Earth Magic

by Kenneth Price

  Sitting up, Elwin pulled his cloak around him. For a long moment, he sat there and said nothing. Silhouetted in the moonlight, Aidan's hair looked as silvery as the moon. He's like a mythical tree spirit. Elwin came to his feet. A tree spirit that has just watched his forest burnt to the ground. Breaking the silence, he remarked to Aidan, "The moon is almost full."

  Startled, Aidan shoved something under his shirt. In the moonlight, Elwin thought it looked like a feather. Trying not to stare, Elwin climbed to his feet. Staring up at the sky, he walked over to the tree and took a seat next to his friend. "Even with a bright moon, there are so many stars."

  "I guess," Aidan replied dryly and looked away.

  Elwin frowned. How long are you going to keep brooding? Then out-loud said, "Why don't you get some sleep. I can take the rest of the watch." Is this how I have been acting? If so, it is time I stop.

  "I don't want to sleep."

  Elwin could sympathize with that. He leaned up against a large boulder. Staring up at the sky, he and Aidan became quiet. Silently they watched the stars and listened to the sounds of the night.

  After a while, Aidan turned his head. "Thank you."

  "For what?"

  "For not asking about the canyon and how I know where to go. I know that I have not been the best of traveling companions. Colin or Pallas would have been better."

  Elwin sighed. Then he said, "When you are ready, I will be here. Until then, you do what you have too. And I also have been a poor friend. I have been lost in my own problems. I think we have a lot in common, Aidan. And that make us the best of traveling companions."

  Aidan looked at Elwin's sword. In the last few days, Elwin was never far from the blade. Even to get a drink from the river, Elwin would take the sword with him. Then Aidan glanced up at the prince's face. Elwin's face had changed in the last few months. The innocent youth with the thin sickly looking body was changing. Elwin's face was now tanned from the sun, and had a harder edge to it. He had also put on some muscle from the long hard days of walking, hunting, and fishing. Elwin's outer body was changing and becoming fit and healthy, but he was also changing on the inside. There was no hiding the worries Elwin tried to keep inside, yet at the same time, Elwin was growing more confident in himself.

  "It feels like I have been wounded,” Aidan said at last. “It is like I have been fighting some great battle that can’t be won."

  Elwin's smile was ironic. "They say that time heals all wounds. I do not know if that is true." With heavy eyes, he looked at Aidan. "I think that some things can never be truly healed." He shook his head sadly. "I don't know. And I don't know what is happening to us, or why, but I have a plan. I cannot change what has happened, but I can still control my future. I do not believe in destiny."

  He is a lot like his father, thought Aidan. Always needing to be in control, at least when it comes to himself.

  Elwin went on. "Maybe you were right about the sword. It is too dangerous of a thing. I have to get rid of it. I can feel its pull on me.”

  "What about Torcull? Faynn said that Torcull would find it and use it to free the dark god Beli.”

  It is me you should fear. Torcull wants me to release Beli. Did Faynn know that was what Torcull wanted? Is that what he tried to hide from me? That I am the one who will bring back the darkness and destroy the world? "I don't know if I can completely trust Faynn."

  "He saved your life."

  "But why did he do it? The druids have never helped us Kambryians before. Why now? And why me? He wants something. He wants something from me, or maybe to keep me from doing something. Whatever it is, I am not going to give it to him."

  "What are you going to do?"

  Elwin shrugged his shoulders. "Don't tell anyone, but I am going to give the Guardians of Light my sword. Let them protect it. If I get rid of it, maybe I can return to who I once was. Without the cursed thing, perhaps I can stop..." Elwin looked at Aidan's shirt. "Aidan, maybe they can take whatever you might wish to give them as well."

  A spark of hope flashed in Aidan's eyes. "Do you really think so?"

  Again, Elwin shrugged. "There is only one way to find out. But we have to find the Karr al-Isma first and the sacred mountain that lies in the heart of Aleach, beyond the city of Caiplich. When we find it and the Guardians, we can ask. What's the worst that can happen? We cannot be any worse off than we are now."

