“I can’t believe it doesn’t collapse,” Meena observed. “Or is it magically reinforced?”
“You could say that,” the king nodded, indicating the pod that was to be theirs. “You will sleep here. Make a fire in the pit if you require it, and we will have a keg delivered if you desire.”
“A keg of the tree root beer?” Bally asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly, as he had developed a particular fondness for the trolls’ brew.
“What else would it be?” Yaodus laughed, throwing up his hands in mock surprise.
“Thank you. That would be lovely,” Ami agreed, dropping her pack next to one of their walls to stake out the location for her bed. “I’m exhausted, so we’ll worry about the food and the fire when we wake up. Or you can, but I’m getting some sleep.”
Her mention of rest brought on acute exhaustion within their ranks, as they had fled their home hours ago. “Aye,” the Mate agreed, “let’s get a bit of sleep, and we’ll figure everything out when we are fresh.” Helping his wife pull out their blankets, they spread one on the stone floor and curled up together, covered by the second.
Watching, Amicia sighed. She had done her best to get over the fact that he would never be hers, but her worn state made the task difficult. Spreading her own cover, she lay on one half and folded the other over her before she drifted off to sleep.
The girl had no idea how long she had slept. When she realized she no longer did, she raised her hand and rested it on the crystals embedded in the dark soil before her. They glowed gently, producing a red tint on her flesh. Thinking of the night before, she recalled how Yaodus had appeared in the cave from within the earth.
Likewise, he had led them inside and closed the opening behind them. Lying in their pod, she pondered the relationship between the trolls and the mountain in which they burrowed. The caves had obviously not been dug. Instead, it would appear that the soil had a life of its own and had opened itself to prepare the place the trolls referred to as the Crimson Caves.
Running her finger tips over the smoothness of the gems, followed by the sharp edges that threatened to cut her if she were not careful, she sighed. We’re on the run again.
The reality of the situation had been faint as they fled, but lying in the near darkness with her friends sleeping around her, it came into full focus. Thinking of her winged companion, she reached out, “Lamwen.”
Only silence echoed in her thoughts.
“Lamwen,” she repeated, searching more forcefully.
It troubled her that he did not reply, but then again, she had never tried to contact him while stuck inside a mountain before. Perhaps the rocks interfere… somehow, she considered.
Stirring next to her, Rey exhaled loudly. “Anyone awake?”
“Aye,” the Mate replied, adjusting the covers over his sleeping bride. “My belly demands it,” he chuckled.
“Mine, too,” Bally seconded.
“Build the fire, and we’ll eat from my pack,” Amicia suggested, joining them.
A few minutes later, the flames burned brightly, adding warmth and hope to an otherwise dreary situation. Pulling out dried meat and bread, Ami prepared a small ration for each of them. “I’m not sure if they are going to feed us,” she informed the others, eyeing their keg, “or if this will be the extent of their hospitality,” she added, pointing at the oversized jug.
“We’ll make do,” the Mate agreed, accepting his share before sitting on the ground next to Meena, who rolled over to sit up beside him. “I supposed this is all new to you?”
“Yes,” she agreed, accepting her own meal when Rey presented it. “The trolls are a secretive lot. We have learned more about them in the months since our arrival in Yilaric than all of Eriden has known for eternity.”
“I doubt that,” Ami laughed between bites. “Someone has to know them, and I’m sure the dragons do as well.”
“Oh, no,” the king’s son giggled, announcing his presence as he entered their pod. “None have visited the Crimson Caves before or ever will again, I am certain.”
“Well, we thank you for the honor,” the Mate clipped, cutting his eyes around at his crew and assessing their acceptance of their situation. “We won’t be staying long,” he tacked on, holding his pause to see if any would object.
Nodding, Amicia frowned. “Agreed. As soon as the dragons give up their search, we should be on our way.”
“So soon?” Zae whined, her dark orbs also taking in their surroundings. “This place is amazing. I should want to stay longer if we can manage it.”
“I’m afraid we can’t,” the Mate explained, dusting his hands off as he finished his consumption. “We would only put them in danger by asking them to hide us even more than we already have.”
“Exactly,” Rey agreed, pointing a stiff digit at their leader. “Mate’s right. We need to be on our way before the dragons realize they helped and it gets them into trouble.”
Sulking, her dark lip stuck out in a pout, Zaendra knew better than to argue, but she made no effort to hide her displeasure at the verdict.
Mortals of the Rim
When they had finished the meal, the group abandoned their pod and ventured down the tunnel, where they returned to the large chamber that served as the center of town. Trolls again filled the space, sitting, lying, and standing around as they conversed in undulating voices.
“Do they stay here all the time?” Amicia asked, as Traok had followed them and appeared to be their guide.
“This is our great hall,” the young troll replied with a smile. “We hold ceremonious meetings here, as well as congregations.”
“And which is this?” Piers asked, his eyes scanning the room in full.
“This,” the boy shrugged, “is an ordinary day.”
Nodding as if she understood, Ami agreed, “It seems well suited to many things. When may we see your father?”
“He will arrive shortly, as we have planned a feast for you later today. For now, many are out working,” Traok patiently explained.
