The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series (31 page)

This news drew an angered look from Tirene; sick of the delays and not looking forward to wasting another evening here. “I don’t understand. If you have learned what Milenthia spoke is the truth, then why the delay? What could be learned from wasting another evening here?” The assembled Elves noticed the hostile demeanor Tirene adopted, putting them on edge as well.

Queen Pirphul laughed raucously, which went a long way to relieve tension from all of those present in the room. “There is more than just the sword at stake here. I need to learn more about you as well. You’re a mysterious figure, Tirene. You bring with you a company of people not fitting of the times. A century ago, I wouldn’t have balked at seeing such a unique group of travelers, but in this day and age, it just isn’t common to see Humans, Dwarves, and Elves all in one place together.”

Tirene drew his eyes to the ground, almost in self-pity. “Another intriguing point is the fact a Dragon revealed itself to me. Not just any Dragon, but a Dragon tied to you.” Tirene brought his eyes back to meet the queen's. “There hasn’t been a Human Dragon-rider in over two centuries. The most interesting part of all of this though, is the fact both you and Liniana are keepers of the orbs.” She stood up, her regal robes cascading back to the floor. “Like I said, you will be staying here tonight. You will dine with us and we’ll provide you with quarters for the evening.”

The Elves in the room started going about their other duties. Tables were brought in and preparations began for the evening's meal. Tirene turned to speak to the queen again. “I would like to be taken to our quarters so we can freshen up.”

Queen Pirphul nodded, and the Elf serving as their guide thus far motioned for them to follow him. They were led down the root serving as a path, over a couple bridges, and down even further. They came to a building built amongst the trees. It stood at least fifty paces above the ground. There looked to be a large number of rooms serving as quarters. Matt decided it must serve as an inn, but it wasn’t like any inn he had ever seen before. It had no tavern, just rows and rows of rooms.

The Elf guided them to three doors. Jaeden and Matt took one room, Aglina and Liniana were destined for another, which left a room for Tirene. Tirene pulled Aglina aside and arranged for her to take his room so he could be with Liniana for the evening.

The Elf told them he would wait outside until they were ready. Tirene followed Liniana into the room and examined the quarters. Surprise filled him when he saw all of the furnishings appeared to have been grown out of the wood, as if a part of the tree. The room contained a large bed with several thick linens piled on top of it.

Liniana had already stripped out of her traveling clothes. She gave Tirene a coy look as she noticed him staring at her. Even though she carried his child, she still felt embarrassed by her appearance. Tirene noticed her look and averted his eyes. He still couldn’t believe her pregnancy and knew he would need some time to get used to the idea. A large stone pitcher sat on top of the dresser with a bowl next to it, and dried cloth inside of it. Liniana poured water into the bowl and soaked the cloth in the water before running it over her body, removing the dirt that built up during their travels.

With his eyes still averted, trying to give her a little privacy, he asked her, “What do you make of Queen Pirphul? You have more experience in these matters than I do.”

She grinned at him. “Is that so? I would think this kind of situation would be right up your alley.”

A smirk crossed his face as he turned to face her. “You know what I mean, Liniana. I don’t have any memories to look back on.” Realizing he stared at her again, he averted his eyes.

“While I appreciate your faith in my experiences, I spent more time learning how to wield a sword than I did learning about diplomacy.” He rolled his eyes bringing a chuckle from her. “It seems as though she believes your story. I cannot say I blame her cautiousness and the fact she wishes to learn more about you. You spent time in Havenbrook and in Drognard. Why should you expect anything different from Ferrindale?”

She finished washing and put fresh clothing on. Properly attired, she walked up to Tirene and nuzzled up to his arm, looking up into his eyes. “I agree with the queen's statement, though. You’re a very mysterious man, and the events unfolding around us warrant further discussion. I know you’re eager to be on our way, but one night won’t hurt our cause.” He frowned at her. “Besides, I would take a night in a bed with you over another night on the ground any day.”

