The Harrowing Path

by Cleave Bourbon

  Trendan used the broken dry goods wagon as cover as he fired off arrows, his half-elven sight allowing him to distinguish targets in the darkness. “Where is Rennon?” Trendan yelled over the wagon to Devyn.

  “I didn’t see what happened to him,” Devyn shouted back.

  Gondrial stumbled to the wreckage and fell in beside the others, holding his arm. Both Sylvalora and Lady Shey tried to examine his bloodied wound, but he snapped it away from them, stating that it was from the wagon crash and not a Dramyd. Vesperin weakly reached up with his good arm and grasped Gondrial’s hand. He mumbled a few words, and Gondrial felt the pain subside. “Thank you, friend, but save your strength for yourself.” He smiled thinly at Vesperin. “The Dramyds seem to be retreating. Do not worry yourself with our fate. You will need your strength to help us get you to Soldier’s Bluff.”

  Devyn heard Gondrial’s words, but he saw no sign of the Dramyds retreating. The guard, Freg, fought ahead of Devyn, giving him time to frantically search behind him for some sign of Rennon. He spotted him stumbling out from behind the ale wagon wreckage and breathed a sigh of relief.

  Devyn called out, “Rennon, get to this wagon as fast as you can.” As Rennon made his way forward, Devyn watched in horror as three Dramyds descended upon him from behind. Lady Shey, Gondrial, and Sylvalora all three stood with incantations on their lips. “Rennon, behind you!” Devyn yelped. Rennon turned and stared at the creatures. He threw his hands up in defense. Devyn watched in astonishment as Rennon’s skin surged in a faint, pale light. There was a flash, and the advancing Dramyds fell to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably.

  “The wild magic!” Gondrial whispered as Rennon fell to the ground himself.

  Devyn ran to his fallen friend and dragged him back to the wagon where the others had gathered.

  “Vesperin has gone unconscious,” Kelle sobbed, trying to hold on to Vesperin’s still deteriorating arm. “Rennon, can you do something?”

  “I lost my apothecary bag in the wreck.” He said.

  Lady Shey closed her eyes and mumbled a few words. Vesperin’s arm glowed a pale blue for a moment. “That should hold him, but not for long. He needs a cleric. Brookhaven is too far, and there is no help at Soldier’s Bluff. I think we should go to the Vale of Morgoran. The clerics in the temple there should be able to help him if we hurry.”

  The night air abruptly became deathly quiet as Gondrial stood next to Devyn. Trendan cautiously ventured out from behind the wagon to join Devyn and Gondrial. “Where did the Dramyds go?” Trendan asked.

  “Come with me, swords and arrows ready,” Gondrial said. He patted Devyn on the back. “Let’s get Vesperin some help before the Dramyds return to finish the rest of us off.” Gondrial immediately went to Lady Shey. “Rodraq is dead,” he stated grimly. “I saw him fall in the thick of it all. I’m sorry, Shey.” Lady Shey bowed her head and sobbed as Gondrial put her head to his chest.

  “Three dead and one mortally wounded then,” Sylvalora whispered.

  “Are there any horses left?” Devyn asked.

  “They all either ran off or were killed,” Gondrial replied. “There are likely two or three Dramyds in pursuit of any that did run off. No, I don’t believe we’ll find one alive.”

  “No, not likely,” Lady Shey agreed. “We have to gather what we can and get to the Vale as quickly as possible. We cannot afford to linger while there might be more Dramyds lurking about.” Lady Shey dried her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. “Devyn, help me find something to carry Vesperin on.” Devyn nodded and began scanning the wreckage.

  They did not linger long enough to clear most of the wreckage from the road for fear of more Dramyds returning with reinforcements. Instead, Devyn and Trendan busied themselves to fashion a makeshift cart to carry Vesperin on. From the two broken wagons, they used an axle, two wheels, and a flat wood panel to make a cart big enough for Vesperin and some provisions to ride on. Within an hour of the attack, what was left of the party made their way north to the Vale of Morgoran. Trendan, Gondrial, and Devyn had buried the dead as best they could in the time they had and left the Dramyds to rot where they fell. Rennon was following silently behind Trendan. No one mentioned the wild magic he used on the Dramyds, and Devyn reasoned that Rennon wanted to keep it that way. He wondered if the wild magic was the secret that Rennon could not tell him in the week they traveled to Symbor.

