Tark sat back on the ground, tired beyond belief, but still unable to rest. The fate of Morgo, his most trusted advisor, was in the hands of Galena. He knew if anyone would be able to restore Morgo to good health, it was her, but even then, his chances weren’t good. What was worse was Galena ordered them to leave her in peace while she worked on Morgo. She clearly needed complete concentration. She also assured them she would come to them when she was done. In Tark’s mind, that meant he needed to stay close by.
He met with his remaining generals and found that many were hurt, but nothing major. Nina had a broken arm, Naradin a broken foot. Morak had suffered a painful burn on his arm from his own arrow. If Tark hadn’t been so worried about Morgo, he would have laughed at his old friend. Yeia and Zaza both suffered deep cuts to the face and Weila was limping badly from a sprained ankle. Other than that, the remaining generals were fine. Tark sent them out to find out the overall condition of the elves and to report back with the information as well as news from the patrols set up around the camp.
Elenio was sitting on the ground beside the tent entrance, where he stationed himself shortly after exiting it. He sat crossed legged, his hands on his knees, eyes closed, and taking even deep breaths. Tark suspected this was an effort on his part to help Galena, but he was unsure exactly how it was helping. When he asked, Elenio continued what he was doing and ignored Tark completely.
Tark sat next to him, more to rest than to give him company. He was sure Elenio would continue to ignore him even if he did try to strike up a conversation.
“I brought you something to eat and drink,” Taura said, bending down to hand him a tray laden with food and drink.
Tark smiled up at her, his eyes remaining closed. “How well you know me,” he said wearily.
“More like how loud your stomach is,” she said, sitting down next to him. “How is he?”
“Elenio or Morgo?” Tark asked his mouth full of cheese, fruit, and some type of bread.
Taura rolled her eyes at him.
“I don’t know.”
It had been several hours since he left the tent, a fact that had not escaped his notice. In the past when Galena healed them, mainly from injuries she caused during their trainings, it only took her a little bit of time. The fact she still had not emerged, did not bode well for Morgo.
“I don’t know if she’ll be able to bring him back,” Tark said quietly, putting his tray on the ground, his hunger disappearing. “He was beyond repair if you ask me.”
“I think the whole camp is waiting to hear. Everywhere you go you can hear muffled conversations discussing the outcome of Morgo, especially among the underground elves. Morgo was a very well-liked elf.”
“You know he fancied Venia.”
“Yes, and I think the feelings were returned judging by the progress she’s made. What this will do to her, I am unsure, for she wasn’t completely whole when we left.” Taura began to draw circles in the dirt, she was struggling to keep her emotions in check for Tark’s sake, but she didn’t fool him. He reached over and took her hand in his own. In turn, she leaned toward him and he wrapped an arm around her, bringing her closer.
* * * *
“Elenio, I need to know what’s going on,” he said quietly.
For the first time in hours, Elenio opened his eyes and focused on Tark beside him. “I don’t know. She has shielded me from her thoughts. I wouldn’t be able to provide the peace she needs if I knew what she was doing or how Morgo was faring.” Elenio looked around for the first time and noticing the tray of food on the ground helped himself to several items.
“You can’t tell anything?” Tark asked, not believing him entirely.
“Hasn’t Taura ever blocked you from some of her thoughts?” Elenio asked, before biting into a loaf of bread.
Tark had to think back and realized that there had been several occasions in which both Taura and he managed to block their thoughts from the other. It had always been when they had a surprise or were angry at each other. It was a simple matter of thinking of a structure encompassing their thoughts.
“Point taken,” Tark said dully, looking at the quickly disappearing food on his tray before he realized he was starting to feel hungry again. “Hey, get your own food!” He pushed Elenio’s hand away before he grabbed his third handful of food.
“I don’t want to leave this area and I’m trying to help Galena out here. Why don’t you go get some more and let me have this.” Elenio, ignoring Tark’s slapping hand, reached around and grabbed another piece of cheese.
Tark sighed and shook his head. He felt Taura’s shoulders shake as she silently laughed at the two.
“I’ll go get more food,” she said, calming herself before she sat up.
“Thank you,” Tark said wearily.