After a long pause he spoke up. “You’re more than likely right, Liniana. Being this close, after so much time, has me ready to have it all over with. I cannot take any more of these weird dreams, and I cannot stand you being in harm’s way all the time.” He eyed her stomach. “But one night won’t hurt anything. At least we won’t have to worry about rotating watches.” She smiled at him.

He took off his own traveling clothes and grabbed a fresh piece of cloth. He soaked it with water and began washing himself. He marveled at the amount of grime that had built-up on his skin in such a short period of time. He washed his legs and gave a sidelong glance to Liniana, noticing her stares, watching his every move. “I make you uncomfortable with my own staring, so I avert my eyes. Yet when I wash myself, you can stare and ogle at me all you like?”

She grinned. “Does this make you uncomfortable? You don’t strike me as a modest person.” She averted her eyes, moving them to the ground. “If it makes you feel better though, I will stop staring. You don’t make it very easy, though. It’s not my fault you’re quite the handsome man.”

He had nothing else to say to her. Anything he did say would come off as arrogant, so he just kept his mouth shut. After he felt clean, he put on fresh breeches and a clean tunic. He walked over and wrapped her arms in his own. They made their way out of their room and knocked on Matt and Jaeden's door. Tirene noticed the Elf standing guard at the entrance to the inn. This brought a smirk to his face. Jaeden opened the door and walked out joining with Matt. Liniana walked to another door and knocked. Aglina had cleaned up and appeared ready to head to dinner. She made a joke only Liniana heard. Both women laughed, Aglina's cackle rising above Liniana's. They joined the men and found the Elf who stood guard.

They made their way back to the queen's chamber. A long table filling the middle of the room; almost two dozen seats surrounded it. There were already bowls at each seat filled with a green soup. The Elf guided them to chairs at one end of the table. They reserved the seat at the head of the table, presumably for the queen. She hadn’t arrived yet and they all waited behind their chairs.

Tirene began to think these were all elaborate ploys to aggravate him. As his nerves reached a boiling point, she appeared in the doorway. She must have felt his tension because she grinned from ear to ear. She walked—more like a glide—around the table, making sure she took her time and acknowledged each person as she passed by. She took her place behind her own chair. She let all eyes drift toward her, waved her arms, and motioned for everyone to sit down. They all still waited for her to take her seat before taking their own.

They ate the green soup which tasted very earthy, but had a hint of herbs. After a few bites, Queen Pirphul looked toward Tirene. “So tell me more about you. How do you think you’re intertwined with the events up north, and what do you plan to do about it? It seems to me you will play a large part in the outcome”

He wanted to roll his eyes. He didn’t have an answer to the question, and she had to have known this. “My main concern right now is reaching Norlun. All of my hopes lie on him telling me who I am. I don’t yet know if I’m tied to Lutheras and his traitorous deeds in the north.”

She cut him off. “But you’re a keeper and must be a Dragon-rider. This has to mean something. There will be a time we need to react, and I feel like the time is growing ever closer.” She stared at him. “You always need to be on the lookout for allies. I think the Elves will be brought in and you need to keep that in mind. That is, if you want our assistance.”

He nodded to her. “I guess I haven’t thought about it in those terms yet. I’ve been too consumed by finding my lost memories. I’ve been told by everyone, Norlun would be the man who could help me. It’s Milenthia, the Dragon, who led me to you. It seems she knows more than she’s willing to let on.” The familiar chuckle of the dragon filled his head. “At times it feels a little frustrating because everyone feels I should have the answers.” He furrowed his brow. “I’m sorry to say I cannot be of more assistance.”

She smiled at him as servants brought the next course. This one a plate of vegetables drizzled in glaze that smelled delectable. “There is no need for apologies. I can respect your position. The fact you have made it this far while picking up so many worthy allies proves there is more to you than you’re letting on, or that you even know. I feel whatever you find will put a series of events into motion that will change the face of this planet for all of the ages. That is why I would like my two sons, Folois and Arthanis, to accompany you to Norlun.” She watched as Tirene's eyes grew large.

“If that is your will, then so be it.” He managed to say as he nodded to her.

