Bloodfire Quest (17 page)

“Your grandfather is anxious to hear everything.” Ellich paused. “Is it as bad as I think?”

“Worse,” she told him. “But you will hear for yourself.”

“A word with you about your grandfather, first.” His strong features tightened, and he kept his voice low. “My brother is not well. In fact, he is as bad as he has ever been. It will be a shock to you when you see him, but try not to show it. The stress of his position and its demands have worn him down. That, and dealing with Phaedon. The Prince no longer makes any attempt to pretend he is his father’s right hand. He campaigns openly to be King. He says it is time for his father to step down and cede the throne to him. He has some support for this. Clearly, the King is not what he once was, and there are those who think it best that he abdicate.”

“Phaedon has no right to ask this,” Arling interrupted.

Ellich smiled grimly. “Since when did decency ever stop that boy? The King hangs on mostly because he still hopes his son will change. He thinks that time will season him and he’ll somehow become the King he should be. It is an impossibility, but my brother will not see this.”

“So what are you saying, Uncle?” Aphen pressed.

The smile died away. “You are always so quick to intuit things. I am saying that any promises he makes to you today might be broken tomorrow. Tell him what you will, but remember that he needs to know that whatever has happened is not insurmountable. His heart is weak and his strength limited. If you can reassure him there are solutions to problems, if you can give him hope, if you can take on some of the burden, it will go a long way toward helping him deal with any demands being placed on his shoulders.”

He paused. “Am I asking too much? From the look on your face, I think maybe I am.”

“You will decide for yourself when you hear what I have to say.” She put her hands on his broad shoulders. “I love you both, and I would do nothing to hurt either of you. But what I have to say can’t wait and can’t be softened. It is harsh and terrible, and it must be dealt with. I need Grandfather to be strong for this.”

Her uncle nodded slowly. “Then we must do our best to help him be strong. Come.”

They followed the path to the little side door she had entered not so long ago but which now seemed as if it must have happened in another lifetime. She had spoken to her grandfather about her order’s plan to embark on a quest, but she had never told him exactly what the Druids were seeking. She had asked for the use of the seeking-Stones at that meeting, and now she must ask for them again. But this time there was a clear precedent for her request, one deeply rooted in Elven history, and she intended to rely on it.

A member of the Home Guard stepped out of the foliage to greet them, nodded approval for them to pass, and vanished as quickly and silently as he had appeared.

Ellich rapped on the door, and after a moment it opened and her grandfather was standing before her, smiling. “Aphen,” he said, and took her in his arms.

She was shocked at how haggard he grown, his age never more evident than it was now. His arms, encircling her, felt weak and brittle, and his weight had dropped noticeably. The strength that had once been evident was completely gone. It was as if he were hanging on by his fingernails.

She hugged him back. She could feel the tears in her eyes. “Grandfather. I’ve missed you so much.”

“Well, then. We are well matched.” He looked past her. “And you, as well, Arling.” He released Aphen to hug her sister, patting Arling gently on the back. “I don’t see enough of either of you anymore. Come in, come in.”

Ellich followed them into the room and closed and locked the door behind them. They moved over to a pair of couches and sat, the sisters facing the King and his brother. There were pitchers of ale and tea on the low table between them, and Ellich motioned for Aphen and Arling to help themselves.

Aphenglow poured tea for all of them, and then she began to relate her tale of the events surrounding the fate of the doomed expedition and the discovery of the failing Ellcrys. She told them everything save what it was exactly the Druids had been searching for and how finding Aleia Omarossian’s diary had provided the impetus for the expedition. She focused instead on the impending collapse of the Forbidding and the need to act at once to prevent it from happening.

She took a long time to cover everything, but she thought it important to leave nothing out. She could see early on the effect it was having on her grandfather and wished she could have softened the sharp edges of her news, but there was little softening to be done. Ellich was calmer, listening intently, nodding now and then, his strong face expressionless, his hands clasped loosely together as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Arling said almost nothing, only now and then adding a detail regarding the condition of the Ellcrys or the nature of the demands that had been placed on her as the Chosen the tree would send in search of the mysterious Bloodfire.

When Aphen had finished, there was a long silence. Then her grandfather surprised her by saying, “You are showing great courage, both of you. In the face of enormous responsibility and much danger, you are as calm as if this were no more demanding than a walk in the woods. I am proud of you.”

