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Chapter Five
Part Seven

On the surface Darya hadn’t changed much since she last saw him. He’d grown a bit, of course, and his clothes – an azure silk tunic – looked goblin made. His hair looked like he’d hacked it off with a knife, much shorter than merfolk ever wore it.

But it was his eyes that brought Mela up short. They were the same blue-green as always, but while before they’d been warm and full of gentle humour, now they were icy. They were still full of amusement, but now there was a cruel edge to them. And anger – so much anger. He’d never been angry, not even with the verbal abuse he’d had to put up with from half the clan. Could it be some sort of trick? Was that why he was still concealing himself from her mind? Because he was a goblin or dragon in disguise and not really her cousin at all? Read the rest of this entry »

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Chapter Five
Part Six

“What’s happening?” Daniel rushed towards the main hall after Ebona and Sarah as they pushed through the crowd of panicking speakers fleeing in the opposite direction.

Birke appeared in front of them, looking frantic. “Three dragons have been sighted to the north-east and they’re heading directly for Waldhafen. We’re evacuating, but…” She trailed off. Read the rest of this entry »

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Chapter Five
Part Five

“Are you feeling better?” Weide was sitting by the spring massaging Mela’s shoulders. Mela could feel the gentle stream of life energy the grey-skinned dryad was focusing into her, washing away damage she hadn’t even realised was there.

“Much, thank you. I didn’t realise how ill I felt,” Mela replied.

“Hmm, yes. Anywhere else and you would have collapsed hours ago. Then again, anywhere else you would have had plenty of warning. I’ll make you something to help before you leave Waldhafen.” Weide looked up at her colleagues and Daniel. “She’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?” he asked. He was sitting on the other side of the spring, looking pale and drawn.

“I’m sure.” Weide gave him a sharp look. “But I’m not so sure about you. You don’t eat or sleep enough.” She laid a hand on his arm. “You’re alright for now, but you’re going to hurt yourself if you carry on like this. Your secondary affinity can’t support you forever.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Chapter Five
Part Four

Valeria was talking to Alban when Rai’s imp reached her. Her foster son had been begging her to give his weapons back when the sparkling creature shot through the window and hovered in front of her. She stared at it for a moment before holding out her palm for it to land.

“That looks like Rai made it,” Alban said.

“Yes, he did.” She closed her eyes and drew it and the memories it carried into herself. She jerked back and heard a loud crack. Alban grabbed her hand and pressed something soft against it as she opened her eyes. Blood was soaking through the white hankerchief he was wrapping around her hand and she realised the crack was from the crystal goblet she’d been holding. Read the rest of this entry »

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Chapter Five
Part Three

Rai was worried. Following Queen Valeria’s orders, he’d finally tracked down the three humans as they approached the Dark Mountain of Caerdu, but had no opportunity to capture the light warrior before the Mountain King’s troops had arrested them. He’d followed them as closely as he dared until they entered Caerdu proper and he couldn’t continue without being detected.

Now he was hiding among the neighbouring peaks while he waited for the lightning imp he’d formed from his own essence to return. Even sending the tiny construct to spy under the mountain was a risk, but it should be small enough to go unnoticed. He needed to know what was going on in order to come up with a plan and fulfill his mission. His queen wanted the girl alive, so if she was in danger he’d have to rescue her. Read the rest of this entry »

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Chapter Five
Part Two

It looked like a lot more than the council were waiting for them when they reached Waldhafen. Mela had never been to a town before, so she looked around with interest as Betula led them up a sloping wooden ramp towards the central tree. The town was well lit by larger versions of the green lights that the imps had carried and she could see curious faces peering out of the windows and between the branches of the trees. Most of the watchers seemed nervous of the rider and Ebona, keeping their distance.

One group of dryads broke away from the crowd and ran over to them, giggling. They must be part of Betula’s clan, Mela thought, because they shared the same pale colouration. One of them walked boldly up to the rider and Ebona and stood in front of them, hands on her hips and lips pursed. She was a little older than the others, Mela thought, though with dryads it was hard to tell. Read the rest of this entry »

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Chapter Five
Part One

They still hadn’t found the source of the water sound, though it kept getting louder as they followed the imps. The sun had set a couple of hours earlier by Mela’s reckoning, but they still hadn’t reached wherever the imps were leading them. More imps had appeared, carrying tiny green lanterns and flying around them like a cloud of fireflies. Neither the Rider nor Ebona needed them, so they must be for her benefit. But there were so many. Who could animate this many imps at once? She didn’t realise she’d said it out loud until Ebona answered her.

