“Anyway,” she continued when they had reached the top, “I’m going to bed. And you should do the same,” she stated firmly, pulling her door behind her. If this turns out like I feel that it might, we are all going to need to be rested and ready, she thought as she removed her dress and prepared to slip back into her bed. For what they should be ready for, she wasn’t sure.
Shadows of Doubt
Light crept into Rey’s room when he awoke the following morning, seeping in from around the cracks in his door. Watching the dust floating for a long moment, he decided he’d better get moving and see if Animir were as good a friend as Bally made him out to be. Pulling on his pants, he carried his boots and shirt out into the common room, where Piers sat slumped in one of the chairs, holding his head.
“What the hell happened to you?” he demanded, when the older man didn’t move.
“Elven wine, and plenty of it,” the Mate sneered, looking up at him while still holding his forehead.
“Aye, I saw you still had your elf girlfriend at dinner last night,” Rey chuckled. Pulling his shirt on, he glanced at Ami’s door.
“She’s already gone,” Piers informed him. “That little elf maid came at first light to get her. As far as the girl, I couldn’t shake her, so I made the best of it. Wasn’t near as good the second time. I’m sure I won’t see her again.”
“Oh,” the other man replied, his lips scrunched as he pulled on the boots. “What about Bally?”
“Haven’t seen him yet. You might check his bed. He’s either still in it, or he left before the ass crack of dawn.”
“Boy, you’re in a foul mood,” Rey bit angrily, standing to check their youngest member’s quarters. Spying the dark shocks of hair peeking from under his blanket, he called, “Hey! We’ve got places to go!”
The other man didn’t move, so he went in and smacked the hair playfully. “Hey, princess! You’re the last one still in bed. Let’s get a move on, will ya?”
“Ok,” Bally whined, “ok.” Pushing himself up on stiff arms, he growled, “First time in forever I’ve got no chores and nothing to do, and you’re dragging me out anyway.”
“I need to see Oldrilin. After that, you can go lay around wherever you like,” Rey replied softly.
Not arguing, Bally climbed out of the bed and searched for his clothes. A few minutes later, they exited the suite, Piers still sitting in front of the fire with his face in his hands.
“What’s with him?” Baldwin asked once they were out of earshot.
“Woman troubles,” Rey chuckled. “They like him for some odd reason.”
Walking down the path, they crossed the square and took the stairs that led to the armory. Animir had taken him there the day before, as he helped see to their supply of swords and bows, and he hoped to find the young elf and discern if he could get them in to see the siren.
Entering a long, narrow corridor, Rey stopped dead in his tracks. “This is the armory?” he gasped, staring at the two long walls lined with weapons. Swords and spears along his left shown brightly in the morning sun. On the right, hundreds of bows with thousands of arrows.
“Yeah,” Bally beamed. “Animir helps make the arrows,” he informed his friend smugly. “He’s probably this way,” he continued, waving for him to follow.
Exiting the other end, Animir was indeed in the next section, where a small group of elves were stoking a fire and preparing their forge.
“Don’t they have enough weapons?” Rey growled.
“I guess not,” Bally laughed, waving at his new friend when they made eye contact.
Joining them, Animir smiled pleasantly, despite the comment about their level of armament. “Hello,” he said as clearly as any mortal of the rim would have.
“Hi,” Bally replied cheerfully. “We were hoping you could help us visit Rey’s mermaid friend today,” he informed him, indicating the taller man with his thumb.
Nodding, the elf smiled, “Yes, for Bally.” Waving his hand for them to follow, they headed back through the tunnel of death and arrived a few minutes later at the stairs where they were blocked the last time.
Following behind, a knot formed in Reynard’s gut as he approached the chamber where his small friend lay in their care. The guard from the night before had been replaced with another equally menacing looking elf, who glowered at them as they approached.