Spontaneously, they rose and went to him, hugging him where he sat on the couch, bent over and frail, hands shaking as he hugged them back. “There, now,” he said, his voice stronger than before. “It’s all right. It will be all right.”

Seated again, Aphenglow said to him, “Now that you know, I have a request to make. To find the Bloodfire, we must have the use of the Elfstones. You did not see fit to give them to me before, but this time I think you must. Without them, I will have only the directions recorded in the Druid Histories. That isn’t enough. The High Council must be made to see this. Arling has been asked to carry the Ellcrys seed so that it can be immersed in the Bloodfire, and I will go with her to see that this happens. I have no clear idea of what this will require of us, but we cannot afford to fail. The Elfstones are the best way to protect us against the unforeseeable. Had the Druids been given the Stones when they went into the Forbidding, they might not have suffered so greatly. I do not think we can afford to let something of that magnitude befall us. We have to be protected.”

“But the Elfstones would be our most valuable weapon against the things breaking free of the Forbidding,” her grandfather pointed out. “How can I give them up in the face of so great a threat?”

She was ready for this question. Precedent must prevail. He must be made to see that.

“When the search for the Bloodfire was conducted last, in the time of Eventine Elessedil, the girl and the boy who carried the Ellcrys seed were given the Elfstones by the Druid Allanon.” She paused. “Without them, the effort would have failed. The Histories are quite clear on this.”

Her grandfather shook his head. “The High Council will not agree.”

“Nor will Phaedon,” Ellich added, drawing his brother’s attention. “Emperowen, you must give her the Elfstones yourself. This matter should not be brought before the High Council. If it is, there will be endless debate and constant delay. You will be forced to stand up to them all and to your son, as well. You know this to be true.”

It was a bold statement, one tinged by confrontation and demand. The King stared at his brother, and for a moment Aphenglow caught a glimpse of fury in the aged eyes.

But when her grandfather spoke, his voice was calm. “You wish me to simply give the Elfstones to Aphen? To ignore the Elven High Council and Phaedon entirely?”

“No, my King, I
wish
nothing of the sort.” Ellich held his brother’s gaze. “But I think it is necessary.”

There was a long pause as they eyed each other, and then the old King nodded slowly. “I suppose I do, too.”

Ellich turned to Aphenglow. “How will you go about this? Whom will you and Arling take with you?”

“Cymrian,” her sister declared at once. She gave Aphen a stern look. “Don’t you agree?”

Aphen nodded. “We will use
Wend-A-Way
as transport. She will serve our purpose well enough. She’s small and quick and easily handled. The less notice we draw, the better.”

“Which is a valid point,” her uncle said. “We can’t assume that whoever was trying to kill you earlier has given up. We have to assume there are those who might try to interfere with what you are attempting to do, possibly without even realizing what they are risking.”

Aphenglow saw the wisdom in his warning. She couldn’t be sure that whoever sought to stop their search for the missing Elfstones wouldn’t try to stop this search, as well. Not because they sought to prevent a renewal of the Ellcrys—which they likely knew nothing about—but perhaps solely because it would go a long way toward putting an end to the Druid order. If Drust Chazhul was behind this, certainly he would support such an effort.

“I think we must assume that the Federation and Drust Chazhul will offer us little help,” she said. “He has demonstrated his intentions where the Druids are concerned by attacking Paranor. There is no reason to think he will behave any differently toward the Elves. He hates and fears the magic, and he would see it destroyed.”

“I don’t know about the Federation, but the Prime Minister is no longer a concern. He was killed in the attack on Paranor. A new Prime Minister has been selected, and Edinja Orle is an avid believer in magic’s uses. We are watching her closely to see what she does.”

Aphen was surprised. “I hadn’t heard that. Maybe this changes things.”

“When will you leave?” her grandfather asked.

“As soon as the Ellcrys gives Arling her seed.”

“And you, Arling? Are you determined to go with her? Can you do what the tree is asking of you?”

Arling glanced momentarily at Aphen and then nodded. “I will see this through. But I will not lie to you, Grandfather. I do not accept that I am the one she needs. I am not settled on that. But I will go with Aphen and find the Bloodfire and see that the Ellcrys seed is immersed and brought back again. Then we will see.”

