Without warning he took his seat, as if his epic telling had only lasted a moment.
The room was silent for a time, though there were hints of a wind outside. A mouse was chewing nearby. It sounded as though something heavy might have fallen in the throne room. Cool wafts of air smelling of old paper and leather passed through the room, sweeping aside some of the reek of the foul table top. The only window in the dining hall flickered bright pink, giving hints of the shapes of everything. Veyfnaryr stood up and paced about as thunder rumbled beyond the stone walls. Suddenly he was sitting again. “In all the years of the Dyrney before-time, before Fnadiyaphn and Demonica ever came from the sky, did anyone ever-once hear of Fnadiyaphn?” he said, rising onto a knee in his chair seat and leaning across the board to stare into Dyrjinyryy's eyes. “Did anyone ever-once hear of Demonica?”
“The Dyrney crawl-prayed to moon and sun and wind and spirits in the woods,” said Dyrjinyryy, “but Arrdsey-phnyr-pheyf-ne always ever-be our first father...”
“First father of all-everything?”
“First father,” said Dyrjinyryy with a deep and pious nod.
“So if Arrdsey-phnyr-pheyf-ne be first father, and First Mother Fnadiyaphn need thunderman to rule Dyrney while she be-gone,” said Veyfnaryr, folding his arms, “why did she roger-grind some piddly human to birth-grunt me?”
Dyrjinyryy gave a wide-eyed shake of his jowls.
“Why birth-grunt half-godbrute for holy thunderman?”
“Maybe half-god be easy-more for her to thunder-rule,” said Dyrjinyryy.
“Ha!” said Veyfnaryr with a thud of his fist on the board. “You be more right than you even head-nod. That make her hee-hee-sneak her own big-nod hoo-wah instead of ours. Has she always be hee-hee sneak? And is this what a great-goddess do? And if she no-be goddess, what is she be?”
Dyrjinyryy shook his head. “You be godbrute,” he said. “What say you?”
“I don’t know either, but soon we have one big head-nod. So you leave while I scratchy-head-think these things.”
Dyrjinyryy bowed at once, gave a puzzled glance at Neron, who seemed to be staying, and hurried out.
Veyfnaryr turned to Neron. “I believe you might know about my dear first mother from other places,” he said, switching to Elven.
Neron gave a careful nod.
“Then could you please tell me everything that you know about her?” he said. He stood up to stretch his burning stubs into new candles, but thought better of it and stopped short. “Badharan. Could you hurry and fetch me another handful of candles?”
“On my way Thunderman,” said Badharan, standing up at once.
“So what do you know...?”
“You might not like the things I have to say,” said Neron, adjusting his chair with a screech. “And you might find them hard to believe.”
“Then it's time I heard them, if you would.”
“Then I shall tell what I know, if first you give me your word that you'll not harm my men nor me if you don't like what you hear.”
“Then you have my word,” said Veyfnaryr.
“Very well,” said Neron with a sigh. “To begin with, your goddess Fnadiyaphn is no goddess at all. She's not even Dyrney. She's Spitemorta of Goll, known to the Elves as Baineor Buile Cailli, the Mad Reaper Witch. Her mother was the vile witch Bailitheoir Cailli, though she was raised by a couple whom she thanked by murdering. She's unspeakably ruthless and brutal, and once her fearsome grandmother Demonica taught her to use certain awful tools of power, she became empress to all the lands in the world...” He paused to look at Veyfnaryr tapping at a tooth as he stared away into the blackness.
“You swear you're telling the truth?” said Veyfnaryr, looking into Neron's face.
“I'm sorry to ask such a thing. It must seem insulting, but I'm as inexperienced with deceit as I am with manners...”
“It all be straight and true or the Fates strike me down.”
“Well I really did believe you before you said so, but what you just told me is indeed quite a bit to grasp all at once,” he said with a sigh as he sat back and stared into the far corner of the dark room. “I mean, if First Mother... Well, Spitemorta. If Spitemorta was bred by a Human, and she's a Human, however did I turn out to be a troll? Was my so-called father actually a troll?”
