The Shards

by Gary Alan Wassner

  “What single shard is so vital?” Tomas asked. “Why does it matter to Dav and to me?”

  “It is all that can protect the Chosen from death,” she replied without answering the question directly. “It is the eleventh.”

  “The Chosen? There are many Chosen,” Elion said.

  “Yes, and the great books are ambiguous. Are you versed in the Tomes?” she asked Elion.

  “My mother is as knowledgeable as anyone, and she has passed much onto me,” he replied. He was listening intently to what Sidra was saying, but he was still hesitant to accept it all.

  “My brother is not a Chosen,” Tomas interrupted them.

  “No, Tomas. But you are,” Sidra replied in a solemn voice. “And one day he may be,” she said, and then she began to recite a poem from the books:

  “The sleeping child shall awaken soon,

  his senses shall all be attuned

  to the other, whom he has yet to greet.

  To the other, and should they ever meet

  the Gem will burn with fire anew,

  and the trees will pass, all but a few.

  The trees will pass, all but a few.

  The Chosen shall die in the darkness alone

  bereft and far away from home,

  his body turned to ash and bone.

  A stepping stone?

  A stepping stone.”

  “I have heard this before. This is but a part of a longer poem,” Elion recalled.

  “Yes, there is more to it. But this is the portion that concerns me. The Gem cannot reveal itself now. Not yet. We are not ready. You and your brother are not ready,” Sidra said. “You cannot risk a meeting with him at this time.”

  “Do you think that I am the Chosen who will die?” Tomas asked, and his green eyes seemed distant and fragile.

  Sidra hesitated for a second before speaking.

  “Honestly, Tomas, I do not,” she replied. “But we cannot count upon my intuition here. You must assume that you are as vulnerable as any of the others. There is much occurring that I do not understand fully. And there are things I am aware of….”

  “And the shard? You did not answer me precisely before,” Tomas interrupted.

  “Premoran has entrusted the shards to Davmiran, as was expected. But there is one more that he knows he must obtain. Colton too knows this and he cannot gather it himself, though he craves it, as you can imagine. The hollows are forbidden to him. He needs his brother still for that, so he has thus far allowed the wizard to live.”

  “Allowed?” Tomas questioned her.

  “Yes. I believe that he would have killed him already had it not been for the shard,” she replied. “Although his arrogance is great, he would not toy with his brother this long for that reason alone. He is well aware of Premoran’s strength. A fool he is not.”

  “The eleventh shard,” Tomas said to himself.

  “Yes, Tomas. But it is much more than a number. The shards hold within them all that was, and they point therefore to all that can be,” Sidra explained.

  “Why is this one so important?” Elion asked.

  “Without it, the Gem can never be approached by a Chosen, so it is said,” Sidra replied. “It completes the key.”

  “My brother has the others,” Tomas affirmed.

  “Yes,” Sidra said. “But Premoran was captured before he was able to retrieve the final one.”

  “He could not have known which Lalas was to depart next,” Tomas said, contemplating. “Does Colton?”

  “No. But the tree has only precious moments left now. He will know soon which one it is,” Sidra responded.

  “How?” Tomas questioned.

  “He will be told,” she replied frowning, and Tomas blanched visibly.

  “And Premoran is still his captive,” Elion said darkly.

  “He is,” Sidra stated.

  “What has this to do with me now, at this moment?” Tomas asked.

  “As the Tomes suggest, the Gem will reveal itself in some way when you and your brother reunite. Whether the two of you must meet physically or not for that to occur is undetermined. But, we cannot take that chance. For the Dark One to discover this, and potentially the location of the Gem thereby when the shard is still vulnerable would be unacceptable!” she asserted.

  “What can we do then to help?” Tomas asked.

  “You must return to Avalain! You have no other choice now. I can shelter you there and protect you from him, as I have sheltered and protected your brother and his instructors in Parth. And, you must contact the others, the Chosen, and advise them of what has transpired here. Let them know of the shard, if they do not already. Use your ring for that purpose,” Sidra said.

  “How do you know that we can communicate?” Tomas asked, surprised by this revelation.

  “There is much that I know, Tomas. Much more than I ever wished to know. The how of it is unimportant,” she replied. “What is important is that you remain in Avalain until it is safe for you to leave. This is the time for others to act in the world, Tomas, not you. Colton Dar Agonthea will seek you out, and he must not find you yet.”

  “Yet?” Tomas repeated.

  “At some point, you will confront one another. It is inevitable,” Sidra said. “But it is better that it be when you are ready. And your brother as well. He will have his hands full with the two of you and your friends, I surmise,” she replied, and then she smiled for the first time.

  “How long must we remain hiding in Avalain?” Elion asked.

  “You are not hiding, my bold young Prince. You are preparing. The fabric weaves of its own will. Allow it to incorporate you into the pattern in its own time.

  Be not so hasty,” she continued. “The Dark One knows the prophecy as well as I. Fortunately he requires the shard before you can be of use to him,” she said to Tomas.

  “I will never be of use to him,” Tomas insisted.

  Sidra scowled.

