First Comes The One Who Wanders (79 page)

They were heading toward a canyon that lay between two cliffs rising up about a half-mile back from the shore. It seemed likely they'd find water there. Erion had one of the barrels strapped to his back. If they did find a water source, they would have to find a better way to get the barrel back to camp.

As soon as they entered the canyon, Leilas could feel the magic. It was old and strong. She couldn’t tell if it was light or dark. For once, the magic seemed to step outside those bounds. She took two more steps before she realized it was a trap. Garabaldi recognized it at almost the same moment. Their shields of protection went up simultaneously. At the rumbling, they all turned and began to run out of the canyon. The earth began to shake and rocks began to fall from the cliffs. The four scrambled through the canyon, avoiding boulders coming to rest in their path or bouncing past in front of them. When they reached the beach, Leilas stopped to catch her breath, her hand on the stitch in her side. "That was a bit too close for comfort," she said in-between gasps.

"Not at all natural," remarked Garabaldi, gasping almost as much as Leilas.

"I didn’t recognize the magic," said Leilas.

"Nor did I," replied Garabaldi. "Though it could have been–," he stopped and frowned.

"Kreel," Kai finished the sentence. "He's warning us not to explore this island."

"Is that what that was?" asked Leilas, sarcastically. "A warning?"

"Kreel is a friend and a servant of Sylph," replied Kai, stubbornly. "So yes, a warning."

Leilas rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. Instead, she started back for the spot they’d chosen to spend the night. The wood was already laid, so she conjured fire and touched it to the kindling. Dropping her pack, she followed it down. She was tired, angry and torn, not quite knowing how to proceed. If they were going to go back to the ship to wait, they needed water. If Kreel wouldn’t let them search for water, then perhaps they weren’t supposed to go back to the ship. Nor were they to search in the direction of the canyon. The only other logical direction was toward the cove where Kreel was waiting.

Leilas declined Kai’s offer of food and closed her eyes. One way or another, they were going to meet Kreel again. Better sooner, than later, as far as she was concerned.

Leilas was resolved when she arose the next morning. They would hike to the cove from here. It had only been a half a day's journey by sea. She wasn’t sure how far by land. She wasn’t willing to chance re-boarding the ship, only to have it set sail for Seal Haven and her empty-handed.

Explaining her plan over breakfast, the others agreed the plan seemed reasonable. They hid the launch and water barrels and struck out across the shore of the island. As the harbor turned back out toward the sea, they turned inland and began to trek through scrub brush and rock as they made their way across the island. The breeze from the ocean kept them cool until they slipped down into a sheltered valley. Here, the air was humid and hot, insects were everywhere and the smell of decaying vegetation was cloying.

They talked little as they traveled. A need for stealth seemed to have gripped them, though Leilas could find no reason for their concern. Kai came to a halt at the edge of a marsh that seemed to go on for miles.

"There's a path through here. Follow close and don’t deviate. The water is deep and deadly if you make the mistake of falling."

It didn’t look like water and it didn’t look as though it would be deep, but Leilas took the warning to heart and stayed close behind the other three. Even with Kai and Erion pointing the way, it was hard work finding footholds that didn’t give way or allow her to sink up to her knees. They'd barely gone half a mile before she was exhausted and covered in muck from the swamp. The others didn’t seem to be having the same problems, perhaps because they were smaller and surer of foot than she. Slowly, she was getting farther behind. The others didn’t seem to notice and she was too busy finding her way to call out to them to wait.

When she did finally try and get them to stop and wait for her, they acted as though they didn’t hear her and continued walking. She stopped, cupped her hand to her mouth and shouted louder. This time, it seemed to her, the marsh swallowed up the sound as soon as she uttered it. Now, she was beginning to worry. It seemed as if some force was purposely trying to separate her from her friends. Removing her axe from her belt, she continued slogging her way through the muck. Whatever trail the others were following had long since disappeared.

She felt the ground give way, but had no time to react before she fell into the deep, stagnant water. Kicking her way to the surface, she gulped for air and struggled back to solid ground. Calling for her friends again, she was met with silence. When she looked down the trail, they were nowhere to be seen.

Pushing back at the rising panic, she started at a trot down the trail. She was halfway across the marsh when she spotted them ahead. They were continuing on as if nothing were wrong. She had no doubt something in the valley had bewitched them and that someone wanted her to be alone. Her thoughts fixed on Kreel then dismissed him. This power was different, less potent and more evil. Gripping her axe tightly, she continued, waiting for the attack she knew would come.

She'd expected the attack to be by air. The bony hand around her ankle took her by surprise and pulled her into the water before she could react. A dozen water ghouls flocked around her, trying to keep her from gaining the surface and the much-needed oxygen. As she struggled, she cast a spell of protection with her hands. She saw one of the ghouls also move his hands in some type of spell. Panic almost overcame her as she realized these were not typical undead, they were crafters who had somehow been killed and bound to this marsh. She began hacking as best she could with her axe. She needed to escape before she became the next victim. Using the last of her air, she cast a spell that pushed the enemy away. Then she kicked to the surface. She'd almost reached solid ground when she felt a hand around her ankle. Swinging her axe awkwardly, she chopped down through bone and climbed up the shallow embankment. The hand was still clutching her ankle. She kicked it off in revulsion. Though she'd gained solid ground, she hadn’t gained safety. Two dozen hands were grasping at the embankment. Skulls, covered with sickly, pale skin, stretched tautly over the bones then appeared. Leilas contemplated standing and fighting, then turned and ran.

Miraculously, the trail that had been so elusive was now clearly visible. This time when she called to her friends, they turned and looked in surprise at her predicament. They rushed back and Leilas turned just in time to meet the first of the undead following her. Garabaldi didn’t wait. He stepped forward, waved his hands as he chanted. As quickly as the ghouls had come upon her, they fell to the ground and were sucked in by the swamp. Leilas bent over, trying to catch her breath. "I thought I was never going to get your attention. Couldn’t you see how far behind I'd fallen?"

