The Blade Heir (Book 1) (17 page)

"No, after the Siege of Arkadeus, the sword perished along with its bearer. When Cervantes dealt the final blow that slew the Black Dragon, the sword and Cervantes were destroyed by the unquenchable fire produced by Kraegyn's spilled blood. Fortunately for us, the ancient sword can be remade."

Naomi stood from her seat and grabbed an old scroll lying on a shelf on the wall behind her. She rolled out the scroll and turned it for them to see. A list of chemicals, metals, and other alchemical properties were written on the cracked and withered parchment.

"Lord Helmer's grandfather, Irribu Silverhart, wrote down the original instructions used to create the Requiem Sword two thousand years ago in the age historians now call the Golden Millennium. The sword was originally forged by a Numan elf whose name was unfortunately never recorded. Legend says that this elf received specific instructions from King Yesu himself to forge the sword. The unnamed elf passed on this information to Irribu. This is a copy of the original document, which the blacksmith can use to forge the holy blade of Joppa anew. Many of these materials were hard to come by, but we found most of them nonetheless. There are two more that are needed to forge the sword, and we will need your help in collecting them."

Lucius leaned back on the bench, dumbfounded by all the information Naomi had relayed to them. "Well ... what items are left?"

"One of the items lies in the north, beyond Jun-Jun Pass in the Grey Swamps. It is an alchemical powder known as
mithas
, which is needed to make the blade effective against dragon scales. The other item is camel leather, which will be used for the grip on the hilt, and it can be found in Aldron. But you will not be venturing there," she said, rolling up the scroll and placing it back on the shelf.

"If not us, then who?" Siegfried raised an eyebrow.

"Myself and the blacksmith's apprentice, Violet Pulfer. She is soon to return from the northern banks of the Feilon River," Naomi replied as she sat on the bench. "We shall retrieve the camel leather while you venture into the Grey Swamps. And perhaps in a fortnight or less, we can all meet here with everything required to forge the Requiem Sword."

"It seems you have been planning this for quite some time," Siegfried said, placing his right thumb and forefinger on the cleft of his chin.

"Yes, this is quite a meticulous process to forge a sword," Lucius interjected.

"Meticulous ... and dangerous. We will all face great peril on this errand. I have no doubt Memnon's spies will soon find out about you, Lucius, and our plan to restore the lost sword. And the dragons will not have forgotten the weapon that felled their leader." She looked at Lucius, her face grim. "We must all take great care to avoid the enemy until the blade is in your hands."

Lucius nodded. "I will do what is necessary, my lady. When do we leave for the Grey Swamps?"

"It would be wise to spend a day or two resting and planning our course to the swamps of the north. Would you allow us to stay here, Lady Naomi?" Siegfried asked.

"Yes, of course, stay as long as you need. I do not plan on leaving until Violet arrives tomorrow evening." Naomi spread her arms with palms upturned. "Please help yourselves to anything while you are here."

"Thank you very much," Siegfried bowed.

"Yes, thank you, my lady." Lucius stood up and stretched his legs. "I am curious, though. When will we be meeting this blacksmith who will be forging the great sword?"

Naomi stood up to meet his gaze and smiled. "You've already met her."

 TWELVE

Nearing Death's Door

The long arduous road from the Feilon River had taken its toll on both Violet and Cutter. Two days had passed since she had found him in the wilderness, and they had spent most of their time together treading through the wilderness of Marsolas. Violet steered Homer, who bore Cutter, by the reins as she sought the way home. Cutter's condition had steadily grown worse. The poison from the Draknoir's arrow was spreading through his bloodstream, debilitating him more with each passing hour. Her salves had slowed the poison's effects, but without proper medicine, he would be dead in a day or less. He slept most of the time, feeling too ill to walk alongside her or even dismount the horse without help.

