Stone Unturned: A Legend of Ethshar

by Lawrence Watt-Evans

  Darissa nodded.

  A few minutes later they were in the village square, such as it was, taking their places on the carpet. Zerra was already seated in the center, with Pender at her right hand; Darissa and Marek settled behind her, where they could lean against her bundle of belongings. Morvash and the others were talking about something; Darissa reached out with her witchcraft and sensed that Karitha wanted reassurance that they were not going to hand her over to the demon, which the others were trying to provide. They were hindered by the fact that they had no long-term solution to her situation; all they could do was promise to keep her away from it for as long as they could.

  Rather than intervene, Darissa leaned forward and tapped Zerra on the shoulder. Startled, the wizard, who had been trying to listen to Karitha and Morvash, turned.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Do you have any idea what’s happened in Melitha over the last forty years? Who the king is, or anything?”

  “No,” Zerra said. “I don’t keep track of every silly little country in the Small Kingdoms.”

  “Is there any way you could find out?”

  “I’m not much on divinations, but I might know a spell or two that could be useful. If you can give me the true name of someone in Melitha, I can probably find out a few things.”

  Darissa and Marek exchanged glances.

  “We don’t know who’s still there and still alive,” Darissa said. “That’s what we were hoping you could tell us.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  “And could you fly us there, when you’re done in Tazmor?”

  “Can you pay me? I thought you didn’t have any money.”

  Darissa gestured at Marek. “He is a Melithan prince.”

  “Well, he was—can we be sure his family wasn’t overthrown?”

  Marek grimaced at that, and Darissa admitted, “No, we can’t be sure.”

  “Well, maybe we can work something out.” She turned as they heard Morvash, Hakin, and Karitha approaching. “Right now, it’s time to get airborne, and put more distance between us and that demon.” She raised a hand, and said a word.

  The others hastened to seat themselves as the carpet rose a few inches, and a moment later, when everyone was secure, they zoomed off to the north.

  Darissa looked behind to see Arl and Bela and other villagers waving farewell. She waved back, then turned forward, pulled the sheepskin coat around herself, and watched as they soared along the river.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Morvash of the Shadows

  1st of Newfrost, YS 5238

  They spent the afternoon of the fifth day, the first day of Newfrost, in Sardiron of the Waters. Except for the first village they had slept on the carpet, ready to flee at a moment’s notice, if they slept at all—Karitha and Hakin had become concerned that they were not traveling fast enough and not gaining enough ground on Karitha’s demonic pursuer, and they had now accumulated enough warm clothing that they were no longer in danger of freezing if they slept in the open. For that matter, the autumn weather was not that cold at ground level by day, even this far north, and they were still doing most of their traveling at night, their resting by day.

  Hakin and Morvash had taken turns standing watch, ready to wake Zerra should Tarker appear, so that they could get airborne again.

  In Sardiron they did not bother with such precautions, on the theory that the dense population and the city walls would create enough noise and delay to warn them, should the demon approach. Tarker was, as they all knew, not given to stealth or subtlety. Instead they roamed the city a little.

  Of the seven of them only Pender and Zerra had ever been in Sardiron before, so they served as guides. Many of the locals spoke some Ethsharitic, while Pender was able to translate for those who did not, and Darissa could sense some of what people wanted, so they were able to negotiate for food and better clothing. Zerra’s funds were holding out, even after she had been convinced to make loans to the others, and she suggested they might find lodging at an inn, rather than spending another night huddled on the carpet, but Hakin and Karitha objected, pointing out that Tarker was undoubtedly still on their trail, and any delay gave it time to gain on them.

  Morvash was also firmly on the side of a quick departure, and in the end they were airborne again an hour before sunset.

  “No more river after this,” Pender announced, as the carpet sailed over the city walls.

  “What?” Zerra asked.

  “The river goes that way.” Pender pointed northeast. “We go that way.” He pointed north. “To mountains.”

  “How are we supposed to find our way in the dark?” Zerra demanded.

  “Follow the road,” Pender said, pointing down. “After ten leagues it breaks, and we go to right road.”

  “I think he means to take the right-hand fork when the road splits,” Darissa offered. “I can sort of feel the image in his thoughts.”

  Zerra frowned. “I’ll try,” she said, “but a road is harder to see in the dark than a river. If I lose sight of it, I’m landing, no matter where we are.”

  No one argued, and they flew on.

  They reached the first fork in the road while the sun was still above the horizon, and took the right branch, as Pender instructed. Almost immediately after, though, they left the plowed fields behind and soared over increasingly hilly pastures.

  And then, as the light began to fade, and Zerra lit her lantern, they came to the end of the pastureland, where the road vanished into the forest.

  Morvash had never seen an actual forest before, let alone from above, and marveled at it—so many trees! It was like a vast green blanket covering the hills ahead.

  Zerra was not so enthusiastic. “I can’t see the road through the trees,” she said, slowing the carpet to a standstill. “Especially not in the dark.” She turned to Pender. “Is there some way I can find the route without following the road?”

