The Revenge of the Elves (4 page)

Chapter Five

“The battle will be here, Dustin! It is inevitable. For whatever reason, he has chosen Tamarand as his target. He failed at Pardatha and he failed at Seramour. We are next,” the regal, gray haired man said to his second in command.

“So it seems, my Lord,” the young officer replied.

They both stared out of the large, leaded windows that rose from floor to ceiling in Baron Calipee’s study.

“It may be that he wants to draw my son out from wherever he has secreted himself,” the older man continued. “I only hope Robyn is safe.”

“He has been gone for quite some time, my Lord. Why would the Dark One be concerned about him? Do not tell me your son has allied himself in any way with….” Dustin stopped, unable to conceal the derision in his voice.

The Baron turned and stared at his aide, remaining silent for a long moment.

“Dustin,” he began finally. “I have not been altogether honest with you,” he admitted, keeping his eyes locked upon those of his second. He watched his every move, the slump of his shoulder, the blinking of his eyes, the way he raised his hand when he spoke.

Dustin remained as still as he could and looked at the Baron, his eyelids flitting.

“Robyn is not the man you believe him to be,” Calipee said, drawing out his words.

“There is no need to explain his behavior to me, my Lord,” Dustin said. He had always protected the Baron from being hurt by his errant son, gaining his confidence, supporting him. The depth of his contempt for the spoiled youth who stormed out of the castle so many months ago he kept to himself. “I’m sure he needs merely to grow up a while longer on his own before coming home to you. He will return, your Lordship. He will recognize his responsibilities at some point. I’m sorry if I insinuated anything untoward…”

The Baron smiled, though Dustin could find nothing amusing in the discussion.

“You misunderstand me, Dustin,” he interrupted him.
Are you being honest with me?

“I beg your pardon, Sir?”

“For many reasons I have never been able to share the truth about Robyn with you,” he said.
For many reasons.

“It is not necessary to explain anything to me, my Lord. I know you care deeply for him. It’s a father’s love that causes such pain. The son cannot understand the hurt he brings,” Dustin said.

“No, my friend. He has not hurt me,” Calipee replied. “And his love is as strong for me as mine is for him,” he insisted.

“I do not wish to overstep my bounds Sir, but he has taken advantage of your generosity of spirit and in my opinion he has much to atone for. He is no longer a child,” Dustin said, scowling.

“Ah, you are so right. He is no longer a child,” the Baron said.

Dustin looked at him as if he had lost his senses, unable to decipher the odd expression upon the Baron’s face.

“My Lord?” he questioned.

“Come. Sit here with me.” Motioning to two chairs by the far window, the Baron walked over to them. “It’s high time I brought someone into my confidence. Robyn is a Chosen,” he said, waiting for the young man’s reaction.

“Robyn?” he replied, incredulous, as he sat down beside the Baron.

“Yes, Dustin. There is a very great Lalas near here. It conceals its presence as do many of them. Robyn was chosen when he was quite young, and we both thought it best the people didn’t know.”
There. I’ve said it finally.

“But why?” he asked. “It’s such a great honor! Has he shamed the tree too?” Dustin questioned.

“You still do not understand,” Calipee said. He knew Dustin’s opinion of his son was one he’d developed over many years and would not easily be cast aside. But there was more to it than mere dislike.
And you did not suspect. Good.

Dustin and Robyn appeared to be about the same age and the soldier was never less than a shining example of a man of honor and duty. Robyn, on the other hand, presented himself as selfish and spoiled and, moreover, callous and unfeeling when it came to his father, the Baron. He cared nothing for politics and the responsibilities of his rank. Breaking hearts was his single greatest accomplishment and he did it often and with aplomb. His public outbursts of defiance were common, particularly when it came to the Baron’s requests, and as time passed, he spent less and less of it at home. Prone to fits of temper, he lashed out rudely and carelessly at anyone loyal to his father or critical of him.

This ruse succeeded extraordinarily well, and Robyn’s reputation spread throughout Concordia and the rest of Tamarand. No one took him seriously or tried to get close to him. They disdained and disliked him, and it appalled the people that he treated his father so poorly, particularly after the death of his mother. Though it had been difficult for both the father and the son to perpetuate this lie, it gave Robyn the freedom he needed to carry out his other responsibilities. His absences were rarely noticed and never regretted when they were.

