They returned to the place where she said the deer had stood, and they both sat down on the hard ground. This time, Aridis pulled a variety of vials and pouches from his pockets, placing them gently in front of him. He muttered something under his breath about time being fickle, and he picked up one of the small pouches from the ground. He released the string that tied it closed and dumped a smooth, black stone into his hand. He reached out and placed the stone in Bridgett’s hand. “I want you to think about the deer. Form as clear an image in your mind as you can, and grip the stone tightly.”
Bridgett nodded and did as he asked. When the stone suddenly began to grow warm in her hands, she nearly dropped it. Aridis held his hand out for the stone, and she quickly passed it back to him. He used his staff to draw a large circle in the dust between them, and he placed the stone at its center. Withdrawing a pinch of a pungent-smelling herb from another pouch, he nodded subtly, muttered something Bridgett couldn’t hear, and then sprinkled the crushed plant over the stone. From a small, dark vial he dribbled a thick substance over the herbs. Then he poured another vial of clear fluid over the stone, watching as it ran out in all directions until it reached the circle he had sketched in the dust.
Aridis reached his arms out and hovered his fingertips over the circle as it filled with liquid. He slowly traced the paths from the outer ring inward toward the stone. His fingers began to tremble, and Bridgett looked on anxiously. Aridis’s eyes were closed, and a sheen of sweat formed on his brow. He sat motionless, slowly tracing the flow of fluid within its border and around the small stone. Bridgett watched him closely for any sign of distress.
By the time Aridis opened his eyes and withdrew his hands from over the muddy mess of herbs before him, the sun was hovering near the horizon. Aridis trembled as he rose to his feet, grasping his staff tightly. He glanced at the sky growing dimmer and urged Bridgett to hurry.
“We should be going. It would not be wise to remain in the ruins after dark.” Bridgett scrambled to her feet, massaging the aches from her back as she tried to keep up with the old man.
“Aridis, what did you see?”
“A disturbing darkness. We will speak of it more in the comfort of my home. My aching bones wish to be far from this hard stone.”
9 –Parting Ways
Aridis and Bridgett reached the lake as darkness was claiming the sky. They entered his home with slow steps. Aridis busied himself putting his things away, while Bridgett fixed them a light meal of bread, cheese, and fruit. They sat together at the table and ate in silence for a while.
“I am sorry for hesitating to delve into what I witnessed,” Aridis said suddenly, frowning down at his half-finished meal. “But it is not an easy thing to explain.”
“I understand,” Bridgett replied. “Or rather, I don’t understand, but of course I will wait to hear what you have to say until you are prepared to explain it to me.”
“I will try to describe it to you, but I do not feel that I can accurately interpret it.” Aridis pushed his plate away and leaned back in his chair. “The deer came from deep in the forest, somewhere south of the volcano. Although I could follow his path intermittently, I could not discern where exactly he began. I was able to see back to his birth, but there were many gaps in the timeline of the deer’s life.”
“What would cause these gaps in what you could see?” Bridgett did not fully understand how Aridis’s ability worked, and she was intrigued by what he could learn from looking at fluid upon old stones.
“Likely it is due to a lack of control on my part. Using my gift in this way was quite taxing. There is another possibility, however.”
“What is that?”
“Much like you were unable to connect to the deer with your gift, I feel that I struggled to do so with mine as well. Our gifts are powered by the magic within Archana. We are able to use them because our own lives are powered by that same magic. I have reason to suspect this deer is not.”
“What do you mean? How can anything living not be connected to Archana?”
“That’s the question then, isn’t it?” Aridis rested his chin on his fist, propping his elbow on the table. He looked as if he had aged years after expending so much of himself in the ruins. “I perceived the deer’s death—several days ago, if my calculations are correct.”
“What?” Bridgett stared at him with wide eyes.
“An arrow pierced his chest, puncturing his lung. I saw him die.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know. You have to understand, my gift does not normally function this way. Seeing actual events from the past is very different than seeing potential future paths. While I cannot be sure of the accuracy, the vision seemed quite real. I believe that what I saw is what took place.”
“What else did you see?” Bridgett trembled as she anticipated the grim implications of Aridis’s words.
“Immediately after the deer died, there was a gap in what I could see. I do not know how much time passed. Then, near a small lake, there were several people gathered. I could not tell if they were human, but one of them was screaming at the others. There was another gap, and then I think the deer was walking through the forest.” Aridis folded his arms across his chest, sighing heavily. “Bridgett, after the deer’s death, I could not see it anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“I could perceive the deer’s location in the vision. I could see the man pointing at something while he yelled at the others. One of them was holding a bow, and a quiver of arrows rested at his feet. I could see plants bending and shifting as if at the passing of a large animal. I could see you, standing in the ruins, reaching your hand out to something.” He anxiously pulled his fingers through his long, scraggly beard. “But I could no longer see the deer. I believe that Archana could no longer see the deer.”
Bridgett sat back in shock. She had heard his words, but she was having trouble processing them. The deer was dead, and then the deer wasn’t dead. Its link to Archana, the very connection that allowed for life, had been severed. Her hand itched where she had touched the deer, as if the knowledge of its death had left her tainted. She wiped her hands on her skirt in an unsuccessful attempt to still their trembling.
