Fifty One: Unlocking Secrets

Schula and I hurried from the dining hall, as did many others. One of the scouts came with us as Schula's escort since Liana had left early. My heart was in distress. Schula beside me was fuming. I had to see Kalor and find out what he knew of the declaration Halduin made.

The moment I was inside Kalor's halls I rushed for his rooms. Knocking on the door, I hoped he was inside.

"Kalor!" I called. "I need to speak with you, it's urgent."

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Wren." Kalor opened the door. "What's the matter?"

"Did you know the council was going to declare there is no threat to Eidelhein today?" I asked.

His face paled. "They what?"

"Halduin came in the dining hall just long enough to squall the rumors that there was any danger coming. The rest of the elves were with him," Schula added from over my shoulder.

I heard the sounds of Nassir coming from his rooms to listen.

"This isn't right." Kalor slipped back into his rooms and pulled a cloak over his shoulders. "The council is only here to advise the representatives that lead the city. We don't decide there is or isn't a rumor to be suppressed, and we certainly don't make announcements for public opinion in the dining hall."

"Well, they just did," Schula scoffed.

Kalor came from his rooms, cloak on and face stern. "I need to speak with them, I'll be back when I can. Was Teyber present?"

"No," I answered. "And the scouts at lunch time didn't know where he was either."

Kalor nodded sternly. "Right then. I'll find out what's going on."

"I can come with you," I offered. "Convince them to at least take measure-"

"No, Wren." Kalor turned to me with a firm expression, placing a hand on both of my shoulders. "This is my responsibility, I won't entangle you with the politics of Eidelhein. Your only responsibility here is to enjoy time among your people, not cater to Halduin's schemes."

"But-"

"I'll be back as quickly as I'm able, then we can talk." Kalor gave me a warm but tired smile, and he rushed through the doors and out of the hall entirely.

"Well, that wasn't quite what I imagined," Schula muttered.

"He didn't even entertain the idea of my help." I sighed. "I don't know what to do now."

A gentle hand patted my back, and I glanced over at Nassir who was doing the same for Schula. "You can only do what is in arm's reach. For now, I suggest you two calm down, I'll fetch us something to drink, and you can tell me everything that happened."

A small weight lifted from my shoulders. Nassir always knew just what to say to slow me and Schula down. Despite not looking much older than either of us, his age and patience really showed through at times like this. He was the uncle I should have had all along.

"Thank you, Nassir," Schula said, the gratefulness showing strong in her voice.

"I'll be right back, I was able to procure a bottle of blackberry cider this morning that I think you two will like."

I nodded numbly and walked into the common space where the large table was still cluttered with books and notes. I tidied some of them up, making room for us to sit and talk.

"Oh, the note," Schula said. "Can I see it again?"

I nodded and pulled it from my pocket, passing it to her. "I wonder who wrote it."

"I have my suspicions, but we should just see for ourselves tonight," Schula said.

I nodded. There was no use in speculation now. Not when there were other things we could be doing. The popping of a cork caught my attention as Nassir poured three classes of a dark liquid for us.

"Come, come. Have a seat and tell me what is going on."

I took a seat, and Schula took the one next to me. We sat opposite of Nassir, who calmly folded his hands in front of him on the table. Waiting patiently.

So we told him. We told him about Halduin's announcement. About the secret note. About our strange dreams, and the encounter with Liana in the garden where she overheard that we were looking for the black presence. It poured out of us in rambles as we drained our cups. Twice.

And when we were done, Nassir nodded slowly. Absorbing our words.

"What a tangle," he sighed. "Well, you cannot do anything about the council while Kalor is with them. Let him handle that for now. And you cannot do anything about your midnight visit until midnight. Don't dwell on it until then. But, here we sit, surrounded by hidden answers in these tomes. Pass the time with something of use. I suggest opening a book and resuming our work."

