The Shards (26 page)

“Did I say that?” Giles asked Clovis.

“No. I did not hear you say anything like that,” Clovis replied.

“For a moment there I thought I was going mad,” Giles continued.

“Stop it, you two!” Alemar said exasperated, though she could not help but laugh. “This is serious.”

“Everything with you has become so serious, Princess. We sought only to lighten your load a bit,” Clovis replied.

“Well, you have succeeded. I only hope that Teetoo does not get the totally wrong impression of the two of you,” she said.

“Princess?” the Weloh interrupted. “If I could have caused you to laugh previously, I would have too. Your friends have succeeded where I have failed, and for that I am grateful,” he said, and he bowed slightly to the two men. “She has indeed been in a perilous state of mind these past few days. And now it seems that your presence has changed that. Apparently, you bring something to this equation that was sorely needed. The fabric weaves of its own will once again. It is a shame that you did not spend more time in the Heights this past month. I think that I would have enjoyed getting to know both of you better.”

“I was never too fond of being that high up in the air,” Giles admitted. “One visit was sufficient for me. Besides, the woods of Lormarion are spectacular. I enjoyed my time there. Eleutheria has no such forests, “ he said.

“Where Giles goes, I go,” Clovis explained. “In fact, most of the trouble that I have encountered in my life is the result of exactly that,” he said, and he slapped his friend heartily upon the back.

“Regardless, we shall all have the opportunity to learn more about one another now,” Teetoo said.

“Can you really fly?” Giles asked, He was never one to withhold his curiosity for the sake of propriety.

“Yes, I can,” Teetoo answered him, and he was not offended in the slightest by his boldness. “But you know that already. You saw me do so the day we met.”

“I confess, I did,” Giles replied. “But I needed to ask you myself nonetheless and hear you say it in your own words. Is it incredible?”

“When I do not take it for granted, yes, it is incredible,” Teetoo smiled.

“I don’t think I could stand being way up there without my feet on solid ground. The thought of it starts my stomach jumping,” Giles said.

“You are a woman, Giles!” Clovis said, making fun of his companion.

“Excuse me?” Alemar chimed in. “‘A woman’? And that was meant to be an insult?” she said indignantly. “We have truly been apart for too long. I need to put the two of you back in your rightful places!” she chastised them both.

“That is precisely why we are here, your Highness,” Clovis said smiling. “We missed your discipline and direction.”

“See what has happened to us in your absence?” Giles asked with puppy dog eyes. “We have lost all of the refinement and good manners that people have come to expect of us.”

“The two of you are impossible!” Alemar said, and she laughed aloud. “Behave yourselves, the both of you, before I take a switch to your backs!” she kidded.

In just a few short moments, Alemar’s exuberance and spirit had returned. Her two companions had succeeded in removing the persistent shadow of doubt and consternation from her brow that she could not shake off by herself. What Teetoo had begun, Giles and Clovis completed.

“Come, sit.” Teetoo beckoned to them. “You must be hungry.”

“They are always hungry, Teetoo,” Alemar said, as Giles and Clovis moved toward the fire with anxious anticipation.

“Good. Let us eat together then, and we can discuss how we are going to accomplish what we need to. Our options have been enhanced by your arrival, and thus we must reformulate our strategies,” the Weloh said as he sat down once again.

As they ate, they talked. Teetoo related to them what little he knew of Sedahar, mostly from recollections of the many conversations he had about it with Premoran.

“It actually changes shape and color depending upon his mood?” Alemar asked.

“Yes. It is a city that is alive in that way. Whether it is chimera and appearance only, I cannot answer,” Teetoo replied. “After he was defeated at Pardatha, he destroyed it completely and utterly. We heard the sounds of Sedahar’s destruction way off in the west. Premoran knew what his brother was doing then. They have this link still between them and though it causes him great anguish, he cannot break it. Since then, Colton has rebuilt it once more.”

“This bond that you speak of,” Clovis said. “Will it help us to know where the Dark Lord is once we locate Premoran?”

