A single figure lay washed onto the beach, folded into the area where the recent storms had formed a sandy hollow. Wreckage lay scattered on the shore around him. Adrina ran to him. She knelt in the wet sand beside him and touched a hand to his cheek. She expected him to greet her with his warm blue eyes, but to her horror and shock, his skin was cold, cold and stiff with death.
"He is dead," Adrina said, "we are too late… Alderan? How far are we from Alderan?" Adrina grabbed Emel about the shoulders. "Where is Prince Valam?"
"Our party from Quashan' circled north around Alderan only a few hours ago. We expected to meet the column on the north side of the city, but we found nothing. His Highness sent our detachment north and another east to find the encampment. His aim was to proceed to the city outpost. Why aren't you with the column? Did something happen?"
Adrina explained as best she could what happened after Emel had left the column.
Emel swept Adrina up in his arms. Caught up in the reassurance of his touch and the warmth of his embrace, Adrina pressed her lips against Emel's. For a moment Emel returned the passion of her kiss, then he stood stiffly and turned away from her.
"No doubt Captain Trendmore is our traitor," Emel said, "and more likely than not, he ordered the column to turn north at the sea instead of south. I never should have left you… This is all my fault. I didn't listen to what the lady said and look what has happened."
"It wasn't your fault."
"What about my father's accident?"
"Emel, I don't think you could've stopped it even if you had been there. Now is not the time to dwell on the could-have-beens."
"Indeed," said a voice from behind Adrina. Startled, she turned to see a strange small man and a boy. They were seated in the shaded part of the rocks behind her, and she had not seen either before.
Emel immediately drew his blade and stepped between Adrina and the stranger. "Proceed with caution friend, I'd just as soon run you through as not. What are you doing here?"
"Same as you," said the strange short man as he stood. "We were drawn here."
"Stay where you are," warned Emel.
The stranger took a step toward Emel. His hands were raised and it seemed to Adrina he was unarmed. "Here is where the paths cross. The many become one for a short time," so saying, the man reached out his hand to Emel.
Emel lunged forward, his blade arched high, and then it plunged deep into the man's side. Adrina's scream came too late.
Vilmos stepped protectively across Xith's prone form and waited for the assailant to make his next move. He was angry and magic raged unchecked through him.
"We are friends, not enemies," Vilmos said, eyeing the two. He had seen the young woman somewhere before but couldn't place where. The face, the hair, the green eyes like jewels were all familiar.
The man raised his sword defensively. Vilmos felt himself losing control of the magic.
"Put away your weapon," Vilmos said.
"Emel!" yelled the man's companion. To which he responded, "Stay out of this, Adrina. I will let no one harm you." Emel turned back to Vilmos. "Tell your companion to get up none too quickly. Or I'll run him through again."
"Trust is a two-way path. Put away your weapon," said Xith, using the Voice to calm. Then he grabbed Vilmos' hand and said, "Control! Remember that anger and that hatred for another time…"
Xith gasped for breath. "The stones… in my bag, you'll find a sack with five stones, bring… it to me…"
Vilmos brought the small bag of stones but never looked away from the one who had attacked Xith.
"You are… swift… with a blade," Xith said through gasps, "we may soon… have need… of your skills."
Voices called out from the road now, "Emel, are you all right? We heard shouting? Do you need help?"
"Answer them. Tell them you are fine. Tell them you will be along presently…"
"We are fine," Emel shouted. "We will be along presently."
"There isn't much time. Gather round, gather round. You too, young princess." Xith winced from pain. "Vilmos, the stones."
"Are you dying?" Vilmos asked with the utmost seriousness.
"Your apprenticeship is hardly at an end. He barely grazed my side."
Vilmos looked down at the shaman's saturated robe.
"Even small wounds bleed and the pain is not in my side, it is in my head. Our friend there has had quite a trial. I shouldn't have attempted to connect to his mind without blocking the flow of feelings. Never have I been so overwhelmed by anything…" Xith winced again. "I needed to find out what he knew. Just as I needed to know about you, Princess Adrina."
"You heard everything we said before?" Adrina asked.
Vilmos turned to regard the young woman. Momentarily he was caught up in her great brown eyes.
"Seated there in the shadows, it was hard not to. Do not worry, your secrets are safe with me. As I said, and as my companion, Vilmos, said, we are friends. We were drawn to this place for a reason. Each of us has a part in changing the many paths, for here the paths converge."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Emel asked.
Adrina asked, "What of Prince William? Is that him?"
"Emel Brodstson, even the lady of the night knew the way of your heart," replied Xith.
Emel's face flushed red.
"No," Xith said turning to Adrina, "that is not Prince William… If I probed correctly, our friend's name is Seth. He traveled here across the West Deep from a place called East Reach… They were ambushed and only a few survived."
Xith adjusted Vilmos' hands and moved the healing stones. "The rest of his memory was rather disjointed, but as the other there is human and he isn't, I can only assume that some sort of struggle took place on this very beach, and here he lost his only other companion. We will know more when he regains consciousness, but for now we have more important things to concern ourselves with."
"What do you mean not human?" Emel exclaimed.
Adrina put her hand on Emel's shoulder, but he brushed it away. Xith said nothing. He only stared.
"By the Father, it is you!" called out a voice from behind them.
Vilmos turned to see an aged man dressed in a dirty black robe. One side of the man's face was swollen and bruised.
"How long has it been, ten… no twelve years." The man's expression became sullen. "Returned from under-mountain just as you said. I didn't want to believe it when I heard it yesterday morning."
Xith regarded the elder for a moment and then said, "You, Jacob, do not look well, and here I'd heard you were now King's First Minister."
Jacob said, "I should have known I'd find you at the heart of all this."
Xith smiled now, apparently at the other's expense. "I am merely one of the fools on the board. I hope I know my part and move accordingly."
"Father Jacob, you know him?" asked Adrina.
"Of course I know the…" Xith put a silencing hand to his lips and Jacob spoke no more.
"Do you wish to inquire about my lineage now?" asked Xith of Emel who still had his sword drawn, "Or do you wish to know of the fall of Alderan?"
Princess Adrina's eyes went wide. She turned to Emel and glared at him. "Fall?" she asked.
Father Jacob waved Emel's weapon away. Emel sheathed the sword then said, "All is well in Alderan."
"All appears well in Alderan, because that is what was meant. Do we argue now, or do we ride for Alderan?"
"We ride," said Adrina.