Chapter 39
The slight shift in air pressure happened about halfway through the fourth torch. The runesmith slowly angled the tunnel up as the grain and texture of stone changed. Until just before the torch sputtered out, Marley Stonebender turned to his friends, certain they stood above the sea.
He smiled as Beryl released her end of the staff. “The Tarkhyld said you could take care of opening a door to the daylight.”
Beryl motioned for her friends to join her. When they had, she said, “We are the Weyld, the Wyrd, and the Wytness. Together we are the keepers of the gates.”
Gemma stepped forward. “Give us a few moments to prepare.”
“I thought weaving didn’t work within the tear’s realm,” Chayse said, incredulity creeping into his voice.
“Child, Alhwone’s tear is that which nourishes the tree of life, the Wista-Nem. It is the unfiltered source of Tavir. If you know how to wield it, no other is needed.” As Beryl spoke, Gemma took a long, slender piece of the blue crystal out of her backpack.
Marley and his friends stepped back, anxious not to be in the way, but curious what would happen next. Gemma stepped to the tunnel wall and used the crystal to trace a doorway into the stone. The tracing glowed faintly.
Beryl stepped up and tapped on the wall in the middle of the tracing. In her fist, she held a rough-hewn chunk of the blue stone. “With wind and water and earth and fire. In life and death and spirit realm. Let this gateway open earth to sky, a shadow’s token that none may espy.”
Jora, standing to the side, reached into a small pouch and, taking a handful of a shimmering blue powder, she flung it at the wall as she spoke. “Arubicon cried out to Alhwone in anguish over the destruction his brothers had caused and Alhwone heard his cries and answered.”
Gemma again traced out the doorway with the blue stone, and this time, as she stepped back, bits of what looked like blue lightning raced along the glowing outline.
Beryl then stepped forward and again tapped on the wall. “With wind and water and earth and fire. In life and death and spirit realm. A doorway through the earth and stone. A gateway out but warded home.”
Now Jora took her place, the sparkling dust somehow sticking to the outlined door. “And Arubicon watched in speechless wonder as a drop of blood fell from the Creator’s hand. And before him, a crimson hued gem lay on the ground. A tear fell from the eye of Alhwone. And before Arubicon lay a shimmering blue gem. The Creator then breathed into his hand and a gem creamy in its opalescence and shot through with a multitude of colors dropped from his fingers to lie with the other two.”
A third time Gemma marked the wall with the tear and this time, as she moved her stone away, a great cracking sound echoed through the tunnel. The allies as one took a step back and Marley was sure he did not hear a single breath in the room.
Once more, Beryl tapped the wall with her piece of the tear as she spoke. “With wind and water and earth and fire. In life and death and spirit realm. Through Weyld and Wyrd and Wytness three, we ward the way to set you free.”
The glow around the gem traced gateway now looked like daylight seen through the crack in a door frame.
The three Vort women each placed a hand upon the portal. “Arubicon’s brothers lusted after the crimson stone and it became first their bane and then their home,” Jora said, then stepped back.
“And the devastation left from the Sangryl’s reign took the tears of the creator to heal the stain.” This time, Beryl spoke and stepped back next to Jora.
“Still the rainbow gem hides from the eyes of all nations, renewal for Tavir, the flows of creation,” Gemma spoke the last and with that last word the wall that was now a door swung open and fat drops of rain splattered against a door of stone that had only felt the echoes of rain’s touch until this moment.
“Let us not be hasty about running out into this watery day,’’ Marley said, looking around at his friends. “We must first give up our necklaces to our fine guides, and it would behoove us to find out where our tunnel has led us. I know that the Vort Mountains do truly lay far to the north. But how far south we are I can not say.”
“I can leave on the paths,” Thysl volunteered. “If we are on the east side of the Firasian Sea, then Kyrmak can not be too many leagues away.”
“I will go with him,’ Glyf said. “That way I can mind-speak with Ymarii.”
“I must caution you.” Beryl looked Marley and each of his companions in the eyes before she continued. “Once you leave this tunnel, you cannot come back in, and once you have gone far enough, the entrance fades from view. You will not find it again.”
Glyf nodded, as did Thysl. “That is to be expected.” She turned to Marley. “Do you smell the air coming in with that rain?”
“Aye hatchling, the smell of the ocean rides the breeze with a heavy hand.”
“It is my thought that we shall find the coastline within a torch mark’s walk of this place. We will scout to the north and meet you on the coast before you have gone more than double that torch mark,” Glyf said as she and Thysl handed the necklaces to Beryl.
Marley didn’t need any special abilities to feel the tension in Glyf as she reached up to hug him before leaving. He gave her a quick squeeze and then held her away from him as he spoke. “We have lost too many friends of late. I would lose no more.”
