by David Ekrut
“Two days!” Feffer said. “Another two days without food?”
“The body is a slave to the mind,” Daki said. “Do not allow your needs to master you.”
“Well,” Feffer said. “My mind is a slave to my stomach. And my stomach is in rebellion.”
Daki’s eyes caught hold of Elwin’s neck and tensed. “The Darkness of Spirit is on you, but it has not defeated you.”
Daki looked away and his brow furrowed.
“That is why I need to reach Goldspire,” Elwin said. “There is someone waiting there for me that will heal me. She is a master of the Elements of Air and Water, and she is Life bound.”
“This,” Daki said. “This cannot be healed by the Elements.” Daki turned his eyes away. “The wound is no longer physical.”
“Of course, it’s physical. I can see the wound,” Feffer said. “What do you mean?”
“I cannot speak more,” Daki said.
“Curse it all,” Feffer said. “Fine. Help us reach Goldspire then. We are wasting time here.”
Daki nodded. “This way,” he said and led them to the edge.
“It is deep enough that you will not strike bottom,” he said. Then he leapt into the water.
Feffer jumped in, and he felt Elwin hit the water right behind him. Once he was on the shore, his stomach growled at him. The talk of food had made him more aware of his hunger. He stuck his face in the water and drank all that he could, attempting to appease his empty stomach. Then he returned to his pack, retrieved his wineskins, and filled them with water.
When he finished, the other two were both were for him by Haven. Daki eyed Elwin’s shoulder warily, his muscles tense.
“Curse it all,” Feffer said beneath his breath. Then louder, “Lead the way, Daki.”
Elwin sat next to his own sleeping body, watching Daki settle next to Feffer who had already fallen to sleep. His friend’s image rose almost the moment Feffer leaned against the tree. He had pushed himself to near collapse to find them some help, and now that he had, Feffer looked at Daki as if he had a tail. After the events of recent tendays, Elwin couldn’t blame Feffer’s hesitations to trust someone they had just met. But Elwin knew he could. The moment he had met Daki, Elwin had felt some unexplainable connection with him.
Elwin looked at his shoulder. It didn’t ache. In truth, he could no longer feel any pain from the wound, but the black lines had climbed up to his face and across his chest over the course of the day. He no longer questioned why the sanctuary around his body had grown smaller and smaller.
He couldn’t walk more than a pace away without feeling the eyes upon him. It seemed he couldn’t escape it in the waking world either. Black fog kept appearing in his vision that caused him to go into a stupor.
In the stupor, he could almost hear a whisper of a voice. He had the feeling it wanted him to do something, but he couldn’t even guess as to what. If he could figure that out, maybe he could stop his sanctuary from shrinking. If not, he didn’t want to find out what happened when his sanctuary vanished completely. Was that even possible? He needed to reach Jasmine.
He looked out toward the dark of night. The eyes were waiting for him out there. How long until his body did not protect him from Abaddon? What would happen then?
Daki’s breathing slowed, and Elwin flinched when a pale green figure rose from Daki’s body. When the eyes opened to regard him, Elwin jumped out of the radius of his sanctuary. The feeling of being watched was instant.
He moved closer to his body, gaping at Daki. The image stood a foot taller than the body it had come from, but it was still far shorter than Elwin was in the shadow realm. Daki too gaped at Elwin, craning his head to meet Elwin’s eyes. “You’re an elementalist?” Elwin said.
Daki shook his head. “No. I have been blessed by the Lady Nature’s Embrace. It is not the same as your gifts from the Father.”
Elwin waited for him to continue, but Daki only stared at him. Then Daki turned to look at Feffer, and he flinched as if struck by a hammer. He looked at Feffer for many moments before turning back to face Elwin.
“What is it? Elwin said. “Is there something wrong with Feffer?”
“I have never heard of one outside my people receiving Her Embrace.”
