Page 71 of Keeper of the Word (The Unsung and the Wolf Duology #2)

Chapter

Sixty-Four

ELANNA

T hey’d passed a great deal of lakes and ponds traveling through Namid. Elanna could not help but ponder that these bodies of water, in the reflections of which she discerned evergreens, mountains, and the emergence of early autumn, hinted at something.

At midday, they rested at what appeared to be two or three farmers’ lands.

The rows and rows of green, orange, and yellow vegetables seemed half a rainbow etching the earth.

Ghlee—who, much to Hux’s chagrin, had taken charge—rode with Alvie and two companions to purchase food from one of the farmers.

Maristel had grown fussier the longer they traveled, and Casta cradled her in her arms. With Ghlee temporarily absent, Hux had taken it upon himself to order knights about with chores.

Elanna breathed as the surrounding noise butted against her.

She required a moment’s peace. Taking shade in the nearby grove, Elanna wandered into the woods.

’Twas unlike her to meander, but as of late, much of what she did was unlike her.

She had taken to carrying the starstone club around with her—Alvie graciously relinquishing it, saying he knew it had an adventure in store—and swung it absentmindedly at her side as she ambled along.

Deeper into the woods, the canopy of trees shifted in the breeze, and Elanna had the distinct impression that she had been here before.

She halted.

Nay, she had not been here before, but she’d Seen this place. On the Dasei Moors? Nay, ’twas with Tara at Castle Sidra when she’d Seen the centuries drag out before her.

The blacksmith.

There was a blacksmith in that vision.

A path appeared before her, although Elanna perceived that it did not exist in her time. ’Twas something only she could See.

She followed it.

Lost track of time.

But by and by, on the other side of the woods, nestled in a glen, she discovered a dwelling.

Next to it stood another structure. ’Twas the size of the shoppe in the other settlement but seemed to be a workshop of some sort.

Great puffs of smoke bloomed from the chimney, and the air around it was warm.

A twig snapped . She turned toward the noise. Naught was there.

After scanning the area, Elanna padded toward the workshop, ignoring the sound of a woman’s screeching that exuded from the dwelling.

Elanna opened the door. There stood a man with sweaty, dark hair wearing a heavy, leather apron. He was hammering a hot piece of parchment-thin metal that he held with large tongs.

“Good day,” Elanna said.

He hammered a few more times before regarding her. His eyes glanced at the club in her hand. No words came. But his expression was expectant.

“Have you—? Have you been waiting for me?” Elanna asked, flourishing the club. A strange thing to ask. Why would he be waiting for her?

His mouth set in a hard line. He did not move. She noted the piece of metal fastened in the tongs was a thin sheet of copper. Judging from the state of the dwelling, it might be worth more coin than he’d seen for a while.

Elanna gazed around the workshop. ’Twas as if a layer of film covered her vision. Movement outside the window caught her attention but disappeared before Elanna could detect what it was.

“Aye.”

The word startled her.

“I been waitin’ for you. Don’t know what you want made on this though.” He held up the thin sheet of copper.

“Made on that? I—I came for this,” she said, waggling the club.

He pursed his lips. “It’ll take me two days to make it.”

“Of course. I’ll return then.”

“Come straight here. Do not go to my dwelling. My Gertie cannot know about this.”

She nodded; her head felt heavy. Why did it feel as though a mist had settled in his workshop? ’Twas different from the remnants of smoke that escaped the forge.

“Why?”

He sighed as if it were painfully obvious. “She cannot know.”

Elanna cocked her head. “No matter. I shall come here.” This was becoming increasingly confusing.

The blacksmith eyed the window. “You must go soon. But first, you need to tell me what you want on this.”

Her brow furrowed. “I do not know. I only came for this.”

He studied the sheet. Her eyes followed.

Truly, ’twas a beautiful piece of copper. Smooth and glossy. Then, before her eyes, something etched itself onto the sheet. As if by magic, pinpricks appeared to line the surface of the sheet until ’twas covered with numerous prongs, creating some sort of…

She leaned over it. “’Tis a map.”

She blinked. The copper sheet was blank once again. The blacksmith met her eyes. “Of what?”

“Of—” She tilted her head. The engraved copper appeared again. “Of Lenfore. Yet there are differences. I know not some of these northern places. And Ashwin is…moved somewhat. And…” What was it? Her eyes roved the sheet. “But Asalle is where ’tis supposed to be.”

The blacksmith choked out a cough. “Asalle?”

“Aye, ’tis here.” She pointed her finger at the poked star in the copper that illustrated Asalle’s location along the Glendower River.

The blacksmith lingered on the copper sheet in a squint before he studied her with hard lines running across his face. “There is no such place as Asalle.”

Elanna stood straight. “What can you mean?” Her vision blurred momentarily. “Of course there is. That is why I am here. That is why I need you.” She inclined her head toward the club.

His nostrils flared as he tightened his jaw. “Show me then. Show me what to punch into this.”

Elanna narrowed her eyes. Can he truly not see the impressions?

She rubbed her eyes. A fleeting moment manifested a smooth, plain copper sheet before the map revealed itself to her again. The blacksmith’s expression remained blank as if he’d detected neither transformation.

“Aye, I shall,” Elanna said.

The two spent the afternoon creating the copper map together, the blacksmith tapping minuscule holes into the map with a tiny punch. When ’twas finished, the corner of the blacksmith’s mouth lifted.

