Cornerstone (17 page)

Garith tried not to show his alarm. “No, no, that's why Emariya is going to marry him. To make things better. After their marriage, she's pledged that Eltar and Thalmas will be allies united against Sheas. She's going to make the fighting stop between them, and make sure Sheas doesn't win at the fjord.”
These men couldn't be from Sheas, right? After all, they knew both of Emariya's parents,
Garith tried to convince himself.

“
We could only wish that that were true.” The man from across the fire, the one who had found Garith in the woods, came to sit on the other side of him.

“
But it is true,” Garith insisted. “Emariya is—well if you knew her, you'd understand. She's kind of hard to explain. But she is, above all, good. And true to her word. If she says she is going to demand that the fighting stop as part of her marriage agreement, she will do just that. She cares about the fate of the people of Eltar more than anything in the world. Even more than about her father. Sheas has him in prison, and she’s going to set him free. I fail to see how her marrying Prince Ahlen makes anything worse.”

“
Her reasons may be just, but she won't have any control over what happens. Son, try to understand. Emariya, your Lady Warren, is a Second Stone. Remember we said that each of the prominent bloodlines—one from each of The Three Corners—got one gift?”

Garith nodded.

“
Well, Emariya is the child of two Stones. Oren Warren was a Stone of the Eltar line and Valencia Roth was a Stone of the Sheas line, making Emariya what we call a Second Stone. She caries the bloodline of both the Roths and the Warrens. If she were to marry Torian Ahlen, who is a Stone of the third, she would be binding all three Stones into one bloodline. Any child of that union would carry all three gifts.”

“
It's too much power for one person to safely wield,” said another of the men sitting around the fire. “They wouldn't be able to control it; it would control them.” The other men nodded their agreement.

“
Has she come into her gifts yet? Being a Second Stone, she could be very powerful in her own right, even without being bound to the third,” the man who'd found Garith said.

“
She may not have yet; she may be too young.” Russell turned to Garith.

“
You said her mother likely used her gifts to save her; what was her mother's gift?” Garith asked.

“
The Roths carry the sound of the Stones. We don't know much about how it works, only that they are rumored to be able to hear the whispers of the spirits. We think it's possible that one with a very advanced power could perhaps even intentionally communicate with the dead. It could be a very powerful power, if developed. Can you imagine being able to access the knowledge of all that have gone before us?”

“
One of the spirits must have told Lady Valencia she was about to die, giving her time to hide the children,” said the man across the fire.

“
I don't know,” Garith said skeptically, “Emariya has never mentioned being able to talk to anyone.”

“
Would she tell you?” Russell asked.

“
Of course!” But suddenly Garith wasn't so sure. “What is the gift of the Warrens?”

“
The most powerful of the three: the touch of the Stones. The Warrens can intensify anything natural that they touch, most commonly herbs. But we believe that with enough practice, a Warren could harness the full power of the Earth. The soil, the air, the land itself. It isn't coincidence that of all The Three Corners, Eltar is the most fertile. But when you break it down, even fire, rain, and weather are all from the Earth. You can see how the Warrens could have the most volatile power, and the one that is the easiest to abuse,” Russell said.

Garith was remembering when he and Emariya had been talking to the injured man. He had definitely felt something when Emariya demanded that the man awaken. He'd discounted it at the time, but was it possible she knew what she was, and even had the power to use her gifts and yet had never bothered to tell him the truth? If so, was it also possible that she knew what she was doing by binding herself to the Ahlens? Had she been deceiving him all along?

The man who had found Garith in the woods spoke again. “Imagine someone with all three gifts. The ability to hear the future. The knowledge of the past, as well as the guidance of the spirits. And the ability to harness the Earth to your will. Someone with the power of all three Stones would be unstoppable.”

The man across from them spoke quietly, and solemnly.

“
Souls of the Stones, their sights we bear,

Sounds of the Stones, their secrets we share,

Will of the soil blood will flow,

Should three Stones one ever know.

What once were one split thrice,

Over whispers and sights,

Soil prevails, behold its might,

Blood and Stones as one brings darkest night.”

The leader spoke up again. “For years, we have worked to ensure that just such a union doesn't occur. If Lady Warren weds Prince Torian, all of The Three Corners will be at risk. Son, do you understand why we can't let that happen? That prophecy has been passed down for generations. Like our fathers before us, we have been dedicated to ensuring that it isn't fulfilled. Our mission is to see to it that the bloodlines stay separate, and that never again is there a merge like there was between Valencia and Oren. It's just too dangerous.”

“
Emariya couldn't have known,” Garith said sadly.

“
Maybe not. But Prince Torian surely knows. It may be that he is intentionally trying to bind the lines, to harness the power to unite Eltar and Sheas to Thalmas by force. With the three gifts at his disposal, he could do exactly that,” Russell insisted.

“
If Emariya knew, she would never marry him. No matter what, she would never want to jeopardize the safety of everyone in Eltar.”

“
Then we'll tell her. It sounds like she is being used unknowingly. If she is truly innocent in this, once we tell her, she will return home. Will you come with us?”

Garith nodded. On his own he'd never find her, and now, more than ever, he was desperate to get to her. These men seemed to know the woods well. His best bet was to stick with them, and hopefully along the way he would learn more about the Stones. It would be fine, he told himself. They would find Riya, tell her of the lore of the Cornerstones, and she would choose not to marry the prince, after all.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

They're Yours if You'll Have Them

Khane had been right. The rocks and mountains that at first had seemed so beautiful now all looked alike. Not only had the terrain grown increasingly rocky, the snow and ice made it downright treacherous. They spent much of the day on foot, leading their horses behind them as they picked their way slowly across the rocks. The steep grade of the mountain around them forced them to head south toward the river that bordered Sheas. Khane said they would be able to head back north before too long. Now that they were in Thalmas, they had become dependent on his knowledge to guide them through the region.

