As he thought about it, he wasn’t sure that he understood. “They’re different,” he said.
“Different, but similar enough that those ancient clans saw the connections. Some wanted the abilities kept separate from the talents, while others wanted to merge them, a joining of the power of the Watcher and the power of the Elders.”
Della’s eyes were closed as she spoke, and she turned slowly. Rsiran realized that she attempted a Seeing.
“Over time, they came to mingle, but only with those of weak talent. The same could be said for those with strong abilities. For some reason, those with the Blood of the Elders could not hold the crystals. But a time would come, a time when the Blood of the Elders would join with that of the Watcher. We must prepare and be ready, or both the power of the Elders and that of the Watcher will be lost. If one of the trees has gone dark, we might already be too late.”
Della staggered to the side.
Rsiran Slid to her and scooped her before she struck the ground. Wrinkles etched deeply at the corners of her eyes. She stared up at him blankly.
“We should get her back. Whatever she detects here is too much for her.”
Jessa took his arm, and together they Slid, returning to Della’s home.
Chapter 28
Rsiran stood next to Brusus outside of Della’s small home, thinking that perhaps he’d made a mistake in bringing her back here. Ephram and Sarah had come, along with a few others Rsiran had not met before. Now only a few remained.
“Will she be okay?” Rsiran asked.
“This is temporary,” Ephram said. “But she’s very weak. Whatever happened there… it was almost too much for her. If nothing else, it has galvanized the guilds to work together again. That is something.” A grim expression pulled the corners of his mouth. “And now we must return to the Hall of Guilds to make our preparations.”
Rsiran looked at Della’s house, feeling numb. “I didn’t know what would happen when we went there.”
Brusus nodded to Ephram and Sarah as they departed, then patted Rsiran on the shoulder. “Of course you didn’t know. No one blames you for what happened. Damn, Rsiran, I think most of us are just happy that you’re standing. Can’t believe that she managed to Heal you. Between that, this Traveling that you described, and whatever happened when you went to the forest…”
Rsiran still hadn’t explained to Brusus about the Elder Trees. It didn’t seem as if Brusus needed to know, but more than that, he wasn’t sure that Brusus should know. He had explained his newfound talent with him and Haern, but neither had heard of Traveling before.
Jessa crouched against the side of the house and didn’t look up as they spoke. She’s said little since their return. Seeing Della weakened had taken a surprising toll on her.
“I need to return to the Barth,” Brusus said to him. “Alyse does a fine job with the tavern, but she gets a bit twitchy when I’m not there.” He shrugged. “I’ll count on you to let me know as soon as something changes.”
Rsiran nodded. “I’ll let you know.”
Brusus glanced to Jessa and continued in a lower voice. “Take care of her, too, will you? Not sure what’s bothering her, but she’s been moping.”
“I don’t mope,” Jessa said.
Brusus grinned. “Good. Then you can help your man. You’ve already seen what trouble he gets into when you’re not with him.”
Rsiran thought that she might smile at the comment, or make one of her own, but she didn’t do anything. She barely even blinked. But she nodded toward Brusus and stared at the knife she held in her hand, running the flat of the blade along her pants.
Brusus frowned and leaned into Rsiran. “Know what the problem is?” he whispered.
“Probably me. She saw what happened when Rhan attacked me. I think she’s afraid of what I might do next.”
Brusus grunted. “And what will you do next?”
Rsiran shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
“Well, whatever you do, just… Just be careful. And know that you have help.” Brusus patted his shoulder again and started toward the Barth.
He and Brusus stood in silence with Jessa watching him, as if trying to determine his thoughts. The door opened, and Haern popped his head out and nodded to Rsiran.
“She’s awake. And she wants to see you.”
He helped Jessa stand, and then they went into the house. Haern nodded toward the back room. Rsiran had rarely visited the back room, but had spent more time there in the last twenty-four hours, since returning Della from the forest. A candle flickered next to the bed, wax dripping down the side. There was a hint of a medicinal odor that he didn’t understand until he saw a thick paste smeared across her forehead. Rsiran frowned at it before deciding that Haern must have mixed it. He had some knowledge of herbs and medicines as well. Not the same as Della, but then, Rsiran doubted that anyone had that level of understanding.
A mug sat on the table next to the candle. And Della lay covered by thick sheets, only her head and her nest of gray hair visible. The wrinkles around the edges of her eyes hadn’t changed. If anything, they had deepened. But her eyes were open, she seemed alert.
“You don’t have to look at me like that,” she said to him.
“Like what?”
Della pushed herself up onto her elbows. “Like I’m dying. I will heal. Just tired, is all.”
“I guess it’s my turn to ask you what happened.”
Della took a deep breath. “The Elder Trees are powerful. They hold the memories of our people. That was part of the reason I wanted you to take me there, but I didn’t expect it to overwhelm me the way that it did.”
“You Saw something, didn’t you?”
Della nodded. “You told me about the darkened tree that you saw when you Traveled.”
“The one that I didn’t have a connection to.”
