~
Back in the room in her house Nar’Allia remembered a night long ago in this same house, when she had first seen that glow from the mouth of the quiver. When she had first suspected, but not really believed, that the ranger Serinae could communicate with her through the link made between this world and the voids. A link made possible in this world by the quiver. Nar’Allia had not met Serinae face to face since her childhood when she lived with her father in Tent Town, but they had communicated through the quiver. It was now in gentle anticipation that she waited for that voice, for deep down she knew that was why the quiver had been returned to her, she had been found once more and the great wheels of destiny where once more in motion, the gaming pieces had once again been spread upon the board and the players seated in eager anticipation of the first move. Whatever Serinae would say, Nar’Allia just knew her words would re-direct the course of her life and probably that of many others.
“Nar’Allia?” There it was at last, that unmistakable voice. The sweet T’Iea voice that disguised the real nature of the T’Iea woman who spoke. For Nar’Allia also knew that voice could hold both great anger and sadness, for she had gotten to know the persona behind the voice. It made Nar’Allia start, even though she was expecting it.
“Nar’Allia?”
Nar’Allia sighed, “hello Seri, it has been a long time, I’m sorry. I, well I left the quiver, your quiver in the east, I’m sorry, it was careless of me. I hope I haven’t made a mess of things through my unintentional delay.”
Serinae, giggled, a melodious sound. “Narny, do not fear, it is of no consequence. We can talk at last, that is what matters.” There was a moment of silence. “I have yearned for this day, I planned to tell you much, but time has reduced the list, for much has passed and many things I thought important no longer bear relevance to what I have to say. But now the time has come, I know not how to say the words.” But then the tone in her voice changed, it had become more serious as Serinae continued, “but do not fear Narny, my news, that which I have to say is not to be feared, although it may be the cause for some anxiety. It is about Minervar Narny.”
Nar’Allia gasped, so here it was then, the news she dreaded, the news she had convinced herself she did not want to hear. Serinae’s words came as if in a dream.
“I have to tell you Minervar yet lives. She is alive Narny!”
Nar’Allia was stunned by this news, she felt numb, felt removed, as if she was someplace else, as if her mind was somehow detached from her physical body, it was a similar feeling to that she experienced as she witnessed Minervar’s fall into the Rift, she felt the numbness spread, overtake her.
Lo’Rosse felt a deep concern, his wife’s face had gone ashen white and she had gone limp in his arms. For of course he could not hear what Serinae had to say, could not even know that she had spoken to Nar’Allia. He had only heard Nar’Allia’s side of the conversation. He supported Nar’Allia’s limp form and spoke her name over and over. Eventually Nar’Allia’s eyes flickered and focussed upon his face. “What is it? What has happened? He asked.
But Nar’Allia did not answer his question; she seemed to ask another, “but how? Where? How do you know it was her?”
“It was her Narny. Remember she has the bow? You tried to use it to reach down and save her? She made you drop the bow and she fell. You effectively gave the bow to her, relinquished it to her keeping. The bow is hers now Narny, she can use it. She doesn’t know it but the bow also can communicate across the voids using the ethereal arcane power that the artisans of old placed within it. Not in the same way as the quiver however, the bow is less effective, I can’t communicate in words through the bow. But the bow still says much, it directs thoughts, it understands desire and it will aid the realisation of these desires if it is able. Thus Narny, I detected her via the bow. I detected Minervar’s desire, her will to return to the lands she knows, return to you. I was blind Narny, blind to the various powers of these items. I used them of course, but I didn’t really understand how they really worked until I found myself here. There is more Narny, much more. This place, the place where I am, it is a hub; it lies at the centre of a great wheel. The spokes of that wheel lead to many places, places I had thought lost to us. The Rift Narny, it is like a highway for travel. The ancient fathers made it so. Long ago whilst you were in the east I used one such route to travel the Rift, I had to save Amndo, that same day that Minervar was lost. It wasn’t until much later I entered the Rift once again searching for answers. The Rift Narny, was originally opened by the humans for other reasons, but the ancient fathers adapted it for their own use. While I was probing the Rift, I quite by chance happened on a presence I knew. Perhaps on that one day she tried to use the bow. But her presence came to me. I was skeptical at first; I did not believe it was her. I thought that the bow had been found by another. I wanted to find out whom, for I feared that if the bow had fallen into the wrong hands then it may cause untold problems. But I did not have to fear, the bow spoke to me of her desire, it was Minervar. The bow told me things that only she would know. It spoke of the memory of you Narny and of Solvienne and Thorandill. I did not know that you had a brother and sister, it pleases me greatly.”
