Source Of The River (8 page)

A
bright morning
arrived in the Vale, lighting River’s path to consult with the Spirit.
Disrobing at the edge of the water, he dove into the depths of the Blue River.
Emerging near the base of the waterfall, he focused his mind into the water to
summon the Spirit within. Today he would travel into the mountains, and he was
eager for the Spirit’s guidance.

To his disappointment, the Spirit did not appear.
There was no vision, and he was given no instructions on how to proceed. A
solitary line repeated in his ears:
the magic
you need awaits you there.
Perhaps
that meant he was to use the entity’s magic against itself. Without further explanation,
he was unsure whether he was correct.

Feeling burdened and uncertain, he returned to the
riverbank and retrieved his clothing. Today he had chosen a fine blue robe,
embroidered with silver vines. When he encountered the dwarves, he hoped he
would make a good impression. He did not intend to appear before them as a
wanderer but rather as a dignified elf who had come to offer assistance.

Ryllak waited a few steps beyond the hill that led
down to the river. He could already see the look of disappointment on his son’s
face as he returned from the water. Ryllak had also hoped the Spirit would
offer more guidance today, but it appeared that was not the case. River shook
his head as he reached his father, affirming that he had received no message.

“It isn’t needed then,” Ryllak said reassuringly.
“You will know what to do when it needs to be done.”

Still unsure, River could only hope his father was
correct.

Lenora stepped outside, followed closely by her
parents. Tossing a cloth bag full of herbs and medicines over one shoulder, she
walked across the village to meet her traveling companions.

“Lenora, this is too dangerous!” Albyn insisted,
trying his best to keep pace with his daughter.

“Please listen,” her mother pleaded. “You don’t
know this elf you’re leaving with. Your life could be in danger.”

Pausing with a huff, Lenora turned to face her
mother. “He’s not going to kill me, Mother. You don’t even know him, so how can
you judge? I’m going to do what I can for the dwarves.” Spinning on her heels,
she continued on her way. Her parents remained silent but continued to follow
until she reached River and Ryllak.

“You’re all right with this?” Albyn asked Ryllak.
“This isn’t proper behavior for two young elves.”

“They are of age,” Ryllak said dismissively. “They
choose their own paths.”

“If any harm comes to my daughter, I’m holding you
responsible.” Myla looked at River as she spoke, her eyes conveying the truth
behind her words. She did not trust him, but she could no longer control her
daughter.

Lenora shook her head, trying her best to ignore
her parents. “Good morning, Lord Ryllak, River,” she said, nodding to each of
them. “I’m all set to go.”

“We’re still missing Galen,” River replied.

“No you’re not!” Galen’s voice called.

The elves looked around but saw no sign of him.

“There,” Lenora said, pointing into the village.

Galen was hurrying to their meeting place, still
stuffing fruit into a bag. “We can’t go without food,” he said as he reached
them. “Who knows what dwarves eat?” He looked around at the assembled elves and
clamped his mouth shut. Lenora’s parents appeared almost comical, trailing
after their grown daughter. Ryllak had his usual worried look that had tempted
Galen more than once to try making the elf laugh. Today, he decided to behave
properly and resist the urge to make jokes about his elders.

“I think it’s time we were underway,” River
suggested.

“I’m all set,” Galen chimed in. “How are we
planning to get up that mountain? Do you have wings hiding under that robe?”

Ryllak sighed at Galen’s cheeky comment. “You’re
going to climb and lower a rope for the other two.”

“Oh!” Galen said, taken aback. “So, he does have a
sense of humor.”

Ryllak’s lips quivered, suppressing a smile. This
was a serious situation, and a little bit of humor could only help to lighten
the mood.

“I can get us up the mountain easily,” River said.
“Are you ready?” he asked Lenora.

“I am,” she stated firmly.

“Lenora—” her mother began.

“I’m going, Mother,” she replied, cutting her off.
“I can take care of myself.”

Myla stepped back, leaning against her life-mate.
“Be well, my daughter,” she said, tears welling in her eyes.

“Take care of her,” Albyn said to River, his tone
serious.

