by Nichelle Rae
“Come, we haven’t much time. I must get Azrel away from here. Her welcome has, unfortunately, worn out.” Beldorn’s expression was sympathetic. “Azrel, you may never be able to return here for the chance that they may kill you. You could destroy them all if you wished, but I don’t believe you are that kind of person.”
I didn’t want to agree with him, but I knew he was right. Besides, I vowed never to use my powers again, which is what it would take to wipe them all out. My magic was nothing but trouble. Nothing came from it but misery.
“They believe I’m an evil sorceress,” I said, forcing myself to speak to explain myself to Ortheldo. Because my throat felt so dry and thick, it took effort to talk.
Beldorn nodded. “They have good reason to believe so.”
“Gods of Light!” Rabryn cried in disgust. “How can they think that? They have no proof! They’ve never had any proof! You’re not evil!”
Poor Rabryn, he still didn’t know about my past, and my father’s. I was evil. Not intentionally, but the “gift” was evil, and the “gift” belonged to me. Did he not see what I’d just done? Our mother’s house—his house—was destroyed because of me! My brother was, surprisingly, in pretty good spirits considering he could probably never return here either. They’d seen him as a Salynn. He was an outsider to them now.
Beldorn gazed steadily at Rabryn. “A passerby saw the flash of white light through the kitchen windows after Azrel made breakfast appear, and he alerted the entire land. They have reason to believe she is a witch or a sorceress of some sort.”
“Still,” Rabryn countered, “if they’d only give her a chance! Allow Azrel to show them that she isn’t evil! They couldn’t even manage that?”
No. But I couldn’t blame them. I probably wouldn’t have given me a chance to explain anything if I were them either.
“It doesn’t matter, my dear boy,” Beldorn said gently. “You know they have thought Azrel evil since the day she arrived.” Rabryn’s looked sad as he turned away, knowing it was true. “This excuse was good enough to get her out of their land, to stop her from disrupting their lives any longer,” Beldorn continued. “You and I and Ortheldo see it as a horrible act, but you must understand that they believe what they were doing was right. They believe Azrel evil, and naturally the right thing to do is to destroy evil things. They saw the white flash—”
“And they came after me.” I cut him off in a low voice, not wanting to hear anymore about how unwanted I was or how evil I was. I knew it all well enough.
Beldorn caught my sideways glance before I bowed my head. “And they came after you,” he conceded with a sigh, catching my hint for once.
I tried to swallow. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when you told me to change back to my regular form. I now realize my mistake.”
He rested his hand on my shoulder. “As is the case with all mistakes,” he said gently, “you have to make one to realize you made it.” I nodded in agreement, though I didn’t feel comforted. “Come now, we must go.”
We dug our heels into our horses’ sides they bolted off through the woods at a full gallop. I had a heavy heart the entire time. I’d never felt so pained and so scared about leaving somewhere in my life. I had been upset about leaving the cave, but at least it wasn’t burning down as I turned away. My mother’s house — my brother’s house, —was destroyed. The only home Rabryn had ever known was gone—and it was my fault.
I didn’t realize I was crying until a droplet fell on my arm. I wiped my tears away and silently begged my mother to forgive her daughter for the horrible thing she was—the thing that caused this horrid mess, which was beyond fixable.
“Where are we going?” Rabryn asked over the thunder of hooves.
“To the edge of the woods where we can make plans,” Beldorn replied.
The edge of the woods? That was an entire day’s and night’s hike, even on horseback. Oh, well. I was too numb to argue about anything. I felt so small and defeated as the smell of smoke lingered in my nose.
We rode the rest of the day and into the night, stopping only once to rest ourselves and the horses. None of us spoke a single word. I doubted any of us would have been able to sleep even if Beldorn had allowed it, so we plugged on through the night.
We finally halted when the sun sat at the noon hour the next day. After less than twenty-four hours of travel on Beldorn’s fine horses, we finished the 720-mile trek of woods. Even without a time spell, his horses were extremely fast and they never tired. Half a mile away, shafts of sunlight poured in on us through the opening of the woods, the opening that led to the outside world. A world I hadn’t seen in eight years. A world my brother had never seen.
