She nodded. “It’s inconceivable. The whole order is destroyed. Seersha and I might be all that’s left. And Paranor is abandoned. Drust Chazhul has shown he will do anything he can to destroy the Druids. It says a great deal about his disregard for magic and its uses that he attacked us with so little hesitation.”
“Your grandfather is anxious to hear everything.” Ellich paused. “Is it as bad as I think?”
“Worse,” she told him. “But you will hear for yourself.”
“A word with you about your grandfather, first.” His strong features tightened, and he kept his voice low. “My brother is not well. In fact, he is as bad as he has ever been. It will be a shock to you when you see him, but try not to show it. The stress of his position and its demands have worn him down. That, and dealing with Phaedon. The Prince no longer makes any attempt to pretend he is his father’s right hand. He campaigns openly to be King. He says it is time for his father to step down and cede the throne to him. He has some support for this. Clearly, the King is not what he once was, and there are those who think it best that he abdicate.”
“Phaedon has no right to ask this,” Arling interrupted.
Ellich smiled grimly. “Since when did decency ever stop that boy? The King hangs on mostly because he still hopes his son will change. He thinks that time will season him and he’ll somehow become the King he should be. It is an impossibility, but my brother will not see this.”
“So what are you saying, Uncle?” Aphen pressed.
The smile died away. “You are always so quick to intuit things. I am saying that any promises he makes to you today might be broken tomorrow. Tell him what you will, but remember that he needs to know that whatever has happened is not insurmountable. His heart is weak and his strength limited. If you can reassure him there are solutions to problems, if you can give him hope, if you can take on some of the burden, it will go a long way toward helping him deal with any demands being placed on his shoulders.”
He paused. “Am I asking too much? From the look on your face, I think maybe I am.”
“You will decide for yourself when you hear what I have to say.” She put her hands on his broad shoulders. “I love you both, and I would do nothing to hurt either of you. But what I have to say can’t wait and can’t be softened. It is harsh and terrible, and it must be dealt with. I need Grandfather to be strong for this.”
Her uncle nodded slowly. “Then we must do our best to help him be strong. Come.”
They followed the path to the little side door she had entered not so long ago but which now seemed as if it must have happened in another lifetime. She had spoken to her grandfather about her order’s plan to embark on a quest, but she had never told him exactly what the Druids were seeking. She had asked for the use of the seeking-Stones at that meeting, and now she must ask for them again. But this time there was a clear precedent for her request, one deeply rooted in Elven history, and she intended to rely on it.
A member of the Home Guard stepped out of the foliage to greet them, nodded approval for them to pass, and vanished as quickly and silently as he had appeared.
Ellich rapped on the door, and after a moment it opened and her grandfather was standing before her, smiling. “Aphen,” he said, and took her in his arms.
She was shocked at how haggard he grown, his age never more evident than it was now. His arms, encircling her, felt weak and brittle, and his weight had dropped noticeably. The strength that had once been evident was completely gone. It was as if he were hanging on by his fingernails.
She hugged him back. She could feel the tears in her eyes. “Grandfather. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Well, then. We are well matched.” He looked past her. “And you, as well, Arling.” He released Aphen to hug her sister, patting Arling gently on the back. “I don’t see enough of either of you anymore. Come in, come in.”