“Not at all. He is indeed a Human, and I know him well...”
“Who?” he said, studying Neron closely again. “Who is he?”
“King James of Loxmere-Goll, and a right fine fellow he is, too.”
“Ah,” said Veyfnaryr, “She mentioned a James. Then just how am I Dyrney? Did she damn me with her rotten magic?”
“I wish I could tell you, Thunderman. But I would guess that she or Demonica did indeed. She has the two most powerful tools of magic known: the Great Staff, which she took from Bailitheoir Cailli's dying hands and the Crystal Heart, which Demonica found for her and was the very instrument which Demonica used to knock this castle asunder.
And I’ve no idea what Spitemorta's abilities really are. I can tell you that you have a twin sister who's no Human either.”
“A sister?” said Veyfnaryr. “But I heard Fnadiyaphn talking to Demonica about someone they called Abaddon, whom I took to be my brother.”
“Well you do indeed have an older brother,” said Neron. “In fact, I know him as well. And he's an ordinary Human living in seclusion with my own people and others hiding from Spitemorta. But I don't know about Demonica. We thought her dead for a full score year. And the word we had from more than one source was that Spitemorta herself killed her.”
“Then my eyes and my ears don't agree. I hear right well what you say, but what I saw with mine own eyes was Spitemorta speaking with Demonica, right across the library table from me. Now I didn't see Demonica, nor did I hear her, but Spitemorta said enough to her that I know for a fact that they were conversing, and I know very well what they were talking about. I allowed that Demonica was hidden by a spell, but Spitemorta spoke so openly with her that I poured out a cup o' tea for each one of them.”
“My,” said Neron. “I reckon it's possible that Demonica's still alive and that the story of her death has been a ruse of some kind. But if that be the case, it'll be a bad day for someone when we find out why.”
“My first mother is truly wicked, isn’t she?” said Veyfnaryr.
Neron gave a nod. “And so is your grandmother, I’m sorry to say.”
“I'm glad you told me these things. But they are awful. And it will take a while for Dyrjinyryy to help me dance out each one of them completely. Who knows what I'll do then. But meanwhile, I promise you that the Dyrney and I will never harm you nor any other Elf. That kind of thing is over for good,” said Veyfnaryr as he gave his knees a clap of resolution. “You may return to your friends now, though I may yet have questions to ask from time to time.”
“I'm at your service, Thunderman, day or night.”
“I'm much obliged, King Neron.”
***
Neron made his way through the hallways, still littered with rubble from Demonica's troll attack all those years ago. It took some doing, since the trolls were continually forgetting that Elves don't see at all well in utter darkness, and Veyfnaryr had sent him on his way without offering a candle. It was not the forgetting of how the passages ran after all these years which was the challenge, but rather the bewildered state he always seemed to find himself in after clambering over a pile of rubble nearly to the ceiling. After a time, he began hearing spring peepers from around the lake just before he saw stars and realized that he had reached the partly collapsed parlour with no outside wall which the trolls had quartered them in. At once he heard Sulacha, Olloo and Obbree talking quietly as they squatted about their fire, just outside the parlour.
“I made it back,” he said quietly as he found his way to the fire.
“We’re right glad to see you,” said Obbree with a toothless spit. “We'd reckoned you'd been eat some time ago, so we weren't expec
ting ye.”
“I've gotten so that I believe Veyfnaryr when he says that they're through eating Elves for good. He's been nothing but straight with us since they captured us. And I think it’s no small deal that Badharan trusts him, even though he's a slave and not free to go his own way. We're not going to be eaten, but it looks as though there's a lot going on here.”
“You mean it's going to be difficult to escape?” said Sulacha as he cut off a piece of twist.
“Well that too, maybe,” said Neron, glancing about for guards as he lowered his voice. “But Spitemorta herself was here a-visiting Veyfnaryr this very evening. And he was convinced that Demonica was with her. In fact, he even poured Demonica's damned tea.”
“So is Spitemorta some kind of troll goddess to the curses after all?” said Sulacha.
“What kind o' frying pan are we a-wading in?”
