The White Shadow Saga: The Stolen Moon of Londor (35 page)

As the soldiers finally pieced together what,
exactly, had gone wrong, they noticed right away that Helfare and
his companions had fled.

"We must go after Helfare," one soldier
spoke, frustrated.

"Seven of you take out after him, then,"
another soldier replied. He pointed to the three soldiers nearest
him and continued, "You three will go with me into the castle. We
must find Master Ghelok at once." He and the other he appointed for
Ghelok's extraction all dismounted their steeds and held swords out
at the ready. With haste, the four passed through the threshold of
the castle and were gone.

The remaining seven bolted away to the south
on horseback, galloping after Helfare and the fleeing company.

* * *

"Where are you taking us, Helfare?" Seth
gasped as he ran.

"Far from the reaches of Adian," was his
response as he surged onward toward the line of mountains. "I
cannot let them apprehend me or any of you now that you have
parleyed with a traitor."

"I leave the escape in your hands," Randor
panted. The grand, green fields of Cenara rolled past under their
swift feet as they endured almost a solid hour of running.

Lorn looked over his shoulder to see the
soldiers coming over the last hill just as the company finally took
refuge in the deep woods. Luckily for Randor and his followers, the
soldiers were still at some distance, but it would not take them
long to close the gap.

The trees were thick and plentiful at the
foot of the three mountains that reached high into the sky, and the
morning fog rolling down the mountainside enveloped the travelers.
Seth, exhausted from the race across Cenara, wanted to sit down for
a brief moment while Randor and Helfare decided the next action,
but all he found were sharp stones scattered about the dark forest
floor. This strange, inhospitable place was called Eln-Radah, or
"Elven Spikes," by the elves.

Helfare watched his one-time friends barrel
down the last half league of Cenera with no sign of slowing; the
seven riders from Ghelok's squad would stop at nothing to have him
in custody and escort him back to Valadure. He well knew that Lord
Adian's soldiers were among the finest in the world and that no
other military force on Londor could defeat them--and he knew it
from experience. Glancing about, Helfare realized there was no
other place they could now turn. In frustration, he pounded his
fist into his open hand.

"Is there a problem?" Muron asked.

"None to be spoken of," Helfare replied
quickly, not wanting to break his concentration.

"Remaining here is not safe," said Seth. "We
need to take cover in the mountains. I don't think it matters
where, just as long as we can avoid this evil."

"Correct," Helfare replied. "Let us head
forth." Something within him took over as he led the company along
the base of the mountain, careful so as to not disturb their
surroundings. "I feel a way coming to me very soon," he whispered,
throwing himself open to his intuition. Although Beldas was gone,
the gifted young warrior felt the power of insight still strong
within him, and he would use it until it ran dry.

"Is this the way that will supposedly spare
us?" Malander asked, not believing in the general's powers.

As luck would have it, around the next large
bend in the black rocks a section of the mountain face slid open
like a door, some ten feet wide and twenty feet high. Dust boiled
up in thick gray clouds, and massive boulders plummeted to the
ground from the tremors. Without even considering what might meet
them through the unexpected passage, Helfare darted through the
opening.

"The soldiers are upon us!" Lorn
shrieked.

Arnanor, Geil, and Muron remained behind as
the rest of the company fled into Eln-Radah; the Northern elves
were prepared to fend off the attacking swordsmen, who began the
assault immediately. Geil sensed disorder among the frustrated
soldiers, who were unable to line themselves for a proper attack
against the elves. The three trod carefully against the great
steeds, giving the horsemen almost no room to maneuver. Arnanor
cleverly began to lead his brethren through a thick patch of
fractured boulders, making it nearly impossible for the soldiers to
pursue. Working his way toward the passage into the mountains, he
managed to stall them, keeping the pathway clear of threat as Geil
and Muron kept the horsemen occupied from atop the mounds of rocks.
Geil swung his blade from side to side, angering the horsemen, who
were fast losing their chances of apprehending their quarry.

