Chapter 34

A Restless Night

Nuada sat before the fire, gazing at the small crystal hanging horizontally from the fine thong that was draped across his fingers. It had started life as a perfectly formed crystal of the clearest quartz, but now its clarity was marred by a multitude of fine cracks which made it look as if it should fall into a thousand pieces at any time. He held it up and allowed the glow from the fire to shine through it, strange patterns emerging as each fracture reflected back scattered points of light. He could see that some of the internal planes contained rainbows, only visible when the crystal was held at the right angle to the light. He could also see the darker veins within it, each dark filament formed by blood which had been carefully applied to the stone, drop by scarlet drop as it fell from the cut on Sanshara's finger.

It was she who had run her own knife blade across her fingertip to slice through the pale skin and allow the blood to flow steadily so that it could fall onto the crystal and seep slowly through each fissure, working its way deep inside. He could remember her creating the Croíclach as if it were yesterday. It was something he would never have dreamed of asking her to do. Scant few would want another to own one personal to them...and she had offered it to him with no qualms whatsoever. If this were to fall into the wrong hands, then she would have been in the utmost danger as the potential for using it for harmful purposes was undeniable...and yet she trusted him with her life...quite literally.

This crystal could guide whoever held it straight to her. As long as she lived, it would be linked to her life-force as surely as if it were bound to her with unbreakable chains. Which is why Nuada had believed that Sanshara must have perished long ago. He had tried to use the crystal to find her but to no avail. It simply did...nothing. Sanshara had shown him exactly how to use it when necessary, and they had even had a few trial runs to ensure it was working correctly, and of course to ensure Nuada was saying the correct words to make it work! The charm that brought such a stone to life was complicated. It had to be. If it were too simple then absolutely anyone would be able to use one and no-one would ever have created another Heartstone again. It would simply have been too dangerous. Some were disguised as pieces of jewellery, but this would only fool someone who was not already versed in such things.

He frowned as he gazed into the depths of the crystal and wondered whether getting his hopes up and retrieving it was such a good idea after all. He had just begun to think in a more positive way about how things were developing here in the palace and the chances of him having to live with the failure of another quest that actually meant something to him did not appeal. Sighing heavily he lowered his arm and let the crystal lie in his palm, the stone cold against his skin as he gazed at it deep in thought.

A knock at the door roused him from his contemplation. Before he answered, he stood and walked over to the table which stood close to his bed and carefully put the crystal in the small box that lay on it, closing the lid with a gentle sigh. 'Come in,' he called to whoever was there. When the door opened he was surprised to see Ecris, along with Naeva and Sciana. As they entered he could not help but notice that Naeva looked rather pale and the slight puffiness of her eyes told him she had been crying. He walked over as Ecris closed the door quietly behind them. It was the early hours of the morning and almost everyone was asleep, the hubub in the palace having calmed now to leave the halls echoing to the sound of his unexpected visitor's footsteps.

He gazed quizzically at his friends, wondering what could have brought them to him at this hour. 'I am sorry to disturb you,' said Ecris, 'but I thought you should be informed immediately of what happened a short while ago.' Nuada knew that Ecris was not one for making mountains out of molehills so he was already concerned. 'Please, do not worry, as you can see I was still awake myself.' He bade them all sit then asked them to reveal their news.

It was Naeva who spoke next. She looked tired. 'I had another vision,' she said quietly, her voice a little shaky, '...of Maiyor.' That explained why Sciana was with them. Nuada could tell by her condition that the new vision must not have been an altogether pleasant one and he could not help but feel concerned for his new Mage. 'I see,' he said with a small nod. 'I take it you have seen more detail that may be of interest to us?' he asked, knowing Ecris would not have come to him like this if it were just a repeat of the previous vision. 'I have,' Naeva replied quietly. She swallowed hard before she spoke again. 'Maiyor appeared still to be captive in the same place, but there were others present this time who were not before...'