Elenio grabbed the tray from the ground and in record time, wolfed down the rest of the food. When he was finished, he lay it back on the ground and then resumed his meditation. Tark leaned back against the tent closing his own eyes, the events of the day finally catching up with him. The dark creatures had been so much more powerful this time around. It was all the elves could do to keep them at bay for as long as they had. Tark knew the intunerics fed Rau’s power, but he wondered if it fed every dark creature’s power and strength. It made sense that it would. He found himself vaguely wondering if there were any way Galena, with the Sword of Lumina, could destroy the evil stones. He would have to remember to ask her after she finished... He let his train of thoughts drop when the image of Morgo swam through his mind. Sadness filled him as he wondered if he would ever get the chance to talk to his inquisitive friend again.
“Tark.” He heard a voice call him from somewhere above him.
Opening one eye, he squinted up, not that there was much light to keep out, and saw Nina standing above him along with Morak, Fala, Naradin, Hasa, and Zaza. He realized Nina was the one who spoke and broke his concentration.
“How are the elves?” he asked, groaning slightly as he got to his feet.
“Most escaped serious injury although the majority has some minor wound to claim. Between Galena and Nigora, we will need several days to recuperate from that last battle,” Nina reported in her quiet voice.
“The enemy?” Tark asked, anxious to hear if Galena’s fire barrier was holding them off, especially when her thoughts were elsewhere.
“The patrols reported a couple of earagos thought they could throw some of the other dark creatures over the ring, but when the fire rose up to meet the flying enemy, they discovered they were wrong. It looks as though they have retreated back to their camp,” Morak reported, looking smug as he did so.
Well, that was one less thing to worry about.
“Have we heard anything on Morgo yet?” Fala asked quietly.
Tark just shook his head before looking down at the still, meditating form of Elenio. “She’s blocked Elenio from her mind, although she seems to be using him for peace and calm,” Tark said, still looking at Elenio and wishing he could see into his mind. Elenio grimaced at that moment, which caused Tark to crouch down beside him. “What happened?” he asked, panic in his voice.
Elenio’s eyes shot open, wide and tear filled. He stood and looked at the entrance of the tent, to see Galena emerge. Her face was tear streaked and her eyes red rimmed. She looked dead on her feet and staggering, she walked over to Elenio before collapsing in his arms.
Tears, hot and angry, fell down Tark’s cheeks as he remembered Morgo as he was. Wise and curious, always willing to listen to any crazy idea Tark proposed. He had fallen in love with the world above and was willing to go to any lengths to assure he would be able to remain in it. He had been the first elf Tark went to whenever there was an issue and he always had some sort of suggestion to help aid the situation. He’d guided them through the horrid underground world and joined the ranks of the elf army as soon as he was able. Morgo had been his calm when Tark missed his family the most and was so eager to learn any and everything in order to help them win the war. Could he really be gone?
Tark heard Nina sobbing softly and saw the tears in the other generals’ eyes and streaming down their cheeks. He turned back to Galena who was being held up by Elenio. There were no more tears on her own face and she appeared to be holding on to consciousness. Her failing gaze traveled toward the entrance of the healing tent, causing Tark to look in the same direction. A hand was pulling back the flap and in a slightly broken motion, Morgo stepped out.
Elenio looked at Morgo, his mouth hanging open as was every other elf surrounding the tent. Morgo stood looking at them with a knowing grin on his face. He wasn’t exactly the same as before. His grin was a little lopsided and his nose a little flatter. He definitely limped when he walked and his left side sloped a little. Nevertheless, it was definitely Morgo standing there, taking in all the dumbfounded expressions around him.
“Did we lose someone?” he asked, still grinning like a small child.
There was a collective gasp before everyone broke into wild cheers and laughter. Tark strode over to him and embraced the elf, whispering something in his ear.
Nina ran over to where Morgo stood, slamming into him when she threw her arms around his neck, causing him to wince slightly.
“Careful, I’m not sure if you know this, but I was just getting the grand tour of the Land of the Gods when I was called back.”
The result was Nina broke into more sobs combined with laughter.
Elenio still couldn’t take his eyes off him. He looked down at Galena and saw she had passed out. Which he expected with the amount of work she had done. It would have taken a whole fleet of elves to do what she did in several hours. He laid her gently by the tent where she wouldn’t be trampled by celebrating elves. He had something he needed to say to Morgo and it couldn’t wait another moment.
Walking over to Morgo, the other elves moved out of his way so his path was clear. Grasping Morgo’s forearm with his own, he pulled Morgo to him and embraced him. He spoke quietly so Morgo was the only one who could hear what he said. “I owe you my life. If it hadn’t been for you in that battle, I would have been the one visiting the gods and I’m not sure if I would have had enough strength to return. For that I owe you my undying gratitude.” Elenio pulled back, put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, and eyed him critically. “Whatever you need, I’ll do my best to help out.”
