Erik And The Dragon ( Book 4) (16 page)

“You want four days?” Licenien asked.

“Four days,” Dimwater replied. “After that, you may retake your valley and do as you wish.”

Licenien looked over his back, farther into the valley and then he grinned slyly. “Alright, you may pass through the valley for four days. After that, I will hunt again.”

Dimwater released Licenien and stepped out over the water of the tear-shaped pool.

“Who is the boy?” Licenien called out after her. “He must be quite special for you to risk your life like this.”

Dimwater stopped and turned, debating whether to tell him. “He is the Champion of Truth,” she said.

Licenien’s grin melted away and he cast another glance over his shoulder. “Is that so?” he asked.

Dimwater only nodded and started to ascend through the air.

“Then you should turn back,” Licenien said after a moment. “Do not cross through this valley.”

Dimwater stopped and turned around to face him again. “You gave me your word,” she warned. “If you break it, I will banish you.”

“It is not me,” Licenien said. “There is something far worse than me on the other side of the valley.”

“What?” Dimwater asked.

“I don’t know,” Licenien admitted. “It is on the other side, beyond the border of the valley. Whatever it is, I do not think even you can defeat it. So, I say again, turn back.”

Dimwater was not sure what to make of Licenien’s sudden concern. “Why would you care?” she asked.

“I didn’t, at first,” he said. “But if he really is the Champion of Truth, then I would not want him to be destroyed. Turn back.”

“But you fought alongside Tu’luh and Nagar,” Dimwater pressed.

Licenien took on a grim expression. “I will give you your four days, but I would suggest you turn back.”

“The elves in Tualdern will provide us with shelter,” Dimwater replied evenly. She decided that Licenien might be trying to trick her somehow, so she dismissed him and ascended up the cliff.

She floated easily until she was near her body, then she stepped down and slid back into herself. All at once a hot flush washed over her and her muscles went slack. Her heart ceased pounding and started to flutter spasmodically. Her stomach flipped and she leaned over just in time to avoid retching
on her own lap. She wiped her mouth and spent a few moments regaining her composure before she dared try to stand.

When she finally made it to her feet she noticed that Lepkin was standing near her. No, he was
holding
her. He had one arm around the back of her waist and the other holding onto her right arm, propping her up.

“What did you do?” Lepkin asked.

“I’ll be alright, in the morning,” Dimwater replied wearily.

Lepkin helped her back to her bedroll. “I don’t mind when you use your sleeping spells on Erik, but in the future, I would prefer you not use them on me.” Dimwater nodded and eased into her blanket, asleep before Lepkin could say another word. Lepkin backed away and sighed, glancing over his shoulder at the cliff’s edge.

Whatever she had done, the howling wind was gone, and somehow the night seemed more peaceful.

*****

Erik and the others broke camp as soon as the first rays of sunlight broke through the sky. Jaleal and Tatev fried up more fish for breakfast while the others packed their bedrolls onto the mules. Lepkin was quick to assist Dimwater with anything that she was doing, and very adamant about making sure she had enough to eat for breakfast.

Erik wasn’t sure what to make of it, but Dimwater was moving a bit slower than normal, and even Marlin was watching her carefully. Something had happened in the night, but he thought better of asking what that something was. He finished with his chores, ate the plate of fish he was given, and then fell in line with the others as they descended the steep, rocky path that switched back and forth down the north eastern side of the cliff.

The going was slow at first. The upper portion of the cliff trails were littered with loose shale, gravel, and small branches and twigs. The morning dew still sat upon the grass and foliage, adding an additional degree of difficulty to an already demanding path. The nearby roaring waterfall meant that each of them had to yell if they wanted to be heard by anyone else, but Erik didn’t mind that part. It meant that Tatev couldn’t ramble on with one of his endless historical anecdotes.

He turned around and saw Tatev’s mouth moving. He wasn’t sure who the man was talking to, but he was still talking despite the waterfall. Just then, Erik’s foot slipped a little. Not enough that anyone else noticed, but enough to make him turn around and focus on the trail. He was grateful that he did, because one more step would have put him in a pile of mule dung. Erik stepped around the steaming brown pile and continued on down the trail.

The pool below glistened in the morning sun, almost making up for the lack of trees or vegetation on the valley floor. The black, dry soil stretched out before them like a thick carpet over the valley floor. Dead, gray trees twisted up into the sky or lay scorched upon the ground. No birds sang, no bees hummed. There was no movement anywhere in the entire valley that Erik could see, other than his group.

After about an hour of switching back and forth down the trail, the group made it to the bottom, near the tear-shaped pool of water. One of the mules went over to the pool to drink, but Marlin was quick to pull the animal away from the water.

“The water isn’t good here,” Jaleal said casually as he walked up beside Erik and peered into the depths of the pool. “It comes from a good source, but the valley corrupts it.”

Erik started to ask about it, but he saw Tatev walking toward them so he thought better of it and quickly moved back into the line behind Lepkin and Dimwater.

The group was silent as they forged ahead over the rough terrain. The trail had stopped by the pool, so now they just picked their way over the barren landscape as best they could. Dust kicked up around their footprints and it was then that Erik realized there were no other prints in the ground. There were no tracks or marks of any kind. He decided he would keep an eye to the ground, looking to see if he could spot any tracks or scat of any kind. After four hours of walking, he gave up the pursuit, realizing there would be no other tracks.

At least there were no beings like what he had seen last night. No howling winds and no ghosts. That was definitely a good thing as far as Erik was concerned. He thought back to the one that had almost pulled him down off the cliff. As he recalled the terrible being, his skin tightened into goose bumps and he couldn’t help but look over his shoulder.

