“Why are you searching for a resident of North Amden, sir?” the elf asked warily.
“I have a message to deliver, concerning someone who has passed away. Unfortunately, he died before he could tell me exactly where to find the elf.”
“Let me take you to Weldon, the head of the Council of Elders. I’m his assistant. He can advise you,” the elf replied.
Taelor knew that the elf was turning him over to the authorities as much as he was helping him out, but the end result was the same. He would get a chance to present his case to the elders, and if anyone in South Port had any idea where Landis might be, it would probably be one of them.
Weldon conducted council business from a room in the back of one of the taverns. He welcomed Taelor to South Port and then said, “I understand that you’re looking for someone who lives in North Amden.”
“Yes, sir. I’m looking for an elf named Hayden.”
“I imagine that there are quite a few elves named Hayden in North Amden. It’s not an uncommon name. Can you be a little more specific?”
“I don’t know very much about him. The last time I saw him was in Trendon about seven or eight years ago. He was visiting Tsareth, the Seated Sorcerer of Brendolanth. From what I gathered, he and Tsareth were good friends.”
“Many elves have human friends, but since the humans seldom visit North Amden …” Weldon shrugged.
“Well, there is one other thing that might help. Hayden was fostering Tsareth’s youngest daughter, Landis, so he would have a human girl living with his family.”
“I don’t suppose you could describe this girl, could you?” Weldon asked.
“She would be about twenty-four years old now. She has red hair and dark green eyes, and would probably be about medium height and build for a human woman.”
“Hmm. You seem to be able to describe her better than you can describe the man you’re looking for,” Weldon said, a little suspiciously.
“I knew her better,” Taelor said. “Whenever they visited the castle, Tsareth would ask me to keep an eye on her.”
“I see. Anything else?”
“I do remember that they talked about someone named Rhee, or at least that’s how it sounded,” Taelor said. When Weldon gave Taelor a puzzled look, he added, “I had the impression that Rhee might have been Hayden’s daughter.”
“Did you meet this Rhee?”
“No. I just remember the name. I can’t even say why I think she’s Hayden’s daughter. I could be wrong about that.”
“You don’t seem to know this Hayden very well at all. Why have you come such a long way looking for him?”
“I need to talk to him concerning Tsareth’s death,” Taelor said. Weldon raised his eyebrows and gave Taelor an appraising look. “I know. That was six years ago. I should have come sooner, but this is the first chance I’ve had.”
Weldon did not look completely satisfied with Taelor’s answer, but he let it go. “Would you like to give me the message so that I can relay it to Hayden, when and if I find him?”
“No, sir. No disrespect intended, but the information I have is for Hayden’s ears only.”
“Very well. I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, what are your plans? Where do you plan to stay while you’re in South Port?” Weldon asked as he took out a pen and a sheet of paper.
“I haven’t really thought about it. I hadn’t planned to stay in South Port. Do you know if any of the merchants in town could use some help in exchange for room and board? Most of my experience has been in stables and in healing chapels.”
Weldon wrote a note on the paper, folded it, and placed his stamp on the outside. “Take this note to Chandra, the elf who owns the stable up the road. He doesn’t really need help right now, but I’m sure you can find a way to make yourself useful. He’ll let you bed down in the loft. Won’t be fancy, but at least it’ll be dry, and his wife’s a good cook. I’ll look into this and let you know something in a few days. Oh, I don’t recall that you ever said. What is your name?”
“Taelor, sir. I don’t expect that Hayden will recognize the name, but Landis should.”
“Very well,” Weldon replied. Then he turned to the elf who had escorted Taelor in. “Please show Taelor the way to Chandra’s stable. When you return, I have another errand that I would like for you to take care of.”
The elf nodded and replied, “Certainly, sir. I’ll only be a few minutes. Come along, Taelor.”
~ ~ ~ ~
After the elf dropped Taelor off at Chandra’s, and privately made sure that the stable owner understood that he was to keep an eye on Taelor and have his wife find out everything that she could about the man, he returned to Weldon’s office.
