by D. E. Morris
Zarra rushed into the room ahead of Badru and Cavalon when they heard of Lilia's return, all of them with expectant expressions. Their hopes fell when they found Lilia crying and Jaryn numbly pacing the room with Lochlainn in his arms. Hurrying forward, Zarra pulled Lilia into a tight embrace and the older girl clung to her.
“I don't know what to do.” Jaryn faced his friends looking every bit as helpless as a lost child. “I can't just sit here, but I don't know what else to do.”
No one answered him because they were all feeling the same way. Every place she could possibly be had been searched, even down to the places that seemed least likely. Yet none had seen the Sinessian High Queen nor the great golden Elemental dragon soaring through the skies. How could someone simply vanish like that?
“Perhaps Jessiah will have some news.”
Zarra's voice rang out in the great hall, breaking the painful silence that had settled upon them. It drew the attention of everyone in the room and made her blink in confusion. “What?”
Lilia wiped the tears from her face and straightened. “He hasn't returned yet?”
“Not unless he sneaked in during the middle of the night. I've been near the front of the castle all day - you know, just in case. But he should be back. He only had a small portion of Siness to search.”
Without another word, Lilia peeled away from the group and dashed off to Jessiah's rooms. Now that her arms were empty Zarra offered to take Lochlainn and snuggled him tightly when Jaryn handed him over.
“You have to think, Jaryn,” Cavalon said. “There isn't a single room we missed here in our search? How long have you been at Altaine? Maybe there are hallways and places you don't know about. ”
“No.” The answer was sharp and definitive. “Ashlynn told me of all of them. She showed them to me and I have searched and searched again. She is not here.”
“She would have no rooms hidden even from you?” asked Badru. The look Jaryn shot him in answer made the older man give a polite smile. “Of course not. It was foolish of me to even suggest.”
“No it wasn't,” Cavalon argued. With clear determination he headed toward Jaryn's library, the king's library, not needing to motion for anyone to follow him. Badru and Jaryn exchanged glances before following at his heels, Zarra bringing up the rear and practically running to keep up with the longer strides of the three men. “Where are the castle plans?” asked Cavalon once they were in the massive room. The walls were lined with tall shelves of books. Some were bound in leather, others in the more modern hard covers, while some still were in scroll form and simply stacked on top of one another. It was not very neat or organized at all, clearly a representation of the way Jaryn worked.
Jaryn took a set of keys from his guardsman and walked deeper into the room, making his way to a great desk that sat in front of a world map hanging on the wall behind it. Unlocking the bottom drawer, he carefully removed its contents and lifted up a secret panel at the bottom. Here were papers of great significance, among them the plans Cavalon asked for. Jaryn laid them flat on the desk and the three men bent over the old parchment, examining the rooms, going through each and every one of them, following old passages with their fingers. Zarra crept close out of curiosity and lent her voice, pointing out the places she'd searched as well.
“What's this?”
Cavalon pointed to a long and winding passage that connected the gatehouse to the stables, the kitchen, and several other rooms on different floors of the castle.
“It's mostly sealed off,” said Jaryn, tilting his head to get a better look at the plans. He pointed to a certain spot within the castle itself. “It's only open from the gatehouse to here. Ashlynn's father sealed it off when he was on the throne. If you look here, it shows the tunnels lead down through the mountain to several hidden exits. But those were sealed up too, right before Tadhg invaded.” He glanced at the others. “I didn't check this passage because it's so small and only goes to the gatehouse now, and she wouldn't be hiding in there. That's the passage she and Mairead use for quick switches. ”
“One of those sealed off passages may be opened again,” said Cavalon.
Jaryn frowned. “I suppose so, but how will we explore them? None of us would fit well in there. I had one guard who was small enough, but he was among those lost in the carriage ambush.”
“I'll go.” Zarra bit her lip when the three men looked at her, Lochlainn clutched close to her breast. “I don't care if it's dark and scary, and only meant for Ashlynn and Mairead. I feel as though I have nothing important to do, haven't had since all the excitement began. I know I'm not brave like Mairead or smart like Lilia, but I am small and I'm quick. I can find any opening there might be and follow it for as long as I can. If she's down there, I'll find her.”
“How are you with a sword?” Cavalon asked.
“Lousy.”
“What about a dagger?” asked Badru as Lilia joined them. Zarra shook her head.
“I don't know how to fight at all...but if you give me something sharp I know how to stick it into something I don't want attacking me.”
“I don't know.” Jaryn was scowling in thought. “I wouldn't feel comfortable sending you in there all on your own, Zarra. Not if the intent is to follow any opened passageways. I'd rather like for Jessiah to go with you. He's smaller than we are.” Jaryn cast his eyes to Lilia. “I'm sure he's exhausted too, but rouse your betrothed and tell him he's got another job to do.”
“He's not here.”
“What?” The three men straightened and turned from the parchment to look upon Lilia with question. Jaryn's brows knit together. “What do you mean he's not here?”
“His rooms are empty as if they've never been touched at all. Even the clothes lent to him are still there.”
“He'll run himself ragged,” Cavalon muttered. “Ashlynn saved his life so now he feels like he owes her his.”
