“Didn’t you want to go to your rest, too?” he asked.
“Indeed I do, but I’m not quite ready yet.”
Farrell squinted and looked at her with his wizard’s sight. Beatrice confounded him. One moment she stood before him; the next he scanned empty space. But if she had any hint of life, that meant…. She smiled when Farrell opened his eyes wider. “You’re not dead!”
“That’s not entirely wrong, nor is it completely correct.” Her chuckle had an eerie quality that chilled Farrell more than the cool breeze a moment earlier. “My death was imminent, and Lenore asked me to undertake one last task. Now I live between the moments, which is why you mistook me for a guardian.”
“How is that possible?” He examined her closer and realized the fluctuations he observed looked and felt like the instance when he—“You’re using a Door?”
“I’m greatly impressed, young one, but that’s not correct. I’m living between moments.”
“How . . . how is that even possible?”
“I do not know other than Lenore is responsible.”
That would explain most of the things Farrell didn’t understand. He suddenly felt small and powerless in the presence of a reminder that the Six could do things he couldn’t imagine, much less attempt.
“I have no notion of what you . . . Lenore has wrought.”
“I don’t know much more than you. As I understand it, my body remains in the void where time cannot reach it, and I project my presence long enough between the blinks of your eye for you to see and hear me.” She leaned on her staff and shrugged. “It allows me to complete this task and one more.”
“What task?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“Cannot or will not?”
“Both.” She gave him a tight grin. “Why do you walk down a path you know will end at the base of a wall?”
“It is a failing of his to never trust what he cannot do himself.” Nerti twisted her head and winked at him. “But otherwise he is a good child.”
“In more than looks, then, you favor your distant ancestor.” She moved closer. Now that he was alert to what was happening, it appeared like small hops instead of a typical walk. “What is your name?”
“Farrell.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Farrell of the House of Kel.”
“The honor is mine, Master Beatrice. Few are spoken of with such respect as you.”
“Flatterer, just like Kel.”
“Did you know him well?”
“Yes, though the world thought us bitter rivals, we were actually quite good friends.” She smiled, and her gaze seemed distant. “Kel was . . . is brilliant, a far better wizard than I or anyone else I ever met. But he eschewed the basics. Rather than perfect the fundamentals or hone his skills, Kel was always looking for a better way to do things and was not afraid to take risks if he thought they would meet his needs. I was not cut from the same cloth as he, and we rarely were able to collaborate on more than a theoretical level.”
“Master Heminaltose might have said much the same about me if he were still alive.”
Beatrice inclined her head. “Then you are in good company.”
“We must finish our task,” Nerti said.
“That you must.” Beatrice kept her piercing eyes on Farrell. “Our paths lead us in the same direction, but our steps take us to different places. If we do not meet again, it was an honor to meet you, Champion. Be true to your heart and remember to rely on those who wish to help. No one is above needing the aid of others. Not Kel, not me, and not you, Farrell.”
Chapter Four
Nerti didn’t say much after they left Beatrice. Farrell tried twice to speak to her, but the short, almost terse responses convinced him to leave her with her thoughts. They rode for most of the morning and from brief glimpses through the trees, Farrell watched the sun rise to almost its zenith before Nerti slowed. The forest abruptly ended, with the ocean on the distant horizon.
A whiff of salty air confirmed they’d reached the northern edge of the island. The mountains to the west had dwindled into a series of hills. They stretched to the water’s edge but gently sloped east to form the flat, grassy plains in front of Farrell.
Nerti stopped walking and looked toward the hills. “Before we go farther, let me tell you where we have arrived. When the world was young, Lenore and Honorus decided Their creatures needed guardians to protect them from humans and dwarves. It was here that they created the peregrines and unicorns. But realizing both needed someone to guard and protect them, They called for those willing to sacrifice for the greater good to assemble on the plains before you.
“After many days, some of those who’d come grew tired of waiting and left. Others grew restless and challenged the clerics about the message. The rest, while anxious, trusted in the will of their gods.
“One night, Lenore and Honorus walked among the sleeping masses and woke those that had the qualities They desired. Those chosen followed Lenore and Honorus into a cave at the base of those hills. In the morning, when those not chosen awoke, Honorus appeared and blessed them. He said they had been chosen to go forth and fight for those less able.”
“Honorus lied to them?”
“He did not. They were chosen, but not for the same task as the others. These followers went into the young world and became kings and queens, forming unions to protect others and keep them safe. They thought this was the task they’d been summoned for.”
Farrell saw the wisdom in what had been done. “What became of the ones taken to the cave?”
“They became the Muchari.”
“And all this . . . these changes occurred in that cave?”
“In a sense, perhaps.” Nerti moved into the grass. “There is nothing special about the place itself. What happened there occurred because Lenore and Honorus chose that spot. The cave is just a cave.”
“So I shouldn’t expect to gain any special powers just by setting foot inside.”
“That is correct.”
The tall grass brushed against Farrell’s thighs as they moved. Lost in thought, he waved his hand absently to clear an area around them. “How is it that all Muchari are followers of Lenore when at least some were summoned by Honorus?”
