Dwarven Ruby

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Sheri peeked into the pouch. She grabbed the pouch from Benni and then ran out the door. She rounded the corner, but Arik and Wylan were nowhere to be seen. She walked back to the hideout in a daze, shaking her head.

  “Divide it up into piles that will buy a day’s supply of food,” ordered Sheri as she handed the pouch back to Benni. “We will use it as Arik requested. When it runs out, we strike again.”

  Chapter 21

  Tale of Tears

  “Arik and Wylan are not in their room,” sighed Alex as he exited the back door of the Falcon’s Hood.

  “Their horses are still here in the stables,” declared Tanya.

  “I am sure they are fine,” offered Jenneva. “Wylan was quite intrigued with the city. Maybe Arik is showing him around.”

  “This is not a sightseeing trip,” frowned Alex. “In any event, there are far too many Targa soldiers around here for us to hang around. We shall continue to our meeting without them and check back here later.”

  “Chaco said they left with a girl through a hole in the floor. Do you want me to stay here in case they come back?” asked Tanya.

  “No,” Alex shook his head. “We must learn to have faith in Arik sooner or later. He has shown that he is resourceful. Let’s go.”

  Alex led the way out of the alley and onto the street. He took a circuitous route that ended up at the estate of Stafa Rakech. The gate swung open as the trio approached it, and they rode through to the front of the mansion. The mercenaries opened the door to the mansion, and the trio was escorted to the plush sitting room. Oscar Dalek was waiting for them.

  “I guess you are already aware that Queen Marta entered the city last night,” greeted Oscar. “Where is Arik?”

  “We did hear,” nodded Alex. “Arik was not in his room. Neither was Wylan. If necessary, I will bring him back here later tonight.”

  “Wylan is the lad they met in Cleb?” questioned Oscar. “He is staying with the Rangers?”

  “Yes,” nodded Alex. “He is a good lad and a fast learner. His skills grow daily. Tedi never caught up to us before we left Dorgun, so having Wylan along is good.”

  “I imagine you can use all the help you can find,” nodded Oscar. “Should we be concerned about Tedi?”

  “I am concerned about all of the children,” frowned Alex. “It just gets harder to keep track of them. Tedi has a good head on his shoulders though. He will find us.”

  “Have you seen your mother yet?” asked Jenneva.

  “No,” frowned Oscar. “I would love to, but it is too risky for both of us. The need for Stafa Rakech is not over yet. I am afraid that Oscar Dalek must remain dead for a while yet.”

  “That is so sad,” frowned Tanya. “Why must families be separated?”

  “An excellent question, my young warrior,” smiled Oscar. “I asked you here tonight to answer a question that has been plaguing some of us for a good number of years. It is an interesting tale that some of you have heard great portions of already, but I will start at the beginning so that we all know everything.”

  “Story time from Uncle Oscar?” giggled Jenneva.

  “You don’t realize how close you are, Jenneva,” nodded Oscar. “Please sit down because this story is the tale of your baby.”

  “Do not make jokes about this subject, Oscar,” warned Alex. “It is painful enough to think about even after all these years.”

  “This is no joke, my old friend,” smiled Oscar. “The story of your daughter has been discovered. Shall I begin?”

  “First tell me if she still lives,” demanded Jenneva.

  “She still lives, Jenneva,” smiled Oscar. “She is cared for by a loving couple who treat her as their own.”

  Tanya rose and hugged Jenneva tightly. Then she turned and hugged Alex. “I think I should leave,” volunteered Tanya. “They have a right to know the details without others being in the way.”

  “No, Tanya,” smiled Oscar. “I think the story may hold a lesson in it for you. I know that you have had a few bumps along the way with Alex and Jenneva regarding how they abandoned their child.”

  “That is all over,” frowned Tanya. “I was being young and foolish. I did not understand the strain they were under.”

  “Perhaps, but your answer just now belies that fact,” insisted Oscar. “You see, they never abandoned their child at all. They may feel guilt at not having been there, but not nearly as much guilt as I have felt over the years.”

  “Oscar,” sighed Alex. “There was nothing that you could have done.”