  FOR THE FIRST TIME, Devyn began not to fear the presence of wielders as Lady Shey, Sylvalora, and Gondrial spoke incantations, in turn, to make sure the wood ahead was clear of danger. In fact, no one from Brookhaven complained about feeling uncomfortable about the wielders now. The wielders intentionally used spells nearly undetectable by the Enforcers, who were undoubtedly aware of wielders in the woods, if any of them were near enough to hear Gondrial’s lightning bolts.

  Quietly and slowly, the wary group inched along through the woods for the rest of the night and into morning. As the sun climbed into the sky, Gondrial decided it was time to rest, so he stopped under an outcropping of trees near a stream and clearing, hoping that Dramyds were less likely to travel in daylight. Kelle and Lady Shey took turns tending to Vesperin, and the rest of the party began discussing the best way to get to the Vale. Rennon collapsed into a deep sleep as soon as he could find a suitable place to rest his head. Devyn found it challenging to sleep with the images of the battle flashing in his mind. He had never seen anyone die before, and he hoped he would never have to experience it again.

  Devyn awoke to Kelle gently shaking him. Her brief attempt at a smile made him feel better. At least she was trying to comfort him. “Gondrial asked me to wake you. It is time to get moving again; Vesperin’s condition has worsened in the last hour, and Lady Shey still fears for his life.”

  Startled by the news of Vesperin’s condition, Devyn rose to his feet and walked to his friend. Vesperin looked pale and was shaking. His blond locks, matted with sweat, fell down the sides of his face, and he mumbled incomprehensively. Sometimes his eyes would open, but his uneven gaze never focused on any given point. The women wrapped his injuries in cloth from torn pieces of their dresses, but the blood-soaked fabric did little to stop the acidic saliva of the Dramyd from eating away at Vesperin’s flesh. Kelle placed a comforting hand on Devyn’s shoulder, and he responded by putting his own hand over hers.

  Rennon did not wake easily from his slumber, and when he did finally join the party in walking toward the Vale, he did so lethargically. Gondrial and Devyn pulled the cart through the brush and maze of trees as Trendan led the group, searching the path ahead for unseen dangers and scouting out the best route to pull the cart. Devyn wondered whether it would be easier to carry Vesperin on his back but realized, despite the inconvenience and slow pace, that Vesperin riding in the cart jarred his wounded friend much less and made him less of a burden.

  As the sun climbed steadily into mid-sky, an apprehensive feeling swept over Devyn. Trendan felt that if they did not reach the Vale by nightfall, the Dramyds would return to finish off the rest of the party, but Gondrial doubted the Dramyds had the intelligence to make such a strategic rationalization unless they had a Drasmyd Duil leading them. He surmised they would be more interested in eating the dead Dramyds in the road and rummaging through the wreckage then tracking the party through the woods. Devyn hoped Gondrial was right despite his gruesome elucidation. Devyn decided to relax and let his guard down some. A time after midday, Devyn felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up again as if something or someone was watching him. He turned to look behind him only to see Gondrial bringing up the rear. Quickly, Devyn scanned the trees around him and instinctively ducked down, alerting Gondrial to danger.

  “What is it?” Gondrial asked in a low voice.

  “I feel as though we are being watched. Do you feel it too?”

  Gondrial paused for a moment then said, “No, I think you are feeling a bit apprehensive because of last night.” He put his hand on Devyn’s shoulder. “Relax, Devyn. The Dramyds are
not likely to strike again now. They only strike in numbers, and I think we thinned them out rather effectively last night; besides, they rarely travel in daylight.”

  “I will try to relax.” Devyn nodded uneasily.

  “Good,” Gondrial said.

  Kelle rubbed Vesperin’s forehead. “He is getting worse,” she said to Devyn. “I am no cleric, but I can see he does not have long. His breathing is becoming shallow.”

  Rennon moved next to Vesperin and put his hand on his head. “She is right; he doesn’t have long. If I had my pack, I could slow the poison, but without it, I don’t know of any plant or herb that grows wild in these lands that will help him.”

  Gondrial looked at the stricken boy and then at Lady Shey. “We have to try it, Shey.”

  Lady Shey sighed and then nodded. She pulled out the stolen book and opened its lock with a flick of her wrist. After reading a few passages, she told the others to stop and handed the book to Gondrial. Kelle took Gondrial’s place at pulling the cart.

