The horses are fine, already munching and getting their fill. They look ready for another night of hard work. They will have a few more hours of rest, the Princess still sleeps and it is not fully dark anyway. We haven’t been discovered yet so I figure we will be safe for a few more hours.
I walk inside to get something to eat. Madeline and Mason are already at the table eating. I hide in the shadows for a few moments listening to what talk is going around the table.
“Thank you for letting us bathe and for the nourishment. It was very kind of you to take us all in.”
Mason ever the polite one. Good thing he is thanking them, I am sure the Princess will be glad if we are polite guests but I know I won’t be. I have too many haunting memories to feel at home or grateful to be here. For her, though I will try.
“The Princess is asleep still. The horses look tended to and are ready to leave once she awakens and eats.”
“Viktor. Yes, I decided to feed the horses again when I awoke. How come you didn’t wake me to take a turn at guarding?”
I sigh this will be a fun explanation.
“The Princess told me to let everyone sleep. I stayed with her and you with Madeline and Tim. She wanted everyone to be fresh for the next leg of the journey since we wouldn’t be sleeping in a safe place anymore and would be splitting guard duty from now on.”
Mason and Madeline both nod, they both know what is to come. We all knew going in we might not make it out alive. I briefly wonder where Tim went, no sooner has the thought come then I hear a noise in my room. It is a crashing sound. Mason and I both leap up and run up the stairs Madeline close on our heels. Elainne opens the door smiling.
“I'm used to my bed being bigger and I fear I fell out of it. Not the wakeup call I was hoping for.”
We all sigh relaxing. No one is under attack, everything else is no big deal.
“You should eat something. We need to leave soon. The horses are ready.”
She nods and follows us downstairs. We both sit to eat as Madeline and Mason pick up their plates.
“Where is Tim?”
We turn to look at Mason and Madeline who had been awake before us.
“He was finishing up dinner when we woke. He went to scout a bit, said he would leave the horse here because it would be more noticeable. That one would have been good in the trapping business. He was talking about different traps we could use to hunt if we ever made camp and different ways to catch prey quickly. He would have joined the military except for the possibility of killing other people I think.”
Elainne
I nod at Mason’s explanation and hope Tim is all right, he can’t be interrogated for our disappearance back at the palace as he is with us it is true but I feel bad bringing him along. I agreed and the others had agreed with my decision. I hadn’t lied if Viktor had said no I would have left him, but I would have worried about him the whole time. I don’t want to fail in my duty to protect him, I am his ruler I should make sure he will be safe. It is different with the others; they’d known everything from the beginning and chosen to come...
“Do you think he could stay here? Or hide out somewhere? I don’t think he will be safe with us, each of us knows we may have to fight, possibly kill someone but I don’t think Tim could do it.”
Viktor
We all turn to look at Elainne like she is insane. We can’t leave him where he can be discovered. True I entered no address saying I was an orphan who grew up on the streets, and there is no record of my family. My father hadn’t acknowledged me for a long time now and so here is safer than the palace but I doubt my family will welcome him with open arms even if we want to leave him behind.
“He is welcome here if he wishes. I do not know if we are any safer though as you have stayed the night.”
Sally spoke and though my father looks shocked he says nothing to contradict her.
“Then it is settled. We will pick him up on the way back. Should we bring his horse as a carry horse or no?”
We all shake our heads no and she sighs.
Elainne
“I shall tell him. Viktor quickly eat and bathe I will be back in a minute to do so as well.”
I walk outside and wait outside of the barn for Tim. He shows up whistling a happy tune. If only all of us could be so high spirited.
“Tim I have a favor to ask of you.”
“I will not stay milady.”
“I only ask because I was hoping you could lay false trails, Mason says you know what you are doing and I know you are good with horses. If you could get Viktor’s family to help you it might buy us more time. We need all the time we can, and I trust you not to get caught when closer to the palace laying trails, it should have been done already but we had no time. Luckily the weather has allowed us to escape without a trail so far but they could use magic if they find nothing, giving them a few options is going to be our best bet to keep from them calling on magic that could track us without trails.”
He thinks about it and I am unsure of his agreement until he sighs and the argument deflates out of him.
“Where do I go when done?”
“You stay here, Viktor says he cannot be traced back here and since we left no trail it's safe. We will get you on the way back. You can continue to lead them in circles until it gets too dangerous then play the son here. You are of the same age. It should work.”
“Are you sure? I’m not sure Madeline should go either.”
I think about it, it is crazy to take her on such a journey but I have a feeling I will need her. If things go badly for me she will be the next ambassador.
“No, I have a feeling that tells me she has a part to play in all of this. But I know this is the right path for you. I want to keep you safe for your help but I also know we need this, we need more time. Viktor and Mason say nothing but I can tell they think we won’t make it.”
“If you think it will help I will do as you say.”
