Laila listened absently, still allowing her body to calm down.
They suddenly heard rushed footsteps outside the hut, and Connor burst in through the door.
"What happened? I heard something, a bear maybe! And then there was a light—" He stopped, seeing the two of them sitting peacefully around the fire. "But... You're both alright. I..." He looked disappointed.
"It's alright, young man. It was a test for Laila. No need for worry. She's quite alright." Icarus smiled at him, a knowing glint in his eyes.
Connor looked at the Magus with a questioning look, but he said nothing as he stepped the rest of the way into the hut.
"As I was saying," Icarus turned back to Laila, "your power only needs a focus. So far, that focus has been an emotional event. Your argument with Torin, the attack in the alley, my...illusion tonight. But," he glanced down at the book, flipping to the page Laila had noticed earlier, the one with the staff and the mountain, "if you had a physical focus, you could tap into that power whenever you wanted to. Then you'd have full command over your power, or at least the element associated with that focus."
He turned the book toward her, showing her the picture.
"I saw that earlier. What does it mean?" she asked.
"That is the task you must complete on the mountain. You must gain the summit and craft a staff of stone from the bedrock there. My order has always known this place had significance to the Magi, but no one knew how significant it really was. This is the first step on your path."
Laila nodded, letting the information sink in. At least this gave her some sort of goal. "Have you been up the mountain?"
"At times. I reached the summit once, long ago, during my early studies, but I was young then."
"So you can take me there?"
Icarus shook his head. "I cannot. This is something you have to do on your own. It's a... rite of passage, so to speak. You must gain the summit using your own skill and power."
Climb to the top of a mountain by herself? Before she'd left Terus, she had never even seen a mountain—or traveled more than a day away from Terus, for that matter. And now he was expecting her to climb one, alone.
"That... I don't think I can do that."
Icarus sighed. "I know, child. But you must."
Laila fell silent, contemplating.
"What are we going to do?" asked Connor.
"You, young man, are going back to Ester on the Red Bay to see what all this nonsense is about with the Guardians and Terus."
Connor stared back at Icarus. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. I'll take you back through the tunnel once Laila's on her way. But I'll need to be here for her return, so I can’t go with you. We need information. And I have a feeling that whatever is happening in Terus is somehow linked to us."
Connor sat and stared blankly at Icarus. Had Laila been less absorbed in her own thoughts, she would have found his reaction amusing. As engulfed as she was, she could not help a small smile from crossing her lips. The poor boy had so little experience in a real city, and now Icarus was asking him to find information in one, alone.
Of course, she thought, he's also asking me to climb to the top of some mountain alone.
That thought did not amuse her. She brooded on it for a while, half-listening as Connor and Icarus discussed details about his trip to Ester; they mostly ignored her. Despite the cold of the evening, she stood and walked out to sit in the crisp night air, freeing herself from the stuffy hut. She walked a ways toward the shore of the lake and sat down on the ground. Despite everything, she had found that she rather enjoyed Grimmere. There was a peacefulness about the waters that she found calming, even with the frustration and failure she had been experiencing.
She watched the clear waters as the nearly full moon rose up over the mountains, reflecting in the lake. She heard footsteps approach from behind her, and Connor sat down next to her. He did not speak; he just sat, staring out at the lake as she did.
They sat for a long while, watching the calm waters in silence before finally returning to the hut.
Thirteen
Climb
The next morning dawned on the three of them climbing out of the small valley of Grimmere to the north, headed back toward the entrance to the tunnel. Connor had a full pack slung over his pack, meats he had caught and dried himself over the last week, a few herbs from a small garden Icarus kept behind his hut, and enough water to get Connor through the tunnel and back near the Red Bay. Of the three of them, only Icarus seemed to be in a good mood, chatting randomly about various topics.
"Do you know why it's called the Red Bay?" he asked of his two young companions.
They both shook their heads as they trudged through the light forest.
"It’s a reference to the color, of course," Icarus explained. "But while most people believe the color comes from some ancient battle that was so brutal it permanently stained the water red," he chuckled at the absurdity, "it's really just a reaction in the bedrock of the bay that makes the water look like blood. I have always found people's need for supernatural explanations fascinating, especially when they have such an abhorrence for magic."
Laila nodded absently, and Connor kept marching along. They were both lost in their own thoughts. Even though they had not spoken last night as they sat together on the shore, Laila felt as though Connor was trying to commiserate with her. They had both been through so much, and now Icarus was once again asking them to do things that were far beyond their capabilities. And yet, for some reason, Icarus had faith in the two teenagers. Laila only wished that she could share his sentiment. Up until last night, she had thought of herself as nothing other than a failure. Even now, leaving for her trials on the mountain, she still did not have faith in herself. There were too many unanswered questions.
A short while later, they came to the shelf that led to the mouth of the tunnel. Laila watched as Icarus pulled a stone from his pack, held his hand over it, concentrating, and placed the glowing stone into the center of the ancient stone door. The grinding noise sounded again, and the door pulled itself up into the ceiling of the cave, leaving the three of them staring into the darkness of the tunnel.
