“Your conditions are most generous, Your Majesty,” said Robyn, approaching Alicia with a tight smile. The human queen took her daughter’s arm. Trillhalla stared at the princess with surprise, then shook her head in genuine admiration as they passed from the throne room.
“This way,” she said with a smile. “Let’s see if we can’t get your people ashore by dark.”
* * * * *
“The prisoner has been sedated,” reported Sythissal as the giant squid slowly drifted through the spires and domes of Kyrasti. With the watch established over the boundaries of Evermeet, Coss-Axell-Sinioth had decided to return to the comfort of his own palace, there to await the word of Krell-Bane’s army.
“Had he regained his senses?”
“No, Excellency. He remained as dull and clumsy as ever.”
“Splendid,” gurgled the avatar. “Though if it becomes necessary to take his other hand, we shall have to allow the potion of forgetfulness to wear off, that he may fully grasp the horror of his fate.”
PART III: THE UNDERDEEP
14
The Helm of Zulae
Working the Princess of Moonshae free from her coral trap proved remarkably easy with the aid of a rising water level and a large contingent of sea elves. High tide occurred at sunset, and by the time the sun touched the horizon, the aquatic folk had lashed a dozen long, supple lines to the stricken longship’s transom.
Hundreds of sea elves hauled on the ropes, and gradually the longship slipped gently off the reef, though seawater gushed into the hull from several holes that again dropped below the waterline.
Guided by Trillhalla, the men of Gnarhelm rowed the bruised and waterlogged ship through a wide channel in the coral barrier, a channel so cleverly aligned, Brandon realized, that no sailor in the world would find it.
This was the final layer of Evermeet’s defenses, the captain reflected with chagrin—the barrier that had finally stopped them. It had all worked out as well as they could have hoped, of course, but there was something grating to the prince about having his vessel towed from the reef by people who had him at their mercy.
They approached the shore of looming forest, recognizing splendid maples and towering firs among other, more exotic trees. Even the familiar types grew taller than the humans had ever seen, with straight trunks and lush foliage. At first, it seemed as though the Princess steered toward a surf-swept beach, but as they neared the coastline, a channel appeared, slanting sharply to the left, all but invisible from the reef or beyond.
In the growing darkness, they entered the passage. Rugged cliffs of limestone rose as high as the masthead to the left and right, and elves with torches lined the top of the heights, illuminating the watery path as full night soon encloaked them. The crew rowed the weary longship along this channel, watching the firelight reflect from the water in a hypnotically beautiful display. The bright flames illuminated multicolored schools of fish meandering through water as clear as air.
Finally, with the last traces of sunset lost below the horizon, they passed beyond the torches and emerged into a cliff-walled basin. Splashing sounds indicated a waterfall somewhere nearby, invisible in the darkness, though the humans could see the encircling horizon of their deep grotto etched against the starlight above. Once they anchored, it didn’t take more than a few minutes before the entire ship’s complement found comfortable sleeping places—aboard ship, for most of the northmen; on land for Brigit and all of the Ffolk. Alicia found herself a soft and mossy niche between several rocks, comfortable and spacious enough for her to stretch and move around. Her mother and Tavish found similar alcoves nearby, and they collapsed with a sense of exhaustion mingled with accomplishment.
Alicia awakened to daylight, pleased to find that several thick ferns screened her bed with as much privacy as she could desire. Rising quickly, she pushed through the verdant growth to emerge onto smooth sand, a stretch of beach just coming under the light of dawn.
Sunrise revealed the true splendor of the voyagers’ new surroundings, beauty that took Alicia’s breath away as she beheld a small valley, lined all around with limestone cliffs—cliffs that enclosed a tiny enclave of paradise. Her eyes went irresistibly to the three waterfalls trilling into the rock-walled shelter, one sparkling like diamonds in the sun, the other two still cool in the morning shadow. Twin groves of great trees grew on the floor of the grotto, one on each side of the natural harbor where the crystalline water collected.