“If the deer had died, how was it standing before me in the ruins?”
“I do not know how it happened, but I cannot purge the words that man was screaming from my mind.” Bridgett hesitated, determined to ask but scared to hear the answer.
“What did he say?”
Aridis looked her in the eye.
“It did not work, you worthless load of drogma dung. I can’t control it. The strands are not intact.”
Bridgett was stunned. Aridis seemed to be implying that someone had killed the deer and then brought it back to life, but something had gone wrong. How could someone accomplish such a feat? Even worse, why would someone want to?
“Aridis, you must take this information to Osric. I do not know what to make of it myself, but I fear what it could mean. I think it is of dire importance that you find out who it was you saw in this vision.”
“I agree.” He stood and busied his hands in cleaning up after their meal. “Tell me, where will you go?”
Bridgett thought back to the cryptic words Aridis had given her at the ruins and the clear message she had gleaned from it. She thought of Osric and how he had looked when she had last seen him. He had been tired, fearful of the future of his people, and so terribly happy when he gazed into her eyes. She held back the tears that threatened to spill over.
“I will go to seek help for Osric and our friends. At first light, I will leave for De’assartis.”
Aridis turned and looked at her in surprise. She met his gaze steadily, her mouth set in a firm line.
“The elves may not be pleased to see you. They have distanced themselves from the Human Realm for generations.”
“I know, but if anyone can provide the force needed to stop this war, it will be the elves. If I canno
t be by his side, I must do what I can to help him from afar.”
* * *
Bridgett finished securing the flight rigging to the dragon far later in the day than she had intended. Aridis had convinced her that she must be well prepared for such a journey, as she may find the elves less than hospitable. She could sense his concern for her, but he did not try to dissuade her from going. It was past mid’day when they finished preparing their provisions and paused for a meal. Bridgett was growing restless, as she felt that every moment she delayed was a greater detriment to Osric’s success.
She tied off the last of the leather straps and climbed down to the ground. Her supplies were already lashed behind Ashir’s wings. She was gazing out at the lake when Aridis hobbled out onto the shore, leaning heavily on his staff. Bridgett hurried over to him.
“Aridis, I fear you are not well enough to travel.”
“I am old, but I am far from incapable. I will be fine.”
“At least let me prepare you a tonic. Rest for a bit before you go.”
“We haven’t the time for rest. I will take you up on that tonic, though, if it’s not too much trouble. I’ll summon a dragon and prepare for departure.” Bridgett nodded, eyeing him anxiously as she turned to go inside.
Aridis approached Ashir and asked him to request that another dragon join them. He drew his wand and summoned the bags of coins, watching contentedly as they drifted toward him one at a time. Bridgett returned with a steaming mug smelling of pungent herbs just as a beautiful dragon with hints of blues and greens in her scales landed nearby. Once the dragon had agreed to take Aridis to Stanton, Bridgett strapped the flight gear to the second dragon’s back. Aridis levitated the bags so that Bridgett could lash them in place.
When all was ready they stood together, gazing out at the still waters of the lake. Bridgett felt sad to be leaving the calm of the forest oasis, and leaving Aridis as well. She anticipated a long, lonely journey ahead. She had never been to the elven capital, nor was she overly familiar with their culture. She only hoped that she could persuade them to help Osric before the war truly began.
“Thank you.” Her words sounded inadequate, even as she spoke them. “For everything.”
“You owe me no gratitude, my dear. I would gladly have done more if I were able.” Bridgett embraced him warmly. When they parted, she squared her shoulders and forced a smile.
“Please, don’t tell Osric where I am headed. The less worry I cause him, the better.” Aridis nodded, acknowledging her wishes. Bridgett turned and climbed up the makeshift ladder created by the bones in the dragon’s wing. She watched as Aridis did the same, and when they were both settled, she urged the dragons into flight.
Bridgett watched as Lost Lake fell away below them. As they climbed higher into the air, the surface of the water shimmered, and suddenly all she could see was the dense foliage of the forest below. She hoped it was not the last time she would see this place.
“Would you like me to travel to the elves’ city now?” Ashir called back to her as he leveled out his flight.
“Not yet. If you grow tired of flying, please let me know. I would like to think for a bit before we arrive.”
“My pleasure. I can fly all day without growing tired.” She smiled at his youthful excitement. Although he was likely decades older than her, he was young by dragon standards. Bridgett focused her thoughts on the task to come. She had not known many elves, and she was anxious about what she would encounter when they reached De’assartis.
Although she had heard many stories about the largest city in the Elven Realm, Bridgett had never been there herself. She hoped she would be able to find a guide and gain the audience of someone who could help her. She knew that her best chance of recruiting their help would be to speak with the High Council, but she wasn’t sure she could get them to see her. She would have to think of a plan before she entered the city.
“Ashir, what can you tell me about De’assartis?” Bridgett yelled over the wind.
“Very little, unfortunately. I have never seen the city.”
“What? How were you planning on traveling there if you have never seen it?”
“I intended to take you to the entrance to the city, my lady. There is only one way to get in. I have never been beyond the gate.” Bridgett frowned in confusion.