Schula groaned and set her forehead on the table in front of us. I bit my lower lip and glanced over to the books around us. Nassir was right. It wasn't the answer I wanted, but the one that would best spend our time.

"Alright," I sighed as I pulled the nearest book to me. "At least for now, it's all we can do."

"I wish I knew where Liana was," Schula growled, pulling a book to herself. "I bet that snake is hiding and listening somewhere she shouldn't be. Probably on Teyber or the council."

"Do not dwell on what you can't control," Nassir said quietly but firmly. "We repair the barrier, we return with new strength, and we find a stance to confront DuVarick. Concerning yourself with Liana will not achieve those things."

Schula grumbled, but opened her book and began reading anyway.

Time passed. Slowly, but it passed. The tome closest to me happened to be Lark's. I flipped through the pages, mesmerized by things I didn't understand. She was a conjurer, a master of spells and hexes of all sort. She could bend the unseen to her will, and all I could do was brew potions and fortify bandages against illness. It was just another reminder of how differently our trainings had gone.

Nassir meditated in his chair, occasionally answering our questions on whether something sounded familiar or not. Schula found some more interesting bits as she scribbled notes every so often. I on the other hand, was coming up with nothing. All I could find was a page in some foreign scrawl I couldn't read. The marker that I had passed any time at all was that I had to find the privies after those glasses of cider.

I grumbled and stood up.

"Everything alright?" Schula asked, not looking up from whatever passage had caught her interest.

"No, just going to my rooms for a moment," I answered with a yawn. "I'll be right back."

I set Lark's book down on the table, bumping the corner as I passed by it. I frowned as the corner poked my hip, hurting a bit. Wonderful, one more bright spot on this strenuous day.

I went to my bathing room and relieved myself. I came back into the common room, stretching and readying myself for another stent into Lark's book, when the pages suddenly caught my eye.

When I had bumped the book earlier, I had turned it upside down. The foreign scrawl was no foreign scrawl, it was upside down.

I clutched the book, lifting it off the table and scanning the words. They were written at odd slants so it wouldn't be immediately obvious that it was simply written upside down, but now that I had found it I couldn't un-see it.

"What's wrong, Wren?" Schula asked, pausing her work.

"I..." I scanned the passage again. "This.. this might be it!"

"Might be what?" Nassir asked, standing and rolling his stiff shoulders.

I began reading out loud. "I have created a number of spells by this time in my life," it began. "But no new spell is without consequence. I want to ensure I always have a way to break my work if it goes awry. For this, I've included a simple unraveling of the few spells I've concocted from scratch. A simple pinch of crushed walnut shell and locust skin. Finely ground, and  blown over the spell with the following words:"

"Lark epsimica"

"Wren!" Schula exclaimed. "That might undo Teyber's locked tongue!"

"I... I don't know yet," I tried to keep the excitement from my voice. "I have the locust powder from my ingredients for Gilly's work, I need the walnut shell."

"I saw walnut trees on the way here," Schula said. "Surely we can find one."

"Maybe the kitchens cook with them?" Nassir suggested. "I will ask the scouts in the entry hall."

Nassir left the room, and I read the passage for a third time.

"What does that mean, epsimica?" Schula asked.

I shook my head. "I don't think anything. It's sort of a nonsense word. It doesn't sound like anything I'd heard before, unless it's from some very unfamiliar tongue."

"Well, let's get your locust powder. Do you have something to crush a walnut shell with?" she asked.

"I should, from Purda. Wait here, I need to go through my bags."

I ran to my room, clutching Lark's book to my chest. I wasn't ready to risk losing the page I was on. I set it down gently on my bed, then turned to my things and began unloading them all over the floor. Books, potions, bottles, tools, clothes. Everything was scattered about, until I found my pestle and mortar. I dug a little more, and pulled out a small jar of dust labeled 'locust'.

"I have it!" I shouted, coming out of my room while juggling the powder, mortar, pestle, and Lark's book, still opened to the page I needed.

