"Val’ha! Flegretha!" yelled the others through the small crack. "Tarnac! Tropruscht! What is happening in there? Pray talk to us!"
Gathered of their weapons, the survivors of the caroler attack stood with heavy hearts over the edge of the hole – there were no carolers or babies, and no Tropruscht, only some bones and branches and a tunnel into Terra. "Oh," was all Flegretha said, her breath-clouds short.
"She fought well and proudly," Tarnac mourned. "She saved our lives with her own."
Val’ha heart had not felt this heavy since Ma’hadrin’s death, so did the sadness of her friend’s death grip her. And I chose to come here, I found this place and brought them all here. She beat herself with these and other words when Tarnac pulled on her tunic; behind them, as if from within the icy granite itself, an image of a Man’s head was forming. "High Wizarder Feefthemf?" The head did not acknowledge her, but moved forward until it projected out of the wall and levitated there. Its mouth opened into a ghastly ‘O’ shape much larger than could a mortal ever do, from which a silver hand and forearm extended, disengaging itself at the elbow from the mouth, it floated past the companions and turned.
When the arm aimed to the southwest, it stopped and its forefinger pointed at the wall, where a figure Val’ha recognized from Porcie’s old map as the island materialized. The silver forearm drifted to the graph, the finger hitting a spot on the southwest crescent, then returned to the face and backed its elbow into the mouth. The hand opened fully at the same time the spot where the finger had touched lit up like a candleflame. A silver arc shot from the spectre’s palm and reached the map’s light, creating an argent rainbow before the whole of it vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared. "Silver is the color of Feefthemf’s magic." Val’ha felt herself half in a daze, her head tingling.
"So he reveals the location of the Silver Skyway," said Tarnac, "that will lead us to the table of stones." They rejoined their friends and related the battle against the carolers. Tarl-Cabot dropped to his knee and crossed himself for Tropruscht, then while the others expressed their great sadness, he cried out so that it echoed through the wood. Val’ha explained Feefthemf’s vision "The starting point for the Silver Skyway, then, if the apparition is truthful, begins near Thief Lake. The X-trail leads south and with luck might take us that far," said Andy.
"Then we need not have journeyed here?" Trisahn almost smirked, but he fell to silence when Tarl-Cabot cast a dark glance at him.
"Tropruscht’s provisions," Aeysla observed.
"And her bow and arrow." Tarl-Cabot, his face wet from tears, took up Tropruscht’s arms and slung them over his shoulder. "Great Woman, I give you my word you are not done here yet. Your bow will see battle and your arrows hit their marks."
**
Mocrolester 17, 3100. It is two days until the Dragons begin their attack on the city of Bjursk-la, though I do not know from where. Andy says there are lairs and colonies about the entire island – Black, Blue, White, a treasure-cave of Flying Reds - but none in the numbers intended by Xorus.
We saw on Mocrolester 13, the day of Tropruscht’s death, hunting trogs far from their settlement at the center of the island in the same hills where the Flying Reds live. The Song is now so loud that we must raise our voices to one another and its light so white that we only need Trisahn’s fire for heat. Also, we have seen neither trogs nor the elie creatures, though I had grown accustomed to both peeking from just beyond the leaves of the farthest trees and I wonder of their disappearance. Perhaps it is because this X-trail has led us for some days through the mountains, though of the air and foliage nothing has changed. Maybe the elies do not like to go uphill!
While I laugh, I wish to also record here that Andy did indeed fulfill Nopaach-to’s wishes, as yesterday we passed another of the strange square lakes, this one the source of the Caspet River. Andy called it
Benjza-tomi Lakelet after Nopaach-to’s daughter Princess Benjza-tomi, who is troth to one of King Joel’s sons. We passed the Green Dragon Om’s realm without further incident, and our travels have brought us within a day of Thief Lake. By this evening we will be off the mountain and it will not be too soon, for with the passage of days and growth of the Song, some in the party cannot sleep. We are traveling jointly now, not in the smaller teams, though I now wish we would – everyone has become dejected over Tropruscht’s death. They are silent and brood and, I fear, wonder why they travel with me. I am to myself sometimes both the cure and curse in equal measure when I look back in this log and see what has happened to those around me. Trisahn has been complaining to vexation since Tropruscht’s death. I have enough of my own guilt, for being the "chosen one" (so I despise that) and for falling in the manor and losing my weapon. Tropruscht may have died but she may not have, and I could have given her my healing-light if she had not pushed against the lizard and slid into the hole.
