Cold air rushed over me as water sloshed in the distance. The path grew harsh until we finally reached the top. The tunnel ended on the rocky bank of a subterranean river.
“Now this will speed things along.” Rena stood next to me and grinned. “Looks like we’re going sailing, Urisk style.”
The Urisk scampered along the edge as we made our way down to the water. Small canoe-like boats rocked back and forth, their thin frames tethered to stalagmites by a piece of coarse rope.
“What are they made of?” I asked Kyla.
The silver feathers framing her small face glimmered in the torchlight. She looked up and grinned.
“They’d be woven.”
Another Urisk walked and shucked his pack off his shoulders. He took a rolled matt from the top and laid it on the ground. Several straight poles were nestled in the middle of the roll.
“What are those for?” I asked.
Kyla smiled. “You’ll be seein.’” She turned back, loading her canoe.
Fascinated, I watched the Urisk take the poles and fit them together to create a longer shaft. He placed either end in a groove along the bottom of the matt. He snapped them in place and then threaded a longer, thin branch running its length from the front to the back edge. He did the same with another branch on the other side, creating the bow and stern of the vessel. Two last poles were attached at either end, under the curved limb creating the boat’s shell.
“It won’t leak?” I asked.
Kyla out and out laughed. “No, my Light. The material you see’ll not be cloth. It’ll be willow bark that’ll be put together by usin’ energy and evergreen tar. These’ll be designed to hook together so we’d be able t’ make a shelter in case we’d be runnin’ into weather once we leave the safety of the waters.”
“These were the lean-tos we used on the way to the mountain, weren’t they?” I asked, remembering the shelter I’d slept under.
“That’d be right.” Kyla smiled and started toward the water.
It wasn’t long before other Urisks had assembled the rest of the boats. The first nine held three or four Urisks each. They pushed from the bank, paddling into the inky darkness. Kyla took Gavin and me in her canoe while Weylin and two guards followed behind.
Gavin sat a quiver full of arrows and a bow in the back of the boat. He placed his foot into the canoe, testing the bottom.
Kyla unwound the rope that tethered the flimsy boat. “Our Light’ll be sittin’ in the middle.”
Gavin found his footing before helping me in. He sat behind me, his legs sprawled on either side of my hips, running alongside me.
“I’ll be steerin’ from here.” Kyla hopped in the front, leaning her knees against the bow. She took a pole, which must have been twice as long as the boat, and dug into the shallow bank’s edge.
“I don’t like this,” Weylin grumbled from the next boat over. “I should be with Nora.”
Kyla grinned as she pushed us into the current. “That’d not be possible. Our boats’ll not be made t’ carry your and the Prince’s weight at once.”
Kyla watched Weylin scowl, and she rolled her eyes. “I’d not be worryin’, Guardian of the Light. There’ll be a scoutin’ team runnin’ along the edge, keepin’ ahead of us. And another team’ll be waitin’ with yer clansmen at the end. We’ll not be runnin’ into trouble while we’re in the mountain.”
Rena and Tark sat in the same manner as Gavin and me. The guides stood at the front of their boats, plunging the pole into the murky water below. They followed behind Weylin, bringing up the rear.
I looked ahead, trying to ignore the fact that the bottom of the canoe was so thin I could feel the stream’s current beneath us. Cold seeped in, and it wasn’t long before the back of my thighs was numb. The silence, the cold and the darkness overwhelmed me, and I released a little light from Gavin’s amulet. Blue danced along steep rock walls.
“My Light. Please don’t be doin’ that,” Kyla hissed. “While I’m sure we’ll not be runnin’ into trouble, it’d be wise not t’ be invitin’ any either.”
The energy dissipated; the light waned. Occasionally the river path narrowed, and the tunneled walls came so close we could reach out and touch them. Harsh, jagged rocks jutted out from odd angles as the stream grew wide again. I raised my knees to my chest, running my hands along the backs of my thighs, trying to warm them.
A lone, low call echoed ahead, similar to that of a mourning dove. The boat came to a grinding stop. Weylin’s canoe went along the left side as Rena and Tark stopped along the right.
