by M. Gregg Roe
“Agreed.”
After another laugh, she said, “Let’s head over to Birchbark and Fern’s house so you can get your things. Then I’ll take you home.”
Gabriel led the way out of the building. He was eager to return to his wife and home. Even returning to work would be welcome. But overall he was satisfied with what he had accomplished. The ogres would be ready, and so would he.
[ 38 ]
Visiting Tritown
Most of the long flight had gone well, with pleasant temperatures and a light breeze that acted as a tailwind. But now, as she neared her destination, Aliva could barely see anything through the falling rain. She slowed her forward motion and descended as far as she dared. A few minutes later, she spotted the distinctive triangular building and breathed a sigh of relief. The large roof made a perfect target for her landing.
Aliva touched down next to the wooden trapdoor in the roof’s center and quickly heaved it open. After descending the ladder far enough, she pulled the door closed. Finally, she was out of the rain. But by the time she reached the bottom of the ladder, she was being threatened by an alert gworn holding two long knives.
“Who the hell are you?” growled the gworn, baring his teeth. Down the hallway, a middle-aged elf stood in a doorway, peering at her with a quizzical expression.
“My name is Aliva. I’m a friend of Audrey’s.” The gworn didn’t react, so she added, “The Audrey that’s the Guardian of Andoran’s Realm.”
“You may relax, Vurk,” the elf said as he walked forward. The gworn sheathed his knives and took a step back, but he still looked wary. “My name is Ferikellan,” the elf continued, even making a small bow.
Aliva nodded at him. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” She glanced downward, noting the large puddle she was creating. “I’m planning to stay with Birchbark and Fern, but I spotted this building first. I haven’t been here in a long time.”
Ferikellan motioned sharply at Vurk. “Take our guest’s cloak and hang it up downstairs. Then fix hot tea for both of us.”
Vurk grinned crookedly. “You got it, boss.”
Aliva shrugged off her cloak and handed it over. Underneath, she was wearing a slim backpack that contained a single change of clothing. Her clothing was damp, but not overly so.
“You are welcome to stay here,” Ferikellan said to her as he led the way down the stairs. “Rosalind is currently visiting Birchbark and Fern, and she might stay the night should this heavy rain continue.”
“Okay, I think I’ll do that.” It was already late.
The room Ferikellan led her to was small but perfectly adequate. After dropping off her backpack, she followed him to the small dining room. Sitting down was a tremendous relief.
As they waited for the tea, he said, “You flew here from Rohoville?”
“Yes, and it took longer than I planned. Could I also get something to eat?” She had brought food along to snack on, but not enough.
“Of course.” Ferikellan went to the kitchen door and spoke briefly with Vurk. “It will be ready shortly,” he announced when he returned.
Vurk soon appeared with the tea. After taking a sip, Aliva cradled the teacup with both hands. She was definitely feeling chilled.
“Rosalind has told me some of your history,” Ferikellan said, his tea still untouched. “I must confess that I had to ask her to explain what a succubus was.”
Aliva took another sip. If she had been human, the cup would have burned her hands by now. “To most people, demon is just a word for a frightening creature or monster.”
“So is the word ogre,” he remarked, with a twinkle in his eye. “But now they are my neighbors, and I have invited a half-demon who preys on males to spend the night.”
“You’re in luck,” she told him, not hiding her amusement. “I’ve fed recently.”
Ferikellan picked up his teacup, blew on it, then took a small sip. “An execution?”
“Yes, that’s what it was.” It had been a young married couple of all things, but they definitely deserved their fate.
“You are smiling,” he said, chuckling as he lifted his cup.
Aliva suddenly sniffed the air. Her stomach growled as Vurk brought in food. There was a bowl of potato soup accompanied by a plate of cheese slices and a hunk of rye bread. She promptly began eating, finding the soup to be delicious. Ferikellan picked up a piece of cheese and nibbled on it as she ate.