“Honorus and Lenore decided that all Muchari would serve with Lenore. No explanation was given nor was a reason requested. It matters little since all three races honor both.”
The wind picked up as they neared the shore, and the crashing surf drowned out the muffled sound of Nerti’s gait. She moved unerringly toward the beach and then walked between the water and the base of a cliff. The land around him felt new and untouched, and Farrell wondered if this was how things were when the world was first made.
“You shall be the first human to enter since the dawn of history.” Nerti’s words shook him from his daydream, and they stopped in front of an opening in the rock face.
“Am I truly allowed inside?” He jumped off her back.
“What is inside is for you, so you must enter.” Nerti walked toward the opening. “Just be mindful of where you are.”
As if he’d do something inappropriate even if this wasn’t that cave. Pushing aside his annoyance, he followed a couple of paces behind her.
Nerti stepped over the threshold and disappeared. Only then did he notice the sunlight didn’t extend into the cave. With Nerti’s admonishment in mind, he resisted the urge to conjure a globe of wizard’s fire.
Tentatively he probed the area with his senses but couldn’t find any reason for the phenomenon other than the hand of the divine. He stepped toward the blackness, forcing himself to keep his eyes open. Passing over into the unknown, Farrell was reminded of the spell his master had used to stop the fight between him and Quonus. It took no more time than to take a single step, but the moment dragged. When it ended, he stood inside a vast cave. The sun shone through the opening and reflected off the quartz that filled the chamber.
“Amazing!” His eyes swept the nearly
empty expanse. A chill ran up his spine at the thought he stood where Honorus and Lenore created their guardians. The calm feeling faded as he probed deeper into his surroundings.
Although he saw a cave made of rock and minerals, his senses told a different story. The “quartz” didn’t reflect light, it radiated it, and the rocks had the density of living matter. When he searched for the source of the illumination, he “heard” a pulse, like a heart beating throughout the chamber. “By the Six!”
“You have been found worthy.”
“What?” He’d forgotten Nerti stood next to him. “That’s it? No more tests or challenges?”
“None beyond what I set out when we were in Agloth.”
“But you didn’t tell me about any test. All you said was . . .” He shook his head and smiled. “Nerti, will you give me the Ear of Lenore?”
“Yes.” She walked deeper into the cavern, and what he had perceived to be one vast chamber was a large cave with several smaller areas off to the sides.
Nerti entered the third alcove and stopped before an empty wall. She lowered her horn and inserted it into an opening Farrell had not noticed. The click filled the room as a small door opened.
“Inside is what you seek.” Nerti took a step back so Farrell could join her.
He peered inside the two-foot-by-two-foot door. The odd light made it impossible to judge the room beyond. He could see something inside but couldn’t tell it if was near the opening, at the back, or on the bottom. With no other choice, he did what he was clearly expected to do and reached blindly inside.
His hand immediately made contact with a warm object small enough for him to wrap his fingers around. As he pulled his hand back, his fist grazed against a second item.
“There are two objects in this compartment.” He looked at Nerti but kept his grip on what he suspected would be the Ear. “Am I to remove both?”
Nerti appeared surprised. “The chamber was empty when I placed Lenore’s Gift inside. If there is something more, I . . . I have no other information.”
“Could someone else have been inside here?”
Nerti paused, and Farrell remained still. Her silence unnerved him. “It is not likely that the guardians would have allowed that, but even if one made it past them without their knowledge, that lock is keyed to my horn. The only answer is this is the Holy Mother’s will.”
“I agree, but what do I do?” He felt exposed standing with his arm elbow-deep into a hole in a living rock wall.
“As I said, I have been given no guidance for this situation.”
“I understand you don’t have any other information about what Lenore wants, but you are wise and have more experience with what the Holy Mother expects.”
“Without knowing what is inside, I believe you ought to remove both items. Lenore has not left instructions to take only one item.”
What she said made sense, but it seemed odd that the Holy Mother would leave something like this so ambiguous. Certainly everything about the Gifts came with a measure of uncertainty, but once he’d found a Gift, the objective had always been clear.
Fearing he’d overthink the situation, he took Nerti’s advice and shifted his grip to grasp both items. He carefully removed a gently pulsing stone from his palm with his free hand and held the other item out toward Nerti.
“I believe this was meant for you.” He unwrapped his fingers from around a unicorn horn.
“Though I am surprised at what you found, I am certain if it was left beside the Ear, it is for you.”
He studied the two objects and shook his head. Every time he thought he’d closed a loop, the Six threw another mystery at him. Closing his fingers around the horn, Farrell lowered that hand and held up the other. The Ear—he assumed what he held was Lenore’s Gift—looked like an ordinary, palm-sized rock that resembled a clamshell. It would be unremarkable except it pulsed with warmth.
“But this is the Ear, right?”
“It is.” She never took her eyes off the horn.
“Why would She leave me a unicorn horn?”
“The plans of the Six are beyond our ability to foresee.”
The answer didn’t satisfy him. She was putting him off. “Don’t you have even a guess?”
