Phoenix of Hope: Complete Series — Books 1-4

by Zora Marie

  The chill bit through her and memories she had long forgotten took over. She glided across the water’s surface and her mind took her back to the first time she wasn’t the clumsiest of the elf children. They had a hard winter that year, and it almost froze the lake in Elyluma solid. Most penned themselves up indoors, but the Elves took the chance to teach the elf children and Zelia how to skate across the ice. Even Alrindel fell a few times, and she giggled as they slid across the ice together.

  Unable to see where she was going, she caught a rough patch where cattails grew through the ice and stumbled. She fell on the back of a large furry animal instead of the cold hard surface of the frozen pond.

  “Whoa there, careful,” the rough voice of Lobo sounded from under her arm.

  “Thanks, Lobo.”

  “So, when are you going to stop hiding away in that room of yours and get back to training?”

  “I can’t anticipate their moves if I can’t see what they’re doing.”

  “You’d be surprised what you can do. I want you to at least try. But not here. Do you think that horse of yours will let us use his pasture? It wouldn’t do you any good to practice here with the trees guiding your every step.”

  “I’m not sure, but we can always ask.”

  She placed her hand across his shoulders and let him guide her.

  “Zelia!” A voice rang from the edge of the woods.

  Lobo tensed beneath her hand.

  “They’re getting quicker. Sorry, but the trees will have to guide you from here. Meet me by the pasture when you can, I’ll be waiting.”

  “Alright.”

  She let her hand drop from Lobo’s back and lifted her hand to the low leafy branches of the trees.

  “There you are! Where’s that wolf?” an unknown voice scolded when she reached the edge of the trees.

  She stopped dead in her tracks. Who are you? I don’t know you. She stepped back.

  “Don’t!” Gaeru warned.

  “Don’t what? I was just going to lead her back.”

  One of Gaeru’s inaudible grumbles sounded under his breath. “Just go back to your post, I’ll get her. Zelia, you know who I am right?”

  Of course, I know who you are, it’d be hard not to. She nodded.

  “Good, come on. Let’s get you back inside.” She could feel the Fallen Warrior coming to her side to help her get back to her room.

  “I don’t want to go back inside. I... I can’t sleep.”

  “And what would you have me do?” he asked.

  “Leave me, I’ll come back in time for breakfast.”

  “You know I can’t do that, Yargo would have my head.”

  “I thought you were technically already dead.”

  “I am, but Yargo could still send me to Fregnar and I still have a head,” his tone making him sound exasperated.

  Something brushed her shoulder, and she shot back. The echoes of the cave bounced in her ears and she shook herself back to her senses.

  “Please, I... I just need some time alone, outside of stone walls,” her voice cracked.

  There was a heavy sigh. “Yargo will be pissed, but fine. If you need me, I’ll be in the stables. Try not to get into any trouble.”

  She forced a flicker of a smile. “Thank you.”

  He grumbled again, “Don’t mention it.”

  When he had gone, she waited for her thoughts to slow so she could once again understand the trees.

  “Lead me to the pasture?”

  “Of course, to your right dear.”

  “That was easy; I figured you wouldn’t slip away for at least a day,” Lobo spoke as he retook his spot at her side.

  Thunder met them at the pasture fence.

  “Oh no you don’t, I don’t care if he is friendly! That thing is not coming in here!”

  “You didn’t even let me ask.”

  Zelia could hear Thunder’s tail whip through the air with a snap and the stamp of his feet in the packed dirt that skirted the pasture.

  “Ha! You think I can’t tell by the look on your face?”

  “So, you’ll let a wolf approach me while I’m sleeping, but you won’t let him in your pasture when I say it’s okay?”

  “It’s fine,” Lobo said with resignation. “I’m not too fond of getting trampled by hooves. Come on, we can do it over here.” Lobo guided her away from the fence.

  When they once again came to a stop, she caught a whiff of dung.

  “Really? By the compost pile, that’s the best you can come up with?” she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

  “Would you rather do it on the road?”

  “Alright, what now?”

  “See if you can sense me coming.”

  His movements were eerily silent, only the rustle of grass in the wind with the occasional sound from the barn drifted to her ears. Frost spread from beneath her feet but even then, she couldn’t feel or hear his movements. She was about to give up when his cold wet nose nudged her from behind.

  “You’re not using your senses. Quit trying to see as you once did, you need to feel your surroundings. Your powers might help with some things, but they won’t help with a light-footed moving target.”

  Each time he disappeared he’d nudged her from another direction with no hint of where he was.

  Zelia plopped down in the rough grass.

  “I give up. I can’t do it. I think you might be even sneakier than an elf and I should know, I spent enough time with them!”

  The hair on the back of her neck stood on end when there was no reply. She spun around and grabbed Lobo’s snout. With her hand still on his snout he leaned forward and touched his cold wet nose to hers to emphasize just how close he had gotten once again.

  “Not bad but try to keep your face away from the business end of the wolf next time. I have to wonder, why aren’t you afraid of me? You’re not even nervous around me.” He circled her once more, but this time Zelia followed his movements.