As they made their way slowly around a rocky outcropping, Emariya could see a strange structure up ahead. The little mound looked to be made of rock and mud piled high, alternating rock and mud. It was built directly up against the side of the mountain. Its roof—if you could call it that—was curved and made in the same fashion as the walls. “What's that?” Emariya asked, pointing ahead.

“
A hovel. There isn't enough strong wood here t’ build the type o’ homes you are used t’, Milady. Some are able t’ trade for some, but even then it’s difficult t’ wagon much in at once. In some areas, they use clay bricks that they obtain from Sheas. But if you can't get a level base, building right into the terrain is often easiest in these parts.”

Emariya could see the truth in his words. It was also true that the number of trees had thinned considerably once they'd crossed into Thalmas. What trees did grow here reached tall above the mountains, but their bark was too brittle to withstand much force.

The little door at the front of the hovel moved, and a man who looked to be a few years older than her came out. Tentatively, Emariya raised her hand and waved in greeting.

“
Afternoon, Milady.” At least these people seemed friendlier than the people of the Uplands.

“
Good afternoon, sir.” Emariya tipped her head respectfully.

“
It's a bit late in the season to be traveling, isn't it? Might I ask where you good folks are headed?”

“
We are going to Castle Ahlen, to see your prince.”

“
Is that so? Well, you've a ways to go, might as well come in and sit a bit. If you're of mind to eat, I suspect Addie will be pleased to serve ya. Not often we have guests call; sometimes we can go the whole of the winter without seeing another soul.” He added, almost as an afterthought, “I'm Finn.”

“
It would please us greatly to share your table.” Emariya could see Khane was about to protest, and she silenced him with a glare. Her escort had been very wary of people since the day they'd been shot at, and she understood why. Still, it would be nice to actually eat a meal inside instead of huddled around a fire on the open mountainside. “Rink, get a pack of the beans and the sugar. I'll see you inside.” With a smile, she followed the man into his home.

Emariya was taller than most women, and as such she had to stoop slightly to keep her head from brushing along the ceiling in the little home. In the center of the room they had dug a fire pit. Small cushions for seating circled it, and along the edges of the one-room hovel was the couple’s bed. A small trunk likely held the couple’s clothes. The rest of the room was bare. Smiling warmly, and trying not to stare at the lack of belongings, Emariya clasped the woman's offered hand and said, “Well met, My Lady.”

The woman scoffed, “I'm no Lady, but well met, all the same. What brings you here—not that we aren't glad to receive you.” With a shock, Emariya realized that the woman was no older than herself, yet her face was marked heavily with lines showing the hard life she'd already led. The woman was tiny, and would have been considered frail by Eltar standards. Yet she moved capably about the little hovel while she worked on preparing their meal. She slid a stone aside at the back of the hovel in what must have been the mountainside, revealing a sparse pantry. “We keep it in the ground to keep it cool,” she explained after Emariya looked at it curiously.

“
My hand has been promised to your prince. We're headed to Castle Ahlen, where I suppose we will wed as it suits him,” she responded to the woman's earlier question.

Rink came through the doorway carrying the two sacks of food Emariya had requested. Jessa and Khane followed behind him. The woman frowned and shook her head. “We've invited you to share our table; we don't expect a handout.”

“
In my home, it’s customary for guests to contribute to the meal.”

“
Heh, you're a long way from your home, Milady, but I'll thank you just the same.”

The meal was simple—boiled potatoes and roasted nuts with a few strips of dried meat—but it was good, and Emariya was grateful just to sit inside among friends and eat.

Emboldened by the comfort of a full belly and the warm fire, Emariya looked at Addie and asked, “What is Prince Torian like?”

“
You've not met him, then?” Finn looked at her closely, while scooting himself closer to his wife.

Emariya shook her head, and averted her eyes from the intimate look Addie shared with Finn.

As she clasped her husband’s hand in her own, Addie said, “We were strangers when we wed also, though that is not very common here. My parents were hard-pressed to feed me and my brothers, Finn was hard-pressed to feed himself, and it just worked out well for all concerned.”

“
Indeed,” Finn said, kissing his wife's hand before returning her private smile. “We've often wondered when His Highness would choose a bride.”

“
The Three know a fair many have tried to catch his eye,” Addie said. “Though I imagine none could offer him the wealth of Eltar's fields.”

“
Why the rush?” Finn asked. “Wouldn't it have been easier to wait until spring?”

Emariya didn't see any harm in telling them the truth. “My father has been imprisoned by Sheas. I need the strength of your army if I am to bring him home. I won't take a moment longer than I must.”

Beside Emariya, Jessa spoke up. “Riya is doing it for all of us.”

A look of understanding crossed Finn's rugged features. “The only match for the Gods is a determined woman.”

“
So wedding His Highness was your choice, then?” Addie eyes were heavy with sympathy.

“
I suppose so; it felt like the only option, really.” Emariya cast her eyes downward, uncomfortable with being the object of pity.

“
You weren't already promised to another?” Finn asked.

“
No, there was no need for me to be. We rarely have the opportunity to make an advantageous match. Some of the tenants marry for convenience, much as you two did. There are only six Council-born families, though. My father would have helped me chose a suitable husband from another of the noble or Council-born families.”