The Gemstone Chronicles Book Three: The Emerald
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Aidan, Maggie, Nana, Beebop, and their elven friends have recovered the first two of four gemstones stolen from the Elven Bow. With the second stone - the Amethyst - protected by the Elven Scouts Alatariel and Lotheth and on its way to Keeper for safekeeping, the rest of group heads deeper into Celahir to rescue Aidan and Maggie’s father, Mike, from the clutches of the witch Maeva and to recover the third gemstone - the Emerald.
After a fateful encounter at Maeva’s house, the witch turns everyone, except Aidan and Maggie, into stone statues to decorate her lawn. With the help of Dylan - a ghost boy they met in the village of Fearn - the children have to muster all of the courage and ingenuity they possess to find a way to retrieve the witch’s heart from its hiding place and trade it for their family and friend’s freedom. If they can do that, then they might be able to find the third gemstone by defeating the cockatrice...
William L Stuart
William Stuart is a ten-year veteran of the US Navy Submarine Force, works in the animal health field, and is the proud father of his daughter Laura and grandfather of two wonderful grandchildren, Aidan and Maggie,. When he isn’t working, he enjoys rock-hunting, playing softball, gold prospecting, playing golf, and dabbling in woodworking. He lives in the Greater Atlanta area with Lana, his lovely and adorable wife of over twenty-five years
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Titles in the series (4)
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The Gemstone Chronicles Book Three - William L Stuart
THE GEMSTONE CHRONICLES
BOOK THREE: THE EMERALD
William L Stuart
Books by William L Stuart
The Gemstone Chronicles series
Book One: The Carnelian
Book Two: The Amethyst
The Gemstone Chronicles
Book Three: The Emerald
William L. Stuart
Text Copyright © 2013 William L. Stuart
Smashwords Edition
This novel is a work of fiction. The events, characters, locations, and circumstances are the inventions of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, circumstances, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted by any means, including photocopying, scanning, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise without the permission of the author. Send permission requests to: [email protected]
JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic
FICTION & LITERATURE / Fiction - Young Adult, Fantasy
Dedication
For Aidan and Maggie, as always, the inspiration behind The Gemstone Chronicles.
For Lana, who stood beside me and encouraged me to put my work out there for the public to read. I love you with all my heart.
For Laura and Mike for doing what you do and raising two wonderful children.
For my mother and mother-in-law: no man could ask for better mothers.
Lastly, for my father and father-in-law: while both of you are gone, you are always in our hearts.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As the third book of The Gemstone Chronicles series becomes a published work rather than a work-in-progress, I have many people to thank. Please indulge me for a moment while I do!
First, thanks to Abby, my wonderful editor. I know this has been as much a journey for you as it has for me. Doing what you do to make my manuscript much better than I could have made it myself is simply a blessing and I thank you. Your patience, attention to detail, and ideas astound me. I look forward to the day you write your own novels!
Thanks go out to my extended family in the self-published world for the kind words, the encouragement (and tweets and posts), and pointers on how to reach my audience.
Most importantly, to my immediate family, my most heartfelt thanks. You have stood by me and encouraged me to chase this dream and make it a reality. Without your love and support, none of this would be possible.
Lastly, I wish to thank all of the readers of The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian and Book Two: The Amethyst. I trust that Book Three: The Emerald will surpass your expectations.
* * *
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
About the Author
Chapter 1
Beebop, Nana, Laura, Aidan, Maggie, Findecano, and Luthien strode through the woods on the mainland, heading for a small village about three leagues distant from the shore where they had landed. As they walked, Beebop reviewed in his mind everything he and his family and friends had been through in Celahir.
The group was on a quest to rescue Aidan and Maggie’s father and to recover the third of four gemstones that had been stolen from the Elven Bow. The gemstones in the Elven Bow, which was in possession of the Light Elves, worked in conjunction with four gemstones set in the Elven Sword. The Elven Sword was in possession of the Dark Elves, or the Drow, as they were also known. Two of the Drow – Enelya and Elerosse – had stolen the gems during Midsummer Celebration over two hundred years before. The Drow had imprisoned Findecano in a chiastolite stone using a rare spell after the Light Elf had discovered them stealing the gemstones. A smelly troll named Yul guarded Findecano while he was trapped in the stone. Aidan, Maggie, and Beebop were out rock hunting when Maggie found the chiastolite fairy cross stone. The three of them took it back to Nana and Beebop’s home, where Findecano appeared to them and asked to be freed. Despite Nana and Beebop’s instructions to the contrary, Aidan and Maggie sneaked the stone out to Beebop’s workshop and smashed it open with a hammer. Findecano appeared, as did Yul, the troll. Nana had clonked Yul over the head with a cast iron frying pan, Beebop and Aidan had trussed him up with duct tape, and Beebop, in the midst of an insult-laden rant, accidently discovered the troll’s name. Beebop’s naming rendered Yul unable to attack them. Findecano and Beebop returned the troll to the elven world known as Celahir. Findecano told them about the missing gemstones and their role in the deterioration of the barrier between Celahir and the human world. The Drow wanted the barrier to collapse so they could spread their dark influence into the human world and increase their power.
