by S K Wee
“Hmm . . . I wouldn’t mind meeting her myself. I might be able to get some insight into her future. Will she be around here today?”
“Probably. She hangs around here most days. They have been nearly inseparable since their first dinner. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with her except that she doesn’t seem interested in what is going on around her. She doesn’t seem to have any opinions whatsoever. I’m not sure she would make a good wife for an Amir.”
“Well, when we go down for lunch later maybe I’ll get a good look at her, though I’m sure Frankie will get a much stronger sense of what she is all about.” They continued looking through shelves. Within another hour, Conny joined them in their search.
Breathing in a deep breath, Conny sighed. “Oh, how I miss that moldy, mildew aroma of old books. Sophia, remember all the hours we spent in this library? I miss those days sometimes.” Conny walked along the shelves with her fingers tracing the volumes.
“Yes, but do you remember where we found that information on the temple? I thought it was on the second level but I can’t find anything there.”
“Of course I remember. Third level, fourth bookcase, second shelf, and about five books from the left. At least, that is where I replaced the book all those years ago.” Conny had an uncanny ability to recall details and nearly everything she had ever read word for word.
“We haven’t gone to the third level yet, no wonder we couldn’t find it. I should have remembered many of the older volumes were located on that level. Let’s go up and see.” Sophia was halfway up the staircase.
“I’ll leave you both to your explorations. I have a number of things I should be doing this morning. Don’t forget to come down for lunch.” Rose left the two to their search. She was sure that they would be able to find something about the old temple. They had received reports about the desert claiming more and more land and she was beginning to become alarmed about how much land they had already lost. She had sent out the cartographers over a week ago and expected them to return soon.
On her way toward her office, she heard the conversation in the front parlor and as she looked inside, she noticed that Frankie had arrived and was seated with Kappy and his new love, Birgit.
“Frankie, it’s good to see you again. I didn’t know you had arrived. How long have you been here?” Frankie stood and they shared an embrace.
“Twig and I arrived only minutes ago. He went outside with Sylly. I have just been introduced to this young lady and we were getting acquainted.” No doubt Frankie would have checked Birgit’s colors already.
“Birgit, good to see you once again. I have work to complete in my office, but when you are done here, Frankie, come and see me.” Rose was eager to see what Frankie thought about Birgit. Kappy was becoming more enamored of her every day, and Rose knew that he was close to requesting a betrothal agreement. She already begged him to wait, wanting to get Frankie’s advice.
Once she was seated at her desk, it was mere minutes before Frankie came in and sat down. “Well, what do you think? He’s really smitten with her and I just don’t want him taken advantage of.”
“She actually cares for him, that much is clear. The only issue I have is that she is quite self-centered. Most of her emotions revolve around herself and what she wants. I would say she is quite spoiled, but that doesn’t make her a bad person, though she may be hard to please. Other than that, if he truly cares for her, I see no reason to put a stop to the romance.”
“I wasn’t worried about a bit of romance but Kappy is ready for the betrothal agreement. Once that document is signed, he’s all but married for life. I just hope he knows what he’s doing. Kappy has had some issues with right and wrong. He has a deep fear that someday he might follow in his perverted father’s footsteps. That is another area that you can help with. He really looks up to you, and I know how much he treasures the information you gave him about his mother. Kappy found an old journal of hers, which he wanted to share with you. Maybe you two can have a talk while you’re here.”
“Of course, Rose. I would love to see anything that belonged to my mother. I had always assumed that all her belongings were lost after she passed away. I know the Amir certainly didn’t want any reminders of her.” They sat and discussed other matters until lunchtime.
*****
All the books seemed to be in the exact place they had been nearly fifteen years earlier. Conny found the scrolls she had been thinking about and also an ancient text about the temple. They brought all their finds down to the main floor of the library and laid them out on the table. Conny looked at the old maps that Rose had found earlier.
