The Warrior Elf (37 page)

Darrell watched as Kevin started pacing again. “Anything I can do to help?” he asked as he stroked Nikki’s head.

Kevin shook his head. “Not that I know of. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

“I’ll hang around for a while, at least until Aaron and Brandon get back. We’ll see how things stand then.”

Rigel set the fresh coffee on the table and said he’d go check the stable and pasture area.

“While you’re out there, would you check the family garden? I doubt she’s there, but I don’t think anyone’s checked it yet,” Kevin said while Darrell poured him a cup of coffee and set it on the conference table.

Rigel nodded and left.

Kevin took a sip of coffee and started pacing again.

When Chris got back a few minutes later, Kevin looked at him expectantly, but Chris shook his head as he returned the key. “Laryn hasn’t seen Corin this evening. But she did say if he sensed Rhianna was in distress, he’d go to her, so there’s probably nothing to worry about. She told me to remind you that between the two of them, they could handle just about anything.”

Kevin frowned. “But she didn’t call him?”

Chris shook his head. “When I mentioned it, she said Corin wasn’t a puppy, if he had something to tell her, he’d come. Otherwise, we should assume everything’s all right.”

“The absence of news is not necessarily good news, Chris,” Kevin said. “I wish she’d called him.”

“Apparently it doesn’t work that way.” Chris watched Kevin pace for a few minutes and then caught Darrell’s eye and tilted his head towards the door. Darrell nodded and left the office, pulling the door shut behind him. “Kevin, you need to settle down. You’re blowing this all out of proportion.”

“Chris, she could be lying out there hurt somewhere. She could be dead for all we know.”

“And she could be fine. Why don’t you go in your office for a bit? Think about something else for a while. It’s not like all this worrying and pacing is doing any good.”

Kevin closed his eyes. “Okay. You’re right. This isn’t helping.” He took a few deep breaths. “I want to check the assassin’s cave. If they’ve got her, and she’s still alive, they’ve probably taken her there.” He turned his key and left.

While Kevin was gone, Rigel came by to say Rhianna wasn’t at the stable, in the garden, or out in the pastures, at least as far as he could tell. Chris thanked him and told him to go to bed.

Kevin got back right after Rigel left. “She’s not there, and the assassins in the cave are sound asleep. But I don’t know if that’s all of them.”

“Well, if any of them had had any part in her disappearance, they wouldn’t be asleep. The adrenaline high wouldn’t have worn off yet.” Chris took a sip of his coffee. “Rigel came by while you were gone. She’s not out back. I told him to go on to bed.”

Kevin nodded as he picked up the cup of coffee Darrell had poured for him, took a sip, frowned, and then concentrated on it a moment to warm it back up. “Think I’ll see if I can get a little work done while we wait.”

“Good idea.” Chris picked up some messages off his desk and handed them to Kevin. As soon as Kevin was settled in his office, Chris stretched out on the couch in the reception area and patted the cushion. Nikki jumped up beside him and within minutes, they were both asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~

A little after midnight, the dropping temperatures roused Rhianna. With a laugh at herself for falling asleep, she finger-combed the bits of dead grass out of her hair, straightened her clothes, and headed back to the castle.

The guard at the front door told her Chris was looking for her.

Rhianna frowned. “Surely he’s gone to bed by now.”

“Possibly, but he said to tell you to stop by his office on your way in no matter what time it was.”

“All right. I’ll see if he’s still there.”

As Rhianna approached the office, Meech nodded and opened the door for her. “They’ve been waiting for you.”

Rhianna frowned, but when she saw Chris sleeping on the couch, she relaxed. Whatever it was couldn’t be all that bad if Chris was asleep.

The sound of the door opening woke Nikki up. She jumped off the couch and ran to Rhianna with her tail wagging. Rhianna smiled as she knelt down to rub Nikki’s ears. “What are you doing still up, girl? You should have been in bed hours ago.”

Kevin had been at his desk for the past hour trying to concentrate on the messages, but his mind was too shrouded in a fog of worry for him to get much done. When Rhianna’s voice registered, it was like the fog dissipated in a ray of sunshine. Kevin leaned back and took a deep breath. She was safe. As the tension eased out of his body, his muscles began to ache and his head began to pound. For a full minute he just sat there, relaxing, as he watched Nikki snuggle closer to Rhianna. And then the anger began to seep in.

