Origin

by Samantha Smith

  Ayron took a deep breath and continued, “Eventually Azavon, my brother, and Rhianna fell in love, and married. Rhys left shortly after the wedding to seek his fortune in Unity. I think he felt he would be safe here in Tarlon even if Stefan did discover his whereabouts, given the treaty of non-violence and the fact that he was not heir to the throne. But when Rhianna died, in Stefan’s eyes, Rhys became heir to the throne. I’m pretty sure that Stefan was unaware of Rhys location or Elwyn’s existence until very recently. And, I think the knowledge of her existence prompted today’s attack. The men that arrived in the village today just ahead of us were sent by King Stefan to kill them both.

  “But Elwyn would be no threat to a king. She has nothing. She is just a young girl, and has never been away from the village,” said Clayre giving him a puzzled look. “I can guarantee you that she has no idea that she is heir to anything more than a small dwelling and a blacksmith shop.”

  “Clayre, I heard Crawley order his men to find “the girl” after he believed that Rhys was dead or dying. King Stefan has to make sure that both of them are dead in order to eliminate any threat to his throne. If Elwyn is Rhianna’s daughter, she is the rightful ruler of Avrelan. If she were to die, Rhys, Rhianna’s brother would be the next in line to rule. Rhys knows this and has obviously worked very hard to keep her well hidden all these seasons, not knowing who he could trust.”

  “Ayron, this is all so difficult to believe. I have known Rhys for many seasons. Never once has he ever hinted to having a secret like this.”

  “What do you know of his background before he came here? Has he ever spoken of his childhood, or that of his sister? My guess is that your knowledge of Rhys began when he showed up to live in your village. You probably have no idea what secrets that man holds or what inner demons from his past have haunted him.”

  “Well, Rhys is in no condition to speak for himself right now and I’m not sure that I need to know these things if he is unwilling to share them. I only care that he and Elwyn are safe from harm. I love them both more than anything else in this world. They are my only family.”

  “There is something else that also needs to be considered. It appears that Elwyn may be the daughter of Rhianna and Lord Azavon of Silvendil. If that is true, she is heir to the throne of two nations in the Known Lands, and therefore an even more serious threat to King Stefan’s rule.”

  “I can confirm that Elwyn is Rhianna’s child. I was present at her birth. I was also present at Rhianna’s death a month later when a mysterious illness swept through our village. Rhys has raised her since then.”

  “I can see that you care deeply for Rhys and Elwyn, but it is imperative that you accept that they are both in extreme danger and cannot remain here any longer. In fact, every hour they remain in this village the danger to them increases.”

  “But why would they still be in danger if your soldiers killed the men sent to assassinate them? It sounds to me as if you’re overreacting, Ayron.”

  “I don’t believe I am. There are still some of Crawley’s men unaccounted for, and if they make it back to King Stefan, who I believe is behind this, another attempt could be made on their lives within the day. You may be in danger as well, since you were with Rhys when he was attacked.

  I will allow you a short time to stabilize Rhys, now that the dagger has been removed. My men are constructing a litter that will rest on an old wagon frame we found at the blacksmith shop. I believe that for him to make the journey to Silvendil right away would be too difficult and might well kill him, so I am planning to take him to the village of Amarni, which is just across the border in the land of Urafiki. I would like you to accompany him and continue to care for him; both on the journey and after he arrives.”

  “Ayron, I still think you are overreacting to this situation. Rhys has lived in this village for the past seventeen seasons and Elwyn was born here. Maybe the attempt on their lives was a warning and this will be the end of it. Besides, Rhys shouldn’t be moved.”

  “Clayre, I know that you would like to stay here and hope that everything will return to the way it was. No one likes change when it is thrust upon them, but I promise you that neither Rhys nor Elwyn will ever be safe in this village again. I don’t think that you will either; which is why I have asked you to come with us.”

