Runes and Relics
Page 30
As soon as the meeting was over, the team set out for Elantoth, and Tyla began to think about Lana’s gems. They, too, were part of gnome history now. There was no way her people could keep Susan’s aventurine bracelet, but Lana might be willing to give them the aventurine they had used for their first try, and she would probably let them keep all the turquoise.
One piece of turquoise was lost forever, sacrificed it as a test. Tyla had carried it across the barrier, and it had dematerialized as expected when she passed through. The Amulet was working as originally designed. Nothing from outside their world could pass through. The thought was bittersweet because it meant that none of her human friends would ever see the rest of Ahmonell.
According to Commander Finnack, a delegation from Mierek would soon come to Elantoth—to set affairs in order and acquaint everyone with gnome laws and regulations. She thought that sounded a bit ominous, and Lant and Raenihel must have thought so, too, from the look that had passed between them. But there was much to look forward to: scientific advancements, cultural experiences, information about their gem powers, and the story of what had happened in Ahmonell in the last two hundred years. Exciting days lay ahead.
On Friday, when they were almost home, Raenihel used the pendant to speak to Parcune and Lana. He discovered Lana was throwing a party to celebrate the team’s successful mission and safe return. It was just the sort of thing Lana would do, Tyla thought, feeling guilty again. Gnomes had pushed humans out of Elantoth, but Lana and the others were still being supportive. From now on, Tyla wouldn’t turn her back on them no matter what Mierek said.
When the team finally reached Elantoth, everyone came out to meet them, including Franklin—human again—along with Lana, Jules, and Elias. Tyla was excited to see everyone, and her face lit when she saw Arenia coming toward her, carrying Eemie on her hip.
It was good to be home.
Elias invited the entire Anen clan to the homecoming party. He also invited two breghlin clans that lived nearby. Many of them had been S’s servants. The throne room looked festive. Lana and Jules had decorated the tables with silver candlesticks encircled by small wreaths of woven strath, and on the dais, someone had hung signs around both gargoyle’s necks that read: Welcome Back! Ahmonell is Reunited!
Tyla, Lant, and Arenia sat down at a table in the back. Lant held Eemie who was bouncing with excitement.
“The Amulet Team is sitting up front,” Lana called, hurrying toward them.
The dais held three tables, and Jules was showing team members to their seats.
“Go,” Arenia urged Tyla. “You should be up there.”
Lana grinned. “You’ll be sitting between Raenihel and Elias. At home, we call that ‘a rose between two thorns.’”
Feeling self-conscious, Tyla followed Lana to the dais.
From there, she had a commanding view of the room. Franklin was sitting with Ben and Tina Ann and other breghlin staff. He looked perfectly at ease with them.
Parcune was sitting with the guards, many of whom also worked in the communications room.
Members of the Anen clan filtered in and took seats at tables toward the back. Lana and Jules entered and sat down with Franklin, Ben, and Tina Ann. Most of the tables were full, but Raenihel and Elias were still missing. Where could they be? She hoped nothing was wrong.
She was talking to Omara a few seats away when she heard indrawn breaths and saw heads turn toward the door. Two breghlin carried a familiar wooden table, and behind them came Elias and Raenihel with S’s cage. Last came a sullen-looking, redheaded gnome. Tyla gasped in surprise. Elias must have restored Kaff, if only to attend the party.
The breghlin placed the table at the foot of the dais. Raenihel and Elias set down S’s cage, and then Raenihel marched the scowling Kaff off to sit with Parcune and the guards. Kaff looked about as happy as the gargoyles, Tyla thought, unable to keep from laughing. He folded his arms, glowering at everyone.
Someone at the breghlin table shouted to him, “Cheer up! They be bringin’ ya birdseed in a minute!” and everyone dissolved into laughter.
Servers entered with trolleys laden with food. Raenihel and Elias mounted the dais steps together and took their seats.
“It’s good to have you back, Tyla,” Elias said, sitting down next to her.
