But where would he find this “human,” who was trusted by the prince, but not by anyone else?
From helping the Elves in Exile, he had a passing familiarity with how they organised up their military camps. He quickly located the prince’s tent, which was a deep blue trimmed by dark purple banners and pennants. Because he couldn’t see into it, he had to materialise at the entrance and push his way through.
“Hello?” a voice called out in Elvish.
Daniel instantly dissolved into the air.
The tent was just a single, large space, not separated into different rooms by fine cloths and carpets as they usually were. Lush rugs were strewn across the ground and a black polished wood table the size of a merry-go-round dominated the centre of the area.
There were small booths around the edge of the tent that contained beds, wardrobes, maps, scrolls, and books. It was from one of these that a white-haired man-and he did seem to be a man, not as tall or angular as the elves-popped his head out and peered at the tent entrance.
It was Ealdstan.
“Hello?” he asked again. “Is anyone there?”
Daniel was so surprised that he did nothing and the wizard turned back to his booth where a large scroll of parchment had been unrolled. Daniel came nearer to Ealdstan as he saw he was copying it into a large notebook with a gel pen, both of which Daniel recognised as being from his own world and incongruous not just in this world but also in Ealdstan’s hand. The image that was being copied was a complex series of interlinking rings that Daniel recognised as being very similar to the map of the spheres that Reizger Lokkich had once consulted.
“So inaccurate. .” Ealdstan lamented under his breath, and then he turned around again. “Truly now, who is there?” he asked. “Show yourself,” he commanded weakly, sounding thin of breath and disturbed.
Daniel waited. He couldn’t really sense him, could he?
The wizard spoke a few words that he didn’t understand in either English or Elvish and waved his hand.
Daniel felt a heaviness build inside of him, like he was made of lead weights, and suddenly he found himself standing before the elderly man, re-corporated against his will.
“Hello, Ealdstan. What are you doing here?”
“What am I. .? Who are you?”
“Don’t you recognise me? It’s Daniel-Daniel Tully. I killed Gad for you. Well. . tried to.”
“You mean. . you. .? What are you doing here?” The old wizard seemed really rattled.
“I asked you first. Why aren’t you in Ni?ergeard? Don’t you know it’s been overrun?” Daniel asked. He tried to dissipate but found himself unable to; it was like he was being bound together by thousands of rubber bands. It was uncomfortable, and he started to become nervous in case any of the elves outside should come in and see him. “Why are you here and not there?”
Ealdstan recoiled from the questions, moving a step backward and drawing into himself. He pulled at his beard. “I am concerned with matters greater than those of my own little fortress. But what news have you of Ni?ergeard? You have been there recently?”
“It’s been completely invaded-overrun. Knights and the people who live there have been killed or chased away. We don’t know where Godmund or Modwyn are-Kelm is its ruler now.”
Ealdstan just nodded.
“You don’t seem particularly surprised.”
“It is unfortunate. But as I said-greater matters.”
“What greater matters are those?” Daniel asked. “Can I help?”
“Perhaps, yes, I think you may. At the moment, I’m trying to find my way back to our world, but I’m having difficulty finding exactly where the gate is.”
“‘Gate’?”
“It’s a place of confluence, of origination; a gate between the worlds.”
“Could it be anything?” Daniel asked, starting to get a feeling. “Could it be just, like, in the middle of a field?”
“It could very well be that,” Ealdstan said. “Indeed, that would make much sense of what is here before me.” He gestured to the diagrams. “You must already have the place in mind?”
Daniel told him about the field he kept waking up in. “It’s the spot I first came to this land, about a month ago in our world’s time. And then I got pulled back there this time, without my body. It’s where I keep waking up in again. That sounds like the thing you’re looking for, I think.”
“It very much does,” said Ealdstan. “It sounds like the exact thing. That might be the way for both of us to return back to our world-it keeps trying to draw you back, even though you are trapped here. Your soul is like a twig in a stream-trying to continue through, but caught up on something that is keeping you here. If we make it there, then I am certain I can help you. Can you take me there?”
“Yes. It’s pretty far away though.”
“You will find me a tireless traveller.”
“So do you think you could undo whatever it is you did? I’d like to be able to go invisible again.”
“Of course.” He murmured the unknown words again, and Daniel felt the bands around him loosen and then fall away completely.
“Thank you,” Daniel said.
“I shall be ready in just a moment. .” Ealdstan started to hastily roll up the scroll and close his notebook.
“Shall I meet you somewhere? I don’t think I should be seen here.”
“No. No, you shouldn’t. Um. . I think there is a copse south of here, next to a river. .”
“Just start walking south,” Daniel said. “I’ll meet you somewhere along the way.”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Daniel dissolved into the air and left the tent. He found his bearings and started heading south.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I
“I have decided. I shall lead you to where the Carnyx is.”
Freya shook her head, wondering if she’d heard her right. Modwyn was sitting up on the edge of the bed. She looked at Vivienne, standing in the corner.
“Where is it? Is it far?”
“No, it is very close. We were cunning in our action. We knew that the enemy would go to the ends of the earth to find it and so we kept it here.”
“Okay. .” Freya said. “Really? So where is it?”
“It is in the Beacon,” Modwyn said. “The great building that once illumined all the land. It fell when the yfelgopes besieged our walls, but there is a hidden passage.”
“But this place was so secure-you killed anyone who came into it-why not just keep it here?”
“We feared that the enemy would make a grand assault here, and so it would be safest where it was thought less secure-like keeping your coin underneath a chest instead of locked inside it.” Freya frowned. That only half made sense. “But in eight years, have Gad or Kelm made any serious attempts to get into the Langtorr?”
“They have not.”
“And don’t you find that suspicious?”
“They wish only destruction and ruin-they have that. Chaos is both method and aim. To have one is to have both.”
“So they just sat around here, happy not to finish the job?”
“I do not pretend to understand the wishes of a dark-hearted people.”
“Freya, although I hesitate to say ‘it couldn’t hurt,’ I believe it prudent to follow up on this,” Vivienne said.