by Steven Drake
Chapter 33: Gathering Dark
The next day dawned with a cool wind blowing out of the north. Dusty dry air came on the breeze from the desert. This would not be a pleasant day to travel.
They ate a meal in the cave, and then resumed their discussion of the previous night regarding Niarie. She insisted on continuing the journey, and most of the party came down on her side. After the previous night’s revelations, Darien did not press the issue.
The party glumly set out northward following their guide. This time, Darien left the party members to their own devices, not bothering to arrange them. Unsurprisingly, Jerris and Nia kept close to one another, just as well, as he now depended upon them to explain the realities of the situation to Rana.
The bland, sameness of the terrain wearied even Darien’s mind. Mile upon mile of dry, rolling hills disappeared beneath them. By noon, a fine yellowish dust had settled over the land, the remains of a sandstorm further to the west. The irritating stuff made breathing difficult, so the party wrapped their faces in long scarves, items which they were all quite thankful for on that day. They spoke only when necessary, as the dust irritated throat and nose alike.
Skarn guided them further into the hills to avoid further sandstorms. The horses struggled up and down the unstable loose gravel and sand that lay piled on the slopes of seemingly every hill, quickly losing stamina. In the afternoon, the party dismounted and walked the remainder of the day to rest their mounts.
The Executioner’s mind was still troubled by the revelations of the past days. Though he maintained the level of calm determination that Ezra had given him, the revelation about Rana had rattled him to his core. It brought a new despair to the guilt he already felt toward her, a bitter resignation that in his best efforts to atone for his deeds, he had only succeeded in piling more miseries upon her. There was now nothing more to do but wait for the inevitable moment when the axe of truth fell, and Rana realized that all her feelings were wasted.
He tried to distract himself by speculating on Niarie’s enchantment. Whoever laid that enchantment, possessed overwhelming talent, yet somehow, that troubled him less than it should. Some instinct or intuition told Darien that the enchantment was not an immediate danger. He knew the Demon King, knew the Master’s magic, and this spell felt completely different. He turned his mind to other, wilder theories, though none were entirely satisfying.
Skarn kept the party marching into the evening, aiming for a particular shelter. A dark, moonless night descended. Darien began to feel a sense of vague dread without explanation, but he dismissed it as an artifact of a troubled mind.
By the Executioner’s reckoning, it was past nine bells when they finally stopped to camp, another cave carved into the side of a rocky hill, in one of the few places that had not accumulated hills of sand. The weary travelers lit another of the torches, and ate quietly, sapped of strength by the long day. Darien reassigned the watches, placing Ceres with Jerris, a decision that seemed both pleasing and puzzling to the Sentinel Captain. He placed Nia with Rana, and took the first watch himself with Traiz.
Darien took the opportunity to explain the revelations of the previous evening to the Inquisitor, who seemed equally surprised. Traiz found Rana’s infatuation puzzling as well, and did not hesitate to say so. Darien’s assurance that Jerris’ judgment could be trusted did not entirely assuage the doubts of the suspicious minded Inquisitor, who insisted he would remain vigilant even in light of this new information. Since simple vigilance could not do any harm, Darien let the matter drop. As his watch concluded, he resolved to at least attempt to sleep. He laid in the dark near the fire for a long while before sleep finally came. When darkness finally descended upon his tired mind, he was pulled into the realm of dreams once again.
Darien found himself lying on a bed of straw, staring up at a moss covered wooden roof. Warm blue moonlight streamed through the open window and cast a square on the dirt floor. This dream seemed different. It felt hazy, dim, and pleasant, unlike the sharp, terrifying clarity of most of his dreams. The edges of objects blurred, as if seen through thick fog. The sounds seemed muffled and distant. The smells, however, were far more pronounced. The smell of pine forest stood out from the others, but there were other odors lingering, fresh straw, a recent rainstorm, and a gentle hint of lavender, comforting smells which eased his mind. This was indeed different. What memory was this?