“Yes. It could. Premoran was almost always aware of where Colton was. In fact, it tormented him to know,” Teetoo replied.

“Do they influence one another through this link? Is it such that they can reach out to one another?” Clovis continued his questioning.

“Premoran was always concerned about that. He felt that he had to remain forever vigilant in the event that Colton attempted to manipulate him or influence him against his will. Though my friend is amazingly strong physically, and strong of will as well, so is his brother.”

“You did not answer my question fully, Teetoo,” Clovis prodded. “I asked if they could influence one another and you replied merely how Colton could influence Premoran. What about the reverse?”

“I know that many tiels ago, Premoran had tried to ease his brother’s anguish through that bond. What he encountered when he touched Colton’s soul, he was never able to speak to me about in any detail. Needless to say, it must have been a hideous experience. He failed miserably in the attempt and as far as I am aware he never tried it again,” Teetoo related.

“You know him very well, Teetoo,” Alemar said. “This must be so difficult for you.”

Teetoo turned his face toward the Princess, and his huge eyes were wide open and unblinking.

“Most difficult, Princess,” he replied. “Though I feel it more profoundly than others do, in reality, the repercussions of his imprisonment are arduous for us all.”

“Maybe he needs to try once more to get into this madman’s head,” Giles said. “At least, it might serve to distract him. We could surely use that to our advantage once we arrive there.”

“It is a good thought, Giles,” Teetoo agreed. “Anything that would take Colton’s attention away from the perimeters of his realm would serve our purposes. But I am certain that Premoran is quite weak now, and in such a weakened state, it could be even more dangerous for him.”

“Is there a way you can communicate with him? I have heard you say that you know he is alive. Thus, you are not merely guessing. Your knowledge comes from some sort of connection the two of you must have,” Alemar said.

“You are not related by blood like he and Caeltin. There is no bond of that kind between you both. Have you a special means of transmitting or receiving feelings or thoughts that is unique to your race?” Clovis asked.

“No. I am quite intuitive, though I generally attribute it to my heightened sensory perceptions,” Teetoo replied, and he was thinking deeply now himself.

“Has he never given you anything that bears his mark?” Clovis questioned. “A knife, a pendant, a coin perhaps? I know that often items such as these are more than they appear to be.”

“Like the diadem that was given to Robyn by Iscaron in the final battle? Or the light that Wayfair bestowed upon me before we went into the Caves of Carloman?” Alemar recalled.

Teetoo looked confused momentarily, which was so unlike the Weloh. His big eyes were half closed in thought and his head was cocked to the side as if he was trying to remember something that kept eluding him.

“Yes, that he has. I do not know why this has not occurred to me sooner,” he finally said somewhat surprised. “I have a token he bestowed upon me many, many tiels ago. I wear it always,” he said and he pushed the sleeve of his shirt over his slim, almost opaque wrist in order to expose it to the others.

By the expectant look upon his face, he seemed as if he was uncertain whether he would actually find it there or not. It was nothing more than a rather small polished piece of blonde wood cut in no particularly discernible shape, but it glowed with an inner fire that they could all easily see, and Teetoo was visibly relieved by the actual sight of it. The token was strung like a bead upon a thin silver thread and it slid loosely around his thin wrist even as he spoke.

“It was a gift,” he explained, and he was clearly straining to recall this information. “Premoran gave it to me a long time ago when he and I first met, actually,” he remembered. “Though not a shard by any means, he told me that it was a part of what remained from one of the Lalas who had departed. He told me to wear it upon my person always as a symbol of luck, but he never told me anything more about it. In fact, we never spoke of it again,” he said, and that now obviously seemed odd to him all of a sudden. “Curiously, I had not thought much about it. As far as I had been concerned at first, it was an ornament, a piece of jewelry, that so many in your world cherish beyond measure. Such adornments have not the same meaning for me. I was grateful for it at the time, but I paid no attention to it since. Actually, I had forgotten about it completely. I cannot even remember seeing it in a very long time, though I obviously never did remove it from my wrist,” he continued, and he was examining it now as if he was looking at it for the very first time.

