Sekali, "The Sister City"
Chapter 71
The council had not been a long one. Everyone had spoken, though mostly Ellianess and Aria had expressed ideas, and given counsel. As the four were preparing to go, Sekali found that he did not wish to leave. Their leaving was secreted within the innermost sanctum of the Eldishar; a place that even the eyes of a most powerful and skilled enemy could not penetrate.
When Aria had expressed her concern of the Veleighen following Sekali and his companions, and that she thought the three had been let go so they could be followed, Ellianess had whispered to Valishur. Immediately he withdrew, bowing, leaving them to finish the council.
Ellianess gave them her blessing, as they left her personal council chambers, telling them to travel due north until they came to the mountains; Aria would then further instruct them on their journey they were about to continue, once again. Aria hugged her mother tightly, not pulling away for quite some time. There were no tears . . . no verbal communication. At length, Aria released Ellianess and beamed a smile at her.
“We are going to raise the Sister City, mother, this I swear . . . I have spoken.”
Before leaving, they were each given a golden robe that blended in with the forest. And as they departed, cloaked and hooded, they saw many other groups of four join them in the large hall. A quick speech and they were off, all groups having the same goal and a time line to accomplish it. These other groups were serving as decoys. Some groups traveled east, some west and some south. Four groups of four traveled northward secretly, hoping to throw off unwanted watchers as they departed from the Forest of Utaemia.
They departed with a renewed sense of hope giving energy and life to them all. For a full fortnight they traveled silently, hooded and cloaked. One evening, Aria held out a hand, pointing to a great boulder at the base of a mountain range that seemed to dare them to come closer. The beauty of the woods was being left behind, replaced by a mountain that seemed to repel the goodness of the forest of its own accord.
As they rounded the massive half-buried boulder at the base of the mountain, they found the entrance. The opening was very large, with twisted roots of trees which had wormed their way down through the soil, covering the entrance and creating a foreboding vision of the mountain gaping its mouth wide to receive them.
They had not spoken a word, nor shown themselves out of their robes for a full fortnight, and it was eating at Finyat horribly. But he bore with it wisely, as Ellianess, the Queen of the Eldishar Elves had counseled. Who knows what could have been pursuing them, or even if a pursuit had been launched. They took no chances.
Finyat knew his place now and led the company toward the entrance, Uther falling in behind him. Sekali and Aria took up the back, silently drawing their blades in unison.