by Terry Brooks
“I’m Xac Wen,” he admitted.
“I’m looking for my daughter,” the old woman said. “Her name is Prue. She came to Arborlon in the company of a young man from the village of Glensk Wood, some miles west of here. I’ve been looking for her for days. Do you know her?”
Xac hesitated, not certain he wanted to reveal anything. “How would I know her? Why are you asking me?”
“When I talked to some people in the city, they told me they might have seen her with you. Please, young man, it’s very important. I need to tell her that her brother is very sick and ask her to come home right away.”
Xac found the old woman repulsive, but that didn’t give him the right to keep her from her daughter. Maybe the brother would die and the girl never get to see him, and it would all be his fault.
“She was here a couple of days ago, but she left again. She went up into the mountains with some friends of mine. But she’ll probably be back before the week is out.”
The old woman nodded without speaking, swaying a bit unsteadily. “I will wait for her, then. I’m too old to go searching in the mountains. Can you tell me one more thing? Where should I look for her when she returns?”
“She’s been staying with the Orullian brothers, Tasha and Tenerife. That’s who she left with.”
The old woman turned and started away. Her boots made a scraping sound on the loose stone of the walkway. “I will look for her there, then. Thank you, young man.”
Xac watched her go, wondering suddenly how she had managed to get this far, as hobbled as she was. Why had she even come, in fact? Why hadn’t she sent someone in her place?
He wondered, as well, with the instinctive suspicion of the young for what any older person tells them, if he had done the right thing.
THE LITTLE COMPANY FROM ARBORLON slept that night at the foot of the northern peaks, sheltered in a copse of fir backed against the rock of the foothills, and though it rained, they stayed warm and dry in their blankets. At first light, they set out once more, beginning their climb into the mountains. The passes of the safehold were more numerous and easily reached to the west and south than to the north and east, and Aphalion was a particularly difficult ascent, even in good weather, which today’s was not. They were on their second day out of Arborlon, and the weather had taken an unpleasant turn. It had begun raining before sunrise, and the rain got heavier as the day progressed, the skies remaining gray and unfriendly.
The climb was difficult under the best of conditions, steep and winding, the footing made treacherous by loose rock and sharp drops that fell away hundreds of feet as the five progressed. That it was raining and the ground slick made everything much worse, and the climbers were forced to keep their attention focused on where they placed their feet and found their handholds. They climbed in single file with Tasha and Tenerife trading off as leaders. Panterra and Prue knew the trail as well as the Elves, but deferred to their hosts. It was their country, after all.
Pan dropped back to the rear of the procession, glancing up periodically at Phryne Amarantyne as she climbed just ahead of him, nimble and sure-footed. He found her an enigma. The more time he spent with her, the more confused he became. Her admitted interest in him didn’t make sense. Nor could he come to terms with her easy friendship. She barely knew him, had spent only a handful of hours with him, and yet she was acting as if she had known him all her life.
But then girls confused him, anyway. Prue was the exception, and that was probably because he had known her for so long. She was the “little sister” to him that she was to Tasha and Tenerife, and their familiarity with each other had been tested and earned. Phryne, on the other hand, just assumed it was there and that it needed no seasoning and no consideration. It was enough for her that they were together on this journey and shared a common purpose in being so. Panterra, who had spent so much of his life alone and away from other people, save for Prue, was more comfortable staying apart. He was more reticent, more measured in developing his relationships. Phryne Amarantyne seemed to find this unnecessary.
At one point in their climb, Prue dropped back beside him. She didn’t say anything for a long time, but only kept him silent company.
Finally, she whispered, her voice so low he could barely hear it, “Do you see how she looks at you?” He knew right away whom she meant, so he simply shook his head no. In truth, he did not.
Prue cocked an eyebrow at him. “I think she likes you. A lot.”
That was all she said, and moments later she moved ahead of him again, joining Tenerife at the front of the climb. Pan stared after her, wondering if she had lost her mind. Phryne was an Elf and a Princess. He was a human and a Tracker. Two different Races and two very different worlds. Any relationship beyond casual friendship was impossible. He put Prue’s comments out of his mind.
The hours passed, and by early afternoon they had reached the summit of the mountain they were climbing and could see the head of Aphalion Pass through a defile in the higher peaks ahead. They pressed on, heads bent against a much stronger wind, out in the open as they crossed the vast expanse of the ridgeline toward the dark gap. The rain had tapered off and turned to a fine mist that verged on crystalline and stung when it struck their exposed skin. No one was talking now, all efforts directed at moving ahead as quickly and efficiently as possible.
It took them the better part of two hours to reach their destination, and when they did they collapsed in exhaustion inside the shelter of the split, dropping their packs and breathing hard. They drank water from their skins, ate some bread and cheese, and recovered themselves as the wind howled across the open spaces behind them.
Finally, as if of a single accord, they rose, shouldered their packs, and started into the pass.
