The Light of Asteria (30 page)

The sun sadly reached the horizon, as the
last light of day touched the windowsill. Rena now sat in the tent
with the door zipped open; I leaned against the queen’s purple dust
ruffle on the other side. If we survived the next twenty-four
hours, Gavin would be here and I would never let him out of my
sight again.

The quiet quickly became menacing, and
adrenaline kicked in. The tree became motionless—not a branch
moved. Rena cocked her head; the sounds of the Dokkalfar echoed and
I went to the window. My heart stopped. Slick, pitch-black bodies
gathered in the meadow, making it seem as if a cancerous ring had
formed around the portal. The black water simmered and boiled in
irritation, but the Dokkalfar laughed and danced around its edge. I
whimpered in horror. Large, plastic red containers were sprinkled
throughout the ring. The white noise grew in celebration.

“I can’t stand this!” Rena hissed, and she
left the protection of the tent. The elves with the red containers
moved forward to the water’s edge. Thick, black swill oozed over
the grasses and plants, smothering the life below. Tears ran freely
down my face, as the oil now saturated the lake’s perimeter. A
small orange flicker danced in distance. The Dokkalfar jumped up
and down and screeched in sadistic euphoria. Jakkar precariously
strutted toward the mob with his torch held high over his head. He
waved the flame toward the Mighty Oak as if to say hello.

The need to defend the portal was
overpowering, and I had to concentrate on keeping my shield solid
as a rock. I put my hand around Rena’s shoulders, and we watched
helplessly behind the webbing’s protection. Jakkar turned to his
army; all grew quiet. His eyes danced in the orange glow, as he
lowered the torch to the cattails below. Flames exploded and raced
around the lake’s boundary, licking high into the night sky. Some
of the black elves scattered in fear, but Jakkar stood his ground,
pointing his torch to our window as he threw his head back with
glee. Sobs racked my body; I could see the health of the life that
surrounded the lake disappear. The fire danced in the sky as it
rejoiced with destruction.

My stomach heaved with the horror of it all;
I pulled Rena away from the window. We simply couldn’t watch the
unspeakable desecration of the last pure land on earth.

The now familiar hum of energy started below
the ground, but this time it did not seem to originate from the
root system of the Mighty Oak. I turned back to the nightmare of
the meadow and followed the sound; it led to the portal. The hum
turned into a rumble, the pitch black water sloshed and swirled in
a clockwise motion, the lip of the water’s edge lashed at the
fire’s base, extinguishing the blaze from its root. The sudden
thick gray cloud of smoke billowed to the sky as the inferno
died.

The Dokkalfar clamored, and mayhem ensued.
Panic ran throughout the silhouettes of the night, but the fury of
the portal would not be quenched. The black elves that were in the
path of the water’s lip were grabbed and sucked under. The water
boiled in furious rage, spitting out the bones of its prey at
Jakkar’s feet. I became aware that the lake could have killed me
easily when it grabbed my hand that day.

Hideous screams of anger rose in the night
sky, as the Dokkalfar understood their plan had failed. I gripped
Rena’s arm—small reflections shown in the moonbeams, speckling the
black woods encasing the meadow. These were the eyes of the
creatures that called this place home. Silent paws padded low to
the ground as the huge cougar stalked his prey. His orders to the
other animals of the field were apparent; they took strategic
positions along the perimeter of the forests, alleviating an escape
route.

The cougar pounced; his resonant roar the
signal for the attack. His sharp claws swiped, ripping the head off
one of the black elves at the fringe of the circle. The cougar’s
mate appeared behind him and rounded the scattering Dokkalfar back
towards the lake, which boiled in anticipation. Black elves
panicked; pandemonium reigned as they sprinted to the Appalachian
woods. The cougar roared a command ordering half of the animals to
turn and pursue. The meadow became the battleground for the mêlée,
as the animals of the last pure land on earth defended their home.
The sounds of rage roared in every creature. Rena’s tutelage paid
off; the animals were trapping, dismembering, and beheading the
black demons. The grass was slick with black blood that trickled to
the lake. Several deer cornered four Dokkalfar at the water’s edge
and jumped and stomped, trampling them over and over, until they
were nothing but an indistinguishable, black, gelatinous mass.

