THE UNDERLAND PASSES
“All this day I’ve heard footsteps,” Arvad said.
Dissenbark looked to him.
“Something like it. Noise. Definitely. I can tell because before I hadn’t heard anything at all. I know the difference.”
“Another reason for more light,” Essily murmured. “Anson cannot hold his sword aloft forever.”
“The stone glows,” Theone said. “Sometimes. It burns enough to provide some light.”
“I am sick of this stumbling in the dark. I am tired of these caves. I need sun,” Arvad complained.
Ohean had been sitting on the ground and now he was restacking his thick cards and hiding them in his vest.
“Surely by now we must be under Chyr or close to it. Earlier I had sought to come out closer to Chyr, further away from border. But Arvad is right. This grows wearisome for all of us.” He looked to Dissenbark. “Most of us.”
Essily whispered to Ohean, “Do we tell them that we’ve actually gone under the sea?”
He shook his head and she grinned.
“Even I can’t do this forever,” Dissenbark told him. “Even though I said the caves gave me… a sort of energy.”
Soren looked at her, woebegone, and said, “I don’t know what energy you can get from these gloomy passes.”
“They remind me of my nightmares,” Kenneth said. “Of places I went and things I was taken through.”
“Yes,” Soren agreed. “I am of a mind with you, Kenneth. And let’s not forget, the same who built these built the paths under the Temple from which we escaped.”
“It troubles me you still have nightmares.”
“Birch—I mean Essily… it is nothing.”
Anson looked between his mother and the man who had once been a Black Hand, who reminded him in some ways of Cedd. Had his mother been like this to him, and how different would Cedd have been, would they all have been if she had remained in Kingsboro? Ah, but there would have been no Imogen, no Hilda…. No Morgellyn. There was no point in trying to rewrite what was long written. He shook his head.
“Ohean, what do the cards say?” Anson asked him.
“The cards never say anything,” Ohean said. “They give hints. They give nudges. Every time a Queen comes up she is overturned. There are portents of fire above, or battles ahead. There is a card which keeps saying we are surrounded. I don’t rightly understand it all. But I feel we should leave these passes soon as possible and come back onto the surface of the world.”
Arvad put his hand over his mouth. He could not stifle a yawn.
“We need to rest for the night,” Conn said, looking on Arvad.
“I’m fine. I don’t—”
“I think you’re right,” Ohean told Conn. “We’ve traveled far enough. Tomorrow we will look for a way out.”
Kenneth shot up with a scream that rang through the small cavern. Everyone looked to him and Theone was standing in the midst of them with a smoking torch.
“It was actually time to get up anyway,” Ohean told him, unaffected. He was wrapped in his black cloak, only his face showing, and the tip of his staff glowed with a deep blue light that cast no warmth.
They were all ready quickly, and Kenneth didn’t tremble because he was used to nightmares now. He woke up screaming and went on about his business. All around him, for the first time he heard now tramping, the stamping, like rain on a roof.
“That,” Dissenbark, “is what we are fleeing.”
Coon said, “We’re surrounded.”
“Well then I’ve got my sword,” said Anson.
“Whatever my nightmares be, my fighting skills have not left me,” Kenneth declared.
Soren grinned and said, “Prince, I’ve got my sword too, and I will stand with you back to back.”
“So many protectors,” Theone wondered. “Who’s being protected?
There was a great roar, suddenly, from behind, and then Ohean burst out followed by Conn, and as he leveled his staff a gout of white and gold flame shot out and filled the cave with light.
“Move,” he commanded in a quiet voice, and suddenly they began to hurry down the cave, occasionally hearing another blast of flame from the wizards’ staff, seeing its light against the walls.
“That’s enough. That’s enough for now,” Ohean said breathlessly, and the tapping of their feet on stone filled the cave so that they almost didn’t hear the other stamping, but then Dissenbark said, “I hear them. We’re running to them!”
“Yes,” Ohean said, coming ahead of her, wishing to be at the front of it. “But we can’t run back.”
“Damned right!” Essily cried, grabbing Ohean’s hand.
Anson ran ahead of them, the sound of Callasyl unsheathed, ringing in the cave walls.
“We never run back!” the Prince declared.
“He’s marvelous!” Essily exalted.
Jogging beside her, Soren told Theone, “I like them.”
There was a rumbling and a roar and the cavern shook so violently they were knocked to the ground, except for Anson who clung to the side of the rock wall. As he bent to take Ohean’s hand, the earth shook and now, as they looked back and forth, one to the other, the rocks pressing against each other screamed, and Arvad thought they would die right here, at the bottom of the world.
And then it all stopped.
When it stopped they were so grateful for the end that no one realized they were in darkness. Dissenbark made a slight yelp. She made a yelp because a small hand had touched her. Many hands were touching her. This black space was crowded.
“What?” Theone began, “is going on?”
The only light now was the Stone, faintly glowing. Even as she noticed it burning at her breast, the glowing grew more bold, deep dark blue to bright white, and as it came afire it rose up from the chain about her neck, floating, holding itself out as it blazed.
