“That will be fine,” replied Elkar. “I know his Majesty is exhausted after all that he has endured. There is no need to wake him in the middle of the night.”
“Agreed,” Ashel said. “Now, is there anything else? Anything at all?”
“Only this. If ever you need me, simply stare into this mirror and recite the summoning spell on page forty-two in volume nine of the Tomes of Osilad. I can, as I have demonstrated, come on my own, but it takes a great deal of effort. You will find the Tomes in my private library on the top floor of my tower. The tower is located on a small island caught between points in time and space, surrounded by a sea of emptiness. If you wish to use the library, simply stand between the two mahogany bookshelves on the wall opposite this mirror and say, Illiath—that’s the name of the island. A portal will appear before you. Step through and you will be there.
Keep its existence secret, Ashel. Even from the king. It contains more than you can imagine. You must study diligently if you are to be ready for the Lost One when he returns, but be careful not to absorb too much too fast, lest you burn yourself out. Do not be surprised if you see me when you go to the tower. Because of its unique location, I can exist there as I did here.” Elkar’s image wavered. “I must go now, Ashel. Farewell, and remember, time is an illusion. Death is neither the end nor the beginning. Take nothing for granted. All that you can know for certain is that you can know nothing for certain.” And with that, he disappeared.
***
The following morning, Andaris stood and made his bleary-eyed way to the stables, being careful not to wake Gaven or Jade, the latter of whom had curled up between them at some point during the night. The stable boy gave him an odd look when he asked him to saddle Del. To allay his curiosity, Andaris flipped him a couple of coppers.
The ride to the Lake of the Pines should have been very enjoyable. Everything looked fresh and new. Birds sang from the branches, flitting with playful abandon through the crisp blue of the sky, reveling in the brightly blooming dawn and sharp, sun-filled air.
Should have been very enjoyable, but wasn’t. Andaris rode with a hanging head, completely oblivious. I promised her, he kept telling himself. He hadn’t had the heart to say goodbye to his friends in person, so he’d written each a short letter of explanation, promising to return soon for a visit.
When he reached the lake, he dismounted and walked with mechanical deliberateness to the water’s edge, noting that, except for a few chunks here and there, all of the ice had melted. When he submerged his head, he scarcely felt the cold, scarcely felt anything. Marla. It is Andaris. I have returned.
He repeated the call several times, pulled out his head and, with his back propped against a pine tree, began to towel dry his hair. He waited about half an hour and tried again. But no matter how fervent his calls, the water remained unbroken by the stunning torso of Marla the mermaid. Where is she? he wondered, scanning the surface with his eyes. Unsure what to make of her tardiness, he walked back to the tree and sat down, feeling strangely empty inside.
By the time the sun was directly overhead, he decided he had waited long enough. He was puzzled, and even somewhat troubled by Marla’s absence, yet couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved, as well. He just hoped she was all right. Climbing back onto Del, he thought about what this meant. As far as he was concerned, he was no longer obligated to her. He had fulfilled his end of the agreement. She had simply not shown.
As Andaris wheeled Del around and headed back towards the castle, a figure rose from the bottom of the lake. Marla drifted just below the surface, sapphire tears leaving streaks in the water. She’d been watching the entire time. Even though she knew her uncle would not allow Andaris to live with her, she’d come to see if he would keep his promise. Every moment he’d waited had been a torment for her. Once, when he’d checked his scale to make certain it still glowed, she had nearly lost control and gone to him. At least he had come as he’d said he would. That proved he loved her. Goodbye, she thought. Until next time….
Del was frisky on the ride back, straining against his bridle. It had been a long wait, and he had been very patient, so Andaris leaned low, snapped the reigns, and squeezed his legs together. Del nodded his head in acknowledgment, whinnied once, and broke into a gallop.
The passing terrain soothed Andaris’ mind, awakening his senses to the world around him. He had to smile. It was going to be a beautiful day, like one of those perfect spring days from childhood, filled with magic and music and laughter. The war was over and he was free. Perhaps now, at last, he could concentrate on finding his way home.