  “I don’t know,” Pender said. “I know only the road. Go to the right at every branch.”

  Zerra sighed. “This will slow us down,” she said, as she spiraled the carpet downward until it hung only four or five feet above the hard-packed dirt of the road. Then she started it moving forward again, following the road into the woods.

  Their speed here was only a fraction of what it had been above the trees, but it was easy to see where to go. They did not need to actually see the road below them at all, but merely to stay on the only open path through the trees.

  Morvash stared at the dark trunks sliding past on either side, then looked up at the interweaving leafy branches above. They really did block out the sky completely, just as the songs and pictures described.

  Hakin looked more and more uneasy as they left open land behind, and finally said, “Tarker can reach us at this height.”

  “I’m sure it can,” Zerra said, focused on guiding the carpet.

  “If we go this slowly, it might catch up.”

  “We’ll worry about that if and when it happens. You and the others might want to keep a good watch on the road behind us. The more warning you give me, the more likely I can get through the treetops and out of range in time.”

  “The whole reason we’re here is to get away from Tarker!”

  “That may be why you came along, you and Karitha,” Zerra said, “but Morvash and I are looking for Erdrik, Pender’s on his way home, and these Melithans are just along for the ride.”

  “Does anyone live around here?” Prince Marek asked, looking around at the unbroken lines of trees on either side.

  “No,” Pender said. “People come to cut wood sometimes, or hunt, but they do not live here.”

  “Where are we?” Karitha asked.

  Pender thought for a moment to find the right Ethsharitic word, then sa
id, “The Passes.”

  “I thought the Passes were in the mountains,” Hakin said, without taking his eyes off the road behind them.

  “Yes. Mountains,” Pender said, pointing ahead.

  Morvash had noticed that the road was rising—as were they. Riding the carpet meant that going up the slope did not require any extra effort, and the darkness made it a little less visually obvious, but they were definitely going higher. He turned and looked back, and pointed. “Look how steep that road is,” he said to Hakin.

  “Oh,” Hakin said, finally registering the slope.

  “I thought there were people who lived in the Passes,” Darissa said.

  “Not on this road,” Pender said. “There are two others on this side of the…the…”

  “Ridge?” Darissa suggested.

  “I think that is the right word.” Pender nodded. “Three roads west of the zir, and on the east side there are many. We stay on this road. When there are choices, we always go right.”

  “What if we go left?” Morvash asked.

  “Then we do not go to Hindfoot Village. We go to mines, or farms, or…or sheep.”

  “Is there anywhere to stop?” Zerra asked. “Flying through these woods in the dark is tiring.”

  Pender turned up an empty palm. “There is no village.”

  “Does anything dangerous live in these woods? Could we make camp somewhere?”

  Pender hesitated. “It is said there are dragons. It is even said there are mizagars. But I have never seen those here.”

  “Mizagars?” Darissa asked.

  “Legendary monsters that were said to fight on the side of the Northern Empire in the Great War,” Zerra explained. “If there are any left, this is as likely a place as any to find them. So maybe I’ll keep flying after all.”

  “Why are they more likely here than anywhere else?” Hakin asked.

  “Because this land was part of the Northern Empire, of course,” Zerra told him.

  “It was?”

  “Certainly! We crossed the old boundary yesterday morning.”

  Hakin stared around. “So are these trees evil, too?”

  Zerra sighed. “No, of course not. They’re just trees. The Empire is gone. There’s no lingering taint; anyone who tells you that there is, is just trying to scare you.”

  Hakin looked at Pender. “So he’s a Northerner?”

  “No, Hakin,” Morvash explained. “There aren’t any more Northerners—well, except that spy I turned back. Pender’s people are descended from the soldiers General Anaran and General Gor sent in to make certain the Empire was really gone.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Hakin, you’ve spent years living with a demon, and now you’re worried about one man who might be a Northerner?”

  Hakin started to say something, then stopped. “You’re right,” he said. “I’ll just watch for Tarker. Though it’s getting too dark to see very far.”

  “Maybe it was a mistake traveling by night,” Marek said.

  “Maybe,” Zerra said. “But it worked fine along the river, and we’re here now.”

  They flew on in silence for some time after that, some of the passengers dozing. Morvash had not intended to sleep, but he was startled awake when Darissa asked, “Is it my imagination, or are the trees getting smaller?”

  “It’s definitely getting colder,” Karitha said. “I’m freezing!” She had never managed to acquire more than a light jacket.

  Morvash looked around. The forest did seem less dense, and the cold wind was more penetrating.

  And then the woods seemed to part before them like a curtain, and the carpet sailed up out of the forest onto bare stone, lit dimly orange by the greater moon that was just now rising.

  “Mountains,” Pender said, with a sweeping gesture.

  They were indeed in the mountains; the ground beneath the carpet was so steep that climbing it might be a challenge, but Morvash could see a smooth path zigzagging up the slope. Zerra was not bothering to follow the road’s switchbacks, but was going directly up the slope.

