Convincing Calla that her band needed saving was not as easy a proposition as Ian had thought it would be.

"We're not leaving. We chose to stay here, and stay here we will."

"And what of the children? What of Nissa and the children? We both know that children are rare among our folk. They should be protected and cared for in a place where they stand a better chance of surviving. Do not condemn them to a life here in this savage place---"

"Enough!" Calla slammed a hand down on the rough-hewn table between them. "How DARE you? They ARE cared for! They ARE protected. And they ARE loved". She stood, enraged, to glare down at Ian where he still sat. They stand the same chance of survival as any other child born into this world."

He kept his seat. His words, when they came, were soft-spoken. "But they were not born here, were they? They were born in the Green Silences. At least there, or someplace less harsh, they will not have to struggle to survive as they do here."

Calla shook her head. "Perhaps the reason elves produce so little offspring is because there is no struggle for survival. Did you ever consider that, Iannon of House Silver Rose?" She gathered her furs and walked away for the ice tunnel, leaving Ian to stare wryly at the fish stew in his bowl.

"Oh aye... Silver Rose, Blackthorn and all," he muttered as he got up himself. "Definitely not House Silvertongue." A good thing that the Goddess had promised he would return to Camelot on the same night he had left. This was going to take longer than he thought.

*********

He went in search of Nerissa and found her at the far end of the "tunnels" with a basket of seaweed and some sort of shellfish. A few yards past her was a dark opening and the sound of water that grew closer as they talked. The sand walls here curved a bit over their heads and Ian shivered a bit at what might happen if they gave way. "Is it wise to come so far by yourself?"

Nerissa giggled. "This is not as far as I was an hour ago. The beds closer to the shore are too scarce now, so we are going further out to let the nearer ones come back in time. It's safe as long as you pay attention to the time and the sound of the water." She bent to pick up her basket, then laughed as Ian beat her to it. "Let's go back towards that bend. There's some shellfish there."

He followed her silently, setting the basket down where she pointed, then watched her as she took only the largest, leaving the smallest to grow for later harvesting. Behind them the low murmur of the incoming tide was growing louder and Ian's eyes were drawn back to that darkness. "Nissa, has anyone drowned down here?"

"Just one. That was while the Green Silences was still here. He was one of the first here. They think he stayed too long, the stones faded, and he was lost in the dark. Why?"

"Hmm?" He looked at her as if he had not listened. But he had heard her very well. "Just an idea... "

*********

"... it's dangerous but it might work. And your clan would be safe here."

Calla nodded. "We would be leaving for the mountain glens soon anyway for the summer. We plant some crops there as soon as the snow melts in a big enough area. I had thought we would have to deal with a pursuit. But now, I think this will work! I really do!"

"We don't have much time, if what you tell me is true. If we time this right, we'll just be hurrying events along." He scratched at his neck where his furs itched. "We best tell the others."

"Nerissa!" yelled Calla." Get your uncle and the others. We have a big job ahead of us." She looked at Ian. "Thank you"

Ian shook his head. "Don't thank me yet."

7/00


Tears of Ice: Part VI

They began as soon as they knew the tribesmen were on their way once more. It was hard work, but they had to move fast. Time was a harsher enemy than the humans.

The preparations were completed an hour before the tide began to turn. And once again, they were at the mercy of Time. It all hinged on when the raiders would reach the elf settlement.

Time, as it turned out, was now their ally.

**********

The scout rode in excitedly to make his report. "They are all out on the ice, m'lord. Fishing or something. We've got them if we move quickly!"

His chief gave a gap-toothed grin, and shortly thereafter his column of riders pounded around the boulders onto the beach. But then a strange thing happened. His men had dismounted, spreading out to cut the elves off from the land as they advanced out onto the ice after them. But instead of trying to reach the beach, the elves all turned and ran further out on the ice... and then jumped into a hole! The humans ran after them, and when they reached the hole, roared as they realized there was no water beneath them. For a few seconds they milled about, until the leader yelled, "After them!"

And down they climbed to the "caves" below.

**********

Ian ran out with his team from their hiding place on shore. There were five men left with the horses. Luckily none of them were looking to their rear as the elves attacked. Meanwhile, if things went according to Ian's plan the rest of the elves' enemies were becoming lost in the "tunnels" chasing their prey. Only the swiftest of Calla's folk had been chosen as the bait. Now, as they ran from the pursuit, they snatched the baskets of lightstones from their holders, leaving the tribesmen to blunder about in the dark.

Blackthorn and three others now ran as quickly as they could over the surface of the ice toward the hole. As soon as they reached it, Ian went down on his stomach to peer cautiously below. Chaos reigned; some baskets had been missed, but not enough to give the tribe sufficient light to see clearly. Slowly, Ian reached over, grabbed the end of the pole and pulled the ladder up. The last avenue of escape had been denied the raiders. The others helped carry the ladder as they now ran back to the shore. There was a creaking and moaning behind them as the surface of the ice began to rise some yards past the hole.

It was nearly high tide.

