A Story Of River (13 page)

Tu'vad stood in amazement as he stared at
the gold his miners had accumulated in a cellar near the mines. This was a
fortune beyond his wildest imaginings. With this gold he wouldn't have to
depend on Master Ulda for his livelihood. Next, he would need to take more
workers away from the mines to begin refining his treasure. Getting it out of
Al'marr in rock form would be far too difficult.

He left the cellar and locked the doors
behind him. The mine supervisor was barking orders to his men as Tu'vad
approached. “We need to speak,” he said. The supervisor nodded, and the pair
walked together until they were safely out of earshot of the miners.

“I need workers to begin refining the
gold,” Tu'vad said.

“Mine production has already been slowed
by the search for gold rather than gems. His majesty is going to be angry with
us if we aren't providing as many gems as he had hoped.” The supervisor seemed
very nervous and shifted uneasily as he spoke.

“We'll simply divide up the gems from the
other mines and say they're all producing equal shares. He's too busy to
investigate further.” Tu'vad was smug and very sure of himself. The gold was
more important to him than finding gems for Ulda.

“We'll get started straight away, my
lord.”

Tu'vad turned to leave and began dreaming
of the many ways to spend his newfound wealth. Perhaps he would purchase a ship
and crew and sail to the Sunswept Isles. He had heard they were beautiful
year-round, and the weather was always pleasant. It sounded like a marvelous
place to retire from a life of service. He would no longer answer to great men
or elves. He would have servants of his own and all the women he could want.
Life was going to be very good.

*
* * * *

Ulda waited impatiently as the elderly
jeweler wheeled in his wooden cart. The old man stopped in front of the throne
and bowed low. Ulda moved to the edge of his seat and shouted, “Let's see it!”

The old man removed the cover to reveal
the large polished gem beneath it. It was a perfectly smooth oval at least a
foot long and six inches wide. The facets caught the light and twinkled before
Ulda's eyes.

“It's magnificent,” he said as he
descended from his throne. He took the stone in his hands and held it close to
his face. He gave the stone a kiss and said, “You have done well, master
jeweler. You deserve a great reward.”

“Your compliments are reward enough,
majesty,” he replied.

“No, you shall have a real reward. You
will no longer live in your workshop. You will be given some of the finest
rooms this palace has to offer. When I build my new palace, you will be given a
place of honor.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” the old man
replied, bowing.

“You are dismissed,” Ulda said.

The old man took the cart with him as he
left. Ulda stood fascinated by the gem in his hands. This was the very thing he
had needed. He would no longer need to hybridize his entire army. With this
stone, he could bind their wills without taking their lives. They would serve
him unfailingly and obey his every command. They would no longer think for
themselves or their own well-being. He could send them into any battle,
regardless of the danger, and they would obey him without question.

“Slave!” he yelled to the boy outside the
door.

The pale young boy poked his head inside
and bowed.

“Send for General Fru. Have him assemble
all of my troops in the courtyard by morning. I need every one of them
present.”

“Yes, your highness,” the boy said, and he
ran away down the corridor.

Ulda placed the gem on his throne and
headed toward his laboratory. Inside, his Soulbinders were working diligently
to create enough of his skin-strengthening potion to distribute among his
troops. They stopped as he entered and bowed before him.

“How are the test subjects?” he asked the
Soulbinder who was wearing a deep blue robe.

“They have done well, your majesty,” he
replied. “The girl's potion wore off after about eighteen hours, but the
woman's stayed active for almost twenty-five.”

“Good,” Ulda said. “I am having my troops
gathered in the courtyard tomorrow morning. Make sure the woman is among them
as well as the others who are in the dungeons.”

“Yes, my lord,” he replied.

Ulda approached his desk and caught a
glimpse of a golden light within his orb. “What could this mean?” he said out
loud. He peered into it and realized that the small amethyst he had placed
inside the orb contained flecks of gold dust. This could only mean that it had
been in contact with gold at some point. “Have any of you been using this orb?”
he asked.

All of the Soulbinders denied touching it.
Clearly, he was the last to have handled it as his magical imprint was still
upon its surface. The jewelers who cut the amethyst were not allowed to handle
any other precious metals or gems, so this must mean that one of the mines also
contained gold. Gold holds fantastic magical properties and may also be used to
bribe their way into Na'zora. He would have to discover which mine contained
the gold, and the miners could start collecting that as well.

“Slave,” Ulda called to the frightened boy
in the corner. “Send for Minister Tu'vad. I have urgent business for him. I
shall await him in the throne room. Be quick about it!”

Ulda headed back to his throne room to
await Tu'vad's arrival. He lifted the gem again and turned it towards the light
coming from one of the massive windows. This was indeed a great prize. The cut
was beautiful, and the dimensions matched perfectly with the description in his
book. Never before had he held such power, and it was intoxicating.

Tu'vad entered and bowed. “You sent for
me, your majesty,” he said.

