Curious, Telsa nodded at the chest. “What’s inside that thing? Treasure? I’m guessing it’s valuable.”
A hint of a smile came to the old gnome’s lips. He started to speak but seemed to think better about it and instead scratched his long white beard for a moment. “I have my guesses, but I think I’ll wait until the queen wants to tell us to be sure. In the meantime, I’ve got a feeling we’re about ready to leave.”
“That’s fine by me. There’s no telling what’s going on in the future. We’ve got to get back as soon as possible.”
Rembis laughed. “You’re still not used to time travel, are you? I’ve been a slave for the Dragars twice, and I time-traveled a lot. One thing I learned over the years was that how ever long it took to complete a mission was how long it took. Once we’re done with this one, ‘the One’ can return us to the future a blink of an eye after we left if he so desires.”
“Yeah. I suppose you’re right. Chances are ‘the One’ probably has a few tele-bots monitoring us right now.”
“No doubt,” chimed in Raj over the battle helmet’s loud speaker. “‘The One’ will know when your mission is complete. He will then return you to what you consider the current time.”
“I guess I’ll have to take your word for it since you’re part of ‘the One,’” Telsa said. She’d never been too happy that her battle computer was part of the behind-the-scenes network of computers comprising ‘the One.’
“That’s not fair, Wizard Scout. You know my memory banks have no information in them about being part of ‘the One.’”
“Whatever,” Telsa replied using Richard’s pet word.
A horn blew near the head of the column, giving the signal to start. Being located near the middle of the column, it took several minutes before the pack animal in front of Telsa began moving.
Urging her mount forward with a slight kick to its ribs, Telsa laughed. “It’s a good thing I learned to ride a horse during my earlier mission on Portalis with Rick. It wasn’t part of the curriculum at the Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy.”
Rembis returned her laugh. “No doubt. Well, you’ll get plenty of practice now. Like I said, it’s a long trip to New Drepdenor.”
* * *
It was a long trip indeed. The size of the dwarves’ party made for slow going. It didn’t help that they were attacked more than once by raiding parties of orcs and goblins. Although the dwarves beat off the attacks with no losses of their own, it took a while after each fight to reorganize and begin moving again. As a result, it took a full three weeks before they drew near the elf village of Silver. During late afternoon of the twenty-first day, Rembis and Telsa received word to join Emerald at the head of the column.
Riding up a gradual slope to the front of the formation, Telsa and Rembis came out on a grass covered ridgeline overlooking a large valley full of waist-high grass. The lush vegetation was the deepest green Telsa could remember ever seeing. The valley stretched for at least ten kilometers to the north and south. At the northern end, Telsa was just able to make out a cluster of a hundred or so white alabaster stone buildings. A few medium-sized trees dotted the landscape, but not many. The valley was mostly grass.
As Telsa continued to the head of the column, she saw a female elf with silver hair cascading down to her waist. The elf sat on a white stallion. She wore a light-blue robe and carried an alabaster-white staff with a blue gem at the top. A second elf, a male, sat on a black horse next to the female. The male elf had brown hair nearly as long as the female’s. He too carried a staff with a blue gem at the top. The silver-haired female turned and looked at Telsa. The elf’s eyes swirled like molten silver.
“Jeehana!” Telsa exclaimed before catching herself. She took a closer look. “Sorry. You’re not Jeehana. You’ve got silver eyes, but you’re way too short.”
The silver-haired elf laughed, making her eyes swirl faster. “And you are wearing a battle suit, but you are too short to be Rick. Not to mention you are a female.” Her laugh turned into a friendly smile. “Queen Emerald tells me that you are a friend of Rick’s and a fellow wizard scout. She also told me why you are here.” The elf waved her free hand at the male elf next to her. “Perhaps I should make introductions before we go any further. This is my bondmate High Lord Carndador. I am High Priestess Shandristiathoraxen, but it would please me greatly if you would call me Shandria. Any friend of Rick’s is a friend of mine.”
