by Aderyn Wood
Jaral nodded. “Yes, a very powerful one.”
“Is everyone in this place a sorcerer?” Dale asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.
Jaral laughed. “No, my beauty, not all. Only a few in actuality.”
Beauty? Dale breathed. Was he mocking her?
“Come, finish your meal.” Jaral said. “You’ll need your rest and we have a long day of travel tomorrow.”
28
Jaral woke Dale early the next morning and they continued their journey. At first the fog made it difficult to detect the direction they headed. But now it was largely gone and the sun came out in full. Dale could sense they were moving further west.
As she rode she took note of the creatures around her. There were many different birds and plants that she had not seen nor heard before. Tiny wrens with bright yellow and green on their wings sang to flowers so large that if she stood on their stems their petals would have enclosed her entirely. Dale was captivated. What enchanted land is this?
They had a noon meal by a large lake. Rainbow coloured fish jumped all around, making soft plopping noises.
“This is the Whistler’s Lake,” Jaral said between mouthfuls of cheese and bread. “The fish here are attracted to music, whistling especially. Our fishers catch much of our food here.”
“Perhaps we should try our luck.” Dale felt light and joyful. An afternoon of fishing in this beautiful country seemed like the perfect way to spend the rest of the day. Much better than sitting on a horse. Dale arched her back and grimaced at the pain. Her prediction had proved correct; her body had faired much worse today. When she looked at Jaral he appeared confused.
“Only the fishers may take from the lake; only they know when and where and how much to take.”
“Oh,” said Dale. There was so much to learn.
They hugged the lake for most of the day, and Dale asked question after question. She learnt the Borderlands was ‘attached’ to three different worlds, Earth was just one of them. She learnt that most of the people who lived in Arcadia were born here in the Borderlands, but some came from other worlds. She tried to find out more about Gareth, Rhys and herself, but Jaral gave her the same response – ‘Ask the queen’. His eyes would glitter and smile teasingly.
In the late afternoon, just as Jaral had indicated the night before, they started to climb the mountain path. As the sun met the horizon, Dale detected the smell of smoke. When they trotted around a curve in the path she sucked in her breath at the sight before her.
A valley with a large waterfall extended before them. Beautiful stone buildings dotted the hills, each like a small palace. Candles and lanterns were lit and the mountain looked as though it was encrusted with jewels.
The aroma of cooking fires filled the air and her mouth began to water. Snatches of music from flutes and stringed instruments came to her in waves out of the valley. I want to paint this, she thought.
Jaral watched her, smiling. “Welcome to Arcadia,” he said, sweeping his hand across the valley. “The jewel of the Borderlands.”
“Are we still on Earth?” she asked, her wide eyes taking it all in.
Jaral laughed. “No, we left that sorry place at the Eastern Gate.”
The path continued to the foot of the hill which had a large gate made of wood with intricate carvings. Two guards stood when they approached. They had the same tall height, eyes and ears of Jaral. They must be elves too.
They smiled, revealing fangs like Jaral’s and put their right hands to their chests, bowing slightly.
“Welcome, friend.”
Dale blushed. “Thank you.”
They entered the gate and the path now wound its way upward. Jaral dismounted, and then helped Dale to do the same.
“Now the time comes for me to share your company, m’lady. I look forward to having you to myself again soon.” Jaral’s eyes sparkled.
Heat crept up her neck and he laughed. “Oh, we’re going to have some fun, you and I.” He winked and Dale felt her face turn red. “Many people are interested in seeing you now, Dale. Best work on that blush.” He winked again.
Dale opened her mouth to say something but he threw the horses’ reins to the guardsmen and, grabbing her hand, pulled her along the path.
They ascended and he slowed. “Now, take it all in, Dale. Isn’t it beautiful?”
Along the path were the homes of the people who lived in Arcadia. There was much greenery amongst them – trees, shrubs, sweet-scented vines. Children were playing outside in the darkening dusk and some adults were going about their business, but they all stopped and placed their hands on their hearts and welcomed her as the guards had.
