Lost and Found

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Lost and Found Page 21

by Mary Hamilton


  West glanced up at him and he could have sworn that he saw her rolling her eyes. “This is getting to be a habit.” She leaned back against the wall and gestured with her arm as if waving away the concern. “What’s on your mind?”

  He had gone over this in his head again and again before coming. But face-to-face with the commander, his confidence flagged. “It’s about Corny, sort of.”

  “We’ve been through all that. He knew the risks. We all know them. These things happen. You can’t keep obsessing over it.”

  And he did know that. But this was different, or was it? Maybe he was just obsessing. Maybe Corny, having nearly touched death, was not being rational. But, no. There was too much at risk here. He turned and sat down on the floor in front of her, staring up at her face, which carried a look of surprise. He’d never walked in and sat down with her before. “You know, since Corny was ambushed and I heard Captain Virgil talk about the king’s men being around, I was wondering if, well, if it’s possible that there’s a spy here?” There, he said it; it was out there.

  West’s eyes narrowed as she considered him. “What makes you think that?” Her tone had changed from irritated and impatient to slow and deliberate.

  Jarek shrugged. “I don’t know. No one thing, I guess. And it’s just a thought, a question. I don’t know how large the king’s forces are, and, to be honest, I don’t know how large the land is here. But it seems strange that they always show up right where our people are.” Funny, he’d used the term our people, as if he was a part of it. But, then again, he was a part of it, whether he wanted to be or not.

  She nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving his face. “Maybe. Who have you spoken to about this?”

  He spit the response immediately and emphatically. “No one. I haven’t said anything to anybody about this.” Well, except Corny. But he hadn’t said anything to Corny either. The young man was the one who had brought it up. This semantics game was wearisome.

  “Jarek, these matters, these kinds of things, can bring all sorts of trouble. Just the idea of having a spy in our midst would be as damaging as actually having one. It makes people distrust one another. I would ask that you not have this discussion with anyone else. I can’t have our small band falling apart based on assumptions and suspicions.” She turned her head and gave him a pointed look before he left.

  “Yes, Commander.” He lowered his head. “That’s all I had. Sorry to bother you.” He backed out of her alcove and, as he made his way across the cavern, it occurred to him that she had not actually dismissed the possibility. She only forbade him to talk about it. Strange.

  Chapter 66: Marzi

  Marzi stepped into the cave opening and stopped. The flickering torches along with plant lights illuminated the cave. To the right, her three companions, well, four if you count Lapis, sat back against the cave wall, watching the unfolding event. Directly ahead of her and to her left sat a collection of elves dressed differently from those in the Bough. Their features were the same, but their clothing looked rough, almost threadbare in comparison. The hair on most was cut shorter, extending not much beyond their shoulders, and some held back their hair with a leather band. Many in the large cave had wooden plates situated on their laps. Others sat with hands laced behind their heads or in other relaxed positions.

  An older female, the one who had spoken, had long, brown hair, and wore a dark green robe over leggings that matched. Her air and demeanor declared her to be the leader. She sat near the center of the group on a pad, her arms draped over her knees, which were drawn up to her chest. “Come, please. Do not be shy.” She beckoned with her hand and offered a soft smile.

  Marzi moved another few steps and halted, shifting her gaze to Rys and company, looking for some guidance. She saw nothing. None of the other elves had stood. No one held weapons. She didn’t see any threat. Still, her stomach revolted with fear. The smell of smoke, seared meat, and a hint of incense filled the air.

  “I am Saige. You have nothing to fear. Please, come join us. Sit.” The elder elf gestured toward an empty pad situated near her. “After all, you have come looking for me, have you not?”

  Marzi moved haltingly forward and stopped, trying to take in everything before committing. She took another few steps and summoned up the courage to speak. “How do you know I came to find you?”

  Saige chuckled and shook her head. “I know many things, little one. Come and sit, please.” She gestured with her hand toward the larger group. “We have food and drink.” The smile faded as her study of Marzi intensified. Her next words came out soft, as if she were talking to herself. “So, it is true.”