His eyes were transfixed on Asalle’s place on the map.

He handed it to Elanna.

She did not know why she took it, but she accepted the copper map and walked toward the door.

“Two days?”

His back already to her, he nodded. He studied the gouge in the club revealing the starstone.

She exited and made her way back into the trees. Wait until she told the others she’d found someone to make the starstone key!

She froze. “I did not tell him what I desired to be made from the starstone. ”

’Twas true. He had so rattled her with this copper map that she had ne’er actually told him what she wanted. Of course, the whole afternoon had been one that she now recalled through a haze. But she had to tell him.

She made her way back through the woods and peeked at the dwelling, ensuring that no one spotted her. Why, she knew not, but Elanna would not question that at this moment.

All was quiet.

When she stepped through the door, the blacksmith stood there, leaning against his table. The sunlight shone differently through the window as if it were a different time of day, and the fire in his forge was extinguished.

He held a beautiful key in his hand. The size of Elanna’s palm, it gleamed white. The bit was patterned in extraordinary shapes. The bow of the key had been intricately crafted into a five-pointed star encompassed by a ring. A swirl of designs was inlaid throughout the star.

The blacksmith appeared incredibly pleased.

He outstretched his hand to her and placed the key in her palm.

“How did you make this already? I left only an hour’s half ago.” She brought the key to eye level. “And how did you know what I wished you to make? I ne’er told you.”

His answer was to silently glower at her.

“Is that all you need?” he finally uttered.

Elanna nodded; her vision blurred again.

“You best be going then.” He handed her a small, heavy, leather pouch.

“What is this?”

“The rest of the starstone. I melted it into coins.”

“You must keep this,” Elanna said, extending the pouch to him.

The blacksmith shook his head slowly. “Not meant to be here.”

Elanna knew confusion clouded her face, but the blacksmith did not budge. There was so much she longed to ask him. So much she craved to know. But she could detect through the window that dusk approached. She did not wish everyone to worry more than they most assuredly were already.

She removed five coins and placed them on his table. “For your family.”

His eyes followed her hands, and he gave a curt nod.

“My thanks,” Elanna said, placing the key in her pocket. “What you have crafted is beautiful. And ’tis more significant than you could possibly know.”

He gave neither a nod nor a word, but a glint in his eyes beamed.

“Farewell,” Elanna said.

She strode quickly through the woods and returned to find Kyrie and Casta pacing back and forth.

Stars.

“I am returned,” Elanna said, hurrying to them.

“Elanna! Stars in heaven. Where have you been?” Casta threw her arms around her.

“I am most sorry. I know I was absent longer than I should have been.”

“We searched everywhere. Everywhere!” Kyrie yelled. “Where were you?”

“At the forge of the blacksmith on the edge of the woods. Look.” She withdrew the key.

“Oh my stars, ’tis beautiful,” Casta said at the same time that Kyrie said, “What blacksmith’s forge?”

“At the edge of the woods.” Elanna pointed in the direction from where she’d come.

The two exchanged a glance. “There is naught at the end of the woods, Elanna. We searched all over the woods and on the other side, too.”

“We searched for two days!” Kyrie’s hands shook.

“Two days? What are you talking about? I was away for a few hours at most.”

“And finally, yesterday,” Casta continued, “we Saw that the Order of Siria could wait no longer. We sent them on their way to rescue Sir Tolvar.”

Elanna focused on the scene behind them. Only their own horses and six others stood corralled where they’d hobbled them at midday.

“Nay,” Elanna simply replied.

“We’ve been so distressed,” Casta said. “Yet we still sensed you. Although the strain you drew on my cord of light was more taut than I have e’er felt.”

“Maristel has been crying for two days, saying her stomach aches! How could you leave for that long?”

“Kyrie, cease. Truly, you must believe me. I was only gone for an afternoon.”

“Lanna?” Maristel appeared, followed by one of the Order knights. “Lanna!” She bounded into Elanna’s arms and clutched her neck. “Lanna go away. Lanna go too far into fortune.”

“What did you say, Maristel?” Casta asked.

“Lanna go into fortune.” She cupped her hands together into a circle and placed them over one eye. Then she grinned and gestured, palms up. “Then she come back.”

Kyrie and Casta mirrored Maristel’s wide-eyed expression.

Finally, Kyrie said, “You Sybyll Walked?”

“What? I did not. I—” But ’twas no other explanation. What had only seemed like hours to Elanna had, in fact, been days. And she reminded herself. The blacksmith she’d Seen had been a vision of the future. The far, far future. “Stars.”

“’Tis dangerous, Elanna.” Casta pressed her lips together.

“I do not even know how I accomplished it!”

Kyrie painted on her stern countenance. “Because you yearned to. Because our need is great. But a warning. You must cease pushing your well beyond what it can give you.”

“I know the histories, Kyrie.”

But she was right. All at once, Elanna experienced fatigue.

“What is that you hold?” Casta pointed to the copper map.

“The blacksmith gave it to me. ’Tis a map.” She paused, straining to comprehend what she could remember. The whole ordeal was like a faraway illusion. “He did not know where Asalle was. Did not even believe in its existence.”

“What is it for?”

Elanna surveyed the farmland in front of them. The blue of the horizon stretched into the distant beyond—like a fortune she would never experience.

“We bury it.” She pointed to the field. “There.”