“I did what you would have done for me,” Morgo replied, his expression changing from glee to a more serious expression. “It is you and Galena that I owe everything to. She told me before we exited what you were doing so she could concentrate better. Without you both, especially Galena, I would not be standing here. You owe me nothing.”
Elenio embraced his friend once more, his relief so profound that it almost sent him flying. “It’s good to have you back,” he whispered.
“It’s good to be back,” Morgo said, the smile returning to his face.
“How do you feel?” Tark asked as Elenio took a step back and toward Galena. He bent over and scooped her up in his arms after assuring himself that she was only sleeping. He turned back to Morgo who was stretching his limbs in different directions to see if he had any limit to his movements.
“Stiff and some movements I have a feeling, will always be painful. My head hasn’t stopped aching, but after Galena explained what she did, I’m not surprised. It is also painful to take a deep breath, but all together, not bad from the ordeal that I heard I suffered. I’ll be curious to see if these new ailments stay with me permanently or if they disappear in time.”
Tark burst into a raucous laughter before slapping Morgo on the shoulder, causing the poor elf to wince again. “Of course you’re curious, it was one of the things I thought I would miss most about you,” he said gaily.
Elenio excused himself then while the other elves made their way toward Morgo, anxious to tell him how happy they were to see him on his feet again. He needed to get Galena to bed where she would be able to recover from the tedious task she’d undertaken. After getting direction from an underground elf, he found the tent they constructed for him and Galena. Using her dangling legs, he moved the flap out of the way and entered. Inside looked exactly as it had at their last camp with a couple of chairs and a large hammock complete with blankets. Gingerly he laid her down and covered her up thankful Mira took her dreams from her. He hated to think of the nightmares that would await her if the goddess hadn’t blessed her so.
Elenio pushed back her coppery hair and cupped her face gently, trying not to wake her. He felt the breath come and go through her slightly parted lips and sighed. He knew it was pointless to worry about her pushing herself too far as it never stopped her, but he did. This would be one of many times he would check on her often to make sure she was still breathing. Elenio pulled the blankets up and around her shoulders, tucking them in so that she would stay warm. Caressing her face once more, he pulled a chair over to the side of the hammock and sat down heavily on it.
What a day. What a year. To think it was almost a year ago when they had set out on this crazy quest. So much had happened, it felt as if normal was a lifetime ago. He watched her sleep peacefully, not wanting to leave her side until she regained consciousness. He thought of all they experienced on their journey; reliving the times he thought he lost her as well as the moments he had been most impressed and proud of her. Since leaving their village, Galena had become a whole other elf. She was always strong and beautiful, but now she was incredibly powerful and wise. She had learned more than any elf he ever knew in the shortest amount of time and had been through some impossible situations. She had grown into this incredible elf and through it all, she still loved him. He sighed thinking of their childhood and all the things they did together. Those were happy times and he found himself longing for them.
He awoke suddenly when he collided with the floor. He sat up gingerly, rubbing his head where he knocked it hard on the ground. He looked up to see if he disturbed Galena, but to his relief, saw she was still sleeping peacefully. She hadn’t moved at all from the position in which he’d laid her. Getting up, he found himself startled again, jumping slightly when he noticed someone else sitting in the room with them. It was Morgo.
“How long have you been there?” Elenio asked quietly, taking a seat once more.
“For a little while. I didn’t want to disturb either of you and it was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the quiet for a time.”
“Coming back to life not as peaceful as you expected it to be?” Elenio asked, grinning at his newly healed friend.
“No, it’s not,” Morgo said as he laughed quietly. “To tell the truth, I came here to escape from the others for a while. I do believe they feel I will disappear if they take their eyes off of me.”
Elenio chuckled at his friend’s attempt at humor. “What was it like?” Elenio whispered.
“What was what like?” Morgo said, looking intently at Elenio.
“The Land of the Gods.”
Morgo continued to stare at Elenio for some minutes, his expression never giving away his thoughts. “Beautiful,” was all he said.
Elenio nodded his head, understanding nothing more could be said about it. “Was it hard coming back?”
“I don’t think I believed I really had a choice. I just knew it was the right thing to do,” Morgo whispered. He shifted his intent stare to Galena’s face and his expression softened.
“You know before we came out or I should say as Galena worked on me, she continually talked to me. Most of the time, she would describe what she was doing, I think to help her concentrate, but also for my benefit. She also told me about the cave.”
