ZYGRADON (28 page)

Pounding hoofbeats interrupted those thoughts. Mrillis heard his named being
called and turned. He grinned when he saw Nixtan come riding up. Everyone in their
group, except Endor, had been delighted when Nixtan had been assigned to them as
their messenger and forerunner, to check out the land ahead of them. Endor,
unfortunately, still nursed resentment against Nixtan and most of the boys they had
grown up with on Wynystrys, no matter what Mrillis said to him. It didn't help matters
any that Ceera's father approved of Nixtan, while he still showed some reservations
about Endor spending large amounts of time with Ceera.

"What's the news?" Mrillis called as he stepped away from the others to greet
the rider.

"The news?" Nixtan scowled at him and slid down from his saddle. "Half our
warriors have been in a panic, scouring the countryside for the last eight days, looking
for you."

"Why didn't they contact us through the Threads?" Ceera said.

"They tried. No one could contact you. No one could find you." Nixtan
scowled at the star-metal lump hovering over their heads. "General feeling is that
thing
is blocking you, making you invisible and deaf. I'm guessing you haven't
tried to call anyone through the Threads, or you would have figured something was
wrong when you couldn't speak, either."

"Now that's an interesting development," Endor murmured, and grinned for the
first time since Fiora rode out to travel with them that morning.

* * * *

A tunnel once existed between Moerta and Lygroes, built in the days before
star-metal poisoned the land and the Encindi became such troublesome foes. Back in the
simple days of easy partnership between Rey'kil and Noveni. It had been constructed like
the tunnel between the Stronghold and Wynystrys, so that time and distance twisted,
and a journey that took two weeks by ship passed in two days on foot. It differed from
the other tunnels in one important feature: it had been constructed so that anyone could
pass through. The Noveni did not require the help of the Rey'kil to travel the
tunnel.

When the wall of prejudice and mistrust grew between the two nations, the
tunnel had been abandoned. When the Encindi began their invasions of Lygroes, the
Rey'kil sealed it with magic in the Lygroes end, and the Noveni flooded it from their end,
and then sealed it with dirt and boulders. Both sides had worked so hard to forget the
tunnel existed, even Le'esha had been unsure it was anything more than legend when she
first mentioned it to Mrillis. It had taken her and Breylon long weeks of searching old,
fragile, forgotten records to prove the tunnel existed and locate the place where it
emerged above the ground on each continent.

The Rey'kil council proposed to open the tunnel. To secure it against Encindi
use and to keep enemy enchanters from collapsing the tunnel, the plan was for Ceera to
embed fragments of refined star-metal in the walls and floor and weave a protection
spell all through it. That would use up the dangerous concentration of power in the
star-metal lump.

This project would also solve the problem of how to transport future
collections of the refined mineral back to Lygroes.

Digging the tunnel from the Moerta end would be easy, using the collected
power of the lump to push aside decades of accumulated dirt and rubble and compact it
to reinforce the tunnel.

Reopening the tunnel from the Lygroes end, however, would take the
combined power, skill and knowledge of the Stronghold and Wynystrys.

"I should be there," Ceera said for the tenth time, the night they camped in
front of the blocked tunnel entrance. "Our mother--our Lady needs us. I should be
working with her." She scowled and flung a stone at the glowing lump of star-metal high
above their heads. The stone burst into white flames, made a loud cracking sound and
vanished in powdery smoke before it touched the lump.

"So should I," Mrillis said. He chose to direct his anger at the blocked tunnel
mouth. Centuries of water seeping through, cave-ins, settlement, sediment and plants
growing up through the gaps in the rock had served to seal it more solid than bricks and
mortar bonded with magic. "They need us, to shield them if nothing else. The ancients
put curses in their magic, to keep that tunnel from ever being opened. I don't care what
the records show. I don't care that
The Book of Stars and Beginnings
gave them
the knowledge to open the tunnel--it's dangerous."

