Magic Astray (The Llandra Saga) (8 page)

“Why do you keep calling it Berry?” Nia asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “I am not familiar with that name from any human lore that I have ever studied.”

“Well, that’s his name,” Randall said. “At least, that’s the name I gave him when we met. He didn’t seem to have any objections.”

“When you met?” Nia asked, her eyes growing wide.

“Well, yeah,” Randall replied. “We traveled together for a long time. I thought he was my friend. But he wasn’t acting like himself back at the chief’s house. It just wasn’t like him at all. Wait! That’s it! Maybe the donnan at your chief’s house wasn’t Berry!”

Nia shook her head. “There is only one Old One. It was the first to cross over when the barrier was weak, and through its efforts, the rest of the fae followed. The elves, the dwarves, dragons, and all manner of our kind crossed over until your people learned to touch Llandra and wield magic to close the veil.”

“But then why would he attack me like that?” Randall asked, frustration causing his voice to rise. He sounded just like a whining child, but he didn’t care. Berry was his friend. Or so he had thought, anyway.

“Perhaps he was only using you,” Nia answered gravely. “While we were in the shield, Mamaeth explained that a human Mage had created an artifact called the Passage Device. Such a device, properly charged, weakens the veil and allows our kind to pass over at will.”

Randall had heard the same information in the chief’s house, but he wasn’t quite ready to let her know of his new-found ability. Maybe someday he would, when he understood it more fully himself, and after she had proved herself to be a friend. But until then, it was best to keep his secret to himself.

“Why is that such a big deal, anyway,” Randall asked. “Don’t Summoners call forth the fae all the time?”

Nia made a face of disgust. “Yes, but that kind of magic is limited. A summoning can only last for a short time, and the fae must abide by the Mage’s wishes. With the Passage Device, our kind can slip the veil freely, and stay indefinitely. Mamaeth plans to find the device and use it to open the barrier. It will be war with your kind.”

“You think you’d be happy about it. You don’t sound exactly thrilled,” Randall observed.

“It’s true, I have no great love of your kind,” Nia explained in a serious tone. “But I have no hatred toward you either. I was not born yet when the first Great Crossing happened, but our legends do not describe it as a time of war. If such a thing were to happen today, I fear it would mean the extermination of your kind. That Rhys would even consider it shames me, and brings discredit to our entire people. I am certain that many of my people would feel the same, though as long as Rhys is in power, they are duty bound to follow his command.”

“Then we agree,” Randall said grimly. “We have to stop Rhys and Berry. If we somehow manage to escape the forest, we’ll go to Ninove. That was Aiden’s seat of power. He has got to be the Mage that Berry mentioned, and the device is almost certain to be there. And in Ninove, there are many Mages that will help us.”

Nia looked frightened. “I grew up in these forests, and have spent many years learning their secrets, but I have never been beyond their borders. Will it be safe? I do not think our kind has ever stepped foot in one of your cities in all our recorded history.”

“I’ll keep you safe, Nia,” Randall promised. “I’m sure they’ll listen to me. I have a reputation among my people. You see, I’m the one who killed Aiden.”

Nia gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. “Surely you’re joking. Even we had heard of that powerful Summoner in Dyffryn. And you’re just a...”

“Yeah, just a boy,” Randall snorted. “That’s the same mistake Aiden made,” he said, with false bravado. With all that he had accomplished, he was tired of still being underestimated.

“And you fought him by yourself,” Nia asked, breathlessly. “That seems very brave.”

“Well, I had help,” Randall had to admit. “Berry was with me. But Aiden wasn’t alone either. He had a few Mages with him, and he summoned these huge dog-looking things with porcupine quills for fur.” Randall shuddered at the memory.

“Aether-sniffers,” Nia breathed, and she shuddered herself. She had used the elvish word for the animals, but the meaning was clear in his mind. “They are very dangerous animals,” she said, putting her hand on Randall’s arm. “I am glad you lived.”

“I’m glad too,” Randall replied distractedly. An idea was bubbling its way to the surface of his mind, and suddenly, it burst with the gleam of clarity. “It makes sense! If Berry was after the Passage Device, then he was just using me to kill Aiden so he could get to it.” It hurt to realize that everything his mother had said about the donnan was true, after all.