  Then they crested the ridge, and before them was a much longer slope stretching down into a broad, grassy valley. There was no forest on this side, but only a few scattered trees, casting long black shadows in the orange moonlight. Far off to the left there was a faint glow, as if from a village.

  “Tazmor,” Pender said, with a sweep of his arm.

  The road forked just ahead, one branch turning diagonally to the left, toward those distant lights, while the other proceeded straight down the slope toward the valley. Both forks were clearly visible in the moonlight, and Zerra aimed for the right-hand branch, going straight down into the Valley of Tazmor.

  She did not, however, let the carpet descend as the road did; the ground fell away beneath them until they were once again well above the tallest trees and safely out of Tarker’s reach, should the demon turn up on their trail. She also increased speed, so that they were soaring along as swiftly as any hawk—or even faster.

  The road was plainly visible below them now in the moonlight, either stone or bare dirt; once they were clear of the ridge grass grew on either side, but not a single blade could be seen on the road itself. Morvash guessed that meant that the road saw plenty of use.

  They passed another fork, bearing right once again, taking them further out into the valley. Morvash could see tall mountains curving around them to the left, much taller than the ones behind them, and each of the left-hand roads seemed to be heading directly toward those mountains.

  Then lights appeared ahead of them. “Village,” Pender said, pointing. “Food. Beds.”

  “Tempting,” Morvash said. “It’s too cold to sleep out in the open here, I’d say. What do you think, Zerra?”

  “How much farther to your village, Pender?” she asked.

  Pender considered that. “Four days walk,” he said. “Fly in one, maybe.”

  “Four days’ walk?” Morvash asked. “Twenty-five leagues, maybe?”

  Pender nodded.

  “I’m not going that far without a break,” Zerra said. “Food and bed it is.” She aimed the carpet directly at the village lights.

  The innkeeper had not expected guests in the middle of the night, but Zerra promised enough coin to overcome his misgivings, and the party was given two rooms and a warmed-over meal. As their food was being set out, Zerra tried to offer a gold bit to have him post a guard and wake them if a demon came after them, but the innkeeper had never seen gold before and would not take it.

  “Could you pay him with a diamond?” Morvash whispered to Pender.

  Pender looked startled. “Of course not. Erdrik took all of them.”

  The innkeeper, it turned out, understood silver, and four bits were enough to buy a promise that someone would stand watch for a demon.

  As the negotiation concluded, Darissa leaned over and whispered something to Marek in Melithan. Morvash overheard, but could not understand the language; he looked at her inquiringly. She glanced around, then whispered, “He’s not going to worry about falling asleep. He doesn’t believe in any demon pursuing us.”

  “Maybe one of us should stand guard, then,” Marek whispered.

  “Or I could place a warning spell,” Morvash said. “Kandif’s Spell of Warning, maybe. It would wake me if anyone enters the room it’s placed on.”

  “If the demon is already in the room, it’s a little late,” Darissa said.

  “That’s true. Besides, it takes about an hour and I’d need a live chicken. It would be much simpler to post a guard. Were you volunteering, your Highness?”

  Marek smiled wryly. “I suppose I was. Though if the demon does turn up, I’m not sure what I can do about it.”

  “You can wake up Zerra and Karitha, and t
hey can fly up out of reach,” Darissa said.

  “Oh. Well, yes, if there’s enough time.”

  “I know no one wants to sleep outdoors again, but maybe they should spread the carpet on the floor of their room and sleep on it.”

  “It won’t fit out the window, though,” Morvash said. “I suppose we can risk it for one night. We’ve come a long way very quickly; it will probably be a few days before Tarker catches up with us.”

  “I hope so,” Darissa said, with a glance at Karitha.

  “What are you three mumbling about?” Hakin called. “Come and eat!”

  Still worried, Morvash came.

  In the end Marek stood guard, and their stay passed without incident. The sun was well up by the time Zerra awoke; the others had all awakened earlier. Morvash had taken over the watch, letting Marek get some rest, but the prince still dozed off within a few minutes of the carpet becoming airborne once again.

  By daylight the Valley of Tazmor was mostly green and gold. There were farms below, on both sides of the road, but they were scattered; most of the countryside was meadowland. Morvash looked out across it, marveling at this completely unfamiliar realm. He could see mountains in the far distance to north and west, and to the south the misty horizon seemed to be broken by peaks as well, but to the east the farms stopped after a mile or so and the meadows seemed to stretch out forever.

  “What’s out there?” he asked Pender.

  “Nothing,” Pender said.

  “What do you mean, nothing?”

  “The flat…the land with grass…”

  “Meadows,” Morvash offered.

  “Yes. The flat meadows go on for twenty leagues or more, but Tazmor goes only five leagues. I have never been so far as five leagues. Stories say that when the meadows end you find the Wilderland forest, hundreds of miles of forest. They say the Wilderland is home to dragons and mizagars and many other beasts. No people live there, not since the Northern Empire was destroyed. No one after Tazmor.”

  “Huh.” Morvash was not sure how much faith to put in such stories.