"Don't worry." Endor didn't even open his eyes. He lay on his back, arms
crossed under his head. Judging by the lazy drawl of his voice, he was already halfway
asleep. "Sure, Master Breylon and Lady Le'esha are both old, but would they still lead the
Stronghold and Wynystrys if they couldn't handle it? They'll be fine."

He just doesn't understand
, Ceera thought, and scooted around so she
didn't have to look at Endor on the other side of the fire.

They weren't his parents.
Mrillis shuddered and quelled a mental
image before it became clear in his thoughts.

What is it?
She scooted closer to him and took hold of his hand.
Something frightens you--and makes you angry.

They overthrew his father.
He felt very cold and still inside. Mrillis
had read Le'esha's account of the battle at the Nameless One's fortress, and he had caught
glimpses of the horrific things Breylon had seen and heard when the High Scholar shared
thoughts with him.

You think he's angry about it? Mrillis, he hates his father. The Nameless
One was ready to sacrifice him and his sisters to defeat our Lady and the Master. He's
said many times that he's glad he was brought to us, instead of having to live with his
father.

Yes, he's said it...but the Nameless One is still his father. You'd still love our
Lady even if she turned evil, wouldn't you?

Ceera frowned and took a long time answering. She finally nodded and sighed
and bowed her head.
Do you think he wants them to get hurt doing this?

I think...I think that if you asked him, he'd say no, and he'd mean it. But
he's not worried. If they got hurt, he wouldn't be upset. Not deep inside, where we
would hurt.

How sad, to be so scarred inside.
Ceera shuddered, and her hand
seemed smaller and cold in his grasp.
If anything happened to either of
them
--

It won't. We'll hurry through our part of the tunnel and meet them
halfway, and they'll tease us tomorrow night about how we worried. You'll see.
Mrillis squeezed her hand and lifted it to his lips to kiss the back and palm in pledge.
Ceera's eyes widened, and a pink blush lit her cheeks.

* * * *

Mrillis woke before the first silver gleam of dawn drew a line across the sliver of
ocean visible at the horizon. The place where they had camped lay half an hour of fast
riding up a long, steep slope from the coast. If Le'esha had not shown him the images
recorded in
The Book of Stars and Beginnings,
he never would have known
that the lump of hill behind him held the tunnel mouth. The years had covered the
opening with silt and then grass and even bushes.

Not anymore. He grinned as he recalled how easily Ceera had stripped away
the accumulation of decades with just a flicker of power from the lump. Releasing its
power was a chancy thing, but after spending so much time controlling it, she had grown
deft at releasing just enough power to do what she needed.

He was proud of her and proud that she depended on him. And proud that
though Endor tried to tease and coax her beyond the warm friendship she offered him,
Ceera never seemed to notice. If she was too busy to pay attention to Endor's sweet
words or even realize he wanted her heart, then she was too busy for anyone else.
Mrillis told himself he didn't mind that she wasn't completely his; he was still closer to
her than anyone else would ever be.

Today, their names would be linked in history. Again. They had created their
plan of action yesterday after they made their camp and settled in to wait for Le'esha
and Breylon and the others to take their places at the other end of the tunnel. Mrillis
grinned at the growing streak of daylight, remembering. He had always wondered why
the decrepit watchtower of Bo'lantier stood in the middle of an empty meadow cut out
of a swath of ancient trees, with a strange, high lump of grassy hill facing it. Just like
here, the entrance to the tunnel had been covered over and forgotten. Le'esha
discovered an ancient memory magic woven around the clearing and tower and hill, in a
pattern no one had used in decades. It had taken her and Breylon nearly two weeks to
see through the cloaking so they could unravel the magic and find the tunnel
mouth.

In that time, Ceera had depleted the lump of star-metal enough that it no
longer impeded communication through the Threads, yet still offered them incalculable
power to use in their endeavor. Eight of the Rey'kil leaders in Moerta now wore cloak
pins in the shape of their family crests, made of star-metal. The ship that left for Lygroes
three days ago carried chains for necklaces and bracelets, also in star-metal, to gift to
members of the Rey'kil council.