“It’s good to have you back,” she said pointedly.
He smiled, green eyes twinkling. “It’s only temporary, but at least I’m here to celebrate with you.”
She looked down, feeling awkward. “I’m sorry I let Mierek intimidate me. I should have defended you. It won’t happen again.”
He reached over and patted her hand.
Everyone was in high spirits, and excited conversations continued throughout the meal. Gnomes ate braised meats, root vegetables, bread, cheese, and fruit. Of course, there was plenty of beer, wine, and fialazza. Breghlin had their usual platters of raw meat and dishes of mushy, rotted fruits.
After dinner, Lana, Jules, and Franklin stood with Elias as he gave a short speech urging gnomes and breghlin to work together, whether here or outside the Amulet.
“You have a bright future ahead,” Elias concluded, his voice carrying to the rear of the hushed assembly. “Whenever challenges seem overwhelming, remember the obstacles you have already overcome. For the first time since The Great Upheaval, gnomes and breghlin are free of S’s control and have a chance to rise to their full potential.”
All eyes turned to the cage, and the room was silent as everyone thought of the heartache Sheamathan had caused.
“Is there anything you would like to add?” Elias asked his companions.
Lana stepped forward. “When we defeated S and put her in this cage, she said you were all weak, pathetic fools who couldn’t live without her. She was wrong! You’re stronger and more resourceful than she thought. You can do anything you set your minds to.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, and as Tyla looked out at the faces of her family and friends, she felt sure Lana was right.
“The Amulet barrier is no obstacle now,” Lana said, her voice trembling with emotion. “You’ll face other barriers in the future, but don’t let them stand in your way. You won’t need gem powers to overcome them—just courage.”
A Note From the Author
Thank you so much for reading Runes and Relics! If you enjoyed it, I hope you will spread the word by posting an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. You don’t need to write anything lengthy or profound. Even a simple statement like, “I enjoyed this book and I think you will too,” will encourage readers to pick up Runes and Relics and other books in the Gem Powers Series. Lana, Jules, and Elias thank you in advance, and the gnomes and breghlin do, too!
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Subscribe to my newsletter Gnome Gnotes:
http://www.kaylling.com/newsletter.html
Acknowledgments
My sister, Marie Clapsaddle, my biggest fan, provided invaluable feedback.
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Lowell Ling, my wonderful husband, asked for more of the gnomes’ adventures and kept me motivated.
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Susan Burdorf, winner of the reader participation feature, submitted a gemstone that she invented. Look for it within the story! Her gem, windrite, is silver with streaks of white, and it’s only found in places that are very, very cold.
About the Author
Kay L. Ling began writing fiction at an early age. In grade school, her stories evidenced a sense of wonder and love of adventure. In one, mythical creatures lived and traveled inside a rainbow, and in another, a bored sixth-grader turned her teacher into a maroon sofa and then teleported herself to London. As she grew up, Kay never lost her ability to imagine strange and wondrous peoples and places, and now she would like to share her unique fantasy adventures with others.
www.kaylling.com
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Wards and Wonders
Tyla had been dreading this day. The delegation from Mierek City, the gnome capitol, would arrive in a few hours. Most everyone was eager for the officials to arrive, but Tyla felt certain nothing good would come of it.
Standing on the terrace where their former queen had spent most of her leisure hours, Tyla leaned against the balustrade and surveyed the fortress grounds, amazed at how much had changed. A flower garden with walkways and stone benches lay below, and everywhere she looked, the land was lush and green. How very different from the days when the only greenery at Elantoth was a garden of poisonous and carnivorous plants. Sheamathan—now simply called S since her defeat—had preferred ugliness to beauty and had turned the Amulet region into a diseased wasteland.
Three human gem masters had stripped S of her gem powers and turned her into a giant beetle—a fitting punishment, as far as Tyla was concerned, considering how many gnomes S had turned into rats, birds, and lizards. Then, after weeks of study and experimentation, they had helped to bring down the gem-power barrier that had isolated Amulet gnomes from the rest of Ahmonell for over two centuries.