Gavin squeezed my shoulder, signaling me to keep quiet. He scooted as far forward as possible until the thin supports beneath us groaned in protest. Rena’s soul stone glimmered in the ink-stained cave. She quickly covered it with something, plunging us into total darkness.
We waited ... and waited. The current sloshed around the back of the boats, but the Urisk kept us stock-still in the middle of the river.
Finally, another low call, similar to the first, echoed, and we slowly ventured forward.
“What was that about?” I whispered, but Gavin squeezed my shoulder again, and we were once more surrounded in oppressive silence. The cold air brushing past my face picked up speed; the splash of the pole became aggressive. I could no longer feel the current swirling under my thighs, which told me we were outrunning the river’s natural speed.
The current shifted, rocking the boat into a turn. Weak sunlight flickered in the distance.
To the left, a lone crevice created a jagged scar in the cavern wall. The water swirled and eddied there as if it were being caught and then released. Shadows danced in the darkness, rancid dirt thickened the air.
“Get down!” Gavin whispered, pulling my shoulders back until my head lay in his lap. He grabbed the bow from behind him and pulled the quiver, so it lay alongside my chest. I closed my eyes, listening to the click of the arrow’s notch find its string. Gavin shifted his weight, twisting his upper body to the side. The bow groaned as he pulled it taut.
Kyla’s pole thrust to the riverbed, again and again, guiding us closer to the dark crevice.
“Now!” Weylin barked. Arrows sliced through the air, a hideous scream bounced off rock walls.
My heart thundered in my chest as I peeked from the side of the canoe. White almond eyes glittered in the darkness. Black shadows poured in from the waning light. Thin, onyx bodies raced along the bank, their yellow teeth jagged and bared. They hissed and spit, jumping from rock to rock.
Why weren’t they touching the water?
The current took us closer to the crevice, and the demons poured from the small cave. Stones, wrapped in cloth, caught fire as they catapulted them at the boats.
One fell into the canoe ahead, but the Urisk managed to toss the flaming stone out before the willow bark began to blaze.
Gavin pulled the bow and took aim. His arrow hit its mark, and the Dokkalfar turned to granite.
The shore writhed with black bodies as more Dokkalfar poured from the gap. Fireballs blazed in the darkness, nearly missing Weylin’s boat.
“Tark, can you help?” I yelled, wondering how long it would take before one of our canoes caught on fire.
“I’ll try, my lady.” He stood on his knees and closed his eyes. The current rushed backward, pulling us away from the exit light. The Dokkalfar roared. Kyla and the others brought their poles down and pushed with all their might.
Water rushed from behind as the current shifted and now pushed forward again.
“Everyone sit down and hang on!” Rena shouted as the rush turned into a roar.
Grabbing Kyla by the shirttail, I yanked her down, causing her pole to fly out of her hand. She fell on top of me as a mighty wave crested, and the whitewater grew as if the river was opening its cavernous maw to swallow us whole.
“My Light, what’ve ya’ done?” Kyla shouted over the deafening roar as we careened toward the opening. “We’d be going too fast! These vessels’ll not be made fer
strong currents, and there’d be a natural fall not more than a half a mile where the two rivers would be convergin’.”
“Let’s worry about making it out of here first,” Gavin shouted.
The water caught our stern, tipping the back of the boat up. We lunged forward as the wave rushed toward the mouth of the cave. Panicked, the Dokkalfar on the bank scrambled, avoiding the water at all costs. Gavin held tight to my shoulders, but Kyla managed to lean over the side of the boat.
“What are you doing?” I yelled as she plunged her arms into the water. Her feathers stood on their ends, the silver framing her face a sharp contrast to the black pluming around her head. Her eyes blazed a dusty blue, and she muttered something, almost like a song. The river answered her call, and light bled from where her arm met the water, quickly fanning out until it reached the rock wall. I looked back to see Tark and Rena’s guide and the two Urisks in Weylin’s boat doing the same. The tributary now matched the color of the Urisk’s eyes. Dokkalfar shrieked and scaled the cavern. The water swelled once again, reaching and lunging for the demons. The river consumed them, its energy igniting Dokkalfar flesh, creating a flash of blinding orange flames. The water pushed us again, spitting us out of the mouth of the cave.
