Lost and Found

by Mary Hamilton

  This was a dream. Marzi shook her head and rubbed her eyes again. But, no, the figure was still there. “How do you know my name?”

  Valyn gestured with her hand, waving as if brushing aside the question. “You were brought here to this world for a purpose and your challenge is rapidly approaching.”

  Marzi stared for a moment, her mouth open. So far, nothing the being had said made sense. “What do you mean, I was brought here? I hopped a moonbeam, a colored one by mistake. That’s all.”

  Valyn’s musical laugh was beautiful. It reminded Marzi of her mother’s crystal windchimes tinkling in a soft summer breeze. “Yes. I know. You hopped on a green moonbeam that just happened to present itself to you at the right moment, right after your brother, Tovi, hopped on a blue beam, also by mistake.”

  This was the first time that anyone here on this world had seemed the least bit interested in her brother. Maybe…. “Tovi? Is he all right? Did he make it home?”

  The light-enshrouded goddess gazed at her for a moment before answering. “Tovi is with the ogres and he is well. Your other companion, Jarek, is well too. He rode a red beam and is with the humans as we speak.”

  The last part threw her. “Jarek?” She didn’t have any such friend. Then she remembered. “Oh, is he the beam keeper?” And why did he jump on a beam? They are not allowed to beam hop. And if he was a beam keeper, surely, he would know not to jump on a colored one. None of this made any sense at all. And how did Valyn know all of this?

  Before she could rattle off the questions, the being began to answer them. “Yes, I believe that he is what you call a beam keeper. And, to answer your question, he hopped a beam in hopes of finding you and your little brother. As it turns out, though, his services were required elsewhere.” Valyn began moving—not walking, but floating—toward the edge of the clearing. “But come, Marzi, we have important matters to discuss and time grows short.”

  Marzi glanced around at her sleeping companions. Maybe she should wake them so that they could see this.

  Valyn responded to this idea. “They will not awaken for this, nor would they see me if they did. I am here only for you, little one.”

  There was that little one thing again. But with Valyn, it sounded fine. Marzi threw off her blanket and stood. “Where are we going?”

  “Not far. Just over here.” The being glided across the clearing and came to rest beside the obelisk. “Sit, please.”

  Marzi plopped onto the ground, not convinced that any of this was really happening. It could still be a dream.

  “Yes, it is perhaps something like a dream.”

  Things became more disturbing by the moment. First, this Valyn, this beautiful golden light being had awakened her. None of her companions could see it. And now Valyn was reading her mind.

  “No, Marzi. I am not reading your mind. I am, in a manner of speaking, inside your mind.”

  “What? You mean that I’m just imagining all of this? So, it is a dream. You’re not real and you’re not here.”

  Valyn laughed again. “Very good, Marzi. You are not afraid to challenge what you are told. You will need that before the end. But I assure you that I am real, and I am here. The reality by which you measure this is not what it may appear to be. Now, let us proceed to the matter at hand.”

  There seemed little point in trying to organize her thoughts. The goddess, if that’s what she was, read all of her thoughts anyway. “What matter is that?”

  “A raging storm, a great darkness approaches this land. Left unchecked, conflict will engulf this realm and its people. You are the key to stopping it.”

  Marzi shook her head and blinked her eyes several times. “No. That can’t be. I’m just a kid. And I’m not even an elf. I don’t know anything about any of this. They have an empress and some very smart people here. They are the ones. I just want to get my brother and go home.”

  Valyn stared, sadness in her eyes. “I know, Marzi, I know. And I wish that I could promise that you will go home. But unfortunately, at this moment, I cannot see past the coming destruction. And I know it seems unfair that this burden be placed upon one so young. But we must work with what we are given, both you and I.”

  Marzi had never known such a sense of helplessness, not even when she found herself alone in the forest that first night. She closed her eyes hoping to block all of this out. But even without sight, she felt Valyn’s presence. “I don’t understand. What kind of trouble is coming? And what can I possibly do about it?”

