The Elf King (51 page)

“
Aless, Qenn and I are on a
very secret mission to save a lot of people. We need help though.
We need to find the magic here and take some of it with
us.”

Aless’ smile slowly faded.
“You will die.”

“
My stick has magic that
will protect us,” Qenn said, holding his staff out for her to see
again.

“
Silly,
elf. Your magic is not strong enough; not stronger than
the
LifeWaters
.”

Qenn thought about his
words for a second. She was just a child. Innocent. “How do you
know? What have you seen the
LifeWaters
do?”

Aless thought for a second.
“I don’t know. I just know that it gives life to everything it
touches, and that if we try to leave, we die.”

“
Do you know where it
is?”

Aless shook her head.
“Corwon is the only one who has spoken to it.”

Qenn and Kandish looked at
each other. They had enough information from Aless. She could not
help them further. Corwon is the one they needed to speak with. He
was the man with the answers.

“
Thank you, Aless.” Kandish
patted the girl’s blonde hair. “Let’s keep this all one big secret.
Okay?”

Aless agreed. “I like you
two. I’m glad you are staying.”

From the far side of the
small village, Kandish made out Kamen and Prevost walking. She
brought it to Qenn’s attention, letting Aless know that they needed
to speak with their friends, then get dressed and ready for dinner.
They walked towards the huts then, Aless in the lead, heading for
the woman’s hut who was crying for Teig. With a wave of her hand,
Aless went in, allowing Qenn and Kandish to continue on
privately.

“
She was probably fed all
her information from Corwon,” Qenn said softly, not wishing Aless
to overhear.

“
Let’s see what Kamen and
Prevost have found,” Kandish whispered back. Qenn agreed, robing
himself then walking away with her.

Once Qenn and Kandish met
up with Kamen and Prevost, they walked back to the hut they had
slept in, each whispering that they had some news to share.
Secluded in the hut once again, Kamen and Prevost began
talking.

“
The other one followed us
the entire way.” Kamen began, looking out the flap doors every
other second to make sure no one was listening.

“
Kev Wah,” Prevost
informed. “Once we walked out of this hut, he stayed within sight.
He made no attempt to hide, either. He doesn’t want us finding
something.”

“
We combed the woods around
this mess,” Kamen said in frustration. “No one wants to talk about
anything. But they know what it is, sure enough. They know enough
to keep quiet or they’ll be disciplined for it. They’re under a
tight leash.”

“
Aless isn’t,” Qenn said
with a smile. Kamen and Prevost moved in closer, interest showing
in their eyes. “We had a little chat with her about this
place.”

“
A man
committed suicide today by running away. Leaving this place causes
them to die. They all know it.” Kandish sighed, pausing briefly to
reflect on the piles of bones they found just before Aless found
them. “Aless told us that the
LifeWaters
will kill them if they
leave. I believe her. Remember all the bones we found?”

“
The
water!” Qenn exclaimed. Suddenly it made sense to him. “Wix drank
the water from the stream. And he didn’t die until he ran back to
the circle of bones. That must be the end of the
LifeWaters
territory. If
it is the life source for them, then by leaving the source, maybe
its power weakens and they die. Maybe they can’t live without
it.”

They were quiet for a
moment, each thought back to what they had found. They began
wondering if it was true; if they could leave.

“
One more
thing. Aless said that Corwon was the only person to have seen
the
LifeWaters
.” Kandish added. Prevost sat on a bed across from her. He
looked nauseous.

“
Not true,” a gruff voice
said, startling them. They turned to see Kev Wah standing in the
doorway. “He’s not the only one. He just wants to be.”

Prevost stood, joining the
others as Kev Wah walked in closer. Kandish impulsively stepped in
front of Qenn. His eyes were mean, bitter.

“
Corwon lies to get what he
wants. And even if he doesn’t say it, he wants what all of us
wants.” He turned to stare at Qenn’s staff.

“
What’s that?” grunted
Kamen.

“
To be
out of this forsaken tomb. He’s brainwashed them all to believe
that they are here for a reason. That it is the
LifeWaters
will. But I
don’t think so anymore.”

“
Why don’t you leave on
your own?” Prevost asked.

“
Because we’ve all drank
the water; it is poison. Now we are connected to this place. You
can only walk so far away from the river before your body starts to
shut down. You get sick. Pressing on kills you. Corwon would have
everyone believe that this is a sanctuary, a fountain of youth,
that what happened to them is a gift. You never get old, he says.
You never get sick, he says. But you can never die.”

“
How do we know we can
trust you?” Prevost continued with beads of sweat lining his
forehead.

“
Everyone else would have
let you drink the water. It’s the rule; it’s the test. Chosen
drink. Corwon makes sure no one talks. I’m letting you decide on
your own.” Kev Wah grinned at their reactions. “I think I know why
you’re here. And I think we can help each other.”

“
What makes you think—?”
Kamen Ode tried, but was cut by the other.

“
Save it,” Kev Wah
interrupted rudely. “I’ve been here for a hundred years! Some of
them, even longer. So you have two choices. Trust me, or drink the
water and join us. But something tells me that you won’t be
staying. The elf’s staff is special, like Corwon’s telling
everyone. Don’t try to deny it, either. We don’t have time for
lies. Tell me everything, and I’ll do the same. I can help you. And
you can help me.”

“
How?” Qenn asked, noticing
how hard he held the staff.

Kev Wah smiled. “I’ll lead
you to it. You destroy it.”

“
I don’t think I can. Or
that I should.”

“
You’d try if it was you on
the other side of life,” Kev Wah grunted.

As the group turned to face
each other, a loud bell rang out three times. People were walking
by the hut, and the smell of food was drifting in the air. Kev Wah
looked at the four faces in front of him.

