The Shards (11 page)

“Colton must be elated thinking that the trees are starting to break ranks and offer him assistance. In his arrogance, he probably blames the woman he sent after you for not capturing the boy, and he has not even suspected the greater plan,” Liam said.

“You are so certain that there is one?” Pithar questioned.

“I will hope and pray to the First that there is,” Liam responded.

“When has there not been?” Connor asked. The others nodded in agreement, though Pithar’s expression remained stoic.

Tomas listened intently to all that was being said around him, and he felt much calmer and much more at ease as the speculations of the Chosen unfolded. What they were saying made perfect sense to him, and though he was still hurt by Ormachon’s secrecy and deception, he no longer suffered from the terrible pain that his initial suspicions had caused him. He remained silent while the others continued to analyze the situation.

“What must we make of that ominous passage in the Tomes that refers to the ‘Chosen?’” Dashiel queried.

“The Chosen shall die in the darkness alone, bereft and far away from home,’” Blodwyn recited.

“Yes, that one,” Dashiel confirmed.

“It seems that one or all of us must perish,” Harton replied.

“Must?” Tobias asked.

“Will. Must. Shall—it is all the same in the end,” Harton said.

“Perhaps not,” Crea said, grim-faced.e The others turned toward him now and waited for him to elaborate. He recited:

“‘Who shall choose, and who shall be Chosen?

The fabric weaves, the fabric is woven.

The First to come, the last to go,

The rivers run from the melting snow.

And all of those who deem to know

What purpose belies this unwholesome show

Are surely wrong,

They need not guess.

Who is so noble to pass this test?

Who will bond with the very best?

Who will breathe a dying breath?

Who will remain after all the rest?

Who, my friends? Who?

Can you guess?’”

No one spoke for a few moments, as they contemplated the words.

“Why do you think this section sheds any more light upon the previous one?” Dashiel asked.

“I am not sure. It seems though that the Tomes are trying to tell us that the answer we are seeking is far removed from what we might expect. I am accustomed to riddles, but the tone of these words is quite different from what I am used to hearing in the great books, as if the writers were toying with the reader,” Crea replied.

“Will there be a new one Chosen? Do you think then that it is neither really one of us nor all of us after all?” Connor asked.

“I suspect that we shall not be able to figure the riddle out yet no matter how hard we may contemplate. Nevertheless, there is enough doubt for us to believe that the outcome anticipated is by no means certain,” Crea summarized.

“The Tomes write about what will be, not what has been. Of course they are uncertain,” Pithar said.

“However we wish to interpret the many passages referring to the Chosen, we can be sure of some things at the least. We can be sure that the Chosen will play a significant part in whatever develops. Thus, either one of us, all of us or someone not yet bonded will be a material component in what will be,” Liam said.

“There is a new tree in Pardatha,” Tomas blurted out.

“The boy makes an interesting point,” Carlisle replied. “Soon, presumably, it will choose.”

“We must watch carefully how this unfolds,” Blodwyn said. “I propose that we organize ourselves in that regard.”

“A very good idea, Blodwyn,” Harton said. “Why should we not act in concert when we recognize situations that merit our attention?”

“Shall we vote on this, or is a simple ‘Aye’ sufficient?” Connor asked.

“A voice vote is fine with me,” Liam said.

“And with me as well,” Crea echoed.

“Harton? Would you be so kind as to systematize our approach to this observation? You have the most experience at statesmanship and delegation amongst us all,” Edmond asked.

“It would be my pleasure,” Harton replied, flattered. “That is, if everyone agrees?”

All of the others agreed that a formal vote was not necessary, and they quickly and without hesitation sounded their unanimous approval.

“We must have a more efficient means of communicating with one another in the fixture. The method of summoning this time was much too cumbersome,” Blodwyn said.

“Yes, and we must keep in contact more often,” Connor emphasized.

“We can no longer leave it up to the trees to inform us,” Dashiel glowered.

“The balance has shifted. We must face that reality,” Crea said reluctantly.