  “You saw the first harbinger, there on the bluffs that morning. The lost soul—the human—brought back by the scouting party. He is but the first. Many more will follow, and they will not be so helpless. The source of this evil is, well, my child, it is complicated. But for now, I will tell you that it starts in the land of the humans. You must confront it before it reaches this realm.”

  “Do you mean that I must travel to another place? Where the humans are?”

  “No. You cannot defeat it there. The battle will be joined in another realm. But you are not ready for that yet. You must marshal the forces here in this realm. You must bring together the elves of the Bough and the elves of the cliff. Valyn looked down sadly before continuing, “And there is another. Only with all working together is victory possible.”

  Marzi laughed despite her sense of dread. “I’m sorry. How am I supposed to convince them all to work together? And who is another?” She had not been able to convince anyone of anything since she’d been in this lost world.

  “You are wrong, little one. You have been at the center of a remarkable change. Not only did you and your companions from the Bough journey to the cliffs and speak with their leader, but you inspired Lord Rintaur also to make that journey. This was no small feat. And as far as the other, you will find out in due time. You must deal with the matters at hand first.”

  “Lord Rintaur came out to see his daughter. I had nothing to do with it.” Marzi was becoming more comfortable arguing with the deity.

  “And yet he only made the journey after your discussion about returning home. Your companions made the journey only after you forged the bonds of trust with them. And Saige accepted and included you in this quest, despite the fact that she did not know you.” Valyn paused and broadened her smile, reaching forward with open hands. “You are what they need, Marzi. As you have pointed out, you are not an adult and you are not an elf. They will view you differently from how they view each other. While they may be reluctant to take you seriously, they will not automatically suspect you as they do each other.”

  Marzi stood and began to pace a small circle near the obelisk. “Should I just tell them everything and hope they believe me?”

  “That is not the right question. The questions are, who should I tell? When should I tell them? And how should I tell them? The answers to those questions will determine how they respond to you.”

  Marzi became even more emboldened. “No offense, my lady or goddess or whatever I’m supposed to call you, but you haven’t really told me much, at least not much that seems helpful. What exactly is it that I’m supposed to do?”

  “You will know when the time comes.”

  “What kind of answer is that?”

  Valyn’s laugh warmed Marzi’s soul. “You will know. I will give you this much, though. Do not fall victim to the attempts to keep the elves divided. Each side will want to be right and the other to be wrong. All sides are right and all sides are wrong. They must accept each other and cast aside their differences.”

  It was Marzi’s turn to laugh. “Right. And just how am I supposed to convince them to do that?”

  “You are wiser than you know, Marzi Gloam of Pangrove. You have already worked miracles here with these people. You have brought them closer together than they have been for a decade. You will know what to do when the time comes.”

  Marzi shook her head. “Am I going to remember any of this when I wake up?”

  “You are already awake. And yes, what I have told
you is burned into your memory. You could not forget even if you wanted to.” Valyn began to move, gliding closer to the edge of the forest. “I must go. A word of caution though. Do not accept anything at face value. Keep asking your questions and challenging things that everyone else assumes are true. You will know what to do. And when the time is right, you must seek me out.”

  Marzi sprang up. “Wait! Come back. What do you mean I must seek you out? Where are you? Where will you be? How can I find you?”

  But Valyn was gone. Streaks of purple and gold painted the eastern sky. Marzi was certain that a hint of Valyn’s scent lingered—jasmine, lilac, and lemon. Marzi looked around as she stood in the center of the clearing and noticed the scouts on duty at the perimeter of the camp. They were seemingly oblivious to all that had occurred in the ruins and continued to look out toward the forest.

  As Marzi was about to lie down with her blanket in hand, she happened to glance left and saw Lapis, his eyes wide open and head up. He was attentively watching her every move. She jumped up and said accusingly to him, “You, you saw everything, didn’t you?”