The lake turned a brilliant gold as it
celebrated its victory over the enemy. The predators tracked the
Dokkalfar, snapping and biting at their black blurs that now sped
in retreat. Soon, only the carcasses of the dead and wounded were
left. Rena and I wept at the annihilation of something so
beautiful. Smoke rose from random hotspots around the lake’s edge;
flowers lay in ruins from the black, thick blood. Obsidian bodies
were everywhere, scattered with the great creatures of the meadow.
The cougar sat next to his mate lying wounded on the ground.
Crouched in a defensive stance, his eyes scanned the horizon for
the enemy as he desperately licked her wounds. Several bobcats,
deer, and smaller animals, that had not heeded Rena’s warning, lay
scattered throughout the battlefield. It was simply
heartbreaking.

The moon hid in disgrace behind the cloud of
smoke, and for a moment, I thought the horror of this night had
ended. A small orange flicker sped across the field and grew larger
as it headed toward the Mighty Oak. The vicious sneer was familiar.
Jakkar had obviously ordered the others to keep the beasts of the
field occupied while he tried to find a way to us. He circled the
base of the tree. Orange flames licked and kissed the dead that lay
crumpled and impaled in the brambles below. Nausea roiled in my
stomach as Jakkar took the dead and wounded from the field and
threw them on his pyre. Putrid black and purple smoke blocked the
view to the meadow; flames taunted the windowsill. The energy of
the tree rumbled and hummed, protecting itself from the
inferno.

I bitterly smiled at Rena, and we sat back
down on the floor. The dark elves were foolish to assume something
as naturally weak as fire could harm the power of the Mighty Oak.
Daybreak rejoiced once more, welcoming the grace of a new day. The
brambles still smoldered, having burned themselves out. I checked
to make sure the energy of the tree had not been harmed, and while
it was slightly lighter in color, the Keeper of the House of Frey
remained unscathed. We were safe for one more day.

Tonight, the moon would be full.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter
18—Escape

Squinting from the sunlight that was now
directly overhead, I rolled over and stretched. Rena was already
involved in creative play, as she put it. My thoughts were still
mulling over the sketch that was not my own. There were several
puzzling attributes about the scene I couldn’t wrap my brain
around.

First, the drawing pictured Rena on the
ground near the water’s edge while I stayed in the tree, but
neither one of us seemed to be hurt nor as if we had been fighting
at all. How on earth could we get close to the portal without
getting hurt?

Second, the light surrounding me was in a
sphere. Either the sketch was a representation of power, or
something was containing it.

Third, Gavin and Tark had obviously just come
from the lake. I had drawn Gavin every day for over a month now,
and I had never drawn him like this. He was too thin, and he seemed
haggard. I tried not to dwell on the image, but it had been
harassing my mind for two nights now. What could have happened to
him to make him look like death warmed over?

Rena sighed. “You have been resolved to be at
the lake at midnight, and have been searching now for several
hours. I don’t know if your sketch is of the future, but I cannot
imagine we could be so close, just waiting for Gavin and Tark to
appear. Yet it seems as if that’s what we are doing.”

We ate brunch in the sitting room, mulling
over different ideas, but honestly neither one of us had a clue.
The afternoon wore on and the sketch lay between us, as we poured
over the details. If we were still in the cabin when the elves came
out of the lake, Gavin and Tark would have to fight the Dokkalfar
weak. Gavin had been away for far too long, and the picture showed
him alarmingly frail.

My thoughts turned to King Frey. This oak was
the keeper of royalty. It had many levels of defense for
protection. Could it also have knowledge of an escape route? Is
that why the tree was placed so close to the perimeter of the lake?
I studied the picture and then went to the window to find its
location on the Mighty Oak. The tree’s tall canopy spread over
quite a distance, but it seemed the spot depicted in the sketch was
a branch hanging directly over the water’s edge. What if the
ancient ones had thought of this? Could they have made an escape
route to assure King Frey could get back to his kingdom? I
concentrated on the Mighty Oak.

I am convinced help is on the way. We need
to be able to be a source to the prince and Rena’s mate so we can
defeat these vile creatures. Is there a way to the portal that
would be protected?

