Source Of The River (6 page)

K
aiya stood her
ground, staring straight at the apparition. Summoning her courage, she said,
“Tell me why you are harming the miners. What have they done to you?”

The ground shook as the apparition lifted her arms
into the air.

“Please!” Kaiya screamed. “Tell me how I can make
things right!”

The elf’s translucent body glowed brighter, and
Kaiya suddenly felt it difficult to breathe. A crushing sensation spread
throughout her chest, and her throat felt as if it were being gripped by a
strong hand.

“Be gone!” the booming voice of the apparition
shouted again.

In fear for her life, Kaiya turned to flee. Choking
and gasping for air, she ran as fast as she could through the darkness and out
of the cave.

The guard, who had returned to his post, was
surprised to see someone running from the cave. “Halt there!” he shouted.

Kaiya had no intention of stopping and continued
to run. The guard pursued for a few moments but lost her to the black of night.
The farther she ran from the cave, the easier it was to breathe. She paused for
a moment behind a boulder to catch her breath. Her entire body shook with fear,
and she hated herself for losing courage.

I’m no closer to an answer,
she thought.
The magic within the cave was the strongest she had ever encountered. It was
obvious she couldn’t combat it, and she feared for the lives of the miners. The
apparition was a creature of evil—full of anger and hate. Never before had
Kaiya encountered such malice.

Slowly she followed the rocky dirt path that would
lead her home. Dawn was breaking as she arrived at the edge of her farm.
Burying her face in her hands, she sat on the grass and wept. There was no way
to know if she had made things worse by angering the spirit in the cave. More
dwarves could be harmed by her actions, even though she had gone with only the
intention to do good.

As she sat in silence, a gust of wind came along
to dry the tears from her face.
Where were you when I needed you?
In the
caves, she had not felt the presence of the wind. Her magic had been far too
weak without it. Kaiya drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Closing her
eyes, she held her face to the breeze. She could not help but smile as it
caressed her tear-stained cheeks.
I’ll just have to try again,
she
thought. To the wind, she said, “Don’t abandon me this time.”

The door to the farmhouse creaked as Darvil
stepped out to perform his morning chores. His thick red beard danced around
him on the strong breeze. Kaiya rose in time to see Doozle running from the
barn, his tongue lolling out in greeting. She waved to her father and patted
the herding dog on his head.

“What’s got you up so early?” Darvil asked.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she replied, bending down to
give Doozle a good rub on his shoulder. “Are you heading to town today?”

“Sure am,” he replied. “I’m not sure things have
cooled down enough for you to come along,” he admitted.

“I don’t want to come,” she responded. “I’m
curious to hear if there’s any news.”

“I’ll bring back what I can,” he promised.

Kaiya headed into the house to collect her
mother’s knitting. Dishes clanged in the kitchen, suggesting Kassie was already
up as well. Placing the finished scarves and hats into a canvas bag, Kaiya
placed it outside the door for her father to take into town. Kassie spent most
of her day dying wool and knitting items for the townsfolk, and her work
brought in a good amount of extra money. Their family was by no means wealthy,
but at least there was money for items they couldn’t craft themselves.

A steaming bowl of porridge awaited Kaiya on the
kitchen table. She took a seat and added some honey to her bowl before taking a
bite.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Kassie warned without turning
around.

Kaiya shook her head, resigning herself to the
fact that her mother would always think of her as a child. Being the baby of
the family did have its advantages, but sometimes it was nice to be treated as
an adult.

“What were you up to last night?” Kassie asked.

“What makes you think I was up to something?” she
replied through a mouthful of porridge.

“Are we answering questions with questions today?”
Her mother gave her a quizzical look and took a seat across from her. “I know
you were out, and I’m worried about you. Going to town isn’t safe.”

Kaiya sighed. “You always seem to know what I’m
going to do before I do it. Yes, I went to town to investigate the magic I felt
in the cave.”

“And?”

“And I didn’t find much. There is a presence
there, and she isn’t happy. She wants to harm the miners, but I don’t know why.
All I know is she’s far more powerful than me. I don’t know why she’s making
people ill, and I don’t know how to stop her.” Kaiya turned her attention back
to her breakfast to hide her frustration.

“You need guidance is all,” her mother said,
attempting to comfort her.

“There isn’t anyone to guide me,” she replied,
shaking her head. “There never has been.”