  “Ayron, you just don’t understand. I am the healer in this village and have a responsibility to the people that live here. How can I just leave everything behind? Why can’t we just stay here? Rhys is no threat to that king. Surely he must realize that. And what of Elwyn? How will she deal with having to go to this foreign land?”

  Ayron could see fear and confusion rising up in the simple village woman. Since she was vital to the success of his plan and since he believed that her life was also in jeopardy, he knew he had to find the right words to convince her that she should accompany them. He took a deep breath and began.

  “Clayre, from what I have seen you seem both an intelligent and courageous woman. I am guessing that you have been through some difficult times in your life. If nothing else, I know that being a healer is a difficult job that requires both courage and determination. I know it is hard for you to believe what I am saying, but it is the truth. I wouldn’t question your diagnosis as a healer and I am asking you not to question my assessment as a military leader. My men and I plan to leave today, and take you and Rhys across the border into Urafiki, where you will be safe from King Stefan.”

  “Today!” Clayre cried, her face turning pale.

  “I realize this whole situation is unsettling, and will continue to be that way for a while, but I am asking you to put aside your fears and cooperate with my efforts to save your life and the lives of the two people you love the most. I would not ask you to leave immediately unless I believed every word I’ve said to you in the past few minutes. I want you to know though, that I will not force to you do anything or go anywhere against your will. It must be your decision to accompany us. I will, however, be leaving with Rhys as soon as the litter is finished and I have completed making arrangements for Elwyn’s safety”

  “What do you mean?” She cried. “Isn’t she coming with us? I will not consider being separated from her. Nor, I know, will Rhys.”

  “I would like you to accompany me while I talk with Rhys about the situation. I will keep it as brief as possible, but he has the right to decide what is best for himself, and for Elwyn.” Ayron said, as he turned and walked toward the hut, with Clayre following close behind. As he walked, he projected the need for a bit more time to Thane, through Keroc, hoping fervently that Elwyn would be patient for a little while longer. The last thing he needed right now was for her to be running around the village searching for her uncle, or arriving here and burdening this man, who was in a fight for his life, with an emotional appeal to stay with him.

  As Ayron entered the hut, he became aware of the smell of herbs as they mingled with that of clean linen. It was obvious that the woman living here took pride in her home. The main living area was spotless. There were sheer lacy curtains at the windows, tied back with bright yellow ribbons. There was also a vase of yellow wild flowers sitting on a table. The floor was swept free of dirt and was covered with a braided rug that he was certain had been handmade by the women herself. It was a collaboration of bright and soft shades of yellow, brown, and green. On one wall were several frames containing pressed dried flowers that formed a collage of color that complimented the colors in the rug. Handmade quilts in cheerful colors decorated two of the other walls. His men had moved most of the furnishings from the center of the room and put them up against the walls. Rhys was lying on a cot that had been placed in the middle of the room to give the healers access to him from all sides.

  As Ayron approached, he noticed that Rhys’ eyes were closed and hoped the injured man wasn’t unconscious. If that was the case and they had to wait to speak with him, he would have no choice but to bring Elwyn here as well. For some reason, that option didn’t feel right to
him. He was sure, if she saw Rhys, she would fight even harder to remain here with him and he felt in his gut that would be wrong. However, as he drew closer to the bed, Rhys opened eyes that were cold, filled with anger, and just radiating hostility in his direction. Ayron knew that, for some reason, he was on trial. The question was, for what?

  Clayre warned Ayron that Rhys was very weak while they were speaking outside the hut. Ayron, trying to spare Rhys as much exertion as possible, jumped right in and began to speak, hoping to share his plan with the two of them. First though, he wanted to be sure that Rhys knew who he was. “Do you know who I am, Rhys”, he asked as quietly as he could.

  Rhys shook his head and said in a soft whisper, “I recognize you now, Ayron. I mistook you for your brother Azavon at first glance.”

