REALM'S END (BOOK OF FEY 1) Read online

  The daylight warmed the Rowan’s rough outer bark and she reveled in it. She was glad of the rising light as she stretched out her limbs to their furthest point in an attempt to expose even more of her foliage to its healing energy. She needed to stockpile strength and food, for today was a very special a day that had been foretold long ago, a day that might someday be celebrated if all went well, but then too, it was possibly the most dangerous day in the history of their world.

  The child had at last arrived, and in the days to follow the Rowan would need all of her massive strength. As her limbs sifted through the incoming information from the winds, she allowed her conscious mind to remember the story about the child. The Rowan had felt her coming for a long time; the winds told the story over and over, occasionally adding more knowledge as it was learned and so she was not surprised when suddenly the Rowan felt the pop of energy being displaced as room was made for the child to fit into their world. The Rowan knew the girl carried great magic. That, too, was part of the knowledge, though the ocean of time said, that she was as of yet innocent in the understanding of magic. The Great Rowan realized the girl must have been helped in getting here. The Rowan hoped help would still be available to the girl. For even with all her great magic, there was only so much that the Rowan would be allowed to do, to guide the girl safely through this experience. But guide her she must, if Lillith was to be freed and if the Fey were to survive, then neither the Rowan nor the girl could fail in carrying out their overlapping destinies.

  The Rowan knew the journey that lay before them was treacherous. Even if everything fell perfectly into place, and the Rowan had lived long enough to know perfect rarely happened. Still, this girl was capable of changing energy, and capable of great magic, or the branch which the Rowan had torn from her own body, and sent forward long ago out into the sea of time wouldn’t have returned with the child. The girl had to be the one.

  The Rowan wanted to convey this to Lindel but some of her caregivers were still present. So, instead, she decided to spend the time and her energy to try and conceal the girl’s arrival from the others for as long as possible. It would not do to allow this innocent to be noticed by the ones who would use her life as an opportunity to destroy more of the Feys’ timeline.

  Conspiracy

  Lindel sat in the outer chamber of the Great Rowan, happily drinking tea and writing up his notes from yesterday’s discussion with the Rowan. He came early every day, just to keep company with the great tree while her caregivers bustled about seeing to her health, busily caring for every bit of her bark, branch and root. He had long ago worn a smooth place in the roots the Rowan had bent into a table top so that he had somewhere to write up his notes. After her caregivers were finished seeing to her needs and had left for the day, he would see what the Rowan wanted to discuss, though he secretly hoped it would be more about the unwritten history of the realm. He wanted to capture that information so that it would be available to study by future generations of Fey scholars.

  Briok landed on the flat white stone at the entrance into the great Rowan. The door, invisible to the naked eye, slid quietly open and he flew inside. Before him lay the great chamber, here, at the front of the chamber, Briok often stopped to admire the Rowan’s handiwork, for this room changed, just like the other rooms, as the Rowan’s whims changed. The chamber was so large, it was said one needed a guide in order to traverse the life and length of the Rowan if there was to be any hope of returning alive. He had never tried to travel those dark hallways, even looking on it as he did every morning sent quite a shiver up his spine. Today, however, he wasted no time looking at the freestyle expression the tree was capable of creating, instead he turned away from the silent filled chamber. Briok flew left for no more than one hundred yards, and stopped at the door that opened onto the study chamber. This door slid, silently open too. He flew in. Briok breathed a sigh of relieve. He loved nothing more than to be within the inner chambers of the Rowan. The tree exuded a very real sense of well-being and peace to all that entered, and the study chamber was no exception. The study room, though simple in its design, always left him with a sense of homecoming. While there were no outward manifestations of the Rowan’s creativity here, the close walls with their self-created light and the places to sit and write that formed themselves as needed from the tree’s inner cambium layer seemed to exude a relaxing sense of comfort, as well as function. Briok felt safe here.

  Lindel looked up as the door opened. “Ah son, I see you’re running late. Hand me the water, I want to be ready, when the Rowan is ready for me.”