Looking over at the old map and then a more recent rendition, Conny couldn’t help but notice the differences. “This is very interesting. The desert has been growing every year and towns have disappeared without any alarms going off. I know the farmers have mentioned it, but they couldn’t have known how profound the changes have been. Now, looking at these maps side by side, you can see the overwhelming difference over the years.” Conny had some idea that all of this was tied together somehow. Dianna’s disappearance, the seer’s battle with another seer to the west, and the immense change in terrain throughout the years. She didn’t know what tied them together, but it felt right that they were connected in some way.
“Let’s bring them down to lunch with us. I think Twig might have some memories buried in his brain that may help. I’m sure they have arrived by now. Grab those, Conny, and we’ll head down.” The mention of Twig made sense to Conny. Twig had buried memories of a three-hundred-year-old giant shaman. He knew all sorts of early history of the first humans that inhabited the Earth. Hopefully, he will be able to sift through the buried memories and help in some way.
They carefully loaded up their treasures and made their way down toward the dining hall. Conny hoped they weren’t too late. She and Sophia had lost track of time in the midst of their discoveries.
As they entered the hall, Conny noticed Frankie and Twig had arrived along with Darby and Quintus. Kappy sat at the head of the table and next to him, sat a young lady Conny had heard about. Evidently, Kappy thought himself madly in love with the pretty girl. After introductions and relieving themselves of their treasures, Conny and Sophia joined in the conversation.
They listened while Kappy related what a messenger had just brought to them. “He found a little hamlet just outside the desert. Several people at the marketplace told him that every few weeks a wagon driven by an elf comes out of the desert for supplies. He has left a written statement about everything he has learned. According to the schedule the elves have maintained the last few months, they are due to arrive back at the market in two or three day’s time.”
“It would be unlikely that we could follow the wagon without being seen.” Darby was their best tracker. “The desert is a wide open space. We could capture the elf driving the wagon, but then they will be warned. Not only that, but we are still unsure if they have anything to do with Dianna’s disappearance.” They all looked at each other for suggestions. Conny felt strongly that this wagon would take them to Dianna.
“I can go,” Quin spoke up. “I can blend into the wagon without them seeing me. The constant sun makes plenty of shadows. They would never see me and once I made it to the destination, I could send a message back.” Quin looked around the table, seeking agreement and he held a look of determination.
“That feels right to me.” Sophia’s feelings were never discounted—they were nearly always correct. “Quin would need a communication pendant, but this feels right. Not only right, but possibly the only way. We are close, I feel we are very close.”
Nobody said a word while digesting this information. Conny kept her eyes on Quin. Could he be Dianna’s savior? “Twig, you will need to make a pendant for Quin. One that is telepathic, so he won’t need to speak while he’s in hiding.” Conny knew how to make the pendants but wasn’t able to perform that great of a spell. Twig was the only one here who co
uld.
“I’ll work on that right after lunch. I think if some of us lie in wait in the hamlet, we could await the message from Quin. Quin, have you practiced bending shadows over more than just yourself? You may need to do that if you find her.” Conny didn’t know much about Quin’s gift for bending shadows. It seemed impossible that he would be able to hide more than just himself.
“I’ve been able to hide while carrying something in my arms. I moved one of the baby piglets that Jeffro was feeding just to see if he would notice. It drove him crazy looking for it. I might need to enlarge the shadows, but I can work on that.” Quin smiled shyly, knowing that if Jeffro found out, he would get a payback of some sort.
Conny heard Darby snicker from across the table. “Don’t worry, Quin, we won’t tell Jeffro. In fact, I think you should continue doing those sorts of things to him. Serves him right.” Darby was forever trying to pick at his manservant, Jeffro, who was also Quin’s stepfather. “I’ll help you practice after lunch.”
With everyone else having something to keep busy with after lunch, Conny left to find Sylly. He had not come to lunch with the rest of the family and Conny felt that was strange since he had missed his best friend, Kappy, while he was away from Port Devdan. She found him out in the training yard with a couple of the other guards.
