ANWEN WOKE FEELING STIFF AND sore. Her mouth felt dry and somewhat sticky. And she tasted something rather exotic on her tongue, something she couldn't place. Looking around, she didn’t recognize her surroundings. It was some kind of cave. She tried to remember how she'd gotten there but couldn’t. The last thing she remembered was the sensation of falling.
Trying to sit up, she fell back against the sleeping bag someone had put underneath her. She resisted the urge to cry at her own inability to move.
What had happened? Why did she feel this way? At least the insane dizzy feeling hadn’t returned. But her body felt like lead, something she’d never experienced before. Despite her stubborn will, tears leaked out the corners of her eyes. The tears wet her hair, which seemed to cling to her neck like someone had poured honey on it.
Courtney stood at the cavern’s mouth, turning at the sound of gentle sobs coming from Anwen’s direction. She crossed over and knelt by the girl’s side. “Anna, you're awake! Tyler says you’ll be okay, promise. I’m sorry I was so awful to you earlier. Can you forgive me for being so stupid?”
Anwen turned to look at the babbling blond. “Tyler? He’s here? But I thought he left?” She tried to sit up again but failed.
Reaching for something to help prop her companion up, Courtney came across Anwen’s carryall. She helped the girl sit enough so she could slide it underneath the sleeping bag.
“I feel like this is all my fault,” Courtney confessed, “you being like this, I mean. The Fallen must have followed us from the village and I didn’t even sense its presence like I should have.”
“What are you talking about?" Anwen shook her head. "I just got dizzy at the Mill. That’s not your fault.”
Anwen blinked, flashes of images crossing her eyes. Tyler kneeling over her, yelling something. Tyler carrying her across a wooden bridge, looking anxious. Running underneath some trees. She tried to shake the pictures from her head. What was going on?
Courtney sniffled. “You’re wrong. Tyler told me how you saw one of the Fallen before reaching the Mill. He shielded you from its presence and let it pass. Once he was sure you were safe, he went after it and killed it.”
Thinking back, Anwen vaguely remembered the event Courtney described. Tyler had held her close, almost possessively so. It had confused and comforted her because she trusted him in a way she'd never trusted anyone before. Then, after several minutes, he'd left her.
“What's a Fallen?”
Settling down on the cavern floor, Courtney folded her legs to sit more comfortably. She didn't expect Tyler to return for a while and figured there would be no harm in telling her.
“A Fallen is pretty much what the name says, something that has “fallen” from its natural order. I guess you could call them demons of a sort. They're as close to them as you'll get without actually talking about the Revenants. Those are what most stories consider demons, though that's not exactly what they are either.”
Anwen's brows drew together as she tried to put together everything Courtney was telling her. “I've never heard of a Revenant.”
Courtney smiled grimly. “No. I'd be surprised if you had, just like the Fallen. They're both nasty creatures and can take any form. For Fallen, it depends on what they were before they came back from the dead. For Revenants, who knows?”
“Um,” Anwen blinked. “You're not talking about zombies, are you?” She hated zombies, even the idea of them, with a passion. They gave her the willies.
Seeing she was only confusing her friend, Courtney tried a different tact. “Let's just say that the Fallen are lesser demons created by the Mage Circle. They were used to hunt down any with Keeper blood in their veins. Part of the whole “exiled” thing to keep them from coming back..”
The word "Keeper" struck a chord in Anwen's mind. A foggy recollection of flying with dragons filled her thoughts. The white dragon had told her she was a Keeper, though she wasn't sure what that meant. Except that she had to open the Mountain somehow, with a key she didn't have. “This is crazy,” she declared.
“There's more," Courtney confessed. "I'm the one who made you almost fall off the Mountain path that day we went to the Ruined City. I used my abilities as a dragon mage to manipulate your fear. And I've been toying with you ever since because I was jealous.”
Anwen stared at the blond mage. “You jealous? Of me? Why?”
