Sighing, Faynn said in a quiet voice, "They do not use Earth Magic, Elwin. Earth Magic comes from the four elements of the universe; earth, water, air, and fire. The Guardian's power comes from that which lies beyond the material world. The Guardian's power is that of the spirit and not of the earth. A Guardian can see and do things no other human can, things even a druid cannot do. The power of the spirit world is not something one can learn, but is born with."
"I thought all magic was the same."
"Not at all. But I doubt you would believe me."
"You're right I won't."
"You have grown bold. Few would speak to me the way you are."
Elwin ignored the statement.
"What do you need?" asked Faynn. "As I have said and done, I can help you."
"What I need are some answers."
"Okay. Like what?"
"Like, will the Guardians of Light ask for me for the sword?"
"I do not know what a Guardian will or will not do. They see what I cannot see. But, yes, among other things that it is what I fear. The Guardians will try to control what they should not control. They try to bend the laws of nature to their own will. There is great danger in that. Nature is a fragile creature and can easily be broken. They will want to control the sword, and if they cannot, they will try to control you. But they are creatures of Sprit Magic and not Earth Magic. They do not have the skill or training necessary to understand the dangers of Earth Magic. Like you, they think all magic is the same, and they are wrong."
"What if the sword is safer with them? If you do not know, maybe the Guardians do. You said yourself, they can see things you cannot. Maybe they have seen that the sword would be safe with them?"
"Perhaps," Faynn nodded, "but knowing is different from understanding. Everyone knows that birds can fly, but few understand how. They know the sword is the key to the Dark One's prison, yet I do not believe they understand it. The sword was not meant for them, but for the High King. For you."
Elwin wanted to scream, High King? I am not a bloody High King! Then out load said, "Do you understand it any better?" Elwin was angry, and his brown eyes took on a hard edge. Unflinching, he met Faynn's gray eyes. High King? No! There are no more High Kings! "And what are you doing if you are not trying to control the sword by controlling me? From the very first, you have pushed me one way or pulled me another. One moment you say I can't go to Karr al-Isma than you say I must. You ask me to trust you, but have you given me a reason to? You are keeping things from me. Things I should know."
For a long moment, Faynn was silent. With a bowed head, he looked at the ground. The pipe in his hand had gone out. When he finally looked up, his voice was no more than a whisper. His gray eyes appeared to be focusing on something which Elwin could not see. "Yes," he finally admitted. "You are right. I have tried to force you to take the path that I felt was the best. First I tried to keep the sword out of Torcull's hands, by protecting you. Then I tried to protect the sword by . . ." he cut himself short. "I was wrong to do so, and I shall do so no more. I truly am a blind man. Though you stood before me, I could not see you. Who knows where the river shall lead? Only by following the river shall we find the sea. I will help where I can, but from this moment on, you must choose. The time has come. But I warn you to choose wisely. Your choices will be hard, and they will either save or destroy the world. If you let me, I will give you what advice I can. Yet, in the end, it will be you who choose.”
"What I need is answers and a little truth."
"Truth? That is an elusive word that man has chased throughout the ages. As for answers, I have few, and a little knowledge can be more dangerous than none at all. As a druid, I am better at asking questions than answering them, it is our nature, but come sit next to me and we will talk. Ask and I will tell you what I can."
Finding a dry rock Faynn sat down. After a gesture from the druid, Elwin too sat down on a small border and stared at the Druid. Despite his anger and distrust, a part of Elwin had grown to like the old man. He did need answers and Faynn seemed to be the only one with answers, if only a few.
"Why did you think the Woods of the Mist were too dangerous and why did you change your mind?"
Laying his staff beside him, he looked up to meet Elwin’s eyes. "There is a prophecy," began Faynn, "a prophecy called, 'The Songs of Tartu’s Harp.'
"Tartu's Harp?"
