Aidan sat up with a jerk. Not far away, he saw Elwin. He was leaning against a wall. Elwin had fallen asleep during his watch. Outside, it was already late morning. Leaning back, Aidan sighed, "It was only a dream."
"Huh?" said Elwin, waking up. "Oh dear, I must have fallen asleep." He glanced at Aidan. "What was the dream?"
Aidan shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter now." Aidan stood up and stretched. Then his calm green eyes suddenly went suddenly wide. Tightly clutched in his hand was a silver chain and a hawk feather cast in white silver. "No!" he shouted. "It cannot be!"
Suddenly Elwin was wide awake. He leaped to his feet and his sword appeared in his hands. "What is it?" He had not seen the feather and so he thought Aidan's cry was a warning of some approaching danger. Crouching, he stared outside. The rains had finally come to an end and a blue cloudless morning sky stretched out above the tree tops.
"I don't see ..."
Aidan raced past him and out of the house. Surprised, Elwin chased after him. "Wait!" he called.
Aidan didn't stop. He ran through the streets of the city as if he knew them by heart. The blond youth ran past a fountain and turned down a street that had once been paved in marble. He did not stop until he came to a burned out ruin. One side of the round shaped house had been partially destroyed when a tree had fallen onto it. The timbered roof was gone, eaten away by the passing of time, the red door bleached gray by the sun. A garden that had once been well tended was also gone, in its place were weeds and wildflowers now growing out of control. Aidan stepped onto the porch and up to the doorway where the once red door stood open, hanging from a single rusty hinge. Lying among the weeds and flowers were two statues that had fallen off the porch. He stepped inside. The room was silent and cold. He shivered. The house felt like a tomb or a monument to the dead. In the center of the room stood an altar, a pile of leaves had gathered around the altar's base, and upon its top was a puddle of wax.
Panting, Elwin entered the room. "Aidan? Are you okay?" Silently, Aidan stood staring down at the altar. Looking about the ruined room, Elwin also sensed the strangeness of the place. He felt as if he were violating sacred grounds. Before speaking again, Elwin, in respect of the place, sheathed his sword into his belt. "Aidan, what’s going on? What is this place?"
Slipping the chain over his neck, Aidan tucked the feather under his shirt. "I don't know."
"What were you running from?"
"Dreams," the Elf said in a voice just above a whisper. "Only dreams." What did that girl do to me? He asked silently. Aidan looked the room over one last time, and then said, “Let’s Go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Like a whisper, a dry wind rolled out of the Gobhair Mountains. The whispering wind passed through the empty streets of the long-deserted city. As if voices of lost souls were being carried upon that dry wind, the whispering wind echoed and moaned. The voices carried upon that strange wind urged Elwin and Aidan to leave them; to leave them and their dead city in peace.
Elwin hesitated. Within the wind, he heard the distant whispering voice of the Earth Song. It now sang of faceless sorrows, and broken dreams, of lives lost and paths not taken. The haunting song filled him with emotions that were not entirely his own and this time Elwin did not recoil in fear; this time, the song was not so overpowering, but simply sad. The song did not threaten, it only moaned with sorrow, a deep sadness that longed to be shared, and yet too deep to be truly spoken. It was as if the earth itself had absorbed all the stories, hopes, and dreams of those who had once lived here. Elwin stood silently as the city shared its loss and loneliness. Then, at last, the city's sadness had been fully shared. The ghosts of the past were satisfied, and now the city wished only to be left alone.
"We don't belong here," Elwin sighed softly. Stepping off the porch of the round house, Elwin looked down the deserted streets of the ancient city. Above, the sky was clear and blue, and the sun felt warm. For the first time in days, the rainy weather had finally come to an end. Despite the improved weather, Elwin felt a heaviness around him. Lying along the crumbling streets were a few puddles, which were all that remained of the past days of rain.
Remembering the things that he had seen, Aidan only nodded. He, too, was heavy of heart. He, too, was ready to leave the city and give it back to the silence of the past.
Glancing at Aidan, Elwin saw a distant and haunted look on his friend's face, a look that he had never been there before. Elwin suspected his own face did not look all that different. Aidan was always lighthearted and carefree, but now he looked as if his world was coming to an end. Elwin looked up at the sky. "At least it doesn't look like it's going to rain today. That will be a welcome change." Again, Aidan nodded.
In a hurry to put the ruins behind them, Elwin and Aidan quickly started back across the city and to the house where they had left their supplies. From above, empty windows stared down at them. Looking up, Elwin tried to imagine the faces that had once stared out of them. The only sound was the whispering song, reminding him that he was an intruder here. Once this place was the home to thousands, but no more. Now it belongs to the dead and to the past. Elwin walked a little faster.