It was Courtney's turn to stare. “Hasn't it been obvious? I thought Tyler was making a move on you and got jealous. I've been chasing him for years, but he's never once really shown any interest. I thought he might like you because you're different, so I tried to get in the way. I'm really sorry about that." She bowed her head in shame.
“Um--” Anwen had a hard time not snorting. She had to blink a few times to clear her thoughts as she processed what Courtney had told her. With the assurance Tyler had given her about not settling, everything fell into place. “I'm not mad. But you're nuts.”
“Though I have been called crazy every now and again, I haven't heard anyone call me nuts in a long time,” Tyler said as he entered the cave. He carried with him a rather full camper's backpack. “It's good to see you awake again,” he smiled.
Anwen couldn't help but return his smile as she watched him put the pack down and rummage inside for something. “It would be even nicer if I could move,” she responded with a hint of impatience.
“An unfortunate side effect of demon poison, I'm afraid. I did what I could to purge it. Unfortunately, some damage was already done. But I hope this will help.” Tyler removed a canteen from the pack and moved to her side, propping her up even more so she could drink from it. “Just sip for now,” he advised.
Anwen tasted something marvelous with the first few drops. It was like warm butter melting on her tongue, but with a completely different flavor.
As the liquid coursed down Anwen's throat, she felt a sense of warmth returning to her that she hadn't realized was gone. After a few more careful sips, her whole body felt like it was glowing with heat. She savored the flavor on her tongue, which reminded her of flowers and sunshine. “What is that?”
Tyler recapped the canteen and put it back in the bag. “Dragon mead,” he said with a smile. “Should unfreeze your bones and have you ready to move in a jiffy.”
Courtney gave Tyler a wry glance, wondering how on earth he'd managed to get his hands on the substance. No one had made any for over a hundred years.
Many were the nights when she'd hear someone down at the grocery moan about the lost recipe and what they'd give to taste it just once. It was said to have magical properties, though no one gave stock to that rumor. But Courtney wondered.
With a little help, Anwen managed to sit up all the way and began moving her arms like someone with stiff muscles. “I feel like I've been pummeled, burned to a crisp, then had water thrown on me,” she confessed. She fancied the sound of crackling as she moved her frozen limbs. It felt like she was breaking some hold the ground had one her as she struggled to get up.
Tyler nodded, unsurprised by her comment. Chances were she wouldn't remember what had happened. Perhaps, one day, after this was all over, he'd tell her. He returned to the pack and started taking out some bread and other foodstuffs. “Why don't you help Anwen outside for a few minutes,” he suggested, looking at Courtney. “I'm sure she needs it.”
Courtney nodded, realizing what he meant. She'd had her own opportunity to clean up earlier and knew Anwen would want the same. Grabbing up her own backpack, she helped Anwen out of the cave, casting a quick charm to conceal them as they went.
By the time the two girls came back, Tyler had breakfast ready, eggs, toast, and slices of fried ham. Anwen played with the eggs and barely touched her toast.
The fire was still burning in the makeshift pit and she stared at it, imagining dragons flying around the flames. After what Courtney had told her, she had a lot on her mind. It took Tyler three or four times calling her name to finally get her attention. She look
ed up in half a daze. “Hm?”
Tyler met her gaze with his steady one, searching her eyes to make sure she wasn't relapsing. “I was saying we need to move from here soon. Even with the combined spells, it won't take long for the Fallen to find us again. Do you think you're ready for some more hiking?”
Anwen rubbed at her brow, wishing she dared rub at her eyes. She definitely didn't want to let him down. “Yeah. I should be okay,” she replied, then stirred her eggs around some more with her fork as she stared off into space.
Courtney glanced over at Tyler, silently asking if he really thought Anwen would be okay. She'd seen sleep walkers with better response time.
“This should be fun,” she commented, all too aware what Tyler's answer would be. But they didn't have much choice. Especially not after he'd discovered another Fallen that morning. It had been quickly dispatched and buried.
Tyler poked at the embers with a stick. “I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of checking you out of the inn this morning. I thought it would be best if the locals thought you'd left town. That might give us a bit more time, though one can never be sure.”
