by S K Smith
‘You never told Princess Brielle what happened?’ Niall asked Ayda. It was her turn to wince.
‘I have never spoken of it, Rakel knows of course, as did my Mother and Father, but not Elle.’
‘Why?’
‘My job is to protect her, I failed him, I will never fail her.’ Ayda replied simply, the cold memory gleaming like ice in her eyes.
‘You did not fail him. There was nothing you could do, we were children. You need to forgive yourself.’ Niall replied. Ayda sighed.
‘He only went to Oakwood Town to protect me, he tried everything to stop me going, if I’d have listened…’
‘Then I wouldn’t be here to help you now.’ Niall interrupted. Their eyes connected, the piercing blue of her eyes shone brightly as before. Niall felt his heart thump against his ribcage. It was true, he thought, if he had not met her all those years ago, she would have killed him at the barn, and he would never have protected her. As it was, now, he would do almost anything for her, but he couldn’t let her know, there was too much at stake.
‘After all I’ve put you through, it’s a wonder you have stuck around.’ Ayda smiled sadly.
‘I vowed to protect your sister, and I feel as though there is more for me to learn about my people’s magic.’ Niall replied with a protected half-truth. Ayda nodded understandingly, muttering something about Syren she disappeared behind him to check her friend. Syren was laid lifelessly in the litter led by Sir Rakel. There was a time, when they had all believed she had overcome the worst of her injuries, but she had since rapidly deteriorated. Sir Rakel had mentioned internal injuries, and expressed everyone’s worst fears, Syren was dying. This had affected Ayda and Brielle the most. Brielle was racked by guilt and spent a lot of her time with Syren, talking to her empty form, Niall knew that the loss Brielle had suffered was a catalyst for her, fuelling her desire to master control. Ayda had become less hostile. She no longer had the energy to fight or argue with Sir Rakel and spent a lot of her time in silence. When she did speak, she was thoughtful and kind, as if she was grateful for their help with Syren but prepared for the worst, waiting for the eternal hand of death to rip more joy from her life.
The river they followed was the only constant in their days. It seemed to flow through a never-ending countryside. The Myr River divided the land in two, with the Elves habiting the west and the humans populating the east. It felt strange to Niall that he was within sight of his homeland. He knew Oakwood Town and The Hole was far behind them, near the centre of the region, and as much as he was sure of his path, he yearned for home. He hadn’t spoken to the rest of the Fiends since the night of the raid, and he wondered what became of them. Had Bryce sent out a search party for them or did he know what had happened? Niall wasn’t sure it was a good idea to send a message, if the Elders or Legion learnt anything from the communication it could risk everything. He couldn’t handle the thought of bringing the Legion to the Fiends doorstep, he was sure they could handle themselves against armed opponents, but they would be easy prey to any Mage the Legion sent.
They continued north. The forest that surrounded them grew sparse. Across the river the forest was as dense and dark as it had always been, they had not seen a town or village for a long time, the north was abandoned. The landscape of Myrliar was changing, the trees of the forest had slowly been disappearing the further they moved, and they would often travel hours before seeing anything green. The ground beneath their feet had been steadily shifting from a delicious, healthy foliage underfoot into what could only be described as dust and sand. They had entered the outskirts of the wastes. Sir Rakel had promised that by following the river they would avoid going through the dry, dangerous land of the wastes. It had been a good idea, Niall agreed. Ayda had been intent on hiding in the wastes, but from a distance, Niall could not see how they would have survived. If the stories were true, then the centuries old magic had parched the land, destroying all in its radius. The nutrients from the earth were scorched, and no life could grow there. There were no plants, no grass, not even weeds. There were no lakes, or ponds or streams from which to source water, and there were no animals hiding in the missing growth. They would not have survived long. Ayda had explained that she hadn’t realised the extent of deprivation of the wastes and muttered a resentful thanks to Sir Rakel for insisting on changing the flawed plan. On the outskirts however, not much changed. The trees and grass were few and far between and there wasn’t much in the way of wild life. Before they had foraged berries and fruit and hunted animals in the wealthy green lands, but now they heavily depended on the river. The river provided sustenance. Fish and water surrounded them, and occasionally they would spot an animal drinking from the river. Elle had become adept at using her magic to trap their next meal, without her it would have been much more difficult. The biggest worry for the group was how visible they had become. They had moved away from the protection and shelter of the thick undergrowth and tall trees and were now visible from any distance. They felt sure they must be spotted, but no-one had a resolution, so they were forced to grit their teeth and continue. Karl had suggested the team split, to deceive any potential trackers, but Elle had decided against this, she believed it imperative that they stuck together. The silence in the group had grown tense, the physical and mental exhaustion was taking its toll on each of them. Everyone was too polite. Laughter had forsaken them, the team had too many woes and too many questions spinning them into a knot that each had decided they were better in silence. Niall spent most of his time with Theo and Karl, it confused him too much to be around Ayda. Her pain was too much for him to bear, he wanted to comfort her, and hold her, as he had always wanted, but he couldn’t allow it. There was too much confusion, they needed clear boundaries and friendship was so much easier than the hurt he could cause. Elle was so intent on her training and with Sir Rakel hauling Syren along, he took solace in the company of his brothers. Just the three of them, how he liked it. Or so he thought.