She seemed to grow even paler now and Nuada had an inkling that he knew what would come next and frowned deeply. 'Bres,' he said simply, sparing her the ordeal of having to utter his name. Her gaze fell to her hands which rested in her lap and she nodded. 'He and another were there this time. They didn't seem to be questioning him as such, though they were seemingly searching for something specific in his mind...' She closed her eyes for a moment as she focused on what she had seen as Nuada and Ecris glanced at each other worriedly. 'I say they searched his mind,' she continued, '...as it appears the other man was a Mage...and I believe I have encountered him myself...' she added, her lip quivering slightly with emotion. 'I felt him enter Maiyor's mind as he searched and it was then I realized I had been in this situation before.' She looked up at Nuada, her eyes showing the fear that she was trying to hide. 'That day when I first met..your uncle and I passed out...it was because of him,' she said almost inaudibly. 'He invaded my mind too. It was only in seeing this through Maiyor's eyes that I was able to finally access the memory of it. It was something I would never wish to happen to anyone,' she said shakily. '..and it obviously caused Maiyor a lot of pain.' Nuada glanced over to Sciana, knowing how much grief this revelation must be causing her and was not surprised to see her sitting with her head bowed, a tear falling onto the skirt of her dress.

Nuada's frown deepened as he took in this new piece of information. 'So, Bres has his own Mage...' he said, his voice full of loathing. 'Did you get a sense of him...how much power he has?' he asked, knowing that this would be more than significant. Naeva looked up at the Prince, her expression one of anxiety. 'I'm so new to all this that I find it difficult to gauge...but having shared what I saw and felt with Ecris, we came to the joint decision that he is powerful...VERY powerful.' She glanced over at Ecris and they shared a small, but nervous smile, which Nuada could very well understand. Here were an older Elf who had power but not a vast amount, and his young, human apprentice. If they were ever to come face-to-face with this new Mage, then they could be forced to take him on...and he was not sure they could handle it at the moment. Naeva was obviously powerful, but she was totally inexperienced and Nuada felt more than a little apprehensive about it. The possibility of him losing his old friend...and his new one...in such a way was something he did not wish to have to face.

But Naeva had more to tell, something that could put them all in peril. 'At the moment I felt him enter Maiyor's mind, I wanted to pull away but I didn't know how. I'm unable to control what happens when I have a vision...' she swallowed nervously and gazed straight into Nuada's eyes. 'I don't know for sure...but I believe he sensed my presence too.'

This was definitely something to worry about. Nuada frowned deeply, and began to pace the room as he thought. This was not good. Not good at all. 'What makes you believe he sensed you?' he asked, hoping she had made a mistake. Naeva glanced at Ecris nervously as she watched Nuada, afraid of what he may say. 'It...it was just...I felt as if he could 'see' me, and it was as if he was following me as I tried to pull back,' she said, her voice wavering slightly and she swallowed hard, her eyes now brimming with tears. 'Does this mean...I will have to leave Bethmoora?' she asked quietly. She knew as well as Nuada and Ecris that if she had indeed been detected by the Mage, then he may try to link with her again of his own volition...and she would probably not be able to prevent it, leaving her vulnerable to manipulation by him. 'I don't want to become a possible weapon for him and his...master, to use as they wish,' she said, trying not to allow her fear to take her over. She didn't want to cry in front of everyone again. She wanted to be as strong and courageous as her friends were...but she was truly terrified. 'If you think it wise for me to go...I will leave immediately.' Her head told her it was wise, her voice bravely said the words aloud, but inside her heart was screaming to be allowed to stay here with them all. They were all she had, and the thought of being parted from those she loved so much simply broke her heart.

Nuada turned to Naeva, not knowing quite what to think at that moment, but upon seeing her expression, the sorrow in those warm green eyes, he resolved not to allow her to become a victim of his uncle's foul scheming for the second time. He had destroyed enough lives.

He walked back over to where Naeva was sitting and gazed down at her as she sat with her head bowed. Reaching out his hand he gently placed a finger under her chin and raised her face to him. She looked so pale, so fragile. 'Naeva,' he began, 'Though I cannot physically protect you from what my uncle and his Mage may attempt to do, I stand by my wish to have you stay here at Bethmoora. I will not see you torn from all you have come to know as your home and family.' Naeva's eyes widened as she took in what he said. He was willing to let her stay, despite the obvious compromise it would mean to their security. She could stay here with Ecris and learn to use her new gifts properly.

Despite her best efforts to hold them at bay, a tear fell to her cheek as the overwhelming relief she felt washed over her at hearing his words. She gazed up into his golden eyes and did her best to smile, taking a deep breath to calm herself. 'Thank you, Sire,' she said, her voice almost breaking because of the tightness in her throat. It was then that Nuada realized he still had his finger under her chin and he pulled it away, feeling a little embarrassed. He hadn't meant to hold it there so long, but those eyes had such a strange effect on him...

