Continuing the unhurried turns, he waited, unable to see anything through the canopy of the trees. If the group perished within, his only evidence would be their failure to appear on the other side.
At the moment he began to suspect they had met their demise, the nymph pushed out of the line of trees and stumbled towards the hill on the north side. The males quickly followed, and the girl brought up the rear, still holding the glowing stone above her head.
He could hear her cries, and the fire smoldered, leaving a dull ache within his chest. “So, it is true.” She had passed the challenge and proven herself worthy of her name. His mind turning, he knew he would not notify anyone of his discovery and further would do his best to hide what he had come to know.
It was not time yet to make his introduction, but soon he would separate her from the others, and they would get to know each other better. He had watched for two decades as Gwirwen ruled, or failed to rule, their kingdom. Lamwen had never seen himself as a traitor, either to the old regime or the new one, but he could hear the whisper of change upon the wind.
Soon, a choice would have to be made, and a side would have to be taken. He did not yet fully understand this delicate creature, this mortal female who instilled fear in the heart of his master, but if she were strong enough…
No, if he were strong enough. Yes, if he were capable of walking the path of an outcast, perhaps an ancient wrong could be set right, and the Kingdom of Eriden would live in fear no more.
Or he would kill her and be done with it. Making a final turn, he searched for a place to make his bed for the night, confident the fate of many rested within his grasp.
A Lesser Man
Marching through the grass, it caught and pulled at their calves, and the ground felt soft beneath their feet. His brow furrowed, Piers led them on, guiding them to the north east rather than due north.
“I thought we were crossing the desert,” Rey observed, still holding Ami lightly by the shoulder.
“We are, but we need to make a few preparations. I didn’t expect it to begin so abruptly this side of that last area of woods,” the Mate explained.
“You mean this is it?” Bally asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.
“No, but we’re close.” Stopping, the first mate knelt to lift a hand full of the soil. Squeezing it, he opened his palm to show them the sample. “See how it acts? No clumps, just loose grains.”
“Aye,” Reynard agreed. “Like a beach.”
“Yes,” Piers concurred, “much like that, only no ocean to wet it. That’s why this is all grass and not too tall. If we stay to the right here, we may catch a stream coming down the mountain from the thaw if we’re not too early in the season.”
“And what good does that do us?” Ami asked, having recovered from her fright.
“We’ll need water to carry,” the Mate explained, his palms growing moist with apprehension. “The oasis is three days walk. We’ll make camp and rest until nightfall. We’ll be cooler if we travel by moonlight and need less water.”
“Water,” Rey repeated, not having thought of that. “Three days is a long time to go without a drink. And we can’t eat the food,” he sighed, glancing at Amicia’s bag.
“We’ll have water,” Piers informed him, “that is we will if we find a source before we begin the crossing.”
“How?” Ami pushed, finding it odd he hadn’t mentioned this part of his plan before.
“I have some receptacles to hold it,” the older man growled. “Not a lot, but enough to get us a few days if we’re careful.”
“How?” she asked again, this time an edge to her voice.
Licking his lips, the Mate swore under his breath. Dropping his bag, he searched to the bottom and pulled out a waterskin. Offering it to her, he set his jaw firmly, ready for her reaction.
“Where did you get it?” she demanded as she accepted the leather pouch.
“I made it,” he replied stiffly. “I have four.”
“Four,” she gasped, turning it to inspect before she passed it to Rey. “Exactly how long have you been planning this little trip?”
Looking past her to the horizon, his lips moved a few times, but no sound came from them. Inhaling sharply, he spat, “Since we finished the cabin and I knew you would be cared for.”
“Basically, right after we arrived in the glen,” she shouted in dismay.
“Aye.” He still didn’t look at her. He had known she would be upset, which is precisely why he had avoided telling her… until he had to. Turning on his heel, he hoisted his bag and marched on, bearing right and watching for signs of a stream or water collection of any kind.
“Ami,” Rey called as he grasped her arm, preventing her from chasing after him. “Please don’t, love,” he whispered, pulling her to face him.
Looking back and forth between the couple and their leader, Bally appeared confused. Taking charge, Animir observed, “We should keep up.”
“You guys go on. Me and Ami will be there in a few minutes,” Rey suggested. His eyes meeting hers, he didn’t break the connection as he spoke.
“Did you know about this?” she hissed when they were alone.
“No, but I’m not surprised,” he confessed. “Piers hasn’t been happy since we got here. Not in Riran, or the glen, or really even in Jerranyth, although I think he tolerated the elves the best.”
Rolling her eyes, the girl didn’t have to guess why. “I’m such a fool,” she breathed, closing her eyes and fighting the tears.
“You’re not,” he countered. His hand raised to caress her, his thumb traced the bone of her cheek. “He didn’t want to hurt you.”
“No, I did that for myself,” she confessed. Pulling herself free, she followed the group, tears stinging her eyes and blurring her vision as she stomped along.
Letting her go, Rey trailed a few feet behind. He felt helpless, as if he would give or do anything to make her feel better; but he couldn’t. He didn’t have that kind of power.