As he walked out of his office into the reception area, he focused on keeping his voice pleasant. “Where were you?”

Rhianna laughed. “You won’t believe it, but I fell asleep looking at the stars.”

Their voices woke Chris up. He smiled as he sat up, until he saw the look on Kevin’s face.

“You fell asleep?” Kevin asked. “You’ve been sleeping?”

Rhianna nodded. “I had the most delightful day.”

“You fell asleep?”

Rhianna looked up at Kevin for the first time, her hands still on Nikki. “Yes, I fell asleep.” Then she stood up and turned towards him. “I decided to go for a walk in the woods after Rigel and Doreen headed back to Jana’s. It’s been months since I’ve had a chance to do that, and it was nice, so quiet and peaceful. Then I cut through the practice field on the way back so I could stretch out on the grass and look at the stars. Next thing I knew, I was waking up chilled.”

“I’m so glad you had a nice evening,” Kevin said, sarcasm seeping into his voice. “I, on the other hand, had a horrible evening trying to figure out how I was going to tell your parents I’d lost their daughter!”

Rhianna rolled her eyes. “I was hardly lost, Myron. This place isn’t large enough for anyone to get lost. There was no reason for you to be concerned.”

“No reason? It’s after midnight and no one knew where you were. You could have been killed!”

“How? There’s nothing in the woods around here that’s a threat to me, or anyone else for that matter. I was perfectly safe.”

“Rolan’s assassins prowl all over this area! You know that!”

“They’re looking for Landis. They have no interest in me.”

“Unless they think you might be able to tell them where to find her.”

Rhianna shook her head. “They know warrior elves better than that.”

“Or they might want to avenge Saryn.”

“I didn’t kill him and they know it. Besides, assassins don’t go after anyone they’re not paid to hunt. It would draw too much attention to them.”

“They might consider it worth it. You don’t know these men.”

“No, I don’t, but if you’re so worried about them, why haven’t you done something about them? Why are they still here?”

“I have my reasons. The fact of the matter is they’re out there, and as long as they are, I don’t want you wandering around by yourself, especially after dark.”

“I’m not a child, Myron.” Rhianna’s voice had an edge to it. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“That may be, but it’s my responsibility to keep you safe, so don’t go off by yourself anymore. If you insist on leaving the castle, take a guard with you, or Corin.”

“Wait a minute. My safety is my concern, and no one else’s. It is not your responsibility.”

“As long as you’re here, under my roof, you’re my responsibility and you’ll do as I say!”

Rhianna stared at Kevin and didn’t speak for a full minute. Then, in a voice cold as ice, she said, “Well, that’s one thing I can take care of. I’ll be packed and out of here in ten minutes.” Then she turned towards Chris. “Meet me out front. You can take me home. Apparently I’ve caused Myron enough trouble for one night.”

~ ~ ~ ~

Rhianna was waiting at the foot of the steps when Chris walked out the front door of the castle. As he walked towards her, he asked, “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Rhianna nodded. “I’m sure.”

As Chris joined her, he whispered, “But what about the plan?”

“I’m fully aware of my responsibilities, Chris. I’ll go with him to Danyelle’s and Kyle’s, and I’ll come back for the day once in a while so I can be seen around town, but I will not stay here and have him order me around like one of his lackeys.”

“Rhianna, he doesn’t mean to order you around. He was half out of his mind when he couldn’t find you this evening. He sent guards out searching every place he could think of, along the road to Milhaven, at the chapel, behind the castle, everywhere. He really was afraid something had happened to you.”

Rhianna’s mouth dropped open. “He sent guards out looking for me?”

Chris nodded.

Rhianna closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’ll never be able to hold my head up around here again. How could he insult me like that?”

Chris frowned. “He wasn’t insulting you, Rhianna. He was scared.”

“The fact that he has so little faith in my ability to protect myself that he felt it necessary to send out search parties is an insult beyond belief, Chris. I’m a warrior elf. I worked hard to become one and I’m proud of it. I do not appreciate having my skills belittled like that.”

