“How do you know about grandfather Razzmorten?” cried Lukus. “In fact, you never told us how you knew us after you unrolled my blanket.”
“Amhrasach!” said Strom, stroking his chin. “His Highness still has trouble trusting us.”
“Yes,” said Jarund. “Because these questions of his keep going unanswered. Prince Lukus, I promise that all your queries will be answered to your complete satisfaction. But for right now, just allow that we have known Razzmorten for years upon years.”
“And everyone's found us,” said Danneth, throwing wide his arms at a crowd of Elves approaching with a particularly stately looking Elf. “Here be the grandchildren of Draiodoir Razzmorten, Grandfather,” he said as he presented Rose.
The great Elf kissed her hand and gave a grand bow.
In spite of growing up in a royal court, Rose went all mum and scarlet.
“I am Neron, Princess Rose,” he said. “Ah! And this be Prince Lukus.”
“I'm indeed honored, sire,” said Lukus, “But how do you all manage to know our names without us ever giving them to you?”
“That's not such a mystery, young prince,” he said, stroking his grey beard. “Not only have your grandsire, Razzmorten and I been fast friends for an age, he's told us all about you, don't you know.”
“Are you the very Neron whom Grandfather Razzmorten calls the greatest Elven king who ever lived? We've been put to bed with tales of your deeds. I thought you were fable.”
“My word!” he said, throwing back his head with a laugh. “Razzmorten certainly lavishes the credit. However I do plead guilty to being ri, (you'd say king) of this clan of Elves. Anything more I'll leave to history and to others to decide.”
“Your Majesty,” said Lukus bowing deeply.
Neron threw out another grand laugh. “Come, come. Let my great-grandsons introduce you all 'round to these folks before we take you to your quarters for the rest of the night.”
At once the crowd drew in close. Lukus froze in awe as the most lovely creature he had ever seen stepped up to him and held out her dainty hand.
“Take her hand, daft,” said Rose, giving him a nudge.
He bowed, kissed her hand and went completely giddy the moment she smiled.
“I'm Soraya,” she said softly.
“I'm Prince Lukus of Niarg,” he said, cringing at his own clumsiness.
Danneth put his arm around her and smiled grandly at him, making him dismayed with jealousy. “Fool!” he thought. “Any creature as beautiful as she would indeed be spoken for.”
“I see you've met my sister,” said Danneth with a wink.
“Sister?” said Lukus, feeling completely exposed. “My! Now that you say so, I can indeed see it, but you're not nearly so gorgeous.”
The Elves broke into merry laughter.
“Well then this would help, I think,” said Danneth as he suddenly put Soraya's hand into Lukus's. “My sister's eye tells me that she's just as taken with you. She wants to show you about our fair settlement. It will give you two the chance to decide if you like each other enough for a marriage alliance.”
Lukus gave a lovesick grin as Soraya led him to a path of silver wire filigreed brick. “My word!” he said after a dozen steps. “What did you mean by that, Danneth? I won't be thirteen for two months. I mean, Rose is having trouble and she's sixteen. I mean, Soraya's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, but isn't this quick?”
“Thank you ever so much, Danneth Cuchulainn!” said Soraya with a stamp of her dainty foot. “Here you are scaring him away. We've scarcely time to get acquainted as it is. Sometimes you go too far.” She gave a toss of her cascade of silver curls and took Lukus's arm.
“Fine, fine,” said Danneth, throwing up his hands. “I thought a wee nudge might be just the thing, since there's so little time.” He ambled away, whistling off key.
“Please don't make too much of what he just said. He's pushy, but he means well.”
“My sister does the same thing. Just because she's older, she thinks she's in charge any time it suits her.”
“Exactly,” she said, squeezing his hand.
The path meandered through gardens of vast profusions of blooms. Wood thrushes and veerys called everywhere. There were flowers never found in the gardens of Humans. Some were even iridescent, reflecting light to match the glinting chins of the droning hummingbirds feeding at them.
