The Revenge of the Elves Read online

  As they sank into a relaxed state, the sounds of life around them grew more distinct, not numbed and distant. They listened to the grass grow and felt the sun’s nurturing effects upon the leaves and the soil. In the silence between them, the earth spoke boldly to Davmiran, and he listened with an acute ear. The power surged through them, breaching the barrier of skin and bone, touching them, changing them. Time was irrelevant, meaningless.

  “What have we here?” Filaree’s voice sounded as if from miles away. “Are you resting up before our morning lesson?” she asked. Her words floated upon the breeze, barely understandable. “That would be smart of you, Dav,” she laughed a humorless laugh.

  The words intruded upon them and separated them from the flow, though it was becoming increasingly difficult for Dav to retreat from that place Cairn had introduced him to. He liked it there… perhaps a little too much.

  Opening his eyes shocked him. He saw things again, physical things, and he became an object himself. He watched Cairn nod to him as if reading his thoughts. He understood.

  “Another perspective, Dav, that invokes another sensation. You have many different eyes with which to see. Use them all. They empower you,” Cairn whispered.

  “Is it that time already?” His own voice sounded to him as if it belonged to another. He watched his body rise.

  “Yes, it is! I’m always on time,” Filaree replied, inserting herself between the two of them. “You look like you’re having a good time. What luxury. But we do have some important things to attend to.” To Filaree Par D’Avalain, action defined productivity.

  “Ah, yes. The Lady Filaree has spoken,” Cairn said. Standing up, he bowed with a flourish. “If we’re not fighting, we’re not doing anything!”

  “Don’t be so sarcastic Cairn. You have your ways and I have mine.” She turned to Davmiran, dismissing Cairn altogether. “Now that he’s taught you how to think before you act, it’s my turn to teach you how to act before you think. Come, Dav. Carry this for me, would you?” Without waiting for him to reach for it, she tossed a long sword with a hilt of polished quartz through the air. “Though it looks delicate, it’s anything but harmless.” Davmiran’s hand shot up and caught it with ease. He tested the weapon’s balance like a veteran swordsman, poising it on his hand, his fingers just close enough to the hilt so that it hung there motionless. “You’ve paid attention! Good. Now see if you can conceal it behind your back as deftly as you’re handling it.” She was impressed. Maybe Cairn really was teaching him how to focus.

  After tossing it gracefully straight into the air, he caught it just as gracefully a moment before the tip touched the ground. He lifted it over his head and slipped it into a sheath hidden beneath the folds of his shirt, locating the opening with his free hand. All that remained visible was the very tip of its carved hilt, which glowed with a pinkish hue.

  “Not bad,” Filaree said. Not bad at all You’ll need every ounce of reflex you can muster in the days ahead. We’ve got to protect you any way we can. “Come. We have much to do today.”

  “If I were you, I’d watch out,” Cairn teased. “He’s a quick learner, and despite what you may think, there’s an element of thought involved in much of what one does.”

  Pivoting to the side, Filaree drew a jewel studded dagger out of her sleeve without anyone seeing. Before Cairn had a chance to utter another word, she thrust it as close to his neck as she could. He held his breath and didn’t flinch. His face remained expressionless.

  “You think too much, Cairn. Sometimes action must precede thought,” Filaree said challenging him. How can we win this war if we don’t wage it? she thought. Dav is not ready. I haven’t done my job and we’re running out of time.

  “And sometimes thought can prepare you for things yet to come,” Cairn replied. As he spoke, a huge paw shot out from behind her, clasped her hand holding the dagger, smothered it and rendered it harmless. She couldn’t move. Blushing a deep crimson, Filaree bowed her head to Cairn. She turned and looked up into Calyx’s enormous eyes. The Moulant released his grip and backed up. Out of habit, Cairn summoned him at the onset of his and Dav’s exercises in order to prevent any unexpected intrusions.

  “So what have you learned from this, Dav?” Filaree asked as she slid from between them, two distinct spots of red standing out against the white of her cheeks. What a fool I am. And in front of the boy. I should have suspected Calyx would be nearby.