Damned are these circles I go over and over and yet I cannot stop, and Trisahn is always in the background, bellowing and bellowing that Tropruscht may not have passed, that we were following the X-trail already, that we lost two days of journey for the price of her life, and more that I just do not listen to him anymore. When first he told me of his moving to Apocania, fear and sadness held my spirit, but now I daresay I shall not even miss him. Others are angered by his complaints…
"Is it not time for us to move on?" Val’ha put away her writing materials as Trisahn stepped across the circle of resting companions. She sensed more that he came at her, his hands clenching. "Do you, Lady Elf, ever stop writing? Are we waiting for you to finish?"
"DO NOT!" Sir Tarl-Cabot with great swiftness drew a bow and arrow and aimed the arrowhead only an inch from Trisahn’s throat. "Do not assault her honor, you whining thief!"
Trisahn took up his knife in a glint and pressed its blade against Tarl-Cabot’s middle. "Let me skewer some fresh rabbit for our next meal. Do not threaten me with your Woman’s bow, Prince Tarl! And do not lecture me of honor, for I was in Denlineil when you consorted there and think you know little of that subject!"
"Men!" Aeysla jumped up, her eyes afire. Between her fingertips crackled little red shafts of lightning; she pulled her curled hands apart and formed a lightball with the red-bolts. "Step away from each other!" She forced herself between the suddenly frightened combatants and gave them each a small shock. "In the name of Zeus, are you both mad? Who is the enemy here? Are you boys to come to such blows?" Thoryn held his brother back, forcing him to lower his bow. Aeysla released the red-light. "We have lost days, Master Trisahn, we have lost a friend. All of us are in pain, but it does no good, your caterwauling over spilled milk. Let us move on!"
Andy gathered himself and his possessions loudly. "Trisahn and Aeysla are both correct – we should be continuing, for at this time tomorrow I hope to be riding upon the Silver Skyway!"
His last words were filled with hope, but only for seconds did it remain in Val’ha’s heart. Flegretha wiped pear from her beard and adjusted her mace into its sheath, stood and shook the tree from her backside, searching about her. "Tarnac? Tarnac? Tarnac!" she cried out with panic. "Tarnac! Tarnac? Where are you? Where are you, my love? TARNAC!" But he did not come.
**
Thief Lake consisted of the same muddy muck as Jash Lakelet but was much greater in size; in addition, a smooth green and perfectly domed island with no foliage occupied the lake’s center. Trisahn’s fire had reduced most of its wood to ember. He himself, after his confrontation with Tarl-Cabot and Tarnac’s disappearance, did not complain a whit for the rest of the day and shared with his companions equal concern for the he-Elf and their own group.
Tarl-Cabot slept with his head upon Tropruscht’s provision pack, which he carried in addition to her bow and arrow. Flegretha, whom the others had both helped search long for Tarnac and spent an almost equal time convincing her not to head off on her own, stared at the coals rubbing a wooden amulet of a ram she had brought and murmuring a prayer so many times Val’ha wrote it in her log: "Talisman of Terra, talisman of this realm,
A realm whose boundaries cannot be taken away,
A realm whose boundaries the gods cannot pass,
Barrier immovable, opposed to malevolence!
Whether it be Xorus, Demon-God of Black Magic,
Or any from the House of Terr’des,
Or any demon, wraith or mortal possessed
Or nightmare!
May the barrier of Zeus the God-King and all the gods and spirits of Convah,
And of the Terran saints
And my patrons, St. Africa of Spices and St. Filips, patron of Dwarves and Elves
Stop him!
And bring back to me my beloved."