“It's daylight,” said Lukus. “Weren't we to be shown to our quarters? Weren't we to sleep?”
“Of course. You were, and you have already. Our time is much too precious to waste any of this walk. This must be bewildering to you. You'll recognize your room when you return.”
Presently he heard a musical tinkling coming from the stream running beside the path.
“You hear the enchanted stones in the water,” said Soraya.
“Enchanted? As I am with you?”
“I hope you know that I've put absolutely no sort of enchantment on you, Lukus,” she said, studying his face. “What you feel, I feel. Be there any magic, it's only that I knew this would happen. It appears that the Fates have given us a heart bond and crossed our paths. Do you mind very much?”
“This is wonderful. How could I possibly mind? But doesn't it bother you that I'm younger than you?”
“Certainly not. I'm an Elf, don't you know. And I see by your look that you don't know that we age much more slowly than Humans. Be that as it may, I care not how old you be.”
“I didn't know. But you know I wasn't sure that Elves were even real until your brothers stopped us. But please don't be offended.”
“I couldn't possibly be so easily insulted. Besides, when we've spent more than your lifetime trying to be little more than myths in the minds of Humans, is it any surprise you'd not know?”
“My grandfather Razzmorten talks about Elves, but he's a wizard. I just never thought about it. But you've sure been successful. I don't think anyone my age believes Elves are real. Belief in Elves is supposed to be gaffer and gammer nonsense. I can see Grandfather wasn't telling us Fairy stories.”
“No, he was telling you Elf stories.”
“But why would you suddenly want to ally yourselves with us again?”
“Humans blamed us for the last plague, so we stayed away. But fleeing always looks guilty to the ignorant, for one thing. Hiding was a mistake. But now, a time is coming when Elves and Humans will need to work together for the survival of all.”
“So King Neron thinks a union between us to be a way back into the wide world?”
“He does, but he does not meddle and he does not coerce. A union between us must come from our hearts,” she said, giving Lukus's hand a firm squeeze. “Let's find Rose and my brothers and show you two the palace grounds and the rooms where you slept last night while we were showing you about.”
***
Rose slid further into the fragrant soapy bath drawn for her by the shy servant girl who had astonished her by simply turning a silver cock at the edge of the huge turquoise bathing basin, allowing perfectly warmed water to gush forth from a hole. The soothing water lapped her chin.
“Oh Princess?” said the servant girl as she set more towels by the bath. “Might I warm your bath or be of any other service to you at this time?”
“Oh no, Ora. Thank you. Everything's simply perfect.”
Ora curtsied and scurried out, softly closing the door.
Presently there was a knock.
“Just a minute!” called Rose as she stepped from the water, trying not to slip. She raced frantic fingers down to the last button. At last she opened the door to surprise a very impatient looking Lukus with his fist raised to give her forehead a good pounding.
“What!” she said.
“Rose, did you forget about the dinner? Everyone's in the hall waiting for you, Your Highness.” He gave her a mocking bow, took her by the elbow and propelled her all the way to the great hall, where indeed King Neron, Soraya and her brothers and a substantial compan
y were sitting about a great pink marble table.
Rose nearly lost her balance as she stepped onto the dais, but was mostly recovered from blushing when she took her seat across from Danneth, Lukus and Soraya. “Why is it that I must be so confounded giddy in front of these Elves?” she thought.
Presently a swarm of help arrived from the kitchen with the first round of a substantial and glorious meal. Rose found herself speaking with King Neron and soon was immersed in conversation with a charming person, wholly unlike any head of state she had ever met. “Danneth tells me that there's a shortcut between here and the Enchanted Land,” she said to him at last. “Is the way magical?”
“Then you've studied the maps and simply can't find it,” he said.
“Not a trace.”
“When we show you the way, I believe you'll understand,” he said.
“Well Danneth,” said Rose, “Lukus and I appreciate all your hospitality and help, but the sooner we can be underway, the sooner we can return to Niarg. We can't possibly stay here beyond tonight.”
“As you wish, so it shall be, Princess,” he said. “Tomorrow then. Of course you'll be staying for breakfast?”