"Nassir says someone was willing to go ask after a walnut," Schula said. "He'll be back soon. I think."

I read the passage again while we waited. And again. And again. Schula paced the room.

"I have it!" Nassir announced, striding down the hallway and holding up a walnut as though it was a rare prize.

I held my breath as I cracked it open, tossing the meat of the nut on the table and crushing the shell with fervor. Once it was a fine dust, I poured in the locust and mixed it all together.

"Now what?" Schula breathed.

"I need to find Teyber," I said. I scooped the mixture back into my jar labeled 'locust' and sealed it tightly. I took one last look at the incantation and ran for the end of Kalor's halls.

Schlua and Nassir were behind me. We all three burst from the halls with such urgency that the scouts guarding the main door of the keep on the other side of the entryway startled, gripping their spears.

"What's going on?" One of them asked.

"I need to find Captain Teyber. Now!" I called.

The scouts looked at each other, then the one who first spoke answered. "We will call someone to escort the fae, and they can help you look for the captain provided he's not busy."

I shook my head. No. This couldn't wait. What if... what if this would help with our current problem somehow? And Teyber, he wanted this badly, I could see it in his eyes.

"Go," Schula said. "We'll wait for a damned escort."

I shot her a sympathetic look, then ran. I sprinted so quickly that the scouts were taken off guard and couldn't recover fast enough to come after me.

I ran up the stairs and to where I remembered his office was. He was gone, but several scouts in the hall looked at me as though I had grown a second head. I didn't stop to see what they had to say, I just ran for my next best guess.

In the halls where the council was meeting, there were three sets of scout pairs. I could tell they were going to try to stall me or stop me completely, but I wasn't having that right now.

"I need to see Captain Teyber, it's urgent," I offered up my most commanding voice. The voice Mila used to talk down to the village headman. Chin up, stride strong, I walked through the scouts.

"L-lady Wren. We can't let you through, the council-"

"Do I outrank you or don't I?" I turned, flashing my best angry Schula eyes at him.

I didn't wait for an answer, I just kept going. The pair guarding the council door attempted to hold their spears across the door, barring my entrance. Which would have stopped me, if I weren't a witch. I waved my hand and lit the tips of their weapons with purple flame. They dropped them immediately and I rushed at the door, pushing it open.

"What is the meaning of this?" Halduin growled.

I vaguely saw the other elves sitting or standing around that meeting table of theirs, but my eyes were locked on Teyber who stood at ease between me and the table of elves. I dumped some of the mixture in the jar onto my palm and shoved the rest in my pocket.

"Lark epsimica!" I cried, blowing the palmful of dust into the air over Teyber. Something magical pushed the spell, blowing the components wildly around him in a swirl of power. It tugged at me to push more magic into it, so I did.

Teyber's eyes went wide as he put a hand to his throat. I could feel it, something unseen around Teyber was now falling to pieces.

"Lark stayed safely back from the Wyldes, not willing to risk her child. She stayed back as far as her pull to Nassir and DuVarick would allow. In a camp, not far from where Wren grew up. She was never to be in danger, but a nasty plague was set onto the mountainside."

The room was taken aback.

"What are you saying?" Neuldor asked.

Teyber shook his head, holing his temples and trying to organize the words spilling from his mouth. The words that must have haunted him for two decades, unable to be confessed.

"We- the ones who went with her. We went in with her inside knowledge of Icehold. We were so prepared. Maps and plans, and backup plans, and training. But they were ready for us. We barely reached the mountainside when we were ambushed. I was the only one who made it back, and by the time I made it to her, she had been struck with some sort of curse. We were on the run for weeks, being hunted down. I could have gotten away myself with ease, but in Lark's condition... Someone knew she was there. That we were all there. We were rabbits in a crate, trapped and at their mercy."

"Stars above," Kalor whispered, sinking to his knees. "I had thought... No. My love..."