Ahead of them, Piers could see green in the distance. Stopping, he turned to discern if the others were coming and felt relieved that everyone was moving in his direction. Resuming his march, he didn’t stop again until he had reached the patch of woods and grass that were fed by a small spring.
Not pausing to rest, he began the preparations for a camp. Dropping his bag, he walked up and down along the green until he found a good spot to reach the water. Giving it a taste, he sighed. It’ll do.
By then, most of the others had arrived, and Piers gave out orders. “Bally, we’re going to need the fire pit set up. Animir, we’re going to want a good meal this evening, so fish or rabbit. Whatever you can scare up for us.”
The two youngest males didn’t argue and set about their chores. “Zae, can you and Lin take care of the bedding? Get us all comfortable spots so we can have a nap in the shade until the sun sets,” he suggested.
“Yes, sir,” Zaendra replied, not sure what to make of the disagreement that had obviously upset Amicia quite severely.
Drawing a deep breath, the Mate prepared to face the blonde but hoped the hike had stolen some of her anger. To his surprise, she ignored him, setting to work on preparing the kettle for a stew.
Walking along the edge of the trees, she hunted for tubers, mushrooms, or any other items that could be added to the pot. When she had found a few, she gave them a good wash and returned to the camp.
The air felt electrified with the unspoken quarrel. Each member of their party completed their chore in silence, and dinner was on to cook well before the sun was ready to set. However, instead of sitting with the others, Amicia strutted down the soft bank of the stream. Locating a long stick, a thick dried reed of some kind, she used it to smack the water, enjoying the crack that it made when it hit.
“That looks fun,” Piers informed her as he approached.
“I don’t wish to speak to you,” she replied, swinging the staff angrily.
“Well, good, then you can listen.”
He walked right up to her and waited, but she continued to abuse the dead limb, so he pushed on. “I understand you being upset. I fully expected it. But tonight, we are going to walk out into the desert, and we all need to have our wits about us.”
He paused to see if she had some retort to make, but she remained silent, still swinging the club. “You know,” he said more quietly, “I really am sorry. I tried to tell you that the other night. I meant what I said about coming back for you if I found a way off. It’s not like I was going to leave you here forever.”
Her arms frozen in mid swing, she cut her eyes over at him and growled, “I’m not going with you when you go back to the rim of the mortals. Obviously, I don’t belong there.”
“What do you mean you don’t belong there?” he faltered, as that was not the path he expected their discussion to take.
“I’m a wielder of magic,” she hissed. “The merdoe was only the beginning. You saw what I did with the elf gem.”
His mouth forming a pucker, he couldn’t argue with that. “And what do you think it means?” he asked calmly, folding his arms across his chest.
“It means I was right. This is the place I was supposed to come to. The place where I belong. You guys may go home, by all means, but I’m not leaving if or when we find a way out,” she bit tartly, resuming her whacking.
Grasping her arms, he prevented her swing. “Could you stop that and talk with me, please.”
“Why? Obviously, you don’t really consider me much of a friend. If you did, you wouldn’t have kept your secret all this time.”
“That isn’t fair. Friends come in many forms, and truth be known you are one of the closest I have ever had. It scares me to death to think of you staying here after we’ve gone, alone.”
“Scares you what I may be capable of, more like,” she accused, stepping up to him and giving him a cold glare.
Not backing down, he replied coolly, “My, my. You do have spirit, I’ll give you that. But I don’t scare easily, princess. So, if that’s a threat, you better think long and hard before you cross irons with me. So far, you’ve used a seashell to talk to the natives and made a rock glow to scare away a few goblins. Next time we get attacked by a dragon, maybe I’ll let you handle it. See how you fair then.”
Turning, he left her to her thrashing, heading back to the camp and his bed for a nap before dinner.
Watching him go, Amicia seethed. Tossing her stick, she wanted to tear at her hair and scream, but she couldn’t let him see he had gotten to her. Instead, she located a bit of shade to sit under and pulled Lin’s gem from her pocket. She felt like she should return it; Cilithrand had given it to the siren after all. But for the moment, it wouldn’t hurt to see if there was anything else she could make it do.
Gazing onto the facets, she admired the intricate detail it had been given. Even beneath the tree, it caught beams of light and reflected them. Thinking about how she had made it glow in the woods, it lit up, and she went through a few color options, then let it fade back to the plain clear version.
“It will take practice,” Animir informed her, taking a few more steps closer.
“I didn’t hear your approach,” she apologized, feeling as if he had caught her or judged her behavior in some way.
“Hmm. We elves are sneaky, or haven’t you heard,” he laughed.
She smiled up at him. “Yes, I’ve been warned. Sit with me?”
“Of course,” he agreed, gingerly taking a seat. “You know, trust can be a very valuable thing. Sometimes the only thing of worth that we have.”
“What do you mean?” She cut her eyes over at him, wondering if he were sticking up for the Mate in his own way.
“I simply mean, it is important to me that I have your trust. I did not bring you from Jerranyth under good circumstances, and it was a hard decision to make, disobeying the queen.”