  “You?” questioned Tanya. “What does this have to do with you?”

  “Sit, Tanya,” ordered Oscar. “Sit and learn the truth of what happened all those years ago.”

  “Okay,” sighed Tanya.

  “It all started just before the Collapse,” Oscar began. “Sarac’s people had managed to gain control of Cordonia and Sordoa. Both countries were preparing to attack Targa. Alex and Jenneva had informed us of the Ancient Prophecy, and I managed to get my wife and son off to the Island of Grakus. Supposedly, the heir was being taken to safety. That left Aurora’s child, the descendent of Sarac. We had men in Sordoa, but they were unable to get close to the child. I went to Atar’s Cove to enlist Alex’s help. At that time we had magical Doors created by Egam. They allowed us to travel great distances by just walking through a door.”

  “So when Oscar says he traveled to Atar’s Cove,” explained Jenneva, “it was like going into the next room.”

  “Correct,” continued Oscar. “I brought Alex back to Tagaret with me. He was going to go through a similar Door to Trekum to rescue Aurora’s child. Before he did, Jenneva came through the Door and reminded us that Aurora was a magician. She correctly pointed out that only a mage could get close to the child. After a short discussion, everyone agreed that they both should go. It was intended to be a quick trip. Their baby was left on the island with a young girl named Shanor. Although Shanor was dependable, she was too young to mind the new baby. I offered to get the baby and Shanor and bring them to Tagaret while Alex and Jenneva went to Trekum.”

  “It was our decision,” Alex interrupted. “It was not your fault, Oscar.”

  “When I arrived through the Door in Jenneva’s study,” Oscar continued, “I heard a scream. I looked out the window in time to see Shanor die. My only thought at that time was to rescue the baby. I ran downstairs and grabbed the baby, but I heard footsteps going up the stairs to the study. I knew that I could not use the Door to get the baby to safety. I did the only thing I could think of to protect her. I ran out the back of the house and mounted Yorra. I told her to fly away from the island.”

  “Stop this,” pleaded Jenneva. “There is no purpose to dredging this up.”

  “I would not resurrect it unless it was necessary,” countered Oscar. “I have spent my life trying to forget it.”

  “Then why continue?” asked Alex.

  “The story needs just one more telling to put it all behind us,” insisted Oscar. “I directed Yorra to fly east towards Tagaret, but we ran into a huge storm that blocked the way. Nighttime had also fallen. I told Yorra to turn to the north and find a desolate spot to land. That was Cordonia we landed in. I wrapped the baby in my tunic to keep her warm. Yorra and I agreed to share watch the entire night and leave in the morning. During my watch I heard the sound of a bow snap and felt the arrow strike my back. Everything went black.”

  “I have been so wrong and acted so horribly,” cried Tanya. “Why did you never tell me the truth?”

  “Look at Oscar’s face,” sobbed Jenneva. “He did everything he could possibly do to save our baby, and he is still riddled with guilt. It is not a feeling one chooses to adopt. The end result is that we were not there when our child needed us. What matters the details of that day?”

  “They matter a great deal,” sniffed Tanya. “You should have set me straight or told me to get lost.”

  “Let Oscar finish so we can be done with this,” interrupted Alex with tears
in his eyes.

  “I woke up in the camp of a gypsy family,” continued Oscar. “They found me and were caring for me. My first thought was for the baby, but they insisted that there was no baby. Ora helped me sit up, and I saw his sons burying the bodies of bandits. Yorra had killed twenty of them before she collapsed because of her injuries, but the baby was gone. Ora and Beka nursed Yorra and me back to health as we traveled the land looking for any sign of the baby. We never found her. Then came the Collapse, and I found out that my son and wife were lost at sea.”

  “And Aurora’s baby disappeared when she died,” added Jenneva. “It is as if it was all preordained.”

  “And that is the end of the story,” concluded Alex.

