“It is rare that I find myself in agreement with you, Master Whit. But in this case, you are correct. I stress, though, that this is not about blame. You were on a dangerous mission. There was no way that you could have accomplished what was needed without exposing yourselves. So, if it is all the same with the three of you, we can leave the subject.”
Captain Virgil cracked a very slight smile, as though he was privy to some bit of information or wisdom that no one else knew. What occupied his mind, though, he kept to himself.
West continued, “But I do want to know more about this brotherhood.”
Mathias furrowed his brow and appeared to consider the question before responding. “Regretfully, there is little to tell. We were rescued by them, as I have accounted. But their leader, Brother Magnus, was reluctant to give us any information at all, demanding that I share information about our activities and intent. I confess that after our betrayal I was reluctant to disclose anything to anyone.”
“A wise decision. While their intent may be noble, we cannot know that for sure. And once they have information about us, it would be impossible to take it back.”
This was just the kind of inflexibility that the voice had told Jarek about.
West continued, “But, on the other hand, our mission was twofold—to locate this brotherhood and to get information on the crystals and beams. Presumably, these two things are connected. By refusing to speak with them, we essentially gave up the opportunity to know more about the crystals.”
When the commander spoke again, her voice came out strong and confident. “Ordinarily, I would argue that we must proceed carefully, measuring each step against the different possible outcomes. But I fear that this is a luxury we do not have. However much I agree with Mathias’ decision back there, I suspect that we must seek these brothers out again and try to pry more information from them. The wisest approach is for Captain Virgil to lead this effort. It should not fall to the three of you to try and decide what you should and should not say.”
Jarek saw the logic in her answer, but he also detected a huge flaw in her argument. “But, if I may, we have no idea where to find these brothers. We were blindfolded coming and going.”
Mathias perked up. “But we do know where one of them lives.”
West nodded but something else seemed to bother her. “I have another concern. You were captured by the king’s men and consigned to the dungeon, where you were rescued by these brothers. The king’s dungeons are among the most secure locations in the realm. One does not simply stroll in and rescue prisoners. How did these brothers gain access? And more importantly, why did they risk exposure to save you?”
Burns spoke for the first time since the meeting had started. “They told us they had a brother working inside the keep and he must have alerted the other brothers who rescued us. We might have asked more questions had we not so quickly entered into an impasse with our rescuers.”
Mathias turned a deep shade of red and his mouth drew into a tight line. He clenched his fists at his side but said nothing.
The commander deflected the notion. “Many things might have happened. But our task now is not to revisit old decisions but rather to find our way forward. We will organize as set out to find them within the week. In the next few days, though, I would like to entertain the questions about their motivations and methods. I realize we know very little, but I will ask our sources in town. In the meantime, the three of you should try to remember everything you can. Even the smallest details could help.”
Chapter 59: Marzi
Marzi stood with her friends in a large banquet-sized room, facing a male elf who appeared to be sizing them up. He looked like the Bough elves but somehow different. The white hair was slightly shorter but there was no mistaking the brilliant, fiery blue eyes. He dressed differently, of course. Where her friends wore leather and jute of green, gray, and brown, this man was attired in tunic and trousers of ivory-colored leather and supple fur-lined boots.
“I am pleasantly surprised to see you, cousin. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?” The welcoming words were devoid of any warmth and seemed a crude contradiction.
Rintaur stepped forward and bowed. “Thank you for the kind welcome, Lord Elondiel. I wish that I could say we visit for social purposes. But I fear that we bring ill tidings. We seek your help and alliance.”
A faint smile found its way onto Elondiel’s lips. “Indeed?”
Marzi felt as though she would wilt under his intense stare.
“And this small thing you have here, is it anything to do with the ill tidings you speak of? Out of courtesy to our brother elves, we allowed you safe passage into the kingdom. We are not, however, in the habit of allowing others, as you well know.”
Rintaur clasped his hands in front of him and spoke with a soft tone. “It is complicated. And I say that not to obfuscate or delay. You know me well enough to understand that I would never violate your trust or do anything to bring danger to you or any of the elves of Menalor. Circumstances, though, dictated that she accompany us. We are prepared to discuss this in detail at your command.” He nodded, as though in deference to the host.
Silence swept over the meeting for a moment as both sides appeared to collect their thoughts. Marzi felt overwhelmed. The frost elf leader had not taken his gaze from her throughout the conversation. Up until this point, he had directed his words to the lord consort, all the while staring at her.
“Perhaps the little one might answer a few questions?”
Marzi bowed as she had seen Rintaur do. “Yes. I will answer any of your questions.”
“Ah, so you speak the common tongue. Good. Tell me, my small friend, who are you, what are you, and from whence do you come?”
She launched into her now routine account. “I am Marzi Gloam of Pangrove. I am Azyrean.” She paused and shot a glance at Rintaur, hoping for guidance or any kind of sign. He nodded.