Aphalion was much different from Declan Reach. The latter was twisty and narrow, and the terrain through the cliffs much more uneven. Aphalion was a broad, wide passage between a pair of towering peaks that shut out all but a narrow band of sky, the rock dropping away from the highest points overhead in straight, black curtains. The trail leading through twice angled sharply, once right and once left, but otherwise did not vary. Huge sections of stone that had split off the cliff walls in times past lay in massive shards, but did not entirely block the way. The wind, as it blew across the gap overhead, was a mournful howl that refused to let up, its cry like that of a creature in misery.
When they were deep into the pass, Tasha, who was in the lead, brought them to a halt, and they huddled close.
“This is where the pass has been closed in times past!” He had to shout to be heard as he gestured ahead of them. “Before, there was fog and darkness too heavy to penetrate! All that’s gone! I think the wall has failed here, too! But we’ll see!”
He turned away and started ahead once more, the others following. Almost at once the rain returned, sweeping down out of the split between the peaks in long, hard streamers that felt almost like waterfalls as they struck the travelers. Panterra was soaked in seconds, even with his heavy travel cloak for protection. He stumbled under the weight of the beating he was taking, only barely managing to keep himself upright. Ahead, Phryne went down, collapsing on her hands and knees, head lowered. Pan reached her in seconds, pulled her to him and straightened her up. Once on her feet, she glanced at him and nodded, and he released his grip. She went on without a word.
Now the wind was howling with fresh determination, the sound so overwhelming that it was all Pan could do not to put his hands over his ears. The five pushed ahead, but the effort it required increased and their progress slowed. Time ceased to have meaning, blown away in the wind, buried in wild sound.
Just ahead, there within the brume’s roiling curtains, as faint and shadowy as a dim memory, something moved.
Prue must have seen it first, or at least sensed the danger, because she was racing ahead to catch up to Tasha, grabbing at his arm and gesturing. The others closed the gap, coming together just as the shadowy form suddenly blossomed into somethi
ng much larger and more formidable. It seemed to unfold right in front of them, gaining size and weight. They stood frozen in place as they saw it grow, their weapons already drawn and held ready.
Tasha gestured them back with frantic movements, his big frame flattening against the stone of the cliff wall. Panterra tried to penetrate the concealing gloom to see what was there, but could not manage it.
Then the shadow surged into view with frightening quickness, lurching out of mist and rain and darkness, rising up to assume monolithic proportions and suddenly Pan could see clearly what they had stumbled upon, and the words were a cold, silent whisper in his head.
A dragon!
FOURTEEN
PANTERRA QU HAD NEVER SEEN A DRAGON. BUT HE knew what they were from tales he’d heard as a child, and he knew enough of how they looked to recognize one when he saw it. What he wasn’t prepared for was how really terrifying it would be. It was a massive beast, squat and bulky through its midsections, but its neck and limbs long and sinewy. Scales covered its body in armored plates, and its back and tail were ridged with spikes. When it swung its head toward him, Pan could see bony protrusions on its snout, a beard hanging from its lower jaw, and teeth the size of his forearm protruding from its maw. It was black and slick with moisture, and its eyes had the feral gleam of a predator.
Every impulse screamed at Panterra to run. But Tasha remained flattened against the cliff face and was furtively gesturing for the others to do the same. All five were backed up against the rock, so still that they didn’t even seem to be breathing. The dragon was huffing, as if trying to cough, the sound penetrating even the wind’s shrill howl. It spread its huge wings, and they spanned the width of the pass. It arched its neck, its jaws split wide, and a huge, long tongue licked out at the rain.
Panterra could not look away from the beast. A part of him said he should, that he didn’t want to see what was going to happen next. Another part said that so long as he kept watching, he had a chance of staying alive.
A dragon, he repeated over and over in the silence of his mind. There were no dragons in the valley. Dragons didn’t exist in his world.
The dragon screamed—there was no other way to describe it, the sound high and shrill and bone chilling—causing Pan to press even harder against the impermeable stone. The monster’s shadow fell over him as it surged forward, and in that instant he knew he was dead.
But then, a miracle. The dragon’s wings flapped twice, the turbulence they generated sudden and massive, and the beast lifted away through the gap in the cliffs, rose skyward like a great bird of prey, and disappeared north away from the valley.
It all happened so quickly that for long moments afterward, no one moved. Pan kept thinking it might return, that it was only a trick to catch them out when they tried to run. He kept thinking there was no way it could be gone. Not really gone.
Then Phryne Amarantyne was next to him, pressing close, her blue eyes wild and excited. “Wasn’t that wonderful?” she breathed. “Wasn’t that the most beautiful and terrible thing you’ve ever seen?”
It was all of that, Pan thought, but mostly it was heart stopping. “Yes,” he said, managing to look at her without something approaching disbelief. “But I never want to see it again.”
“Oh, I do!” she said with a gasp, and she actually laughed.
Tasha was calling to them, and they hurried to group around him, casting anxious glances at the sliver of sky visible through the gap in the peaks. Prue’s eyes were wide and her face white as she caught Pan’s eye and shook her head in an unmistakable signal. She wanted nothing more to do with this business.
“Everyone’s heart still beating?” Tasha asked, scanning their faces. When no one spoke, he continued, “Well, at least we know now that the protective barrier is truly down. That dragon—”
“Was that really a dragon?” Tenerife cut in, as if not quite ready to accept that it was. “When we know that dragons don’t exist?”
