Tara was not standing at the top of the hill. Worried, Alex hurried to the hilltop, and looking down the far side, he could see the stone wall that divided the land of the living from the land of the dead. There, about halfway down the hill, stood Tara. She looked confused and afraid, as if unsure which way she should go or what she should do.
“Tara,” Alex called softly, moving down the hill toward her.
“Have you come for me?” Tara asked as Alex approached. “Am I to go over the wall then? Does my mother wait there?”
“Calm yourself, Tara. I have come for you, yes, but not to take you across the wall.”
“But my mother is there,” Tara protested.
“Your mother is not beyond the wall, Tara. Your mother was half-elf and has gone to the halls of waiting with her people.”
“How . . . how do you know this?” Tara questioned as she searched the wall with her eyes.
“I know many things, and I know that if your mother was beyond the wall we would see her there now, waiting for you,” Alex answered. “Let go of your desire to find her there, before it is too late.”
“I . . . I do not remember my mother,” said Tara with a sob. “I can’t even remember her face. I hoped to see her here, but . . . there is nothing.”
“Your mother is alive in you, Tara. To see her, all you need to do is look in a mirror, or at your sisters and brothers. Your mother is alive in all of you.”
“Who . . . who are you?” Tara asked, looking away from the wall and sounding tired and confused.
“I am a friend. I have come to help you, but you must also help yourself.”
“I do not know you. Why should I trust you or believe anything you say?”
“We have never met, that is true. But your friends, Nellus and the rest of your company, have told me about you, and I feel that I know you.”
“Perhaps you know something of me, but that is no reason for me to trust you,” Tara pointed out.
“You speak truly, so to win your trust, I will tell you something of myself and how I came to know you.”
Alex told the story of how he and his friends had rescued Nellus and his company from the bandits. He also told Tara about his attempt to cure her and Nellus’s request that Sindar call her back.
Tara listened to all that he said, but she did not speak.
“Last of all I will tell you this,” said Alex. “I am a warrior and a healer. I am also a wizard. Because of this, I know and feel your sorrow. I have felt your sorrow as if it were my own. I know how much you wish to see and remember your mother. I know what it means to lose a mother, Tara, as I have also lost my mother.”
“You know much and say many things,” Tara replied slowly as Alex paused. “I feel that I should trust you, and I hope that you can help me. I feel so lost, and I don’t know what to do.”
“I will help you,” said Alex. “Seeking your mother here will do you no good, and your sorrow only weighs you down. You must let go of your sorrow, but remember your mother. Seek joy and fulfillment in life, Tara, as your mother would wish you to.”
“You speak well,” said Tara, turning to look back at the shadow lands. “I will do as you ask.”
“Then come,” said Alex, taking Tara’s hand. “We must return to the world of light and leave the shadow lands behind us.”
“They look so pleasant,” Tara said softly as Alex led her up the hill.
“Those beyond the wall find them so. Your time to cross over the wall is far distant. Now you must return and look for happiness in life.”
“I will try,” said Tara, her voice almost a whisper. “It will be difficult, but I will try.”
“Then you have already won a victory,” said Alex as they reached the top of the hill. “I hope that you will have many more.”
Alex opened his eyes and looked up at the concerned faces around him and gave them a weak smile. He turned, and after a moment, he spoke to the young woman by his side.
“Tara,” Alex said softly, squeezing her hand. “Tara, can you hear me?”
“Yes,” Tara replied weakly. “Where are we?”
“We have returned.”
“Returned? Returned from where?” Tara asked as she sat up, her voice growing slightly stronger. She looked at Alex in wonder and confusion. Her expression changed suddenly, as she looked wildly around for the bandits she remembered had attacked. It took a few minutes to calm her down, and as her fears vanished, the confused look returned.
Alex smiled at her and leaned forward. He whispered a few words in her ear, and then, sitting back, he spoke a single word.
“Remember.”
Tara looked puzzled for a moment, and then she burst into tears. She clung to Alex’s hand as she cried, as if afraid to let go. The members of both companies quickly busied themselves about their camps. For a long time, Tara continued to cry, and Alex did his best to comfort her.
“Thank you,” Tara said at last. “Thank you for helping me.”
“It was . . .” Alex began and stopped. “It was my very great pleasure to help you.”
Tara smiled and kissed Alex’s hand before letting it go.
Alex felt slightly embarrassed by the attention, but he said nothing. He felt sure that, in time, Tara would be able to let go of her sorrow and look forward to all that life had to offer. Alex gave Tara some privacy so she could recover herself to face her friends. He was relieved, even relaxed, and it felt like a great weight had been lifted from his own heart as well.
“You are most kind, Master Taylor,” said Nellus when Alex joined the others at the campfire. “We are even more in your debt.”