I smile and hug Tim. “Thank you, and be safe.”
He nods and goes in to prepare the horses to leave. I go inside sit down and eat silently. Viktor is off bathing and a bath is being prepared for me. I eat in a hurry and clean up even faster. I throw my knotted hair into a binding to keep most of it out of my face. When I finish I join the others in the barn. Viktor’s family is there, likely to see him off. He says nothing just helps me onto my horse, not reacting to the shock that I know goes through us both every time we touch bare skin to bare skin.
“Be safe Viktor and come again as soon as you can.”
He nods and I scowl at him as he gets onto his horse, no hugs, and no goodbyes just a nod to answer their well-wishes.
“Thank you for your kindness and when we return you will be aptly rewarded I swear.”
Sally, the nice woman that she is, shakes her head with tears in her eyes.
“You brought him home, even if only for a day, it is we that owe you.”
I can’t understand why Viktor hates this woman, his father I understand, but his stepmother seems kind and caring. Perhaps she hadn’t known the man was married when she was with him before. I hope not I want her to be as good as she seems. I need everyone to justify my faith in humanity right now.
“Let us ride.”
I nod to Viktor and we take off. The horses fly and we hold on hoping to keep our seat. After about an hour Viktor stops. We follow suit all wondering what he is thinking.
“Madeline was right earlier that Elainne isn’t common around here, and if that witch has some way to pick what we say on the wind we need to have different names. She could be searching for us all.”
“I can do Elvin magic, to separate us from our names so no one can search for us, it will drain me though and I will not be able to stay on my horse alone. So I will either need to ride with someone else for a bit after or we will need to stop. The magic is strong and I am not, but it will make it impossible for someone to use our names against us, and will essentially give us new identities. I can
reverse it when we need to later.”
“I don’t want to have to stop but I don’t know how much our horses can handle carrying two of us.”
I nod to Viktor. It is a risk but if the sea witch can do magic it might be worth it.
“We could rotate her between us and horses. We still won’t get as far as if we kept our names but I think it might be worth it to be outside of Marina’s sight.”
Madeline and I nod agreeing with Mason. He is right, I can be passed around on the horses and I won't know the difference but this could keep us safe for a while longer.
“Are you going to be terribly uncomfortable if we do this?”
I shake my head. “I won’t even realize it’s happening. I will be in worse health than when I healed you, this is major magic and I will be feeling the effects for some time. We might have to alternate more than one night. I don’t have the power to do this so I will be using my own energy.”
It sounds dangerous and I don’t want her to do it but I can tell everyone thinks it is worth it and it might buy us more time to get her somewhere safe. So we decide to do it.
“It will be easier in the forests; Elves are people of the wood so a forest will connect me to my magic on a deeper level, making it less taxing for me. I will still feel the drain but it would be days before I awoke if we did it in a field.”
“We will have to veer off course a bit to get to the woods but it is will likely throw any pursuit off our trail a bit anyway. The closest woods are this way.”
We ride until we come to the woods; we find a nice clearing after riding for some time at a trot. I am half-human and humans are people of the fields. I hope the clearing in the woods will touch both parts of me and make my acceptance of who and what I am which helps me amplify my magic.
I have not brought any of my equipment so I find the elements in nature. I leave water out, I do not want the sea maiden to scry for us and find us through it. I gather things in the forest that the Elves love. Things they are connected to.
“What new names shall we all take on? If one of you is ready let me know, I shall have to do this one at a time.”
Mason steps forward.
“Mathew.”
I nod. I close my eyes and call upon the elements. I call upon the Elves and my family’s power. I draw on it all and break Mason’s ties to his names. I hear him cry out and I know there is pain for him. His pain shakes me and I feel it explode in my head but I keep my eyes closed and continue the chant. I tie him to his new name, giving him a new identity, not just a new name.
If I were powerful enough and I could create an illusion to make him look different as well I would have, but I do not have that much power, not if I want to change all their identities. I push the thought aside before my power tries anyway and focus on finishing up. He collapses as do I and we both open our eyes and stare at each other.
“That hurt, my chest, it feels like there is a hole in it.”
I nod. “That’s normal; I have stripped you of your identity. You will feel empty; live only for our purpose now until I reconnect your sense of self to you.”
He nods and shuffles out of my circle. Madeline comes in and kneels by my feet waiting for what she knows to be a painful process.
“Sarah.”
I nod and repeat the process over to her when I am finished Mathew has to help her out of the circle. She is breathing so fast and shallow she is almost unconscious. Mathew is still pale and both are sweating and look like the undead. I feel bad but if I warned them they might not have done it and I know it is the right thing to do.
Viktor steps into my circle and bows.
“Kemp.”
I chuckle with what little energy I have left. “I didn’t know you knew Elvin.”
“Only a little, what I've read. It’s what I've always aspired to be, I know it in every language.”