I gazed out at the sunlight. The fear of venturing into the unknown boiled up inside of me again. I was getting very angry at this feeling of fear! It only made a bad situation worse. So as the fear began to stir, I stopped it dead in its tracks, shoved it deep down, and locked it away. I would do my damnedest not to feel fear again, especially when the lives of those close to me were involved. As far as I was concerned, the emotion didn’t exist. A strange sense came up inside of me all the sudden as I vowed not to feel fear again. It was like a light suddenly shone on my soul, and it became brighter as I stared defiantly toward the opening of trees. A strange sense of self came with it, as if I was realizing for the first time who I was. Then, suddenly, the image of the White Warrior popped into my head.
No! I shoved that thought away along with the fear. I was not the White Warrior, I simply possessed the sword! I hated that sword, and I wanted nothing to do with the White Warrior, either! I hated my magic! As I pushed the thoughts away, the light on my heart diminished. I didn’t care. I’d rather feel empty than feel the evil of this curse.
We all got off our horses and my eyes immediately went to Rabryn, who was still in his Salynn form. He gazed out at the opening with big, frightened eyes. He’d never left The Pitt, so the fear that I had pushed away could be nothing compared to the fear he felt right now. I could relate to him all too well. I’d felt the same way when I left the cave.
A sense of responsibility washed over me; he needed me more than ever now. I not only had to be brave for my father, as he requested, but for my brother now as well. The only life he’d ever lived, the only world he’d ever known, was hundreds of miles behind us, and a big part of it burnt to the ground. I felt horrible for bringing this on my brother. He didn’t deserve it. I had a shred of hope though, because he was with me.
I put a soft smile on my face and walked over to him, nudging him gently with my shoulder. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” I said.
He looked at me with a forced smile and nodded before he shot one more fearful glance toward the opening. He swallowed heavily, then put his arm around my shoulders and guided me to the left where Beldorn and Ortheldo were headed. We made our way through the ferns and the thorn bushes and other various plant life of the forest. My boots crunched loudly on the dead leaves and sticks. Rabryn on the other hand, didn’t make a sound when his Salynn shoes stepped on the ground. It was this way with all Salynns, but it never failed to impress me. Salynns were very light on their feet; it was one of the race’s subtle trademarks, along with their sharp senses and amazing fighting talent.
We walked a short distance until the trees separated, revealing a sharply descending hill in front of us and the creek flowing just below. The creek was about sixteen feet wide and two feet deep. It wasn’t very impressive, but it was nice-looking. Rocks of all shapes and sizes jutted out from the surface of the shallow water, allowing it to run steadily and calmly. The sound of the softly gurgling water gave me a sense of peace and seemed to calm my anxious heart. I drew a deep breath through my nose, smelling the cool, fresh air, and sighed.
Standing on the bank at the bottom of the small hill, we let the horses drink, and then gathered on a flat, moss-covered rock. The bulk of the rock rested on land, but it gradually sloped down until the end found its way into the w
ater. I continued gazing at the loveliness of the surroundings. Not a bug or bird made a sound, only the water. We were just coming into Spring, but random green plants still managed to dot the shore. Brown trunks led high up into nearly naked branches. Red buds were beginning to emerge, dotting the clear blue sky as they waited to be loved and nurtured by the sun.
“Alright, Beldorn,” Rabryn said after he had taken a seat. “What’s going to happen now?”
Though I didn’t want to know the answer, I couldn’t suppress my curiosity. What was going to happen now? What were we going to do?
“Ortheldo, do you have the necklace?” Beldorn asked, getting right down to business.
I glanced over my shoulder. Ortheldo held it out to the Wizard, who tenderly took it in the free hand that wasn’t clasping his staff. As I turned to admire the stream again, I heard Beldorn sigh. “This is how you bring honor to you father’s name, Azrel.”