“Well let's look into one mystery at a time.” Jaryn picked up the old plans and secured them within his desk once more. Leading everyone out into the hallway he grabbed the attention of one of the servants to have them take breeches and a tunic that would fit Zarra to her room. After being told to meet them all by the gatehouse entrance, Zarra hurried away to get changed.
“What would you have me do?” asked Lilia of her king, also eager to be of use.
“Keep an eye out for Jessiah either here or from above. Let me know as soon as he's returned.”
With a nod Lilia left the three men and they walked together in silence through the castle halls, down stairways and outside. Courtiers and petitioners would watch, waiting for the moment Jaryn might look their way and eager to have just a few words with him. Out of the royal couple he was the easiest to beckon into conversation with his even ways and casual charm. Today, however, all simply watched and kept to themselves. There was a hard look of determination about him, one that suggested his attention could not be swayed.
Stepping outside, Jaryn looked to the skies. The evening revealed brilliant lines of gold, orange, and pink where the sun was sinking, a bruising of dark blue and deep purple in the distance. It was beautiful, but the sight only made Jaryn frown. “The sun sets on the fifth day she has been missing.” No words of comfort were offered this time, though Badru gave the younger man's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
They waited for Zarra to join them and offered her a torch when she arrived, long hair tied up and lovely court gown traded for the clothes of a common stable boy. She took both the torch and a dagger from Cavalon, too nervous about her task to be excited by the few moments of personal attention from him. “Only go as far as you can,” Jaryn instructed her. “Don't force your way in anywhere. If you can't fit easily, Ashlynn wouldn't be able to either.”
“No one else should be down there,” Cavalon added. “If you see anyone at all, run them through and ask questions later.”
Badru gave his friend a dark look, then placed a hand on Zarra's arm. “All will be well.”
The youn
g woman nodded and swallowed. She turned to face the darkness of the secret tunnel, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
The passage was small indeed if even Zarra had to crouch. The walls were close and heated quickly from her torch, making her walk as quickly as she could. Her eyes darted to and fro in search of anything that might be important, but there was nothing interesting to see. Every so often she would come to a spot that opened up ever so slightly, an obvious intersection, and pause to look for the alternative route. It was always sealed up with boulders or completed walls, much to both her dismay and relief at the same time. She desperately wanted to find Ashlynn, but knowing there should only be one way out in her journey made her dread finding an alternative route.
“Ashlynn?” she called softly, her voice echoing around her as it bounced off the surrounding stone. “Ashlynn, are you here?”
The farther she went down the dark passageway the colder it grew. The humidity of the day never reached these depths and despite the heat from her torch, she shivered in her thin summer clothing. Pausing at the bottom of a staircase, one that should lead her up to the second floor of Altaine before continuing upward still, Zarra sighed. “What am I going to do if you're dead?” she said to no one. “I'll be sent to another kingdom to serve a queen I may not even like! Not that my staying here is the only reason I want to find you.” She began a slow trek up the stairs, despairing. “I'm so worried that I don't even know what I'm saying. I can't imagine how Jaryn must feel.”
She wasn't even halfway up to the landing when a gust of wind came from nowhere and blew her torchlight out. Zarra shrieked and leaped to the side pressing her back against the wall. She threw the torch down not thinking it might be the better weapon and whipped the dagger free from her belt, cutting the thin leather in the process. She could feel the trousers begin to slide down her legs and held them up with her free hand, fighting the urge to scream. “Who's there?” she squeaked, holding her breath and listening carefully.
A trickle of water was the only sound to greet her.
“What do I do now?” Zarra debated with the inner turmoil she suddenly had. Should she turn back or keep going? Where did the wind come from to make her torch go out? She wanted to cry as she always did in times of uncertainty. Lilia, older and more mature, always teased her when she cried and made Zarra feel as though she were a baby. She could almost hear the older girl clucking her tongue and her lilting laughter as she said something about how the ground was more often watered by Zarra's tears than the rain. Just imagining the jest made her take a deep breath and focus on calming herself.
Peeling herself from the wall, she slid her dagger carefully into her boot and pulled the leather ties from her hair. If she looped them all together into one long string it would fit around her waist and hold her pants up, at least long enough to get out of the dark. Once her trousers were secure she reached out both arms and held her palms flat so that they stayed against the walls as she carefully ascended the stairs. It didn't make sense to go back when she knew the landing to the second floor was likely to be closer to where she was.
One slow step at a time. Her hands were becoming slick with slime and dirt from the walls but she dared not take them away for fear of falling. “Hello?” she called, hoping someone would be at the landing exit to greet her and possibly shed some light on her path. “Can anyone he-” The wall was suddenly gone and Zarra fell to her left with a scream of panic. She tumbled into rock and reached out blindly to steady herself against nothing, palms cut and a hit on the head hard enough to make her see spots of light in the darkness. Now the tears did come and she couldn't have cared less about what anyone would say. She was going to die in there. No one would ever find her because she'd fallen through a wall that should have been there but wasn't, and they wouldn't even know where to look for her.