“No one could, at least not on their own. If one Speaker made all these, they’ve got a power source. More likely it’s a group.”

“But where are they leading us?” the rider said. Read the rest of this entry »

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Chapter Four
Part Nine

“It still feels like we’re prisoners,” Andrew said. It was a couple of hours later and they were sitting in their assigned chambers.

“Pretty nice prison cell,” Lydia examined one of richly coloured tapestries covering the walls of the main room. It showed a battle scene; a long-haired human boy and a svart alf on one side, and a sleek black dragon with unnaturally vivid green eyes on the other. The human in the image looked a little older than them and was dressed in 1970s-style bell-bottomed jeans and a beige shirt. It was hard to tell in the stylised woven format, but something about him was naggingly familiar.

“There are people out there who want you dead,” Hreid said. “King Dariad just wants you to stay here until he’s sorted things out.” He looked over at Lydia, then at the tapestry. “That’s one of a large set which Dariad’s mother had commissioned thirty years ago, not long after he ascended the throne. She was regent until he came of age. It’s King Indirian and his heart friend.”

“King Indirian?” she asked. Hadn’t Korrig mentioned him and his human once?

“King Dariad’s father.”

“They died?” she asked.

Hreid shook his head. “No, King Indirian was selected to be one of the Core’s guardians after the dragons destroyed its old safeguards.”

Lydia was about to ask what that meant when a knock at the door disturbed them. The door opened and a guard clad in shining black mail ushered in the stone-skinned woman who’d assigned them the chambers. She was carrying a basket of alfen clothing.

“I’ve bought you some fresh clothing. I know it’s not what you’re used to, but I think it should fit and yours look like it needs laundering. No offense.” She cocked her head causing her thick braid to swing round. It looked like intricately carved quartz but it moved like real hair.

“None taken,” Karen said. “Is there somewhere I can get a bath?”

“Certainly.” Brita pushed aside a different tapestry and pressed a stylised rose carving. A door opened to reveal another natural cave with a steaming pool at its heart, large enough for several people. “There are towels over there.” She gestured to an alcove carved into the wall.

Lydia wandered over and picked up one of the towels. It was large enough but rather rough to the touch and not fluffy like at home. “Linen?” she asked.

“Well, yes, what else would it be?” Brita said.

“Don’t worry about it. Just curious.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Karen eyed the pool with obvious anticipation. “I feel so grubby.” She looked over at Lydia. “Do you want a bath as well?”

“You will want to lock that door over there,” Brita said. “You share these facilities with the goblin delegation I’m afraid.”

“Goblins.” Lydia turned away from the pool as she remembered what had been bothering her. “What exactly are they? Not Speakers, obviously. The one who saved Bennu looked almost human.”

“They’re the children of renegades or occassionally of victims.” Brita’s voice dripped contempt.

“Eh?” Lydia said.

“They’re half speaker half dragon,” Hreid explained. “Though for some reason they breed true.”

Lydia’s eyebrows shot up. “What? Dragons are huge flying lizards, right? Like the black one on the tapestry? How the hell does that work?”

Brita snorted and Hried laughed warmly.

“Well they’re certainly fond of that form,” he said. “But no one knows if it’s their true form or even if they have one.”

“Dragons are shapeshifters,” Hried said. “It’s lucky that they feel even more distinctive than the goblins or they’d be more dangerous than they are. But when they choose to breed with speakers rather than just devouring them, they take an appropriate form – usually human. They’re as fond of human form as they are the giant flying lizard.”

“I see.” Lydia frowned to herself.

“This is all very interesting,” Karen interrupted, “but I’d like my bath now and I’d rather the males weren’t present.”

***

The forest had been growing thicker and more tangled for the last several hours. The canopy was so thick now that not even the occassional hint of blue showed through it. Everything was stained green by filtered sunlight. It had been several hours since they’d last found a stream for Mela to bathe in and her head should be aching at least a little by now. But somehow, the fragrant wind carressing her hair and leaf-tinged light and shadow dappling her skin seemed to be drawing the aches out of her before they even began. All the same, she looked up when she heard what sounded like a stream bubbling over rocks. She sniffed the air and then blinked in confusion. She couldn’t smell water anywhere close by – not enough water to fill a stream, anyway.