When Andaris got back to the castle, Gaven was still snoring away beneath the banquet table. Jade, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. Andaris tiptoed past the big man and headed up the stairs to his room. If Gaven wanted to slumber beneath banquet tables, or anywhere else for that matter, it was his business. What Andaris needed, however, was a down-filled mattress and a big fluffy pillow.
There were few people roaming the halls. He saw an old woman wearing what could have passed for a wedding dress, then later a young man with slick black hair and pale skin carrying a tray of roast beef sandwiches.
Last night the place had been bursting at the seams with raucous celebration, full of people caught up in the passion of the moment. Now the halls stood all but vacant. The Sokerran army numbered in excess of twenty thousand, a small portion of which was made up of troops from Nelvin and Mindere. Andaris supposed most of them had been given bunks in the barracks, because they certainly weren’t here. Either that, or they were all still asleep.
Rogar was catching her breath. There was a subdued feeling in the air, like one might experience at a gathering after a funeral. Wounds were being licked. Damage was being accessed. It would take some time to come to terms with what they had lost, and even longer to rebuild. News between Rogar and Sokerra traveled slowly, even news of this magnitude. It would be several days before Sokerra learned of their victory, and weeks for Rogar’s displaced citizenry to return to their homes.
Andaris went to his room, closed the drapes, climbed into bed, and fell asleep. He’d just drifted off, when he heard a sharp tapping at his door. He was having a very pleasant dream, so resisted coming fully conscious.
***
His mother was baking a linberry pie while he and his father shot marbles on the floor, a game they often played while waiting for dinner. It was their time to bond, seeing how shooting marbles was about the only thing, aside from eating, in which they shared a common interest.
***
“Who is it?” Andaris finally asked, unable to keep the irritation from his voice.
There was a pause and then a muffled, “It’s me, Ashel, I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed you. I can come back later if you like.”
Andaris sat up and rubbed his eyes, feeling as if he’d been asleep for days. “No… that’s all right. Now that I’m awake, you might as well come in.”
Ashel opened the door, walked inside the room, shut the door, and turned to face the bed.
“So,” Andaris asked, “to what do I owe this privilege?”
Ashel walked to the bed without answering, his face troubled.
“What is it?” Andaris asked again.
Ashel sat on the corner of the bed, smoothing the creases from the front of his robe with his palms. “You remember,” he began, “I told you I needed to speak to you about Jade?”
Andaris nodded. “Yes…I remember.”
Ashel fixed him with his bulging white eyes.
“What?” Andaris asked. “Tell me. Has something happened to her?”
“Oh no, nothing like that. Well…in a matter of speaking, but no. It’s just that...you know how human she seems sometimes?”
“Yes. So?”
Ashel took a deep breath, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “She seems so human, Andaris, because she is.”
For a moment Andaris just stared at him, dumbfounded. “Human?” he asked
.
“Yes, a young woman,” Ashel said. “Her name is Mandie. It’s an odd name, I know, but she swears that’s it. She was transformed many years ago. Beyond her name, she has almost no memory of her life before, just bits and pieces, fragments within fragments. She doesn’t know where or even when she is from. She had been living in the wild when Shamilla took her in, for how long is anyone’s guess.”
“The name Mandie is common in Fairhaven,” Andaris whispered to himself. “A girl? But...how? Are you sure? “
Ashel laced his fingers together, looking more like his old self. “Yes, of course I’m sure, and as I said, we don’t know how. It could have been many things—a mage she chanced to offend, a curse of which she was unaware. We just don’t know.”
Andaris felt a sudden weakness. He heard Ashel’s words, but couldn’t believe them.
“What I do know, Andaris, is that she cares for you a great deal. Ever since she found me, her one goal was to find you again. You have been not only her truest companion, but her best friend. Losing you...she was devastated.”