  “Tell the Chosen to beware! There is mischief and betrayal afoot. Tell them to trust no one outside of the circle that has already been drawn. No one!” Her voice was adamant. “The Lalas must not know that we conspire!”

  “Why don’t you tell them this yourself?” Elion asked her.

  “I choose not to speak to those who serve the trees in that way,” she retorted.

  “You are speaking to me,” Tomas stated matter-of-factly.

  “I must,” Sidra answered. “And I have spoken to the Chosen of Tamarand. But it pains me greatly. One day, you will understand,” she said, and she indicated by her tone that today was not that day. “I believe that they can help if they so desire. This will test their loyalty like nothing before,” she said.

  “Their loyalty to the Lalas?” Elion asked.

  “To the earth!” she answered forthrightly.

  “Is there a difference?” the elf questioned.

  “There may be, Elion. There may be,” Tomas acknowledged.

  “Quickly now, you should not linger here any longer. Pembar has risked enough already. Once you return to the city, go to the chamber in the castle behind the library. You can access it by removing one of the books from the top shelf in the upper left comer facing the door. In the back there is a latch. Spring it and the panel will slide away. Within that room you will be safe. Contact the Chosen from there.”

  “How do you know of such a room in the castle?” Elion questioned her, surprised again by the extent of her knowledge.

  “Esta will tell you how I know. I have not the time. Go now,” she said, and she pointed behind them.

  When they turned around, the pathway was already spread out before them. The trees had reassembled, revealing or creating a passage that led all the way to the outskirts of the Winding Woods. They both climbed quickly onto their horses’ backs.

  “Perhaps we shall meet again, Tomas. And we too, Prince Elion,” she said, and she bowed her rugged head to them both. “Heed my words! Speak of this only to those whom you must, and to whom you can entrust t
his information without fear of treachery, “ she said.

  “Farewell, Sidra. And thank you,” Tomas said, and he bowed back to her respectfully. “We will abide by your admonitions.”

  “Make certain that you do, young man!” she barked. “Farewell Tomas Dar Gwendolen! Farewell, Elion, Prince of Lormarion. Ride with the wind!”

  They turned their horses and started to walk away, urged on by a strong breeze that blew steadily and purposefully into their backs. Simultaneously, they looked over their shoulders, but as they both suspected, Sidra had vanished already and all that remained for them to gaze upon where the pathway had been a scant second ago was a solid wall of stalwart and unyielding trees.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Etuah and Tamara hastened down the broad passage that led away from the others. The sister was profoundly saddened by the leave-taking, and though she harbored no fear for Angeline, she already missed her immensely.

  Things have become so complicated, she thought to herself. How am I to handle all of this? Shards and maps, Drue, forbidden places; it all feels so overwhelming. I have to keep my wits about me!

  “You are strong of character,” Etuah said as if in response to her thoughts. She turned her graceful head almost halfway around in order to look back at her.

  “I do not feel strong, Etuah,” Tamara admitted.

  “Much has changed for you in a short time. It would have been difficult for anyone.”

  “Will Angeline be alright?”

  “She will thrive,” the Drue said with conviction.

  “And you, Etuah? How is it you can accept what you must do so easily?”

  “It is not as easy as you may think, Chosen. But I do accept what I must do. I am honored to lead you,” she replied.

  “And I am grateful,” Tamara responded. “But why do you still call me ‘Chosen’? I am not bonded. I have a difficult time accepting the appellation.”

  “Be that as it may,” Etuah replied simply. “There are only a few who could gather a shard. In that respect at least, you have been chosen.”

  Tamara walked on for a while and silently contemplated all that had transpired since she first came into contact with Liam in the woods outside of Parth. It seemed like a century ago, yet she felt like the same person she was before, only more alone now than ever. Angeline’s absence from her side was painful.

  “What is so important about this shard? You said it was the eleventh. Is that meaningful?” she asked.

  “Very,” Etuah replied.

  “Why?”

  “It completes the configuration. The heir requires eleven. He would never be able find the Gem without it,” Etuah explained. “You must retrieve it before Colton does.”

  Tamara’s head spun around as if it was on a spring.

  “The Dark Lord knows of this too?” she asked startled.

  “Certainly! But he does not know which tree will depart next. Not yet. But he will know it is Mintar soon,” Etuah said calmly.

  “And he will try to get there before we do?”

  “Most definitely,” she continued. “But he cannot enter the dead spaces any more than the lost ones can. Doing so now would destroy him and yet leave the world intact. His spirit would never find the peace he seeks.”

  “So how will he be able to get it?”

  “He must use another for that purpose, or simply wait for another to recover it and then take if from them.”

  “Another? You mean someone like me?”

  “Perhaps. Or someone else under his control. Regardless, you must forsake your original pursuit and return it to Parth immediately, once you have gathered it. It would be unsafe to do otherwise.”

  Tamara was wondering if there could possibly be anything more terrifying than the thought of being pursued directly by Colton Dar Agonthea! Having the Lady Margot chase her was bad enough! When she left the Tower she thought that by having the map in her possession she was a target. Now, she would have both the map and the shard!