“And you never thought it odd that it glowed so?” Alemar asked.

“I have been totally unaware of even its presence upon me, so frankly Princess, I never noticed that before this very moment,” Teetoo replied.

“You are so nonchalant about this. Do you treat all such fortunate discoveries the same way!” Giles asked, surprised at how tranquilly the Weloh was handling this finding.

“You do not know me well, my friend. I express my emotions differently than you do yours. Honestly, what causes me more surprise is that I have remained so unaware of it for so long, and until you all questioned me about it, I did not even remember that I wore it on my own person,” he repeated, still so bewildered by his new awareness.

“Teetoo?” Alemar questioned. “Do you think that this bracelet is more than it appears to be?

“I am certain, Princess,” he said with a new recognition, yet he remained still sedate and unmoved.

“It must be like a seed that one plants deep in the frozen ground. Such an item can remain dormant almost indefinitely. When the first thaw comes, it awakens and its essence begins to manifest itself,” Alemar said. “Premoran is a wizard of the highest order. We should not be surprised that he has placed such things within the world.”

“I am merely disappointed with myself, Alemar, for having forgotten about this for so long,” the Weloh replied.

“Your lack of awareness must also be a part of his plan,” she responded. “The object remained safer on your person if no attention was drawn to it inadvertently.”

“Most definitely,” Teetoo concurred. “Though I feel rather foolish having harbored it and yet not having made any attempt to utilize it.”

“Foolish? I understand that emotion. How different are you really from us, Teetoo?” Giles questioned him, smiling.

“Perhaps not as different as I have thought,” he replied, smiling in return. “This is fortuitous nonetheless, despite how fatuous it has made me feel to have been so unaware. As Alemar so aptly suggested, I had to wait for the thaw to come.”

“The time had to be right. Without a doubt, there was intent in that, Teetoo. It should not cause you needless concern. What is really important is that you have discovered it once more. Now we must determine its true purpose,” Alemar said.

“You are correct, of course, Princess. My feelings about it are rather irrelevant at this point,” he shrugged.

“Now that you have found it, do you think you should try to use it in some way. We are not yet sure that it is anything more than a pretty, polished piece of wood. Maybe you should attempt to communicate with Premoran through it?” Giles asked.

“Let us not be too hasty. We do not know who may be watching him, and it would harm us rather than help us to give ourselves away before we even arrive at the enemy’s gates. We must be extremely careful. An attempt at communication through this relic would necessarily affect the weave, and Colton may very well be waiting for just such an event in order to track down the originator of it. He knows that his brother has friends, though I doubt he could fathom the depth of their loyalty to him,” Teetoo said. “Regardless, we must wait. We cannot risk revealing our position or our intention.”

“I, for one, will not bicker with you over this. After seeing the undead rise from the depths of the frozen Sea of the Righteous and march to war, I do not question those who understand these things better than I do,” Clovis said.

“Aye! Neither do I,” Giles concurred. “If you and Alemar agree that now is not the time to use this bracelet, who are we to disagree?” Giles said.

“I do agree with Teetoo,” Alemar said. “We must wait until we know that it is safe for us and for Premoran before we try to commune with him. Besides, I think that this token has already provided you with some sense of his whereabouts. How else would you know with such certainty that he is in Castle Sedahar and that he is still alive?” she asked.

“Exactly!” Teetoo said. “And I do know both of those things without any incertitude. This limited knowledge must suffice for us now until we can be sure it is prudent to attempt to gain more.”

“How then do we plan to rescue Premoran from Sedahar, Teetoo?” Clovis asked, hands on his hips as he and his companions stared raptly at the Weloh.

Chapter Twenty-eight

“I am so excited. I have dreamed of Avalain my entire life!” Stephanie said, and in her enthusiasm she pinched Preston sharply around the waist.