Andy had done well in concentrating his skills on the X-trail and landmarks along their route down the unnamed mountains, through dank marshes and eventually past a small lake he named Nopaach-to’s Folly. There were still no elies to be seen, though Andy was certain they were in great abundance within every region of the Island of Dragons. He too slept, throwing himself fitfully side to side.
The glow of the Song had diminished to almost half its intensity, but still enough that it would have looked like a perfectly clear-lit night but for all of the grey clouds hanging above. The drone of the Song had also diminished by half, but still enough that now Aeysla talked louder than normal with Trisahn off some distance from the rest; both waved their hands a good deal, Val’ha thought. "I am sorry about the disappointment." Thoryn joined Val’ha on her fallen log. "Are you sure it was to here the ghost of Feefthemf pointed? I trust Andy as much as I would any Man so honorable, but perhaps there is something else to the vision you have not considered."
"Oh, Sir Thoryn!" Val’ha threw her head against his shoulders, finding herself suddenly in tears. When they reached Thief Lake earlier that day, there had been no Silver Skyway, nor any signs they could find in what lakeshore they searched; the companions vowed to renew their efforts in the morning. But what was morning in the constant glow? Along with the grating constancy of the corrupted drone, there was little of either rest or morning, and so it was that Val’ha, who had little or no sleep in days, fell into Thoryn’s arms and in his comfort fast asleep.
**
Dawn brought Terr’Sol’s blazing colors across the Dragon mountains and straight through the opaline glow, for the assembled stormclouds waited only and directly over the island itself and there were none other in the sky. Val’ha had slept badly in the end after all; in her green-river dream, she traveled in her boat shadowed by two figures in the forest, one off each bank and both aglow in opaline. For the moment she felt a surging sensation within her of being watched; assuming her feeling a remnant of the dream, she closed her eyes and tried to stretch her worries away. But then she opened her eyes into Terr’Sol, now fully above the mountaintops, and there it was.
At first Val’ha thought the light fooled her, but she looked up again and saw shards of silver going south, contained within a band of the sky that arced up like a rainbow into the clouds. The mix of silver and golden light in opal dazzled Val’ha’s vision; she stood mesmerized as more shards of light appeared in the band until a solid, pulsing track of silver twenty feet across glistened from one of the X-trail markers some distance ahead of where they had spent the night, on the southeastern shore of Thief Lake. Everyone else had arisen and now stared in awe at the Silver Skyway that scaled through the clouds. "I cannot see where it descends," Andy noticed. "It must go many miles. How do we scale it?"
"I do not know." Val’ha heard a crashing sound in the marshes just beyond where the X marked the skyway’s starting point. Two circular beasts, the walking-wheels, crashed through tall woodferns until they reached the Skyway and to the companions’ surprise, blocked their way.
**
"My," breathed Flegretha, "are they not just about the ugliest things you have ever seen?" Mottled brown-and-black scales covered the bodies of the six-foot round creatures with two rows of teeth sticking through around their bodies. Eyes the size of plates bulged from their sides, behind that lines of red muscle oozed a clear fluid.
"The walking-wheels’ eyes pull inside its body after it rolls over the prey enough to kill and soften it, then the wheel falls upon the carrion and pulls it into its belly," Andy whispered. Val’ha fought to keep her own insides from revolting.
"Well we must do something," Sir Thoryn said. "This is what we came here for, this is our silver ladder."
The journeymates gathered their provisions, drew their weapons and moved with caution as a group toward the X-trail, the Silver Skyway and the sentry wheels. "Nice dogs," Trisahn said, "Nice little dogs." So close to the others, Val’ha felt their fear and nervousness rise with each yard; the walking-wheels rocked gently, the rhythm of their movement matched to the pulse of the Silver Skyway.
"Val’ha, do you think there is any magic that will aid you here?" Thoryn asked. She shook her head.
"Nor do I dare," Aeysla added, "they stand too close to the skyway and I do not wish to test our fortune by hitting it with my light."
One of the walking-wheels charged the group. "Stay together!" yelled Tarl-Cabot.