“There are schools among the elves of the
islands.” Kassie knew Kaiya was already aware of such places, but it couldn’t
hurt to remind her.

“They aren’t going to accept me, Mum,” Kaiya
replied. “They barely accept elves into those schools. I will have to figure
this out on my own.”

Kassie stood and kissed her daughter on the head
before leaving Kaiya to eat in peace. As the silence crept into her ears, Kaiya
once again turned her thoughts to the being in the cave. There had to be a way
to stop her before more dwarves fell ill—or worse. A hard road lay before her,
but she would not give in to despair. She would find a way to save her kinsmen,
no matter how difficult it seemed. If her magic wasn’t yet strong enough, she
would have to find a way to supplement it.

S
irra stood
patiently in the waiting area of Telorithan’s tower. The raven-haired
enchantress wore a form-fitting black dress that emphasized her ample curves.
She sighed, wondering how long Telorithan would keep her waiting today. He
always kept her waiting as if she were not an important guest to meet. In
reality, she was probably his only friend. Despite his many flaws, Sirra cared
more for him than any other man.

With only servants available for conversation,
Sirra preferred to wait in solitude. Even though he had achieved the rank of
Master nearly two centuries ago, Telorithan had never taken on any apprentices.
He simply did not have the patience for them, and he had no intention of giving
away his arcane secrets to mere students. Sirra herself had barely been let in
on his experiments, and that had taken a lot of work on her part. Convincing
him to trust her had taken many years.

Finally giving in to her fatigue, she took a seat
near the window. The street below provided little in the way of distraction
since Telorithan’s tower was built far from the cities, giving him the silence
he demanded for his work. The tower’s interior was sparse on decoration. There
were scores of books and scrolls but barely enough furnishings to fill the
inhabited rooms. Lacking any apprentices, the majority of the tower’s bedrooms
remained empty and unused.

Sirra had often commented that a woman’s touch was
badly needed in his home. She was not so subtle about her willingness to become
his partner and had offered to move in on several occasions. Telorithan was not
the sort of elf who needed a companion around, and he had refused her request each
time. Sirra had her own work to tend to, so she eventually resigned herself to
living apart from him. At the very least, she knew there was no one else in his
bed at night, and that gave her some comfort.

After making her wait more than an hour,
Telorithan finally made his way down the twisted staircase to meet his guest.
As he entered the sitting room, Sirra quickly stood, turning her body slightly
to the side to emphasize her figure. Her ankle-length gown was split up both
sides, giving him a thorough view of her thighs. He rolled his eyes, knowing
exactly why she had come to visit him.

“Telorithan, love,” she said, moving forward to
take his hand. “It seems forever since we last spoke.”

“I’ve had more important matters to occupy my
time,” he said coldly, drawing his hand away. He took a seat near the fireplace
and leaned his head on his hand as if bored. “I see you haven’t come for
scholarly purposes.” He raised his eyebrows and looked her up and down once
more.

“Indeed not,” she admitted, a flirtatious smile
spreading across her ruby lips.

“I’m busy, Sirra. I don’t have time for social
calls.”

“Then perhaps I can assist you in your work,” she
suggested. “I may not be a master sorcerer, but I have some rather useful
skills.”

“Not unless you have experience binding essences,”
he replied.

The statement took Sirra by surprise, and she
searched his face for any sign he was joking. “Are you serious?” she asked
curiously.

He nodded once in reply and offered no
explanation.

Taking a seat across from him, Sirra shook her
head. “I should have known you’d be working on something so outlandish. You
never stuck to conventional magic, that’s for sure.” She laughed quietly to
herself.

“You’re wasting my time,” he said, the annoyance
clear in his voice. “If you don’t have anything to contribute, I’ll be getting
back to my work.” He stood to leave, but Sirra grabbed his wrist.

“Wait,” she said. “Perhaps I can be of some
assistance to you.” She patted the seat next to her, imploring him to sit.

“This had better be worth my time,” he said as he
sat.

“First off, whose essence are you trying to bind?”

“Yelaurad,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“You can’t be serious,” she said, staring at him.
No one had ever attempted binding a god, especially not the angry fire god
Yelaurad. Such a task was unfathomable.

“Eventually, at least,” he added upon seeing her
dumbfounded expression.

“That would be monumental.” Sirra had no idea that
his ambitions reached so high. If such a thing were possible, she knew
Telorithan would be the one to find a way. “Tell me how I can help,” she said.
“Or at least let me see what you’ve discovered.”