“Ouch!” he screeched. “That hurt, Steph!”

“Sorry, Preston!” she giggled. “I really did not mean to do that. Forgive me?”

“Of course I do. Just don’t do it again!” he replied, and he rubbed his side and grinned at the same time.

“We are going to have to get you a horse of your own if you keep this up,” Elion said smiling too. “We cannot afford to have an injured dwarf by the time we get to Avalain.”

“I promise! I will be careful. But I would not mind riding by myself by now. Not only do I feel bad for the poor horse that has to carry a double load, but frankly, the back of the saddle is not the most comfortable part,” she said.

“As soon as we get to the city, I will make certain that you have a mare of your own choosing for as long as you require it, Stephanie,” Queen Esta said.

“Thank you so much, your Highness. It has been so long since I had anything of my own, I have nearly forgotten what it is like,” the girl replied.

“Recent events have dealt many of us a difficult hand,” Elion said. “And still, we are most fortunate compared to some, I fear.”

“I did not mean to complain, Prince Elion. It really has not been that bad for me. I was never beaten and I always had something to eat. My mother and I did not go hungry. And we still had a roof over our heads,” she explained. “But I do miss my father,” she said sadly.

“He was a truly nice man, Steph. And a noble one too. We have all lost so much lately,” Tomas said.

“Do you miss Trevor and Safira?” she asked him.

“I do, very much. Those days seem so long ago,” he mused dolefully. “It seems almost like another life. I never realized how peaceful it was before.”

“Before?” Stephanie asked.

“Before Colton came to Pardeau and blackened the land with his evil. Before he killed my aunt and uncle. Before the trees began to die,” Tomas replied.

“Hey, you two! I know how hard it must be for you both, but come on now! If not for some of these terrible things, we would never have met. I would still be wandering around in the Thorndars, hiding from my father and embarrassed about how I look! The sorrow and pain cannot just go away, but we do have some things to be thankful for,” Preston said.

“Indeed we do,” Tomas replied, and he smiled warmly at the dwarf. “The fabric weaves of its own will, Preston. I am not one to regret the past, but sometimes I do miss my family.”

“And so do I, Tomas. But I do feel as if all of you have taken their places, at least for now,” the young dwarf replied. “I guess it is easy for me to say, because I can still go home and find my mother and father and brothers right where I left them.”

“My mother would not recognize me if I was standing next to her at this very moment,” Stephanie remarked. “I guess that she cannot be too sad if she does not really remember anything.”

“Perhaps someday her memory will return to her, dear,” Esta said. “Sometimes, when things occur that are so shocking and so upsetting, the mind simply shuts down. She has been through a lot. When things get back to normal, so may she.”

“Normal? What would that be like?” Preston asked no one in particular.

“Until the Gem is found, nothing will ever be normal again,” Stephanie said.

A hush descended upon the group after those words, and they walked silently through the thick woods. Elion led the way and Esta followed closely behind, giving him directions every now and then, suggesting he turn left at a fork in the road and right at a particularly large boulder that blocked their way. As the terrain became more and more familiar to her, the journey progressed rather quickly. Stephanie held onto Preston and Tomas rode beside them both, though no further words passed between them for quite some time.

“We are not far now,” Esta said in as cheerful a tone as she could muster. “We should reach the city before night falls.”

It was difficult for her to return to Avalain without Marne by her side. Since the death of her husband, Marne had been her confidant and her friend. Now, with Filaree absent as well, Esta suddenly felt the weight of all of these losses more profoundly. She tried as best as she could to conceal her sadness from the others.

Tomas urged his horse forward and caught up to the Queen. He trotted beside her and kept pace with her majestic mare.

“You need not be concerned about your daughter. She is safe now,” he whispered as if he knew what thoughts were plaguing her mind.

Esta turned her regal head toward the handsome boy and gazed deeply into his green eyes.

“Is it a gift, Tomas, that allows you to read my thoughts?” she asked sweetly.

