth from his tunic, Callahadran took a sharp breath and stared in disbelief at the talisman. His colors shined brightly with jealousy.

“I have no wish to intrude into your home,” Alexander said. “I serve the Old Law and will respect your wish to avoid this war, although I do not believe my enemy will offer you the same respect. My only purpose here is to seek the aid of the Fairy Queen.”

Callahadran drew himself up and swallowed his inner turmoil at seeing the tooth of his patron having been given to an outsider. “Very well, follow me,” he said curtly and led them from the room without another word.

Again they wound through the simple granite halls of the large complex of buildings until they came to another large oak door in a different wing. An acolyte seated before the door came to her feet when they rounded the corner and bowed to High Priest Callahadran.

“Please tell your mistress that I have urgent need of an audience.”

The acolyte bowed and slipped through the door. Not a minute passed before the young woman opened the door again and respectfully motioned them through.

They stepped into an open-air courtyard with a beautifully sculpted garden surrounding a large stone gazebo made from the same granite as the rest of the buildings. The night air was crisp but not too cold. The garden was in early bloom and the fragrance of dozens of different flowers mingled to create a soft and comforting scent. Several heavy brass lamps hung from stone posts jutting from the support pillars of the gazebo, providing ample light.

Seated at the table inside the gazebo was a middle-aged woman wearing the same coarse brown robe as the other druids. She was slight of build with long, silvery blond hair and hazel eyes. Around her neck hung a golden medallion fashioned in the likeness of a fairy. She stood and smiled warmly.

Alexander could see she was a genuinely good person who had lived her whole life in the peaceful confines of these mountains. She had the soft innocence of someone who had rarely encountered violence, yet her character was tempered by a deep wisdom that belied her apparent age.

“Please come and sit. You are welcome here.”

High Priest Callahadran bowed politely to her. “High Priestess Clarissa, please forgive the intrusion. Priestess Tasselheim has brought guests with the sanction of my patron to seek your aid,” he said with studied politeness.

“Of course,” Clarissa said. “You must be Alexander and you must be Isabel. I have been expecting you, although not so soon. Your need must be urgent indeed to make such haste.”

Alexander and Isabel shared a smile of relief at being acknowledged. Alexander said, “High Priestess Clarissa, thank you for your hospitality. I’m heartened to hear that you’ve been expecting us. Can I assume that Queen Ilona is also aware of our purpose here?”

“Yes, in fact it was she who instructed me to look for your arrival. You will stay here tonight and we will depart for the Valley of the Fairy Queen tomorrow morning. It’s a journey of three days. Once we arrive, Queen Ilona will hear your petition, although I must caution you that she may not grant your request.”

“I understand, but I sincerely hope that she will,” Alexander said. “The future of the Seven Isles may depend on her decision.”