That voice. Where did it come from? Oh yes, the silver lady was talking. His muddled brain strained to catch the thread of her words. He sensed the conversation had been going on for some time.
He found his voice. "Who are you?"
She glanced at him, "Ah, you've returned. Good. Our discussion has been most illuminating heretofore, but there is still much to learn from you. Curious you were able to find my Tower. That secret still eludes me."
"Taddeo..."
"Yes, yes. I gave poor, unfortunate Taddeo a talisman that would enable him to find his way here. You do not hold that talisman."
"You are her? His mistress?"
"I am. You may call me Kjerstin." Cenric blinked. When his eyes opened, he found himself seated across an empty table from Kjerstin. "Eat," she said. "You must be famished.
Food covered the table. Roast boar and rabbit. Stew. Bread. Grapes. Cheeses. Foods he could not identify. Reaching for a hunk of the boar meat, his mouth watered. Biting into it, the juices ran down his chin and he washed it down with a sip of wine from his goblet.
"You seek the Eligium Cardia. A dangerous quest to say the least. I have felt ripples cascading across Cynneweald in recent days. At long last the threads holding the Ban in place are fraying and my people can reclaim their rightful place."
"Your people?" A mouthful of cheese muffled Cenric's voice.
"The elves, of course."
Cenric gaped. The ears. He should have known. "But I thought all the elves...left Cynneweald because of the Ban."
"That's almost true. A handful of us who did not believe in the Ban found ways to stay behind. It took much of our strength, and the once great elven nations were reduced to enclaves such as this one. Forced to remain hidden, we have longed for the day when we could be reunited with our brothers and sisters. I have searched long for one such as you to help me in my quest."
"I have my own quest. I was told you might be able to help me. If you do, I promise to return."
Her eyes flared, "Don't make promises you have no intention of honoring. I've seen inside your mind. There is much that is hidden from me, but I know you would do almost anything to find the Stone."
"If you won't help me, then I'll just be on my way and thank you for the food." Pushing away from the table, he stood.
Kjerstin laughed, "Do you believe you could even find your way back to the door of this tower unless I will it?" She stood also, looming over the table. "Now SIT DOWN."
Cenric collapsed into the chair at the force of her will. Inside he heard the voice speaking to him again, whispering, I can do little to help you in her domain. You must find a way outside the walls of the tower.
"That's better," she said. "As it turns out our interests align more closely than you might think. We will need the Heartstone to accomplish my purposes. But we'll reach it on my terms."
"Do you know where it is then?"
"The location of the stones is hidden from me. They lie shrouded in their own magic. I have discerned however, that the key to finding the Heartstone can be found in Hallvard."
"The dwarven kingdom?"
"There is a great repository of old lore hidden away in their caves. The dwarven librarians are great hoarders of knowledge. I doubt they even realize the key to finding the Heartstone is within their grasp or they would have sought it out long ago."
"Why do you need me then?"
"Do you think an elf can simply knock on the doors of Hallvard and demand admission to their libraries? No. You will go on my behalf. We leave at dawn. For now, you need to rest"
Cenric blinked again to find himself in a bedchamber. Rushing to the door, he tugged at the handle. It might as well have been a cell. He sensed there was no way out. He just had to be patient. If the elf-witch could be believed she would take him from the tower herself in the morning. Resigned, Cenric laid on the bed and fell into a deep slumber.
Sun shining in on his face awakened him. Had there been a window in this room the night before? He certainly didn't remember seeing any windows looking at the tower from the outside. Pulling himself out of bed, he crossed to the window. Outside he saw the wall of fog shielding the tower from the world. His room was about halfway up the peak. Too far to attempt to jump.
Dressing quickly, he crossed to the door and tried the handle again. To his surprise it turned easily. Opening it, he stepped into the corridor. Kjerstin stood just outside, waiting for him.
