Moss Gate

by Alex Linwood

  The path led to a small clearing. In the center was a fence with a set of scales on top. The trays on each side were empty and the scale rested, perfectly balanced. Twelve red balls sat in a row on the fence top next to the scales. Portia went closer to investigate.

  As she drew closer to the fence, a figure shimmered into existence. It was an elf, dressed all in shimmering gold robes. Portia couldn’t tell how old she was. She smiled at Portia.

  “Hello,” Portia said, shoving her hands into her pockets.

  The figure merely nodded in return.

  Was this part of the test? Did she have to figure out what the test was as well as perform it? Irritation flickered on the edge of Portia’s mind, but she pushed back. She would not think clearly if she was upset. She must remain calm above all else.

  “Please tell me what the task is,” Portia said, pushing on.

  The figure nodded again and spoke. “Out of these twelve balls, all are the same weight save one: That one is heavier than the rest. You need that ball, and you need to find it, but you may only use the scales three times.”

  This was not the sort of test Portia was expecting. How could she find the single heavier ball of twelve identical looking ones and yet only use the scales three times? She would rather have had a duel than this.

  Portia stared at the balls. They all looked the same. The first task was to change that. She used fire magic to engrave numbers on each ball, one through twelve, so she could distinguish them. She was a bit surprised her fire magic worked. She added asking about that to her list of questions for Lady Harper if she survived this task.

  She walked to pick up the end ball but the elf in white stepped quickly in front of her and stopped her. “No, you may not touch them. I will handle them for you.”

  Portia chewed her lip. She must use strategy correctly the first time. She doubted they would give her several attempts. Three tries with the scale, and that was it.

  The odd thing about the test was that it was not testing magic at all. Did the elves have so little faith in her they just wanted her to fail on the logic test? It didn’t make sense to her, but she had to pass, so she forced herself to concentrate.

  “Put balls one through four on one side, and five through eight on the other,” Portia said.

  The elf stared at Portia with a serious expression. She did not move. “Are you sure you do not want to put all the balls on the scale?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

  Portia’s heart pounded at this question. Was she missing something? She didn’t like the fact that the elf was questioning her—especially since she couldn’t be sure if she was trying to help, or hurt, Portia’s chances of solving the puzzle. She felt much the same she had in Deyelna’s presence. But then Portia realized that was the clue she needed—Deyelna had never tried to help her, only hurt her chances, so if she felt the same way here, then her instincts were telling her the elf was not working in her favor. Portia sucked in her breath—she could not let the question undermine her confidence.

  She lifted her chin up and spoke loudly. “Yes. Please do as I ask.”

  The elf raised both eyebrows but did not speak again, instead turning and doing as Portia had bid. When she stepped away from the scale, the side with balls five through eight dipped lower. Portia breathed a sigh of relief. She would have discovered the third of the balls with the heavier one no matter what, but it was reassuring to see the scale actually lower and not have to take it on faith if it was amongst the third of the balls she had not chosen.

  “Please put balls five and six on the left side and balls seven and eight on the right,” Portia said, speaking more quickly. She knew she could solve the puzzle now.

  The elf again did what she was asked, and when the left side dipped down, she turned for Portia’s last instruction. Portia bid that she put ball five in the left and six on the right. When this was completed the side with ball six dipped down. Portia had found the heaviest ball.

  Portia felt pride and elation—and relief—that she would be able to return to her world. She stepped forward and held out her hand for the sixth ball. The elf did not move but instead seemed to be waiting for something. Portia squinted at her. Perhaps it was just a formality.

  “The heaviest ball is the six ball. Please give it to me,” Portia said, looking meaningfully at her hand.

  The elf nodded in acknowledgment and placed the ball on Portia’s hand. As soon as Portia gripped it, the elf and the fence with the rest of the test items slowly faded out, leaving Portia alone on the path. She held the ball tightly and walked forward onto the path which led again into woods. After several minutes, just when fear started to grip her, she passed by a large tree and found another portal door next to it. It swung open easily for her as she approached it.

  On the other side, she reentered the ballroom where the test was being held.

  Lady Harper nodded at her reappearance. “Congratulations on passing the first test. We are not surprised.” The rest of the elves clapped quietly then stared expectantly at Portia.

  Portia felt on edge. She had been so frightened to open the door to even take the test. They could have eased her mind. “Was it then just a test of my bravery?” she said in a low voice, mostly to herself.

  But Lady Harper had heard her and responded. “It was indeed. How perceptive. Perhaps the second test will be more of a challenge.” Lady Harper motioned to the second portal door awaiting Portia.

  Portia was too irritated to respond calmly to Lady Harper so instead put the six ball on the table in front of the rest of the elves, then immediately walked to the second door and entered.

  Once again, Portia stepped into utter silence. The least they could do when creating these worlds would have been to create some birds or some other natural creatures. Absolute quiet was unnerving and unnatural. This world also opened into a path in a woods, but here the woods were snow-covered and cold. Portia rubbed her shoulders and shivered, both from the silence and the frigid air. She considered using her fire magic to warm herself but then decided against it. It would be better to see what she was facing before she expended any energy.