Elenio snorted. “She hasn’t even told me about all that happened in there.”
“I don’t think she thought I would remember anything she said. You know, I have searched for the kind of love the two of you have. Don’t ever doubt her feelings for you. Remember this—she will risk her own life before she ever sees anything happen to you or any member of her family.”
Elenio looked at Morgo who was continuing to watch Galena. He knew this about Galena, he had known ever since she left the cave and he had never questioned her love for him. “The feeling is mutual,” Elenio said quietly.
“Mira took her dreams because of the images that haunted her from the cave. It was the only way to give her peace.”
“She would wake up screaming every time and then refused to sleep. It got to the point where I thought I was going to have to knock her out for her to get any rest. With the Sword of Lumina at her side, I would have had to surprise her to do that though. It was hard for both of us the first couple of days. Then Mira came to her and she’s been managing ever since.”
Morgo just looked at Galena for a long while, his eyes never blinking. “Her talking of the cave and what horrors it held for her, confirmed my initial belief about the two of you. Like some commitment partners, one cannot live without the other. The two of you fit this description. You do realize where I’m going with this don’t you?” Morgo said so quietly Elenio had to strain to hear him.
Guilt and shame welled up in Elenio and he couldn’t meet Morgo’s gaze. “I wasn’t paying attention for some stupid reason. I let the death of one dark enemy go to my head and quit looking around or keeping my guard,” Elenio muttered. He felt as though he needed to explain why he acted as he had.
“We would all miss you, but not even half as much as Galena would. You would destroy her and I’m sorry, but the fate of the elven nation rides on her shoulders. I’m not saying you did anything different than I would have, but please, be more careful with your own life.” Morgo finished. He looked at Elenio solemnly, but Elenio could not meet his eyes.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you, for not doing what I have trained my whole life to do, for forgetting what’s at stake. I won’t make the same mistake again, of that I promise,” Elenio said, attempting a grin as he did. “I can’t promise I won’t die and you can’t hold it against me if I do, but I won’t be so careless next time.”
Morgo returned the smile. “If it makes you feel any better that great brute caught me by surprise too.”
“Then why am I getting the third degree?” Elenio asked feeling slightly annoyed now.
“Because my death would not have left our sole means of survival shattered and completely useless.”
It was in that moment, what Morgo was trying to explain, became crystal clear. After Galena, Elenio’s life was the next most important life in the camp because of what it meant to her. He looked at Morgo and nodded his head, showing Morgo he understood now that guarding himself would save Galena in the long run.
“Now that this is behind us. Let me share an idea with you to see what your thoughts are on the matter. Tark brought up an interesting concept. Your dreams the night before, what did they consist of?”
Elenio was so startled at the shift in the conversation that he had to think for a moment before he could answer. He could remember they contained dark. In fact, he remembered being lost in the dark. He could hear elves screaming somewhere all around him and Galena moaning in pain, but he couldn’t find them anywhere because of the extreme dark. He told Morgo all this, to which Morgo just nodded his head.
“Your dream is like most of the other elves I have talked to with the exception of who the loved ones were that were calling out to them. That changes from elf to elf. All of this confirms what I believe Tark has figured out. The intunerics have haunted us while empowering our enemy.”
Elenio nodded his head in response to this. He heard Tark discussing that very idea with Taura while he had been meditating.
“Do you think it would be possible for Galena to destroy the stones then?”
“Yes, with the assistance of the sword, I do believe it’s possible. My only concern is how many would she be able to destroy at one time. There are thousands of stones and it would take her entirely too long to reach out to everyone with her sword to prick it. My question to you is this, have you noticed her strength has multiplied since she became owner of the sword?”
Elenio nodded his head fervently at this. Not only was she always glowing from the power of the sword, but also she had become even faster and stronger since she first touched it. He saw she was able to accomplish bigger things now, like destroying a huge section of the enemy using several different magical methods, something she had not been entirely successful at before. Sure, she was able to use lightning, wind, and fire to do damage, but never all of them at once.
“That’s what I thought too,” Morgo said, noting the fever at which Elenio nodded his head. “I wonder if she were to use the same blinding light she used to chase Rau away from our first battle; if it would work with the stones too.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Elenio said, scratching his chin while he contemplated the idea. “It could work.”
“That’s what I thought too. The best way to destroy the dark, even dark stones is with light,” Morgo said, grinning at Elenio as he did.
“One way to find out,” Elenio started.
“Yep, as soon as Galena wakes, we have her try it out.”