Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice (24 page)

“What do we have that surface dwellers want?”
someone shouted.

“Oh, you have worthy trade items. Tine, you
told me I wasn’t the first to visit.”

He nodded. “Not so much recently, but there
have been instances. They would find us by mistake, stay a short
time, and leave.”

“Did they ever return?”

Tine shrugged. “These visits were before my
time, but I suppose it’s possible.”

“I’m sure they did.” Erynn walked through the
parting crowd to Tine’s cabin. She ran her hand over the rough
surface. Veins of a sparkling, clear mineral ran through the dark
stone. “What is this substance?” She indicated a thick, shiny vein
as wide as her wrist.

Tine had followed and now stood next to her.
“
Gryanlock
. Why?” He picked at the clear mineral with a
sharp claw. He dropped his hand and shrugged. “It’s a dense stone,
too hard to be of any purpose. Separating gryanlock from the
surrounding rock is difficult, and shaping it is time consuming. No
one bothers.”

“Well, make an effort to at least collect and
clean small pieces. This gryanlock is a rare and precious gem on
the surface. If you don’t flood the market, you’ll be able to trade
for whatever you need or want for many lifetimes.”

Socar Batahs moved in, running their clawed
fingers over the glittering vein.

Tine stared at her. “This is the truth?”

A Shifter held a handful of small rough
stones forward. “These will provide us with goods from the
surface?”

Erynn took one of the small stones from the
Shifter’s palm and glanced around at the group. “Yes. Gryanlock is
called
diamont
on the surface and is used in industry, but
mostly for expensive jewelry for the rich, even on Korin. You could
be the wealthiest races on Arranon, and very possibly Korin. You
can have all you’ve ever wanted.”

Tine smiled at Syrana and hugged her close.
“You will have your remedies, my love.”

Erynn sat at the kitchen table, eating more
stew and listening to Tine and Syrana make plans for trading their
gryanlock. The room smelled of enticing spices. Syrana decided to
use some of their meager supply of ground grains and sweetener to
bake treats. A celebration.

“Will you help all of us, Erynn?”

“I’ll get people who can and won’t take
advantage of your lack of knowledge of the surface ways.” Erynn
pushed away from the table. “But I need to leave, Tine. Dhoran
can’t be allowed to find me.”

Tine frowned. “What do you mean? Once Dhoran
knows about our wealth, he won’t want war.”

Erynn stood up, shaking her head. She picked
up a small glittering stone of gryanlock and tossed it back on the
table. The gem bounced on the hard surface with a solid rattle and
teetered to a stop. “Dhoran already knows about this, Tine. He
doesn’t care about wealth. His objective is power. He wants to rule
no matter what the cost.”

Tine stared into the fire. “If Dhoran comes
and you’re gone, all the wealth in the world won’t matter. He wants
you here. We can’t defy him.” He glanced up at Erynn. “You have to
stay. I’m sorry.”

Erynn walked to stand before Tine. “Are you
going to let Dhoran ruin your future— everyone’s future? Because
that’s what he’ll do. My being here will only make things worse and
hurry the war along. I’m not staying. I don’t want to hurt anyone,
but I can’t—I won’t—stay.”

“If you aren’t here when Dhoran comes, he’ll
take it out on the entire trialath. We won’t be alive to enjoy our
new-found riches.”

Erynn shook her head. “Why do you put up with
his tyranny?”

Tine chuckled. The sound held no humor.
“Dhoran is powerful. He has a vast and eager army. Many from the
surface follow him. Our attempt to overthrow Dhoran and his
soldiers would be fuel to their fire.” He followed Erynn’s path
with his gaze as she paced around the kitchen.

Erynn spun on Tine and quit pacing. “No. He
had
an army. That was hundreds of years ago. The story my
father told me said his armies were depleted, conquered, driven
deep underground. He hasn’t had time to recruit and restore his
troops. I’m sure Dhoran has some followers now, but no way there’s
this vast force he claims.”

Syrana laid her hand on Tine’s shoulder.
“This could be verified?” She glanced at Erynn and stroked Tine’s
neck, moving down his arm. “I believe Erynn. Dhoran will start a
war with the upper realm, and soon. We will be required to fight.
Our losses will be immense and inconsequential to Dhoran.”

Tine took Syrana’s hand. He didn’t say
anything for a long, torturous moment. “I believe an accounting of
Dhoran’s soldiers can be confirmed.”