Amazed by the similarity in appearance between Shandria and Jeena, Telsa didn’t speak for a couple of seconds. The pause was long enough to be awkward.
“And this ill-mannered wizard scout,” said Raj over the battle helmet’s external speakers, “is Wizard Scout Telsa. I am Raj. I am a battle—”
“A battle computer,” finished Shandria. “If you are a friend of Master Nick’s, then you are also a friend of mine, Master Raj. I am honored to meet you.”
“See, Telsa,” said Raj. “That is how you make introductions.”
More than a little embarrassed, Telsa said, “Sorry, High Priestess. I was just noticing the similarity between you and High Priestess Je—”
Shandria held up her left hand. Her smile disappeared. “Please. Tell us nothing of the future. You are a friend of Rick’s. That is all I need to know to give you what aid I can. I owe him more than I can ever repay.”
“As do I and the rest of our people,” said High Lord Carndador. He glanced at Shandria before looking back at Telsa. “I have never met my bondmate’s Rick, but I owe him much. If not for him, Shandria would have died. Whatever service I can provide you will scarcely repair the debt I owe.”
“I’m sure Rick would appreciate any help you can give us, High Lord,” Telsa replied.
The male elf laughed. “Please, do not call me High Lord. It is a lofty title for one so minor. I am a humble herb farmer by profession. Scarcely five hundred elves call Silver home. I am a high lord in name only.”
Telsa thought of the massive elf city of Silverton that the little town would become.
“Well, do not say anything about it,” advised Raj in their shared space. “You never know what effect information about the future could have on the past.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Telsa replied. “Now stay out of the conversation.”
“Compliance.”
The high priestess pointed at the distant village and looked at Queen Emerald. “I know you are in need of haste, but there is no better camping spot for leagues in any direction than our village of Silver. You and all of your companions are welcome to spend the night in our village.”
“Alas,” said High Lord Carndador, “there are not enough extra beds in Silver to accommodate all of you, but you are welcome to camp in the park. I believe you will find it peaceful and to your liking.” He gave the dwarf queen a smile. “Your party will of course be our guests for the evening meal. It has been long since we had dwarves in our village. We elves could do with an excuse for a feast.”
General Fenmar spoke up. “Will there be ale?”
Shandria laughed. “Nay, no ale, but there will be spring-wine aplenty. I believe you will find it to your liking.”
With that settled, the two elves led the way to the village. When they drew close, Telsa noticed elves working in pairs in the nearby fields. One elf appeared to be poking holes in the fertile soil while a second elf dropped in gray seeds.
Since Shandria had insisted Telsa ride at the head of the column with Carndador, Emerald, Chancee, and her, she took the opportunity to ask about the pairs of elves. “What are they planting?” Telsa said. “The seeds look familiar.”
“We had a bonding ceremony last night at the Tree of Light,” said Shandria. “The tree produced the seeds you see. Our hope is that one day our lands will be covered with silver elm trees. As the forests grow, the Tree of Light’s Power will increase.” She gave what could only be described as a dazzling smile. “I assume Rick told you how we recovered the three seed parts in the demons’ time-bubble.�
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Telsa nodded. “Several times. Your Tree of Light keeps the lock secured on the gate in the Presence—uh, I mean in the cavern below the tree.
The high priestess narrowed her eyes at Telsa’s near slip of the tongue but chose not to mention it.
They rode the rest of the way to the village in silence. The dirt trail gave way to a white-graveled road with adorable white-stone bungalows on both sides. Elves roamed the street, staring at the column of dwarves. For the most part, they seemed friendly. A few elf children ran alongside the dwarves’ ponies as they made their way past the buildings.
Leaning toward Telsa, the high priestess said, “The giants have been kind enough to supply us with alabaster granite.” She smiled. “It is the strongest material known to our engineers. With preservation spells, these homes should last a very long time.” She pointed at a partially finished foundation of what looked like the start of a very large building. “That will be our library. Our hope is that it will one day be a gathering place of knowledge for our people.”
