The Crystal Bridge (The Lost Shards Book 1) (18 page)

Chapter 21: Tethered

K
aden read and reread the note that had been gouged into the top of the desk. The twin moons gave him plenty of light to read by. “Nott sayfe. Nott followe.” He scribbled his own quick note next to this one with a magic marker he found on the ground.

He ran a finger over where a chunk of the desk had been sheared off, the cut clean. Evandrel had assured him that the Dwaro took it with him along with Aren and both would be relatively safe. Kaden had to admit that plastic would be interesting in a world without it.

The clothes Evandrel provided fit perfectly. They sat light and warm on his skin in the crisp evening. Kaden didn’t mind the mossy color either. A lot of his clothes back home fell into the earth tone category. Kaden didn’t know where Evandrel found the shirt and trousers.

The green haired man had darted into the forest and returned about half an hour later with the bundle. The tall man hadn’t initially provided shoes. He’d looked at Kaden like he’d asked for horns to wear in case of rain.
Evandrel and his people apparently don’t wear shoes
.

After some arguing about limiting his access to the spirit of Ealdar, the Sidra relented, returned to the forest once more, and returned with boots that molded to Kaden’s feet and were much more comfortable than the tree bark that they appeared to be. He could still feel through the thin, supple sole, but they blocked the chill and the bites of sharp twigs and stones.

Evandrel stood at the edge of the clearing as Kaden finished his note. The being surprised him at times.
So patient and so quick to anger. Just my luck to find a mentally unstable tour guide.

Kaden knew he didn’t have any other option though. Evandrel had made that clear. Kaden couldn’t keep flitting back and forth between Earth and this clearing while Aren got farther and farther away. Kaden glanced over at his guide who stood without moving, green hair whipping in the wind and eyes far away.

He doesn’t seem to like humans much, but he also seems sincere about learning my secret. Unbalanced though. That makes him one dangerous elf.
Kaden laughed to himself.
That’s what he reminds me of
. Kaden didn’t trust the elf creature, but he felt compelled to follow him, certain Evandrel would keep his word, despite his deep hatred for humans.
The man’s honest. I’ll give him that. Not sure if I should call him a man. He might not like that label anyway.

Kaden punched what was left of the desktop and looked at the tunnel where Aren had gone one last time, a dark hole in the moonlit ground. “I’ll be back, Aren. I’m so sorry to leave, but I’ll be back.”

Kaden turned away from the desk and the tunnel. It felt wrong to abandon her again, but his death at the hand of Dwaros would help no one. He didn’t know enough about his wormholes either.

I’ve never stayed this long. Is my tether permanent? For all I know it could just disappear, trapping us here forever.
He shook the scary thought from him and walked to where Evandrel stood.

“I’m ready, Evan. Can I call you Evan?”

“No.”

“Okay, Evan, let’s go then. Is your village far?”

The elf growled under his breath as he pushed his way through the underbrush. It parted easily enough for him as he muttered softly to himself. Kaden struggled through each bramble and thorn, the forest intent on slowing him down.

“We are at least three days run from my
city,
probably longer the way
humans
move. This would be much easier if we could just travel the way you came. I already know you can take passengers with you.”

Kaden stood knee deep in a bush he was sure was poisonous. The leaves glinted glossy black in the moonlight and it smelled oily and bitter as his boots crushed branches of it underfoot. “Sorry, Evan. Not the way it works. That was the first time I’d taken anyone along for the ride, and I’m not sure how I did it. I also came from very far away, not down the street. I’m not able to jump from place to place once I arrive. Too bad really, that would be neat.”

“Neat? You are odd, even for a human.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I’m afraid that would take a very very long time.”

“Ha. Funny. What do you call your people again?”

“We are the Sidra A’Keitane. You humans often refer to us as Sidra. That is true in many ways, but we prefer to be separated from our cousins, especially the children of Rho Tynan. You also call the Dwaros Sidra, which shows a great misunderstanding.”

“Ah. I didn’t follow much of that. There’s more than one type of what you are?” Kaden stumbled over a half buried root. The light of the moons didn’t help much once they’d left the clearing as the trees blocked out more and more light.

“I am not surprised you cannot follow. Clumsy thoughts as well as footing. More than one type of Sidra, yes. There are three. The Keitane, the Tyninian, and the Edane. We share a common ancestry, but are very different from one another.”

“Huh. Will I meet some of the others?”

“I doubt it. The Edane’s lands are to the Northeast. The Tyninians have not been seen in roughly a thousand years. If they still exist, they live far to the North.”

“How are you different?”

“I have allowed the subject to wander. I do believe our time will be best spent in silence or teaching me your magic.” Evandrel paused to give Kaden a disgusted snarl. “I’m not sure which I prefer.”

Kaden laughed. “So, the elf does have a sense of humor. I think you’re going to be disappointed no matter what, but I’ll do my best to teach you what I know. A deal is a deal.”

“Yes, a deal is a deal as you say.” The Keitane’s tone took on a dangerous edge. “What is an
elf
?”

“An elf is a mythical creature where I come from. They live in the forest, practice magic, and are close to nature. Seems to fit you, Evan. Didn’t mean to offend.”

Evandrel snorted. “Mythical? Your people are very uninformed.”

Kaden laughed again. “Yeah, I suppose we are. So tell me a little more about yourself, Evan.”

