Wards of Faerie: The Dark Legacy of Shannara (24 page)

“You made the best argument you could, Aphen,” her uncle said quietly. “I can’t think of anything else you could have said. The problem is not in your presentation or even the rightness of your cause. It lies with an innate distrust of the Druid order, a distrust that has been in place since Grianne Ohmsford’s days as Ard Rhys.”

She moved closer to him, keeping her voice down. “I can understand their distrust of Grianne. She gave everyone reason to distrust
her. And to fear her, as well. But she has been gone a long time. Khyber Elessedil is one of us. She’s done nothing to earn such distrust. If anything, the Elves should be supporting her. And the Druid order. We should be allies, not antagonists.”

“You are entirely right. We should.” Ellich kept his head bent, but his eyes shifted this way and that. “But we aren’t and we won’t be anytime soon. Once settled in place, distrust is hard to dislodge. Especially when the Druids keep themselves so isolated from the rest of us. They deliberately hold themselves apart. Oh, I know the reasons for it. But that doesn’t change the impact it generates. It is the appearance of things that matters. It looks elitist. It fosters resentment and suspicion.”

She knew it was so. But having lived these past ten years with a foot in both camps, she also knew how wrong such thinking was. If anything, the Druids wanted to be accepted as allies by all of the Races. But it must be all. Any display of favoritism compromised their credibility. Staying aloof from the everyday lives of the Races was one way to reinforce their determination to remain impartial. The problem was that no one saw it that way. It felt to the average citizen as if the Druids considered themselves superior and preferred their own company to that of ordinary people.

When they arrived at the palace, Ellich led Aphenglow around to the north side and down a narrow pathway through tall hedges and flowering vines tied onto a series of trellis frameworks. Weaving their way through the maze, they arrived at a small, windowless door that was completely hidden from any other approach. Ellich stopped and knocked twice, paused and knocked once more. She heard a stirring on the other side; then the door opened and her grandfather stepped forward to embrace her.

“Aphenglow,” he whispered as he hugged her close. “Child of light.”

It was the meaning of her Elven name, but only her grandfather called her that now. Her father had done so when he was alive and her mother until she departed to join the Druids, and she was surprised to discover how much she missed it.

“Grandfather,” she replied. “Thank you so much for helping me.”

He stepped away from her, shaking his head. “We both know I could have done more. But doing more would have risked a confrontation with Phaedon and the other members of the High Council over the purpose of your request. It was vague enough that I couldn’t put it to a vote, but not so vague that I couldn’t do what I did. One opportunity, one time. I hope you understand.”

She smiled. “Of course I understand. It isn’t much different with the Druids. We argue all the time about what we should be doing and how we should be going about it. Everything is maneuvering and compromise. Are you well?”

He shrugged. “Well enough.”

He brought her inside the room, one hand clasped possessively about her arm, and led her over to a sofa where he sat them both down. Ellich followed, closing and locking the garden door behind them.

“I have missed you so much, Aphen,” her grandfather said. “You can’t imagine. I think often of those days when you were a little girl and I was still young enough to play leapfrog with you. Do you remember? Of course you do. You used to laugh so.”

She smiled and nodded with him, delighted by this memory, a favorite of her own. “We both laughed, Grandfather.”

He put his hands on her shoulders, and his face grew grave. “Now tell me, child. Is there nothing more you can reveal to me of this search you will undertake? Of the nature of the magic you are seeking to recover? Here, in the privacy of my chambers, with only you and I and Ellich to hear, couldn’t you tell me something more? Only just a little? It would help so with what I might be able to do for you.”

Tears flooded her eyes unbidden. “I am sworn to say nothing,” she repeated. “I gave my word to Khyber. Otherwise I would.” She saw the hope that had momentarily glinted in her grandfather’s eyes disappear. “I can tell you this much,” she said hurriedly, not wanting to leave him with nothing. “What we seek is powerful and has the potential for doing much good. But it is an unknown quantity, and therefore very dangerous. Until we find it and examine it—possibly until we use it—we cannot know for certain the consequences of employing
its power. What we do know is that if word of this reaches the wrong ears, it will likely encourage unwanted interest in our efforts.”

