Source Of The River (11 page)

E
vening
descended over the mountains bringing a deep purple hue to the sky. Lenora had
her hands full tending to sick dwarves, whose numbers continued to grow. Bron,
the surgeon, had little skill with palliative care. His skills consisted mostly
of amputating damaged limbs and administering alcohol to numb pain.

“You’re wasting your time with those herbs, Miss
Elf,” he said quietly to Lenora. His dark eyes showed great sadness, and he was
clearly exhausted. “There’s no hope for these poor souls.”

“We have to keep trying,” she responded. “Perhaps
you should get some rest. You have grown weary, and I can handle things while
you sleep.”

Trying to rub the heaviness from his eyelids, he
said, “We’ve lost a patient.” Tossing his head, he motioned to the covered form
of a dwarf lying on a cot.

Lenora’s heart sank seeing that the illness had
claimed a second victim. She felt sorry for Indal’s plight, but taking the
lives of these dwarves was unjustified. “River will be able to stop her,” she
said. “I’m sure of it.”

“Let’s hope so,” Bron replied, his voice sounding
less than hopeful. “I think I will take a rest now. Wake me when you’re ready
for a break.” He headed over to an empty cot and immediately fell asleep.

Outside the tent, Anid and Gerry introduced
themselves to River. The town council had taken a great interest in the elven
visitors. A few considered them to be a nuisance, but most believed they had
come with genuinely good intentions.

“I’ve heard good things about the lady elf that
accompanied you,” Anid said. “She’s been quite a welcome presence in our
hospital.”

“She is a skilled healer and will do what she can
to comfort the ill,” River replied.

“Do you have any idea how to be rid of this evil
spirit?” Gerry asked. “Will killing her end the curse?”

“I have no intention of killing her,” he replied,
ruffling his brow. “She is no longer among the living as it is. My goal is to
set her free, allowing her to cross over.”

“She deserves to be punished for what she’s done
to us,” Gerry said, feeling no sympathy for Indal.

“For centuries she has lived in torment,” River
explained. “Her energy is bound to this place. She is trapped, and she is
angry.”

“That may be true, but she is killing our people.
I think we should use any means necessary to be rid of her. I don’t care if she
suffers further torment.”

“You may find compassion can overcome more
obstacles than vengeance.” River’s words were sincere. He would not willingly
inflict any more pain on Indal. The agony she had experienced over the years
was far more than she deserved. His heart ached for the dwarves who were
suffering and dying, but he would not add more suffering to this unfortunate
affair.

“If we can set her free, that’s what we will do,”
Kaiya declared. She did not agree with Gerry, and she hoped the situation could
be resolved peacefully. Having sensed the spirit’s agony firsthand, she had no
desire to cause her more harm. There had to be a way to remedy the situation,
and Kaiya was determined to see it through, no matter the personal cost.

“Your party should join us for dinner tonight,”
Anid said, attempting to lighten the mood. “It will be a good distraction for
everyone.”

Kaiya looked at the ground, knowing that his
invitation did not apply to her. Many dwarves would be present at the council
house, and she would not be welcome among them. Too many of them still blamed
her for the illness, and those who didn’t were still suspicious of her magic.

“You may attend as well,” Gerry said, noticing
Kaiya’s withdrawn expression.

She looked up at him in surprise. “Very well,” she
responded, her voice cracking slightly.

“We’d be delighted,” River said. He smiled warmly
at Kaiya. “Let’s see if we can drag Galen away from Trin long enough to have
something to eat.”

A few hours later, the elves sat down to dinner
with Kaiya and the town council. Fourteen men made up the town’s governing body,
most of them being of advanced age. The only women present besides Lenora and
Kaiya were cooks and servers.

“Why are there no women among your government?”
Lenora asked.

“Women are expected to marry and raise children,”
Kaiya replied. “Then we help our husbands with their businesses and tend to our
homes. That’s how it is, and no one ever steps up to change it.”

“Maybe someone should,” Lenora said, narrowing her
eyes.

Kaiya glanced around at the councilmen. Lenora had
not been quiet when speaking, and many of them had obviously heard her words.
They looked uneasy, but did not express their opinions.

Galen sipped at the
frothy brown ale in the large mug before him. “This is excellent,” he declared,
wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

Kaiya enjoyed the
ale as well, and even River partook of the stout beverage. Only Lenora declined
the drink, fearing it may dull her senses. She would need all of them to tend
her patients the next day.

The councilmen raised
their mugs and pounded their fists on the table as they lifted their voices in
song. Conversation was kept light to distract the dinner guests from the plague
affecting the town. They talked of the fine weather and how the elves had
traveled into the mountains. Little was said of the evil presence lurking
within the cave. Fear and worry were thrown aside briefly, allowing the dwarves
to put their minds at ease.

