by Ben Hale
Unlike most dark elves, she did not tie her hair, and let it hang free to the middle of her back. Her grey skin was flawless, her almond eyes creasing with delight when she spotted Light. Before she’d taken two steps into the inn, Light bounded across the space and engulfed her in a hug, and then planted a kiss on her lips.
Jeric grinned. “Now that’s a greeting.”
“Light’s never been good at controlling his impulses,” Mind said, his expression disapproving.
Light and Willow parted and she smiled up at him. “Hello, bright one,” she murmured.
“I missed you,” Light exclaimed. “And Mind thought you were married.” He cast a glare at Mind.
“What if I was?” she asked.
“Are you?” Light asked, his voice shocked.
“No,” she replied, a ghost of a smile crossing her features.
Light looked relieved.
Elenyr approached the woman and greeted her. “Thank you for coming.”
“When I informed the queen of what you’d learned, I was ordered to meet you,” she said.
“An order?” Jeric asked. “So she believed us about her daughter.”
Willow nodded. “Mothers know their daughters, and the Princess Melora has been very secretive of late.”
“What will the queen do with her?” Fire asked.
“Princess Melora had disappeared,” Willow said. “I suspect she is with the Order.”
Elenyr motioned them all to the table. “We have much to discuss, and you must be tired.”
Willow nodded her gratitude, but instead motioned toward the door. “Actually, another would like to speak with you.”
“Oh?” Elenyr asked. “Who?”
Willow’s eyes swept the group, and then flicked to the dark elves sitting at the table nearby. A handful of humans and a trio of elves were also present in the tavern, all merchants. Elenyr had seen their caravans outside and guessed them to be genuine, but Willow’s caution suggested the mysterious person wanted privacy.
“Elenyr, would you accompany me?” Willow asked.
“Of course,” Elenyr said.
Light took a step forward, but Willow’s expression turned apologetic. “Only Elenyr.”
His face fell, but Fire clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m guessing you’ll get to see her again.”
“I’m certain of it,” Willow said.
Light brightened, and Elenyr followed Willow from the inn. As she did, she noticed Jeric and Mind bearing matching expressions of concern. Then Mind’s thoughts tugged at the corner of her consciousness.
It could be a trap.
Not if Willow is here. Elenyr said.
She could be an unwitting pawn.
Answers first, Elenyr said, glancing his way as she stepped outside. But keep the link open.
She sensed his nod of agreement, and then turned her attention to Willow. The woman was quiet, not prone to outbursts of emotion or affection. Elenyr had only ever seen her favor Light, and for the first time, questioned the purpose of her attention.
She scowled when she realized she was doubting a friend. Willow had always been honorable, and never displayed a hint of disloyalty. The Order had infiltrated a great deal, but their reach was not infinite.
“These are troubling times,” Willow said softly.
“Indeed they are,” Elenyr said, privately deciding that she should continue to trust Willow until she gave reason to remove that trust. “Did you know about the Order?”
“I did,” she said. “Unlike the criminal guilds, the Order kept quiet, and did not attack anyone. For that reason, most in the Deep considered them harmless.”
“Most?” Elenyr caught the connotation.
Willow glanced her way. “The Order approached me.”
Elenyr came to a halt, and the elf rotated to face her. “When?” Elenyr asked.
“A few decades past,” she said. “When I was appointed to my captainship.”
“They sought to recruit you,” Elenyr guessed.
“They did recruit me.”
Elenyr retreated a step and palmed the hilt of her sword, but Willow offered a faint smile. “Joining the Order was not my choice.”
“They forced you?”
“No,” Willow said. “The order came from above.”
Elenyr’s first thought was that Princess Melora had ordered Willow to join the Order. But the Order of Ancients wanted only loyal in their ranks. So if she had not been manipulated by the Order, that left only one explanation.
“Your queen ordered you to accept.”
Willow inclined her head, and then resumed walking toward the gates of the outpost. She lowered her voice as they passed in earshot of the guards, and murmured a warning.
“The Order has ears everywhere,” she whispered. “Even here. Wait until we are inside to speak.”
Elenyr nodded to let her know she understood, and then smiled to the guards. As they passed inside, Elenyr sent a quick thought to Mind, but asked him to keep the information private, for now. The possibility of having an informant on the inside of the Order could change everything, and she didn’t want to risk an Order member hearing of Willow’s role because the fragments spoke of it in the tavern. Willow had only spoken the truth outside the outpost, a strategic location chosen for its lack of potential listeners.
The outpost wall extended in a half circle, wrapping around the collection of warehouses which sat next to the tower. Between the warehouses, a tower connected the ground to the overhang of stone. Behind the turret, a second wall, thicker than the first, extended from the sides of the tower to the mouth of the cave, allowing dark elves to enter and depart the turret without fear of attack. Since the tower’s construction, it had been attacked a handful of times, and each time the thieves had been left wanting.