  “That I’m not yet ready to engage either of you in a real fight,” Davmiran said with tact.

  “At the least, one should never be too cocky. That can lead to a dangerous arrogance, as you just witnessed,” she conceded. “Cairn is rarely careless.” And I can’t afford to be either. None of us can.

  “Once or twice, when I forgot to think” Cairn admitted, driving home his lesson of the day. “Take him, Filaree. He should be rested enough now to begin the next session.”

  Cairn leaned into Calyx and the big animal’s purr resonated in the cool morning air.

  “Come, Dav. We’ve wasted enough time with this already. Some of the sisters are joining us today. Two of them so far have demonstrated an affinity for physical combat,” Filaree said. Her admiration for the women of Parth was increasing daily. They were a strong lot, stronger than she expected given the stories she’d heard about the Tower.

  “They seem to have affinities for a number of things,” Cairn replied.

  “Power is what they have,” another voice echoed from behind the nearby trees. Robyn walked up beside Dav and put his arm around the boy’s shoulders.

  Filaree huffed. Another interruption. Another delay. “This is my hour! Are you ready, Dav? We can’t afford to waste what few opportunities we have. Robyn, can you chat with him later?”

  “I came only to suggest we accelerate his training, not to slow it down. The sky is gloomier than usual beyond the shield,” Robyn replied.

  “We have less time than we thought?” Cairn asked. He glanced up at the dome of light overhead.

  “We’ve never had enough,” Robyn replied.

  “Then why the urgency now. What’s changed? What do you sense in the darkness. Are we no longer safe here?” Cairn continued.

  “The shield has bought us some time indeed, but we can’t risk getting trapped here because we are blinded to the changes we don’t easily see. A shield can protect but it can also make us forget the danger,” Filaree said. And the danger is real… all too real.

  “Colton doesn’t know where we are. He may have suspected at one point, but this barrier conceals many things. If he’s lost our trail he’ll do what he can to dredge it up again. We need to move on soon,” Robyn said.

  “How would he find us?” Cairn asked.

  “He knows you’re with the boy, Robyn. I’d go after what’s dear to those I want the most,” Filaree said.

  “Tamarand?” Cairn questioned.

  “That would be the logical choice. Or Avalain,” Filaree suggested, “… if he thinks I’m the weaker link in this chain.” Avalain. Will I ever see it again? There’s so much to do before I can go home and so little time.

  “Tomas is in Avalain with Preston and Elion. They too are under Sidra’s protection,” Robyn said.

  “You know that for certain Robyn?” Filaree asked. He was a Chosen. He learned of things in ways she could not.

  “Sidra told me.” Filaree frowned at Robyn’s mention of her name.

  “She told you?” Cairn asked.

  “Yes, in a manner of speaking.”

  “She came to him in a dream,” Davmiran added, and they all looked at him, Robyn most curiously of all.

  “How did you know that, Dav? I didn’t tell anyone,” Robyn asked. As usual, his voice was emotionless.

  “She came to me too, in a manner of speaking, that is,” he answered. “At first, I thought it was just another dream or maybe someone from my past, and that my memory was starting to come back to me. For a moment I imagined she was Mira,” he said, glancing at Cairn. “But,
she spoke of my brother and of Avalain and the shield surrounding that city too. She told me not to try to contact him, to be careful and to remember the prophesies.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us about this, Dav?” Filaree asked. “It might have been helpful.” It unnerved her that he kept such important information to himself. In battle, every fact was important and battle was approaching. She knew it. She felt it.

  “It only happened last evening. I did intend to tell you all when we were together.”

  “I too waited until now to say anything, though I saw both Filaree and Cairn already this morning,” Robyn explained. “Sidra’s influence is strong and she has her own reasons for doing what she does. But I’ve found no cause to mistrust her.”