“I’m not sure what you’re speaking of, but I am pretty sure his mind’s eye is closed. I thought that once he opened it, he could tame the Elements like me.”
Daki looked back to Feffer and didn’t speak for several long moments. “I may tell you things that I cannot tell others. But there are some truths I cannot share with you either. I will tell you that he is not an elementalist. Of this I am sure.”
Again, Elwin waited for more, but Daki only stared at him.
“How can you be sure?” Elwin pressed.
Daki’s gaze weighed Elwin for a full minute before he said, “The Grove. This is where the Lady Nature’s Realm touches the Realm of Shadows. Both realms are encouraged to coalesce here because of the Grove. That is why you can see me. This must be why she wanted me to meet you here. To ensure you would know of Her Embrace.”
“Her?”
“The Lady Nature,” Daki said reluctantly. “She has come to me in my dreams and given me her true name. She is the one who led me to you.”
Elwin didn’t wait to see if more was coming. He felt certain Daki would be content to stare at Elwin until morning if he did not press the conversation forward. “Why? To what end?”
“I do not know,” Daki said. “But when I do know, I will be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“What comes next.”
That wasn’t going anywhere, so he decided to change his line of questioning. “What can you do with the Lady’s Embrace?”
Daki glanced at Elwin’s shoulder. “If you survive the Darkness of Spirit, you will see.”
“Can you tell me anymore about this … Darkness?”
“Only that when it happens, you must remain pure.”
“Great,” Elwin said, trying not to sound too annoyed. “That helps a lot.”
Judging by Daki’s smile, he didn’t quite grasp sarcasm.
Elwin looked out to the darkness. He began to seeing movements in his periphery, but when he turned to look, nothing was there. Desperately wanting it to be his imagination, he tried his best to ignore it until morning.
Chapter 24
New Friends
Elwin’s breath caught when Haven carried him into the clearing beyond the grove. The light of the sun felt like a tidal wave of heat, and his limbs felt heavy. For the first time in days, his shoulder began to throb and his stomach felt ill.
Daki took hold of Haven’s reins. “The Grove no longer protects you. It will come soon.”
“It?” Feffer said with his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking around for an attack.
“How soon?” Elwin asked.
“I cannot know,” Daki said with a shrug. “Hours. Minutes. Soon.”
“What is he talking about?” Feffer half drew his sword.
“Your sword will be no use,” Daki said. “Neither will mine. It is a battle he must fight alone.”
“Curse it all,” Feffer glared at Daki. “I wish you wouldn’t speak in thumping riddles.”
“We should move,” Daki said.
“Are those the mountains?” Feffer asked, pointing north.
Fighting the urge to wretch, Elwin looked up. A field of tall grass stood before him. On the horizon he could see a forest. Beyond that, trees rose higher and higher into the sky.
“That is what your people call the Goldspire Mountains,” Daki said. “We will make shelter shortly after nightfall. A friend awaits for me nearby.”
“Does this friend have food?” Feffer said.
After having only water for a few days, the idea of food still made Elwin’s stomach ch
urn. Without a stream, they would be out of water soon as well.
Daki looked at them both for a moment, then nodded as if coming to a decision. “Aye. He will have food, but let us rest here for a moment. Gather wood for a fire. I see game tracks.”
Without another word, Daki ran into the high grass, and he disappeared without a sound.
Feffer leaned on his knees and squatted as if he wanted to sit. “That man is part horse.”
“Lucky we found him,” Elwin said, climbing from the saddle.
Feffer shook his head. “I don’t like the way he looks at you, Elwin. How do we know we can trust him? And what did he mean by it is coming soon? What is it?”
“The Darkness of Spirit. It is coming for me. I don’t know what will happen, but it doesn’t sound good.”
“What in the abyss are you talking about?”
Elwin struggled to keep his voice calm. “My shoulder Feffer. The bone fragment was tainted with the Death Element. It has done something to me. I think,” Elwin swallowed. “I think, I will have to face Abaddon.”