‘You should just tell her.’ Theo had urged. Niall had become skilled at acting deaf whenever the subject of Ayda arose.
‘We – me and Karl – know how much she means to you, you never stopped going on about her when we were kids, how many times did you spy on her?’ Theo had jibed.
‘It’s not that simple.’ Niall had snapped, attempting to douse his annoyance and end the conversation.
‘Course it is, we could die any day, you should tell her.’
‘It’s complicated. Even more so now.’ Niall replied quietly. He hated himself for saying it, but he couldn’t shake the truth. He knew what tore at her, he knew that she had lost her friend and that she wore the guilt round her neck like a noose. He understood that it fuelled her instincts of protection towards her family. There was no room for anything else in her life. From what he had seen, she had starved herself of almost everything she was at risk of losing, with the only exception of her small sister. He felt pity for her. She had spent her whole upbringing since losing her Jonas, training herself and she had put every ounce of guilt and sorrow into becoming a weapon for the protection of those she loved but Niall saw her eyes every time Elle mastered something new. She was pleased that her sister could defend herself, but she also felt as he did, surplus to requirements. Elle was able to defend herself and had shown that she didn’t really need them. Karl had pointed this out several times and pushed his will to go home. But Niall would not relent, for some reason he knew that she would need them, and he was sure as hell going to be here when she did. For Elle. For Ayda. But he could not forget his fear, a fear that had grown within him when he first saw the small elf lose control of her power.
Their clothes were dusty and chalky by the time they reached the tree line, he found himself amused by the fact that he could no longer tell where his boots stopped, and the ground started. Finally, they had reached the final stage of their walk. Sir Rakel had explained the forest was smaller than the last and that soon they would be able to see the Three Thorn Mountains
. Niall hoped they would not have to climb the mountain and prayed that the Temple of Scholars would be easily accessible, as he didn’t think the troupe had enough energy left following the weeks of hiking and rough sleeping. The trees were ancient. Knots and awkward limbs spouted all around them like veins underneath thin skin, the wood creaked tiredly as the wind bristled through the trees’ outstretched arms. Looking up, the sky was hidden beneath layers of thick green leaves giving the surrounding forest a natural cover from the elements. Not much further, he thought to himself with every groaning step… not much further.
14 – ELLE
Elle gasped as she took in the sight before her. The Three Thorn Mountains stood higher than the clouds and wider than she could see. The Pearl White Mountains of her home felt unimpressive, compared to the mass of sharp grey rock glaring down on her. She was an insect gazing up at the tower of jagged rock, she strained her head as far back as she could, taking in the sheer size of the monstrous formation, and felt herself stumble backwards, dizzied by its formidable magnitude. She knew that no one could ever have climbed these Mountains, they were too deadly and there was no route through or over. The Three Thorns Mountains was named for its three peaks, that she knew from old maps she had been shown, but their reach extended deep into the sky. Sounds of wonder came from her companions, knowing she wasn’t the only one seeing it for the first time, she took a moment to examine her friend’s reactions. Ayda was stood transfixed, a great image of the Thorns reflected in her eye. Niall and Theo were gazing in wonder, mouths agape, for the first time ever, they were silent, even Sir Rakel was intimidated by the colossus. Snow covered the teeth of the mountains and thick white clouds buried the summits. Elle’s eye was drawn to a glint in the mountain face to the right of her. Like a magpie, she searched for the source of the shimmer. An artery had burst from deep within the Mountains, and water had broken free of its restraints through a crack in its skin. Now that she had noticed the great waterfall smashing its route through the rock, she could hear the song of flowing water beneath the deafening sound of tumbling water. This waterfall had given birth to the Myr River, the lifeblood of the mountain had been dividing the Elven and Human Race for centuries. Examining the vast Mountains, Brielle noticed there was a worrying lack of something. The Temple.