“See what I mean? There is indeed a lot going on here. But I think it's good tidings for to tell, that our holy thunderman is no fool at all and that he's slowly turning over the idea that Spitemorta and Demonica just might be stinkers.”
“And you're right certain about this sworn abstinence from Elf roasts?” said Olloo.
“He gave me his word, a-looking me in the eye, straight and true. He's also starting to doubt the truth of everything the witches ever told him and his clan. Well, Spitemorta is his mother. No way 'round that one. Only the Pitmaster would have any idea what she did to turn Veyfnaryr into a troll.”
“Now didn't King James or someone say that Spitemorta had twins?” said Olloo.
“And I thought the girl lived and the boy didn’t.”
“That’s just what everyone thought,” said Neron. “Razzmorten and Minuet have actually seen her. And she must be something indeed for them to call her Damned Baby.
But I'm certain about Veyfnaryr. He is indeed that other twin, the actual son of King James and Spitemorta...”
“And Abaddon's very brother,” said Sulacha.
“Now the main thing is...” said Neron, lowering his voice again as he squatted by the fire. “The main thing I see here is that we're on the road to Veyfnaryr's trust. So one of these days, we may be able to look for a passage down to the Magic River.
“Then we escape,” said Sulacha.
“Unless he releases us,” said Neron. “And he may have no intention of freeing us, even if he does trust us. And meanwhile, who knows what Spitemorta and Demonica will do?”
Chapter 185
In the volcanic uplands between the New Dragon Caves and the Wraith River, eighteen big eared peccaries grunted quietly, keeping in touch with one another as they fed, rooting in the obsidian sand between the spiny clusters of Opuntia cactus. The old boar whose privilege was breeding most of the sows, threw his snout to the cloudless sky as a shadow passed over. “Boof!” he barked, sending the entire herd dodging in panic between the cacti as they streaked down the long hillside, leaving a hovering musk.
Two great shadows swept down and overtook them as a pink and then a blue bolt of fire knocked two sows off their hooves to slide to a stop in the black sand. Two dragons circled away and came back around to land, their riders dismounting at a run.
“I'll bleed them!” cried one of them, drawing his knife as he squatted by the first sow.
“Two hogs!” came a voice from above as a third dragon spiraled down. “You two are really getting good.”
“Hoy, Lily!” cried Ariel, looking up with a wave. “Where'd you and Avel come from?”
“We saw you all drop off the last two hogs at Aunt Lippy's kitchen a little while ago,” she said, throwing her leg off Avel's back. “These two here make six already this morning, don't they?”
“Yea. And not one puff of dragon fire, this time. Nothing but wizard's fire, but it really drains you. I feel really weak. How about you, Daniel?”
“I've got to finishing gutting this hog,” he said, flinging a lock of hair out of his eyes, “and then Scorch and I are going to go clean up one of Mom's fresh pans o' rolls to take care of my weakness.”
“Well,” said Ariel as she climbed onto Ash. “That's if you all get there before Lily, Avel, Ash and I finish them...”
“Ah, ah, ahh!” said Daniel. “Not so fast. Not without waiting to haul your fair share of hog. Besides this is your sow I'm gutting in spite of my being weak from hurling bolts of fire.” He grabbed up the carcass and laid it across Ash's withers. “See? You all didn't have to wait long.” And with that, the six of them were aloft, racing back to the caves.
The Elves had their settlement in the great convergence of volcanic and limestone caverns which opened in the brushy banks of a great hollow west of the dragons, called Spring 'n' Drain because of the rushing underground stream which came to the surface at the upper end of the hollow and followed a broad basalt trough to the lower end, where it thundered out of sight into a deep sink hole. Lukus and Soraya were given one of the two choicest caverns at the upper end which overlooked the hollow to raise the twins.
“Oh yum!” rumbled Scorch as he settled onto the basalt outside Soraya's kitchen and began sorting through the flight feathers of one of his wings. “I smell them. Nobody, and I mean nobody makes rolls like these Elf ladies. I sure hope there's enough to spare for us.”