“I think it will only help your cause. Norlun seemed very concerned about who followed him when he passed through not so long ago. I think having my sons with you, along with Aglina, will help to ensure you can persuade him to assist your cause. He acted fearful you were after the orbs after receiving alarming visions. That is why we were so hesitant to allow you to pass through our woods. Norlun has always been an ally to the Elves. If we could protect him from harm, well then, we would do it.” Tirene nodded in agreement.

They continued to eat each course, although no meat seemed forthcoming. During dinner, Queen Pirphul regaled them with stories pertaining to the history of the Elves. Amazingly, Queen Pirphul was over six hundred years old. She had been Queen for over two hundred years, and she had led the Elves into seclusion after the Dwarves were crossed by Humans, fearing a similar fate.

When dinner had concluded, they all took their leave and retreated to their quarters.

Two days passed since the party left Ferrindale. They made good progress, but the speed wasn’t what Folois and Arthanis expected. They displayed their irritation every time the others needed to stop. Tirene had just ordered the group to stop for dinner.

Folois and Arthanis joined Tirene by the fire he created. Arthanis examined the delay with disdain. “What are you doing? You shouldn’t be hungry already. We need to get back on the road so we can reach Norlun.” He looked around the camp

Tirene crouched by the fire. He rose to his feet and turned to face the Elf. “I wish to reach Norlun as much as you do, but I think we can afford a little break.” Wrinkles crossed Tirene's forehead as he gave the Elf a stern look. “I won’t budge on this, so there is no use arguing.”

Arthanis had nothing to say in response. He whipped around on his heels and turned to stalk away. Folois fell in behind him.

Liniana came over and stood next to Tirene. “What is the problem? It seems they are very displeased.”

Tirene looked at Liniana and gave her a smile. “It was nothing. He felt like we should get back underway, and he views this as a waste of our time.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I told him otherwise.”

They all enjoyed a fresh cooked meal while the sun set to the east. With the sun disappearing they decided to camp for the evening, which Folois and Arthanis didn’t take lightly. Tirene took an extra-long watch and ensured he stayed awake for the entire duration.

With dawn approaching, the Elves were eager to be on their way again. Arthanis told Tirene if they made good time, they could arrive at Norlun's cottage before nightfall. They broke camp, and saw the horses prepped for the day's ride. Tirene noticed Aglina's mule looked sick. Its coat looked very dull and dry; and its eyelids and gums were a very pale white, instead of the usual light pink coloring. It also behaved very skittishly, even though everything seemed calm.

He walked over to inspect it further. He wasn’t a doctor, but by all accounts, he could tell something appeared out of the ordinary. “Aglina, I think your mule isn’t doing well. I don’t think you should ride it today, even if it costs us a small delay.”

Aglina wore a worried look on her face. “What do you mean?” She asked. She came closer to get a look for herself. She inspected the animal and noticed the same things Tirene noticed. “I guess you’re right.” She put her hands on her hips and turned her attention from the mule to Tirene. “If you think I’m going to walk the rest of the way, you’re mistaken.”

Tirene laughed, as did Liniana who walked over and joined the discussion. “I wouldn’t dream of it Aglina. A woman of your position should never be forced to walk.” She pursed her lips at him, not sure if he made fun of her. “You can ride with me. It won’t be the most comfortable of rides, but it beats either one of us having to walk the rest of the way.” He turned his attention to the sick mule. “We’ll tie a lead to the mule so it can follow us. While it looks a sick, I would hate to put it down if it has a chance of recovery.” He turned back to her and smiled. “What do you say Aglina, do you wish to ride with me?”

She turned her head down in a mock act of shyness. “You mean I get to ride behind the beautiful and strapping Tirene?” She became more serious and put aside her games. “I think it’s the only option. If I were to walk it would slow us down, as it would if you walked.” She turned her attention to the Elves. “One of them could keep up with the horses, but they already seem to be put out by having to wait another day, so I’m not going to broach that subject.” She chuckled. “I would be honored if you allowed me to ride atop your horse with you.”