As they traveled through the village, Shandria pointed out planned locations for a future palace and garden. Before long, the buildings gave way to a large open area. In the center of the clearing was a single tree with silver leaves. The top of the tree was barely five meters in height.
“Is that the Tree of Light?” Telsa asked. “It’s so small.”
High Lord Carndador was riding next to Telsa on the opposite side of his bondmate. At her comment, he laughed. “Trust me, Wizard Scout, it will grow. As long as elves give their offerings to the Tree of Light on their bonding night, the tree will remain strong and keep the lock on the gate secure. That is our hope and prayer anyway.”
“I’m sure it will,” Telsa said, trying her best not to give anything away.
The two elves left Telsa and pointed out areas to General Fenmar and Major Nekash where their troops could bivouac. As the dwarves set up their camp, other elves arrived laden down with tables, barrels, and trays of food. As the sun set in the west, more elves arrived. Soon the tables were covered with wooden trays of cheeses, fruits, nuts, breads, and cakes. When the feast was ready, a horn blew. As silence came over the clearing, everyone gave their attention to the head table where Emerald, Carndador, and Shandria sat along with Telsa, Chancee, and Rembis.
Rising to his feet, the high lord took a moment to gaze at those around him. “My friends, both elves and dwarves, I—”
“Ahem,” said Shandria as she nodded towards Telsa, Chancee, and Rembis.
“Ah, of course,” said High Lord Carndador without missing a beat, “and humans and gnome. It is good to see everyone gathered together as friends in the presence of the Tree of Light. May the tree’s blessing be upon all of you from now until the end of your days.” He nodded at Emerald before turning back to the crowd. “Most of us are simple farmers or miners. The good earth gives, and it takes away. My bondmate and I will be accompanying Queen Emerald and her companions to another land.”
The elves in the crowd began to murmur.
The high lord looked over at Shandria before waving a hand in the direction of the Tree of Light. “My bondmate assures me it is the Creator’s will that we go. You will be well protected by the Tree of Light until our return.”
The sky had darkened enough that a soft, silvery glow could be seen coming from the leaves on the Tree of Light. As the high lord spoke, the glow grew brighter.
“The battle between good and evil is never-ending,” continued the high lord. “The forces of the dark were subdued for a time when my bondmate retrieved the three seed parts and planted the Tree of Light. We elves have sworn to nurture the tree and guard it against harm until the time of the Great Battle. Our hope is that it will be many years in the future. Although we may be gone and our bones turned to dust, my prayer is that elves, dwarves, gnomes,”—he glanced at Telsa—“and humans, working together, will continue to keep the forces of the Dark One at bay.” He lifted a wooden goblet from the table and held it out. “Until then, let us drink a toast to the Tree of Light and to good friends.” With that, he cocked his head back and drained his goblet dry.
“To friends and the Tree of Light,” said Shandria as she stood and drained her goblet.
Emerald, Chancee, Rembis, Telsa, and the elves and dwarves at the other tables raised their goblets in toast.
“To friends and the Tree of Light!” Telsa shouted.
After that, everyone began partaking of the feast. From the scowls on the dwarves’ faces, Telsa knew they were not all that excited about eating cheeses and fruits. By the time they’d drank their third round of spring-wine their scowls were replaced by smiles. By the fifth round, the sound of dwarf laughter could be heard from one end of the clearing to the other.
Once the meal was over, four elves brought out stringed instruments and flutes and began playing. Elves both young and old formed a ring around the Tree of Light and danced in the glow of its leaves. Rembis, who was obviously feeling his spring-wine, convinced Telsa to join him in the dance. Before long, other dwarves also joined in.
“Remove your boots,” said Rembis as he kicked his off. “You can’t dance in those things. I’m a gnome. Take my word for it. Dancing is best done in bare feet.”
Telsa burst out laughing as the gnome closed his eyes and wiggled his toes in the lush grass. A look of pure pleasure came the old mage’s face.
“I swear you look twenty years younger,” Telsa said. “The music must be good for you.”
