18
Among the Alvar
“I don't understand why we just don't treestep,” Ghile said.
He was getting ahead of Arenuin again and made a conscious effort to shorten his stride. Over the last couple of days Ghile learned even though the Alvar were much taller than humans, they were nowhere near as fast. Everything they did seemed slow.
Well, that wasn't entirely fair, not everything. He took a steadying breath. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He was just irritated by how long this journey was taking.
When they first left the battle against the Fallen, as Arenuin named them, she told him they were going to meet Islmur, the Goddess of Magic. Even the shock of traveling from one place to another through living trees seemed to pale in comparison to the news you were about to meet a goddess.
When they stepped out of a different tree, Ghile expected to find Islmur standing before him, surrounded by light or floating above him in the sky or something equally godlike. Instead what he found was more endless forest. It turned out the Alvar's form of travel, treestepping, had its limits. Arenuin explained the trees they traveled through must be touching and so it sometimes took a few “jumps” to reach the destination. What she had neglected to add was she was going to stop after each jump and spend hours singing to the trees.
It was how the Alvar communicated, apparently. The trees “held” the song somehow. He didn't really understand it, but that was the best Arenuin could explain. She would first spend a frustratingly long time listening to the trees and then sing her message so when another of the Alvar passed through, the trees would share the message.
So, they treestepped, Arenuin listened, treesung, and then treestepped again. Ghile couldn't tell by sight how far they traveled each time they treestepped, one part of the Deepwood looked much like any other, but he could tell by the pull of the soulstones that Akira was much further away than when they started.
That he was getting further away from the City of the Fallen and that they could not bring Ast and Cuz along hadn't helped his mood much either. Ghile hoped the valehounds were all right and the fae would keep them safe. The image of his father's disapproving look when he learned Ghile lost the valehounds made him grimace. That was if he ever saw his father again.
“Be at ease, Ghile Stonechosen. The destination is close,” Arenuin said.
“It's not that! I was just thinking about….nevermind.”
She ran her long slender fingers along the trunk of a tree as she passed, seemingly oblivious to his irritation, not to mention his rudeness. He had been raised better than to be this disrespectful to anyone, let alone the first Alvar he had ever met. Luckily Arenuin didn't seem to notice or just chose not to comment.
She touched another tree.
She was always touching the trees, though anything could capture her interest. Feeling the contours of a large stone could hold her attention for minutes on end if Ghile didn't remind her they needed to keep moving. A strong wind through the canopy or flock of chirping birds overhead would stop her in her tracks. She would stare unmoving at whatever had enthralled her, looking like nothing more than a young sapling freshly born to the forest.
She did not stop this time and a smile touched her face as she let her hand fall back to her side. “They have heard my call, Ghile Stonechosen.”
Movement off to his left caught his attention. Another Alvar came into view a short distance away, stepping out from the trunk of a large oak. Her movements were so fluid as she emerged it was as if the tree was not even there. Unlike Arenuin, this Alvar's skin was a deep mottled brown. Her hair was a dark green and surrounded her head like a crown.
“An oak tree,” Ghile said, his brooding forgotten, “Arenuin there! Look another Alvar. She looks like an oak tree.”
“Yes, this one sees Karyai…and the others.”
No sooner had she spoken than Alvar stepped from the surrounding trees. Ghile almost tripped as he tried to take them all in at once. There were too many to count. Had Arenuin's treesinging called all the Alvar of the Deepwood?
No two were alike, though Ghile could see they all resembled different types of trees. Some had smooth grey skin, others almost black and rough. Their hair either hung down in long braids or bloomed out in all directions. Butterflies danced around many and Ghile saw more than one with a nest perched in their hair like a feast day ornament the girls of his village wore.
The one thing they did have in common was they were all obviously female. Numerous downturned star-filled eyes gazed back at Ghile.
Ghile hadn't realized he had stopped walking. It was his turn to catch up with Arenuin. She was singing when he reached her side. The forest rang with Alvar song. It was everywhere. It was beautiful.