“So far, I have practiced only on a single elf.
The process was far simpler than I had imagined. The next step would be to trap
something stronger, such as an elemental.”

“We should travel to the Red Isle.”

“I’m not ready for that,” he admitted. “I have
managed to bind an elf’s power to augment my own, but he was weak. Before I
attempt an elemental, I need to bind someone stronger.”

“I see your point. Binding an elemental isn’t going
to be easy. They have immense power that we elves strive to emulate.”

“Exactly. I should challenge a master sorcerer to
a duel and bind his essence when he falls.” Telorithan was sure he had the
ability to beat any other sorcerer in battle.

“I know of something better than that,” she
replied as if dangling a carrot in front of him. Feeling as if she now had
leverage, she decided to tease him a bit.

“Tell me,” he demanded, his tone serious.

“Uh-uh,” she said, wagging a finger near his nose.
“Not so fast. I need something in return.”

Telorithan stared at her, waiting for her to name
her price. His arcane studies had focused intensely on fire and destruction,
leaving no time to master the art of mind control. He regretted that fact
momentarily, wishing he could drag the secret from her mind without having to
play her silly games.

“I’d like a kiss first,” she said provocatively.

He grabbed her and forcefully shoved his lips into
hers. Holding a hand behind her head a little tighter than she would like, he
continued the kiss as long as he could stand it before pushing her away.

“Now tell me.”

“That wasn’t a nice kiss,” she said, the amusement
draining from her face. “If you aren’t going to play nice, I guess I’ll have to
keep what I know to myself.”

Telorithan sighed and rolled his eyes. Why did she
insist on acting like a child? There was no time for this. If she truly had
useful information, she should share it without a fuss. He placed his hands on
her cheeks and once again pulled her in for a kiss. This time he was gentle,
and proceeded to kiss the side of her neck and shoulder as well.

“Is that better?” he asked.

“Much,” she replied playfully. “There is an elf
who is already bound by an elemental. If you bind him, you will almost
certainly have the power to bind a full elemental.”

Telorithan shot to his feet, staring at Sirra in
disbelief. “Where is he? Why have I not heard of this?”

“Because you’re too busy studying alone to pay
attention to events happening around you,” she replied. “I’ll tell you where he
is for another price.” She drew the jeweled pin from her hair, allowing her
raven locks to cascade freely about her shoulders. Her dark eyes narrowed,
inviting him closer to her.

A wicked expression crept over his face as he
grabbed her, pulling her body close to his. “You always know how to excite me.”

T
he waters of
the Blue River danced and shimmered beneath the early-morning sunlight. Lenora
had risen early and planned to have a walk beside the river and enjoy the
beautiful weather. Her Coming of Age Ceremony would take place shortly after
sunset, and she planned to savor her final day as an elf with no
responsibilities. Tomorrow she would officially be an adult, and she would be
expected to make her own place among her people.

As she arrived at the edge of the village, she
removed her shoes and proceeded to the riverbank. She noticed
River standing silently at the base of the waterfall,
listening to the voice of the Spirit. A gentle mist had settled around him, but
she could clearly make out his figure above the surface of the water. She
smiled at the sight of him but chose not to disturb the interaction.

River was aware of
her presence the moment her toes touched the water, yet his focus did not
waver. He listened intently to the words of the Spirit.

A great evil has
come upon the dwarves of the mountains. A presence resides in the water. To the
village of stone you will travel, or many will surely die.

“What can I do for
them?” River asked in earnest. “I would save the lives of those in danger, but
I do not know what awaits me. How may I prepare?”

The magic you
need awaits you there.

River waited for a
few moments, hoping the Spirit would continue to speak. Though he could sense
its presence moving away from him, he hoped it would return. He could not
command the Spirit, and he still had questions about the dwarves. Today, it
seemed, those questions would go unanswered.

Gliding through the clear waters, he stepped out
onto the bank. Lenora still walked along the water’s edge ahead of him.
Wrapping himself in his robe, he walked quickly to catch her. It was not
difficult to do, as her pace was slow and gentle.

“Good morning,” he said from behind her.

She turned to see who had spoken and was pleased
to see River approaching. As he drew closer, his sapphire-blue eyes preceded
him, and she realized how handsome he truly was. She put the thought away for the
moment and said, “Good morning.”