“My home is on Azyr, which I guess is another world.” She started to say that she was but a child, but something inside told her that this was not a particularly good approach. “I came here by mistake, on a moonbeam.”
And that got a reaction. Elondiel’s eyes widened for just an instant before he resumed his emotionless gaze.
She re-told the story, as she had done so many times before. As she spoke, she watched her host closely, hoping for some sign of how he took it all. She got the distinct feeling that he struggled to keep his expression passive.
When she finished, he nodded but his response was not quite what she expected. “Thank you.” He turned his attention back to Lord Rintaur. “I know that you must be exhausted from your journey and in need of food. We have arranged quarters for you, and meals will be provided. We will speak again soon.” With that, he turned and nodded to two frost elves—one female and one male, each armed with a greatsword. He bowed to the group. “Until then, rest well.” And with that, he turned and left the hall.
◆◆◆
Ellemareth nibbled on the meat from a canyon turkey leg as she leaned back against the rock wall. She had gained strength each day and was, by this time, back to her original self. “That did not go so badly. I, for one, appreciate their hospitality.” She picked up the cup, fashioned from carved stone, and drank talonberry nectar.
Rintaur smirked. “Do not misread the situation. We are not guests. We are prisoners.”
Marzi almost burst out laughing. Not that she was happy to be a prisoner, but it seemed only fair that these other elves experience what she’d had to deal with her entire time in the Bough. “That’s not so bad. It’s not like I haven’t been a prisoner before.” She forced a chuckle.
Elle jerked her head in Marzi’s direction, but her eyes reflected something soft, something sympathetic. Whatever it was, though, the elf gave it no voice.
Saryn paced the length of the room, back and forth. “Why did he not question us more closely about why we are here? After all, you told him we brought bad news. He didn’t even
ask about it.”
Rintaur nodded. “Elondiel does not go into discussions unarmed. Right now, he is no doubt scouring every archive and record in the kingdom seeking more information about Azyreans and moonbeams. He is speaking with the scouts who tracked us, seeking any small bit of knowledge that he thinks will put him in a stronger position. Remember, the frost elves are warlike and confrontational. They do not seek collaboration and harmony.”
Lapis sat beside Ryshara, his eyes darting back and forth as he appeared to follow the conversation. Rys stroked his head as she listened to the discussion without comment.
Ran, who had been stripped of his greatsword and dagger when they were captured, appeared agitated, but he also kept silent.
Arien alone seemed to lack any concern. She sat in the corner, her legs bent and her head resting on her knees. She had examined Elle when they first arrived in the quarters but had remained silent since then. They all sat, nibbling on their food or drinking from their cups, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts.
“When will they talk to us?" Marzi knew that, when it came down to the actual discussions, much would fall to her.
Rintaur said, “It is late night now. I suspect that he will send for us tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. He will exhaust every source of information before he questions us.”
“I guess he’s going to ask me a bunch of questions. What do I tell him?”
“The truth—the entire truth. Some of it he will believe, some he will doubt. And, as I said, your references to Valyn will count for little. He will respond most positively to your descriptions of our encounters with the humans. But beyond that, simply answer his questions to the best of your ability. The frost elves value truth.”
But Marzi wasn’t sure that she knew what the truth was anymore.
Chapter 60: Marzi
A full day and a half passed before the group received their summons. As they were paraded into the hall, they faced not only Elondiel, but four other frost elves—two men and two women, along with a wolf. Marzi’s breath caught in her chest. The beautiful beast was as large as Lapis and was snow white. It rested in a corner of the room, its head on its front paws. The icy blue eyes followed the party into the room.
Marzi tugged on Ryshara’s sleeve. “Look at that.”
“Yes, I see it.”
Lapis, upon entering the space, stopped in his tracks, and then crept over beside the animal and lay down beside it.
“Welcome back. I trust that you are rested and hope that you found the accommodations and food to your satisfaction.” Elondiel spoke from his sitting position.
Rintaur offered a half-bow. “Very good. Thank you.”
“Since there are new faces among us, introductions first. To my right, Andu’lar and Lar’donal. And here,” indicating the women to his left, “Corhymin and Brysten. We trust that you have much to say. Having more than one set of ears will help us to keep things straight.”
Marzi thought that sounded stupid. What they really wanted, or so she thought, was just having a bunch of people in the room to even the score. But, as was always the case these days, her opinion didn’t matter much.
“Sit, please. Make yourselves comfortable.” Elondiel gestured toward a dozen chairs at the table opposite the frost elf contingent. He turned his attention to Marzi. “You indicated you came to this world on a moonbeam. I confess that we know little of such things and likely would not understand even if you told us. So, let us leave that notion for a moment and get to a more pressing topic. Why are you here?”
Marzi cleared her throat. “Well, sir, I… as Lord Rintaur told you, we have come with some bad news and to ask for your help.”