“None beyond what I just said.” This time she met his gaze, and he saw her confusion. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything more useful. Until Lenore gave you Nordric’s, I’d never heard of such a thing. The horn always goes back to Lenore. I am as confused as you by this.”
As he feared, another cryptic message for him to decipher. He summoned a small leather pouch he’d brought to hold the Ear and put Lenore’s Gift inside. He toyed with putting the horn in there as well but decided to keep it with Nordric’s. Once both were safely stowed, he shrugged and pointed toward the exit.
“I suppose we ought to get back to the others.”
Nerti’s only answer was to turn in a way that allowed him to mount.
The ride back to the main settlement would have been uneventful, but Nerti ran as if Neldin’s minions chased them. Miceral’s promise to explain Nerti’s reluctance to stay on the island notwithstanding, Farrell wanted to ask her why she was in a rush to get home. He might have, except the ride back required him to crouch forward and hold tight to avoid being struck by stray branches. It felt urgent, and he kept alert for problems.
The sun had slid behind the mountains before they reached Miceral and the others. A celebration was already underway, and Rothdin stood in the center of the festival.
“Father appears to be enjoying himself,” Farrell said.
“It has been a long time since he’s seen Hesnera. That is reason enough to be joyful.” Nerti seemed distracted, but he sensed a fondness for Rothdin’s mate.
“Were you and Hesnera friends?”
“Yes, we were—are—close. As mothers, we shared many trying moments raising the young ones.”
“Given how my brothers and your children act, it would seem she had the harder job.”
Nerti laughed for the first time since they left Haven. “You would be wrong in that assumption. My children were every bit as difficult as Rothdin’s brood. And they encouraged each other to bigger and rasher stunts whenever the moment allowed. Hesnera was far more forgiving than I of the antics of the young. She was a good companion in those trying years.”
The idea that Nordric, Natice, or even Flemin had a wild side proved difficult to imagine. But if Grohl and Takala were any example, it was probably a difficult time.
“You should tell your mate we are home,” Nerti said. “Klissmor mentioned he is anxious.”
“Good idea.” He felt a bit embarrassed she needed to remind him. “Miceral? We’re back.”
“Great!” Farrell heard the relief in his voice. “Where are you?”
“Passing Rothdin regaling the young with tales of Grohl, Takala, and me, if I’m hearing right.”
“He’s proud of you,” Miceral said.
“We are heading for the south end of the village,” Nerti said. “Meet us there, Miceral.”
Nerti’s path led them away from Rothdin and the heart of the party, toward a low series of hills to the south. The celebrants parted to allow Nerti passage, and Farrell noticed a few shocked looks as they rode by. Not everyone had heard the news.
A large cluster of simple, almost primitive, low stone houses lined their route. They reminded Farrell of the basic design of the homes in Agloth, but these lacked any personalization. The few windows he could look inside gave Farrell a fleeting glimpse of the nearly barren insides that lacked most of the comforts of modern life.
“Are these the first homes the Muchari built?”
“No. These are decoys.” He digested her words. “This is what someone who invaded would expect to find. They also serve as places to house visitors who are not comfortable inside a mountain.”
Nerti turned right when they’d cleared the last house, and Klissmor and Miceral waited under a large Cytus tree. Miceral stood
and smiled.
“What a surprise to see you here.”
Farrell smirked. The silly attempt at humor was one of the quirks he loved about Miceral. “I hope I’m not intruding.”
“Nope, been waiting here for you.” He reached up and helped Farrell down.
Nerti trotted off almost before he set foot on the ground. Farrell watched for a few seconds. “You need to explain this. She’s been acting strangely since we arrived on Primilian.”
Miceral refused to let go of his hand, and Farrell let himself be led farther away from the party.
“Nerti didn’t want to leave Primilian, and especially not to go look for her rider among the humans of Ardus. Lenore insisted, and when she left, Nerti vowed not to return until she was permitted to remain.”
“That would explain quite a lot.” And not just about Nerti’s actions while on Primilian. They stopped beneath a pair of trees and sat down. Miceral sat with his back against the massive trunk and pulled Farrell to lean against his chest.
Resting happily, Farrell used the rare quiet moment together to recount what had happened on his trip north.
“Grogon, Horgon, and I are descendants of Traymad,” Miceral said. “I’m glad Nordric was able to get him to see reason at the end.”
“Several thousands of years as a disembodied spirit is enough to drive anyone mad, I suppose.”
Farrell wanted to stay longer, but as the light began to fade, he knew he couldn’t. Reluctantly he stood. “One of us ought to get back to Haven, and since Nerti won’t stay, I’ll go back with her.”
“There’s no reason for me to stay, either.” Miceral stretched his legs before he levered himself to his feet. “My home is with you and the children, not here.”
“What if Klissmor and the others want to stay?”
Miceral shrugged. “That’s fine. You can come collect them tomorrow.”
Farrell laughed and bowed mockingly. “I live to serve, Your Majesty, High King Miceral.”
Rather than the swat Farrell expected, Miceral gave him a dismissive nod. “I see you’re finally learning how to be a good royal concubine.”
Champion of the Gods Box Set Page 114