“How am I to do that? I know nothing about shards and hearts and dying trees,” she said. “Besides, we are here because we were chased here by the enemy who would have gladly killed us had we not come upon you or you us,” she said to Etuah.
“If someone wanted to help us, it was to protect the map! It can only be coincidence that a tree is dying at the same time that we arrived.”
“Unlikely,” Etuah replied. “Most unlikely.”
“There is little to know about retrieving the shard,” Petuah said, ignoring Tamara’s protestations. “What is most crucial is that you are able to enter the heart and remain rational. And it is quite clear that you are. Either one can or one cannot.”
“So very few can,” Uhani said.
“Once you are inside, you remove it and bring it back out with you,” Hewlo said as if this was something she did everyday.
“What do I do with it if and when I am able to recover it?” Tamara asked, though she had not yet fully accepted her role in this venture.
“Return it to the heir, of course,” Petuah said “It is the eleventh.”
Tamara was once again dumbfounded. She stared at Petuah as if he had said the most outrageous thing she had ever heard in her entire life.
“The heir? The heir to what?” Tamara asked. She was growing more stupefied with each new declaration. “How can I return anything to anyone when I first have to take this parchment to the end of the world and cast it down the well? What else am I expected to do? Take on the Dark Lord himself in his castle in Sedahar?”
The Drue stood there contemplating her words. They seemed not to understand her sarcasm, and they considered her last question as if she really expected an answer from them.
“First you must see that the shard is safely returned to the boy,” Uhani said.
“The boy? What boy?” Tamara asked. “I am confused. Am I supposed to know whom you are talking about?”
“The heir of legend, sister. The one who the great books say will find the Gem. Bethany has spoken of him more than once, though I know you never paid much attention to the histories,” Angeline said.
“Oh, that boy! Now I understand!” she said frustrated, without exhibiting any true recognition of who they were actually referring to. “First, I am to gather this shard and then we are to travel through the forbidden places all the way to the dead city of Odelot to dispose of the map. After that, I will simply go and find this mythical character who is going to save the world according to the Tomes and everyone else here, and then give him the shard from the dead Lalas. Have I missed anything?” she asked.
“No. I believe that you have stated your tasks in the proper order,” Petuah replied seriously.
“And then Angeline and I have permission to attack Colton dar Agonthea?” she asked incredulously.
“If you think it wise. But you must do that alone if you choose to pursue that endeavor,” Etuah replied, somewhat perplexed by Tamara’s questions.
Tamara began to laugh, and even Angeline looked at her oddly at that point. She laughed until she was bent over and could barely catch her breath. She laughed until the tears streamed down her face and her eyes grew red and swollen. She laughed until she could laugh no longer. The others stood there and watched without saying another word and without making any attempt to stop her. Even after she finally regained her composure and dabbed her tear-streaked face with the sleeve of her tunic, the Drue remained assembled around her expressionless. Angeline walked to her side and placed her arm around her shoulders.
“So much has been thrust upon us so quickly, it is difficult to absorb it all,” Angeline said in support of her friend’s behavior.
“More than you can imagine!” Tamara said seriously now. “I am sorry, truly sorry for behaving so. I could not help myself. This all just seems so incredible,” she explained. “Do you think that we are going to be able to do all of this? We are simple sisters from Parth. Until I visited Oleander, I had never even been outside of the county in which I was born!”
Tamara shook her head in order to clear it before speaking again.
“This heir?” she finally said. “How do we find him, assuming of course that we can retrieve the shard and after we dispose of the map?” she asked. Her tone of voice was beyond the point of disbelief by now.
“Etuah will not be able to assist you either. Her time will expire after she has secured the heart,” Hewlo said.
“Either? Are you saying that I must do this alone? And what do you mean by ‘expire’? You mean she will die? What about Angeline?” Tamara was becoming agitated. “What is going on here?” she asked, and her concern was mounting precipitously.
“Angeline shall remain with us,” Petuah said calmly. “She will take Etuah’s place here.”
“What did you say?” Tamara asked, as her head snapped in Petuah’s direction.
She was thoroughly shocked by his words. She looked at Angeline who appeared to be quite calm, though her features were becoming a slight bit blurred in the odd light of the room.
“He said that I am going to stay here, sister,” Angeline said. “Do not be frightened for me. I think I knew that the moment that I stepped into the hollows.”
Her hair had loosened itself from the braid that had bound it, and it streamed out behind her as if the wind was blowing it, but there was not even the slightest breeze to be felt in the chamber.
“I belong here now. This is as it should be. ‘The Drue find, the Drue keep’, sister. You have not studied your books well,” Angeline smiled.
“No, Angeline! It cannot be! What will you do here?” Tamara asked.
“I will do what the others do,” she replied. “Only the Chosen come and go from this place. All the rest of us remain.”
“We were all like you at one time,” Uhani said to Tamara.
“Like us?” Tamara asked.
“Yes—human, elf or dwarf. But now we are all Drue,” Hewlo said. “The change comes quickly once the role is accepted.”