  Aidan nodded his head. "You are right. It is worth the chance. It cannot hurt to ask."

  For a long time, they were quiet, then Aidan stood up. "I think I will try to sleep. Thank you, Elwin. You have given me something to think about."

  --

  The next day the two attacked the sloping hill on the far side of the lake. Catching his breath, Elwin started up at the eastern rim of the valley. The rocky slope that he was trying to climb was much steeper than it had looked from the bottom and stones rolled under their feet as they tried to climb. Like Aidan had said, the going was slow, challenging and tiring. Looking up the steep hill, Elwin could see little chance of things improving. Once they reached the top, they would still have to find the opening in the cliff face, and so far, he could not see any narrow canyon. Glancing upwards, Elwin noticed the ever-present Hawk circling above the cliff face.

  From below, Elwin had thought that the cliff looked impassable, and now that he was closer to it, he was sure that it was. Elwin looked back over his shoulder. Below, he could see the green lake and the river that flowed out of it and down the lower canyon. He turned back facing once more upwards and towards the cliff face. Elwin wiped the sweat off his face. "I need to rest,” he admitted.

  Sitting on the edge of a large boulder; a boulder that many years ago had broken free of the towering cliff above. It had tumbled down until, at last, it found a resting place halfway down the sloping hillside. There on the sun warmed boulder, they stopped to have a small lunch of leftover fish and nuts. With satisfied stomachs and a little rest, then they once more started to climb.

  Finally, they reached the top of the slope. Panting, Elwin leaned up against the cliff's face that towered over them. "Are you sure that there is a way past this?" He slapped the rock surface. "I can't see any way past this."

  Aidan nodded. He seemed to be in a better mood today. But he still had the look of someone who was reliving a nightmare. "It is here," Aidan assured him for what must have been the hundredth time. "All we have to do is follow the cliff, and we will find it."

  Doubtfully, Elwin looked up ahead. All he could see were few shrubs, giant boulders, a few short stubby pine trees, and the towering cliff. "Well," he said at last, "let's keep moving, then."

  Another hour passed. Walking along the base of the cliff was easier than the climb had been. However, it appeared to Elwin as if they were going nowhere. The cliff showed no sign of any canyon. Elwin was about to demand that they turn back when Aidan pointed, exclaiming, "There!"

  Elwin looked. There was indeed a narrow cut in the wall which was partly covered and hidden by a stubby pine tree. The twisted pine tree leaned out away from the cut where it had managed to find just enough room for its roots to take a grip in this harsh high altitude environment. The cut itself was not much wider than the weather-worn tree that grew out of it. "That's it? That's your canyon? It is too narrow. It cannot go all the way through."

  Aidan only smiled and squeezed past the twisted tree. Elwin shrugged his shoulders and followed.

  Aidan’s canyon seemed to be no more than a notch in the cliff face. Ahead of the Prince, Aidan squeezed between the stone walls. Sure they would have to turn back, Elwin quietly followed. It was a difficult process to squeeze in-between the walls and climb over the boulders that had fallen from above. Then, to Elwin's surprise, the canyon did not come to an end. After several yards, the narrow canyon widened up which allow the two to walk side by side, and the canyon floor was level with almost no boulders blocking their way. The canyon, which curved and twisted deeper into the cliff, appeared to have been created by the
raging waters of an ancient glacier that fed the river. Above their heads, they could see a narrow band of blue sky between the towering cliff walls. Within the walls of the canyon, the air was cool, shady, and damp. Moving deeper and deeper into the canyon pass, Elwin kept expecting it to come to an abrupt end, but it did not. In some places, the canyon would narrow so much that they were barely able to squeeze through, but it always widened up on the other side. However, it was never wider than ten or twelve feet.