“But then why didn’t it kill you and seek the device once the Summoner was out of the way?” Nia asked, confused.

“We were both hurt pretty bad after the fight,” Randall answered, thinking quickly. “Though I was hurt more than he was, and had lost my ability to summon magic. Maybe he needed me to help him search the city, or maybe he needed time to heal himself. I just don’t know, and it’s not like I can ask him.”

“Perhaps you will get your chance, after all,” Nia whispered hoarsely, her back stiffening as she looked at something off to Randall’s left behind the shelter.

Whirling in place, Randall scanned the forest to find what she meant. “Berry!” he swore, before he could stop himself. The donnan was at the edge of the clearing, rapidly skittering toward them.

At Randall’s exclamation, the donnan looked up at the pair of fugitives sitting in the shelter, and raised his arm to point toward them, and Randall felt a pulse of power from Llandra as the donnan drew in magic faster than he could react.

“Vinn!”

Chapter 7

Randall flinched back instinctively from the spell. It was a useless reaction, he knew. If he had been the target, he would have already been ripped asunder in a spray of guts and gore. Instead, blood and bits of flesh rained down upon him from somewhere above them.

He spun around and looked up just as a heavy weight slammed into his chest. He only saw a fleeting glimpse of teeth and black fur before he was rolling in the grass, fighting for his life. Sharp talons ripped along the length of his thigh, and a scream tore itself from his throat. Dimly, he was aware of the sounds of fighting throughout the rest of the clearing.

Desperately, Randall reached out to touch Llandra, filling himself with power. “Arkala” he screamed, weaving the magic into the spell that would call forth the flames. A jet of fire exploded from his hands, hurling the creature away from him where it landed in a heap of burning flesh.

Looking around wildly, he spotted Nia facing off against another of the beasts, sword in hand. It was an enormous black panther, every bit as large as a hunting dog, with fangs stretching down unnaturally past the jaw line. Berry faced off against another of the big cats, and a third was crouched in the grass, ready to pounce on Nia from behind.

“Vinn,” Randall shouted, pointing at the stalking beast, causing it to burst inside out just as Nia’s sword plunged deeply into the heart of the animal before her. Looking for the animal that Berry had been facing, Randall only saw a smear of blood and entrails on the ground. Randall clutched his thigh, moaning in agony as he sank back to the ground.

“Rhys has released the cats,” Nia cried breathlessly as she raced back to where Randall lay. “The hunters can’t be far behind. We have to move quickly before...” She trailed off as she saw Randall’s ruined leg.

Spinning around to face the imp, she assumed a fighting posture. “You, stay back! I don’t know if you are friend or foe, but keep your distance!”

“Friend,” Berry chittered, but nonetheless remained where he stood.

Nia knelt beside Randall, keeping a wary eye on the donnan. “Oh, Randall,” she said sadly. “We have no hope of escape with your leg in this state. But come what may, I will fight at your side until the end. On this you have my word.”

“You would stay and die at my side?” Randall asked, teeth clenched in pain.

“I have given my vow,” she replied. “I will stand by you until the end.”

“Then I have to trust you with a secret,” Randall gasped as a fresh wave of agony coursed up his thigh.

Gathering up the remains of his power, Randall pushed it down into the healing talisman under his tunic. He felt the familiar cold driving away his pain as the energy charged the runes engraved on the artifact. Nia’s eyes widened as the bleeding slowed, and Randall’s muscles began to knit themselves back together.

“Healing magic,” she cried. “I did not know that your kind had such gifts.”

“We don’t. I’m the only one,” Randall explained as the soothing magic repaired his ruined flesh.

Suddenly, Randall felt a sharp popping sound from the talisman, and he instinctively let go of the magic he had been forcing into the device. Fishing the artifact out from under his tunic, he looked at it with a critical eye. A large crack had formed along its length, and it looked as if it could fall apart at a moment’s notice.

“But probably for not much longer,” he observed ruefully. “I...inherited it from my master. I’ve had to use it more times than I’d like, I’m afraid. I don’t risk charging it more, but I think I can travel.”

Sitting up, he looked over at where Berry still stood. “Are you here to help us, or trap us?”

“Berry is Randall’s friend,” the imp chittered. “He has always been Randall’s friend.” He showed no sign of the arrogant demeanor that Randall had seen in Rhys’ quarters.