Faynn explained. "Long ago Kambrya was known as TMor Tyre. It was the first age of man. There were few humans then, and most of the human species lived in communities along the coast of the Iar Sea. It was a time when the gods, or those who called themselves gods, still made their home upon the earth. These so-called gods were called the Ancient Ones and at the dawn of man they were still strong in numbers. Anyway, in a small fishing village there lived a sailor by the name of Tartu. With the aid of the crystal harp, Tartu could foretell the future."
"A crystal harp?"
Faynn nodded at the sword that lay across Elwin's lap.
"Yes, and like Saran na Grian, the harp of Tartu was endowed with Earth Magic. Before Tartu, it belonged to Claidemmh."
"The goddess of music? Isn’t she just a myth?"
"Perhaps," admitted Faynn, "But there is usually some truth to myths and legends. The trick, of course, is sorting out what are myths and what are not. But yes, Claidemmh, at least in the mythologies was the goddess of music, as well as a few other things. Claidemmh was a lover of life who spread happiness where ever she went. It was said that she was so filled with life that laughter was her shadow and flowers grew where ever she walked; even in the deepest winter. She was the kindest, gentlest, and most giving of all the gods. Mythologies say that she taught the birds how to sing so the world would be filled with the joy of music."
"Do you really believe that the gods are real?"
Faynn shrugged, “Most of the time I am not sure what I believe. However, I am inclined to believe there is some truth in all religions. But let me continue. The histories or myths, of TMor Tyre, often speak of Tartu. He acquired the harp by saving the goddess, Claidemmh, from a deserted island. Why the goddess of music was on an island is not clear nor do we understand why she could not leave on her own. The ocean should not have been a serious obstacle for the goddess. Anyway, after Tartu saved the goddess, she was overjoyed to be free once more. She promised to reward Tartu. 'Just ask' said the goddess, 'and if it is within my power, I shall give it unto you.' Tartu, being an opportunist, wanted the goddesses' crystal harp. The harp was Claidemmh's most prized possession. Its strings were made of crystal spun from the mythical Glass Spider. When played, the harp sang out with the voices of nature itself and the song of the harp was so pure it could touch the darkest heart. However, the song of the magnificent instrument was as powerful as it was beautiful. The harp could also be a diviner of the future, and in the wrong hands, such knowledge can be dangerous. At first, Claidemmh refused Tartu's request, saying it was a too dangerous a thing for mankind. 'Too much knowledge,' she told him, 'will destroy you. Man was not meant to know the future.' But Tartu would not listen, and he insisted upon having the harp. He pointed out that she had promised to give him anything that was within her power. So Claidemmh, at last, gave in and surrendered her harp. For the first time ever, a tear touched Claidemmh's fair face, and laughter and joy, which had always been her companions, fled."
"Why did she not say no?"
"The Ancient Ones are bound by their words in ways men are not, and so she had to give him what she had promised." Faynn let his head drop. With his gaze fixed upon his lap, he silently sat there as if he had just lost a friend. The sun had set and the darkening night was as quiet as the druid and just as still. It was as if the plains themselves were listing to the story of Claidemmh as much Elwin was.
After a long moment, Elwin pressed. "What happened?"
With a distant look, Faynn nodded. "At first, Tartu used the harp for man's benefit, and he became beloved throughout TMor Tyre. Tartu advised farmers when to
plant and when to harvest their crops. He warned people when a natural disaster was coming, and he helped leaders avoid wars. Kings, chieftains, and common folk alike came from all parts of TMor Tyre to ask Tartu for his advice. The gods saw what Tartu was doing with the harp. Concerned, they approached the one-time sailor. The gods tried to convince him to give back the harp. They told Tartu of the danger, but Tartu still refused to listen. The Ancient Ones offered him wealth, long life, and power, and still Tartu refused. Failing to persuade the man, the gods departed. However, before the gods left him, they advised Tartu to be careful with the harp. 'Never tell what can hurt another,' they told him, 'and never look into your own future.' Unfortunately, Tartu did not take the second part of the god's advice seriously. The temptation was too great. Repeatedly, Tartu looked into his future, and he used what he saw in the harp's music to become a powerful and wealthy man. At first, everything was fine, he was happy, wealthy, and respected throughout the land. The Ancient One’s warnings seemed foolish, and Tartu laughed at the gods. More and more, he began to use the harp on himself. Slowly he began to change. The thirst for forbidden knowledge became an overwhelming obsession, and the knowledge Tartu gained evidently drove him into madness. It has been suggested that he saw his own death in the music of the harp or something equaling terrifying. Either way, Tartu went mad. He stopped caring what people needed to know, or if what he told them was harmful or not. And the madder he got the less understandable his readings of the future became. Years passed and Tartu became so mad that he began to believe he was a god himself, and Tartu demanded that he be worshiped. He told the most hateful and hurtful things that the harp revealed to him. With the music of the harp, he destroyed the hopes and lives of the people; people who had once loved him. That love now turned to hate and fear. The kings, clan chieftains and leaders of TMor Tyre saw that Tartu had become evil and dangerous so they banded together and had him exiled from their lands.
