First Comes The One Who Wanders (72 page)

"Are there any forest elves on Seal Haven?" she asked pulling her cloak together to keep out the brisk sea breeze.

"There are only sea elves on Seal Haven," replied Erion.

"Do they celebrate your solstice, as well?"

Erion didn’t reply immediately, but looked longingly at the island. "It doesn’t matter, my lady. We must push on."

"I have no idea where to go, Erion. This island is as good as any other."

"The ship will take you," said Erion.

"It will only take me where I think I need to go," replied Leilas.

Garabaldi’s head bobbed agreement from his hiding spot beneath several coils of rope. "Exactly so. Well done, Chidra. That is the answer."

Erion scowled at him, but didn’t argue with the two crafters. "Maybe the sea elves will be able to help us find what we seek," he said at last.

"They do seem to be Sylph’s friends," replied Leilas.

Without their bidding, the ship shifted slightly and the island began to draw nearer. "So, the choice is made," said Garabaldi, climbing from his hiding spot to come and stand by Leilas. "The sea elves are not particularly my friends."

"Or the forest elves," replied Leilas, seeing Erion scowl at the gnome.

"They aren't particularly fond of gnomes, either," agreed Garabaldi. "Still, one must do what one must do."

"What is that exactly, Garabaldi?" asked Leilas.

"To help restore the balance, of course."

"Of course, how stupid of me not to have realized that. Even though it's not what the gaunt masters are trying to do, or Gidron Frey, or Rengailai," said Leilas. "All dark masters, the same as you."

"Not quite the same," replied the gnome, "but that's something you're going to have to discover yourself."

"You came to Sylphia with dark crafters. Ro told us gaunt masters had come and gone in the last month. You were lying in wait for me to arrive at the Temple of Sylph. What am I supposed to discover?" Leilas lowered her voice. "You told me in Crysalis you were sent to help me."

Erion turned his head slightly and Leilas knew he'd heard. That was a problem she'd have to deal with later. "Yet, it appears you've been searching for the temples to keep me from completing my task."

"I'm a dark master," replied Garabaldi. "I have duties to the guild, as long as they don’t interfere with my duty to the Creator."

"How can you serve those who are evil?" asked Leilas in bewilderment. "I feel the power within you, it's pure. I don’t feel the evil within you that I feel in Rengailai and now in Gidron Frey. How can you do as they ask when you know they wish to corrupt Preterlandis?"

Garabaldi looked at Erion for help. The elf shrugged and crossed his arms. "Fine, my friend, I'll do my best to explain." He paced in front of Leilas, trying to frame his words. "Every power must have a counter power," he began.

Leilas cut him off. "Yes, yes, we learned all that in school."

"Obviously you didn’t learn it or you wouldn’t be asking such rudimentary questions," sniffed Garabaldi.

Leilas turned on him, menacingly. "I didn’t ask for a dissertation on the balance that's supposed to rule Preterlandis. I asked how you could serve those who are evil."

"So you did," replied Garabaldi, beginning to pace again. "And I answered you. I have duties to the guild. As long as they don’t ask me to do anything that offends my conscience or that the Creator says is wrong, I'm bound by my word to serve them."

"What happens if they do ask you to do something that is against your conscience or wrong?"

"Then I must stand against them and face the consequences."

"You didn’t think killing the Chidra would be wrong?" asked Leilas.

"I wasn’t asked to kill the Chidra. I wasn’t asked to stop the Chidra. I was asked to find the pieces to the crafter’s staff," replied Garabaldi.

"Knowing that if you found them and turned them over to Rengailai it would be stopping me?"

"Knowing that," agreed Garabaldi. "Also knowing I couldn’t gather the pieces. I did visit the Crystal Caves, quite by accident. I knew only you could do what they asked me to do. Still, they sent me."

"What will happen when you go back empty-handed?"

"They'll kill me," replied Garabaldi, emotionlessly.

"So, you think you'll let Leilas collect the pieces, then steal them from her," said Erion, condemningly.