  “What we are about to attempt is somewhat dangerous and has not been done for centuries. We are not even sure if it will work at all,” Gondrial began. “But we have to try for Vesperin’s sake. Everyone gather around and brace yourselves for the gathering of essence. It can be unnerving to one who has never experienced it before.”

  “Will it alert Enforcers?” Devyn asked.

  “For certain, if they are not already on their way to the woods they will be after this.” Gondrial said. “We will be in Morgoran’s tower before they arrive. We will be safe there.”

  Rennon suddenly appeared horrified and backed away. “Magic! You cannot use foul magic here. I will not stand for it.”

  Gondrial rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Why don’t you go to sleep,” he whispered. Devyn heard a slight ringing in his ears as Rennon collapsed. Gondrial closed the book and gave it to Lady Shey. “Help me put him on the cart, Devyn.”

  Devyn stared at Gondrial for a long moment and then helped him place Rennon in the cart beside Vesperin.

  Gondrial took the tome from Lady Shey and reopened it. He and Lady Shey spoke a few strange words from its pages, and the woods around them seemed to blur for a moment. Devyn felt queasy and lost his footing, almost dropping his side of the cart.

  “Now, move ahead slowly,” Lady Shey said, pushing the rear of the cart.

  The woods seemed to blur again as they moved, and Devyn collapsed onto the ground. Looking to see if Kelle still held her side of the cart, he saw that she too had fallen. The trees stopped blurring, and his upset stomach returned to normal.

  “Did it work?” Gondrial asked.

  Lady Shey glanced around. “I can’t tell. Something happened, and I am sure this kind of magic disorients.”

  Devyn froze at what Lady Shey said. They were vulnerable and unsure of where they were.

  “Trendan, go and scout ahead, but not too far, and tell us what you see,” Gondrial instructed. Trendan ran up ahead and onto a wooded hill.

  “What did you do?” Devyn asked Lady Shey.

  Gondrial glanced at Devyn and smiled from the right side of his mouth. “We cheated a little.”

  Scouting from an outcropping of rock just ahead of the group, Trendan signaled that he spotted something over the next hill. Devyn halted and held his breath as Trendan ran down from the outcropping until he noticed the grin on his friend’s face.

  “There is a small valley between the next two hills with green grassland and a fair-sized village. There is a great white tower rising up from its center. Perhaps we can get help for Vesperin there.”

  “No need to worry about that, friend Trendan,” Gondrial stated, putting his hand on the half-elf’s shoulder. “That is the Vale of Morgoran you have spotted.”

  Chapter 8: The Vale of Morgoran

  The skies above the Vale of Morgoran grew darker as a late afternoon thunderstorm rolled in. Streaks of lightning followed by thunderclaps hastened the party onward. As they neared the outskirts of the Vale, a cold rain began to fall. Devyn remembered hearing about the Vale of Morgoran at a young age. Stories of a maimed wielder living within a tall white tower at the center of a vast vale circulated throughout Symboria. However, since law forbade commoners from entering the Vale, Devyn had never been within a league of the place. The narrow Vale stretched out for several leagues into the Symborian hill country, not far from the southern road between Brookhaven and Symbor. The woods grew thicker and darker southwest of the Vale in a region called the Tolennor Forest. The travelers visiting the Tiger’s Head Inn told many stories about the woods of the Tolennor, saying they were haunted and cursed. Devyn glanced over his shoulder; Kelle remained close to Vesperin, trying to keep the rain off him with her body. “It won’t be long now,” Devyn told her.

  The ragtag group stood at the front gate of the village just after first morning light and hailed the guards. The bulk of the gates were wooden and thick, and the walls surrounding the village were brightly polished stone indicating dwarven craftsmanship. Two guard towers at either end of the main gate were manned by two guards per tower. Devyn noticed they wore armor resembling that of Rodraq and his guards.

  Lady Shey let down the hood of her cloak and spoke to the guards. “Open the gates and summon Brother Kerad. We have wounded.”

  “My lady,” the guard said. “Is that you, Lady Shey?”

  “Aye, now open the gates at once.”

  The guard cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted down behind the gates, “Open the gates. It’s Lady Shey’s entourage.”