“Yes, I did. I have noticed traces of gold
dust on an amethyst in my lab. Find the mine containing the gold and have it
extracted.”

“I personally inspect the mines every day,
my lord. I have seen no hint of any gold,” Tu'vad replied. He did not relish
the idea of sharing his gold with Ulda.

“I have seen it,” Ulda snapped. “You will
find out where it is and bring me as much as you can find. Dismissed!” Ulda
waved his hand toward the door.

Tu'vad bowed again and turned to leave.
Once outside, he took a deep breath and shook his head. Now he would have to
split the gold with Ulda, but he had no intention of giving him the lion's share.
If he had seen dust, then Tu'vad would offer him more dust and only the
smallest pieces. He would keep all the gold that had already been mined, and
Ulda could settle for the trace amounts. As long as he was given a small
portion, he would never know the difference.

Tu'vad smiled to himself as if he didn't
have a care in the world. His day was coming. Soon, he would be his own master
with more riches than he had ever dreamed possible.

It was mid-morning in the Vale as River
led Mel to the home of the dryads. The air was cool, and a soft mist fell
leaving tiny water droplets dangling from the lush green leaves of the
groundcover. A rabbit darted across their path and paused to observe the two
elves as they passed.

“These dryads can teach me to use magic?”
Mel asked.

“They can teach you to unlock the power
within yourself,” River replied. “The magic will come with practice, but these
ladies can help you to begin.”

They halted at a clearing where River
sensed the presence of the dryads. A tawny-skinned dryad came forward to greet
them.

“Good morning, River,” she said, her green
eyes sparkling in the morning light.

“Good morning,” he replied. “I've brought
a friend to meet you and your sisters. His name is Mel, and he would like to
learn more about earth magic.”

“Indeed,” she replied, looking Mel over.
“I see he is gifted. Do you wish to learn from us, Mel?”

“I do,” he replied.

“Then come and join us.” She extended her
branch-like arm to Mel. He glanced at River before taking the dryad's hand. “We
will keep your friend quite safe,” she assured River.

“Thank you, sisters,” he said as he turned
to walk back to the village. His pace was slow, as he was in no rush to return
home. He knew the question that awaited him there, and he wasn't in a hurry to
answer it.

Aelryk was waiting outside River's home
when he finally arrived back in the village. “May we speak?” Aelryk asked.

“Of course, friend,” River replied. They
sat together on a silver bench overlooking the river.

“I must tell you the whole reason I am
here,” Aelryk began. “My kingdom is under attack by dark sorcerers. They are
slaughtering my people and carrying others away for some dark purpose. A
trusted prophet has informed me that a war is coming, and that I have no hope
of defending my people without your help. He told me to travel to a land of
spring and bring back the river. That can only mean you.”

“I have been aware of this since the
morning you first arrived, my friend,” River said. “Once you tried to cross the
river, all of your secrets were revealed to me.”

“Will you come to Na'zora with me?” Aelryk
asked.

“Yes, though I do not know how I can help
you,” River said. “I dislike leaving my home, and I do not do it often. If I
alone can save your people, then I must travel with you to your kingdom.”

“I am grateful for it,” Aelryk said. “Do
you have any information about our enemy?”

“I do,” River began. “The dryads of the
Vale were attacked by those wolf hybrid creatures, and I was able to read their
thoughts. They are the bound souls of humans combined with the souls of wolves.
I do not know their purpose, but there are few sorcerers capable of such dark
magic.”

“I have heard tales of Telorithan, who
captured the essence of an elemental,” Aelryk said.

“Yes, he is quite powerful. However, these
beasts came from the sea. I doubt they are under his command.”

“Still,” Aelryk replied, “I think he may
be involved. Do you know where he is?”

“He lives a few hours from here if you
travel by the river. If you truly believe he is involved, we could go ask him.”

“Is it very dangerous? Would I need to
bring an army?”

“Yes, he is very dangerous,” River said,
“but I would not bring an army. If he feels threatened in the slightest, he
will attack first. He's going to see us coming from a long way off. It would be
best if only the two of us went to speak with him.”

“When can we be off?” the king asked.

“Now, if you like,” River replied.

“There is one more thing,” he said. He
pulled out the purple gem that Mel had taken from the sorcerer who killed
Thinal. “The sorcerer we killed in the woods was carrying this. Does it hold
any significance?”

“It does,” River said, inspecting the gem.
“This gem is used to hold the essence of a bound creature. Sorcerers can use it
to create powerful enchantments or to supplement their own power.”

“It was in the sorcerer's hand when he
died. A purple light had surrounded our friend for only an instant before Mel
put an end to him.”

“Perhaps this sorcerer thought he was
powerful enough to bind the essence of an elf. It is a harder task than binding
a human, and it appears that he did not succeed.” River handed the gem back to
Aelryk.

“How do you know?” he asked.

“If there was an essence within the stone,
I would be able to communicate with it.” River's face was solemn. “Your
friend's spirit was not bound. She is free.”