“Have they really been expecting me?” Dale asked Jaral.
“Of course, for a long time we have awaited your arrival.”
They continued their climb to the top and Dale glanced at the homes; all had very large windows. Some had a light gauze curtain, others an intricate grate, in the shape of a tree or a bird. Dale saw families eating, a man studying scrolls; another young person practised some kind of tai chi or yoga. Mostly, the people rushed out of their houses to greet her. When she looked back she saw that many followed her, and a large snake-like formation now wound its way up the mountainside.
Dale looked up. A tall building sat at the very top – a palace.
“We’re going to the top, aren’t we?” she breathed.
Jaral nodded. “Yes, that is where I must take you.”
As they walked the noise behind her grew. People were laughing and talking. Someone had a flute and others started singing. They seem so happy to see me.
Finally she got to the top and Dale’s heart stopped.
“Arcadia Palace,” Jaral whispered in her ear.
It stood so tall. White polished wood glimmered in the mass of lantern light. The entire outer wall was a monument of beautifully carved wood depicting forest scenes of trees, animals, birds, clouds and waterfalls. Her eyes followed the carvings up and she felt she could have spent an eternity simply capturing each scene with her eyes. It must have taken centuries to build. The carvings were broken up, intermittently, with large windows, and light came from within.
Jaral gently nudged her forward and she stepped onto the terrace – a large circle of polished slate encircled by sculptured lanterns, their lights reflected on the terrace floor.
A group of people stood there and in the centre of them was Ness. Her blue eyes shimmered and her silver hair flowed around her. Dale noticed momentarily that Ness’s familiar sapphire pendant was missing before she ran forward.
“Ness!” Dale shouted and the old woman embraced her.
“Oh, you’re finally here – where you belong.” Ness held her warmly, then pulled away and looked her up and down. “You look healthy, lass. Good to see your hair as it should be. Come, let me introduce you.”
Ness took her by the hand and presented her to the formal-looking people, each wearing robes of various shades, who stood tall on the terrace.
“Dale, this is the Council. This is Sa’r Conaril. He is our combat leader.”
Dale nodded and blushed a little under the stern gaze of the soldier. She looked for Jaral. Why hadn’t he told her this would happen? It was all so official.
Ness nudged Dale along the line to the next member, a tall elder, with white long hair and an equally long beard. “Master Aethyll is our revered teacher of sorcery.”
Dale’s eyes widened and the master bowed. His eyes danced and she thought she noticed him observing her aura.
Ness introduced her to each council member until finally they came to the last – a beautiful woman, tall and statuesque with long blond hair that cascaded in braids around her slender frame. She wore a white linen gown that trailed the floor behind her, its embedded jewels glinting in the lantern light. Her blue eyes smiled warmly at Dale, glistening. Was she crying?
“And this,” Ness said with a proud pause, “is Queen Anwyn – your true mother.”
29
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br /> Dale stood in the throne room, her mouth open as the other councillors filed out.
Ness touched her shoulder. “It’s alright, Dale. Come, we will explain.”
They led her into a private chamber. A fire glowed in the hearth and Dale sat on a seat with soft cushions. A vast window gave view to the valley below and all the city lights, twinkling.
Dale turned to look at the beautiful blond woman who stood by the fireplace.
“How can you be my mother?”
The queen smiled warmly, revealing delicately pointed eye teeth, and poured three cups from a pewter jug. “I’m sorry. It must have been a shock to hear but we wanted to tell you as soon as we could.” Her voice was light, musical. She handed a goblet to Ness and Dale. “I don’t want any secrets between us.” She took one herself and sat on the divan opposite.
Dale frowned. “So, how is it you are my mother? How can I even believe you?”
“You believe me, Dalendra. You know it is true.” The queen sipped her wine.
“Dalendra?”
“Your birth name.”
Dale shook her head.
Ness spoke, “The gypsy you met in the cafe that day, she was right, Dale, you are a changeling.”
