The Ancient One (32 page)

“You did it!” she shouted, hugging Kandeldandel no less tightly than she clutched the sphere of red obsidian in her hand.

“Owww,” he screeched, pushing her away. “You hurt my wing.”

“Sorry,” said Kate, rolling away. She sat on the rock-strewn ridge, drinking in the cool mountain air. “I never thought I’d be glad to see this place again, but I sure am.”

“I’m not,” answered Kandeldandel, struggling to his feet. He tried to move his left wing, then winced in pain. “I think something’s broken.”

“Gosh, I’m—”

A loud rumbling filled the air, cutting short Kate’s apology. She looked up, noticing for the first time the heavy black clouds darkening the sky above them. Yet she knew they were not clouds of rain or snow, just as the rumbling was not thunder. Turning toward the summit, she realized they had exited below the hissing steam vents, still pouring clouds of hot vapor into the air. Beyond the steaming crevasses she saw a gargantuan pillar of smoking, smoldering ash rising out of the top of the peak, lifting its billowing burden skyward.

The rumbling expanded to an ear-splitting roar. Suddenly the mountain shook with an explosion so violent it knocked both Kate and Kandeldandel to the ground. Struggling to regain their feet, they saw the entire summit above the steam vents rip itself apart in a catastrophic burst of orange flame. Bubbling lava surged out of the gaping crater, while incandescent globs rained down on the ridge like a torrent of fire.

“Let’s get out of here,” cried Kate.

Hurtling down the slope as fast as they could, the pair raced to outrun the lava flowing out of the seething summit. Disregarding the danger of slipping on the jagged and slippery stones, they ran with one thought and one thought only: to escape. More explosions rocked the mountainside above them, flinging lava high into the darkened sky, fueling the outpouring of molten rock.

They dashed ahead of the all-consuming avalanche, but it gained on them rapidly. The ridge line began to level out, and soon they reached the upper edge of the forest. Kate scanned the twisted trees, survivors of countless brutal storms, knowing that in no time they would perish in a flood of fire. As they continued downward, the jumbled rocks of the ridge were replaced by a soft mat of mosses and ferns. Before long, mighty trees towered over their heads, their branches laden with nests and cones and needles.

The air grew thick and smoky, and Kate realized they were entering the Dark Valley. Though her step faltered for an instant, she quickly picked up speed again. She had no choice.

The ground shook again, as the rumbling to the rear grew ever louder. Kate glanced over her shoulder to see a tidal wave of superheated lava descending on the forest, snapping tall trees like toothpicks, instantly cremating trunks and branches. In a matter of seconds, the wave would be upon them. She held the Broken Touchstone close to her chest, consoling herself that at least she had robbed Gashra of his greatest prize.

Just ahead, Kandeldandel halted at the base of an especially grand fir tree. He moved close to the trunk, whose girth almost equaled that of the Ancient One, and laid the hand that held his flute against its gnarled bark. Kate ran over to him, sensing that the Tinnani had chosen this tree as his place to die.

He turned a solemn face toward her and reached out his other hand. Kate took it wordlessly, stepping close to his side. They stood together by the trunk of the great tree, their feet upon its massive roots, as the hot wind of the onrushing lava blew against their faces. Trees cracked and swayed and burst into flames all around them.

Kandeldandel released a long, low hooting sound. The earth under them started to quiver and quake. Closing her eyes, Kate whispered some words of good-bye to Aunt Melanie, hoping that somehow, some way, she might one day hear them. As she started to say the same parting words to Laioni, the roots of the tree suddenly buckled and spread apart.

XXX:
T
ORC
HLIGHT

They dropped swiftly down, landing with an echoing thud on the earthen floor of an underground cavern. Gnarled roots lined the walls around them. Kate looked up just in time to see the fir tree consumed by a rolling wave of flames, barely an instant before the roots above her head closed tight again. She turned to Kandeldandel, sitting beside her on the dirt floor, his face illuminated by the light of a torch affixed to the wall. The playful half grin had returned.

“Thought I’d keep you in suspense,” he hooted casually.

“You did that all right,” declared Kate. “Where in the world are we?”

“Can’t you guess?”