“Dragons take me!” Feffer said. “What in the thumping abyss does that even mean?”
Elwin took a deep breath. “I don’t know, Feffer. But, there is something else you need to know.”
“What?” Feffer said.
The Death Element did something inside Elwin. He could die or worse. He could become like Drenen. Worse, he could become like Zeth. What would happen to Feffer if that was the case? Elwin met his friend’s hazel eyes and saw strength. And trust. Feffer had to know, and Elwin owed his friend the truth about his own brother.
“I have wanted to tell you this, but I didn’t know how. And I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Hurt me? Elwin, what is it? You can tell me anything.”
Just out with it then. There was no easy way to say it.
“Wilton,” Elwin said. “He betrayed us. Wilton was the one meeting with the black savant in the shadow realm the night I learned Zeth was going to Goldspire.”
Feffer’s face became blank, and he stared at Elwin for a full minute without saying anything.
“Say something,” Elwin said.
“You lied to me?”
“I’m sorry,” Elwin said. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“But you lied. To me.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you the truth, but … you only have me and Wilton left. I didn’t want to take that from you.”
“Why now?”
Elwin looked at his shoulder and followed the black lines down to his hand. “This could kill me, Feffer. And you deserve the truth.”
Feffer’s eyes lingered on the lines before returning to Elwin’s face. “It’s not possible. Not Wilton. He would never do that to me. It was a trick. They fooled you somehow.”
“No,” Elwin shook his head. “He is the one who betrayed us, Feffer. He called the black savant by name, and the man knew Wilton. Think about it. Wilton is a thief-catcher. He could have helped us. But where is he?”
Tears filled Feffer’s eyes, and he looked away. He stumbled a couple of steps and sat in the grass. Elwin sat next to Feffer, and placed an arm around him. “I am so sorry, Feffer.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Feffer said between sobs. “How could he do that to me? To our father. Our father is dead now. How could he work with a dark savant?”
“I don’t know, Feffer,” Elwin said. “I saw it, and I still can’t make sense of it.”
Feffer sat up and his tears cut off. “What if Zeth or this Fasuri made Wilton betray us, somehow? What if he did that soulless power on Wilton?”
“I don’t know,” Elwin said. “I don’t know what they can do with the Death Element. I don’t know what all I can do with my own abilities.”
“We have to hope that we can save Wilton somehow,” Feffer said. “I just can’t believe that he would willingly cause us harm. It was Zeth. I know it was. We will save him, Elwin.”
Elwin nodded. The hope in Feffer’s voice left little room for argument.
“But promise me something?”
“Anything, Feffer.”
“Never lie to me again.” His voice took on a wry tone. “Even if my Ma comes back from the grave and starts stealing babies, I want to know.”
Elwin gave him a weak laugh and said, “I promise.” And he meant it. Elwin could trust Feffer with anything. And Feffer was strong enough to handle anything Elwin told him. He nodded to himself. There was something else Feffer needed to know. The Awakening. Elwin wasn’t sure if he even believed it, but Jasmine and many others did.
Elwin sat up straighter upon coming to a realization. Others did believe. Zeth and Bain believed Elwin would be the one to Awaken the dragonkin. That’s why they wanted him. That was what they thought he was destined to. Why? Why would they want to loose that on the world?
It didn’t matter. Feffer needed to know. Elwin opened his mouth to tell him, but Feffer jumped to his feet and drew his sword. By the time Elwin stood to join him, Feffer had already lowered his weapon.
Only then did Elwin see Daki, but his heart raced and legs wobbled. He leaned on his knees for support.
“Curse it all,” Feffer said, sheathing his blade. “You shouldn’t sneak up behind people.”
Daki gave Feffer a nod of approval, quickly followed by a look of disappointment. “Where is the firewood?”
Daki carried a medium sized rabbit. It was gutted, skinned, and drained. And it had been tied to a wooden stick with strands of bamboo. Daki jammed the end of the stick into the ground.