  “It was until now,” smiled Oscar. “A man came out of the north and stumbled upon a recent battlefield. Dark elves had attacked a group of bandits. In the middle of the battlefield was a small baby girl. The old man picked up the girl. He could clearly see that she was not an elf. She also had much fairer skin than the dark bandits. This man cared for the child and searched for her parents. Eventually, he learned of the gypsies, Ora and Beka. He knew they were searching for a lost girl so he spent his time hunting for them. Finally, he found them and learned the story of me and my unicorn. Ora knew whom the child belonged to and so the old man kept the child and searched for the parents. He raised her as his own while he searched.”

  “You said she was with a loving couple,” interrupted Alex. “Not a old man.”

  “She is,” nodded Oscar. “Eventually she grew up and left the old man to go off on her own.”

  “Do you know where she is now?” asked Jenneva.

  “I do,” smiled Oscar. “The real question is who was the old man, not where is the girl.”

  “I could care less who the old man was,” countered Alex. “Tell me where my daughter is.”

  “Who was the old man?” asked Tanya.

  “He has gone by many names,” smiled Oscar, “but I think you knew him as Boris Khatama.”

  Silence descended over the room as Oscar watched the shock of realization sink in. Alex and Jenneva sat staring at Tanya with their mouths hanging open. Tanya started crying. Slowly the shock wore down, and Alex and Jenneva moved to hug Tanya. Tanya rose and met them in the middle of the floor. They stood wordlessly for a long time in a family embrace. Finally Alex looked over at Oscar.

  “How did you piece this together?” Alex asked.

  “Master Khatama began remembering things after you left him in Barouk,” Oscar replied. “Each day he remembered a little more. Finally, he remembered all the way back to Ora and Beka and the battlefield where Tanya was found.”

  “Your tunic,” Tanya asked, “was it purple with gold stitching?”

  “It was,” Oscar nodded.

  “Uncle Boris still has it,” smiled Tanya. “I knew it was something special to him, but he could not remember what.”

  “So his memory is back now?” questioned Jenneva.

  “No,” frowned Oscar. “He lost it again as quickly as he gained it. By the time he arrived here in Tagaret, he could not even remember who Fredrik was.”

  “Something or someone is affecting his memory,” declared Jenneva. “It is not normal to fade in and out like that. Where is he now?”

  “I am not sure,” admitted Oscar. “He was staying with Fredrik.”

  “That means that they rescued Tedi’s mother successfully?” inquired Tanya.

  “Not only Tedi’s mother,” nodded Oscar, “but Arik’s as well. They were both in the Imperial Palace.”

  “Have you…,” Alex began.

  “Oh, yes,” smiled Oscar. “Kamil is a wonderful woman. Callie and I both like her. I was hoping that Arik would have come with you today. Does he know his grandmother is in town?”

  “Not yet,” sighed Alex. “Perhaps we should go looking for him.”

  “Prince Midge was here earlier,” offered Oscar. “He was checking up on the fairies. He knows the latest news and will no doubt tell Arik. I still would not mind seeing him if there is time before you leave. Where are you heading next?”

  “We go to Tor in search of the Shield of Oykara,” declared Alex. “It is an old dwarven shield of some importance.”

  “No doubt you heard about the Sydar affair?” asked Oscar.

  “Yes,” nodded Alex. “I was briefed on that.”

  “Well the ship with his nephews is due to leave Tagaret soon,” Oscar said. “You could catch a ride up to Miram. It might save you a few days.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” nodded Alex. “Let me know when it is ready to leave and we will be on it.”

  * * *

  “Lattimer,” shouted Sarac as he hurled a fireball at a chair in his office.

  Lattimer threw open the door and stared at the burning chair. He shouted orders and two men came running to put out the fire. Lattimer walked over to Sarac’s desk and sat in front of it. He inhaled deeply and made eye contact with the Dark One who was behind the desk.

  “That solves nothing,” frowned Lattimer. “Your anger is better used if it is directed at our enemies.”

  “That is what you are supposed to be doing,” snarled Sarac. “Instead all I hear are excuses about why we are failing. I want out of this tower, Lattimer. Why aren’t you making it happen?”

  “Your forces are loyal to you, Sarac,” sighed Lattimer. “We shall win this contest and get you released, but it will take some time.”