There was a long silence, and for a moment Aphen thought her grandfather might rescind his decision to release the Elfstones without a stronger commitment from Arling.

But the old King only nodded. “I will wait until after you are gone to advise the Elven people of what is happening. They will have to be told, but not right away.”

“The High Council and Phaedon as well,” Ellich added.

The King nodded reluctantly. “Agreed.”

“Grandfather,” Aphen said. “One thing more. I know how the Elven people feel about the Druids. But you might have need of us, and we might be able to offer help. Even as few of us as are left. Let me speak with Seersha. She is skilled in the use of magic, and I will ask her to do what she can to help protect the Elves and Arborlon. A few of the others who came back with me may choose to help as well. Embrace their efforts. It would be a grave mistake not to make use of their experience.”

Emperowen Elessedil smiled. “You sound so serious in giving me this admonition, Aphen. So I will take it as seriously as you clearly wish me to. I will see to it that the Elves make the best use possible of your friends if they are willing to offer their help.”

“And I will see to it that you have the weapons and supplies you need for your voyage,” Ellich added quickly.

Aphen rose. “Then we should say good-bye now. We have a lot to do before we can leave.”

Her grandfather held up one hand to stop her. “One minute. You must have the Elfstones to aid you in your efforts. I will entrust them to your care and ask only that you keep them safe until your return.”

He left the room, and when he returned moments later he placed a small pouch in Aphen’s palm and closed her fingers about it, patting them gently as he did. “There. It’s done.”

“Thank you, Grandfather,” she said. “Thank you for your trust in me.”

He nodded without speaking and turned to Arling. “I am sorry so much is being asked of you, child. I wish I could do something to change that.”

Arling went to him, bent close, and kissed his forehead. “I must find my own way, Grandfather.”

The King put a hand on her arm. “As must we all.”

They kissed and hugged their grandfather one last time before slipping back out the garden door and heading through the trees to the edge of the palace grounds.

“He doesn’t look well,” Arling said as they stepped out onto the roadway and started walking for home.

“No, he doesn’t,” Aphen agreed.

“I wish we could do something to help him. Something to reassure him things will be all right. Something to make him feel better.”

Aphenglow was speechless. Arling, whose own situation was so unimaginably overwhelming that her grandfather’s struggles paled in comparison, was more worried for the old man than for herself.

“Let’s go tell the others how things stand,” she said at last.

Hiding the tears that filled her eyes, she picked up the pace.

The sisters returned to the cottage and told Seersha and Mirai Leah what had been said at their meeting with the King, emphasizing the deterioration of his health and the feeling of both his brother and himself that the support of Phaedon and the Elven High Council would be questionable. Other than the four of them gathered now, only Emperowen and Ellich knew of the plan to go in search of the Bloodfire.

“This is not good,” Seersha said at once. “To keep what’s happening secret from everyone? How can they expect to do that?”

“Only until we are safely away. Then they will tell both the High Council and the Elven people,” Aphen said.

“What will your grandfather say to them?” Mirai asked.

The sisters exchanged glances. “He didn’t tell us that,” Arling answered.

“So at some point he will be forced to reveal that the Forbidding is on the verge of collapse, that the seed that will quicken it anew is en route and in danger, and that both of you are gone from the city bearing the only real weapon of magic the Elves can rely on if they have to defend themselves?” Seersha was appalled. “I can’t imagine that this particular piece of news will be well received.”

Aphenglow was chagrined. “I told my grandfather that even though I would be gone and the Elfstones with me, perhaps he could rely on you to help keep the Elves safe until I return. I told him you were skilled in the use of magic and would be invaluable to them.”

Seersha glared at her. “You had no right to do that, Aphen.”

“But I thought you would be anxious to help. It would mean traveling with an army to the Breakline in order to prevent any demon-led breakout. It would give you a chance to discover if there is a way back into the Forbidding, a chance to reach the Ard Rhys and bring both her and Redden Ohmsford out safely.”

“Not if I have to spend my time looking after a thousand men and women who have no magic at all to protect them against the kinds of creatures our failed expedition ran up against in the Fangs. You weren’t there, Aphen! You didn’t see what it was like!”