“Yes, I seem to remember that part. What is this bad news you bring?”
“Over the last, I don’t know, maybe four or five weeks, there have been bands of humans in this land. There have been several fights between them and the elves.” She gestured toward her companions on each side of her. “We understand that more are on the way and are a danger to the elves.”
Elondiel’s blue eyes bore down on her. “Yes. The humans. We know of them. In fact, we captured a small band of them not three days ago. They are being held in our dungeon awaiting execution.”
The news caught Marzi off-guard. That the beings had gotten this far north and been captured was a surprise. But what grabbed her most was the execution piece. The instant that Elondiel mentioned it, Valyn’s words came back to her—the ones about life and death and taking care when making that decision. Could there be some value or purpose in keeping these particular humans alive? And even if this was the case, was there really anything she could do? She side-stepped that particular question. “There were some others—one group south of the Bough near the cliffs and another up near the Ruins of Koror.”
“I do not doubt that. But, within a few days, there will be one less group of them, anyway.”
She tried to find a way to move the discussion forward without invoking the charge from Valyn but could think of nothing. “There is something else, though.” She cast a glance aside at Rintaur, who sat with his head lowered as though he knew what was coming.
“While we were at the Ruins of Koror,” she clenched her jaw and closed her eyes, remaining silent for a moment.
“Yes? Something happened at the ruins?”
She exhaled and leaned forward into the table. “Valyn came and spoke to me.”
Marzi watched for Elondiel’s reaction, but none came. His face changed not a whit.
“She told me that darker times were coming and that they were related to these humans. She also said that it was fruitless to try and fight them in this world. That to stop them, we must journey beyond the boundaries here.”
Elondiel glanced from side to side before leaning back in his chair. “First, I must express curiosity at your use of the term we. You refer to we stopping them but I feel it appropriate to remind you that you are not part of we. By your own admission, you come from another world. You are not an elf. Other than your immediate safety and comfort, I dare say that you have no legitimate interest in this matter.”
The retort stunned her. He hadn’t reacted to the part about Valyn or the humans, merely to her being Azyrean. “I don’t have a good argument for that. But I know what I saw. And I know what Valyn told me. I am doing as I have been instructed. If you don’t believe me, then fine. It’s not the first time that an elf hasn’t trusted me.”
“And pray tell, why would Valyn speak to you? With all the elves around, why pick an outsider?”
Marzi glared at him for a moment. “You would have to ask her. And if she tells you, you can relay that to me. I would prefer not to have been a part of any of this. But here I am.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the magnificent white wolf stand and approach the female who sat to the left of Elondiel. All eyes turned to the scene, which was cloaked in silence for a moment. The woman whispered something in the leader’s ear. He nodded to her but made no comment about it.
“Very well, then let us assume that everything you say is the truth. What is it you want from us? We are quite capable of defending our kingdom, and the elves of the Bough and cliffs both have their own way of dealing with these things.”
“I can only relay what I have been told, that the coming darkness—the lady called it a dread wind—will require the combined efforts of all elves. Each group responding in their own way and in their own time will only increase the possibility that each will be defeated in turn.”
“You speak in very adult terms for someone so young, or at least I assume you are young from your appearance. And I will be blunt with you, little one, I am not accustomed to taking counsel with children or outsiders.”
Suddenly, Marzi felt a load lifted from her shoulders. “Good. Then I have finished what I was told to do. I will be happy to leave and never see this place again.”
Elondiel burst out laughing. “That, my young one, is priceless. You assume a lot, not t
he least of which is that I would be willing to allow you to leave this kingdom. This is not some open world where strange beings can come and go at will. Just ask the humans down below how that works. And second, just because I am not used to dealing with young ones or others, does not mean that I will not do so if necessary.” The faintest smile touched his lips. “No, Marzi Gloam, I will not send you away out of hand. There is, I fear, trouble afoot and I believe that you are part of the whole picture, although I am not sure about your ultimate role. But for now, I will assume that things are as presented.”
“Then what do you want of me?” Marzi felt stronger, more confident.
“Patience, perhaps. You brought much in the way of information. You and your companions have had time to digest it. I would ask that you extend us the same courtesy.”
She glanced at her companions, none of whom offered anything in return. “Okay. I mean, sure.” As an afterthought, she added, “Might I ask you for a favor while we are waiting? Could you delay killing the humans?”
Elondiel’s eyes narrowed. “And why would you ask such a thing? By your own admission, they are the problem.”
“I don’t know right now. But I think it’s important.”
Chapter 61: Marzi
Three distinct knocks echoed through the hall and the large wooden door swung open, admitting four frost elves with platters of food.
“Ah, our food arrives.” Elondiel stood and gestured toward the new arrivals. “Let us take a break to enjoy a small repast and perhaps lighten the conversation a bit.”
To Find a God Page 21
