The figure drew closer, but I stayed put—even when it reached me and towered over me with its impressive size.
I grinned. “Hello, Guardian. It’s been some time. I wasn’t sure if you’d recognize me or not.”
The featureless figure looked to Raikidan.
“He’s with me. A visitor I accidentally led off the road.”
The Guardian peered down at me again and then turned around, heading the way it came. I motioned Raikidan to follow and I set a pace behind the Guardian.
Raikidan bent closer to me. “Why are we following it?”
“It’s going to show us back to the road.”
“How do you know?”
“I was here long enough to understand its actions.”
His brow rose. “Is that how you knew how to make that strange fire?”
I nodded. He accepted my answer, and the two of us followed the Guardian in silence. The forest eventually thinned again. When light from the sun was able to seep through the trees, the Guardian stopped. In front of us was the path we had wandered off. The figure stepped aside, motioning us to keep going.
“Thank you, Guardian,” I said before continuing along the path.
“You’re so polite to it,” Raikidan said when the Guardian had disappeared from sight.
“It may not have independent thought from its programming, but it does remember allies and it has a tendency to favor them, prioritizing its favorites if multiple people are in trouble,” I said. “I try to at least stay off the bottom of that list, just in case.”
Raikidan chuckled as he bent closer to me. “Smart.”
I pulled back, my brow creased. “Uh, personal space, remember?”
Raikidan smirked but said nothing. Gods, his space issue is annoying. He’d pushed this boundary many times on our excursion. He seemed to get some sort of sick enjoyment out of pushing my buttons this way. I hated it.
It wasn’t long until the road brought us into a clearing. On the opposite side of the clearing, near a pond, an old man sat on a small stump, feeding bread crumbs to a pair of ducks, his pointed ears giving away his elven heritage. A smile spread across my lips as recognition dawned on me.
The ducks swam away at our approach and the old man turned to face us. “Visitors? How may I help—” His eyes widened. “E–Eira? Eira, is that you?”
I smiled at him. “Hey, Mel’ka.”
His eyes welled up with tears. “You’re alive… You’re really alive!”
Mel’ka hobbled to me, and in his hunched-over state, wrapped his arms around my torso and buried his face into me. I continued to smile as I stroked his balding head. “I didn’t think you’d miss me that much.”
He looked up at me with tear-stained cheeks. “You’re such a kind young lady. And you listened to my stories with more interest than anyone else in the village.”
I chuckled, a few of my favorite stories by him coming to mind immediately. “Because you tell such great stories.”
He reached up and ruffled my hair. “And you’re good to your elders. Not enough young ones like that these days.” He hooked my arm in his. “Now come. The others will be happy to know you’re here, safe and sound. We’ve all been worried about you.”
My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn’t expected him to say that. “Everyone?”
He chuckled. “Well, Maka’shi doesn’t count. I doubt she worries about anyone anymore.” He shook his head. “She’s not the woman she used to be. It’s a shame.”
I refrained to comment. I didn’t have a high opinion of the half-elf woman. Leader of the West Shaman Tribe, and ice-touched, Maka’shi was anything but a pleasant woman. Unlike the average shaman, she mistrusted strangers and hated me in particular. If anyone would have a fit with my return, it’d be her.
The three of us walked for a few hundred yards, Mel’ka going into his story-teller mode. It was a story he’d told me more times than I wanted to count, but I enjoyed it. Raikidan even showed interest in the tale.
We emerged from the forest and came upon a new clearing with a small village nestled inside. The buildings had little pattern to their layout. Some stacked on top of each other, others with more room, and gardens or crop patches in need of daily tending. Shops had signs hanging above or next to their entrances and cobblestone paths connected them all.
Several people outside their homes looked our way, their faces expressing shock and… happiness? Before I knew it, shouts of excitement rang through the village. “Laz’shika has returned!” “Eira is back!” “Come quick!” People of all races rushed out of their homes, some staying by their doors to wave, others crowding us. The excited buzz of energy alive in these people shocked me. I hadn’t expected this reaction at all. It made it hard to figure out how I was to react myself. It’s overwhelming…
“Excuse me!” came a voice in the crowed. “Excuse me, please let me through.”
