“I thought you said Captain Praf and ten men were on their way.”
“I was bluffing.”
A few moments later, the men arrived. There were four men led by a captain, all in dark grey cloaks.
“What do we have here?” the captain asked.
Captain Vose grabbed Shey’s arm. “Enforcer killer, and worse, a wielder. She brings this girl with her to teach her the dark crafts.” He reached into her cloak, found her daggers, and disarmed her.
“You’re a fool, Vose. This is Lady Shey of Lux Enor. She has the eyes and ears of the highlord. She can have your head on a whim,” the captain said.
“Not if we take hers first. If we leave her bones out in the Sacred Land, no one would ever know.”
“Put her back on her horse with the girl. The Sacred Land isn’t far.”
“Aye, sir.” He poked Shey. “You heard him—mount up.” He grabbed the girl who began to whimper until Shey calmed her with a caress of the girl’s face and a shake of her head when the girl looked up at her.
The Enforcers led Lady Shey and the girl across the border into the Sacred Land and kept riding for a few more hours. Shey knew they were not far from the Defender outpost where she was planning on taking the girl anyway by the time they stopped.
The captain ordered her down from her horse. “Rope?” he asked one of his men.
When he had the rope in hand, he began to tie up Lady Shey. He slipped a small stone into the palm of her hand instead of tying the rope. He tapped her on the forearm to let her know he was ready. She pushed him back into her horse, flung open her cloak, and called her daggers to her. They ripped their way from Vose and returned to their sheaths on Shey’s waist. She gave Vose a wicked smile, grabbed ahold of the girl, and used the dragon stone the captain had given her. She appeared at the Defender outpost a moment later.
The girl was stunned. “What happened?”
“That captain was really my friend, Lyrrath. He had a personal Lora Daine, a dragon stone.”
Shey could see Oria didn’t know what a Lora Daine was. “It’s a small stone that dragon knights use to transport themselves over short distances. It’s dragon magic, the only magic that will work in the Sacred Land. Usually one this size can only send one person, but you and I are small enough it was able to send us both. Don’t worry about it. Just be glad I had my friend check on us.”
She took the girl and walked into the wooden outpost building. Once inside, she helped herself to some bittering tea, which was boiling on the small metal stove. A woman in blue robes sat at the desk, writing on parchment.
“I see Lyrrath found you,” the woman said.
“What was that?” Shey said, still pouring the dark, fragrant liquid into a small tin cup.
“The Lora Daine. You used the stone.”
“Aye.” She handed the stone over to the woman. “You will see Lyrrath gets it back, won’t you?”
“Certainly.” She stopped writing and motioned for Oria to come to her.
“Go on. Oria, this is Enowene. She will instruct you.”
The girl went to Enowene. “You will never have to worry about anything as long as you are in my care.”
Lady Shey bent down to the girl. “You will be okay now if I leave you with Enowene?”
The girl nodded and gave Shey a hug. “That man. He wouldn’t let me talk. He did something to me. Will I be able to do that too?”
“That and more if you study hard and listen to Enowene.”
“I will. No one will do anything like that to me ever again!”
Shey blew on her bittering tea. “Before I travel back to Lux Enor, you want me to go to the ruins of the Temple of the Oracle?”
“Aye, something is stirring up the Sacred Land. The Defenders that occupy this outpost are out patrolling an area where the dead are said to walk again this very moment.”
“Is there any truth to it?”
“I came from my old tower in Old Symbor and traveled here across the middle of the Sacred Land and saw nothing out of the ordinary.” She reached into her knapsack and produced a blue checkered cloth and handed it to Oria. “Are you hungry, dear?”
The girl nodded and took the cloth. Inside was bread, cheese, and dried, seasoned beef.
Shey took another drink from her cup. “Why do you want me to go to the ruins?”
“It’s Morgoran. I know his predictions mostly do not come true, but he has been spouting something about the Oracle of late. He says the Sacred Land is regaining its essence and with it, the Oracle will return. Ianthill believes you should go there and look it over.”