  Marzi shuffled the last few meters and eased down onto a soft, pillow-covered pallet. Almost immediately, a plate appeared before her containing dried meat, a piece of flat bread, a type of root, and a few pale green plant stalks, which she had not seen before. She glanced up at the young male elf that had delivered the food and nodded. “Thank you.” Biting into a stalk, she found it tender and savory, with an unfamiliar but pleasant taste.

  A young female elf eased over and set a liquid-filled cup on the cave floor, nodding as she backed away.

  Marzi swallowed her first bite of the plant and took a sip of the liquid—sweet with a pungent undertaste. She nodded as she took another bite of the plant. Glancing at her companions, she noticed that each had an empty plate sitting in front of them, along with a cup like hers. If they had any counsel for her, they kept it to themselves. Their countenance offered no clue as to what they were thinking.

  Saige broke the awkward silence, “Eat and drink your fill. After that, we have much to discuss, Marzi Gloam of Pangrove.”

  Marzi finished chewing what was in her mouth and swallowed. “How do you know my name?”

  “As I said, I know many things. But we will get to all of that in due time. First things first, though. The food,” she pointed toward the plate in Marzi’s lap. “The meat is that of sea turtle, smoked and dried. The root, try it, please. It is from the canosava plant, which grows just at the edge of the forest. I think you will find the sweet taste a pleasant contrast to the stalk, which is wild asparagus seasoned with sea salt. The drink, of course, is nectar of the oroba fruit, which we gather in the open fields to the south.”

  Marzi picked up the pale tan root, sticky to the touch, as if coated with a syrup or honey. She turned it around, examining it from different angles, before taking a bite. The sweet taste reminded her of the yams her mother made at Mid-Winter’s Eve, with a hint of cinnamon and honey. She glanced up as she swallowed. “Thank you.” After another drink of the nectar, she stood, plate and cup in hand. “May I go over and sit with my friends?” She felt uncomfortable sitting by herself out in the middle.

  Saige shrugged and smiled. “Of course. You are a guest here, not a prisoner.” She waved a hand toward Rys and the others.

  Marzi sat on a pallet next to Rys, who nodded but said nothing. The Azyrean consumed the rest of her meal in silence. Among the cave-dwelling elves, some watched her intently. Others focused on their food. Another group huddled, speaking quietly among themselves. Marzi thought that Saige seemed lost in thought, almost transfixed on some point on the wall, her eyes barely open. The old elf also seemed to be silently mouthing words decipherable only to herself. Very strange.

  Marzi leaned closer to Rys and whispered, in the softest voice possible, “Are you okay?”

  Ryshara smiled and shrugged. “We are fine.”

  Marzi glanced over at the faces of Elle and Ran, both of whom seemed not the least bit concerned. Lapis lay with his head on his paws, eyes shifting around the room. He also appeared at ease, almost as if ready to fall asleep.

  Her assessment of her companions was interrupted by Saige. “If I may say so, your presence here on this world surprises me. I have found no records of any being quite like you in the historical accounts. And I should like to hear more about your kind. But what really compels me at the moment is how you came to be here.”

&n
bsp; Marzi wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Looking to her companions and again receiving no clues as to how she should answer, she returned her attention to Saige. “I rode a moonbeam.”

  Chapter 67: Marzi

  By the time she had recounted the events of her journey to Saige, Marzi had grown weary of telling this tale. She’d told Rys, Lothran, Ariessa and the council, and again privately related the events to Lord Rintaur. It was fun and interesting the first time. Now, sitting in the flickering, dim light of the caves, though, it seemed boring.

  Saige, for her part, listened while staring at one wall of the cave. Whatever questions or doubts she might have had, she held until Marzi had finished.

  As the cave once again fell silent, Saige slowly reached up and scratched her head while turning her gaze to Marzi. “This is most unexpected.”

  This was the first time the Azyrean had experienced this reaction to the story. “What?”

  Saige shook her head as she stared silently at Marzi.

  “What? What’s wrong? That’s exactly what happened.” Marzi shifted her gaze furtively to Rys and then back.

