The Whispering (6 page)

I look around me
debating what I should do.  I search the ground for pebbles, stones, rocks – anything I can use to leave a message for Tharin.  I gently pull the energy to me, careful not to take more than is needed.  With my hands stretched out in front of me, I make slow circular motions.

“
What are you doing?” asks Julia, staring at my hands.

“
A trick Sema taught me,” I answer, relaxing once the task is done.  I turn to Julia with a satisfied smile.  “There.  Once Tharin is here, all he needs to do is call out my name and the message will appear.”

“
What did you say?”

“
I told him to look for a troll name Mirnuk at an island playground.”

“
What does that mean, anyway?” asks Julia.

“
A playground that’s on an island,” I reply, shrugging.  “Besides, between him and Tolan I’m sure they’ll figure it out.  If not, Alorn will.”

Julia nods. 
“So which way do we go?”

“
Hello, I got here the same time as you, remember?”  I look around. “Maybe I can reach out to another dryad here.”

“
Fine,” replies Julia. “Go ahead.  I’ll cover you while you do your elf thing to find Ziri.”

I look
at her perturbed, before closing my eyes again.  I concentrate on releasing my senses searching the nearby trees for a dryad to help us find our way to a troll.  I feel a tug at my coat and look down to find a dryad who looks no more than six years old. 

I smile down at her and without a word she takes my hand and leads me further into the grove until we reach a young gum tree.  Julie
moves next to me and we stand looking at the tree.  When I look down to ask what to do next, the dryad is gone. 

“
Now what?” asks Julia.

“
Now you tell me where you two think you were going,” demands the voice behind us.

We both turn quickly to face Tharin with a hard look on his face.  Tolan
stands beside him with an unreadable expression.  Alorn is on the opposite side of Tharin with a distant look on his face.  And finally, Mellis, standing next to Alorn, grinning with a look telling me he missed me.

“
How?” I ask, a little taken aback.

“
You left a message,” replies Tharin, stepping up and taking me by the hand.  He leads me a few yards from the others and I glance back at Julia.  She stands expectantly in front of Tolan, but he turns his back on her and walks off. 

Tharin swings me before him, taking hold of my shoulders. 
“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t run away again.”

It t
akes me a moment to get what he is implying and decide arguing would be useless.

“
Tharin,” I say placing my hand on his chest, “I wasn’t running away.  If I did, would I have left a message?  I know who has Ziri and who knows how to get to him.  And from what Minth told me, he could be seriously hurt.  I figured we could make it there to help him and you would be right behind us.”

“
Minth?”

“
She said they call her the Gija Jumulu here.  She came when I called for a dryad.”

Tharin lets go of my shoulders
and steps back, taking a patient breath.  He straightens, searching about him, and then he gives me that look that irritates the hell out of me. 

“
What?” I ask, annoyed.

“
Lily, I know you want to help everyone and their mother, but you have to understand what kind of danger you’re in just by being here.” 

I take a breath, tryi
ng to hold onto my own patience. 

He continues,
“Look, all I’m asking is that wherever it is we need to go, we go together until we’re back at the tower.  That’s all I’m asking.”

“
Please stop worrying, Tharin.  How can you take care of me, any of us,  if all you do is worry about me?  And just for the record, I did think to wait for you, but the thought of Ziri being tortured I felt I couldn’t wait.”

I can feel the tension coming from him and I take
a calming breath.  “I’m sorry,” I say and that seems to take the wind out of him.  He pulls me close, holding me tight and I don’t resist.  In fact, I wrap my arms around him and breathe in his scent, feeling safe and warm within his embrace. 

“
Tharin,” interrupts Mellis. 

We turn
and find him standing only a few feet from us.  “According to Julia, we need to find the troll Mirnuk.  The dresi Ka’sith has Ziri.”

Tharin turns to
me, asking, “Is that true?  Is that what Minth told you?”

“
Yeah.  She sounds dangerous, that’s why I wanted to leave, to get to Ziri before the witch can hurt him.”

Tharin takes me by the hand
, and we walk back to join the group.  “Tharin,” I ask, “what’s a dresi?”

Without looking at me or breaking his stride, he answers,
“A high witch of the dryad, schooled in the dark arts.”

“
We can take her though, right?” I ask, a bit anxious.

“
Being a dresi is one thing, Lily,” he says glancing at me briefly.  “But Ka’sith has had centuries to turn her bitterness inward and nothing is more dangerous than a spurned dresi seeking revenge.”

~ * ~

Chapter Six

~ Tharin ~

“Tolan, can you locate Mirnuk?” I ask, putting my concern for Lily aside. 

“
Yes, I can,” replies my brother. 

“
Wow,” says Mellis to Tolan.  “Your abilities are amazing.”

“
Yes, they are and also because I found a pamphlet with the parks information, including the playground,” replies Tolan, waving the pamphlet at us.  “They’re all over the place.  Anyway, we’ll find Mirnuk within the park, but on the other side from here.  When we find him, it will take all my knowledge of the calling to communicate with him.”

