Curious as she was, she had no desire for a sad tale. The wind picked up again, ruffling her braid. She turned to her father who was pensive.
“How long will you be here?” Yllis asked.
“I am not certain,” he said, gazing at Mooriah speculatively. “Until my task is complete, I suppose.”
She didn’t know how long observing took or if there were special requirements or perhaps a report he had to compile, and she sensed Fenix was being vague on purpose. They had explained what Yllis was planning on the trip out of the mountain, when Fenix was still playing at being gravely injured. “Well, will you help us?” she asked.
“Certainly. It seems I owe you a debt for saving my life from those vile, pale creatures in the caves.”
She set her jaw. “You are lucky that some of those vile, pale creatures are kind and generous.”
Fenix quirked his lip, which only served to stoke her ire. He took very little seriously. “I consider myself lucky, indeed.” His tone edged toward flirtatious, which flustered Mooriah, but also had the effect of cooling her anger. He gazed so directly at her with eyes of liquid gold. They were almost hypnotizing.
“We have a long walk to the cornerstone,” Yllis announced, breaking the strange effect she’d been under. “I will explain more on the way.”
As they trekked across the mountain paths, Mooriah slowly grew used to the cold. The cloak her father had given her was lined with fur and provided adequate warmth, and she could always do a blood spell to further warm herself but decided to hold off. Part of her wanted to feel such a foreign sensation. The slight stinging of the wind on her cheeks was something new, something she wanted to investigate.
Yllis told Fenix of the war between Singer and Silent, of how the man who called himself the True Father was slowly draining the Earthsingers of their magic and how the Mantle kept him hemmed into his side of the mountain.
“So this Mantle, it’s only above the mountains correct?” Fenix asked.
“Yes, you can pass through the mountain if you know the way,” Mooriah said. “However, several million kilometers of tunnels and thousands of angry Cavefolk make that a nearly impossible proposition.”
“Could they not be bribed to help?”
She laughed. “Doubtful. And even if you found someone brave or foolish or desperate enough, they would be discovered by others. Superstitions are intense among the Folk, and Outsiders are not welcome. As you’ve experienced.”
“Hmm. So why do you live there?” Fenix asked. “Are you not a Singer?”
Mooriah fell silent, an old ache taking hold of her throat.
“Are you familiar with Nethersong?” Yllis replied.
Fenix stumbled and caught himself on a boulder. She wanted to laugh, but it really wasn’t funny. He looked at her apprehensively for the first time. She swallowed her disappointment.
“My daughter was born a Nethersinger and would have been killed, or killed many people, had she not been properly trained. However, there was no one to train her except the blood mages. I had little choice but to allow her to grow up there.”
She had always understood this reality, but it didn’t make the sting of his rejection burn any less. She stared defiantly at Fenix, who now looked apologetic.
“Those with death magic are quite rare where I come from as well,” he said. “Though as far as I know, in all the places settled by the refugees, the power has not manifested. I wonder why here?” His gaze was now alight with curiosity. “Are you proficient?”
“Yes.”
A grin took over his face. “You are a rare creature indeed. Kind and powerful.”
She felt flushed and looked away.
“We’re close now,” Yllis announced. “Watch your step.” They had crested a high ridge and were about to descend a steep incline. The cornerstone was well hidden in this section of the range. She questioned whether she would be able to find it again without her father’s help.
“Perhaps we should create some sort of map,” she mused, stepping carefully down the path.
“The whole point is for it to remain hidden, dear.”
“Yes, but there may be cases in which someone will need to find it in the future. You are reinforcing it now. Such a thing might once again be necessary. We should be ready for all eventualities.”
Yllis shook his head. “A paper map is too dangerous. Too easy to copy and distribute. And if it fell into the wrong hands…”
“No, not paper. I was thinking of something more substantial. But you’re right, the cornerstone