“Then let's be off,” Aelryk said, sounding
relieved. The two of them headed for the bank of the river. Tied to a low tree
stump was a long wooden canoe with a scrolling leaf pattern etched into its
sides. They stepped inside it, and River extended a hand over the water. The
boat began to move forward and flowed smoothly with the swift current toward
its destination.

Along the way, Aelryk marveled at the
sights of the Vale. The forests were in full bloom, and the sweet fragrance of
flowers drifted through the air. Snow-white egrets feasted on fish at the
river's edge while swallows darted this way and that to catch tiny insects. A
symphony of birdsong provided a subtle but pleasing ambiance.

Time passed very quickly as their boat
sped on. Aelryk could tell they had exited the Vale when the heat of the summer
began to press down on him once more. The air became thicker, and the forest
seemed a little less alive. Fewer birds were singing, and the undergrowth was
less disrupted by the movements of tiny, unseen creatures.

River brought the boat to a halt and
neared the bank. He climbed out onto the land and tied the canoe to a small
tree at the water's edge. Aelryk followed, and together they made their way
through the forest.

“It's not much farther,” River said. He
pointed to a spot above the trees where a tall stone tower was visible in the
distance.

A few miles into their walk, a beam of
firelight over six feet tall flashed in front of them. When the fire faded
away, an elf stood before them. He had long white hair, sun-kissed skin, and
bright blue eyes. His face was ageless and very handsome. Aelryk could feel the
magical power radiating from this person and knew it could only be Telorithan.

“So you've finally come to subdue me,”
Telorithan said to River.

“That isn't possible,” River replied
casually. “The two of us would only make steam.”

Telorithan laughed and said, “Then you
have no desire to free the elemental? Perhaps you do not love your fiery
brother.”

“Perhaps fire is vain and needs to learn
his lesson,” River replied.

Telorithan laughed again. “Why have you
come here, and who is this person?” He gave Aelryk a quick up and down look.
Clearly, he did not see the king as a threat.

“This is my friend King Aelryk of Na'zora.
His kingdom has encountered some trouble, and we hoped you might know its
source.”

“My people have been attacked and their
souls combined with those of animals,” Aelryk said.

“It takes very little skill to bind the
essence of a human. Your spirits are weak, and your minds are easily
controlled. Combining it with an animal is just a fun way of creating a new pet
that obeys your every command.”

“Are you the one creating these monsters?”
Aelryk asked directly.

“No,” Telorithan replied, “and I am
insulted that you would suspect me. If I wanted your petty kingdom, I would
have it. Creating monsters is beneath me, and I have no need of humans as a
source of power.” He spat on the ground at Aelryk's feet.

“Do you have any idea who might be behind
this?” Aelryk asked boldly.

“I do not. I have neither seen nor heard
anything.”

“We will be on our way, then,” River said.
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”

Telorithan glared in response. Just as the
pair began to walk away, River turned and said, “I will come here someday and
ask you to release the elemental, but you will refuse.”

“Of course I will,” he replied.

“I will not be coming alone,” River said,
and he turned and headed back to his boat.

“How do you know he was telling the
truth?” Aelryk asked.

“If he were lying, I would have sensed
it,” River said. “There was no deception coming from him. He is not the one
responsible for the attacks.”

The journey up the river was quite smooth
despite the strong current. River stopped the boat a few miles away from the
village and bid Aelryk to disembark. “We can pick up our friend Mel,” River
said.

They journeyed a mile into the woods and
came to the same clearing where River had left Mel that morning. Mel was seated
on the ground with his legs crossed and his hands resting on his knees.

“How was your first lesson?” River asked,
breaking the silence.

“Insightful,” Mel replied, his green eyes
flashing vibrantly. “It begins with the most difficult of simple tasks. Open your
heart to the sounds of the forest.”

River smiled and nodded. “Once you have
accomplished that, you will perform feats of magic you never thought you
could.”

“I never thought I'd perform any magic at
all,” Mel replied. “They have also taught me to summon the dryads in the
Forests of Viera. They will help me in my training.”

“I have never seen any dryads near
Na'zora,” Aelryk said.

“They are present in every forest,” River
said. “You've just lost the ability to see them. It takes a special bond with
the forest to see into the hearts of trees. Without the dryads, the forests
would be gone forever.”

Sunset was near as the trio set their feet
toward the elven village. The sky was quickly filling with shades of pink and
purple, and the dragonflies were buzzing through the air. As they neared
River's home Aelryk asked, “When can we set out for Na'zora? I wish to put an
end to the evil plaguing my people as quickly as possible.”

“I can be ready to leave in two days
time,” River replied. “I think you will find that time passes a bit more slowly
here in the Vale than elsewhere. Your people will risk no greater danger if we
stay another day.”

Aelryk nodded and headed inside. His heart
was hopeful that River could truly bring an end to the attacks and save his
people from a great war . He was bringing back the river from the land of
spring and fulfilling the prophecy.