“We decided many tiels ago that Robyn’s bonding wasn’t to be shared with anyone. He knew from the onset what that decision entailed, and he accepted it without a thought for himself. His sacrifice was far greater than mine. I was fortunate he confided in me, for I could not have borne the pain of having so profligate a son in reality as he appeared to be.”

“I had not the slightest idea,” Dustin confessed. He sat on the edge of the chair with his elbows upon his knees and his chin cupped in his hands. “There were always rumors now that I think about it. Visitors spoke at times of a Chosen whose tree resided nearby, but connecting those tales to your son, the man we thought we knew, would have been a stretch for anyone’s imagination. I, for one, never put two and two together,” he continued, his skin paler than before. “I hated him so. How he treated you. I couldn’t see past it. I still can’t believe it!”

“Well, it’s true, I swear to you,” Calipee continued. “And I apologize for having had to deceive you for so long. It pained me to see how you suffered from the way he spoke to me, but I do not regret what we did. We’ve been good actors, have we not, Dustin?” the Baron asked.
Are you angry or relieved?
There was still more to the story, but Calipee wasn’t prepared to reveal it yet. He was content now to let the word go out that Robyn was a Chosen, but the wildling woman who rejected his Lalas first, no one needed to learn of at this moment. That information could yet be valuable if planted prodigiously.

“Superb, my Lord,” he agreed, stunned. “I must admit I’ve always felt conflicted about hating him. Despite how badly behaved he is, there is something so enviable about him. I really can’t put my finger upon it.”

“The girls all seem to be able to ignore how disrespectful he is to me. He never lacks for their support,” the Baron said lightly.

“He’s handsome, my Lord, though I would normally have qualified that by saying ‘in a strange and disagreeable way’. Nonetheless, it struck me as unusual that a child of yours could be so callous and self-centered, and yet so carefree. As I think about it, his harshness with us all did seem forced. I accepted it as truth, but I could never fully understand it. How did I miss this all these years? I always thought I would…” He stopped himself in mid-sentence.

“That you would what, Dustin?” the Baron asked, leaning in close.

The young soldier looked distracted and his eyes were unfocused.

“That I understood him,” he replied. His attempt at a smile was uncomfortable.

“And now?”
You seem just a little too disappointed, Dustin. Did you believe you would rule here after me? Is that what you were thinking? That I would forsake Robyn?

“It will take some time to adjust. My enmity for him was great and I saw nothing positive about him aside from his physical appearance. But, I’m relieved,” Dustin wiped his brow with the flat of his palm.

His hand is shaking. He is unnerved. He won’t look at me.
“And I am most pleased. Soon, everyone will know the truth. There is no reason to conceal it anymore. With Colton knocking upon our door, it’s time to heal our own wounds so we can be strong and united when the battle begins.”

Promanthea and Robyn believed their best interests and the best interests of the people lay in keeping their relationship private. And so did Calipee. None beside a select few knew of Sidra’s refusal to be bonded by the same tree, and when Robyn was chosen none were informed of that either. The circumstances around their bonding were unusual considering the startling events which preceded it. Rejecting one of the great trees was unheard of. If the people knew Robyn was not Promanthea’s first choice, they may have been reluctant to accept him for lack of understanding, though the Lalas themselves harbored no such doubts. The situation was unprecedented, nonetheless, and they deemed it best no one should know he had ever been Chosen at all. So, the charade began.

“To have a Lalas so close to us again!” His voice quivered. “Will the tree reveal itself as well, my Lord?” Dustin asked.

“I can’t answer that question. With what is happening these days, there may be reasons for it to continue to keep its location private. Robyn doesn’t even know I have spoken to you of this. We have not been in communication of late,” the Baron said.
And now we will see if it is you, my friend, who has been betraying my plans. Someone in the castle is a traitor. Would that it not be you, Dustin, but who else?

“Do you know where he is? Is he on a mission?” Robyn’s whereabouts took on a new meaning. “And what about his Lalas? How far from the city does it live?”

“I am uncertain of my son’s location,” the Baron conceded.
Is your interest more than curiosity? Why must you know?
“As a Chosen, he has the means by which to reach me and ease my concerns for his safety.”
Yes, Dustin. He can reach me if he needs to.
“But it’s been a while since I last heard from him.” Too long. Far too long. “The tree grows not far from us.”

“Did he play a part in the great battle of Pardatha?” Dustin asked.