The place seemed vaguely familiar, but he did not recognize it. He held a hand in front of his face, and realized he was still a young boy. He heard voices coming from somewhere. One of them he recognized immediately as his mother’s. She sounded happy, happier than he remembered, and he lay there and listened to her speak in her kind understanding tone. Someone else was there, though, a man’s voice, not a familiar one. He suddenly found himself on his feet, near the door, listening to the voices.
“It won’t be long now, another month perhaps,” His mother spoke. “Can’t you stay?”
“I’m already pushing my luck, but I’ll be back in another three months or so,” the unknown man spoke. “Are you sure you still want to do this? You could come with me.”
“It’s for the best,” his mother said, her voice now unsteady. “We can’t keep going this way. They’ll never stop chasing me now. I know it’s not what you wanted, but this way at least we have a chance.”
“What about Darien?” the man asked. “Can’t I take him with me?”
“He’s too old, and he’s so attached to me.” His mother’s voice trembled. “What kind of life would he have with you? He should be with his people. I fear for him. He’s angry, lonely, and confused. He clings to me. If you took him, I don’t know how he would react. He’s already manifesting magic, far too young. I am able to suppress it, but his energy is chaotic, violent. So much like his father.” The man chuckled slightly. Darien felt the pulse of his young body quicken, overcome by an overwhelming fear, a helpless childlike fear. Whoever this was, they meant to take him from his mother. Why? Was this mysterious man a Shade, already after him for his power? No, his mother would never let anyone take him. Small hands balled into fists and anger overtook fear. Finally, she continued. “You could never control him. He wouldn’t be understood in your world. I know how you feel, but I can’t. I just have a feeling. He needs to stay with me.”
“You know what will happen if they find you?” The man seemed concerned.
“We knew the risks when we started. Do you regret it?”
“Of course not. Never.”
“Then there’s nothing else to discuss,” his mother said. Just then, Darien coughed. Footsteps headed towards the door. The door opened. He looked for the man who had been speaking, to see if it was someone familiar, but where he should have been, there was only a shifting, hazy shadow. A sharp pain jolted through his head and knocked the dream further out of focus. Then he felt warm hands take hold of his face, his mother turned his head, and there she was, looking down at him. She had the most wonderful, comforting smile on her face. Her wavy raven hair cascaded around her face, and all fear and anger disappeared. It was wonderful seeing her happy, smiling face instead of witnessing her death yet again. He wanted to linger, to remain in that dream forever, but everything disappeared in a flash.
Darien woke suddenly. His vision blurred as he looked up at the roof of the cave. The world spun uncontrollably. The pain from the dream world had been real, now violently visited upon his waking self. His ears rung loudly, and his head felt it would burst. Even for a man who knew every description of pain, it was almost indescribable. He struggled to push aside the pain, forced himself to think. He remembered just one sensation remotely similar, domination training, having his mind broken by magic. Now, as then, it felt like worms creeping through his head, ripping him apart from the inside. He closed his eyes, and though the pain remained, the dizziness at least subsided. He waited in the quiet darkness.
None of his dreams, no matter how awful, had ever resulted in this sort of reaction. Was
this dream somehow different, perhaps not a memory at all? The dawn was still a few hours away, so he tried to drift back to sleep. The pain refused to allow it, and he still felt wide awake. Conceding that sleep would evade him, he grumpily rose.
He sat up, opened his eyes, and rubbed his aching forehead. Rana and Nia were on watch. They took notice almost immediately. A hundred emotions were written on her face. He realized what they must have been discussing. Damn, I am in no state for this.
“Darien, is everything alright?” Rana rubbed her hands together and walked over to him. She knelt and looked in his eyes. “Was it another nightmare?”
“No, well, not exactly. Just a headache.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No, there is nothing you can do for me.”
“I… I just want to help,” Rana’s face was hard to look at. Now that he knew what was going on, he could see it, the concern, the feeling. How could I have been such a fool?