“Angeline will be safe here,” Behani said kindly. “Our numbers are finite. When one of us leaves, another must take his or her place. It is so ordained.”
“And if someone new should arrive, then one of us here must go,” Etuah said.
“How did you first get here then?” Tamara asked, still astounded by this turn of events.
“We were not necessary until only recently. The trees flourished and spread throughout the land for thousands of tiels. When the first Lalas died, our services were required,” Petuah explained.
“Who were the original ones?” Tamara asked. “If you were all from somewhere above before, how were the first of you ever chosen for this role?”
“We assembled slowly and gradually. All of us stumbled upon the forbidden places unwittingly, or so it seemed. Remember, the spaces in between did not exist until the first tree departed,” Uhani said.
“Your families and friends did not know what happened to you?” she asked.
“No. They must have thought that we came to harm somehow, and simply disappeared,” Petuah replied. “The only regrets that we all have is that we could not put them at ease.”
“We learned soon after our small group was formed that the hollows can only sustain a finite number of us. Though there are others of us, our numbers are limited. When someone new arrives who is not already Chosen for other purposes, they must replace one of us who is already here. We do not choose,” Behani said.
“No. Neither those who come nor those who go,” Etuah said.
“How is it decided then?” Tamara asked.
“The fabric weaves of its own will. But, when it is time for a change, we all know,” Hewlo said. “As more trees die, perhaps our ranks will increase. We cannot hope for such an occurrence for it could only indicate a greater need, precipitated by an even greater loss. And now the darkening…”
“Darkening?” Tamara repeated. “What in the name of the First is…”
Angeline grabbed her arm a
nd squeezed it. “Do not ask such questions of the Drue, “ she whispered.
“But why not? “ Tamara insisted. “Hewlo brought it up.”
“Please Sister. Do as I ask. And do not fear for me. They have given me a purpose which I embrace with all my heart,” Angeline said. “I am ready for this. It seems so right to me.”
Tamara hugged her friend with both arms. She could already see the transformation beginning, and though it saddened her to think that she would be losing her forever, she believed Angeline when she said that it was something that she welcomed.
“Are you certain Angeline, that this is something you want to do?” she asked.
“More certain than I have ever been about anything else in my life. Even more certain than I was when I first entered Parth and became a sister,” she admitted. “Believe me, Tamara. I would not lie to you.”
“I will miss you, sister. What shall I do without you?” she implored.
“You are so strong, Tamara. Far stronger than I ever was or ever would be. I will do my part here,” she replied.
“Will I ever see you again?” she questioned her friend.
“That will not be possible,” Uhani answered for her.
Tamara’s heart skipped a beat.
“How will I know that you are alright?” she pleaded.
“You need have faith, dear sister. This is how it must be. I could never return now even if I so wished,” Angeline replied, and she opened her arms wide and purposely drew attention to her body.
Her skin appeared to be getting pallid and translucent even as they spoke, and her eyes were suddenly more rounded and luminescent. She glowed with a pale though obvious inner light. Angeline reached out her hand and touched Tamara affectionately on her arm, and in the dimness it seemed as if her fingers had already grown considerably in length.
“Will you remember me? Will you still know who I am after I am gone?” Tamara asked.
“Yes, sister. I will remember you always. You are the one who brought me here. I shall e’er be grateful,” Angeline replied in a voice more ethereal than ever before.
“Promise me, Angeline!” Tamara said.
“I promise,” she replied, and they embraced affectionately.
Her body felt thinner and frailer to the touch, but Tamara sensed a profound energy within it as well, and that served to comfort her despite the heaviness she felt in her chest. She kissed her on the cheek.
“May the First protect you and keep you, dear sister,” Tamara said, and she forced herself to step back a pace, hoping that the distance would help her to maintain her composure.
“I will be safer than I have ever been, sister,” she smiled. “May the Gem of Eternity guide you through the darkness always.”
“You are my best friend, Angeline. I will miss you so much,” she said, as she fought to hold back the tears she vowed to herself she would not shed now.
“And I you,” she responded, choking on her emotion as well. “But this is where I belong. Your destiny lies elsewhere, and this fact is beyond our control. We must accept what we cannot change,” she replied, and Tamara reluctantly nodded her agreement.
“I am proud of you, Angeline. I will always be so proud of you,” Tamara said sweetly. “You will be in my heart forever.”
“As you will be in mine, sister. Forever,” she replied with unbridled emotion.
“And you Etuah? What will become of you after I remove the shard?” Tamara asked, forcing herself to turn her attention to the Drue woman before she broke down entirely.
“I will die,” Etuah replied calmly. “I have lived a long life, Chosen. No one should mourn my passing. Besides, your friend will take my name and my place.”
This was all happening too fast. Tamara was so overwhelmed by the events that she could barely maintain her perspective. She looked from one of the Drue to the next, searching for solace until her gaze rested once more upon Angeline.
“What am I to do then?” she asked. “How will I find my way to Odelot without you, Angeline? And how will I ever find the heir?” she asked, momentarily losing her confidence.
“I will guide you through the nethers, and I will set you on the right path through the forbidden places. You will find the dead city if that is what you wish,” Etuah replied with no doubt in her voice.
