The Broken Crown

Undo

The chime of the bells sound in the background, sounding through the dead of night as I stand still in the moonlight. Below the balcony stands the palace gardens, a handful of elves following Keva down towards the bushes as they hold wicker baskets. Placing my hands against the railing, I watch as the elves almost seem to glide across the dirt paths, the moonlight causing their silver and golden hair to shine, and a whisper fill the wind. Some form of magic is once more taking place tonight, some sort of ritual as I watch the elves collect flowers from the bushes. Only the other day were these people traveling through a magical fabrication into an illusion where that same sorceress spoke with me.

"They are collecting ancient flowers to place at the graves of their ancestors," a familiar voice speaks up, yet I do not look back to him. I sense River as he stands behind me, his eyes upon me as I look below to the elves. "It is part of a week-long ceremony as a way to respect those who have passed and ask for their blessings in life. The flowers which they pick are believed to absorb moondust, falling from the sky and collected by the most delicate of flowers."

"Sounds like something witches would do," I comment, glancing over my shoulder to River as he happened to find me upon the balcony of one of the towers.

"Witches use these items to brew potions. Elves use them for a more spiritual purpose."

"They use the same source but take a different approach. What would a sorceress do?" I'm curious, for ever since I met that sorceress I have wondered what purpose she serves to River and these elves.

River comes to stand beside me, leaning against the marble railing as he stares up to the full moon. "They do what a witch would do, but have older spells and recipes."

"Why do you have a sorceress? The one in that illusion?" I ask, looking to River as I watch his facial expressions change to concern. "She invited me into that illusion, telling me about it. She did not mention what you do with it."

I watch as River becomes tense, worried as to why I would be invited into that portal. "What did she say to you?"

Remaining silent, River acknowledges that he must answer my question first. "During this elves ritual, they travel to the illusion to seek the knowledge of the sorceress, to have her reach out to the afterlife and allow a connection between the living and dead. She serves as a help in completing the ritual and also someone I can turn to for help...she helps to keep this palace hidden to the human eye or unwanted gaze. Over time, the magic which keeps this place hidden has corroded, so she helps keep it strong."

"Do you use her to cast spells? To aid in your conquests?" I know the last question was for my own worries, wondering if she would perhaps be used in battle against enemies...if I were to be an enemy.

"She does not go against the code of her brotherhood."

"I do not know the code," I point out.

"She helps only when the balance of all things is at risk."

I take River's answer to mean that I should not expect a sorceress to wage war upon my pack should River decide to attack Crimson Lock. "She told me I was very much like my mother," I answer, looking back out as I see Keva picking silver flowers near the walls of the garden. "To not let others make decisions for me." I try and tweak what the sorceress had told me to not give too much away or to concern River.

Still, I can sense the tensions between the two of us from the meeting earlier. Penelope and Yusuf had stormed out, followed by my own dismissal as we had left the council to their own conversation. "Alpha Edward never sent word to my pack."

"How can you be sure?"

"Bryson and Cedric asked around. I never heard word from anyone either," I restate, looking to River as I notice the distance between the two of us only closing in.