  The excitement fell suddenly from Briok’s features. He had given the girl the water. His only job was to visit the sacred well each day and return with the healing water, so that while they worked together, the Rowan and his people communication could flow more easily. Momentarily hesitating he reached down to his waist; and pulled the corked bottle loose from the sling that held the bottle in place. Briok pulled the cork, and closing one eye, peered inside. He could make out a small shimmer of light. There was a small amount of water in the bottom of the flask. “Father I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I have only a small drink here.”

  Lindel looked up sharply. He wasn’t used to Briok making mistakes, so he was taken aback by this one, but it would not do to let himself become angry in front of the Rowan. She would not stand for that. “Bring it here and let’s see if there’s enough,” he said trying to tamp down his impatience.

  In the background tingling of laughter could be heard as Briok’s mistake went like wildfire through the ranks of the Rowan’s caregivers. Briok flew over and held out the bottle for his father’s inspection. He dare not explain now, he would have to wait till the caregivers left. He steeled himself for his father’s frustration.

  “Well I doubt it will last all day, but I believe there is enough to begin. The one saving grace is this will give us a chance to see how little of the sacred water is really needed to open the pathways for communication. I have long thought we should experiment with the amount needed, not just on myself, but perhaps on someone who hasn’t drank of the well before. Such knowledge could become important in the future.” Lindel swallowed the small amount of water in the flask. He could feel the waters’ effervescence traveling his neuro-pathways. “Yes I can feel the change, even with such a small amount.”

  “I agree,” the Rowan’s voice said in Lindel’s mind.

  “Ah good morning Great One; I am glad to be here in your presence once again.” Lindel spoke only within his mind as he bowed gracefully before the great tree.

  “And I am glad as well, for you are a strong ally, my friend, and your curiosity matches my own, all of which may become very important in the coming days. I see even though Briok had little of the sacred water, it’s enough. I, too, have wondered for a long time how little it would take to allow someone to speak with me. It is a good idea to know this I think, and I give permission to move ahead with such experiments as you would like, however I do ask they begin as soon as possible.”

  Lindel was taken aback; it was turning out to be a very odd day. First there was his son’s mistake and now the Rowan more or less was ordering him about. Though she had every right, it was rare when she exercised that power, or at least it felt that way to him. What was the world coming too, he wondered? Lindel shook his head though he only spoke with his mind, “Yes of course. I should think we could use Briok as he has never drank from the well and it would be doubly convenient since he is the water bearer. Perhaps we could start tomorrow.”

  “Yes, tomorrow will have to do, though today would have been even better. Now, please send my caregivers away, we have much to discuss,” again the Rowan’s words came clearly into Lindel’s mind.

  Lindel raised his eyebrows in surprise. The Rowan, who was of the knowledge keeper’s line, was as regal as any monarch and had every right to be, was clearly impatient. Her impatient attitude was sharper then he’d ever experienced in his friend. Lindel clapped his han
ds drawing the caregivers’ attention. “Please, caregivers. The Rowan has asked that you leave off grooming, for now. She is apparently excited to begin today’s work.”

  The caregivers flicked their yellow wings in unison, unhappy as they were to leave off ministering to their beloved. Still they gathered and packed up their tools, each leaving the chamber, as they were ready. Finally, the last caregiver flew out and the door whooshed closed behind him.

  Lindel turned and looked hard at Briok. “Now, tell me how could you not bring more of the water? I know you were up and gone early enough.”

  Briok cleared his throat, “Yes, it’s true Father, I was restless this morning and since I could not sleep, I rose and went out to fly along the sea’s edge. I wanted to watch the sky brighten. When it was time, I flew to the well and retrieved the water, just like always. As I was flying back, I passed near the journeying cave, and felt a strong pull to go within, so I did. There was a young woman sleeping in the sand. When she awoke, it was clear she was in great pain, so I shared the healing waters with her.”

  Lindel’s anger flared and he bellowed at the boy. “What? Why would you waste the spring water on a travel headache? Have you lost your senses?