  Ayron could sense stress coming from the strong emotions churning within Rhys and wanted to calm him, so that he didn’t weaken himself further.

  “Rhys, I know that you must have many questions, as do I, about what occurred so long ago. But, for the sake of Clayre and Elwyn, I would ask that you table them for a short while. Both of these women are in grave danger, and I think that our first priority must be to get them to safety.”

  Ayron heard a gasp from Clayre, who was standing right behind him. From what he knew of her, she was probably feeling very indignant right now. Ayron knew, though, that if he appealed to Rhys based on the danger that he was in, it would fall upon deaf ears. Rhys was and had always been all about family.

  “We will have our time to talk Rhys, but for now I need you to listen to my plan. Neither of these women are willing to go anywhere without your say so.” Rhys nodded smiling weakly, and Ayron continued.

  “The men that came to your village today were assassins sent by Stefan. They weren’t just looking for you Rhys; they were also searching for Elwyn. Somehow, Stefan must have gotten word that you were here and sent someone to check things out. Have you noticed any strangers passing through over the past month or two?”

  Rhys weakly shook his head. “Yes elf, about five weeks ago two strangers came through and needed my services. One of them told me his horse threw a shoe. I shod the horse, they paid me, and then left the village. I remember thinking it strange that they seemed reluctant to answer any of my questions, but spent the time while I was shoeing the horse asking me and my niece a ton of them.”

  “I have a feeling those two men were sent to gather information from the village. When the men described you and Elwyn, Stefan probably put the pieces together, and decided he had to take action. From what I hear he is even more paranoid now then he was when he had your family assassinated and usurped the throne all those seasons ago.”

  Ayron paused a moment as Keroc informed him of the attack on Elwyn’s life. He projected an image of Elwyn and Thane so that Ayron would know that the danger had passed, at least for the moment. He then continued his conversation with Rhys.

  “The fact that this attempt on your lives failed, may only spur Stefan to take greater measures. I fear he will resort to sending a shadow squad, Rhys.” Ayron waited for this to sink in, not totally sure how Rhys’ weakened physical condition was affecting his mind. “I am fairly certain that Clayre is in danger as well, because she has been seen with you and knows more about the two of you than anyone else in the village. I think you know that Stefan wouldn’t hesitate to capture and torture her to find out what she knows.”

  “What is your plan, elf? How would you protect those that I love?” Rhys said harshly. “If history is any measure, you don’t have a very good track record. So why should I trust you now?”

  “Rhys, I know to expect you to trust me is asking for a lot and I wish I had more time to explore what happened those many seasons ago, but I have to act quickly. There are three facts however, that I think you should consider while making the decision whether or not to hear me out,” Ayron said in a harsh whisper. “The first is that both Azavon and I were in Grimsfyne when Rhianna fled Silvendil. The second is that when we returned, it was to the news that Rhianna committed suicide and was buried in the little cemetery just west of Findara. The third is that Azavon has never remarried and has mourned the loss of his beloved wife and unborn child for the past sixteen seasons. He has been unable to move on from that tragedy.” The tears in Ayron’s eyes as he spoke mirrored those that welled up in Rhys. Ayron didn’t know why, but he could tell that Rhys understood Azavon’s pain.

  “Alright elf,” he grumbled, as if embarrassed by his own emotional display. “Tell us your plan.”

  Ayron told Rhys and Clayre that he and his men planned to take them to the village of Amarni in the land of Urafiki, where they would be guarded by some of his own men and the Amarani, the fierce warriors of Urafiki. Silvendil and Urafiki had a strong treaty and a personal bond of friendship and respect that had remained unbroken for many seasons. Once they reached Amarni and were settled in, he and a few of his soldiers would leave them and ride to join Thane and Elwyn, who would be traveling north toward Silvendil.