Violet had planned a different course to return to her cottage at the western edge of the Burning Woods to make traveling easier for Cutter. She usually cut through the northern section of the Burning Woods on her trips to the Feilon to save a day's worth of travel, but it wasn't wise with a wounded and diseased soldier alongside her. Though the troublesome faeries of the Burning Woods were night dwellers, she knew other mystical creatures lurked in the underbrush and could pose a threat to both her and Cutter.

Rain clouds were forming in the west, and she predicted they had an hour before the sky would be overcast above them. I better set up camp soon, she thought, and looked behind her at Homer and Cutter. The horse didn't look tired—they stopped earlier and he had grazed on some crabgrass growing near the forest. Silas, on the other hand, had not eaten since morning and it was well past the midday meal. His long, gold hair fluttered from the bobbing of his head as Homer trotted slowly. She found him attractive and wished he had been awake for more conversation. His manner seemed very refined and not as gruff as other soldiers she had met before. As she strolled along the tall grass surrounding the Burning Woods with Homer in tow, Violet wondered if Cutter had a wife or maiden waiting for him in Aldron. She sincerely hoped not. Imagine her, a mere alchemist's apprentice, winning the heart of a commander in the king's army—her friends back in Tarshish would be jealous. Silas groaned softly, and she suddenly felt foolish for having such childish fantasies while the man was clearly near death. Her eyes fixed again on the dark clouds looming above and she quickened her pace, focusing on her errand.

Before the sun set and the clouds engulfed the sky overhead, Violet found a hill nestled on the edge of the Burning Woods to set up camp for the night. The hill overlooked the faraway city of Sylvania to the south, which had lit up its wall torches just as she set down her pack and Cutter's sword on the ground. A pair of elms on the hill provided her enough cover from the impending rain to start a fire without fear of it being snuffed out.

Violet woke up Cutter, and he groggily climbed down from Homer to lay on the grass. She then tied Homer to one of the elms and dropped an apple for the horse to feed on. After starting a fire, she checked on Cutter, whose breathing was slightly labored. She put her palm on his forehead and felt the heat of his fever. He opened his eyes halfway, looking up at her in a helpless expression.

"How far from your home are we?" Cutter whispered.

"Not far; we can make it tonight if we hurry. But you need to eat and rest a bit," Violet said as she pulled out a blanket from her pack and wrapped it around him.

"Do you think ... I'll survive?" Cutter shivered.

Violet watched the fire, avoiding his eyes. "Yes. Of course you will."

She pulled out a piece of cold, salted mutton wrapped in papyrus from her bag along with her frying pan. Once it was thoroughly cooked, she handfed the meal to Silas in small bits. He washed the food down with some water from Violet's canteen and rolled on his side to rest.

Thunder rolled in the distance and small drops of water hit the floor around them intermittently. Soon the patter of light rain became a raucous downpour. Violet pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, but it did little to prevent the rain from soaking her hair and shoulders. The fire flickered about wildly as raindrops fell on it, yet it stayed lit throughout the storm.

After a few minutes, the rain slowed to a drizzle, which continued to soak the already drenched clothes of the weary travelers. Violet waited awhile longer for the clouds above to clear so she could see the stars above to aid her in finding the way home. She looked over at Cutter and her chest tightened. He was curled up holding his wet blanket tightly and shivering uncontrollably. Dark circles had formed around his eyes, and he looked paler than before. She hated to wake him so soon, but there was no time to rest now; he needed medicine. After they were all packed and ready with Cutter on horseback again, they set out to their final destination. A grim feeling swept over Violet as she led Homer in the darkness—the realization she might be leading this poor man to a dark grave in the wilderness.