Chris shook his head. “You’re missing the point, Rhianna. He wasn’t thinking about your fighting skills. The only thing on his mind was you were out there, somewhere in the dark, possibly hurt, and he couldn’t find you. That’s the type of thing he has nightmares about, that someone he cares for is in danger and he can’t do anything about it. And since he cares about you, probably more than he’s willing to admit, he worries when he doesn’t know where you are. That’s what was behind his actions and words tonight. Fear.”

Rhianna let out a long breath and gazed past Chris. “Be that as it may, I need to leave. So, will you take me or do I start walking?”

Chris took the key out of his pocket. “Where to?”

“Wildcat Mountain.”

Chapter 20

Tuesday Morning

Landoryn

Tuesday morning Meachum reported to the sorcerer’s office as ordered by his captain. His stomach was in knots at the idea of being in the same room as Alastar. He didn’t know the man, but if he was anything like his mother, the least little thing could cause him to strike, and Meachum didn’t want to be the target.

Franco stood up when Meachum walked in and motioned towards the closed door at the end of the office. “Alastar’s waiting for you.”

Meachum took a deep breath as Franco knocked on the door. When they walked in, he was surprised to see Alastar stand up and hold out his hand. He hesitantly shook hands with the sorcerer as Franco introduced them.

“I understand you know where the mines are,” Alastar said.

Meachum nodded. “I can draw you a map. There aren’t any roads that go straight there, but it’s not too hard to find.”

Alastar shook his head. “I wasn’t planning to go by horseback.”

“Oh,” Meachum said. “I thought you wanted directions.”

“Are you familiar with the keys to Terah?” Franco asked.

Meachum hesitated and then said, “Each seated sorcerer has one.”

Alastar nodded. “I want to use mine to get there, but to use the key I either have to be familiar with where I’m going or have it marked on a map. Since I don’t have either one, I was hoping you’d take us there.”

Meachum frowned. “How would I do that? I’m not a sorcerer, sir.”

Alastar smiled. “You don’t have to be. All you have to do is picture the entrance to the mine in your head and turn the key. It’ll do the rest.”

“I guess I can do that.”

“Good. Have you ever traveled by key before?

Meachum shook his head.

“It can be a little rough the first few times, but if you stand still for a moment, it’ll pass.”

Meachum swallowed hard.

“You need to be sure Franco and I have our hands on your arm before you turn the key. All right?”

Meachum ran his tongue over his lips as Franco stepped to his left while Alastar stepped to his right. When both men had their hands firmly on Meachum’s arms, Alastar handed him the key. “Now picture the entrance to the mines. Do you see it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Keep that picture foremost in your mind. When you can see it clearly, turn the key.”

Meachum took a deep breath and turned the key. Lights swirled, the ground vanished, and the next thing he knew he was at the mine entrance. If Alastar and Franco hadn’t been holding on to him, he would have fallen over. His stomach was rolling, his head hurt, and the more he tried to stand up straight, the sicker he felt. Finally he just bent over and concentrated on breathing.

While Franco waited for Meachum to recover, he looked around and wondered if they’d accidentally ended up in a trash heap. There were big buckets on wheels, picks, a few wheelbarrows, some shovels, and other assorted debris in front of what appeared to be a dark hole in the mountain.

When the dizziness and nausea passed, Meachum slowly stood up and looked around. A deep frown creased his forehead.

“What?” Alastar asked as he took the key out of Meachum’s hand.

“Something’s wrong,” Meachum said softly.

“Are we at the right place?” Franco asked.

Meachum nodded slowly. “This is the mine entrance, but these buckets should be down in the mine, and so should those tools. There should be wagons out here, waiting for the ore to come up. I wonder if they had a cave-in or something.”

“Is it safe to go in?” Franco asked.

“Should be. If it wasn’t, they’d have a barrier across the entrance. Do you want me to see if I can find Lamar?”

“Who’s Lamar?” Alastar asked.

“The mine foreman, the guy who’s in charge,” Meachum said. “If anyone knows what’s going on, he does.”

“Then let’s find him.” Alastar motioned toward the mine entrance.

As soon as they entered the cave, Meachum took down three glowstone torches and removed the covers. Fifteen minutes later they were deep inside the mountain, but they hadn’t seen or heard any signs that anyone was working. Then they came to a room with glowstones attached to the wall. On the far side, a man was sitting at a desk with a pen in his hand and several stacks of paper spread out in front of him. When he looked up and saw Meachum, he smiled. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you around here. What are you doing back?”