Tyla gave a frustrated sigh. She would never understand why Mierek Fortress officials had forbidden further interaction between humans and gnomes when humans had done so much good and asked nothing in return.
Mierek had been outraged to learn that two of the gnomes’ liberators were temporarily running Elantoth Fortress, handing out supplies from S’s storehouses and helping gnomes rebuild this region. They said humans shouldn’t influence gnome culture, and ordered Gem Masters Elias and Jules out of Elantoth. A local gnome clan leader must take command or Mierek would send appointees from half a world away. Raenihel, head of Tyla’s clan, had reluctantly volunteered.
Of the six fortresses that ruled the gnome world, Mierek held the most power. Their officials were stubborn, unreasonable, and shortsighted, and Tyla wasn’t the only one who thought so. Officers from Aberell Fortress, often at odds with Mierek themselves, said the same thing. Commander Finnack had advised Tyla that a delegation from Mierek would come to Elantoth Fortress to set affairs in order and acquaint everyone with current laws and regulations. His tone had suggested it would be an ominous event, and she had worried about it ever since. Local clans had few laws, and the elders settled disputes. This system had worked well during S’s reign when gnomes had lived in hiding.
Tyla was looking forward to being part of Ahmonellian society, and she believed the benefits would outweigh the disadvantages. Still, their lives were about to change in ways she couldn’t imagine.
The sound of clattering hooves interrupted her thoughts. She leaned over the balustrade and looked to her left. A glossy black carriage pulled by four erum came into view. Wreaths of white flowers encircled the erum’s necks, and gleaming gold accents ornamented the carriage’s black paint. The door bore an elaborately stylized ‘M’ within the image of a huge, faceted opalescent gem. Early morning sun glinted off the gem as the carriage rumbled by in all its glossy splendor, headed toward the rear entry. Tyla sucked in her breath. Oh no! They were early!
She raced across the terrace and down the passageway. Had the carriage already been to the front entry? No one was on duty there, and the doors would be locked. She and Raenihel had planned to post guards there later this morning, but it couldn’t be more than seven, and the delegation wasn’t due until sometime between nine and noon.
Raenihel was here, but he would be at breakfast. Tyla realized with a mounting sense of dread that she would have to greet the delegation on her own. Her stomach churned. Good thing she hadn’t eaten. She had risen early, fed little Eemie, shared a quick cup of raaka with Lant, and then gone to the terrace to be alone.
By the time she neared the rear entry, panting with exertion, her tunic felt damp with perspiration, and strands of her waist-length black hair had come free of the leather tie and clung to her face.
Voices echoed down the passageway—familiar voices—guards, speaking in placating tones, and unfamiliar voices that sounded none too pleased. She made one last attempt to smooth her hair and slow her breathing, and then proceeded into the entryway with as much dignity as possible.
She stopped short and gasped.
Three gnomes in black robes stood frowning at her. One was fat and balding, with deep-set brown eyes and a short, pointed black beard that curled up at the end like a hook. The second was tall and thin, with gray hair and a long beard. The third was white-haired and quite frail, yet his blue eyes held hers with a frightening intensity.
But it wasn’t the gnomes who frightened her. It was the figures behind them. Woodspirits! The same male and female who had spoken to her from Mierek’s communications room. They looked like humans, but their features were too perfect and their skin bore a greenish cast. Both wore their dark brown hair in a long braid, and their brown eyes seemed to hold ancient knowledge. These woodspirits might not be evil, but they were woodspirits like Sheamathan who was the embodiment of evil and cruelty. Tyla trembled with fear and revulsion. It was all she could do not to back away.
“Who are you?” the fat gnome demanded in an irritating, nasal voice. “We were expecting the head of the Anen clan or one of the elders.”