“The trees are fighting a battle of their own,” Liam said. “There will be much in the days to come that we will not understand, I fear. We can support one another during these dark times, as we did today.”

“I am grateful for all of your words,” Tomas said humbly to the group. “I would have been unable to see my way clearly through this alone.”

“This meeting was a success if only for that reason We must make certain we can always assist each other when crises arise.”

“No longer can we afford to allow our communication to be governed so tightly by the trees,” Tobias said. “Sadly, they are withdrawing more and more, as we have all become aware. It is time now for the Chosen to act.”

“He is right! We all know it. We must continue to meet and to converse. The battle that the Lalas are fighting may not be one that we can participate in now,” Blodwyn said.

“They must exclude us from some of what they are going through. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for the trees to suffer the continued losses of their own. We can only begin to feel what they must feel. If they require distance, we must give them that distance,” Dashiel said.

“It is so hard to do, nevertheless,” Edmond said. “I care not if I die anymore. I just want to die with hope in my heart.”

“We have reason to hope now. We have done something unprecedented, which has generated much anxiety and trepidation. But it was necessary. We have forged a new union, the need for which the times have thrust upon us. May the First forgive us if we are mislead by the signs all around us. Of this we are certain; our hearts are pure,” Crea said.

“The trees conceal from us what they must. We conceal from them what we must,” Tobias said cheerlessly.

“If we work in concert, perhaps we can serve the people better than we did before this gathering,” Blodwyn said.

“The people and the heir,” Crea exclaimed.

“And Tomas here, too,” Liam said, laying his arm tenderly on the boy’s shoulder and reminding all of them that he was as crucial to the future as was his brother.

“We shall help you whenever and however we can,” Blodwyn said to Tomas. “But, we must be careful not to reveal too much, even to one another. Secrecy is your best protection. The more knowledge you disclose about your whereabouts or your destinations, the more you increase the chances of that knowledge falling upon the wrong ears. Traitors are rampant upon the land in these times.”

“Your friends are strong and loyal. They will assist you on your travels too,” Edmond encouraged.

“The dark clouds are amassing everywhere. Colton is thwarted in one city and he then attacks another. The disbelievers grow in number as the Lalas’ influence wanes. We must do whatever we are able to. It is our duty,” Liam stated. “Today, we have trod upon a new path. Need has beckoned to us. Know that we will be with you wherever the weave takes you.”

“Our method of communication with each other must be secure and it must be foolproof. We cannot depend upon the trees to spread the news as easily as they did in the past. Besides, we have a different agenda now,” Harton said.

“How shall we contact one another in the future? We all agree that the means we utilized this time are not ideal,” Dashiel agreed.

“Has anyone something better in mind?” Crea asked. “Secrecy is essential. We have few choices if we wish to conceal our contact with each other from both the trees and from the Dark Lord.”

“If we cannot keep this cooperation secret, than its efficacy will be impaired,” Connor said.

“I know of no way other than the method we used. It seems that everything else we might avail ourselves of requires a Lalas or a relic or vestige thereof,” Liam said.

“Neither do I. I have never needed to contemplate a means that would bypass the awareness of my bond-mate. And now that I do, I am at a loss. I thought this day would never come,” Pithar scowled.

“None of us anticipated such a need. It is time though that we attempt to function independent of the trees. They must know this even as we do it,” Crea said.

“Do you think, Crea?” Tobias asked. “Do you really think that they would understand?”

“I would hope that in their beneficence they would recognize what we are trying to do. They cannot stop the losses. The trees still die. Should we all just die with them?”

“Was that not something that we all accepted when we embraced the bond?” Harton asked.

“Yes, but not at the expense of the world. Did you anticipate then that Colton could bring the trees to their knees?” Dashiel asked.

“Is that what has happened?” Pithar asked, exasperated. “The Lalas are dying out of fear? Marathar is not afraid of the Dark Lord,” he insisted. “If he chooses to die, it will be for reasons other than cowardice and defeat.”