Her grandfather leaned close, as if anxious to make certain. “And are you convinced of this, Aphen?”

She nodded. “I am. Knowing what I do of the possible impact of this magic, I think the danger is very great.”

“Then perhaps this magic should be left where it is.”

It stopped her for a moment, the possibility that he was right. What if they simply left well enough alone? But they were committed to recovering all of the lost magic of Faerie, of gaining possession so that it could be protected from those who would abuse it. Yet this was Elven magic, and only Elves could use it. Wasn’t she admitting that the danger they were seeking to avoid lay entirely with her own people?

“I think we ignore the potential for destructive uses of any kind of power at our peril,” she said finally. “But especially here.”

“She is right, Emperowen,” Ellich broke in. “We have learned that lesson often enough in the past. Every time we thought that by stepping back or turning away things would work out on their own, they didn’t. They just got worse. That has been our history as Elves.”

The King gave his brother a look. “I sense a rebuke in those words, Ellich. As if, perhaps, you might be referring to something other than Aphen’s search for this lost magic. Something closer to home, perhaps?”

Ellich shook his head slowly. “No, brother. You don’t need me to rebuke you. You need me to support you. So that is what I do. That is what I will always do.”

The King turned back to Aphen. “What will you do with this magic if you find it?”

“Keep it safe,” she answered at once.

“With the Druids?”

She nodded.

“When it is an Elven magic you seek? When it belongs to us?”

“It was lost by Elves. By our ancestors. Or given up, Grandfather. That road was traveled long ago. Magic no longer belongs only to the
Elves; it belongs to everyone. It isn’t meant for only one people. It must be used for the good of the people of all the Races.”

“But only Elves can use Elven magic.”

“Then other Elves besides those few already in residence must come to Paranor to train with the Druid order. I have asked for this before, but it seems that to go to the Druids is to become an outcast.”

Her grandfather shook his head. “I cannot change the feelings of the Elven people, Aphen. I cannot alter history. When the Druids give us reason to trust them again, perhaps things will change.”

There was no point in pursuing this argument, and so she simply leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “At least we trust each other,” she whispered in his ear. She glanced at Ellich. “At least, the three of us share that trust.”

Her grandfather nodded, smiling. “We must make the best of things, mustn’t we, child?” He gripped her shoulders anew, then released her and rose. “I will give you the Elfstones now. Freely and willingly, in the way required, so that you may use them once, here within the confines of Arborlon. One time only, Aphen. Are we agreed?”

She smiled back. “We are.”

“Wait here.”

He disappeared through the chamber door and down the hallway leading deeper into the palace interior. She watched him go, and then sat quietly with Ellich, waiting for his return.

“He is doing what he can,” her uncle said finally.

“I know that.”

“He loves you.”

“I know that, too. I do not blame him for anything he does. I am grateful he does this much.”

“Not exactly what you had hoped for, though.”

“It will have to be enough.”

They sat together in silence after that, listening to the muffled twitter of birdsong from the gardens and trees outside and the murmur of voices from somewhere deeper within the palace. Aphenglow stared out the chamber window at a fleet of passing clouds and wondered how she could best use the Elfstones. What strength would it
require to summon the magic, what images should she attempt to conjure, what interpretation might she need to employ to understand what she was shown? She knew how the blue Elfstones were meant to work, but she had never seen them used or ever thought that she would be the one to use them.

It should be the Ard Rhys who summons their magic. It should be Khyber Elessedil doing this
.

But that choice had not been given her. She was the one who would have to manage the summoning, and she was not at all sure she was equal to the task.

Her grandfather, when he returned, came through the door quickly and quietly, almost as if fearful that he had been followed. He locked the door behind him, sat down again beside her, and held out his hand. His fingers gripped the drawstrings of a small leather pouch.

“Promise me, Aphen,” he said. His aging face was troubled. “Promise me that you will not betray the Elves. That you will do your best to protect our interests as well those of the Druid order. Can you do that? Can you make me that promise?”