"Now, Arnanor!" Randor shouted from the
passage. The wizard swung down his left arm at the thick, smooth
standing stones that framed Eln-Radah's gate, cracking the hard
stones with his fingertips. The mountain began to rumble once more
with a noise that fairly deafened everyone's ears as the Northern
elves approached the gateway, not yet free of the Of-Adians'
pursuit. As the three elves fled toward Randor, great splinters of
rock dislodged from the side of the mountain, tumbling end over
end, striking the ground like fearsome giant arrows and piercing
into the forest floor, barely missing the brave elf-warriors as the
horsemen clambered in after them. The ground shifted unsteadily,
rumbling all the while, and though the soldiers' horses were highly
trained, none were impervious to the earth's rage, which began to
send each steed into a panic. And as the Of-Adians attempted to
master their animals, they lost what ground they had gained on the
Northern elves, who at last found themselves at Randor's side
within the newfound cavern. Randor's shadow loomed in the closing
doorway as he looked for the last time at the stunned soldiers'
faces, nodding in a gesture of farewell. Inexplicably, the
earthquake stopped as quickly as it had begun, and the seven
soldiers made for the doorway of the mountain, spurring their
steeds without remorse.

"Seal the door, Randor!" Helfare cried. "It
is our only chance!"

"Nara en
san-rah-doa!"
Randor chanted as he brought his hands
together. Obeying the magic, the heavy door slammed shut in the
twinkling of an eye, making the mountain tremble one last
time.

They were safe.

The cave gave off a foul, sulfurous smell and
in the utter darkness, no one could see his hand before his eyes.
Feeling his way through the crowd, Randor soon released a small
light orb to see by and was greeted by the long, dank cavern of
Eln-Radah's innards. Then, as the company turned away from the
gate, they were met with something terrifying.

Hundreds of torches poured forth from the
farthest depths of the cave, growing rapidly brighter and closer.
Less than three-hundred strides now separated the collection of
floating fires from Randor and the company. The torch bearers'
footsteps echoed in a clamorous din. Elves, hundreds dressed in
armor and carrying spears, ran toward the company.

"We are trapped!" Helfare yelled, drawing his
sword.

The front-runner of the elven army shouted a
command in her native tongue and halted the battalion at once. The
flickering flames bounced wildly off the cavern walls, illuminating
the army's weary postures and faces. The apparent leader strode
away from her kindred, inspecting Randor as he approached. "Quite a
selection of the great races I see in your little collection during
these final stages of my journey," the leader said. Gripping her
long, blue spear tighter, she placed her free hand behind her. The
spear's blade was long and slender, ground thin by apparent
sharpening during the years. Her armor was dark in color, of the
elaborate style of many years ago, though now it carried countless
dents and a thick layer of soot. The maiden-warrior's hair was long
and dark, also very dirtied from the strenuous caverns. With a
frown on her smudged face, she said, "I ask that you move aside so
that we might finish our escape from this horrid place. Trusting to
my now-failing intuition, I gather this is the location of the door
leading outward."

"Yes, you are correct, but you will not be
able to escape this way," Randor said firmly.

The elf leader bristled at the wizard's
statement. "I am leading my soldiers through this gate, and there
is nothing you can do to stop us! Now, let me pass!"

"The way is closed," Randor informed her
softly.

"It is open," the leader replied, not
believing him. "Now, make way."

"It would be impossible. My magic has sealed
it tighter than you can imagine. You must take your army
elsewhere."

The elf leader turned and strode with
feet heavy back to the front rank of her army. With a yell, she
declared,
"Eos ee-ehth forneith! Meith-lon
Ran oenos oenthaik!"
And twirling her spear with great
skill, she planted the butt in the ground.
"Fength al trodus!"

"Do you understand what she's saying,
Randor?" Arnanor asked. "I can only translate a handful of
words."

"She is telling her battalion they are
still imprisoned by these dark and evil caverns for many long years
to come--and that I am responsible for their doom." Randor paused.
"
Fength al trodus
--the devil
has snatched away victory."

"The devil?" Seth asked.

"It is just a saying," Randor explained.

"What are elves doing in such a place?"
Arnanor asked.