  “Why, Etuah? Why me?” she asked.

  “Because you are able. There is no other explanation. The fabric weaves of its own will. It is not for us to choose what tests of spirit life will present to us,” the Drue said. “Only how we respond to them.”

  They had been walking for about two hours by this time and the passage had narrowed considerably though it was still smooth and uniform in shape.

  “We will be leaving the safety of the tunnels soon. Once we step into the nethers, you must be on your guard. When you look upon the lost ones do so with your eyes only, not with your heart,” she warned.

  “I thought you told me the last time never to look at them?” Tamara asked, confused.

  “I did. But that was before I knew how strong you are. Besides, you were not alone. Angeline could not have withstood the pain and sorrow of the experience then. You will see what has truly become of them as you now must, and about what price they will pay eternally for their weakness and their transgression against the earth. This opportunity may not present itself to you again.”

  “A lesson of sorts?” she questioned.

  “Of sorts,” Etuah concurred. “Though I had not looked upon it that way. I see it as an opportunity. You already know right from wrong, Tamara. For some, it might be a lesson.”

  They walked in silence for another thirty minutes or so, and Tamara continued to think about all she had been through recently and all that still lay before her. She reached inside her cape just so that she could feel the map in its case and reassure herself that it was still safe. Soon she would have something else to guard that was surely at least as important as the map itself from the way Etuah described it. She shook her head in wonder, still amazed that this was really happening to her. Without even realizing what she was doing, she surrounded herself and the Drue as well in a protective nimbus of pale, white light. It glowed subtly as they stepped up and out of the passage into the nethers, and it reflected eerily off of the pock-marked walls. Etuah looked at her with satisfaction and nodded to herself.

  Voices bombarded them from all directions. Pleas and supplications, cries and whispers, and screams and terrified, sobbing laments burst upon their ears and then faded, only to be followed by other, even more harrowing sounds. Faces pressed against the walls, the rock of which seemed almost transparent, and these faces were more horrible than any ghouls the worst nightmare could ever have fathered. Damp, warm air drifted over them and whistled down the tunnel. Tamara looked upon the lost souls and listened to them emotionlessly, as if she was not really present. Etuah ignored it all.

  “They are afraid of your power,” Etuah observed. “I do not need to warn them. They see that they cannot approach you.”

  Tamara had still not realized that she had conjured anything at all. She looked at Etuah without understanding for a moment until recognition hit her.

  “My fear must have triggered something,” she apologized. “This was involuntary.”

  “It gives me comfort to hear that. Your instincts are good. They will serve you well. Follow me,” she then directed. “We must cross here quickly. Despite your strength, our presence can be detected more readily in this place. Particularly now that we are surrounded by your energy.”

  “I am so sorry. Have I jeopardized us?” Tamara replied, concerned that her lack of training and control may have endangered them both. “Will the Dark Lord know we are here?”

  “It is possible. But you have made my job much easier nonetheless. We will make much better progress now that you have intervened. They will not harass us,” she said, referring to the lost ones.

  “Somehow, it does not feel any safer to me. How far must we travel before we reach the Lalas?” Tamara asked, worried that they could be waylaid any moment now by Colton.

  “We will be past here soon. The passage will widen and then we will be closer to the surface. We should make very good time,” Etuah said, seemingly unaware of all that was going on around them.

  “Will they ever f
ind peace?” Tamara asked while looking around the chamber.

  “No, never! Do not feel sorry for them. One cannot be coerced into his arms, though some had not the strength of character to help themselves. They all went willingly. They now seek the end of the world too. That is their only chance for escape from the circle of time.”

  “How sad for them,” the sister said.

  “Save your compassion for those who deserve it. For most, it is not as easy as you might suspect to give yourself to him. You could never have made such a choice. Your nature would not allow it!”

  “So you think that all of these lost souls were flawed to begin with? Was there no hope for them ever?”

  “Perhaps for some. For others, no, but they are all weak Look upon them, Tamara. See the anguish. If you have never seen this degree of evil before, see it now. Remember it! What we Drue do in the hollows, you and your friends must do above ground. Hold back the evil! Keep it at bay. It will never disappear as long as life goes on, but you must be forever vigilant. You must guard the earth and protect it against those who wish to defile it.”

  “How can we ever win if evil cannot be destroyed once and for all?” she asked.

  “A state of perfection will never exist in this world. Do not be fooled by those who say that it will! As long as there is life, there will be good and there will be evil. If you seek one without the other, whichever seems to triumph will simply fragment, and the cycle will begin anew. Colton has seen this! He knows that there is no way to end the battle short of total annihilation. That is one reason why he seeks dissolution. We must learn to live with both extremes and be thankful for those whose hearts and souls are strong,” Etuah said.

  “This is a far different way of looking at things. I had always hoped that one day.…”

  “One day there will be peace. One day good will prevail and evil shall recede. You will play a part in that if you remain steadfast and do not succumb to despair when the darkness seems so impenetrable. It will not last. All on earth is defined by its opposite and finds meaning within that context! Look at these faces! Remember them. They will help you to understand the face of goodness too.”