  The Rowan’s voice broke into Lindel’s mind, “I believe the boy has done right, my friend. Please let your anger go. This is the day I have warned would come. It would be better if you did not frighten the boy, just now.” The Great Rowan pushed a small tendril of root up through the floor of the room, and both the fey watched as it wound its way slowly across the floor to where Briok hovered. Ever so gently it touched Briok’s foot. “Lindel, please explain to the boy, I don’t want to hurt the child. I would not do this but his comfort is less important than communication right now. Tomorrow we will use the water, but today I need to be able to have him understand me easily so my root is going to tap into his nerves. Understand?”

  Lindel blanched a little for he knew of this way of connecting from old stories. He told Briok what the Great Rowan had said. Briok looked from his father, up into the Great Rowan’s crowning branches far overhead. “Alright, I understand, but I can feel my fear rising up father,” Briok said, as his wings lifted him farther off the ground in his nervousness.

  Lindel looked at his son and realized what Briok was telling him. Lindel’s wings carried him across the space that separated him from his son, setting down next to the boy; Lindel put his hand on his son’s shoulder, gently guiding the boy back down to the ground. “It will go easier if you relax. I can hold you down so you won’t fly up in fear.”

  The Great Rowan’s root tendril, slid quickly along Briok’s barefoot, wrapping itself around and around his ankle and then just as suddenly the brown and green tendril rose up and the point of the root stabbed downward like a dagger, forcing itself into the indention behind Briok’s ankle bone.

  “Arhhh, by the Gods that hurts,” Briok cried out. The pain was a like a great hot knife tearing at his skin and his attention. He tried to steel himself against the pain. He realized then if his father hadn’t held him down, he would have tried to fly up out of reach of the Great Rowan.

  “Lindel, pour the last drop of water out upon the boy’s wound. It will take the pain away. I don’t wish to hurt the boy.”

  Lindel feared letting go of the boy, even long enough to retrieve the water container, but the Rowan chose in that moment to use its great magic to bring the water vessel through the air and let it hang within Lindel’s reach. Lindel tipped the container carefully over the entrance wound and watched as he saw the last drop of water fall onto his son’s pierced skin.

  Instantly the pain was gone. In its place Briok felt an overwhelming sense of oneness with the great Rowan. “Thank you for taking the pain away, Great One.”

  “Child, you will not need to use your voice to speak with me now. We’ll all be safer if we speak only through our minds to one another. It is the only reason I have put you through this pain. I do not find it easy to hurt any of the children of the Realm. I’m sorry that there was not more water for you, but I know where it went, and I will say it was right of you to do it. Please tell me now, how is the girl? Though I can see your memories now, but tell me in your own words please.”

  Briok struggled as he tried to adjust to speaking only with his mind. He found he kept opening his mouth to answer a question, and he struggled not to speak the words out loud. Still he told the Rowan everything about finding the girl in the journeying cavern. The Rowan had many questions. Briok answered all to the best of his ability. Lastly, she asked him to describe how he felt when he understood who the girl was. Briok thought about this for a moment. “I felt protective of her. I still do,” he stammered.

  The Rowan conveyed her pleasure into the minds of both Briok and Lindel. “Good, then you shall be her guardian while she is here. You will try to keep her from harm’s way, though it may well prove difficult, for she is very stubborn I think.”

  “From now on, Lindel, you and the boy must drink from the well every day. We will need to be able to communicate easily with one another, no matter what the time of day. I know you and I have waited for this day for a very long time, and we must stay diligent now so no one suspects. I have put a spell on the journey cavern so no one will want to go there, still accidents happen, so we must be ever vigilant. We will use the communication experiment as a cover story as to why the boy is drinking the sacred water.

  Lindel could barely contain his excitement. He knew that his friends’ daughter was near to being freed by the simple presence of this young woman from the future. “Should we not just bring the girl to the council and then Lillith could be restored. Isn’t that the easiest way?”

  “No,” said the Rowan. “They would discount her arrival as just another enemy, or worse as a trick, she would be dead before nightfall. Even I cannot protect her completely against those of our tribes who believe we will live forever. We must protect her, give her time to use her skills to free Lillith and then perhaps the council will be convinced of Lillith’s innocence. Briok, what color are the girl’s wings? I can’t see them clearly in your mind. Briok?”