Forced to leave the settlements along the coast, Tartu vowed that one day he would have his vengeance upon them. With the harp as his sole possession, Tartu wandered inland and away from the human cities. He was never to be seen by race of men again. For years he lived as a hermit until he came upon a race of people called the Black Elves.
"Black Elves?" asked Elwin. "Those are children’s stories."
"The legendary Black Elves, also known as Yorns and Mountain Elves were not so legendary at one time, Elwin. The druids have a collection of their history. Actually, they are related to the Wood Elves. Elves have lived on this earth far longer than man has. Though now the Yorns, as some call the Black Elves, have vanished, they were once as real as you or me. Yet, little of their writings survived the wars and the battle of Ban-Darn. That is when they suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, though some say they journeyed from their ancient home and now live in the Northern Drygan Mountains on the very edge of the White Forest. Anyway, the Elves found Tartu living in a cave like a wild animal and took pity on the man. Befriended, Tartu lived out his last years among the Black Elves. For some reason, Tartu could not use the harp to see into the Elves future. So the Elves did not fear him. To the Elf, Tartu was a sad man who thought he was a god. Failing to impress the Black Elves, Tartu turned to writing a series of prophecies called 'The Songs of Tartu's Harp.' Many of those prophecies have survived. He talked, or rambled more often than not, of what he had once heard in the song. He wrote of Kingdoms that would rise and fall, of great Mountains that were yet to be, and of a castle that would be cast out from the world of light, but mostly he talked about a time when the High Kings would rule, then vanish, and how a new High King of Kambrya would return to reclaim his throne. The Elves, of course, thought him crazy. At the time, there were no High Kings nor the kingdoms of Kambrya. Nothing Tartu said or wrote made much sense. When the Yorns vanished from the world, they left behind the prophecies. The prophecies were discovered in the ruins of the Black Elf people. They are now kept in the druid's homeland of An-Eilean. I have studied the surviving prophecies, though they are difficult to understand. They do provide clues to what will be or might be. In 'The Songs of Tartu's Harp', Tartu said this:
“The High King will return when the Sword of Light and Darkness is raised to join with the blue, and the silver crown is freed. By the hand of the High King, who crowned himself, Ban-Darn will be brought back into the world, and the Dark One will be set loose upon the world. The wise one will fail, and the Knowers will err. Darkness will meet light, and only one will remain. And the power that was, will be again."
Elwin's eyes popped open. "You think I am to be that High King?"
"The thought has crossed my mind."
"If what you say is true, the High King will destroy the world!"
"That is why I wanted you away from Torcull. The prophecy also says that when the Three Eyes of Buachaille meet, the High King will once more stand within this world." Faynn pointed to three stars; one red, one white, and one blue. "Those three stars are the Eyes of Buachaille, known commonly as the Watch Men. By the end of next summer, they will meet. Torcull needs to place the sword in his pretender's hands before that time if he is to fulfill the prophecy. I thought if I could keep you and the sword hidden away until after that time, I could stop the Dark One from being freed. I was a fool. A rock cannot stop the course of a river, and I am that, a rock in the Great River."
