The Awakening

by Gary Alan Wassner

  “As you wish, my Queen,” Marne dutifully responded. As she was turning to leave the room, she hesitated and turned to face her mistress once more. “I hope we are doing the right thing,” she whispered. “What urgency could compel him to require a face to face meeting? He has always been a proponent of caution.”

  “Perhaps he fears that his means of communication is no longer safe and that the information he has gained is too important to risk sending any other way. What choice would he have but to summon us? If he were to absent himself from Talamar now, it might cause suspicion and jeopardize his cover. We must take the gamble regardless of our suspicions, I fear. If there is even a chance that my daughter is in danger and that I can help somehow, then it is worth whatever risk I may face,” Esta said forthwith. “You know, dear Marne, I am quite capable of traveling alone,” she remarked, as if she was about to go to an afternoon soiree at a neighboring castle.

  “Yes, I know, your highness. And you know that I would never dream of allowing you to ride out of here without me by your side.”

  “Yes, my friend, I know,” Esta replied warmly, as she ushered her out of the door.

  Queen Esta rose with the dawn, and dressed quickly in a riding habit of azure blue and lace. She threw a long cape of a slightly deeper blue over her shoulders, and then fastened it with a large, garnet brooch. Finally, she wound her long braid into a tight bun and secured it with two silver pins. Her rucksack and that of Marne’s she gave to Catha to bring to the stables, and then she left her chambers and walked down the long stairway toward the great hall. When she was halfway down the steps, she caught sight of Marne walking toward her from her own rooms. They glanced inconspicuously at one another, and then met at the bottom. Together, they walked to the massive doors that led out onto the paved courtyard.

  “Have you packed sufficient food for us?” Esta asked under her breath, all the while smiling at Marne so those watching would see only two women, fond of one another, chatting in the early morning hours.

  Smiling back, Marne responded, “Yes, your Highness. I brought what we will need, no more.”

  “As I suspected,” the Queen responded. “I should know better than to question you on your preparedness.”

  They walked through the heavy doors, and saw with relief their two horses attended by squires nearby, the rucksacks hanging, one upon each. In the distance they could see row upon row of armored Knights with their helmets in their right hands, standing solemnly at the sides of their steeds.

  As the women descended the broad steps before the doors, Parsifal walked from the front lines toward them. He bowed gracefully with his plumed helmet in his right hand, and he stood at attention before them.

  “Are the Knights of Avalain ready to ride?” Queen Esta asked of him.

  “We are, your highness.”

  “Good. Go forth from our home then and do your duty, Sir Knight. If you can halt the advance of the enemy, you will aid the cause immeasurably.”

  “As you command, my Queen. We will do what we must.” He turned to his troops, raised his helmet high in the air and then shouted in his deep, sonorous voice, “For Avalain.”

  The assembly responded in unison, “For Avalain and the Queen,” shattering the morning quiet with their exuberance.

  Parsifal responded, “For the Queen!” He leapt upon his huge war-horse and cantered to the head of the muster of knights, as they rejoined in a thunderous cry, “For the Queen!”

  Esta and Marne stood in the courtyard and watched until the last of the Knights of Avalain had departed. They remained in place as the soldiers descended the slope to the eastern woods, cantering in perfect formation to the very edge of the dense trees. They watched as Parsifal stepped back and allowed his men to enter the forest one by one, through the narrow pass. As the final man disappeared from sight, Parsifal was still standing with his face facing toward the castle. He saluted once more before pulling hard on his mount’s reins and turning him abruptly around. He then led him through the trees. He too, was soon gone from sight on his way to Kettin’s castle, to try to halt the aggression against the trees, and bring the people of Talamar back from the brink of disaster.

  Queen Esta and her most trusted friend Marne, under the pretense of taking a few days journey to a local shrine to meditate and beseech the trees to assist the Knights, left the confines of Avalain. Once inside the shelter of the woods, they shed their regal clothes, and carefully buried them under a large boulder. Dressing quickly in the garb that they had prepared the previous evening, they mounted their horses and headed for Pardeau and their rendezvous.

  Had they remained only a short while longer on the high steps of the castle, and had their eyes been particularly sharp, they would have witnessed a lone rider break from the entourage that entered the woods and conceal himself behind a particularly large Perridon tree. Covered from head to toe in a sweeping black cape, he lingered under the cover of the tree, and then carefully followed behind the two women, keeping his distance and making certain he was unseen, but never once letting them out of his sight.

  Chapter Thirty

  The rock surfaces were treacherous to walk upon, frozen and slippery under the midday sun. It took all of their concentration to guide their horses skillfully over them and to avoid a disastrous slide into the deep chasms on either side of the narrow pathway. Although Alemar was uncertain as to exactly where she was headed, it was not difficult to ascertain that there was only one route to the top. They followed the winding spiral upward, over the rocky cliffs toward the cloud shrouded peak that loomed far above.

