Chapter 17
The Dragon’s Tooth
Echo gasped as her memory jogged. Her mother had mentioned seeking a Fate when her brother had died. What had she said about it? Echo couldn’t remember, but in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn’t good.
She continued reading. Her mind’s eye was clear as her lips formed the elvish words into an excited whisper. She automatically translated their meaning, ‘On the frozen edge of a Dragon’s Tooth, resides the maiden of power. Give her a gift pure and true, and she will alter your darkest hour.’
Echo’s heart and mind raced. This is it! This is the answer--I can go to the Fate and change what happened to Brecker! Echo quickly skimmed over the rest of the writing. The usual warnings concerning dealings with magical beings were listed--warnings that seemed trivial at the moment. All Echo could think about was changing the past and saving Brecker and everyone who’d suffered because of her mistakes.
After she finished reading, Echo rolled the scroll up tightly and tucked it into her sleeve. She didn’t know how or when, but she’d have to sneak away from Thildin and get to the Dragon’s Tooth. A sliver of guilt and fear pricked at her stomach. She knew she’d cause a lot of worry if she didn’t let anyone know what she was up to. She also knew that if she told anyone, they wouldn’t let her go.
Traveling to the top of the mountain could take a couple days, she thought. She’d have to camp out--in the dark. That thought alone nearly deterred her from wanting to seek the Fate. Her determination to correct her wrongs overrode her fears. She’d been to the base of the mountains with her family many times. The journey from Thildin to the base only took a couple of hours. She really had no idea how long it would take to climb the mountain. Although, she knew someone she could ask.
The next day, Echo cornered her dad in the horse pen and, trying to sound as if she were only starting casual conversation, asked some questions. “Dad? How long did it take you to climb the Dragon’s Tooth?”
Oran looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He rubbed the withers of a black filly thoughtfully. “Uh, well, I came at it from the opposite direction from here, not that it matters. I’d say the mountain is pretty much the same on both sides. Maybe a week or so.”
A week? Echo gulped. “Are you sure you’re remembering right? I mean, it doesn’t look all that big.”
Oran laughed. “It doesn’t look big until you’re climbing it. Why do you want to know?”
Echo fidgeted with her braid. “Oh, just curious,” she said and then brushed Shimmer’s mane. Oran had told his family at least a thousand times how he’d climbed the Dragon’s Tooth and saved Finear, the stallion, from a shadow dweller’s trap. But there were details that Echo needed to know more about. “How did you eat? Where did you sleep? Were you alone that whole time?”
Oran chuckled at her surge of questions. “You have to remember, I was accustomed to traveling alone by then. I’d been exploring Shae Vale for several years already. I hunted for my food. There are always fruits and edible plants and small game around. And, one is never alone in this country. I had plenty of company the whole way--welcomed and unwelcome alike.”
Echo brushed Shimmer’s mane as worry began to eat away at her plans to seek the Fate. Even with all of her training, she’d never done any serious traveling. And she was certainly no hunter, although if she could stomach it, she had enough skill to keep herself alive.
And there was still the question of the dark nights. As she brushed Shimmer, she relayed her ideas to her horse through a series of images and emotions. Shimmer turned her head and gazed at Echo with one of her shining eyes. The horse’s thoughts portrayed excitement and adventure. She was ready for the challenge.
Okay, then. We just need to figure out how to sneak away from here--and when. The sooner the better.
Two days passed as Echo racked her brain for a plan to escape Thildin. So many obstacles barred her way; she was never alone--elves wandered everywhere and Dorian and her family weren’t eager to let her out of their sight. Also, the elves’ protective shield shimmered every time someone entered or exited the area. She couldn’t sneak away at night for the usual obvious reason, and also for fear of being hunted by her brother. Finding a hiding place for the provisions she’d packed away was no easy task, either. Every time she thought she’d found a convenient spot, someone would get too close for comfort and she’d have to move them again.
It was finally Shimmer that helped things move along. The horse had been in a right state ever since Echo had relayed her ideas of traveling the Dragon’s Tooth. Shimmer was getting impatient, causing Echo to become more tense. It was another blustering day--she was beginning to wonder if the wind had anything to do with Belzac’s summoning army members--when Shimmer connected with her thoughts; she wanted Echo to get to where she’d hidden the small bag of provisions and wait.
Echo’s stomach tightened. She tried to act casual as she fought against the wind and walked to where she’d hidden her pack in an empty hollow of a tree. Several elves nodded to her as they passed. She tried to smile and nodded a greeting in return, hoping her fear wasn’t written all over her face.
A sudden commotion drew her attention. She couldn’t see what was going on, but a lot of shouting and distant whinnying reached her ears. Echo’s heart dropped when she saw Dorian striding toward her.
“Echo, the horses have left the protected area and are racing north across Thildin Valley toward Silmah. Can you contact Shimmer and find out what is going on?”
Echo didn’t trust herself to speak, but did as Dorian asked. Shimmer relayed a series of images. Echo was first shocked, and then amused at what her horse was telling her. It was difficult to keep from smiling. Shimmer had riled up the herd, feeding them with her own heightened eagerness for adventure. She was the cause for their sudden break-out. Even Finear seemed to be absorbed in the excitement. They’d all been held captive too long.
Clearing her throat, Echo tried her best to hide what she could while still being honest with Dorian. “They were all tired of being confined. They missed running through the valley. They’re a bit riled up. I don’t know if they’ll calm down easily.”
