The next morning, she changed Elion’s bandages, but apart from his breathing Elion showed no sign of life. Siard came by to bring Lumea some food, but he hated seeing his friend like that so he quickly disappeared again. Lumea hardly noticed him. She took the food and ate it automatically, without actually tasting it. Slowly, the day dragged on.
Aeron often joined her. Mostly they sat in silence, but sometimes Lumea told him what was going through her head. The woman that had come out of the airship and set foot in Omnesia had been young and uncertain, but determined to lead her life the way she wanted to. She had left Lunadeiron because she did not get that chance there. In the course of her adventures, however, from the moment she walked through the gates of Hydrhaga and up until now, sitting next to Elion’s still form, she had evolved into a strong, self-assured woman.
She looked worriedly at the unconscious man and straightened the blankets.
“Elion forced me to become the woman that was hidden inside of me. I really did not have any other choice when he pulled me through that door to escape from the Hosts. I hated him for it, but now that it’s all over, I am grateful, in spite all the bad things we have endured.”
She looked at Aeron sadly. “What if he dies? There were times when he insulted me, but he learned to accept me for who I am. There are not many who do. I’m afraid that without him, I will just go back to my old life, under the care of my parents.”
“I don’t think you could do that, Lumea, even if you wanted to. Too much has happened since then. And whatever the outcome, you will always carry part of him within your heart. You will never forget the things that he taught you.”
His words made the tension drain from her. “You’re right. I know I can take care of myself. And I will never give that up!” she said fiercely. Then she looked over at Elion, adding, “But I’d rather live my life with you by my side...”
The two of them sat together in silence for a while. Darkness was creeping in by the time Aeron got up to go to his own bed. Lumea got up as well and walked over to the window to look at the moon. She hoped that it could tell her something about Elion’s recovery, but even though the night was clear, the moon was nowhere to be seen. She turned around with a disappointed sigh.
The lantern spread a soft light, illuminating Elion’s face. His skin was pallid, and it was obvious to her that his condition was grave. She walked back to him and knelt by his side. Taking some sage, she lit it in a small bowl. The dried herb flared up briefly, but soon the flame died down, leaving only the smoke to waft up. She cleansed herself and Elion with the smoke, and prayed to the gods for a long time. She begged them to let the elf recover. After the prayer, she lay down and fell asleep next to his bed.
The following days and nights passed without much incident. Lumea stayed with Elion, and every now and then Siard or Aeron would keep her company. She took care of the elf with all the love and devotion she possessed; she kept using the water from the Fountain of Life, she sang to him, she turned him. In the nights she would often get the desperate feeling that he would die, because there were no signs of improvement. She always managed to turn that feeling around, though. After all, at least he did not get worse.
On the sixth night, Lumea awoke with a shock. She knew it had only been a dream, but the uncomfortable feeling that she got from the dream lingered. She looked over at Elion, who was still lying in the same position that she had last put him in. His breathing seemed shallower. She put her hand on his breast to feel the beating of his heart.
In her dream, the two of them had been walking through the Ruin of Achnon, but the place was no longer in ruin. The sun shone through the leaves and onto the courtyard. The moss was soft under their bare feet as they walked hand in hand, talking and laughing happily. Then Elion had let go of her hand, and no matter how hard she tried to keep hold of his, he always seemed to just slip away from her grasp. He disappeared through the gate. Lumea had woken up, sadness oppressing her because she had not been able to follow him.
She got up and walked to the window. The room felt stuffy, so she opened the sash to let in some fresh air. As soon as she did, she felt the comforting caress of the wind, as the coolness of the night touched her cheeks and filled the room. The woman stared up at the stars and the clouds. Suddenly one cloud opened up to reveal a thin sliver of the moon. Lumea smiled as a serene calm came over her.
“A new moon, a new start!” she said.
She thanked Isil, the Goddess of the Moon. For a while, she remained at the window, her mind empty of thought but her heart full of feeling. When she eventually turned back to Elion, she saw that beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. She carefully wiped the drops away, but they returned almost immediately. It was a sign that his body was trying to fight against the illness. She tried to get him to drink something.
From that moment on, she took care of the elf with renewed faith. She made him as comfortable as possible, and, slowly, the fever subsided. He started moving and mumbling something in his own language, which Lumea did not understand. She talked back nevertheless, trying to comfort him, though he was still unconscious. Siard came to join her more often, but she never neglected her task.
Lumea had opened the curtains to let in the light of the early morning sun. She could hear some birds beginning their serenade to the new day. Suddenly she heard a deep sigh behind her, so she quickly went over to the bed and sat down next to Elion, shielding his eyes from the sunlight with her body. She took his hand as he opened his eyes a crack. It was too hard for him to keep them open, so he quickly closed them again.
“Where am I?”
“In Gîsal’s room. I hope you don’t mind.”
He opened his eyes again and looked at her. “Lumea?”
She smiled. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Elion.”
Though she forced herself to sound calm, a small catch in her voice betrayed how excited she was. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got trampled by a herd of horses,” he answered dryly.