“Might I walk with you a while?” he asked, his
eyes pleading for her to say yes.

“Of course, my friend,” she replied, turning to
continue her course.

He strode along beside her, trying to think of an
appropriate conversation. “Has your mother found out anything about the dwarf?”

“Unfortunately, no,” she said. “She’s thought of
nothing except my Coming of Age Ceremony tonight.”

“You must be excited,” River replied.

“I am a little, I suppose,” she said with a shrug.
“There will be music and dancing, at least.” She paused in her walking and
turned to face River. “Will you be in attendance?”

“Only if you’ll dance with me,” he said, surprised
by his own boldness.

“I’d love to.” Her eyes twinkled with delight, and
she looked down at the water to hide her smile. It surprised her how attracted
she was to him. Her entire life had been spent studying magic and herbs. She’d
had little time to make close friends, and she’d never before taken interest in
a man. Perhaps she had put off her coming of age longer than she should.

“The Spirit of the river has said I’m to go into
the mountains to a dwarf village,” River said. “I think they need my help to
cure the plague that has come upon them.”

“Do you have skills as a healer?” she asked with
much interest. It would certainly be something they had in common, and she
wondered why he had not shared the fact with her before.

“Not really,” he admitted. “The illness has
something to do with the water, and that is most likely where I come in.
Perhaps you could come along as a healer.” His heart beat faster, hoping she
would agree to accompany him. He dreaded that she might say no.

Pausing to consider his question, she finally
replied, “I’d love to help, but please don’t mention it to anyone else. I’ll
let my parents know tomorrow.”

“We need to leave tomorrow,” River said.

“I will tell them first thing.” She knew they
would protest, but she was of age and free to make her own decisions.

The pair turned around when they reached the edge
of the forest and made their way slowly back to the village. There was little
conversation between them, and they enjoyed the sounds of the Vale instead.
Just being near Lenora was enough for River. He found himself struggling when
he spoke to her anyway, so walking in silence was fine with him.

As they reached the village, River said, “I should
let my father know about tomorrow.”

Lenora nodded. “I’ll see you tonight.” With a
smile, she turned and headed up the hill to her parents’ home.

River approached his father’s home in the silver
tree and saw Galen waiting out front. “Afraid to wait inside?” he asked jokingly.

“Ryllak isn’t exactly my first choice for fun
conversation,” Galen replied. “Anyway, I didn’t have anything else to do.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be copying scrolls in the
archives? It’s required for your apprenticeship as a chronicler.”

“Sometimes I have doubts about my choice of
profession. The words themselves interest me more than the histories,” he
admitted.

“You want to write something else then?”

“No,” Galen replied. “I think it’s the words and
letters themselves that I like.”

“Maybe you should focus your attention on calligraphy,”
River suggested.

“Maybe,” Galen said. “What have you been up to? I
didn’t see you by the waterfall.”

“After I visited with the Spirit, I went for a
walk with Lenora.” His face lit up when he said her name.

“I see,” Galen said, taunting his friend. “Did
anything interesting take place? Anything you are dying to share the details
of?” He grinned and nudged River with his elbow.

“Nothing,” River said, shaking his head. “She does
have her Coming of Age Ceremony tonight. She promised to dance with me.”

“Nice,” Galen replied, nodding his approval. “I’ll
tag along. I wouldn’t want to miss a party.”

“I need to speak with my father, so I’ll see you
later,” River said. With a wave to his cousin, he stepped inside to find Ryllak
sitting in his library.

“Father,” he began, “I have some news.”

Ryllak shut the book he was reading and motioned
his son to have a seat. “You’re leaving the Vale,” he said.

“How did you know?” River asked as he took a seat
next to his father.

“The look in your eyes. You’ve never been away,
and you’re afraid.”

River looked down at the ground, ashamed of his
apprehension. Never before had he traveled outside the Vale and the woods that
surrounded it. A journey to the mountains may as well be a journey to the moon.

“Having fear does not make you a coward. Fear
prevents us from jumping into things that could be dangerous. If the Spirit has
given consent for this journey, then it is necessary for you to go. Doing what
must be done despite your fear is what makes a person courageous.”

River nodded, taking his father’s words to heart.
Ryllak always knew how to make him feel better, even when he had been singled
out as a child. Ryllak had known his son was special and destined for great
things. He accepted his role as River’s father with great pride, and he hoped
to guide him until his own journey came to an end.