“Working,” Meena repeated, curious what work a troll might engage in.
“Yes,” the boy nodded, “gathering the food for the feast, as well as the stores for the winter that must be saved.”
“And making the beer,” Bally added, still carrying his morning mug in his hand.
“Always making the beer,” Traok laughed. “Please, sit and be comfortable until the hour of the feast draws near.”
Shaking her head, Amicia sighed. “Well, I guess we might as well do what he says. We can’t go out, or shouldn’t, until we know the air is clear of demons.”
His features twisted, Rey observed, “It sounds odd to hear you call them that, after you’ve made a friend of one of them and all.”
“Lamwen is a dragon,” she grimaced. “Those who are outside right now are monsters who want to harm us. There is a world of difference between the two,” she observed, taking a seat with the others in a circle around a fire pit; one of many in the great hall.
Warming themselves by the flames, the conversation was sparse after Ami’s observation about her missing friend. Watching her openly, Rey longed to continue the conversation and make her see reason; a dragon was a dragon in his book. However, noting the lines crinkling her face, he could see the issue held much deeper meaning for her and decided now was not the time to convince her the mysterious Lamwen was no friend to them.
Instead, he stood and walked casually over to claim part of the rock she sat upon as she glared into empty space. “Does he have information about why we were attacked?” he asked as nonchalantly as he could muster.
Drawn back to reality, Ami blinked a few times before a single tear spilled over onto her cheek. Wiping at it quickly, she shook her blond locks. “He hasn’t said anything since he warned us to run.”
“That’s odd,” he observed with a frown, “I thought the two of you had this magic line between you, where you could speak to each other at any time.”
“App
arently not,” she shrugged, looking away, then down at her hands as she toyed with her fingers. His absence had set her mind to working double as she fought to sort out her emotions for her largest acquaintance. In truth, she had long suspected her feelings for him had grown beyond that of a simple friend but confessing that to the man next to her might prove problematic.
Holding her secret, she sighed, “I’m not sure what it means, love. I only know that he warned us, and that earns him at least some credit, even if you wish to discount his claim to helping us in the desert.”
“You miss him,” Reynard observed, not fooled by her attempt to make less of her emotional state. Offering her his open right palm, he chose to comfort her rather than add to her suffering by saying any more.
“Aye,” she agreed quietly, placing her left over his and clasping her fingers to press them together as they had in Riran. “You are such a dear friend, Rey.” Raising her chin to look him in the eye, she managed a weak smile. “I hope one day I deserve all the kindness you have shown me.”
“Oh, Ami,” he breathed, leaning towards her. The air between them thick, he held his breath, waiting to see how she would respond. He had forced a kiss upon her once, one she had given in to and, as far as he knew, had enjoyed. It had not been proper, nonetheless, and he hoped this time she would meet him.
Ami stared at his closed lids, fully aware of what he intended. She also knew that doing so held great significance in the eyes of those she felt certain were watching them by the lapse in their voices. “Rey,” she whispered, not wishing to embarrass him by pulling away. “I’m not ready for this, love.”
Raising his lips and free hand at the same time, he caught her by the back of the neck and pressed his pucker against her forehead, holding it there for a half minute, then turning his cheek to lean his beard against her warm flesh. “I love you so much, Amicia,” he confessed in a voice he hoped only she could hear.
“I know,” she smiled, pulling away and adjusting her grip on his other appendage in case he tried to yank it away. “Someday perhaps I will feel it as you do.”
“I will continue my hope,” he chuckled, bumping her shoulder to shoulder before glancing around to see that the others were watching as covertly as they could muster.
Making small talk until other trolls arrived, they took turns sharing small stories and laughter, which felt odd after what had transpired the night before. Somehow, knowing they had each other softened the blow of being set back to nothing once again.
As the trolls entered the grand chamber, all carrying cleaned carcasses, one of them brought over a pair of rabbits and skewered them onto a spit. Smiling at the bowl of dried seasonings that he held before her, Ami nodded, “Do you add them, or shall I?”
“I may if you wish.” The troll matched her grin, his lavender skin flushed by the fire.
Staring at his large plum-colored eyes, the girl marveled at the manners of the creatures she had heard such terrible things about. “Thank you. It is your meal to prepare, then.”
Across the way, the king and his wife set up a large crank with a small elk upon it. The queen and her children took turns winding the handle while Yaodus ambled over to share time with their guests before they were ready to dine. Offering a toast with his wooden cup of beer, he grinned, “Still with us, I see.”
“Yes, but we will leave as soon as the dragons have given up their search,” the Mate informed him. “Are they still outside tonight?”
“For the time being,” Yaodus provided, taking a seat on one of the empty stones. “For now, while the meal roasts, I thought a visit between us would be in order. We have not spent much time in close quarters since the wedding party,” he explained, giving the couple a small bow of his head.
“Tell us about your magic,” Amicia spoke up. “You said that all in Eriden have a little power, but are you certain of this?”
“Quite certain,” he replied, slurping from his beverage. “All have a little, while a few have a great deal, of which I’m sure you are aware, princess.”
