Rolling Thunder

by A. R. LEOPARD

  “Master Redmond,” the ancient slowly rose and strode over to return the book he had held this whole time back to the table. Strange, he had never opened it or referenced it the whole night, “the mission for which you have been summoned is of no small significance. It will require great courage.”

  Again, James suspected he was not being told everything the old man knew.

  Aldarin turned away from James and faced the fire, “Your path thus far has not been easy, but it will get harder still. It will require everything you have to stand firm while facing darkness. And it will take your all. While I cannot say why you were chosen for this task, I do know that for you to succeed in it you must remember who you are.” Aldarin turned from the fire and fixed his unfathomable gaze on James, “You are different.”

  At this point James wondered if he was to be given a ring that he was suppose to destroy. He smiled to himself. It felt like such a Frodo moment.

  Aldarin turned again and stared thoughtfully into the fire, “It is this difference in you, Master Redmond, that will make all the difference in this world.”

  They were silent for a long moment before the wizard finally shook himself of his reverie and motioned for James to rise.

  “Drift will go with you, to protect and serve you however he might. You may dismiss him at any time, but think carefully before you do. This world is a mysterious and dangerous place and you’re better off with a man like that on your side than you’ll ever be without him.”

  Aldarin waved an arm towards the great oaken door and James nodded and dutifully walked back the way he’d come. He turned right before leaving though, so many questions still on his mind. But the great wizard Aldarin was gone, whether he had sat down in the back-facing chair he’d first been in, or had ascended the stairs to his massive library, or if he had exited through some other door, James knew not. But he was a wizard after all and James supposed he was allowed a creepy disappearance every now and then, and so turned with a slight smile, and left the room quietly.

  —————

  “So,” James said as he and Drift trotted their horses down the path towards Clangham in the light of a new morning, “a bodyguard? Well, thank you for volunteering.”

  “I didn't volunteer. But it is an honor nonetheless.”

  James smiled as he wondered why he was so important. He also wondered what exactly they thought he was going to be doing that would necessitate the need of a bodyguard. And what exactly was he suppose to do now? But no! He knew. He was going to go speak with the high elves about Cliff.

  Drift led him through the city as it slowly began to wake with the new day. It was still so quiet and peaceful, even as it began to wake. James thought it a lovely city indeed, though he could not help but sense a sadness there too.

  Soon they had stopped before a rather elegant hall James remembered Drift pointing out last night. He could see lush gardens in full bloom from over the low wall that surrounded the hall. There was a single gate in that wall and Drift dismounted and walked up to it confidently. James also dismounted and followed after his bodyguard. The sentry who waited at the gate opened it for them without a word. Drift walked through and James followed dutifully, nodding his thanks to the sentry as he passed.

  The path that led to the great double doors of the hall was clean and level and there wasn't a single seam to trip on, an interference James had come to watch out for everywhere. Once they reached the broad stairs leading up to the hall, they handed off their horses to a liveryman there, who led off the horses as silently as the sentry at the gate.

  Drift took to the shallow stairs, and James, with another smile of thanks to the back of the liveryman walking away, trotted after him like a loyal dog. When they reached the huge doors at the top, Drift stopped James.

  “Now Master Redmond, I would remind you these are elves of the high order. They are incredibly old and revered by all. Their wisdom and knowledge is without match. I think you know some of the wisdom and knowledge of elves, yes? Well, these are a race pure and old beyond that of any other in this world. Keep that in mind and remember you're on your own in there. I'm only your companion and bodyguard.”

  James swallowed at that disheartening speech. He wondered (among his increasingly many wonderings) how these elves would compare to Helix. He had liked Helix well enough, but Helix was not a high elf. He sighed. Well, there was nothing like trying and with a nod of determination, he reached out his hand and placed it decidedly on one of the doors. A lot of thoughts suddenly came pouring through his mind when he saw that hand he knew so well, now dark from weeks of sun exposure. Life had a strange way of throwing you for a loop when you least expected it. Who could have written this story? From pale bookworm to suntanned adventurer. He smiled and plugged up that part of his brain. This was no time to reminisce, he reminded himself, and he pushed with all his might on the huge door.

  Somehow, the next moment, James found himself lying flat on his face, quite uncertain as to how he had got there. He looked up in his confusion to ascertain what had befallen him. It was dark and someone was coming up next to him and reaching down a hand. It was Drift and he helped James up.

  “Is he alright?” came a mildly concerned voice from the darkness within the hall. Even to James’ recently stunned senses, he could tell the voice was approaching and that it was accompanied by several other persons.

  “Yes. Didn't expect the door to open quite so easily, I think. Are you alright, Master Redmond?” Drift asked, eyes serious as ever, but with an undeniable sliver of amusement.

  “I'm fine, now I see what happened.” James said without an ounce of wounded false pride as he patted Drift on the arm, “Thank you. I thought I’d fallen into an apocalypse just then. A zombie apocalypse actually, what with the creepy voices in the dark, but I'm alright now.” and he squinted at the shapes in the dark, “Hello.” he said, trying to be encouraging, “Off to a bad start I'm afraid, but I should hardly expect anything else knowing myself, I suppose.”