Aphen flinched in the face of her fury and shook her head in dismay. “I didn’t meant to put you …”

“What were you thinking?” Seersha interrupted, so angry by now she was no longer interested in hearing anything her friend had to say. “You were the one responsible for sending us on this hunt. Remember? We went because you found that stupid diary! And now you intend to go off with you sister while you send me—”

“Stop it!” Aphen snapped. “Don’t say another word, Seersha!”

The Dwarf rose and stood looking at her. “You’re right. I’ve said enough. Too much. I’m sorry. You do what you have to. But I intend to do the same, so please don’t think that any pledge you might have made on my behalf will be honored.”

She wheeled away and stalked out, slamming the door behind her.

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Aphen sighed audibly. “I went too far. I should have asked her before I said anything to Grandfather.”

“You were trying to reassure him that the Druids would help,” Arling said quietly.

“There are no more Druids,” Aphen declared, her voice hard and bitter. “The Druids are finished.”

Mirai gave her a quick glance. “Seersha’s angry, but she’ll get past it. You didn’t do anything wrong. She’s worried about the Ard Rhys, and she thinks it might already be too late to bring her back.”

“She might be right. She’s certainly right about what happened being my fault. If not for me, there would have been no expedition, and everyone who went on it and died would still be alive.”

“You didn’t decide there would be an expedition.” Arling was suddenly hugging her. “You only suggested it might be worth doing. Everyone else agreed and the Ard Rhys made the decision. Seersha is wrong to blame you.”

Mirai was on her feet. “Arling is right. I’m going after her and ask what she intends to do. If she’s going back into the Forbidding to look for Redden, Railing and I will both be going with her.”

She left quickly, leaving the sisters clasped in a tight embrace of shared sorrow in the sudden silence of their home.

Railing Ohmsford was up early that same morning, too troubled to sleep and still bitter and angry that he had been forced to leave his brother behind. He understood there had been no real choice in the matter, that if what was left of their little group hadn’t boarded
Wend-A-Way
and sailed off with Aphenglow and Cymrian, they would have been overrun by the Goblins and killed. He understood, as well, that there was no way back into the Forbidding, and no real chance of rescuing his brother even if there had been. He knew all this, but knowing it and accepting it were two entirely different things.

So he had let the others convince him—Seersha, in particular, because she wanted to save Khyber Elessedil every bit as much as he wanted to save Redden—that the only reasonable chance they had was to return to Arborlon, regroup, and come back again better prepared. But the sense of betrayal he felt was acute and deep, and none of the arguments he was able to muster could tamp it down.

Now, awake again before dawn and at loose ends, all he could think about was hopping aboard an airship and flying back into the Fangs.

In the hope of distracting himself, he hobbled out to the pathway fronting the residence he was sharing with Crace Coram, Skint, and Woostra. The effort it required to get there was laborious and painful, and served mostly to demonstrate how far he still had to go before would be fit enough to help anyone. Seersha had set the bones and then splinted the leg during the return trip, repairing the damage well enough that it would heal perfectly in six weeks or so. But making the short journey to the end of the walkway only served to remind him that six weeks could be a long time.

Growing quickly frustrated, he settled himself on one of a pair of benches placed at the edge of the grounds so he could rest and think.

Going back to Patch Run and his mother was out of the question. He would rather face the Goblins on one leg than have to tell her what had happened to Redden. He could return to Bakrabru and Farshaun Req and see if the old Rover couldn’t arrange transportation back to the Breakline or perhaps find someone who knew the wilderness well enough to do the job the Speakman had been recruited to do. But Farshaun would want him healed first, and it seemed unlikely anyone there could do more to hasten that process than the Elves, unless he chose to travel east to the Gnome Healers at Storlock.

He sat for a time in the shade of a chestnut tree, stewing about his situation, waiting for the steady aching in his leg to lessen, trying very hard not to think about what might be happening to his brother inside the Forbidding while he was sitting around inactive and useless.

Skint appeared and said a few words to him, and a little later Crace Coram. The latter told him not to despair, that Seersha would already be making plans to go back and that both he and the boy would accompany her when she did. His reassurance helped ease Railing’s distress, and finally he went back inside and washed himself and dressed in fresh clothes, having realized he was still wearing his clothing from the day before.

The morning passed while all four of them sat around waiting for something to happen. Eventually Aphenglow would appear with news of the Elven response to her report. What was to be done about the Goblins breaking free of their prison, though, was not something she had chosen to discuss with them, although Railing was pretty sure she would have talked it over with Seersha. Whatever the case, action would have to be taken, and it would have to be taken soon.