  “I’ve never had a reason not to trust a wolf. It’s humans and the other so-called intelligent beings that I have cause not to trust.”

  She didn’t lose a step when Lobo changed directions.

  “Just be careful, not all wolves will be friendly. This time see if you can knock me off my feet, with no powers.”

  Lobo pulled back a little further and made it harder for her to sense where he was. Again, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, but this time a sense of urgency overcame her. She stepped to the side, lunged forward, and rammed her knee into Lobo’s side.

  Lobo let out a loud puff of air. “I’m still on my feet, but not bad. Well, if you’re up for it I think you should go practice in the arena some before the sun comes up. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Okay… see you later then.”

  She called for Gaeru once Lobo had gone.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m going to the arena.”

  “What for?” He started down the path, and she followed the fall of his steps and the sound of his voice.

  “I want to try something.”

  “Really? Okay. Right this way, me lady.”

  He turned down the path and led her down to the main floor of the arena. Then he leaned back in a chair and dozed off.

  She tuned out his snores and focused on her surroundings, frost growing out beneath her feet. When she had finished her second pass at the pells, she heard the steady step of a single person descending the marble steps into the arena.

  “Very good. But I must ask, what are you doing here so early?” She recognized the voice of Steffon.

  “Lobo encouraged me to open up my senses, to prove that I could fight without my sight.”

  “And who’s Lobo?”

  “A wolf.”

  “I see,” he said with more than a bit of skepticism. “Well from what I saw, he was right. Even blind you use a sword better than most men.”

  She knew he only said it to encourage her, but she couldn’t help but smil
e just a little.

  “But you know that it’s about time for breakfast and they’ll be looking for you. And you too Gaeru.”

  There was a thud and she could tell Steffon had kicked Gaeru’s chair.

  “Hm? What? Oh, we best get going, Zelia.”

  “Really? That’s going to be the worst thing about not being able to see. It’s so hard to tell what time it is.”

  She tossed the sword to Steffon hilt first. Steffon chuckled as she followed Gaeru up the stairs.

  At the front entrance, she met Terik.

  “There you are, I was just about to come get you. What were you doing outside?” Terik’s voice echoed down the hall.

  “I was just practicing my swordsmanship. Well, I went for a walk in the woods first…”

  “Wait, you went for a walk through the woods in the middle of the night?” Terik stopped mid-stride, causing Zelia to walk into him.

  “Yeah, it’s easier to walk through the woods than here.”

  “How?”

  “The trees and all the animals guide me. That and trees don’t stop mid-stride like you do.” She might not be able to see, but she could still glare in his general direction.

  When they entered the dining hall, Rog greeted them, “There you are. At first, I thought it was just a strange dream and then I realized it was our connection.”

  “How much did you see?”

  “Let’s just eat.”

  Part of her wished she could see his expression, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye even if she could.

  15

  Breakfast and magic practice came, and went, then Rog and Zelia went to the arena. She could hear the solid thuds of metal against wood as Terik worked away at the pells.

  “Terik, left foot back, right foot forward when striking,” Steffon coached, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he repeated what he’d been saying for months. “Good to see you back again this morning, Zelia. You and Rog grab your swords. Terik, you can take a break for a few.”

  “Back? But you said you were in the woods,” Terik said.

  “I was.” She said, shrugging.

  “Zelia, you first.”

  She ran her fingers across one of the pells and they caught on nicks and splinters left from years of being whacked with a sword. For a moment Koin’s voice came to her, “Pretend you are moving from tree to tree and your sword is just a part of you. It’s a dance and you can be graceful, I’ve seen it.”

  Why did they have to take me from them? Why didn’t they protect me? Her anger swelled, and she pushed it away. No, it’s a dance, anger won’t help. With a long slow breath, she spun around and struck the pell. There was a pause in her movement as the sword stuck in the wood. When she continued, she hit the other eight without a pause. She moved between the unevenly spaced posts with ease as the frost grew up them and told her where they were, though there were some she barely caught with the sword.

  “Close your mouth brother. We wouldn’t want you catching flies now, would we?” Rog said with a snicker.

  “Very good. Terik, you and Rog can work on form. Zelia, come here my dear. Let’s see if you can sense someone’s approach.”

  Rog gave a slight moan of protest as he headed for the pells.

  She heard wood scrape on wood as Steffon pulled a wooden sword from the rack.

  “You don’t have to use a wooden sword.”

  “It’s a precaution, just in case,” Steffon assured her as he approached.

  She caught his first move but missed his second. The wood sword caught her left arm, the force of the unexpected blow knocked her from her feet. When she hit the ground, pain stabbed through her chest, but she drew a deep breath and swung her feet at Steffon’s. She jumped to her feet and made a strike. Steffon struggled to regain his balance and barely managed to block it.

  With their swords locked against each other Zelia coughed up a bit of blood.

  “Zelia, are you okay?”

  “Don’t stop; others wouldn’t give me a breather. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  Steffon’s wood sword scraped against hers as it dropped to his side.