This time, however, they had a friend, and Animir set in right away, waving a hand around as he explained their situation. After a few exchanges, he smiled, and the guard stepped aside. Beckoning them to follow, he led them into the small structure where the elven nurse greeted him, her eyes wide with surprise.
After another brief exchange, they were taken into a small room where the siren lay in a bed, covered up to her chest with a thin blanket. Her arms lying on top of it, she appeared peaceful as she slept, and tears stung Rey’s eyes as he made his way around to the far side of the bed. He knelt beside her, lifting her tiny hand and folding it between his.
Looking at each other in wonder, the pair of elves had been surprised by his demeanor. Poking Bally in the arm, Animir indicated him with an open palm.
“Oldrilin saved his life,” Baldwin explained, smiling down at his best friend. “They saved us all, really, when we arrived here, only he was the worst. Lin nursed him back to health.”
Rey had formed a bond with the siren who had followed him around after he had healed. It might have seemed odd or even wrong to the outsiders, but it would never be so to him. She was a small, defenseless creature in his eyes, childlike in so many ways. Innocent, and he would do all that he could to protect her if the need should ever arise.
“Is she going to be ok?” Rey asked quietly, wiping at his cheeks before he looked up at her nurse.
Swallowing, the girl nodded.
Grinning, Rey lifted the miniature hand, kissing the back of it gently. “You hear that, Lin?” he laughed, realizing as soon as he said it that no words had actually been spoken. But that didn’t matter, the meaning had been clear. “You’re going to be ok,” he whispered, folding her arm across her chest and patting it gently before sitting back flat on the floor to watch her sleep.
Sadrir had arrived early and helped Amicia put on her dress. Frowning at the process and tired of the fancy attire, she asked, “When do I get my other clothes back?”
Staring at her with wide eyes, the maid stammered, “I will see if they have been washed.”
Holding the dark expression, Ami doubted that they had and suspected she would never see them again, much to her dismay. As unhappy as she had been the day she put them on, they were a part of her now, and wearing the gown had lost its luster, no matter how beautiful it was.
Following her down the stairs, the morning air felt cool against her skin, and she realized that summer was coming to an end. Figuring they were farther north than Nalen, she pondered exactly how cold it would get here, especially up on the side of the mountain, as they were.
Strolling into the main stairs of the palace, the guards allowed them passage without a second glance. Only this time, they did not follow the corridors to the great hall. Instead, they made a right turn and ended up in a small private dining room that displayed the rising sun through its wall of windows.
“Good morning,” the queen greeted her guest with the always present warmth her eyes never reflected.
Watching her, Ami didn’t bother with her own fake smile. The other woman held a plate and selected fruits from a long table filled with options. “You’re serving yourself this morning, I see.”
“Of course,” Cilithrand laughed, “I’m not helpless. Besides, it’s the best way to ensure I get exactly the ones that I want,” she informed her, picking out a few grapes. “Come. Join me,” she commanded, indicating the second plate intended for her.
Doing as she had been instructed, Amicia felt tired of whatever game they were playing. The queen was up to something; she felt it in her gut. What was worse, none of her companions seemed t
o notice anything was wrong with their being there, or with the reception they had received.
Placing a few items on her dish, she carried it over to her seat at the round table the queen occupied by a window. Sitting, she glanced out at the streets below and could see the length of forest beyond the city walls. “You chose a beautiful place to build your palace,” she observed.
“Thank you, but I didn’t choose it. My father built this realm. I only inherited it after he was killed in the great war,” the older woman supplied.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Ami replied, feeling awkward. She had never known her parents, not her real ones, and those that had raised her had lied to her for her entire life. “How long have you been the queen?” she asked, hoping to change the flow of the conversation.
“Almost two hundred years,” she replied, causing the girl to choke.
Two glasses sat on the table before her, one of sweet juice and one of water. Opting for the water, she hoisted it, gulping it before she wiped her mouth on her arm. “You’re talking actual years, or per twelve moons?”
“They are almost the same, are they not?”