Sunlight flooded overhead, crisp cold air stung my cheeks, and I took a deep breath. Urisks on either side rushed into the mountain, making sure no demons survived. Elias threw a towline to Kyla. She caught it, and he pulled us to a shallow embankment. The other boats were quickly brought to land as well.
Kyla jumped from the canoe. Gavin took the quiver and placed it on his back, along with the bow, and then helped me out of the flimsy vessel.
“Beggin’ pardon, my Light,” Molly growled. “But we’d be checkin’ that route twice. That gap in the tunnel, well, it’d be new. We’d not be seein’ it before now.”
“How did they find us?” My voice shook. “How did they know?”
Gavin’s emotions left me entirely.
“I’d not be knowin’ that, but I’ll be thankin’ the Water Keeper for given’ them demon’s a bath they’ll soon not forget.” Molly dipped her head toward Tark, who grinned and waved back.
“Where are we?” The air was colder here, crisp. And the tall, thin evergreens looked more blue than green.
“I’d be believin’ we’re way north of the dead zone.”
Stunned, I stared. “Dead zone?”
“New York,” Rena stated quietly. “She means we’re north of New York.”
I looked down the river, noticing odd bits of garbage that lined the bank. My heart dropped as I realized that the only signs of humanity I’d seen were refuse and the metal scent of pollution in the air.
“Where is everyone? All the people, I mean.”
Silence.
“Most’d be hidin’, dead or headed south, now wouldn’ they?” Rune patted my shoulder. “Best not be worrin’, Lass. That’ll weaken ya, and we’ve got a ways to go. The river’d be flowin’ into a seaport. That’s where we’ll be headin.’”
I took a deep breath and gritted my teeth. We’d spent who knows how many hours in a boat as thin as a jacket and held together by sticks. While I was grateful that we made it out of the mountain in one piece, the idea of getting back into one of those things didn’t exactly set well.
Kyla smiled as if she knew what I was thinking. She disassembled her canoe, rolling it up, and fastening it to the top of her pack.
“I’ll be headin’ off with Finn.” Her silver feathers gleamed in the sunshine, bringing out that sparkle of mischief in her eyes. “We’ll be making sure nothin’ll be gettin’ in yer way again, my Light. I can promise ya that.” She bowed and joined Finn and his party beneath a tall canopy of spruces. The group faded into the heavily wooded evergreens.
“I thought we were taking a boat.”
“Aye.” Rune didn’t look up as he tucked a few things into his pack. “But we’ll be travelin’ a bit by land first before gettin’ back on the water.”
That statement set off a thousand questions, but Rune walked away before I had a chance to ask them.
Weylin, always a step away, handed me a small sack of nuts and dried fruit. “Eat,” was all he said before making his way to Elias.
We set off by foot within the hour, taking the same route as Finn and his crew. Urisks darted in and out of the tree line. Elias and Elaine were nowhere in sight, but I found it odd that Gavin and Tark were so far ahead, taking the lead with Rune and Molly while Weylin and Rena stayed back with me.
“Seems we weren’t invited to the party,” I commented. Gavin glanced back but kept the conversation with Molly going.
Rena grinned. “I’m sure they’re discussing the voyage. Tark is Keeper of the Water, after all.”
“Voyage? You make it seem like we are headed out to sea.”
Rena’s eyes widened. “We are. You didn’t know?”
Gavin now glared back at Rena, and Weylin cleared this throat. “Did you get enough to eat, Nora? Are you thirsty?”
I stopped, trying not to get frustrated. “Seriously? Why are we leaving the land?”
Everyone stopped when I did. The Urisk searching the forest pulled in, circling our little group. Suddenly, I felt like a sitting duck.
Rena linked her arm through mine, pulling me forward. “The Urisk think it’s best. Besides, we have to travel quite a distance, and a large boat is better than walking.”
I sighed. “True.”