Dale looked sharply at Ness. “A changeling? In the folk stories it means a baby, stolen from a human mother by a fairy and swapped for a fairy child.”
Anwyn and Ness both nodded.
Dale’s eyes widened. “You mean that happened to me, I was swapped?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, but with good reason. There is much you need to learn, and you will learn it all with time. As I’ve said before, there is more to life than what you know.”
“Well, that’s obvious,” Dale muttered. She sipped the wine and glanced at the queen. Anwyn’s eyes were kind, sympathy flowed from her. “I’m sorry; it’s just so much to take in.” She rubbed her forehead. “So why was I swapped?”
Ness smiled. “Dale, you were chosen, you were prophesised, to have great power, to help set the balance right.”
“Balance?”
“The balance, the harmony, the yin and yang.”
“Of what?”
Anwyn looked up, her blue eyes reflecting the firelight. “Of good and evil. The scales have tipped; it is – unnatural.”
Dale breathed out.
Ness spoke, “Dale, the world is infinite, as infinite as imagination. This place, it is imagination. Every living being in the three universes are connected to it. Some have a stronger connection to it than others, some like you, and me, Gareth, and Rhys.”
Rhys? Dale felt her heart.
“There are three places that exist outside of the Borderlands, but all are connected to them. Earth is one of them; it is in the worst state of imbalance.”
“You mean it has more evil?”
Ness nodded. “The other two are in harmony – at the moment. But we are not sure how long this will be true.” Ness shared a knowing look with the queen. “You saw yourself the hold evil has on Earth.”
“Pastor Richard,” Dale whispered.
Anwyn straightened her shoulders. “You are safe now, he cannot hurt you here. He wouldn’t dare.” Her eyes blazed with a determination that made Dale wonder at the power her true mother held. Jaral had told her the queen was a great sorcerer.
“So the Borderlands are safe?” Dale asked.
Ness and the queen looked at each other again.
“The fact is that the Borderlands themselves are no longer in balance. We are at war,” Ness said.
The more I know, the more questions I have.
“We will talk more of this tomorrow. There is much you should know. But you have nothing to fear. You are safe.”
Dale nodded. “So who was swapped with me? Who was the human child that my moth— Victoria gave birth to?”
Both Ness and Anwyn looked at her. “I thought you would have guessed. It was Rhys,” Anwyn said.
Dale’s eyes nearly popped.
Later that night Dale was shown to her room. It was larger than her room at home, and far more beautiful. Is that place still my home?
She felt as though she was snug within a tall tree. The white wood of the walls were intricately carved. A balcony overlooked the expanse of the city below. The sound of the waterfall fell over the city, the lights seeming to brighten in its wake. The stars appeared even brighter here than on Earth but she couldn’t recognise any constellations.
Her bed was large and soft; the quilting made of warm feathers. Cat had already made himself comfortable in the middle. She lay next to him and thought about all that had happened.
She knew the women told her the truth, that Anwyn was indeed her mother. She knew it like she knew that Victoria was not her mother. She realised she’d always known that, deep down. A tear formed in her eye, but she smiled at the same time. Anwyn was warm and gentle and had smiled at Dale lovingly. She’d touched her hair and marvelled at it. “Such a beauty,” she’d said. So different from Victoria.
And what of my father? she wondered. Surely he couldn’t be the man in Liverpool who she rarely saw. She had trouble remembering his face now, catching a glimpse only to lose it again in her mind’s eye. No, he can’t be my father.
A twinge of sadness made her sigh when she thought about her brother, Benny, but he was an easy little boy to become attached to. Anyway, he was Rhys’s brother now.
Rhys. He was Victoria’s natural born son. They had been swapped at birth. How had they done that? No wonder I thought he looked familiar. He shared the features of my family. Yes, she could see it now. It was beginning to make some sort of crazy sense. Why they chose him and that family was a mystery and she suspected would remain so, especially considering what she went through with Victoria’s crazy parenting.
And what of the prophecy? The way everyone greeted her that day, it was like she was some kind of saviour. They seemed to think Dale was going to solve all their problems. Dale’s heart pounded. Oh, Gareth, I wish I could talk to you.
