Lost and Found

by Mary Hamilton

  The new recruit shuffled forward and rubbed his scruffy chin. “I got two brothers and a sister that stayed behind when I left. They was helping my pa on his small farm and just trying to stay outta sight of the king’s men. Anyways, I checked on them today when we was passing by. They told me that Wyndred’s men grabbed Pa. They said they didn’t have no idea why. But my sis told me that he was starting to get a little touched in the head. I didn’t think nothing about it. But then we found out that some other men—no women—just men, were also taken. And the funny thing is that every one of them was going a little funny in the head.”

  Virgil intervened in the story, “Thanks, Jorstan.” He nodded to the man, who melded back into the group. “Now, this is interesting because later in the day we ran across a family out on the edge of Ebon Lake. They were preparing to move from their home to try and avoid the king’s troops. What they told us was incredible. Their old man was down with consumption and dying. He was taken away by the troops but showed up two days later crazier than a loon. He talked about walking into green fire and looking for green demons in another world.” He fell silent.

  Jarek gazed from face to face around the group, seeing fear, curiosity, and just plain confusion among the people there. He raised his hand and Virgil nodded to him. “A question, if I may. When he said walking into green fire, what do you think he meant?”

  Virgil shrugged. “I don’t know. It might have something to do with beams or maybe a portal. But what struck me is that, at least in his mind, he ended up in some other land. And also, this seems an indication that the king is using the sick and feeble-minded in travel experiments. It would appear that, at least for the moment, he’s not confident in sending large scale groups through.”

  CeCe stood and eased into the center of the group. “An interesting story, but I have my doubts. I’ve been networking with my sources across the kingdom and I haven’t heard anything of the sort. Given that this involves older people with limited cognitive ability, I hesitate to give it much credibility.”

  Commander West eyed her for a moment before responding. “Perhaps CeCe is right. Let’s not go down this road just yet. Stay on track with the research. The skirmish teams will continue to go out and work on distraction and cover. If you happen upon additional information, bring it back. But don’t go looking for it.”

  Virgil shook his head, brow furrowed. “Commander, I think—”

  West jerked her head around and stared at the man. “You heard my orders, Captain.”

  But Jarek was certain that he saw a look pass between the two, if only for an instant. Then Virgil lowered his head in assent. “Yes, Commander.”

  Commander West turned her attention to Jarek. “Keep at it. If you need additional materials, work with Corny. Keep me posted.” She turned and strode toward her small private den in the cave.

  Virgil took a deep breath. “Okay, you heard the commander. That’s it. Let’s get some dinner and attend to our gear. We head out again at first light tomorrow.”

  The crowd dispersed, and within a half-hour the smell of roasting meat, vegetables, and fresh baked bread dominated the cavern. Sitting with his back against the wall and a plate of food in his lap, Jarek chewed thoughtfully on the poultry. “What do you make of all that?”

  Burns, sitting beside him, had remained strangely quiet up to this point. “Weird. Never seen the commander shut him down like that before. And, at least for my money, what he said seemed interesting.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she knows something we don’t. Anyway, we know what we have to do. Back on it tomorrow morning.”

  As the two sat and finished their dinner, Jarek noticed West come out of her area. She stood watching the group for a moment and then beckoned with her head in Virgil’s direction. He put his plate down and eased over, disappearing into her den.

  Chapter 42: Jarek

  The next morning began uneventfully, with Jarek and Burns hypothesizing about what might happen with light and crystals. Having nothing actually to work with, they were limited to guessing. Just before midday, Corny wandered up to them at the cavern entrance and beckoned them to follow him inside.

  “Here.” He took out a bundle wrapped in cloth. As he pulled back the folds, he extracted a small red crystal. “I managed to get this from one of the shops near the main village. Is this what you’re looking for?”

  Jarek took the item from him and examined it, holding it up to the light and turning it around to look at it from different angles. “It’s more polished than the ones I’ve seen, almost like it’s from a piece of jewelry.” The piece was far smaller than the palm of his hand. “Looks to be cut like a gemstone, only I’m betting it’s fake. A real gem like this, a ruby, would be worth a fortune.” He continued to examine it. “I guess there’s only one way to know, really. Let’s take it out in the sunlight and see what happens.”

  Outside, Jarek held it up at every possible angle, allowing the sunlight to strike its surface. It cast a red light on the ground but seemed nothing special. He moved his hand into and out of the stream of light emerging from the stone—nothing. “I don’t see any effect at all. Yes, there is red light coming out the other side, but there seems to be nothing special about this red light.” He sighed and set the crystal down.

  Burns picked it up and examined it. “I agree, probably just a phony gem.” She squinted up toward the sun. “But even if it was real, I’m having a hard time believing that gemstones are the key. That would mean that your people would have very large rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. No offense, but that kind of material would be hard to come by, especially in the size that you describe.”

  Jarek, who had zero knowledge of stones, gems, or anything else to do with geology, shrugged. He wanted to offer an insightful comment but couldn’t think of one. He was truly baffled by the events of the past couple of weeks and was having trouble making sense of it all.