  Lapis looked guilelessly at her for a moment before blinking and then placing his head on his paws, eyes closed.

  Chapter 85: Marzi

  As if the dream or vision or whatever had happened wasn’t enough to spook Marzi, dawn broke bringing with it a dark, overcast sky, a chill in the air, and wisps of fog feathering through the trees that filled her with foreboding. The company ate their cold meal and packed their gear in silence. She considered relating the incident, or at least her recollection of the incident, but recalled Valyn’s caution. When, to whom, and how she related the account would matter. Something inside told her this was neither the time nor the place for such candor.

  She set about securing her own gear. Her stomach rebelled at the notion of breaking her fast and warned her that it would not tolerate much abuse. She took the piece of meat offered her and stuffed it in the pocket of her tunic. Maybe she would feel better in a few hours.

  Saryn shouldered his pack and called out to the company. “It is time. We must reach the cliffs by dusk unless we want to spend the night in the forest.”

  Marzi sensed that Saryn had held back some unspoken words—words about wolves and deranged humans. She found herself in agreement. Reaching the safety of the caves during daylight hours seemed a good idea. She hoisted her pack onto her back and eased over to stand beside Ryshara and Lapis.

  The wolf seemed unusually interested in her. He stared at her with his icy blue eyes narrowed and head slightly cocked. She could almost feel the great beast trying to talk to her. She listened, or rather felt, carefully but could discern nothing.

  Saryn moved out in front of the group and strode toward the forest from which they had initially come. “We march.” He set a blistering pace. Moving between the large tree trunks, he plowed over the smaller bushes as if they weren’t there.

  Marzi fell in beside Rys. “Something feels weird. It’s almost like there’s someone watching us.” She looked around but saw nothing.

  Ryshara never broke step. “Yes. The wolves are out there, just beyond these trees, following us step-for-step.” Her matter-of-fact tone conveyed an attitude that seemed almost like boredom.

  Marzi shivered, not sure whether it was from the chill in the air or the knowledge that the beasts were tracking them. It was then that she felt herself being lifted and carefully settled onto one of Ran’s strong, broad shoulders. “This will be much quicker than your walking, little rat.”

  “Enough with the little rat okay, Ran?” She heard chuckling throughout the group.

  The morning wore on, but the dismal weather refused to relent. The fog and humidity thickened as they proceeded. A pervading odor of moldy and rotting leaves hung in the still air. Marzi tried to shake the sense that something was wrong—something other than wolves following them. She felt as if some massive cataclysm was about to fall and that the group was simply biding their time until it dropped.

  After what seemed like several hours of marching, Saryn signaled a halt. With a low, guttural growl, Lapis leapt from Ryshara’s side to stand beside the group leader. Silence descended as the troop stopped, each looking around. Eyes narrowed. The rangers unslung their bows and notched arrows. Ran gently put Marzi down, then he and the other warriors unsheathed their greatswords and held them at the ready. The mages and clerics, including Elle, grasped their staves and stared into the fog. Even Lord Rintaur held his walking staff at the ready and unsheathed his dagger.

  The silence was complete—no bird song, no insects, no sounds of moving animals. Nothing. Saryn gestured with his hand around the small area and the group shifted to form a defensive circle.

  Marzi wanted to ask Rys what was going on but could sense that this was clearly not the time to talk. Ryshara stared ahead, jaw clenched, and her bow partially drawn back.

  As the others stared into the fog, Marzi felt something, an urging, almost a compulsion to look up. Her heart froze. Before she could respond, the sound of thrashing leaves erupted in the canopy. Several beings, humans from the look of them, dropped into the circle of elves with shouts and whoops, swinging two handed axes and swords.

  The attack from above caught the elves off-guard. Marzi could see that the close quarters made the bowmen ineffective. Saryn’s voice rang out, “Warriors to the fore! Mages to the outside!”