Icarus pulled another stone from his pack and set it glowing also. He then handed the stone to Connor. Laila was surprised when the light of the stone did not go out.
"Use this to get through the tunnel. Once you reach the other side, it will open the door for you," Icarus explained.
Connor nodded. "How do I close the doors once I'm through?"
"You don't."
Connor raised his eyebrows. "You want them open?"
"I don't want them open, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. We need to know what you're going to find out, but I can't go with you. Laila's task is too important."
Connor took a deep breath and nodded again. Laila was always surprised at how accepting he was of Icarus's instructions. No matter how difficult they seemed—and this was one that was difficult and dangerous—he just went along with the request, rarely even questioning the Magus.
Not wishing to wait any longer, Connor turned and entered the tunnel, holding the glowing stone before him to light his way. Laila and Icarus watched him disappear into the depths, the light playing off the inscriptions on the walls, until he rounded a small bend and was no longer visible.
"Come, child. Now it's your time."
Icarus turned and led Laila off the shelf. They did not descend back into the valley of Grimmere, however, making their way west along a narrow ridge that extended out from the shelf of the tunnel. As they walked, Laila worked herself up to question Icarus again. She needed answers.
"Do you think he'll be alright? Going to Ester by himself? He doesn't know much about cities." That was not what she really wanted to ask him, but she needed to start somewhere.
"Connor is capable. More capable than he believes himself to be. Just as you are."
They continued along the ridge, cresting the top of a smaller hill and d
ropping into a shallow ravine that headed west, deeper into the mountain range. The peak of Mount Obrussa could be seen, rising up in the distance, capped in snow.
"Do you know what I'm supposed to do on the mountain?" she asked. Still not the right question, but she was getting closer.
"I only know what I have read. But even that language is unclear. As the Magusari, your way should become clear once you reach the summit. Beyond that, there is nothing I can tell you. My own climb was many, many years ago, and I only did it as a reverence to the Magi before me. Your path will be different."
Laila did not like that answer. Icarus had seemed to know so much when she’d met him in Terus, but since they’d reached Grimmere, he had appeared more and more unsure. Laila wanted to explore what that could mean, but there was something else she needed to ask first.
"And..." she started, trying to get the words out. "What if I...fail? What happens then?"
Hearing the fear in her voice, Icarus stopped. They had reached the far end of the ravine, and the mountains, including Mount Obrussa, rose up above both of them menacingly, daring anyone to attempt their heights.
"Child," he started, turning to face her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked up into his eyes, shadowed as they were by his heavy brows. She could see the worry written on his forehead; he feared for her, but his words were more confident. "You doubt yourself. I understand. Fear is natural in the face of the unknown. But fear, like so many things, is only as powerful as we let it be. In the end, remember one thing: it is not fear itself that is the cause of failure, it is idleness in the face of fear. Act, and there can be no failure."
Laila contemplated the old man's words. Idleness in the face of fear. Keep moving. Maybe that was the answer. Keep moving, keep pushing this mad adventure forward. She stood for a moment longer, and then pulled herself away from Icarus's hands. He regarded her a moment longer and then turned to the path that lay before him.
"This is the path to Mount Obrussa. There is no other way. Stick to this path and you will gain the summit. I wish I could help you, child, but I cannot. This task you must accomplish alone. I will wait for your return at Grimmere, Magusari."
He bowed low to her, the most formal gesture she had ever seen him make. After a moment, he straightened and made his way back through the ravine toward Grimmere. Laila watched him until he passed up over the other side and back down into the valley. She took a deep breath, readying herself as much as she could.
Keep moving, she told herself as she moved out of the ravine and onto the path that led to the summit.
The cold mountain wind blew across Laila's shoulders, sinking into her cloak, seeking out all the exposed points on her robes beneath. She pulled at her clothes, trying unsuccessfully to keep out the biting air. She pushed herself forward, climbing the ancient stone path Icarus had indicated to her. Not for the first time, she considered what she was doing here, climbing this forsaken mountain. She wished she were back home and sitting in the garden, or maybe near the fire in the main hall, watching Clara make dinner, the soothing aromas drifting in and stirring her hunger but calming her mind. She thought of Dio, the times she used to watch him make his pots, his hands moving confidently along clay, and Selene, so energetic and ready to please. She wondered if either of them thought of her, or if she had become a Xenos in their eyes—an outsider.
She could not help but remember her mother and father. She wished she could see them again: her mother, strong and confident, and her father, the same but in a more subtle way, commanding respect from the Consulate without having to preach, as Torin did, but always having a soft word for his daughter. It seemed like ages had passed since the day she’d left Terus. She missed the city. She knew that there was no way for her to regain her Citizenship, but perhaps there was a way she could return, at least to see her family.