“A crucial one,” Calipee said proudly. “He was ‘called’ to assist the heir when the boy first arrived there.”
Careful. There are risks to what I’m doing, but I must know
, he warned himself.
We will soon be at war.

“With the Gwendolen heir? Was he with him when he escaped from Seramour too? Is he with him still?” he asked, his eyes shining.

“Yes, he has not left his side.”
He’s perspiring. It’s not hot in here.

“Again, there were rumors of a powerful Chosen,” Dustin recalled. “I just never associated them with your son. He was the last person I would have expected…”

“As was planned,” the Baron replied.

“So he is one of the three teachers?”

“Yes.”
He knows much about this. Too much.
Calipee watched him even more closely.

“He’s the one helping him to learn the earth magic?” Dustin’s eyes widened.

“Yes,” the Baron answered again. “Where they went from Seramour though, I do not know.”
I wish I did. Oh how I wish I did.

“Maybe Colton believes you do, my Lord,” Dustin said, his breaths short and quick. “Or that you can find out. And that’s why he’s coming here. Or he might think if he threatens the father, the son will come to his aid. Will he?”

“Perhaps, Dustin. Perhaps…”

Chapter Six

There are many different ways to respond to stimuli, Dav,” Cairn explained. He walked as close as he could to the yellow-green glow of the shield that surrounded the city of Parth without stepping into it. “One can react cognitively, emotionally or physically. These of course are just words we have created to help us describe the things we experience, and they lead us to assume our interaction with the world is self-contained. The words themselves can’t capture the essence of the action or the response. But they invoke in the mind an approximate understanding, and our understanding grows with our experience. We begin to see how all types of experience overlap and influence one another. The words are no more than tools we use to communicate with and they allow most of us to make sense of the world within which we live.”

Cairn motioned to Davmiran to come sit beside him in the clearing. The Tower rose in the distance, beyond the thick fields of wheat thriving under the sisters’ nurturing guidance. The sun pierced the protective dome as if it wasn’t even there, though in fleeting and intermittent bursts. Hulking shadows roamed the surface like ghost ships on the sea.

“They can’t be separated, as they bleed into one another inevitably. Emotions can initiate physical responses, thoughts can calm the emotions or incite them, and actions can generate all kinds of thoughts and feelings. We must learn which is precedent in each experience, and we must learn how to control that hierarchy. Recognizing and understanding them can help us to anticipate our enemy’s next move, as well as to assist us in controlling our own.”

“I feel things first and then I respond,” Davmiran said, his eyes half closed, shrouded behind pale, blue-veined eyelids. “For me, emotion is paramount. It has never been a choice.”

“Yes. That much I have learned by being with you. But, you must also be able to evaluate in other ways. The fact that it has never yet been a choice does not mean it never will be. You must cultivate your options. You are too vulnerable if you respond only by virtue of your emotions. They can be wrong you know, and lead you to act inadvisably.”

“They have not done so yet,” Dav replied. “I’m not being stubborn, Cairn, but I feel things so intensely it seems impossible for my understanding to be incorrect. I can sense the rightness or wrongness of a situation. The physical world resonates and I feel it.”

“You haven’t come face to face with the Dark One yet, Dav. You may find the truth does not always reside so simply in the situation. All living things can be tricked,” Cairn said. “Colton’s evil is enormously compelling and confusing. Your instincts are very good, very accurate. And they guide you well. But they are not enough to protect you. My job is to help cultivate your innate talent so you are ready to confront him when the time comes. You must have control over your reactions and not be controlled by them. Sometimes you must take a step back from the perception and prepare yourself for its impact. There is a time to fight and a time to cry and a time to reflect. You must know which moment you are living amidst.”

“A voice speaks to me when my emotions are in disarray. I don’t really hear the words, or at least they don’t sound like words, but they help me to find my way through the confusion. I sometimes feel as if someone else is guiding me from inside,” Dav explained.

“Do you remember Mira?” Cairn asked.

“No. Not well. But even as you mention her name my body reacts, just as I said before. I feel safe and comfortable when you talk about her. Why? Do you know?”

“She gave her life to cast you to safety. Her spirit will never leave you. She had to insinuate so much of what she was into you in order for the casting to work. Though it killed her body, she never really died, Dav.”

“That is what I’ve been told,” he said. “She is the one I hear? It’s her spirit that soothes me?”

“Yes, I believe,” Cairn replied. “Robyn agrees and he knows more about this than I do. He also knew her many tiels ago.”