Glyf nodded curtly and glanced around at her friends. She and Chayse shared the barest of nods and Marley immediately thought of Mek and Jayf. He prayed that through the kindness of the fates, they would find them alive and the balance would tip in their favor again.
The rain lightened to a drizzle as Glyf and Thysl thanked their guides and disappeared through the door. Marley could tell not leaving with the dragonkin vexed Chayse. Still, although Chayse was familiar with the concept of the Dragon Paths, he had never been on them and Marley didn’t think he would like them any better than he did traveling underground through the tunnels.
“I will have a few words with Beryl and follow if you feel the need for open sky, Chayse.”
Chayse grinned and nodded to his mentor. Picking up his pack, he stopped in front of Beryl. “I am pained and saddened that my lady Beryl was not tempted by my handsome self.” He pulled a sad face as he draped his necklace across her waiting hand.
She stood on tip-toes, kissing Chayse’s cheek. “I hope you look kindly on your time with us. You will always have a place in my heart… be safe little brother, your journey has not yet begun.”
Chayse looked down at her, once more grinning. “I have eaten fruit grown in the same soil as the Wista-Nem and drank from springs filtered through Alhwone’s tears. My body was heartened and my mind refreshed. I believe I have grown while here and although I don’t know where this journey will take me, I am glad that our paths have crossed.” He hugged her and with a wave to Marley was out the entrance and out of sight in moments.
Marley looked around. “Well, looks like I am the last to leave. Thank you, Gemma and Jora for helping us with our journey.”
Both quick with their fair-thee-wells, they moved farther up the tunnel, which was more than Marley expected.
“I do not know why the fates would bring us to meet only for us to walk through time wondering what might have been,” he said. As he gazed at Beryl, he could feel his throat close up. Saying goodbye to someone he had grown to care about was becoming an all too familiar pastime.
Again, Beryl seemed to sense his frustration. “I know with a certainty that can only come with true-seeing that we shall meet again and when we do, what might have been may yet be.” She reached up, touching his cheek with her lips in the barest of kisses.
Marley felt his face warm and hugged her to him, hoping her words were true. He felt sure her uncanny sense of perception and intuition, along with her long exposure to the tear, gave her an edge rivaling those with the gift of farseeing.
“It has been my honor to get to know you, Beryl Honorrock. And if the fates should allow our paths to cross again, I can only hope that the paths will stretch into the future together.” Marley felt his tongue stumbling on emotions he hadn’t felt for a long time. He sighed and shouldered his pack, knowing she understood. “Until that time, Lady Beryl…,” he said, turning toward the entrance.
“Wait, Marley,” Beryl’s hand caught at his sleeve. “Take this… you will know the time to use what is given.” She slipped a pouch into his hand, nodded at him once, let go of his arm, and hurried back along the tunnel.
Glyf lifted her face to the sky, letting the soft mizzle slick across her skin. After a few moments, she and Thysl moved to stand beneath one of the massive evergreen trees bowering the tunnel exit. She breathed deeply of the rich loamy scent.
“Do you know where we are, Thysl? In all my years I do not remember seeing trees like these.”
Thysl allowed his bags to slide to the ground and strode to a small clearing beyond the bower. He stood, turning in a slow circle, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.
“I am thinking it is a good thing we are heading to the coast, for to the east lies the Forest of Exquisite Guile.”
“That is a name that begs a story, Thysl. After we try to reach my mother and Jayf, perhaps you will tell me this tale while we run the Paths.”
“I fear it is a tale, not mine to tell. It is a place shrouded in mystery. Those that live there are a secretive lot, or so I have been told, but perhaps Marley knows better,” he said with a shrug and trotted back to stand beside her. “I have met none who claim that forest as home and I only know of one that has ventured in and made it back out sane and some would question that.”
Glyf looked at him skeptically, but decided now was not the time and said nothing. Instead, she concentrated on reaching out to her mother with mind-speak. As she stretched her senses outward, she felt as if she were held in a fine lace bag. She could feel the essence of the surrounding things, but the resistance to go farther, to connect with the essence and use it, was greater than the pressure she could exert.
The hatchling opened her eyes to see Chayse step from the tunnel. She looked over at Thysl, her brow furrowed at the dismay on his face. She did not need to ask if he had contacted Jayf.
“I fear our dragonkin abilities remain apart,” Thysl said, his eyes swirling blue with apprehension.
“Indeed, that would seem to be the case. The Paths are within reach and yet I cannot reach them.” Glyf caught her upper lip with her teeth and nodded at Chayse as he trotted toward them. “Let’s see how he fares.”
Chayse waved at them as he strode toward the same clearing Thysl just vacated. “Have you decided to wait upon us of the slower stride?”
“We still cannot run the Paths or use mind-speak.”
Concern furrowed Chayse’s brow. “I have no abilities in this mind-speak except my connection to Mek, but Marley shall be with us soon enough. Are either of ye familiar with the area?”