Garabaldi smiled wearily. "Then I would be going against my conscience. It's a dilemma," he added. "I fear I've thrown myself on your mercy to do with me as you will."

"I believe you as much as I'd believe one of my dark brothers," replied Erion.

Leilas didn’t know what she should believe. She wanted to believe the gnome. But with all of Preterlandis at stake, she wasn’t sure she had the luxury of believing him.

The ship was slipping closer to the shore. The seals were still moving along beside them. Looking toward the shore, Leilas could see people mounting the seals and dolphins and riding out toward the ship. She'd never seen sea elves, but she knew instinctively that was who these people were. Unlike the mer people, the sea elves lived near the sea and were at home in the sea, but they weren’t creatures of the sea.

When they were close enough, Erion greeted them. Leilas wasn’t sure what they said to each other, but when they finished speaking, two of the elves climbed aboard the ship and the others fell in beside the vessel. Once aboard, the elves began to speak in a chant and the ship began to turn toward an inlet.

Erion came to stand next to Leilas. "They say that anyone who can board this ship is a friend of Sylph and so a friend of theirs." He cast a glance at Garabaldi, which registered confusion. "No one has ever boarded who wasn't invited. They'll take us to their city. Since it's so close to the festival, we must join them in the festivities, and then we'll discuss what brings us to them."

Leilas nodded her acquiescence. From what she’d heard of elves, it did little good to try to rush them. Life moved at a much slower pace for them. Someday, maybe, she would be better able to understand their sense of time.

The ship slowed as it neared the entrance to the river that led away from the beach into the tropical foliage of the island. They didn’t travel far along the river, just far enough to hide the ship. Then, the gangplank lowered. The elves left the ship and waited for Erion, Leilas and Garabaldi to join them. When they were on dry ground, the elves moved quickly through the dense foliage. Leilas knew she'd have quickly lost her way were she on her own, but their guides moved with surety.

Within a few hours, they were at the border of the city, though Leilas knew this only because Erion told her. To her, she was still standing in the middle of a tropical forest. Then, with one step, she was in a clearing, ringed by forest. In the center of the clearing was a great building made from white stone and sand, with peaks and towers rising up in a fanciful fashion. There were many smaller dwellings made of the same white stone and echoing the architecture of the main building. The sun shone off the rock and sent sparks of color flying through the air. There were elves everywhere, busy with food, instruments and flowers. All were making preparations for the festival.

One of the elves leading them dropped back to speak with Erion. She was slight, with hair that shimmered like mother-of-pearl, and eyes the color of the sea. Leilas was certain she’d never seen anyone as beautiful. Erion listened attentively as she spoke then motioned for Leilas and Garabaldi to stop. He watched the woman walk away until she was out of sight. Leilas’ eyebrow went up at Erion’s actions.

"Who is our guide?" she asked, as they waited for someone to return.

"That is Kai. She's the daughter of Kalin who is the king of this clan."

"Oh," Leilas tried not to show her disappointment. She wasn’t sure how it worked in elven hierarchy, but where she came from, Kai would never be allowed to choose Erion as a mate. "She's quite lovely."

"Yes, she is," agreed Erion, his eyes showing his sadness. "The most beautiful woman–"

Garabaldi snorted. "She wasn’t beautiful to me. Looked a bit like a fish. Speaking of fish, I'm quite hungry. How long do you think they're going to make us stand here?"

"Not too long gnome. Mind your manners or I'll teach you some," snarled Erion.

Garabaldi straightened at Erion’s tone. "I always behave. My manners are impeccable. I've set at table with kings."

"I can’t imagine you've ever been invited to sit with elves."

"I'll do my best to not dishonor you while we're here, elf," said Garabaldi. "But after all, I am just a dark creature."

Erion scowled at the challenge, but chose to ignore it. Leilas let out the breath she had been holding. She needed both Erion and Garabaldi right now. She didn’t need them trying to kill each other.

"Couldn’t we have left him tied up on the ship?" Erion asked her.

"He’s a dark crafter. How long do you think he would have stayed bound? And once he got free and got a message to his people, how long do you think it would be until the gaunts showed up? Do you want them descending on your friends’ summer festival?"