Inclining her head for him to follow, the elf turned away. Following along, Cenric felt the fog returning. In that moment he recognized her plan. She would use her enchantments to keep him in thrall during the journey to Hallvard. An unwilling, mindless slave. Just like the wizards, she wanted to control him. Anger rose inside.
Outside the tower now, two white horses stood waiting for them. Kjerstin inspected the saddles and gestured for Cenric to mount the smaller of the two. Walking through the haze, he obeyed.
"Hold Witch!" an oily voice rang out in the morning stillness. Head wobbling, Cenric looked out at the fog as five red-robed men emerged from the grey wall.
Kjerstin hissed, "Stay here boy." Whirling her horse around she urged it out into the clearing to confront the Krenon. "You are not welcome here. Turn back now, while you can!"
"Your threats do not frighten us witch! We have searched for this place a long time, we're not leaving without you and the boy. Although we may go easy on him. His magic led us to you after all."
Kjerstin bowed her head for a moment and then looked back up at the five Krenon. She grew larger and her eyes turned a deep black, an ethereal flame rising up from her hands. Pushing it out toward the Krenon she screamed in fury. The fire streamed toward the red-robed men who lifted their staves in response. Before it reached them, the fire splashed against an invisible shield, dissipating to no effect.
Releasing a counter-strike of power against the elf-witch, the Krenon moved forward, staves held high. Wave after wave of elf-fire splashed against their shield and one of the Krenon stumbled. He screamed as white flames consumed him.
Kjerstin pressed in, redoubling her attack and Cenric felt the fog lifting from his mind as she tapped into the reserves of her strength. Shaking his head to clear the threads of the elven enchantment he reached out to the darkness. I am here. Rushing into him, he could feel it invade his body, bringing relief to a longing he hadn't known was there.
Once inside, it yearned to be freed. Throwing back his head, Cenric shrieked, his cry releasing a wave of power that washed across the clearing. Kjerstin and the remaining Krenon flew backward at the impact, their limp bodies collapsing to the ground. Continuing outward, it crashed into the wall of fog, shredding it into oblivion and crushing the swamp for a hundred yards.
Watching the destruction, Cenric began to laugh. Behind him, the tower dissolved into the swamp as darkness fell.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Caglion sat at the small writing desk, a single candle providing illumination to the small room. The scritch-scritch of his pen a clear sign he needed more ink, but he needed to get this thought down before it escaped him. Sighing, he leaned back. His search had borne little fruit and it was time to leave this city. But where to go next?
His head jerked up. What was that? The vestiges of a wave of power washed through the room, causing the floor to ripple. He sensed its source far to the west. Alarmed, he half stood, causing his chair to topple.
The door to his room burst open and he turned, preparing a defensive spell. His arm dropped when he saw who stood in the doorway. "Arch-mage Valeria. What are you doing here?"
Shaking her head, she rushed into the room. "Did you feel that?"
"Of course I felt it. I'd have to be dead not to. Now answer my question. What are you doing here?"
She skewered him with a glare. "I'm here to warn you. The boy fled the Cale."
"Cenric?" She nodded. "Damn. I was afraid of that."
"It's worse than you know. He completed the ritual before he left. There w
ere deaths."
Caglion bowed his head, "Then the boy may be beyond saving. That explains what I just felt. His power has grown beyond measure and he must be stopped before the Heartstone is brought into play."
"He will have to be dealt with, but finding the journal and getting it to Sebastian is the more pressing issue. Without him, releases of magic are liable to tear this world apart. We must stay focused on what is important. How goes your search?”
He shook his head. "I am no closer to finding the journal than when I left the Cale. I was just considering my options."
"There is one place you could go. You won't like it though."
"I assume you mean the dwarves?" Valeria nodded. "You're right, I don't like it. And they won't like it much either. As you may recall, the last time I visited Hallvard it did not end well at all."
"Nevertheless, they may have the information we seek. According to the histories, he visited there once, before the end."