Andaris stared at his bare feet, feeling numb. “Sometimes I thought I sensed something…an awareness. I just always dismissed it as my imagination.”
“Your senses served you well. Perhaps in the future you should listen to them.”
“Can she be changed back?” Andaris asked. “Now that you know, can the spell be reversed?”
Ashel sighed. “I’ve been giving that a lot of thought,” he said. “Though without knowing who she was before and exactly what was done to her, it would be difficult. There’s always the chance she could end up deformed, or even dead….
“But,” Andaris said.
“But,” Ashel repeated, “she is adamant that I try, no matter what the risk. I believe, between my newfound abilities and the energy crystals in Elkar’s study, I can do it. The trouble is, these crystals are extremely rare, and one of them, the main one I’ll need, is virtually irreplaceable.”
“So?” Andaris asked. “What’s a crystal next to Jade’s life?”
Ashel held up his hand. “Naturally, I agree, but you must understand, once it’s used, it becomes useless. You see, Andaris, I asked Elkar’s spirit if he knew of some way to get you home. He told me he did. Unfortunately, the spell to send you home requires the same crystal as the spell to restore Ja…Mandie to her proper form.”
“Ah,” Andaris said, leaning back against the headboard, “now I see why you needed to talk to me.”
“You must be the one to choose, Andaris. Do I restore Mandie to her proper, human form…or do I send you home?”
It would seem a difficult decision to make. Andaris knew it should have been. And yet surprisingly, it wasn’t. He smiled at Ashel. “I’m sure we’ll find another crystal one day. I was already planning to go down into the archives. You know, to look for a map with the various portals on it, and a book of genealogy with some record of my people. Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky and find a book about magical crystals while I’m at it.”
“I’m very pleased to hear you say that, Andaris. To be honest with you, if it had been up to me, I would have already done it. It was Mandie who insisted I give you the choice.” Ashel stood, flashed Andaris a grin, and said, “I’ll tell you what, you try to get some rest. There’s a vacant room across the hall. I’ll take her there when the transformation is complete. She’ll need to sleep for at least twelve hours, perhaps twenty-four—it just depends on her metabolism. Following the transformation, she’ll be conscious for a time, maybe thirty minutes or so, at which point you can see her.”
Andaris nodded, feeling dazed.
Ashel turned around and opened the door.
“How long do you think you’ll be?” Andaris asked.
“Difficult to say,” answered Ashel. “I’ve never done this before. Though I doubt it will take more than a couple of hours. Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know.”
Later that afternoon, there came another knock at Andaris’ door. Now fully clothed, he jumped out of bed, walked to the door, and asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” replied Ashel, sounding pleased but tired. “It’s time.”
“Is she with you?” Andaris asked.
“No,” Ashel answered. “She’s waiting in the room across the hall, as we discussed.”
Andaris breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door.
“Were you able to get any sleep?” asked Ashel.
Andaris shook his head. “Not a bit, but then I didn’t expect I would. I was too anxious. So…how did it go? Is she….”
“Better than expected,” Ashel said with a smile. “Wait till you see her, Andaris. It’s really quite remarkable.”
“And she’s in there?” Andaris asked, pointing across the hall.
Ashel nodded, his smile broadening. “And she’s very nervous about meeting you, so be careful how you react.”
Andaris’ gaze remained fixed on the door.
“Andaris,” Ashel said.
Andaris looked at him.
“She’s waiting for you.”
Andaris took a deep breath to steady his nerves, stepped past Ashel, crossed the hall, turned the knob, and pushed open the door.
A young girl with green eyes and red hair stood in the center of the room, shy and uncertain. Andaris tilted his head at her, unable to quell an amazed smile. “Is that really you?” he asked, eyes widening. She looked just like the girl from his dream, the one with no tongue.
She grinned and nodded, an infectious grin that put a sparkle in her eyes. “Ye…yes,” she managed.
“She almost forgot how to speak,” Ashel explained from behind.