Tirene knew it would make the ride more difficult. Not only would it be more uncomfortable, but she would no doubt talk his ear off for the duration of the journey. What had to be done, had to be done though, and he felt no other choice than to make the sacrifice. The sun crested the horizon as he positioned himself in his saddle. He reached down with his arm and grabbed Aglina's, pulling her up onto his horse. He hoped the mule could keep up. He had a feeling Folois would set a more furious pace.

Folois indicated the time had come to move out. He approached Tirene and Aglina and shook his head. “Why is the mule tied behind your horse, Tirene?” He walked over for a closer look. “It appears this creature is ill. There is no reason to put any hope in it returning to full health. I suggest we leave it here to live its last days free from the abuse we would undoubtedly put it through.”

Tirene shook his head. “It doesn’t look that bad, Folois. Besides, being an Elf are you not supposed to be more caring for other creatures of nature?” His comment angered the Elf.

He glared at Tirene. “Fine! But if I feel like it’s slowing us down and putting the chance at reaching Norlun today out of our grasp, I’m going to order the creature be put down or left to run free.”

Tirene chuckled inside. He didn’t want to display these emotions to the Elf, so he did his best to keep them concealed. He knew inside he gave the order here, and if he needed to command the Elves to leave the mule alone, he would, but felt like it would be best to let the argument go.

They took off at a brisk pace as Tirene prophesied, and headed out in the cool morning air.

Tirene felt nervous with Aglina riding behind him, but he had to admit she brought a level of entertainment with her, and her conversations took his mind off what the night might hold. She ran through some of the history of her family, and as he listened he gazed to the sky. He spotted birds, eagles, and hawks all flying around in the air, and had seen a herd of elk a little less than an hour ago.

The cool morning air left a long time ago and the heat of the afternoon started bearing down on them. He sighed as he realized it would be a hot day after all.

“And that is what got me into blacksmithing. Although my family had a long and revered history in the military, I myself had no taste for it. Besides, metal crafting always came easy to me, it seemed natural.”

“That is very interesting, Aglina. I had no idea your family had such a long history serving the military? It’s fascinating how you found your way to blacksmithing. From what I hear, you’re very good with your craft.”

She blushed, which he couldn’t see since she sat behind him. “Thank you, Tirene. I wish to show you just how good I am.” She paused, her thoughts drifting to his sword. “I have to say, whoever crafted your blade has skills far superior than I could ever hope to match. I wish to learn more by studying Narantha. When the time is appropriate, that is.”

He nodded. “I promise you I will give you that opportunity when everything else has been seen to.”             

They continued heading east in the hot afternoon sun. They faced toward it, and Tirene seemed thankful the trees grew ever thicker. There were no cities within a week’s ride and they hadn’t seen another person on the road; a very uncommon occurrence. Most of the people who lived east of the Ruvenkan Mountains stayed to themselves. After all, nobody existed to even trade with except for the Elves, who rarely communicated, let alone trade with outsiders.

Folois stopped and studied a path leading to the north. It appeared to be a wagon trail, but it looked well overgrown from lack of use. Folois turned and addressed them all. “It appears this is the trail leading north and should take us to Norlun's cottage. It’s well overgrown, so watch your heads for tree branches.”

Folois turned to the path and began the slow trek through the woods. Tirene guided his horse onto the path and looked down at the ruts. Its path had in fact grown over, but Tirene could discern fresh wheel tracks on the hard-packed dirt. Someone had traveled on this path in the past couple of weeks.

They were all glad to be out of the direct sunlight, but the travel in the forest crept by. They had to dismount and lead their horses multiple times while following the path. The trees had just grown in too thick and made riding near impossible. He tried to puzzle out how Norlun got a wagon through, but the wheel marks continued on, as if unobstructed.

They led their horses through a rather closed in area of trees. They all walked in silence, even Aglina had quieted down. The mood felt somber with months of travel leading to this point, and now that the conclusion drew near, the level of nervousness they all displayed rose.

They cleared the thick growth and remounted their horses. Tirene lifted Aglina up onto his horse and noticed the mule looking even sicklier. He hoped the damn beast could reach their destination. Back in his saddle, Tirene gazed to what lay before them. What had been a thick forest opened into wide pastures with rolling hills. Further ahead of them, a large stream opened to a small pond. Knowing they had been traveling hard and forcing the horses even harder, Folois led them to the pond to give the creatures a chance to rest and drink water.