  Stepping under a stone arch that formed a natural bridge that stretched from one side of the canyon to the other, the two suddenly stopped. Awestruck the two boys gazed upon a vast valley. Hemmed in by towering cliff walls which encircled entire valley basin, the view was breathtaking, to the north, a towering waterfall flowed down the cliff face to fed a small crystal clear lake, above which white birds circled, hunting for the fish that lived in the lake. The rocky Canyon floor had given away to rich fertile soil that fed several groves of Pine and Aspen trees. Between the groves of trees were open fields of tall grass that waved gently in the mountain breeze. Spooked by the arrival of two travelers to their private home, several deer fled, disappearing into the shelter of the trees.

  "Wow!" breathed Elwin. "This valley must be two miles wide. Who would have thought something like this was here!"

  Aidan pointed off to the north face of the valley. "Look! There are caves along that cliff wall. Let's take a closer look."

  Aidan was not surprised by the valley, after all, he had seen it as a hawk. However, he had not noticed the caves. "They could provide some nice shelter for the night. It's been a long time since we had any real shelter.” And I won’t be able to see that hawk from the inside of a cave.

  As soon as they reached the north cliff face, Elwin started gazing into a string of several cave mouths. The whole north side of the valley wall was honeycombed with caves. "These are strange. All the entrances have triangular openings."

  Aidan nodded in agreement. "They are not natural, and they have been carved to look like tent flaps."

  Elwin agreed with a quick nod. "But who would create such things out here in the middle of nowhere?"

  As they explored the caves, they soon discovered that once inside, all the caves appeared the same and were rather small, they did not go back far into the cliff face but were carved into a single round shaped room. The now empty caves actually did feel like being inside a tall tent, each one had a round, smooth stone floor and short walls, while above, the ceiling came to a peak in the exact center of the stone tent. As if caves were made of cloth, standing in the center of each room was a stone post, like a tent post, but made of stone. Flakes of ivory colored paint could still be seen on the walls, adding to the sensation of being in a cloth tent.

  "Elwin! Come out here," Aidan called.

  Elwin came out of a cave he was exploring to see what Aidan had found. Finding Aidan standing in front of the largest cave they had yet seen, Elwin looked up. He suddenly found himself staring up at a pair of giant statues. Carved into the hard granite walls of the cliff, the statues flanked the cave opening. In outstretched arms, one statue held a sword and the other a crown.

  "They look like gods, or maybe a king’s guards," commented Elwin.

  "Strange," stated Aidan still staring up at the statues. "They have no faces."

  "I think they once had faces, but someone destroyed them." Elwin pointed up to their strange faceless heads. Where faces should have been, the stone appeared to have been chipped away."

  "Who do you think carved them?"

  "Maybe the Aleach," Elwin replied. "I read once that during one of the tribal wars, one of the clans refused to surrender to the new Caliph and took to hiding in the mountains. This must be where they lived."

  "Did they ever return to the plains?"

  Elwin shook his head. "No. They lived here for years. But in the end, the Caliph found them. He sent an army into the mountains after them. There was no hope. A single clan could not win against the Caliph's army. Years before, the Aleach had fought a bloody civil war known as the "Aleach wars of Unifications." After years of warfare, a single Caliph had united fourteen of the fifteen clans into a federation of clans. However, one clan had still not been defeated nor were they willing joined the Caliph's new alliance. Militarily, that one clan was totally outnumbered, they had no chance. Still, they refused to join with the unification under one single Caliph. The Caliph was furious. He wanted total unification.

  So in desperation, that one rebellious clan which had refused to submit, fled the grassland homes and tried to make a new life in these mountains. According to the histories I have read, the Caliph never relented in his search for the missing clan. When he finally discovered their new home hidden here in these mountains, the Caliph attacked with overwhelming force. Of that one last independent clan, there were no survivors. The Caliph's army destroyed them all. The Aleach are a hard people."

  "I cannot imagine the Elves being at war with one another... Humans are hard to understand. Let's go on. This is too sad of a place."

  Instead of using the caves as a shelter for the night, the two walked to the far side of the valley. Like on the far western side of the valley, the eastern side was another narrow canyon that was cut into the cliff face. Once more the steep walls of a narrow canyon closed in on them. Walking just behind Aidan, Elwin looked up. Between the walls, he could see the thin line of the blue sky of the fading day. Another day was quickly coming to an end and thin line of blue sky beginning to darken. Soon the night was upon them.