“Perhaps. But what if it’s something more than that?” Jessa pulled a chair into the room and took a seat next to the bed. Della smiled at her. “I’m all right. You don’t have to fear for me.”
Jessa swallowed. “We’ve lost enough already.”
Della’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve lost some, but we’ve gained much as well. And I’m not gone yet.” She sighed. “When the vision overcame me, I understood what happened, and why you saw the trees the way you did.”
“Because I don’t share a connection to them?”
“When you first mentioned that, I believed it might be a possibility. But the more I see of you and the more I realize what you have done, I think you are somehow connected to both the Elder Trees and the crystals. If what you described was real, you have held two of the Great Crystals. And yet you also were able to see the Elder Trees.”
“What do you mean that he saw the trees? They’re massive. I can see them,” Jessa said.
“Not like he did. There is a different connection—one that I suspect the guilds hold secret. Seeing the Elder Trees is much like holding one of the Great Crystals. I have never known anyone to hold a crystal more than once, much like I have never known anyone to see the potential of more than one of the Elder Trees.”
Rsiran realized that she didn’t mean seeing them as the trees that they were, but as the power that flowed through them. That was what he’d witnessed in his vision. “I saw three.”
“But there are five,” Della said. “And the forth was there, but dimly for you?” Rsiran nodded. “Yet the fifth was not.”
“What does that mean?”
Della sighed again. “I thought I might See the answer when we visited the forest, but that was not the vision that came to me. I Saw our past, much farther into the past than I have ever glimpsed. It was… it was overwhelming, even for someone accustomed to such visions.”
“Maybe Rsiran hasn’t made a connection to the fifth tree,” Jessa said.
“That is a possibility, but he can see each of the Great Crystals, and he does not have each of the abilities. Were it only the dimly lit tree, I would not have the sa
me concern, but you described one of the Elder Trees as dark. And you were aware that it was dark.”
Rsiran nodded. “Only because I knew the tree was there because of my visit with Sarah. I wouldn’t have found it otherwise.”
“That is my concern.”
“What happened to the fifth Elder Tree?” Rsiran asked.
Della sighed. “That is what you must find out.”
“Venass,” Jessa said. “You think it’s Venass that did something to the tree.”
“I think that Venass possesses knowledge that most have lost. I think they understand connections in this world that many others cannot imagine. They have shown a great power in their attack on Rsiran—power that I have never seen before. And I think that they search for power that they have not been able to possess. Would that involve the Elder Trees?” She shook her head. “Once, I would have said that it would not, but I am no longer certain. When the smiths were abducted, I think Venass realized that they overlooked something. That must be why they wanted your father, Rsiran.”
“So if what you’re saying is true, then Venass did something to the last Elder Tree.”
“That’s what I fear.”
“But what? What could they do to one of the Elder Trees?”
“The Elder Trees aren’t protected the same way the crystals are.”
Rsiran considered what he’d seen when he Traveled to the Aisl when injured and thought he knew what Della was concerned about. “But this isn’t about just reaching and accessing that power, is it? It’s what they will do with the power.”
Della nodded. “We’ve seen that Venass doesn’t want a power to exist that they can’t understand. More than that, they don’t want a power to exist that they can’t access. And the Elder Trees represent both. If they are somehow able to harm the trees…Once they are gone, Venass must believe that they will be able to reach the crystals. And from there… there I do not know. Much as they have with lorcith, they will pervert the intent and the power stored within the crystals.”
Della fell back in her bed, and her eyes drifted closed. “Do what you can, Rsiran. You might be the only one who can do something.”
“I… I don’t know how to stop them. Every time I’ve faced Venass…”
He didn’t have to finish. Every time that he’d come into contact with Venass, either he or someone he cared about had been hurt. Would he—could he—risk that happening again? But could he risk doing nothing, especially if he knew that Venass intended to destroy the Elder Trees?
Rsiran knew that he couldn’t.
But he needed help. Not only from his friends, but from the guilds. All would suffer if Venass succeeded. And what of his friends? Would Rsiran use them? Would he ask them to risk themselves?
“Is that your choice?” Della asked.
He glanced to his wrists to check that he still wore the bracelets to avoid her Reading him, and did, but she had Read him. “I… I don’t want anyone else hurt.”
“Much like they don’t want you hurt,” Della said. “I know it’s hard for you to see that, Rsiran, but there are others who care about you besides this girl. They all want you to be safe, and happy, and to live a life that you have dreamt of. But none of you will be able to live in peace if Venass manages to reach what they intend.”
“Why now?” he asked. “What changed for them? Why do they attack now when they haven’t for so many years?”
“The only ones who can answer that are not here. And it may be that they only attack now because of what you have shown, Rsiran. You have demonstrated the power and ability that is possible. You have shown them what they are not able to do, in spite of years spent researching and studying and thinking that they had the answers, that their knowledge would be able to overwhelm the gifts of the Great Watcher.”
Was that it, or was there more to it than that?
But Della was right. The only ones able to answer weren’t here. And even if they were, he wasn’t sure that they would come up with an answer that satisfied.
