it began to sunrise. All the fairy tales that her grandmother had told her in the childhood weren`t fairy tales at all. Her heart has cramp because of resentment. She got a huge responsibility, and she almost at the first moment lost the most precious thing which was entrusted to her. Enilice certainly noticed that.
– I was only seven years old when my grandmother died. Apart from her fairy tales and the box which my mother gave me only for my eighteenth birthday, I had nothing else. Only some of my thoughts, guesses. I was thinking…
– Don't be sad, and don't blame yourself. You didn't know. And no one could have prepared you for this – Enilice tried to console her, and climbed into the saddle. – We will return the key. We have to! As soon as possible! So hold on tight, we need to hurry up before the Doppelganger thief goes too far.
Enilice put spurs to his horse and they quickly ride to the edge of the forest.
– How do we find him, if he can transform into anyone and create illusions?
– Doppelgangers have their own “magical smell”. So, we will follow this “magical traces”. I was taught by search skill when I was in the Academy of Afleeakwein. But I don't feel it here. The ancient magic of Izemburn mutes Elven telepathy, as well as magical sense of smell.
– So you're also a mage?
– No, I'm not a mage. I'm a tracker. But I know the basic spells which are known for almost all the elves, who do service in Elven army. We are all taught those spells in Academy. You saw one of them.
– Oh, yeah! That was awesome! Teach me! Please.
– Well, I think in Afleeakwein you will have a much better teacher than me. More experienced, true elven mage who knows a lot of different spells. Maybe you will be taught by Ikru, the Seer of our people.
– A seer? How is that? – Alice asked.
– Well, for example, she can see you and me. Where we are and what we are doing, no matter how far away we are from her. She's also a very powerful mage.
– I see – Alice answered indistinctly and realized that her eyes were starting to close. The long walks in the woods, the chase and the horse racing had worn her out. She wanted to go to her own bed with a duvet and soft pillows, but all she could do now was doze off as she sat on a galloping horse. After some time, Alice and Enilice left Izemburn.
Chapter 6
– Tonnord! – Ikru tried to reach elven leader mind.
– Yes Ikru, tell me.
– I have some news about the key.
– Okay. I'm on the balcony. Come. We`ll talk in private.
The wide balcony was located at the very top of the Great Elven Oak. Everyone who wanted to relax, reflect and enjoy the beautiful view of the Elven valley came here.
– Suilannad le condir! – Ikru greeted him in Elvish as she entered the balcony. I'd forgotten how beautiful it is here – She gasped, threw her view down at the valley.
The sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon, hugging the Elven valley by it`s warm rays, which is stretched for several miles from the Great Oak. Big and small forest edges were alternated with bright green meadows. The mother-of-pearl water of the great Elma River channel played with the rays of the morning sun, generously giving the valley “sunlight spots”. The signing of the birds was sweet to the ear, and the soft south wind brought the sweet smell of the meadows blooming here.
– What's the news, sister?
– My Lord, I'm afraid that`s not what you wanted to hear. I saw the box and the key in the hands of a man. I don't know who he is. He came out from Izemburn, somewhere close to our southern Outpost, and moved to the West. Enilice and Alice still in Izemburn. Unfortunately, I can't contact him yet.
– Yes, yes. He can't either, because of the ancient magic of Izemburn. Otherwise we would already know what happened there.
– But I can say they are moving, so soon they will leave Izemburn.
Tonnord thought. His view under long gray eyebrows was fixed on the single point. For a few seconds he freezes like a stone Gargoyle, motionless and silent. But soon he got up from the bench and began to walk back and forward along the balustrade of the balcony.
– Was that person alone?
– Yes, my lord.
– This is very strange. What motivates a man who decided to go to the west alone with such a valuable thing?! If that person is one of the dark magicians henchmen – he paused – Well, let's say. But we do not yet know who it is, so in order to deliver the key to the Yeagrefgort, you need to go directly to the north. Around the Canyon of Death, or through it – Tonnord chuckled – straight through the Middle Pathway, then through the Preeosted, across the Elma River, a few days across the Wastelands and that's it! But there is nothing in the West. Only the Pleepmorr, Scorched Earth and Trolls Swamps. Conclusion – this person does not belong to the dark magicians. And he seems completely reckless to go west ALONE. Around the Pleepmorr as well as inside of the city only the bastards. Robbers, assassins, thieves, mercenaries-rejected from other kingdoms… I'm not even talking about the Canyon of Death and the Scorched Earth crowded with all sorts of evil… In general, everything is bad. The key can end up in the hands of anyone, and then even the Dark Magicians, as Bronton said before. After that, I don't even want to think.
The loss of the key from an inexperienced keeper who had just come to this world was quite expected. Tonnord didn`t rule out the fact this could happen. So now it was necessary to act quickly. Return the key back to the Keeper and cover both of them in Afleeakwein. This meant one or two dozen warriors would have to be sent in pursuit of the thief, which would certainly attract attention, especially around the Pleepmorr area. And this Tonnord didn`t want to. He wanted to act secretly. But there was no choice.
– Okay Ikru, thank you for the news, even not good at all. I'll do an order to send a squad to chase the thief. I really didn`t want to “make noise” and attract attention, but it looks like we don`t have a choice. The key must be returned by any costs, before it is too late.
– I completely agree with you, my Lord.
– Go, Sister. Try to see as much as you can, and as soon as Enilice contacts you, let me know.
Ikru left, and Tonnord reached to the Tagrin`s mind.
“Tagrin, do you hear me?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Come up to me at the balcony, I need to talk to you personally.”
“Right away, sir.”
Shortly, a tall and strong elf, covered in armor, with a heavy blade at his belt and a bow on his back, entered the balcony to Tonnord. His tight black hair fell to his shoulders, and the same tight black beard fell to the middle of his chest, obscuring the Afleeakwein emblem etched on the breastplate of his armor. However, he still had the bright blue eyes and elven ears, which gave a certain contrast to his appearance. Anyone who didn't know him would have thought he was a northerner from Preeosted or it`s area. But he was a full-blooded elf. His late mother, who died in the war after the capture of Eraqel, was an elven mage. One of the strongest at that time. And as you know, the genes of magicians responsible for appearance very often change under