Another gust of wind struck her, nearly knocking her from her feet. She caught herself on a large outcropping of rock, and felt the cold stone cut into her already-raw hands. She gritted her teeth; at least her hands were cold enough that the pain did not immediately hit her. The pain started slowly, a heat creeping up her arm to her mind, until it settled at a dull ache. She wrapped her scraped hand into the folds of her heavy cloak, regained her footing on the snow-covered path, and pushed forward once again.
She knew that the dream of a hot meal with Clara and her family was no longer possible. This was her path now, for better or worse. She wanted desperately to blame Icarus for her circumstance, and her anger simmered with the thought. But, she knew, deep down, that it was her own choice to forsake her life in Terus, and that her anger was really directed at herself.
She pulled the scarf tighter around her mouth and neck, keeping the cold air from stinging her lungs. She had been climbing the mountain since yesterday afternoon. According to what Icarus had told her, she should be able to reach the summit by the evening, if she was keeping the right pace. She looked up to see the high peak of Mount Obrussa hanging over her like a judgment, watching her. It was still hundreds of feet above, and the path was not a straight one. It wound its way in and out of the sharp outcroppings of stone, up and down through depressions, and in lazy switchbacks across the face of the mountain.
Clouds continued to roll in through the afternoon, blotting out the sun, casting a dim and shadowed path before Laila. Her heart continued to sink. She did not think she could survive another night on the mountain, especially this high up, with the clouds threatening a powerful storm.
To take her mind off the climb, she tried to recall everything she knew of the elemental aspects. Icarus had explained that there were five, but she and everyone in Terus believed there were only four: earth, air, water, fire. She began to recite, hoping the act of speaking would keep her mind off her exertions.
"The fundamental building blocks of the world." She spoke out loud, although her voice did not travel far in the cold wind and was muffled by the scarf, but the sound gave her a small sense of comfort. "People consist of parts of each of the elements. Though many things in nature are expressions of one or the other. The rivers and lakes, the trees and earth, the spring winds, fires in winter."
The air of the mountain seemed to respond to her voice, wind and cold increasing, as though it were an affront to its own silent existence. But she continued on, pushing herself along the path and speaking in spite of the wind.
"The Prime Aspects are the pivot point around which the Confederacy rotates. Consuls represent logic, acting for the good of the people. Guardians represent chaos, agents of death, in service and protection of the people, and Artisans and farmers represent faith through their constant provision for the people."
The wind did not relent, and she found that her voice no longer had the strength to fight it. She pushed on, lowering her shoulders to the gusts and climbing further along the cold path.
After some time she came to a gap in the path. The stone simply stopped, dropping down hundreds of feet into a crevice at least twenty feet across. Laila stopped and stared. She looked around; there was no other way to go. Had Icarus been wrong? He said he had not been to the summit since he was young, and that could have been decades ago. Her heart dropped, and she continued to stare hopelessly into the crevice.
Slowly the wind began to abate, as though the mountain was content now that she could go no further. As it did, she could see across the crevice, see where the path continued on the opposite side. There was still a path outlined by two large stone pillars, but she had no idea how to get across the gap. Icarus had said that it would likely require her power to reach the summit, but what could she do? She couldn’t summon stone from air. She stared across the crevice, willing her mind to come up with a solution, but nothing came.
She slumped to the ground, ignoring the cold crunch of the snow and the dampness that seeped its way into her cloak. All she could do was gaze across the impassable divide.
What little light from the sun that penetrated through the h
eavy clouds over Laila's head was beginning to fade. Her body shivered uncontrollably; the snow underneath her and the wind blowing over her could no longer be kept at bay. She huddled, helplessly, next to the crevice blocking her path. There was no way across it. The two stone pillars stood guard, watching impassively. She had been sitting for nearly two hours, trying to figure out what to do. Her mind told her to return to Grimmere. She might be able to make the warmer tree line before dark where she could make camp and return to Icarus in the morning. That, of course, meant admitting failure. What else could she do?
Finally, she stood, trying to gather the fortitude to make it back down the mountain. Something continued to tug at her, however. While her mind wanted to admit defeat, her heart did not. She just could not bring herself to accept failure. And there was something else. A solution, maybe, hanging just beyond her perception. She walked to the very edge of the rift, studying it again. The stone of the mountain dropped away from her feet into darkness. A thought struck her. She looked around the edge carefully. There were no signs that there had ever been a path over the chasm. The stone that fell downward was ancient, far more ancient than the path she was on.
She now began to wonder if there had ever been a way across. There must be. Otherwise, how did the stone pillars and the remainder of the path get to be on the other side? Something did not make sense. She continued to stare across the crevice, desperately hoping for a solution.
The stone pillars!
The thought hit her like a hammer blow. They were stone, made of the earth. Could she move them? Connor had told her of Icarus's story in Custos, where he had made the sand dance and change in time with his tale. This were massive stone pillars, not sand, but, maybe...
Bones of the Earth Page 21
