The Shards

by Gary Alan Wassner

  “If your words reveal to us a situation that already is, then you will merely be opening a window for us that we have not yet been able to gaze out from. It will change nothing,” Cairn said.

  “I agree. Please do not keep us in the dark any longer,” Emmeline said, anxious to know the fate of Tamara and Angeline.

  “It could change more than you might imagine, Cairn,” Robyn said to the scholar. “But, so be it! The fabric weaves of its own will. I have tried and I have failed. Now, we shall all suffer the knowledge,” he declared, and he drew in his breath in preparation for his next words. “There are some places on earth that none dare venture into; some places so disturbing and so disheartening that it would be impossible to emerge from them unscathed if at all. No one chooses to tread there, yet some must. Premoran is one such person, and his strength is well known to us all,” he explained. “I have been there once as well,” Robyn said clearly recalling moments that he dreaded and then he paused for a brief second. When he began to speak again it was obvious that the words weighed heavily upon him. “The pouch you carry with you Dav, is filled with the shards from the hollows.”

  As soon as the name was mentioned, the room fell silent. It was not so much the word itself but the way in which Robyn uttered it that caused the reaction. Even though the two sisters from Parth had only met him a short while ago, it was clear to them too that this was not a subject that he spoke lightly about.

  “The hollows?” Filaree questioned. “I am unfamiliar with the place. Where is it?”

  “I have heard the word before. There are writings that speak of it,” Cairn said, profoundly concerned.

  “Then it is by virtue of the pouch that Premoran entrusted to me that I learned of the sisters?” Davmiran asked Robyn softly.

  “Yes, it is,” Robyn replied. “They are what remains, and within them they carry the souls of the trees from which they came.”

  “Where is this place?” Filaree asked again.

  “Alas, there are many such places. They exist wherever a Lalas was and is no longer,” Robyn answered.

  “The Forbidden Places?” Emmeline asked, eyebrows arched.

  “Yes, sister, the Forbidden Places,” Robyn acknowledged, and he immediately saw the recognition spread painfully across her face and those of the others. “You know of them?” he asked, only slightly surprised.

  “Yes, Chosen,” Gretchen answered. “We have studied the Tomes often enough. There is reference made to these dreadful spots, though it has always been unclear as to their derivation and to their location. Are you certain that Tamara and Angeline are in one of these ‘hollows’ as you call them?” she asked.

  “There is no doubt, sister,” Davmiran replied immediately. “Of that, I am sure.”

  Gretchen bowed her head sullenly and appeared to be deep in thought.

  “Do not grieve for them so quickly,” Robyn said. “There is no reason to assume that harm has yet come to them. The hollows can actually provide sanctuary for some,” Robyn explained.

  Gretchen stiffened. “Sanctuary? How could such places protect anyone? Are they neither here nor there? Do they not take a part of your soul the moment you trespass within them? Is it not true that no mortal has entered and returned?” she asked.

  “I am here,” Robyn said quietly. “I have been there and back. Premoran too,” he continued.

  “But you are Chosen, Robyn dar Tamarand,” Emmeline replied. “Tamara and Angeline are merely untrained sisters who have some affinities like most of the rest of us here in Parth it seems. What defenses could they possibly have?”

  “And why would they be there to begin with? What would lure them into the Forbidden Places?” Gretchen asked.

  “The sisters of whom you speak are quite capable. Was Tamara not the one chosen for the pilgrimage to Liam and Oleander? And did the tree not speak with her and entrust her with an important task? I cannot know what is going on in the hollows. It is beyond my reach. But it has been known to be a place of refuge for those who are strong enough to endure it,” Robyn explained. “If they have entered by invitation, then perhaps they are still safe.”

  “Invitation? They are dead places! Who or what could have offered them refuge there?” Emmeline asked.

  “The hollows are junctures between the living and the dead. As I said before, they are the places between. Yet, they still harbor the remnants of the power that once was present there. And they need always to be protected,” Robyn said.

  “Are you telling us that despite what we have all been led to understand about the Forbidden Places that people reside there?” Cairn asked, baffled.

  “Not people, exactly,” Robyn replied. “The guardians; the Drue.”

  “Drue? That is an unfamiliar name to me,” Cairn replied.

  “I have not heard it before either,” Gretchen concurred and Emmeline nodded agreement.

  “You will find only a scant mention of them in the Great Books,” Robyn replied. “I am uncertain whether even the other Chosen know of their existence. I had hoped not to burden you all with this secret.”

  “We in Parth are accustomed to keeping confidences. You have no reason to be concerned that we will reveal this to anyone,” Emmeline assured him.

  “It is not your intention that I am concerned about, sister,” he replied.

  “Be not concerned at all then, Chosen!” Gretchen said. “We are strong of character here. There is little that can be taken from us against our will.”

  “You believe that our dear sisters have taken refuge in one of these places with the consent of these beings?” Emmeline asked expectantly.

  “They have most definitely,” Davmiran answered for the Chosen. “They have crossed over and thus they are beyond, but they are being guided by the Drue.”

  “You know this now for certain?” Filaree asked.

