Avanda’s playful laugh could be heard as she told Grewen of her misadventures. “And then Uncle Wess crashed into a big willow tree. It broke our wooden Runestone sled in half and nearly did the same to him. He walked funny for weeks.” Finishing her story, she laughed at Wess’ painful event.
Ambrosius woke to find himself near a warm campfire in the mountainous forest. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Grewen sitting near him, chatting with young Avanda on his lap. “Grewen! How did you? Where did you?” Ambrosius didn’t know where to begin as he struggled to sit up straight.
“You have the name right. After that I lost you,” Grewen replied with a smile. “It’s good to see you, as well. It has been a long time. Fortunately for me, I ran into an old friend of ours who told me that you were in trouble.” He pointed in the sky toward the reflective creature flying above.
Ambrosius glanced up for a few moments to watch Draq scouting for any potential threats. “You did it, my friend. You brought help. I knew you wouldn’t abandon me in the temple’s rubble.”
“So you trust him?” Avanda’s question was blunt and to the point.
“Oh yes. I trust no one more than Draq. We fought through decades of battles together. Although Grewen is a close second. I couldn’t have made it through the civil war without him.”
She nodded. “I’m going to tell Gluic she was right.” Hopping off Grewen’s leg, she left the two alone.
“It is good to see you, my Mognin friend. I never expected to see you after the battle of Maegoth.”
Grewen plucked a handful of grass from the ground and began chewing on it. “I drifted on my own afterward in an attempt to come to terms with what I had witnessed. The horrors of the Civil War’s final battle should have never happened.”
“I agree, and that is what I was attempting to prevent before we were attacked and I ended up clinging to life in a small village.
Grewen glanced across the camp at Thorik, who was diligently working on Ambrosius’ staff. “Luckily, you acquired a new friend in your time of need that has protected you.”
Ambrosius also noticed Emilen sitting next to Thorik, making suggestions for designs that could be etched into the sides of the staff. Their body language spoke volumes of their current feelings for one another as she placed her hand on his leg while they talked. His self-confidence had grown after the run-ins with the thrashers, Brimmelle, Wess, and Draq. Emilen found it very appealing.
Brimmelle and Wess sat on the ground playing a heated game of Runeage. Wess was losing and complaining about Brimmelle’s strategies. Brimmelle’s exceptional memory had allowed him to recall every strategy Wess had ever played against him. He was going to easily defeat the young man.
Gluic had settled herself in a clearing to meditate. After she had weeded out the limp vegetation being worn on her own body, she placed various sticks and leaves around her. She softy touched them in what appeared to be a random sequence while sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Watching closely, Avanda had walked over and sat near the elder Num, trying to perform the same meditation as Gluic. It was difficult to do while invariably talking at the same time, but the young Num would do her best.
Ambrosius sat up a little straighter. “I don’t know if I would call myself lucky. I am of ill health.” He rubbed his forehead and lowered his voice. “My body and mind are weak. My powers are questionable at best. And if it was not for a gullible young Num’s belief in fate and a story contrived, I would still be downstream.”
“This Num takes great pride in helping you. You have deceived him?” Grewen asked.
“No, it’s not like that. I told him it was fate that we met. Just because I don’t believe in it, doesn’t mean it’s not true for him,” Ambrosius reasoned. “But I can’t help feel that there is something about him that makes him stand out.”
“You are fortunate to be alive, fate or no fate. Draq said no one else survived. What happened?”
Ambrosius looked up at Grewen. “Darkmere has once again waged war upon us, and this is only the first wave from his hand. He will destroy anyone and anything that does not serve him. His minions are now everywhere and we can trust few. They reach beyond his sight with the help of small groups that carry out his orders. War is here. I must gather the armies to stop him.”
Grewen looked uncomfortable about what he had to tell Ambrosius but he was not going to keep secrets from him. “I don’t think you will be able to.”
Ambrosius was slightly surprised by the comment, especially from Grewen. “And why is that?”
“I believe you are wanted for the death of the Grand Council members. Word is out that you called the Council meeting to destroy them, giving you absolute power. This would allow you to go head to head with Darkmere without their approval.”
“How could the Council member’s deaths be known by others so quickly?” Ambrosius questioned.
“Better yet, I came across travelers with this information before the Grand Council was even murdered.”
“I was led into a trap, but did they mean for me to survive? If so, why?” Thinking out loud, he continued. “Someone invited to the meeting worked for Darkmere.” He began playing the chain of events over in his mind. For months he’d worked to rouse the people out of their slumber. Ambrosius had single-handedly brought all of the principals of the clans and nations to their ultimate demise. “How foolish I’ve been. I’ve trusted too many and grew myopic upon my quest.” He paused, as he came back to the conversation with his old friend. “The attack on the Grand Council surely will spur people to action.” Ambrosius caught Grewen’s smirk indicating Ambrosius was missing the point. “Regardless, few would believe that I would do such a thing,” he said proudly, coming back to Grewen’s topic.
