Mapmaker, p.31
Mapmaker, page 31
“I need elf eyes, Esse,” Kara whispered. “What do you see ahead of us?”
Enesneth stared into the darkness and then pulled out her coil gun and flipped it to lethal. “It looks like a dragon,” she whispered to Kara, then, mind-speaking, “Everyone absolutely silent!”
“It looks like it’s sleeping,” Natty reported, adjusting his eyes to the darkness. “Esse, with me. The rest of you hunker down and stay here. No questions,” he said, looking directly at Tessa.
“Nathaniel Yalerius,” she began, but Natty held up his hand.
“No questions, command decision. Stay here.”
“Be careful!” Tessa and Kip said almost simultaneously to their spouses. Both nodded and moved quickly and lightly, with Wisp glowing very dimly above them.
Without warning, Wisp shot twenty feet over their heads and started glowing brightly. Both Nathaniel and Enesneth rose from their crouched position and surveyed what the Keeper illuminated.
“It’s not sleeping, it’s dead,” Esse reported. “It looks like one of those columns broke off and fell across its neck.”
“Lordabove knows how long ago,” Natty agreed. “The dry, freezing air in here must’ve mummified it, which is why it looked to be asleep. Mind-speak for the others to come up.” As Esse turned to do so, an arrow flew through the space she had occupied less than a second before. Wisp’s light went out and two heavy hands knocked Natty and Enesneth to the floor. Instinctively, the two warriors rolled, Nathaniel to the side and Esse in a somersault, and both produced the coil guns aimed, only to find themselves facing an indeterminable number of archers with their arrows knocked and drawn. However, the archers had seemingly forgotten about Kara and, with a bloodcurdling scream, the Eldarian Mountain Trooper tore into the opponents, both of her coil guns blazing. It was enough to distract their attention from Natty and Enesneth for the moment they needed.
“Kara! Esse! Fall back to the others!” The captain commanded. Already in the periphery of his vision, Natty could see magic and coil guns being discharged. Enesneth slammed her gun back into its holster, and her hands glowed with blue light. Elven magic lit up the space between the Librarian and their friends, and she cleared a path for them to reunite. By the magical flash, the light of the coil guns they caught sight of their attackers; huge bipeds with unbelievably enormous eyes that winced or turned away from the bright lights.
“They’re behind us too, Natty,” Tessa reported. “What do we do? We can’t hold that many off forever,” she said tersely. Nathaniel was about to respond when an explosion shook the chamber, causing both sides to stop momentarily. As the cave dwellers recovered, a bright white light emanated from the tunnel that the Starduster’s crew had come from, getting brighter and brighter with each passing second, until the Golden Falcon shot into the chamber, and Lona Yaleria went into the Laoch Bàn, her white wings illuminated with the Deep Magic of the StarFire. The massive chamber lit up like it probably had never been before with the pure white light of Lona’s magic. The princess never even had to go into the White Rage, because the vast majority of those attacking fell, face down, on the floor of the cavern, their wide eyes blinded, and their weapons discarded in fear of the angelic visage before them. Those few who chanced firing their arrows at Lona suffered the consequences as the StarFire consumed both arrow and archer.
“They’re trolls,” Enesneth said as she looked across the chamber. “We didn’t believe that there were any left outside of the Old World. Of course, this is the Juncture. They cannot tolerate bright light like the sun, or, evidently, StarFire. Who is your leader?” she called out in Valarian, then continued, “Are there any who speak the Common Tongue?” Farther back in the chamber, one troll rose, shielding his eyes from the light.
“Will you kill me if I come forward, Light Bringer?” he said in broken old elf-speak.
“If you do not raise arms against us, we shall do you no harm,” Esse replied. “We come in peace. I am a Librarian.” A mutter swept across the ranks of prone trolls at her last word.
“Who be the one with wings of white light?” he asked as he cautiously made his way forward.
“She is Lona Yaleria, Great High Princess of All the Elves, the Kaia Leorianna, daughter of the Kaia Leora.” Lona glanced at Enesneth, recognizing her mother’s title even in the old-speak. A mutter again swept through the cave dwellers, and their emissary dropped to his knees in front of Princess Lona.