Much of the pool was surrounded by the same beach she now stood upon. She saw the gap in the rock walls of the grotto where the narrow channel drifted toward the sea and the
Princess of Moonshae had made her surreal torchlit passage.
Alicia couldn’t imagine a more perfect haven than this secluded grotto. Seeing Brandon, already engaged in discussion with gray-haired Knaff, Alicia walked toward them. The listing Princess of Moonshae sat beyond, in a shallow bay of the main pool, as if she welcomed the chance to rest. A small channel diverted the waterflow from the area around the ship. With a closer look, Alicia saw that it had been dammed off by a cleverly designed gate.
“They must be draining it underground. Within a day that hull will be high and dry,” observed Brandon, unable to hide his admiration.
“And they can open this lock here,” added Knaff, pointing to a stout wooden gate that held back the waters of the pool. “When she’s ready to float again, that’ll add the water nice and gently.”
Brand looked toward the channel to the sea, but instead saw Alicia coming. “ ’Morning,” he offered with a grin. “These elves did all that was promised as far as the drydock. Look at this thing!”
The princess could see that the water level under the longship had already dropped several inches below that of the pool. “Can you fix the hull?” she asked. Even to her landlubber’s eye, the cracks and splinters in the formerly smooth planking gaped like grievous wounds.
“If they bring us the tools!” grumbled Knaff, again looking toward the seaward channel.
Alicia smiled at his impatience. “It’s just dawn, you know. I’m sure they’ll be here. I’m going to have a look around. Isn’t it beautiful?”
She gestured to the waterfalls and groves, but the two sailors had already turned back to the ship, arguing over the repairs. Irritated in spite of herself, Alicia wandered away from the northmen, exploring.
She realized immediately that there was no easy way out of here except by water, a fact that suited both humans and elves, she felt certain. The high rock walls, carved by years of erosion into images of craggy faces and glowering visages, surrounded them, but allowed plenty of room for the crew to camp comfortably. Lush blossoms grew along the rocky face, and in places, pillows of moss had grown into perfectly formed chairs, couches, and beds. She had stumbled into a typically comfortable niche on the previous night.
Narrow trails twisted through the two groves, and though neither stand contained a huge number of trees, a person could take five steps down one of these paths and find herself surrounded by foliage as thick as the heart of any jungle.
A small portion of the space had been cleared for practical purposes. Northmen already erected tents, and Knaff supervised the construction of a small smithy and carpentry shed.
Alicia saw a silvery form break the surface of the water, and in another moment, Trillhalla reached the shallows. The sea elf splashed toward shore, lolling in the water as she greeted the human princess.
“I bring word—the Queen of Evermeet has ordered that supplies of seasoned lumber, tar, coal, and iron be provided. They are to be sent this morning … soon.”
“That’s great,” the princess replied with a twinge of guilt. She realized that she didn’t want to think about the repairs. She told herself that her father would understand, but the feeling unsettled her. She gestured to the splendor around them. “This place is so beautiful—so perfect. You’re very generous to share it with us.”
“It was Palentor’s suggestion,” she sai
d.
“Really?” Alicia was astounded to think that the truculent elven warrior had displayed such kindness.
Trillhalla laughed, sensing her thoughts. “Actually, I’m sure he thought it would keep you confined and allow his scouts to keep an eye on you. But I’m glad if you find the surroundings pleasant.”
The princess looked upward at the circle of rocky precipice that surrounded them a hundred feet above. Somehow even the thought of armed and watchful elves up there didn’t detract from her pastoral sense of peace.
Brigit emerged from the forest behind them, and Trillhalla urged the pair to join her for a swim. The three females splashed through the water for some time, diving after schools of fish, exploring the coral formations under the pool. Finally they rested, Brigit and Alicia emerging from the water to flop onto the sand, already growing warm in the sun.