As she scanned the hollow cavern around them, Kate’s first thought was that this was yet another underground tunnel leading to the mountain. But if that were so, why wasn’t it already filled with lava? No orange glow in here. The only light came from the slender torch suspended high above them.

Then Kate peered directly at the torch itself. It seemed familiar in some way. It burned some sort of incandescent gas, but bore no markings at all except the lacy metal band that held it to the wall. Suddenly she remembered where she had seen torches like this before.

“Ho Shantero!” she exclaimed. “This must be one of your Tinnani tunnels.”

“Indeed,” answered Kandeldandel. “If you hadn’t broken my wing back there, I could have taken you back by an easier route.”

“You mean by the seat of my pants, like you did Jody.”

The half grin broadened into a smile. “With you, I thought I could hoist you by your braid.”

“No way.” Kate beamed. “I’d pluck out all your feathers first.”

The Tinnani’s round eyes widened. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Kandeldandel waved a hand toward the gleaming sphere. “Anybody who could get that away from the Wicked One is too much for just one little Tinnani.”

Gazing into the luminous Touchstone, Kate hefted it in her hand. It felt remarkably light for an object of such unfathomable power. She caught Kandeldandel’s eye. “Nobody’s more surprised than me,” she confessed. “Besides, I couldn’t have done it without you.” Nudging his leg, she added, “Guess I’ll let you keep your feathers. For now, anyway.”

Kandeldandel hooted happily.

Then Kate furrowed her brow. “What do you think happened to Gashra? Is he dead?”

“I doubt it,” answered her friend. “He’s been defeated before, only to rise again later. His plans are ruined, and he’ll need some time to regain his strength, but he’ll be back someday. You can count on it.”

Kate, thinking of a time far in the future, nodded sadly. “Then let’s go back to Ho Shantero. At least the Broken Touchstone can help your people repair the forest after the eruption.”

Kandeldandel bobbed his head thoughtfully. “I hope there’s some forest left to repair.” He indicated the sphere, and his voice brightened. “Don’t get me wrong, though. There will be plenty of happy people when you march in with that little item in your hand,”

“Especially the Chieftess—if, like she said, the Touchstone will make her daughter well again.”

“That’s right,” agreed Kandeldandel. “Just to hear Fanona sing again . . . Believe me, that would be worth all our trouble.”

“So what are we waiting for?” asked Kate, jumping to her feet.

Kandeldandel, wincing slightly from his injured wing, followed suit. “Let’s go,” he said, his deep voice echoing inside the cavern.

Since the tunnel had been designed to accommodate many Tinannis, both in flight and on foot, Kate could easily stand with ample headroom. Holding the sphere in the palm of her right hand, she passed beneath the glimmering torch. Suddenly, it flamed much stronger and brighter than before. Seeing this, Kandeldandel half grinned at her.

Kate returned the favor. “For someone who calls himself ‘just one little Tinnani,’ you sure managed to do your part for your old family name back there.”

For an instant, the half grin disappeared and Kandeldandel regarded her intently. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely,” replied Kate as she passed beneath another torch. It too swelled in strength, illuminating them both. They continued walking side by side, listening only to the reverberations of their footsteps in the tunnel. At length, Kate asked, “By the way, how did you ever get inside the mountain?”

“Same way you did. I just followed you, after turning invisible of course. Those Slimnis were so eager to avoid getting eaten, they didn’t even notice.”

“I thought something was following me back there in the cave. I’m glad it was you and not one of those ghosts.” She stared ahead into the long tunnel, lit by a series of identically wrought torches. “How far is it to Ho Shantero, anyway?”

The Tinnani ruffled his feathers. “A good day’s walk, I’m afraid. It’s quicker than going overland, but not as fast as flying.”

Kate teased, “At least with your broken wing I know you’ll stick around for a while.”

“Sad but true,” answered Kandeldandel.

Suddenly Kate remembered Jody’s injured arm. “What about the others?” she asked. “Jody and Monga—and Laioni. Are they all right?”

Kandeldandel fiddled nervously with his flute as he walked. “Jody’s fine. He was fighting for his life, and doing pretty well for having only one arm. But then he got into some big trouble. He’d have been killed for sure if I hadn’t carried him off.”