She peered between the trees in an attempt to locate the source of the sound and saw something glinting not too far in front of them.  That must be the source of the noise, and it was in the direction they were heading. They would just need to negotiate the thicket of brambles and vines blocking the path. As she thought that, she noticed the plants move out of their way. Ebona must have seen it as well because she stopped.

“Well, that’s interesting,” the rider said.

“It’s a trap?” Mela cast around mentally but couldn’t sense any speakers nearby, but then surely the rider wasn’t the only person who knew how to conceal speakers. Maybe that didn’t mean as much as she had once thought.

“Or an invitation. Possibly both.” He glanced back. “But it looks like we’re going that way, anyway.”

Mela followed his gaze and saw that the thicket had closed into an intimidating-looking wall behind them.

“What do you think, Eb?” he asked.

“I-” Ebona broke off as a dozen tiny wooden creatures, each no bigger than Mela’s palm, came flying on leaf wings from the open direction and began tugging on the rider’s cloak and her mane. “I think that if whoever is doing this is sending their imps to guide us it’s more invitation than trap.” She paused. “And if they can animate so many at once, they are a force to be reckoned with. Of course I doubt the Core would have handed the bracelet to a weak guardian.”

“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s go see who’s so anxious to meet us, then.”

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Chapter Four
Part Eight

Dariad stood in front of the two girls, holding the crowd back with his screen. “Get the warriors and your cousin out of here, Hreid!” He glanced over at the ice warrior and saw him passed out on the floor, his heart friend standing over him protectively in her full gryphon form.

“Damn. Here!” He pulled the bracelets from beneath his cloak and pushed the fire one at the Flame Warrior.

“Thanks!” The girl pushed the bracelet onto her wrist before holding it up to the phoenix. “Could we get some help here, Bennu?!”

“Of course!” There was a wooshing sound as Bennu burst into flames and came to hover over her.

“Take this to the Ice Warrior!” Dariad held out the ice bracelet to the phoenix. “I don’t think his gryphon can stay in full form much longer without harming him.”

Bennu grabbed it and darted towards the unconscious boy. One of the mob attacking Dariad’s shield noticed the phoenix flying past. She turned and fired a metal feather at him from her wings. Bennu dodged, but the feather followed him and pierced his wing. He gave a piercing scream, plummeting to the cavern floor. His assailant hovered over him, flexing her steel talons.

“Aurea! Don’t!” he yelled. She ignored him and raised her wings to shoot again. Hreid ran towards them as Aurea gave a triumphant cry, sending a rain of steel feathers down on the helpless phoenix.

There was a blur and a glow sprang up around the injured bird, vaporizing the feathers as they entered. One or two managed to penetrate the shield but were blocked by the goblin ambassador’s body, who had somehow made it from her seat to Bennu in the split second after Aurea fired. She gave a soft cry as one of the feathers impaled her shoulder and silvery blood spread out from the wound. Trembling in reaction, she continued holding fast.

As the rain of feathers stopped, the goblin spun around to face Aurea. She held the glowing shield in place until Hreid grabbed Bennu and the bracelet and make a dash for Andrew. Only then did she sink to her knees, clutching her shoulder.

Dariad watched Hreid run with a frown until the Light Warrior’s soft voice interrupted him.

“I don’t suppose that you have my bracelet hidden under there?” She was restraining the Flame warrior, who was attempting to dash to her heart friend. “He’ll be alright, Lyd. We need to get out of here.”

“No, but I’ve already sent someone I trust to fetch it. I was fairly sure you were innocent. He pointed to a carved stone near where Alaryia had been sitting.”Push that. There’s an emergency tunnel behind it. Hreid will lead you to safety.”

He surveyed the riot again. “You’d best take the goblin with you. I need to exert my authority and it would cause an incident if she were caught in the crossfire. You and she aren’t sworn to me, so there’s a grave danger it won’t exclude you if you stay.”

“That sound ominous,” Karen murmered as she pulled her sister towards the tunnel.