Vurk appeared promptly when she finished, and she declined his offer to bring her more soup. She felt much warmer now, but also drowsy. Ferikellan chuckled as she failed to suppress a yawn.
“I think it’s time I went to bed,” she confessed, fighting off another yawn. “We can talk more tomorrow.”
Ferikellan promptly rose to his feet. “I would like that. I am especially interested in hearing more about your father.”
That was no surprise. Aliva went to her room, stripped down to her underclothes, and crawled under the quilt. Seconds later, she was sound asleep.
Aliva’s stomach began making noise even before she was half awake. She could smell fresh-baked bread and some type of sausage. After making use of the nearby washroom, she donned her clean clothes and quickly brushed her hair. There was no one in the dining area, but she could hear noises coming from the adjacent kitchen.
“Morning,” called out Vurk as she entered the room. “Sorry about threatening you last night. People don’t usually come in that way.”
That was because most people couldn’t fly. “Don’t worry about it,” she told him, looking around. The kitchen was well-equipped, neat, and organized. “I know you were just doing your job. My father has two gworn that work for him.” That last remark earned her a surprised glance.
Vurk began cracking chicken eggs into a bowl. “So he does research?”
“Yes, but not as much as he used to.” Much as she hated to think about it, Albert really was getting on in years.
“Aliva!” came an excited voice from behind, and she turned just in time to receive a tight hug from Rosalind. “When did you get here?” she asked after ending the embrace.
“Last night,” Aliva answered. Another gworn entered and nodded at her before going over to help Vurk.
“That’s Harbik,” Rosalind explained on the way to the dining area. “He’s not very talkative.”
Aliva had never met a gworn that fit that description. The two that served her father were much like Vurk.
As they waited on their breakfast, she told Rosalind about her rain-filled trip. Rosalind and Harbik had returned to the keep last night, well after Aliva had gone to bed.
“Are you going to be with us when we finish the castle?” Rosalind asked just before Harbik entered, carrying a tray with a large teapot and three teacups.
“Yes, I am,” Aliva replied. “I’m curious what will happen.”
“So am I.” Rosalind paused as Harbik poured the tea. “But I’m also a little nervous,” she confessed, keeping her voice low.
“That’s understandable,” Aliva assured her. She inhaled the tea’s fragrant aroma before taking a small sip.
Rosalind seemed unconvinced. “I know I can just fly away if it looks dangerous, but I’m worried—”
“That whatever it is might also be able to fly.” Aliva reached out and put her left hand atop Rosalind’s right. “Then stay near Audrey.”
“That’s what I would like to do, but it’s not up to me.”
“I’ll mention it to her,” Aliva said, then pulled her hand away. That was obviously what Rosalind was asking.
Aliva was refilling their teacups when Ferikellan finally arrived. “Good morning, ladies!” he called out as he entered, looking rather dapper. They returned his greeting cheerfully.
The two gworn began to bring in food, but it was the unexpected topic of conversation that held Aliva’s attention. “You think Audrey is a witch?” she asked while buttering a slice of dark bread.
“Not in the same way that Ermizad is,” Rosalind exp
lained. “If Audrey could make objects move with her mind, she would know by now. We think it’s just the magic absorption power that she has in common.”
“I concur,” Ferikellan said, gesturing with his fork.
Aliva thought about it as she ate the bread. The implication was that witches were merely a byproduct of Andoran’s plan to create a guardian. But then why didn’t Audrey also have the telekinesis power? Or maybe she did, after a fashion. Maybe that was what protected Audrey from arrows and similar weapons.
After swallowing the last of her bread, Aliva answered the question she could see in the eyes of her dining companions. “I can’t see any reason to mention it to Audrey.” The young woman had enough to worry about, as it was.
Ferikellan nodded solemnly. “That mirrors our own thinking.”
“How long are you staying?” Rosalind asked, now all smiles.