Turning back to his worktable, Caglion picked up the paper he'd been writing upon before the wave struck. "As it turns out, I had come to that conclusion myself not moments ago. It is the next logical step. This is a record of my search to date, culminating in my belief that the journal must be in Hallvard. I had intended to send it by messenger to you at Cale Uriasz. Since you are here, there is little need for that now. I will be off in the morning."
“Then you have not heard my other news.”
He cocked an eyebrow, “Other news?”
“The sorcerer, Radomil, has resurfaced to the east. He is gathering followers around him. I’ve dispatched the Grey Council to deal with him, but they are all too new at this. They need someone with experience. They need you there with them.”
“I cannot abandon this search now, not when I am so close,” he said, pushing back from the desk.
She laid a hand on his shoulder, “I have sent word to the girl, Krystelle to find the journal and take it to him. Even if she can not find the journal herself, her presence in Daguranso may tip the scales. Trust me in this, old friend.”
PART FIVE
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Camryn sat in her antechamber, knitting. She hated knitting, but at least it passed the time. Taking herself out of the equation so many years before had been the logical course of action. Her cousin, the late King, saw threats to his rule in every shadow. In distancing herself from the seat of power she had hoped to keep her daughter safe. Now Krystelle was a fugitive and Camryn sat, knitting, a prisoner in her own palace. At least they could have given her some books to read.
A sharp rap came at the door and Camryn jumped. It swung open Jozef Immall, the new Captain of the Guard, strode into the room, hand resting on his sword. Camryn rose, smoothing her skirts. "Captain," she said, inclining her head. "It is customary to wait to be acknowledged before entering a lady's chambers." Prisoner though she might be, she could not let him get away with that kind of disrespect.
Immall sneered, "Well my Lady, you are wanted for an audience with the Regent. I suggest you come along quickly now. I hear she's in one of her moods. You wouldn't want to get any farther on her bad side, now would you."
Rolling her eyes, Camryn gestured to the door, "No, I certainly wouldn't want that." Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "Lead on Captain."
Head high, the Queen trailed Immall through the Palace, down to the throne room. There were only a handful of servants left to see her, along with the Krenon interlopers and their toadies, but she resolved to show strength. Every person who still saw her as Queen would be a victory. She needed all the wins she could get.
Twice before, she had been summoned to the throne room for an audience since the Krenon invaded the Palace and installed Tanjia as Regent. The first time had been the installation itself. The second had seen her daughter, Krystelle, publicly named Traitor and a bounty placed on her head. She did not allow herself to speculate what news this visit would bring. Whatever it was, it would not be good.
Entering the chamber, Camryn scanned the room. Forty or so Krenon milled about in conversation and a row of guardsmen lined either wall. Tanjia sat in the Regent's Chair, positioned just in front and to the right of the throne. At least the woman had the sense not to actually sit in the throne. Brother Kai Vasu, the leader of the Krenon in Naevean leaned over Tanjia, whispering in her ear. Camryn gasped. A blade lay on the stone pedestal to the right of the throne. A pedestal that had been empty since Krystelle's escape from the Palace.
Brother Kai Vasu pounded his staff into the floor three times. The hollow thud echoed through the room and all eyes turned to the Regent's chair as conversations trailed to a halt. "All ye assembled," the Krenon began, his scratchy voice grating on Camryn's ears. "Hearken to the words of the High Regent Loredanna, Guardian of Cynneweald, Defender of Naevean."
Tanjia smiled, inclining her head to the Krenon in thanks. Rising from the chair, she glanced over to be sure the scribes were ready to take down her words. She enjoyed making pronouncements in front of the court, and liked having those pronouncements recorded even more. Rumor in the palace held that one of the scribes her first day as Regent had ended up in the dungeons for not making a proper record of her lunch order.
"People of Cynneweald, as your Regent it is my duty to inform you that the Thief and Traitor Krystelle Mora, once of Gabriel, was captured outside the City of Aldmoor and the Sword of Gabriel, stolen by her, has been restored to its rightful place." She laid a delicate hand on the sword, running her fingers along the flat of the blade. "Our new-found allies, the Krenon Brotherhood, were instrumental in locating the Traitor and bringing her to justice."