She had to laugh; she could not help it. He wanted to laugh too, but it hurt too much. She became serious again and she bent over to give him a kiss on his forehead, happy that he was going to be all right.
30
Now that Elion was awake, he quickly recovered from his wounds, and soon he was able to leave the bed, but even so, Lumea stayed faithfully by his side. Now when she bandaged her own arm, he came over and took the bandages from her. He carefully wound them around her arm and fastened them.
“I like how you stay close to me, Lumea.”
She laughed. “If you have had enough of me, just tell me!”
“No, I mean it. I know what you did for me when I was unconscious, how you never left my side. I heard your songs. They gave me the courage to fight death.”
She touched his cheek and he took her hand and kissed it.
“I’m glad you were the one sitting next to me when I woke up. Your soft hands holding mine, they were a real comfort. I knew I was safe with you.”
He suddenly started blushing, and he let her lead him back to the bed, where they both sat down on the edge. “I’m glad I could do that for you, Elion.”
“To be honest, I thought I was back in Arminath at first. Gîsal’s furniture reminded me of the old times, and you sitting there in the clothes that my mother used to weave, with the sun shining behind you... For a moment it seemed as though everything had just been a nightmare, and that I was back home.”
Lumea’s countenance dropped when she heard his words. “Did it bother you when you realized that you were wrong?” she asked.
Elion firmly shook his head. “Not at all. When I heard your voice I remembered everything, but I was truly happy when I recognized you.”
He looked at her closely. He said, “If my shoulder would let me, I would lift you up and put you in bed. You look incredibly tired. The gods only know how little sleep you’ve had lately.” He pulled the blankets aside. “Now it’s your time to
rest, since you don’t have to worry about me any more.”
Lumea gratefully lowered herself into the bed, and Elion tucked her in. Within moments, she had drifted off into a deep sleep.
Elion slowly regained his independence. His shoulder needed more time to heal, but in spite of that they left Hydrhaga to go back to Omnesia. On the second morning after their departure they saw banners flapping in the wind against the light of the rising sun. It was the Omnesian army riding towards them. The man that had left Hydrhaga alone to find his way through the wilderness had managed to convince the king that war was imminent. They made camp and the survivors explained everything that had happened to them.
The next day, the survivors went on toward Omnesia. The army had given them horses and a few soldiers rode with them as escort. The rest of the army continued on to Hydrhaga, where they destroyed Gîsal’s lifework and drowned the land. From that day on, the tower stood in the middle of a gigantic lake as the sole witness to the threat that Omnesia and its inhabitants had only barely escaped.
The Hosts and workers that the fighters had taken prisoner were taken to Omnesia, as well as the bodies of both humans and elves. The elves were buried near the Ruins of Achnon, their living kin brought them there under Elion’s guidance. No human was witness to the ceremony giving them their final rest.
During the following days, magnificent parties were held to celebrate their victory. Siard, Lumea and Elion were summoned to the king’s palace. In the arena, the fight against the Thurancs was reenacted. It took two whole weeks for the uncharacteristic frivolity in Omnesia to die down.
Some weeks later, Lumea and Elion sat side by side on a bench in the city, very much like the first time they had met. Close by, workmen were repairing one of the last wells of the city. Every once in a while one of them looked up at the two figures sitting in the shadows. Summer was once again in full swing, and the Omnesian sun relentlessly beat down upon the rooftops. Elion looked at Lumea.
“What are you going to do now?” he asked.
She thought for a moment. “I’m going back home. Omnesia has changed, but even so, I could never live here. I don’t belong in this arid land. I need mountains and forests around me. Most of all, though, I want to see my family again.”
They sat next to each other in silence for a long time. Lumea made geometrical shapes in the sand with her feet, but she wiped them out again with the sole of her boot.
“What about you?” she asked.
Elion shrugged. Lumea studied his face. After everything they had gone through, his face was even more serious than the first time they had met, but he smiled more often now. At the moment, she detected an unaccustomed sense of insecurity in his features. He did not answer her question.
She asked him, “Do you want to go with me? I remember your saying once that Lunadeiron seemed like a nice place to live. It might not be what you expect...” She looked for the right words, saying, “I’d like for you to come with me.”
She felt her cheeks turning red as the smile returned to his face.
Elion answered softly, “I’d like that very much.”
She leaned into him and put her head on his shoulder, relieved with his answer. He pressed a kiss on her black hair, and they stayed in that position for a while.
Finally, Lumea got up and walked over to the workmen. After everything that had happened, she was no longer afraid of them. When she was near them the men bowed to her. She talked to them for a while. Judging by their reactions, they agreed with her proposition. Then she came back to the bench where Elion was still sitting. He looked at her questioningly and she explained, “We won’t be traveling alone.”
He stood up as well and the two of them walked to Siard’s house, where Elion and Lumea were staying as his mothers guests.