A tear slipped from Kalor's composure, trailing down his cheek and off his chin. Then another. And another.

"Ambushed? Who could have betrayed you?" Gelladon asked, brows furrowed. "All we knew was that Lark had left, and you with her."

"Someone had to have known," Teyber snarled. "We were struck down by something that should never have been in the Winter lands to begin with!"

"Who?" Kalor's voice shook. "Who stole away Lark from this world?"

Teyber's expression softened a little as he looked to me, then to Kalor.

"I'm sorry, Kalor. It was a band of humans."

"Humans?" I choked out. "But, how?"

"I don't know. I don't even know how they came across the barrier in the first place."

My heart ached. The barrier again. What if there was a crack in it, even then? One that had snaked and spread across the Wyldes now, the one falling apart as we speak?

Halduin scoffed. "Preposterous. How could humans have defeated a band of elven scouts and a witch? A ludicrous story."

Galledon held out an arm in front of Halduin, scowling at the old elf.

Teyber jerked, and I thought he was going to lunge for Halduin. "Do you think we bent backwards and fell at the feet of some common men? Do you think Elius died to some mere human? Grommond? Isiul? No! We were ambushed by something dark. A man of sorcery and command. Whatever dark things he had dealings with for his powers, I hope to never cross their paths. The only thing I can imaging to give a name to this monster, is warlock."

The room was silent in the wake of Teyber's words. I didn't know what to think, my head was spinning. I was ready for her to have been killed by DuVarick's men in a fit of rage and grief, but not this. Not humans. And certainly not some dark sorcery.

"Lark was convinced someone from Eidelhein had dealings with him. How else did he know we were there? So she..." A tear fell from Teyber's cheek. "She bound me to place Wren where she would be found by the witch Mila, who was known to Lark as a good person. Wren herself was bound with a seal to stop her witching magics from developing, at least until she was ready and of age to defend herself. And her... her ears. She couldn't be found as an elf child. Not there, not so close to the Wyldes. So Lark numbed the feeling of her baby's ears and..."

I lifted a hand to my ear tips which had grown back, but the memory of how they felt was still strong. I knew why she had done it, but I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"She was convinced that if I brought Wren home, whoever had betrayed us before would do it again," Teyber said. "Her last prayers were that the Mother watch over Wren and bless her with a home of love."

I nodded. Brynn and Mila had been good to me.

"Who could have betrayed you?" Gelledon asked again, as if thinking out loud.

Teyber shook his head. "I don't know. The scouts that went with us were all loyal. I can't imagine one of them doing such a thing. The curse weakened Lark. Not just her body and magic, but her mind too. Who knows what she was thinking in those last weeks? She didn't even have the strength for a spell, not even to remove the binding of secrecy on me. She... the last spells she cast over Wren were the last she ever did, and they took everything she had. Everything."

My throat tightened. Something hunted Teyber and Lark down. My mother, she lived her last days in suffering, and gave her last breaths to protect me. Was there truly a betrayer among the elves? Or was it a sick twist of luck that met their fate in the Wyldes?

A sudden change in the room knocked those thoughts away from me. When the hairs on my neck stood straight, an absolute wall of power and anger at my back, I spun to see Nassir in the doorway. My eyes widened, he had his hands on either side of the door frame, the wall cracking under his strength. With the little practice I had in trying to use my meditation sight while my eyes were open, I could see a raging yellow fire around him.

"Tell me all of it," Nassir commanded. "I will know who I am hunting to the ends of the realms. They will suffer, for Lark."

~~~

Whew! This is where it starts to get a little complicated. Now, as you probably know by now, this is a story in it's beta phase. I'm releasing it as I write it, so after the entire story is done I'll be doing some editing. That said, if you see anything or catch any glaring plot holes, LET ME KNOW! We're approaching the end of book two, and then I'll be taking a short break to ready for the home stretch, book three: Wylde Magic.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!