He realized he had stopped again and his mouth was half open. He shook his head and caught up again, his irritable mood forgotten and replaced with curiosity.
“Where are the men?” Ghile said.
“This one does not understand,” Arenuin said.
“Why are only the female Alvar answering your call?”
Arenuin didn't answer right away and when she did, her response was full of mirth.
“This one understands now. There are no males, like those of your race, among the Alvar.”
“Then how…” Ghile trailed off and he felt his cheeks flush.
Arenuin openly laughed now, a melodious chitter, which only made the rest of Ghile's face take on the same color as his cheeks.
“Are all humans curious about such things?”
Ghile coughed and shook his head. He decided he wasn't comfortable pursuing this particular line of questioning.
Up ahead he could just make out a body of water, its smooth surface dancing with light just visible through the trees. Well, that explained why they couldn't treestep any further. Ghile doubted any of these trees had roots that ran that deep.
They arrived at the edge of a mountain lake. It was then Ghile realized the air reminded him of his home in Upper Vale back in the Cradle. He breathed it in, crisp and familiar. The range of low jagged mountains that bordered the far sides of the lake also reminded Ghile of home. Many of the peaks were tipped with snow. It was then that he saw the island.
At first he thought it was the light reflecting off the waters and he blinked and shook his head trying to clear it from his vision. It wasn't possible. There in the center of the lake was his island. His place in the Dreaming. There was even a tree near its center, much larger than all the others.
No, wait, this isn't possible, he told himself. He took it all in again and allowed his mind to not see what he remembered but to take in the details of the place. It wasn't exactly the same. In the Dreaming the mountain range surrounded the lake like a bowl. The Great Oak in the center of the island was gigantic and reached up towards the clouds. But, otherwise, this place was his dreaming recreated on Allwyn.
“What is this place,” he heard himself asking.
“Welcome to Islmur's Grove, Ghile Stonechosen,” Arenuin said. She and the other Alvar stood along the shore of the lake, seeming as awed as he was.
“I have been here before,” Ghile said, not sure if he believed his own words.
“That is not possible. The Grove is sacred to the Alvar and none other than the Alvar are welcome. The Guardians would never allow it,” Arenuin said. “Now, this one asks Ghile Stonechosen to stay close.”
With that Arenuin took up the dreamsong and stepped onto the water. Ghile felt her long limb-like fingers encircle his free hand and guide him forward. He feared falling into the lake and half stumbled, half tripped. The water rose up and caught his feet, steadying him. He couldn't help but laugh as the water gushed under him like moving springs, holding him aloft.
To both sides of him, Alvar stepped off the shore and onto the lake's surface, the water rising up to support them. Surrounded by the lapping waves they all drifted away from shore.
The mountain winds, freed from the trees, whipped Ghile's bro
wn curls about and filled his ears. He turned back to look towards the fading shore, where more Alvar emerged from the woods and stepped out onto the lake's surface to follow.
“This is incredible, Arenuin! How do you make the water do this?” Ghile shouted above the dancing water and rushing wind.
“This one asks,” she replied as if he had asked what color was the sky.
Ghile held on tightly to Arenuin's fingers, fearing what would happen if he let go. His legs were soon soaked, but the cold didn't seem to bother him, he found it refreshing against his skin.
As they neared the island, Ghile saw Alvar step from the trees. Even from this distance Ghile could tell the Alvar on the island were twice as big as Arenuin or any of the others approaching on the water. Even before he could ask Arenuin spoke.
“The Guardians of the Grove. This one asks Ghile Stonechosen to not speak and do nothing. The Guardians will not be pleased this one has brought you.”
Ghile only nodded. As they neared the shore, he could hear the Guardians' song rising above the roiling water. Through the soulstones he could hear them beseeching the waters to repel the intruders, for the trees and stones to come to the aid of the grove.