* * * * *

Ryllak paced on the bank of the river near the waterfall, wondering if
his son had found the dwarf village. Had River and his companions fallen ill as
well? Had he faced the evil presence in the mountains? Ryllak could not stop
his mind from worrying.

He waded into the
water, hoping the Spirit could hear him. “Spirit,” he said. “I worry for my
son’s safety. Can you take me to him?”

The roar of the
waterfall was the only sound to be heard as Ryllak stood waist-deep in the
water, hoping for a reply. Then, the water fell silent. To his surprise, the
waterfall had ceased to flow. The staircase leading into the mountains had
reappeared, presenting itself beneath the moonlight.

Looking into the
water, Ryllak said, “Thank you, Spirit.” He hurried to the staircase and began
to climb, his heart anxious to find his son. He climbed into the darkness,
fearing not the night.

R
iver awoke
before dawn, anxious to converse with the Spirit. He walked softly to avoid
waking his companions as he exited the council house. A few miles north of the
town was one of the streams that flowed into the Blue River below. It was
summer in the mountains, and the water would be flowing quickly. River could
sense its presence and found it easily, despite the darkness of the sky.

Stepping into the cold waters, River felt no
chill. He was part of this stream, and he was at home here. Immersing himself
to his waist, he cupped his hands to scoop the water and pour it over his head.
A pale-orange light filled the sky as the sun awoke, ready to begin a new day.
The Spirit came to River, its presence filling the water as the sun filled the
sky.

River’s hope that the Spirit could provide the
answers he sought was not in vain. The Spirit had existed for years beyond
count, and knew of Nicodun and Indal. The artifact needed to free Indal from
her binding had not been destroyed. It had been placed deep in the ocean where
it could not be used for ill purpose. No elf, human, or dwarf could hope to
reach it at its depths. Only a creature of the water could hope to retrieve it.
Though saddened by this revelation, River knew he would have to journey alone.

Slowly emerging from the water, River noticed a
figure in the distance and knew instantly who had arrived. He lifted a hand in
greeting to his father. “What brings you here?” he asked. “Is there trouble in
the Vale?”

Ryllak shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I
worried for you, that’s all.”

River seemed unbothered by his father’s sudden
appearance. Though he was grown, he still appreciated his father’s concern.
“I’m quite well, Father.”

“I see that,” Ryllak replied, feeling slightly
embarrassed. “I suppose you didn’t need me, but I worried you may have fallen
ill.” He wrung his hands, unsure of what to say next. It was difficult to
accept that his son did not need his help anymore.

Sensing his father’s discomfort, River said, “I
will always look for your guidance, Father.”

Ryllak patted his son on the back. “You must never
be afraid to ask for it,” he said. “I know you have a great destiny ahead of
you, but you must never be too proud to ask for help. If I have taught you
anything, I hope I have taught you that you do have friends, and they are most
willing to help you.” Finishing his speech, Ryllak felt a weight lifted from
his shoulders. “As a father, it’s difficult to know you’ve given a child enough
knowledge to go off into the world.” He laughed softly and shook his head.

“You’ve given me much over the years, Father,”
River replied. “I am grateful to you.”

Ryllak smiled, and the two proceeded into the
dwarven village. Quite a few citizens were already preparing for the day
despite the early hour. The marketplace stalls were being stocked, and fresh
baked goods were coming out of the oven, filling the air with an appetizing
aroma.

“Oh great, another elf!” a dwarf exclaimed as the
pair walked by. “We’ll be overrun soon!”

His words generated a bit of interest in the new
arrival, but the general sentiment was calm. Father and son took seats near the
council house.

“I have discovered what is causing the illness,”
River said. “An ancient elf was murdered here. Her spirit was bound by her
lover, and she has dwelt here for many centuries. The miners disturbed her
rest, and she awoke with a vengeance.”

“Do you know how to stop her?” Ryllak asked.

“There is an ancient artifact, an opal, that I
must retrieve. It lies at the bottom of the ocean near the Sunswept Isles.”

Ryllak was too stunned to reply at first. After a
moment, he asked, “How will you retrieve it?”

“Swim,” River replied with a shrug.

Ryllak took a deep breath. “You can make it safely
to those depths?”

“Of course I can,” he replied. “The Spirit has
said so.”

“The Spirit may have this capability, but you have
the body of an elf. We are not indestructible.”

“All will be well, Father,” River said
reassuringly.

Galen emerged from a stall behind the smithy and
was surprised to see Ryllak had come. He approached the pair with a wide smile on
his face. “Good morning,” he said. “Any news?”