"I will not be High King!"
Faynn shrugged. "Only time will tell. The future is a hard thing to be sure of. Even the harp only foretold of possibilities."
Elwin rocked forward. "I will not!"
Faynn shrugged again, "As you say."
For a long time, Elwin was quiet. Then he said, "I still do not understand. What do the Guardians of Light want from me?"
Faynn shifted, but his mode remained calm. "As I have said, the prophecies are not easy to understand. Beli, the god of night, may yet be denied his victory over the light of Palling. However, you are right about the Guardians. That is why they took your sister and let you know where to find her. They are drawing you to them. I believe that they hope to make you or perhaps someone else High King. They too have read the prophecies and believe that the god of light will reign over the god of darkness. They have interpreted the prophecies in such a way that they see the High King as the one who will bring an end to the darkness."
"But they will make me free the Dark One! In the name of the Three Gods! This is crazy. I will never do that. Why did you let me come here? I do not want to be theirs or yours or anyone’s High King. I will not! I should run from here. Hide."
Faynn tilted his head slightly to one side. "So I once thought, but can you hide? Even now, won’t you enter the woods?"
Elwin knew what Faynn meant by that. He looked into the darkness. He could no longer see the Karr al-Isma, but he was aware that it was out there, and the Guardians of Light had his sister. They were using his sister to force him to come to them so they could make him their puppet King. Faynn, of course, was trying to manipulate him too, or at least he had been, but the druid was also right. He had to go on. Leina needed him. None of this was her fault. It was not right that she should be involved. High King! Earth Magic! It was all too much. His head hurt. "I will go, but I will not be their High King. Not for the Guardians or anyone else. I will take Leina and leave this place. I will not bring the darkness upon the world!"
Faynn gave a short single nod of his head, "As I have said, only in the end will we know. The choice is now yours. Choose wisely, Prince Elwin ap Gruffydd. You will not get a second chance. But whatever you choose, I will support you. Faynn hesitated, then went on. “There is something more you need to know. Tomorrow when you go into the woods, I cannot go with you.”
Elwin's mouth dropped open, despite his anger at all the secrets, he was learning to depend on the druid's wisdom. Even if he did not like it, Faynn was usually right. He was counting on Faynn to help find his sister. "But I need you!"
Faynn smiled, "Not as much as you think. But
still, I cannot enter the woods. The Guardians and the Druids have never seen eye to eye. Your whole mission would be put in jeopardy if I was with you. There is too much unfortunate past between the Druids and Guardians. You must go on without me, but I will be waiting here. When you return from the woods, I will be here."
Faynn looked up at the stars known as the Three Watch Men. "Now we should be returning, morning will be here all too soon, and you will need your rest for what comes tomorrow. Remember this, though, Elwin, you have greater strength, as well as wisdom, than you give yourself credit for. Trust yourself and you will know what to do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Adjusting the pillows beneath his knees, a tall bearded man stared across the spacious tent. Being careful not to meet the eyes of the man seated before him in an elegantly carved oak chair, he looked up at his lord. It was rude to look into the eyes of one so close to the Caliph. If something were to happen, this man could rule Aleach. And if I play my cards right, he will. But first I must deal with Zafra Pasha.
"Khalu Pasha,” the kneeling man addressed the seated figure clothed in grey silk robes. “They have not met up with any of the other clans. So they must be headed for eastern Aleach or to the southern pass.”
Leaning back into his chair, Khalu, the brother of the Caliph, scratched his short black beard as he thought. "But why, Ja'var? It makes no sense. East of the Deep Plains is the land of the Wa-Hativa. The Al-Amin can't expect to find allies among them, and they would first have to pass through the lands of the Ibn Jallab. They are even more unlikely allies. And beyond the Southern pass is the empire, hardly an ally for Zafra.”
Kneeling, Ja'var stared at the top of the dark gray turban that Khalu always wore. The turban was a shade or two darker then his robes. "Why else would they try crossing the Deep Plains, Khalu Pasha? It is the shortest way to the east."
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