I pictured the sketch in my mind so the
Mighty Oak would understand why I was asking. The tree shuddered
with resolve, and Rena gasped as the closet door slowly swung open.
The back wall lowered and connected the room to a smooth round
tunnel.

“Nora, what’s going on?” Rena whispered.

“I asked the tree if there was an escape
route … a way to get to the portal without being seen. The ancient
ones were so thorough with the defenses of this place that they
might have made an emergency route, if needed. My instinct must
have been correct, and the way to the lake must be through that
door.”

“You stay here, my lady. I’ll go and see.” I
put my hand on her arm.

“No way, Reen. I’m tired of everyone leaving.
We’ll go together.” She reluctantly agreed. My intent must have
been strong, and the sun’s progress toward the west told us both we
didn’t have a lot of time.

Inspiration struck, and I went back to the
tent and took out the poles, keeping the outer shell. Quickly, I
emptied my pack of everything, except an extra outfit, a bag of nut
mix, Edna’s quilt, my letter, and my sketchpad. Gavin had purchased
the best waterproof pack, and I was never more grateful for his
thoroughness than today. Rena, sensing my intent, stuffed some
supplies in her larger pack. If we found a way to the lake’s edge,
it would be easier to just stay there until we were needed.

Grabbing a glowing orb off the closet’s wall,
Rena tied it to the top of her pack. White-blue illuminated all
around us in soft halo.

We went through the massive closet. The wood
was a smooth, polished cylinder. I realized we were entering the
deepest part of the tree; I could sense its essence here. It
smelled of beautiful oak with an earthy scent reminiscent of Rena,
but it was stronger, and very masculine. The cool air blew around
our feet. The experience of our being here must be extremely
personal to the Mighty Oak. We were in the heart of the tree, its
very core.

Thank you, my friend. You honor us with your
trust. Please know you have my devotion, and if you ever have need,
I will do everything in my power to help.

The air became warm. Rena’s uncomfortable
emotions made me aware I had not been as closed as I thought. I
turned to her and smiled, shield once more in place.

The huge passageway gradually started to
climb at a steady grade. Even though my new muscles were fit, the
steep incline of the tree caused my calves to burn.

“I don’t think we’ll need to travel much
further.” Rena panted, as she pointed to the narrowing tunnel. The
smooth walls had become rough, and the last few hundred yards took
on an almost rocky texture under our feet. The tunnel narrowed into
a small passageway that was more like a large rabbit burrow than
the inside of a bough. At the end of the burrow was a round glass
pane, allowing a complete view of the meadow. The top of the convex
window held a small brass latch with the royal crest imbedded in
its handle. The moon was rising, and my pulse raced in
anticipation.

“Nora, when we see the lake stir, I will
leave and get to the ground. You stay in the confines of the tree;
do not leave. I will send Gavin to you. With any luck at all, he
can meet you here, and you both will be safe. Tark and I will
either flee to the other realm, or we will join you. If they’ve
brought more warriors, we will all fight, but I don’t believe Gavin
will want to battle without seeing you first.” She grinned
mischievously, and I blushed. Rena was pure joy in the most tense
of moments.

Adrenaline rushed as I thought of Gavin’s
imminent return. I waited for what seemed like a lifetime, and
vowed I would never leave his side again. The tree shuddered with
the conviction of my thoughts, and I focused on willing my shield
to stay closed. My heart sputtered, as the lake’s surface started
to lap. A golden light flickered in its depths; the Dokkalfar crept
from the shadows. Suddenly, I didn’t want Rena to leave. It would
put her in danger. She turned and hugged me.

“I’ll be fine; I have Tark. I will see you in
a little while.” Rena flashed out of the window to the bough below
before I had a chance to say anything, and I locked the latch in
place. The lake was now a brilliant glow, and from this vantage
point, numerous silhouettes were illuminated in the water’s
depth.

I beamed as Elias and Elaine charged out of
the golden lake with a troop of elves. Immediately, they started
ripping apart any Dokkalfar within reach. The silver uniforms
clashed with onyx; white noise shrieked in fear. The next wave of
soldiers hit the edge of the lake, and the black demons were being
forced from the water’s perimeter back into the interior of the
field.