Edith Pattou - Hero's Song

Crann dropped his arms and turned toward Collun. The boy kicked feebly, moving forward in the nearly calm water.

By the time he reached the shallow waters of the lakeshore, Collun's legs had no strength left in them. The wizard lifted him out of the water and chafed his arms with the green cloak. Crann noticed that Collun's arm hung limp, but he said nothing. Collun lay without moving, listening to the sound of waves quietly lapping against the shore.

"Look," the wizard said. The upended boat with Brie on top was moving through the water. It wasn't until it was almost to shore that Collun realized Fara was dragging the boat, holding it by a length of rope clenched in her teeth.

Talisen and Silien soon appeared, and before long they were all gathered on the shore.

Collun kneeled by Brie. "Is she...?" he asked Crann.

"She lives, though not for much longer. We must go." Crann's voice was stern, and Collun heard anger underneath his words.

The wizard lifted Brie into his arms and began to lead them.

They walked over a rocky headland covered with long grass and cattails. Crann led them inland toward a low-lying ridge of land.

They were approaching the opening of a large cave. Without hesitation, Crann ducked his head and entered. The others followed. Crann paused briefly to spark a fire and make a torch from a length of dry wood he found lying on the cave floor. He gave Talisen the torch to carry.

Silien spoke, his voice echoing in the cavern. "Do we go to Tir a Ceol?"

"Yes," answered Crann shortly.

"Do you know the way?"

"I do." Crann bit the words off, his voice sharp.

Silien shook his head. "I do not think..."

The wizard turned on him with a swish of his green robes. His eyes burned. "I do not care what you think, Ellyl."

Silien stared back at Crann for a moment, then shrugged. The wizard gently hoisted Brie's wasted body over one shoulder. Gesturing for Talisen to hold the torch high, Crann walked into the tunnel that gaped before them.

FIFTEEN

Tir a Ceol

The path they followed sloped smoothly downward, and they moved forward steadily. The air in the underground passageway was surprisingly warm, and their clothes dried quickly. No one spoke; all they could hear was the echoing sound of their footsteps. Collun was tired, his head throbbed, and he was hungry, but it did not matter; Crann led them now.

For a long time they followed the green figure with the dying girl in his arms. And finally they came to a cavern that glowed with a dim light. Crann told Talisen to extinguish his torch. The cavern walls were gray and rough like those of the path they had been following, but at the other end was a wide tunnel carved of smooth white rock. Crann led them inside.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, two Ellylon stepped into their path. They looked much like Silien, with golden hair and silver eyes, and they carried white shields and short swords made of metal that gleamed blue in the soft light. Silien stepped in front of Crann. The two Ellylon deferentially moved back, letting the company pass. Silien silently took over the lead.

They passed through many caverns, all made of the same smooth stone and illuminated by a soft white light. At first Collun could not see the source of the light, but then he noticed a glowing white stone set in the corner of one of the caverns they passed through. After that he saw each cavern had a white stone set in a corner. As he passed one, he ran his hand over it. The stone gave off no heat, only light. It reminded him of the glow of a firefly.

At first they saw few Ellylon, but soon they passed into a cavern that appeared to be different from the others. Clusters of radiant gems were arranged in seemingly random patterns along the walls. They shone with colors richer and more dazzling than Collun had ever seen. He could not gaze at them long without having to look away.

Many Ellylon were gathered in this cavern. One in particular was clearly the king. He was old, with hair that matched the silver of his eyes. It fell in smooth waves from his large brow and down his neck. A circlet of the gems ringed his forehead. Even at a distance, Collun could see a resemblance between Silien and the king, mostly in the proud way they held their chins.

Crann turned to Talisen and wordlessly passed Brie into his arms. Then he approached the king, covering the distance between them quickly on his long legs. He stopped and, looking the king in the eye, said, "I am Crann."

The Ellyl king gazed at the wizard for several long moments without speaking. "Wizard of the Trees," he said finally, his voice soft and deadly. "You took a great risk coming into my kingdom."

"I come in peace. With a girl who is dying."

"What is that to me? She is a human." The Ellyl king's face held no pity, and Collun's hope dimmed. "Why do you not heal her yourself, Wizard of the Trees?"

"She has gone beyond my reach, Midir," replied Crann. "As you well know."

"Father, the Flame-girl..." Silien began, stepping forward.

The king turned toward Silien and the younger Ellyl's words died on his lips. His father's eyes burned with cold fury. "How dare you bring humans into Tir a Ceol!"

"I do as I choose," responded Silien, his head erect, and for the first time since Collun had known him, Silien's pale cheeks were flushed.

"Enough!" Crann's voice echoed through the cavern. The wizard had thrown off his hood. His eyes were lit with anger, and he held his oaken staff high.

The Ellyl king's expression did not change, but he rose from the seat of polished white stone on which he sat. Crann towered over the Ellyl.

"Is this, then, what Ellylon have become? It was not always so." Crann's voice held contempt.

"Having compassion for humans was the weakness of my ancestors. It almost destroyed us," replied the king.

"You speak of a forgotten war with a foolish human king who is long dead. And because of this you would arbitrarily dispense death with your Daoine Ellyl. You have become as cruel and merciless as any shadow creature Medb has called out of Cruachan's cave. Or even as Medb herself."

The Ellyl king's eyes flickered. His voice when he spoke was dangerous. "I would not be compared to the Queen of Ghosts."

"And what separates you? What reason had you for wishing these humans dead?"

"We want no part of humans. They were trespassing."

"They came with your son. Invited by him. And would you have killed him as well? Have you so many sons that one more or less matters not?"

The king was silent a moment. He glanced at Silien, and his voice was chill. "My son swims as the fish swim. But Silien chose to leave his kingdom, to live among humans. He is no son of mine."

Silien responded, his voice as cold as his father's. "If I am to rule one day, then I choose to know why things are as they are. I would know humans before I shun them." He paused. "I met the queen of Eirren, Father, and she was as full of grace as any woman of Tir a Ceol."

The Ellyl king looked at his son with a mixture of outrage and curiosity. "You were not content to merely roam among them, but you must consort with their queen?"

Crann spoke then, his voice low and deadly serious. "If you wish for Ellylon to survive in the days that come, you must not only meet the king and queen of Eirren, but you must find a way to join your might with theirs. Even as we speak, Queen Medb gathers a host of evil that will destroy all in its path. And I promise you, Ellyl king, Tir a Ceol will know the taste of fear."

The Ellyl king gazed at Crann, his mouth set. "How do I know you speak the truth?"

Talisen suddenly cried out and dropped to one knee, his eyes on Brie's wasted face. "I think ... she is dying." His voice was choked. Collun quickly came to his side and sought Brie's pulse. He could not find it.