“I hope that you will all be comfortable here,” said the silver-haired sea elf wistfully, relaxing in the water near the grotto’s sandy beach.
Alicia and Brigit laughed. “I can’t imagine anyplace more comfortable,” replied the princess. Again she remembered her father, and a storm of guilt assailed her. She tried to force it aside, reminding herself that there was nothing they could do until the longship had been made seaworthy.
“Even Synnoria pales by comparison,” Brigit added seriously.
For a time, in the warmth of the sun, they found it possible to forget about their quest, about the dangers that lay ahead. They had worked so hard to get this far that a few hours of leisure seemed no more than a just reward.
Trillhalla remained in the water but allowed her shoulders and arms to emerge as she looked at her visitors curiously. “It took great courage and great skill to reach our shores. It’s quite a remarkable achievement, you know.”
“There was no other way,” replied the princess with a shrug. It was hard now for her to remember the tension and fear of their harrowing voyage.
“Your father is a great man. You must love him very much,” noted the sea elf.
Alicia looked at her in surprise. Trillhalla spoke with a frankness that disconcerted the human woman. “That’s true, I suppose. I—I just had to do something as long as there was any hope of success. I guess we all did.”
“I wish you fortune for the remainder of your voyage.”
The talk of their mission made Alicia restless again, and she sat up. “When do you think the supplies will get here?” asked the princess.
“Soon now, I should think,” Trillhalla explained. “Palentor was placed in charge of their acquisition, and he’s a fast and forthright worker.”
“Even to aid those he despises?” asked Brigit wryly.
“He is a loyal servant of his queen,” Trillhalla replied. “And besides, do not judge him too harshly. He commands the sea elves who patrol this portion of the shoreline. He was quite mortified that your craft made it so close to land.”
As if to punctuate the sea elf’s explanation, a long canoe came into view down the water channel that connected the grotto to the sea. A scowling Palentor sat in the bow, supervising the dark-haired elves who paddled the craft. The hull of the vessel, Alicia could see, was piled high with stacks of lumber and materials.
The male sea elf, they soon saw, rode the first of four great boats, each wider and heavier than the canoe that had carried the visitors to the Summer Palace. And each contained supplies necessary to repair the bruised longship—barrels of tar, iron for nails, even a bellows to fan Knaff’s makeshift forge.
The females went to join Brandon and the others at the grotto’s small dock, where the first canoe drew alongside. The boats were so big that they could only be unloaded one at a time, but eager northmen quickly formed a chain of workers, passing the crates and barrels from the elven craft to the work area, where Knaff supervised their organization and placement.
“You must be finished within five days!” barked the sea elf, standing straight before the prince of Gnarhelm and meeting him with his almond-shaped eyes.
“The queen said we could take as long as we needed!” objected Alicia, drawing the sea elf’s angry eyes to herself.
He didn’t withdraw from her gaze, but Palentor seemed surprised when the human woman stood up to his aggressive stare. Finally he blinked and cleared his throat. “I shall request independent confirmation of that fact. Your presence here is a disruption to our defenses. You place this entire coast in jeopardy!”
“I thought you said we were the first ship to make it this far. What do you guard against, then?” demanded Alicia, heating up to the confrontation.
“The surface of the sea may be blocked,” replied the sea elf, his tone sincere, “and the cyclones may raise a barrier into the sky. But we have no control as to what passes beneath the surface of the sea, and it is the sahuagin and their foul kin, the scrags, who are our most persistent enemies.”
“It’s a relief to hear that humans don’t fill that role all the time!” Alicia retorted. “Think—you’ve just named our enemies as well as your own!”
Palentor flushed, his mottled skin growing dark green. His lips stretched taut across his mouth, and for a second, Alicia wondered if he would strike at her. Her own fists clenched, reacting to the fury of his gaze. But then his expression softened—albeit minimally.
“It’s true. Though we have prepared all our lives for the human menace, the only battles we have fought have been against the creatures of the deep.”