Beebop and his family had decided not to get involved in the affairs of Celahir, but the Drow had different ideas. The two Dark Elves - Enelya and Elerosse - that had imprisoned Findecano, along with a contingent of orcs, attacked them at the barrier, where they had accompanied Findecano so he could return to Celahir. They fled across the barrier and into Celahir, making their way to the Light Elf city of Elessar Melwasul in the middle of the Northern Forest. There, they met the Elven Council led by Naesse. Naesse had ignored their pleas regarding the missing gemstones and asked them to leave the city. They departed the next morning and were attacked by the Drow, but managed to escape and returned to the human world. Their escape was short-lived, though, as Naesse and his Drow accomplices attacked them at their home. Aidan managed to draw power from his gemstone and teleport his family and friends back to Celahir, escaping the elves.
Once they were back in Celahir, they outsmarted the kelpie – a very unpleasant water horse that tried to drown its victims - and Naesse, and recovered the Carnelian from the kelpie and returned to the human world. Findecano continued on this quest to recover the second gemstone, the Amethyst.
The quest to recover the Amethyst led them to return to Celahir. Findecano and Alatariel visited them in the human world and asked for their help in defeating Brendan, the giant that was the guardian of the Amethyst. The humans didn’t really want to go back, but then Yul, the troll from their first adventure in Celahir, showed up running from devil-dogs. Beebop helped drive the devil-dogs back to Celahir and Yul told them Naesse had captured Aidan’s and Maggie’s dad, Mike, and taken him to Celahir. They returned to Celahir and went to Brendan’s island fortress to challenge the giant. Aidan was their champion – as chosen by Naesse – and he defeated Brendan in three challenges. Brendan thought he had been cheated and kidnapped Aidan and the local innkeeper’s daughter, Siobhan. Brendan inadvertently reunited Siobhan and her mother - who he had taken prisoner years before - when he locked Aidan and Siobhan in a cage with her in the castle. The three of them escaped from the cage and made their way to Brendan’s room, where Naesse and his crony from the village, Dermot, captured them again. Naesse admitted he had lied to Brendan about holding his heart hostage and had promised Brendan that Caitrin – Siobhan’s mother – might fall in love with him if he kept her at the castle. Brendan became angry after overhearing Naesse talking about what he had done. Aidan decided to befriend Brendan, and fought alongside him against Naesse. Brendan, after sustaining some terrible wounds protecting Aidan from Naesse’s magic, grabbed Naesse and Dermot and leaped from the castle walls into the sea beyond. Just before Brendan leaped into the sea and perished, he gave the Amethyst to Aidan. Aidan gave the Amethyst to Alatariel, who sailed back to the Northern Forest area to give to gemstone to Keeper. Unbeknownst to the companions, Naesse had survived the plunge into the sea and had watched the ship carrying Alatariel - and the Amethyst - sail off into the distance.
With all that history behind them, and a ton of unknowns in front of them, Beebop asked Findecano a question that had been bugging him.
I thought you said the Emerald was being guarded by some kind of basilisk or something. Now we are told it is being guarded by a crone – who also happens to hold Mike captive. So, which is it; a crone or a really big chicken-lizard thing?
Beebop, that question has puzzled me as well. Enelya and Elerosse told me the Emerald was guarded by a cockatrice. A cockatrice is not the same as a basilisk, though. A basilisk does not possess wings as the cockatrice does. Whether it is a cockatrice or a basilisk is not important to our dilemma, however. Enelya and Elerosse could have been lying, but why would they? Everything else they told me turned out to be true, so we have to assume they were truthful about the guardian. Thus, I have no idea what role this witch plays in our little drama. Perhaps we will learn more when we reach the inn of Peter McGuigan’s cousin.
Speaking of the inn, how much longer until we get there? I am tired!
