by Dan Decker
Chapter 21
Nelion smiled as she plucked a black rose from the tree, twisted off most of the stem, and placed the flower behind her left ear, it stood in stark contrast to her blonde hair and white dress. She was, as always, barefoot. Blades of grass poked up through her toes. That caused Adar to look down at his own booted feet. Should he take his shoes off? It seemed wrong that he wasn’t barefoot as well. Adar stooped and felt his sword shift on his back.
“You’ve been gone a long time,” she said. “I’d begun to wonder if you’d forgotten your way back.”
Sword? Why did he have a sword? He looked up at Nelion, afraid that she might be offended by his coarseness. He hadn’t been prepared to find her again. If he’d known, he would have dressed differently and left the sword behind. Their eyes met and he knew it was okay. She reached out to him, causing him to stand, leaving a boot unlaced. Oh, how he longed for her touch, he reached towards her hand but she took it away before they connected.
“Leave the boots and sword on for now.”
Adar ignored the voice in the back of his mind telling him something was wrong. Roses don’t grow on trees. Who’s ever heard of a black flower? But that seemed like such a little thing. What did he care what color the flower was? He’d found her again. It had been so long.
“I don’t need them anymore. I’m never leaving again.” Adar bent down to his boots again. He meant it. Never again. The rest of the world could be taken by the Hunwei and he wouldn’t care. Aren’t you forgetting something? asked a voice in the back of his mind. He ignored it. “Never again.”
Adar stopped when Nelion touched his shoulder. It was the first time she’d touched him here and it filled him with soaring exhilaration. He reached for her hand but it was gone before he could touch it. He shouldn’t touch her, he knew that, but it had felt so good.
“You’ll leave again soon, but you always come back. That’s why I love you.” Something about the way Nelion said it made him think that it was because he left that she loved him. But that couldn’t be, could it?
“This time is different.” Adar bent over again but when he noticed Nelion frown disapprovingly, he straightened. He’d wait until her back was turned, then he'd take them off. Once it was done, she couldn’t make him put the boots back on.
“I am staying,” he said with an air of finality.
Nelion just smiled and looked away in that way that she always did when he was wrong, but didn’t want to contradict him. Melyah! It had been years since he’d seen that smile and look. Their disagreement didn’t bother him as it usually did. It was nice to see her smile. He’d always loved that about her, that and so many other things. Even dealing with her hot temper would be more welcome than losing her again.
Nelion turned towards the forest and Adar panicked.
“No.” He took a step towards her; he always lost her when she went into the forest. She took another step, turned and smiled.
“You’re needed elsewhere,” she said. “I must go.”
“Wait! I meant what I said.”
“We can’t stay here.”
“I’m not leaving.”
Nelion didn’t answer, and a fleeting look of loneliness crossed her face. “It’s nearly over; don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Remember Jorad.”
Like a lightning bolt, the fact he’d been ignoring returned to him. Jorad. He remembered now. That’s why she loved him, for always leaving and returning to Jorad, but it was different this time.
“Nelion--” Adar stopped. It was the first time he’d said her name here. That had been the wrong thing to say because she frowned as if she didn’t remember the name and was puzzled as to why he’d use it. He went on before she could speak. “He’s ready. There’s nothing more I can teach him. The boy’s as good with the sword as I am and he can track like a wolf. He doesn’t need me any longer.”
“It’s always about swords and war with you, isn’t it? Did it ever occur to you that there are other reasons to return? Even others besides Jorad?”
“But it’s been so long.”
“Do you think it’s been easy for me?” Nelion took another step backwards. She was close to the forest now. Adar took another step toward her and Nelion began to tremble. This was the closest he’d ever come to convincing her to let him stay. She wanted him to stay; he could see it in her eyes and the way that her hands were trembling. He took another step, confident that if he reached her, she’d change her mind this time. Maybe if he touched her? After all, she’d touched him first, breaking the unspoken rule. Surely, that was a sign she wanted him to say.
Nelion stared as he took another step and took a deep breath, wanting him to come closer and fearing that he would.
“This is always hard,” Nelion said.
“It’s been so long. What about what we want? It’s not fair to us.”
“And it’s not fair to Jorad. He needs you.”
“He’s ready.” Adar took another step. Nelion’s whole body was quivering and tears were running down her face. The tears didn’t mar her beauty and the quivering seemed regal. “Melyah! Don’t go.”
“Careful uttering that name here.” Nelion took another step backwards into the forest. Adar leaped after her and was stopped at the tree line, as if he hit a wall. For a moment, Nelion stood looking at him from the trees, still quivering and crying. Then she was gone.
Adar would have stayed there at the forest waiting but at the same instant Nelion disappeared he found that he was in Rarbon palace facing a man whose face he’d tried so hard to forget. A man he always ignored. The rest of the room disappeared as Adar focused on Nelion lying on the ground before him. This time would be different. He would save her. There would be no need to find her again if he saved her here.
“Help me Ghar Rahid.” The man lifted his arm to Adar as he lay in a pool of his own blood. Adar ignored him, knelt beside Nelion, pulled the dagger from her chest as she screamed, and set it to the side. No, he thought, don’t remove the dagger! But it was too late. He flung the dagger to the side.
He covered the wound with his hands and tried to stop the flow of blood. He didn’t know the man and didn’t care if he lived. Save Nelion. He could save her. Why else would he have been brought back here? I must do things differently this time, he thought. Despite his desire, the scene played out before him like it had so many times before.
Nelion whispered but Adar couldn’t understand. He bent closer and she whispered again. It sounded like she had said “Sorry” but he didn’t have time to think about it. He needed to stop the blood.
“Don’t speak my love.” Adar ripped his coat off and used it to try to cover her wounds. The man beside him reached out again but Adar ignored the gesture. Nelion continued to bleed despite his efforts. The blood was seeping into her hair now, giving it a red tinge.
Nelion coughed and blood spluttered out of her mouth.
“No!” he cried. “Hang on!”
Nelion opened her mouth again but this time only a gurgling sound came out.
“He comes,” the man gasped.
Adar spared a glance and turned back to Nelion. He didn’t look up as footsteps approached.
“Adar, what have you done?”
Adar recognized the voice. “Tere! Help me. Nelion’s been stabbed. Send for the doctor.” This time must end differently.
“She’s gone.” Tere’s voice sounded far away. “She’s no longer breathing.” Adar looked at Nelion’s mouth and realized that Tere was correct. Hurriedly and gently, he tried blowing air into her mouth.
“Quick, the healer!” Adar said between breaths. Surely the gods would smile on him this time. He’d lost her so many times. This time would be different. Why else was he brought back here?
Adar awoke with a start as he puffed another breath into Nelion’s mouth and it took him several moments to reorient to reality. He sat up and noticed Jorad standing off to the side of the camp scanning the forest. How many ti
mes would he relive Nelion’s death?
Well he was awake now; he might as well let the boy sleep. As he passed Tere, he thought about how fast Tere had found him. The words of the dying man, to little to condemn Tere, but just enough to make Adar wonder. He pushed the thought away. There were more important things to do then chasing the ghosts of the past. He’d been down that road before and there was nothing for him.