In the two days that Lucius and Siegfried had spent in Naomi's cottage, the Evingrad exiles had plotted their course to the Grey Swamps to retrieve the mithras powder needed for the Requiem Sword. While studying a map of Azuleah, the brothers decided the quickest path to the Grey Swamps required traversing through the northern tip of the Burning Woods in order to reach the marshland beyond Jun-Jun Pass in the north. Of course, the quickest way was not the safest way, and Lucius had reservations about entering the mysterious woodland. The hostile faeries inside the forest could prove to be dangerous, but the alternative route—the northern stretch of the Barren Road leading to Jun-Jun Pass—held greater perils to their journey. Draknoir spies and highwaymen were common on the northern roads. And if Memnon or his minions discovered an heir of Cervantes sought to reforge the Requiem Sword, their entire mission would be for naught. Besides the obvious threat the northern road posed, Lucius also suspected Siegfried had other reasons for entering the Burning Woods. He questioned his brother about it several times over the last two days, but the stubborn elf merely told him he had unfinished business in the forest.

Aside from planning the trip to the Grey Swamps, Lucius spent some of his time helping Naomi prepare for her journey to Joppa. He wished to learn more about the attractive young woman, but his efforts at casual conversation had fallen flat. She seemed to avoid questions about her past and often changed the subject to talk about their present duties. Eventually, he gave up and resigned to speaking with her about the Requiem Sword or metallurgy, which Naomi was all too eager to discuss. Unlike Lucius, Siegfried did not seem interested in idle chatter. When he wasn't devoting his attention to examining maps of Azuleah, Siegfried took short strolls outside in the glade near the cottage, either to play the telyn or shoot arrows into tree stumps. Lucius wondered if Lumiath's words were still weighing heavily on his brother's mind. He wanted to ask Siegfried about it, but an opportune moment had yet to present itself.

On the dawn of the second day, both he and Siegfried were ready to set out for the Grey Swamps, but Naomi persuaded them to stay a day longer. She was very worried about her friend, Violet, since she had not returned the previous night as expected. Naomi feared something serious might have delayed her friend, and she did not want to assume the worst before waiting one more day. She hoped they would accompany her if Violet had run into danger on her trek and needed their help. Naomi also did not wish to travel alone to Joppa without a horse, and Violet rode the only steed available to them. Lucius knew Siegfried desired to leave, but the elf could not deny offering aid to someone in need, whether stranger or friend. Naomi pressed her palm to her heart and her face brightened when they agreed to stay.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully and slowly for each of them as they waited anxiously for Violet's return. Siegfried traversed the hills to the east of the cottage, examining different forms of plant life, while Lucius read the passages of the red scroll he had skipped or skimmed back in Sylvania. Naomi busied herself with the preparation of meals throughout the day, and occasionally, Lucius noticed her peering out of the kitchen window, searching for any sign of her friend. Soon the sun's brilliant glow faded to darkness and the dim light of the moon illuminated the woods and glade surrounding the cottage.

When Naomi had grown tired of waiting and busying herself in the kitchen, she bid Lucius goodnight and retired to her room. Siegfried walked through the front door of the cottage a few minutes later and looked around expectantly.

"No sign of Violet?" the elf asked.

"Afraid not," Lucius said as he sat on the bench near the hearth.

Siegfried sighed and pulled out the telyn from his pack on the floor.

"Don't play too loudly; Naomi has gone to bed," Lucius said.

"Do not worry yourself, brother," Siegfried replied, a half-smile formed on his face. "My music will not cause a mouse to stir."

Lucius clamped his lips together and shook his head. "No, but the birds will surely flock and sing along to your tune."

Siegfried ignored the remark and blew into the instrument before playing. Lucius turned to face the fire and watched the flames dance about wildly. Siegfried played a few notes softly on the telyn while leaning against a wall near a window. Lucius sat silently for an hour, contented to watch the fire and listen to the calm music of the telyn as they both waited for Naomi's friend to arrive. He wasn't sure when he closed his eyes or how long he dozed before the neighing of a horse in the distance stirred him awake. He straightened and gazed over at Siegfried, who stared intently out the window. Lucius stood up and marched swiftly to the door with Siegfried following close behind.