I know that voice! The crowd in front of me parted and a young human woman—about mid-twenties, with porcelain skin, stunning icy-blue eyes and long brown hair that curled in ringlets past her shoulders—rushed toward me. A small silver chain threaded through a ring hung around her neck as a type of necklace, as did another longer chain attached to a long, jagged, blue wire-wrapped crystal. The young woman’s eyes welled up with tears when our eyes met. “Eira!”
“Valene…” Her presence stunned me to the point that I almost fell over as she crashed into me.
“You’re alive.” She sobbed. “You’re here.”
I shook myself and wrapped my arms around her. Standing a few inches taller than her, I pressed my face into the top of her head, inhaling her scent. My enhanced senses picked up her natural smell and the odor of various flowers I knew her to work with. A smile spread across my lips. “I’m so glad to see you.”
I looked up when another person pushed through the crowd and I smiled at the stout, pot-bellied human man with bronze skin. “Hey, Daren.”
His hands flew up to his balding head and tears welled up in his blue eyes. “‘Tis true. It really be ye, lass. Ye really be alive.”
I shrugged, a small smile on my lips. “More or less.”
Valene pulled away just as Daren rushed me. He pulled me into a tight embrace and spun us around. He laughed, Valene laughed, even I started to laugh. Soon, everyone around us laughed. It was a strange sound to me after all this time. I almost forgot what it felt like.
The laughter abruptly stopped, and Daren put me down. I looked at him, but found him looking elsewhere, his lips pressed together and his eyes tight. Why does he look so nervous?
Turning around, my eyes narrowed, and my lips slipped into a frown. The crowd had parted again, this time for a short woman with long white-blue hair and light skin. “I should have known it was you, Maka’shi. Only you have the ability to kill joy by entering a room, or a crowd, in this case.”
Maka’shi held her head high, her hair falling back enough to reveal slightly elongated ears, a telling sign of her mixed human and elf heritage. “Your manners are as poor as ever, Laz’shika.”
I snorted at the short, self-important elf. “We’ve never been buddies, so why pretend now?”
A pleased smile spread across her lips. “Yes, that’s true. Now, care to tell me why you’ve returned after five years?”
So, I have been gone that long. I thought I had lost count of the number of seasons that had passed. “I’m returning to Dalatrend to deal with my problems. I left some things here and had hoped to retrieve them.”
She regarded me for a moment. “You’re not running away anymore? That’s new for you.”
My eyes narrowed. Several townspeople murmured amongst themselves, their disapproval apparent in their tones. Maka’shi looked past me. “I’m guessing your friend there has something to do with this change?”
I looked back at Raikidan to find him watching her with a cautious eye. “Yes. Raikidan has offered his assistance. He has skills that may help us turn the tides against Zarda.”
Maka’s
hi eyed him a bit longer, then focused on me. “Are you still hunted?”
I nodded; this wasn’t the time to lie. “The number of Hunters has slowed over the years, but they’re still after me.”
“Then you will be gone by sundown.”
The people around us gasped and murmured amongst themselves. Valene stomped her foot and rose her voice so Maka’shi couldn’t ignore her, surprising me. “That’s not fair! She just got back. We all missed her.”
Maka’shi held firm. “Do not forget, Valene, she’s the reason this village suffered five years ago. Why you suffered memory loss, and why we lost so many lives. Even Xye!”
My blood ran cold. She’s lying… he didn’t…
“Don’t you dare!” Valene shouted. “He followed her when she told him not to. That was his fault, not hers.”
Maka’shi pointed to me. “She caused that attack. Had she not been here, he’d still be alive.”
“Had she not been here, three years before, he would have fallen off that cliff while foraging and died! You don’t have the power to predict who will live and die.”