Dariad scanned the room for Hreid and saw him and Faf ushering Alaryia, the Ice Warrior and his heart friend towards the hidden tunnel. Good. He watched until they disappeared inside and counted ten breaths while waiting to be sure they were clear. Then he closed his eyes and gathered the heart of the dark mountain to himself. He took one more breath and then released a portion of it through his voice.

“Stop this now!”

The air took his words and carried them throughout the room, echoing and growing louder and louder until one by one those involved in the attack were incapacitated by the noise. Several of the whimpering rioters were bleeding from their ears, while those who had remained loyal were unaffected. Dariad released the rest of the power and sank into his throne, rubbing his forehead tiredly. “I hate doing that,” he muttered.

“What shall we do with them?” one of the unaffected guards asked.

“Confine them to their quarters. We’ll question managable groups before the mirror until we know who’s behind this and can free the ones under their influence. Until then we can’t have them wandering around.” He looked over at Brita. “Can you make sure the warriors get suitable accomodation now that they’ve been exonerated?”

The Oread cocked her head as she considered the question. “The only spare chambers are in the lower reaches, sire, near the goblins. They’re nice enough and safely out of the way, but do we want them so close to those creatures? The dragons might have sent them here to attack the warriors.”

“There’s nothing to be done, Brita. I don’t think the goblins will attack them. We have something they want. And if that was their purpose, why would the ambassador have saved the Ice Warrior?”

“I… you’re right, sire. I will prepare the chambers myself as I am unsure who to trust.”

***

“He said what?” Valeria stared at Tonara.

“That Prince Maran was plotting against you with individuals he believed came from the Mountain King but didn’t.” Tonara shifted her brightly coloured wings in obvious discomfort. “I’m afraid his unicorn confirmed it, your majesty, and the Prince’s behavior was certainly guilty.”

“Not that bit,” Valeria said. “The bit about him… the bane of Elapyron City.” She struggled to stop herself sparking everywhere. “Come with me!” She led Tonara to one of the pools. “I wish I had a blood and truth mirror, but this will have to do. Breathe on it and imagine what happened. I need to see it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Tonara did as she asked. The water clouded and then reavealed the confrontation her troops had with the Dark Rider.

“I can’t believe he called a unicorn a liar!” Valeria said after it was done. “And it looks like Maran’s guilty.”

“You don’t seem that surprised,” Tonara noted.

Valeria gave her a sad smile. “I knew he was up to something. Alban saw him talking to Sirin and Huldre. “But I wasn’t expecting this.” She paused. “Core Guardians! But that human can fight. I don’t know how we’re going to stop him. I suppose we could wear him down, but if the rest of what he said was true I can’t spare the troops.”

“Not that they’d be much use if it is.” Tonara said. Valeria gave her a long thoughtful look.

“That’s a good point. But why did he and the traitor warn us? I’m missing something.” She paced up and down. “Maran and his known associates are confined until I can get to the bottom of this, but I’m worried he might have more followers in the woodwork. Maybe that’s why the Rider warned us, so this necessary paranoia would cripple us.”

“Well I’m certain of my convocation and Lextra is equally certain of his pack,” Tonara said.

I know, but that some of my own clan would turn against me, and worse plot sedition behind my back instead of challenging me!” She covered her face with her hands to hide her tears but knew her shaking shoulders betrayed her.

After a moment she looked up at Tonara again. The thunderbird was flapping her wings slightly in distress. “Can I ask you a favour, Ton? As a friend, not your queen?”

“Of course, Val.”

“Take Salia to your eyrie and keep her there until this is resolved. I’ll be happier if I know she’s away from here. You know how Maran feels about her, and she likes you.”

“I will treat your daughter like my own chick, your highness.”

“Thank you,” Valeria said. “Too many people think badly of her for her accident of birth.” She walked off to tell her daughter she had to go and stay with the thunderbirds for a while.

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Chapter Four
Part Seven

“Try not to get us in any more trouble, Lyd,” Karen whispered as Lydia rose to her feet.

Lydia glanced at her and nodded, then walked up to the mirror and looked at it. “How does this work, exactly?”

The king handed her the same slender blade Eyvindr had used and gestured to the mirror. “Just touch the mirror with your blood and tell us what happened.”

Lydia looked at the knife dubiously. It had been wiped clean, but… “That doesn’t seem  hygenic,” she said. “Can I use one of my own knives from my pack?”