Erynn’s muscles relaxed, and breath rushed
from her lungs. “How soon?”

Tine stood up, still holding Syrana’s hand.
“Erynn, this could take some time.”

“Then we have a problem to solve. I have to
find a way to leave the trialath and return to the surface without
endangering your people.” Erynn glanced around the cozy kitchen and
bit at her lower lip.

“No matter what Drom tells Dhoran regarding
your absence, his anger will destroy us.” Tine’s shoulders slumped
under the weight of this certainty. “I have considered many ways to
help you escape. Each one ends, well…not good.”

“
Transition station
.”

Erynn brushed at the buzzing in her ear and
searched for the annoying centinent. “You have? Why didn’t you say
something?”

“
Transition station
.”

The buzzing came closer, growing louder.

“If I couldn’t come up with a plan, it seemed
cruel to raise your hopes.”

Syrana smiled at Tine. “He has worked
tirelessly at this dilemma.”

“
Transition station
.”

Erynn’s gaze darted around the room. “Wait.
There are no centinents here.” She turned toward the hall, hurried
through the sitting area, and went outside.

“
Transition station
.” The deep male
voices of the Anim Blath sounded in her mind.

Erynn stared up at the glowing white ceiling.
“I hear you. Yes, the transition station is a way to escape, but
how does that keep the trialath safe?” She frowned. “Why can’t I
hear you in the cabin?”

“Erynn, what’s wrong? Who are you talking
to?” Tine reached for her arm but stopped before he touched
her.

Syrana stood next to Erynn. She pulled in a
ragged breath, her eyes wide. “The Anim Blath speaks to her. There
are rumors, old writings about this. Talking with the Anim Blath
was common for our ancestors. We have lost the ability to hear
them.”

Erynn spun, gazing at the rock walls of the
cabin, and laughed. “Did your ancestors build their homes with
gryanlock? The gryanlock acts as an electricity conductor,
generating its own electromagnetic field.” Erynn waved a hand and
shook her head at Tine and Syrana’s blank stares. “Never mind.
Inside your cabin, all the cabins, the walls are filled with the
gryanlock. The energy created scrambles the signals from the Anim
Blath.”

Tine stood there, his mouth hanging open.
“No.” His lips snapped closed and he shook his head. “Homes were
made of baked mud and clay. Modern tools about ten generations ago
made the rock more accessible. With the stone, it was no longer
necessary to continually rebuild our cabins.”

The Anim Blath resumed their instruction.
“
Have the trialath’s cabrawth, Drom, take you to meet Dhoran at
the transition station. Many from the trialath can accompany you—a
greeting ceremony
.”

“Okay. Then what?” Erynn glanced at Syrana,
her face screwed in intense concentration. Erynn reached out and
took Syrana’s hand. “The trialath’s healer should hear the Anim
Blath.” She held her hand out to Tine. “So should their
teacher.”

Tine tipped his head. A grin shaped his lips,
and he placed his hand in Erynn’s.

A faint tingle passed from Erynn to Syrana
and Tine.

“
When the transition station begins to
glow and hum with Dhoran’s arrival, jump into the circle of blue.
You will pass each other during the process of crossing
.”

Syrana gasped, and her hold on Erynn’s hand
tightened.

Tine stared up at the white glowing mass, his
breath catching in a shudder.

“
Think of the portal of fire. The station
will deliver you there. Be quick. Dhoran will follow you. Climb the
ladder. Close the portal. Hurry. Dhoran cannot pass through the
doorway once it has been sealed. Don’t let him catch you below this
point
.”

The tingle built into an itch, coursing from
Erynn to Tine and Syrana.

“
He will not blame the Socar Batahs or the
Shifters if you escape in his presence
.” The Anim Blath
chuckled. “
Right under his nose
.”

The static ended.

Erynn dropped Tine’s and Syrana’s hands and
turned to face them. “Do you think the plan can work?”

Tine pulled his gaze from the Anim Blath. His
voice quavered when he spoke. “What? Was that…? The voices…they
belonged to the Anim Blath? I could hear them.”

Syrana’s focus was still on the glowing mass
of the Anim Blath. “It’s true,” she whispered. “The Anim Blath can
speak to us.”