“One more night. I’ll stay here, but I’ll probably be having dinner with Birchbark and Fern.” They had a guest room, but the bed she had slept in last night was much more comfortable.
Rosalind leaned forward. “Would you like to go into the Gray Forest while you’re here? We’ve got Gray Potions all figured out.”
Caught by surprise, Aliva nodded. It wasn’t an opportunity she could pass up.
Ferikellan held up a hand in warning. “We have never made a potion for a half-demon. There might be issues.”
“He’s right,” Rosalind admitted. “We might not be able to make one, or what we make might not work as expected.”
“I’ll risk it,” Aliva told them. She had never been inside before. And if it was really dangerous, Lasrina would probably object.
After breakfast, Aliva provided a sample of her blood before setting out to visit Birchbark and Fern. It was muddy, but at least it wasn’t raining.
Four yards inside, Aliva came to a stop and pivoted slowly to her left. The lack of color was both marvelous and eerie. She continued to rotate until she was once again facing away from the boundary. Even her father had never been inside the Gray Forest.
She was planning to go farther inside, but not too much farther. The potion might last less than the four hours she had been told to expect. Or more. After another survey of her surroundings, she began to slowly move forward, doing her best to avoid muddy areas.
The morning had been spent with Birchbark, one of her father’s oldest friends. She told him of her concerns about Albert, and he was sympathetic. Birchbark was showing some signs of age himself, but was still in good health. That was probably because he spent so much of his time outside. Albert spent entirely too much time either reading or performing experiments.
Spotting a rabbit watching her from ahead and to the right, Aliva came to a stop and stared back. As Ferikellan had told her, the animals were less skittish than you would expect. She took a step toward the rabbit and it abruptly bolted, soon vanishing into the undergrowth. The normal behavior was reassuring.
Aliva closed her eyes to better focus on her other senses. Without the disconcerting visuals, the forest felt perfectly normal. She could hear birds and insects, even the sound of leaves above rustling in the light breeze. The air felt moist on her skin and smelled of moss and damp earth. There was even a faint floral scent and a hint of pine. She took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then slowly exhaled. Finally, she opened her eyes again.
Before proceeding, she conducted some experiments. Her magical sense was useless inside the forest, but some of her abilities were innate. She began by drawing her dagger and making a light cut across her left palm. The bleeding stopped almost immediately, and the wound closed as she watched. Rapid healing was part of her demon heritage, and that seemed to be unaffected. By the time she exited the Gray Forest, there would be no sign of the injury.
For a second test, she willed her skin to darken. That also worked, which meant that her ability to change her appearance was unaffected. That was interesting. She thought of those abilities as magical, but they weren’t being suppressed. She would definitely mention it to Rosalind and Ferikellan.
Aliva continued to make her way forward, following a small stream when she came to it. The stream eventually led her to a small oval pool, and she halted when she saw that someone was bathing in it. She backed away slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. The bather was an adult male elf, and she suddenly ached to join him in the water and engage in carnal activities. But that would neither be appropriate nor wise.
Having made her escape, she followed the stream in the opposite direction, assuming that it would eventually lead her to the boundary. It did, but only after a great deal of meandering. At one point she passed an area that looked like it had once been home to a small village, but only weathered remnants of stone foundations remained. She wondered what had happened, if it had been gradual or sudden. At this point, there was no way to know.
Looking upward, she tried to estimate how much time had passed. She concluded the potion would probably last at least another hour.
It is closer to two hours, Lasrina intoned.
“Thank you.” That meant that she could do more exploring.
You are welcome, came the melodious response.
Aliva headed deeper into the forest, then turned left. She intended to parallel the boundary for a while, then turn around and follow it until she was near Tritown or the potion wore off. Without a trail, she was forced to duck under tree limbs and detour around masses of thick bushes. The footing was also treacherous in places.