Tārakāvak saha mama kisisētma gal novē
magē ḷadaru kālayē
udē piṭṭaniyē
kavadāvat asārthakayi
kalu rātriyē dī mama vehesaṭa patvemi
mama ālōkaya saha gītaya
mama eliyal hṛdayā!
And all that space was filled with the white blue light. Before Theone’s eyes, from her neck still hovering, burned the white stone, fire in its facets, and by that light they could all make out, hundreds and hundreds of pairs of eyes.
MEHTA
“Lady,” Allman said to Aimee, “I know you worry.”
“How can I not worry for my son,” Aimee Kimball said. “The worst thing that ever happened to him was that day when you and that Skabelund and your whole troop came to our house and called him the Prophet.”
“It was the will of God, Lady.”
“It was bullshit. You could have gone to the lady down the road and said the same thing, only her son would be suffering now, only I have feeling Dahlan is more resilient than most, so…” Aimee shrugged.
“It I the resilience of the Prophet,” Allman said.
“If you mention prophets again,” Aimee said, “I will kill you, here in these caves. My husband was always scornful of you. He was so right.”
“Lady,” Sariah said, simply, “I don’t know anything abour prophets or… any of that. But Dahlan sent us away from him for our safety, and I believe that he is resilient, prophet or not. I trust those wizards and that prince with him. I think he’s in very good hands.”
“He’s in extremely good hands,” Mehta turned back to tell them, and kept walking.
Austin had said nothing, and neither had Erek. They had not spoken much, but remained close together during their journey.
“Tomorrow is our last day in these caves,” Mehta said, rolling herself in her cloak and turning over to sleep.
“Really?” Rendan looked to her. “And how do you know?”
“We’ve been going up and up for days now, and this path has been straight under the land. Where we will come up, though, I can’t say, seeing as I don’t know much about Solahn save the border country.”
“You’re really something else, you know?” Rendan said.
“Because I can tell up from down?”
“Mehta says we will surface tomorrow,” Rendan told Ethan and Yarrow after the kitchenwoman had gone to bed.
The prince and the enchantress were sitting in front of the fire, speaking in low voices. Yarrow looked up at him and said, “Yes, that’s right. Tomorrow should see us to the surface.”
When Rendan looked at her in surprise, Yarrow said, “Really, if Mehta could tell, do you think I wouldn’t?”
‘In truth,” Ethan said, “I did not know.”
“Well, yes,” Yarrow said, “but Mehta is an exceedingly clever girl.”
Ethan looked at the sorceress askance and she said to Rendan, “You have no idea how lucky you are to be accompanied by that girl.”
“She has been a great comfort to me,” Rendan said. “She really is remarkable.”
“She seems the sort that lives to give comfort to someone,” Ethan reflected.
“I think she is the sort who lives to give comfort to someone,” Yarrow agreed. “But I believe that the someone is you, Prince Rendan, and always has been. I see it. Perhaps in the First World you all were together and now you are together again, having found each other.”
“I used to feel the same way about myself and my Maud,” Ethan said.
“And why do you no longer feel that way?” Yarrow looked to him. “For a time we are separated from those we love, in this life and in others, but we come back. For love is eternal.”
“Ohean knows of love,” Rendan said to her. “But what of Lady Yarrow?”
She looked at him.
“What of the other wizards? Is it true that folk such as you have loves?”
“Folk such as I may have many loves, and you can imagine that Ohean and I both have.”
“I have heard tale,” Rendan said, “of Yarrow who was the great witch and love to King Jarman in those first days, when my ancestors came out of the east. That was long ago, though.”
“Look at my face, look in my eyes, and you know that I can count back long ago,” Yarrow said.
“Then it was you?”
“Of course it was me.”
“Tell us,” Rendan said, “if you would, of those days, of Jarman.”
“What is there to tell?” she said. But as she spoke, in the firelight her caramel skin took on a deeper shine, her eyes glowed with some private and ancient rememberance.
“It was a different time. The sun was warmer then, and the world newer. I was in my first youth, having crossed the sea. The Time of Trouble had ended and Ohean kept company in Chyr. He was chamberlain to the King. I remained with them a time and then left with Aethlyn, who in this life is Anson. In the east, in the land that is now that of the Nardarines we met the fathers of your fathers, who would be the Solahni. Aethlyn traveled on, farther north, to learn the magics of the Frost Giants and fight the great monster of the world, for he is the Hero. But I remained among those people.
The day came when they were sore pressed and had to go further south. They were driven out by the Children of Nar, and this is making a long tale short. I followed them. I followed Jarman. He loved me. Together we fought many battles and it is true, with my aid he established the city of Don Athonwys. This was long before the Solahni went into Chyr, long before the compact with Phineas and with Mozhudak. As I said, it was a better day.”
“Some say,” Rendan said, “that Jarman had a son and this son was Haul the second king from whom we are all descended. Others say Haul was the son of his sister and that Jarman never died, but was borne away by you. Still others say Haul was the son between himself and you. That from then on you and he dwelt together forever and you did not come into this world often.”