“
Think hard about it. I
want your answer after dinner.”

Without waiting for a
reply, Kev Wah walked outside and disappeared within the crowd
walking for the dinner tent.

“
I was right about this
place,” Kamen Ode smirked. “Nothing is what it seems.”

It was agreed then that
they would eat and then speak with Kev Wah. They would give him
what information that they thought would be necessary, just enough
for him to share with them what they needed. Kandish and Qenn
retrieved their clothes, walking back to the hut to join Kamen and
Prevost for dinner. As one they walked for the eating tent,
entering then sitting near the far end opposite Corwon. A large
meal was prepared and once everyone was sitting, Corwon stood to
make a toast.

“
A moment of silence to
forgive our fallen brother today.”

Qenn and Kandish looked at
each other. They did not care for his choice of words. Teig’s death
appeared to have little effect on them. Some people were shaking
their heads, as if Teig had let them down. None of them seemed to
have a genuine sadness.

“
Close family,” Kandish
whispered to Qenn.

“
Finished. Now let us give
thanks to the—” Corwon began cheerfully, but was rudely interrupted
by Kev Wah.

“
Save if for something we
can be thankful for,” Kev Wah spewed angrily. He glared down
Corwon, who stood astonished. The family went silent.

“
You overstep your
boundaries, brother. You cannot curse what gives you life. Not in
front of our guests, or our family!” Corwon was outraged. Heads
turned from one man to the other as Kev Wah stood with a
smile.

“
Life? That’s exactly what
it has taken!” Kev Wah spit, pounding his fists into the table.
“This is more of a prison than a life! We’re cursed!”

“
Blasphemy!”

“
Preach what you want,
brother. But you lost your life the day you drank that wretched
water too. And if you had a choice to do it over, you’d choose
different.”

Corwon’s smile was anything
but loving. “Maybe you should choose to leave. Free yourself. Join
Teig and the rest of the cowards.”

“
I will leave here.” Kev
Wah smiled, listening to gasps out of everyone. “Don’t look so
happy, Corwon. You can have this village and be the prisoner for an
eternity. And anyone who wants to stay here can do the same.” He
turned away from Corwon then, staring down to Qenn and his company.
“When these four leave, I am leaving with them.”

Everyone was speechless.
Kev Wah picked up a container of water and threw it at Corwon.
“Have your life!” He walked out then, leaving everyone to question
his intentions. As voices faded to hushed whispers, eyes settled on
the newcomers. None of them had an answer.

“
I don’t like this,”
grunted Kamen to himself.

“
What have you done to our
brother? What lies have you spread?” Corwon began asking the
newcomers. “Have you told him your magic stick will save him? Will
save anyone? Because it will not! You are chosen to be
here!”

Kamen stood, quieting the
murmurs, silencing Corwon. “We have told him nothing. Whatever that
man hates about this place, began long before we came
here.”

“
Fools!” Corwon yelled in
return. “You think that we are simple minded, because we live a
simple life. But I can see through your mirage. You wish to trick
us. You wish to steal—”

“
Enough!” Qenn shouted,
standing quickly next to Kamen Ode. Then he began to tell them
everything. From his flight out of Meadow, to his encounter with
Shadox in Skadar Port, to the giving of the staff from Lord
Estrial, to his present situation. He left nothing out. No one said
anything. They all listened to his story with open mouths and wide
eyes. When he was finished, he looked down the table to a sitting
Corwon, and told him that they would be leaving soon. He wished
them luck in their lives, and told them he felt sorry for them.
“But I don’t see how I can help any of you.”

The room was quiet for a
few moments afterward. Qenn heard Kamen grunt something to himself,
and felt Kandish rub one of his hands for support. But there were
no further arguments. Corwon was left speechless.

“
Well, if
that is all true, my friend, then you need to speak with
the
LifeWaters
.” He slowly stood. “I will go tonight to speak with it and
let it know of your intentions, of your situation. It listens to
me. Only to me.”

Corwon looked scared. He
moved slowly away from the table. Kandish joined Qenn in standing,
followed by Kamen and Prevost. Soon everyone was standing as Corwon
reached the door flaps and looked back.

“
I will return shortly,” he
said. “Eat. Drink. Rejoice.”

Qenn simply nodded. Corwon
walked out and disappeared in the night. Qenn turned to Kandish. “I
should have gone with him.”

“
I don’t think he would
have let you, Qenn.”

“
He handled it better than
I would have thought,” Kamen Ode said. “I guess we wait.” He sat
down and began eating. Others picked away at their food as well,
seemingly following orders.

Prevost sat down, too.
There was sadness in his voice as he spoke. “One never knows their
measure of strength, until they are truly tested. As in times like
this.”

Kandish said to him. “I’m
sure he’ll be fine.”

Prevost smiled back. The
look in his eyes let her know she had missed what he was trying to
say. “I’m sure he will.”

Qenn sat then, followed by
Kandish, but neither ate. Everyone was quiet, staring at them.
“Hope he comes back soon.”

I
t
was late
in the night when the screaming rang out like a siren sent to
level the earth. Qenn and Kandish were sleeping in beds next to
Prevost and Kamen when it started, awaking them at once. All four
rushed out of their hut, moon and stars shining overhead casting a
faint light over the river, the rushing of the waterfall as
soothing as ever. People were moving frantically towards the river
where a man was yelling for help. Kamen led his group there, moving
quickly, eyes alert and prepared for the worst. They reached the
small crowd standing on the riverbank as a man walked out of the
river. He was holding something large. As the man drew closer, what
he was carrying became obvious, and more screams rang out. People
began crying. Some ran away hysterically, having no idea what to
do, or who to turn to. The man was helped out of the river, as he
laid Corwon’s dead body in the grass.