Burns glared at him for a moment and then softened. “Maybe not.”
Martin stepped in. “Done. I’ll take the first shift—a couple of hours. Jarek, you go second and then Burns after you. I’ll do the final stint.” He nodded toward the wagon. “Go ahead, get some sleep. Your turn will come soon enough.”
But Jarek couldn’t sleep. Every sound seemed amplified, as though the group were under attack. He tossed and turned, pulling his cover, such as it was, up tightly against his chin.
“You are full of surprises, Master Whit.” Aristan spoke for the first time that day.
I’m trying to sleep here.
“And not doing a very good job of it, I see.” The chuckle rippled through Jarek’s mind. “Your offer to stand guard, that was a noble thing to do. And your response to your friend’s objection was well-founded.”
And you’re here just to compliment me? Jarek regretted the thought even as he offered it. After all, this was a god and he was offering kind words. Sorry. It’s been a tough day.
“They will become much tougher, my friend. But on the bright side, I can see that we have chosen wisely.”
Jarek didn’t even want to know. Aristan had already implied that this entire adventure had been a plan, of sorts. All of the misery was intentional. On the other hand, he’d met some nice people. And, as he considered Burns, he realized that her friendship was like nothing he had ever experienced.
“I know, Jarek. And I assure you, that is not to be taken lightly. She is your friend. More importantly right now, you are her friend. She needs you and she will continue to need you in the days to come.”
It was starting to get annoying that this god could read his thoughts before he even knew them himself. But his words, at least at that moment, held meaning for him. They were important. Is she going to be okay? It was a question he had dared not ask, or even think about, before.
“That will depend, to a large extent, on you.”
So, what do I need to do?
The question in his mind was returned with silence. Aristan was either gone or ignoring him. It figures. He rolled over and tried to get comfortable, but a hand grasped his shoulder.
“Jarek, time to get up—your turn on watch.”
The Azyrean alternated between patrolling around a perimeter and sitting on one of the large building stones. The overcast obscured the moon, which should have risen just after midnight. With no fire and no stars—a complete absence of light—Jarek caught himself staring blankly into the darkness. Even if something did approach them, he wouldn’t see it until it was on him.
As if on cue, a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. The whisper came with a hard edge. “Jarek, Ssshhhhh. Keep quiet.”
Chapter 28: Ebon Hills
Jarek whirled around and stepped back away from the hands. “Whaaaa…?” His heart pounded as he reacted, not sure whether to grab his dagger or scream for help.
Out of the darkness, a familiar face appeared very close to his. “Keep quiet.” The hands put pressure on his shoulders and the figure knelt. “Get down.”
“CeCe!” Jarek whispered the acknowledgement. “We are here looking for you.”
“I can see that. And you brought company.”
“Yeah, Burns and Brother Martin. Is the commander here with you? And what about Corny and Martin’s wife and kids?” He spat out the questions with urgency while trying to keep his voice down.
“They’re here. But you brought other company.” CeCe, her face barely visible in the darkness, nodded toward some place behind Jarek. “Two assassins and three rangers. They followed you here.”
“But we kept watch, we didn’t see anything.” Jarek remembered his feelings of being watched. It seemed his instinct was better than he gave himself credit for.
CeCe smirked. “Then you’d better work on those surveillance skills. Come, let’s wake your companions.”
“Where are West and the others?”
“In due time. We have to deal with the intruders first.” She stood but remained in a crouched position. “Come on, we don’t have all night.”
The four of them—Jarek, Burns, Martin, and CeCe—huddled beside the wagon. CeCe nodded to her right. “They set up about thirty meters distant. One ranger remains on watch. The other two sleep. The assassins—I don’t know about them. I’m not sure they ever sleep.”
Brother Martin whispered, “My family, are they safe?”
“Yes. They are underground with the commander. Cornelius is on watch down there now.”
The brother, apparently satisfied with the answer, shifted his stance and peered into the darkness where CeCe had nodded. “So, what do you suggest?”
“I know where the rangers are. But we have to find the assassins. And that’s going to be tough. They blend into the night. We do have one advantage, though. They don’t know that we know about them. The three of you stay here. I will make my way in their direction. My guess is that, while they’re likely awake, they remain still. If I can create a slight noise, some kind of innocuous distraction, I might be able to evoke a shift or movement. Once I see them, we can plan our attack. But make no mistake, they must go first. The rangers are of no consequence if we cannot remove the assassins beforehand.”
The wait for CeCe’s return seemed endless. Jarek’s concern about finding and fighting the assassins faded, and he began to question whether the former traitor might not have changed after all. Maybe she had set them up and was now leading the king’s minions to them.
Her voice brought him out of his fears. “I found them. As I suspected, they are awake but still. They are just beyond the rangers, about five meters. We’ll need to circle around to reach them unseen. We’ve got another three hours until daylight. What I propose is this.”
◆◆◆
The drizzle had ended but the air remained heavy with moisture. By the time the eastern sky showed the faintest hint of light, the group of four had positioned themselves. No words were spoken. CeCe pointed to a spot ahead of them.