"Here, little mutt!" Trisahn challenged the rolling beast, drawing it toward him as he moved away from his fellows. "Come here, round doggy, Uncle Trisahn has a lovely silver dagger for you!" His ploy worked, and the walking-wheel came to a halt, paused and spun its eyes, then rolled at Trisahn until it reached its fastest gait. "Wait, little dog! Not so fast!" He pivoted and raced toward an orange-leaf tree with a giant trunk. "Did I do the right thing!?" He used his knife to lift himself into the lowest branches and out of the walking-wheel’s reach just as it hit the tree, its teeth putting dozens of spike marks into the bark. "Sweet puppy!"
"Trisahn gives me an idea." Thoryn too broke away from the others and with his sword at the ready hastened to within feet of the walking-wheel, taunting, "Little dog, come! Come away," while readying one of Cagliostra’s flasks of witches brew with his free hand. The walking-wheel ignored the knight and attempted to climb the tree after Trisahn. Thoryn tossed the flask onto the topmost teeth of the wheel, causing it to tear open; brew flowed like syrup down into the muscles behind the creature’s eyes. A nasty red tongue reached from behind one eye and lapped some of the brew into its body.
"Tasty brew, is it not?" Thoryn teased while taking a second flask from his pack. The wheel rolled back and toward him, this time almost in a bounce. "Come here! Wonderful brew, come wheel come, have more brew!" Thoryn cast down the witches brew flask and stepped away. The walking-wheel focused on the poison and in one pounce reached the flask and threw itself around it. The wheel shuffled and snorted for a moment; its skyward eye retracted and the empty, shredded flask tossed out onto the ground. The wheel regained its stance only long enough to bounce once and collapse with a wheeze into an oval shape, both eyeballs popping out to dangle lifelessly on each side.
Thoryn had killed it; Trisahn jumped down from the tree and embraced him. "Dear friend!" he said gleefully, pecking Thoryn’s cheek. "Nasty little dogs, the wheels." The other walking-wheel had moved to the center of the skyway ready to attack, but at that moment, from Thief Lake came a thundering sound. "Oh," Trisahn said, then, "RUN!"
The party fled from the lake, for the green dome at its center was beginning to rise, and a great tide of water roared in every direction toward the forest, drowning out every other sound, even the Song. As they hid themselves behind trees, the tidal wave splashed across the Dragon forest and marsh for miles. The cacophony of the rising green mound heightened and from behind their dripping foliage, the sopped companions witnessed a turtle of such unbelievable size, Val’ha could only compare it to a small mountain.
The turtle’s neck extended many castle-lengths and its eyes were vast and brown. With water dripping in huge drops off the beast, it turned its gaze on the land around it, ignoring the Silver Skyway. "OOAHAHAHAHAGRAAATTTTTTTTTTT!" It shook the trees and caused the walking-wheel to retreat from the X-trail; its movement caught the turtle’s attention, and with the speed of lightning, a tongue as long as the giant’s neck shot out and caught the wheel on its sticky bulbs. The wheel had only a second before it was hauled into the sky and snapped into the turtle’s jaws.
"MMMMMMMMMBRPHPH!" Its descent back into Thief Lake was as loud and wet as its rise. Another flood of water pelted the land and companions and the stormclouds thundered and commenced a drenching downpour. When it was all over, the green dome in its original position and no more walking-wheels under the land-fronds, Val’ha led her friends through the mud to the Silver Skyway.
**
"Let us make haste," said Sir Thoryn. The Silver Skyway pulsed coolly with the Song of Terra, Val’ha appreciated upon putting her hands against it. It was solid, liquid and air all at once, see-through though a foot by twenty, but when Trisahn put his dagger into it and removed his hand, the dagger appeared to levitate, half in and out of the light. Thoryn reached high on the outside of the arc and fingered the light, then shoved his boot into the skyway a foot from the ground, lifting himself. "It is as nothing I have known. The softest down cannot compare to this, pliant though its hold is as the strongest metal." He began climbing the rainbow and his companions – joined by additional energy in their desire to outreach the jaws of the giant turtle – made toward the stormclouds just as the rain began to subside.