He turned to face the rest of the party. “We won’t linger here long, but I don’t know if Norlun will have the means to ensure the horses are taken care of. Fifteen minutes here and no longer.” They led the horses to the water, and took the opportunity to walk around a little bit. The hard riding of the past two days started to catch up with them all.

When the horses quit drinking, they climbed back into their saddles and fell in behind Folois. He’d been walking around the clearing and led them in the same direction as the wheel ruts. Tirene appeared saddened to learn the path didn’t continue into the clearing, but instead wound up in to the hills. The trees were gone, but the bumpy, curving path led them up the first hill.

The sun again bore down upon them, although it fell further and further toward the eastern horizon. They made a long winding line and stuck to the path. It wasn’t wide enough for even two horses to ride abreast, but rose steeply up the hill, and fell off over a cliff to their left side.

Tirene crested the peak of the hill last. Matt, Jaeden, and Liniana all pointed off to the east. Tirene shielded his eyes from the sun to see what they were looking at. A small cottage sat upon a hill to the east, and another building that must have served as a barn sat behind the cottage. Smoke billowed from the chimney of the cottage, raising their hopes. Judging by the distance, they would reach Norlun's home right around sunset.

With renewed energy after spotting their destination, Folois set an even faster pace. They all felt disheartened when they rode back down from the previous hill and the cottage disappeared from visual range, having fallen behind the next hill. They continued their journey, following the hills up and down. Finally, they reached the main approach to the cottage.

They drew closer and the cottage looked larger than he first expected. The building stood only one story, with white stucco walls. The white walls were hidden behind dark green vines. Attached to the side of the home stood a stone chimney, also overgrown with intertwined vines. The roof appeared made of thatch. A stone well stood between the home and the barn. He spotted an outhouse behind the cottage.

They rode up to the barn and hitched their horses to a post outside the large main doors. Tirene gazed toward the cottage and its windows. He tried to see any movement from within; sure Norlun had to have seen their approach.

They all walked up to the main door. It looked rather worn down, as did the paint. Now they were close enough, he noticed the door looked far thicker than it should’ve been. Tirene reached up with his right hand and pounded on the door. When no one answered his initial knock, he did it again. “Norlun! We see the smoke from the chimney and know you’re in there. We wish you no harm. We seek your guidance and advice, as well as a little assistance.” His face furrowed, annoyed when he received no response.

He reached down with his hand and tried turning the door handle to open the door, surprised when it turned and the door creaked open. Tirene pushed the door open even further. The main room looked dark, only the light from the fireplace gave illumination in the room. He walked in and had an uneasy feeling fill him. He wanted to reach for Narantha, but resisted the urge.

He heard clambering and noise coming from a back room. He made his way down the hall, flanked by the two Elves. He heard more of the noises, which were behind a closed door at the end of the hall. Tirene reached down and turned the knob. It moved with ease and the door unlatched. The walls were lined with shelves filled with potions of different colors, and a cauldron sat over a fire in the middle of the room. He spotted an old graying man with his back against the wall. He looked frightened, but somehow familiar. He had long, ratty, gray hair falling well below his shoulders. He had bushy white eyebrows framing his eyes, which looked cold and black. His face was riddled with wrinkles and many numerous, large age spots. He had a long beard splitting below his chin which fell in two separate lengths. His beard rested against his flowing white robes and held a staff in his left hand, but judging by the way he stood, it wasn’t used to assist his movements.

When he spotted Tirene and the others coming into the room, he pushed himself even further back against the outer wall of the room. “Get out of here! You don’t belong here! I’ve seen visions of you! You took my orb! GET OUT!” He spotted Folois and Arthanis, as well as Aglina. His face displayed his surprise at the appearance of the Elves and Dwarf. “Folois, Arthanis! What are you doing here?” With the Elves present, the old man relaxed a little. “What strange company. A Dwarf too!” His momentary lapse into calmness subsided. “You took my orb, get out!”