The crowd murmured in agreement, but I knew Maka’shi wouldn’t budge. I didn’t expect her to. She was right. Had I not stayed here, the village wouldn’t have come under attack.
“That is enough, Valene. Your leader has spoken. I wasn’t planning to stay long anyway. To be frank, I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”
Daren placed a hand on my shoulder. “Lass, we dinnae hate ye for what happened. Now, enough o’ this nonsense. Ye be stayin’ for one night at least. Rest thae tired bones an’”—he looked me up and down—“get a proper meal in ye. Ye be too skinny, lass.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You always say that.”
“Aye, but it be even more true now.”
Maka’shi’s eyes darkened. “I have made my stance clear. She and her companion are to leave by sundown.”
Raikidan let out a deep sigh no one could miss. I looked at him to find him with arms crossed with a bored expression as he leaned back on his heels. “Are you almost done, Eira? I’d like to get off my feet after walking for as long as we did.”
Daren slapped me on the back. “Hear that? The lad be tired. We cannae turn him doun now, can we, Maka’shi? He be a weary traveler, after all.”
Maka’shi sucked in a tight breath, her fingers curling. I looked between the two men and noticed the glint of amusement in Raikidan’s eyes. Cheeky dragon! I wasn’t sure how much he knew of shaman customs, but he rightly guessed them to be hospitable to travelers. Thanks to Zarda, Lumaraeon was on the fringe of war again. Travelers weren’t all that common these days, but the shamans did their best to welcome them when they could. Maka’shi trusted few, and tended to scare away most travelers, but the people of the village weren’t like that… for the most part.
“Very well,” Maka’shi said through tight teeth. “One night. That is all I’ll permit.”
She then spun on her heels and left. The people around us cheered, and many of them welcomed me back before they dispersed.
Valene squealed with delight and latched onto my arm. “I’m so happy! You’ll have to have dinner with us, and I’ll get your room at the inn ready.” She looked at Raikidan, looking him up and down. “Daren decided to renovate most of them, so your friend will have to share a room with you.”
“That’s fine.” She raised a brow at me and I shook my head. “Don’t go there. It’s not like that.”
She chuckled. “I guess you haven’t changed that much.” She looked back at Raikidan, a small smirk spreading across her lips. Her gaze lingered on him for a few moments before she pulled me toward the inn.
I wanted to take in the town, see how well it had recovered in the last few years, but Maka’shi’s words plagued me. “Valene…” She looked at me. “Is it true, about Xye?”
She frowned and looked down at the ground. “Yes. He didn’t listen to you when you told him to stay put.”
My gaze fell. I can’t believe… he’s gone… That idiot! “I need to find Shva’sika.”
“She’s not in town,” Valene said. “She left a few weeks ago to visit with some of her family up north.”
“The lass should be back in a day or two,” Daren said. “Ye can talk tae ‘er then.”
“Only if she returns before I leave.”
He chuckled. “Maka’shi may be our leader, but even ye know she won’t have the power to send ye away as long as the rest o’ us want ye here.”
A warm sensation spread through my chest, bringing a small smile to my lips. “Thank you.”
The area around us opened up and I spotted Maka’shi. She stood in the center of the clearing, her hands held up to an enormous glowing crystal that hovered above the ground in an elegant wooden structure that acted as an accent, and neither a cage nor a dais. In my time spent here, I never learned how the crystal defied gravity, but I suspected it had to do with the type of energy that poured out of it.
“What is Maka’shi doing over at the Spiritual Crystal?” I asked.
Valene glanced over at the half-elf. “Seeking answers or something like that. There’s rarely a time she’s not there anymore. Lot of good it does her.”
I watched her, noting the blank gaze as if her mind had all been vanquished from her body. “I suppose at this point, it’s best to let her do her crazy bitch thing.”
Valene giggled and nodded.