She blushed at the worn term, hating that it had become so popular among the locals to address her as such, but at least he had refrained from calling her queen. She still had not discerned the reason behind it and felt certain asking would be found offensive. “And how much do you have?” she queried.
His large orbs glaring at her, he appeared to consider the question and his response, then confessed, “I am quite powerful,” with a laugh. He took no obvious offense, adding, “Our high priest is also quite gifted, and a few of the others almost as much.” Signaling to one of the trolls who had been tending the fires and spits, he accepted a small bowl of dried material from him. “Allow me to share with you,” the king offered, pinching a miniscule amount of the granular substance and tossing it into the flames.
Burning brightly, with a flurry of sparks and pops, a rainbow of colors washed across the dancing light, and then an image of Abolia appeared before them.
“Wow, are you seeing this?” Bally gasped.
“Aye,” the Mate agreed, leaning his head against his hands as his elbows dug into his knees. However, he had been in Eriden long enough, it would take more than a few sparks from a fire to impress him much. Glaring at the scene, he asked, “You know of the ruins?”
“Yes. They are a bit south of our normal territory, but we have ventured that way a few times. And they have stood for many ages, a booming town of several hundred thousand at its peak. But it was destroyed near thirty centuries ago, leaving the ruins you seem to have encountered on your trek to us,” he provided.
“Destroyed, as in on purpose?” Rey demanded.
“Quite on purpose,” Yaodus agreed.
Glancing at the other native Eridens within their company, Ami could see the mild discomfort upon their features. Whatever history this abandoned city held, they were not eager to discuss it. “How does the fire work?” she asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from the topic that brought her friends distress.
“I’m sure it is similar to my orb,” Meena interjected, offering an upturned palm to the fading image. “Can you see anywhere that you like?” she asked, aiding Amicia in her efforts for less hostile discussions.
“I see what needs to be seen,” Yaodus explained, seeing through their attempt to dissuade his sharing. Tossing out another pinch of the crystals and causing the scene to change, he grinned crookedly, as if the revelations pleased him in a morbid fashion. Still Abolia, it was no longer a ruin, and instead, people walked among the structures and streets.
“They look like humans,” Piers observed, glancing at his bride. “Are they wizards as well?” It seemed unlikely that they would be since she had denied there ever being a wizard community that far north.
“They are mortals,” she replied hardly above a whisper. Not meeting his gaze, she glared at the children laughing as they played in the tall grass of a field near their home. “Why do you show us this?” she hissed, cutting their host an angry glare. She had hoped never to divulge her knowledge of Abolia, and here he had forced her hand.
“You knew about this?” Amicia gasped, shifting her eyes to take in her, the elf, and the nymph in turn. “You all knew, didn’t you!” she accused more loudly. “There were humans here in Eriden.”
“Yes. Long ago,” Yaodus answered for them. “Your friends are ashamed, my queen. They have not spoken openly of what became of them for generations, as if to do so were a crime.”
“What happened to them?” Piers asked, choosing to ignore their comrades’ secretiveness.
“Three millennia ago, there was a rift among the inhabitants of our kingdom. One that nearly tore us apart. The mortals are the least magical of all creatures in this world, and after a great deal of fighting among our races, it was decided that they should be removed from our beloved continent,” the old troll explained.
“Exterminated,” Meena added, her voice still weak. Glancing at her husband, her lips were pressed together into a thin li
ne. “The magical creatures of our world detested the presence of these inferior beings and sought to destroy them.”
“But the dragons would not hear of it,” Yaodus added in a gravelly voice, raising a single digit to waggle as if a warning. “It was and is their job to care for all of Eriden and those that call it their home, big and small.”
“They attacked us,” Amicia observed airily, the breath tight in her chest. “They burned Abolia to the ground.”
“Yes and no,” Animir took over. “At least that is the version I heard as a small child. The dragons removed all of the non-magical beings from Eriden and scattered them around the rim. Not just humans but all creatures great and small.”
“The wolves,” Rey agreed with a nod. “Uscan said they are kin to those of the rim.”
“Yes,” Yaodus nodded. “All that had been born without at least some magic within them were taken to a place where they would be safe and separate from those who were.”
“And they put up the barrier so we couldn’t come back,” Piers growled, less happy with their history at every disclosure. Turning to his wife, he scowled, “You did know about this.”
“Only rumor,” she sighed. “Legend, if you will. All in Eriden have heard it, but few believe its truth.”
“Obviously it’s true,” he bit angrily, surprising her as well as himself. Reading the hurt in her deep brown orbs, he felt instant regret and gasped, “I’m so sorry, Meena. I did not intend that to be an attack upon you. I –”
“Tis no bother,” she sniffed, hiding her tears. “I should have mentioned it,” she confessed. “Our ancestors treated such creatures horribly, filling our history with shame. Even if it was centuries ago, it is a dark mark upon our character, one that is visible to this day.”
“So, we were taken from here and given the rim as a place to build our own lives, where we forgot all about this place, and you,” Amicia concluded. “That’s a terrible thing to discover. No wonder you chose to hide it!”
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