“Almost,” Ami agreed, discerning that they did have knowledge of the outside world and the rim of mortals as they were called by those of Eriden. Pausing, her heart skipped a beat. Mortals. What if the people of this kingdom really did live forever?
Sipping her beverage more slowly, the girl considered how she might find out without bluntly asking. Deciding to leave it alone, she asked instead, “Do you like running the kingdom?”
“Oh, I don’t head the kingdom,” Cilithrand chuckled. “The Supreme Dragon, King Gwirwen oversees Eriden. I am the queen of the elves. Jerranyth is our realm, and I see to its wellbeing.”
“As Olirassa is the queen of the sirens, of Riran,” Amicia construed, her nerves raw at the mention of the dragons. In charge, no less. “How many realms are there, then? I guess you would all be like townships, and you are perhaps the sheriff or maybe the lordship.”
“I am the queen,” her host corrected. “There are three realms here in the south, all led by queens. But we rule by the dragon’s approval. When Gwirwen came to the throne some years ago, he torched the third southern realm. I’m sure they have suffered greatly since his rise to power.”
Amicia stared at her, almost certain the news she had shared held some deeper meaning, but exactly what she could not say, at least not at the moment. “Perhaps we will meet them, then. Which way is it to their realm?”
“The nymphs and satyrs,” the elf queen laughed. “Silly girl, why would you ever wish to leave the comfort of Jerranyth? Stay with us, and I will crown you my princess,” she offered, her smile in place as she did so.
Her skin tingling, Ami did her best to hold the feeling of dread from leaking onto her features. “Of course, your highness,” she offered. Diverting the conversation, she asked, “Who were you fighting then, in the great war. The one that took your father.” She swallowed visibly, an odd taste forming in her mouth, as if something from the queen’s table had not agreed with her.
“Well, the whole of the land, really. That is why it is called the great war. Some of the realms had wanted to overthrow the dragons while others wanted to keep them in power.”
Her heart racing, Amicia wanted to ask about the dragons directly but feared the other woman’s response to the news that they had been hunted by them long before they got anywhere close to Eriden. Her mind drawn to the ship and the night it went down in fiery flames, she shuddered uncontrollably.
“My child, what is wrong with you?”
“I was just thinking about the dragon,” she confessed.
“You have seen one,” the matron supplied.
Her eyes wide, Ami confessed, “Yes, I have. The ones that tore apart Riran. The reason we are cowering here instead of still there with the sirens.” She thought of the orb of truth and what she had been shown the day before, when they first arrived there. Folding her hands into her lap, she waited for whatever else the queen might divulge.
However, the other woman did not offer any tidbit of information and instead focused on her meal. After a few minutes, she said quietly, “Do finish, my sweet. It is many hours until dinner.”
Nodding, Ami selected a few slices of something resembling an apple and nibbled at them obediently, her mind turning all the while. The queen seemed content, but the girl felt certain it was an act for her benefit. What if she can read my thoughts? What if she already knows all that I know?
At that moment, Cilithrand looked up at her, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “Let us be honest with one another,” she implored.
Ami’s heart raced. Shit. Aloud, she asked, getting to the point, “Can you read my mind?”
The queen burst into a boisterous giggle, “Don’t be silly, my child.” Cutting her eyes over at the girl, she lowered her voice. “We are not connected in such a way. However, in time, I believe that we could be.”
Ami’s hand instinctively covered her breast and the merdoe hidden beneath it. “Tell me about the magic,” she breathed.
“It’s quite simple, really,” the older woman supplied, sitting up straighter in her chair. “There are those in the Kingdom of Eriden who have the power to use it. We can store it in objects, such as the gift Olirassa saw fit to bestow upon you. And those who can use and release that power.”
“A wielder of magic,” Ami whispered, her pulse thumping loudly in her ears. “But not everyone.”
“No, not everyone,” the queen agreed.