They reached the shore and Ghile followed Arenuin onto land. She moved him behind her and waited. Ghile looked about him, waiting to be attacked. But no attack came. The waters of the lake settled as soon as they released their passengers and no trees reached for him or stones explode from the earth to crush him.
One of the guardians, a huge Alvar, colored like an elm, stepped forward and swung her arm into Arenuin, knocking her to the ground. “You do not belong here!” she said. The song of the Alvar carried her emotions.
Arenuin made no attempt to defend herself and lay there on the ground.
The guardian stepped forward, towering over Ghile. One swipe had knocked Arenuin to the ground, but what would a blow like that do to him? He was in no hurry to find out. Its face was contorted with rage as it raised both moss covered arms above its head.
Ghile didn't want to disobey Arenuin, but he was not about to be crushed. He called forth his mind shield and anchored it to the ground around him.
“That is enough!”
The command, though not sung loudly, froze the guardian above him in place. The speaker, obviously also a guardian, based on her size, stepped up next to Ghile's attacker.
“Duanotyn, this one finds your actions shameful.”
Duanotyn, lowered her arms and stepped from Ghile. “Keeper, this one only protects the grove. The others are not invited and this human-”
“Does Duanotyn not see that Allwyn does not answer our call?” the Keeper said. “Would Duanotyn further shame us by striking one of our own and then a stonechosen? Look, even now the power of Haurtu protects him.”
Duanotyn looked from the Keeper to Ghile and then lowered her head. “This one asks forgiveness.” She reached down and helped Arenuin to her feet.
Ghile let his shield go and glared at Duanotyn. Sorry or not, she had no business hitting Arenuin like that.
“This one understands and asks the Guardians to welcome, Ghile Stonechosen,” Arenuin said.
The Keeper inclined her head to Arenuin and then Ghile.
“Though it brings this one no joy, Ghile Stonchosen and those who would call to Islmur are welcome to her grove.”
19
The Settlement
Gaidel was cold. She knew she was on that edge of being awake and asleep. Each time she started to wake the warmth of the sun on her skin and the fresh humid smell of things green and growing lulled her back to sleep.
She was dreaming of the Three Arrows and her father. They used to take walks in the Redwood in the high summer, the sun warming her skin and the smell of green in the air. She had been walking through another forest recently, but couldn't recall exactly where. She was with Two Elks. The thought reminded her of their fight with the vargan in the Drops near the Cradle. Yes, Two Elks was with her. She was angry with him, wasn't she? Yes, she was angry with him. He had overstepped his bounds and said something to Ghile he shouldn't. Ghile spoke the old tongue now and the two talked into the night. Then, the next morning Ghile was gone. They all had set off after him.
Gaidel heard a barking. Yes, Ghile left with Ast and Cuz.
Ghile's valehounds! Gaidel opened her eyes and bolted upright. She was on the edge of a field, the long leaves of its tall thin stalks waved lazily in the evening breeze. The sun sat just beyond the stalks. She could still smell its warmth on the plants. Ast and Cuz chased each other, playing through the long rows.
She tried to clear the cobwebs from her mind. Where was Ghile? Had they found him? She pulled legs under her and sat there for a moment. Where was she? Two Elks, Riff and the boy from the village, what was his name? Lotte, yes, his name was Lotte. The three of them lay nearby, their chests rising and falling in the familiar rhythms of sleep. Gaidel released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. At least everyone was all right.
But where was Ghile? If the hounds were here then he should be as well. Gaidel called to the two valehounds, who bounded over to gratefully accept pats and scratches.
“Where is Ghile, you two?” Gaidel said.
She sat there for a short time taking comfort in petting them and giving herself time to think. How did they get here and how did they end up with Ghile's valehounds?
She roused the others and explored her surroundings while they came to. They were at the edge of a forest where it met the field, its uniform crop stretching off into the distance like dwarven soldiers. She was too short to see over the tall stalks.
“Two Elks, lift me up,” Gaidel said.