  “Zelia, just because you don’t die doesn’t mean you should push yourself to the brink of death. You’re done training with me today. I won’t be responsible for pushing you that hard.”

  “Fine, I’ll go train on my own. Rog, Terik, don’t wait up for me.” She flung her sword into the rack and snatched up a bow and a handful of arrows.

  “Great, now you’ve done it. You know, she can’t handle being seen as weak. Her captor punished her for so much as a yelp of pain,” Rog said.

  “Back to your footwork,” Steffon grunted as she climbed the stairs.

  In her haste, she stumbled over some loose boards. Really!?! She kicked at them, and one chattered across the ground. Wait, I can use those. She set them up against the pasture fence and walked across the field. She notched an arrow. As she turned, she drew and stopped. The air chilled as she felt for her target and all other movements in the area. With a long slow breath, she let it fly and missed.

  She walked back across the field in search of the arrow, and Lobo padded out of the woods.

  “Looking for this?” he spoke through clenched teeth. “I picked it up on my way.”

  He dropped the arrow in her outstretched hand.

  “The trees say you weren’t very far off. Is this your first time with that bow?”

  “Unless this is an elvish bow from Mineria, yes.”

  “Well then, try again.” Lobo headed to where she had stood.

  When she reached her spot, she tried again, and this time, she hit it, but just barely.

  “See, you did it. Whoever said blind people can’t shoot hasn’t met you. So, go on, shoot the next one.”

  She shot three in a row, each time she got closer to her mark, until she hit dead on. When she pulled back a fourth time, she winced in pain as her broken rib shifted but she continued through.

  “You know, if that hurts you, you really shouldn’t do that. But um, how are you doing that? I thought you haven’t been able to see, um, since that night and what’s with the frost?” Donequen’s voice carried from across the fence.

  “I haven’t. If I stopped doing everything that hurt me, I would never do anything.”

  “What do you mean by that?” He approached her side.

  “You try having shrapnel in your heart and lungs and see how you feel.”

  “Do what, wait, those rumors are true? I figured they were just made up. You can’t tell by looking at you.”

  “That’s kind of the point. I don’t want people’s pity… or to be feared for that matter.”

  “Why would anyone fear you? You’re the kindest person I know and just a little girl.”

  “Do people not fear someone who can control fire and ice, who can speak to animals and trees, and comes back from the dead without being bound to Yargo.” She rolled her eyes at his ignorance. “Sure, no reason to fear me whatsoever.”

  “Anyone can see that there’s a price for the powers you have, a great price at that. There’s pain and suffering in your eyes. More than anyone else I’ve ever met. Yet you care about others, even when others don’t care for you.” The grass crunched as Donequen plopped down and continued. “That says something about who you are.”

  Surprised by Donequen’s little spiel she sat in the grass beside him.

  “Thanks, but you don’t really know me. I’ve done things that can never be forgiven.”

  “No need to thank me and anything can be forgiven, no matter how horrible you think it is.”

  “Don’t you have animals to tend to?” she asked, flustered.

  “Nah, I already finished for the morning and since you talked to Thunder my job has been easy. So, were you the one who froze the pond back in the woods?”

  “Yeah, I suppose I didn’t unfreeze it, did I?”

  “No there’s still some ice floating in it.” A laugh broke beneath his
words.

  “I should go melt that.”

  Lobo shifted beside her and Donequen flipped out.

  “Wolf!” he yelled and tried to drag her away.

  “Let me go!” She pried herself from his grasp.

  “There’s a wolf! We have to get away from here and get a guard.”

  He grabbed her again, but this time she was ready for it and stood her ground.

  “You will do no such thing. He is my friend.”

  “He’s your what? You can’t be friends with a wolf!”

  “And what do you know about wolves besides what others have told you? Now, I’m going for a walk.”

  “Uh… may I join you?” Donequen asked, his concern and reservation showed in his tone.

  Lobo grunted, but she ignored him.

  “I don’t see why not.” She switched languages and continued, “Lobo, why did you let me walk off without melting the ice?”

  “Because, I figured what better time to teach my pups about the dangers of ice than in the summer when they won’t get frostbite.”

  “You have pups?”

  For a moment, she thought of Dain, the little black pup in the mouth of the cave. “May I meet them?”

  “If Yla is okay with it, then yes.”

  “Yla is your mate?”

  Zelia could feel Lobo as he shook his coat out, “Yes.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Donequen asked.

  “The ice and Lobo’s pups,” she explained.

  “His name is Lobo?”

  “Got a problem with that, kid?” asked Lobo.

  With a smile, Zelia replied, “Yes, his name is Lobo, and I wouldn’t make fun if I were you.”

  “I wasn’t making fun, only making sure I heard that right.”

  “Sure kid,” Lobo grunted.

  16

  Zelia sat on the log by the shore after melting the last of the ice from the pond with a wave of her hand.

  “I’ll go see what Yla says about bringing the pups to meet you.” Lobo slipped off into the woods.