“If you have been to the gate, then haven’t you flown over the city?”
“Likely many times, but the air does not change there.” The dragon’s statement was so matter-of-fact that Bridgett wondered why she was having such a hard time understanding.
“Ashir, what are you talking about?” Her breath caught in her throat as he suddenly tucked his wings in and dove toward the ground. At the last moment, his wings flared out, stopping their descent. He landed softly in a clearing and craned his head back at her with what could only be interpreted as an exasperated look.
“Conversation in mid-flight will make you hoarse. Let me explain better, and then we can be on our way.” Bridgett nodded, still trying to catch her breath from the sudden landing. “Do you remember when I first brought you to Lost Lake?”
“Vividly.” Bridgett managed a strained smile.
“The air above the lake changes. It shimmers like the first tiny flakes of a snowstorm.”
“Yes, it appeared that way when we left as well.”
“Yes. The air above De’assartis does not shimmer. It is very likely that I have flown over the city many times, but I cannot even tell you where it lies within the forest. I only know where to find the gate.”
“I see.” Bridgett sighed, realizing that achieving her goal may be even harder than she had first imagined. “Are there sentries at the gate?”
“There are always elves watching, if that is what you mean.”
“I suppose I can only hope they will allow me to enter.”
“If it is possible for me to convince them, I will do what I can to gain you entrance.”
“Thank you, Ashir. We can go there now. It sounds as though I will never be any more prepared than I am now.” The dragon’s teeth showed through a gruesome grin. He launched himself into the air and leveled out their flight high above the trees. Bridgett laughed as she felt his joy and excitement radiating from him. He soared with his wings spread wide, and the words of the traveling spell drifted back to her on the wind.
“Eo ire itum.” Bridgett felt a nauseating sensation like she was falling forward, but the feeling passed quickly. She opened her eyes, realizing she had squeezed them tightly in response to the unsettling effects of the spoken spell in mid-flight. The forest below her looked the same, but she knew they had traveled a great distance in the blink of an eye. The sky had been mostly clear where they had stopped, but heavy clouds hung above them, threatening rain.
“How far are we from the gate?”
“It will still take a little while to get there. I wanted to make sure we did not appear near any mountain peaks.” Ashir’s words sounded muffled from the wind. Bridgett was grateful that they had not traveled into a thunderstorm, but it looked as though the clouds would not withhold the onslaught for long. She could sense urgency in the dragon as well, as he increased their speed and flew closer to the canopy.
Bridgett was struggling to figure out how she might gain an audience with the council when Ashir called out to her.
“The gate is just ahead.” He circled a small clearing a few times and landed carefully, barely stirring the leaves on the forest floor. Bridgett was unbuckling the harness that kept her strapped onto Ashir’s back when an arrow whizzed just above her head and struck a tree a few paces away. She froze. Glancing around her, she caught sight of three elves armed with bows.
The elves were on foot, moving toward her from three different directions. She thought she could make out the shapes of two others in the trees, but she assumed there were more she couldn’t see at all. Bridgett sat still with her hands in clear view of the elven archers who approached her. She had managed to free hers
elf of the restraining straps of the flying gear, but she did not attempt to dismount the dragon. She eyed the elf straight ahead of her with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety, knowing that two more were coming up from behind and to each side of her. His long fingers held the arrow’s tension confidently, and his narrow, green eyes gazed up at her steadily. Even with little sunlight filtering through the clouds, his skin had a warm golden glow. Bridgett was struck by his beauty as much as his threatening expression. He stopped several strides in front of Ashir.
“What is your business here among these trees?” He spoke the common language precisely and with a lyrical rhythm.
“I seek an audience with the Elven Council.” Bridgett’s voice was clear and strong in spite of her anxiety.
One of the other archers spoke in the elven tongue, and subtle laughter rang out from within the trees. The one who had questioned her responded briefly in the foreign language. Throughout the exchange, he kept his eyes trained on her, a serious expression on his face. “Elves have no interest in hearing from a human.”
“My humanity aside, it is urgent that I speak with the council.” Bridgett thought quickly, trying to find a way to convince the sentries to allow her into the city. “It concerns events related to the ratification signing.” Representatives from the Elven Realm had been present when someone had sabotaged the palace in Stanton, killing hundreds before all the realms of Archana could sign the peace treaty. His eyes narrowed further at the mention of the catastrophic event.
“You may speak with me, and I will pass your message on to the council.” Bridgett struggled with her frustration, determined to gain entrance but unsure of how to sway them to allow it.
“May I come down without risking the release of an arrow?” He nodded slightly and Bridgett climbed quickly to the ground, using the bones of Ashir’s wing as a ladder. As she turned to speak with him again, Bridgett realized how much taller the elf was than she had seen from the dragon’s back. He stood at least two heads taller than her, and leaves clung to the wavy strands of his long, brown hair. Bridgett couldn’t tell if the leaves had been caught as he passed through the forest or if they grew as a part of him. “I mean no disrespect, but I must speak with the council on this matter. I request entrance to De’assartis.”
The Well of Strands (Osric's Wand, Book Three) Page 10