  “The shards are communicating with me in their own way, though words are not their medium. I cannot see into these places, but I believe that your friends are safe,” Davmiran answered.

  “What made you so reluctant to tell us about the hollows, Robyn?” Filaree questioned. “There is nothing so shocking about this, yet you feared that it would disturb us or be dangerous for us to know about them.”

  “What more have you not revealed?” Cairn prodded him, determined to learn the entire truth at this point.

  “The hollows are a battlefront, so to speak,” Robyn continued, his former reluctance now gone from his tone. “They are protected by the Drue because they are closer to the void than any other places we could ever encounter. The vacuum that is left behind when a Lalas departs the earth can never be reconciled with the world of the living. They are beyond dead, and Colton dar Agonthea is drawn to them unremittingly, as are all the stranded souls from time untold,” Robyn explained.

  “The Dark Lord wishes to enter these places?” Gretchen asked, confused.

  “Yes. And all of those whose souls he has taken also desire to, for they have no place to go once their physical forms have perished. They seek out the hollows as places of refuge from their suffering. They think of them as their bridge to dissolution.”

  “A means by which they could overcome their anguish and pain,” Davmiran added. “A stepping stone to their ultimate release.”

  “So why not let them have these places? They belong to the earth no longer,” Cairn asked.

  “That would be the most dangerous thing that could happen. If control over the Forbidden Places were to be relinquished to the Evil One, it would provide him with a formidable web of tunnels and passages right here on earth from which he could wage his war against us all; places of refuge for him and all of the lost ones. As long as these forsaken creatures are suspended between the living and the dead, they cannot harm us. But if they were to infiltrate the hollows, then they would be both here and gone. They would gain the ability to once more interact and influence the living. The hollows could be a staging ground for their assaults against us,” Robyn explained.

>   “Are there many such places?” Filaree asked, her concern mounting steadily.

  “With the departure of each tree, they grow more expansive. They extend as far as the roots of the Lalas did, throughout the network that once tied all the trees together,” Robyn said.

  “Would Colton be able to touch the living trees from these dead places?” Cairn asked, as he began to realize the implications.

  The Chosen hesitated before he answered his friend. He gazed at Cairn with a sad and knowing look in his eyes.

  “He could possibly, though it would not be easy,” Robyn admitted.

  “And ultimately then, the First and the Gem that it harbors?” Cairn inquired, though he already knew the answer.

  Gretchen shuddered visibly at the scholar’s words, and the others remained silent for a while, understanding now why Robyn had been so hesitant to inform them of this. It was another threat, another cause for concern, for all of them.

  “It is best that we know these things, Robyn,” Filaree said, breaking the silence. “If nothing else, it motivates me even more to fight on.”

  “And me too!” Cairn agreed. “I prefer being more informed rather than less. At least I have an opportunity to do something.”

  “What of the sisters, Chosen?” Gretchen asked, returning to the original subject. “How much do you know of their situation?”

  “Little more than Dav and I have explained already, I am afraid,” he replied.

  “I believe too that they are there by invitation,” the boy concurred. “The Drue surely have led them in.”

  “Can they be trusted?” Filaree asked.

  “There is no doubt about the Drue’s allegiance. They exist for only one reason,” Robyn replied.

  “How is it that they have come to be?” Emmeline asked. “What type of people are they?”

  “They have always been here, though there was little for them to do until the last few tiels. Whenever one of the great trees departed it was their job to secure the area and to protect it until the living trees restored the gaps that the loss of one of their own created,” Robyn explained. “The Drue were the only living things who could enter the spaces left behind and not be affected by them. When they were called upon to defend a hollow, there was never a question that it would be in jeopardy. They are quite formidable in their own way.”

  “Have you encountered any of them yourself?” Filaree asked.

  “It would be impossible not to for anyone who enters the Forbidden Places,” Robyn answered.

  “What are they like?” Emmeline asked.

  “Different than you or I, that is for certain,” Robyn said. “A bit unusual looking, but quite gentle. Their loyalty is uncompromising, and they have no fear whatsoever. In fact, they would not understand the meaning of the word.”

  “Fascinating,” Cairn sighed. “We take so much for granted all the time. It never occurred to me that there would have ever been a reason to protect the Forbidden Places. But then again, I do not have the perspective of the trees. I could not have known the danger of negligence or complacency in this regard.”

  “Dav?” Filaree questioned the boy. “Do you know for sure that the sisters we speak of are guests of the Drue? How much do these shards allow you to see?”

  Davmiran looked at her as if this was a profoundly difficult question to answer. He pondered heavily before replying.

  “Yes, I am sure now. Until a few moments ago, I merely carried the pouch at my side. I was unaware. They seem not to tolerate my prodding though, even at this very moment. The communication flows only one way. I must learn,” he replied dreamily.

  “This is new even to me,” Robyn said. “When Premoran entrusted the pouch to the boy, he did so with little or no explanation other than that with time the importance of the shards would manifest itself, and now this has begun to happen. Whilst we are guests here, perhaps he will have an opportunity to learn more about what has been bequeathed to him.”

  “We are all anxious to assist him in that regard,” Gretchen said. “The full resources of the tower and its libraries are at your disposal as well,” she offered, and Emmeline nodded ardently in agreement.