“Of course,” River replied. He turned to his
companions and said, “We’re going to travel up the waterfall. You might get a
bit wet.”

Galen and Lenora exchanged worried looks. Neither
of them had traveled in that fashion, and they weren’t sure what to expect.

“It’s quite safe,” River said with a smile. The
trio headed down to the riverbank and made their way along the edge of the
water until they came near the waterfall. River stepped into the water first,
bidding his friends to wait on dry land.

Placing both hands at the surface of the water,
River bowed his head and focused energy into the water. Before their eyes, the
waterfall ceased to flow, forming itself into a tall flight of steps. A path
stretched from the stairs to the bank, allowing Lenora and Galen to follow
without having to swim.

The pair looked at River in amazement as he
emerged once again from the water.

“Follow me,” River said. Leading the way, he moved
along the path to the stairs.

Galen and Lenora stepped forward onto the solid
path as the water continued to flow all around them. This was magic never
before seen in the Vale. The path was neither frozen nor slippery. The water
had simply transformed into a solid path before their eyes.

Ryllak had followed from a distance, his mind full
of worry as well as hope. His only son was leaving the safety of the Vale for
the first time. There was no way to know what he would encounter, and he could
no longer protect him from harm.

As the three friends reached the stairway, River
turned to see his father standing on the bank. Ryllak raised a hand, saying
farewell to his son. River waved back and also sent a ripple through the water
that splashed around Ryllak’s feet. He knew his father would worry, even though
River had assured him he would be safe. River was too young to yet understand
the emotion that goes along with being a parent.

Lenora followed behind River as they climbed the
stairs, and Galen took up a position behind her.

“I shall catch you if you fall, beautiful lady,”
he declared with a chuckle.

“That’s actually not all that comforting,” she
replied. To River, she asked, “Couldn’t you have fashioned a hand rail for
these stairs?”

River turned back to look at her feeling slightly
embarrassed. “I hadn’t thought of it,” he admitted.

“Use the rocks,” Galen stated, slapping his hand
against a slippery black rock.

“Thanks for the suggestion,” Lenora said
sarcastically. Looking up, she added, “We’re almost to the top.”

River stepped up onto the plateau and extended a
hand to Lenora. Once the three of them were safely above the falls, they looked
down over the Vale.

“I never thought I’d see home from this angle,”
Lenora admitted. She jumped in surprise as River released the spell, allowing
the waterfall to flow freely once more.

Galen, who had been splashed by the rushing
waters, said, “Thanks for the warning.”

K
aiya sat idly
upon a boulder at the outskirts of her family’s farm. The wind caressed her
face and tousled her short hair as it swept past and changed directions. In the
palm of her hand, she summoned sparks and shaped them into spheres before
allowing them to float freely on the wind. She still did not know how to banish
the evil presence from the cave, but she remained determined to do so. There
had to be a way, and if she listened to the wind long enough, perhaps it would
whisper the answer.

She spun around to face a rocky ledge and lifted
her face to the wind.
Someone is coming.
She opened her eyes and looked
around but saw no one. The feeling was unmistakable. A being of magic was
drawing near. It was not the malevolent force from the cave, however. This was
something entirely different. Her curiosity encouraged her to move closer to
the ledge and see who was there.

Lying flat on her stomach to avoid being seen, she
peered down from the top of the ledge. No one was there. Sitting back up on her
knees, she again closed her eyes and tried to sense the magical creature. It
was nearby and moving in her direction. She could hear voices in the distance
before catching a glimpse of three figures approaching along the trail below.
They drew ever nearer but did not look to the ledge above them. Kaiya could see
that they were elves, and she was surprised by the strength of the magic she
sensed in them.

“Umm, hello,” she said as they came closer.

At the sound of her voice, the three elves stopped
walking and looked up. On the ledge above them was Kaiya, peering cheerfully
down at them.

“Hello, my lady,” River said.

Kaiya chuckled. She couldn’t recall ever being
addressed in such a way. “Are you lost?”