  The snow began to fall after they had traveled for about two hours. It was a welcome sight after the revelation below, and they all enjoyed the feel of the wet, cold flakes upon their skin wherever it was exposed. The sky was grey and thick with frozen moisture, but the elfin trio rejoiced in the precipitation. It afforded them a fleeting few moments of comfort, knowing that the warming air had not yet reached into the heavens and stilled the snows entirely.

  “Where will this lead us to?” Giles asked the others.

  “I hope, to the entrance of the Caves,” Alemar replied.

  “Have we no map to guide us? No signs to search out?” he continued.

  “What mistakes could we make here, Giles? There is nay but one way to go,” Clovis commented, sweeping his big arm around before him.

  “I suppose,” Giles stated with a frown, his breath clouding around his face as he spoke.

  “As long as the path winds upward, I deem we are heading in the proper direction. I saw a picture once that was drawn ages ago of this very mountain. It was in one of the Tomes, and although it was never meant as a guide or map, I do believe it marked the spot where we will find the entrance,” Alemar revealed. “It strikes me as odd that only now, I remember it so vividly. I was but a child at the time and I don’t remember ever thinking about it again until this very moment. The fabric weaves of its own will,” she said, pensively.

  “Aye, it does indeed,” Giles reiterated.

  They continued on their way, guiding their horses as best as they could, and proceeding slowly and painstakingly. The air grew thinner and colder with each step that they took, but they were well prepared and accustomed to such changes. After stopping briefly to rest the mounts, as the path had grown quite steep, they journeyed on until they came to a small, flat area, a plateau of sorts, high above the melting plains below. From their vantage point, despite the thickening clouds and falling snow, they could make out the churning surface that they had so recently crossed, and each member of the group silently contemplated the frightening scene they had left behind only hours ago.

  “Do you think we are almost there?” Clovis questioned after they had scaled another level, and reached another, smaller plateau.

  “Well, we are almost to the top. It cannot be much further or we will begin to go down the other side,” Giles replied.

  “We are almost there,” Alemar said with confidence. “This is fa
miliar to me. I think that if we climb the ridge in that direction…” she said, pointing to the northeast, “…we will find what we seek. We are very close now, I can feel it.”

  “I hope what you are feeling, my Princess, is not just this numbing cold,” Giles said smiling.

  “Do not take the lady’s instincts lightly. She has gotten us this far already without the benefit of a chart of any kind,” Clovis said defensively.

  “I was merely jesting, my friend. Maybe the cold had deadened your sense of humor, if nothing else,” Giles replied.

  “Look, over there,” Alemar interrupted them. “I see something that could be an entrance.”

  They cautiously made their way across a particularly narrow ridge that rose almost perpendicular to the landing that they had recently left. To the right of it at the very top, they could clearly see a large opening in the rock surface. It was heavily hung with icicles, and it was blown over with snow, but it was unmistakably an aperture nonetheless.

  “Follow me,” the Princess instructed, and she guided Shira along.

  They climbed up the steep rocks, sending some of the loose ones tumbling hundreds of feet down to the snow covered plateaus below as they walked. The two elves stayed close behind Alemar until the entire group was standing within the confines of the opening they had seen from underneath.

  Giles removed his spear from the side of his saddlebag and allowed it to extend to its full length. He stood up in his stirrups and jabbed the sharp tip into the ice overhead, loosening it somewhat. He kept poking at the same place until a great chunk came crashing down to the ground. The others watched him and wondered why he was doing what he was doing, but they did not question the big, blonde elf. They knew that there was purpose to his actions. As soon as he cleared the debris away, he pointed upward.

  “I thought I saw something under that frozen mass,” he said, staring at the top of the archway.

  “What is it?” Alemar asked, craning her neck to gaze upon it.

  “It is carving of some sort,” Clovis said, staring up with her.

  “It is a warning,” Giles said gravely. “Look closely. I cannot make out all the runes, but surely I know what that one means,” he said, pointing to a large symbol in the ancient alphabet. “It means ‘beware’, to put it mildly.”

  “Yes, I can see it too,” Alemar said. “But, ‘beware’ of what? And for whom was this warning meant?”

  “Can anyone read any of the other words?” Clovis asked. “Chop some more of the ice away, Giles,” he instructed his friend.

  As the other two looked on, Giles chipped away at the heavy cover that concealed the rest of the writing. Soon, the entire top of the entrance was exposed, and they were able to read the whole inscription.

  “‘If your thoughts be black, Beware,”’ Alemar translated. ‘“If they be noble, Enter.”’

  “Well, at least the warning was not meant for us,” Giles said without a moment’s hesitation.

  “I would not want to have to go inside this place if I was not at least welcome,” Clovis remarked.

  “Neither would I,” Alemar said, as she cautiously crossed the threshold.

  The entryway was broad enough and high enough to accommodate all three of them riding abreast if they chose to. They walked in a single file though with their weapons sheathed, but with their guard up despite the relief they felt just moments ago. The air no longer smelled damp, as it did outside. Rather, it was musty and earthy, like a new garden when you turned it for the first time in the spring. The light from outside carried deep into the cavern, and illuminated the intricate carvings that ran all along the side walls as they walked further in.

