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May 10th
Merethyl, Eldren, and Simone bent over the map spread out on the table. “We only know where some of the ’stones might be. Six different houses agreed to guard the location of each, but not all have survived to pass the knowledge on.” Merethyl pointed to a spot on the map. “Elven Seers are working on finding the ones we lost track of. In the meantime, we need to start collecting them. The closest one was last being held here, in a pocket used by elves to send things back and forth without coming over.”
“So, let’s go there,” Eldren said.
Simone crossed her arms over her chest. “Hmm. Scouts have seen Aurelius’s forces heading that way.” she tapped one finger against her mouth. “We need to get there, but we need to be safe as well.”
“You have one of the latest ’ships right?” Eldren asked. “Why can’t we outrun them if they show up?”
“Because I’d have to leave you behind.”
Eldren wanted to scream, though it wasn’t because of a lack of understanding.
“What if we landed a safe distance away and used a fairy circle?” Merethyl said.
Eldren looked at her. “We’d need to know where the closest one is.”
“Not if I can create one.” She looked at him. “You don’t know how to make one?”
Eldren closed his eyes, suppressing the bitterness that lived in the pit of his soul. “I was thirteen when my parents died. They never taught me elven magic. All the magic I learned, I learned at Temple.”
Merethyl nodded, an understanding look on her face. “Many elves that became orphans were cut off from society the same way, so I’m not surprised. Not a problem. I can show you. I wouldn’t say it’s common knowledge, but enough can do it. If you can use magic, you can create a fairy circle.” She looked at Simone. “I don’t suppose you have any sort of map of the town there?”
“Let me see.” Simone turned and walked away to sort through map cases. “Ah, here it is.” She brought it over and smoothed it out, weighing it down at the corners. “It’s new, so it should be up to date.” She tapped one finger on a spot some ways back. “We can land here and shield. As long as they land over here. . .” she pointed to a spot on the other side of the map, circling a generous area with her fingertip. “We can get away, hopefully undetected.”
“What do we do if things go wrong?”
Merethyl looked down at the map. “There is a network of tunnels we can use here. It’ll take some work to find the closest entrance, but I can use magic to locate it.”
Eldren held his breath. All those years ago, all he could do was run. A part of him wanted to do the same here, but it wasn’t just Phae that would be in danger if he did. “Let’s do it.”
***
Simone activated the magic shield that would block them from prying eyes and sat the ’ship down in a clearing. Eldren’s throat was tight and painful as he and Merethyl got ready to leave. “Before you go,” Simone said, “Take this. Press this button if you get discovered. It’ll give us a chance to find safety. We’ll meet up with you when it’s clear.”
“What do we do until you get back then?” Eldren asked.
“Hide in the tunnels,” Merethyl said.
“Doesn’t seem like enough.”
“No, but it’s the best we can do.” She handed a pack to Eldren. “Don’t want to be caught unprepared.”
Eldren followed Merethyl off the gangplank and they headed away from the ’ship. Merethyl chose a clearing and kneeled on the ground, spreading her hands out. Eldren watched as she closed her eyes. In front of her mushrooms sprang up one by one. When the last one was there, Merethyl stood up and dusted her hands off.
“Come on. I put it a little outside of where the town should be.”
Eldren stepped into the circle with Merethyl. “Count of three?” he joked, smiling as she shook her head and disappeared. Eldren closed his eyes and followed. A moment of disconnect, of unreality, and he felt the texture under his boots change. The ground went from spongy grass to something hard and packed. Opening his eyes, Eldren saw they had indeed come around at the edge of the town. Merethyl was stepping outside the ring. He followed her. “What do we do? How do we convince them to give it up?”
“Leave it to me,” she said. “They’ve been told to expect someone to collect it.”
Eldren followed Merethyl. People turned to look at him, and it surprised him to see so many more elves than humans.
More people came out of their houses, and Merethyl approached one. “We’re here from Temple,” she explained. A murmur went up, and some people left, while others gathered.
“Come with us,” a tall, curvy elf said, her smile sad. Merethyl looked at Eldren and they followed her to a house where an older half-elf was sitting at a table. She whispered to him, gesturing at Eldren and Merethyl.
“You’re here for it, aren’t you?” he asked.
“We are.”
“Talk to me. Tell me how your journey has been going.”
Eldren shuffled around. “We don’t have time to socialize.”
“I took this job knowing it would be the last thing I was ever called on to do. The least you can do is humor me.” His words were calm, every day, and held no malice.
“Why would you accept a job that would kill you?”
“Many people do, and don’t realize it. How do you know your job won’t be the death of you?”
Eldren stilled. He hadn’t considered that. “What do you want to hear about?” he asked, sliding into a chair next to Merethyl.
“Tell me of the things you’ve done, and the path you’re on.”
“My parents were merchants who came here to try to help. They lost their lives in the process.” He swallowed. “We’re trying to gather the Godstones and rescue my childhood friend, who I fled to Sanctuary with.”
“She means a lot to you.”
“She never gave up on me, so it only seems fair that I return the favor.”
His face showed a world’s worth of understanding. “Loyalty is an excellent trait.” He looked at Merethyl. “What about you? Why are you searching for it?”
Merethyl drew up her shoulders. “I didn’t break things, but I want to help put it right. I might not be responsible for what went wrong, but it’s up to all of us to fix it, and I’m going to do whatever I can to fix what went wrong.”
He smiled, seeming to be satisfied with the answer, and gestured at the door. Eldren turned to see someone duck out. “You don’t have much time. They’re on the way here.”
“Aurelius?” Eldren asked. When the aging elf nodded, he leaned forward to speak. Merethyl put her hand on his arm.
“I’m sorry Eldren. We have to collect it and run.”
“We can’t just abandon them.”
The old elf cleared his throat. “This is why we live here. We all came here knowing this could happen.” He offered them a serene smile. “Follow me.” He led them to a different house and went into the cellar. He brought up a mechanical heart that Merethyl slipped into her bag. “Hurry, please. They can’t catch you.”
“There has to be something we can do,” Eldren whispered as they walked out of town.
Merethyl looked at him. “They lived there their whole lives to protect the ’stone at any cost. They’re fulfilling their duties.”
Eldren stopped walking and grabbed her arm. “You can’t mean that. We can save them.”
Merethyl shrugged him off. “They have their orders and I have mine.”
“You’re just going to let them die?” He demanded.
“It’s the last thing I want to do. But I don’t have a choice. If we lose this ’stone, it’s not a village. It’s the rest of the world.”
Eldren clenched his jaw. He could see the logic in it. But he also had to live with himself. “We have to get as many people to safety as we can.”
Merethyl looked at him, horrified, but after a pause, her shoulders slumped. “You’re right. We do.”