Within several hours, the Silver Skyway had reached a point in its arc where its travelers no longer needed to use their hands, though it was still like scaling a steep hill. At the bottom of the drizzling clouds, the journeymates once more gazed upon where they had come from – a mile below them, full daylight punctuating the opaline haze and their own silver path and two natural rainbows banding across the many-colored forest, with the lake reflecting all.
They continued upward, their feet sinking into the Silver Skyway. "It is like walking through snow," said Andy. The cloudmist all about them was lit silver by the pulsing skyway, and Val’ha wished to reach the light of Terr’Sol, bathe in its warmth and feel its reassurance. The events of the morning in addition to the exertion of their ascent kept most of the companions silent throughout the day. Frustratingly, at no point in their climb had they seen the descending arm of the Silver Skyway. When at last they reached the top of the clouds for rest and food, Terr’Sol warm and invigorating and the air fresh and bracing, Andy was first to note that the skyway was now level. "This is good news." Andy frowned at his friends’ gaze beyond his shoulder, turned and frowned deeper; the wind had cleared the path of cloud, revealing the remainder of the skyway, a distance so long they could not see the end. "It is miles if I am born but a day."
"Then let us rest well here," said Trisahn, "for we may need the entirety of this day to complete just this portion of our journey. That leaves only one for Val’ha to fulfill her quest."
"When we do see where the skyway returns to Terra, clouds permitting, I will return to the Bugbear and have Eedebee bring it around to your location," offered Aeysla, "Val’ha, I have in my spellbook the incantation which you have also in your Ring of Oromasus, and do not worry," she smiled, "the ring and the grey-ship are bound by his spell and therefore one, so I will use the ring to locate you for my return."
With that decision the companions did only two things more for the rest of that day before they set camp again – dry off under the hot beat of Terr’Sol and follow for over twenty miles the Silver Skyway until it was nightfall, the cold stars above and the grey-clouds stretching out just below, the corrupted light and drone of the Song replaced by the soft purr and cushiony comfort of the Skyway. Feefthemf must have been a good man indeed, Val’ha pondered as she faded into sleep, and even if I do not understand his reasons for choosing me for this task, I cannot nor will I fail in the morrow of Mocrolester 19.
**
"Om!" Andy’s yell awoke Val’ha, and along with the others sprang to her feet and reached immediately for her weapon. Yellow morningstar shot across the cloud tops from which had sprung the Green Dragon Om in its full light, his wings holding him in the air, confusing the skyway travelers who came to the edge of the path to await his next move. He spoke.
He spoke in a voice Val’ha guessed was closest to what she thought Zeus sounded like – deep, angry, old and very, very loud. "WHY DO YOU COME HERE?"
"We come for the table of stones!"
"WHO ARE YOU?" The Dragon exhaled at them, air so heated and frigid at the same time it reddened their skin, Val’ha’s eyes watered and all of her companions took to wiping theirs with their sleeves.
Resentful and angry, Val’ha strengthened her grip on her scimitar and thrust out her chest. "I am Val’ha, daughter of Ma’hadrin!"
The Dragon continued to flap his wings, staring blankly at her, his eyelashes sweeping blinks that caused their own wind. To their surprise he turned and flew down into the clouds, and their bodies even relaxed to the point that Trisahn said, "He and Feefthemf…"
But Om shot back through the clouds and roared, "YOU SHALL DIE!" He flew at them and they scattered. The Green Dragon whisked over the skyway, snapping down with his teeth and foreclaws without success. He came about, and Sirs Thoryn and Tarl-Cabot quickly drew their bows. The Dragon took in a great draught of air and swept toward the archers; two arrows flew and then two others, hitting Om’s under-scales. He careened right and wheezed out his poisonous breath toward the heavens, then descended into cloudmist. "DIE!" On the other side of the skyway he erupted from the clouds in full breath. Trisahn hurled a silver knife at his neck, falling short, and Aeysla conjured two red-bolts, shooting them from her fingertips toward the beast’s breast, shaking loose scales the size of Men and knocking him back. Om exhaled, enough of his gale wind to knock Flegretha off her feet and over the edge of the skyway, where she held on by one hand.