“But what of the boy? How will I locate him?”
“That will be the simplest task of all for you to accomplish,” the Drue said. “You merely need to return to Parth once you have relinquished the map. He is there now in the Tower with his companions, and he will be there when you get back,” Etuah said. “They await your return, though they know it not yet.”
“When must we leave here, Etuah,” she asked.
“As soon as we can. This space cannot sustain both Angeline and me after her transformation is complete. If we do not leave before that, it will be impossible for me to leave at all. I shall die here.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Tamara asked, as she tried to sound optimistic. “If I have to say goodbye to my sister once more, I will probably die here as well,” she said. She smiled endearingly at Angeline, despite the tears that were building up in the comers of her eyes and blurring her vision even further.
“Please help us to gather the few supplies we will need. Time grows short. We must hurry now,” Etuah said with an urgency that they had not heard in her voice before.
Tamara watched while the five other Drue glided off to carry out her request, and included among them now was Angeline as if she had been one of the guardians since the beginning of time.
Chapter Thirty-two
Maringar could only watch from within his imprisoned body as his friend attempted to free him from the beast’s possession. Beolan slashed out with his dagger, but there was no enemy to strike that a blade could harm. But in his frustration and fear, he swung nevertheless. The walls of the cavern were alive, and the ground upon which he stood heaved and buckled.
Silandre resisted with all of her might, but the Armadiel infiltrated the stone despite her efforts. Long fingers of rock reached out from above and below and threatened to engulf the elf as he jockeyed for space, leaping deftly from left to right. The walls themselves expanded and contracted with each breath of the beast. Maringar stood helplessly by and watched, incapable of moving even an inch on his own. It felt as if his insides were being consumed by a ravenous invader, and he wanted to scream, but even that he was unable to do. His mouth moved involuntarily, and the beast used his body mercilessly.
“Surrender to me, elf! You cannot win. I can give you eternal life. With me you can become a part of your beloved mountain!” Maringar’s voice said.
“You bring nothing but death and defilement to Crispen! You are the instrument of the Dark Lord, and nothing more!” Beolan shouted, as he leapt upon an escarpment to the side of him and drew an arrow from his quiver and set it to bow. “Show yourself, coward!” he yelled, but the demon only laughed through the mouth of his captive friend.
Beolan stood with his back to an earthen wall, and he sought shelter from the stone into which the Armadiel had insinuated itself.
“Have you no strength of your own, beast? Must you always use another’s body?” he shouted in an effort to distract him and keep him off guard.
“I will use yours soon enough, little one,” he replied, as the dwarfs lips mouthed the beast’s words. “Shoot me here if you want. Kill your friend. Perhaps you will hurt me too,” the Armadiel prodded him.
“You come and get me!! Maybe hiding in an elf’s body would make you feel safer than in a dwarf’s,” Beolan teased it, hoping to give him a reason to leave Maringar alone.
Three hands of stone rose up from the ground before him and grasped his ankles. He cringed in pain as they dug into his skin. The walls were contracting and expanding more violently now. Beolan shouldered his bow and smacked the flat side of his dagger against the rock as hard as he could, seeking to loosen the grip that was tightening around him. Sp
arks of power flew as the elfin metal met the stone, and he was able to fend them off for the moment as he leapt out of their way to another sheltered alcove.
The Armadiel continued to speak through his prisoner’s lips, but his friend’s body had remained stationary the entire time.
“Resist, Maringar! He has not captured your soul!” Beolan shouted. “Coward! You are a coward, just as we were told. Have you no body to fight with that you have not stolen? The Dark Lord’s puppet seeks a puppet of his own? Your master has taught you well.”
“No one is my master!” the voice bellowed from Maringar’s mouth, its anger obvious.
Beolan touched upon a raw nerve, and quickly realizing it, he sought now to capitalize upon his discovery.
“Everyone is your master if you must use them so! Why will you not reveal yourself then? Stand before us! Have you no pride? Must you hide inside of another?”
Silandre creaked and groaned as it resisted the beast’s advances, and Maringar’s face writhed in agony. Cracks and fissures appeared upon the rock walls and the earth beneath their feet shifted and shook violently. Boulders tumbled to the surface and sent clouds of dust and debris into the cramped space, and great fissures appeared in the stone floor. The ground trembled and shuddered from the impact of the falling rocks.
“You are just a tool of the Dark Lord; another of his pawns. He is using you for his own purposes. Do you know why you are here?” Beolan asked while walking backward all the time and now drawing the Armadiel with him. Maringar’s body walked stiffly in pursuit.
“To destroy Crispen!” it replied. “To possess the water and the rock and claim it for my own forever.”
“You are a fool if that is what you believe!” Beolan shouted as he inched his way back down the passage.
The earth shook even more violently all around and the walls and ceiling closed in upon them like a vise. The stone moaned louder and shifted precariously under the pressure that the beast was exerting upon it from within.
“What would you have me believe then, elf?” Maringar’s lips moved. “That I do not govern my own destiny?”
The Shards Page 33