The more she pondered, the more questions arose. Her thoughts circled through a dozen times until finally, as the lanterns dimmed around the city, Dale closed her eyes and she slept.
30
“Ness, what about my father, who is he?” They were in the hall enjoying a breakfast of golden honeyed pancakes.
Ness licked her fingers as she eyed Dale. “I wondered when you’d ask about him. Unfortunately I don’t know. You’ll have to ask your mother that one.” She gave Dale a wink.
“I will.” The ornate dining table seemed large enough for fifty people. A place had been set for her opposite Ness and she picked out a pancake, smothering it with the honey. “What about Gareth then? Jaral told me something happened to him. That he was tempted?”
Ness tilted her head. “Yes.” She picked up a steaming pot and reached for Dale’s cup. “Have some tea, lass. I’ll explain.”
Dale took a sip; it was hot and minty.
“Gareth had his faults, like we all do.”
Dale nodded. “I know he drank too much, if that’s what tempted him.”
“Aye, you’re right, lass. By the time he met you he’d learnt to control his habit, but he never completely renounced the bottle. It affected his powers. He relied fully on his crystal to provide him with the magic he needed to protect you.”
Dale remembered the way Gareth would thumb his green crystal when deep in thought. “So, the crystal, it had power?”
“Aye. Crystals absorb energy from the Borderlands and sorcerers on Earth can draw on them to cast spells or perform other such tasks. It was my job to ‘recharge’ it so to speak, back here in the Borderlands. It’s how he protected you that night. He spent all his remaining energy on ensuring the pastor didn’t find you.”
Dale put her cup down. “He had nothing left to save himself.”
“A stronger sorcerer would have escaped harm.” Ness reached over to touch her hand. “It was his purpose, lass, to protect you. He wouldn’t have had it any othe
r way.”
Dale bit her lip, nodding. “I think Jaral mentioned that Gareth was once tempted by love?”
Ness sighed. “Did he? I might have a word to Jaral about his loose tongue.”
“Ness, please tell me everything. My mother said there’s to be no secrets.”
Ness nodded. “You’re a smart lass. Yes, it was love that set him on his path to the bottle in the first place.” Ness looked to the ceiling. “It’s a difficult topic for me. Many years ago I found a young girl in a village. She was smart and full of magical talent. She was also very beautiful. Her parents were poor, and with many children to feed, it was easy for me to convince them to allow me to take on this girl as my apprentice. I worked under the guise of a wise woman – like a healer. I trained her in healing certainly, but it was the magic she excelled in.” Ness’s eyes gazed to the balcony and seemed to watch something far away.
“How old are you, Ness?” Dale asked.
Ness laughed. “You know, I don’t remember now. Time flows differently in the Borderlands and here we don’t seem to age. Visiting has kept me young over the centuries.”
Dale blinked. “So what happened to your apprentice?”
“She grew up and met Gareth. They fell in love. It was a beautiful, passionate love. Gareth was so happy, and he was able to teach her even more. She became very powerful. When some people take on power so quickly, they grow hungry for more. It is a lesson for all of us, lass.” Ness sipped her tea, eyeing Dale over the rim.
Dale cocked her head. “Then what happened?”
“Gareth had also had an apprentice, many years before. His name was Ricardo. When he parted ways with Gareth he travelled the Earth and the Borderlands, learning more about the art – and the dark arts.” Ness breathed deeply. “He pushed the line between good and evil. One day Gareth reunited with him. They were in London at that time and he introduced Ricardo to his new love. And that’s when things turned for the worse. Unbeknown to Gareth, Ricardo was fully involved in evil practices. He became infatuated with Gareth’s woman and she became infatuated with her new found power. They would meet in secret so he could teach her the dark arts. One night, Gareth returned to his home to find them together. They fled the city after that and Gareth was never the same. Centuries later he still blamed himself for losing her. He would have blamed himself even at the moment Ricardo shot Gareth dead that night.”