Free Cloudfyre Falling - a dark fairy tale by A. L. Brooks

confirmed
his suspicions. That he had come to the edge of this death zone.
That beyond here the world went on as it always had; by now folk
would surely be gossiping about the strange phenomenon that had
stricken his part of Godrik’ s
Vale.
    He
leafed through the saddle bags for any note as to the elf
woman ’s identity. Except for
a handful of provisions, the bags were empty. So who were she?
How had she come to be here riding this
war horse? Perhaps she had been part of a ranging mission. Come to
inspect the Steppe, dispatched by her leaders to search for
survivors, to build a picture as to exactly what had happened, to
ascertain what were going on in case the greater realm might be
under similar threat.
    But by all appearances, whatever
had stricken all living things had stricken her too.
    Yet… for some reason it had not
effected the steed…
    The cloud mass began to clear,
though it did not break up entirely; whilst Gohor and Melus
remained concealed, their muted radiance managed to filter through
somewhat and illuminate some patches of the Steppe. But as time
drew on, the elf’s condition did not improve. Her breathing slowed.
Gargaron listened to her heart again. She should have come round by
now, lifted to consciousness by the brew of Lyfen Essence. Yet he
feared her heart had slowed far too much.
    As a last resort he placed his
forehead upon hers. Not something he were entirely comfortable
doing. Many folk looked upon mind delving as a violation. And such
an act could sometimes hinder and retard the delver. But perhaps
this elf were now beyond offending or afflicting. Yet, if Gargaron
learned through mind delving what ailed her, and if that knowledge
in turn lead to her recovery, then she may prove
forgiving.
    However, as he sent his thoughts
out into her mind, he saw nothing but blackness. A sorry sign. For
it meant her spirit were already leaving her body and did not wish
to return. He wondered if a Vannandal might help her at this point.
If so, she were out of luck. He had not thought to pack
one.

    10
    He watched her take her last
breath three hours after she and her mount had found him. And as
she passed on, grass sprouted up around her, flowers grew from her
chest and face, and her entire body turned to stone.
    There were no obvious injury or
wound to tell Gargaron what had killed her. Naught but a simple
abrasion to the side of her head. And only blankness from her mind
when he had searched her thoughts.
    Gargaron sat there and watched her
where she lay now, forever entombed. He eyed her for a long while.
He felt a sadness for her, a pity and a strange sense of emptiness.
That she had come here and would not return alive to her kind and
kin. He would notify the authorities in Autumn, of course. Her
family would want to know what became of her. He would inform them
of where she lay, he would tell them that if she had been part of a
ranging mission then it had come to grief and that perhaps more
members of her party had suffered the same fate.
    Gargaron packed up his camp.
Kicked out his fire. Then stood regarding his new friend, the
horse. ‘Well then,’ he said. ‘I’m for Autumn. Do you wish to
accompany me?’ As if understanding, Grimah stepped to him and
affectionately nibbled his cheek. ‘Should I take that as a
yes?’
    He unhitched his bull-hide pack
from his shoulder and tied it to the side of Grimah’s saddle. The
steed did not object. Gargaron straightened the bridle and
tightened its straps. Then he placed his boot in the stirrup,
gripped the pommel and pulled himself up into saddle.
    For some reason he half expected
the horse to rear up and buck him off. But Grimah remained placid,
content. Gargaron reached forward, patting him on the backs of both
necks. Then with one last look at the elf tomb he pulled the great
steed around and trotted down out of Eastbourne Hills.

AUTUMN
    1
    STICKING to Far Trail, the upper
heights of Skytower, distant though it were, soon came into view.
Buoyed by