A Story Of River (15 page)

Ulda's army of over ten thousand men and
elves stood gathered before him in the courtyard. General Fru stood at his
side. Ulda had decided it was best not to bind Fru, since he needed the general's
military expertise. He didn't want to interfere with military strategies, and
Fru's insight may come in useful in battle.

“Soldiers!” Ulda called from his balcony.
“You will be the fiercest army Nōl'Deron has ever seen. You will demolish
your foes, and you will show no fear!”

The men cheered in response. They had no
idea what fate awaited them. For now, they were inspired by their leader and
his seemingly glowing compliments of their skill.

“Soon we will set sail for Na'zora,” Ulda
continued. “We will crush their armies and lay siege to their royal palace.
When we have finished, Na'zora and Al'marr will be one kingdom.”

Again the crowd cheered. Ulda lifted the
oval-shaped amethyst above his head and began chanting as he stared into the
gem. His necklace flashed, giving him the extra power he required to accomplish
such an astounding feat of magic.

Suddenly, his troops began to feel intense
pain throughout their bodies. Many of them doubled over, while others fell to
their knees.

Someone cried, “He's killing us!”

Fear spread throughout the ranks. Some of
them ran towards the gates, but they had been locked tightly. They were made of
thick metal which was nearly impossible to break through, and they were far too
tall to climb.

Their fear helped power Ulda's
enchantment. It was just the extra boost he needed to facilitate this
incredibly difficult spell. As the people below him worked themselves into a
frenzy, Ulda continued to chant. A loud boom and a blinding flash emitted from
the gem, drawing the attention of the terrified soldiers below. A soft purple
light spread over the crowd, and silence and calm overcame them. Ulda had
succeeded.

He lowered the gem and clutched it close
to his chest. Bending forward slightly, he leaned against the front rail of his
balcony. The magical drain was exhausting. Never before had he performed such
an immense magical task.

“Are you alright, your highness?” General
Fru asked.

“Yes, but I need to rest,” he replied.
“Send a small group to attack the Wild Elves of Viera. Elven souls will come in
very useful when we invade Na'zora.”

“Right away, my lord,” Fru replied.

Ulda headed back inside to his throne
room. He placed the gem on his seat cushion and decided to return to his
quarters to rest. Sleep came over him instantly as he lay down upon his bed.

*
* * * *

Morning arrived, and Ulda realized he had
slept away almost an entire day.  Having regained his magical prowess, he
felt rejuvenated. His energy level high, he headed back to his throne room.
General Fru was already waiting for him.

“General,” Ulda said. “What news?”

Fru bowed before his king. “Your majesty,
a small group has been sent to attack the elves as you requested. I have some
plans for the invasion ready for your review.” He laid a scroll on the small
wooden table next to Ulda's throne.

“Is there anything else?” Ulda asked.

“There is one matter, my lord,” he began.
“It has come to my attention that there is a substantial store of gold being
kept hidden from your majesty.”

“Yes, Tu'vad is mining some gold for me.
So far, he has not reported finding anything substantial.”

“My lord, this is a quantity that has
already been mined. It is stored within a cellar near the fourth gem mine.”

“What are you saying, Fru?” Ulda's eyes narrowed
as he scooted forward in his seat. “Are you saying that Tu'vad has betrayed
me?”

“Unfortunately, it would seem so,” Fru
replied. “The miners have been finding gold for weeks now and refining it
secretly under Tu'vad's orders.”

“Bring him to me,” Ulda said flatly.

Within minutes, Tu'vad stood before him.
“My lord, how may I serve you,” he said.

“You can bring me the gold you've been
hiding from me,” Ulda said.

Tu'vad glanced at Fru, who raised an
eyebrow inquisitively. “There is only the gold I've mined for you, your
majesty. Nothing has been hidden.”

“Really?” Ulda said. “You haven't had a
secret stockpile set aside in a cellar? You didn't order the miners to silence?
So far, you have claimed only to find dust!”

“Your majesty, I can explain-,” Tu'vad began
desperately.

“Guards!” Ulda interrupted. “Take him to
my laboratory and have the Soulbinders administer my potion. I will show this
traitor what happens to those who steal from me!” He turned to General Fru and
said, “I should have known better than to trust the man who betrayed his own
king. How could I expect him to be loyal to me?”

“I am sorry, your majesty,” Fru said.

“He will never disobey me again,” Ulda
said. “Have all of the gold melted and we shall dip the traitor inside it. I
will bind his will and have a soldier of pure gold. With the souls of a few
citizens, I can enchant his golden armor with the strength of steel. He will be
my prized soldier.”