"They would never find this place. It's protected by pure elven magic," said Erion, haughtily.

"Are you willing to take the chance?" asked Leilas. "I can always ask Kai to take us back to the ship."

Erion scowled. "Just make sure he behaves."

"I’ll do my best. He, in turn, can make sure I behave." Garabaldi cackled, but refrained from speaking. Erion had the decency to look ashamed. Then he turned away from the other two and waited for Kai to return.

Leilas was tired from the walk and it had seemed an age since Kai had left. Pulling off her pack, she let it drop to the ground. Then she sank down next to it. Garabaldi joined her. Erion stood, waiting.

"Erion seems anxious to make a good impression," said Garabaldi, conversationally.

"She's very beautiful," said Leilas, looking down at her dirty clothes, her hand going to the hair straggling from her braid.

"But you're the one the Creator chose," Garabaldi reminded her.

Leilas smiled wearily. "So I am. Sometimes I think he should have chosen someone more worthy."

"He's the Creator. He knows best," replied Garabaldi.

"You're a strange creature, Garabaldi. I haven’t quite figured you out. But somehow, I know I'm going to be glad you're with me." Leilas looked up to see Kai returning.

"Since I've been sent to find you, I assume I'll be of assistance to you. Just remember–"

"I know. You have other obligations. As do I. I hope they don’t collide somewhere along the way."

Kai spoke quietly with Erion and he indicated they should follow their guide. Leilas rose, picked up her pack and followed Kai to one of the outlying buildings. "This is where you'll stay," she said hesitantly, in the common tongue. "Someone will come for you."

Leilas thanked her and stepped inside to a light, airy room with curtains that billowed in the soft breeze. Pillows were stacked in the middle of the room as a bed. A couch was fashioned from wood, intricately carved and covered in more cushions. A basin of water, fashioned from a massive abalone shell, sat on a table that was also fashioned from wood and covered in etchings of the sea. As she stood looking around, a young girl came in, beautiful, but not quite as beautiful as Kai, bearing a robe. In halting common, she told Leilas she would take her clothes to wash. Leilas disrobed and donned the silk garment, marveling at the quality and comfort. The girl took her clothes and left. Washing with the water in the basin, Leilas sat and began braiding her hair. It had grown since she last had needed to disguise herself. The braid hung down to the middle of her back. The last time she'd seen Joshuas, her hair had been short. She’d ridden into Menas looking like a young boy. She wasn’t the beauty that had met Erion at the ship. Lying down on the pillows, Leilas went to sleep thinking of Joshuas.

The cloud swirled over the city. The feeling of fear was palpable. There were so few on the ramparts. Dredrac was swirling the cloud of lost souls and they were screaming and moaning. No one seemed to notice, but her. Cephom was there with her mother and Joshuas. To her surprise, Trion was there with the beautiful warrior Ariel. Leilas looked down at her dirty clothes, which were worn from travel. What did she have to offer Joshuas? Dredrac laughed at her from his place among the clouds. "Do you care for this pathetic crafter, Chidra?" He spoke into her mind. "Join me, and I'll spare him. I'll spare all of them. This war could be over. So many innocent people could be saved. Just abandon this search and join me."

Leilas could see the tears streaming down her face. Her mother, Joshuas, Trion, Cephom, how could she abandon them to the fate Dredrac had in store for them? "No," she said to the voice of Dredrac.

The clouds boiled and lightning began to strike Barat. The sea of dark soldiers rose and prepared to strike Barat. The lightning strikes caught buildings on fire. Arrows rained from the volleys shot by the soldiers. A battering ram was being moved into position. Leilas fell to her knees in despair. "No," she whispered again.

There were tears in her eyes when she woke. She'd no idea if what she'd dreamed was real, but it had left her feeling depressed and empty. How could she fight against Dredrac? The young elf girl entered the room and Leilas felt some of the gloom dissipate. She was glad for the distraction from her thoughts. She hated to think that Preterlandis was being torn apart to keep her from completing her task.