“A thousand pardons, Kaia Leorianna,” he said in very broken Common. “We not know. One close can speak like yours. Can we get?”
“Please do,” Lona responded, “and tell your people as long as they do not attack again, they may sit or stand. I will lessen the StarFire.” Enesneth translated and the troll, turned and relayed the message to his brethren as the light emanating from Lona’s wings diminished.
“You arrived in the nick of time, Princess,” Natty whispered. “How did you know?”
Lona placed her hand on her heart. “My best forever friend heart-spoke to me. I knew she was in danger.” She turned to Enesneth. “The Kaia Leorianna?”
Esse smiled. “As Ard Bhanrionsa is to An Bhanríon, the Kaia Leorianna is to the Kaia Leora. We love having you with us, Lona, but as your mothers have said, you have much to learn about who you are.”
“Troll is really a misnomer,” said Alden Wicker as he and Sage Kriskas joined the team, having followed Lona’s dive in falcon form. “They are really a type of Uruk, differentiated by their wide eyes and rather pronounced ears. They came from the Old World centuries ago, driven out by either Lord Starion or possibly Lord Hrodebert himself. I tend to blame Galen Starion, because Hrodebert may be stogy, but I don’t believe he’s blatantly prejudiced.”
Natty frowned. “Why didn’t you warn us, an also, who’s minding the airship?”
“Don’t worry Captain,” Doctor Wicker assured Natty. “Mr. Senter has command of the Starduster, and my son-in-law is still with the Mosquito. Talindra is even standing by with the Aeronaut II if we need more help. The answer to your other question is that I had no idea their mines extended all the way from the Bolandrian frontier to the Juncture. I’ve never been down here before.”
“You’ve had dealings with them, then?” Sage asked.
Wicker nodded. “Indirectly, yes. There are certain surface goods that they need, and certain elements only they can produce down here. I work through an intermediary that both sides trust.”
“Who would that be?” Natty asked.
“Ahem, I believe that would be me, your Highness.” They turned to find themselves looking at the diminutive halfling, Gormadoc Hopesinger, who looked all the smaller, standing with three of the towering trolls.
A half an hour later, most of the T’ Uruk, their correct and preferred name over “troll,” had dispersed. Gormadoc had convinced the cave dwellers that Prince Nathaniel and his party, including the Kaia Leorianna, meant no harm to the T’ Uruk. On the other hand, Nathaniel could not convince the halfling trader that his preferred title was Captain, not Prince Nathaniel.
“One more question, Gormadoc, if I may?”
“Of course, your Highness.” Natty rolled his eyes but continued.
“Did the T’ Uruk build these magnificent halls?”
“No, these caverns are as old as the city at the other end of the chasm. They were here when the T’ Uruk sought refuge here after they were exiled from the Old World,” the halfling explained. “You’ve probably never heard of the Emerald City, but the races of elves, dwarves, and the race of men lived in the chasm before the Great Flood. The Emerald City was the home of the humans. The Red Tower, the dominion of the elves, and these mines were the home of the dwarf-kind. Men tried to assert their authority over the dwarves and tried to steal the magic of the elves. There was a massive war between the three, fueled by the Dark Lord himself. Then the Flood came, and for thousands of years the land beneath was silent. Then when Starion banished the T’ Uruk, this is where they were sent. The guard in the tower that you encountered, Prince Nathaniel and Princess Tessa, was the last of those assigned to keep the T’ Uruk in their place, and the outer world in theirs.”
“But assuredly,” Enesneth insisted, “Lord Hrodebert is aware of all of this, isn’t he?”
Gormadoc spoke briefly with the T’ Uruk leaders. “He does, and he does not. When the T’ Uruk were banished, Hrodebert and the Librarians were in a battle with the Dark Lord to preserve the remnants of the Library of Alexandria. When it was over there, and when it was over in Ellandaril, the T’ Uruk were gone from the Old World and evidently nobody thought much about it.”
“So, this is the sealed level, and that city is not El Dorado?”
“Correct on both counts, Prince Nathaniel,” Gormadoc replied.
“So that’s why he covered up the trapdoor in the Red Tower and lied to us about it being there?” Tessa queried.