She nodded, her eyes locked on his. “I promise. The best I can do, I will do.”

He lowered the bag gently into her open palm. “Then take the Elfstones and make use of them. You have until sunset to do so. Then you must return them.”

He released his grip on the drawstrings and leaned back, waiting for her response. Her fingers closed about the bag, gripping it tightly. She leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek once more. “I love you, Grandfather.”

Then she rose and went out the garden door with Ellich following close behind.

They walked together for a short distance, neither of them speaking, lost in their separate thoughts, and then she turned to him. “I need to do this alone, Ellich. I’m sorry.”

He smiled, nodded. “Don’t be. I expected as much. But be careful, Aphen. You have been attacked twice already. Oh, don’t look so surprised.
Arlingfant told me. You knew she would. She worries for you. As do I. So, please be careful.”

He left her then, turning away for his own home. She was surprised to realize that she had pushed any thoughts of the prior attacks so far back in her consciousness, she had all but forgotten them. It was easy for her to acknowledge her status as an outcast—if not so easy to accept it—but difficult to think of herself as threatened in the city in which she had been born and raised.

She started walking again, mulling over her uncle’s words. Would she be attacked yet a third time? Was that at all likely? Would they dare to come at her in broad daylight, with other Elves all around? If so, would they try to stop her from using the Elfstones? Would they attempt to steal them?

Well, she thought darkly, she was ready if anyone tried.

“Is it your intention to make things easy for any possible attackers by daydreaming?” Cymrian asked her, appearing suddenly at her elbow.

She glowered at him. “Isn’t it your job to keep me safe? Do I need to be worried that the effort required is beyond you?”

“I can protect you. But it would help if you were to offer a modicum of assistance.”

She hated that he had surprised her like this. She hadn’t heard him until he was right on top of her, and that shouldn’t have been possible. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded.

“You’re right. I wasn’t helping. I can’t seem to get used to the idea that here, in my home city, among my own people, I am in danger.”

He nodded wordlessly, keeping pace at her side, his lean face grave. “Well, you might want to start.”

“Where have you been, anyway?”

“Shadowing you.”

She decided not to ask
how
he had managed this, but simply to accept that he had. She looked over at him. “You followed me after I left the Council chambers?”

“Isn’t that my job?”

“Did you hear what was said?”

He shrugged. “I don’t need to eavesdrop to protect you.”

“You can’t come with me.”

“You keep saying that.”

“I have to do something, and I have to do it alone. No one else can be present.”

He smiled, shrugged. “Where will you go to do this secret something?” He saw her hesitation. “Not so I can eavesdrop, but so I can make a reasonable effort to protect you. I need to be close enough to reach you if there’s trouble.”

She gave him a look. “I don’t think anything is going to happen, Cymrian.”

“It won’t if I’m close enough to prevent it.”

She almost told him what nonsense it was to insist on this, but it would have involved an argument she did not care to engage in. “Very well. I will go to the south end of the Carolan, where the big oaks grow and it is sheltered enough for me to have privacy. Fair enough?”

He bowed his head, pursed his lips, and nodded silently.

“So you can leave me now and let me go on alone. And do not let me catch you spying on me.”

He moved away from her and disappeared soundlessly. She walked on, using her heightened senses to track him, to make sure he hadn’t lied. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him; it was that she understood how great the temptation would be to watch. He was good at moving unseen and unheard, but she would not allow it this time.

When she was certain she was alone she stepped off the path into the trees and crept away.

She did not go to the Carolan. She had never intended to go there in the first place, but it was best if he thought otherwise. She went instead to the north edge of the city where the wildness crept close to the bluff edge and the forest was dark and deep. She worked her way through the trees to the small clearing to which she had gone to be alone when she was a child. It had been years since she had visited her secret hiding place, but she remembered well enough how to find it. The years fell away as she threaded her way through deep undergrowth
and ancient trees, finding familiar memories all along the way, some in the form of recognizable terrain, some in the ephemeral form of abandoned dreams and lost hopes.