“I am beyond your help, beyond anyone’s help,” Darien turned away, then spoke slowly, calmly, trying to be as gentle as he could. He did look back. He could guess her expression, and had no wish to see it. “You should sleep. I will remain awake either way, and at least one of us ought to rest.”
“Nia might need rest more than I do,” Rana stated meekly. “She’s just outside.”
“You may both rest, if you need. I do not require company.”
“I see. If you ever change your mind…”
“I will not,” Darien interrupted curtly. “I appreciate your kindness, but what I require now is solitude.” He stood and walked out to the cave entrance, where he found Niarie staring off into the darkness. “If you require sleep…”
“I’m fine… I’d…like to talk for bit… if it’s OK.”
Darien whispered an approval, so that Rana would not hear. After a few minutes, he heard the woman lay down to sleep. Only when he was certain she was fast asleep, did he speak to Niarie to ask her the one question that consumed his mind at the moment. “Did you explain the situation to her?” he asked bluntly.
“I tried to explain it like Jerris explained it to me. I don’t know how well I did. I wasn’t sure she believed me until… well… when you woke up, what you said… I think she understands now.”
“You have my gratitude, both you and Jerris. I was unprepared for this problem, and I am ill-equipped to deal with it. I am an instrument of death and destruction. I have no skill in matters of the heart.”
“She knows how you feel now. It will hurt for a while, but she’ll get over it.”
“Thank you. If there is anything you need, you have only to ask.”
“Well, my Grandfather wanted to know more about you, like where you were born, how old you are, who your parents were, that kind of thing.”
Darien nodded sincerely, not letting on that Traiz had already warned him about the girl’s curiosity. The fact that she admitted this without prompting allayed his fears, a spy would not admit they were spying. “I regret that I cannot help you much. My mother’s name was Morianna. I never knew my father. I was born somewhere east of the Black Forest, but I don’t know where specifically. I’m not even certain of my own age, but I am confident it is somewhere between twenty-five and thirty-five. Was that all?”
“Do you remember anything more about your mother, I mean besides her name?” Niarie shrugged. “I mean… if you remember. Jerris said you had trouble remembering things.”
“I remember her kindness. She had a pure heart. She was nothing like I am,” Darien answered. He did not like to speak of his mother, but he was earnestly grateful to Niarie for her help with Rana. Jerris thought highly of her, and that counted for something as well, so he spoke more openly than he ordinarily would. “She was a mage of some skill. She taught me some magic when I was young, most of which I’ve long forgotten. She had dark hair, like mine, but she was a pure-blooded elf. Her skin was paler, like Ceres, and her eyes were deep green, very much like yours actually. I suppose you could have gotten most of that from Jerris, assuming he remembers my description.”
“You talked to him about her?”
“I trust Jerris as I trust no one else.”
“But you don’t trust Rana?”
“That situation is… complicated. I never intended or expected her to want my trust or friendship. I can’t give her either one. I don’t expect you to understand.” Darien elevated his tone just enough to push Niarie to move on, but not enough to frighten her.
“OK… Um… I have another question. Why was I able to use your aetherblade?” Nia asked, her eyes flashing curiously. “Is it because of the blood enchantment?”
“Possibly,” Darien said. “Starstones react to elven blood. Ordinarily, that should make it impossible for a human to use one. However, the caster of an enchantment invariably leaves an imprint of his own magic on the enchanted object. Whoever cast the enchantment was both talented and well-practiced. It would leave a far stronger imprint. If the caster of your enchantment was an elf, or even a half-elf like myself, the imprint of that magic in your blood might fool the starstone into reacting.”
“Really? That seems hard to believe.”
“It’s only speculation on my part,” Darien said. “I don’t know enough about starstones to say for certain that my theory is even plausible. Your grandfather might have a better idea. If he doesn’t, you can visit Kadanar with Jerris and speak to the lorekeeper, who knows more about starstones than any other living person. Now then, was there anything else?”
