A Story Of River by Lana Axe Page A

exists.”
    “Good,” Aelryk replied. “Let's get
moving.”
    The men said their goodbyes to those who
were heading back to the palace. Byord grinned and waved goodbye to Mel as he
mounted his horse. He blew a kiss at Thinal, who rolled her eyes and shook her
head.
    The seven of them set out west in search
of the Vale. Upon entering the woods, Mel pointed out the tracks left by the
fleeing sorcerer and spiders. They headed off south, just as he expected. The
forest was unusually quiet, and they pressed on as quickly and quietly as
possible.

Chapter 20

 
    Tu'vad headed up the twisted dirt path
leading through the gray rock. All of the commotion he was hearing had better
be for a good reason, otherwise the mine supervisor would answer to him for not
quelling the disturbance. Nearing the mine entrance, he saw a group of miners
all huddled around a small table. The supervisor caught his eye and waved.
    “Lord Tu'vad! You must come and see!” he
shouted.
    Tu'vad continued his approach as the miners
cleared the way for him to see the prize laying on the table. A deep purple
gem, as large as his head, lay before him. His eyes widened, and his jaw
dropped slightly in disbelief. All the times he had reassured Master Ulda that
they were searching diligently for larger stones had just been a farce. Of
course they were working hard, but he hadn't truly believed gems this size
existed. Ulda was going to be very pleased with him indeed.
    “This must be brought to Master Ulda at
once,” Tu'vad said.
    “Right away, sir,” one of the miners
responded.
    “Not you,” Tu'vad said, noticing a young
woman emerging from the mine. “You there,” he shouted to her. “Grab a cart and
load this gem inside it.”
    The young woman nodded and obeyed quickly.
    “Follow me,” he ordered, and the two of
them set off down the path. It was only a fifteen minute walk to the palace
entrance, but the heat of the summer sun was intense. Tu'vad observed the woman
as sweat beads rolled down her neck and dampened her hair. She was quite
lovely, despite being rather dirty.
    Together they entered the palace and
proceeded to Ulda's laboratory. A young slave boy stood watch outside the door.
    “His majesty has commanded that he not be
disturbed,” the boy said.
    Ulda stopped in his tracks and slapped the
boy across his face. “You don't give me orders, slave. Get out of my way!” He
shoved the boy away, knocking him to the ground. Flinging open the doors he
shouted, “Your Highness, I've come on most urgent business.”
    The laboratory was in disarray and smelled
of burning metals. The room was dark except for the light emitting from the orb
within. All was silent, and there was no sign of movement.
    Tu'vad spoke again. “Forgive my intrusion,
sire, but I have brought with me that which you are seeking. It's a gemstone,
majesty. It's the largest one I've seen.” He heard what sounded like an iron
bar being dropped to the floor. The orb's light faded, and with a snap of his
fingers, Ulda flooded the room with a soft white light.
    “Bring it to me,” he said.
    Tu'vad grabbed the cart from the woman and
waved her away. He pushed it inside the lab and smiled triumphantly.
    Ulda gaped at the enormous gem. This was
indeed a great find. With the proper shape, this would suit his purpose
perfectly. “Take it to my master jeweler. I will follow shortly with the exact
details of the cut I need.” As he spoke, he fiddled with the gemstone necklace
he wore. Tu'vad noticed what appeared to be a face embedded within the gem. It
swirled within a white mist, and he could just make out the features of the
Soulbinder who had disappointed Ulda a few days earlier.
    “I will take it to him personally, sire,”
Tu'vad said. He bowed and pushed the cart out of the lab.
    Ulda began rummaging through a stack of
books laying on the floor near his enchanting area. Grabbing a red volume in
his hands, he flipped quickly through its pages. Arriving at the correct