Alex nodded. He knew that Nellus and his company would honor him, but it seemed like a small thing. What mattered most to him was that Tara had returned by her own choice, and that he had been able to help her.
“Once again, you risk your own safety for others,” Sindar commented softly.
“What safety did I risk?”
“You went to the wall of your own free will,” Sindar answered. “There is danger there, even for elves, yet you went to help a woman you do not know and to whom you owe nothing.”
“I went because I could help. I chose to help Tara rather than let her cross the wall alone and before her time. There was little risk to myself.”
“So you say,” said Sindar, looking troubled. “But the wall is always a dangerous place for the living, no matter how strong they are.”
That night the companies ate together, and Nellus’s company made a point of thanking Alex many times for what he had done for Tara. Alex smiled and returned their bows, though after a while he thought it was all a bit too much. None of them knew the simple pleasure he found in helping Tara, and to him, that was reason enough to do what he had done.
The next morning, Tara was feeling much better, and the two companies rode forward together. Bregnest, insisting that they move quickly, had tied the captive bandits to their horses. Alex thought that was exceptionally kind, considering they were bandits.
They still had several days to ride before reaching Athanor, however, and the companies became friendlier as they went along. It turned out that members of both companies had common friends, and there was a great exchange of news and stories between them as they rode.
Alex welcomed the new friendships he made, though he noticed Tara seemed somewhat shy of him. He thought it might have something to do with his calling her back from the wall so he said nothing about it.
When they were two days away from Athanor, Alex noticed that several riders passed them on either side, well away from the road. None of the riders approached them, but Bregnest seemed troubled by their presence. The riders worried Alex as well, and he hoped that some evil had not already happened in Athanor.
Alex also wondered why Whalen still had not replied to his last letter. He had hoped to meet Whalen when they returned to Telous, but now doubts had entered his mind. If Whalen couldn’t reply to messages, what did it mean?
Chapter Eighteen
The Horn of Moran
When the two companies of adventurers were only one day away from Athanor, a group of soldiers met them on the road. The leader of the soldiers called them to a halt, riding forward to speak with Bregnest and Nellus.
“What business do you have here?” questioned the soldier.
“Our business is our own,” answered Bregnest. “Why do soldiers bar the road to Athanor?”
“No one’s business is their own these days,” said the soldier. “We are here by Prince Varson’s decree.”
“The prince cannot bar the king’s road,” said Bregnest, sounding surprised.
“Prince Varson has made a claim to the crown. Until the matter can be settled, we have been ordered to bar the road to keep aid from reaching Trion.”
“King Trion,” Bregnest corrected in an angry tone. “Trion is still king of Athanor, no matter what Varson claims.”
“You speak truly, Trion is king—at least for the time being,” the soldier replied, bowing slightly. “However, we have our orders. Now, give me your names and tell me what business brings you to Athanor.”
“I am Nellus, son of Norson, adventurer,” said Nellus. “My company and I are on a quest for Prince Varson.”
“Silvan Bregnest, adventurer,” said Bregnest, still sounding angry. “My company and I are on a quest for King Trion.”
“Very well,” said the soldier, looking troubled. “You may all ride with us to Prince Varson’s camp. I am sure the prince will wish to meet with Nellus and his company.”
“And what of myself and my company?” Bregnest questioned.
“You will remain near the camp of Prince Varson as”—the soldier paused for a moment, choosing the proper words—“guests of the prince.”
“Very well,” said Bregnest. “We will ride to the camp, but if we remain, it will be because we wish to remain, not because Varson orders us to.”
The soldier bowed slightly to both Bregnest and Nellus and returned to his company. He barked out some orders and the soldiers broke into two smaller groups. Ten soldiers rode in front of the adventurers, and the other ten rode behind. Alex thought the armed guard was unnecessary; if he and his friends wanted to ride away, there was little the soldiers could do to stop them. But Bregnest and Nellus seemed content to follow the soldiers, and Alex thought it the best course to take, at least for the time being.
It was early afternoon when they reached Prince Varson’s camp. The leader of the soldiers asked Nellus and his companions to follow him to Prince Varson’s tent. He also asked Bregnest and his company to wait where they were for the time being.
“I fear great trouble lies ahead for us all,” Nellus said to Bregnest in a lowered tone as they shook hands. “But we will not speak to Varson or Kappa of your company or your quest for any reason.”
Bregnest nodded to Nellus, who then departed with the soldiers. Alex and his friends dismounted and gathered together to discuss what had happened and what they should do next.
“It is worse than I feared,” said Bregnest softly. “If Varson has already made a claim on the crown, then there is nothing to stop open war.”
“We still have the Horn of Moran,” said Halfdan softly, looking at the company of soldiers surrounding them.
