“Alright,” Elwyn said quietly, working hard to project a calm demeanor she did not feel. “I will listen to what you have to say. Your story has a ring of truth to it. But there are many things that I don’t understand about this whole situation. Those questions need answering.”
“Agreed”, Ayron said with a nod of his head. “And I promise you we will address your questions as soon as we have averted the danger at hand.” Ayron then motioned Thane to join them, and went on to explain to both of them the agreed upon plan.
“I plan to take all the soldiers, except for you, Thane and transport Rhys and Clayre to Amarni where they will be safe from Stefan. They will be well tended and protected there. Elwyn, your uncle will have Clayre, Galdor, my healer, eighteen of my soldiers and me to care for him. When they reach Amarni, Rhys and Clayre will have the Amarani warriors for protection as well as their healers for any medical needs.
During this same time, you two accompanied by Keroc, will travel north to the small village of Kren, which is near the border between Unity and Wheryn. As soon as I get your uncle settled safely in Amarni, I and some of my soldiers will ride and join the two of you in Kren. From there, we will continue on together to Findara, the capital of Silvendil.
As soon as your uncle is healthy enough to make the trip, my men will bring him and Clayre to Findara as well. You will then be reunited and can make plans for the future. After we meet up in Kren, Elwyn, I hope to be able to answer some of your questions while we travel. Taking you to Findara will also give you an opportunity to meet your father and the rest of our family. I know that you have grown to think of Rhys as your only relative, but I think it would be nice if you were to get to know the other half of your family. Now, do either of you have any questions for me?”
”I’m not happy at the idea of being separated from my uncle, Ayron. Why can’t we all just travel together to Amarni, get my uncle settled, and then travel on to Findara from there?”
“It will be safer for the three of you in the long run if we separate now. When the next group of assassins arrives here and realizes that you and Rhys are gone, they will lose considerable time figuring out which direction to take. Part of the plan is to have two trails leaving the village going in different directions. I am hoping that the enemy’s confusion will buy me enough time to get Rhys to safety, and you into Silvendil.”
Seeing some sense in Ayron’ plan, Elwyn reluctantly agreed. She and Thane asked him a few more logistical questions but both felt that they understood what was being asked of them. Just as they finished their discussion, Clayre came walking up with Stuart. Ayron motioned Thane to stay with him as Elwyn left them, running toward the healer. She threw herself into Clayre’s arms, sobbing.
Ayron was suddenly distracted by Gerrack’s gentle nicker of welcome. He turned his head, and felt speechless for the fourth time that day. Stuart was leading Gemma, Rhianna’s morden, and she was saddled and bridled. Gemma should have retreated into herself with grief after Rhianna died and refused to ever accept another rider. Ayron walked over to Gemma, who greeted him with a familiar nicker, allowing him to scratch her under her chin and beneath her mane. He knew that she was happy to see him and Gerrack, but he also knew, by the way she hovered protectively over Elwyn, she had life-bonded with his niece. This whole situation made less and less sense to him. “But,” he reminded himself yet again, “now was not the time to get caught up in questions without answers.” Not if he was going to save the lives of the three people that had now become among those he counted as family.
Ayron walked back over to the trees where Thane waited.
“Thane, it should take me about three days to get Rhys and Clayre safely to Amarni, barring any trouble. It will then take me at least another full day of hard riding to reach Kren and join the two of you. Since it appears looking at this map that Kren is about a three day journey, I hope that you can convince my niece to rest for the extra day or two until I join you.
The ride to Kren should be fairly uneventful. Try to camp each night in the open meadow, and not in the shadow of the woodlands. I’m planning to send Keroc with you as extra protection for Elwyn. I will also be able to check in with him on a regular basis so I can update Rhys and Clayre regularly with news of Elwyn, and let them know as soon as she has safely arrived in Kren.”
Ayron finished his instructions by telling Thane to greet the village elder Owen upon their arrival in his name, and to request food and shelter for himself and Elwyn until he could join them. He explained that over the seasons, he and Owen had become good friends, each helping the other as the need arose. Ayron felt sure that Elwyn and Thane would be well provided for while they waited for him to arrive.
Before seeing them on their way, Ayron passed along two warnings to Thane.
