Читать книгу Aelethia's Hope - Leandra Martin - Страница 5

Melenthia rode along side Tomaz and Sol as they plodded down the dusty back roads towards Azlyn. She was anxious, jumpy and nervous all day, and it was starting to show. Sol noticed the mood she had been in and decided to ask her what was bothering her.

"What’s troubling you, Melenthia?"

"I'm nervous about getting back to the castle."

"Why?"

"I’ve changed and don't know what kind of reception I’ll get from Dain."

"You don't think he’ll be relieved to see you and know that you’re really safe?"

"I suppose, but..."

"But what?"

"I'm different. I feel different, and I look different. I’m part elf. What if he doesn't feel the same way about me when he sees me again? Or what if he has found another while I've been gone?"

"You mean you don't have faith that he loves you?"

"I do, I mean, I did.. I just don't know."

"I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He loves you, and he is true. I don't think you have need to worry. And as far as you looking different. You only look different to yourself. You are still the exotic beauty you were when you left. You have only become stronger."

"Yes, well, I was no demure lady before, but now I know I have become something different."

"There is only improvement. He’ll see the difference, but I know that he’ll see something even better than what he had when you left. It’ll be okay, Melenthia; you’ll see."

She sighed. "I hope you're right, Sol. I can’t live without him in my life. I need him."

"And he needs you."

Tomaz had said nothing the entire conversation, only looked ahead and kept watch on the road. They had had no incidences since leaving Vallis, but Tomaz knew that Fallon knew they were out in the open again and unprotected by the spell which kept her safe in the ancient city. He had seen the rider in town when they got into Mercer. He would be inconspicuous to most, but Tomaz knew a spy when he saw one. The man was cautious but not covert, curious but not too open. He saw him asking questions and knew what he was up to. He caught the man looking in their direction once, and that's all it took. He would have reported to Fallon by now that the princess was on the move. He was not trying to avoid talking to his traveling companions but had to keep wary for anything amiss. The princess’ life depended on it. He knew Fallon had already taken his seat on Aaralyn's throne but knew that his real campaign would not start until he had Melenthia in his possession. He could not protect Melenthia from his mind probing. She would have to be strong on her own against that. She would also have to stay strong enough to keep Fallon at bay, then go into war with her kingdom. Tomaz would fight beside her, as would Sol, but his teaching her what she needed was finished. He had faith that she was capable and knew what she needed for when the time came. She would have to survive until she was face to face with Fallon, and that part was something Tomaz or Sol could not interfere in.

Sol looked over to Tomaz deep in thought beside them and smiled. "You seem awfully quiet over there, my friend. Are you still with us?"

"Yes. I am keeping alert for trouble and am trying to keep my mind clear."

"Ever vigilant, valiant warrior?"

Tomaz smiled at the friendly jest. "Something like that."

"Is there something you know that we should be concerned with?"

He answered Sol but was looking at Melenthia when he spoke. "There was a man in town asking questions and trying to be covert about it. Fallon still has spies about, and I would bet my life that he was asking questions about her. I have a feeling Fallon knows she is out of the safety of Vallis' walls now and I am keeping vigilant of trouble. It would be easy for him to try to get to us out here."

She frowned. "Maybe we should not stop tonight then. Maybe we should keep going until we reach the safety of the keep’s walls."

"We are still too far from the castle to keep going without rest. We still have a way to go. Wearing the horses and ourselves down will not keep you any safer. We just have to keep watch in shifts and do not let our guard down for a moment."

"I will take the first one tonight."

"No, you will meditate and practice your exercises. You must remain focused at all times. He will attempt to get to you. Even the walls of the keep will not keep you safe from him. Remember the invasion of your mind before we left for Vallis?” She shivered at the memory. “He will try again. That you can be sure.”

“How will I fight him off?”

“You have the training now to keep your mind free of doubt and fear. Without those weaknesses, you can fight him off.”