“Then you can explain yourself on the way,” Randall said sharply. “If Nia says the hunters are coming, then we have to go.”

Nia helped Randall to his feet. Though he had a slight limp, he was able to walk. The healing talisman would eventually heal him completely, even without being charged, but it would take some time. Until then, he would just have to manage as best as he could.

“We’ll head north,” Nia explained as they made their way through the forest. “There’s a human fortification along the coast. We should be safe there, if we can make it. Rhys will likely believe that I would prefer to hide in the forest, rather than willingly go to a human settlement.”

Randall nodded. From what little he had seen of Dyffryn, the elven population was small. Even a town the size of Geldorn would provide a measure of good defense by sheer weight of numbers.

“I want to know why you attacked me,” Randall asked, scowling at Berry where he scampered along the ground. Randall had kept his distance from the donnan, and not allowed the imp to take its customary place on his shoulder.

“I attacked you not,” Berry chittered. “It was another.”

“He says it wasn’t him,” Randall relayed to Nia. He had to admit that even Berry’s use of language was different than the donnan he had encountered in Dyffryn.

“That’s not possible,” Nia stated flatly. “There has only ever been one. Don’t you think we’d know if there was another?”

“Once was one, now is two,” Berry interjected. “Veil is thin so I go through.”

“He says that now that the barrier between our world and Llandra is weakened, he was able to slip through,” Randall explained. “Can that be possible?”

Nia shrugged. “I suppose it may be. It is how Mamaeth is said to have first entered your world. But, how is it that you can understand him?” Nia asked. “Even Rhys and our other elders can only understand a little of the ancient tongue.”

“I don’t know,” Randall shrugged. “After I broke through the aether-blindness back in Dyffryn, I could understand what everyone was saying—you, Rhys, Mamaeth. Everyone. I don’t know how it works.”

“My gift,” Berry chittered gleefully. “When you were small, I creep into your home. Dark, all was quiet. Touch your mother’s belly, leave you a gift.” He clapped his hands and jumped up in down excitedly.

Randall stopped in his tracks, his mouth agape. “Wait a minute. You came to my house before I was even born?” he asked in disbelief. “How long have you been here?”

Berry shook his head in the gesture that Randall had come to know as the creature’s shrug. “Many sunrises, since the veil grew thin. Now I am here. I make you my gift, and wait for you to grow.”

“Why?” Randall asked, softly. His mind was abuzz with questions. Had everything that had happened to him since before Erliand appeared at the job fair been Berry’s doing? Had his whole life been planned out in advance like some puppet in a play?

“Veil must not break,” Berry chittered in serious tones. “You must stop it.”

“Why me?” Randall cried as Nia looked back and forth between the pair, confused by the one-sided conversation. “Why can’t you fight Mamaeth? You’re a donnan, too!”

“He is stronger, older,” Berry explained. “You are strong, too. Will grow stronger still.”

“But I never wanted to be in the middle of a war! I never wanted any of this,” Randall cried out in frustration.

Berry clambered forward and gently placed one long-fingered hand on the toe of Randall’s boot. “Someone must, or all is lost,” he chittered. “But not alone. Berry will stand by Randall. Berry will always be Randall’s friend.”

Randall sighed deeply before straightening his backbone with resolve. “Come on then, buddy. I’ll always be your friend, too.”

As the donnan scrambled up to Randall’s shoulder, he looked over at the confused elf. “I’ll explain on the way,” he sighed. “Evidently, it’s up to us to save the world.”

The first night sleeping in the forest was the worst. Randall kept tossing and turning, and waking up at the slightest noise. Even though Berry had offered to take the night watch, he felt vulnerable and alone in the unfamiliar environment. Propping up on his elbow, his eyes fell to Nia as she slept. She looked so innocent and peaceful in her sleep that he felt comforted. She made these forests her home, and if she could sleep, then perhaps they were safe. He snuggled back down into the grass bedding, and tried to put his mind at ease.

Berry woke them at first light. Randall’s body ached, and he felt like he hadn’t slept a wink. The healing talisman was definitely failing; it had kept the daily aches and pains at bay for so long that he scarcely remembered them. As Randall stretched and tried to scrub the cobwebs from his mind, Berry tugged at the leg of his trousers.