“The front doors are locked!” cried the skinny, gray-haired gnome. “What kind of a reception is that for visitors?”
Tyla wasn’t sure whether to bow, kneel, or offer her hand in greeting and she desperately wished she could run away. “I’m sorry. We weren’t expecting you till later this morning.” She glanced at the guards who looked frightened and confused. “Go get Raenihel, please. He’s at breakfast. I’ll take our guests to the library.”
One of them could have retrieved Raenihel, but both hurried off, nearly knocking her down in their haste to escape.
“Again, I apologize. I’m Tyla,” she said in her most gracious tone. Her smile felt more like a grimace.
“I am Gem Master Frinkk—of the famous Frinkk family—spelled with two k’s,” said the fat gnome, stroking his beard and making the tip curl into a sharper point. He gestured at the skinny, gray-haired gnome next to him. “This is Gem Master Klemmet. Two m’s one t—a member of one of our more prominent families and current head of the Department of Gem Powers. This is Gem Master Ertz.” Frinkk waved a careless hand toward the frail, elderly gnome as if he were of little importance. “Noted scholar and lecturer.”
Before he could introduce the woodspirits, the female said coldly, “I am Anatta and this is Varkandian. We are members of the Ahmonellian Joint High Council.”
Frinkk smiled stiffly at Tyla. “They wished to accompany us, and while nothing has been decided yet, we thought there could be no harm in allowing—”
Anatta spoke over him. “I wish to see my sister.” Her tone defied argument.
Tyla’s jaw dropped, fear slicing through her. “Your sister?” she repeated in a barely audible voice.
“Yes. You will take us to Sheamathan now.”
It had never occurred to Tyla that S had a sister. And Anatta was a member of the Joint High Council.
“Come with me, please,” said Tyla calmly. But she was anything but calm as she led the delegation to the library. This was terrible. What should she do? She couldn’t take Anatta to S.
Tyla took them to the library’s seating area. “Please have a seat and I’ll bring S to you myself.”
“S?” asked Anatta sharply.
Tyla gulped. “Um, that’s what we call her now.” She fled from the room.
They had stashed the caged beetle in a broom closet near the Ministry of Breghlin Affairs. Before Gem Master Elias had returned to his cave home in Strathweed, he had secured the closet with a mirkstone lock, imprinting the gem with a password known only to Tyla, Raenihel, and Arenia who all took care of S. Tyla could only imagine what Anatta would say i
f she knew they kept her sister in a broom closet. She smiled in spite of herself.
Tyla gave the mental password command and opened the door. Fair Lands gems twinkled from the cage’s iron scrollwork, and the entire cage had a frosty luster from gem particles in the iron. As usual, the beetle was sitting near the center of the cage. Gems from the human world burned evil beings, so S kept her distance.
Now what? Tyla asked herself. She couldn’t carry the huge cage by herself. She had been so anxious to escape the library she hadn’t stopped to think how she would move it.
A deep, gravelly voice said, “Whatcha doin’? Didn’t ya already feed her?”
She looked around and saw the breghlin, Wally, standing outside the Ministry of Breghlin Affairs office. Like all breghlin, his skin was lumpy and his features were deformed. He had an enormous nose, thick, protruding lips, and a lump of scar tissue along his jawline that looked like a worm stuck to his face.
“I have to—” she began, and then broke off, her shoulders drooping with misery. “I have to take S to the library. The delegation from Mierek is here, and—”
“An’ they wanna poke her with sticks?” he asked hopefully, “an’ make her run aroun’ her cage, cursin’ and shriekin’?” Wally’s lips stretched in a malicious grin.
“No,” Tyla said gloomily. “I’m afraid it’s nothing like that. Two woodspirits came with the gnome delegation, and one of them is S’s sister.”
The smile slid from Wally’s face and his mouth went slack. “Sister?”
Tyla nodded unhappily. “We know S isn’t the last of her kind, as she claimed, but I never thought about her having close family members.”