They passed warehouses stocked with foodstuffs and exotic spices from the Deep, as well as weapons crafted by dark elf swordsmiths. They passed into the shadow of the overhanging rock and then entered through the bottom doors. The interior of the turret was more lavish than it had been the last time Elenyr had visited, with glowing trees growing up the walls, the limbs providing beauty and light to the space. At the center, another tree stood, the trunk rising through the floor above.
Willow led the way to the tree and the bark opened, revealing a recessed space inside. Large enough for a small group, the space in the trunk rose up through the center of the tree, the magic silent as the wood carried them aloft.
“This magic is from the surface elves,” Elenyr said.
“Our queen has forged a treaty with our surface cousins,” Willow said. “And we have traded magics, benefiting us both.”
“I was not aware you had signed an accord,” Elenyr said.
“Until more of our people are ready to accept the surface dwellers as more than an enemy, our treaties must remain secret.”
The answer was simple, but spoke volumes. The queen had pushed vigorously to allow just the one outpost, and many of her people thought the dark elves should remain in the Deep. If they knew their queen was signing treaties, there would be riots.
“Does Princess Melora know of the treaty?”
“She does,” Willow said.
Elenyr heard the current of disapproval and realized the dark elf warrior did not care for the princess, another note in Willow’s favor. Elenyr was grateful Willow was on their side. She would have hated having to fight the woman.
The ascender came to a halt and the trunk opened, allowing them into the topmost chamber of the tower. The canopy of the tree flowed across the ceiling, clinging to the stone, the limbs glowing a faint blue. The room was open all the way to the walls, where darkened windows allowed a view of the cave in the back, and the outpost and outer inns in the front.
The floor was all stone, and contained an assortment of tables, couches, and chairs. The receiving hall could have housed fifty, and it had, on the occasions the dark elves hosted leaders of the merchant guilds. On the eastern side
of the room, the chairs were arranged in a circle so that many could gather to speak. Despite the size of the chamber, it lay empty, with only a single occupant standing at the front window.
Dressed in a gown of purple silk, the woman was intimidating. She was tall for a dark elf, her body trim and muscular. She showed no obvious blade, but Elenyr suspected there would be at least one hidden in the folds of her gown. Her black hair was turning silver, the braids lying down her back to her waist.
Elenyr glanced at Willow but the soldier stood by the tree, so Elenyr advanced alone. She approached and joined her at the window, and the woman finally turned. Elenyr had suspected her identity the moment she’d walked into the room, but blinked in surprise.
“I expected the queen,” Elenyr said.
Princess Aranian, first daughter of the dark elf kingdom, stood before her. Her features were tight with regret and worry, the expression one of a heavy mantle. Elenyr had seen that look before, when a prince became a king.
“What happened?” Elenyr asked.
“My sister has taken my mother,” Aranian said. “And I need your help to get her back.”
Chapter 35: A Royal Request
Elenyr studied the woman, and saw that the Princess Aranian’s despair was real. Elenyr didn’t know the princess as well as the queen, but respected her for her wisdom and poise. She’d taken after the queen in looks and temperament, and many of her people regarded her as a royal. But she was still a dark elf, and secrets were currency for the underground race.
“You never trust members of the surface race,” Elenyr said. “Least of all with such a dangerous truth. Why ask for my aid?”
“The Order of Ancients has spread among my people,” she said. “And there are few I know I can trust.”
“And you trust me?” Elenyr’s expression was doubtful.
“I trust Willow,” she said, her eyes flicking to the soldier. “And when she received your message, she swore I could trust you and your companions.”
Elenyr glanced Willow’s way, but her features were inscrutable. Willow’s loyalty was not surprising, but the princess must be desperate indeed to turn away from her own soldiers, especially the elite guard.
“Why not send the Hand?”
The queen’s Hand consisted of five warriors sworn to obey the queen. Like wraiths in the Deep, they used intimidation and assassination, ending disputes that had potential to become lethal to the royal family. Many regarded them as a myth, but Elenyr had fought beside one, and knew just how dangerous they could be.
“I did,” the princess said. “They did not return.”
“You think they were killed?” Elenyr asked in surprise. She didn’t think anything could kill them.
“I believe they have joined the Order.”
The prospect was even more deadly. If the Queen’s Hand had truly joined the Order, very little could stop them. It also explained why the princess had come to Elenyr for aid, for if the most loyal of the queen’s guard could be subverted, anyone was suspect.
“The Order has grown bold since the ancients appeared,” Elenyr said. “And they are gathering strength.”
“We thought them to be harmless,” Aranian said. “Now they pose the greatest of threats.”
“How much do you know about the Order?” Elenyr asked.
Princess Aranian flashed a faint smile. “They have always had a presence in our kingdom, and for most of our history, they did not hide their allegiances. They spoke of the peace the ancient race provided, and attempted to persuade the people to seek their return. Those that grew overzealous were imprisoned, but for the most part, they gathered in peace.”
“You speak of them like they were a religion.”
“They worship the ancients,” she said. “Not unlike the Church of Light that worships Ero, or the Cult of Skorn that worships Skorn.”