“Yes, he did. He’s been telling me a lot about her recently. I know I have a past, but I can’t find my way back to it. It seems strange to me that others have a clear perception of the woman whose essence lives within me, yet I have none.”

“That is why it’s so important to recognize cognitively what affects you emotionally. You cannot allow your physical actions to be governed by these impulses. You must analyze them and try to put them into a perspective that makes sense within the context of your life and your life in the world. Otherwise, another whose motives are not as noble as Mira’s, might influence you as well. Actions require a reasonable combination of emotion, thought and movement. We are what we do in this world and each step we take influences all others. No actions are isolated.”

“If it feels right in certain circumstances, it may not be altogether. That much I know,” Dav said.

“It’s possible your instinct could be manipulated as well by one who comprehends what motivates you. Don’t forget that. I would be remiss as a teacher if I didn’t make you aware of the limits of one sense without the aid of the others. My job is to prepare you, not comfort you.”

“So I must be suspicious all the time? I can’t trust my feelings?” he asked. He was young still and naive. His awakening was just weeks ago, his memory washed clean prior to it.

“Not blindly. Be vigilant, Dav, as we all must be these days. Be vigilant with your faith, be vigilant with your choices. Question everything.”

“Sometimes I can’t stop myself from responding when I feel something strongly,” he confessed.

“You must learn how to then when it’s necessary. We seek a balance point always. That is what we work to find, to achieve. We have practiced deep breathing and the slowing of the heart. It must become second nature to you. You must be able to create an internal environment for yourself within which you can comfortably assess your options and examine the stimuli that are compelling you to action,” Cairn said. “Let us try again.”

Sitting cross-legged on the grass, they both closed their eyes. By this time, the words Cairn spoke were familiar to Dav and his body relaxed even before he completed his sentences.

“Breathe slow and loosen each muscle with your exhalations,” Cairn instructed. “Concentrate upon your inner self. Look at yourself from the inside out. Feel the blood flowing through your veins. Breathe to your extremities and relax them with your breath. Now view yourself as an object in the world, not apart and separate from it. Look down upon your body, lying there, part of everything. Feel the air brush against your skin and the sun warm upon your forehead. Feel it penetrate your physical being.” His words were soothing. “We are not so separate from nature as it seems to us at times. The air and sun and water we come into contact with become a part of us as we become a part of them. They penetrate us in ways we do not normally feel. Take in what you need and give back what you can. Feel the power of the flow. Let the outside in and understand your relationship to all that is around you.”

They both lay still, their breath a mere flutter across the surface of their skin, as their abdomen’s rose and fell less with each inhalation and exhalation. “Mira’s presence within you is no different than that of the breeze upon your skin, though it’s a cognitive one and the breeze is purely physical. Both seek to touch you and influence you. Let them. Learn from what is around you, from what you are a part of. Feel yourself becoming one with all that is here. Breathe.”

As they sank into a relaxed state, the sounds of life around them grew more distinct, not numbed and distant. They listened to the grass grow and felt the sun’s nurturing effects upon the leaves and the soil. In the silence between them, the earth spoke boldly to Davmiran, and he listened with an acute ear. The power surged through them, breaching the barrier of skin and bone, touching them, changing them. Time was irrelevant, meaningless.

“What have we here?” Filaree’s voice sounded as if from miles away. “Are you resting up before our morning lesson?” she asked. Her words floated upon the breeze, barely understandable. “That would be smart of you, Dav,” she laughed a humorless laugh.

The words intruded upon them and separated them from the flow, though it was becoming increasingly difficult for Dav to retreat from that place Cairn had introduced him to. He liked it there… perhaps a little too much.

Opening his eyes shocked him. He saw things again, physical things, and he became an object himself. He watched Cairn nod to him as if reading his thoughts. He understood.

“Another perspective, Dav, that invokes another sensation. You have many different eyes with which to see. Use them all. They empower you,” Cairn whispered.

“Is it that time already?” His own voice sounded to him as if it belonged to another. He watched his body rise.

“Yes, it is! I’m always on time,” Filaree replied, inserting herself between the two of them. “You look like you’re having a good time. What luxury. But we do have some important things to attend to.” To Filaree Par D’Avalain, action defined productivity.

“Ah, yes. The Lady Filaree has spoken,” Cairn said. Standing up, he bowed with a flourish. “If we’re not fighting, we’re not doing anything!”