The boy was also anxious to see Mirai, who was as concerned about Redden as he was, and to whom he could best open up about his desperate need to do something to help his brother. But midday came and went, and Mirai did not appear, either.

He was back on his bench in the early afternoon when Seersha trudged up the pathway looking less than happy. She came over and plopped down beside him. “Sleep well?”

“Poorly,” he snapped. “Is there news?”

She shrugged. “Aphenglow and Arling went to their grandfather to advise him of things and to talk about what could be done for the Ellcrys. I think they made a plan for it.”

“You don’t look too happy about that.”

She stretched out her arms and dropped them listlessly at her sides, frowning. “Aphen and I had an argument. I lost my temper. I don’t usually do that, and I wish I hadn’t this time. Aphen is my friend. But this whole business has gotten completely out of hand, and no one really knows what to do about it.”

“I know what to do,” he said darkly.

She nodded. “Go back into the Fangs and save your brother. But it won’t be that easy. It might not even be possible.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I have to say it. I have to convince myself. You and I want the same thing—to go into the Forbidding, find the Ard Rhys and your brother, and bring them out again. Simple enough. But there are larger concerns. If the Ellcrys fails and the creatures imprisoned there break free, they will overrun the Four Lands. It isn’t just the Goblins; it’s other things, much worse things. We lack the magic and the numbers to hold them back. And without the Ellcrys, we have no way to lock them up again.”

“I’ll worry about that later, after I’ve gotten Redden back,” he insisted stubbornly.

“Except there won’t be a ‘later’ if we don’t address the collapse of the Forbidding first. I don’t like it any better than you do, but I accept the fact of it and that’s why I am not very happy just now.”

They were silent for a moment, mulling this over. “What are you going to do?” the boy asked her finally.

“I don’t know. That’s what the argument was about. Do I go back into the Fangs and find the Ard Rhys, or do I stick around here and help the Elves fight off the demonkind that are breaking free? Aphen will go off with her sister to find something called the Bloodfire so the Ellcrys can be saved. She wants me to stay here and do what I can for her people. It’s a difficult choice. I’m still thinking about it.”

She looked at him, her fierce face tight and hard. “I can tell you one thing, Railing Ohmsford. You are not going anywhere until that leg heals. And that will take weeks unless you do what I tell you.”

He stared at her, not at all sure where this was going. “What do you mean?”

“Mirai has a level head on her shoulders. She will likely exercise better judgment than you when it comes to helping your brother. So I want you to promise me you will listen to her and do what she says when it’s time to go after him. Do that, and I’ll see to it that you’re healed. Today.”

He straightened up at once. “You can do that?”

“I can and I will. Do I have your promise?”

He nodded quickly. “You do.”

“Don’t give it lightly and don’t think you can go back on your word and not pay a price for doing so. Mirai is loyal and will stick with you on this, but if you betray either her or myself, you will live to regret it. By giving me your word now, you are promising that no matter what happens, you will do what she tells you.”

“I’ll keep my word,” he said. He couldn’t imagine going up against Mirai, in any case.

She held his gaze for a long moment. “Good enough. Come with me.”

They retraced Seersha’s footsteps, moving at a pace that allowed Railing to keep up. They had gone only a short distance when they encountered Mirai coming toward them. Railing tried hard to hide what he was feeling just at the prospect of having her close again.

“Where are you off to?” she asked, coming up to them. Her eyes shifted from one to the other. “Is everything all right?”

“I doubt it,” Seersha replied. “But I’ve told Railing we might at least do something about his leg. Is Aphen still at the cottage?”

Mirai nodded. “Is your argument with her over?”

“Over and done. She’s my friend. I reacted badly. But that’s in the past. Want to come along?”

The three of them continued walking, Mirai linking her arm in Railing’s to give him added support as they went. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

She gave him a smirk. “So I can nurse you back to health, no doubt. What does Seersha have in mind for your leg?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t said.”

“Are you rational today?”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that during the entire trip back here, you did nothing but rant and rave about how you were going back for Redden and no one could stop you and anyone who tried would regret it. That, and a lot of other wild nonsense. I was tempted to agree when Austrum threatened to bind and gag you.”