Delver Magic: Book 06 - Pure Choice (19 page)

"Then a second barrier works
to our benefit," Shantree replied.

"Not if we hope to break
free," Birk countered. "Yes, we have additional protection, but we
are also trapped here. What good is it to break out of the first barrier, if we
are faced with being trapped by a second?"

Shantree remained patient in both
her tone and expression, but she reminded Birk of their past discussions and
actions.

"We have tried to break free
of the barrier and failed. While freedom is our ultimate goal, I'm not certain
that a second barrier should cause us any more concern than the first."

"That depends. So far, you
have instructed a conservation of the camps' combined magical abilities. If we
reach the point where you allow for a complete assault on the barrier, I would
like to know more about what awaits us just beyond."

"I do not believe we have
reached that point of desperation," Shantree revealed. "At least, not
yet."

While Shantree revealed a desire
for caution, Birk remained respectful of her authority as the camp elder.
Still, it was his duty to protect the elf camp and to secure them from imminent
danger. Every moment the elves remained trapped in the dark realm represented
unacceptable peril.

"You still believe we should
wait?" Birk asked without the slightest degree of agitation or disbelief.
He was simply confirming a strategy.

"We balance waiting with
other alternatives. We focus on surviving... for that we need magic. Without
it, we could not obtain food or water. I have always entertained any initiatives
to escape this cursed realm, and I have already authorized the use of a great
deal of magic. Unfortunately, nothing has worked. Portals fail to construct
within the barrier, and the barrier refuses to weaken, let alone fall.
Teleportation is useless, which continues to confound me. The sorcerer manages
to remove elves from our group one at a time, but not one of our spells of
transport work in any fashion."

"I agree it is confusing.
Magic within the barrier works, as proven by our ability to obtain food and
water, but not with consistency. As you have said, we can not utilize portals
or teleportation, and while our spells do not seem to lack potency, they have
little effect where we need them. We attack the ground under the barrier and we
fail. We assault the barrier itself and we fail. We attempt to teleport and we
fail."

"I know our failures,"
Shantree reminded the captain, showing an unusual moment of impatience.

Birk revealed that his intention was
not to simply list miscalculations, but to highlight the need for new methods.

"Forgive me, but I wanted to
emphasize that there is a new plan that is being developed that might work. It
takes a different approach."

"A new idea?" Shantree
asked with a hopeful expression attempting to break through the aged lines of
her face.

"We believe the field around
us was constructed by pure ebony magic, a power that uniquely condensed the
most dominant energy inherent in this abysmal realm. Though the barrier is translucent
and allows us to see beyond its borders, it is not completely invisible. We all
see the outline of the obstruction, and its dark hue cannot be denied. Those
elves capable of seeing the aura of magic assure me that the black energy is
undeniable. Unfortunately, we have no elves among us that can cast in the shade
of black with any genuine efficiency. That may be why we have failed to break
through, but one of my officers proposed a layered attack of individual hues to
chip away at a small section of the barrier."

"Go on."

"We have several skilled
magic casters, but none that can cast in pure white or pure black. Still, there
are those who have nearly perfected their own inherent hues. We are considering
an attack that will focus one hue after another upon the barrier. Spells will
be used in varying sequence, but they will each be focused on an individual
color, and the barrier will be monitored as it is attacked. Instead of simply
trying to blast through in one great release of energy, we will attempt to peel
away at the barrier's strength. The proposal would require significant amounts
of magical energy, but if we can find the right combination, I believe we can
break a hole through the shield."

"Only a hole?" Shantree
questioned.

"That is all we would
need."

"We need to get every elf
out, not just a meager few. I believe the sorcerer will know if the field has
been compromised and will return to repair it, and perhaps punish those that
worked to break free,"

"Those that are willing to
make the attempt are aware of the risks."

"I assume that once you break
a hole through the barrier, an elf will attempt to teleport away from this
place or open a portal back to our home?"

"I plan to do both. I will
have elves ready to teleport across the dark land. Creating distance from the
barrier may be essential. I will have others ready to construct a portal. That
will be the priority. The moment we create a breach, the first elf I send
through will be instructed to immediately open a portal back to Uton."

"And then?"

"Immediate contact with the human
wizard in Connel. He can aid us."

Shantree knew of Enin, the human
wizard with phenomenal power and the skill to cast with two perfect rings of
pure white energy. If any single magic caster could obliterate the barrier, it
was Enin, but she also knew that the wizard's attention centered on building
relationships between the dwarves and the humans. His contact with elves had
been minimal.

"But will he?"

"He has recently shown a
willingness to come to the aid of those in need. We also should remember that
our own Holli Brances serves as his guard."

"She is no longer one of our
own," Shantree corrected the captain. "She was banished."

"She agreed to that
banishment for the good of our camp. I have no doubt she would remain loyal to
her oath to come to our aid."

Shantree's hands remained folded
behind her, but she rapped her knuckles against her back as she considered the
idea. She was always cautious, even when she did not face such a dire
predicament. She usually handled the strain of leadership with dignity and
poise, listened well and appreciated the council of others, but she no longer
faced the normal affairs of life in Dark
Spruce Forest.

The elves of her camp confronted a
staggering set of circumstances. An entire camp thrust against their will into
a seemingly inescapable prison was not something even the elf guard captain
could have anticipated. She understood Birk's concerns, saw the growing
desperation in every elf around her, but desperate actions led to mistakes, and
mistakes in the dark realm led to complete and painful obliteration.

"For the moment, let us then
consider this secondary barrier you spoke of. Would its existence alter your
plan?"