  Swinging their greatswords, Ran and several of the others waded into the small pack of invaders. Elle and the other magic casters leapt and rolled to the perimeter of the circle, facing inward, apparently trying to isolate targets. The rangers with their bows, ran from the circle into the bushes. Marzi stood paralyzed. She had no weapon and, even if she did have one, she had no idea how to use it. She slunk back against a tree trunk, watching and trembling.

  After a few seconds, the initial shock of the attack diminished. The fight was joined in earnest. The elven warriors held their own. The mages isolated their targets. But this lasted only for a matter of seconds. The bushes around them crashed. More humans bounded into the fray from all sides. The elven troop found itself badly outnumbered. The close quarters favored the humans, who appeared to have no archers or spell casters. They forced their way forward swinging massive axes and swords.

  As Marzi shot her gaze wildly around the small clearing, she saw Rys lying on the ground near the edge, blood covering her arm, the right side of her chest, and a wound to her temple. But the worst of it was that a huge hulk of a human warrior brandishing a large double-edged axe strode toward her, his glare fixed on the wounded elf.

  Marzi shut her eyes tightly for a split second. When she opened them, she summoned every bit of courage she had as she barreled toward the human. He was facing away from her, so she had a small advantage. She hurled herself into his leg, not having the height to do much else. He shuddered and tried to shake her loose. Her attempts to scratch through his leather breeches with her fingernails were to no avail. As a last resort, she opened her mouth wide and bit into his leg as hard as she could. Wrapping her arms around his thigh, she held on despite his elbow and fist pounding on her. She knew it was only a matter of seconds, though, before he would fling her off and finish her with his axe. Still, it would give Rys a chance. Maybe someone would come and help her.

  Marzi’s energy and hope faded. She then sensed the pounding from the human stop. He toppled over. As she turned, she saw Ran looking down at her, a grim smile on his face. He offered her a hand up. Nice of him, even if they were all about to die. The humans were overwhelming them.

  Out of nowhere, though, a pack of wolves burst into the clearing. Marzi’s first thought was that things had just gone from bad to worse. Now they had to face not only the invaders, but also the corrupted beasts. But things didn’t go that way. The animals ignored the elves and Marzi, going straight for the humans, tearing at their throats with their fangs and claws.

  Within less than a minute, no human stood alive. Marzi saw two other
elves down in addition to Rys. Saryn knelt beside one, felt several places on the body, shook his head, and then moved to the next, repeating the process. The first two had not survived the fight. He eased over to Ryshara, squatting next to her and examining her wounds. “This is bad. Very bad. We must get her back to Saige.” He stood and shouted to the group. “Build a litter for Ryshara, quickly. We will send an advance team to the caves with her. The rest of us will prepare our fallen comrades for return.”

  Saryn sat down beside Rys and rubbed his hand over her forehead. “You will be fine, Ryshara. Stay with us. You will be fine.” He turned his gaze to Marzi. “And you, little one, she has you to thank for her life. We are all in your debt today.”

  Rintaur dropped down beside Saryn. “We must get her to the Bough. Our clerics have a much better chance of saving her.”

  “I know that. But the additional time spent making that greater distance could spell her death. You must trust me, Lord Rintaur. We will save Ryshara.”

  The lord consort furrowed his brow as he placed his hand gently on Rys’s shoulder. “I would argue, but I fear the time spent debating the issue would further hurt, so I shall acquiesce.” He bent close to Rys. His words were soft but found their way to Marzi’s ears. “You must remain strong. We are taking you to the cliffs. Stay with us, dear one.”

  Chapter 86: Tovi

  “How did you know to come looking for me?” Tovi closed the straps on his pack, glancing over at Klunk, who similarly prepared to depart. “Klik! Here!” He scanned the area for his pet, who came scampering out from beneath Myhrren’s hut and executed a flying leap onto Tovi’s shoulders.

  The ogre looked up briefly and then went back to his preparations. “You were gone. You are my friend. Of course, I would come looking for you.”

  “But how did you know I’d come here?”

  Klunk chuckled. “Where else would you go?”