Jarek stared, looked away, and then stared some more. At first, he saw nothing. Then a bare hint of movement. And then he saw the outline. The assassin was standing, peering toward the west—toward the ruins of the Dubois estate. CeCe had led the party to a position behind the intruders. With the first one in sight, the Azyrean began to search for the other. The task was easier since he could see how they presented in the low light. Within seconds, he spotted the target standing not a meter away from the first. Both of the assassins faced away from the party.
Jarek knew that the assassins could die. After all, Virgil had killed one of them in the cave that night. But that victory had turned on the element of surprise. The intruder that night had not been expecting it, and there had been only one of them. Here they were faced with two assassins.
CeCe pointed to the first and then to herself, withdrawing two daggers from their sheaths strapped to her lower legs. She then nodded toward the second assassin, and locked gazes with Martin and Burns in turn, ignoring the Azyrean.
Jarek touched her arm and then pointed to himself, questioning her with his eyes.
She looked as though she were going to shake her head but then motioned with her hand for him to follow her.
They had agreed earlier to strike in the space of time between first light and when the rangers would all arise. Without knowing their adversaries’ plans, CeCe had figured they would have less than half an hour. Then the entire band would be up and alert. She and Jarek crept toward their targeted assassin. Jarek had drawn his dagger, although CeCe had made it clear that she would strike first. He would jump in to help if necessary.
After what seemed an eternity, the two paused at a spot about five meters behind their target and waited. Jarek peered to his right at the other one. Within a few moments, he saw Burns and Martin slide into place and come to a halt.
CeCe raised her hand with three fingers extended and counted down—three fingers, two fingers, one finger, and then a closed
fist. With a speed that Jarek had never seen before, the woman silently hurled herself at the assassin, daggers flashing in both hands.
But the target did not appear surprised. He whirled as she approached, wielding knives of his own. CeCe’s slashes found marks, but, from what Jarek could see, they were not killing strikes. She rolled past her adversary and sprang to her feet facing him.
Her foe went into a crouch and began to circle as though moving in for the kill.
Jarek heard the commotion from where Burns and Martin had struck. He stared at the thing in front of him. In his heart, he knew that one-on-one, CeCe likely had little chance against this thing. With all of the courage he could summon, the Azyrean threw himself at the adversary, stabbing at his lower back.
The assassin whirled and screamed at the same time—a bone chilling inhuman wail. Jarek rolled away, leaving his dagger embedded in his enemy.
CeCe took the opportunity and sprang. In a heartbeat, she plunged her two daggers into the thing, one on either side of its neck. It made a feeble attempt to turn back toward her and then dropped without a sound.
Jarek was suddenly aware of the silence from where Burns and Martin had attacked. The two stood over the still body of the second assassin. The moment was one of surreal peace, but it was only a moment. A shout went up from the ranger on watch, and, in the space of only a second or two, the three elite troops were up and beginning to fan out. They bore shortbows and were notching arrows as they moved.
The Azyrean wasn’t sure how the whole attack managed to get organized. But without discussion, CeCe, Martin, and Burns all flew toward different targets. It turned out to be a stroke of luck… or genius. The three closed the distance enough that the rangers could not get off shots. Their shortbows were useless. As the foes discarded them and attempted to draw swords, they were cut down. Within seconds, the king’s minions all lay dead on the ground.
CeCe returned to the first assassin and withdrew the protruding dagger from its back. She wiped the blade on the corpse’s cloak and then handed it to Jarek. “Very impressive.” She smiled and nodded.
Chapter 29: Crystal Sands
Tovi watched as Myhrren examined the dagger. The old man betrayed no emotion or concern. Instead, he turned the weapon at different angles, moving his head as though to check it out from every possible vantage.
“It’s a dagger. And the blade is very sharp. The human weaponsmith oiled it for me but he said that it had a good edge on it already.”
“Yes, yes. As I told you, this is a special object and you will need it.”
“You could have told me what it was, though.” Sometimes Myhrren’s secrecy grated on the young boy’s nerves.
“True enough. I could have. But then you would not have enlisted the aid of Master Mathias and his friend.”
“So?”
Myhrren chortled. “Indeed. So. The dagger is special. Make no mistake about that. But your friendship with the humans, the ogres, and the elves is also special. This weapon alone will not solve your problems. And you, by yourself, cannot do what is needed. No, my good friend, we will accomplish our goal when everything aligns. To banish our nemesis this dagger will be required, as well as your courage and the help of others. If any of those are absent, all will be for naught.”
Tovi turned the notion over in his mind, unconvinced.
As though sensing the Azyrean’s reluctance to accept the premise, Myhrren continued, “If you think back, nothing you have accomplished—and you have accomplished much—has been without the help of others. Consider how you came to know River. You and he connected, to be sure, but without the help of Klunk and Kharla he would have perished there in the desert.”
He stood and stretched, scratching the white hair at his temples. “And think of your adventure in the cave. Each of you had a part to play. Although you might not have considered it, without Kharla’s cooperation with Mugrok, the portal for the human armies would not exist.” Myhrren glanced at Tovi and guffawed. “What, you thought I didn’t know about that? Or better yet, you think that the portal is a bad thing. No, no, my small friend. We now know exactly where Dredwyn’s forces will enter the realm. “
Tovi stared in disbelief. “You knew all of this? And you didn’t even tell me?”