Camryn closed her eyes. They'd captured Krystelle. She had been their best hope for bringing in outside assistance. Wait...what was Tanjia saying? She focused her attention back on the Regent.
"...in the course of the attempt to free her, a stray arrow loosed by the brigands struck Krystelle. The Krenon Brothers made every attempt to save her, but the wound was, alas, mortal. Our thoughts are with her mother, the Queen. These events have, of course, put a strain on her on top of the worries of the Kingdom. She has asked me, in my role as Regent, to take a larger role in the administration of the Kingdom so that she can spend time in seclusion with her grief."
Tanjia stared at the Queen, as if daring her to contradict her words. Of course, this was all theater. This pronouncement was for those outside this room. Everyone inside the room was loyal to Tanjia, or rather to Kai Vasu. She’d brought Camryn there to gloat, and to break her down further. Camryn stood for a long moment, eyes locked with Tanjia, refusing to blink. Refusing to let the woman see the grief welling up inside. Spinning on her heels, Camryn marched back out of the room, refusing to listen to any more. She would never remember that long walk back to her chambers, only arriving there, slamming the door behind her and collapsing in tears.
She allowed herself to weep. Her daughter was dead and she needed to feel that pain. A pain that tore her heart in pieces. Once she'd cried it out, she stood, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Channeling the grief into anger, she sat at her writing desk to think. Her daughter might be dead, but Tanjia Loredanna had made a critical mistake. Camryn would make sure she paid for that mistake.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Urging her horse deeper into the swamp, Krystelle could still feel the aftereffect of that otherworldly cry leading her on. The sounds of Jeffry and Daciana making their own way let her know they were following after.
"Krystelle, stop!" Daciana commanded. "We cannot go any deeper into this Bog."
Not stopping, Krystelle looked back, "You are the ones who brought us here."
Jeffry shook his head, "Just to traverse the edges. The swamp serves us well to throw off pursuit, but no one goes deeper into the heart of Eibhear Bog. Not if they want to come out again!"
"Come with me or not it's your choice," Krystelle snapped, "but I'm going to find the source of that cry."
With the swamp deepening, her horse began to struggl
e and she climbed down to lead it onward. She put her companions out of her mind as she plunged forward through the muck.
Emerging from the thick swamp into an open clearing, Krystelle saw a familiar figure kneeling on the dirt in front of an old, gnarled tree trunk. "Cenric," she gasped, dropping her reigns. Rushing forward, she knelt by the boy's side. He stared into the sky, convulsing with laughter.
Jeffry and Daciana made their way into the clearing just behind her. Collecting her horse, they made their own way to where Krystelle knelt, attempting to calm the boy as his laughter died away.
"Krystelle, who is that boy?" asked Daciana.
Still trying to settle him, Krystelle looked up at her companions. "His name is Cenric. A fledgling wizard who traveled with me some time ago. He has been through much and was supposed to be at Cale Uriasz. I would not have thought to find him here in the middle of the Bog."
"A wizard?" said Jeffry. "Don't we already have enough trouble with the Krenon? No. Don't answer that. I can see the boy is important to you. More baggage for our journey. Speaking of which, do we have any idea where we're going? Assuming we can find our way back OUT of this swamp."
Krystelle turned back to her ministrations, "Make yourself useful and set up camp," she snapped.
Shaking his head, Jeffry trudged back to their horses. Unbuckling the saddle bags and muttering under his breath, he started working on a makeshift camp.
Watching him, Daciana had a gleam in her eye, "You shouldn't antagonize him so, Krystelle. You might not like what happens if you push too hard."
"What do you care?"
"I care about YOU Krystelle. And you would regret it if you pushed him away."
"What are you talking about?"
"If you don't know yet, I'm certainly not going to be the one to break it to you. Now, about the boy..."
Heartstone (Eligium Series Book 5) Page 11