“Rena. Can you come here for a moment?” Tark shouted from the front.
Rena sighed. “I’ll be right back.” She glanced at Weylin.
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve got it. Go.”
“You’ve got what?” I asked, watching Rena jog up to the front.
He smirked. “You.”
Now I rolled my eyes. “We’re surrounded by Urisks, and I have enough energy on my wrist and my neck to knock out half the Dokkalfar population.”
“Be cautious of your attitude. It’s woefully close to arrogance, and that will get you killed. No one ever is as prepared as they should be. Surely after all the training we’ve been through you know that.”
“All right, no lecture required.”
Weylin picked up the pace.
The rest of the day passed by with rough terrain and dropping temperatures. By late afternoon, the trees thinned, and glimpses of metal shone ahead. I bound forward, coming even with Gavin, Rune, and Molly.
My heart sped as something familiar stood in the distance.
Chapter 17
The Lighthouse
“Hey, that’s an interstate.” Excited, I rushed up the wooded embankment and over a guardrail. Miles of ribboned asphalt stretched in front of me, six lanes—proof of civilization.
Completely abandoned and empty.
Weeds jutted through large cracks and potholes. Vines smothered the guardrails, lining the broken road in a shallow living green wall.
“I know things have gotten worse, but surely there are cars or trucks—something.”
Never having seen a vehicle before, Weylin shrugged. The Urisk and Alfar regrouped, and Gavin grabbed my left hand while Weylin stayed to my right. The sun warmed my back as the last light of day streamed across the highway.
Rune had warned me, but until now it didn’t seem real. My stomach sank as I remembered driving Edna to town on a road similar to this one. How could it have come to this?
Wind whispered through the trees, carrying nothing but silence. Even though I was surrounded by Alfar and Urisk, I suddenly felt alone.
Gavin squeezed my hand. “I’ve tried to put myself in your shoes, and I can’t imagine what it must be like to come back to a place so vastly different from the one you left.” His tone gentled. “I’m sorry, Nora.”
“I didn’t realize ... how could so much destruction take place in such a short time? This couldn’t have happened overnight.” I knew time worked differently in Kailmeyra than on Earth, but we must’ve been gone longer than a few years.
Gavin let go of my hand and put his arm around me, bringing me close. He kissed the side of my head. “We aren’t sure how much time has passed.”
I took a deep breath and sighed. Gavin pulled away, shucking his pack off his shoulders. He grabbed a bottle of water.
“Here, you’ll need this.”
I took it and drank. My legs ached, and I shivered. “Are we close?”
“No. We walk through the night.” Gavin adjusted the straps of his pack. “According to Rune, we’re in a neutral zone, of sorts. The suffering has allowed the Dokkalfar to flourish in populated areas. They don’t stray too far from the major cities because humans have finally started fighting back, even though they don’t really understand what they are fighting. Some think they’re aliens, others blame science.”
“What about the military? Can’t they do something?” My breath came out as wisps of white as the temperature dropped below freezing.
“Unfortunately, the military used weapons of mass destruction. They soon learned that, while they may have killed hundreds of Dokkalfar, thousands replaced them because of the destruction that followed. There are pockets of militia still fighting, but there simply aren’t enough of them.”
I tucked my hands into my coat pockets. If the black elves were breeding like cockroaches, how was the planet going to survive?
“Few believe that something as inconsequential as emotions can weaken the Dokkalfar. But the Urisk have reported that some humans are starting to listen.”
I kicked a chunk of broken asphalt. Growing up in a home full of cynicism and bitterness, I knew the mindset. These were the people that saw hope, faith, and love as a weakness—my father being the perfect example. He used to say that love was for pansies. Prayer was words thrown in the air. Faith was for those stupid enough to believe there was some grandfatherly figure in the sky guiding their fate. And hope? Hope was for the wusses of the world who weren’t strong enough to face the hand they’d been dealt.
My father would often go off on rant after rant about how love wasn’t real. The church was a money-making scheme that bled people dry, and in the end, the only person who really mattered was the one staring back at you in the mirror.
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