“Kappa will never let Varson try to use the Horn,” said Bregnest. “I’m sure he’d rather kill us all than let us take the horn to Trion.”
“We could cut our way through,” said Sindar. “Though I don’t like the idea of killing innocent men.”
“How innocent can they be?” Andy asked. “They are supporting Varson. They are all traitors.”
“No, they are not traitors,” said Alex. “They are deceived by Varson and Kappa. Even the captain of the soldiers we followed here seemed to be unsure of Varson’s claim.”
“We must do something,” said Halfdan. “If we wait here, we are no good to anyone.”
“Not necessarily,” said Alex, his mind racing with excitement as he thought his plan through. “If we wait here, someone will come to question us about our business—perhaps even Kappa himself. He knows about our quest; after all, he sent men to stop us in Norsland. I don’t think he will want anyone else to know about the Horn.”
“An accurate guess,” said Bregnest sourly.
“Suppose he makes us an offer for the Horn,” Alex continued. “He’ll want the Horn where he can protect it, and he’ll want us to go away.”
“That, or he’ll try to put us in prison or worse,” said Sindar.
“I don’t think he’ll try that—at least not until he’s tried to buy the Horn or bribe us away from the king,” said Alex. “If he makes us an offer, we should ask for time to consider it. We can tell him we’ll give him our answer in the morning.”
“So we buy one more night of freedom,” said Bregnest. “I don’t see how that helps our situation.”
“I’m coming to that,” said Alex. “Once he agrees to give us the night, he will leave us under guard. We wait awhile, and then I will ask the guard for an audience with Prince Varson and Kappa.”
“And what will you say to them?” Halfdan questioned eagerly.
“Well, if I can get them both together, I think I can convince the prince to try to use the Horn. I might even be able to arrange it so he will set up a competition between himself and Trion. That would be better.”
“Kappa will never allow it,” said Bregnest, shaking his head.
“You forget that I am a wizard,” said Alex. “If I get Kappa and Varson alone, I’m sure I can make Kappa say or do something to anger me. Once that happens, I’ll change him into a pig or something. Then I’ll be able to convince Varson to an open and fair—well, competition seems like the best word for it.”
“Clever,” said Bregnest, nodding his head. “And if your plan fails, we can still force our way through to Trion.”
“I hope that my plan will work,” said Alex. “I agree with Sindar—I would hate to have to kill so many innocent men.”
“It is agreed then,” said Bregnest. “We will try your plan, and use force only as our last resort.”
Alex was relieved. He hoped that the prince was as big a fool as he seemed to be and that Kappa was as evil as it appeared he was.
They waited through the afternoon, and, as Alex had suspected, Kappa appeared just before sunset. He was dressed in fine, blue robes and wore a long, golden chain around his neck. Alex could see in Kappa’s face that he was nervous and worried by Bregnest’s sudden and unexpected arrival.
“So, Silvan Bregnest, you’ve returned,” said Kappa with a sneer in his voice. “And you’ve brought friends with you as well.”
“I have returned,” answered Bregnest. “We wish to speak with King Trion about a matter that is important to him.”
“I am not surprised to hear that you would like to see Trion,” said Kappa. “But I’m afraid that won’t be possible, at least not for a little while.”
“So we are to remain here as prisoners?”
“As guests,” Kappa answered with a wicked grin. “Prince Varson does not wish to make you or your friends prisoners.”
“But we are not free to go.”
“And if you were free to go, would you?” Kappa asked. “Or would you try to reach Trion in his castle?”
“We are on a quest for the true king of Athanor,” answered Bregnest. “We would take him our news.”
“Ah, yes, of course. However, there is some question as to who the true king of Athanor is. Perhaps your news can wait while this question is settled.”
“Perhaps it can,” said Bregnest, his tone softening slightly. “Though waiting is often a tiresome and costly business.”
“Of course it is,” said Kappa with a nod. “I’m sure that some accommodation might be reached, if only I could be sure that you would not do anything foolish.”
“Your words hold some wisdom, Kappa. I would not wish to act the fool, nor lead my friends on a fool’s errand.”
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“You have never played the fool, Bregnest,” Kappa said in a sickly sweet voice. “Perhaps, if you and your company would make a pledge or take a simple oath . . . ? Nothing serious, just something to protect your honor from a moment of rash thinking.”
“Perhaps,” said Bregnest. “It would be foolish to rush off with so many questions unanswered. Truly, Prince Varson is fortunate to have you as his adviser.”
“You are most kind. Would you and your company be willing to take such an oath?”
“I can answer only for myself in this matter,” said Bregnest. “Let me discuss this with my companions who are not of this land. I think I can show them the wisdom in what you say.”