“That was fast,” Elwin said. “You tracked it, killed it, and cleaned it, while we sat here?”
“There were two, but one eluded me,” Daki said. He smiled, “I thought you would have already burnt through your wood by now waiting on me.”
“We can gather wood,” Elwin said, standing up straight. “We will meet you back here.”
“Not you,” Daki said at the same time Feffer said, “You can barely stand.”
Daki and Feffer exchanged a look. This time, Feffer gave the other man a nod of approval. They got on either side of him and began to ease him to the ground.
“You should sit,” Daki said as if Elwin had any say in the matter.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll sit. You two get wood.”
“We should gather twigs in the Grove,” Daki said. “They burn very well as kindling.”
“We’ll be right back, Elwin. Food will make you feel better.” He turned to Daki. “After you.”
Feffer’s legs gave a slight wobble as he followed Daki toward the trees of the grove a few paces away. Elwin shook his head. Feffer needed food and rest as much if not more than Elwin.
Elwin could still hear their voices as they gathered wood.
“Why do you call it a Grove?” Feffer asked.
“Because that is what it is,” Daki said. “I do not understand your question.”
“Yeah,” Feffer said. “But you say Grove like we say Lifebringer.”
“I am sorry,” Daki said with confusion in his voice. “I cannot say I understand your meaning.”
“What I mean to say,” Feffer explained, “is you say ‘Grove’ with reverence.”
“Should I not revere the Life-giving Grove?” Daki said. “Without the trees, we would not have Life.”
“But they don’t create Life,” Feffer said. “They are not the Lifebringer.”
“But don’t they?” Daki asked. He continued collecting fallen branches and kindling twigs. “Do you not feel them exhale? Without their air we would not have breath.”
“What are you talking about? They are just tree,” Feffer said, emphasizing with the stick. “This is what they are good for, firewood and woodworking.”
Daki stopped and placed his hand on a tree. He closed his eyes, letting ou
t a slow breath before speaking. “This tree for instance. She has a Spirit within her that lives, breaths, speaks, and feels. Her Spirit has wisdom to those who can hear her voice.”
“Can you really talk to animals and travel miles through the trees like the stories say?”
Daki chuckled. “Anyone can speak to an animal. It is listening that requires patience.”
“Bah,” Feffer said. “You’re impossible to talk to. This should be enough to get a fire going. If you find a larger log, I will begin to work with this kindling.”
Feffer stomped back with a scowl on his face. He dropped the wood and marched over to the saddle bags, mumbling curses as he fumbled through them.
Daki had no expression as he placed the wood atop Feffer’s, and he said nothing before turning toward the trees and disappearing into the forest.
“We need to clear this grass and make a fire hole.”
Feffer dropped to his knees beside Elwin and pulled the grass up from the roots. Elwin helped him. When the ground was exposed, they began to dig at the dirt with fingers.
“The hole needs to be wide enough to breathe,” Feffer said.
“When did you learn how to build a fire?” Elwin asked.
“While you were playing with books in the castle and ordering about your manservant, I was in the woods and fields, learning useful skills.”
Elwin laughed, “Like hunting?”
Feffer looked at him for a second. “I can hunt, but I need more than a sword. Hand me those larger pieces.”
Elwin helped Feffer arrange the wood and kindling. Then Feffer placed some of the pulled grass between the wood. He rummaged through a pocket, and he pulled out a metal flask, along with flint and steel.
“I also brought lamp oil.”
Feffer removed the top of the flask and sprinkled some of the oil onto the dried grass. It only took one strike of the flint and steel to catch fire.
Daki returned with two pieces of wood that made a Y-shape and a small log. He placed the log on top of the kindling and arranged each Y on either side of the fire pit, then he placed the skewered rabbit atop the pit. As the rabbit roasted, Elwin’s stomach began to feel stabs of pain that made him feel queasy.