Quickly and quietly they gathered their belongings. Leading the way, Aidan returned to the bridge. In the daylight, the bridge looked even older than it had the night before. It sagged and leaned off to one side.
"Why are we going this way?" asked Elwin.
"If we follow the stream," said Aidan in a soft voice, "it will lead us to a river valley. The valley cuts through the mountains and will take us to the plains, from there it won’t take us long to reach Caiplich.”
Hanging his bow across his back in the manner of the Elves, Elwin asked, "How do you know that?" He looked at the stream. It was narrow and shallow, and he could see nothing about it to suggest that it would take them anywhere.
Looking uncomfortable, Aidan rested a hand on his chest. Beneath his shirt, he could feel the silver feather. "Elwin," he said after a long hesitation. Elwin saw the pleading look in his eyes. Aidan was scared. Without meeting Elwin's eyes, Aidan went on, "Please don't ask me that. I just know. Let that be enough for now."
Elwin answered with a nod. "I won't ask." What is he scared of? "If you say this is the way out of the mountains, then it is the way we well go. Lead on my friend." In the distance, a hawk cried out.
Following the stream, Elwin and Aidan found themselves descending gently towards the southeast. That night they again heard the cries that haunted the woods, but they seemed distant now, and Elwin hoped that the Red Robes had lost their trail.
It took them the rest of that day and a good part of the next to reach the valley Aidan had spoken of. In the center of the valley was a large river that meandered off towards the west. The river basin had steep sloping walls, giving the lush green valley a wide U-shaped. Making his way to the banks of the peaceful river, Elwin cupped his hands and took a long drink.
Aidan kneeled beside him. The water was cold and refreshing after the long day's walk.
Standing up, Elwin looked around. Flowers and tall grasses grew to either side of the river. The valley was as peaceful as it was beautiful. Elwin stretched out his arms, letting out a long yawn. "Let's camp here tonight. I think we have lost the monks."
Aidan shrugged his shoulders. Ever since leaving the ruins, Aidan had been quiet and withdrawn.
High in the blue sky, a hawk slowly circled. As if sensing that the day's journey was at an end, the proud bird descended slowly to a small grove of trees. Among the trees, the hawk vanished from view.
To Elwin's relief, that night they did not hear the cries of the monks. Under a canopy of a starry night, Elwin slept a dreamless night. He woke the next morning feeling rested and ready for an early start. Looking toward the northern rim of the valley, Elwin could just make out the peaks of the Gobhair mountains. He knew that the Long Road had to be somewhere to the south beyond the valley. For three more days, they walked beside the river. Its water wa
s cold and clear, and life of all kinds gathered along its banks. The river was the heart and soul of the valley, providing both water and food to the animals that made their home there. With the skills that Aidan taught him over the last month, Elwin managed to catch a few fish. Slipping into a moody depression, Aidan left their food gathering needs to Elwin. So Elwin did the best he could. Still refusing to use his bow, he fed them on a diet of fish and edible plants. At night they would lie upon a bed of wild grasses and let the river sing them to sleep. The valley was a beautiful oasis, a place untouched and unspoiled by man, yet its magic helped Elwin and Aidan little. With each passing day, Aidan drew deeper into himself, and Elwin was left to reflect upon his own troubles, and he was always listening for the cries of the monks to return and break the silence of the nights. The waiting was almost worse than the cries themselves. But sleeping was even worse. In his dreams, Torcull was always there waiting for him, while above a Hawk circled as if following them down the river basin.
The morning was crisp and clear and promised of yet another beautiful day in the long river valley. Elwin leaned back and watched the water flowing by. Coming to a decision, he nodded to himself. When I find Leina, it will be over. I am going to leave the sword with the Guardians of Light. If they have half the powers they appear to, then surely they could protect it from Torcull, and do so far better than I can. Elwin lay back in the grass. For the first time in over a month, he felt at ease. It felt good to have made a decision. He let the world around him sink in, but as he relaxed, the gurgling music of the river rose up to him. The sound of the river reminded him of the song of Earth Magic, and Elwin felt his heart beat faster and had a desire to embrace the song of power. Shocked and terrified at his own feelings, Elwin once more shut out the world. "Cursed blade!" He swore. Elwin could feel the weight of the sword at his side. It was always there, dragging him down. I will not let you change me! Let the Guardians have you!
