The Shards

by Gary Alan Wassner

  “The sisters?”

  “Yes. They have separated. I have been meaning to tell you this, but it did not seem all that important,” he said with his eyes half closed. “I cannot sense the second one clearly any longer. Before, the shards provided me with images of the two of them, and now I see only one whom I can recognize for certain. Tamara, the stout one, travels with a Drue. The other seems to be there at one moment and then not at the next, and even when she is present before my mind’s eye, her image is vague and unlike what it was before.”

  “But she is still alive and unharmed?” Robyn asked.

  “Yes, definitely. No harm has come to her.”

  “That is good at least. Why they have separated, I do not know.”

  “With both the ring and the shards communicating with me, this is all getting very confusing. And tiring!” Dav said. “They speak to me differently, yet they speak nonetheless.”

  “They are both powerful relics though they are of diverse origins. I am more familiar with the derivation of the shards power than of the ring’s,” Robyn confessed.

  “The ring feels more like an old friend. It comforts me, like a good conscience and seems to give me advice. When the shards speak, I feel as if I am reading a book whose pages are not in order. The story jumps forward and backward and forward again arbitrarily.”

  “We must work with both of them, Dav. We must work hard. While we are in Parth, we have an opportunity to do that. Though I am convinced that neither the ring nor the shards are anything more than tools for you, they are of tremendous importance, and learning how to make the most use out of them is crucial.”

  “I agree, Robyn. The ring seems to be more efficacious. I can use it to help me and enhance my own abilities. The shards tell me things and allow me to see things that my eyes alone would not, but they do so in images, not words. Yet, even the images feel incomplete somehow. I sense a yearning in the shards,” he explained. “They reach beyond me. It sounds so odd, does is not? The ring itself has a voice, and though I do not recognize it, it feels as familiar as an old shoe.”

  “Odd? No,” Robyn replied. “I would not expect anything less. But it is clear that you are learning from them both already,” Robyn commented with satisfaction. “I am not unfamiliar myself with the ring, as you know. I can only assume that the silver one that your brother possesses is similar in nature to yours. I could be wrong, though Dav, and they may be totally different. But, in any case, I am sure that I can help you to utilize its power. It was quite an experience for me that last time in Pardatha, and it was also incredibly draining,” he recalled. “Does communication with it tire you at all?” he asked.

  “I cannot say that I have communicated much with it. Rather, it speaks to me. I would like very much to learn how to speak back.”

  “That is one of the first things we will work on then. That is if Filaree and Cairn are willing to share you with me,” he smiled. “There is also much that you could learn from Cairn. He traveled with Tomas for quite some time. Their friendship is strong. He is also familiar with his strengths, and he knows his personality. Though you were the one he was called to Pardatha to assist, he spirited him out of his home when the enemy had already located him and escorted him all the way to the city,” Robyn reminded him. “And by the way, thoughts of the shards are never too distant from a Chosen’s mind, though they remind us always of the losses that they are the results of. Nevertheless, we must examine and understand them as well. They may prove to be more potent and more useful than the ring itself, “ Robyn said.

  “Although they remind us of the losses, they also represent what can never be lost,” Dav replied.

  “Yes, that is true,” Robyn agreed, and he nodded. “As we begin, we will both learn more. Though I am to be your teacher, that fact does not preclude me from gaining knowledge in the process. And it is important too that we learn about the nature of this shield that surrounds us.”

  “Does it worry you?” the boy asked.

  “Anything that prohibits me from moving freely worries me, Dav. But I do not sense anything evil about it. It even has a vague familiarity to it.”

  “It is here to protect us, at least for now, not to harm us. But it is quite impenetrable!” Davmiran said, impressed still with the power of it.

  “Quite. I have tried many times to breach it, and I cannot. I feel comfortable with it around us, though I am unaccustomed to being restricted by anything so completely. I am also very anxious for you to learn how to communicate through the ring. But, you must be very careful. The results of your efforts are surely going to be unpredictable at the least. I hope that the shield does not restrict your attempt as well.”

  “I do not think it will affect those efforts. This barrier’s protection is much more corporeal in nature. The ring does not require a spatial continuum in order to transmit thoughts. That much I have learned already from it,” Dav replied. “Who do you think has placed this protection around us? Have you any suspicions?”

  “I know of only a few who are capable of such things. The trees of course could have been responsible, but I am convinced that it does not stem from them. It feels altogether different. Premoran alas is also an unlikely choice right now. He himself is under great duress.”

  “He is alive. The shards tell me that,” Dav said.

  “I feel it too, though his power is weakened by his imprisonment.”

  “Who else then, Robyn?” the boy asked, and he scrutinized him closely.

  “There is one other who has always lived just outside of convention. Though her loyalty to the earth is unquestionable, she is somewhat of a renegade, and always has been,” Robyn said.

  “And you are not, Robyn? You must understand her well then,” Davmiran said with a smile.

  “Yes, I suppose many have thought of me so. But not in the same way as Sidra.”

  “Sidra? I am unfamiliar with the name. But that is no surprise. There is so little that I remember.”

