by Kealohilani
“ ‘Ring out wild bells!’ ” Zack yelled boisterously.
Alex dropped dramatically to the ground and army-style-belly-crawled to the living room to open the sliding glass door— exclaiming, “Get down! Get down!” the entire way.
Tyler laughed and continued manning the steaks so that the food would not go to waste as the other boys continued to handle the smoky snafu.
José quickly opened two windows in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Zack calmly got a dish towel and began jumping and swatting wildly in order to fan the smoke away from the smoke detector.
Not long after Zack started fanning, the alarm turned off. The four boys once again congregated around the food.
“The situation is under control, General Thomas,” reported Alex with a salute.
Tyler chuckled. And he worked hard to keep the smile plastered on his face.
As grateful as he was for his friends and the time they were spending together now— his first thought once the smoke alarm went off was how much Lani would have laughed if she could have been there. But he didn’t want to let them know that. He didn’t want to be a total downer.
“Hey guys, can you finish? I’ll be right back.”
“Sure, leave the hard part to us,” Zack joked.
Tyler laughed like he meant it and left— heading for the upstairs bathroom. He closed the door and sat on the tiled corner of the alcove tub. He dragged his hands through his hair before resting his head in his hands, with his elbows on his knees.
Finally standing up, he walked over to the sink and splashed his face with water. He caught his reflection in the large beveled-mirror door of the medicine cabinet and took a deep breath.
“Get it together, Ty-Ty,” he scolded himself. “What would Lani want you to do?”
Tears began to roll down his cheeks.
“Stop it!” he yelled at himself— looking at his tear-brimmed eyes glaring back at him.
Suddenly, he punched the mirror with all he had. The mirror spiderwebbed out from his fist in a hundred directions. Pieces fell from the mirror as blood began to flow.
Tyler retracted his hand and grunted in pain. The door from the medicine cabinet dangled and then fell from its hinges, hit the sink, and then the floor— shattering the surface into a million pieces.
“Everything okay up there?!” he heard Alex’s anxious voice call.
“Yeah!” Tyler called back, clearing his throat and forcing it to sound confident. “I’m fine! I just broke something. Be down in a minute!”
“Cool! Hurry up though! The food’s ready and it smells amazing. I can’t promise Zack won’t eat yours if you don’t get here fast enough!”
“He won’t if he likes his face the way it is! Be there soon!”
Tyler gingerly pulled several pieces of glass out of his knuckles and wrapped a bunch of toilet paper around his hand so he could stop the bleeding momentarily.
He sighed in frustration as he surveyed the mess. A slow breath in. A slow breath out. And then a hurried effort to get the glass cleaned up.
He suffered a few more minor cuts in the process of getting all of the glass shards off of the floor, out of the sink— not to mention out of the tub and off of the toilet seat— and into the trash. He finished up with a broom and dustpan from the hall closet.
Finally— when he was satisfied he had removed all the danger for the next occupant— he pulled the first aid kit out from under the sink, carefully unwound the makeshift toilet paper bandage, rinsed his hand to get all the little pieces of toilet paper out of his stinging wounds, and began tending to his bleeding hand.
Tears streamed down Lani’s face as her eyes opened. She got up as quietly as she could and crept over to one of the fires to warm up— not caring who might see her once she got there— and just let herself cry.
Only Jaresh was awake and watching the camp. Lani couldn’t see him, at first. He hesitated as to whether he should remain where he was or reveal his presence. But, at last, he crossed over to her and put his arm around her supportively.
“What can I do to help?” he asked.
“I just saw my little brother!” Lani cried, trying to keep her voice down so she wouldn’t wake anyone. She clutched Jaresh’s linen shirt and put her head on his shoulder, feeling like a kitten that had just been rescued from the rain. “He’s not dealing with my being gone very well— and I can’t even tell him I’m okay!”
“Poor little darling,” Jaresh replied, keeping his arm around her as she continued to cry— stroking her hair with his other hand. “This must be immensely difficult for you— so far away from home in such a strange world.”
“I don’t mean to complain…” she sobbed.
“You are not complaining. You are feeling. Pain of separation is natural. We all feel it. It is nothing to be ashamed of. ”
“Thank you, Jaresh.”
“You know, you remind me a great deal of my niece.”
“You have a niece?”
“Had. She died in the siege at the castle.”
“I’m so sorry, Jaresh!” Lani exclaimed, her sobs stopping abruptly as she pulled back to look at him with compassion in her eyes.
Jaresh waved it off. “I did not tell you that to add to your sorrow. She is in a better, happier place. She is luckier than we are in that regard, no?” He forced a smile.
“Still, it must be hard for you.”
“It is sometimes. However, it is comforting to know that she knows where I am— and that she is always with me, and is able to see me everywhere I go— even if I cannot see her. I can feel her presence sometimes.
“Your brother does not have that comfort because you are missing. Your spirit cannot be there to comfort him because it is here with you. There is no resolution for him. He does not know if you are dead or alive. Likewise, you do not have the comfort of knowing that he can see you everywhere you go— because he is also alive and his spirit is with him, and therefore it cannot be with you.”