‘Where is it?’ She asked Sir Rakel, he shook his head.
‘I don’t know, your Father always said to follow the river, I’ve never seen it.’ He explained, as confused as she was. Elle sighed, now what? Ayda had snapped out of her stupor.
‘I knew it,’ She snarled, pushing Sir Rakel away from Brielle, ‘You’ve lured us here, into the open, for no reason! Traitor!’
‘Stop it.’ Elle said weakly, without conviction. She felt disappointed. She felt lost. What was the plan now, they had no idea where the Temple was!
‘No Elle, you can’t stick up for him! We’re in the wide open, we’ve run out of supplies, Syren has been unconscious for days and we know we’re being hunted. He’s lured us into a trap!’ Ayda snapped aggressively. Elle had nothing to say. She felt cold to the core, Sir Rakel had been a light in her dark world with his plans and his insight, but he had let her down. She feared the worst, desperation crashed over her like a wave. Had Ayda been right all along, was Sir Rakel really her enemy? The Old Protector looked abashed, shocked and hurt. Ayda was stood facing him anger burning through her, searing great holes in him, he looked lost.
‘Look! Someone’s there!’ Niall announced to the group. Elle spun around to where Niall was pointing. Sure enough, a small figure in the distance could be seen walking quickly along the river towards the mountains. It seemed he had been nestled behind a cluster of trees at the base of the fall. Elle watched with interest as he quickly and confidently climbed over rocks and disappeared into the mountain.
‘Where was he going?’ Elle wondered.
‘Maybe there’s an entrance there?’ Sir Rakel said eagerly, looking hopefully at Elle.
‘Or maybe this is part of your trap!’ Ayda smacked him brutally.
‘Ayda!’ Elle wailed.
‘If I had wanted her dead she’d be dead by now!’ Sir Rakel said, his tone fierce, ‘This Temple is our only lead and I want to find it as much as you!’ Elle had already made up her mind. She had to find the Temple. She was tired of the bickering and the arguments. Leaving the others behind, she briskly set off towards the rocks. Theo and Karl followed her dutifully. The ground beneath her feet was unstable and uneven. Patches of grass could be seen dotted closer to the river but mostly the ground before her was layered with rock and dust, she felt as though she was trekking across the roots of the Mountains. She heard the wheels of Syren’s transport crunch behind her and the clicking of hooves against rock and guessed her team was with her now. Looking back over her shoulder she could see the outline of the Forest beyond the wastes that had been her shelter for a long time. She was leaving the luscious, fertile lands for a dry, chalk-like future.
‘Are you sure about this Princess?’ She heard Niall say as he came alongside her.
‘I need to find the Temple, it’s worth the risk.’ She nodded. She couldn’t believe how much she was hoping for Sir Rakel to be right. She wanted more than anything to find a pathway, or a door, anything that might lead her to the Temple. The Temple held her answers, she was so sure of that and she had become so dependent on finding it and finding herself. She was so close, she could feel it. It had been a long road, a long journey to get here, they had been through so much. She could hardly remember the carefree elf she had been, she could barely remember the faces of her friends back at the Stone Castle. All she knew now, was that she had a fight coming, and Elle couldn’t afford to be a scared child anymore. The mountain was drawing close, Elle had to steady herself to stop herself breaking into a run. Those at the front began climbing. Walls of rock framed the base of the mountain, Niall helped Elle over the bigger ones, with Sir Rakel close behind, ready to catch her. Finally, they reached the rock where the man had disappeared behind.
‘Wait, Princess!’ Sir Rakel demanded, as Elle began the final climb. Elle faltered and looked at him.
‘It should be me to go first…’ Sir Rakel began.
‘Like hell!’ Ayda sneered, catching up with them, ‘Like we’d give you a chance to announce us!’