She inhaled deeply and let out a breath. They continued on for a few more hours before the sun started to make its way toward the horizon. The pre-autumn air was cool, but refreshing, and Melenthia was glad for the freshness of it. The nights were getting cold, however, and a fire was required. She was quite adept at starting one now, and she enjoyed showing off as Sol had done on their trip to Vallis all those months ago. The fire helped keep away some of the creatures that hunted at night, but the hunters formed from Fallon’s hands would not be skittish of the dancing flames. They had been formed from it, therefore would be drawn to it instead of running from it. She hoped they stayed hidden tonight.

The fire was going, and the food was cooking. Since being in Vallis and not eating meat, Melenthia had grown accustomed to eating only what nature could provide. Fruits, berries, nuts and greens. She didn’t dislike meat, even after abstaining from it for so long, but she felt that she didn’t need it. The other foods satisfied her, and she could get her fill on them. She could also feel the connection with the animals of the land now, like the elves could do, and she felt one with them, a kindred spirit. She ate her fill now and moved away from the flames to meditate. Sol said he would take the first shift, leaving Tomaz to watch over them in the middle of the night until morning. He hardly needed the sleep she noticed.

After she meditated and did some practice spells and focusing exercises, she crawled into her bedroll and curled up. It took her some time to let her mind calm down in order to drift off. There was so much in there. For so long she had thought of nothing else but her training and the path that was laid out before her. What she had to do and what would come, but in the last few days, as they had had hours in the saddle on open quiet roads, she had started to let Dain slip back into her thoughts. She put a hand to her chest now, feeling the necklace from him under her tunic and smiled. Oh, how she missed him terribly and was anxious to get home to him. She hoped that what Sol said was true, and her newfound bloodline and body would not change his feelings for her. She had felt his presence with her in Vallis, felt his heart beating with hers, but it had been long, and she hoped that absence did make the heart fonder and not forgetful.

There would be a long road ahead of all of them. The time for war would come, and everyone in the kingdom would be forced to fight if they wanted to live free. Fallon’s grip had already tightened on half of the kingdom, and she suspected now that he knew she was in the open, his grip would get stronger. He would not let her get away a second time. She had to make sure she was calm and ready for him when he decided to strike. She breathed deep and blew out the fear in her heart. She closed her eyes and drifted off.

***

Fallon was standing in the middle of the room, the sconces of flames creating dancing spirits on the dark walls. The room was cold and smelled of mildew, and the cauldron of fire in the center of the room made shadows on his face. His eyes were open but glazed over, and he was humming under his breath. His hands were over his head, and he was circling the pot. He finally stopped circling and lowered his hands, kneeling down, looking into the flames in a trancelike state. His lips cracked into an evil smile as he spoke.

“Melenthia, how good it is to see you well.”

The voice that came to him was in his head, and the smile grew larger when he heard its echo.

“I’m well, Fallon, and nothing you can do will change that.”

“I can feel your strength, Melenthia. You’re no longer a frightened girl, helpless against my mind-probe.”

“No, I’m not. I’m not afraid of you any longer.”

“Oh, you will be my dear. For now, just know that I sit on the throne, the rightful place for me in this kingdom, and you will be my wife, quietly supporting me by my side.”

“You’re delusional, Fallon, if you think I’ll ever join you. You will lose.”

Fallon laughed now, long and evil. “You’re stronger. I can feel that, but you are still naïve and innocent. You know not how the world works; you’re a woman. The world may believe you are the Chosen One, but I know better. You’re simply a pawn in a bigger game and will soon be eliminated once sacrificed.”

“You have hurt too many people, Fallon. No more.”

“Oh, there will be more, more than you can prevent. Your people, here in your childhood home; most of them were unnecessary. Those that I have not put to good use have been eliminated. Your friend Lucan sends his regards. He went quietly though, no blubbering or whimpering. He simply said to tell you he loved you and wishes things could have been different.”