When he walked in, Weldon had just finished drafting a note and was waving it around in the air to dry the ink.
Hayden,
I had a visit today from a young man who calls himself Taelor. He was asking for you and he knew about Landis. I’ve had Chandra put him up for the next couple of days. Please let me know how you would like for me to handle this.
Weldon
“Would you mind delivering this to Hayden? I want to be sure that it makes it to Hayden and no one else. I have a funny feeling about all of this.” Weldon folded the note, stamped his seal on the outside, and handed it to his assistant.
His assistant nodded. “No problem, sir. I should be back by next Tuesday if all goes well.”
~ ~ ~ ~
The next week passed quickly for Taelor. Although Chandra’s stable was not busy, a lot of repair work needed to be done, so Taelor found plenty of things to do to pass the time. After breakfast the next Wednesday morning, Weldon walked into the barn while Taelor was brushing one of the horses.
“If you are who you say you are, you are one of Rolan’s slaves,” Weldon said.
“I see that you were able to locate Hayden,” Taelor said without looking at Weldon or missing a stroke with the brush.
“You’re a cool one, I’ll give you that,” Weldon said as he sat down on the edge of the tack table. “How did you manage to escape?”
“I waited until Rolan was occupied with other things. Then I just walked away one night, and kept on walking.” Taelor stopped brushing the horse and turned towards Weldon, looking him straight in the eye. “Are you planning on collecting the reward for my return?”
“No, I’m just surprised that you managed it with everything I’ve heard about Rolan. I would have thought that he would have sent troops after you just for the principle of the thing.”
“He did. They just haven’t caught me yet,” Taelor said as he returned to brushing the horse.
“It seems to me that the smart thing for you to do would be to put as many miles as possible between yourself and Rolan. We have overseas ships in our harbor right now. I could probably arrange a berth for you on one of them if you’d like.”
“I need to talk to Hayden before I make any long-range plans. After that, I may take you up on your offer.” Taelor walked the mare over to her stall and closed the door after she went in.
“I have a question to ask you before we talk any more,” Weldon said. “The last time that Landis visited Trendon, she didn’t want to leave. She was in the stable preparing to go when you gave her something. What was it?”
Taelor grinned. “A test to see if I really am Taelor? I gave her a kitten to take home with her. It was small, hardly old enough to leave its mother. I made a pouch that Landis could wear around her waist to keep the kitten safe and warm while they were traveling and a leash so that she could let the kitten walk around when they stopped.”
Weldon nodded. “Hayden sent a horse and map for you. When would you like to leave?”
“I’d like to be on my way as soon as possible.”
“Fine. I’ll tell Chandra that you’re leaving while you get your things together.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Taelor rode out of South Port around lunchtime, and by dusk he had entered the redwood forest. Thick over
head branches formed a canopy a hundred feet high, allowing little light to penetrate the deep shadows of the forest. Mosses and ferns cushioned the damp forest floor, muffling even the footsteps of his horse. It was a place of peace.
The forest enveloped him, and although there was no tangible sign of animals, he could envision deer, elk, unicorns, and pegassi wandering through the quiet forest, stopping to drink at the small streams that he heard more often than saw. The haunting beauty of the dark woods struck a chord deep inside Taelor.
After his two-day journey through the redwood forest, Taelor felt the calmest that he had felt since the day of Tsareth’s death. He no longer felt the need to hide in shadows or check over his shoulder to see if anyone was hunting him. For the first time in years, he felt safe.
Around lunchtime on Saturday, he heard the sounds of rushing water. A few minutes later, he broke out of the forest and into the sunshine that beamed along the banks of the Crinsor River. He followed the river upstream as it curved around one mountain and then snaked its way between two more. According to the map he’d been given, Hayden’s home was in the valley between the two mountains, known locally as Crinsor Run.