“Amma! Were you looking for me?” Sylly was dusty and out of breath.
“I was just wondering why you didn’t join us for lunch, but I can see that you have been busy getting reacquainted with your other friends.” Sylly’s face turned a bit red. Conny quickly looked around at the cause. One of the other guards was a nice looking young lady. She looked extremely fit but had a very serious, no-nonsense attitude about her. Conny wondered if she was the cause of Sylly’s blush. He had always been known to be, well, silly. Though the last few months he spent trying to find his sister had caused him to mature and become more morose, he still had a very playful side just beneath the surface.
They sat and talked for a while. Conny got him up-to-date on what was going on. Sylly insisted that he would be part of the group who were to wait in the hamlet, but Conny felt there would be little reason for him to go along.
The team was ready to leave the very next day. They knew they might need to wait inside the hamlet for a couple of days, but didn’t want to risk missing the wagon by waiting any longer. Quin practiced tirelessly with his shadow bending and was able to conceal a second person when he held them close to his body and concentrated. He couldn’t maintain it for very long but vowed to continue practicing while they waited. Darby had his hawk with him and would be able to follow the wagon through their bond for quite a distance. Twig was also going along and had possession the pendant that was a mate to Quin’s. They would practice sending thoughts back and forth through the pendants. Though Darby agreed they would not need any other person, Sylly demanded to be included and Conny allowed him to go along. She was going to hate the waiting and knew Sylly felt the same way.
Chapter 12
Ruins of the Temple of Sar, Grand Sands Desert, Country of Bhaelor
The warmth was flowing through her, and Dianna found the brilliant sun peeking through the lush trees. What a beautiful day to be alive, she thought. As she glanced down at her gown, she wondered where it had come from. The color was the whitest white she had ever seen. The material felt as if it was made from the silkiest of satin. When she reached with her fingers to brush a stray strand of hair from her brow, she realized a halo of flowers surrounded her forehead and held the rest of her russet curls in place.
There was a stone bench in the clearing, and she thought it would be a perfect spot to sit and think. She sat and took in a deep breath with her eyes closed. The smells were all floral—an amazing collection of scents. When she opened her eyes she was mildly surprised that she was no longer alone. For some reason, she felt like she had been waiting for this man.
He was, by far, the oldest elf she had ever met—he might have even been described as ancient. His shoulder-length hair was white as was his long beard. But it was his eyes that drew her. The deep cobalt blue seemed to sparkle in the streaming sunlight. She moved along the bench so he would have room to sit beside her. She felt like they had sat this way hundreds of times before, but couldn’t recall ever meeting him.
“Oveestra, it is so nice to see you once again. Look around at all of this beauty. You are the one, the only one, that can bring this land back from the brink of death.”
“But, Master, what must I do?” She felt a familiar mentor-student relationship with the old elf.
“You will know, Oveestra. You will know what to do when the time comes. Let the knowledge flow when it shows itself. Let the healing begin, the seeds of our ultimate harvest have been planted within you.”
*****
The plan had gone with barely a hitch. Quin was hidden in the back of the wagon, and the young elf woman that drove the vehicle was none the wiser. The only real difficulty arose while they were loading one of the crates into the area Quin was crouched. He had just enough room to slide to the left but had to wait until the trip began to get his foot out from underneath the heavy box.
As he watched the route they were taking, he maintained his shadow and also contact with Twig through the pendant. Twig would know and see everything Quin did. They had assumed the ride would not be overly long since they only sent one driver with the wagon. It seemed likely the ride would not be more than a few hours. Quin tried to maintain a sense of direction, knowing that if he did recover Dianna, he would need to get her out of harm’s way immediately and the team could meet up with them after they escaped the temple ruins. At least that was where they thought the wagon was going. There wasn’t much else around the area.