"Val’ha!" The Dragon flew over, low enough that his wingflaps knocked them all over, and he circled about on Flegretha’s side of the Silver Skyway as nimble as a wren to snap her away in his teeth. Val’ha and Andy grabbed Flegretha’s wrists just as she lost her grip and pulled her up onto the sky-path.
Om’s nose hit the skyway and he recoiled down through the clouds, "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHT!"
The knights came around and aimed their arrows low; Aeysla recovered enough for another of her red-bolts and Val’ha joined them in awaiting the next charge of the Green Dragon. Directly below them his face rushed up through the clouds, fury and hatred blazing in his eyes. "Fire!" Thoryn hollered, and their arrows put out those lights. Om roared again for loss of his eyes though he still flew straight toward them; when the blinded Dragon skimmed past, Val’ha swung her scimitar across his neck, slitting it open. A giant drop of Om’s blood splashed across her entire body, down her throat and in her nose and eyes.
"NOOO!" Om flew aimlessly and with increasing distance across the sky, zigzagging lower with each loss of blood until he finally stopped flapping his wings and with that the Green Dragon Om plummeted down for the last time to Terra, the sound of his crash into the trees below miles away. Drenched in his blood, Val’ha glowed bright green and reeled from its overpowering energy, as though her entire body were being tickled and poked by needles, her heart and blood bursting within. It took hours before she recuperated and when it was done she felt a terrific pulse coursing through her veins that frightened and thrilled her.
Aeysla took her hand. "You have absorbed the blood of the living Dragon. It has joined with your own powers."
"What does this mean?"
"I do not know where it will lead you, what will happen. I do not even know that the Green Dragon was evil, for he was doing as all Dragons do, protecting his lair and I suspect treasure. The blood of the Green Dragon restores life, if that is any consolation to you, and so it may be that you will come to such godly strength. Or evil may take your heart and Xorus once more come to take your spirit. Time will tell." With such scant reassurance, Val’ha decided to renew herself in their mission and focused her companions on the skyway. Enough clouds had cleared that they could see the end of the level path shortly ahead, the silver slid back down for what Andy guessed to be two leagues where it ended at a large peanut-shaped hole in the ground surrounded by low hills; Flooher’ty Sea lay to its south some miles. "This is my time."
"Tell Captain Eedebee to bring her ship around the northern shore of the island, steering clear of the marshland Dragons," Andy instructed, "Wait twelve miles west from where the Caspet River feeds south. It should take the best part of a day, by my measure, and I counsel that you stay with them until the ship reaches our destination."
Aeysla nodded and bade her goodbyes. "Dear Val’ha, I cannot say what providence awaits me when I join Eedebee and the others on the Bugbear, nor guess what will happen to all of you, but I can give you one promise –before the end of this I will be with you again. Goodbye and journey with the gods, all of you." She removed from her satchel a black book, opened it and closed her eyes for a moment, mouthing hidden words, returned the spellbook to her satchel.
"Goodbye, Lady Aeysla," said her friends; the ruby on her chain gleamed until its light encased her wholeness and Aeysla slipped into nothing.
"Now we are fewer and more precious." Flegretha smiled. "Do you see here, all of you, that the sky-path’s downhill side is a wonder in itself." She ran, fell and slid almost a hundred feet, so smooth was the descent. "Well, is that not a ride then?" she cried, laughing gaily. "Let us – whoooooooo!" She slid again, but this time did not stop, fighting to regain her balance and turn back toward the others, but only to splat on her face, arms stretched upward. Her slide quickened and quickened more and her last words to her companions were, "If this be death’s joyyyyyyyyy…"
When Flegretha’s voice faded, Andy said, "If she is gone from this world, it was in joy." He raced down the sky-track, falling onto his side and following Flegretha down through the clouds: "Commmmmmmmmmmmeeeeee…" After him, Tarl-Cabot, Trisahn, Thoryn and Val’ha ran forth and for the next six miles of their trip they rolled and frolicked on the smoothness of the Silver Skyway down to the Valley of the Stones.