  Burns began pacing the clearing, hands clutched behind her back. After a couple of turns around the area, she stopped and faced him. “What about quartz? I haven’t seen many different colors. Maybe there are some rare colored ones. But I think they’re usually more translucent, not perfectly clear. I guess they could be polished.”

  Jarek wondered if she was just rambling. He didn’t know quartz from sandstone, so he wasn’t comfortable weighing in. He arched his eyebrows and remained silent, hoping to keep her talking.

  She obliged. “Most of the mining around these parts has focused on precious metals and gems or iron ore, for practical purposes. The smaller mines, you know, the ones operated by individual stakeholders or families, have closed down.” She rubbed the side of her head. “I wonder, though. The king has been putting a lot of people to work in his mines. I always thought it was for gold or iron. But perhaps….”

  “How could we find out?”

  Burns glanced over and smiled at Jarek. “Well, I guess we could go ask them.” She chuckled before turning serious again. “Or I guess we could try to get into that area and see what they’re bringing up from the ground.”

  The idea sounded dangerous to the Azyrean. “Where is the mine?”

  “Actually, there are a bunch of them. But the closest is about a half-day’s walk. I’ve been to that area only once before. It’s deserted. But I recall an old miner’s shack or two. Nobody lives there, though.”

  “Well, it sounds promising. We should tell Commander West. It’s her decision.” He distinctly recalled her warning about his falling into the king’s hands and he had no intention of going out on his own.

  Burns nodded her assent. “Yeah. For sure. I’ll touch base with Virgil, too, and see if they’re planning any skirmishes in that area.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Too dangerous.” West shook her head. “Can’t have you running around that close to Wyndred’s henchmen.”

  Burns offered her own solution. “I talked to Captain Virgil. He said they’d be moving around that area early next week. Maybe we could tag along wit
h him.”

  The commander eyed her and then Jarek. “I’ll speak with the captain and let you know what I decide. In the meantime, keep working with Corny to try and get what you need.”

  Later that evening, Jarek sat by himself in a relatively quiet corner of the cavern trying to gather his thoughts. He was secretly pleased that the commander had quashed the notion of his running around the countryside looking for rocks.

  “Good evening. You look deep in thought.” CeCe sat down beside him.

  “Oh, yes, hello. I’m just trying to make sense of everything.” He started to confide in her that he had no idea what he was doing but thought better of it. It wouldn’t hurt to keep up appearances.

  She smiled at him. “So, look. I talked to some of my sources. From what I can gather, the king has assigned his best people to explore the wavelength properties of light, especially light from different types of sources. Are you making any progress on your end?”

  He laughed inside. Her statement said nothing at all. But maybe there was no sense to be made at the moment. “Nothing really. We tried with a fake gemstone, but the light wasn’t right. We think that what we need is quartz, but I have no idea where to get any.”

  CeCe widened her eyes as she considered him. “I might be able to help you there. Any particular kind of quartz? I’m afraid stones and such are not my forte.”

  Jarek shrugged. “Colored quartz. I confess that I’ve never seen any such material in the raw.”

  “What colors are you looking for?”

  “For experimental purposes, we need red and maybe another couple of colors, although I’m not sure what’s available. But Corny might be checking some of the nearby mines—the ones that are deserted. Maybe something is there.”

  She grinned and stood. “Sounds good. I’ll get on it, too, and see what I can find out. If you come up with anything else, let me know.” And with that she was gone.

  For the first time since he’d started working the problem, Jarek felt optimistic. Finally, someone else who seemed optimistic too.

  Chapter 43: Marzi

  “Do you think he wants to ride moonbeams?” Marzi scratched her ear and leaned back against the tree. She had wanted to talk with Rys about Rintaur’s questions the prior evening but was afraid to say anything with Lothran around.

  Ryshara laughed and rolled her eyes. She traced figures on the forest floor with a stick as she spoke. “I doubt it.” In the silence that hung between the two, the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects became noticeable.

  “Then why is he so interested?”

  “All of the elven people are interested in anything from the outside that threatens them. It is how we continue to exist.”

  Marzi stood and strode over to the edge of the clearing to retrieve a stick she’d been eyeing. Returning, she plopped down and began drawing her own circles on the ground. “That’s stupid. How can some little kid like me hurt you?”

  Rys paused her drawing and turned to face Marzi. “It is not you we fear. But if you can figure out how to penetrate our defenses, others are surely not far behind. After all, as you say, you are but a child. Older beings with less innocent motives should have no trouble doing what you did.”

  “Adults don’t hop beams in Pangrove. They think it’s all just kids’ stuff.”

  Ryshara laughed, although there seemed no joy in it. “Keep in mind, Pangrove is not the only place out there. And your people are not the only ones who understand the world.”

  Marzi had no answer. She fell silent and focused on the overlapping circles she had traced on the ground. The question that haunted her finally found its way to the surface. “Rys, do you think that Valyn could help me get home?”

  “It does not work that way.”

  “What way?”

  Ryshara stood, brushed off her tunic, and picked up her bow. “You can’t just ask her for wishes and have them granted. She does as she chooses. It is not for us to question. It is enough for our people to try and honor her and live as she directs. That is when we are most at peace, in balance. When we try to question or wander from her will, we find only sorrow and conflict.”