“Actually, I think we’ve found what we’re looking
for,” River said, a smile spreading across his face. He looked into Kaiya’s gray
eyes and saw her magic. “We are seeking the dwarf village that lies above the
Vale, and it seems as though we’ve found it.”

“Not quite,” she replied. “You’ve found me,
though, and I can lead you to the village.”

River gave Lenora a boost to climb over the rocks
leading up to Kaiya’s level. Galen followed second, and River came quickly
behind him.

Brushing the dirt from her dress, Lenora looked at
Kaiya with great interest. Her hair was a deep purple, and though she stood
only to the height of River’s waist, she was proportionate and finely shaped.
She was curvier than the average elf woman with wide hips and a strong build.
“You’re lovely!” Lenora exclaimed.

A surprised Kaiya looked back at her. “Thank you,”
she said, not sure if she should be offended.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to sound surprised by
your looks. I’ve never seen a dwarf woman before. I suppose I had pictured your
kind differently.” She looked down at her feet, shuffling slightly.

“It’s all right,” Kaiya replied. “I see three
elves before me, and I can feel magic in all of you.” She moved closer to
River. “You are not entirely elf, I think. Your magic feels different than the
other two.”

“That’s correct,” he said. “I am also a water
elemental.”

“Do you know of an air elemental?” she asked
eagerly.

“There are none in the Vale,” he replied. “I do
sense air magic in you. Perhaps you could summon one for both of us.” He looked
into her eyes knowingly, and she looked away to avoid his sapphire gaze.

“It’s silly, I know, but I hear things on the wind
from time to time,” she said. “It has helped me to focus my magic.”

“I didn’t know dwarves practiced any magic,” Galen
said.

“Most don’t,” she replied. “I am the only one
around here who does.”

“How did you learn?” he asked.

“I’ve taught myself, for the most part,” she said.
“I do have an old book my father bought from a peddler, but it hasn’t been much
help.”

“I think you have learned more from the wind than
any book could teach,” River said. “Yours is not the kind of magic that can be
taught. Instead, it lives within you, and you are the one who must figure out
how to wield it. We are more alike than you realize.”

Kaiya did not fully understand his words. She had
practiced alone her whole life and would welcome the chance to have formal training.
It seemed these elves would not be much help with that. “Why did you come
here?” she asked.

“We’ve been told of a sickness that is plaguing
the dwarves in this area,” Lenora said. “You look perfectly healthy though.”

Kaiya blushed. She was not used to receiving so
many compliments. “There is illness among the miners,” she began. “There is a
dark presence within one of the mining caves, and I believe it is making the
men ill.”

“Have you seen this presence?” River asked.

“I have,” she admitted. “I went inside the cave to
figure out what was going on. I saw the apparition of an elf woman, and she
attacked me. There was nothing I could do to stop her.”

Galen’s eyes went wide. “Do you think she means to
kill them?”

“She’s already killed one,” River replied. “We
have to find out why she is here and how we can convince her to leave.”

“What do you mean she has already killed?” Kaiya
asked, her eyes showing concern. “I know of no one dying from this sickness.”

“Forgive me,” River said. “The body of one of your
kinsmen came over the waterfall into the Vale. That is how I knew you needed
help.”

“Jeb,” she whispered. “He was missing.” Though she
had not known him well, Kaiya’s heart sank for Jeb’s family. “We have to stop
this before others are lost.” Determination replaced her sorrow. “I will take
you to the village. Don’t expect them to be welcoming. They are ignorant when
it comes to magic, and some of them think I had a hand in this.”

“Did you?” Galen asked.

“No,” she replied, shocked by the question. “Of
course I didn’t.”

“Good,” he replied. “Now that we’ve gotten that
question out of the way, we can all be friends.” He smiled and laid a hand on
her shoulder. “Lead on.”

She shook her head, realizing that Galen had not
meant any offense. “Only a few of my kinsmen have seen elves before. This
meeting could be interesting.”

“Let’s hope it isn’t disastrous,” Galen said,
laughing.

Galen had no idea how correct his statement might
prove. The dwarves of Kaiya’s village had no use for magic, and three magical
beings appearing in this time of fear might lead to trouble.