“Don't worry,” said Daniel, “Mother always bakes all morning when she gets started. And she's real good at slapping hands if ye get carried away.”
“I don't see either one of them,” said Ariel, as Lily, Avel and Ash followed her into the heady bouquet of hot rolls. “Mother?” she hollered into the cavern. “I don't know where they went to. But she knows what we want. See? She's set out yesterday's butter from Muirnin, our little bo Ciarrai, our smallest cow. And Look 'ee look! Two whole quarts of blueberry jam. We can eat what we want. She's been doting on us more and more as we get to the end of our training.”
Daniel hurriedly slathered gobs of butter and jam onto his four rows of steaming rolls and found an old pillow case to put them in. “Fly me out to where you found that big drift of peccaries, if you don't mind,” he said, holding up the pillow case. “We'll eat these on the way. I can tell when they need to gossip about us.”
“Poop!” said Ariel, planting her fists on her hips.
“Bye!” said Daniel, throwing his leg over Scorch as they hurried out and leaped into the air.
“Good riddance then,” said Ariel with a nod as she went back to buttering a roll.
“So how are Aunt Rose and Uncle Fuzz taking Edward’s moving into his own cavern?”
“Oh they miss him and all,” said Lily, licking her fingers, “but they knew it was time he did. Frankly, I don’t see the big deal. They think he ought to look for a wife, but I can't imagine it. I don't care what he does, but I don't see the point of him moving out before he actually finds one.”
“You don't?” said Ariel, checking the tea kettle for water before squatting on the hearth and poking at the coals.
“Well Laora moved out with him,” said Lily, “and they do have this bond of theirs and all. But she’s a dragon, and it’s not as if they can ever mate or anything...”
Avel and Ash let out an explosive snort, showering each other with crumbs and flecks of blueberry jam as they rocked back and forth giggling and slapping the table top.
“You don't seriously believe that's why they moved out, do you?” said Ariel.
Avel gave a whoop and pounded the table with her feathery fist.
“Then what?” said Lily with a bewildered glance at the dragons. “Edward's always been my best friend as well as my brother. I suppose I’m being silly, but I'm kind of upset that he suddenly moved out like that.”
“Lily!” said Ariel before flinging a roll at the dragons. “That's mean, you toothy poop holes.”
“What?” said Lily, looking more lost than ever.
“Go on,” said Ariel. “Edward's right handsome and really nice. He could have his pick of all sorts of girls around here, but he never even looks at any of
them...”
“Sure. He and Laora...”
“No you silly goose,” said Ariel. “Edward's in love with you. And it seems that everyone but you can see it...”
“Good grief! He's my brother.”
“Oh no he's not, dearie-do. You're not any relation at all.”
“Very well, but I can't imagine thinking of Edward as anything but my brother, especially since I’m in love with someone else.”
“Now that's a piece of news,” said Ariel, trading wide-eyed looks with the dragons. “Who?”
“Herio.”
“Herio?” said Ariel. “Our favorite uncle? You can’t be serious. I mean, he’s your favorite uncle and mine.”
“No more than Edward's my brother. Herio's not a blood relative of either one of us, either. Grandmother Minuet adopted him, remember?”
“Very well. But if Edward feels like a real brother just because he's adopted, how can you be attracted to your adopted uncle?”
“Oh, Herio undoubtedly agrees,” said Lily as a sooty cactus wren began singing outside the kitchen. “I'm probably just one of his little nieces, and that's that. Say. This love stuff makes my head spin. Let's go see if we can find Daniel and Scorch, shall we?”
***
Not far from where Daniel and Ariel had been hunting, a black mule deer ran terrified, hammering the sand of the creosote bush as a dragon shadow caught up with him and stayed with him all the way to a ravine where he leaped, bounding and sliding down the bank to vanish amongst the scrub oaks.
“Edward!” cried Laora, winging back into the sky. “That was the biggest deer we've seen, all this month.” And with that, she made straight for the river.
“Hey!” cried Edward. “Where you going?”
“Right down here,” she said, swooping down for a landing on a sandbar.
Heart of the Staff - Complete Series Page 194