“We'd love to stay, but time is pressing,” she said, erasing the hopeful look on Lukus's face. “I'm afraid we should leave well before sunrise and eat from our provisions as we ride.”
“As you wish,” he said, rising from the table at once. “We should set off at once if I'm give you a proper tour before supper.” And with a nod at Neron, he led her from the hall with Soraya and Lucus following along.
“This way, Lukus,” said Soraya, tugging at his shirt, as Danneth and Rose disappeared ahead. She she led him to a spiraled staircase to one side of the hallway. Three turns down, they came to a landing with a doorway that opened to a polished tube, twisting away into the depths. To one side there lay a queer assortment of thick jute sacks.
“Surely we're not going down this one,” he said. “How would we keep our footing?”
“We don't try to,” she said as she spread out a sack at the lip of the chute. “Here. Sit right behind me. Yea. Now put your arms around me. My brothers made this. You'll love it. You've slid down banisters. This is 'way better.”
“I'm not balking,” he said, avoiding her eyes, “but I suppose my hesitation seems childish.”
“Not at all. Do you mean the chute or us? The thought of being your wife some day fills me with joy, but of course neither of us is ready for that. You're no more of a child than I am. And neither of us is full grown either.”
“You're right,” he said with blush. “Let's try out this thing.”
“Hold on to my waist,” she giggled as she sent them plummeting into the blackness in a furious clockwise spiral, leaving Lukus's heart in his throat. After much longer than he thought possible, light appeared beyond their feet and they found themselves whirling to a stop on a wide, smooth floor under the expansive vault of an enormous cavern. Soraya stood effortlessly and held out her hand to him.
“My word!” he said as he looked all about. “This is the hugest cave I've ever seen. Those stalactites and stalagmites must be twenty fathom tall. But where is this light coming from? We must be a league or more underground.”
“The ceiling and walls are covered with glowlichens. They give off the light. There's an underground river that wells up nearby. Would you like to see it?”
“Yea,” he said, rolling onto his feet to follow. “Wow! It's huge, too. Where does it go, or do you know?”
“This is the Magic River. It can take those who ride it where they wish to go, though it does not go to Chokewoods. This is the shortcut you and Rose will take tomorrow to go to the Enchanted Lands, unless you should decide to go overland.”
“Why would we ever change our minds about that? It'd be 'way longer on foot, and as far as I'm concerned, I want this little adventure shortened as much as possible,” he said. “I kind o' miss Niarg.”
“Anyone would be homesick,” she said. “Come. We need to go back, or they'll be searching.”
Lukus followed her to the foot of the staircase. He dreaded the climb. She turned to wait for him on the first step. As he stepped up beside her, the stair surged to the top of the well as apoplectically fast as they had come down.
Chapter 30
“Come on Lukus,” said Rose, giving him a shake. “Wipe that stupid smile off your face and wake up. It's morning. Time to go.”
Lukus batted her hand away and burrowed further into the goose down bed, pulling the coverlet over his head for good measure. He had been having such a delightful dream about going home to Niarg and discovering Hebraun and Minuet so elated at his return that they were not only not angry with him for leaving, but were falling all over themselves to see to his every whim.
“I’m warning you, Lucas,” she said, flinging back his coverlet. “If you aren't ready to go by the time I am, I'm leaving you here.” And with that, she left the room before he had stirred enough to invent a clever rejoinder of any sort. However, he was definitely awake and his pleasant dream was gone. He bounded out of bed and threw on his clothing. He would get even by beating her at being ready. He crammed his things into his pack and sprinted from the room. “This'll fix you, Rosie-Rump,” he said. He took the stairs two at a time, arriving at the great hall to find that he had indeed beaten her. However, the Elves were already seated, patiently waiting. They looked up as he slowed to a dignified walk, struggling to catch his breath before being shown to his seat beside Soraya.
She smiled and squeezed his hand, but Lukus saw the sadness in her eyes and felt a melancholy pang of his own. Presently Rose appeared with her panniers.