**
With the gentleness of falling leaves, the Silver Skyway deposited its travelers onto Terra and before they could turn to see it once more, left their realm. Flegretha was excited by their slide and hopped about in merriment. The entire skyway had proven a magickal and happy respite from their losses and the journeymates were for the first time in many days joined in insipirility, furthered with a cessation in the glare and drone of the Song. "I praise the stars," Flegretha cried, "and want to thank you, Andy and Val’ha, for keeping me out of that Dragon’s craw!"
The Valley of the Stones existed in a clearing with hills and low mountains behind the most immediate cascade of colorful trees, and at the clearing’s edge were two creatures – one was the body of the Green Dragon Om that had crashed there, limp and wrinkled. "A mighty defeat! Was that you?"
Flegretha took halting steps, almost drawing her mace, as she made toward her lover. "Praise the stars again and again. Tarnac?" Tarnac opened his arms and Flegretha dashed into them, embracing her beloved for an ecstatic reunion. Their friends came around to welcome the Short Elf and ask where he had been.
"That I cannot say, for I remember Trisahn and Tarl-Cabot had come to blows and then…"
"Yes, my love?"
"Well, love, I was – here." Tarnac pointed to the ground. "I saw the Silver Skyway and decided to wait for you."
"Do you feel any different?" Val’ha wondered.
"No, no difference I can tell," Tarnac reassured her. "How long have I been gone?"
"Over a day, sweetness."
"Oh, my," was all Tarnac said. Val’ha wanted to ask him more questions but without Aeysla’s guidance did not know what questions to ask.
"Well, let us enter the valley then," Andy invited, heading toward the downward path. The Valley of the Stones, with what daylight allowed, went so deep that the canyon’s bottom was lost. The valley’s grooved grey-rock walls went straight up, and plateaus, mesas and one large cave doubled its shadows.
"No tarrying, Val’ha, lead away," teased Trisahn, joining her step. The trail had been well laid and they descended with ease. Terr’Sol broke through the late morning and Val’ha’s confidence increased in their mission. "How do you feel?"
"Nervous and afraid, but with Tarnac in our midst and the final day here, I trust in the prophesy."
"That is good, and I want to offer my regret for what a pigheaded boor I have been."
"We have all had a hard time with Tropruscht’s death and the endless Song that caused us no sleep. None of us has been who they normally are, I fear."
"Then what of Tarnac?"
"I do wonder what happened to him," she said. "Did he wander off? Or is there more?"
"By my life, I have learned that if more is possible, more is probable." They laughed and Trisahn touched her forearm. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"You have shared none of your thoughts with me since I told you I would be leaving for Apocania with Jonathan upon our return."
"Nor have you with me. I declare my lack of skill in saying goodbye, and have not known what to tell you, Trisahn. And you must admit yourself that approaching you these past days would be worse than kissing a beehive."
"I admit this, and again apologize. Dearest Val’ha, who has saved me in so many ways and so many times I cannot but love you with all of my heart, it breaks mine that I will leave…" He paused so that Val’ha bade him to continue and when Trisahn did, he spoke in a torrent. "It dawned upon me when we were trapped in the sky by the winds being read to by Xorus’ witch, helpless and useless. I said to myself, ‘What am I doing here? I do not belong here.’ I cannot do this any longer, love. I am selfish, but I fear for my own death above all else and that is the truth.
"There is darkness in Moncrovia, evil and I do not want to be there if the city falls. It is also the reason Jonathan leaves, and others who in the taverns sing praise for the deeds we have done – I cannot tell you the toasts I have had – but then these same citizens and King’s men, all in knowledge of Xorus’ second coming, A’crasti, Feukpi’s family and the murders and curses and port fire, vow to leave before things get worse.