After the second Fallen had attacked camp, he'd left Courtney in charge and sped back to the village. Concealing himself to appear like Anwen, he'd checked out of the hotel. He'd taken her belongings to his own abode, citing she'd received word of an emergency back home.
Madame Millard had been a bit suspicious but had let it pass. Knowing she was in the Mage Circle, Tyler could only hope she hadn't seen through the glamour.
Anwen nodded. Even though she hadn't had to deal with Madame Millard more than the once, the woman gave her the willies. “I'm okay with that,” she confirmed. “It's not like I spent much time there anyway.”
Breathing a small sigh of relief, Tyler began to clean up, putting away the extra food. “I wish we had more time than we do, but we don't,” he said, turning Anwen's uneaten meal into sandwiches. His tone was more serious as he turned towards her. “I’d say, at the most, we have three days to open the Mountain before all hell breaks loose; one and a half at the worst. But, before we do that, we have to find the key.”
Tyler turned to Anwen, eyes earnest yet serious. “You wouldn't happen to have it on you, would you?”
Anwen blinked in confusion as she shook her head. “I have no idea. Someone told me I already have what I need. I don't remember there being anything about a key that opens a mountain. The only important things I brought with me were my grandmother's diary and the pendant.” She put a hand to her chest, realizing the usual pressure of its presence was missing, along with her father's ring.
Seeing the panic start to set in, Tyler pulled the two chains from around his neck and gave them to her. “Here. I tried to keep them safe for you. I almost forgot I had them.”
Glimmers of light from the dying fire caught on the many facets of the cobalt gem dangling from the pendant. It cast a blue glow over the cavern. It reminded Tyler of that first night with Anwen. The girl had seemed to glow with the same light after they'd watched the dragon boats.
He had half a notion to believe the piece of jewelry was somehow the key they were looking for, but dismissed it. The shape was wrong.
Anwen took both chains from his hands and put them around her neck, concealing them underneath her shirt. “I had a dream about dragons,” she confessed, thinking about the outstretched wings of the pewter figure.
Courtney looked up from scrubbing the cooking pans clean, swinging her hair to one side so it was out of her face. “Lots of people dream about dragons here,” she commented.
Pretending to not have heard her, Anwen stared at the glowing embers of the fire. “One of them told me I was a Keeper. Courtney also mentioned the term. What does it mean?” She looked at Tyler.
Tyler finished repacking his backpack and straightened to stand. “A keeper is someone who keeps or guard something,” he answered carefully. “As far as these mountains, and the legend of the dragons go, a Keeper is also known as a Key Keeper. He, or she, is one who has been entrusted with a Key to Tarragon. They were also the mortal guardians of the Dragon Realm.”
Anwen swallowed. “Oh.” She brushed off the few crumbs on her clothes and took up her carryall. “I guess we'd better get going then.”
Courtney finished with the dishes and put them away with the other camping equipment. They'd be traveling light, despite using the less known paths Tyler knew. She'd wanted to take the extra pans with her but had been persuaded that they were not necessary. “Fine by me,” she agreed.
“Let's go,” Tyler said, leading them from the cave. “We'll be staying as close to the Lake as possible until we reach our next camp. Once there, I’ll try to answer any other questions. But if we don't head out now, we won't reach it by nightfall. I don't think any of us want to contemplate what might happen if we don't.”
Anwen held back for a moment, thinking about everything she'd heard that morning. The others stopped to look at her questioningly.
“There's one more thing I need to do before we go,” she explained as she walked towards Courtney, holding out her hand. “I just wanted to officially introduce myself. I'm Anwen, Anwen Porter. It's nice to meet you.”
Looking down at the peace offering, Courtney couldn't help but feel surprised. She took Anwen's hand and gave it a firm shake. “Courtney Willis,” she replied.
Smiling, Anwen moved forward, coming abreast of Tyler. “Now we can go.” Instead of stopping, though, she continued forward, leading the way.
SIXTEEN