“Why didn’t Ianthill come and see for himself?”
“Ha! You really think that one of the great First Trine would do something so trivial? Your master, my brother, has far more important things to do than chase after Morgoran’s visions.”
Shey put the empty tin cup back where she found it. “All right, the ruins of the temple it is. Is there a horse for me in the stables?”
“Aye, there is.”
“Enowene, those men we escaped from, they are not far from here. The man, Del, he can sense her. Lyrrath might lead them away, but it’s possible they will come here.”
“The Defenders of the Sacred Land will have something to say about that. They are due back at any moment, and if they find Enforcers anywhere near here, there will be blood. Don’t worry.”
Lady Shey kissed Oria on the top of her head. “I will see you soon, child. You listen to Enowene. She trained me, too, once upon a time.”
“I will,” Oria said between bites.
Shey gathered her cloak about her and left for the stables.
Chapter 2: The Sacred Land
Lady Shey bent down to one knee and scooped up a handful of earth. She let the dirt filter between her fingers. The Sacred Land doesn’t feel different than any other dirt, she thought. The low, heavy clouds made the Sacred Land appear sinister as far as she could see, which was fitting given the land’s history. Still, her horse had been acting spooked since the moment they left the outpost. Leading her steed by the reins, she walked along the barren wasteland. No trees grew anymore in the Sacred Land, and the ones that had been there before were like twisted, dead fingers reaching desperately for the grey sky. The further she entered the Sacred Land, the more the dirt beneath her feet felt dead and colorless. Still, she soldiered on.
About midday, she stopped to have a bite to eat. She had to carry food for her horse since there was no grass for it to graze on. She sat down on a dead log and opened up the food pack she had brought. The day’s lunch consisted of dried beef and a hefty portion of cheese. The sheer desolation of the Sacred Land took its toll on any weary traveler. There were no animals, no plant life, no sign of people as far as the eye could see. It was also difficult to mark distance and time once one traveled far enough into the interior. Lady Shey didn’t want to spend any more time being idle than she had to, even to eat.
Once again on horseback, Lady Shey decided to make better time to her destination. It was midafternoon by the sun’s position when she caught sight of her journey's end. She reached the site and dismounted. The ground and surrounding area didn’t appear any different from the greyish, lifeless earth she’d been passing on all day. A lone marker signified the difference; this was the spot of a great sacrifice. Lady Shey went to her saddlebags and removed a single red rose and placed it at the foot of the marker.
“I miss your face,” she said.
“I’m sure she misses yours too,” a male voice from somewhere behind her said.
Startled, Lady Shey bounded into a defensive position until she saw who was speaking. “Gondrial. You know better than to sneak up on people.”
“I didn’t realize I was sneaking. There isn’t a person around for miles. You can practically see the ocean from here it’s so flat.”
“I was preoccupied. There wasn’t anyone around to worry about, or so I thought.”
“I have to admit, I did travel her
e as fast as I could. Traveling across the Sacred Land alone requires one to be of particularly strong will.” He found a fallen log nearby to sit on the ground and lean on.
“That’s why I asked Enowene to send you on to meet me here,” Shey said.
“Oh, were you planning on traveling with me to Brookhaven, then?”
“Brookhaven? I thought you were going to return with me to Lux Enor.”
“You know how I feel about Lux Enor. Too many aristocrats and snobs.”
“You mean too many angry husbands?”
Gondrial folded his arms. “I think you might be jumping to conclusions.”
“Aye, the right conclusions!” Shey said.
“I’ve hardly angered any husbands in at least a few months.”
“A few months? I would put all the gold in my pocket on a wager it was more like a few days.”
“I see your opinion of me is as high as ever.” Gondrial unfolded his arms and produced his smoking pipe. “It’s of little matter.” Gondrial stuffed his pipe with tabac and lit it afterward, puffing clouds of white smoke as he did. He leaned back against the dead log. “The light is fading. It might be a good idea to unpack our camping gear, assuming you’re wanting to set up camp here.”
