When Iadrawyn found Valanandir to tell him the good news, she found him hard at work. He and Lodariel were in his hut, poring over maps of the dark lands and surrounding area. Both looked up when she came in, her tired inner glow giving them all the answer they needed for how her project with Daroandir had gone.
Lodariel wasted no time steering her to sit on some cushions and pressing a cup of berry liquor into her hands. The drink was sweet and light, but strong. After only a few sips, Iadrawyn felt it flushing her skin and relaxing her tense muscles. She leaned against the wall and waited for Valanandir and Lodariel to share whatever plan they had concocted. She didn’t have to wait for long.
“The Sea Folk have been watching the dark lands from the water,” Valanandir said, looking up with tired eyes. “It appears the dark dragons and the drakhalu have joined forces.”
Iadrawyn sat bolt upright. “How long has this been going on?” Although Nargaz and his followers had benefited from the continuous darkness as much as the drakhalu, none of the elves had dared to imagine the two forces were working together.
“We aren’t certain, but perhaps since just after the Quenya was taken.”
Iadrawyn’s eyes widened. “Then we can assume the attacks on us by the drakhalu and on Malarin’s folk by Nargaz have been organized to divide our forces.”
“What we don’t know about this strange alliance is who holds the power,” Lodariel said with a frown. “Both Vlaz and Nargaz are selfish, power-hungry creatures. I cannot see them sharing control of the Quenya equally.”
“Both likely think themselves the master with the upper hand on the other,” Daroandir said. He walked into the hut and joined Iadrawyn to sit on the floor. His long brown hair was wet and he wore a fresh change of clothes. “It would be like them to work together to eliminate their common enemies while secretly planning to dominate each other.”
“You are probably right,” Valanandir said. He frowned, considering. “According to the Sea Folk, there has been much coming and going of both dragons and drakhalu between Hamadi Glaurinu and the nearby Hamad Orom. The Quenya could be in either location. The drakhalu have extensive caverns beneath the mountains. Iadrawyn, can you sense anything about the Quenya’s whereabouts?”
Iadrawyn sighed and shook her head. “Not from this distance. I can only confirm it lies south of here, which we already knew.”
“Then I will have to search both locations.” Valanandir’s words met with only a moment of silence.
“What do you mean, ‘I’?” Lodariel demanded. “You cannot possibly be thinking of doing this on your own.”
“Malarin has agreed to carry me to the dark lands. I have also asked Eranalfia to impersonate me in my absence. He will lead an elven army toward the dark lands and create a distraction. Now that I have faded back to my previous appearance, he will only need to dye his hair for it to be convincing.”
“Don’t be an idiot!” Lodariel’s green eyes flashed. “To go into the heart of the dark lands alone is a suicide mission even I would not attempt.” She continued to berate Valanandir, not letting him get a word in edgewise.
Iadrawyn agreed with her, but her gut told her Valanandir had an unspoken reason for wanting to pursue this matter alone. She suspected these reasons had little to do with recovery of the Quenya. She gave him a long look. He shifted in discomfort beneath her gaze, confirming her suspicions.
Although his plan had merit, she would not allow him to throw his life away. He had come to mean too much to her, although he had become distant since the attack on Vila Eadros from within, all those years ago.
“It is not a bad plan,” she said quietly when Lodariel paused for breath. Lodariel gave her a startled look of disbelief. Iadrawyn ignored her and continued. “I like that Malarin has volunteered to help, and using Eranalfia and an elven army to distract the dark forces is very clever. But I do agree with Lodariel that you cannot possibly go into the dark lands alone. Although Malarin has agreed to aid you, I doubt she realized you meant to go alone.”
The brief flash of guilt across Valanandir’s features only confirmed her words. “I had hoped to convince her at the last moment, when it would be too late to argue,” he said in a low voice.
“Well at the very least, I will be going with you.” Iadrawyn silenced any arguments Valanandir was about to make with a look. “You would waste your time scouring enemy territory for the Quenya, when I could lead you directly to it? That would be folly. You are not only risking your life, but Malarin’s as well.” Valanandir looked chagrined.
“And I will certainly not be left behind!” Lodariel said. “I wasn’t with you when… when Vlaz took the Quenya. If I had been, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this position.” She carefully avoided any mention of Numril.
“I wish to come as well,” Daroandir said.
“It is too many!” Valanandir protested.
“It is not too many,” Iadrawyn said. “Four is hardly an army, and stronger than one by far. It will be cozy, but I believe Malarin can bear all of us. We have all earned the right to go.”
Valanandir frowned, but Iadrawyn held his gaze, letting him know without words that she would have her way in this. After a few moments, he slumped his shoulders in defeat.
“Very well,” he sighed.
The others began making plans, but Iadrawyn continued to watch Valanandir. He had agreed, but something was still wrong. She would have to keep a close eye on him. She had a feeling he had something dangerous in mind that he wasn’t sharing. Iadrawyn resolved to do whatever she could to save him from himself.
Light Chasers (The World of Lasniniar Book 0) Page 44