When Taelor reached the little valley, he saw five houses fanned out in a horseshoe, with the largest at the heel. The houses resembled wagon wheels, each with a central hub and several long spokes leading away from it. The courtyard framed by the houses and bordered by the river was full of flowering bushes, plants, and trees, with a few small waterfalls and pools scattered about. Two gazebos, one on each side of the courtyard, were connected by winding pebbled walkways.
Taelor turned away from the river and started down the small drive that separated the gardens from the houses. He caught a glimpse of red hair in the closest gazebo only seconds before Landis spotted him. He dismounted as she ran down the steps to greet him.
“Taelor, I can’t believe it’s you! You’re really here,” Landis cried as she hugged him. “It’s so good to see you.” Then she asked, “Why did you come? Did Rolan send you?”
“You look all grown up now,” Taelor said as he held her at arm’s length to get a good look at her. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, great actually. Come on and say hello to Hayden and Gwynn,” Landis said as she led Taelor towards the largest house. “We were hoping you’d get here today. Everyone’s coming for dinner tonight to meet you. Gwynn’s been in the kitchen cooking all day.”
“I hope no one went to any trouble on my account,” Taelor said quickly.
“Of course they did!” Landis laughed. “After all, it isn’t every day that my closest and dearest human friend comes to visit! Tell me everything about Trendon! What’s Rolan like? Do you think I’ll like him?”
“Trendon is just the same old Trendon. As for Rolan, he’s not at all like your father. In fact, if Tsareth had not vouched for the fact that Rolan is his son, I’d think he was an imposter. You look more like your father than Rolan does.”
“Is he married? Does he have any children? How about my other brothers and sisters? Do I have any nieces and nephews yet?”
“No, he’s not married. I’m not sure how many nieces and nephews you have. None of your other brothers and sisters remained in Trendon after your father’s death.”
Landis frowned. “I would have thought that they would have stayed to help Rolan. Oh, well,” she said with a sigh. “We never were a close family, but then I imagine most sorcerer’s families are like that, aren’t they? We didn’t get to know each other while we were growing up. A shame really.”
“Where do we need to take the horse?” Taelor asked, changing the subject. “Is there a pasture or something around here?’
“There’s a tack room out behind the house. We’ll put the saddle and reins in there.”
“Don’t we need to take the horse out to the pasture where the other horses are grazing?”
Landis shook her head. “The horses are free to roam around wherever they want to here. Cassie knows the area. She’ll find the others.” Landis led Taelor behind the house to the tack room. While Taelor removed the saddle and blanket, Landis slipped the bridle off Cassie’s head. As soon as Cassie was free, she walked towards the woods.
“You’re sure she’ll be all right?” Taelor asked.
“She’ll be fine, seriously. She’s home now. She can take care of herself,” Landis answered. Then she opened the back door and led Taelor into the kitchen.
The rooms in the central hub were open, separated only by the arrangement of furniture. In addition to the kitchen, there was a spacious sitting room and a dining room which could easily seat twenty or more. Large windows overlooked the courtyard and river out front and the redwood forest in the back Skylights that opened the ceiling to the treetops gave the house a light and airy feel. In good weather, all of the windows could be removed, opening the house even more. Individual sitting rooms and bedrooms were in the long separate wings that resembled spokes on a wheel.
Since Hayden’s wife, Gwynn, was in the kitchen, Landis introduced Taelor to her before she led him to the guest bedroom where he would be staying. She left him there so that he could unpack and freshen up while she prepared a snack to hold him over until dinner that night.
The sitting area and bedroom in Taelor’s wing were separated by an arched doorway with the sitting area closest to the main hub. All of the furniture in the sitting area was arranged in the center of the room facing out. Two wingback chairs faced the front towards the garden, and a lounging chair faced the forest out back. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a small table between the two wingback chairs.
The bedroom was sparsely furnished, too. There was a narrow but long bed, made primarily for tall, skinny elves, two slender clothes chests, one of each side of the arched doorway, and a wash basin set in a wooden tripod.