  The old elf smiled and lowered her head. “I have no doubt, little one. No doubt at all.” She glanced over at the other elves of her group, all of whom sat in rapt attention. “We have missed something.”

  Marzi quickly checked her companions, who now watched Saige as if waiting for more. Their eyes narrowed, and they sat silently and motionlessly.

  A voice emerged from a group of elves sitting against the wall. A young male elf, pleasant-looking—dark-haired and lithe, rose and strode over to Saige’s side. “Perhaps we overlooked a key piece at the ruins.”

  Saige stood and stretched her arms, arching her back. “I get stiff from sitting so long.” She ambled over to the entrance of the cave—the narrow tunnel from which Marzi had emerged. Staring into the blackness, she nodded. “Maybe. It is possible.”

  The younger elf followed her. “Should we return and search again?”

  Saige turned and faced the gathering. She nodded slowly as she appeared to take in the scene. “Yes. I think so. And take the small one with you.”

  Marzi sprang up from her sitting position. “What? Take me where?” She strode over to the pair and stood, hands on hips.

  Saige gazed down at her and said, “This is Saryn. He will lead a group to the Ruins of Koror. It is there that we seek answers.”

  “I’m not going anywhere without my friends.”

  Saige chuckled. “Of course, you are not.” She nodded to Saryn. “Take them all.”

  The young elf nodded his assent. “As you wish.”

  Marzi stepped back, glanced at her companions, and then up at Saige. “Where is this ruined thing? And what are we looking for?”

  The old elf studied her for a moment before answering. “The Ruins of Koror—a long abandoned shrine to Valyn, complete with housing, that we can only assume was for the old priesthood. It has long since fallen into disrepair. It is a full day’s journey from here, so you must be prepared to remain there overnight, perhaps more. As for our purpose there, we seek the truth.” She turned aside and addressed the group of elves sitting back against the wall. “Baelyn’s party has not yet returned?”

  A young female among the group rose. “No. Should we go in search of them now?”

  “No. Not tonight. If they are not back by morning, we will send out a small group. The forest wolves will not venture near the cliffs but, if we move into the heavy forest at night, they will certainly attack. Better to wait for daylight.”

  Marzi looked down at Lapis, wondering if he understood the discussion. If he did, he showed no sign, or at least no interest. His icy gaze shifted between Saige and Rys. “These wolves, the forest wolves, do they have yellowish eyes?” She recalled her first night on the bluffs with the yellow points in the forest.

  Saige arched her brow. “You know of them, yes? They are our co-habitants in this part of the land. They have learned the hard way not to venture from the cover of the forest onto our bluffs just as we have learned not to venture into the forest at night.”

  Marzi shuddered as she remembered fighting her way through the forest and brush before stumbling out onto the cliff that first night. “Why don’t they attack during the day?”

  Saryn injected himself into the discussion. “It is the way of Valyn. They hunt at night when their keen sight and sense of smell give them advantage. During the day, they are at risk from our abilities. We respect their domain. They respect ours.”

  Marzi recalled her discussion with Rintaur about the wolves. “But aren’t they corrupted? Why don’t you seek them out during daylight hours and destroy them?”

  Saige burst out laughing. “Ah, little one, you have much to learn. If you speak to the elves of Twilight Bough, they would say that our little group here is corrupted. Should they not then come out and destroy us?” She shook her head. “No, we must be careful about decisions to end life, even when it might not seem to have a noble purpose. Only Valyn can see all meaning. These wolves may have a role to play—one of which we have no knowledge.” She turned and walked back to her pallet. “Saryn, post extra guards on the bluff tonight.”

  The young elf bowed and returned to his seat, whispering to several others. They stood, eased across the room, and picked up longbows, spears, and swords before exiting through the darkened tunnel.

  Saige nodded in Marzi’s direction. Sleep, Marzi Gloam of Pangrove. Tomorrow you journey to the ruins. I sense a need for urgency. Time is not on our side.”