Being in the back of the wagon was not exactly comfortable. The wagon swayed quite a lot through the sand as they traveled. Quin maintained a continual connection to Twig and soon heard his thoughts. You're making me dizzy, Quin. I hope this doesn’t take all day. Look to the left and right. Are there any sort of landmarks?
Quin looked all around the wagon in every direction. He could just barely see the hamlet that they had left behind. Nothing but sand could be seen in all other directions with a little bit of scraggly brush thrown in here and there. Nothing in sight yet, Twig. Should I drop our connection for a while?
No, I can handle a little weaving. I don’t want to miss anything, just in case it’s important. Darby has his hawk flying over. Do you see it?
Looking up into the sky, Quin was nearly blinded by the bright sun, but as he squinted toward the right side, he saw it. I see it now. She’s off to my right. Not a single thing to perch on, though. She’ll need to head back soon.
Darby says she sees something up ahead. Her eyes are sharper than yours. Let me know when you see anything.
Looking forward, Quin nearly dropped his shadow when he noticed a speck up ahead of them. He quickly secured the shadow he formed around himself and let Twig know he believed there was something coming into view. It took probably three more hours before the wagon finally slowed down near the ruins. Quin sat very still in the back while more elves came to help unload the supplies. They all spoke like they were excited and happy about something but Quin couldn’t understand a single word they were saying.
After they carried the last of the supplies down the crumbling stairway, Quin thought he was safe to follow as long as he was extremely careful not to make too much noise. They dropped the supplies into a large room at the base of the stairs. It looks well lived in but there isn’t anyone here. They all went down the corridor to the right. I’m going to follow but if I meet any of them coming my way, I hope there is someplace I’ll be able to step aside like a doorway.
Though he was frightened he would be caught at any moment, Quin still felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction that he managed to get this far. He knew he was on the right track and would soon find the prize—Dianna. She was one of the few people in his life who truly made him
feel good about himself. She had always treated him like he was important to her and he really wanted to make sure she made it back home safe and sound.
Twice he nearly stumbled on some rock and made what sounded to his ears like a loud racket; he froze both times but there wasn’t any outcry so he continued. Finally, at the far end of the hallway, he found a large group of elves. They were all situated around a hole in the ground humming and chanting. No wonder they hadn’t heard him coming. They all had their eyes closed and swayed back and forth with their chants. Quin looked around at each and every face and knew Dianna was not present.
For some reason, he felt he should remain there and wait. He considered traveling through the maze of rooms and corridors, but his intuition told him to stay put and watch. The chanting finally came to an end after what seemed like hours. One older woman, probably the oldest of the group, stood up and spoke to the entire group. That was when Quin saw Taichi. He had been sitting with his back to Quin so he hadn’t noticed him until he stood to face the older woman. This was definitely the right place to be. Quin was so excited about finding him that once again he almost dropped the shadow. He admonished himself for being so careless when he had come so close. He really needed to concentrate and not mess this up. Even though he secured his shadow, the old woman looked over toward where he stood. Quin’s heart nearly stopped as he waited to hear her call him out. But then, her attention went back to where Taichi stood.
After some discussion in which the elves seemed very nervous, Taichi produced a rope ladder and fastened one end to an outcropping and the other he sent down into the hole. He looked around at the other elves and mumbled what sounded like a prayer before Taichi started down the ladder. Even though he gave a stern, purposeful look, he seemed frightened as he disappeared down into the pit. After a couple of minutes, Quin saw his head reappear above the hole in the ground and in his arms, was Dianna. She was filthy, naked and looked half-starved. He laid her down on the ground and went back down the pit, this time coming up with the largest snake Quin had ever seen. He believed it was at least twenty feet long, its head the size of a coconut. Both the snake and Dianna looked dead, but then he heard her sigh and cough. The old woman held a cup to Dianna’s mouth as she tried to swallow, and soon she seemed to be coming around.