I snapped my head around so fast, it was a marvel my neck didn’t break. What did he just say to me? Had I heard him correctly? “What are you talking about?” I asked with wide eyes.
After all the years I spent idle, sitting around doing nothing, now suddenly I was being offered the opportunity to do what I was born to do: bring honor to my father?
“Returning this necklace to its owner is how you can honor your father. To help you understand, I will tell you of this necklace and its purpose.” I eased myself onto the rock, my wide eyes still on the old man. “I stopped here inside the woods so the magic barrier would keep any evil from overhearing us. Though,” he looked down sadly, “I don’t know if it matters much now.”
Okay, I didn’t like the sound of that, but I didn’t question him. I wanted to know how to do this! I couldn’t believe this meager little necklace thing could allow me to honor my father’s name as the White Warrior. Then again, this “meager little necklace thing” had almost gotten Ortheldo killed.
Beldorn sighed and turned his eyes up to me. “This jewel is very old. It’s even more ancient than history can recognize.”
Great! I just wanted him to tell me what I needed to do so I could get on with it! Hopefully this would be a short history lesson.
“In the beginning of Salynns’ time…”
Oh, no!
“When the first Salynn ever walked Casdanarus, before any Humounts existed, they explored the worlds in the mountains. One mountain they mined, long since pummeled flat by time, harbored endless numbers of these jewels. When they stumbled upon these treasures, the Salynns had no idea of their value. They didn’t know until they explored the caverns of the mountain and found various healing aides— aides that are still used today. They found plants, some spells, elixirs, and foods that could heal encapsulated in these gems. Whether a spell was carved in the wall by some unknown source or, in the case of a plant, found growing right from the gem itself, the healing aides were everywhere.
“In early times, the gems’ magic was used for the purpose they were created: to heal the wounded and ill. I don’t know how this was done.”
“So, the necklace has healing powers,” Rabryn said.
“Yes and no,” Beldorn replied. “It does not only harbor healing powers, it is the power of healing.” A few eyebrows went up. “Everything that has the power to heal is bound to this jewel, for everything that can heal was born from it.”
Mother of the Light Gods! This gem was the power of healing? That sounded so insane! I suppose though, that everything came from somewhere.
“When the Salynns of old realized the immeasurable value, and power the gems held, they became greedy. They stole the gems from the walls of the mountains, hiding them for their own purpose or selling them for countless amounts of gold to helpless ailing families who needed the gems’ magic.
“Slowly though, the Salynns began to realize that if the jewels were not put to healing use for an extended period, they would lose their orange glow and die. Once a gem dies, it cannot be brought back to life. The glow is the gem’s soul.”
Beldorn’s eyes were steady as he spoke in a low, meaningful tone. “If all the gems die,” his face drained of color, “then the ability to heal anything dies with them.”
“What?” I screamed and jumped to my feet. He held up his hands and easily gestured me to sit down, but I ignored him. “So, basically, we’re all going to die if this gem dies? Is that what you’re saying?” I was unable to control the high pitch of my voice. Beldorn again gestured for me to sit. I clenched my teeth against my raging emotions, then sank to my knees.
“You have reason to be concerned because this jewel is the last of its kind.” My eyes went wide. “Greed and time have killed all the rest. However, this one gem keeps the souls of every other gem that ever existed, making its power count for all the hundreds of thousands of gems that once lived.” His voice dropped low. “Which makes it hundreds of thousands of times more powerful; hundreds of thousands of times more valuable; and hundreds of thousands of times more desirable.”
His grim, eerie tone of finality sent shivers down my spine.
“If this gem dies, because it’s the last of its kind, those who fall ill or are wounded after the gems death will not heal,” he sighed, looking grave, “for everything that has the power to heal is bound to this gem."
There was silence. Then my brother spoke in a hesitant voice. “But, people can heal. The body has the power to heal itself without spells or plants, doesn’t it?”