Tine waved a shaking hand, gesturing them
into the cabin. “I need to sit down. But to answer your question,
Erynn, the timing would have to be exact. If you entered too soon,
Dhoran would find you in the station before you could transport to
the portal. Too late, and—”

“Yeah. I get the idea.” Erynn stopped inside
as Tine closed the door. “Wait. What will happen when I enter the
transition station? What if I pass out like before?”

“That’s not what I would worry about, Erynn.”
Tine moved through the hall to the kitchen, following Syrana, who
couldn’t stop smiling and seemed to float instead of walk. Tine
glanced back over his shoulder. He dropped into a chair. “Just
because you make it to the chamber below the portal doesn’t mean
your problems are over. The Anim Blath are correct. Dhoran will
come after you.”

WORD OF THE ANIM BLATH’S plan to free Erynn
raced through the Socar Batahs and the Shifters. Erynn in turn gave
several demonstrations of her ability to communicate with the
radiant white colony. While the Anim Blath spoke, she connected
them to the people of the trialath by a touch of her hand. This
awoke a dormant aptitude, an insight inside them, like flipping on
a switch.

Syrana’s desire to regain this lost skill
drove her to succeed. She was quickly able to communicate without
Erynn’s assistance. By mid-phase of the leantas, Syrana was helping
others in the trialath to learn.

Drom returned with his sons from their
hunting trip to find the entire trialath either standing with
Erynn, gazing up at the Anim Blath, or busy gathering gryanlock. He
was humbled by the Anim Blath’s recognition and their appreciation
of his benevolent and expert leadership. They deemed him a great
cabrawth.

Drom took Erynn aside. “You can understand
me?”

Erynn smiled and nodded. “Yes, Cabrawth. I
can.”

He stared at his bare feet. His weight
shifted from one foot to the other. “You have brought life and hope
to our trialath. I have dispatched messengers, advising all the
trialaths of the truth.” Drom glanced at Erynn and straightened.
“The truths Dhoran has kept from us…We are in your debt. Allow me
to deal with Dhoran when he comes to get you.”

Erynn held up her hands and shook her head.
“You couldn’t kill Dhoran. Not really. He would just come back in
another form and punish the trialaths. This has to be done in a
manner that makes certain Dhoran never returns.” Erynn gazed up at
the Anim Blath. She continued in a low voice, relaying what she
believed to be the Anim Blath’s solution to defeating Dhoran to
herself and Drom. “Close the portals, all but the gateway of water.
I must somehow lure him to the spot.” Her gaze traveled over the
still lake. She tapped the familiar, calming heaviness of the
dagger inside the pocket of her lightweight pants, pulled in a deep
breath, and glanced at Drom. “Without the dagger, he can’t get out
of the chamber’s access to the river or back to the surface through
the pond. This will imprison Dhoran’s soul between the realms.
He’ll be trapped, forever. I hope,” she mumbled.

Drom stood tall, his chin thrusting forward.
“I will fight with you when the time comes, Erynn. To the end.” He
grabbed her shoulders and gave her a quick shake. “A warrior’s
death with honor.”

Erynn’s heart constricted. She bit at her
lower lip. “Let’s pray it doesn’t come to that.”

Time alternated, speeding toward the final,
inescapable conclusion of this ploy, and dragging with an agonizing
pace to her freedom.

Erynn lay on her bed in the dark, staring at
the shadows that formed on the lashed pole ceiling. Syrana and
Tine’s three children cuddled in next to her, their breathing soft
and regular. During the rest phase, one by one, each padded into
her room sleepy eyed and climbed into bed with her. She would miss
the residents here. Mostly she would miss Tine, Syrana, and their
little ones. They were a part of her now. In losing her mother, her
father, and her adopted father, Erynn welcomed them as her extended
family.

But Jaer’s heart was still home for her.
Erynn hoped she would get the opportunity to talk with him again
and tell him she loved him. Somehow, together they could make
everything right.

She dozed, lulled by the soft breathing of
the three cubs tucked in around her, and drifted into sleep.

Cold air swept across her. Curly dark-red
hair fluttered over her face and bare arms. She stood on the
scramble pad outside the base on Arranon, peering over the edge at
the snow-covered scene. The thin clothing she wore was meager
protection against an icy wind. She turned toward the bay doors.
They were closed, locked. From a cloud-swathed gray sky, snow began
to fall, reaching her knees in an instant, and then her waist, her
chest, and below her chin. She shivered and squeezed her eyes shut.
She was so cold.