“This is as good a spot as any,” Lady Shey said. She joined him at the fallen log. “I want to thank you. I know it isn’t easy traveling through the Sacred Land. You didn’t have to come.”
Gondrial puffed his pipe and let out a cloud of smoke. “Please, sit down.” He patted the ground beside the log. “I’m still not sure why you wanted to make the trip into the Sacred Land. When was the last time you came here?”
“It has been a while. I didn’t really want to come here, but Ianthill wanted me to. Morgoran has been having visions. I also met a Defender patrol earlier today.”
“What did they tell you?”
“They said there have been strange sightings at night, reports of people wandering around, unexplained lights as if someone is carrying a torch around. There have even been reports of unknown flying creatures. They thought now would be a good time for me to investigate.”
He coughed out a puff of smoke. “And you’re just telling me this now!”
“Oh, relax, Gondrial,” Shey said nonchalantly. “I’ll protect you if something strange should appear. You needn’t worry.”
Gondrial rolled his eyes. “I should be so lucky.” He put his pipe back into his mouth and took a deep pull, idly gazing into the distance. Suddenly, he removed his pipe from his mouth and squinted, then he froze.
Shey could see in Gondrial’s far-off gaze that he had spotted something. She peered in the same direction. “What is it? What do you see?”
“Something on the horizon. Do you see it?”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to see. What is it? You are seeing things based on what I just told you.”
“If I knew what it was, I would tell you.” He stood up and put his hand to his forehead to block the light from his eyes. He was looking almost directly into the setting sun. “There’s something silhouetted against the sun, but I can’t make it out. The sun’s too bright.”
Shey squinted. “I think I see it, but it’s too big to be a man silhouetted at this distance. Could it be a horse or a rider on a horse?”
“It’s too far away.” He looked away from the sun. “It’s probably nothing. It can be as little as blowing dust accentuated against the sun.”
“I wonder if this is the sort of thing that has been reported to us as being peculiar by the Defenders?”
Gondrial went to his horse and started to inspect his saddlebags, pulling out items to set up camp. “At any rate, there’s nothing we can do about it way out here.” He unloaded his sword and gave it a swing. “We’ll just have to be vigilant and keep watch.”
She found Gondrial swinging a sword comical. “Do you even know how to use that?”
“I had some training when I was younger. I still remember.” He jabbed the point of the sword into the ground beside the fallen log. “The question is do you have any way of defending yourself without being able to draw essence?”
Lady Shey brushed aside her cloak and produced her two wicked silver-plated daggers. She began twirling both daggers with masterful skill, finally lodging them in the ground at Gondrial’s feet. “Will these do?”
“I forgot about those. All right, I’ll take first watch,” Gondrial said. “I usually stay up late, anyway. You should try to get some sleep.”
Lady Shey looked at Gondrial as if he had lost his mind. “Whatever we saw on the horizon, it’s worrisome enough for me to stay awake for a few hours. If it doesn’t bother you, why don’t you go to sleep and I’ll take the first watch.”
“Suit yourself. I’m sure it was nothing but dust blowing in the wind, now that I think about it. Besides, I could sleep.” He produced a flask out from under his leather vest. “Just as soon as it gets dark.” He took a drink from the flask.
“How quickly your worry has faded. Don’t you think you should lay off the drinking tonight?”
“I don’t worry about matters that are out of my control. We are both in the middle of the Sacred Land so we can’t draw essence to use magic, we have meager fighting skills, and night is falling. Whatever will happen will happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it. So, a little drink to take the edge off is warranted in this situation.” He held the flask up in the air to accentuate his last statement. “I just remembered that the last time I was in this wasteland, all sorts of dirt was blowing around.”