"Think, Val’ha. Whether Xorus gathers the Swords or does not, it appears this time he will stay in the Terran realm until the birthstone is crushed or burned or…and where is he, from your own foretelling, concentrating himself and his resources? The Darkwood of Joh’oprinia? The northwest forests? No, dear heart, not them, not the Isle of Sipsids or anywhere else in all the Ten Kingdoms but Castle and City Moncrovia! Furthermore, what is our great wizard doing about it?" Trisahn calmed himself and put his arm around Val’ha. "I apologize for my stridency, but if there is to be exodus from Moncrovia, I think it less cowardice than reason.
"Beloved friend, sometimes when I am bringing a fire to its life I ponder the flame and notice under this or that log a place where it burns hottest and feeds all other flames as they go about their work, the heart of the fire I suppose you could call it. You are that heart, Val’ha, as I have borne witness in our travels together. If there is a way to send the Dark God back to his pit, I daresay you will be there waving your goodbyes. But I can try no longer."
**
After several hours the companions reached the valley floor and decided to rest. Flegretha took off her boots and, without a word, put her legs up on Tarnac’s lap; he proceeded to knead her feet and they chatted beneath anyone else’s hearing. The coolness and dim light of the valley floor were relaxing enough that Trisahn suggested a vote on napping. Sir Thoryn laughed and punched him in the upper arm, sending Trisahn’s apple flying into Tarl-Cabot’s head. "Ow!"
"Sorry, friend, your brother’s fault."
Val’ha and Andy searched the towering rocks and foundations of valley’s perimeter until they discovered a tunnel unmarked by mortal or Elf. The others gathered themselves and Trisahn studied the opening to ensure no traps had been set. "It has been our luck."
Suddenly from behind them, the fracas of falling rocks pounded their senses. "Cheltra!" Andy shouted. "Do not stare into their eyes, they will petrify you!" The cheltra looked to Val’ha as though a giant had created huge dolls from rocks, then chopped off their shins; there were two of them, where had earlier seemed simple mounds of stone. One cheltrun brought up its arm and threw a boulder at the companions, who flew left and right to escape its crash.
"Feel Crundin, beast!" Tarl-Cabot stabbed his Sword at the cheltrun and sent a stream of fire into its chest. It sprayed harmlessly against the rock and the cheltrun swatted him across the valley.
Tarnac charged the short legs of the cheltrun with his sword, chipping some of it off. The cheltrun reached down for him, but he ran between its legs and away behind a rock. "Butterbean!" Flegretha’s countenance grew dark and she stomped toward the cheltrun with her mace. "Taste my spice, beastie." She brought the mace full force at its legs, taking off a mighty portion out of the cheltrun. It brought up a boulder to drop on Flegretha, but she tumbled and raced away.
"Swords and maces and magic will do little damage!" Andy yelled.
"Then how do you destroy them?" Val’ha asked as a dusty Tarl-Cabot and the others joined them near the valley wall now a hundred yards from the tunnel.
"Run." Trisahn went almost unheard in the pounding footsteps of the cheltra. "Run, friends," he said again, taking up his blasting-horn. "Bone and stone, the wizard said. Bone and stone. All of you, are you daft or can you not hear me? Make for the passage!" He pushed his companions in the direction of the tunnel and though he followed them, went much slower. "Little cheltra, little cheltra," he sang, "shall I play a song for you? Stony cheltra, brittle cheltra, shall I play not one but TWO!"
Val’ha was last in the tunnel and peeked her head around a boulder thrown by the cheltrun to see Trisahn racing toward her, behind him a boom of air and another so powerful she could see their crescent vibrations as they caught up to the cheltra, breaking both within seconds to rubble. Unfortunately, the sound and rocks pummeled the canyon wall and foundations of several plateaus as well, causing them to begin crashing down.
"Get in the cave! Run!" The echo of Trisahn’s blasting-horn, so powerful it carried boulders upon its waves, reverberated back through the collapsing valley and pushed the cheltrun’s stone against the tunnel entrance and, as Trisahn lit a tinder-candle against the dark, Terra’s collapse boomed and shook the companions, dust filling their passageway. They stumbled into the underground toward what they hoped would be the table of stones, and away from their point of last return.