Beldorn nodded gravely. “It does. But I’m concerned about the fatal injuries and illnesses that call for the need of magical healing.” He sighed. “And with the evil times that are on the brink, these magical aides are going to be desperately needed.”
What did he mean by “evil times on the brink?” I started to ask, but Ortheldo spoke first with a more important question.
“What about the owner of this necklace?” Ortheldo asked. “What part does he or she play?”
“I do not know who the owner is,” Beldorn said.
I threw my arms up and slapped my thighs. “Well, that’s just great! So, what are we going to do?” I flung my arms out to my sides. “Search Casdanarus on a wild boar chase and hope that the gem doesn’t die before we find a person that we don’t know we’re looking for?”
“You will find this person, somehow. I have faith that you will.”
I laughed without mirth and vigorously rubbed my forehead with the heels of my hands. This was unbelievable! He was putting the fate of Casdanarus in the frail hands of chance and faith! Had he lost his mind?
“The owner of the necklace is the only one who knows how to use it; I do not. He or she is the one who preserves the life of the gem and protects it from greedy hands.”
I looked down at the rock. “Oh, yes,” I muttered sarcastically to myself, “and she’s done a marvelous job of protecting it.”
“What did you just say?” Beldorn asked suddenly and eagerly.
I shook my head without looking up. “Nothing.”
“Repeat what you said, Azrel!” he commanded loudly.
I looked at him with wide eyes for a moment, then my brows dropped. “I said so far she’s done a marvelous job protecting the necklace! She lost it, remember?!”
“What made you say ‘she?’” Beldorn narrowed his eyes at me almost suspiciously.
“What? I don’t know!” I was annoyed that he was speaking to me this way. “It doesn’t seem likely a man would oversee a piece of jewelry, and Ortheldo said he heard a female voice when it was given to him.”
“I said I heard your voice,” Ortheldo argued.
I rolled my eyes. “Well, it wasn’t my voice. It was a female voice, that’s all!”
“Very well,” Beldorn said. “You are at least looking for a woman who is the keeper of the necklace. That narrows your search quite a bit.”
“Beldorn!” I cried in disbelief. “Don’t trust that resolution to my simple choice of word! It could be a man or woman. Who knows what part the female voice plays.
The woman’s voice said it was lost and found. Anyone could own it!”
“Your first instinct was to say it was a woman that owned the necklace. First instincts rarely lead you astray.”
Instinct had nothing to do with it! I had just happened to use the word “she” because a woman’s voice was heard when it was handed to Ortheldo! I didn’t argue though. I wanted to end this conversation.
“You may want to make your way to Triple Peaks,” Beldorn suggested. “Candletars may be able to point you in the right direction. First, though, you must get some updated maps of Casdanarus.” He sat for a moment, thinking. “The closest people that would have the resources for maps would be the Humounts of Rocksheloc Mountain.” His eyes fell on me again. “I will meet you there in two weeks and five days. I will go ahead of you to get the maps prepared.”
I narrowed my eyes at him as something flashed in his eyes, something I wasn’t going to like. “What did you mean by ‘evil times are on the brink?’” I asked suspiciously.
Beldorn sighed. “Curse you and your ability to read eyes so well.” He gave me a small, forced smile, but it didn’t last long. “News of the necklace missing is already upon evil ears, hence the Legan’dirs’ presence this far west.” He’s face scrunched as if he’d just bitten a lemon. “You can imagine what Shadow creatures would do if they had the power of all healing in the palm of their hands?”
I mentally flinched at the thought.
“But they wouldn’t know how to use the gem’s power if they did get it, would they?” Rabryn asked.
“I’m positive they have ways of forcing the gem to work for them if they wish. For all we know they could have the gem’s owner in their custody already.”
I shook my head in frustration. What a situation! Either let some evil thing get hold of this necklace and everyone dies, or I don’t get the necklace to its owner in time and everyone dies with the gem anyway.
“I was wondering why the Legan`dirs were after me,” Ortheldo said. “But how did they know I had the necklace at all?”