He inhaled deeply and stepped back a little. 'Believe me, thanks are not necessary,' he said, nodding his appreciation none the less. It was best not to dwell on this particular issue just now and he did have another question, the answer to which may have an even greater bearing on the issue of their security. This time it was directed at Naeva's mentor.

'Ecris, if this Mage did indeed detect Naeva's presence...is it possible that he could have recognized her...from the last time he scanned her?' It was a very poignant question. 'This is something I have already considered myself,' he replied thoughtfully. 'It is possible that he may have found her...familiar...but other than that I am not sure. When he last entered her mind, she was purely a human girl...but now...' '...But now the traits of her possible ancestry are more than apparent,' Nuada said, finishing Ecris's thought himself. Ecris nodded, always impressed at Nuada's astute comprehension of such situations. 'Is it then possible that he may not realize she is that same girl? Surely he will have sensed the fact that the mind he linked with was human, despite the magical attributes it possessed?'

Ecris nodded again. 'This is true,' he replied. 'There is no doubt he knows she is human. But recognizing her for who she is, is another matter. All we can do now is wait and see if they act on what they have discovered...how they act will tell us what they truly know.' Nuada knew Ecris was right and sighed heavily. He knew his friend would be feeling the burden of worry over his young apprentice and patted Ecris's shoulder knowingly.

But another matter was still needing an answer. 'Naeva,' he began, his eyes narrowing as he thought, 'did you notice anything else which may help us to pinpoint where Maiyor is being held? Even the tiniest detail may mean something to one of us. Nothing you can say will be deemed insignificant,' he said, trying to bolster her confidence in her abilities at least a little.

She ran through it again in her mind, focusing on every second of her vision to try to garner any tiny piece of information which may be of help, but it really was no use. 'I'm sorry,' she said, sighing heavily with frustration at once again being unable to muster anything usable. 'There just isn't anything of significance that I can see. There are no windows, nothing on the walls, nothing lying nearby. The room is painted entirely in white, except for the floor, which is grey, all of which seem to be made of concrete. The door appears to be made of metal, probably steel. And there is a single light hanging from the centre of the ceiling.' She didn't think this would be useful in the slightest and felt angry that she couldn't do more to help.

'Concrete?' said Nuada in a questioning tone. 'And painted white?' He thought about it for a moment. 'Is this room...clean...or does it look...shabby?' 'Clean,' she replied, frowning slightly as she wondered why he was asking, 'like it's been maintained.' It was Nuada's turn to frown as he pondered this detail. 'No windows and well maintained,' he said, almost to himself. 'Most probably below ground then. A basement? Or perhaps some kind of hidden structure...maybe even something built by their military? And perhaps even still under human control...' he added as he thought about the way it was looked after. The Fey had a habit of using much darker, more natural colours when they took over an abandoned human building. Their unnatural white pigments were just too harsh and clinical for them, not like natural white marbles or other light-coloured stone.

This did not bode well for Maiyor and their chances of rescuing him at all, but now was not the time to be voicing this thought, not while Sciana was present and not in front of Naeva considering how fragile she was feeling at that moment. Nuada now had an awful lot to consider before any move could be made, and he could see how tired his friends looked after this upsetting occurrence.

'There is nothing more that can be done tonight,' he said gently, 'so I think you should finally get some rest. Perhaps if you have another vision of Maiyor it will give us all the information we need to help him,' he said, trying to sound positive, but he could see that the truth of the situation was all too clear to his friends also. With a heavy sigh, Ecris got to his feet and held his hand out for Naeva to take. She was still a little shaky and was rather glad to have him there to lean on. Nuada offered his hand to Sciana, which she took with a sad smile and also got to her feet. The barely concealed sorrow in her eyes touched him deeply. 'I am sure you will be reunited with him soon,' he said gently, wishing he could help her more. 'I hope so, Sire,' she said in almost a whisper, tears threatening to fall once more. Nuada smiled kindly and laid his free hand atop hers, trying to give her some small measure of comfort.

'Come then, my dears,' said Ecris in a tired voice. 'As Nuada says, it is time you had some rest, and we shall see what tomorrow may bring for us.' As such, after bidding each other goodnight, the three friends left Nuada's room and made for their own, leaving him alone once more. He sat beside the fire with his elbows resting on the arms of his chair, his hands clasped together before him, fingers lightly resting against his dark lips as he stared down into the fire whilst contemplating everything that had been said that night.