The old man’s laughter softened to a smile. “Perhaps the word know is too strong. After all, I cannot see the future with perfect precision and accuracy. For humans and demons alike have free will. You can make whatever choices you desire. But predicting how others will react is not that hard. I knew that Dredwyn would approach you in disguise… and I told you as much. I knew that you would be wary and question what you saw. It is in your nature… and I reminded you of that. I knew that Klunk is a thoughtful ogre who always tries to see the bigger view and aspire to the right course of action. And finally, I knew that Kharla carried much grief and anger. As such, it was most likely that she would believe the lies.”
“But still, you could have let me in on some of this.” The constant mystery and flow of half-truths exasperated the young boy.
“Trust, Tovi. Trust. That is important, both for you and for me. Just as you must learn to trust others, I must trust in you. And, to be sure, you must trust in yourself. You are stronger and smarter than you think. You have more courage than you realize. But the more details I give you, the more you would end up doing only what I tell you. Then, when things don’t go exactly as envisioned, you might find that you are unable to think things through.” Myhrren put his hand on Tovi’s shoulder. “The time will come, and it is not far off, when you will have to think for yourself and make your own decisions. While I can predict many things, I cannot dictate what course Dredwyn will take. You must have the confidence to read his actions and do what is needed. And I must trust you to do that.”
Tovi’s heart fell. “So I’m going to be in this all by myself? I’m going to have to go wherever Dredwyn is and do this, whatever it is I have to do?” It occurred to Tovi that he didn’t even know anything about banishing a demon. And he didn’t seem to be getting any closer to an answer, despite having the dagger.
“No. You will not do this alone. You will have help from many different people. You will know things they do not know, and they will fill some of the gaps in your knowledge. The final thrust, as it were, will be for you to make. But it will take a group of dedicated allies to get you to that place.” Myhrren rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. “But know this, Tovi, the dagger you now hold in your hand is the key. Once you are there, the power of all the gods can be brought to bear in the point of its blade. The weapon is for you to carry.”
Tovi held the dagger up, adjusting his grip on the hilt. “I guess I was lucky to find it. And it’s funny. The handle fits my hand perfectly. I mean, an ogre couldn’t use it, and it’s really kind of small for a human.”
Myhrren burst out in laughter. “Tovi, Tovi, that is priceless. You still think in terms of luck or coincidence. I would have thought you knew me better by now.”
Chapter 30: Crystal Sands
Tovi inspected the dagger as he trudged across the compound. He would leave the next day, along with the human forces, to survey the area around the mines near the portal. Once he returned, he would probably be going off somewhere else to do whatever it was he was supposed to do with Dredwyn. There was so much he didn’t know. Strangely enough, he was getting used to it. What he wanted at the moment, though, was to talk to his sister.
He found her sitting alone, staring out across the desert at a distant oasis. “Hey, Marzi.” He plopped down beside her.
She turned toward him, a worried look on her face. “How do you think Mom and Dad are doing? It’s been so long.”
Tovi recalled what Myhrren had told him and the times he’d seen his mother in dreams. “I think they’re okay.” He grinned as he added, “but I bet they’d be worried if they knew what we were up to.”
Marzi cracked a smile. Her eyes grew wistful and her face serious. “Still, I miss them,
Tovi. But at least I know you’re all right. I was worried crazy about you.”
Tovi chuckled. It was nice to see her worry about him. “I was fine. And I had good times with the ogres. And I got this really cool dog to hang out with.”
“Me too, except that he doesn’t belong to me and he’s not really a dog, he’s a great wolf. He is Ryshara’s. But I talk to him and he talks to me.” Her gaze slipped to the dagger he held in his hand. “What’s that?”
Tovi, beaming with pride, held it up in front of her face. “You like it? I found it in the caves and one of the humans cleaned it up for me.”
“Why does it glow like that?”
“Dunno. It was just that way when we took the crust off it. You like it?” At that moment, he noticed the dagger on her belt. “You have one too?”
Marzi brought out her own weapon. “Yeah. Ran got it for me. One of the elf weaponsmiths made it. And….” She didn’t finish the sentence.
“How did they make it glow green?”
His sister shrugged. “It’s just that way, I guess.”
Tovi looked more closely at her sheath and belt. “Where did you get those? I need one. I can’t carry this thing around in the open like this.” He brandished the dagger in front of him.
“A good friend of mine is a leather worker. She made it for me.”
“Do you think she could make one for me?”
◆◆◆
“Of course, I can make a belt and sheath.” Ellemareth held the dagger with both hands, one on the hilt and the other beneath the blade. “You will have to let me take it to where I keep my tools but you may come sit with me while I cut the materials needed.” She shifted her gaze to Tovi’s face and gave him the warmest smile that he had ever seen.
“I can come sit with you if you want.”
“Perfect. And you can tell me about riding moonbeams. Come, let us go over to my quarters. You can tell me more there.” Elle, dagger in hand, stood and started for a group of tents. “All my supplies are there.”
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