  Rhys and Clayre were both reluctant to agree to a plan where Elwyn would end up separated from them, but Ayron explained that there had already been an attempt to assassinate her in the village and if they split up, she might actually be in less danger. Unless Stefan had a spy in the village watching them at this moment, Ayron believed that he would most likely assume that they were all together and strike where he knew Ayron’s men had gone. Ayron also confessed that he had a personal reason for sending Elwyn north so quickly. By birth, she was the future ruler of Silvendil and once she entered its lands, Ayron could enlist many different resources to protect her. To his surprise, convincing Rhys was easy, but Ayron found that it took a rather heated discussion on the part of both men to convince Clayre to go along with the plan. Ayron assured Rhys and Clayre that he planned to send Keroc along with Elwyn and Thane so that he could keep tabs on their progress. He explained how he could stay in contact with them by using his bond with the drakenhawk. The agreement between them finally struck, Rhys asked for a few moments to confer with Clayre.

  Ayron stepped outside to allow Rhys and Clayre some privacy. While waiting for Clayre, he communicated to Keroc his intention to return to the stand of trees where Elwyn and Thane waited. He was a little concerned about the rather chaotic images that flashed in his mind from Keroc. He communicated with Keroc again, conveying his thoughts as slowly and clearly as possible. Keroc was young and still got confused rather easily. “It was going to be a rough couple of days for the drakenhawk,” Ayron thought to himself. “Keroc was very inexperienced to be taking on such a difficult assignment.” His thoughts were interrupted as Clayre joined him outside the hut. She asked for time to notify the village elder of her plan to leave, to pack Elwyn’s things, and to gather a few items that Rhys requested she take along to his niece. She also requested permission to bring along Elwyn’s horse for her to ride, so that she would have something that was familiar to her as she traveled. Ayron agreed with all the requests. After cautioning her not to pack too much, he sent Stuart, another one of his soldiers, to help her. Clayre assured him that she would meet them at the stand of trees in about thirty minutes.

  Ayron nodded, jumped up on Gerrack, and quickly headed back to speak with Elwyn. His mind was still swimming with unanswered questions. Ayron knew it was important for him to focus on getting Rhys, Elwyn, and Clayre out of harm’s way, but it was difficult to not think about how today revelations would impact those he loved the most. He wasn’t even sure how to break the news of Elwyn’s existence to his brother. Her appearance definitely brought up some serious questions that needed answers.

  “Enough,” he said to himself. “I need to get back to the business at hand.” With that said, Ayron tried very hard to focus on what was facing him over the next few days. It was going to be very difficult to protect the three of them. His men were loyal and strong, but there were only a dozen of them, and he was the only one who had ever come up against a shadow squad. As he drew
close to where he’d left Elwyn, he heard voices arguing and Keroc screeching loudly. He sighed heavily at having to tell Thane and Keroc that they were on babysitting duty for the next few days. He also wasn’t sure that he was ready to break the news to the young soldier, who looked more than a bit distraught, that the young woman who was screaming at him at the top of her lungs was his future ruler.

  Chapter 7 – Patience Tested

  Thane was thunderstruck. He realized immediately that his misguided attempt at humor had failed miserably. It was obvious to him that the young woman standing before him had no idea what he was talking about.

  “I’m sorry Elwyn, I must have been mistaken. It’s just that sometimes elves, who are another race of people in the Known Lands, are very talented archers. Please wait a few minutes more for Ayron to return. I’m sure he’ll be along shortly.”

  Thane struggled for a safe topic that would, at least temporarily, take Elwyn’s mind off leaving. “This is Raffe, my best friend and constant companion,” Thane said hoping to distract her a bit longer.

  Elwyn moved closer to where Thane stood with his hand on Raffe, reached up, and scratched his neck. Raffe pawed at the ground and blew a gentle greeting in her direction.

  “I’ve never seen Raffe take to another person like that,” said Thane, trying hard not to appear shocked at what he’d just witnessed. “While our mounts are seldom vicious, they are usually pretty standoffish with everyone but their own riders.”