  “Are you looking at these things?” Clovis asked.

  “How can I not?” Alemar remarked in response.

  Lining the passageway, cut far into the rock, were lifelike sculptures of animals and trees, birds and fish; all manner of life, except for people. There were no images of elves, dwarfs, humans or anything other than the less sentient beasts and foliage. But, the artwork was amazing. It was so lifelike, it seemed as if the creatures were actually there, frozen in time in the hard rock. It also appeared as if they all faced the same direction, leading the trespassers down the wide corridor toward the depths of the caves.

  “Whoever carved these was truly a master at the craft,” Clovis commented. “It seems as if they could pick themselves up and walk away, they are so real.”

  “Let’s hope they stay where they are. At least while we are here among them,” Giles said, half seriously.

  Alemar was not paying attention to the carvings at all. Rather, she was looking ahead and trying to assess how far the front chamber of the cavern extended before it split, and she would then be forced to make a decision regarding which path to take. She could not escape the haunting images of her ancestors, suffering eternally beneath the frozen sea. Although she had no reason to presume that what they were searching for in the Caves would benefit the lost souls trapped under the ice, she had a fleeting impression that it just might. All of history was bound inextricably together and tied securely by the threads of time. If she was successful here, and therefor for the all people in Eleutheria today, there just might be a chance that her success would help to free the spirits who lay trapped within their icy tomb down below them in the Pass of the Righteous.

  She reached the farthest end of this cavern, and she was only then able to discern two distinct doorways carved into the raw stone.

  “This way. Over here,” she beckoned to the others, as she dismounted, loosened the saddle and hung the bridle over the pommel. She allowed Shira to wander on her own. “You have to leave the horses where they are. The ceiling is too low and the passage is too narrow,” she said, assessing what she saw before her. “Make sure you loosen their girths and remove their bits. Throw some grain upon the floor, enough for a few days. Who knows how long we may be gone.”

  The others followed her instructions, and in moments they joined her at the juncture of the two passageways.

  “Which way will you choose, Alemar?” Giles asked, knowing that the sole decision would be hers to make.

  “The one on the right, I think. The light carries much farther down it than it does the one on the left. Besides, the carving here is more complete than upon the other. It appears as if this one was never finished,” she observed, pointing to the one on the left.

  They did not question her choice, but immediately walked to her side to accompany her across the threshold.

  “How long do you think we will be able to see? This surely is not still being illuminated from the outside. Where in the world is the light coming from?” Clovis asked, looking up and down, and all around.

  “I cannot tell myself,” Alemar replied. “The rocks themselves seem to be luminescent. I hope they continue to sustain us in this manner.”

  “If not we have brought the torches, as you suggested. We will not need to wander blindly in these tunnels,” Giles smiled, reaching back and patting his saddlebags as if to reassure himself.

  They conversed as they walked, and they encountered nothing unusual for quite some time. The passage wound upward on a slight incline at first, and then it veered more sharply. The height remained constant though, and it allowed even Clovis to stand upright without having to bend even an inch.

  “It appears to darken ahead, but I do believe I see another doorway still,” Alemar noted as she stared ahead intently.

  She walked on, and disappeared into the duskiness of the dwindling light.

  “Do not go too far, Princess. We are already losing sight of you,” Giles warned.

  “Have no fear, Giles. I am just ahead of you,” she replied. “Yes, it is another doorway, only this one is closed. Assist me. I cannot move it alone,” they heard her say.

  Clovis reached her side first, although she was barely discernible to him by that time. Giles’ dim outline also soon appeared, and together the three elves leaned into the stone portal that now hin
dered their progress. But no matter how hard they pushed, it would not give way.

  “It will not budge,” Alemar said in frustration.

  “No, my Lady. I am afraid it is shut fast,” Giles responded.

  “Perhaps there is a seal that we just cannot see,” she said, and she raised the index finger of her left hand and began to run it over the seam, from the floor all the way around and over the top, until she reached the opposite side. “I could feel nothing,” she concluded.

  She backed up a pace, and assessed the situation.

  “Maybe what we are seeking is not within the door or the frame itself,” Clovis suggested.

  He began to look closely at the wall on the right side of the door and Giles began to examine the one on the left.

  Alemar just stood there thinking and not moving at all.

  “Come here for a moment, Clovis. You are about the right height,” she beckoned to the taller of the two warriors.

  As soon as he reached her side, she asked him to cup his hands so that she could step into them and climb atop his shoulders. Careful not to bang her head upon the ceiling, she raised her palms above her and meticulously ran them over the stone.

  Within a moment or two, all three clearly heard a clicking sound, and the heavy door swung backward, releasing a gust of hot and humid air that wafted over them, bringing with it a pungent, earthy odor similar to what they experienced when they first entered the caves, but this time, much stronger.

  “I had a feeling that this cavern was originally carved by the dwarves,” Alemar said, her eyes bright. “They would naturally have hidden the mechanisms for the door where no one of them could have reached it unassisted. They would have had to stand three atop one another just in order to touch the ceiling here,” she smiled, satisfied with her appraisal.