  “Most people are unfamiliar with that name, Dav. I highly doubt that even if you regained your past, any knowledge of her would have been a part of it. She has remained quite reclusive. But, her power rivals that of any Chosen I have ever known.”

  “She is not bonded?” Dav asked.

  “No. She declined when the offer was made many tiels ago.”

  “Declined? How unusual,” the boy said contemplatively.

  “No one had ever declined a request like that before. And no one has since. Sidra is different,” he said, with a definite fondness in his voice. “She claimed that she was unable to bond with the Lalas who chose her because they were too different. It caused quite a stir at the time,” he recalled with a smile.

  “You obviously admire her,” Davmiran commented. “You knew her well? Was it her rebelliousness or is there more about her that you are not telling me?”

  “You are quite intuitive for one so young, you know? Either that or I have lost my ability to conceal my inner feelings,” Robyn said, and he grinned at the boy. “Oh, yes, there is much more about her that I am not telling you. And, I do not intend to tell you, young man,” he smiled again. “But I did admire her strength of character. It was not easy to deny the tree.”

  “How is it that you are so familiar with her?” Davmiran asked, with a suspicious look in his big, blue eyes. “Which Lalas was it whom she denied?”

  “How did you guess?” Robyn asked. “I really have become that easy to read?”

  “No. It was not a guess. I carry the shards, remember? Images come to me all the time,” he said. “Was it difficult for you in the beginning knowing that you were not Promanthea’s first choice?” he asked bluntly.

  “No. Actually, I was surprised when Sidra declined him. But I was overjoyed at the same time. It was my good fortune. How could I have been disappointed? I never really thought of myself as a second choice, but rather just another choice,” he said.

  “I suppose,” the boy replied, unconvinced. “Did you ever discu
ss it with him?” Davmiran asked.

  “My feelings about Sidra? No. I found no reason to. But he harbored a bitterness for her that I felt for quite some time,” Robyn recalled. “Perhaps bitterness is the wrong word to describe his emotions, but he was hurt by the rejection in a very human way,” Robyn said, as he remembered those days from long ago. “It was not his pride that bothered him. Rather, I think that he felt that he had lost a great opportunity, and he regretted it profoundly, therefore his thoughts about her were negative. I sensed that he wanted to bond with her for other reasons as well. She knows things – things she does not share with anyone.” Robyn frowned. “I was bonded shortly thereafter, and the beginning of our relationship was the only time I can recall when Promanthea concealed things from me,” he explained, though his voice had suddenly become strained. “Sidra left Tamarand and never returned again. She moved up north near Eleutheria and lived a totally reclusive life. I have been told that she still resides in the hills somewhat near the city, though no one I know has actually seen her in countless tiels. One thing I can be certain of is that she must now be at least as formidable a woman as she was a maiden.”

  “What is the source of her power?” the boy asked.

  “It is uncertain. She is not of the council, though I know that Premoran and Calista had conferred with her in the past, as had the others over time,” Robyn explained. “I think that they all realized later that what she did was for the best. She just could not be bonded to a tree. Though her power is of the earth, it is different than any other I have experienced.”

  “Was she from Tamarand originally? Has she family there still?”

  “No, to both questions. She was from Odelot, and she came to Tamarand alone after her own city’s demise. She hid her bitterness toward Colton well from most people, but not from me. I sensed her pain as well as her immense hatred. But her hate was not confined to him. She never spoke of her losses, but they must have been great,” Robyn related.

  “And you think that she is capable of creating this?” Davmiran asked, referring to the shield.

  “I know that she is. I just do not know why she would intervene now when she has never done so in the past,” he said.

  “The times have changed. Calista is gone. Premoran is a captive in Sedahar. The trees themselves are dying. When else would one of power make a stand?” Dav asked.

  “True. Very true” Robyn contemplated. “This shield certainly has her mark upon it. It is as unconventional as she is,” he smiled.

  “Do you think that she knows something that would cause her to assist us now in such a manner?”

  “That we are imperiled in some way? That without her help something terrible would happen to us,” he replied, looking deeply into Davmiran’s blue eyes. “That the danger is so grave that it requires her attention and assistance? Nothing short of that would have motivated her to act I fear, so I venture to guess that she does. She has lived apart for a long time.”

  “Is this what you believe?” Davmiran asked again.

  “If it is in fact she who has done this, she is buying us some time, Dav, time that we would not have had without her intervention. We must utilize it well. We may not have another opportunity to work and learn in such safety,” he answered gravely. “Sidra would not get involved unless she felt it was totally necessary. At least not in such an obvious manner. Though her enmity for the Dark Lord was beyond measure those many tiels ago, it never prompted her to intervene before. She has left these things to the trees and the Chosen.”

  “Speaking of the Lalas, Robyn, have you communicated with Promanthea recently?” Davmiran asked, as if this question followed naturally after the others.

  “I have not had the opportunity,” he replied, and he looked away from the boy.

  “Oh. I see,” he said, though it was clear by his tone of voice that he did not believe Robyn’s words for a minute. “We have been quite busy of late,” Davmiran commented, seeking to ease the sudden tension that filled the air.