Elenyr hid a smile. Most did not know that Ero and Skorn were members of the ancient race, and churches still worshiped them as gods. But the way the princess spoke, it was almost as if the Order of Ancients among the dark elves were not connected to those on the surface.
“What changed?” Elenyr asked.
“After the Mage Wars, when the oracle bloodlines were extinguished, they slipped into obscurity. We do not know why.”
“Perhaps they found a new ally,” Elenyr said.
The princess frowned. “You know who they are?”
“I do now,” Elenyr said, and detailed what Light had said regarding their encounter with Serak.
“This guardian,” Willow said. “He is powerful?”
“He is,” Elenyr said. “But the true threat is his cunning. He has managed to avoid detection for thousands of years, suggesting a malevolent patience.”
“And he has joined the Order?”
“I am uncertain as to his role,” she said. “From what you describe, it would appear his influence has led to the Order withdrawing from the public eye.”
The princess glanced to Willow and inclined her head, a mark of permission. Willow then stepped forward. “What I am about to share is known by only a few within the Order, and the last one to speak openly endured weeks of agony before they killed him. If you know this truth, they will hunt you.”
“They already hunt me,” Elenyr said. “And I’m not so easy to kill.”
Willow inclined her head. “After the Mage Wars, Serak took control of one of the Order factions on the surface. Over the next hundred years he gathered and united all the factions, including those in the deep. With that unity, he brought them to focus, and gave them a purpose: to stop waiting on the ancients to return, and to discover a way to bring them here. From what you speak, they have finally been successful.”
“We are fortunate there are only two krey,” Elenyr said. “If they had brought their full might . . .”
“Indeed,” the princess said. “But Wylyn’s arrival has emboldened Serak and the Order, and they are shedding their anonymity.”
“Do you know what they intend?” Elenyr asked.
“Not yet,” Willow said.
Elenyr considered what she’d learned. The dark elves had confirmed Serak to be their foe, and knowing the enemy was the first step in victory. Still, they had now kidnapped not one, but two monarchs, and threatened the others. Doing so would invite retaliation from all the kingdoms. Why?
“Wylyn is the true threat,” Elenyr said, thinking aloud. “And I believe the Order is attempting to draw attention away from the krey. The surface races are already in turmoil, and the kingdoms are in chaos. It has already hampered our efforts to find the krey.”
“Will you not offer aid?” the princess asked.
Elenyr stared out the window and spotted Light pacing outside the outpost. The fragment kept looking up at the tower as if he knew about the discussion, and she wondered how long he would wait before barging through the gates.
“Do you know Wylyn’s location?” Elenyr cast over her shoulder.
“I do not,” Willow said. “But I know she is on the surface.”
“And Serak?” she asked. “Is he in the Deep?”
“Also on the surface,” Willow said. “He does not often come below.”
“Good,” Elenyr said, an idea forming in her mind.
“You have a plan,” the princess said.
Elenyr turned back to her. “We need to find Wylyn and Serak, and you need to find your queen. I think there’s a way we can get both.”
“How?” Willow asked.
Elenyr pointed to Light. “My companion has seen Serak.”
“So?” the princess asked.
Willow’s eyes glowed with excitement. “I see what you intend. May I retrieve him?”
Elenyr nodded, and the princess made a confused gesture of agreement. After Willow departed, the princess pointed to Light. “Why would it matter if he’d seen Serak?”
“How much do you know about my companions?” she asked.
“You travel with five mages,” she said. “They a
re talented and share odd kinship with each other.”
Elenyr hesitated, wondering if she could reveal the truth. But under the current circumstances, they needed to unify against a common enemy, and Elenyr had to trust someone. Besides, Elenyr got the impression that Princess Aranian spoke the truth.
“They are fragments of a single guardian,” Elenyr said. “And each contains a fragment of power.”
The princess regarded Elenyr with surprise on her features. “So the light mage?”
“Is a guardian,” Elenyr said.
As she spoke, Elenyr watched the princess closely. Fear appeared in her dark eyes, an obvious response to learning of the fragment’s identity. The guardians during the Mage Wars had wreaked havoc on every nation, their madness killing thousands, including their masters. And one was about to enter the room.
The princess wrestled with the fear, but it faded to resolve. Elenyr mentally nodded her approval. The princess did not have a choice, and she’d come here for aid. She needed Elenyr and her companions.
“My mother occasionally spoke of you,” the princess said, her eyes on the trunk of the tree, where Light would soon appear. “As did my grandmother. Yet you look like you have not aged a day.”
“There are those in this world that have lived many lifetimes,” Elenyr said.
“Like Serak?”
“We are not like Serak.”
“That is my hope,” the princess said, “for if my faith is misplaced, my people are doomed.”
“I am not unlike you,” Elenyr said. “I fight for my family, my sons, and those I love.”
The princess glanced her way, her features uncertain. “How risky is your plan?”
“Very,” Elenyr said. “But I think it’s our best chance at finding our foes, before they multiply any further.”
A whisper of sound came from the trunk and the door swung open. Light bounded into the room, crossing the space faster than seemed possible. He reached Elenyr and came to a halt, words tumbling from his lips.