“I meant no disrespect, Pithar. We all feel the same way. But the trees are dying! That is a fact. We must do what we can to help those who remain. If we can assist the heir in finding the Gem perhaps this tragic episode will come to an end,” Dashiel replied.

“And in order to assist the boy, we must be able to communicate,” Blodwyn said. “We have come full circle once more, and we are no closer to a solution than when we began. How can we comport with one another if all out methods are linked to the trees?”

“Does no one here have any ideas?” Crea implored them.

“I do!” Tomas exclaimed, stepping forward as he spoke. Before anyone even asked him to reveal it, he pulled the ring out from beneath his tunic and held it before them all to gaze upon. “There is no question that we can communicate through this,” he said.

The silver ring hung from the original piece of rawhide that he had strung it through the day that he retrieved if from the sapling beside the charred remains of his Aunt and Uncle’s house in the woods of Pardeau. It seemed for a moment as if a hundred tiels had passed since that fateful moment when Cairn of Thermaye wandered into the glen and so fortuitously stumbled upon him. That was the very first day the darkness touched his soul so thoroughly. The images of his friends passed quickly across his mind’s eye, and he was comforted by those memories as much as he was repulsed by the others.

“This is the twin to my brother’s golden ring, though as with he and I, they differ in some minor ways,” he said.

“Minor?” Harton questioned. “His is gold and yours is silver.”

“The color is not significant,” Liam scoffed. “It is the power that ties them together.”

“I said it was the twin. They are not the same, nor do they serve the same purpose. They are similar,” Tomas explained.

“Do you know what purpose they do serve?” Blodwyn prodded.

“No,” Tomas replied without hesitation. “But, I am learning. I know that it will provide us with a means of communication. It reacts to my thoughts sometimes as if it was alive,” he said in a dream-like voice. “When I speak of it, I speak with certainty.”

Tomas bent down and laid the ring on the stone floor before his feet. Immediately, a high pitched sound flooded their minds, though it was soft and tender and not harsh or unappealing in any way.

“Come,” the boy beckoned. “Gather around,” he extended his arms and grasped Liam’s hand with his left and Blodwyn’s with his right.

Without hesitation, the others stepped forward and formed a tight circle around the pulsating ring. The sound reached deep inside the mind of each of the Chosen standing there. It seemed to emanate from within rather than without, and it felt so natural and so soothing. Though it was rather shrill at first, it very quickly found the level of thought, the pulse of each individual’s life, and it harmonized with it so completely and so totally that it soon felt as if it belonged to each and every participant from the onset. Smiles crossed everyone’s faces unbidden, and they all swayed in harmony with the inner vibrations.

The ring itself began to spin, and as it accelerated in speed, an audible music began to flood the chamber, though subtly different from the previous pitch. They each felt a deep yearning and a brief sadness. Those emotions quickly transmuted into an inexplicable joy and lightness of spirit as the beautiful chords and notes struck their minds. The sensation was not dissimilar, though still distinct, from that which each Chosen experienced when in close proximity to a Lalas. The noise from within did not cease as that from without grew in volume. Rather, the two rose to meet one another within the minds of the Chosen. As this union of essences was consummated, a new level was attained, one which combined the individuality of each participant with that of the ring and with the souls of one another. Briefly, they all floated in a sea of bliss, far removed from the troubles of the world.

Tomas was the first to speak. All of the others still seemed quite mesmerized by the interaction which had just taken place.

“I must return to my friends,” he said softly. “They are worried about me.” He thought for a moment and then said as if he knew this all along, “You need only invoke the memory of the ring and the Chosen you wish to contact in your mind’s eye and the link will be enacted.”

“And we must each return to our lives as well,” Blodwyn spoke for the group, as she raised herself out of the ecstatic stupor into which she had fallen. “It will be difficult enough to conceal our movements from the trees. The longer we are apart from them, the more likely they will question us.”

Soon, the entire chamber was once more filled with individuals, separated by their own unique consciousness, and no longer united in the manner that they were only moments before.