Not long afterward they said their goodbyes to Siard. He did not wish to leave Omnesia behind, but he did promise to come and visit them in Lunadeiron. By now, the city’s streets had been swept clean of the sand and the buildings were decorated with beautiful silken banners, gifts from the elves to the humans of the city. The elves that had spent so long repairing the city’s wells rallied around Elion and Lumea.
Together, they all traveled east, with the people of Omnesia waving goodbye to them. The city was part of the elves’ past, but now that the wells were all functioning again, there was nothing to keep them there except memory. Although everything that had happened had made the humans look at the elves in a different light, and old grievances had been buried, this place could never again be their home. The elves hoped to build a new future in Lumea’s country, free from the guilt of the past.
Near Achnon’s Ruin the group halted. Elion went inside, alone. For one irrational moment, Lumea wanted to stop him from going through the gate, but he returned soon enough. He stretched out his hand towards her and she took it with both her own, gripping it tightly. They walked on like that. Lumea felt herself leaving her own past behind with every step that she took. Once more, she looked back at the setting sun as it shone through the leaves and the soft moss underfoot. That was the last time she looked back. Tonight there would be a new moon. Ahead of them was a new beginning.
PREVIEW OF THE LILITH TRILOGY
A new story set in a completely new world
Bound in Darkness
1
A dull blow to her head caused Lilith to wake up. By reflex she tried to jump up, but the ropes around her wrists and ankles prevented her from doing so. She moaned and lay back down in resignation. Over the past few days, Lilith had been fruitlessly fighting her ties and, therefore, knew that she couldn’t free herself. Lemuel’s knots were just too tight.
Lilith looked around carefully. As a result of the blow, a sharp pain surged through her head whenever she moved too quickly. She expected that Pavel had awoken her and was looking for his silhouette in the semi-dark. The two men had taken her captive and the younger of the two had been the least patient with her. She was, however, the only person in the covered wagon.
Lilith did see a white stone, the size of a fist, lying next to her head. It glistened because it was wet. She knew it was hail. That was the word she had picked up during the first storm they had run into after she had been overpowered. She had also learned that it was made of ice. But how these stones could fall from the sky was a great mystery to her. In Lilith’s native country the weather was usually dry, and the drought was only ever interrupted by short showers. Suddenly she spotted the hole in the hood. Hailstones were thrumming on the roof of the wagon and more stones ripped the canvas. Some hit her. Lilith tried to shift into a different position, but again the ties got in the way.
All of a sudden the wagon creaked and turned to the right. She rolled over, bumping her hip and elbow hard on the side board of the wagon. Lilith cursed. There wasn’t a spare ounce of fat on her body to cushion the blows, and the jolting wagon gave her more and more bruises. Then the horses pulling the wagon came to a halt. The hailstones were no longer bashing the hood, but Lilith could still hear the thrumming sound. Apparently the men had found another spot for them to take shelter.
The canvas at the rear of the wagon was pulled aside and a blanket and a piece of bread were thrown in by Pavel. Behind him, Lilith could see that the storm was still raging violently. The canvas fell back down. While listening to Pavel’s footsteps, she looked at the food lying well out of her reach. She twisted to get a bit closer but soon gave up as it cost her too much energy.
Lilith heard Lemuel ask something to his son . She couldn’t understand what they were saying, but by now she knew which voice belonged to which man. The elder one usually spoke in a calm voice and swallowed the end of his words. Pavel had the same accent but his voice was shriller.
“I’m not going to any more trouble for her. That woman can take care of herself. She ought to be happy that we’re giving her anything at all,” he ranted.
The response was unintelligible. The canvas moved aside again, but this time Lemuel appe
ared in the opening. He climbed into the wagon, covered Lilith up, and moved the piece of bread close to her face.
“Can you reach it like this?” he asked, sounding slightly concerned.
“It’s hard to eat with my hands tied,” Lilith tried.
But the man shook his head. “Do you really expect me to untie you after what happened?”
Lemuel apparently didn’t expect an answer, because he brought the waterskin to Lilith’s lips. After that, he jumped out of the wagon.
“I hope that other group of travellers has found shelter as well,” he called out to his son while he remained where he was. “ It isn’t a fit night out for man nor beast.”
Lilith’s heart skipped a beat. She strained herself to be able to hear the rest of the conversation. Could Lemuel be talking about her pursuers? He had to be, hadn’t he? It was unthinkable that anyone would travel in this cold without having a very good reason to do so. Even Pavel and his father had debated the wisdom of waiting for the weather to improve before bringing her to the capital to put her on trial. And now there was a group of travellers – plodding through the unremitting storms – taking the same road they were.
“We haven’t seen them for a while,” Pavel answered. “Come, let’s go inside. I’m yearning for a nice fire to warm myself and I could do with some food.”
The cracking sound of their footsteps in the snow faded. Lilith wanted to scream that they shouldn’t leave her all by herself, but instead she suffered a bad coughing fit. When she had finally caught her breath, the only sound that remained was that of the horses shoving their food around on the bottom of the buckets as they were eating. It was too late. If the men showed up now, there would be no one to protect her. Then all would have been in vain.
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