“You certainly look ready and anxious to be off, young princess,” said King Neron as she took her seat. “And I do believe I see the orderlies bringing provisions and refreshments for your journey from the kitchen, now. We understand your need for haste, though you're still most welcome to stay and breakfast with us before you go.”
“This is most gracious, King Neron,” she said. “However, the need for haste indeed presses, and we must be off at once.”
“I'm assuming then, Rose, that your commitment to speed means that you will be taking the uncharted shortcut?” said King Neron solemnly.
“Indeed.”
“In that case, there's some information about Arrachtach that you must have which I doubt Danneth has shared with you yet.”
“By your countenance, Your Majesty, I'd assume this information be grave, even dismaying,” said Rose, glancing at Danneth with a look of surprise.
“I will leave it to my great-grandson to explain it to you,” said Neron with a nod at Danneth, “since unfortunately I've some pressing duties which I must get back to right away.” He smiled, took her hand and pressed it to his lips and bid them farewell.
“Well?” said Rose, turning to face Danneth straight on. “Who or what is Arrachtach? Do you plan to tell me what this is all about, or are Lukus and I to discover it underway?”
“Arrachtach means monster, the name for the giant hydra which you must pass by as you go down the Magic River,” said Danneth. “But please Rose. We'd never see harm come to you or Lukus, nor would we so much as have you upset with us. There simply was no reason for you to have this information until you decided to go this way. I shall indeed explain everything to your satisfaction as we go. Now if it pleases you, Soraya and I are ready to escort the two of you down to the riverbank where a small boat awaits you.”
“I can't wait to see Rose go down,” thought Lukus as the four of them set out for the spiraled staircase.
Soraya squeezed his hand and pulled him along after Rose and Danneth.
Rose was managing to stay calm in spite of what Danneth had to say about Arrachtach. But when they reached the landing, three turns down, she became tremulous at the sight of the silver chute, twisting away into the depths.
Lukus and Soraya counted to ten, giving Rose and Danneth a head start, then shot away after them.
This time down the slide was pure fun for Lukus, though he still had his heart in his throat. Once again he and Soraya emerged, gently spinning onto the skating pond smooth onyx floor. He broke into a grin at the sight of Rose still sitting on her mat, white as a sheet. He turned smartly away before she could see, only to have her look square at him.
“Some ride, aye Rose?” he said. “Bet you didn't expect anything like that. If the Magic River works that well, we’ll be in the Enchanted Land in no time.”
“Indeed,” she said. “And after all, this hydra thing probably isn’t so bad. And once we get past it, it’s clear sailing to the Enchanted Land. Then a quick jaunt in and out of the Chokewoods, and we’ll be home before you know it, or at least you will, Lukus. Now what do you say we get on with it?”
Lukus found himself turning to Soraya with a lump in his throat and nothing to say.
Soraya took an opal amulet from her neck and folded it and its fine silver chain into his hand with a squeeze. She kissed his forehead and stepped into the magic stairwell, waved and vanished.
He heaved a lovesick sigh and fastened the amulet around his neck without looking at it, since Rose was watching.
“These are chameleon cloaks,” said Danneth, holding up two large capes. “They'll help you blend in with your surroundings. You must be wearing them when you get to the hydra. Please take them, and remember everything I've told you.”
“Thank you for everything,” said Rose. “We'll never forget you. If ever you come to Niarg, Lukus and I would love to see you.”
“Perhaps I shall,” he said. “Until then, may the Fates be with you.” And with that, he kissed Rose’s hand in the very way King Neron had. And for the first time in front of an Elf, she neither blushed nor stammered.
“What about our unicorns?” said Lukus
“As I explained to Rose, the vessel must stay too small for the both of you and your unicorns if it's small enough to make it by Arrachtach, but we'll send them along right after you.”
“And the hydra won't attack the unicorns?” said Lukus.
“The unicorns have their own magic. They'll be quite safe.”
Heart of the Staff - Complete Series Page 29