“I never really thought of it that way before…”
“Most people do not.”
“What about me reminds you of your niece?”
“Apart from the fact that you two could have been sisters for your resemblance— she had a kind heart, as do you. Whenever she became aware of another’s pain she would immediately seek to help them, even if she herself was in pain at that very moment. She put others needs ahead of her own— as do you. She was strong-willed and an expert with a sword— as are you.
“And, she adored her little brother— as do you. She made great sacrifices in order to get him to Destavnia safely— whilst she stayed behind to defend Trisakne. He is only in Destavnia now because of her efforts. I will seek after him when we arrive there.”
“I’m not sure I measure up to her legacy, but I am flattered by the comparison. She sounds like an amazing woman.”
“Yes. Gone too soon. She was but nineteen. Her brother is sixteen.”
“What are their names?”
“Her name was Alanea. And his name is Tarehn.”
“Those are wonderful names. Do they have a meaning?”
“Of course. Her name means ‘One who loves’ and his means ‘A legacy that lasts.’ ”
“How beautiful! Sounds like the meanings were fulfilled, too— thanks to Alanea. What does your name mean?”
“ ‘One who heals,’ ” he answered with a slight laugh. “A bit on the nose, that one.”
“It’s quite fitting, yes,” Lani smiled. “A strong and worthy meaning.” Her smile faded a little as another question came to her. But she wanted to know. “And Jharate’s?”
“Jharate means ‘Noble in heart and mind.’ And his family name of Inihma means ‘Power in mystery.’ ”
“That suits him.”
“Yes… And your name?”
“Lani means ‘Heaven’ or ‘Heavenly’ depending on the context. And I have no idea what Thomas means.”
“Lani fits you perfectly. You are an angel to be sure.”
Jaresh laughed but then he grew quite serious and somber. “There is an old Trisaknen custom. It is not often employed. But when it is— it is for life.” Jaresh hesitated, looking uncertainly at Lani.
“What custom?” Lani asked, trying to help him feel free to speak his mind.
“A familial bond can be formed— without actual blood ties and without needing any formal ceremony by any ruling power. It is called, Farehna. Once agreed to by both parties, they are considered of the same blood. It gives all familial and legal rights associated with that relationship. It is precisely the same as a shared-blood family member. No difference.”
“That is a beautiful tradition.”
“It is… I do not mean to be presumptuous. However, I have lost my niece— and you have no uncle in this world to call your own. Would you consider becoming my niece?”
Lani’s heart warmed and her tears started falling for a different reason.
“I would be honored, Jaresh,” she answered with an earnest tone.
Jaresh smiled warmly and a tear or two of his own attempted to escape his eyes, which he wiped away roughly and quickly. She smiled at him in return.
Jaresh cleared his throat.
“The honor is mine. Now, grasp my right hand in yours— as we place our foreheads and noses together— take a deep breath in, and repeat after me.”
“Okay.”
Jaresh offered his right hand and they grasped hands. They leaned in until their foreheads and noses were touching and breathed in deeply.
“Under the view of Heaven, I vow that you are now as blood. You are now— and forever— my niece.”
“Under the view of Heaven, I vow that you are now as blood. You are now— and forever— my uncle.”
“Now we breath in deeply together one more time and it is done.”
They breathed in together once more.
A brief gust of wind swirled in a circular path around them. Jaresh leaned back first, and they both let go.
Jaresh smiled warmly— tears welling once again.
“You are now my niece.”
“I couldn’t ask for a better uncle.”
They hugged each other and Jaresh put his arm around her again as they enjoyed the fire together. She rested her head on his shoulder.
“Your brother will carry on and it will make him stronger, Lani,” Jaresh promised.
“How do you know?”
“Because you are his sister. You have been an example to him throughout his entire life. He will not dishonor your memory. Additionally, your family will care for him in the time that you are apart. And— either someday you will find a way to reunite in this life— or you will both reunite in Heaven.”
“Thank you… That helps. I really hope that all of my family will be alright.”
“I do not believe in mistakes or coincidence. You were brought here for a reason. And when there is a reason, everything works out as it should.
“Furthermore, it is very likely that you are here to help them. The Universe is not cruel. It would not allow you to be ripped from your family, without it being best for all of you in some way.”
“I believe that too. And I’m trying to keep that frame of mind as much as possible.”
“You have been doing well in that effort.”
“So what do I call you now? Jaresh? Or Uncle Jaresh?”
“You are a darling.”
“Thank you.”
“Under normal circumstances, I would ask you to call me ‘Uncle Jaresh,’ without question. However, I feel that doing so may harm you at this time— and it is now my job to protect you forever.”
“How would it harm me?”
“Princess Arante has confided in me— at least in part— the details of the situation between you and Prince Jharate. From what she has relayed to me, I feel that— until his heart softens— it would only cause more resentment from him toward you if he knew that I have claimed you as blood.
“Therefore, when we are alone, please do me the great honor of calling me ‘Uncle Jaresh.’ When anyone else is present— excepting Princess Arante, as I will inform her of this— ‘Jaresh’ will have to do until the time comes when we can announce our Farehna properly.”
