Filaree raised her hand to her chest as she noticed that something was irritating her skin, and she found the ring hanging heavily within the folds of her tunic.
“Well,” she said with conviction, “they obviously knew what they were doing and went of their own free will. They left me with the ring,” she commented, raising it before her on its short chain.
Robyn cocked his head sideways, and then approached her.
“A good choice,” he said as if to himself. “Far better than I would have been,” he concluded with a faraway look in his dark eyes.
“What was it that you said, Robyn?” Cairn asked, having been able to distinguish only a word or two and wondering who the Chosen was speaking to.
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” Robyn replied. “I was merely thinking out loud.”
“I am surprised that Calyx did not warn me of their departure,” Cairn remarked, looking upon his friend in a questioning manner. “Surely he was aware of it.”
The big cat-like animal’s wide eyes seemed to blink in embarrassment, as if he understood Cairn’s comment and was trying to pretend that he did not.
“He would not betray them to us, even out of loyalty to you, Cairn. Not if he understood their need. To me, that is reassuring all the more. Calyx doubtless must have known that they left. Their withdrawal could not have occurred without his becoming aware of it. And yet, he did nothing to give them away. They were certainly in no danger then,” Robyn concluded.
“I suppose not,” Cairn concurred, though perplexed and disturbed by their furtive leave-taking nonetheless. “But why could they not have at least let us know that they were leaving. I am surprised that Tomas would withdraw from my presence without a word of some sort to me,” Cairn said, clearly hurt by his friend’s abandonment.
He was beginning only now to feel the loss. He and Tomas had been together since their meeting in the woods of Pardeau, before even his aunt and uncle died, and he assumed guardianship of him then. They had not been apart since for any extended period of time. His heart was growing heavier by the moment.
“Now Cairn, do not go and get sentimental on us. You are the stoic, remember? You are the one who always sees the necessity in the saddest of situations and recognizes the inevitability of it all. Do you just preach for the benefit of others and not apply your knowledge and insight when it comes to yourself?” Filaree asked, seeking to comfort her companion in a way that he could relate to.
“Yes, Filaree. You are correct. Surely they had reason, and if Tomas felt that he could have advised me, he would have. I have just been with him for so long now, I am unused to the prospect of losing his company,” he said, downcast.
“So am I, Cairn. We have been a family of sorts for these past months, and I too have grown very fond of the three of them,” she said.
“It must have been very difficult for Elion to leave, knowing that we were returning to Seramour, his home.”
“All that he has been talking about for the past three weeks is how much he wanted to go home, to see his parents and the Heights. We spent quite a bit of time together of late, and he so looked forward to the reunion. A great need must have persuaded him to abandon this journey for another.”
“How do we know that they are not going to Seramour? Maybe they just wanted to arrive before we did, or just separately from us,” Cairn speculated.
“That would be odd,” Robyn interjected. “We had no controversy amongst us all, and our strength would only have been enhanced if we traveled as a larger group. We certainly would not have slowed them down in any way.”
“That is true. They must have headed in another direction entirely, or they would have lingered with us longer before parting ways. To do so now only indicates to me that they are journeying north, at least for a while. They would not now go back to Pardatha and over the Thorndars, and if they intended to go east, it would have been much easier for them before we crossed over the river,” Cairn said.
“Unless they only last evening decided to leave us,” Filaree stated. “In which case, they could be headed in any direction whatsoever, except perhaps southward, the way we are going.”
“In any case, we must rest assured that they know what they are doing and why. They are a capable lot, the three of them. Meanwhile, we should be on our way ourselves if we are to accomplish our purpose in this lifetime,” Robyn proclaimed, though his eyes scoured the surroundings even as he spoke.
They all concurred, and then began to gather the remaining belongings. They carefully cleared the camp site of all evidence of their stay, just as a matter of course. They did not anticipate any enemy to be lingering so close to the walls of Pardatha, but they were not prepared to take any chances, regardless of their immediate sense of security.
Once mounted, they rode quickly and purposefully through the heavily wooded forest. They would need to spend one more evening in the open if they rode hard and if nothing hampered their journey. They planned to arrive in Lormarion before the sun set on the day after next.
Each of the three had much to ponder during this journey, and each withdrew into his or her own world of thought and memory before long. They spoke little and rested even less. Filaree could not shake the nagging feeling that her dream was a premonition of some sort, and it bothered her for quite some time. Finally, she was able to convince herself, out of practicality if for no other reason, that the dream was harmless in and of itself, and that it was natural for her to harbor concern for her mother and her homeland. Her thoughts began to drift to Elion. She missed him more than she expected she would, but she had confidence in his choice to depart, and she feared not for his safety.
Cairn felt Tomas’ absence poignantly, and he struggled with the emotions that welled up within him. He felt as if the opposite paths that they were traveling now were indications of a greater scheme, and that their closeness was going to gradually suffer. He knew that the next time he saw Tomas, he would not be the same boy that he was now. He was maturing so quickly. When they first met, he was like a child, though wiser perhaps and more insightful. He wore the innocence of youth like an old, familiar jacket that he knew he had outgrown, but would not discard. The losses on the way, the tragedies they could not avoid, changed him. Colton had changed him. The conflict he so acutely felt all the time, changed him. Cairn knew that he would be a different person when next they met, and this affected him deeply.