There was silence for a while, then Nar’Allia spoke in a small, shaky voice, “Seri, where is she?”
“I’m afraid that I do not know Narny, at least not yet. I don’t even think she knows. All I know is that she is alive and she is safe. I have been searching for her, the place where I am has great knowledge and power, but I need to learn a little more. The spokes I talked about are numerous and the routes are many and varied Narny. The Rift has been used for many things and still retains many capabilities. Part of it links to the place I am in; it also links to wherever Minervar is. I still do not know a great deal but I am learning. But Minervar lives and that is reason to rejoice. But that’s not all, Deanola the easterner, she is there with her, the Rift contains both of their presences. I am thankful that Minervar is not alone at least and has the company of another.”
Serinae thought for a while, Minervar had told her much, although she hadn’t actually spoken, it was Minervar of that she was certain, for the bow recounted times gone by, personal events that only she and Serinae knew of. The bow could do that, it linked to your desires, mainly it linked to the desire to aim and hit a target, which of course was its real use. Yet somehow other desires became mixed in somehow, over the many ages since the bow was made it seemed to have learnt somehow, fed upon these desires. Serinae then winced for in Minervar’s case these desires were tainted, saddened, they spoke of evil deeds and acts wholly against the purposes of Eny’Nin’Rel. Minervar obviously believed she had undertaken many bad things, made evil choices. Thought herself beyond redemption, beyond forgiveness. Serinae was deeply saddened, she wanted to explain it was not Minervar’s fault, she was not to blame. But Minervar believed she had no one else to blame? After all she herself had made the conscious decisions, not someone else. She alone had made those choices and put them into practice, she did not think herself persuaded; she believed she could have made other choices. It came clear from Minervar that she felt herself unable to shy from that responsibility.
But Serinae suspected differently. But was brought back from her thoughts by Nar’Allia asking, “but how then do we find her? How do we rescue her? We must try Seri?”
Serinae nodded as if Nar’Allia could see the action, “of course we must. But there is but one place that I can suggest the search begins. The only place I can think of. You must make the same journey Narny, there is no other way that I can see as yet for I am not permitted to make that journey. Minervar survived; there is every reason to believe that someone else may make the same journey in safety.”
Nar’Allia shivered, she knew of what Serinae spoke of, so she said almost under her breath, “enter the Rift”.
“Yes. I’m sorry Narny but at this time I believe the Rift holds the answer to the riddle, all the riddles. There is no ot
her clue. I can offer no other alternative, at least not yet.”
“But how then? The Rift is within the domain of the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran, it is well guarded beyond approach from anyone other than the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran themselves.”
Serinae nodded, again more out of habit than an expectation that Nar’Allia could actually see the action. “Yes, Narny. But, there are other dangers to using that entrance. The Rift in the east, the entrance within the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran city beneath the great portal stone above the Rift. You have seen it Narny, you were there all that time ago now. You witnessed the events.”
Nar’Allia remembered, she had been there, watched as Deanola battled with the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran gatekeeper – her mother.