Two Elks gathered his weapons and stood, shaking his head to try to clear it. “Where?” he started to say.
His question irritated her. She was still upset with him. “That is what I want to find out. Lift me up.”
He put down his weapons and lifted her easily to the full extent of his arms. Below her, Riff rubbed his head and looked around confused.
“Is Ghile here? Where did his hounds come from?” Riff said, as he tried in vain to push the two valehounds away from him. They danced around him, trying to get him to chase them.
Gaidel ignored him. The golden topped plants, whatever they were, stretched off over rolling hills like a blanket. She could just make out the top of some kind of structure peeking over a distant hill, a road running over it, cutting a brown path.
“This way, I see a road,” Gaidel said, motioning for Two Elks to let her down.
“Road to where,” Riff said.
“Not sure, I see some kind of structure in the distance, the road must lead to it.”
Two Elks had already gathered his tower shield and stone axe. But, Lotte stood near the forest's edge, shaking his head.
“Lotte, what's wrong,” Gaidel said.
“This ain't no good, Daughter Gaidel. The elves done got us,” Lotte said. He looked left and right as if he expected the fabled Elves of the Deepwood to come pouring forth.
“What are you babbling about?” Riff said. He sounded irritated, but Gaidel noted he was scanning the woods warily.
“This here crop of corn. We near the Freehold, plum on the other side of the Deepwood and no recollect'n how we got here. The elves done got us.” Lotte pointed at the two valehounds then. “And them dogs was with your friend. The elves done got him, too. Got him and kept him by the looks of it. Ain't no good, none of it.”
Gaidel took a deep breath and tried to think. As hard as she tried, she could not remember anything beyond setting out with the others from the village. That had been in the morning and it was obviously later in the day. But, she had a hazy memory of being in the woods after dark. Had they fought a black cat?
“Two Elks, what can you remember?” Gaidel said.
Two Elks thought for a short time and shrugged his thick shoulders. “The woods at night, Little Daughter. Nothing more.”
“And you?” Gaida
l looked to Riff.
“Not much more. I remember setting out from the village. I remember insects and walking at night. Everything else is hazy,” he finished with a shrug of his own.
“It's the elves do'n fo sure!” Lotte said. “We need to git. This is Dagbar's domain. Ain't no place for my kind here,” Lotte said, backing towards the forest.
Gaidel fixed him with a hard stare and pointed her staff at him. “Don't take another step.”
Lotte froze.
This made no sense, but she was not going to lose anyone else to reckless thinking. She sent Two Elks to scout the immediate area and see if they were alone as they seemed. The two hounds bounded after him as he left in a trot.
They waited for Two Elks to return. Time seemed to crawl. Gaidel listened to the insects as they came alive with the evening. She only recognized some of them and though the sound was comforting, since it meant no predators were nearby, it only further reminded her how far she was from home.
Riff sat at the forest's edge, running an idle hand through his everflame, deep in thought. Every so often and would shake his head as if to clear it and start again.
Lotte no longer smiled and seemed to have slowly shifted from where he had been sitting next to Riff to further within the Deepwood. Would he really be foolish enough to make a run for it?
She went to stand over him. “Lotte. Regardless of where we are or how we got here, you are going nowhere alone, do you understand me?”
He nodded staring up at her, his eyes wide and unblinking.
“You can't blame him for being scared, Gaidel,” Riff said without looking up from his everflame.
“That isn't the point, Riff,” she said.
They didn't know where they were for sure or how they had gotten there. They needed to stay together and find some answers. If this settlement was indeed Dagbar's Freehold, then they needed to find Dagbar. If the Elves had found Ghile and captured him, then they were going to need help to get him back.
What if the elves had somehow captured them and brought them here, wiping the entire experience from their minds? That was a lot of ifs. They needed to find answers and they wouldn't find them in the Deepwood.
Time of the Stonechosen (The Soulstone Prophecy Book 2) Page 21