  “Maybe. But you still don’t know why she’s doing what she’s doing. She seems far too able to move freely within your minds, this Sidra woman,” Filaree cautioned. And to manipulate you if she wants. You don’t even know why you withheld this information. “Why doesn’t she just come forward and talk to us in a normal manner?”

  “She’s not a normal woman,” Robyn replied. “The Chosen communicate in many different ways that don’t always entail face to face conversations. That’s never bothered you, Filaree. Why then does Sidra’s behavior cause you concern?”

  “Frankly, I don’t know, “ she confessed. But it does. And it should bother you too. “I’m not comfortable with the idea that your thoughts are being influenced. Should I be? Should you be? I can’t accept something that has no practical explanation. I know very little about her and that alone is reason for caution at the least. I respect her independence, but respect and trust are two different things. She’s too willing to manipulate from a distance without joining our forces. If we’re on the same side, then why not come forward? What does she fear from us?” What does she want from us? she wondered. She looked at Davmiran. He seemed calm, his eyes wide like a child’s. He’s not ready, she repeated to herself again.

  “I wish I knew,” Robyn replied. “She’s acting no differently now than ever before, though she’s more involved with the world’s affairs than in the past. When the time’s right she’ll be direct. You two would get along well, Filaree despite your reservations. You are similar in many ways.”

  “Similar? Is that a compliment, Robyn?” she asked. “I don’t play games. If I have something to say, I say it.” And you are far too taken with this woman.

  “It’s a compliment nonetheless,” he replied. His admiration for both women was strong, though he found it easier to express his feelings for Sidra.

  “I’ll reserve my judgment for another time. I’d like to ask her a few questions face to face first,” Filaree said. More than a few. And she’s brought Avalain into the mix as well. And my mother.

  “So Tomas is safe behind her shield too?” Cairn asked.

  “And Avalain as well for the time being. Whether or not the shield causes Colton’s eyes to pass over a place without seeing what lies within it, I cannot determine. Though his power reached out to Parth when we first arrived, it didn’t pursue us once we entered. It was as if we vanished,” Robyn recalled.

  “Parth is a special place, Robyn,” Cairn reminded him. “The confluence of power here beneath the ground offers protection of its own. It’s not merely the shield that is sheltering us.”

  “Together these forces may have drawn that attack while at the same time, they may render Parth invisible to his eyes. What does he see when he gazes this way?” Filaree asked.

  “Invisible or unimportant at least,” Davmiran said. Talk of Colton made his senses tingle.

  “A Lalas can mask its location. Parth has benefitted from that ability. A mind such as Colton’s cannot gaze upon this place clearly,” Robyn explained.

  “But what of Avalain?” Filaree asked. “He knows of its existence. How safe is Tomas there?” My father’s Lalas is dead. What protects Avalain? Sidra alone?

  “If the shield around Avalain is similar to this one, he’s safe for the time being. And though Colton does know the location of the city, I believe Sidra’s shield affords it anonymity that makes it seem unimportant. They’re secure behind it. I hope they don’t do anything to reveal themselves prematurely.” A long rumble of thunder shook the ground and Robyn looked to the east. “Tamarand will be his next target.”

  “To flush you out,” Filaree agreed.

  “Colton must think I won’t be able to sit idly by if he attacks my homeland. If I reveal myself, he may hope I’ll lead him to Dav.”

  “Will you be able to, Robyn?” Cairn asked.

  “Do nothing, you mean, if Concordia is in peril? No,” he said without emotion.

  “So you will play right into his hands? I don’t believe you Robyn,” Filaree scoffed. “You wouldn’t risk the boy that way.”

  “All I said is that I will do something, Filaree. I didn’t say I need reveal myself while doing it. Promanthea resides near Concordia. If Colton attacks the city, for the first time he will have to confront one of the trees head-on.”

  “You think he’s now ready to face Promanthea directly?” Cairn asked, appalled.

  “It could be,” Robyn replied gravely.

  The network of trees had weakened, but the idea of the Dark One invading an area where a Lalas still lived was unthinkable.