“It makes no sense to me, but I know this to be true. To the east of us lies the Forest of Exquisite Guile, that runs all the way to Razul’s Backbone. To the south, Faltamar looks down on the Kitar Desert and to the north, Manduria owns the coast to Rams Gate while Sedd’s claims continue to creep south. But what makes no sense, Kverka Shoals to the west runs north and south for leagues with no one ever reporting an island of any size or note.” Thysl yanked on his long dark tail of hair, making his topknot bob to the side.
“How do you know so much of the geography of the area?” Chayse asked, wincing at Thysl’s aggressive yank.
“He was Windy Cove’s Port Administrator, remember Chayse? Marley came up behind the allies. “Do we know where we are?”
“I believe we are south of Kyrmak bay by at least double handful of leagues,” Thysl said.
A look of confusion pinched Marley’s face. He scratched his chin through his beard as he glanced between the two dragonkin. “Are you already back from the paths?” He paused and turned to Thysl. “What about Jayf and Mek? Were you able to use your dragonkin abilities to locate them?”
“We still cannot use our abilities, at least Thysl nor I can.” Glyf shouldered her pack. “I fear we still tread blindly.”
Marley shrugged. “Not blind, my dear. We have our senses and so far that’s kept us safer than the use of the special abilities. I am sure our assorted abilities shall return as the effects of the Tear wear off. Now, I believe the coast lies through those trees.” He nodded toward a game trail meandering in a westerly direction through thinning woods.
Supper consisted of a mishmash of savories from the vorts and now all wandered away from the fire, intent on their own projects. The Frost Star slowly brightened as dusk deepened into true dark. Conversation was subdued and sparse with nothing more coming out of it than speculation on how long it would take them to reach Kyrmak without the use of the Paths and on foot.
Glyf and Thysl found places to bed down for the night, while Marley took first watch. He headed for a clump of young trees up the beach from the fire. Chayse sat staring into the flames as night settled upon the camp. Although he knew he should get some shuteye, a restless spirit kept him from slumber.
He opened his mind and stretched his senses as Jayf had taught him. And tried to push out, searching for that spark of essence that was Mek, just as he’d done every night since the shipwreck. But it was as Glyf said and although he felt the invisible boundary stretch toward breaking, it didn’t give.
Still, he sat with his mind open and his spirit quiet as he focused, hoping Mek would remember and be able to search for him. And as the last star in the constellation Season-Cross winked into view, he shut his eyes and listened to the night. He was unsure how long he sat like that, but as the chill of the night crept along his backside, he contemplated rolling up in his cloak and finding sleep.
From here to there, this one looked to find the one whose oath he took. Mek’s presence flooded his being like a cool drink of ale.
Chayse’s eyes flew open and he barely stopped himself from giving out a whoop. Mek, my friend! I am Jubilant that you are alive. Are you unharmed? Are you with Jayf?
His eyes searched the darkness for any sign of Marley, loathing to awaken the entire camp, knowing they had the better part of the night still ahead of them. He stirred the banked fire and put another piece of wood on it. He knew it wouldn’t take Marley long before the flames would draw him back to the fire.
While he waited, Mek told him of Jayf’s rescue by an old friend of Marley and Jayf’s.
Chayse told Mek a little about the island of the Tear and the vale of the Wista-Nem, but it wasn’t long before Marley returned, worry stamped across his face like a rock troll’s boot heel.
“I saw the fire flame…”
Chayse interrupted him, “Jayf and Mek are alive!”
Marley stopped in his tracks and Chayse wondered if the sheen in the vortryl eyes was entirely because of the firelight.
“Harrumph, there was never doubt. Now,” he rubbed his hands together, his voice loud enough to wake the others, “when and where do we meet up with them?”
Glyf came up from her makeshift pallet with dagger in hand and eyes wide with alarm. “Are we under attack?” she whispered, glancing from Chayse to Marley.
Marley chuckled and Chayse smiled at the relief he heard in the runesmith’s tone as he reassured their startled friend. “No Glyf, no, quite the contrary. Jayf and Mek are alive.”
“Alive? Where?” Her eyes scanned the camp as she searched for their missing friends.
“Tell her Chayse. Don’t let her just stand there in confusion and suspense. Indeed, we are all eager to know,” Marley said with an enthusiastic nod.
Chayse’s smile turned to a grin. The sense of relief translated into shared joviality as Thysl joined the three around the dancing flames of the renewed fire. Then he repeated what Mek told him.
Because none of the group knew the area well, they all agreed that an obstacle seen was an obstacle avoided. They decided, though sleep might not happen, they would rest until dawn.
Marley strode over to where Glyf sat on her bedroll, staring into the blooming fire. “Even if you can’t reach Ymarii, try to reach out to Jayf. He will search for you and Thysl,” he said, staring into that same blooming fire and hoping the wind did not blow this night.