At this Yarrow turned her face from them, and for a long time all they saw was her profile shadowed by darkness and the blackness of her hair.
“Of that,” she said, at last, “we will not speak.”
She turned and smiled.
“Not just yet.”
THE UNDERLAND PASSES
There were long faces and broad faces, most of them very brown faces, most bearded, but not all, most short, all shorter than the shortest of the companions—which was Arvad—but some much squatter, and shorter than others. And many wore caps and on their caps were melting candles, their wicks snuffed out. Most carried hammers and chisels and the others carried spears, but all were crouching in fear. Still the star burned bright and cried:
From high in the heavens I came down.
Round and white in Elia’s hand
Sat in the crown of her man
Again and again, seven generations
Until Heralan
On the head of the fair queen bright I burned
She learned the secrets of heaven from me
Mozhudak desires me
His servant and the Solahni prince
Cross the sea, the mountains stint and packing
In flesh and bone and blood did weave the spell to carry
Me
And then did they bury me
The star grew brighter where now even Ohean closed his eyes and Theone turned away
Far from the light of day
Or stars and moon of heaven
My abode
In the bowels of the Mother,
past the skirts of the mother
by those foul
punished by the Red Woman
one last deed they did against the Gods
to carry this, Elia’s stone beneath the rocks
and for seven cen’tries bury me!
The stone glowed white now and slowly, Theone watched it settle into her hand. There, like a little moon, or like a white fruit it glowed.
The spears of the Small People were lowered, and the one at the front, grey bearded, broad chested, opened his mouth to speak. At once the stone raged:
SONS OF EARTH, TAKE THESE MEN,
AND GUIDE THEM
TO THE WORLD ABOVE !
“Mistress,” the old dwarf spoke, and Theone, looking to him, realized he was actually speaking to the Jewel. “What are you?”
I AM THE STONE, THE STAR, THE JEWEL OF ELLADYL
I AM THE ONE WHO BY YOUR ARTS WAS BROUGHT
TO THE DARK EARTH BENEATH
AND I SICKEN IN THESE PLACES
YOU ARE THE ONES WHO WILL PAY FOR FALSE DEEDS
BY BEARING THESE UP.
“These?”
THESE WHOM THE MUSPEL SEEK TO KILL!
“Mistress,” the Dwarf began again, while behind him was the sound of quavering voices.
“Who are you?”
“I am the Beryl. I am the Stone of Elladyl.”
“And?”
The voice from the Stone spoke breathlessly.
“Elladyl herself.”
At once Theone nearly snatched the Jewel from her throat, and the underground people gasped and fell to their knees. It hung from Theone’s neck going dimmer and dimmer until the light was gone again.
They all looked to Ohean. Ohean said, simply, not addressing the Stone: “Lady, what else?”
There was nothing. Now, in the dark, only the torch Dissenmark still bore burned with waning strength.
Then, in a whisper, all around them, the Voice spoke.
“Not to the city, but to the wood,
to the ancient standing forest shall
the Sons of Transgression guide you
There the Sons of Earth shall hide you
And there made ready shall you be
at the place called Halinthindor
you shall learn of the new war
and how to win
and what is more
the second heir of Ermengild.
“Lady?” Ohean tried again.
“One king, one queen,
but not to wed
the queen is found
the prince thought dead
is under hill
and under earth
and more than what you
thought him worth
he will be king
was always one….
“Lady?”
Peace Ohean
My speech is done.
And then there was silence, and it was the most absolute silence.
The voice that broke the silence was from the first Dwarf and he said, “These are the outer paths. You might have walked them several days more. They would have, in time, let out near the plains of Chyr.”
But another voice spoke up. “It seems, however, that the Queen would have you enter the land of Halthindor. We will not touch it.”
“We cannot touch it,” said the first Dwarf.
“But through our paths you can come quite close to it.”
Anson said, “And how long will it take?”
“If you come with us,” said the first Dwarf, “and get some rest, then we can feed you in the morning—for it is deep night now—and you will stand before the Wood in the afternoon.”
So saying the Head Dwarf turned, and then they were marching with a majestic deliberation down the path, but only a few moments later they stopped. There was murmuring from the assembled Small People before them, and Theone turned to Ohean and Essily, whispering, but Soren only shrugged. Then a small point of light glowed from up ahead and they could see that on a spot not long before them, the Head Dwarf was not facing down the hall, but against the wall.
He raised his hands and called out a long, crackling, crumbling, groaning, growling word, and then there was silence.
And then there was, imperceptible at first, a line of light, thin as a hair, and then a great blaze of light, a square of it, or a door, and then the Dwarf was overshadowed by the light. Slowly, the companions noticed, the light was doorway, and the Small Folk walked through.
“We will follow?” Anson said to Ohean.
Ohean nodded.
“We will follow.”
“Out of the Earth,” Kenneth murmured, touching Arvad’s hand. “Out of the Earth at last.”