  The beautiful elves stepped into the light and without thinking James put out his hand. Their silvery gazes didn’t leave his face and they remained motionless. James slowly let his hand fall and looked back at his companion.

  Drift only raised his eyebrows.

  “Ah well then.” and James felt quite awkward. Was this because he’d ungraciously compared them to zombies?

  The elves seemed to be waiting and James wondered what they expected him to do. He supposed staring at his feet wouldn't get it done though, so raised his head and tried again, this time dropping the whole handshake thing.

  “I am James Redmond and I have come to speak with the high elves.” He knew that sounded pretty stupid. These beautifully somber elves before him were very clearly the high elves. But he did not have quite as much time as he might've liked for composing a neat speech and so would have to settle with what his brain was making up on the spot.

  “What is it you wish, Master Redmond?”

  This came from the elf that seemed to be the lead elf. Spokesman maybe. Then James noticed a delicate band of silver around his head. Perhaps this was the elven king, though he wasn’t sure that elves had kings.

  “A moment of your time. Or of whoever is the oldest here's time.” also much more crude than he would've wished, but there was no helping it now.

  “Why does a Keeper come with you?”

  James head looked over in confusion to Drift who had receded so as to let James do his own talking.

  “Are they talking about you?” he asked quietly, as if the elves couldn’t hear him that way.

  Drift stepped forward and addressed the elves directly, “I am this man's guard, and I advise you to do as he has asked. The magician has sent him.” and he stepped back to let James take it from there.

  James wondered why it was that Drift behaved as if he were above the high elves. Surely that couldn’t be.

  “You heard him.” James said, jutting his chin up, only to realize that it must look
rather silly and lowering it again. A smile distorted his suppose-to-be-serious face, “I have come to ask questions about a man named Cliff who appeared here from my world a very long time ago.”

  The faces before him became even more beautifully serious, if that were possible.

  “What evil wind would sweep that subject back into the day?” one of the elves asked, his soft voice gently reverberating down the long silent hall.

  “Something is happening in the shadows,” Drift cut in, “Aldarin sees an evil, though yet veiled, and believes it is why this man has been sent here. Master Redmond has come to you in hopes of finding some answers among those who knew the last man to have appeared in our world.”

  The elves seemed to wonder at this revelation. The king elf, or whatever he was, tipped his head in reverence and turned again to James, “We are at your service, Master Redmond.”

  James swallowed, “Well thank you, and if there are any questions I might be able to answer for you all too, I do hope you'll allow me the privilege. Though I didn’t know him and we lived in very different times and places, I do feel a great deal of, eh…kinship with Cliff.” He rubbed the growing knot on his forehead.

  “Shall we proceed to the gardens then?” one of the other elves asked.

  The crowned elf nodded and he and his companions turned to glide back over the smooth stone floor of the hall. James followed warily, not really sure if he was suppose to follow. Drift, however, did not come, saying instead that he'd wait for James in the city.

  The elves led James across the hall and through a door that stood ajar at the other end. Beyond that was a garden like those surrounding the hall. To James' surprise more than a few elves were already seated on low white slabs of stone. Almost as if they had known he was coming. For the most part they seemed to take no notice of the newcomer, but silently continued reading, or talking, or gazing off into the brightening sky.

  “This man has some questions about Cliff.”

  James jumped at the sudden sound coming from the lead elf.

  Every serious unblinking eye was suddenly bent with more than just the common interest upon James. Somehow James stood fast under the pressure. He slowly looked around and took note of every face turned to examine him. They were old, and yet showed no more sign of aging than a bunch of high-schoolers. It was their eyes, he decided, that and the way they carried themselves, and maybe their great silence too. Too mature for teenagers. But their eyes. They were those same wise old wells of mystery that Aldarin's had been. It occurred to James then, that these elves had seen thousands of years of life, and had watched this world change and develop over centuries. They’d fought battles, won and lost whole wars; they’d seen mortal friends perish with age and nations change names and rulers. All in all, he doubted immortality like this was hardly as nice as everyone thought.

  The quiet was quickly becoming awkward when James realized that, once again, they were probably all expecting him to speak first.

  He cleared his throat and wiggled his shoulders for confidence, “Uh, for starters, let me introduce myself. To those of you who didn't hear what my friend said earlier, my name is James Redmond. I am here from a different world. Cliff’s world. They tell me I'm called to this world for a reason, but no one knows what that is yet. That, or they won’t tell me what they do know. My suspicions lie with the latter, if any of you were wondering. Um, anyway. While I wait to do whatever I'm here for, I did rather wonder if maybe Cliff’s life might have some answers.” James stopped for a breath and to give them a chance for questions or comments. There was nothing. He sighed, slightly exasperated.

  “So…I was wondering. Did Cliff know what he was suppose to do before he did it? He was summoned here, much like me, but when did he realize exactly what for?”

