Silver Road (The Shifting Tides Book 2)

by James Maxwell

  Chloe’s brow furrowed. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘I can’t change. I try, but I am too afraid.’

  ‘I didn’t know,’ Chloe said softly. ‘You’re right, I don’t understand. There are a lot of differences between your people and mine. But perhaps by talking, we can learn a little more, and bridge the differences.’

  ‘Enough,’ Liana said, turning away. ‘We’re nearly there. I don’t want to talk anymore.’

  It had no other name than the Village, and it had never needed one. More than sixty houses framed both sides of the dirt thoroughfare and bisecting lanes, filling the low ground between two hills where there was an immense clearing with a floor of brown soil and dried leaves. The surrounding trees were ancient and tall, but also spaced far apart, giving the eldren enough space for their settlement to grow. With no stone used in its construction, it looked like part of the surrounding forest, and in the vast region of the Wilds the Village was impossible to find if one was unfamiliar with the way.

  Each house took years to form, but eldren were a patient people, with close family ties, and as younglings became adults there was never a rush to get children settled in new homes of their own. When a man and woman married, the community came together to plant a cluster of willow trees in a circle. As the saplings grew, their thin trunks and branches were bent forward over a period of time. Tied together in the center of the circle, the growing trees now formed a roof. A gap in the initial planting made for an entrance. Thin green branches soon threaded in and out of the walls horizontally. Everything became thick with foliage.

  At this juncture Zachary and Aella, as village leaders, bored holes in the trunks of the trees planted years before. They drained the sap to kill the willows, for if they kept growing the house would become misshapen. The green trees, branches, and leaves became dry. The structure, now twelve feet tall at the apex, was complete.

  Weddings were celebrated, but when a house dried out and the excited couple moved into their finished home, the entire village feasted for a week. Every part of the couple’s new life was a joyous occasion, from the first sharing of a blanket at night, to the first morning’s waking to the sound of birds and insects.

  ‘Have you been here before?’ Liana asked, glancing at Chloe as they approached.

  ‘Yes,’ Chloe said. ‘A few times.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘It rained, the last time.’

  Liana gave her own ghost of a smile. ‘They say you humans like to keep out all moisture, and you don’t like dirt in your homes.’

  Chloe’s eyes sparkled with mirth. ‘Correct in every way.’

  ‘Our legends say that in Sindara we didn’t have houses at all. As one people we slept on the grass and when it rained we became wet and when it was sunny we moved to the shade.’

  The trail took them between the first two houses, and then they were in the Village. The entrances to the houses were wide open; there were no doors and, looking back at Chloe, Liana saw her glancing inside at the wooden stools and beds of animal skin slung on timber frames. Fires burned at some of the intersections, smoke trickling up in wriggling streams. Silver-haired men and women sat around the fires, attending to one task or another: skinning rabbits, stitching clothing, cooking, and weaving. At the settlement’s far end half a dozen eldren were working on a new house.

  ‘And it’s all done without metal,’ Chloe murmured. ‘Still, it must be difficult for Dion, living here with your people.’

  ‘His people,’ Liana said sharply. Regretting it immediately, she softened her tone. ‘Zachary tells us we must do everything we can to make him feel like one of us.’

  ‘But he isn’t. He’s half human, raised by humans. You can’t make him be something he’s not.’ Liana saw Chloe gazing around the Village as if seeing it with new eyes. ‘Does he share a house with you?’

  ‘No,’ Liana said. ‘He prefers to live alone. We lost many of our number in the battle. There was no issue giving him an empty house.’

  ‘You see? He’s struggling—’

  Liana scowled. ‘What else would you have Zachary do? He is a good man, and he was close to Dion’s mother. Dion lost everything. He almost turned wild.’

  Chloe’s eyes widened as she stared at Liana.

  ‘Perhaps I should not have told you, but it is the truth. He was close to turning, on the very edge, about to become a vicious wildran, a black dragon roaming the skies, eating livestock and destroying human lives. Devouring even children.’ Liana shuddered. ‘Your distrust of our people drove him to us. And we are all he has.’