“But they have seen you do such acts in your past,” Grewen noted factually without criticizing Ambrosius. “They’ve seen you fight for the rights to your dead father’s kingdom. They fought in your wars, and their families have died in your battles. And they watched as their coastline cities sank under the water of the great flood.” Grewen shook his head at the memories of the horrific battles that still lingered in his mind. “These people have watched you destroy the mightiest kingdom Australis has ever had.” Relaxing his shoulders, he continued, “Changing your ways may help the future, my friend, but it does not erase your past. So yes, I can see how they could accuse you of doing such things.”
“Grewen, you know the reasons behind that war and yet you question my motives and make me sound like a criminal?”
“No, I’m just telling you the facts. However, many others are questioning them. Once they realize that the Council has in fact been killed, they will question why you are the only survivor. Their thoughts will develop to the same end. Ambrosius, you will be killed once you are discovered to be alive.”
Ambrosius didn’t know how to respond. He had worked so diligently to accomplish so much and then to have Darkmere pluck it from him wasn’t enough. Darkmere had to make sure that no one would ever listen to Ambrosius again. He had succeeded. There may not be anyone or anyway to stop him at this point. Ambrosius stroked his beard with a few fingers. “Was it luck that I lived or was it Darkmere’s way of making sure that I suffered?”
“We may never know,” Grewen replied.
“I wish I could just remember what had happened. It’s foggy and parts are missing.”
He looked up and was surprised to see Gluic quietly standing next to them holding a sack of items. It was an unsettling encounter as the two realized they hadn’t observed her approaching. Ambrosius looked back over to where she had been meditating only to find Avanda was still there, lying on her side taking a nap.
Gluic had overheard the conversation and had pulled out a small sack from her cloak. She emptied the contents of several smooth black stones into her hand to show them.
Ambrosius looked over at them and smiled. “Yes, they are very nice stones.” His dismissive way was gentle but obvious that he wished to
return to his conversation with Grewen.
“Is that volcanic glass?” Grewen asked, as he reached over to touch one.
She quickly slapped his large forefinger before he could reach it. “They have been cleansed by the moon. Your touch will weaken them.”
Grewen retracted his hand and looked at the end of his finger to see how it yielded such powers.
“Thank you for showing them to us, Gluic,” Ambrosius responded politely, hoping she would take the hint and leave.
She picked one of the stones up by its sides and held it toward Ambrosius’ forehead. “They can help you remember what you are missing.”
“I don’t think your pebbles can help, but I value the offer.”
She continued to hold them out in front of him as she smiled and nodded her head up and down to convince him to let her try.
Grewen grinned. “Go ahead, Ambrosius. It’s worth a go.”
Ambrosius didn’t appreciate Grewen aiding her fantasies, but now he felt locked into attempting it. “You need to know that I’m not going to swallow those.” A bitter look crossed his face.
“No, no. You will lie down on the ground and I will build a net of the stone’s energy around you.” She glanced behind her at one of her an unseen friend. “No, it won’t cause seizures like last time. I have better stones this time.”
Ambrosius shot Grewen a disgruntled look for getting him into this.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Grewen asked. “You lie down and take a nap for a few minutes?”
Gluic looked up to correct Grewen’s statement. “Few days.”
“Excuse me?” Ambrosius asked.
“It will take several days of sleep to recover from the memory reading, but you will be very refreshed upon wakening, hopefully with all your memories intact,” she reassured him.
Once again, he looked at Grewen with concern.
Grewen smiled and mocked his situation. “Did you hear that Ambrosius? You’ll wake refreshed.”
Gluic started by laying Ambrosius down on his back with his arms down along his sides. She placed one of the rocks on the ground near the top of his head. After adding one over each shoulder, she placed one on the outside of each ankle. Prior to setting each stone she whispered instructions to them.
Thorik looked over from across the camp to see his grandmother performing some sort of ritual around Ambrosius. Just then Gluic look up directly at Thorik and waved him over.
As he approached, Gluic began giving instructions. “Thorik, give me the Runestones for trust and enlightenment.” Reaching down, she adjusted the stone near his right shoulder.
Curious, Thorik dutifully pulled out a dozen before he found the two that she had requested. He quickly handed them to her.
She placed one over each of Ambrosius’ eyes while kneeling next to him. Keeping his elbow on the ground she raised his left hand. A yellowish thin crystal was set in his palm and she placed his fist firmly between both of her hands. Speaking softly, she closed her eyes and began to see his thoughts while he drifted into a dream state.
It was only a moment before he had immersed himself into his memories of the past. So vivid and real, they played out as though he was living it for his first time.
Chapter 13
Hidden Memories
Fate of Thorik Page 13