  Walking down the path, she encountered a frozen river. There were two male elves dressed in black waiting for her. They looked identical from behind, but when they turned to face her, they looked very different. One had an open face, smiling and confident. The second looked scared and unsure. They could have been twins except for the difference in expression.

  The confident one stepped up to Portia and extended his hand in greeting, a broad grin on his face. She gripped his hand, and it felt strong and reassuring. It felt real.

  He gave her a small bow and then spoke. “Welcome. Follow me across the river so we may find shelter and warmth. It is fully frozen. There is no reason for us to linger.” He held onto her hand and tried to tug her onto the ice at the river’s edge. Portia pulled back hard, freeing her hand from the elf’s grasp.

  The second elf stepped closer to her, keeping his distance from the first elf. “Wise choice. The river is not frozen, even though it looks so. If you attempt to cross you will surely perish. Stay here where it is safe.” He shivered when he spoke. His nose had a tinge of blue to it. He looked cold.

  Portia addressed the timid elf. “How long have you been here?” He looked like he would soon freeze to death.

  “Too long. But as long as I’m standing on the bank there is still a chance. There is none if I fall in icy waters.” He gave the river a dark look and then glanced up at the far bank. There was a portal exit hanging over the far bank. The only way out was to get across the river.

  The confident elf laughed at the words of the timid one. “I have not been here long, nor do I plan to be here for much longer. Freezing is for cowards.”

  If the river truly was frozen, then exiting this world was a simple task of walking across the ice and going out the exit. Portia did not believe it could be that simple. But there had to be a way to pass the test. She felt the tips o
f her fingers and her nose growing numb in the cold. She tucked her fingers into her armpits and jumped up and down for warmth while she tried to think.

  Since she had cryomancy as a power perhaps she could just freeze the river herself. Or use pyromancy to warm herself up to buy some time. Or both. She pulled on her power to freeze the river even more than it was, but instead of her power responding as it always had, she felt a thick cotton sensation in her head. The harder she tried to use her magic, the worse the sensation became. She felt like she couldn’t even think.

  Worse, she didn’t think her magic was working.

  Looking at the river, it was impossible to tell if she had done anything. To test her power in a more visible manner, she tried to conjure a ball of fire in her palm. Again, the same cotton sensation filled her head. And there was no fire. Not even a spark. No warmth at all on the palm of her hand. Somehow, her powers were useless in this world. Fear gripped her heart.

  She had not realized how much she had come to depend on her magic until it was gone. She could truly die here. Not only would she not return if she didn’t pass the tests, but this one had a time limit based on what her body could tolerate. She had to pass it soon or she would freeze to death.

  She looked again at the two elves facing her—they represented two options. Perhaps there was a third—to take advice from both of them.

  Walking back the way she had come, she looked around in the woods for a fallen branch. She found a thick one, taller than she was and as thick as her wrist. She slammed it against the trunk of a tree to test how solid it was. It reverberated and vibrated in her hands upon impact. It was not so old and rotten as to crumble, which would have been useless to her. Portia returned to the river, ready to take the test.

  When she reached the edge of the river, she used the branch to tap on the ice to test its strength. She used what she hoped was enough force to break the ice if it was too weak to hold her weight.

  The concerned elf muttered under his breath and then finally spoke up. “Don’t do that. It’s not safe.”

  His teeth chattered even as he spoke, but she did not bother to respond. Staying on the bank was safer at the moment but would still result in death in the long run.

  The confident elf laughed loudly and clapped the timid elf on the back. “Don’t stay too long. I’m sure someone is waiting for you somewhere.”

  Portia tried to ignore them both. She faced the far bank and began her journey to it. She focused intently on the ice in front of her, tapping it soundly with her stick so that it bounced up and down on the solid ice. When nothing broke, she shuffled forward to where she had already tested and then hit the ice further out. It was a slow process. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to stop. She was afraid that if she did, she would lose her nerve.

  Footsteps came from behind her. The confident elf was following her path. Portia swore under her breath. She didn’t know if the ice could hold both of them. She shuffled back as quickly as she could, only making about ten feet before the elf walked past her. Rage filled her at the risk he put her in. Hopefully, he would just go quickly and get off the section of ice she was standing on.

  He did pass her and continued on about twenty feet to the center of the river. A crack of breaking ice rang out in the silence, and his next step gave way, dropping him into the water. Before Portia could react, the current pulled at him and drew him under the ice. She gasped in shock. He was completely underwater with no way to the surface. He would never survive.

  The dark spot under the ice that was his head raced downstream until it disappeared in the distance. There were no open spots in that direction for as far as she could see.

  Portia felt ill and bit back nausea. Now there was just her and the timid elf on the shore. Fear ran through her body, down to her feet, making her legs tingle and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She did not want to move another step. The open spot ahead of her showed the raging, fast-moving water that was running under the ice. It burbled and splashed in the open section. It looked dark and angry. The noise the water made was only slightly louder than the pounding of her heart in her ears.