But that was why she was there. A little voice in her head reminded her of the reason for being in the tunnels in the first place, to look for hidden places such as this. Despite her want to curl into a ball and sob, Zarra pushed herself up onto her cut hands and knees to search her surroundings. It was impossible to tell which way was forward and which way was back because of the way she'd tumbled, but crawling forward only revealed the walls closing in tighter and tighter until she could barely move. She felt over each and every crack and crevice in the wall before her, diligent. When her fingers slid into a small opening in the wall, she gasped. It was close to the ground and Zarra lay down, pressing her shoulder to the cold stone floor and shoving her arm through the small opening. She could feel a cold breeze coming from somewhere beyond her reach and realized not everything was as sealed off as was assumed. Only after her fingers wrapped around a soft leather satchel did she realize she could have met with mice or snakes and she quickly withdrew her hand to scurry away from the opening.
She sat still for a long moment and tried to calm her racing heart. The ache in her head was growing worse by the second, but perhaps it would all be worth it. If only she could find her way out. “Giver, help me.” With resolve she crawled out of the newly found passage and struggled to her feet when she found the stairs. The satchel had a strap that was long enough to slip over her shoulder and once the bag was secure she began her slow trek upward once more, praying for no more secret openings.
“Zarra?”
It was faint but she could hear her name and it almost started her tears anew. “Lilia? Can you hear me?”
High above, much higher than Zarra would have expected, a light came from around a corner of the winding staircase. Lilia didn't appear too concerned until she drew closer and saw the blood and muck all over Zarra. “What happened to you?”
All at once Zarra began crying again. She flung herself at the older girl, careless of how dirty she was against Lilia's clean dress. “I don't care if you laugh at me! I'm so glad to see you!”
“Of course I'm not going to laugh at you, silly girl!” With her free hand, Lilia took Zarra's chin and tilted her head to get a better look at the cut near her temple. “Come on. I've got you now.”
Badru, Cavalon, and Jaryn waited at the top, guards at the end of the hallway to keep anyone who might want to see what was happening far away. All three of them watched in surprise as Zarra came out into the castle covered in blood, dirt, and slime, her hair a tangled mess and her trousers barely holding themselves up. Badru set to examining the cut to her head almost immediately, asking what happened and if she was all right as Lilia emerged and closed the secret passage behind herself.
“I fell into the wall,” Zarra whimpered. “Well I fell where the wall should have been. Some of it was crumbled and dug out, enough so that the wind could get through and blow out my torch.” She slipped the satchel off and passed it to Jaryn. “That was tucked into the wall but there was nothing else to be found.”
Cavalon hovered over Jaryn as the younger man opened it and pulled out three scrolls. Without even asking, Cavalon took one and unraveled it as quickly as his fingers would work. “It's the runes,” he breathed. He checked the others as well. “They're all here.”
Jaryn nodded slowly. “She hid them which means she knew she needed to keep them safe. Something had to have happened to make her fearful enough to-”
Badru suddenly cried out and dropped to his knees. His hands balled into fists and he grit his teeth as Jaryn, Lilia, and Zarra surrounded him. Cavalon was hardly bothered at all and continued to look over the scrolls. “It's Rowan,” he stated offhandedly. “She must be shifting for the first time.”
Jaryn looked at him in horror. “Is it always like this?”
“Only the first few times.” Cavalon rolled up the scroll he was examining and shoved it back into the satchel. “Then we just get used to it.”
“Is there anything you Elementals can do without pain?”
Cavalon shrugged. “No gift comes without strings attached.”
“She is terrified,” Badru grunted.
“We all are the first time.”
<
br /> “No...” The pain subsided and left Badru panting. He turned his head to look up at Cavalon with fear in his eyes. “It was not fear of the change I felt, but fear of danger. Something stopped her shift very suddenly.” He lifted his gaze to Jaryn. “I fear something has happened at Oceana.”
“Go,” said Jaryn, his voice even before adrenaline could kick in. “Go now. Cavalon and I will be right behind you. Lillia, stay with Lochalinn and make sure Zarra is taken care of.”
Badru rose and stepped away from the group just enough so that no one was touched when fyre surrounded him and took him away. Lilia watched with uncertainty as Jaryn and Cavalon ran down the hall to make their way out to the bailey. “What about Jessiah?” she called after them.
Jaryn glanced back. “Keep an eye out for him. And don't let anything fall to ruin!”
Left alone, Lillia put an arm around Zarra's shoulders and muttered, “No pressure there.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Smoke rose to the sky as a guide before Jaryn and Cavalon were even close enough to see the battle going on. They flew over the ocean straight for Oceana and feared the worse. When land broke the horizon, they could immediately see the flames consuming the small fishing village of Nivar, Oceana high above on the mountain cliff that held it above the raging waters below. There were dots of light from fires within the castle walls as well but nothing like the blaze far below. The closer they flew the easier it became to pick out figures and shapes. Men and women, even children had thrown themselves into the ocean to keep themselves from burning to death while many that occupied the water were still and lifeless. Looking at the castle, Jaryn growled and shifted his position on Cavalon's back. He wanted to be ready to jump down into the fray as soon as they were close enough.