Maggie said, stroking the fur the Lucy, Keeper’s ferret he had allowed to accompany them.
Findecano chuckled and said, It will not be long now. The village is supposed to be about three leagues from the shore, which is about three hours of walking. Judging by the sun, we have been walking for about that long, so I would expect the village to be very near.
As is on cue, they rounded a bend in the forest path and saw the first house. It was made of wood and almost blended in with the surrounding trees, but smoke coming from the chimney revealed its presence. As they neared the house, the front door opened and a small thin boy of about Maggie’s age appeared. He had longish black hair and bright green eyes. He gazed shyly at the group as they passed by his door and then he fell in behind them after they passed.
After a few minutes, the boy said, Hello. My name is Dylan. Where are you going?
We are looking for the inn in the village. We need a place to sleep and eat,
Laura said kindly to the boy.
I can show you. We do not get many strangers here, especially elves and people dressed funny like you are.
He pointed at the human’s jeans and boots, which they had changed back into when they left Peter’s inn. They all laughed at Dylan’s comment and then gestured for him to lead the way to the inn.
As it turned out, they needed him to guide them to the inn. The building was set well back from the path in a deeply shaded glen surrounded by high brush. They likely would have walked right past the place had Dylan not been there to help. Dylan strode directly through the brush and into a small neat clearing at the front of the inn.
Here we are!
Dylan announced proudly.
Findecano reached deep into his tunic and found a small coin. He handed the coin to Dylan, who looked at it in astonishment and joy, then tucked it into his own tunic and grinned broadly.
Thank you, sir!
Dylan said happily.
I have been meaning to ask you what people use for money in Celahir,
Nana said to Findecano.
We usually trade for goods more than use coin. However, since I have no goods to barter with, I used one of my few coins to reward this young man for his help.
How did you pay for our passage on the ship and our rooms at The Bloated Toad and at Peter’s inn?
Maggie asked.
Keeper paid for those. How, I do not know. Keeper is a mystery to us, even though he is on our side in this struggle,
Findecano shrugged his shoulders at the thought of Keeper.
Follow me please,
Dylan said importantly. The boy, without waiting for an answer, walked boldly up to the door of the inn and opened it. He stuck his head inside and looked around. He didn’t see anyone and turned back toward the group gathered on the steps.
There does not seem to be anyone here. This is odd. Mr. Eamonn O’Keefe, the owner, is always here. My father brings him firewood and game he hunts. I wonder where he could be.
Beebop and Findecano looked in the inn, made sure it was deserted, and then invited the rest of their party inside. Much like Peter’s inn, this one had a combination dining room and tavern area where people could eat, drink and socialize. There were a few tables clustered in front of the huge fireplace, a couple of windows that were clean and allowed ample light, and a bar across the back wall where drinks were poured. The whole place looked homey, warm, and completely empty. Findecano looked around uneasily, unsure of why the inn would be so deserted.
I do not like this at all,
Findecano said. Even in an out of the way place like this, there should be a fire going for cooking, and someone to look after the inn.
Beebop nodded and then froze as he heard a sound from the floor above them. He motioned for everyone to remain silent and signaled for Luthien, Findecano, and Aidan to follow him. They padded through the inn and found two staircases. Findecano and Luthien went up the main stairs while Beebop and Aidan went to the back stairs. They crept up the stairs as quietly as they could, hoping a creaky board wouldn’t betray their presence. They reached the upper floor and noted there were six doors leading to different rooms. They started on Findecano’s end, opening each door quietly and peering in. Finding nothing in the first room, they opened the next two doors and found nothing. At the fourth door, Aidan eagerly turned the knob and swung the door open. As the door swung, a figure rushed out at them, bowling Aidan over and knocking Beebop against the wall. The figure ran down the back stairs and headed through the kitchen. As the group upstairs came running down, they heard a commotion from the kitchen and they burst into the room, alert and ready to fight. They just as quickly dropped their fighting posture as they found a small figure thrashing on the floor, struggling under the combined weight of Maggie, Laura, and Nana. Dylan stood back from them a little bit; eyes wide open at the scene before him. Beebop went into the common room and retrieved his pack. From his pack, he drew a couple of long zip ties and quickly secured the arms and legs of the figure on the floor. Nana, Laura, and Maggie scrambled to their feet and straightened their clothes. They were all breathing hard and had anger and fear mixed in their expressions.
What happened?
Beebop asked Nana after making sure they were uninjured.