Taelor unpacked his meager belongings and put them and his bag in one of the chests. Then he sat down on the foot of the bed just to see how it felt. It wasn’t really soft, but it wasn’t hard either. He leaned back, stretched his arms out over his head and just lay there for a few minutes. He had no idea what the mattress was made of, but it felt like he was floating on air. It was the most comfortable bed he’d ever stretched out on.
While Taelor was lying there, Hayden knocked on the door to the sitting room. Taelor jumped up and reached the sitting room just as Hayden walked in.
“Hello, Taelor,” Hayden said from just inside the doorway. “It’s good to see you again. Mind if I join you for a few minutes?”
“Not at all,” Taelor said as he shook hands with the elf. “Thank you for allowing me to come.”
“I have to admit to a certain amount of curiosity about your visit,” Hayden said as he sat down on one of the wingback chairs. “You didn’t tell my brother much about why you came.”
“I thought Weldon must have known you to have been able to find you so quickly,” Taelor said as he sat on the other wingback chair. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but let me assure you that I came out of concern for Landis, not to cause her harm.”
“I have no doubt of that. Why don’t you get a bite to eat and then you and I will go for a long walk and talk. I don’t imagine Landis will be very happy at being left out, but I think it would be best if we talked first.”
“I think that would be a good idea. Give me about fifteen minutes to join her for a snack, and then I’ll meet you out back.”
~ ~ ~ ~
When Taelor met Hayden outside, they walked off towards the woods. Once they were out of earshot of the house, Hayden asked, “How did you manage to get away from Trendon?”
“I just left one night.”
“From what I’ve heard about Rolan, I doubt he’s very happy that one of his slaves walked out on him. Is he looking for you?”
Taelor nodded. “He has bounty hunters out looking for me. They nearly got me at one point when one of them shot me with an arrow, but I haven’t seen anyone on my trail in quite a whil
e. I don’t think I led anyone to you.”
“Don’t worry about that. We can handle any bounty hunters who come our way,” Hayden said. “But why did you come to North Amden? Why didn’t you just leave Calandra?”
“Because of Landis. I was afraid she might decide to go back to Trendon one day to meet her brother. I have no doubt that once he sees the magic in her, he’ll find some way to either kill her himself or have her killed.”
When Hayden remained quiet, Taelor continued. “I don’t know how much you know about Rolan, but he’s evil. The story about Tsareth dying in his sleep isn’t true. Rolan killed him. And then he told all of his brothers and sisters to leave Trendon and never return. He told them that if he heard they were even thinking about coming back, he’d kill them, their children, and everyone else in their family.”
Hayden nodded. “Tell me what happened with Tsareth.”
Taelor took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “As soon as Rolan arrived at the castle, he demanded that Tsareth retire and hand over his seat on the council. Tsareth told him not to be so impatient, that it wasn’t time yet, that he would resign as soon as Rolan learned to control his temper, his ambitions, and his magic. Rolan was furious. He stormed around the castle creating all kinds of havoc with his magic. Then that evening he challenged Tsareth to a duel. Tsareth tried to reason with him, but it did no good. The duel took place the next morning.”
“Are you sure they fought?”
“I was there,” Taelor said slowly.
“Who else was there? Were there any other witnesses?”
“Tsareth’s second and I were the only witnesses. Rolan didn’t have anyone with him.” Taelor paused to take a deep breath, trying to exhale all the emotions that had surfaced as he recalled the events of that day. “They were supposed to meet at daybreak in a field that Tsareth had set aside for sorcerers to use for practice, competitions, whatever. When we got there, Rolan was already there. He told Tsareth to remove the Key to Terah and set it on the ground at the side of the field. Tsareth did, and then he turned around to come back to his side of the field. As soon as Tsareth’s back was to him, Rolan roared and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground and someone was kicking me in the stomach, telling me to get up and get moving. Tsareth and his second were both gone. Rolan was the only one left.”
The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah) Page 44