“As you command, my lord.” General Fru
bowed and headed straight for the refinery. The men inside were already hard at
work preparing the gold to Tu'vad's specifications. “Halt whatever you're
doing,” Fru commanded. “All of the gold is to be melted down immediately.” The
workers scrambled to obey.

Having swallowed Ulda's potion without a
fight, Tu'vad was dragged into the refinery followed by Ulda. “Please, my
lord,” Tu'vad shouted. He flailed wildly trying to free himself from the
guards.

Ulda began to chant and held forth a
medium sized purple gem. As Tu'vad's will came under his master's control, he
stopped struggling and stood calmly. “Release him,” Ulda told the guards. “He
will never again try to escape. Is the gold ready?”

“Yes, your majesty,” Fru replied.

“Let's hope my potion is enough to keep
this one alive for the procedure. Tu'vad, I order you to bathe yourself in the
melted gold.” Tu'vad obeyed without any sign of hesitation. The potion did its
job to protect his skin, and he was not burned by the molten metal. He emerged,
and the metal began to cool.

“Remarkable,” Ulda said in amazement. “Now
it's only a matter of enchanting the gold. I will have to repair any problems
with his movement, and he will certainly need to be strengthened. This may take
a few days, but I believe he will be the most spectacular soldier that ever
existed.” He turned to face his general. “Take him to my lab and have my
Soulbinders tend to him,” he said. “Oh, and see that five or six prisoners or
whoever else is at hand are taken to them as well. They are going to need souls
to complete this task.”

“Yes, my lord,” Fru replied. He hurried to
complete his master's instructions. He had seen what became of those who were
disobedient, and he had no desire to join Tu'vad in disgrace.

Ulda beamed as he headed back to his lab.
His new soldier would make an excellent addition to his army. If nothing else,
his very presence would strike terror in the hearts of his enemy. The invasion
of Na'zora could not come soon enough. The anticipation induced a wild ecstasy
in Ulda.

As he entered the lab, he called out to
his Soulbinders, “A golden gift is coming! It is your task to make it useful in
battle.”

His students bowed in reply. Ulda checked
the orb on his table, and noticed a faint blue glow. “What is this?” he asked.
He was answered with silence. “No one is using this?”

“No, your majesty,” a fair-haired
Soulbinder replied.

Ulda peered into the orb, and placed his
hands on either side of its smooth surface. Inside, he saw water. It flowed
down from the mountains and splashed to the rocks below. For miles and miles it
flowed, undaunted by the forests and fields. It sped on until it reached the
palace of Na'zora. Ulda looked up from his orb, his face grave. “A water
elemental has joined forces with Na'zora,” he said. “How is this possible?”

The Soulbinders did not respond. They
looked from one to the other and shrugged, not knowing what to say.

“If only I had a large sapphire!” Ulda
cried. “I could attempt to bind its essence. What an amazing source of power
that would be!” He rushed from the room to visit his jeweler. If only a
sapphire large enough could be located, Ulda's chief desire would be fulfilled.

For days the company journeyed on. Their
pace was slowed as the forests of the Wildlands became denser. Mel was able to create
safe paths for the horses, but he could do nothing to remedy the tightly packed
trees that hindered their passage.

Near sunset, they reached an area next to
a small marshland. The cypress trees grew tall, and the scent of wet timber
filled the air. The summer's heat lay heavily around them. The marsh flies
buzzed past as they sought their dinner, and the mosquitoes whined as they
carefully chose the most tender places to bite.

Aelryk slapped at a mosquito as it bit
into the back of his neck. The only one who seemed unaffected by their presence
was River. “Why don't these little blood suckers like you?” Aelryk asked.

“It's as you said,” he replied. “They suck
blood, not water.”

Aelryk eyed him curiously but swallowed
the question that was on the tip of his tongue. Some things were better left a
mystery, he decided.

“There's enough dry wood here for a fire,”
Mel said. “We can throw on some damp logs to create smoke. That will help drive
the mosquitoes away.”

Though it did not show outwardly, Mel's
mind was in deep torment. He knew it was impossible to travel any faster, but
he feared how many of his clansmen might lose their lives before he could reach
them.

“Do you think there are any edible fish in
that pond?” Mi'tal asked.

“I'm sure they would taste awful,” Mel
replied. “You might catch a frog or two, though.”

Mi'tal looked away slightly disgusted. The
smell of the marsh combined with the thought of eating a slimy frog did not sit
well with his stomach.

Mel harvested some tubers and distributed
them among the group. They were crunchy and offered little flavor, but at least
they had the freshness that their trail rations lacked.

As evening fell, the noise from the marsh
became almost overbearing. The frogs competed for who could sing the loudest,
and the crickets chirped incessantly. As the chorus reached a crescendo, Aelryk
could no longer ignore it.