Opening his eyes, Rembis laughed. “I’ve got a feeling it has more to do with the spring-wine than the music.” He laughed again. “By the way, I’m going to take it for granted you mean twenty years younger in human years. That’d be about two hundred for a gnome.”
Telsa giggled like a little girl and took off her boots. Then she took her time wiggling her toes in the lush grass. The sensation made her laugh harder.
“Hmmm,” said Raj in their shared space. “I calculate your self-heal is not registering the elves’ spring-wine as a poison. Based upon my analysis, the spirits in those goblets have more than alcohol in them. I calculate there is also a bit of magic. I highly recommend you limit your intake to what you have already drunk.”
Telsa ignored her battle computer. In fact, when an elf walked by with a tray of goblets, she grabbed one for herself and another for Rembis. After they both drained their cups dry, she grabbed hold of the old gnome’s hands and spun him around. They both laughed and began dancing along with the elves.
They danced long into the night. Afterwards Rembis and she sat on a pile of stones. Telsa was pretty sure the stacked rocks would one day be the stone wall around the Tree of Light’s clearing. Rembis and she talked for a long time. After a while, she noticed that the activities in the clearing had quieted down substantially. Glancing around, she saw at least a dozen dwarves and as many elves sprawled on the grass, fast asleep with empty goblets in hand.
Telsa found the glow from the Tree of Light soothing. She leaned against Rembis’s shoulder as he sat next to her. “I think the elves needed a feast,” she said. “They don’t seem near as subdued as the elves in our time.”
“They’re near descendants of the ancient Letian elves,” said Rembis. “Their magic is at its height. The elves of what we think of as the current time are nowhere near as skilled in the ways of magic as these elves.” He gave a quiet laugh.
“What is it?”
The old gnome turned and looked her in the eyes with a smile. “Oh, I was just thinking maybe being happier and less stern has an effect on magic. I know I’m feeling pretty powerful right now. I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
“Me either,” Telsa said. She looked deep into the gnome’s eyes. “Did anyone ever tell you you’re a handsome gnome?”
Rembis laughed. “Me? I’m too old to be handsome.”
Snuggling against the gnome’s shoulder, Telsa said, “Well, take it from me, you looked pretty young tonight. You danced most of
the elves into the ground.”
Rembis pulled back a little. “Telsa, ah, I’m not sure, uh… Well, maybe I’m reading this wrong, but uh, you’re young. I’m old enough to be… Well, I’m old.”
Whether the spring-wine was still affecting her, Telsa wasn’t sure, but she didn’t care. She’d always liked the gnome mage, and her feelings refused to stay buried. “What? You think because you’re older that I’ll outlive you? I’m human. Even wizard scouts only live a hundred to a hundred and twenty if they’re lucky. I’ll bet you’ve got two or three times that many years left. We could—”
The gnome’s eyes widened. “Telsa, I don’t think—”
“Then don’t think,” Telsa said as she moved closer. “Do.”
Chapter 24 – Shandria
___________________________
Morning came all too soon, but Telsa was grateful she felt no ill effects from the spring-wine.
“I told you it had some magic in it,” said Raj. “Maybe next time you will listen to me.”
“Doubtful,” Telsa said, refusing to let her battle computer get her down. Whistling a song she’d heard in her youth, she packed her gear and tied it off behind her saddle. Once finished, she mounted her horse and looked around for Rembis. The gnome was sitting on his mount, holding his head in both hands. When she rode close, he looked up and gave a timid smile.
“I should’ve known better than to put alcohol in this old body,” said Rembis. “I hope I didn’t do anything foolish last night.”
Telsa smiled at the memory. “Oh, nothing I’d call foolish. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. By the way, don’t ever call yourself old around me. I know better.”
Cocking his head, Rembis gave her a questioning look. He opened his mouth to speak.
A horn at the head of the column sounded, and dwarf sergeants began shouting orders for everyone to line up.
Wizard Gigantic (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 9) Page 23