  “Some other time perhaps, we can discuss this in more detail, Dav,” he then said, knowing that it was unfair of him to expect the boy to settle for such an obviously false explanation. “There are some things I need to sort out first,” he replied defensively.

  “You seem reluctant about it. Is that normal for a Chosen?” he asked.

  “Reluctant to talk about this subject or to commune with Promanthea?” he asked, but he did not wait for an answer. “What is normal today, Dav?” Robyn replied earnestly. “To be honest, the last time Promanthea and I spoke, I felt as if he was keeping something from me, and it disturbed me so much that I have avoided him since,” Robyn confessed. “I had that feeling only once before with him as I just told you, and he was so totally unwilling to discuss his behavior then that there was no point in me continuing to ask him about it. This time as well, he made it clear to me that it was not a subject that he wished to address.”

  “You were hurt, Robyn?” he asked.

  “Yes, very hurt. You cannot imagine the intensity of the bond between a Lalas and its Chosen. This rejection was more difficult to bear than if he had been my own father,” Robyn explained. “The hurt is so strong that it feels almost physical and I cannot dwell upon it. It would consume too much of my energy.”

  “I am sorry,” Davmiran said sincerely. “Though I am not a Chosen and I am not bonded, I carry the shards, remember? Maybe I can help you deal with this, Robyn.”

  “Thank you. I will certainly consider your offer more fully later,” he replied gratefully. “Perhaps you are right. Until now, I have tried not to remember how it felt when last we conversed, and that in itself has not been healthy for me. Fortunately, my mind has been on other matters most of the time, and…”

  “Robyn, I need to speak with my brother,” Davmiran said again, interrupting Robyn in mid-sentence with an urgent tone in his voice. “I must not wait any longer.”

  “Let us go then,” he replied recognizing the exigency, as he pulled the heavy door open for his friend.

  Tomas was sitting in his room staring out of the window across the rooftops of Avalain. It was early morning and the sun was rising still. It cast a welcoming light in all directions, and it dissolved the darkness and turned the night into day. He and his companions had settled in quickly after arriving to the shock of having virtually the entire population of Talamar camped outside the gates. Queen Esta was a marvel at statesmanship, which was not a surprise. Her grace and demeanor suited itself to leadership, along with her other qualities, particularly her strength of character. The people of the city truly loved her and were comforted by her return, and they looked to her for political leadership as well as moral guidance.

  In a short span of time, the camps were fully organized. Her army assisted those Talamaran’s who chose to remain, in constructing temporary housing and facilities that would be more than adequate to last them until the spring thaw. They could then decide better where they wished to take up a more permanent residence. Being displaced so abruptly afforded them all few immediate choices.

  The mere presence of the Knights of Avalain was more than enough of an incentive to keep their guests behaving properly. Talamar had never been a city of fighters. The people adhered to the rules imposed by the guards, and though many of them were reluctant to work as hard as their circumstances required, for the most part they complied adequately.

  Tomas, Stephanie, Preston and Elion were left to their own devices for the first few days. Queen Esta had a lot to do upon her return and they did not wish to interfere, nor did they wish to impose upon her when she was being pulled in so many directions at once. They settled in to their rooms without much difficulty, and they each enjoyed the luxury of good food and a good bed for the first time in a long while. They also took this opportunity to wander the broad streets of Avalain and marvel at its beauty. In addition, there was so much for them to discuss and to plan that the days went by very quickly.

  The ring that Tomas wore aro
und his neck had been bothering him of late. It seemed always to be trying to talk to him, to communicate with him, but whenever he grasped it and attempted to focus upon it, the feelings disappeared. Nevertheless, its presence against his skin was constantly one that he was completely aware of. Now though, he felt compelled more often to lift the ring in his hands and examine it, though he was unsure of just why. It beckoned to him, but it did not reveal anything. He thought perhaps that one of the council was trying to reach him, but when he tried to determine who if any it was, without unnecessarily generating a link, he realized that it was not a Chosen who was the source of this feeling. The ring itself was stirring.

  From the moment he retrieved it from the sapling’s heart until this day, he felt its latent potency. He wondered if there were things his uncle Trevor would have wanted to tell him if he’d had the opportunity. Surely he must have known it was there all along. Maybe he even planted it there all those tiels ago when the tree was still tiny, knowing that it would be safe until the day Tomas retrieved it. The myriad of questions would never all be answered, and Tomas felt the emptiness in his heart that this longing to know generated. But it was not simply a longing for knowledge that weighed so heavily upon his soul. He felt the sundering of his links to the past; the seemingly systematic disruption of his history and his heritage, and he pined for the memories that he would never be able to have.

  Despite the fact that he wore the ring always and that it surely and certainly evoked feelings and memories of his legacy however ephemeral and nondescript, he never looked upon it as a weapon or an independent source of power. Rather, it seemed to be an extension of his own self in a way. The heat that it generated was comforting, not disturbing, and he was forever aware of its presence. Today though, it burned with an uncommon intensity.

  Tomas was concentrating so thoroughly upon this that he barely was aware of the soft knocking upon his door.