Melenthia started to shake now. She tried to control the anger that was starting to rear its ugly head. She fought it off with all her strength. That’s what he wants, she told herself. He wants you to become angry, because, once anger takes hold, he can seep into your mind and take you. Don’t let him. Fight.

Melenthia’s heart slowed down and she breathed deep in and out, calming her anger and her sadness at the news that Lucan was dead. Just one more person to have died because of her destiny.

He didn’t get the desired results, so he continued. “You seem to have had an effect on more men than I would have guessed. Well, no matter, there is only one man you are destined to be with and that’s me. I will have you, Melenthia, that you can count on.”

She smiled to herself. Only one man counted now. “It’s too late for you, Fallon. My heart and body already belong to another. You may think that you will get what you want, but you’ll never take me alive.”

She could feel his mind change. He was becoming angry now at the thought of her and Dain together. He had suspected, but didn’t know for sure. Now he did and was enraged.

“That fool that dare proclaim himself king will perish at my hand. For taking my prize he will know the meaning of suffering!” His hold on her started to slip. He was shaking with rage and the connection was fading. She had what she wanted, a way to make him angry and lose his grip on her mind.

“I’ll be in his arms again soon. You’ll never have the pleasure of me the way he does. Your reign on this kingdom will be short, I promise you.”

She felt his anger engulf him. She took advantage of that. She had him. There was a small weak spot in the connection, and she took hold of it and pushed. The connection ended and there was nothing but darkness. She sat up in her bedroll, inhaling a breath, sweat pouring off her face. She was breathing hard and could feel the pounding of her heart under her tunic. She placed a hand on it and calmed herself, getting the strength she needed from the necklaces that hung there. One from Dain, the other from Dallen, her sister in spirit.

Tomaz had been sitting against the bole of a large tree, facing outward from the campsite and heard her stir quite suddenly. He came over to her and looked down. She was still shaking and felt weak, but she was starting to calm. She looked up at him and he squatted down to meet her eyes.

“What is it, Melenthia?”

“Fallon was here. He came again. This time the connection was stronger. I was able to push him away though, but it was difficult. He told me things that made me angry, and I almost succumbed to his touch, but I didn’t. I broke the connection because I made him angry too. He will try again, I fear, and it will not be so easy next time.”

“You are right. Each time you let him get in, he will slowly take you a piece at a time. You must continue to be strong. No matter what he says, you must not let him get to you.”

“I know.”

He smiled. “Never have I met someone with such a kind spirit before, a person with such a loving heart. After all you have been through, all the pain you have endured over your life, you still find good in the world. Enough to want to fight for it.”

“There are people I care about that I want to protect, but the people of this world, no matter what they’ve done or said to me, don’t deserve a fate such as Fallon. He will effect the world if we don’t stop him, and no being deserves that.”

“You are right, Melenthia, and that is why you were chosen for this destiny. The gods choose correctly. They do not make errors in judgment.”

“I hope not, Tomaz.” He patted her on the shoulder. She smiled at him. “I know you don’t need sleep, but why don’t you rest for awhile. I’ll keep watch. I don’t think I can go back to sleep now anyway.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.” She reached over and grabbed Tanith. “We’ll be fine. Go, rest. Tanith will alert me if anything is amiss.”

“Very well.”

She crawled out of the bedroll and sat herself down in front of the fire that Tomaz had kept stoked while she slept. The warmth of the flames touched her face, and she started to feel more awake and alert. She kept Tanith at her side and soon could hear the quiet rhythmic breathing of Tomaz sleeping to her back. She looked up into the canopy of trees and spotted an open patch between them. She could just see a couple of twinkling stars flickering in the cool night. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and pulled her knees up to her chest. She winked at the stars and then brought her attention back to the campsite. Sounds of wolvins could be heard howling somewhere to her right, still a ways off, and the sounds of the crickets singing to her closer in. She focused her attention to the world surrounding her and took in a deep breath. She breathed evenly and slowly and remained focused to the world for the rest of the night. As the sun started to peek over the horizon and the creatures started their morning stirring, she was completely calm and ready for the final days ride into the city. Soon, she would be home in his arms where she belonged.