The four of us came to a large two-story rustic building. From the outside it looked cozy, snug, and inviting. Daren opened one of the double doors and Valene led us inside. To the left was the common gathering area, filled with chairs, couches, stocked bookshelves, and a cozy fireplace. To our right, rows of well-crafted tables and chairs filled the dining area, and a bar set in the back to serve patrons. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and paintings filled the walls, all of landscapes found across Lumaraeon. Tucked away beyond the common area, on a far wall, was a staircase leading up to the second floor, and behind the bar was a door that I knew led to the spacious kitchen Daren hardly left.
“I see you did some redecorating,” I said as I peered around.
Daren chuckled. “Valene’s idea.”
Valene crossed her arms, her lower lip sticking out. “Too bad we don’t get enough visitors to enjoy it.”
I patted her on the shoulder. “One of these days that will change. I promise.”
She nodded, a big smile on her face. “I’m going to go prepare that room for you.”
She ran off, leaving Raikidan and me with Daren, who was already heading for the kitchen. I chose to follow. “If you need help with food prep, I’d be happy to.”
The corners of Daren’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I wouldn’t say na tae ye help, lass.”
Once in the spacious kitchen, Daren rattled off the ingredients he’d need for our meals and I went to retrieve them. The two of us fell into casual conversation, as if no time had passed. I’d always gotten along with Daren—hard not to with a man as genuinely kind as him. I swore there was no harsh bone in his body. No matter how badly you treated him, he would always smile and welcome you back.
Daren wasn’t a native of the town; he had stumbled upon it by accident like myself. He fit well with the people, though, and worked with the inn’s previous owner, taking it over when she retired. Valene’s mother, Valessa, had arrived in town sometime after that and the two became good friends. She’d already been pregnant with Valene at the time, and while the two had shown interest in each other, they’d done nothing about it for over a decade. In that time, Daren had taken Valene under his wing, and when Valessa had died of an incurable illness, he naturally took her in.
Daren glanced back at Raikidan. “Tell me aboot yer friend over thare.”
I looked back to find Raikidan still leaning against a wall, watching us work. “He’s not a friend.”
Daren’s brow rose, but Raikidan cut in before he could ask questions. “We’ve agreed to help each other. We hav
en’t known each other long, so there’s only a basic trust here.”
My culinary companion looked between us, shrugged, and went back to cooking. I would have gone back to my prep work, but Valene entered the room. She took immediate notice of Raikidan, but he didn’t pay her much mind. Anyone can see where this is going. I’ll have to make sure she understands it’s best to set her eyes on someone else.
“Room all set now?”
She nodded. “It was the one you used the last time you were here. I’ve kept that one clean, so it wasn’t hard tidying up.” She looked at the work Daren and I had accomplished. “I see Daren still isn’t letting you cook.”
I let out a short laugh and finished slicing a potato. “We all know I’m a terrible cook.”
Daren regarded me for a moment. “Ye are not terrible.”
Valene sputtered a laugh. “Yeah, right. We all know you say that to be nice.” She gazed at me tentatively. “I was going to go to my mom’s garden to pick some flowers to have as a table setting. Want to join me?”
I slipped the sliced up root vegetable into a bowl. “I’d be happy to.”
Chapter Four
Valene led the way through a small path in the forest. Daren had wrangled Raikidan into helping him cook, though Valene and I got a good laugh when he admitted he didn’t know the first thing about food prep, let alone cooking, and yet Daren insisted he’d still be of some use. This allowed Valene and me some much needed time together.
The Guardian had stopped by to assess our presence, but we sent him along rather quickly. The brunette hummed a tune that made me smile. I was glad to see her so happy. She’d lost much in her twenty-some years; I thought one day that joy would disappear.
The trees around us thinned and then opened up. My breath caught at the sight before us—a gorgeous meadow filled with all sorts of flowers and trees. Valene called it a garden, which wasn’t untrue for someone touched by the elements of earth, though most would find it too large to be one. “It doesn’t look any different than the day I left.”
Valene’s smile on her face widened. “You mean it?”
Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1) Page 5