As Vambran listened to the girl's explanation, he admired the beauty of the cave. The entire far end had been carved to mimic the shape of a nautilus shell, and in the center rested a rounded stone that reminded Vambran of a clam shell. The entire cave was draped with the green plants he and the druid had swum past. In addition, the cavern was illuminated with magical glowing orbs, resembling common pierced lanterns favored by Chondathans on the surface.
"This shrine to the Dolphin Prince is normally submerged," Serille said as she guided the two surface dwellers toward the stone shell, "but we made some alterations in preparation for your arrival. We thought it would allow you to be more… comfortable… this way."
Vambran nodded as he walked around the large stone, which he took for an altar. Arbeenok chose to examine a strange script carved along the smooth walls of the place. As Serille followed the lieutenant about the shrine, other sea elves clambered out of the water. Many carried tridents or nets, and most adorned their bodies with necklaces of shells and coral, and wore belts of shark and eel skin. Some had odd satchels draped across a shoulder or hanging from a belt. Clothing was not worn by any, as Vambran was beginning to understand, feeling weighted down by his own soaking wet shirt, trousers, and boots.
"This is normally filled with water?" Vambran asked the girl as she came up beside him. He was admiring a particularly beautiful carving of a dolphin in the wall.
"Yes," she said. "We have little need for these bubbles, though we can tolerate being out of the water for brief periods of time."
Something the girl had said nagged at Vambran's mind. Then it hit him. He turned to look at her. "You said that you would know me by my family. What, exactly, does that mean?"
Serille smiled. "You are Matrell, correct?"
Vambran could only nod, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"You have your aunt's eyes," the girl said, and she laughed at Vambran's reaction.
He finally snapped his mouth shut, then asked, "My aunt? You know Xaphira?"
"Yes, I do. She is a kind woman. Did you not know that your family and my people engage in trade? It has been quite beneficial to both sides," she added.
Vambran shook his head. "I had no idea. That must have been what Xaphira was doing all those years she was missing."
"I knew you were the one the moment you drove away the kraken," Serille said, coming close and looking at Vambran intensely. "As I said, your face was familiar to me, but it was these," and she reached up and touched the three dots, one by one, on his forehead, "that confirmed it." Then her bright smile clouded into a frown. "But you were unwilling to come with me then, and I thought perhaps I had made a mistake." She turned and looked at the altar. "I spent a number of tides praying, hoping the Lord of the Sea would help me to understand what I had done wrong."
Vambran chuckled. "I'm sorry," he said. "At the time, I had no idea I was destined for this, so the thought of sinking to the bottom of the ocean, even with someone as fetching as you, was quite intimidating. I was drowning, if you recall."
The smile returned to Senile's face. "Yes," she said. "I was happy to assist you, whether you were the one spoken of in our portents or not."
Vambran saw that Serille's gaze was just a little more provocative, a tad more suggestive, than it had been before, and suddenly, he was conscious again of her bare body. Turning away, he said, "I guess I should thank you for that, then," and walked back to Arbeenok to put a little space between himself and the girl. "But now that we're here," he said, changing the subject, "I have no idea what we need from you."
Arbeenok walked over to a small shelf of rock and sat down. "We are seeking great magic," he said in his rich, deep voice. The alaghi's words echoed through the cavern, making the elves turn and look at him in wonder. "A healing magic, to cure a terrible plague. And we believe what we need can only be found in the submerged ruins of a human city. One known as the Twelve Cities of Swords."
Serille's smile faded once more. "You seek great history," she said, repeating her words from before. "Deep Sashelas told of this, but I did not know what it would mean." She sat for a moment, as if trying to accept what the druid had revealed. Finally she stood again and said, "I don't know what magic you have come for, either, but I can tell you that what you wish to do is very dangerous. The ruins of your ancient kingdom lie buried under the ocean floor, with only a few places accessible from the water. There are tribes of creatures living near those entrances, bitter enemies to us. And other things lurk deeper in the ruins, slumbering beasts that we would do well not to awaken. But if this is what you wish, we will try to help you."