Birk did not reply immediately. He
looked across the barren land, through the translucent barrier that surrounded
the grouping of elves. He weighed the options before him, and came to only one
conclusion.

"No. It would be ideal to
know what is outside the barrier, but it is not within our power. The main
objective remains to break through the initial obstacle. If we can get several
elves beyond the first wall, I can only hope they will find a way to battle
through any additional obstructions."

"That sounds unusual for you.
Your strategies have always been much more defined."

"I do not deny it, but what
else can we do?"

What else could they do?

That was exactly the question
Shantree continued to ask herself.

"The proposal is
interesting," she acknowledged, "but if I understand the concept, you
would indeed need vast amounts of magical energy. Do we dare use so much when
our very survival depends on utilizing it with care?"

"Surviving as captives in the
dark realm for some sorcerer's twisted purpose is not a path of existence I
would accept as living."

"I do not argue that perspective,"
Shantree explained, "but I do not believe it has come down to a simple
matter of choosing between one last act of desperation or accepting eternal
imprisonment in this realm. We have limited magical energy available to us.
That is a fact we cannot escape. The plan you offer might be the best
utilization of that energy, or it might cause us to dilute our resources that
might be used more efficiently elsewhere. The magic continues to keep us alive
and there are other magic casters that have used the energy available to them
to send out messages of distress. It may simply be a matter of patience."

"I understand," Birk
responded, but then offered his own view of reality. "I just find it
difficult to believe that any message we can send will be received by anyone
that might help us. Certainly, there is no one on this plane that would come to
our aid."

"The spell casters that are
endeavoring to use the magic have stated they believe they can embed the call
for help in magic that transcends this dimension. We know magic can travel
through portals, even through the veils that separate the existences. Subtle
messages can call to an ear that wishes to hear."

"But is there anyone back in
Uton that will listen to our call?"

At this, Shantree revealed her
true hope... the hope that kept her going.

"There are other elves in
Dark Spruce, other camps."

"That is understood, but why
would they search for us?"

"Because if this happened to
a neighboring camp as opposed to our own, I would order a search for them, not
simply out of some benevolent desire to help, but for the security of my own
camp. The disappearance of an entire camp is not something to ignore. If other
elves can locate us, they might be able to bring us the aid we need without
jeopardizing our ability to survive in the short term."

"What if they simply can not
determine what happened to us? They may realize we are gone but never find
us."

That was a possibility that
Shantree could not ignore.

"I have considered that. I
must admit, I am not entirely certain how it was possible for us to be captured
as we were. Still, we must at least give it time."

Birk almost accepted the
assessment of the elder without another word, but he paused before agreeing. He
did not wish to create conflict or to struggle over authority, but he had his
duty, and the dark realm was a place where such responsibility could not be
forgotten.

"It is not my place to argue
with your decisions, but as an elf guard captain—the leader of the elf guard—I
am charged with protecting this camp. You must accept that I am in a difficult
position. We are in a state of constant peril. It is my duty to bring this camp
to safety without delay. In that, even your orders are secondary... no
disrespect to you."

"I understand, and I
appreciate the loyalty you have shown to me. I do not think we would have made
it this far had we been at odds. I ask only that you balance your desires to
escape with regard to the best chance to do so successfully. You believe we
need assistance, and so do I. Given enough time, we may get the aid we
require."

Reluctant to wait much longer,
Birk revealed yet another concern.

"It is difficult to determine
the passage of time in this realm. There is no sun to mark the passage of a
day. Even if there was, we would have no idea how such time might relate to
time back in our home. It might seem like several days have passed here, but
back in our land, back in Uton, an entire season might have passed since our
abduction. You are, in essence, asking me to give you enough time. How do we know
what is enough?"

Shantree conceded she could not
argue. They were trying to gauge the passage of time based on many factors, but
none of them could be certain of the accuracy of their measurements.

"You are right. We have no
idea of just how long we have been gone. I ask for time, and yet I cannot tell
you how much time is necessary."

She looked about the makeshift
camp. She examined the futile attempts at creating shelters, let alone
defensible positions. The few trees that surrounded them were pathetic,
half-rotted protrusions from corrupt soil. There was agony in the very air they
breathed, and she saw suffering on the faces of every elf around her.

Her fatigue grew and while she
would not surrender to despair, she knew that hope was dying.

"Is there much you need to do
to prepare for an assault against the barrier?" she asked, reconsidering
her decision.

"We must select the proper
elves," Birk replied. "Some will cast the spells, others will feed
the casters with magical energy. We must also map out a strategy for gauging
the strength of the barrier as the spells are cast and for determining a
sequence for those spells."

"Begin your preparations. We
will start as soon as you're ready."

The captain of the elf guard bowed
and set off to organize the assault.

"We are ready to make our
first attempt," Birk Grund acknowledged, as he returned to speak to the
camp elder. "We shall be as efficient with the energies as we can. I know
it is important to you that we hold as much in reserve as possible."

"It is more important that we
escape," Shantree replied. She had played out all the scenarios in her
mind. She saw each path clearly. She could hope for success, but she had to
accept the possibility of failure. The one result she did not relish was uncertainty.
There was no sense in making the attempt if it only left them with more
questions. "I place no qualifications or restrictions on your plans. I do
not want you to hold back in any fashion. Our path is decided and it cannot be
a half-hearted measure. We must know if this has a chance for success or not. I
would rather use every ounce of our magic and fail than attempt to save energy
only to remain uncertain about the results. We either succeed or we fail, but
one way or the other, we must know."