“So that’s why I couldn’t find either of you when Laioni and I were escaping.”

“And when I returned, you were gone.” He clucked with satisfaction. “But I got back in time to help Monga finish off Sanbu.”

“So he’s really dead.”

“Really.”

Kate pulled on Kandeldandel’s feathered arm, slowing him to a stop. “You’re not telling me something.”

The yellow eyes lowered. “Monga’s dead too. Died with his jaws clamped around Sanbu’s neck. The little fighter, he gave it everything he had.”

“And more,” added Kate somberly.

The Tinnani sighed. “He had more courage than a whole army of Slimnis.”

Leaning toward him, Kate said, “Like another little fighter I remember.”

Kandeldandel raised his eyes to meet hers. “I can’t believe Arc is gone.”

They started walking again, neither wanting to speak. Only after several minutes did Kate raise her voice again. “Do you think you might find yourself another owl someday? That spot on your shoulder looks kind of bare.”

The Tinnani spun his head halfway around, then back again. “Haven’t thought about it.”

Kate reflected for a moment. “Thanks to that little owl, I’m here today.”

“And thanks to you, Laioni is too. She told us what you did.”

“You found her?” asked Kate as another torch sprang to life above her head.

“It took a little looking, but finally I saw the circle of melted ice from the air. When Jody and I got there, Laioni was just trying to make herself walk so she could follow you. But she couldn’t have gone more than a few paces, she was so weak. She told us everything, though she didn’t have to. The burned stick said it all. Jody stayed to help her get down off the mountain while I left to find you.”

“I’m glad she’s alive,” said Kate quietly. “Even though the stick was my only chance to get back, I really had no choice.”

“You had a choice,” replied Kandeldandel. Then he added lightly, “Besides, your way of starting a fire was a lot easier than her way.”

Kate nodded. “But now I know why Aunt Melanie always likes to pack matches.” She shifted the blue day pack on her back. “It’s hard to believe I’ll never see her again.”

Kandeldandel lifted his good wing and stretched it toward her. “You’ve made some other friends, though. Friends you will see again.”

Together they strode down the tunnel. Many miles lay between them and the floating island of Ho Shantero, but they had much to discuss. Kandeldandel was particularly keen to learn the rules of modern baseball, though he soon proved himself a forgetful student. Kate, for her part, received her first instruction in how to hoot like an owl. As they moved past each successive torch, its power would instantly increase, flooding the tunnel in new and potent light.

XXXI:
T
HE
F
IRE OF
L
OVE

Although they passed dozens of intersecting tunnels along the way, Kandeldandel guided them effortlessly through each and every turn. At last, they approached a circular terminus illuminated by a ring of torches. As the Tinnani indicated the ceiling, Kate lifted her eyes to see a small square of silver embedded in the stone high above them.

“The trapdoor,” she said. “We must be under the lake.”

Kandeldandel hooted lightheartedly, then suddenly stopped. “I forgot about something.”

“What?”

“These tunnels—we made them without stairs so that no intruders could pass out of them if they somehow got inside. The only way to go through that silver door is to fly.” He hunched his injured wing. “And that’s impossible.”

Kate looked from him to the trapdoor and back to him again. “This is terrible,” she moaned. “We come all this way, and now we can’t get through the front door.”

“It could be weeks before anybody comes along to give us a lift,” muttered the Tinnani.

Kate squeezed the Broken Touchstone in frustration. “This is one of those times I wish I could fly.”

At that, an infinitesimal glimmer of light flashed deep within the sphere. Before Kate could take another breath, she found herself rising slowly into the air. Too amazed to utter a sound, she rose to a height of approximately three feet off the ground, then drifted to one side until she hung suspended directly above Kandeldandel’s head.

“Guess it’s my chance to give you a ride,” she said in amazement. “Grab onto my feet.”

The astonished Tinnani did as he was instructed. With no effort whatsoever, Kate lifted him straight up into the air above the torches. Upon reaching the silver door, she pushed on its surface and felt it swing open with unexpected ease. She passed through the hole, carrying her passenger as well. After setting him down safely on the dark stone floor, she landed by his side and closed the trapdoor.