  Briok blanched momentarily from green to white. “She has no wings Great One and she seemed quite surprised by mine as well.”

  “What? How can that possibly be? I had not anticipated one arriving who had no wings. I fear it will make her all the more vulnerable. Should we send her back and wait for a winged one, do you think?”

  Briok looked from his father to the great Rowan. “She told me there are no winged people in her time.”

  “No winged people! How can that be? The Fey have always been winged. Son, do you think she is lying or perhaps even an imposter?”

  “No father I believe she is the one spoken of in the old legend. The one who has been waited on for so long and she does possess the ever growing Rowan branch. As for the wings, I honestly can’t say,” Briok shrugged.

  Letting the information sift down through the all-ness of her being the Rowan began to reach a glimmer of understanding. “Perhaps what we bring about here is the cause of a time without wings. I wish I could see more clearly the future,” the Rowan said, as she sighed. “Please go now, each to your tasks. Lindel, please study the old legend and Briok, you must protect and assist your charge. Bring her more water as well. I will set a charge on the spring that will allow you to enter whenever you need. I must comb through time and see what I find regarding this unsettling piece of information.”

  Lindel hurriedly flew away and Briok turned to go as well.

  “Use the outer chamber to access the journey cavern, it will be less conspicuous,” the Rowan spoke clearly in Briok’s mind. “I will send you a guide. The guide will show you the door to both the spring and the cavern, but you must remember, Briok to come back and leave through the main door after. We don’t want to raise any more suspicion, than we already have. The ancients are very wise, and not easily fooled and unfortunately they are not all our friends. Remember Briok; we
will not be the only ones who know of the child’s arrival. There are some who will already be working against the girl.”

  “Yes I will and thank you Great One. Can I ask, will she succeed, do you think?”

  The Rowan sighed. “I can’t say child. I’ve never been able to see that far ahead. Each time I have tried to see the outcome of all this, I’ve run into a roadblock of fog. I have never found a way past it. I often wonder, whether I should have ever engaged in this ruse to save Lillith or the tribe of Fey. Now go, and be careful.”

  Changes

  Briok flew from the study chamber out into the great chamber. There, waiting for him was a spirit of a young bird. Though its body was no longer alive, this in no way impeded its ability to live a life in its spirit body. Briok recognized its tribe. Small birds that liked to nest down along the cliffs, which looked out over the sea. Briok bowed low to the bird. “Thank you little friend for your guidance today, I am honored.”

  The spirit bird seemed pleased with Briok’s words and while it did not make any noise that Briok could see, the tiny bird opened its beak, and threw its head back as if to sing. Then the bird turned and flew off into the long chamber. Briok hurried to catch up. He found it hard work to follow the spirit swallow. The little bird liked to fly in and out of the great roots the Rowan bent upward to hold the high ceilings in place.

  Within thirty minutes the two had left the well-lit area and were flying in near dark conditions. If the bird spirit body had not been made of light, Briok knew without a doubt he would have lost his way. On they flew deeper and deeper into the body of the Great Rowan. Briok grew tired, his wings hurt where they grew from his body, and still they flew onward. The tiny bird of light gave hints and glimmers of the great magic of the Rowan. Here and there Briok caught glimpses of the stately cavern, all of which was part of the Rowan’s body. Fantastic images rose up out of the darkness, only to be passed quickly by and replaced by other, even more fantastic images. Briok recognized images of tribes from long ago, they were nothing more than part of the Fey lore now. He saw exquisite fanciful shapes holding up the roof when the spirit bird flew near enough to the columns. He tried to use all the wonders of the chamber to keep his mind off his ever growing exhaustion. After what felt like an eternity, the bird flitted to a stop before a stone doorway. The sweet scent of the sacred water wafted gently past him, on the breeze. Briok realized it had to be the doorway to the spring. “Wait for me will you? I need to fill my flask so that I might due my duty to the Great One.”