  “Sister Bethany will be most happy to aid you in your studies,” Emmeline said. “She is most knowledgeable, though her eyesight has been failing her of late,” she explained.

  “The prospect of freely perusing your library is an exciting one, sister,” Cairn said. “I will be grateful for whatever help she is willing to offer. I have studied in some of the greatest repositories of knowledge in the world, but the idea of actually turning the pages of the Tomes that you have here in the Tower is quite thrilling. They are renowned among scholars everywhere,” he acclaimed. “I am sure that as Davmiran and I settle into our studies, he too will benefit from his proximity to these great books.”

  “And I am likewise anxious to begin the charge that was placed upon me by Baladar of Pardatha. We seem finally to have found the refuge that we needed,” Robyn concurred. “Perhaps you can supplement my instruction?” he asked Emmeline.

  “I will certainly do whatever I can, though I am merely a novice, Chosen,” she said humbly.

  “A novice perhaps, but definitely one with enormous potential,” he stressed. “The boy will benefit from whatever you can share with him.”

  Emmeline tipped her regal head delicately to the side in acknowledgment of the compliment.

  “I have seen no weaponry here. I have also seen neither hide nor hair of a training ground of any kind. Have the sisters never learned how to defend themselves?” Filaree asked.

  “There has never been a need, Lady Filaree,” Emmeline replied. “But as with all else these days, that seems to have changed as well. Though most of us have never trained in the physical arts, I believe that you may find some who are eager to do so, and I suspect that they will be very fast learners.”

  “My primary responsibility is to instruct Davmiran, but it will be my great pleasure to work with any of the others who wish to work with me,” Filaree said.

  “May I ask you a question, young man?” Gretchen inquired.

  “Of course, sister,” he replied. “I only hope that I can give you better answers than I have so far.”

  “You have told us much already, my son. We had no knowledge before of the fate of the two who left here, and now we have hope,” Emmeline said. “Facts are not all that provide succor in a time of need, Davmiran dar Gwendolen.”

  No one had ever called him that directly before and the boy grew visibly pale at the appellation. Though it was the name bequeathed to him by Baladar, since he had so little recollection of his past, he was unaccustomed to the usage.

  “Please call me Dav,” he replied almost sheepishly. “The other name seems not yet to be mine.”

  “Very well then, Dav. I will be less formal henceforth,” she replied, seeing how this affected him so. “Dav it shall be. One day perhaps your surname will make you joyful rather than sad. There is much greatness in the line of which you should be proud,” she said kindly. “Tell us then, if you can, what you know of the sisters.”

  “As I said already, I know that Tamara and Angeline are alive, but I cannot tell whether they were drawn into or driven into the Drues’ realm, though they have been welcomed. I know also that what they carry is still with them,” Davmiran said.

  “Thank the First!” Emmeline said under her breath. “You said before that what they carry none need save one. Can you explain that any further?” she asked.

  “No, sister. I cannot,” he answered her. “I barely remember saying it.”

  “So you do not know what it is that they travel with?” Gretchen asked.

  “Yes, sister. I think I do,” he answered, surprising them all once again.

  “If you know my child, is it likely that others know as well?” she prodded.

  “Others?” he questioned her.

  “Yes. Aside from those of us here in Parth, is it possible that their commission has been disc
overed by the enemy?” she asked frankly.

  “That would explain their presence with the Drue,” Robyn replied for him. “I think it likely.”

  “And you, Davmiran?” Emmeline asked him directly.

  He closed his eyes once again and seemed to be concentrating deeply. A slight tremor coursed over his body and it was visible to them all. Filaree started at the sight of it and she put her arm around his shoulder.

  “It is more than likely, Robyn,” he said, opening his navy blue eyes wide and gazing at the Chosen. They shone deeply in the bright sunlight that streamed over them all. “But they are safe for now,” he said in a tone that made them all instantly confident.

  “That is good news indeed,” Gretchen said, sighing with relief.

  “They will travel the paths that none dare tread, though I know not what their destination will be,” Dav explained.

  “We do not know either,” Emmeline confessed. “Tamara though it best that we remained unaware.”

  “She was wise to do so,” Robyn said. “Their quest is fraught with danger, and the fewer people who know of their destination, the easier it will be for them to continue on in secrecy.”

  “Would someone please tell me what it is that they are doing? Every one here seems to know but me!” Filaree asked, frustrated by this point.

  “You are not the only one in the dark, Filaree,” Cairn said. “I also do not know,” Cairn confessed.

  Emmeline nodded. She required no assurances from either the Lady Filaree or Cairn of Thermaye that they would protect the information, for she knew in her heart that they would.

  “For tiels untold, the sisters of Parth guarded an ancient scroll which we kept in a vault here in the tower,” she began. “The scroll is a map of sorts, though it certainly is not an ordinary one. We believe that it contains directions to the First, though we have never actually unfurled it and studied it ourselves,” she admitted. “It had been understood from the beginning of our commission that it was here for us to protect, not to analyze.”

  “Tamara was instructed to remove it from the Tower by Oleander and Liam,”