Vambran smiled. "The world above will thank you for it, if we manage to find what we're looking for."
Serille looked at the lieutenant. "And what about you, Matrell? Will you thank me, too?"
Vambran nodded, feeling a little unnerved. "Yes," he said. "I will be very grateful. People I care about very deeply up there are in trouble, and I want to help them."
Serille considered his comments, then nodded, too. "Then we must not waste time. First, we must consult with the elders of my tribe, to see what they might know of this magic you seek. If we cannot learn enough that way, then we will ask the Dolphin Lord to guide us."
Quickly, the elves were in motion, speaking among themselves in a language that seemed to Vambran to be a cross between elvish and the chittering of dolphins. However the conversation was resolved, shortly afterward, several of the sea elves dived into the water and disappeared, while others began to move about the chamber, searching the lines of script carved on the walls.
"I have sent my fastest swimmers to seek information from my home city," Serille said. "It should not take more than a quarter tide to learn what we need to know." Then she pointed to the other members of her group and said, "My companions are searching among our holy lore, trying to learn what might be revealed by our written histories."
Vambran nodded. "So, what can we do to help?" he asked.
"Rest," Serille said. "When we learn something, the journey to your goal will be long and arduous." She went behind the altar and brought out a platter. Vambran saw that it held small mounds of a green substance that reminded him of algae from the ponds back home, as well as clams and even some fish, freshly filleted. The girl brought the platter to him and said, "We have prepared food for you. It is not much by your standards, we realize, but we tried to guess what you would like."
Arbeenok moved over beside Vambran, dipped his finger in one of the piles of green goop, and licked it. His eyes widened in surprise, and he scooped up a handful and popped it into his mouth. He made a satisfied sound as he chewed the strange food and motioned for Vambran to try it.
Vambran gingerly took a sample and tasted it, not sure what to expect, Arbeenok's reaction notwithstanding. But the flavor was delicious. It reminded the lieutenant of a blend of a hot buttered bun and a lemon, and he eagerly took another bite. Serille smiled and set the platter down between the two of them, then went off to help her kin search among the ancient writings carved into the walls of the shrine. Vambran and Arbeenok continued to consume the tasty meal. The fish was even better than the green concoction, and before long, the platter was empty and the two companions sat back, full.
"I feel as though I am on the verge of a vision," Arbeenok said, standing. "I will pray and see if I can learn something useful for us." He went off to find a quiet spot, out of the way, leaving Vambran to sit and wait.
For a long time, Vambran simply contemplated the events that had unfolded in the previous few hours. It was hard to imagine that only one day before, he had been the unwilling guest of the Emerald Enclave, housed in a cave on a rock outcropping. So much had happened in that span. He considered the people he had met, from Shinthala the druid who had taken a liking to him, to Edilus, who had not. He thought about the loss of his troops, and Uncle Kovrim, and he spent a private moment grieving again, though his sorrow was not mixed with guilt any longer. After his prayers earlier that morn
ing, Vambran understood again the vagaries of life and his role in the lives of other people. Instead of being angry with himself for not having done more to save the Crescents, he accepted that events had been beyond his control and that those who were responsible deserved his wrath.
Vambran was startled out of his thoughts by Serille's appearance again. "Would you like to take a little journey with me?" she asked somewhat shyly. "To a secret spot I like?" she added, gesturing toward the water. She was holding a necklace of brightly colored coral and shells, all reds and purples and blues.
"Sure," the lieutenant said, certain that he still had several hours to use his water-breathing magic. "I can travel with you for a little while," he said. Then he frowned. "Though I can't swim nearly as well as you, and without Arbeenok to carry me, I may just sink."
"This will help," Serille said, holding up the necklace. "It has some powerful magic that's perfect for you." She handed the jewelry to Vambran and said, "You won't need those," brushing her hand against his still-wet clothes. "In fact, the magic of the necklace is much better if you take them off."