This creature came running down the stairs and into the kitchen. We were investigating the kitchen and he surprised us. I actually hit him with a rolling pin and then we sat on him until you came,
Nana said breathlessly.
Good job! You are getting good at cracking things over the head!
Beebop said his face alive with admiration. He turned to look at the trussed up figure who was struggling mightily with the zip ties. He pulled the figure to a sitting position and sat back, bemused.
It looks like we have found us a dwarf. We haven’t seen one of them since we fought the wolves when we first came to Celahir.
The figure was very short, broad and muscular, and had an incredibly wrinkled face and long white beard. The dwarf stopped struggling and spoke in a deep sonorous voice.
Free me, and I will show you hidden jewels and gold. You can be rich beyond your dreams.
Nice try, but we aren’t interested in riches. We want to know where the owner of this inn might be, though,
Beebop answered.
The dwarf shrugged indifferently and said, The inn was empty when I arrived. I came simply to see if I could get a meal while I was traveling. When I could not find anyone down here, I went upstairs to look. When you opened the door, I was startled and fled. I was not expecting to be struck with a rolling pin and tied up. I am a peaceful soul on a journey of enlightenment.
Findecano snorted in derision at the dwarf’s explanation. Nana gripped her blue topaz and concentrated on the dwarf.
As she cleared her mind, images came to her from the stone and, after seeing the images; she broke her concentration and said, The dwarf, as far as I can tell, is not exactly lying. He isn’t telling the whole truth, though. From what I can see, he is trying to conceal his true purpose here and it seems to be tied to the Drow.
The Drow, huh?
Beebop asked. What could the Drow possibly want at this inn?
The dwarf looked at Nana with anger – and a bit of fear - in his eyes, and cried, You are a witch! How can you know my thoughts? My masters will be most upset with you for taking me prisoner. I am a scout who looks for possible resistance to the Drow as they begin to extend their domination over Celahir. I will be happy to report to them that this small village is a pocket of resistance. Perhaps they will pay you a visit.
They already have paid us a visit,
Nana said dryly. At least he seems to be telling the truth this time,
she added. So, what do we do with him?
I think we should leave him tied up and throw him down the well - except doing it would spoil the water,
Beebop said unkindly. It would keep the Drow away for a while longer, though.
The dwarf’s eyes bulged at Beebop’s words and he started babbling.
You cannot do this. I can tell you what my master is planning. I am a key part of the plan, I tell you.
Your boasting makes it highly unlikely you are a key to anything,
Findecano said dryly.
Can I throw him in the well, Beebop? Maybe they can dig another one!
Aidan asked eagerly.
Aidan’s question sent the dwarf into another fit of babbling, so Beebop reached into his pack, pulled out his roll of duct tape, ripped off a piece, and stuck it over the dwarf’s mouth, effectively silencing the tirade. This was the second time he had taped up a dwarf, but at least this time it wasn’t during a battle with wolves.
Now, what do we really do with him?
Beebop asked everyone. They looked at each other and shrugged.
Perhaps I can help,
said a voice from the front door of the inn. The group whirled around to find a tall, craggy-faced, blonde man standing in the doorway.
And you are?
Beebop asked.
A better question is; who are you and why are you in my inn with a tied up dwarf at your feet?
the man asked as he stepped into the room.
Chapter 2
We have been looking for you. You must be Mr. O’Keefe. We come from Peter McGuigan’s inn. Peter told us to find you. The boy, Dylan, brought us here and we were looking for someone to give us a room and some food. We didn’t find anyone, but we heard a noise from upstairs. We went looking upstairs and found the dwarf in one of the rooms. He ran out and we captured him down here in the kitchen and tied him up,
Beebop explained.
I do not see a boy anywhere. Who is Dylan?
the innkeeper asked suspiciously.
Beebop looked around the room, but Dylan was nowhere to be found.
Well, he was here a minute ago. He lives in a small house along the path. He came out after we passed his house and followed us and then offered to show us where the inn was. He must have gotten scared when you surprised us and ran off.
The house you speak of, is it the first house you come to if you are arriving from the direction of the sea?
Beebop nodded and added, Dylan said his father sells you firewood and game.
Beebop’s explanation seemed to satisfy the innkeeper. He reached out with his hand and shook Beebop’s hand.
"My name is Seamus O’Keefe. Welcome to the village of Fearn. I am glad to hear you came from Peter’s inn. You must tell me how he and his family fare. We do not see many strangers like you here. We get a few visitors, mostly those headed to