***

Ruan de Gracy sat at the dining table in the main hall sipping some wine. An empty trencher had been pushed aside after his meal, and he was leaning forward on the table to get a better look at the map of Aelethia spread before him. He was very still, scanning the landscape of the kingdom he loved. He felt anger and anxiousness at the task that would be laid out before his cousin and wished he could take his place. He knew the burdens a king always bore, especially in war time. Torn between the safety of the people they cared about and the right choices for the kingdom they ruled. He knew the burdens Dain felt were larger still, with the fact that the safety of himself and the kingdom lie with a woman he loved. He knew Dain loved her. When they talked late into the night on the evening he had arrived, he could see the passion he felt for her in his eyes and the strength of that love in his voice when he spoke about her. He was happy for his cousin, that had been the truth, but he was worried about the decisions he would be faced with when the time came. What would happen if he had to choose between her or his people? What choice would he make? What if he felt dying for her would save them all, would he choose it? Where would that leave Azlyn? He knew that Dain would make the right choice. He had faith in his cousin, but sometimes the choices changed at the most crucial moment and the choice became blurred. He would stand beside his king and cousin no matter what, and he prayed that whatever decisions came about, Dain would know the choice that was clear.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by boot clops on the stone floor, and he turned to see Emerick staring at him from just inside the doorway.

“Good morning,” Ruan said, smiling somewhat.

“Dain will be around in a few minutes. He decided to pay his father’s grave a visit this morning.”

“Really? He hasn’t done that since he was young.”

“Yes, it surprised me too, but I know his reasons behind it. King Colwyn, God rest his soul, might be gone from this world, but his spirit is still alive somewhere in Dain. I expect he wants to feel his father’s strength in his soul. There’s a lot on his conscience.”

“Yes, I was just contemplating all that myself.”

Emerick approached the table now and took a chair next to Ruan. He glanced at the map, then back at the young man whom he had looked after so long ago. He was proud at what Ruan had accomplished and the man he had become. When Ruan’s mother had passed away and he came to live under Drydon’s roof, Emerick saw a lost boy. He did his best to teach him how to be a man and demanded the same teachings for him as he did for Dain. Together they were trouble, creating mischief wherever they went. How often they had slipped away from their attendants and snuck off into the city to make trouble for themselves with the local boys. Colwyn was constantly annoyed by his son’s lack of self control, and as he grew it got worse. After his coronation and Ruan moving away to take his place as Earl of Hallmar, Dain seemed to grow even more restless and delved deeper into his melancholy and self-destruction. He was glad to have Ruan back under the roof of the keep, for Dain’s sake especially. As boys they were inseparable, and he hoped the support he gave him now as adults would be invaluable.

“I wanted to say something before we were mired down and time would not permit it. I’m proud of how you have turned out, Ruan. I think your mother would be proud as well.”

Ruan smiled to his childhood mentor. “Thank you, Emerick, for saying so. I have tried hard to prove myself. In a small way I suppose I was always trying to impress you. You gave a lot to the two of us, and I for one am thankful to have had someone not give up on us. I’m sure Dain feels the same. Without your stern hand and guidance I fear we would still be lost boys.”

“Not so anymore. You have both proven yourselves. Together I know you will endure.”

Ruan paused to take a sip of his ale. Not aware until now that he had drank the entire glass, he downed the last sip and set the goblet on the table.

“Tell me, Emerick,” Ruan said slyly, “about Dain and this woman. Is she really that extraordinary?”

“Indeed, Ruan, she is special. She has tamed Dain in a way that even I could not have expected. His mother didn’t even ensnare Colwyn that way. She has a power over him that is unexplainable, and I don’t mean that he is foolishly blinded by her beauty or charm. He’s truly in love with her and it’s genuine. No one is more surprised than I, except maybe Alek.”

“Then all he said the other night was true. She’s the one?”