  ‘I didn’t drive him away—’

  Liana pointed out a nearby house, close to the middle of the Village but no different from any of the others. ‘We are here. Zachary is inside.’

  Zachary came to the entrance as they approached. He stepped forward and smiled, crouching slightly, opening his arms. Chloe came forward, closing her eyes and entering his embrace. He held her for a long time, stroking her hair and saying nothing.

  Liana felt a flash of jealousy; after the loss of her parents, Zachary had taken her in, and he was now the closest thing she had to a father.

  ‘And you, little one.’ Zachary turned to her, his smile broadening.

  ‘I am no youngling,’ Liana said. ‘I don’t need a hug.’

  ‘We all need hugs sometimes.’

  Liana shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Zachary gave a small sigh and turned back to the interior of the house. ‘Aella,’ he called. ‘Look who it is.’

  An older eldran woman exited the structure, coming to stand so near to Zachary that it was obvious how close they were. Willowy and graceful, with glossy silver-white hair and eyes of gold and emerald, Aella smiled at Chloe, causing crinkles to form at the edges of her eyes.

  ‘Welcome, Chloe of Phalesia. I am making mint tea. Would you like some?’ As Chloe vanished inside, their voices drifted away.

  Liana was about to leave but then she had a sudden thought. She wanted to learn more about the humans, about Chloe but particularly about Dion. Zachary might sense her nearby, but he would be distracted.

  She scanned the area and decided that no one was looking at her.

  Moving quickly, she circled around to the back of the house and crouched down near the wall of branches, head cocked as she listened.

  ‘. . . talk to you about the ark.’

  ‘The ark?’ Liana recognized Aella’s soft voice. ‘Is there danger?’

  ‘Nothing immediate,’ Chloe said. ‘But we don’t understand it, and although we know it wasn’t made by your people – far from it – we think you might know more about it than we do.’

  ‘What is it you wish to know?’ Zachary asked.

  ‘The fact that it’s made of gold brings trouble,’ Chloe said. ‘Humans . . . We value gold above all other metals.’

  ‘We know this,’ Aella said wryly.

  ‘The new king of Xanthos believes that we still have many dangers to face. Triton wants what’s inside the ark, and although we have our walls, an attack could come in many forms.’

  ‘That is regrettably true,’ Zachary said.

  ‘There’s also the risk of the Ileans returning. With their king dead they might have bigger concerns than vengeance, but at some point they will want to show the world they are still the strongest nation on the Maltherean Sea.’

  ‘I understand,’ said Zachary. ‘But I am not certain if there is much we can do here. We helped you the last time, but we have no wish to be drawn into years of fighting and turmoil. We just want to be left alone.’

  ‘I’m not asking for you to fight again. I only came for knowledge, the answer to a specific question. King Nikolas says—’

  ‘He is to be your husband, is he not?’ Aella asked.

  Liana put a hand to her mouth as her eyes went wide. She had seen enough, when she had been watching Dion and Chloe. Enough to know the truth.

  ‘Yes, he is . . .’ Chloe murmured, her voice trailing off. There was a moment
of quiet before she spoke again, her voice strengthening. ‘King Nikolas says that we need to prepare for these dangers, and that to do so we need gold.’

  ‘Ahh,’ Zachary said. ‘He wants the ark.’

  ‘I’ve come to ask: is that safe? Surely there’s a reason that the horn is kept inside gold, rather than another metal? Would it be dangerous to move it to a different chest, perhaps one made of iron? Eldren also can’t touch iron. It should be safe, shouldn’t it?’

  There was a pause, and Liana pictured Chloe and Aella, both watching Zachary and waiting for him to speak. Zachary was pensive for a long time. Finally his voice broke the silence.

  ‘Many have forgotten this, but long ago, magic was much more prevalent in the world than it is today. We eldren have always possessed the ability to change our form, but you humans also had your own power, linked to the four metals, iron, copper, silver, and gold. During the war between Aleuthea and Sindara, magic was used on both sides, with devastating effect.’

  ‘Humans had magic?’ Chloe sounded surprised.