"I do not rightly know offhand, but I do wish
to be enlightened," Randor replied. He approached the rattled elf
leader slowly so as to not prompt any unwanted reaction from the
mysterious elf host. "Why have you come here, and how do account
for your claim of imprisonment?"

"This burden is heavy upon me," the elf
admitted, puzzling Randor even more. She grew silent for a moment,
then continued. "I have prayed to Ethindar many times over to
release me from my woes, but the gods only punish my kindred."

"What is your name, Commander?" Randor
asked.

"I am Captain Cailen of the Darnoth Kingdom,
and King Enxos's most trusted knight. Those who follow me are what
remain of His Majesty's military from the Dark War." Her expression
changed in the torchlight, and she said, "Do the Allies of the
Light still hold strong against Argos? What news of Master Rodane?
Is he well?"

Randor lowered his head and cringed, not
wanting to inform Cailen of the many stories that any Darnoth would
remember. Randor's unspoken guess of what these elves were had been
correct, and he now understood Cailen's burden, for the Darnoth had
not seen the daylight of Londor for more than eighty years. Cailen
could easily see the shocked looks on the company's faces, and she
could do little but wait for an answer as the wizard listened
intently to Gildan murmuring in his ear.

"Did we fall defeated in the war?" Cailen
asked. "Please, you must tell me."

Gildan pleaded further to Randor, not wanting
him to expose the whole truth at once. "You cannot lay yet another
burden onto their weary hearts. Let these tidings come from
another," he whispered.

"You expect me to lie?" Randor said,
recoiling from his friend. "I am surprised at you, Gildan." Shaking
his head, he looked at Cailen who looked back at him with an
intense yet curious expression--the elf captain had to know the
outcome of the 'ongoing war'. "The Dark War is over," Randor
finally spoke. "It ended more than eighty years ago."

Cailen leaned heavily on her spear as if she
might fall to her knees. Her first reaction was a slight smile,
thinking it a joke. With a weak laugh, she said, "Tell me this
isn't true."

"It is, Cailen, and the Kingdom of Darnoth is
no longer. I loathe being the one to tell you this, but Darnoth
exists now only as a province of the Alliance of Mudalfaen. Since
Darnoth neighbors Mudalfaen, it was annexed, expanding the
borders."

"Darnoth is now controlled by Mudalfaen?"

"Precisely."

"So now the Great Tree rules the world?"

"They govern most of it, yes, in a sense.
Anyone on Londor can see the faults of these rebel kingdoms. A
diverse gathering now dwells within the Tree; it is known as the
Council of Mudalfaen. Peace has spread its wings to all its
boundaries, and the lineage of Darnoth share in this prosperity.
You shall be proud and happy to return to your homeland, Captain
Cailen." But Randor could see that Cailen was far from overjoyed to
hear this news, and the wizard wished there were something he might
do to raise her spirits. "I hope I have lifted the greatest of your
burdens, Captain."

Cailen stood still, unable to speak. The news
overwhelmed her thoughts, yet she seemed unable to shake the
feeling that she would remain in these cavernous depths forever.
"This you have told me--it is heavier than anything I
expected."

"You are free of war now," Gildan said.

"Yet I am not free! I will never be free!
Still we are pursued in these caverns by a larger host of elves of
the Argos army."

"Argos still lives on this continent?" Seth
asked. "Wait until the Council hears of this."

"This gate you have shut was our latest hope
of escape. My elves have gained a ten-day marching advantage over
the Argos--no doubt, they know we have gone this way. So you have
exactly one day to get this gate open! I will not let your magic be
the end of the Darnoth army!"

"No wonder the Argos fled into these enormous
caverns," Randor said in reflection. "Dark elves can easily
maintain their wits in the dimness." Though Randor knew all too
well of the Argos, he could not fathom the battles of Darnoth
during the Dark War, being at the opposite end of the Dunith
Continent for many long decades of the grueling campaign. It was
then that Randor had played a major role in establishing the
Mudalfaen Council with the aid of Master Rodane. It had taken
decades for the lands to heal from the massive bloodshed and ruin
of so many cities, burned and destroyed from the battles waged
around them. "I will tell you one last time: I cannot reopen this
gate, nor would I wish to, had I the power."