“I’d rather you than Oarly, any day,” he laughed. “Of course you can come along, but since Dreen is so close to the Evermore forest, wouldn’t you rather go see your people?” Phen shrugged. “Surely someone is worried about you. Your mother and father, a friend. We might be long months in returning from the Leif Repline fountain.”
At the mention of her father, she felt hollow for a moment. For a fleeting instant she knew, but something swept in and filled that void before the memory could manifest itself into a true reflection of the past.
Phen noticed the sudden blank expression and the vacant, almost fearful look in Karee’s wild yellow eyes. He put his hand over hers and squeezed gently. His touch, as cold and hard as it was, put a bright smile on her face. It must have been a contagious smile because he found himself grinning back at her stupidly. Spike broke the moment by leaping onto the bench where Oarly had been sitting.
Phen was as pleased as he was surprised when she didn’t let go of his hand and purposely used her free hand to scratch behind the prickly lyna’s ears.
“I would rather go back to my people knowing who I am,” she said absently, after a time. “I have a feeling that this is all happening to me for a reason.” She forgot Spike and put her other hand over Phen’s so that he now had both of her hands in his. He wished he could feel her touch more specifically.
“I had a vision of you finding me.” She scrunched up her face, searching for an explanation. “I know that much in my heart, so I will follow the course I am on and see where it leads me.” She sighed and rolled her shoulders. “But, as you said, someone might be worried about me. I don’t even know that my family is from the Evermore Forest, but surely someone there would know of a missing elven woman. Is there a way I could get a written message to the elves when we get to Dreen?”
Phen didn’t think that the term elven woman described her very well. She appeared far too young to be considered a woman grown, but he understood the desire to be accepted by one’s peers. “Of course,” he told her. “We can send a rider or two to Vaegon’s Glade. They can leave your message there. Your people will find it.”
Again she felt the tremor of memory as Phen spoke. Vaegon-the name seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she didn’t know who he was, or why she recognized the name.
“Who is Vaegon?” she asked before the thought left her.
“He was a friend of Hyden Hawk and King Mikahl,” Phen said reverently. “The only elf who concerned himself with helping stop the demon wizard from using Xwarda’s powerful bedrock to destroy the world. Lord Gregory said it was because Hyden saved his life the year before last at the Summer’s Day festival, but both Hyden and Mikahl said that it was more than that. They think of Vaegon as a hero of the realm. He died fighting a Choska on the wall in Xwarda.”
The stirring in her mind continued, but never centered on anything. The idea that only one of her people would stand up against such an evil foe seemed to block out the rest of it. For a long time she chewed on her cheek and thought.
Phen found his adolescent mind wandering in the wrong direction again, so he busied his mind with the thoughts of the Leif Repline and of hopefully getting to see Hyden Hawk soon. Oarly broke the silence this time when he stormed into the little cabin. The dwarf seemed uplifted by his stint of the air above.
“You love birds need to get ready,” Oarly said excitedly. “The fork is in view, and the rumor is that there’s plenty of wine, so don’t dally.”
It was midday before Corva slipped back into consciousness. Dostin had carried him a long way through the swamp following King Mikahl. Mikahl didn’t remember Dostin from his short stay on the Isle of Salaya, but Dostin remembered the High King and his legendary sword. He wanted to ask a thousand questions but was too nervous and overburdened with Corva’s weight to get them out of his mind. By the time they stopped, the monk was so out of breath that he couldn’t talk.
“This is a deep enough channel to be reached by river boat,” Mikahl told the monk. He couldn’t believe that the man had carried his elven friend through the night. It was a valiant accomplishment. The monk hadn’t so much as complained. As a matter of fact, Mikahl was sure that Dostin hadn’t even grunted or made a sound at all.
After Corva was laid in a comfortable looking position, King Mikahl gave Dostin back his makeshift staff and used Ironspike to start a fire. “Watch over him. I'm going on to Low Crossing. Wait here.”
“Are you coming back?” Dostin asked fearfully. He suddenly blushed and took a knee. “Your Highness,” he added.
“A boat will be along for the two of you soon. I’ll see to it personally. Just keep putting grass on the fire so they can make out the smoke.” Mikahl gave his best reassuring smile. He started to say something about the monk kneeling, but was too exhausted. For a long while he just watched Dostin. “Get up, my friend,” he finally said after he realized that Dostin wasn’t going to get up until he told him to. “If you want to meet up with the elven girl, she will be in Dreen in a day or two. You are welcome to stay at the castle there, both of you. You helped the realm with your bravery and skill. I am in your debt.”
“You saved us from the priest’s cage, so we are even,” Dostin replied without thinking about it. “How do you know about Telgra? Do you know the short man and the heavy one who are helping her?”
It took Mikahl a moment to figure out that the monk was talking about Phen and Oarly. “How could you know about them?” he asked.
“Corva saw the tracks and told me it was a big, heavy man with little feet and a really short man who helped her into a boat.”
“Corva is an excellent tracker then,” Mikahl nodded. “That’s exactly what happened. She is on her way to Dreen with two of my most trusted friends. Should I give her a message? I will see her later this day.”
Dostin scratched his head and thought about it. “Tell her to wait for us in Dreen. Corva and I will come along as soon as we can.” He glanced at Corva. “Is he going to be all right?”
“Aye,” Mikahl nodded. “He’ll come around. I will tell your friend Telgra to wait for you. If you stay put until a boat gets here, you should be safe. Tell Corva I said thank you for his help and that he is welcome anywhere in my kingdom, as are you, mighty Dostin.”
Mikahl laughed at his choice of words. The brave monk was mighty.
He looked at the sky. The sun was starting up into the day with vigor. “I’m off, my friend,” he said. He checked to make sure that the broken Spectral Staff was still lashed to his back, then he drew Ironspike. At once, the bright horse appeared under him, and in a single rising leap he was off.
He flew straight to Low Crossing and ordered a boat to be immediately sent to pick up Dostin and Corva. “Treat them like royalty and escort them directly to King Jarrek,” Mikahl ordered. “Tell him to have the monk and the elf escorted to Dreen as soon as possible.”
The boat captain gave a head bow and promised to comply with his orders. After that, Mikahl was on his way to Dreen where his young queen waited.
“Where are we?” Corva asked after he fluttered his eyes open and saw that they weren’t near the ceremony grounds and it was broad daylight. His head had a throbbing, egg-sized lump on it. His fingers discovered how tender it was when they found it.
“Oh, hello, Corva,” Dostin grinned happily at the elf. “We’re waiting on a river boat right now. Telgra is on her way to Dreen, and we are supposed to see King Jarrek for help getting there. The High King says that we get to stay at his castle. He says that he owes us for helping him.”
“Shhh,” Corva hissed with a half grin on his face. Dostin’s voice made his head hurt worse. He'd always wanted to see the great city of Castlemont. The elves who had seen it all agreed that it was a wonder to behold. The idea that he was about to betray his Queen Mother, though, wasn’t lost on him. He decided that even she had to agree that if Telgra was in Dreen, he had to go get her.