“I did not need to peek into your mind to understand how concerned you must be for Filaree. It would be natural, would it not?” he replied.

“It is your timing that I so admire, I suppose. You seem to provide solace when it is most needed,” she said. “Indeed, I was worried. We speak of our losses, each one of us, and mine are no greater than any of the others. We must speak of our gains as well more often than we do,” she remarked.

“Preston seems ever to remember the bright side of things,” Tomas smiled.

“His spirit is so full. It is a pleasure traveling with him. His personality is uncharacteristic of his race. The dwarves that I have known have been so serious and so morose. I always attributed it to the fact that they spent so much time out of the sunlight. Preston on the other hand, is a joy to be with.”

“He is indeed,” Tomas agreed. “We felt an affinity from the first moment we met.”

“What do you know of my daughter?” she finally asked.

Tomas hesitated for a moment.

“I know that she is not presently in danger. Though she was before when we were threatened as well, she is no longer. In fact, I sense something that I am unable to clearly understand that is providing her with protection now,” he replied, and he was concentrating intensely with his eyes only half opened.

“Go on, Tomas,” Esta urged.

“I have little more to say, your Highness,” he said frankly. “But, they are all safe for now; my brother, Robyn, Filaree, Cairn and Calyx as well. They have found a place where they can rest. I sense much power within and much power without.”

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

Elion slowed his own mount down in order to join the two of them. The path had widened and the trees were thinning out as they neared the perimeter of the forest that surrounded Avalain.

“May I join you, or am I intruding?” he asked.

“You could not intrude upon us, Elion. We have no secrets from you,” Tomas said.

“Tomas was reassuring me about my daughter and the others, Elion. I was basking in the comfort of his intuition,” she admitted, and a satisfied smile turned her red lips up slightly.

“Have they contacted you in some way?” Elion asked anxiously.

“No, not directly. It is hard to explain, but I see images in my mind’s eye, and I just know that they have found the place that they had been seeking. Though they had been called to Pardatha originally, it was never the final location where my brother was to be educated.”

“Things happen as they should,” Elion said.

“As we hope always,” Esta concurred, and she nodded her head.

“Hey, you guys!” Preston called from behind. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Tomas turned his horse around and waited for Preston and Stephanie to catch up to him, and Esta and Elion did the same. They were nearly out of the woods altogether and there was now room for them all to ride abreast.

“We are well-nigh at Avalain,” Esta said to them all.

“Oh my!” Stephanie gasped. “I cannot believe it! Avalain!” she repeated, and the way she said the name it sounded almost magical.

“It is a beautiful city indeed,” Elion replied.

“As beautiful as Seramour?” she asked.

“You are asking that question of the wrong person, Steph,” Tomas said. “Ask me instead. I can be more objective,” he laughed.

“Why? When were you ever there?” she questioned him. “I thought you went directly to Pardatha when you left Pardeau with Cairn and Calyx. Isn’t that what you told me?”

“I never have been there. But I have seen the city nonetheless,” he said mysteriously.

“What are you talking about, Tomas?” Preston chimed in. “What trick are you playing on her now?”

“No trick, Preston. Through Ormachon, I have seen many things that I have not experienced directly. Avalain just happens to be one of them,” he answered.

“It cannot be the same as actually being in the city,” Esta remarked. “Avalain is more than buildings and landscape.”

“And so is seeing it through my bond-mate’s eyes, so to speak,” Tomas replied. “In fact, in that manner I see depths to the city that many others will never see. A Lalas’ perception is not quite the same as ours.”

“Despite what you say, I am sure you will be even more impressed by the actuality of it regardless,” Esta avowed. “And by the way Stephanie my dear, to answer your original question, Avalain is quite remarkable. Though I am a bit biased, it stands with Seramour in its beauty. You will soon see for yourself and then you may judge.”

“Me, your highness? I have barely been beyond the borders of Pardeau. Seramour is but a dream to me too,” Stephanie said. “I am not the one to make such a judgment.”