I turn to Lily
with a half grin.  “I’m not leaving you, but you’ll follow behind with Mellis.  Understand?”

She squeezes my hand and smiles
.  “I do, Tharin.  One thing,” she asks, standing on her toes to whisper in my near.  “Promise me we’ll stay connected.”

My smile broadens
.  “I promise.”

Facin
g the others, I give orders.  “Alorn, you’re with Tolan and me.  We’ll go ahead.  Mellis, you’re with Julia and the queen.” 

“
What queen?” asks Mellis with a blank look on his face. 

He turns to Lily, breaking into a wide
grin teasing her into laughing with him.  She lets go of my hand and moves to stand next to Mellis and Julia. 

“We have to assume a trap.  Harlu may be behind Ka’sith knowing of Ziri being here in Pathen,” says Alorn.

“
I figured as well,” I answer.  “I can’t help but feel that we’re being delayed.”

Tolan
moves behind Julia, saying, “I think you’re both right.  Something’s going on in Velesi and we need to get back.  I feel it.”

“
I do, too,” adds Lily.  I look at her curiously and she shrugs.  “I don’t know how, I just do.”

“
Stay close to Mellis.  You’ll only be behind us by a few minutes and we’ll make sure it’s clear before having you and Julia join us at Mirnuk’s.  If it is a trap, Mellis will take you to the nearest doorway and you’ll return with him to Velesi.”

Lily shakes her head
.  “No.  I’m staying with you.”

“
And, I’m not leaving Lily.  I’m going with her,” says Julia, stepping away from Tolan and closer to Lily.

“
No,” I answer.  She doesn’t back down but before she goes off, I say quietly, “You are the queen of the Willow Clan.  You have responsibilities to your people and to those of the Oak.”  I see the uncertainty in her eyes, but her shoulders drop and to ease my words I continue.  “I promise you I’ll stay connected, and yes, the plan is to return to Velesi together.  But, just in case it is a trap, you need to return – no matter what happens.  Remember, it’s not any of us that Harlu is after, it’s you.”

She steps
closer. “And that’s my fault?”

“
No,” says Alorn.  “What he’s saying, Lily, is we can’t afford you getting caught.  You need to head back to save Velesi.”  After a moment’s pause, he finishes, “I give you my word, Lily, if you return to Velesi, Tharin will follow you there.”

I had
promised Lily twice now and yet, it seems it is Alorn’s word that she heeds.  I watch as she nods, finally agreeing to the plan.  Something inside me jerks slightly, but I push it away and let it go.

I turn to Tolan
.  “Have you located Mirnuk?”

“
Yes.  He’s not here in the Botanic Gardens, but close to the outer edge of King’s Park.”

“Have you word from the tower?” I ask Mellis.

“
No, nothing,” he replies.  “But, I’ve taken a look at the map for King’s park.  It’s huge, bigger than the one in New York.”

“
We’ll use the trees,” I say.  “You follow on ground, but if there is a hint of danger,” I turn to Lily, “you follow Mellis back to Velesi.”

She quietly
nods, and I sure hope she doesn’t have her fingers crossed behind her back. 

Tolan moves past me and says,
“Let’s go.”

Without another word Tolan, Alorn and I take off
but I take one last glance back at Lily.  She stands staring after me and when I know we’re no longer in her line of sight, she finally turns away.  An uneasy feeling comes over me and I almost pull up, turn around and head back. 

“
What is it, Tharin,”
asks Tolan.

“
Nothing, I just hate leaving her,”
I reply.

“
She has Mellis and Julia; and if needed, she will call on Cessa.”

I glance a
t him and nod.  He is right; she is in good hands, but it doesn’t ease the dark feeling in my gut.

We use the trees to travel as often as we can.  Some spots in the park the trees are set too far apart and we find ourselves moving along quickly on the ground.  Tolan and Alorn keep pace until we near the end of the tree line surrounding what looks like an open park area.  In the middle is a man-made pond with an island close to the edge at one end.  On the island is a playground with what looks like large tarps overhead, stretched from tree to tree providing shade.  The voices of children and their parents reach my ears and I curse under my breath.

“
Tolan, do you see a bridge of any kind here?”
I ask, scanning the area closely.

“
The only bridges I see are connected from that playground to the edge of the pond, Tharin,”
he answers
.  “It’s too dangerous to move in with the park full like this.  Not only that, but it will be difficult not to be seen out in the open like this.”

“
Damn it.  We’re wasting time, and we still have to find Ka’sith,”
I reply, frustrated. 
“Alorn, slip onto the island and take position.”
 

A
slight tremor runs up my back – father.  Something is happening in Velesi and to the king, I’m certain of it now. 

“
Tharin...”
calls Tolan anxiously.

“
I know, brother, I felt it, too.”

“
So did I,”
adds Alorn.  If Alorn feels it, it is definitely not a good sign.  Anxiety comes over me and I take a steadying breath. 

“
Lily,”
I reach out. 
She connects immediately.

“
Tharin, is everything okay?”
she asks.  I sense the worry in her thoughts and her attempt to stay calm. 