“How will we know how to find them? How will we know how to defeat them?”
Della actually smiled. “I think we have Venass to thank for that. If not for them, you would never have learned of another aspect of your abilities. You might never have learned that you can Travel.”
A smile began to spread across his face. If he could Travel… and if he didn’t have to be someplace in person, maybe he would be able to find an answer. Then, they wouldn’t be able to trap him, would they?
“Do they know that it’s possible?” he asked.
“There are not many in Elaeavn who remember that it’s possible. But Venass is different. I would not presume to know what they have discovered in their studies. You must prepare as if they might know. You must be ready.”
Jessa stood and grabbed his hand, pulling him around to face her as if he intended to Slide that very moment. “You don’t know anything about this ability, Rsiran. If you think you’re going to use it to defeat Venass…”
“And there is risk,” Della said. “Do not think that nothing can happen to you simply because your body is not there. If you’re separated, and if something happens to your body while your mind has Traveled… I think such a thing would be dangerous. I do not know for certain what would happen. The only ones who might know have been gone from this earth for hundreds of years, and they have not left a vision for me to access. But caution.”
Rsiran nodded. He would need to practice. And then, he would need to prepare, knowing that all the while, Venass might attack again.
The next attack might be more than he and his friends could survive.
“There is nothing more I can do to guide you, Rsiran,” Della said. “What you must do can only be guided by the Great Watcher. I pray that you will succeed.”
Chapter 29
The coals of the forge were cold and Rsiran resisted the urge to fire it up to hammer some lorcith. He might be able to calm his mind, and to find a sense of peace, but he would find no answers, and he would only delay what he needed to do. And that was searching for answers. Right now, he had no answers about Venass. There was nothing but more questions.
Jessa rested on their bed, but she watched him. She had stared at him constantly since leaving Della’s place. Mostly, he thought, because if he figured out how to Travel at will, she wouldn’t be able to go with him. This wouldn’t be like Sliding where he managed to bring her along with him. This would be like when he first started to Slide, when he had to do everything himself. This would be on his own.
And it must be, he knew.
Rsiran held one of his lorcith knives gently in his hand. There was a reassuring presence to having the lorcith with him, though he still hadn’t discovered what had changed with his connection to the metal. Something was different, much like something with his connection to heartstone had changed. Become stronger in some ways, but he didn’t know why, or whether it mattered.
Had the injury changed the connection, or was it the fact that he had essentially held one of the Great Crystals a second time?
More questions for another time.
What he needed to know was whether he could learn to Travel when he wasn’t near death. Was it possible for him to pass beyond his body, to leave it behind as he Traveled? And if he could, what might he learn?
Rsiran could think of many uses, but so many reminded him of the way that Readers seemed to invade others minds. He didn’t want to do the same, though he would if it meant understanding Venass and finding a way to stop them.
He closed his eyes. When he had Traveled before, it had been nothing like Sliding. When he first started Sliding, that had been taking a physical step, and a sense of movement. Only later had he discovered that he could pull himself in a Slide, something that had to be connected to his ability with lorcith, only he didn’t really understand how.
But Traveling, at least what he remembered of it, had come from something almost like imagining where he wanted to be, and then he
had been there.
Could he do that again?
Rsiran already knew where he would start. If it had worked the first time for him to reach the Elder Trees, he would attempt that again. Maybe there was something to the trees or the forest that helped him reach it. Or maybe it didn’t matter.
He took a deep breath and envisioned the forest.
At first, there was nothing. He sensed the smithy around him, the sound of Jessa’s steady breathing, and all of the lorcith around them.
Slowly that began to fade, growing more distant as his awareness of the smithy faded and the sense of the forest appeared.
Like before, there were no smells, and there was nothing like the earthy scent to the air that he knew when he Slid himself entirely. There wasn’t even a sense of movement. Only nothingness.
Rsiran again wondered if it was nothing more than a dream. Could he really Travel, sending only his mind from his body? Such a thing seemed more impossible than anything even the Elvraeth were able to accomplish.
The bright light appeared before him. As before, there were three such lights, and he felt drawn to each of them. Rsiran reached for them, recognizing the power from the trees, before floating away, back toward what he imagined was the center of the clearing. What of the dimly lit tree? Could he find that one as well? As he searched, he discovered it, but the light was more faded than it had been before. That made it less likely that the faint light was because of the lack of connection he shared with the tree, and more likely that it had something to do with why the other tree was dark.
He focused on the darkened tree and felt it loom near him, though he could not see it.
The temptation to return to the crystal room came to him, but that wasn’t why he had come here. He needed to understand if he could control this ability.
Would he be able to Travel to other places that he knew?
Rsiran thought of Ilphaesn, of the depths in the mine where he’d seen evidence of Venass. It had to be tied to their attack on him, especially with the paired lorcith they had used. As he thought of it, he was there. The cavern had changed since he was last there. The ground was still blackened, but the rim of metal was gone, and the other pieces of metal were gone. Whatever Venass had been doing here was no longer.
The Shadowsteel Forge (The Dark Ability Book 5) Page 21