“Yes, that she is. Who are we to question her importance? The elves have confirmed her divine purpose and power. Dain is only the support and strength she needs. Without his love, she will not prevail.”

Ruan shook his head in disbelief. “I never thought I would ever see an era like this in my lifetime. It’s like something out of a nightmare.”

“None of us did, but the time has come, and we must fight together in order to prevail. No longer will our differences separate us. We will stand as one unified kingdom, peasant and king, nobleman and servant. This will be our most difficult time, but if we are strong together, it will also be our finest hour. I’m glad you’re here to stand with Dain. He will need you.”

“Have we heard any news from Alek?”

“No. I know he left Charbonneau with his escorts several weeks ago, but how close to Salador and the Chancellor he is, I know not. We will get word soon I’m sure. Dain has spies around and hopefully one of them will get word. What are you working on here?”

“I have been trying to figure out our best path of movement. Fallon is holed up in Lachlan Castle, and I know he has the outer border at the Triple Cities locked down. I don’t think we can go around them. I think we may have to go through them.”

“That will take many men. More men than I think Dain can gather.”

“I think Fallon has abandoned his plan to bring in all his men in from the sea. I think General Thorne and his troops would be better placed closer inland to the border. I will discuss things with Dain today and perhaps we can call in men from the western city of Mercer to lead some troops into the north.”

“Melenthia should arrive late tomorrow. She was spotted this side of Mercer two days ago. She and the elf and sorcerer should have news of the elves plan and maybe news on Alek and his men.”

“I have an idea that might be useful, but I don’t think Dain will be too jazzed to hear it.”

“What?”

“I think we may need some reserves on hand, especially in the water, just in case. Men who will fight hard and strong for the right price.”

“Please tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

“I would say that you don’t know me well enough to know what I’m thinking, but I’d probably be wrong.”

“Dain will never agree to have mercenaries from Blood Island enlisted into his ranks. Those barbarians are not loyal to anyone, no matter the price. They will turn on their own mother if they thought it would bring a higher price, and they are known to eat their young.”

“Rumors, Emerick, nothing more. They are barbarians, yes, but isn’t that what we need? Troops that are merciless and ruthless?”

“Yes, but we could never guarantee they would not turn against us if bribed by Fallon’s side. They are not trustworthy, that’s why they were exiled to the island in the first place. Dain’s grandfather sent them there because they could not be trusted. They were the reason he lost the battle in The Valley of Echoes. They turned against him and joined the enemy for a higher wage. I can tell you with no uncertain terms that Dain won’t go for that.”

Dain entered the room just as Ruan was about to answer. “Won’t go for what?”

Ruan looked at Emerick, and Emerick shook his head in warning, but Ruan spoke anyway. “There’s something I want to propose to you, cousin.”

“Okay. Emerick, please inform the kitchen that I’m ready for my breakfast now.”

Emerick stood from his chair and bowed to his liege. “Very well, Sire. Was your trip into the burial shrine enlightening?”

“As a matter of fact it was; thank you. I’m ready for anything now.”

“Good, because what Ruan has to propose will take everything to even hear. Good luck with that, Your Majesty.”

Dain looked at Ruan who was smiling awkwardly, then back to Emerick who was scowling. “I guess I should sit down then?” he said somewhat in jest.

“Indeed.” Emerick started to leave then turned back to his king. “By the way, Sire. Melenthia is on her way home. She was seen on this side of Mercer two days ago. She should be within the keep walls by dark tomorrow.”

A look of peace fell over Dain’s features, and he smiled. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a great many months, Emerick. You have just made my day.”

“Good. Remember how you feel at this moment. Maybe it will keep you calm when you hear what your cousin has to suggest.”

“That will be enough, Emerick. You may go.” Ruan scowled.

He bowed again and left the room. As Dain seated himself and waited for his breakfast he looked at his cousin, chin in hand on the table. “Well, Ruan, what is it that has my Prime Minister so on edge?”

“Let me pour you some wine, cousin and I’ll tell you.”