“Don’t be so sarcastic Cairn. You have your ways and I have mine.” She turned to Davmiran, dismissing Cairn altogether. “Now that he’s taught you how to think before you act, it’s my turn to teach you how to act before you think. Come, Dav. Carry this for me, would you?” Without waiting for him to reach for it, she tossed a long sword with a hilt of polished quartz through the air. “Though it looks delicate, it’s anything but harmless.” Davmiran’s hand shot up and caught it with ease. He tested the weapon’s balance like a veteran swordsman, poising it on his hand, his fingers just close enough to the hilt so that it hung there motionless. “You’ve paid attention! Good. Now see if you can conceal it behind your back as deftly as you’re handling it.” She was impressed. Maybe Cairn really was teaching him how to focus.

After tossing it gracefully straight into the air, he caught it just as gracefully a moment before the tip touched the ground. He lifted it over his head and slipped it into a sheath hidden beneath the folds of his shirt, locating the opening with his free hand. All that remained visible was the very tip of its carved hilt, which glowed with a pinkish hue.

“Not bad,” Filaree said.
Not bad at all You’ll need every ounce of reflex you can muster in the days ahead. We’ve got to protect you any way we can.
“Come. We have much to do today.”

“If I were you, I’d watch out,” Cairn teased. “He’s a quick learner, and despite what you may think, there’s an element of thought involved in much of what one does.”

Pivoting to the side, Filaree drew a jewel studded dagger out of her sleeve without anyone seeing. Before Cairn had a chance to utter another word, she thrust it as close to his neck as she could. He held his breath and didn’t flinch. His face remained expressionless.

“You think too much, Cairn. Sometimes action must precede thought,” Filaree said challenging him.
How can we win this war if we don’t wage it?
she thought.
Dav is not ready. I haven’t done my job and we’re running out of time.

“And sometimes thought can prepare you for things yet to come,” Cairn replied. As he spoke, a huge paw shot out from behind her, clasped her hand holding the dagger, smothered it and rendered it harmless. She couldn’t move. Blushing a deep crimson, Filaree bowed her head to Cairn. She turned and looked up into Calyx’s enormous eyes. The Moulant released his grip and backed up. Out of habit, Cairn summoned him at the onset of his and Dav’s exercises in order to prevent any unexpected intrusions.

“So what have you learned from this, Dav?” Filaree asked as she slid from between them, two distinct spots of red standing out against the white of her cheeks.
What a fool I am. And in front of the boy. I should have suspected Calyx would be nearby.

“That I’m not yet ready to engage either of you in a real fight,” Davmiran said with tact.

“At the least, one should never be too cocky. That can lead to a dangerous arrogance, as you just witnessed,” she conceded. “Cairn is rarely careless.”
And I can’t afford to be either. None of us can.

“Once or twice, when I forgot to think” Cairn admitted, driving home his lesson of the day. “Take him, Filaree. He should be rested enough now to begin the next session.”

Cairn leaned into Calyx and the big animal’s purr resonated in the cool morning air.

“Come, Dav. We’ve wasted enough time with this already. Some of the sisters are joining us today. Two of them so far have demonstrated an affinity for physical combat,” Filaree said. Her admiration for the women of Parth was increasing daily. They were a strong lot, stronger than she expected given the stories she’d heard about the Tower.

“They seem to have affinities for a number of things,” Cairn replied.

“Power is what they have,” another voice echoed from behind the nearby trees. Robyn walked up beside Dav and put his arm around the boy’s shoulders.

Filaree huffed. Another interruption. Another delay. “This is my hour! Are you ready, Dav? We can’t afford to waste what few opportunities we have. Robyn, can you chat with him later?”

“I came only to suggest we accelerate his training, not to slow it down. The sky is gloomier than usual beyond the shield,” Robyn replied.

“We have less time than we thought?” Cairn asked. He glanced up at the dome of light overhead.

“We’ve never had enough,” Robyn replied.

“Then why the urgency now. What’s changed? What do you sense in the darkness. Are we no longer safe here?” Cairn continued.

“The shield has bought us some time indeed, but we can’t risk getting trapped here because we are blinded to the changes we don’t easily see. A shield can protect but it can also make us forget the danger,” Filaree said.
And the danger is real… all too real.

“Colton doesn’t know where we are. He may have suspected at one point, but this barrier conceals many things. If he’s lost our trail he’ll do what he can to dredge it up again. We need to move on soon,” Robyn said.