I need to be careful Narny, there is something else, something resides still within the Rift, it is an evil presence, an ancient malice. If it were to discover where I am and be able to infiltrate this place then the additional knowledge and power made available to it would make the evil so strong that it could not be stopped. At the moment this place is hidden from it, the intelligence within this place protects itself and hides, but the more I use the Rift, the greater the risk of discovery, so my time is limited. I used the combined power within the Rift and the limitless power available to me from here once before and managed to free Amndo from the evil that held him. It was a great risk, the evil intelligence within the Rift, it was far weaker than me because of the additional power I can draw upon from this place. The evil recoiled, but it did become aware of me and it became curious for it hungers for power. Amndo was confused, he made me linger, but I don’t think the evil had the time to explore, I do not believe it found the pathway I used, I made sure of that.”
Nar’Allia recalled that time, she also watched as Amndo battled something unseen. He seemed trapped by the portal stone; something in the stone seemed to torment him. She had all but forgotten this because the battle between Deanola and her mother captured her attention.
Serinae’s voice again brought her back from her thoughts. “that same malice that inhabits the Rift there in the East. I think it is the evil that has perverted the hearts and minds of the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran. I believe it to be the same evil that infected the mind of your mother. That is another reason why I cannot risk entering once more. It was only the additional power of the place I am in that protected me last time. The malice is growing Nar’Allia, the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran seek to free it. They cannot be allowed to do so.”
Suddenly Nar’Allia’s attention was back fully on what Serinae had to say. “Wait, Wait Seri, what did you say?”
“There is an evil intent within the Rift Narny, I felt it, I battled with it. It tries to corrupt and to control. I do not know what it is, but I do not think it is a natural phenomenon, I believe it is a parasite, a pariah that has adapted itself to use the energies within the Rift. I believe Narny it is the force that originally corrupted the T’Iea and split our race into good and evil. I believe it is the presence that first corrupted the minds of the T’Iea and made them dark. There is something else, something of great importance. Nar’Allia listen to me, I believe that if we were to destroy the Rift and eliminate this evil, then we may free the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran from their slavery. We could return them to the light Narny!”
It was Nar’Allia’s turn to speak. “But if you destroy the Rift how will we rescue Minervar?”
Serinae spoke in a soft voice, a voice tinged with guilt and anxiety, “you must find a way. I can’t help you from here, at least not yet, but Narny I believe there may be alternative routes. I told you the Rift is a highway Narny, perhaps other points of the Rift join to the world, perhaps via another more convoluted route. I am sure something exists, in fact I’m more than sure for I used one such route to get to this place, I will try and get back using a similar route if they will allow me.”
“Tell me Seri, tell me what you know.” Nar’Allia bent closer to the quiver as if she wanted to make sure she caught every word even those that may be whispered.
Serinae thought for a while in silence, there was a place, a place she knew of. A place that someone close to her had used in the distant past. A secret door, a lover’s door, used for snatched moments of intimacy. But she was loathed to tell, it probably held many dangers, she wasn’t even sure it would still be there and if it was, then it was likely to be well guarded by now. But she could see no other way so she sighed and started to speak. “As I said, I will try and find a way from here, I’m confident that this journey is possible. But you Narny, you must look for another such a route in the world. There may be many more but there is one such place that I and someone I knew once used many years ago. You must look into the deep tunnels Narny, look beneath the city within the mountains, go into the lower halls, then into the ancient min ……”
Nar’Allia straightened. Serinae’s voice had been cut off suddenly. “Seri? Seri? Talk to me, Seri?” But there was no reply.
Serinae sighed, the seeing stone had dimmed. She turned. There behind her stood a figure draped in white and shimmering slightly, she could see through the figure to the wall behind. Serinae smiled in resignation she said, “so, I have overstepped the mark. It seems that some things you still want to be kept secret eh? Especially perhaps the thing you fear the most.” Serinae was not addressing the shimmering figure, for this was just a front, an acceptable glamor especially generated for her benefit. No, what she addressed was the immeasurable intelligence, the intellect behind the generated imagery. It may have been her savior, but frustratingly it was sometimes her main adversary, for it had ultimate control over what she could do. After all it was the main control and command system of the great technological marvel that had become her new home. But the most annoying thing about it was that although she was a part of the race that had ultimate control over the systems of the star ship, the ship itself seemed to think she wasn’t quite ready to take control. She hated being treated like a child.