  She looked back at the elf on the shore. He looked worse than before. He was moving more slowly, and she thought she could see his face actually turning a shade of blue. He was freezing to death. That was not a solution.

  Turning back to the river, she used her stick once again to test the ice. The open hole forced her to take a wide path upstream from the open spot. But now when she hit the ice, it creaked and moved. It was not solid towards the center of the river.

  She looked further upstream. The river there narrowed a bit in the distance. Perhaps the ice would be thicker at that spot. She moved in that direction as quickly as she dared, stopping occasionally to rub and blow on her hands. After much testing, she found a section in the middle of the river that was as solid and thick as the edges. That section sent her bouncing stick high into the air with its unyielding solidity. Steeling her courage, she crossed that section as quickly as she dared. Tears came unbidden as she made it to the far bank and safety.

  Running back down the shore towards the gate, she looked back across the river at the scared elf, hoping he had seen how she had crossed and would follow. But he had not moved from his spot. Instead, as she watched, he laid down and curled into a ball. She yelled across the river for him to follow her route, but he did not respond. She hoped he was only an element of the test and not a real elf. They could not be so cruel as that, could they, to kill two of their own? But she dared not cross the river again to go get him. There were limits to her courage, so she was forced to leave him there.

  When Portia exited the world into the ballroom, she thought she saw at least one of the waiting elves give a surprised start. Some of them really did expect her to fail. Bitterness flooded her mouth. That would not be the case. She would pass, and she would survive.

  Lady Harper approached her once again, her face expressionless. “It’s good that you know moderation is a virtue above all others.”

  Portia stared at her, her fear from the last test turning to anger. “Did you just kill two of your own for that test?” She knew she shouldn’t glare, but she could barely contain herself. That test was horrific.

  “No elves were harmed. I told you we created these worlds.” Lady Harper stared at her impassively.

  “Well, what about me? You could have killed me. And for what, to see if I’m brave?” Portia spit out the words. “You could have just asked me. That hardly seems worth risking my life over.” Portia couldn’t believe what she was saying, but she was so upset at seeing those two elves die, even if it wasn’t real, that she couldn’t stop herself. There had to be a better way to do this. Couldn’t they just try to teach her the magic? Why were they playing these games with people’s lives? It was intolerable.

  Lady Harper merely blinked and said nothing. The elves at the table stood and came around Portia and congratulated her on her victory. Portia barely heard them, instead focusing on Lady Harper and trying to decipher her lack of reaction to Portia’s words.

  Finally, all the congratulations died down as the elves watched Portia and Lady Harper face off. Lady Harper gave a small nod towards Portia. “It is true. We could have asked you. But it is one thing to say something and another entirely to act when lives are at stake. Then it is not so easy. Nor is it so easy to think clearly in such a stressful situation.” Lady Harper gave Portia a small smile. “Not only did you act, but you acted thoughtfully and with clarity. The test reveals this.”

  Portia realized she was trembling. She shoved her hands into her pockets and pressed them in deeply, flexing her arm muscles in an attempt to stifle her shaking. Not trusting herself to speak, she merely nodded at Lady Harper. Portia walked over to an open chair and sat down. She needed to calm down. There was still one more test to take. This day had felt ages long and it still was not over yet.

  An elf brought Portia a steaming mug of broth. She
took it gratefully, even more thankful that her hands were no longer shaking. Her ears tingled painfully as the warmth returned to them. Her toes tingled as well. Her boots were not so well-constructed as to ward off all cold from the world of the last test. She was dressed for springtime in Coverack.

  When she was finally warm, Portia set down the empty mug on the table. Her anger was long gone, and now she only felt tired. She sighed. She could not put this off any longer; it was time to finish the last test. She rose and walked to the third and final door. She took one look back at the expectant faces of the elves behind her and hoped they were not the last faces she saw in her life. Taking a deep breath, she turned and walked through the door.

  The world of the last test was not cold and snowy; it was warm like spring. The only thing missing was the sounds of birds, an omission she had almost gotten used to by now.

  Recognizing the pattern, she quickly walked down the path to the open clearing she knew was waiting for her. At first, she thought she was just surrounded by trees, but looking more closely, she realized she was surrounded by elves who were standing at the bases of the trees. They were dressed in rich browns and blended into the forest. There had to be thirty or more of them. They stared at her.

  A booming sound reverberated through the trees. Another quickly followed. And another. Portia realized it was a drumbeat. Flutes and other instruments she couldn’t identify joined in the noise. The odd music drifted through the trees. It was loud enough that she thought she should be able to see the players, but looking around, she found no one except for the elves standing under the trees.

  Now the elves under the trees were dancing in rhythm to the music. Portia felt her own legs twitch as well. She relaxed and let her body do what it wanted, which apparently was to dance. She danced her way over to an opening in the surrounding elves. They backed away in either direction, giving her enough room to join the circle.

  The line of dancing elves began to move. They peeled away, one after the other, down a path through the woods and away from the clearing.