Down below, at the far ends of the tunnels, the sand that had blocked the passages when the walls were collapsed earlier began to give way to the force of the water. There was a great crashing sound, the water began to rush into the channels ... and the ice began to break up. On the shore, Calla and her runners had emerged from the cave after collapsing the end of the ice tunnel and now stood, yelling frantically for Ian and the others to hurry. They let the ladder drop to the ice and ran while the ice beneath them groaned. Ian ended his time on the ice as it had begun: with a slip and then a belly slide that stopped as he skidded into the gravel at the water's edge.

Someone helped him to his feet and he turned to look out to sea. The ice pack was breaking up. If any of the tribesmen were still alive somewhere in a pocket of air below, they would not be for long. He looked back at the elves.

"We did it! And all it took was nature itself."

Calla nodded, but her face seemed strange. Ian's throat tightened. "Where's Nerissa?"

7/00


Tears of Ice: Part VII

They'd lain her on the table in the common room of the caves.

At first glance, she merely seemed asleep.

"It was an arrow." Calla spoke woodenly as she stood across the table from him once more. This time it was Nerissa's body that lay between them, not angry words. "One of them had a bow. It must have... twas the lightstones, you see. All he had to do, even if he were in the dark, was aim at the lightstones she carried. She didn't tell anyone she was hit. She just ran on, until she reached the exit, and then ... then she fell. She was dead before I reached her side." Calla reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from her daughter's face, while Ian struggled and failed to find something to say.

How could he comfort her? He'd failed. He'd failed to save Nerissa.

They mourned silently through the long night.

********

At dawn they carried Nerissa's body outside and set in atop a large flat stone further down the beach. What little wood they could spare was placed about the body and some of the children solemnly placed small bags with herbs upon their friend's chest. Their contents would give off a sweet smelling smoke when burned. Calla had looked distressed when the wind off the ocean had made it hard to light the makeshift pyre, so Ian had summoned a blue flame and set the wood ablaze. Calla gave him a glance of thanks, and as the fire finally began to burn down, Nerissa's body nearly reduced to ashes, Calla stepped forwards and faced the others.

"The fire, like my daughter's spirit, has burned brightly. May the Goddess gather her into the Light." Then she walked away from her daughter's pyre to where the captured horse stood waiting. One by one, all the elves, even the smallest of the remaining children, stepped forward, wished Nerissa home to the Light, and then went to join the others. Finally only Ian was left. He could not speak for a few seconds then sighed. "Go to the Light, Nerissa. Be at peace."

A gust of wind blasted from behind him and the ashes blew out and over the ocean. He turned and walked against it towards where Calla sat already on a horse, waiting to lead her clan away.

"You will not change your mind?" He stared directly into her eyes. They'd spoken again briefly this morning about leaving this Plane. Even with what had happened, Calla had still been as stubborn as she had been before. He was not surprised when she shook her head again. "Not now. My grief would decide for me. We will go to the dales for now. You've shown me the Road. I will show the others, and if the crop is not good, we will walk the Road. What of you?"

"I don't know. I failed. I'm not sure what happens next."

She gathered her horse's reins and looked at Ian. "If you can't find your way home, come find us." She waved at the others, and the elves rode away towards the mountains. He watched for as long as they were in sight, then sat down to wait.

********

The shadows lengthened and had covered the now cold pyre when Arianrhod spoke behind him. "So, Iannonvethallion. Are you ready to go home?"

He did not look at her. "I failed. The girl is dead."

She walked around so he could see her. "Yes, she is. And you did not fail."

"How ... how did I not fail? You set me here to save her, did you not?"

She sighed. "No, I sent you to save all of them. She was only one among many. And I sent you to mete out my justice to the raiders for what they had done to their captives. You did so, and quite well. You've fulfilled your second task."

"DAMN you! She was a little girl. She should be alive, with her mother, her friends, not ashes out there!"

"She's with the Light, Iannon. Truly, she is. Calla will use the Road, you know. The rest of the children will survive."

"But not Nerissa."

"No, not Nerissa. You did what you were sent to do, Iannon. Now I shall keep my word. You will return home and no time shall have gone by since I summoned you." The haze began to gather over his sight and the voice of the goddess seemed to echo in his ears. "You cannot save everyone, Blackthorn. If you insist on trying, you will... "

"... catch your death of cold, Ian Blackthorn!" Lady Xanthia Hawke tossed a blanket over his chair. "You dozed off over here by yourself, right in a draft."

Ian looked about; the firehall was nearly empty and Lumiere was wiping down the bar. Blackhawke stood at the door waiting for Xan to join him. "Thank you, milady. I best get up to my own bed." The goddess had done as she had said. No time had passed while he was gone. Nothing had changed. Nothing. Except a young elven girl had died far away.

As Ian got to his feet, something fell with a clatter to the floor. Xan retrieved it and stood looking at it in her hand with a bemused expression. "My, what a strange looking stone, Ian? What is it called?"

He gently took it from her hand, looked at it, then tucked it in a pocket on his belt. "A Tear, milady." He walked for the stairs.

"A Tear of Ice."

7/00