  ‘Yes, my dear,’ Zachary replied. ‘The knowledge was lost, along with Aleuthea.’ His voice became reflective. ‘I suppose it is possible that some descendants of Aleuthea remain.’ Liana could picture him shrugging. ‘But no matter, in these lands, even your magi don’t remember, although the metals are so often seen in your ceremonies and in the necklaces you wear around your necks. And of the four metals, one in particular is the most durable, able to outlast any other, and survive even submersion in the sea.’

  ‘Gold,’ Chloe said.

  ‘Yes, gold. The ark is the work of the sorcerers of Aleuthea, and they chose to make it from gold. But if the purpose is to prevent an eldran from coming near, then any other of the three metals will suffice.’

  ‘So . . .’

  ‘Tell Nikolas and your father they need not concern themselves,’ Zachary said. ‘Provided they move the horn to a container of pure iron, there is no danger.’

  Chloe let out a breath. ‘You’re certain?’

  ‘Have you ever known him to lie?’ Aella asked.

  ‘No,’ Chloe replied. ‘This is good. I will tell my father. Thank you, Zachary. And you too, Aella.’

  ‘We did nothing, Chloe of Phalesia. And know that you are always welcome here,’ Aella said. ‘How is he, your father?’

  ‘Well enough,’ Chloe said, in a way that told Liana there were things she didn’t want to go into. ‘He still wants to give you a gift, something, anything, to show his appreciation—’

  ‘We fought for ourselves,’ Zachary said. ‘We have no wish to be subservient to one such as Triton.’

  ‘And may I ask about the preparations for your wedding?’ Aella asked. ‘Are you at least excited for the day?’

  Another silence grew; this one was uncomfortable. ‘I must do what I must do,’ Chloe said.

  ‘Seeing your heartache makes me sad,’ Aella said. ‘If I could wish anything on you, it would be the love I share with my husband. Please, stay longer. At least spend some time with Dion.’

  ‘No . . . I can’t.’ Chloe sounded downcast. ‘I . . . I need to tell my father what you’ve said. I must go.’

  Chloe said her farewells and then left the house. Liana started to rise from her crouched position but then she heard Aella speak again, this time saying something that shocked her to the core.

  ‘You lied to her.’

  ‘I had to.’ Zachary’s voice was filled with regret.

  ‘Zachary, why?’

  ‘You heard her. Humans desire gold with a hunger that we will never comprehend. It did not matter what I said, the ark would still be melted, and the horn would still be moved.’

  ‘Then what will happen when they move it to iron?’

  ‘The humans have forgotten the magic of Aleuthea, but I still remember the things my father told me, knowledge he obtained first hand in the relentless fighting. The four materia all have different properties . . . different powers. Drawing on those powers causes the metal to tarnish, eventually corroding and becoming dust. But of the four, gold is unique. Gold does not tarnish. The horn is powerful, and containing its power saps the energy of its container. The ancient Aleutheans built a golden ark for a reason.’

  Liana tilted her head, brow furrowing. She heard Aella gasp.

  ‘Then what do we do?’

  ‘They were willing to leave the ark alone for as long as they thought it was sacred to their gods. But now that they know the truth, nothing will prevent them from claiming the gold it is made of.’ Zachary sighed. ‘We have no other choice. We will have to take the horn.’

  ‘But if it is contained in a chest of iron . . .’

  ‘The iron will rust.’

  Aella made a sound of realization. ‘So we have to take it before Triton does.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘And what do we do with it? Will you . . . Do you want to be king?’

  Zachary barked a laugh. ‘Not at all. Even if I did, I do not have the blood of Marrix and the horn would never respond to me. I prefer a simple life. This life. The life we share together.’

  ‘You know that our son . . .’

  ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘We would have to hide it.’

  ‘From everyone.’

  ‘This plan frightens me,’ Aella whispered.

  ‘We stay out of trouble,’ Zachary said firmly. ‘That is what we do.’

  ‘We aren’t prepared for war . . .’

  ‘Don’t worry about Triton, my love. Our home is hidden. Our warriors protect us.’