“Is this an attempt to circumvent our deal and again lead the subject off into trivial matters, human? If we are speaking, you should be teaching me how you travel. Correct?” Evandrel slipped easily through a patch of briars, leaving Kaden to rip his way through as thorns caught at his hair and new clothes.

Evandrel waited for him on the other side, still expecting answers to his questions. Kaden almost ran into the Keitane man as he stumbled out of the brush in the darkness. Kaden yelped at the dark shadow looming before him and his hands went up in instinctive defense.

The shadow leaned in. “Your silence on the matter does not encourage me, human. Do you intend to teach me your magic or not?”

Kaden reached out in his mind for his tether.
I thought we’d made a bit of progress. So quick to anger, this elf.
“Easy now, my tall friend. I’ll tell you all I know. Three days or more should be plenty since I don’t know much. I just figured we might as well get to know each other, and I’d like to know more about you and the other Sidra.”

Evandrel turned, weaving in and out of trees at a speed that Kaden had a hard time matching in the dim light that filtered through the trees. “We are not friends, human. Your kind has been our enemy for generations.”

Kaden smiled. “Yeah, I tend to throw around the friend word too easily. It’s good to be hopeful. But I’m not my kind—I mean the humans you know have no tie to me.”

Kaden jumped as the elf appeared next to him. He was sure Evandrel had just passed behind a tree two yards up.

The Keitane cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

“This is as good a place to start as any. This may be difficult. Despite speaking English very well, you don’t seem to know all the words I use.”

Evandrel shook his head. “I know every word in English, in every dialect. I am a Light Bringer. We are required to know all your languages, which became much easier when your king made one universal tongue.” Evandrel paused and shook his head. “I admit you do use words that are unfamiliar at times. I believe you invent these words in an attempt to fool me.”

“I’m not making up words, and I’m not trying to fool anyone. I’m just pretty sure you haven’t been exposed to my dialect before. What do you know of planets and stars? Oh no!” Kaden tripped over a root and flew forward. Evandrel caught him easily and set him back on his feet. Kaden marveled at how gentle the creature had been at speeds that Kaden couldn’t follow.

The elf contemplated Kaden in the silent darkness. He frowned and sighed. “Sit. It is dark and you are unable to travel as swiftly as we need. We will wait until morning when I hope your eyes and reflexes may improve.” The Keitane folded down into a sitting position with a grace that Kaden envied. “This will also give us a chance to talk more freely.”

“Sounds good to me. Thanks, Evan.” Kaden plopped himself to the soft forest floor, layered with years of fallen leaves smelling of earth, moisture, and the pleasant smell of slow, natural decay. “This would be easier if I could see. Don’t suppose you have flint and steel in a pocket or some such?”

Evandrel shook his head. Kaden could barely make out the movement.

“Fire is the way of my brother tribe, the Edane. We do not use it often. I
am
a Light Bringer though.” He slipped a hand into his tunic and removed a glass ball that glinted in the filtered light from the silver moons. “I created this just days ago as practice for my trials.” He tapped it three times. The glass hummed and a warm light blossomed in the depth. The light grew until it lit Evandrel’s and Kaden’s features along with a large part of the forest around them.

Kaden sat, mouth open, transfixed by the sudden appearance of light. The glass ball floated a few inches above the ground and bobbed as a breeze stirred the leaves above them. He looked up at the Keitane with new wonder. Kaden had never seen anything like it. “You made that? You mean, you really can do magic?”

“You did not believe me? Yet your magic is powerful. You continue to baffle me, human.”

“Magic isn’t possible…anywhere. I’ve never seen anyone make something like that.”

“Not a surprise. Humans have long since eradicated the gift from their ranks.”

“No, you don’t understand. How to explain? Where were we before any of this? Planets and stars?”

Evandrel glanced skyward, eyes tracing the moons’ placement and the slash of red nebula even through the ceiling of leaves. “The Light Bringers of the Keitane have long followed the movement of the planets and stars. We have sent our minds out to gather information, to discover the laws of all things. We know more than any human about how the heavens work.”

“Okay. Good, I guess, though you could be a little less condescending.”

Evandrel grinned, white teeth flashing in the magical light, and spread his hands in a display of innocence.

“Fine, be that way.”

“I intend to.”

“Anyway…I’m gonna have to lean on all the nerdy tv shows I’ve ever seen. Do you or the humans here use the word ‘universe’?”

“Nerdy, teevee, universe? I am once again unfamiliar with your words.”

“Maybe I’ll explain tv later. The universe is what we call all that the heavens contain. Moons, planets, stars, nebulous superheated gasses, empty space, everything, running on forever in all directions. All energy and all matter.”

Evandrel looked at Kaden with some semblance of shock. “Apparently, your people are not as uninformed as I previously stated. I have never heard of a human speak of
the universe
with such insight.” He nodded with appreciation and then stared down at the glass ball. “Your language is coarse, but I am glad you have a word for Lithilial, for all things.”

Kaden smiled. “Happy to be different from these humans you dislike so much. What about other universes?”

The elf’s head shot up and he narrowed his eyes. “We have theorized that there are many Lithilial spaces, universes, but this is not something that humans know. They barely understand the movements of the moons and shroud everything in superstitions. They call our dual moons twins, not understanding that they only appear to be the same size. The green one is bigger, but seems the same size because—”