  “Robyn? Can Promanthea withstand this if it happens? Is he strong enough? And what will become of you if he cannot?” Davmiran asked. A Chosen always died with his tree. They knew this only too well.

  “He will prevail.” Robyn’s words were muted. “He is powerful and he won’t relinquish his moment before he decides to. No one else will make that choice for him.”

  “Things have changed. They’re changing everyday. How can you be sure of this anymore?” Filaree asked. Count the number of Lalas who already died. And we’re standing here talking. Talking! “There are others to consider. We have much still to do. You have much still…” She paced back and forth, her impatience cloying at her.

  “I will know. And I will tell you all if the time should come,” Robyn replied, cutting her off. “It’s the way of a Lalas and a Chosen,” he continued, looking only at Davmiran. “It has always been so. And I’m not ready to die.”

  “Will you go to him?” Cairn asked.

  “My responsibilities lie here with Dav and with you. There is much we don’t know, that we don’t understand. No one has ever killed a Lalas. The only trees who have died are those who chose to. If Promanthea decides it’s his time to depart, I will accept that. But if Colton attempts to kill him, there will be a battle like the earth has never seen before!”

  “I think it’s all gamesmanship on his part. He wouldn’t dare,” Filaree began. “He’s suffered defeats, one after another. Though the trees weaken and the Gem’s light fades, can we really say Colton is responsible for that? He has had more success in generating fear than in actual victories on the battlefield.” She knew what fear could do to an army’s morale, but a good commander could overcome that. A Lalas would never be afraid. Still, they’re choosing to die. Choosing it. Why? Why?

  “She’s right. His major campaigns have been failures. What we do know is that things are happening at a time when the Dark Lord is being more aggressive. We do not know if he is the cause of them,” Robyn commented.

  “We must find the Gem!” Cairn said. “Davmiran must find it. If we can locate it and free it from whatever is constraining it, then perhaps the trees will want to live once more. Isn’t that what we are hoping for? Isn’t that why we were summoned to Dav’s side to begin with?”

  “If that is what’s causing them to behave this way,” Filaree said. “We don’t know for sure. No one does.”

  “You should contact Promanthea, Robyn,” Davmiran said. “You have waited long enough.”

  Scowling, Robyn’s face reddened. This was an uncomfortable and difficult subject for him. Doubts plagued him that he didn’t wish to confront. Doubts and suspicions.

  “I shall. And
my father too,” he added. “They both must hear from me. I need to tell them I can’t return in any case.”

  “Maybe they can tell us something that may help here. We can’t remain in Parth forever. We must begin the quest as soon as possible,” Filaree said. “Each day, each moment we delay is dangerous. I’m beginning to feel as if we’re in a cage, not a shelter. The boy is strong, we all agree. We have spent weeks working with him. Maybe we should leave now,” she said. “Robyn? You were the one who said we must accelerate his training. How much time do we have?” Strong, but not strong enough, she brooded.

  “I will speak with Promanthea,” Robyn replied. He was tentative, worried. His whole demeanor changed. “Let us discuss this further after he and I confer.”

  “Good,” Cairn said.

  “Okay, later,” Filaree replied, after a moment’s hesitation. “And you, Dav? What do you think?” She looked at him, but he didn’t respond.

  Davmiran’s senses reeled. Though he appeared settled, the shards assaulted his thoughts with a thousand images, flooding his mind with memories. His head felt as if it would explode as the visions rushed madly before his inner eye. In opposition to this chaos, the ring washed his soul in rivulets of power, calming him, helping him to maintain his equilibrium. Reaching under his shirt, he grasped it tight in his hand. Behind shut eyelids, a familiar face loomed, though he could not put a name to it no matter how hard he tried. The voices of his friends called to him, but they were muffled and unclear.

  His lips struggled to mouth the words. “We… we must wait for the sister’s return. Promanthea knows this. He will tell you.” The voices of the dead screamed in his head. “She… she has something. Something important. Something I need.”

  Chapter Seven