The anxiety he felt was like a father for a son, and his heart was heavy for it. He had not experienced the feeling of partnership and family since he was a child and it was therefore difficult to lose it so soon. Parting from the boy would have been hard no matter what the circumstances. But, to not have the opportunity to say farewell, when so much uncertainty surrounded them all, made it all the more trying. Cairn rode with his thoughts upon these issues, conflicted, and surprised at how effortlessly and thoroughly Tomas had brought him back to the world of relationships and emotions that he had been separate from for so many tiels.
Robyn was perhaps the only one of the three who believed that this separation was for the best. Although he did not anticipate it, it felt right to him. He had been uncomfortable with the prospect of the twins encountering one another at this time, and he was not sure why. The relief he felt now was for that reason alone.
Three of the races are represented by that small group, he thought. What could they have in mind?
He was also glad that the ring was around Filaree’s neck and not his own, although he knew that he would have welcomed it had it been given to him. The last time he had possession of it, he was so filled with energy, so invigorated by the circumstances, that he was uncertain how much of it was attributable to his proprietorship of the ring, and how much flowed from within himself. He was a bit jealous nonetheless, and he recognized that admission reluctantly.
There was purpose to the boy’s choice, he reflected. It was anything but arbitrary.
Robyn focused his thoughts upon the journey and upon Promant
hea whom he had not communicated with in some time. As soon as he had the opportunity, he was going to contact both his father and his beloved tree. It troubled him that he had not heard from them recently. But, he too was negligent, and he had not initiated the attempt to converse either. The time in Pardatha passed all too quickly and he languished there in thoughts of the future, while he neglected the past.
It will not be long now, he thought. Shortly we will be in Seramour and our true task will be upon us. The boy will be revived, and we will do what we were called upon to do. Had something been amiss at home, surely I would have been informed, he reassured himself.
They rode hard and fast and they covered much ground in a short time. Eventually, the thoughts of all three began to focus upon the treetop city once more and upon Davmiran. So much depended upon them.
Robyn took the lead, leaping over the low branches while deftly avoiding any that might unseat him. He searched for a clearer path that would lead them through the heavily wooded area west of the River of Tears. It had grown so thick over the past few months, that in some places it was nearly impenetrable. He looked with pride upon the vegetation, acknowledging silently the small part he played in its rebirth. As a Chosen, he felt very close to the earth and all that grew naturally upon it. He never anticipated, though, it would so shortly turn into the obstacle that it was becoming.
As he contemplated the miraculous regenerative powers of nature, thrilled at the new abundance of life all around him, he suddenly became aware of a foreign presence, a strange and powerful essence, that he did not recognize. It did not assault him, as would an enemy. Rather, it seeped into his consciousness, like a pleasant odor from some fine home cooking. He sensed it as he would sense the proximity of a Lalas, but none of the great trees grew anywhere near here. It was not a potency that frightened him, but rather one that was succoring and supportive in its character, reaching out to him with tenderness and strength. Not wishing to alert the others to his perception until he understood it better, he continued to ride as if unaffected. Yet, he opened his mind to the probing tendrils of power that sought to enter it.
Images formed in his mind’s eye, not by his own will, and he let himself relax and observe them. He continued to ride. His physical senses were well accustomed to guiding him, despite his mind’s occupation with other things. The images were mixed, and he could hear sounds and voices intermingling. They became clearer as time went on, though none were recognizable. Sometimes it seemed as if water was rushing inside him. Then, it sounded like high pitched bells were chiming. Random words were uttered, and every once in a while he could make some out. One voice began to make its presence clearer than the others, and he focused all his attention on singling out the words it spoke and distinguishing them from the other peripheral noises and chatter that rose and fell in volume, much as a bard would sing an exciting ballad. He heard the word “Seramour” repeated over and over, and then he was certain he heard the voice say “the twins.”
Robyn wielded his power carefully, and he created partitions in his mind into which he placed all the disparate sounds. He weeded out the ones he did not want to listen to from the cacophony assaulting his mind, and he created an open and calm space for the ones he chose to decipher. As he decoded the message, so to speak, it became clearer and clearer that someone was attempting to send this directly to him, and that it was no ordinary being, but one of great power who had initiated it. When he felt certain there was no danger imbedded therein, he let his guard down and opened up fully to the undertaking.
The darkness approaches. Seek the twins in Seramour, he heard more clearly now. The boy must rise. The boy must leave.
Robyn tried to communicate with the disembodied voice, but it was obvious to him immediately that this effort was not going to be successful. He was not even sure if the communication was planted somehow, emanating from something other than its originator at this point, like a letter left upon a desk for someone to find and open. That would explain why there was so much subsidiary noise, so many words that had nothing to do with those meant for him. It had been well concealed in a jumble of random utterances and thoughts.