  Chapter 68: Marzi

  With the torches in the cave extinguished, the pale blue plant lights cast a dim but appealing glow on the walls. The elves under the command of Saige had abandoned the main cave, apparently going to outlying sleep chambers. The five companions—three Bough elves, and Marzi, and Lapis—remained in the larger, common area.

  Marzi struggled to find a comfortable position to sleep before finally sitting up and sighing in exasperation. “Even with a pillow, I can’t get comfortable on this pallet.”

  Ran smirked, “By tomorrow night, little rat, you will be so tired you will sleep anywhere.”

  “Hmph.” Little rat indeed! She started to offer a more sarcastic retort but reconsidered. He was probably right, at least the part about sleeping. “Rys, what happened out there today? How did they sneak up on you?” She glanced first at Ryshara and then at Lapis. Her question had actually been for the wolf, given his keen hearing and sense of smell.

  Rys chuckled. “What, you think they caught us by surprise? Getting caught was easier than hunting around the bluff and cliff sides for openings to the cave. This way, they brought us straight in.”

  The new information irritated Marzi. “Were you going to let me in on the plan at some point?”

  “Random chance worked quickly. You had no sooner excused yourself than Lapis alerted us. Rather than prepare for a fight, we relaxed and left our weapons across the clearing so there would be no mistake. I figured that you would hear the noise and follow us, which you did, of course.” Ryshara’s voice trailed off as she turned away from Marzi and pulled a light blanket up over her shoulders. “Now get some sleep. You will need it.”

  Before turning and pulling her own blanket up, Marzi stole a look at Ellemareth, who was in turn eyeing her. They had exchanged few words since the incident with the boots, and Marzi had determined that Elle deserved no gratitude or apology and would get neither from this Azyrean—spoiled ingrate indeed!

  ◆◆◆

  Marzi tossed and turned most of the night. After what seemed like endless hours of chasing sleep, she dozed off only to be awakened by increased light. With great effort, she opened her eyes to see two elves re-lighting the torches. She sat up and scratched her head. Her hair felt dirty and greasy. She was starting to miss the bathing springs at the Bough and wondered if she might have time for a quick dip in the ocean before departing. My tunic and three moonbeams for a bath.

  One of the elves s
poke over her shoulder as she left the main room. “Daylight approaches. You should arise and prepare.”

  Her companions awoke, stretched, and yawned. Ran bounded up and began to gather his belongings. Rys and Elle sat up on their pallets for a few minutes.

  As they stood and began preparing their packs, Saryn entered the main chamber. “We will break the fast in a quarter hour, at the entrance. Gather your things and meet us there.”

  When they reached the sea level entrance to the cave, they found a party of nine sorting through and packing travel provisions. Saige sat on a large rock observing. Everyone had a job to do and no one spoke. Marzi heard the crashing waves on the narrow strip of beach some ten meters distant. The smells of salt and seaweed filled the air. One by one, the group tied down their gear. Just as the last one was finished, two elves emerged from the caves carrying platters of dried meat, canosava root, more flat bread, and icy cold water to drink.

  As Marzi chewed on a piece of sea turtle, her mind turned again to the search of the ruins. In particular, the vagueness of her task bothered her. She stood and faced Saryn, who would lead the group. “I ask again, what is it we are looking for? And I know we seek answers. I got that much. What specifically do you expect to find?”

  Saryn looked up from his food to meet Marzi’s gaze and then over toward Saige.

  The elder elf shrugged and nodded. “Of course. After all, we are not the ones that seek to obscure and hide information.” Saige smirked as she stood and strode into the cave, calling over her shoulder, “Wait there.”

  She emerged a moment later with a bundle in her hands. She unwrapped it—first a sheet of thin leather and then several layers of jute fabric, by the look of it. From the core of the package, she pulled out and displayed a piece of deep blue crystal cut or broken very roughly into the shape of a spike no larger than her hand. “We found this, along with several others of different colors at the ruins. We know not exactly the purpose but markings on several walls suggest that they have some kind of transporting ability. As of yet, we cannot discern how they work.”

 

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