  “Some time?” scowled Sarac. “You have already had enough time for the Children to grow into adults. I want results and I want them now. I do not intend to spend an eternity in this foul castle.”

  “I understand your frustration, Dark One,” soothed Lattimer. “I am also frustrated with the incredible luck the Children have displayed. They cannot avoid the confrontation forever. You are destined to win this conflict.”

  Sarac drove his fist into the desk. He closed his eyes as the pain of the impact radiated through his body. He luxuriated in the tingling sensation for several minutes while Lattimer sat quietly waiting. Finally, Sarac opened his eyes and nodded to Lattimer.

  “They have already found three of the gems for the Sword of Heavens,” Sarac stated calmly. “There are only four more to go. Are we any closer to killing one of the Children than we were when we started?”

  “We are,” assured Lattimer. “The heir to the Alcean throne has been positively identified. We now know that it is Arik who must die. Remember that with each gem he finds, he narrows the area that we must search for him. In a way, they are solving the problem of us finding them.”

  “Granted,” conceded Sarac, “but we also increase the risk that they might succeed. Surely we have enough forces to find them and kill them?”

  “Finding them is not that easy,” frowned Lattimer. “With each failed attempt, they learn to adjust their behavior. For example, they no longer fly their unicorns now that they know we can attack them when they do. If they continue to refrain from using magic, we are limited in our ability to find them. We must use more mundane approaches, and the Children appear to be very good at covering their tracks.”

  “Are you saying that out of our vast army of followers,” frowned Sarac, “we cannot find one person with the skill to track them down?”

  “Not at all,” Lattimer shook his head. “I am saying that we cannot expect each and every one of our people to have the skills required to do that. We cannot just throw vast numbers of people towards the Children and expect to get lucky.”

  “What of my descendent?” asked Sarac as he began to calm down. “Do we have better odds of breaking the Ancient Prophecy there?”

  “We are not sure of the identity yet,” Lattimer shook his head. “We believe that it is Niki, but we cannot be sure. We almost succeeded in eliminating her in Tagaret, but you already know of that failure.”

  “Perhaps Tagaret is the key to all of this,” mused Sarac. “It is there that Arik must assume the throne.”

 
“Eventually,” nodded Lattimer as the two men removed the burnt chair from the room. “I am concerned with what is going on in Tagaret. Queen Marta has returned. While that in itself does not affect us, it shows that the forces of Arik grow larger and more dangerous. She has resurrected the Red Swords.”

  “I doubt that she had anything to do with it,” scowled Sarac. “She is being used as a placeholder for Arik. Nothing more. Somebody is manipulating the situation there though. Everich is proving to be a disappointment.”

  “The gold he provides is very helpful,” Lattimer pointed out. “Fielding the Black Devils and Dark Riders becomes expensive when they are not out taking what they want for their own. You aren’t thinking of eliminating him?”

  “Only if we can replace him with someone more effective,” the Dark One responded. “What is Dalgar up to?”

  “I do not know,” frowned Lattimer. “He has not been heard of for some time and that troubles me. I fear he may have his own agenda.”

  “He would not dare to if I was free to roam the land,” growled Sarac.

  “Of course not,” admitted Lattimer, “but that is not yet the case. I think we should be careful in dealing with Dalgar until we know what he is up to.”

  “What of Sarac’s Ravens?” questioned the Dark One. “Why have they failed?”

  “They haven’t actually failed yet,” replied Lattimer. “They missed the Children by less than a day in Lanoir. They are being a bit more cautious than the last group, and I think that is wise. I would prefer a slightly slower conclusion to this problem than another miss that requires rebuilding the group over again.”

  “As long as they don’t take too long,” nodded Sarac. “We need something to make the Children respond to us rather than chasing them around the world. That is what will allow us to kill them.”

  “They are steadfast in their pursuit of restoring the Sword of Heavens,” shrugged Lattimer. “I cannot think of anything that would cause them to abandon that search, even for a short time.”

  “The threatened destruction of Tagaret would,” smirked Sarac. “They must raise Alcea with Arik on the throne. If there is no Alcea, their cause is lost.”