Gormadoc chuckled. “Apologies, Princess. Lord Hrodebert did not put that false floor in. We, the halfling folk, did so. After your first incursion during your honeymoon, (Congratulations, by the way, on your marriage.) we knew that since you were his cartographer, Bob would follow. The one thing we didn’t expect was for you and Prince Nathaniel, and your friends, especially Princess Lona, to come back. Halflings are not blessed with the curiosity of man or elves, so it made little sense to us.” He turned to Natty. “By the way, your Highness, there is a way to visit the other floors from the wardrobe staircase, but only if you start down it backwards.” He smiled. “Please, I ask of you with all due respect to who you are and what your mission is. Do not reveal the way down here or what you have seen. Doctor Wicker has kept our secret for many years, and we have kept his.” Natty gave Gormadoc a curious look. “Your lift gas comes from deep within the T’ Uruk mines. That is all the further I can tell you.”
“Our lips are sealed. We won’t even tell Bob that it isn’t the lost city of gold.” Natty glanced at Enesneth, who closed her eyes briefly, then nodded once. We’ll let him figure it out on his own. However, if there is anything that we can do to improve the lot of the T’ Uruk, do not hesitate to call on us.”
“Thank you,” Gormadoc paused. “Captains Clark. The Visier has granted you unlimited access to the Red Tower and the Emerald City, with the qualification that you never again pass through the ballroom doors from the Tower. We shall seal the passageway behind the wardrobe and remove the obstacles from the staircase. That should keep the Honorable Librarian and his Seekers busy for a very long time. Now, since my legs are too short to go how you will leave, Vikik here,” he showed one of the T’ Uruk standing near him; the one that had a working knowledge of Common, “will lead you back to the Red Tower. It was wonderful to see all of you, even under these circumstances. I hope we shall meet again.” He bowed to Lona and Tessa, and shook hands with Nathaniel and Alden Wicker, and then disappeared into the gloom with the others.
“Come this way,” Vikik indicated, and they followed him out of the great hall.
Several hours later, back on board the Starduster, Natty and Tessa looked at the crew and smiled. “We’ll take a bit of a break when we get to StarFire Island. As you get a chance, I would like all of you to write down everything you remember about the past few days. We will bind them up and put them in the ship’s safe. Since the Juncture is no one’s jurisdiction, Wisp says that no one needs to know about what happened or what we have seen.” He turned to the three Drow engineers. “Mr. Sarek, can you take us to Gewellyn Port so we can pick up Landon Sea and possibly Doctor Aguilera?”
“Aye, Captain. You and your expeditionary force get some rest. Mr. Senter will see that you’re awake by Gewellyn Port.”
“You heard the man,” Natty looked around at the others. “Get some rest. We’ll talk more when we are more coherent, and things make a little better sense. Crew dismissed.”
Chapter thirty-four
To the Thin Places
“Sailinto dead ahead, Captain Chart,” Enesneth reported from the con. The crew had taken to calling Tessa, Captain Chart, so as to differentiate her from her husband.
“How many days do you think it will take us to get the supplies we need for an extended trip,” Tessa asked Nathaniel.
“Hopefully we can have everything we need on board by the third day. If we can get going early enough, we’ll cross out of South Gewellyn by nightfall, but we may have to stop in Southport for the night. I don’t relish going into uncharted territory,” he paused and looked at Tessa. “Unmapped territory. Sorry about that.”
“That’s quite all right, my love,” she smiled. “I’ve never been there before so it really is uncharted.” She came up close to him and said softly, “I can tell the crew to stop using my maiden name if it bothers you, Natty. You know here,” she pointed to her heart, “I am always Tessa Clark.”
“No, sweetheart. It doesn’t bother me at all, seriously.”
“Well, Nathaniel, it’s okay to say ‘uncharted,’ and refer to maps as ‘charts,’ because it is part of the language. Papa has always been proud of the shop name, because his grandfather was the one who named it Chart’s Charts.” She was quiet for a few seconds. “Papa hoped I would take over the business, but it looks like it’s going to fall to Petey now.”
“Your father is what, four or five hundred years old?” She nodded. “We still have a few centuries to figure it out. Eldaria isn’t that hard-to-reach from the Juncture.”