  The huge gates rumbled open, and the guards bowed as the group moved into the village. Two guards rushed from behind the guard tower to relieve Devyn and Gondrial of the cart. Devyn stretched his neck and shoulders as soon as he was relieved of the burden.

  “Take this cart to the temple of Loracia and see that Brother Kerad tends to the boy,” Gondrial commanded. The guards pulled the cart away and Trendan followed. Devyn stepped in behind Trendan, but Gondrial grabbed his arm to stop him. “Let Trendan and Kelle go with Vesperin. I need you to stay here for the moment.”

  “But I—” Devyn protested.

  “Quiet, your friends will tend to Vesperin,” Gondrial interrupted. “Another underfoot will not help Kerad heal him any faster.”

  Devyn followed Gondrial to the base of the tower. Lady Shey and Sylvalora had already entered the structure. Devyn looked up the tower directly into the rain. He couldn’t see the top from the rainwater stinging his eyes. Once inside the base of the tower, Devyn was astonished to see another tall elven woman. She wore a royal blue dress with silver embroidery lining the cuffs, bodice, and hem. Her hair, tied in a long ponytail behind her head, was the color of harvest wheat. Her skin, as fair as Sylvalora’s, contained no signs of wrinkles, blemishes, or indication of age. She was as beautiful a woman as Devyn had ever seen. Her facial features were sharper than her human counterparts, and her eyes were warm and a magnificent light blue. To her left was a man wearing the same armor style as Rodraq. His hair was jet black, and the brilliant metal of his sword seemed to glow even though its sheath. His dark eyes were fixed on Gondrial until he noticed Lady Shey.

  “Seancey,” Lady Shey exclaimed as she ran to the armored man. The two embraced.

  “Are you well, my sister?” the big man asked in a deep, husky voice.

  “As well as I can be under the circumstances,” she replied.

  “I am pleased to see you. Where is your guard?”

  Lady Shey bowed her head. “Dead, by Dramyds. Have you seen Lurnie? I have to tell her what happened to Rodraq.”

  “She has gone to Symbor. She should return in a few days,” Seancey replied. “Is this the boy?” Seancey said, trying to change the subject and the mood.

  “It is he,” Lady Shey answered.

  The elven woman stepped forward. “Of what manner was the magic you wielded, Shey? I heard it as nothing I have heard before, and Morgoran went into a fit of curses. The scribes recording his w
ords actually ceased writing due to the intensity of his profanity.”

  Lady Shey reached into her pack and pulled out the book.

  “A foolish action, my sister, the Enforcers are near. They chased Seancey and I from Scarovia, and now I fear they will be at our gate by morning.”

  “We had no choice, Enowene, the young cleric lay dying, and I am convinced he would have died had we not cast the spell.”

  “So this is the book Naneden has been searching for,” Seancey said, taking the tome from Lady Shey and examining it carefully. “Asheth’s Grimoire. It doesn’t look all that impressive.”

  “Nevertheless it hastened our trip here,” Gondrial said. “It does indeed work, although I fail to see why Naneden would want it. The spells will not work on parties over six or seven. The sheer amount of essence the spell requires would tear him apart if he tried to send more than seven persons over two or three leagues.” He put his hand to his chin. “And even if he managed that, it would take him a week to recover afterward.”

  “It appears you suffer no ill effects,” Seancey said.

  “I am not Naneden, my overgrown friend,” Gondrial answered in the same tone.

  “Let’s move to the main tower room before we discuss this further,” Enowene suggested. “I would feel better discussing the matter with fewer ears present to overhear.”

  “Agreed,” Seancey replied.

  “What of my friend?” Devyn asked worriedly.

  Seancey looked upon Devyn with sympathy “Son, he is in the care of our chief cleric. If anyone can help your friend, it would be Kerad.” He paused for a moment and then added, “And Kerad is notorious for his dislike of persons underfoot while he is working.”

  Gondrial smiled at Devyn. “I told you.”

  The main chamber was a room in the structure built around the base of the tower. The more massive structure around the base, designed as a meeting place as well as sleep chambers for a myriad of wielder apprentices, largely remained empty now because of the enforcement of the magic laws. Devyn sat on a plush red velvet divan opposite Lady Shey and Sylvalora. Gondrial, Enowene, and Seancey sat at a small round table between the couches. Rennon entered the chamber and sat next to Devyn.