  Lying on his back, Aidan stared up at the few stars he could see through the canyon roof.

  "That Aleach clan picked a good place to defend themselves," he mused out loud.

  Elwin nodded. "But they were greatly outnumbered. What I do not understand is why they did not escape through the western canyon. They should have retreated to the river valley. They did not have to stay and fight. They had already fled once, why not again?"

  "Why do humans hate each other so much? Why would the Aleach want to kill their own brothers and sisters?"

  Elwin was silent; he did not have an answer.

  "It must have been horrible," Aidan went on. "Were there children?"

  "Yes." Rolling over, Elwin closed his eyes. That night he did not dream of Torcull, Nightlings, or of the crown, perhaps the canyon somehow protected Elwin from the Prophet probing into his dreams. Instead, he dreamed of the Aleach clan that had lived in the hidden valley. The dream came with the soft murmuring of the Earth Song that Elwin was becoming all too familiar with, recognized the valley as the same one Aidan and himself had passed through only the day before. However, it was different, all around the northern rim were the sounds of a small village. A village of caves. Children ran after one another, laughing and playing games. Within the valley floor, men tended their flocks of sheep and a few horses, while women worked in a large community field that sat in the center of the valley. It seemed a peaceful place, except for the faces of the men and women. There was a tension in the air.

  "Are they coming?"

  Elwin turned to see who had spoken. It was a tall, dark-haired Aleach woman. The man that she was talking to was an Aleach as well. "Soon, yes."

  The two Aleach seemed totally unaware of Elwin standing right next to them. Like a ghost, he listened in on their worried conversation.

  "Abir, are we doing the right thing?" the woman asked.

  Abir nodded. "Yes, my love. He will come, and as it was foretold, the Caliph well try, but he can not stop it. No one can kill the prophecy. And when the prophesied one comes, it is foretold he will bring both death and peace. Yet, who will proclaim him if the Al-Elche do not stay true?"

  "But will he come in time?"

  Abir shrugged. "For us? I do not think so, Alma. Our time is coming to an end, as it was written. But we are not doing this for us, but for our children and for our children's children."

  From across the valley, a man came running towards them, his
hands and arms waving madly over his head. "They're coming!” he shouted, “They're coming!"

  Abir turned his head, "It is time."

  Alma looked at him. There were tears in her eyes. "I don't know if I can do this."

  Abir looked carefully at her. "You must. I do not matter. It is the destiny of the Al-Elche that matters now. Our people must be ready when the time comes."

  Elwin looked around. He felt invisible. The laughter was gone from the valley. Now the Aleach of the Al-Elche were rushing around like angry ants. The men grabbed their weapons and formed into ranks. The women and a handful of men hurried the children to the western end of the valley. Alma shouted out orders. She was hurrying about and trying not to look back at Abir and the other men.

  At the far eastern side of the valley, the Caliph's army suddenly appeared, coming out of the canyon and into the valley. A tall man wearing a blue turban raised his hand. The army halted and the blue turbaned man stepped forward. "We do not want a war, Abir. Return and all will be forgiven." Abir climbed onto a rock so that he could be seen better. "Zuriel, is that you? Why did they send you?" He stared down at the opposing commander.

  "Yes. It is me, Abir. And you know why I was sent. Don't be a fool. The Caliph will take you back."

  "I cannot return, Zuriel."

  "And I cannot leave you here."

  "I know."

  "Abir, listen to me. I am your friend, or at least I was once. Do not do this."

  "What other choice is there?"

  "The Caliph will forgive you. He will take you back, Abir. You and your clan can leave in peace."

  "Peace!" Abir almost laughed. "Will the Caliph truly let us be? Will he listen to the words? Will he let us keep our beliefs?"

  "You know he cannot."

  "Then you know my answer."

  "Abir... "

  "There is no point in arguing, Zuriel. Do what you are here to do." Abir climbed off the rock. He turned to his men. "When they come, fall back to the western canyon. Our blood will buy time for the future."