Shimmer relayed to Echo that she was on her way back. The rest of the herd was still racing wild through the valley. Dorian gazed at Echo so long she thought he had seen through her and read her thoughts. He finally spoke, “Well, we cannot let them race about. Not with Belzac loose. Try to urge Shimmer to come home. We will get the rest. I will ask for your dad’s assistance. If the stallion can be persuaded to return, the rest of the herd will follow.”
Echo nodded and then watched Dorian race into the trees toward Thildin Valley. Her heart throbbed so forcefully, she was certain any being within a ten mile radius could feel it. She quickly tied the note she’d written that assured everyone she was well and would return as soon as possible to a tree. She’d briefly explained that she’d found a way to help Brecker, but left out any details.
Although Echo knew that Shimmer was close, she jumped when the horse suddenly appeared from between the trees where she stood. She leapt onto her back and the two of them ducked between trees, racing the opposite direction that Dorian had gone. Echo glanced behind her, making certain no one had seen her. The howling wind muffled any sound they made as it pushed them toward the edge of the trees surrounding the city. All the elves were pre-occupied with the escaped horses.
As they neared the protective barrier, Echo hesitated. The barrier shimmered constantly from elves leaving in pursuit of the horses. This is it. Once we pass this spot, we can’t turn back.
Shimmer snorted and leapt through the barrier without Echo’s command. Echo held tightly to Shimmer’s mane as the horse burst into a flat out run. Shimmer was fast before, but with the wind at their backs, her speed was blinding. Echo barely saw their surroundings as they whizzed past.
Horse and rider flew through the forest that led
to the Diern Badlands. Upon reaching the sandstone hills of the badlands, Shimmer slowed only slightly as they made their way down one of the innumerable crevices that had formed from wind and rain between the amber-colored hills. At the base of the badlands Shimmer resumed her maddening pace over the stretch of prairie that led them to the mountain. As Thildin grew further away, Echo relaxed just enough to enjoy the ride.
What had in the past taken Echo and her family two hours to travel only took Shimmer forty-five minutes. They were at the base of the Dragon’s Tooth long before Echo thought possible. Shimmer’s sides heaved only slightly. She conveyed to Echo that the wind had carried her, allowing her to conserve energy. Finally, something good came from the incessant wind! Echo thought.
Dismounting, Echo allowed Shimmer a short reprieve. She stared at the mountain looming before her like a giant, jagged tooth. Birch trees covered the lower part of the great rock, their white trunks gleaming in the sun. Further up, white stone shone through thick evergreens that housed creatures Echo could only imagine, and the upper part of the mountain was hidden in a low hanging cloud. Echo had thought the mountain mysterious and beautiful before. Now, with the task set before her, the mountain seemed dark and frightening.
Echo forced herself to think of one moment at a time. Right now, she and Shimmer just needed to get as far up the mountain as they could. The more distance between them and the elves, the better. They could track and travel faster than anyone she knew.
The companions traveled fast and hard for the rest of the day. The wind helped to push Shimmer up the steep incline of rocky earth, but the sharper angle took its toll. Near the end of the day, Echo walked beside her steed, allowing Shimmer some rest. By nightfall, both horse and human were exhausted.
Pulling the pack from her waist, Echo brought out the few provisions she’d brought: a warm blanket made from the elves’ magical weavers--the material was thin, but could keep a person as warm as wool on chilly nights; a few bits of fruit and nuts, which she nibbled on as Shimmer grazed next to her; and extra clothing for when she reached the snowy part of the mountain.
In spite of the calmed wind, Echo shivered and hugged her arms as the chill and darkness closed in around her. Shimmer nickered softly and grazed so close, Echo could hear every blade of grass the horse’s sharp teeth snipped.
Trying to distract her fear, Echo looked at the sky. Millions of stars winked down at her like sparkling elves’ eyes. The thought brought comfort--and remorse. She felt guilty running out on everyone like that. But it had to be done. She shivered again as thoughts of Brecker and other shadow dwellers lurked in her mind. Crickets chirruped loudly and an owl hooted mournfully in the nearby branches of a pine tree. The eerie howl of a wolf echoed through the stillness.
I wonder how far we went today, Echo thought as she absently reached out and touched Shimmer’s leg for comfort. She suddenly felt homesick as she noticed small dots of light in the valley below. The three villages speckled along the rivers and the lights of Thildin blinked between the thick trees like stars. They were all so far away.
Shimmer groaned and lowered herself to the ground, curling her body as best she could around Echo, who leaned into her horse, grateful for her company and warmth. She knew Shimmer’s instincts were sharp--her friend would protect her from anything she could. And Echo would protect Shimmer if she could. Neither was alone. Still, Echo wished she could dig a hole under her horse and hide. She kept her daggers strapped to her back and the remaining contents of her pack stuffed inside the bag and tied to her waist in case they needed to depart suddenly.
Snuggling with her side against her horse and pulling up the elf blanket to her chin, Echo drifted into a light sleep.
She dreamed of Keebo. His face was so clear, so real. She felt guilt attack her belly. She’d been so hard on him for not being honest with her. And now, she had left without so much as a clue to her friend what she was doing. He stared at her in her mind, showing his pain at her betrayal. He stepped toward her. A branch cracked under his foot…
Echo jolted awake. Shimmer snorted as her ears pricked forward. Their two hearts drummed a quick rhythm--the snapping twig hadn’t just been in Echo’s dream. Someone or something was close.