Amicia’s thoughts cleared, but she could not bring herself to speak the words. I am a wielder of magic. How and why, she did not know, but her use of the enchanted shell had exposed her to the queen.
“Do not fear me, my sweet,” Cilithrand implored. “I will not harm you. You are welcome in my home and my realm for as long as you desire it.”
“What about my friends? Are they equally as welcome?”
“Of course!” The queen held up her hands, her sleeves falling and exposing her smooth, pale flesh. “They may stay within our walls and fulfil their every desire.”
Her heart thumping, Ami twisted her words, searching for the truth within them. The queen had offered her protection for as long as they wanted to stay, but what if they wanted to leave?
Calming her features, Amicia forced her lips into a small grin, holding it in place as she acquiesced to the matron, “Thank you, your majesty. You have made us all welcome here, and we humbly accept your hospitality.”
Enemy of Time
Walking back to their suite, Amicia searched her discoveries slowly in her mind. Each step of the tower a torture, she ached with the knowledge that she and her friends were not safe in Jerranyth, but at the moment they had no way to escape and nowhere to run. That fact clear in her mind, she knew she could not share too much with the others.
Arriving at the top, the common room opened before her. To her right, the drapes to the balcony were tied back out of the way. His back to her, Rey stood upon it, staring out across the realm.
“Hello,” he greeted her simply, without turning around.
“What’s going on?” she demanded, terror instantly sending her heart racing.
“Nothing,” he replied as he pivoted to face her. “I spent the morning with Oldrilin.” His face placid, his demeanor only added to her fear.
“How is she?” she asked, the air caught in her lungs as she waited for the words she dreaded to hear.
“She hasn’t awoken yet, but her wounds are looking better,” he stated calmly, placing his hands in his pockets. He blinked at her a few times, but said nothing else, which only added to his confusing manner.
“Then why the gloom?” she laughed, gasping for her breath. “You scared the hell out of me, as if something had happened to one of us!”
The word us brought a hint of a smile to his tired features. No matter what lay ahead, the four of them had formed a bond, and they would be there for each other; he was
confident of that. If all went well, they would number five soon enough, the thought enough to bring a sigh of relief.
“No, we are all fine, as far as I know. And she will be fine as well. All she needs is time,” he supplied.
Time. The word had Amicia’s thoughts swirling once more. That’s what we don’t have. Time. “She’ll get better then,” she verbally agreed with a firm nod.
“Who’ll get better?” Piers asked, appearing at the top of the stairs and pausing to stand with the couple. “The siren?”
His contempt for the creature clear, he had never accepted the mermaids, even after they had done what they could for them when the group had been washed up on their shore. That is why he had insisted on building their camp in the woods; to get out of Riran and away from them as much as he was able. It was unlikely he would ever trust the one that traveled with them now.
“I know you don’t approve, so don’t even bother,” Rey stated calmly, holding up a palm to stop him there. However, grateful for the interruption, he asked with a grin, “What’s going on with you? Your elf still following you around?” The older man looked better than he did that morning, he had to admit.
“Why no, she isn’t,” the Mate beamed, leaving them to head into his room. There, he announced, “Good. That servant girl brought my water.” Pouring it from the pitcher into a basin that had been placed on his table, he washed his face and wet his hair, then pulled it into its customary knot and secured it at the nape of his neck. Wiping his hands over his jaw to smooth his long stubble, he held the perfect combination of gentleman and rogue in his appearance.
“Why don’t you go down and have a bath?” Ami asked with a wrinkled nose. “The pools are lovely,” she added persuasively.
“I asked for a bath, and the girl said she would bring this,” he stated flatly, indicating the bowl of soiled liquid. “Apparently, the pools aren’t for everyone,” he said with a scowl, his eyes flicking up and down her fancy attire. “Besides, I don’t have time. I haven’t seen Cothiel all morning, and it appears that I’m again a free man. Therefore, I’m going to move on to the next one.”
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