Everything about her had changed, everything, that is, except her eyes—they were the same, and most importantly, what lay behind her eyes was the same. Poor thing, he thought. She’s trembling. “Well, come here,” he said with a grin.
Mandie stepped towards him, hesitated, and then threw her arms around him.
He held her until she stopped shaking, her heart beating against his, her breath warm against his neck. “It’s all right,” he told her, tilting her face up to his. “I like the way you look.” A strand of her hair fell in front of her eyes. He brushed it behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek. The moment stretched.
She blushed and buried her face in his chests. “I can’t be...believe this is ha…happening,” she stuttered. “I’m so ha…happy.”
He squeezed her harder, picked her off the floor, and swung her in a circle. When he set her down, she peered up at him, eyes shining with adoration.
“You….” she said, trying to concentrate. “You…brought me back…kept me…fro…from losing myself.” She looked down, her blush deepening. “The…only thing,” she continued stubbornly, “that kept me fro…from forgetting who I was.”
Andaris wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You did no less for me,” he told her.
She looked up at him, finding his gaze warm and safe.
Andaris picked her up and carried her to the bed.
They lay beside one another as they had so many times before, except it wasn’t the same, and never would be again.
Andaris turned on his side to face her. “Shall I,” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes, “rub your tummy?”
She giggled and shoved him away. He shoved her back. They wrestled and laughed like children until, feeling wonderfully content and completely spent, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
The End of the Beginning
Two weeks later, King Laris, true to his word, held a knighting ceremony for Andaris and Gaven. It was an auspicious event, filling the church to capacity with anxious citizens waiting to see the heroes honored in person.
The crowd exploded with cheering as the two men, dressed in the finest regalia Rogar had to offer, walked with forced solemnity to the front of the sanctuary. Andaris and Mandie had been inseparable for the past two weeks, so of course she was there, sitting in the pew nearest the pulpit
, overflowing with pride and joy for her friends.
The king stood at the center of the dais, flanked on his right by Trilla and on his left by Ashel . Trilla snickered as she saw Gaven and Andaris walking down the center aisle, shoulder to shoulder, as if getting married, looking ill at ease in their fancy clothes and tight collars.
Sensing their discomfort, Laris kept the proceedings brief. They knelt before him. He touched each of their shoulders with the flat of his sword, spoke some words in the ancient tongue of his forefathers, and by the authority of the crown, under the eyes of Rodan, commanded them to rise as knights. Silver amulets bearing the Danodren coat of arms were placed over their heads—the Silver Circle, Rogar’s highest military honor. Gaven and Andaris shook hands, faced forward and, to the ringing approval of the crowd, raised their arms in thanks.
After the ceremony, the five companions went to the Loyal Subject to share a pitcher of ale and discuss their plans for the future. “I’m still hoping to find some mention of my people in the archives,” said Andaris, “and maybe even uncover something that will help me get home.” He sighed, eyes filling with regret. “My family’s probably stopped searching for me by now, given me up for dead. I won’t rest until I find my way back to them. Regardless how long it takes.” He turned towards Mandie and, with the beginnings of a smile, winked. “Although I must confess, I have plenty of reasons not to leave too soon.” She blushed, squeezed his hand beneath the table, and winked back.
“I should hope not,” said Gaven with a grin, “I need some help building my house. There’s this remote area along Rogar’s southeastern border that I’ve had my eye on for quite some time. You should see it, Andaris. It’s really beautiful. There are red sea cliffs that butt up against thick pinewood forest. In the evenings, you can sit and enjoy the salty breeze blowing in off of the water, and watch as the merchant ships sail past. And there are other wonders too, like the flocks of gulls that follow the schools of fish up and down the coast, and the silverback whales cresting on the horizon, glinting like whitecaps in the starlight. You ever see the ocean on a clear night, Andaris, with the stars reflecting off the water? It’s a sight to behold, I can tell you that.”
The Eight Walls of Rogar: An Epic Fantasy Adventure Series! (The Lost Kingdoms of Laotswend Trilogy--Book One) Page 39