  “Sit.” one of the seated elves rose and moved across the expanse and sat down to be nearer to James, “I am Lord Refflaun. I will answer as I can.”

  James gaped, “Refflaun?” and he quickly sat down for the shock of it.

  The elf didn't affirm this one way or the other, but just sat there, looking very mighty.

  “You have heard it before?”

  James, sufficiently recovered to nod his head, did so.

  “How long have you been here, Master Redmond?”

  “Not very long.” he answered mechanically and then added, “But I'd heard of you long before I was whisked to this world.”

  Elves, especially high elves, do not lower themselves to base curiosity and silly questioning (if you hadn't noticed) and Lord Refflaun remained silent, awaiting James to explain himself.

  “You see, I know something you don't. Cliff returned back to my world, earth, and he wrote about his adventures here, the people, the places, and the part he played in it all. The names of all of the places have changed and I think even the geography of the land is a bit different. Of course most of the people from then are dead and gone. Countries have different rulers and Cliff has passed into oblivion, either legend or myth. But you and I know. He was real, was here, and he is no myth.”

  Silence reigned like a tyrant.

  “So yeah. That's how I know about you. He wrote about you. Lots of you all. And Aldarin's father, or predecessor or whatever, Cliff wrote about him too. And those dark spirit-y bad guys. And the wars. And though all these places have different names, it was around here wasn’t it? That he lived?” James wasn't quite satisfied with the direction this was taking. He hadn't expected to have to do the bulk of the talking.

  “Cliff never settled down anywhere for long. There used to be a village down at the foot of these mountains, it was there he made his final stopping place.” Lord Refflaun answered quietly.

  James felt a slight chill run down his arms and he didn’t quite know why, “So what did he do before he saved your world? Did he go to hero school or take warrior classes?”

  The elves looked around at each other and then one, not Lord Refflaun, answered, “Cliff came in the dawn of the great wars. There was no ‘before’ for him. What he thought of it all in those early days he never said.”

  James felt a bit disappointed. He reached back in his memory to recall if the book had said anything. Yes, there it was! The story had started when war was on this world’s doorstep. No time for wondering what he was suppose to do with himself. He had jumped right in and started doing like any other character in the story. James vaguely wondered how closely his story would resemble Cliff's. Not very so far, it would seem.

  It was here that James had an unhappy realization: his one question had been answered and he had nothing else to ask these elves. He already knew all about Cliff and the wars and these people from his book. So what had he expected to ask these high elves this whole time? Maybe he had just wanted to know what had been going through Cliff's mind when he had been here, but the elf had just said he had kept his reflections to himself. He hated to think he was wasting their time, and yet, what else could he ask them? He couldn't think of anything…except…

  “Cliff disappeared one night after the end of the great wars. I know for certain he somehow returned to earth, because of the book he wrote about his adventures here. I met with another elf along my journey who said that you didn't know what had happened to him, just that he went up into these mountains and was never seen again. I would like to know if that is true and what you think happened. I suppose I’ll probably go in the same way he did and I’d like to be prepared for that when the time comes.”

  “I am Laithe. Cliff and I were fast friends during his time here.”

  James recognized the name and turned to see the first elf, the one with the band of silver. So this was Laithe? One of Cliff's closest companions here. More chills ran up his arm. But the elf was speaking again.

  “Cliff was never the same after the wars. He felt as if some driving force was suddenly gone. Like he had no place in our world anymore. But returning to his world, as he discovered early, was not an option. Remaining was his only option and though he h
ad come to love our land, we all knew it would never be his home. He spent those days in much solitude.

  The night before his disappearance, he seemed normal enough. He had started to pick up a life and he seemed resigned to staying. We can only assume something drastic must have occurred during that night. For some reason, unknown to us all, he went up into these mountains that morning and was never heard from again. We knew not whether he had been killed or had perhaps got lost and died. We searched relentlessly for clues, but came up empty-handed every time. But if what you say is true, then somehow he must have returned to his homeland that day. It is a burden I have held for centuries and I am glad to have peace from it.”

  James smiled, glad to be able to be of service, but he still felt a cold knot in his stomach. Would he just disappear one of these days? Or would he have to die in this world to get back to his world? Either way, it was a wretched thought! He couldn’t imagine going back to birdwatching and aquariums after all this.

  James shoved those thoughts aside, “May I ask then, how you think my story here might look in comparison to Cliff's? You are wise and old and have seen the world to know its secrets.”

  Lord Refflaun answered and only after a long period of thought.

  “Master Redmond,” he said softly as he moved one slender hand on top of his other, “You are not Cliff and I do not believe your story will be his. I caution you against trying to compare yourself too closely with him. I cannot begin to guess what fate has planned for a little old man who would trip over our doorstep, but I do know that it is sometimes what is most unlikely that ends up accomplishing the greatest good. And if that is true, I think you may have an even greater role in our world than Cliff did.”

  James tried to see past the insult to the compliment. He knew it was well intended and was, indeed, a very generous thing for a high elf and a friend of Cliff to say to a complete stranger. Still, he wished he had left out the whole part about his tripping.