“Then can’t you see that we’re not the enemy?” the princess demanded.
Suddenly Palentor’s gaze narrowed, and Alicia felt uncomfortable as she saw his eyes boring into her. When he next spoke, it was with passion, not anger. “But for the elves … don’t you see? Evermeet is everything! You humans will claim all the great continents eventually—Toril, Maztica, Kara-Tur … The elven populations in those places are shrinking, have been for thousands of years.”
His voice dropped, but the princess sensed that he really did want her to see. “We must keep Evermeet secure, else our race will die out.”
“I understand,” she replied sincerely, and for the first time, she started to grasp the millennia-long conflict that had driven the elves to this island. “Please, Palentor—realize that we are not a threat to your island. We’re grateful for the help of your queen … and yourself, but when we leave we won’t be coming back.”
“But others—”
“We won’t tell people how we got here! And no other ship or captain could make it through your cyclones!” the princess argued, with a touch of exasperation.
Palentor looked at Brandon with a hint of respect mingling with the constant suspicion in his eyes. The sea elf turned back to Alicia, his expression hardening to its familiar lines. “I must see to the debarking of cargo,” he said stiffly, turning back to the great canoes.
But the princess was gratified when she looked into those green, almond-shaped eyes, because for the first time, besides the anger and suspicion, she saw a hint of doubt.
* * * * *
The prisoner’s mind continued to grow as his body purged itself of the memory-suppressing drug. He recalled things—images and sensations—but still had difficulty attaching names to those memories. He knew that he had been a king and sensed that this was a great thing, but he couldn’t name his kingdom or remember his subjects.
The loss of his hand had grown in his mind, becoming more than a wound. It was an affront, an attack against his pride that he could not let stand. He had no clear memory of who had cut it off, but when that memory returned, someone—or something—would die. The man knew that he had killed before, and he remembered that killing was not a pleasant task, but sometimes a necessary one.
Most tantalizing of his recent memories was the image of a woman—a person of exquisite beauty and great tenderness. Her hair, long and black and silky, he recalled particularly. His mind drifted to images of that hair, of his hand stroking it, of his woman lying in a sun-speckled field of heather,
with birds soaring above and towers of white piercing the sky near them.
It was an idyllic sensation, and for a moment, the recollection swept him along, warming his heart and even bringing an unconscious smile to his face. Then the memory dissipated and he looked around at his dank cell, and once again the rage began to swell.
This fury of his became a constant companion. It drove him to restless periods of pacing when he stalked the confines of his surprisingly large cage. He stared at the pool of water that served as the entrance. Where did it lead? How far did it go? The other features of his chamber provided even less promise. The dark green windows, slanting toward the top of the domed ceiling, swept overhead well beyond his reach. The lump of coral that served as bed, bench, and table was the only other object in the circular room.
Gradually he had noticed a pattern of darkness alternated by dim illumination through the panels in the ceiling, a cycle that seemed to approximate day and night. Once each cycle, shortly after the panels grew light—morning?—a monstrous creature brought him bare sustenance. The creature had the scaly skin of a fish, with thick strands of hair hanging across its scalp, and sharp teeth and claws.
The monster always emerged from the water quickly, surprising the man. The beast rose onto two legs, looming high over his head, glaring down at him with pale, emotionless eyes as it filled a shell cup with fresh water and placed a bowl of fishy gruel beside the pool. Then, with a shake of its bristling head, it dove back into the pool. And every time this jailer departed, the human king found himself staring at the rippled surface of the water. Where did it go?
Of course, his memory couldn’t help him there, and to this end, he decided to explore. Water held no inherent fear for him. He knew that he was a proficient, if not a great, swimmer. He broke the surface in a dive, swimming through darkness for several seconds. Immediately, however, he realized that the loss of his hand created a severe handicap, rendering his swimming awkward and clumsy. Desperately he turned around, kicking hard to return to his cell, gasping in near panic.
The Coral Kingdom Page 21