“Tell of us the dwarves, Lord River,” he
said. “A good story will help drive away the noise.”

“What do you wish to know?” River asked.

“For starters, I assume they truly exist.
You mentioned two of your children were visiting them. To us, the dwarves are
as much a fairy tale as you once were.”

“They live in the mountains above the
Vale,” River began. “They're a hard-working, industrious people who mostly keep
to themselves. They rarely have dealings with the outside world. Men seldom
prefer their mountainous climate, so they are typically left in peace.”

“Have you ever visited them,” Mel asked.

“Yes, many years ago,” he replied. “I was
much younger then.”

“What are they like?” Willdor asked. “Are
they really as unfriendly and boorish as the tales make them out to be?”

“They were not unfriendly to me, but I was
able to offer them a bit of assistance. They do not often welcome strangers,
but they are not a hostile people.” River thought silently for a moment. “They
are good people. They live in massive stone halls and enjoy a thick, brown ale.
If you are ever given the opportunity to visit with them, I would advise you to
take it. I receive them as guests from time to time, and I hope to make the
journey to the mountains again someday.”

Sunset was swift in the dense forest, and
darkness quickly followed. Despite the noise coming from the marsh, the company
began preparing their bedrolls in hopes of getting a few hours sleep. River sat
alone, looking into the fire. After several moments of trying to find a
comfortable branch, Mel gave up and descended from the tree. He joined River by
the fire.

“How is your magic progressing?” River
asked.

“The dryads seem to think I'm doing well,”
he replied. “It still takes a lot of effort.”

“In time it will be second nature,” River
said. “You've only just begun to unlock your gift. Patience is difficult in
your current situation, but you are not alone in this fight. With a word,
you've managed to change the plans of a human king. That's a sort of magic in
itself.”

“I didn't actually expect him to come,”
Mel replied. “I hoped your people would send aid, and you have. I never thought
any humans, let alone a king, would care what happens to my people.”

“Perhaps this king is different,” River
offered.

“Thirty years ago he led the Na'zoran
armies against us. He is responsible for hundreds of dead elves.”

“Then perhaps it is time he made amends. We
change as we grow older, Mel. You may be too young to understand that, but you
are already changing yourself. I doubt you thought you would unlock your
magical gifts along this journey.”

“I didn't even know I had any magical
ability,” he said. “I also didn't expect to lose Thinal or that my village
would be attacked.” From the corner of his eye, Mel noticed movement near the
marsh. He looked back at River, who was also looking toward the marsh.

“I've never seen a cypress dryad,” River
said. “Shall we go and have a look?”

They walked quietly toward the marsh,
avoiding the sleeping bodies in their path. Silhouetted in the moonlight, they
saw the figure of a dryad crossing the marsh. Aware of their presence, she
changed directions to greet the pair. She moved silently, despite being ankle
deep in the murky water. Her reddish-brown skin was covered in patches of
bright green moss. Her hair was silver and reached far below her waist.

“She's beautiful,” Mel commented.

River nodded and replied, “She is a
guardian of the woods. You are a shaman, her kinsman.”

She approached the pair, and a warm smile
spread across her face. “Welcome, Mel,” she said. “It is an honor to meet you.”
She extended a hand to him. “Lord of Waters,” she said, nodding to River in
acknowledgement.

“Good evening, my lady,” he replied.

“What brings you two here?” she asked.

“We are returning home from the Vale,” Mel
said. “My people are in danger.”

“That is troubling news,” she replied.
“Please have a seat.” She gestured to a fallen log.

A mist began to settle over the marsh. The
particles flashed as they caught the moonlight. They shifted and swirled in
some exotic dance despite the stillness of the air. The lightning bugs floated
lazily above the mist, flashing their yellow beacons carelessly.

“Your mind is troubled,” the dryad said
sympathetically.

“Yes,” Mel replied.

“I think I have something that can help
you.” She rose and headed back into the marsh, disappearing inside a cypress.
When she emerged, she held a small pouch in her hands. “The heartwood of a
cypress,” she said. “This will ease your burden, and your magic will flow more
freely.” She hung the pouch around his neck with a small string of beard moss.

Mel immediately felt its empowering
effects. His weariness faded away, and he felt as if he had already had a good
night's sleep. “I'm most grateful to you,” he said, touching his hand to the
pouch.

“We are creatures of the forest,” she
replied. “We must stand together in times of need. Call on the dryads of Viera.
They can help you.” She headed back out into her marsh, turning once to wave
goodbye to her new friends. The mist thickened, and she disappeared within the
dense cloud. River clasped Mel on the back, and the pair returned silently to
camp.