“We’ll have to see,” Tessa replied. She flipped her goggles down and adjusted the magnifiers, essentially giving her a pair of binoculars. “There’s a Gewellyn flagged dreadnought there and a steam monitor. Monitors aren’t deep sea vessels, are they?”
“No, they’re not. It’s probably the Minotaur, being used as a revenue cruiser along the coast. It will be a training vessel for the Academy, along with the Taitneamha, a four masted sail- and steam-powered ocean cutter. I’ve spent time on both of them.” Ciliren came up beside Nathaniel and Tessa as he was looking through the telescope and she was adding to her map.
“I’ve never been to Sailinto before. I hope that Philipe was able to get down here in time.”
“I hope that the healers here are able to help your husband. To be honest with you, Cil, he didn’t look real good when he stopped to see us at Gewellyn Port,” Tessa told her.
Ciliren shook her head. “It’s really hard when you have a constitution like we do as elves and you love a human, because you know you’re going to outlive them, even if you sacrificed your immortality to be with them. We’re immune to most of the diseases that can kill humans.”
Tessa nodded. “I certainly hope they’re able to help him, but if you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask. We are more than glad to help you and your husband any way we can.”
“Thank you, Tessa. Let’s talk in a couple of days, before we have to head out to the south. I’ll know more by then.”
Tessa put her hand on Ciliren’s shoulder. “No matter what, Cil, you have friends, family here. We are here for you.”
The doctor smiled and touched her cheek to Tessa’s hand. “Again, thank you and thank Natty too.”
“It’s the Stargazer,” Nathaniel said as they got closer. “Since Desara and Alden Wicker started building up the fleet of airships, she has stationed a dreadnought in the two major ports and is going to place a cruiser, an airship the size of ours, but more heavily armed, in the minor ones: Seaside, Northport and Southport.”
Tessa stood up on tiptoes and whispered in her husband’s ear, “You’re not supposed to talk about the future, my love.”
Nathaniel turned and kissed her on the forehead. “Thank you for catching that.”
As they pulled into the mooring tower, next to the dreadnought Stargazer, they could see a trio of men on the dock with concerned looks on their faces. When the gangway was lowered, they met Enesneth at the bottom. “Is Doctor Ciliren Aguilera on board?”
Ciliren, who was preparing to exit the ship, overheard them. “I’m Doctor Aguilera. What is it?”
“Doctor, it’s your husband. You need to come with us quickly.” The air rushed from Ciliren’s lungs, and she turned back to Tessa with pleading eyes.
“Go with her,” Nathaniel told his wife. “I’ll bring Lianeth. I know where the hospital is.” Tessa nodded, kissed her husband, and joined her friend on the dock, where the men were waiting to help them into a horseless carriage, and they headed into the town.
“What’s happening, Uncle?” Lona came to stand beside Nathaniel.
“There were three men from the hospital waiting for Ciliren when we moored the airship. Tessa is going with her, and I am going to bring Lianeth.” He turned and faced Lona. “That means that while I’m gone, you are the acting commander. Enesneth isn’t an officer yet, although she will be by the time we leave here. She knows what has to be done, and your job is just to make sure everything goes smoothly.” He looked up at Sage and added, mind-speaking, “And your job is to make sure Lona goes smoothly.” Sage nodded almost imperceptibly. “Lona, excuse me, Ensign, do you remember Mr. Landon Sea?”
“The trader who used to be in the Gewellyn Foreign Legion. I do.”
“He may show up before we get back. I have been having him round up supplies for us here at Sailinto. Kip, Esse, and Mr. Senter know where everything goes. I want you to supervise the loading and maintain a list of everything that comes on board; get an invoice from Mr. Sea and hold it for the bursar when she gets back.”
Lona frowned. “What’s a bursar?”
“That’s the officer on the ship who manages our funds, pays the crew, and pays for supplies, among other things. Doctor Ciliren, as the executive officer, has been filling that role.”
“I will have everything in order for her, Captain.” Lona gave Nathaniel a salute, which surprised him, but he returned it all the same. Lianeth had come on deck, and the two of them hastened down the gangway to the dock.