“Would she really punish you if you went back?”
“I would be tortured, most likely, and put to death if I were lucky,” he replied, his eyes filled with sorrow.
“I don’t understand,” she clipped, shaking her head. “How could you give up your home for us? I mean, you didn’t even know about Lin’s crystal or that there was anything special about me… did you?”
Appearing thoughtful, he blinked a few times, then confessed, “I knew you were special the moment I first laid eyes upon you, Amicia Spicer. A fire burns within you. I fear all you meet in Eriden may see it.”
The air caught in her lungs, she gasped, “What do you mean by that?” Piers had said the same thing to her the night he had wooed her in his cabin, unsuccessfully she might add.
“It’s just an expression,” he said with a chuckle. “It means that you have an air about you. A confidence that commands the respect of all who are around you.”
“Oh,” she laughed, never having really thought about it. “Well, apparently, that doesn’t include Piers Massheby,” she accused.
“To the contrary, my lady,” he denied, “I should think his respect for you must be greatest of all of us.”
“And what makes you think that?” Her eyes narrowed.
“The Mate knows you are fond of him. If he were a lesser man, he could have what he likes of you, without regard for your feelings or what it might cost you. He cares for you quite deeply, of this I am certain.”
Her lips forming a small pout, she didn’t know what to say. Since she had met him, she had thought of little else, always formulating how she could convince Piers that the two of them should settle down together. Had her ambitions been flawed?
“You’re saying it’s because he cares about me that he keeps himself at bay,” she surmised.
“Exactly,” the elf replied, preparing to stand. On his feet, he continued, “It hurts us all to see this fight between you. This struggle for something that can never be. Once you accept that, you will be ready to see the possibilities that are hidden by your desire.”
“I can’t see them because I’m blinded… ” Her voice trailed away, and her lip quivered.
“I’ll leave you to think,” he offered, turning to walk away.
“Animir,” she called after him.
“Yes, my lady?”
“Thank you. For the advice and for being such a good friend. And don’t worry, we aren’t going to let Lady Cilithrand do anything to you if we can help it.”
“You are a good friend, Amicia Spicer. I am very fortunate to be a part of this group and to share with you this journey.” Leaving her, he walked back to the camp.
Alone, Ami leaned her head back against the tree. Watching the blue sky in the distance, she turned over the elf’s words. She knew both he and Rey were attracted to her; she certainly wasn’t blind to it by any means.
Closing her eyes, she considered what it would be like to form a deeper relationship with either of them. Almost instantly, she rejected the idea. No, she needed to learn more about herself before she became entangled in any long-term relationships.
As soon as she made the realization, it felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. She needn’t worry about Piers, Rey, Animir, or anyone else; at least not until she had worked out how and why she felt connected to Eriden. Only then would she be free to offer her hand, for doing so was something she knew she could never take back, and a decision with such finality should never be taken lightly.
Desert Moon
Sitting beneath her tree, Amicia could feel the heat pressing in on her. Small bugs swarmed around the water and were attracted by the sweat that formed on her arms and neck. Swatting at them, her hands felt heavy, and she licked at her dry lips with a swollen tongue.
She would have remained in her solitude until they were ready to eat before they left, but thirst drove her to seek out a few swallows of water. “We haven’t even started, and I can already feel the dryness in the air,” she grumbled as she stood and walked calmly back to their camp.
Gathered in their small circle, the others had stretched out on their
blankets, as even the shade was too warm for covers. Pouring a goblet of water for herself from one of their elvish wine bottles, she thought again how their resources would be limited out on the sand, and a small wave of fear tickled the back of her mind. The time they had spent on the sea had nearly been the end of them, and this would surely be another test of their ability to survive.
It’s only three days walk, she reminded herself firmly. Besides, we’ll be in the Mate’s care, and he has never let us down.
Checking the stew, which boiled lightly, she gave it a stir, approving of the aroma rising from the bubbling pot. They would be on dried meat and goat cheese once they left the small patch of green, so tonight’s dinner held special importance.
Finding everything in order, she stood for a moment, shading her eyes as she glared off into the distance. She couldn’t see the line where the dried yellow grass ended and the actual desert began, but she knew it was close. She wanted to be relaxed about the journey and breathed deeply as she examined the horizon, her anxiety slowly being released.
Calmer, she turned to her bed, which Zae and Lin had placed next to their leader. Glancing at him, his eyes were closed, and he slept soundly. His peaceful expression brought a faint smile to her lips as she recalled the first time she had seen him; bare chested and sorting cargo. He was a good man, hardworking and dedicated to a fault. The image warmed her heart, and she sighed, ready to get her nap.
Curling up on her quilt, she watched the sun slowly inch across the sky as her lids grew heavy. Hours later, she awakened to find that Piers had begun serving the bowls. They would eat and pack their things before the darkness completely covered the land. Accepting hers, she could see the tenderness in his eyes, and guilt roiled in her gut. “Thank you,” she mumbled, cutting her eyes away and blinking rapidly to hide the emotion behind them.
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