“I meant only that you will judge Avalain, Stephanie. It need not be in juxtaposition. Beauty is a quality that exists independent of comparison. Am I not right, Elion?” Queen Esta asked.

“Absolutely!” he concurred. “They are two entirely different cities in all respects, yet both stand out as pinnacles of their craft.”

“And both cities bear qualities that rival all others in their hearts,” Tomas added. “Cities do have hearts, you know,” he said.

They emerged from the stockade like line of tall pine trees onto the ground surrounding the city. They were all almost shocked to see Avalain looming before them so abruptly. Though the trees of the forest had thinned out considerably at the ground level as they neared the city, the tops of them remained thick and they obscured almost everything from view above and beyond eye level. They had been given no hint that they were as close to it as they actually were.

The city was enormous. The massive spires of the castle gleamed in the sun, and the pale white walls surrounding the entire expanse gave the appearance of impregnable permanence. They were constructed out of huge blocks of carved and polished granite perhaps fifteen feet thick. A large swath of open space fifty yards deep surrounded the entire city, and it sloped slightly upward as its green grass neared the stark walls. No openings or gates within eyesight interrupted the continuity. The group had arrived from the southeast, and the main entrance to Avalain was more westward from where they now stood. Esta led them in the direction of the gates.

When what is now the kingdom of Altair was no more than a confederation of small towns, the village that was the home of the fledgling House of Avalain emerged as a dominant force in the countryside. It gained its power and prominence by virtue of the incomparable skills of its fighters, coupled with an intense desire on their part to utilize these inherent skills for the good of the many, not merely the welfare of the few. The primary reason for Avalain’s ascendance was the noble heart of its leaders, not simply their physical prowess.

The city grew quickly into a secure center of commerce and trade, and the House of Avalain prospered. A great Lalas flourished in the nearby woods and it bonded with the young King, a pattern that it would follow during the many tiels to come. The Knights of Avalain emerged as the premier fighting force in the entire area, and though Avalain never had imperialistic aspirations, the knowledge that the Knights loyalty to the royal family was unequivocal compelled every town near and far to accept its guidance and seniority. This order of the Knights was so morally pure and so fundamentally righteous that none even thought to question its allegiance. And thus Avalain grew, both in size and stature.

The finest craftsmen were drawn to the city and they plied their skills on all aspects of the city’s growth. Each monument and each public structure was a work of art. When it came time to design and build the castle for the royal family, the best of the best in all trades lined up to volunteer, anxious to leave their mark upon what they knew would be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. They were honored to be chosen to participate in the construction of Avalain.

“Do you see what I see, Elion?” Esta asked the elfin Prince, and her brow was furrowed with concern.

“You are referring to those tents up ahead?” he asked.

“Yes. There are hundreds of them. Who would be camped so outside the walls of Avalain?” Esta asked, though she did not expect an answer. “Do you see any banners flying above them, Elion? Your eyes are far sharper than mine.”

“It appears that you have guests from Talamar in residence, your Highness,” Elion said, scanning the horizon with his eyes. “The colors alone seem to indicate that.”

“Talamar? That is odd indeed. What reason could bring all of these people from there to here? Our two lands have not been on the best of terms of late,” Esta said questioningly. “Put up your hoods until we know what we are dealing with here. It is best if we do not announce ourselves so obviously yet. Ride with care. They may not be friendly.”

“It looks more like an assemblage of commoners rather than an organized entourage,” Elion observed, as he covered his head with the brown hood of his cape. “The tents are strewn around in a haphazard manner, and I can see no headquarters marked nor even any guards or soldiers.”

“But they are definitely Talamaran?” she asked again while tucking her hair inside the folds of her tunic.

Tomas, Stephanie and Preston followed suit, and they too concealed their identities from the crowds, though anyone with a keen eye could tell that a dwarf rode with them by the heavily studded black boots that stuck out conspicuously from under his long mantle.