Vambran looked at the sea elf askance, trying to determine her motives, but the look she gave him was so innocent that he couldn't be sure what she thought. Shrugging, he sat down and slipped his waterlogged boots off, then quickly got out of his breastplate and the rest of his wet clothes. He laid them on a rock shelf to dry, though he wondered why he bothered. Then, when he was as naked as Serille, he looked at her expectantly.
She came to him and motioned for him to bow his head, and she slipped the jewelry around his neck. Immediately, Vambran could feel a change come over him. He gasped as he felt his hands and feet alter, elongating and growing webbing between fingers and toes. He suddenly had an urge to dive into the water and swim, knowing that it would feel like the most natural thing in the world. He reached up to feel the necklace and his hand brushed against gills along his neck and breastbone.
In a sudden panic, Vambran wondered if the transformation was permanent, and he yanked the necklace off again. At once, his body returned to its human anatomy, and he breathed a sharp sigh of relief. He slowly slipped the necklace back into place and felt the aquatic adaptation happen again.
"We have one for your companion, too," Serille said, "but we can give it to him later. He looks content."
Vambran looked over at Arbeenok, who had chosen to meditate, and saw the alaghi sitting very still with his eyes closed. He had to agree with the girl's assessment.
"Come on," Serille said, trotting toward the water. She looked back at Vambran.
The mercenary hesitated, turning back and reaching for his sword. "I don't feel right without this," he said, but he had no idea how to swim with it in his hand, since he no longer wore its scabbard.
"Leave it," Serille instructed. Instead, she took up a trident, one that had been borne into the cavern by another sea elf. She handed the new weapon to Vambran and said, "Can you use this?"
The lieutenant considered the aquatic weapon for a moment and gave it an experimental thrust, then nodded.
"Then let's go," the girl said, and laughing, she turned and splashed into the water.
Vambran followed her into the ocean, wondering what it would feel like, swimming with webbed hands and feet. It took him a moment to acclimate to his natural buoyancy and to learn to thrust properly, but soon enough, the mercenary was scooting through the water, able to keep up with Serille most of the time. Occasionally, she would swim circles around him, tickling him, and he would find it difficult to keep her at bay. Then, once she swam away, leaving him behind, he would stroke hard to catch up. When he realized that he had lost her, he began to worry, wondering if he could find his way back to the cave, but at the next moment, she popped up from behind a rock, laughing at him.
The most wondrous thing about the necklace, Vambran soon learned, was that he could speak with the girl and hear her speak.
"This way," she said at last and swam toward a large forest of the green plants growing from the ocean floor. It was a fairly flat place, and the plants grew thick and tall.
"What is this?" Vambran asked as they drifted among the treelike growths.
"It's called kelp," Serille answered. "Isn't it beautiful?" And she darted away, vanishing, beginning a game of hide and seek.
Vambran tried to keep up with the girl, but he kept getting his trident tangled in the kelp, and finally he called out, "I give up! You're too good!" Serille poked him from behind with her toe. When he spun to look at her, she swam to him, wrapping him in a most suggestive embrace, and kissed him.
CHAPTER 11
"Getting to House Darowdryn should be quite an adventure," Pilos said. The Abreeant, Edilus, and the mercenaries had pulled the wagon into an alley near the store where Emriana and, to their extreme surprise, Xaphira were hiding. They were all circled around the trussed up form of Lobra Pharaboldi, who was scowling at them, her mouth stuffed with cloth. "I can't believe you're here," he said, beaming at Emriana.
The girl returned his smile, but there was a sadness in it he had never seen before. "Tymora smiled on us a few times last night," she said.
"What happened? How did you get free?" he asked, eager to hear of the girl's exploits.
Emriana shook her head. "Not now, not here," she said, still in that soft, sad voice. "We have to get her off the street before someone sees her."
Pilos nodded, though he did not understand and wanted to. Later, he decided. She's obviously been through a lot.
Horial was doing some quick rearranging in the cart. "All right, lift her up here," he said after making room next to Grolo.
Lobra thrashed and kicked but Emriana gave her one hard smack across the cheek and the woman stopped struggling. Adyan and Edilus hoisted the bound prisoner up off the cobblestones while Pilos kept a nervous watch over their surroundings. The last thing they needed was a city watchman strolling by at just the wrong time.