Just past an ivy-covered tangle of fallen tree trunks, she abruptly froze in place. Fifty yards ahead, a wolf had its nose to the ground as it sniffed for prey. She didn’t see any others, but it was unlikely that the animal was alone. Wolves normally hunted in packs.
Acutely aware that she couldn’t cast spells and had only a dagger for a weapon, Aliva remained motionless for fear that any movement might attract attention. She hadn’t brought her saber with her to Tritown because she had wanted to travel as lightly as possible. But even that wouldn’t enable her to deal with multiple wolves.
Relying on its nose, the wolf was gradually working closer, rarely looking up from the ground. Sounds in the distance might herald additional wolves, but she couldn’t be certain.
What would happen if she died here? Ferikellan and Rosalind would contact Audrey, but it might be some time before she responded. The two of them could search for her, making use of Gray Potions, but they wouldn’t know where to look. Even with Audrey’s help, it might take days to figure out what had happened. By then, her body would just be scattered bones. She would have to pray that they found enough to resurrect her.
Feeling dizzy, Aliva grabbed a nearby tree limb for support. Sweat poured out of her as she tried to regain her composure, to slow her pounding heart and regulate her breathing. Could this really be the end? And what about Lasrina? Would she help? Did the goddess even care? For all she knew, dying here might be part of Lasrina’s plan.
Think! she commanded herself. There had to be a way out. Maybe she could climb a tree. Unable to reach her, they would eventually give up. But what if the potion wore off? This deep inside, that would also be fatal. No, it was too risky.
Could her glamour ability save her? There was only one way to find out. A twig snapped under Aliva’s left foot as she concentrated, and she realized she had unconsciously shifted her weight as she released the limb. Staring directly at her, the wolf made a short yelping sound, probably signaling others. Returning its gaze, Aliva activated her glamour in its reverse mode. That method worked well on humanoids, but would it dissuade an animal? It wasn’t something she had ever thought to test.
By the time the wolf was within ten yards of where she was standing, two others had appeared, one limping noticeably and missing an eye. Still, she was no match for them. They would surround her, knock her down, and that would be the end.
After what felt like hours, during which one wolf passed so close that she could have reached out and to
uched it, the small pack moved on. Her ability had saved her. The feeling of relief left her weak in the knees as she headed toward the boundary.
“What happened?” Rosalind cried when Aliva returned to the spot where she and Harbik were waiting.
Realizing that her skin was still dark, Aliva willed it back to normal. Then she quickly explained what had occurred.
“Ferikellan will definitely be interested,” Rosalind said, obviously referring to Aliva’s abilities still functioning inside. “I’ve never spotted any wolves in this area.”
Someone like Rosalind would only notice a wolf when it was too close to matter. “Trust me,” Aliva said. “There are wolves in the Gray Forest. You need to be careful.”
Rosalind gulped. “Okay. Do you want to fly back to the keep?”
Aliva did. And once they were back, she went to her room and laid down. She definitely wouldn’t be going into the Gray Forest again soon, maybe never.
[ 39 ]
Final Block
Ultimately, there had been no choice. Rosalind wanted him to accompany her to the site, and he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her. Ferikellan was curious as to what might happen when the structure was completed, but he felt no need to witness the events in person. They could tell him all about it afterward.
It was the uncertainty more than the potential danger that had led him to initially refuse to be part of the operation. Something might happen relatively quickly, or there might be a long delay. It was even possible that nothing whatsoever would occur. He preferred to just remain in the keep and work on his research.
Rosalind squeezed his right hand, which she was already gripping tightly. Staring toward the mysterious structure, she said, “Audrey told me that if nothing happens by nightfall, then she’ll take us back.”
He squeezed back, but lightly. A group of ogres had already been in the area for three days, putting up tents and doing whatever other preparation was necessary. He had feared that a tent might have been earmarked for Rosalind, himself, and the two gworn. Instead, he would almost certainly be able to sleep in his own bed tonight. That was heartening.