“Very dedicated of you. But Kemp is not the normal champion. Kemp does mean champion in Elvin, but Elvin champions are not like others, they are bound to their ward by magic and love. Not always the love between two people spending their lives together either, sometimes the love of friendship or sibling love, but always love of some kind.”
“It is fitting then that you give me this name.”
I smile down at his kneeling, trusting form, and start my chant. The other two are barely conscious, and yet knowing this Viktor trusts me to do this to him as well. So I do.
With him it is not like with the others, with him there is a light, a bright silver shine that fills the circle and Viktor doesn’t feel pain. I open my eyes, as does he, and we look into each other’s eyes as I do the spell. He is breathing fast but he doesn’t look pale or pasty, he doesn’t shake from exhaustion or pain. He looks healthier like a weight is lifted from him. He bears a new name, a new identity. One he is meant to have and one he carries well.
The spell ends and I don’t feel more drained, I don’t wonder how I will be able to carry on and finish the spell for myself. Kemp stands and leaves the circle on his own waiting for me to do my own identity.
Mathew and Sarah watch us with eyes wide and bright, wondering at the marvel we have all just seen.
“Wha…what just happened?”
“His new name, it was part of his identity, a missing piece, all this time. It’s the only reason that would happen. I've, I've never heard of this type of thing happening before. I mean there are stories of how an Elvin lady or lord picks a champion but, I've never seen it, or heard how they are chosen…”
“I guess you were right my lady, he would make a good champion someday, should have known he would be yours since you were the one to see his potential.”
I nod to Sarah and prepare for my own naming ceremony pushing the wonder and amazement aside.
“Azure”
I finish the ceremony passing out the second the last word to close the circle crosses my lips.
Viktor
I catch her as she drops. Azure, the pain on her face is worse than watching the others go through it. I can see the stress lines on her face and she is not pale, she is green. It is much worse than the last time she did magic. She shakes with a fury I fear would break her bones. We have to stop until it lessens; we can’t ride like this it could permanently injure her. So we make camp for a few hours before continuing on.
Chapter Nine
Elainne
When I look around next, we are camped in the woods. I am not sure how much time has passed or how much riding they have gotten done with me being unconscious and having to pass me around like a doll. I ache and am stiff. My head no longer pounds and I am awake, both good in my very humble opinion.
I am guessing it is mostly Kemp that carried me around as the other two had trouble with their own horses for a few hours. Learning to carry the weight of missing your identity takes time, and the pain never goes away you just learn to better deal with it, or so I have been told.
I sit up and look around. It is dark. I worry it is my eyes still refusing to work right since I am still feeling the effects of the spells. I hear someone move closer to me and look around. Mathew drops next to me and feels my forehead.
“Your fever is gone.”
“I had one?” My voice is raspy as if I haven’t used it for a while or I haven’t drunk anything for far too long. I feel both are true. Mathew hands me a water skin and sits me up so I can drink. I try to sip only not knowing how long the water needs to last but he nods for me to drink the rest of it.
“We have refilled our skins when we need to; it’s the only time we go near the water. We wondered if their attachment is as close to the fresh water as it is with saltwater but since we were unsure we spend as little time as possible doing it. How are you feeling?”
“Sore. What happened after I passed out?”
He looks over towards a sleeping roll with Kemp on it. I smile but even that hurts so I quickly stop, content to just lie here conscious but nothing more.
“He was energized after bu
t we felt terrible so he had us sleep two hours before continuing. He watched over us I guess. When we woke we felt better, well I felt better and Sarah assured us she did as well. Because of the delay, we rode the rest of the day, all night and the next day. Tonight we decided to stop and rest. He and I are taking guard duty. Sarah has taken over food duty. She’s ironically very good at whipping up things that require no cooking. She's also been taking horse duty since we are doing watch. She’s been very helpful. We haven’t lit any fires so everything’s been raw, not that we’ve had any meat. Let’s just say it’s a good thing the nights are warm.”
I nod if it was winter we would die without a fire.
“How is everyone holding up?”
He sighs and looks out into the dark woods. “He’s holding up the best. He seems more in his element. Sarah and I have been kind of floundering. He’s taken the lead and control of everything since you have been unconscious. I don’t know how close we are but I hope we arrive soon, he's a hard task driver.”
We both chuckle, well he chuckles and I try to as well but fail because of an extremely sore and very dry throat. I look around. In the dark, complete dark, it is too hard to pick up a landmark. In the morning I can find out where we are.
“Where are you going?” I ask as Mathew rises and walks towards Kemp.
“He told me to wake him if you woke up.”
I shake my head and put up a hand and he stops moving.
“How much longer until his watch?”
“About half an hour.”
“Let him sleep. He's likely been taking a majority of the guarding duties hasn’t he?”
Mathew nods and I sigh and shake my head. Stupid, stubborn, and very nobleman.
Champion Complete Series Page 9