Tatev caught Erik’s gaze and offered a happy, but tired, smile. Erik returned the gesture and slowed down to let the librarian catch up with him. Perhaps one of Tatev’s anecdotes would help him pass the time without thinking of last night’s ghosts.

“Having fun?” Tatev asked when he caught up to Erik.

“Not exactly,” Erik said. “Any more luck with the book?”

Tatev shook his head. “I have only read a few pages.” He fidgeted with his fingers, rubbing the tips together and then he bit his lower lip for a moment. He
stopped and grinned sheepishly when he noticed Erik watching him. “I know it is silly, but I have been hesitant to read even the first portion of the book. I mean, I have always fantasized about reading it, but now that I have it, I am a bit apprehensive.”

“I understand,” Erik said.

“You do?” Tatev asked.

Erik nodded. “I used to day dream about being a mighty warrior, chasing down monsters and earning fame for my family and riches for myself. Now that I actually have that chance, to do something that
no one else
can try to do, I am scared and so nervous I wish I could just go back to Kuldiga Academy.” Erik looked to the ground and shrugged. “I guess that makes me a bit of a coward.”

“On the contrary,” Tatev said with a decisive finger in the air. “The fact that you are scared, but continue on with your quest makes you very brave.”

“That sounds like something Lepkin would say,” Erik said.

“He is a smart man” Tatev said.

“Are we doing the right thing?” Erik asked. “I mean, what if Tu’luh is right? What if fighting him really just seals our doom, should we continue on?”

“Why are you asking me?” Tatev asked.

“Because you have read
a lot
of books. You always know so much about any subject we happen to be talking about. If anyone will know the answer, I think you would.”

“I am flattered,” Tatev said with a half grin. “But, to be honest, the books don’t teach you everything you need to know in life. They are a good start, but they don’t have all the answers.”

“Then how do we know what we should do?”

“Well,” Tatev said as he looked on down the valley. “What do you
feel
we should do?” he asked.

Erik screwed up his face and snorted.

“No, I’m serious,” Tatev said. “What do you feel?”

Erik knit his brow as if he had to think carefully, but he didn’t. He didn’t need more than just an instant to know what he felt. “I must stop Tu’luh, and destroy the book.”

“Some people call that intuition, others call it instinct, or your gut, but I like to think we are all connected to a higher wisdom if we just listen to what our heart tells us.”

Erik nodded. “It still doesn’t help me figure out what to do about the vision Tu’luh showed me.”

“True enough, but if every answer came easily, we would have no challenges in life, and if there were no adversities or hardships, then there would be no satisfaction or triumph. Life would be stale, and we would be stagnant creatures not worthy of the life we have been given.”

Erik nodded, half-heartedly agreeing as he turned his gaze back to the horizon. The mountains off in the distance started looming closer and closer. Erik noted that even the tall, hard peaks looked as barren as the valley they walked through. Heavy, thick gray clouds hung in the air near the mountains, drifting lazily toward them. A flash of lightning tore through the sky, followed shortly by low, rumbling thunder. A few moments later gray streaks fell from the clouds, signaling the first rain of the storm.

“Well, at least it will temper the afternoon heat,” Tatev commented.

The group trudged through the valley, slowing considerably when they caught the rain. The hard, black ground was turned into ankle-deep muck that sucked their boots down with each step. More than a few times Erik found himself stopping to stuff his foot farther into his boot after the mud pulled it part way off. The mules weren’t faring much better either. Their hooves
schlucked
and
popped
with each step. The thunder rolled in steadily and the clouds blotted out the sun.

With the darkness came the howling wind that sent shivers down the back of Erik’s neck.

Lady Dimwater moved in beside him then. He looked up and saw her hair clinging to her back and her dress stuck to her skin, accentuating all of her curves. Erik blushed and looked away, afraid that either Lady Dimwater or Master Lepkin might have seen his stare. Then a thought came to him.

“Couldn’t you use your magic to keep us dry?” Erik asked.

Dimwater laughed softly. “Every expenditure of magic requires strength and energy, just the same as every use of your muscles requires effort on your part. The rain is not hurting us, so there is no need to waste my energy now when we might need it later.”

“But don’t you conjure up drinks?” Erik asked, recalling the tea she had summoned
after catching him in her office. Erik regretted the words almost as soon as they left his mouth. He closed his eyes and turned away from Dimwater.

She laughed. “Sometimes a person just needs a drink,” she said with a wink.

Erik chuckled a bit too, relieved that she wasn’t taking offense at his comment.

The two of them talked for the rest of the trip, until the great towers of Tualdern loomed into view and the group found themselves on the brick and stone path leading out of Hamath valley up to the alabaster gatehouse. A deep, wide green moat ringed the tall white walls. The slender, conical towers jutted up into the sky like great spears with windows of rose colored glass.

“I have long wanted to visit the city of the elves,” Dimwater noted. “Never had reason to do so until today though.”

“Something is wrong,” Lepkin announced from the front. He turned and motioned for everyone to stop. “There are no sentries at the gate, and the portcullis is open.”

“No, no, no,” Tatev said. “The elves in Tualdern have the most disciplined warriors in the Middle Kingdom, they would never leave their gatehouse undefended.” The diminutive man jogged up to Lepkin’s side, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and flipping the lenses down so he could inspect the walls. “The magical wards are gone too.”

“Well, we can’t camp out in the valley tonight, and we should at least check around inside to see what is going on,” Marlin said.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Jaleal commented with a quick glance over his shoulder at the dark and dreary valley.