“That makes sense…” Lani sighed. If Jharate’s heart softens. She shook that thought off and smiled sincerely. “I am very grateful to have you as my family, Uncle Jaresh.”
“And I, you— my niece.”
They continued to talk for another hour or so, until Lani finally felt sleepy again. When they said goodnight, she gave him another big hug and went to sleep feeling much better. Her heart felt a little lighter, knowing she had family with her.
Not that she didn’t have family before— Justin, Raoul, and Kendra had always been like family. And Erik was quickly becoming that to her as well. But theirs had always been primarily a friendship-is-second-to-family sort of relationship.
Their own families had always come first for all of them when they were growing up together— as they should— but sometimes Kendra, Justin, and Raoul seemed to emphasize that fact. Whereas Jaresh felt like a blood uncle in a way she couldn’t describe.
He had already felt almost like family to her before the ceremony— but now he felt exactly like family. In some ways, he felt more like an uncle than her parents’ brothers ever had. And definitely more than any of her uncles-by-marriage ever had.
Not that any of them had been particularly rude to her or anything like that. But— with the exception of her father’s eldest brother, Gavin— none of them had ever taken any special notice of or interest in her or Jenna. They barely even took an interest in Tyler.
Probably because Lani’s parents had moved away to Southern California— before even meeting each other— from the small town of Cody, Wyoming, where they had both somehow grown up— while most of the rest of their siblings had either stayed in Cody, or had remained extremely close to it. Again, the exception was Uncle Gavin— who also moved out of state, but in the opposite direction— to Ohio instead of California.
Maybe the ceremony added to all of this. But whatever the reasons were, she had never felt closer to an uncle than she now felt to Jaresh. She got back inside her bedroll and took a deep breath in of the clean, cold, crisp, mountain air, and drifted off to sleep quickly.
Unbeknownst to her, Drakne had been watching the entire time. He didn’t quite know what to make of anything he had just seen or heard. Lani’s knack for getting people to care about her struck him as idiosyncratic. Perhaps it was one of her gifts.
Princess Arante and the warrior Jaresh were not people who let outsiders in— not even outsiders from their own kingdom. They were hardened and tough— not sentimental and warm. And yet— here one had taken her as blood whilst the other was pleading her case to be Queen of Trisakne!
He watched Lani for a moment as she slept— trying to make her make sense. When he failed to arrive at a satisfying explanation, he strode away and busied himself with his plans.
The next morning Lani stood frozen in her steps as she stared at the wide black mouth of the cavern they were about to enter. Her throat constricted and her eyes locked on the darkened hole. Arante saw her hesitation and crossed over to her.
“It’s okay, Lani. This is a well-known passageway and I promise there are no dragons inside. I have never even heard of a dragon attack in this particular area.”
Lani acknowledged her with a vacant nod, but didn’t look away. Arante placed her hand briefly on Lani’s shoulder as she continued to explain.
“It tunnels through the mountain and cuts two weeks of hiking off our trek. If we did not take this shortcut, the mountains are so steep here that we would have to travel at a snail’s pace just to stay alive and we would never make it to Zenastra before Drakne’s men.”
Lani took a deep reassuring breath to center herself and followed Arante ins
ide. Jharate led the group with a large blazing torch. Behind Jharate, Erik kept close to Arante, as had become usual. Lani was directly behind them.
Drakne, still invisible, walked behind Lani but had to be very careful not to bump into her because of the close proximity. Raoul held another torch behind Lani, and Justin and Kendra were directly behind him. The other thirteen warriors made up the back with two more torches spaced between them.
Lani felt her sense of adventure flooding back into her soul, despite her inner turmoil. Her heart beat excitedly and little butterflies flew inside her stomach. She could only see as far as the torches cast light before them.
Beyond that was a pitch black so pure, it was as if she had never seen darkness before this moment. The cold air had a crisp, clean, slightly-earthy smell and a gentle feel on her skin that refreshed her like a cold shower.
The water trickling down the cave walls contributed to the damp, fresh scent. Lani breathed it in deeply.
The profound silence was only broken by their footsteps, the quiet hiss of the cool, fresh airflow, and the echoing pitter-patter of water droplets dripping and falling from the ceiling onto the rock surfaces and into the dark pools and puddles. It was a deep and fulfilling stillness that reminded her of diving down eight feet under water and staying there— immersed in tranquility— until she had to swim up for oxygen.
The terrain was uneven. The jaggedness of the lava had been smoothed by the elements over time and so the rock tube had a quality that was both smooth and rough at the same time.
It was a little wet and Lani had to be extra careful where she stepped, so that she did not slip— but she loved the feel of the varied surface beneath her feet.
As they trekked deeper into the cave, Lani’s emotions played with her even more. She felt a sense of mystery, wonder, excitement, and even safety in a fearless kind of way.
Perhaps even stranger was the feeling that she was disconnected from time itself. This spellbinding place was almost enough to make her forget the pain from Jharate’s iciness— if only for a few blessed moments at a time.