“I thought you were still sleeping,” River replied.

“I woke early and saw that you were gone. I
decided to help Trin set up for the day’s work. Rune carving is truly quite
fascinating.”

“Sounds like you’ve finally found something
interesting to study,” Ryllak commented.

Galen shrugged. “It’s certainly not something I
can learn in the Vale.”

“What of Lenora and Kaiya? Are they still inside?”
River asked.

“They were when I left,” he replied. Stepping onto
the porch, Galen peeked inside the council house. There was no one to be seen.
“I guess they got up early too.”

“Lenora will be with her patients,” River said. He
had no doubt as to where she would be. Her dedication to the ailing dwarves was
absolute. River admired her compassion and desire to help the sick.

“Kaiya could be anywhere,” Galen remarked. “She
probably went back into that cave.”

River looked concerned. “I hope not.” Kaiya had
been unsettled by their last encounter with the entity, and she was impatient
to find a solution. Her magic was strong, but she could not expel the presence
alone. Without the opal, neither of them could hope to accomplish such a task.

“We’ll have to find her. I want to tell her what
I’ve learned, and then I need to be on my way.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Galen said, shock
registering in his voice.

“I have to retrieve the artifact to free Indal.
It’s the only way to end the plague.”

“I’m going with you,” Galen said firmly.

“You can’t,” River replied. “I’m going to the
bottom of the ocean. You won’t make it, I’m afraid.”

“I don’t care,” he replied, shaking his head. “I
will wait on the shore. You’re not going by yourself.”

Glancing back at his father, River’s mouth opened
to speak, but no words came out. Ryllak smiled slightly and lifted his
eyebrows. Though Galen had difficulty finding focus in his life, he was a true
friend to River. He may have been a troublemaker in his youth, but Ryllak knew
he would stand at River’s side through good or bad. There was no better person
to accompany his son, and he was happy to hear Galen so determined to travel
with him.

“Don’t bother arguing,” Galen said. “I’ll only
follow if you try to leave without me.”

“I will be pleased to have your company,” River
admitted. “We should let Lenora and Kaiya know before we leave.”

Rising to his feet, Ryllak said, “I’ll be waiting
for you in the Vale, my son. Safe journeys to both of you.” He hugged River tightly
before turning to leave. Though he still felt some worry, his mind was more at
ease. River seemed confident in his abilities, and Ryllak did not doubt him.
Hopefully, he would be seeing his son again soon.

S
itting quietly
behind a tree, Kaiya focused her mind on the wind. The breeze was light that
morning, but its voice was strong. Tiny sparks danced on her fingertips as the
wind gently caressed her hands.
Tell me how to release Indal
. She
projected her thoughts to the wind, hoping for an answer. The voice on the wind
seemed to reply, but she could not make out the words.

“I don’t understand,” she said to herself in
frustration. Placing her head in her hands, she sighed. The wind tousled her
hair, tickling the sides of her face.

From behind, she heard a mournful cry pierce the
air. Hopping to her feet, she turned quickly to see a dwarf woman and child
standing outside the hospital tent. They were clutching each other tightly and
sobbing.
Another life has been lost,
she thought. She closed her eyes
and felt her heart grow heavy.
This has to stop. Whatever it takes, this
must end.

Hoping that River had learned how to free Indal,
Kaiya set out to find him. Her mind was made up. No more families should have
to mourn a loss. If Indal could not be freed peacefully, she would have to be
forced out. Kaiya felt sorry for Indal’s suffering, but if she refused to
relent, Kaiya would use any means necessary to be rid of her. She might not
succeed in an attack on Indal, but she would gladly give her life in the
attempt.

Near the council
house, Kaiya spotted River and Galen. A third elf appeared to be walking away.
Wondering who he might be, she quickened her pace until she reached the pair.

“Who was that?” she
asked, pointing at Ryllak.

“My father,” River
replied. “He was worried and wanted to give me some advice.”

“Did you speak with
your Spirit?” she asked.

“I did,” he
replied. “I must travel to the coast and enter the sea. The artifact we need is
there.”

“And you’re sure
this will be the end of it? No more dwarves will die once you have this
artifact?”

“I am certain,” he
replied.

“Good. I’ll come
with you.” She straightened her back to stand as tall as she could. This
mission was as important to her as any other, and she would not be held back
from it.

Galen grinned at
River. “Looks like it’s a party.”

“Of course you can
come,” River replied.

“I didn’t ask
permission,” she said casually. “This is my fight, and I will see it to its
end. If your plan fails, I will find another way, no matter the cost.”