After nightfall, it didn’t take long for Gondrial to fall asleep and begin snoring. Restless, Lady Shey walked the perimeter of the camp, occasionally gazing at the stars, which were bright and brilliant. Alerted to the faint noise of what sounded like an animal’s whimper, she stopped and listened. She felt a slight tremor beneath her feet, and she looked back at Gondrial, who was still fast asleep. Without any effort, she abruptly felt essence flow into her body. She didn’t draw any essence; it just entered her on its own. The essence felt different somehow, more powerful, easier to control. The tips of her fingers and the tips of her toes tingled. Before her eyes, near the marker, two white, partially transparent apparitions appeared. They floated toward her, but she was not afraid. As the apparitions drew nearer, she recognized one of them as the hero of the War of the Oracle, Ashonda.
“How can this be?” Shey asked.
“I have returned to these lands to seek you out, Sheyna of the Vale of Morgoran.”
“Is that the reason Morgoran thought it important that I come here? You were his vision.”
“This isn’t a social visit,” Ashonda asserted. “We have business.” She pointed her finger at Gondrial. “Awaken!”
Gondrial sprang to life as if he was stung by a scorpion. “Who’s that?”
“I’m called Ashonda.”
Still shaken, Gondrial joined Lady Shey. “Is this real, or am I dreaming?”
“I think you’re dreaming,” Lady Shey said.
Gondrial nonchalantly reached over to Lady Shey’s arm and gave her a pinch. She yanked her arm away. “It’s real,” he said.
“Do you know why you have come here?” Ashonda asked.
Shey responded, “There have been reports of strange happenings here. Activity in the Sacred Land. Morgoran Cleareyes, the man cursed to only see into the future, sent me here to investigate.”
“Indeed, there have,” Ashonda said. “The Sacred Land is awakening. Essence and life return. Over the next few seasons, the Sacred Land will return to the way it was before the War of the Oracle, and then it will become much more powerful, as a burned grassy field returns greener than ever.”
Gondrial scratched his head. “So when you die you know things you didn’t know when you were alive and you can tell the living after you’re dead.”
Lady Shey giggled and then straightened up when she saw the look on Ashonda’s face. “She’s serious, Gondrial. I wouldn’t anger her if
I were you.”
“You mustn’t let the Oracle awaken with the Sacred Land.” She looked Gondrial directly in the eyes. “And no, we don’t know everything. We only know the knowledge connected to the essence of all things. What you will do with this knowledge is for you, the living, to sort out.
“I am here,” Ashonda continued “because my bloodline is connected to the task at hand. You must seek out my bloodline, Shey. If the Oracle should arise, only my bloodline will be able to banish him again since it was I who banished him before.”
“You were one of several who banished him,” Shey pointed out. “Why does it fall on your bloodline?”
Ashonda shrugged. “It doesn’t. The bloodline of Ardenia also holds sway. The bloodline of Marella Arden is as important as my heritage. During the War of the Oracle, my family had a farm my father named Brookhaven. It is my understanding my family’s farm has now grown into a village called Brookhaven. My line still lives there along with a family from Ardenia, the Adair family.”
“So Morgoran sent Shey here so you could tell her about your descendants and the descendants of Marella Arden?”
“I am here because the power of the Sacred Land is regenerating its power and those who gave their lives here are tied closely to it. Morgoran’s visions are but one warning of what is to come. What we started all those many seasons ago is not yet finished. It falls on you and our descendants to secure the future.”
“What does that mean?” Shey asked. “Will there be a second War of the Oracle?”
Ashonda began to fade. “That is up to you and the strength we left behind in our linage; therefore, it is up to my generation’s legacy now. The only certainty I can give you is that the Oracle will return with the renewal of the Sacred Land and the key to controlling the power the Sacred Land brings is in Brookhaven.” With those words, the apparition of Ashonda faded completely away.
Gondrial kicked absently at the ground. “That’s just great. You can bet that if we know about Brookhaven, it’s only a matter of time before those seeking to take control of the power of the Sacred Land will find out about it as well. We need to get to Brookhaven.”
Dawn of the Sacred Land Page 2