  Marzi hung her head. Rather than summoning tears, she felt anger. But mostly she felt a surge of determination. Maybe Valyn would help her. Or maybe not. Either way, she was going home. She glanced sideways to see Lapis staring at her, his bright eyes tinged with what looked like sadness.

  Chapter 44: Marzi

  As Marzi and Ryshara approached the house, the terrace door opened and Rintaur emerged with Lothran behind him. The two exchanged a brief word and then the lord consort turned and strode past the two girls, addressing them and nodding. Marzi felt his gaze as he passed her. She had been the reason for his visit.

  “What is it with him?” Marzi kept her voice low to prevent her words from reaching Ryshara’s father, who stood but a few short strides away.

  Rys approached the steps to the door and hugged her father. “Valyn smiled on us today.” She reached in her pouch and pulled out two hares she had captured while in the forest. “I will get these started. These and the remaining venison will see us nicely through the next couple of weeks.”

  Lothran beamed. “A good day indeed. But, do not give Valyn all the credit.” The smile morphed into a soft laugh.

  Marzi watched the exchange with no small amount of pain. She wanted to be held by her own mother and father. She longed for even the chastising that she seemed to regularly get from her parents. Rather than giving in to the grief, though, she summoned all the determination and anger she could. I am going home.

  ◆◆◆

  When they finished eating dinner, Lothran stood. “I will take my leave. The council meets shortly. I should not be too long this evening. I have not heard of any great affairs to come before us tonight.”

  As her father left, Ryshara gathered dishes and leftover food. “I will prepare the food for storage if you will clean the dishes.”

  Marzi hopped down off her elevated platform. “Why does Rintaur come here so much?” She followed Rys over to the pot of water used for cleaning dishes.

  Ryshara shrugged. “My father is on the council. The lord consort represents the empress, sort of.” She set her load on the counter and turned to Marzi. “But mostly, they are friends from childhood.”

  “But when he comes over, he always stares at me. And, I don’t know, but it seems like he’s kind of sad or something.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the terrace door, followed by a soft feminine voice, “Rys, are you home?”

  As she walked toward the door, Rys answered, “Yes, Elle, we are here. Please come in. I was about to pour us some talonberry juice. Would you like a cup?”

  “Sadly, I cannot stay; I must return home and help Mother. I only wanted to deliver this package to Marzi.” Elle handed Marzi a package of soft green paper tied with gold twine. As Marzi opened it, she saw a tunic and pants in a supple leather of a soft heathery green. Around the edges of the tunic neckline were embroidered flowers in dark pink and purple, similar to the ones on her favorite sweater.

  “Thank you so much. It’s the most wonderful gift I’ve ever gotten. And it looks like it’s just my size.”

  “Not a gift. You work here now, like the rest of us. I must go; Mother is expecting me.”

  Ryshara stopped her friend briefly. “Will you and Ran be in the forest tomorrow? If so, you must stop and see us. We could make time to lunch with you.”

  “I would like that, but I must work at home tomorrow. I am to help Mother sew the ceremonial robes for the upcoming wedding. I cannot speak for Ran, though.”

  Rys nodded her head in agreement and grinned as she saw her friend to the door. “Yes, who can ever speak for Ran?”

  Marzi walked with them to the door, opened package in hand. “Thank you again, this is really nice.”

  Elle nodded, and with that she was gone.

  ◆◆◆

  The girls completed their chores
of cleaning dishes and putting the leftover food away. Tomorrow, Marzi, I will show you how to gather tyn roots by the stream. We use them to add bulk to our meals….”

  Marzi stood, hands on hips, staring at Rys. “Why won’t you answer my questions about Rintaur? Why does he stare at me? It gives me the creeps.” She shook her head.

  Rys stood staring in the center of the room for a moment, before easing over to the counter. She dampened a piece of rough cloth and used it to wipe some food crumbs from the counter into her hand. When she spoke, she did so without turning around. “Marzi, you must understand; we have never seen one of your kind. In truth, in my life I have never seen any being other than elves. You should understand the interest. In time, it will lessen. But for now, you will simply have to endure.”

  She had no intention of enduring anything. The anger subsided a bit as she considered the lord consort. “But, why does he always seem sad when he looks at me? Usually he just looks like everyone else—kind of normal.” She climbed up on her perch at the dining table.

  Ryshara leaned back against the counter, gazing at Marzi as if looking through her. “I will tell you something, but you must not discuss it again, ever.” She fell silent and cocked her head.

  Marzi rolled her eyes. “Okay. Whatever.”

  Ryshara wiped her hands on the cloth and hung it on a hook over the counter. Making her way to the table, her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “As I told you, Lord Rintaur is the consort or partner of Empress Ariessa.”

  “So, that’s like they are married?”

  Ryshara smiled. “Yes, I think that is a good enough description. They have… had a daughter—Arien. I suspect that he thinks of her when he looks at you.”

  Marzi rubbed her finger on the edge of the table as she considered the new information. “What happened to her?”