‘I failed your Father, I will not fail you now, please,’ Sir Rakel ignored Ayda, his eyes bored into Elle’s determined glare, ‘I have brought you this far.’ Elle nodded and stepped aside to clear the rock for the Protectors ascent. With a few grunts and clinks of his golden armour, the old Elf hauled himself over with his strength and disappeared. Ayda glared darkly at Elle. Brielle knew she had angered her sister. At every turn she and Ayda had disagreed. Ayda had been furious at the group’s acceptance of the ‘traitor’ and could not forgive him for the loss of their Father. Elle had more hope than that. She had hope that this Protector, who she had once loved as an Uncle, was still that same Elf now. The little Princess had not been ready to abandon him, she had lost too much already. The litter that contained Syren had been hidden behind rocks with the remaining horses, too cumbersome to heave through the maze of rock that they had struggled to climb over. Karl and Theo had volunteered to stay with her. Elle feared for Syren, they were running out of time, Elle guessed her friend would not hold on for much longer, she was surprised she had made it this far. It felt like they waited an age, Ayda had started pacing, glaring at the spot Sir Rakel had last been stood as if he were still there. A few times she had mentioned to the others about running, and leaving him, but Elle was adamant she was staying, this was their best hope, she was sure of it. Finally, the crunch of grit reached her, and she knew he had returned, his old face appeared over the rock and he was beaming.
“Come quickly!” He gestured, disappearing once more. With that each of them clambered over the rock, Elle as the smallest, stumbling slightly on the climb. Ayda’s eyes were cautious, wandering and scanning every inch of their surroundings, her
hand never leaving her sword. Sliding down the face of the rock, Elle hit the ground hard, grit scraping the skin on her palms. A father like hand lifted her from her fall, Sir Rakel was smiling from ear to ear. His eyes moved to a point behind her and she followed his gaze, noticing Niall and Ayda were also following closely. A cloaked man stood in the entrance of a shadowy cavern, a jagged mouth in the wall had been concealed by the rocks they had climbed. His face was masked by the dark shadow cast by his hooded cloak, which was shabby, torn and frayed at the hem. Elle wondered if this was the man they had followed, but realised, as he moved closer, that this man was much older and very frail. His hand shook violently on his stick as he approached them. He drew close and he lowered his hood. Elle bit back a gasp. The man was old, and he was human. His eyes were a pure and brilliant white, staring unmoving a spot behind her head. He was blind she realised. His head was full of thick grey hair and his beard framed his broad chin.
‘Princess Brielle, Princess Ayda. Follow me.’ He said. Elle was soothed by his voice. If she had known her Grandfather, this is how she would like him to sound. His voice was warm, and full of timeless wisdom. Ayda stepped before her before Elle could follow the Old Man into the cavern.
‘You’re just going to trust him?’ Ayda asked, incredulously.
‘Yes.’ Elle said simply.
‘How can you trust so blindly, after all that has been?!’
‘Stay if you wish. I’m going in.’ Elle shrugged. She was tired of fighting this battle. The Old Man was frail, blind and warm hearted, and she found she trusted him like an old friend. Shrugging, Elle gestured to Sir Rakel who took the lead, and followed him. Brielle guessed that Ayda and Niall had followed as she heard their footsteps echo through the cavern behind her. It wasn’t as dark as she had feared, the walls of the cavern had been chiselled smooth and circular holes had been carved out of the walls to let the light in. It was more of a stone corridor than a mountainous tavern. Stone masons had taken great care with this walkway, the walls were smooth, the floors were level and the windows were perfectly positioned and sized to let in light and be unnoticeable from the outside. Elle marvelled at the skill of the Old Man, being blind did not seem to hinder him in the slightest as he traced his stick along the base of the walls. Although they had caught up with him quickly and were eager to reach their destination, they patiently followed him through the cavern. Karl and Theo could be heard hauling Syren’s stretcher behind them, much to Elle’s relief. She could not suffer to lose any of her friends. On they walked, reaching an incline, their walk became slower still as they followed the corridor higher up the mountain, still surrounded by neatly cut rock. As they climbed higher with the gradient, a rush of water grew louder and louder, resonating through the cavern, until they could no longer hear their footsteps echoing around them. Ahead of them, a dim light was visible as the exit of the corridor approached. Leaving the tunnel, Elle marvelled in amazement at the beauty flowing through the mountain. They had reached the top of the waterfall. To her right she had a view across Myrliar and the Human lands. She could see the stretches of forests and even the wastes they had not long left. The trail of the River Myr meandered into the distance. A large pool of water lay before her, each droplet of fluid waiting to breach the mountain and plunge into the river below. To the left, Elle could see several smaller streams that fed the pool and, in the distance, was a sight that took her breath away. The Temple. The streams reflected light far in to the cave, beyond that, torches were blazing lighting up the most amazing building she had ever seen. The Old Man had stopped near the exit of the corridor, he was smiling.