“Let us hope the
plan succeeds,” River said. “There is no need to bring harm to Indal. This opal
can free her from her suffering. After that, she will have no more cause to
harm your people.”

“She has no cause
to harm them now,” Kaiya argued. “She must be stopped, peacefully or not.” Her
words were true. She would go to any length to prevent another dwarf’s death.
She could not bear the sight of another devastated family.

“Let’s hope River’s
plan works,” Galen commented. “Indal may prove much harder to destroy if it
doesn’t.”

“She is an
ancient,” River replied. “If this opal doesn’t work, there might not be a way
to stop her. All we can do is hope.”

Kaiya knew his
words made sense, but she was tired of hoping. Now was the time for action.
“Let’s be on our way,” she said.

“I need to tell
Lenora we are leaving,” River said.

The trio headed to
the medical tent where Lenora was busy with patients. More had arrived seeking
care. Dozens of cots were now occupied, and there was little room for more.
Kaiya bowed her head, wishing she had the power to heal these dwarves.

Lenora gave a weak
smile and tried to smooth her disheveled hair as River approached. “You bring
news?” she asked.

“We are leaving for
the coast to retrieve an artifact,” he explained. “I hope it will result in the
end of this illness.”

“I wish you
success,” she said. “I’ll be here tending to these dwarves until you return.”

Boldly, River
leaned in and kissed her lips. She was surprised, but the kiss was not
unwelcome.

“I will see you
again soon,” he said, his eyes shining brightly.

Lenora nodded. To
Kaiya, she said, “Take care of these guys for me.”

“I will,” she
responded.

The three of them
exited the tent without looking back. Their mission was clear, and it was time
they set out.

“We can stop by my
parents’ farm on the way. They have food we can take, and I know of a path that
will lead us to the coast. If we move quickly, we can be there in two days’
time.”

“Lead the way,”
Galen replied cheerfully.

They followed Kaiya
down the rocky path between the village and her home. The countryside gave way
to green pastures nestled under the shadow of the mountains. Doozle greeted the
party as they approached the farmhouse. He stretched playfully with his head
low to the ground, his wagging tail high in the air.

Darvil took notice
of their approach and looked at the elves with distrust.

“These elves are
our friends, Papa,” Kaiya said, reading his expression. “They’ve come to help
us cure the sickness.”

Darvil looked
confused. “Elves?”

River stepped
forward to shake Darvil’s hand. “Greetings,” he said. “You have an exceptionally
talented daughter.”

Kaiya blushed
despite herself. “This is River,” she said. “And this is Galen.”

“Pleased to meet
you,” Darvil grumbled, still unsure what to make of the visitors.

“I’m taking them to
the coast to retrieve an item that will help. We need some supplies.” Kaiya
headed inside where her mother was knitting.

“Kaiya,” she said,
standing. “You were gone all night.”

“I made some new
friends,” she replied. “We had dinner at the council house and spent the night
there.”

Kassie peered
curiously out the window at her husband and the two elves. “Those are
interesting friends,” she commented.

“I’m showing them
the way to the coast. We need some food and blankets to take with us.”

Pulling herself
away from the window, Kassie said, “Of course.” She hurried into the kitchen to
collect some food items from the pantry.

Kaiya grabbed three
blankets from her room and rolled them into bundles. Kassie handed her a shoulder
bag full of dried meat, nuts, and fruit.

“I’m not sure what
elves eat,” Kassie remarked. Grabbing a fresh loaf of bread from the table, she
added it to Kaiya’s bag.

“Thanks, Mum,” she
said before hugging her mother.

“You be careful,”
Kassie replied. “Don’t be afraid to use your magic if you need it.”

With a nod, Kaiya
stepped outside to rejoin her friends. She was surprised to hear laughter
between her father and the elves. Darvil was not the sort of man to trust
quickly, but it seemed he was charmed by River and Galen. No doubt River’s
ability to bring calm to a situation had helped.

“I think I have
everything,” Kaiya said.

“Take care of my
little girl,” Darvil said to the elves. “She can be a handful, but she’s a good
daughter.” He chuckled quietly, his eyes gleaming.

“I will keep both
eyes on her, even if I trip over a rock because of it,” Galen pledged, placing
a hand over his heart.

“She will be quite
safe,” River promised. Believing the journey would be uneventful, River made
this promise easily.

With Kaiya leading
the way, the trio turned away from the road and crossed the green pasture. The
path to the coast was rarely used, and few dwarves had knowledge of it. Though
Kaiya had not made the journey since she was a child, she remembered the way.
With the wind as her guide, she could see the path that had formerly been cut
through the short mountain grass, but she failed to notice the eyes that were
watching her from a distance.