33. NO WAY SOUTH

Nyomae had spent a restless night on the small bed in Abernost’s vault. Her mind had refused to settle, denying her the sleep she so desperately required. Reading the last pages of Draegelan’s notes had pushed her to the limit of her endurance, and the edge of sanity. Had she the time, Nyomae would have given herself months to prepare for what came next. But she had just days, and those would be spent on the road.

In the middle of the night, she had tried once more to find Idraman in the Verses. Standing at the top of Abernost’s Round Tower, she had faced the white peaks of the Caerwals peering above the horizon. Like the Kolossos, Nyomae believed they were raised by the gods in their battles, long before the Maidens saw fit to bring the Elorym into their world. Despite her recent advances, the Caerwals still hampered her attempts to enter the Verses of the south. Yet, Idraman had found a way to overcome the barrier when he had found Hope on the hills overlooking the Foranfae. But his voice had been as a crude weapon, bludgeoning all those who stood in its path. Nyomae had tried many ways to penetrate the jagged slopes, only to be met by a cacophony of sound echoing back from the wall. Too many voices overwhelmed the Song, leaving an exhausted Nyomae to concede defeat. She had retired back to her bed, but if she had hoped to sleep, the sudden appearance of the warlock in Toryn’s Verses, startled her awake. Mercifully, he had survived the encounter, offering her some comfort in the dark hours.

Nyomae had risen before the sun, unsure whether she had slept. But she could not afford even a few hours delay. She nudged her horse through Abernost’s gate and onto the road north. Not for the first time she felt envious of the befuddled woman, a young man had named Hope. Back then, she had wandered the land, oblivious to the troubles of the realms. Her time in the shadow had served to heal the hurt inflicted upon herself from reciting the dreaded Verse at Gormadon. But the Nym had been right — now she must heal others harmed by her action. To achieve that, Nyomae had to negotiate the path through the Song where even Draegelan had hesitated. He believed what he sought lay deep in Elorym Lore, a key to reveal the meaning of the last line of Aber’s Verse. Yet, to take that path, Nyomae had to enter the place that had driven their greatest Archon to madness. She had to find a way into Telamir Tower.