“
Yes, Lily, I’m okay.  We’re at the playground area call Lycopod Island.  How far are you from us?”

“
I don’t know, hold on.”
  She disappears, but returns after a few minutes. 
“According to Mellis another ten, maybe fifteen, minutes.”

I pull Mellis into the conversation. 
“The playground is full.  We have no choice but to wait until the park empties.”

“
We’ll stay several yards from you when we get there,”
he replies. 
“We’ll be close enough to help if you need it, but far enough to get Lily and Julia out of here if necessary,”

For my
thoughts only, he continues,
“Fearless leader, I’ve a slight chill and not in a good way.”

“
I know.  We all felt it.  Keep your eyes open and watch your back,”
I caution.  I disconnect before Lily can ask any more questions.   

“
Tolan, where are you and Alorn?”

“
On the far side, close to the playground,”
he answers. 
“Alorn has moved ahead, he’s near the pond.  It looks like some of the parents are gathering their kids.”

I give the command to hold back, wait for the park to
completely empty out.  I spy Alorn within the playground area, hidden in one of the larger trees.  He settles himself on a branch, pulls his hood over his head and waits.  Even from where I stand I can feel the internal turmoil of his thoughts.  I reach out to him.

“
What is it, cousin?”
I ask. He remains quiet and I know it is difficult for him to share his feelings, an emotional scar from his childhood. 

“
Dorlan.  He’s here and he’s with Harlu.”

Damn. 
Dorlan, Alorn’s older brother.  Two daughters came after Dorlan, Alorn following his sisters’ births.  Although he is the youngest, as far as my aunt and uncle are concerned, Alorn is their only son.  Dorlan was dead to them the day he chose to live among the dark elves, forsaking his family and his heritage. 

I stay silent as my thoughts flash images of my older cousin. 
Dorlan was everything we looked up to and wanted to be. 

“
We will avenge your sisters, Alorn.  When this is done we will have him, I swear it.”

Alorn remains quiet, but I now understand his earlier mood. 
Dorlan is the only one I know of who can shake Alorn’s emotions from him.  It has always been so since the day Alorn was sent home, beaten and near death, by his own brother’s hand. 

“
By the way,”
I add,
“your mother wants to see you when we return to the tower.”

“
Ah, damn,”
is his grumbled response. 

Being her only child left, my aunt dotes on Alorn.  The dreaded moments of hugs, kisses and
anxiety worth a hundred panic attacks my cousin suffers through each time he meets his mother.  I smile at his response.  He will have something to worry about other than Dorlan, at least for now.

The park starts thinning out, but there are still a few families enjoying a late afternoon outing
, despite the heat.  We wait patiently and at some point Mellis connect with us to let us know they are here and several yards from the open area.  I quickly check in with Lily but keep it short, my focus and attention on the playground.  So far we haven’t had any sighting of Mirnuk, not that we could miss him if he did appear.   

On the island, there
are three different families still using the playground with their kids; a young couple and their toddler daughter, a couple with two children and a father with two boys around the ages of six and seven.  It is the single father with the two sons who hold my attention.  The boys are playing quietly together while the father stands watching close by.  Something about the older boy holds my attention.  I stare back at the father and notice his eyes are on the younger child, his posture one ready to snatch up his son at the slightest hint of danger.  I was mistaken, the boys aren’t brothers.  There is something about the older boy the father senses is not quite right but can’t put his finger on it.

“
Tharin,”
warns Alorn.

“
I know,”
I answer.  I reach out to Tolan,
“The dark haired boy on the playground.”

Tolan is
quiet for a moment and then confirms,
“Mirnuk.”

No one says a word as we each calculate the scene from our own perspective.  Tolan breaks into our thoughts
. 
“What the hell is going on?  How’s a troll able to assume a human child’s body?”

“
Ka’sith,”
answers Alorn.

“
What’s our next move?”
asks Tolan.

Damn.  This changes everything. 
“We have to assume Ka’sith expects us to come after Ziri,”
I answer
.  “If that’s the case, she’s put the troll in the middle of innocents to delay us.  We have no choice but to wait for the park to empty out.  It will be a few hours before it gets dark.  The days are long here.”

“
Tharin,”
calls Alorn, alarmed.

“
What?”
I answer, distracted, my mind spinning out a plan of attack.

“
It’s Lily,”
he answers.

“
What about her?”
He has my full attention now.

“
She’s here, and she’s coming my way.”

I turn to scan the park until
I find Lily.  She is walking toward the playground island as if in a trance.  I turn to see the dark haired boy stop what he is doing, and turn slowly toward Lily.

“
Mellis, what the hell?”
I reach out to my cousin.  No answer. 
“Mellis?”

“
Tharin,”
he sluggishly replies a second later and as if from a distance.  

“
Mellis, snap out of it.  Where’s Julia?”

I can feel Mellis trying to get his bearings.  Finally, he says,
“Julia is out, but we’re okay.  As soon as I can get her awake, we’ll be on our way.”