“It was a dragon,” Tasha assured him. “A clear signal that Panterra and little sister are in no way mistaken about those creatures they encountered and the warning of the Gray Man is not to be disregarded. We have to let the King and the Elven Council know. With five of us to testify, there can’t be much room for doubt.”
“I would like to see the outside world before we go back,” Phryne cut in quickly. She looked from face to face, seeing reluctance and doubt mirrored in each. “If we follow the pass to its other end and see for ourselves that the outside world is open to us, we have even better proof of what’s happened. I don’t think we should underestimate those who will question our claims.”
Tenerife shook his head. “I don’t think we should do anything of the sort. We might get to the end of the pass, but there’s nothing to say we’ll be able to get back again. If that dragon returns, it could block our way.”
“If that happens, we need only to wait until it flies out again. Or follow the mountains west along their outer perimeter to a different pass. If one is down, it stands to reason the rest are down, as well.”
“I don’t know what stands to reason.” Tenerife shook his head. “It seems risky.”
“Oh, and none of the rest of what we’re doing is?” Phryne laughed. “That’s very funny, cousin. What do you have to say on the matter, Tasha? Are you for turning back, as well?”
“There is a sound argument for doing so,” the other replied, running his fingers through his long black hair. The scarf that had tied back his hair seemed to have disappeared. “But I see the merit of your argument. And I, too, would like to see what lies at the end of the pass. I’ll go with you. The rest can go back, and no blame will attach to them for doing so. Brother? Pan? Little sister?”
“I’m going,” Tenerife declared grudgingly. “I guess.”
Prue grimaced. “I go where Pan goes.”
They were all looking at Panterra now, so he shrugged away his discomfort with an irritated gesture. “Let’s stop talking about it and just get it done.”
They set out again quickly, keeping close to the cliff wall on the left side of the pass, looking skyward at every opportunity. No one was sure of anything after the unexpected appearance of the dragon, and no one wanted to be caught off guard again.
As they advanced, Pan moved up beside Prue. “That was pretty awful, wasn’t it?”
She nodded. “It makes me wonder what else is out there. If I hadn’t sensed the danger, we might have walked right into that thing.”
“I saw you react. That was quick thinking. You saved us all.”
“This time I did.” She looked decidedly unhappy. “But maybe I won’t the next. You should have said something back there when Phryne insisted on going ahead. She seems to think this is all a game. She might have listened to you.”
She gave him a look and abruptly rushed ahead, rejoining Tasha. She was angry and no mistake. But he didn’t know what to do about it. He wasn’t responsible for Phryne; it hadn’t been his suggestion that they keep going instead of turning back. Prue was being unreasonable, and that wasn’t like her.
They slogged on through the steady rain, all of them on edge. Shadows, fluid and elongated, chased one another along the walls and floor of Aphalion Pass, seeping off rocky outcroppings, and the five companions constantly found themselves searching for things that weren’t there. The wind continued to howl mournfully as it whipped across gaps in the peaks, its whistle shrill and unrelenting. Ahead and behind, the darkness had closed away all traces of where they were going and where they had been.
The pass wound through the mountains for a much longer time than Panterra had supposed it would, but after a while it narrowed to a width of less than twenty feet and began to angle first one way and then another. No dragon of the size they had encountered could hope to get through at this juncture, Panterra thought, taking some comfort from the fact. But he was bothered that his sense of direction had failed him some time back, and he had no clear idea where they were.
&nb
sp; Finally, when it seemed there would never be an end to their trek, the way ahead brightened, the rock walls opened up, and the members of the little company found themselves climbing a slope of loose rock to a broad ridgeline swept by long streamers of rain and mist. Hunkering down within their travel cloaks, they stood together on the ridge and peered out into the grayish haze beyond. Clouds roiled across a patchwork collection of streams and rivers carved out of the earth by time and weather, waterways that interconnected and spread over terrain both blasted and barren. What trees there were looked stunted or dead, their branches withered and their greenery gone, bearing silent witness to the cataclysm that had destroyed the old world centuries ago. There was nothing for as far as the eye could see but dead things. Bare earth and rock, ruined forest and erosion, it was a more stark and empty landscape than Panterra would have imagined possible.
“Shades,” whispered Phryne, standing next to him.
“Everything’s dead.” Prue voiced Panterra’s unspoken thought. “Everything.”
“Not quite,” said Tenerife, pointing.
Far off in the distance, well beyond where specific details could be determined, dozens of columns of smoke rose through the deep gloom. With the weather as bad as it was, it was impossible to be certain, but that was how it appeared to them. They stood together staring at the smoke for a long time.
“I can’t be sure what I’m seeing,” Tasha said finally.
His eyes were the best of the five, so the others accepted that they would find nothing, either. “We should go find out,” Phryne said suddenly. Again, she saw the looks on their faces. “We’ve come this far; why not go a little farther?”
“Because now we are setting out across country we know nothing about,” Tasha pointed out. “That makes exploring a whole lot more dangerous. I can’t imagine that your father would have much good to say about us if we follow your suggestion. I think we’ve done as much as we can. It’s time to be going back.”