"You were right here with us, until that last moment," replied Kai. Erion and Garabaldi nodded in agreement.

Leilas ran her hand through her wet hair, wearily. She'd expected them to say as much. "Let’s get out of this place."

"Perhaps you should fall in behind Kai," said Erion, "just in case."

Leilas nodded in agreement. Maybe it would be harder for the evil here to separate her from them if she were surrounded. They began to climb up out of the marshy valley as the sun began to set. There had been no more encounters with anyone or anything that wanted to stop them. Leilas had almost convinced herself that she'd just accidentally stumbled into an old trap left by someone long since dead or gone.

They made camp at the top of the hill in a small sheltered clearing. Leilas and Garabaldi went in search of water while Erion and Kai went in search of wood and food. "I don’t think there is a drop of fresh water on this island," complained Garabaldi, after they'd been looking for over an hour.

"I’m beginning to agree with you. Let’s just find some water and we can purify it."

"Exactly what I was thinking," said Garabaldi.

They'd come across several unacceptable water sources on their way. Turning toward camp, they stopped at one of the shallow ponds and began the spell that would purify the water. Leilas thought she saw something in the shadows when she turned to go. But when she looked closer, nothing was there. Trying to shake off the feeling that she was being watched, Leilas followed Garabaldi back to camp.

After they'd eaten, Leilas explained what had happened in the marsh. The others just shook their heads in amazement. "It must have been very powerful magic to affect elves and crafters," said Erion. "But we've run into this before."

"Magic this strong, perhaps," said Leilas. "But not this magik. The power doesn't feel familiar to me."

"I’m afraid I can be of little help there," said Garabaldi. "Since I didn’t even know I was being enchanted."

Leilas felt a little niggle of doubt at Garabaldi’s words, but did her best to quash it. This dark crafter had never given her a reason to distrust him. "We'll have to be more cautious," said Kai, decisively. "But now, you two should try and sleep. We have another long day tomorrow."

Leilas nodded and lay back against her pack. Garabaldi curled up in his cloak and was soon asleep. It took Leilas longer to find sleep, her mind working on the puzzle of who could know they were here and be trying to stop them. Eventually, her fatigue won out and she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

The smell of tea woke her in the morning, as well as eggs. She thought that perhaps she was still dreaming, until she looked to see Kai cooking eggs over the fire.

"How did you manage eggs?" asked Leilas, coming fully awake and stepping over to the fire. Kai handed her a plateful of eggs and a tin cup full of something that smelled suspiciously like tea.

"There are hens laying all around. I don’t know if there are people around who keep them, or if they are wild. But I took some of the eggs."

"They are wonderful," said Leilas, around a mouthful. "Is this tea?"

"Something similar we make in Nereid. My people are not as fond of it as yours are. Since I found some of the leaves, I thought you might enjoy it."

"And you were right," said Leilas, sipping at the warm brew. Kai smiled and began to eat, too. Garabaldi had been foraging his own food since they’d arrived. He’d complained if he had to eat another meal of light creatures’ food, he might just kill himself, or someone else. He came back to camp with something that looked vile and began to chomp away contentedly.

"It's actually quite good," he told Leilas, as she wrinkled her nose at his breakfast. "Would you like to try some?"

"And ruin this wonderful breakfast Kai made for me? I don’t think so," replied Leilas with a shiver.

"You've no idea what you are missing." Garabaldi waved the disgusting pile under her nose.

"Thank the Creator for small blessings," said Leilas, with a laugh. "I tried something you said was delicious once. Never again."

"Your loss, my gain," replied Garabaldi, spooning some of the vile smelling concoction in his mouth.

Leilas was still enjoying the memory of breakfast when she spotted the dark swirling cloud. It was moving across the water toward their island. Dredrac had been the one to conjure this cloud in the Forest of Furlin. Was he the one behind it now? Why was he sending it here? She thought of the shadow she’d seen last night and wondered if it had anything to do with the cloud appearing. Remembering Erion’s response to the cloud, she tightened her jaw. This was another attempt to separate them. Already, she could hear the moaning and howling of the disembodied souls. How did she stop this cloud from descending on her friends and driving them mad?

She thought about the Echoes and Neothera and what she'd done to remain sane while she was in those dark places. When she had the thoughts and feelings well in mind, she floated them out to the minds of her friends. She was a little worried about Erion and Kai’s natural resistance to her mind probe. But patiently, she sent the thoughts like breezes toward them.

The cloud was swirling closer. Still, she sent the calming thoughts into the minds of her friends. She heard Kai whimper in pain as the cloud started to swirl overhead. She pushed her thoughts at the sea elf again. Again, Kai whimpered in pain. Obviously, she needed something different for Kai. Thinking frantically as the cloud began to descend, she tried to think of what would keep a sea elf calm. Then she smiled. She took the image of Kreel rolling lazily along the Silver Seal and sent it into Kai’s mind along with her other thoughts. She heard Kai sigh then felt her become calmer.

Now it became a game of waiting. Who could hold out the longest? Leilas was fairly certain she would lose this battle. Still, she had to hang on until there was nothing left inside herself to give. If her friends died because she didn’t give her all, she'd never forgive herself.

The swirling descended until it was twisting and turning all around them. Leilas could feel the presence of the one controlling the horde of hopeless and lost creatures captured in this cloud. The presence was probing and searching for anyone who was being driven mad by the anguish of those captured souls. Leilas continued to send the calming thoughts to her friends. She felt the energy leave her when some of those in the clouds began to pick up on her thoughts. Then they, too, grew calmer.