“I just have one more thing to ask,” Nia said, twirling her hair between her fingers. “I wanted to know… why doesn’t Ceres like me? Jerris doesn’t seem to want to talk about it. He just says I should ignore her.”
“Ahhh, yes that. Well, it makes him uncomfortable. He resents the way Ceres treats him,” Darien explained. “Ceres has her own agenda for Jerris. He is a prince, and his people have expectations for him. Ceres seems to think it is her duty to remind him of those expectations.”
“So what does that have to do with me?”
“Elves and men have a long history of mistrust and prejudice. Ceres does not approve of the future elf king associating with a human girl,” Darien explained.
“Oh… so… we won’t be able to be together? Er… not that I want that… I mean… I don’t know yet… but um… please don’t tell him I said that,” Niarie said as her face reddened.
“It’s alright. He is quite taken with you as well. I won’t tell you what to do, as if I would know. I am, first and foremost, Jerris’ friend and mentor. Ceres is not, and will continue to interfere, I’m afraid. She won’t be the last to disapprove, either. The elves would have difficulty accepting a human queen,” Darien said. He sighed deeply, and shook his head sadly before continuing, “Not that that’s any of my concern. Whatever the nature of your relationship with Jerris, I will not stand in your way, and don’t underestimate him. He has an unbelievably strong will. The real reason I had him train Ceres in resisting domination is because he has more natural talent for it, so it doesn’t tire him as quickly. He’ll eventually be far more capable than I am. Don’t tell him I said so, though. It’s important for a student to have a certain reverence for his teacher.” Darien grinned as he finished speaking.
“Really?” Nia said and giggled girlishly, thoroughly entertained by the notion. “You’re terrifying… er… no offense. I never would have thought that he was anywhere close.”
“None taken, and let me ask you this. How much of my power is real, and how much has your imagination added to it?” Darien pointedly asked. “Shades learn how to cultivate fear in their enemies, and then use that fear against them. If you ever meet one in battle, remember that.”
“Um… Thanks…” Niarie gave him a rather curious look, as if she was seeing him for the first time. “I think I understand what Jerris sees in you, a little of it anyway.”
“As long as you don’t start seeing what Rana does,” Darien grumbled.
>
“No, definitely not…”
“Good,” Darien raised his eyebrows threateningly. One woman fawning over him was bad enough. Two would make him wish to cast himself off the nearest cliff. “Now, if you’ve asked all your questions, I think I’ll take a walk. That nightmare left me with a headache, and the activity might help.”
“Alright. Hope you feel better,” Niarie said quietly. She really did seem to be a kind and intelligent young woman. Why should it matter that she was a human?
Darien walked in the darkness. The throbbing ache in his head gradually subsided. The cool night air and the physical activity did indeed help, though he had gotten too little sleep. Hopefully the nightmares would abate on the next night. Until they did, there was nothing to do but push through the fatigue.
Chapter 34: Pursuit in the Hills
Skarn woke the group early, and they prepared quickly. The next shelter lay another long day’s march ahead. Scant few hours of sleep provided too little rest for weary feet. Darien and the two Shield Knights handled the difficulty well, but the others seemed to have slowed from the previous day. Jerris and Nia seemed to be in especially poor spirits.
Rana too, seemed to drag herself forward without any enthusiasm. Not physical fatigue, but disappointment slowed the steps of the lady knight. The guilt weighed on Darien, but he put it aside. The vague sense of dread from the previous day had returned, and with it came a heightened focus, a sharpened awareness of the world. He redoubled his vigilance.
Jerris was predictably lethargic, as he usually was when he slept too little. Niarie seemed less tired, and more apprehensive, strangely so. When he’d spoken to her the previous evening, she’d seemed fine, but now she looked anxious. She kept close to Jerris, and kept her head down. Something seemed to be affecting her, but she said nothing.