He reasoned this out in the back of his mind, while he continued to decipher the message. As he crossed into the woods, he must have triggered the spring that released the thoughts. It was an ingenious way of conveying something to someone when you are unsure of their location. There could have been hundreds of these such messages, waiting for the right person to come along and trip open the invisible containers that held them. He smiled to himself briefly, impressed with the method and therefor, with the sender who utilized such creative tools. Then he realized the portent of the words that were conveyed to him.
Seek the twins in Seramour, he repeated to himself.
He was instantly compelled to question whether or not Tomas was heading for the tree city separately from the rest of them. Perhaps the originator of the warning knew more than he did, and perhaps he did not. Only time would tell. Regardless, it was obvious that the situation was dire, and that they would have to travel as fast as they could.
The betrayer speaks, he heard clearly. The Dark One knows. Quickly— Make haste, were the last words spoken, before the directive was terminated.
It ceased as assiduously as it began, as the background noises rose in volume and took over the space in his mind that he had dedicated to the anonymous messenger and his grave message.
Robyn probed the area for streams of energy that might indicate a continuance of the communication, but he knew that he had received all that he was going to. He encountered only silence, now thoroughly absent of the filaments of power.
He pulled up on his reins abruptly, and came almost to a halt. Cairn and Filaree followed suit, having no choice if they did not wish to crash headlong into each other, as the path was narrow and there was little room to maneuver around Robyn. They both saw Robyn’s stark face, and neither of them needed to ask for an explanation. It was already forthcoming.
“I have been contacted by a being of great power in the most unusual way,” he related summarily. “The details are not important now, but we must ride without stopping,” he said gravely. “It was a warning. Our particular skills and talents are sorely needed. Colton knows of the heir,” he finished.
“A message?” Cairn questioned. “How do you know that it is not a trap? Who was it from?”
“I do not know for certain. But I sensed a fullness, an earthly presence in the words, somewhat like that of a Lalas, but different nonetheless. The power initiating them was mighty. There is no doubt that it was authentic, and not trickery. I have my suspicions as to the derivation of the message, but from whence it came is not an issue at this moment. The warning was clear. We must ride hard and fast. There is no time to waste,” he concluded.
“He knows of the heir? Which one?”
“I had not thought of that,” Robyn answered honestly, perplexed. “It mentioned the twins, but not whether the Evil One has knowledge of them both, or just one of the two. Nonetheless, our destination has not changed, so we must find our answer there. To Seramour we ride.”
“Then let us waste no further time, if you are assured of the tightness of what we do,” Filaree concluded, accepting Robyn’s analysis with no further uncertainty.
“I will inform Calyx to meet up with us at the edge of the woods so that we can all enter the city together. He will journey to Seramour in his own fashion,” Cairn said, and he proceeded to quickly convey the message to the giant Moulant who had wandered once more into the woods some moments earlier.
The three travelers spurred their mounts on quickly, and rode with the morning wind, allowing nothing to slow them or halt their progress from that moment onward. They rode with abandon, faster than even seemed possible, streaking through the forest like bolts of lightning in a darkened sky. They did not rest or take refreshment, unless they did so in motion, and their horses frothed at their mouths but never faltered. The trees spe
d by them, and the terrain changed from the thick and dense vegetation that they traversed at the onset, to sparser, less abundant greenery. The ground became drier and rockier, easier to travel over, but harder upon the animals hooves as they moved south, and the air became hotter and heavier.
They continued on regardless of the environment, never hesitating, never slowing down, dripping with sweat and covered with the dirt of travel. When finally the silhouettes of the enormous Noban trees that ringed the forest surrounding the Heights of Seramour came into view, they slowed their pace, only to be certain that they were not wandering headlong into a perilous situation. At the outskirts of the Plain of the Wolves, they pulled up and dismounted so that the horses could drink and rest while they determined the best way to make their final approach to the beautiful elfin city beyond.
Robyn dar Tamarand, Filaree Par D’Avalain, and Cairn of Thermaye, the three who were ‘called’, the three who fought the monsters that attacked Pardatha and solidified their covenants amidst bloodshed and loss, the three who made their valiant stand against Colton dar Agonthea on the plains before the walled city, stood side by side, each contemplating the vista before them. For a few moments they quietly weighed the future and assessed their individual hopes and fears. They allowed this time of silent contemplation to envelop them and to lift them above their aches and pains, their physical exhaustion and fatigue, into a world of promise and of wonder, of rejuvenation and of rebirth; into a world of hope.
Chapter Eighteen
“Let’s go. Let’s go. There is no reason to stop here. We have a long ride ahead of us,” Tamara said to her pony as he dropped his head in order to eat some particularly sweet grass that he spotted just off the center of the path. She nudged him gently with her heels but he did not respond. “Come now, do not be so stubborn. We have barely left the shadow of the tower and you want to rest?” she inquired of him, as if expecting a verbal response. “At this pace, we will arrive at Oleander’s side in no less than ten tiels. Get a move on now,” she urged, and she clamped her knees heavily around the animal’s side. This time he lifted his head and bolted forward, and jerked back in her small saddle and almost lost her seat altogether. “You did that on purpose Hector, you evil little thing,” she said with a pat on his head after regaining her balance and her composure.
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