The king rolled his eyes at that. “You humans are strange sometimes. Just do it, girl. There’s no risk unless you lie, I assure you.” He gave her a bland look. “I advise you not to lie.”

“She’s trying to stall because she knows the mirror will reveal the truth,” Hardmar said.

“Oh, for crap’s sake! And they’d only just healed.” Lydia gritted her teeth, slashed her palm open and slammed it into the mirror. “We did not kill your brother or anyone else!” The mirror’s surface warmed beneath her hand and she felt it drawing blood from the cut. Something else took the blood’s place and travelled from the mirror up her arm and into her head where it seemed to poke around before withdrawing back into the mirror.

The mirror rippled and their first meeting with Korrig flashed across it, followed by the incident the night before they reached the Ice Cave and their arrival there. The surface rippled again and Lydia watched herself emerge from the cave to find Korrig attacking Bennu. As the scene reached the point where it became obvious Korrig was being controlled there was a cry of denial from Hardmar.

“Lies! Huldre wouldn’t do that! He’s our friend!”

Lydia looked over at the dwarf and saw furious tears in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “But he did.”

“Liar! I won’t let you get away with this!” He drew his knife again and flung himself at her. She leapt aside  and he struck the mirror hard. It shattered violently, shredding his skin and sending shards flying throughout the chamber.  He ignored his wounds and swang at her again but a dark barrier sprang up around her and he bounced off it. She glanced over at the king and saw his hand outstretched in her direction. Before Hardmar could attack her again he was grabbed by two of the guards.

“Now look what you’ve done, Hardmar!” The king looked round at Lydia. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, thanks.” She looked at the shattered remains of the mirror. “But I think your mirror is a gonner.”

“Well, it’s not in good shape but I think we saw enough to exonerate you. It appears Huldre was lying to you, Hardmar,” he said.

“No.” The dwarf shook his head angrily.

“You’ll accept what someone shows you via dreamspeaking when there’s no guarentee of truth, but you won’t accept what the mirror says?” The king frowned and his eyes swept the crowd, which was still murmuring angrily. “And neither will they. They know better than that. This isn’t a natural anger.” He looked down at the shards of the mirror and scowled. “One person couldn’t do this, especially not at a distance. Which means there is a conspiracy in my own halls. I will look into this, but first I need to fix this. Now who to-” He stopped as his eyes alighted on Karen and a speculative look crossed his face. “Light Warrior, would you assist me, please?”

“Certainly, your majesty.” Karen rose to her feet and walked up the steps. “What do you want me to do?”

“Would you pick whichever of the shards most appeals to your heart, cut yorself with it and touch it to the wall where the mirror was, please.”

Karen gave him a long, thoughtful look. “I can do that,” she said finally. She surveyed the shards, grabbed one which had embedded itself in the wall near the goblin woman and let it slice into her palms. “Just touch this to the wall?”

“Yes.”

She reached up and touched the shard to the wall directly over his throne. It was sucked out of her hand and into the rock. “Hey!”

“Don’t worry, it’s supposed to do that,” he said. “Watch.”

The wall rippled and the rest of the shattered mirror was drawn into the now seething space. The surface rippled and bubbled a moment longer then gradually subsided to reveal the shining surface of the mirror, whole as if it the breakage had never happened.

“Woah,” Lydia gasped. She looked at Karen, who was staring at her bloody hands. She thought it was shock but then Karen looked over at the King. “Any chance I could get these bandaged?”

“Of course,” he said. “As soon as I sort out who I can trust here.” He turned them to face the crowd with him. “The mirror has searched these warriors’ hearts and found no duplicity. They did not commit any crime the mirror could find, let alone the one of which they were accused. Will you not accept the truth of your eyes? Unless, of course, one of you was actually there and will submit to the mirror’s scrutiny.”

No one volunteered, of course. Lydia scanned the crowd with her eyes and saw that about half the crowd seemed swayed by their king’s words while the rest were unmoved. She glanced up at him and saw he was scowling.

“Faf, Hried, clear the hall,” he said.

“Yes, Sire,” the two svarts said. They nodded to their troops. Only half of them moved to obey and as they did, the others drew their weapons and attacked them.

The King said something Lydia took for a curse word as an eerie screech echoed through the chamber. It must have been some sort of signal because those speakers who hadn’t accepted the King’s verdict surged forwards, weapons in hand.

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