  ‘Jonas . . . Have you found him?’

  ‘No. Not yet. I will continue my search tomorrow. Until then, we have another to discuss.’

  ‘Husband, I know you worry, but Liana is one eldran you should not concern yourself with. Let her be. Give her time. What she needs is to forget about changing and fighting.’

  Hearing herself discussed, Liana listened as hard as she could, eager to catch every word.

  ‘But changing is a part of us . . .’

  ‘Yes, but not the whole. I’ve made a decision. I am going to teach her the healing arts. She is wiser than you give her credit for, and the Village could use her help.’

  The smile was evident in Zachary’s voice. ‘A healer?’

  Liana felt a thrill course through her. Aella was the most skilled healer in the Village, and Liana was immediately excited at the idea of spending so much time with her. Together they would explore the forest for herbs, barks, and mosses, and eventually Liana would be useful to the others without taking part in the fierce hunting.

  But then Liana jumped when a male voice spoke from directly behind her.

  ‘What are you doing?’

  Whirling, she saw Eiric, Zachary’s son, frowning and looking down at her. As tall as Zachary but with broader shoulders, he would never be able to pass himself off as human, for his skin was so white it was nearly translucent, and his irises were solid gold, the color of honey. He had close-cropped silver hair crowning a narrow face, with a hawk-like nose and a jaw like a knife. Undeniably handsome, his head was tilted, a puzzled expression on his face as he regarded her.

  Liana rose from her crouch, guilt written across her face. Eiric would know exactly what she’d been doing.

  He hadn’t spoken loudly, however, and Liana’s main priority was that Zachary wouldn’t hear.

  ‘Shh,’ Liana hissed. She took hold of Eiric’s upper arm and dragged him away from the house, heading into the trees until they were far enough from the Village that she could speak freely.

  ‘Well?’ Eiric asked.

  ‘I was . . . I was . . . listening.’

  ‘Why?’

  Liana said the first thing that came into her head, which was her initial reason for eavesdropping. ‘The princess, Chloe, visited Zachary. I wanted to learn more about the humans.’

  ‘To what end?’

  ‘Because I was worried that if I ever had to leave here, there’s no other place I could
go.’ Flustered, the words were out before Liana could take them back. She put a hand over her mouth, looking down and then glancing at Eiric, waiting for his reaction.

  ‘Liana,’ Eiric said. He sighed as he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. ‘Do you see that house down there? The one you were hiding behind? That is your home too. You don’t need to hide to hear what people are saying. You could have joined the conversation with Chloe. Father would have welcomed your presence. You can come and go as you please. You understand that, don’t you?’

  Liana hung her head. ‘I have no one.’

  ‘You have Zachary and Aella. You have me.’

  ‘You don’t have to worry about me.’

  ‘We all worry for the ones we care about,’ Eiric said with a smile. Crouching, for he was much taller than her, he turned her to face him. He brought up his hand and opened his palm. ‘Here, I made this for you. I’ve been looking for you. I thought you might like to wear it at the next feast.’

  Liana saw a leather thong in his hand, with a circle of polished amber threaded through.

  ‘Take it,’ Eiric said.

  Glancing up at him and then down at the necklace again, Liana picked it up and examined the amber. ‘It’s beautiful.’ She shook her head. ‘But I don’t deserve this. And I don’t want to go to the feast.’

  ‘But you have to,’ Eiric protested.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I’m expecting you to dance with me.’

  Liana laughed out loud, and realized that it was the first time since she’d lost her parents.

  7

  The stockade was an ugly structure, a square fort crowning a crumbling rust-red hill. Straddling the high ground for miles in every direction, it had been built in this place rather than another for two reasons. The first was that the summit of the hill was approachable from only one side; in every other direction an approaching force would face steep cliffs. The second reason was that just half a mile away there was a trickling river, which provided a source of drinking water. Water was essential, out in the Waste.

  A tall palisade built of stout sharpened logs surrounded the interior on all sides. There was a second wall inside, forming a square within a square, but this interior wall was made of mud brick. The gap between the two walls was a killing ground.