Ceera had reveled in using her artistic talents for a change. Mrillis had watched
over her, maintaining the basket cage of power around the star-metal as she worked the
tiny bits into things of simplistic beauty. He had been glad for the enjoyment she took in
her crafting work, in direct contrast to the heavy task waiting for them under the
sea.

Today, they would begin. They had calculated the time differential between the
tunnel entrance in Lygroes and the entrance in Moerta. Five hours, give or take a handful
of minutes. These were the spots where the coastline of Moerta and the coastline of
Lygroes were closest, thus making the shortest tunnel possible. At noon in Lygroes and at
the point when the sun hung completely above the horizon in Moerta, the two sides
would begin to dig. One, using magic to cut through stone and drain away water. The
other, using magic to cut through magic.

"It will be wonderful to be able to walk home," Ceera said, appearing in silence
from the morning shadows behind him. "I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but I didn't enjoy
the journey by ship at all."

"Too much star-metal in the sea, and no way to get to it," he teased, and
reached back for the hand he knew would be stretching out to him.

He grinned down at her when she stepped up next to him. Ceera slapped his
arm, then sighed in perfect contentment and leaned against him, her head resting on his
shoulder. They stood for nearly half an hour, watching the sun come up, hand in hand,
at peace with the world and their place in it.

Endor was too quiet when the rest of their team awoke and joined them to
watch the sunrise. Mrillis didn't comment. He supposed his friend had awakened and saw
him holding hands with Ceera, and was either too proud to comment on it or had finally
realized that he had no chance with her. Over the years, Mrillis had learned the best way
to handle little difficulties between himself and Endor was to let them fade away in
silence.

They ate breakfast together in silence, until Ceera finished, emptied her cup on
the ground, and walked to the newly cleared, raw stone mouth of the tunnel. She picked
up the pack from the pile of supplies the team had prepared yesterday, tucked the cup
inside the front pocket, slung the pack into place on her back, and then knelt. The rest of
their team joined her; Mrillis, Endor, Nixtan, Triska, Endor's younger sister who had
shown an amazing talent for storing power and sharing it with others, and five others.
Their function was to support the magic encasing and controlling the star-metal lump,
keep it aloft and keep it moving forward, while Ceera guided it in digging the
tunnel.

Ceera raised her hands to the sun, closed her eyes, and whispered a worship
poem that asked the Estall's guidance and protection and wisdom to fall on the day's
endeavors. The others echoed her and the star-metal hummed far above their heads.
Even with his eyes closed, Mrillis saw the increasing blue radiance of the power it held, as
if it was alive and aware and eager for this task.

For all he knew, the metal had become aware, had become part of Ceera's
spirit, her dreadful, powerful, willing ally.

When the last word left her lips, Ceera opened her eyes. A triumphant laugh
escaped her and she leaped to her feet. Mrillis looked, and sure enough, the bottom rim
of the sun had just cleared the horizon. The timing was perfect--but he knew it would be,
with Ceera leading them.

In silence, they walked together into the tunnel mouth. Ceera was first, with
Mrillis and Endor shoulder to shoulder right behind her and the rest of their team three
across, then four, creating a triangle wedge, like the Warhawk used in battle.

The star-metal showered them with sparks as it hit the rough wall of stone and
compacted dirt only six steps into the tunnel mouth. It hummed, the sound vibrating in
their bones and making the roots of their teeth itch.

Don't know how much of this I can take,
Nixtan said in the net of
minds that Mrillis had formed, to keep them all joined.

It will happen much faster than you think,
Mrillis said, thinking of the
day-long effort that had passed in very little time at all, the first time he and Ceera
worked the star-metal.

He wondered how long it would take to dig past the compacted plug of stone
and dirt, and if there was still water filling part of the tunnel. The plan was for their two
parties to meet at the end of the day at the halfway point in the tunnel, where
accommodations had been created centuries ago.

We are begun, my dears,
Le'esha said. Her voice sounded strange,
hollowed out and ringing just slightly sour.

Estall bless you, Mother,
Ceera responded.