In the end, the two Matrell women had to ride on the cart, sitting on Lobra, who was pinned under a blanket beside the still-unconscious Grolo. Along with Edilus, they looked like some sort of traveling carnival, and a dirty one at that.
As they set off, Pilos suddenly remembered. "Em," he said, pulling a satchel out from under the seat of the cart. "I think these are yours."
Emriana eyed the bag in puzzlement for a heartbeat, then her expression brightened immeasurably and she grabbed at it. "Hetta!" she cried, digging into the satchel. Finding the ring, she slipped it onto her finger and turned all her attention to something unseen. Pilos smiled, happy to have cheered the girl. After a moment, she removed the ring and held it out to Xaphira, who stared at it with wariness. "Go on, take it," Emriana said. "She wants to speak with you."
Gingerly, Xaphira took the ring from her niece's hand and slipped it on. Her eyes glazed over and she stared at nothing, and Pilos knew she was in silent conversation.
Emriana leaned forward and gave the young priest a tight hug. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you for bringing her back to me."
Pilos smiled. "It was more like her bringing me back, but you're welcome."
The girl dug around in the satchel some more, then gasped in delight as she pulled out her opal pendant. "I can contact Vambran!" she exclaimed, slipping it over her head.
Emriana took hold of it to make use of its magic, but Xaphira reached out and stopped her. "Wait," she said. "Wait until after everyone has heard each other's stories. He'll want to know as much as we can tell him."
Emriana frowned for a moment, then nodded. "All right," she said, tucking the pendant away.
They rode on in silence for a time, partially because it seemed to Pilos that Emriana did not want to talk, but also because he was concerned that palace guards or the city watch might still be looking for them. At one point, Xaphira turned to Emriana and said, "Quill is dead." Pilos watched as her niece reached out and took Xaphira's hand, squeezing it in a comforting manner, but Pilos wasn't sure from the older woman's express
ion whether she was grieving or gratified. She remained silent for the rest of the ride.
The united group succeeded in reaching the Darowdryn estate without further trouble. As they rolled through the gates of the estate and word was sent ahead that they had arrived, Pilos felt himself finally relax. He could sense the others reacting the same way. At the front steps of the house, Ariskrit immediately took control of the situation, sending servants scattering in every direction and ordering every one of the new arrivals into baths and clean clothes. There were no complaints.
After everyone refreshed themselves, the entire group convened to discuss events. Pilos stifled a big yawn as he waited for everyone to gather in his family's sitting room. He had been one of the first to arrive.
Long night, he realized. When was the last time I slept? He realized it had been the night before the last, and fitfully at that. When Mikolos died, Pilos remembered, feeling his throat constricting in sorrow. Has it only been one day?
The Abreeant felt much better, though, even if he was tired. A hot bath and clean clothes could do wonders for a person who had been nearly stabbed, drowned, and shot at numerous times throughout the day and night. Everyone else who drifted into the room looked better, too, though Emriana still had that strange, haunted look on her face. It troubled Pilos, but he resolved to give her whatever time she needed and not press her about it. She'll tell me when she's ready, he told himself.
The sitting room quickly became crowded as everyone packed in. In addition to himself, Uncle Tharlgarl, and Ariskrit, Pilos counted Emriana and Xaphira, Horial, Adyan, Grolo-looking much better after substantial healing-and Edilus, and a pair of House guards sitting on either side of a still-confined Lobra.
Ariskrit cleared her throat and everyone grew silent. "Well, now," she said in a bemused tone. "It seems that a few of us have had a rather interesting evening. Lots of news to share and plans to be made. But before we begin, let me just say that House Darowdryn has always been and will continue to be staunch allies of the Matrells and their associates. Let that never be in doubt." She looked pointedly at Emriana and Xaphira, and the grand dame sent an icy stare toward Lobra, who sniffed. Pilos wasn't buying into the woman's airs, though. She looked beside herself with apprehension.
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