The Home Stone

Dawn came too soon as Shannon’s head still hurt from all that ale that she had consumed the night before. Glancing around the room, she saw that Kirin too was still asleep. When she turned her eyes to where the rogue was sleeping, she found his bed empty. Rising quickly, she woke Kirin and the two stepped out of the hut only to find that the queen had placed two guards at the entrance to stop any of the two from leaving.

“What has happened to our friend,” she demanded.

“He was taken to the queen’s quarters,” came the reply from one of the guards. “He will be returned shortly.”

The two elves waited for some time before the rogue was escorted back to their hut. Shannon waited until his two escorts left the hut before she questioned him.

“They came and woke me about an hour ago,” he explained. “Your drinks last night were spiked with a mild drug that would let you sleep longer and not knock you out immediately. That’s why you both have headaches. They then brought me to Sapphira’s hut where she questioned me rather forcibly to the where a bouts of my son Sean. I kept telling her that his was waiting for me in Evermore and after some time she gave up and had me brought back here.”

Clearly angered, Shannon strode to the door of the hut and demanded to see the queen. At first she was refused by the guard telling her the Sapphira would call for them soon. This infuriated the elf girl even more and before she could create a spell Kirin stepped in and stopped her.

“Look!” he said to Shannon in a stern tone. “We came here to find our Homestone. Clearly, they don’t have it. So why start a feud with them, if we could have them as an ally.”

Calming herself, Shannon retreated from the door and sat down on her bed and waited. It was close to noon when another Valcorans warrior entered the hut, with a message that the queen was ready to receive them.

“Queen Sapphira will see all of you now,” the warrior said.

Escorted by a half dozen Valcorans, the three were brought before the queen. There they were ushered to three chairs that had been placed directly in front of her. This was going to be a quiet conversation Shannon thought as she made herself as comfortable as possible on the hard wooden chair.

“I have a favor to ask of you,” she began and saw a puzzled look on all three faces. “I wish to accompany you to Evermore to see my son. I know that I have not done you right by drugging you, but I had to make sure that what you were telling me was the truth. I will bring two of my captains with me. No more than that.”

The three sat back in their chairs and looked at each other with surprise. Never had they thought that they would be asked to bring any Valcorans, especially their queen back to Evermore. A few moments passed before Shannon answered.

“It is a strange request, seeing that it was the Valcorans that were suspected of the theft,” Shannon said in a calm voice, “but I would be happy to do so if you can guarantee us that you would not try to harm Brendan or any of us during the voyage back.”

“All I want is to see Sean and ask him if he would come to stay with us a while,” she responded. “I won’t try to force him to stay here against his will or anything like that.”

Shannon looked first at Brendan, who just sat there staring at the queen. Her eyes then moved over to Kirin who shrugged his shoulders and said, “It didn’t matter to him, so long as the queen kept her word.”

Sapphira then dismissed the two men, asking if she could continue a conversation with the elf girl.

Questions were asked back and forth about each other’s way of life. The queen was especially interested in hearing about how Evermore got started, claiming that she wished to have her scribe, Doreen, who would be one of the warriors coming along for the journey, to record this historic event. Shannon also asked how the Valcorans came to be. The queen was only too happy to give the elf a quick lesson of their history. Some five hundred years ago people that lived in a land many days travel to the east attacked the village of Valcore, which was located on one of the smaller Dragon Isles. They killed all the men and took the women as slaves. Some of the smaller children that had been hiding in the forest escaped capture and after the invaders left, had to fend for themselves. They made an oath to never allow any man or woman to conquer them ever again. They grew up and built small crafts and sailed to the bigger island where till today have established their new home. It would be years later when the invaders returned. Only this time they were met with an equal force but with more determination to protect their home. The invaders were beaten and never left the island. They were killed and their boats were destroyed. Not a trace was left of the slavers and to this date they have never returned.

“This island,” said the queen, is well protected by us as well as the grays that live under the mountains here. They have developed a small, but strong navy and patrol the straights and outer islands, while we protect the forests here.”

Later that day, when all three were back in their hut, Brendan approached the elf girl and whispered. “What about Sean? What are we going to tell Sapphira when she sees my son on board?”

“I will find a way to warn him before she can find out,” she whispered back. “I want her to see him the way he is now; happy with his father.”

The rogue thought for a moment and then nodded to the elf that he liked that idea. If the queen realized that her son was happy living with Brendan, then all three might have a better chance of living a more normal life and not be jumping at every shadow hoping not to be taken prisoner at every turn in the road of life. Yes, this could work, he thought.

Preparations were made for their departure at the first sign of dawn the next morning. Sapphira chose her scribe and one other warrior to accompany her to the lands to the west, when a messenger entered the village.

Moments after the messenger delivered her message the queen called the tribe together and said. “The dwarfs are at war with the goblin that occupy the lower levels under the mountains, so the passage through the tunnels is no longer safe for us to pass through. We must now take the southern pass. It will be safer, but we will have to carry extra furs, as the snow in the pass is still deep and cold. Extra blankets and food must be brought along and I will have a couple of my warriors come with us to your boats for protection.” Looking at the three she added. “I hope this is acceptable to you?”

The friends shrugged their shoulders and accepted the queen’s demand. This was her island and here she ruled supreme. The rest of the day was spent preparing their backpacks and making sure their weapons were ready for anything that could arise. By evening, the party sat and ate their meal and drank some ale before retiring for the night. Dawn would come fast enough and the three wanted to get as much sleep as they could get.