--
The day dragged on and despite his misgivings, Elwin was in a much better mood. He had made his choice and would give his sword to the Guardians of Light. Once rid of the sword, he hoped it would also bring an end to the dreams as well as the seducing call of the Earth Song. However, by mid-afternoon, Elwin found himself feeling frustrated. Throughout the day, the valley had slowly narrowed and had transformed itself into a canyon that cut between two snow-capped mountains. The once calm river that ran through the middle canyon now leaped and danced over the large boulders as the water attacked everything in its way. Picking their way up the canyon floor had been slow and tiring. As they went further up the canyon, the canyon floor became steeper and steeper, and with larger and larger boulders that had to be navigated around; the going was slow and hard. Higher and higher, they climbed. Then, at last, the canyon opened up onto an emerald green mountain lake. Elwin frowned as he stood staring over the small lake. From across the green surfaced lake, he could feel a cool mountain breeze blowing against his face. Sighing to himself, he looked at what lay on the far banks of the lake. From the far edge of the glacier-fed lake rose a steeply sloping hill that was littered with stones, boulders, and large sheets of snow and ice. Above the rock and icy slope was a towering cliff of a mountain. "Another boxed canyon," he moaned, shaking his head. "And it took us three days to get here, and now we have to turn back."
"No, we won't. There is a way through," stated Aidan.
"Through that?" Elwin pointed up at the craggy looking cliff. "Maybe if you were a bird you could fly over it, but you're not, and we cannot climb over it. It's too big, Aidan. We have to go back."
Aidan cringed and looked away from Elwin. "There is a way. We cannot see it from here, but there is a narrow slit in the cliff wall that opens up into a very narrow canyon. The canyon cuts right through the mountain and will take us to the other side."
Elwin’s frown deepened as he stared at Aidan's back, but remembering his promise not to ask, he held back his questions. Well, if he is wrong, we can still go back down the valley.
"Should we try, then?" he finally said out loud.
"Tomorrow," Aidan replied. "It will be a hard climb to reach the pass. We should wait until the morning. We will make camp here at the lake’s edge."
They had no more than set up camp when Aidan turned around, "I am going to take a walk. I need some time to think."
"Are you okay?"
Aidan nodded and walked back down the canyon and away from Elwin.
Elwin watched him for a moment. Then shrugging his shoulders, he turned towards the small gem colored lake as it reflected and shimmered in the afternoon sun.
Elwin walked along the banks of the lake until he found what he was searching for. A large flat boulder reached out into the lake. Climbing out onto to the wide flat boulder that stretched several feet from the banks, he approached its farthest edge. There the rocky surface of the stone slipped under the smooth surface of the lake. Elwin, finding a place to sit, settled in close to the water’s edge. Sitting on the edge of the boulder, he stared down into the depths of the crystal clear water. Patiently, he waited. Just below lake's surface, a large brown trout circled. Slowly, Elwin lowered his hand into the icy water. The fish shifted, but it did not swim away. Carefully, Elwin began to caress the belly of the fish. The fish became sluggish and stopped circling. In a sudden quick motion, Elwin cupped the fish in his hand and jerked upwards. The fish flew over his head and landed on the rocky bank of the lake. Elwin smiled at himself and returned to watching the water. Soon another fish appeared. By the time Aidan had returned, Elwin had a fire going and three cooked trout that were laid out neatly on a rock next to the fire to keep them warm. As Aidan approached, Elwin was slowly turning one more trout over the fire.
After dinner, the two lay next to the fire and fell off to sleep.
--
“Why are you running?” called out a dark voice.
Panting, Elwin ran through a dark forest. The branches of the black trees slapped at his face. Among the trees, Elwin could feel eyes staring out at him, evil, hungry eyes. He ran faster. Suddenly Torcull was right in front of him. "Come to me."
Elwin turned and fled in another direction. Again, Torcull was before him. He stepped out of the darkness. "You cannot run from me. I have touched your soul, Elwin. The druid tried to keep me from your dreams, but where is he now? He is gone, but I am still here. I am your true friend. I will never leave you.”
Finally too tired to run, Elwin fell to his knees.
"I am here to help you. My master wishes to help you. Do not listen to the druid's lies.
He hides the truth from you. You know it is true. The druid knows that only by freeing my master can you free yourself of the sword." Suddenly the priest of the severed head stood over Elwin. His blue eyes taking in the form of the prince.
Elwin stared up weakly. How long have I been running? "I don't need you or Faynn!" he shouted at the priest.
Torcull smiled and shook his head. "The Guardians of Light? You do not need them either. They will try to take the sword from you, Elwin."
"They won't have to!" he snapped. "I am going to give it to them."
For a brief moment, Torcull's eyes widened, then he quickly composed himself again. His smile returned. "You still have much to learn. Search yourself, Elwin. The truth is inside of you. You cannot give up the sword, and you know it. Its hold on you is already too strong. Only my master can set you free. You cannot fight your destiny."
Elwin woke with a start. He rolled over. The fire was almost out. Not far away, Aidan was sitting on a fallen tree. With his back to Elwin, he sat with his legs folded up under him and he was looking up at a silvery moon.
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