“I want you to promise me that under no circumstances, will either of you wander far from the village once you arrive. Wehryn, the land directly north of Kren is forbidden to outsiders and holds many dangers for those who enter. Very few people know their way around the dangerous land that lies between our border and Unity. I don’t want either of you to enter it and risk getting lost, injured, or worse.
I also want you to be very watchful for shadow squads. You and Elwyn will be more vulnerable to an attack by them than we will, because much of your travel is through wooded land. You might not see them until they are upon you. I will need you to constantly remind Gemma, Raffe, and Keroc to be watchful and to alert you if they sense the presence of assassins. I am sorry to put you in this position. I know that you have never had to fight against this type of enemy. Shadow squads are formidable enemies, and while I know that you have received some training in fighting and strategizing against them, I would advise you to use your mounts to outdistance them. I do not believe that any one man, even with two morden and a drakenhawk could stand against them. Always remember that first and foremost, your mission is to keep Elwyn safe. There is no shame in running from a shadow squad, Thane.”
Ayron and Thane walked over to where Elwyn and Clayre stood crying and hugging one another. Their sobs were softer and gentler now; more comfort than anguish. He hated to interrupt their private moment, but the danger in delaying the departure of the two groups was almost palatable. Ayron gently pulled them apart, gave Elwyn a quick hug, and helped her mount Gemma. Elwyn and Thane started riding north along the wagon trail leading out of the village. Ayron gave Keroc a few instructions, and sent him to follow them. As Ayron watched them leave, he hoped that each of them would be up to the challenges he knew they could face over the next few days.
Chapter 9 – Growing Pains
For a time, Elwyn and Thane rode in silence across the woodlands, keeping to the open meadows and fields as much as they could and avoiding deep woods and shadows. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts about the events of the day, as well as the challenges they might be facing in the near future. Elwyn, Thane, and even Keroc were being asked to tackle challenges that could take each of them far beyond their past experiences or current abilities.
Elwyn felt so overwhelmed by what she’d learned and heard over the past two hours that she was having trouble believing it was real. Part of her still hoped that she was trapped in a bad dream. Her ability to cope with everything that happened and all that she’d learned was made worse when added to the fact that there were, most likely, assassins planning to ambush and kill her. As she rode along on Gemma, she tried to calm herself so that she could think things through one at a time, hoping to make some sense of her life again. For her to hear Ayron say she had a whole family that lived in another land, and were as unaware of her presence as she had been of theirs, boggled her mind. That brought up some feelings of anxiety in her, but it also felt good to know that she no longer had to fear being alone if anything happened to her uncle Rhys. She’d also learned from Ayron that she was half-elf and half human, which was why she appeared so different from the other people in her village.
There was a part of her th
at was excited about seeing people that shared her own physical attributes, and discovering more about her unknown heritage. At the same time, there was a part of her that sorrowed, wondering why her uncle Rhys never told her about this. He must have known, and it might have made growing up and dealing with the rejection of her peers much easier and less painful. Still, there was a little voice inside her that kept insisting that he had kept the knowledge from her because he felt it necessary to protect her. She still wasn’t entirely sure from what. Given Rhys’ condition, she realized there was a chance she might never know the answer to that question. She did wonder, though, if it would have made the seasons of her childhood more tolerable to know some of what she knew now.
Elwyn came to the conclusion that there was definitely something wrong with her fairly early in life. Today she learned that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her; she was just a child of mixed races. She felt some confusion when thinking about what that meant. Part of her was elated and relieved that she was not alone in her physical anomalies and her unusual abilities. The other part of her realized, with some sadness, that she would probably never really fit in living with a whole village of humans. She was just too different. Elwyn knew that she would have to wait until she was reunited with her uncle to ask him the many questions that were running through her head, about her past and her parents. Maybe now, after all that had happened, he would be more willing to answer them.
If Rhys was still unwilling or unable to talk about the past, it sounded as if Ayron and her father would try to answer her questions to the extent their knowledge allowed. The word “father” seemed so strange to her, and almost seemed to stick in her throat as she tried to whisper it to herself. She was used to thinking of Rhys as her father figure, and the thought of anyone else trying to fill that position felt wrong. But if Ayron was to be believed, there was a man out there who had mourned her loss and that of her mother for sixteen seasons. If for no other reason than to bring him some closure, Elwyn was happy that she would get to meet him. As for the rest…time would have to see where things led. All in all, there was a part of her that was excited and looking forward to the adventure of traveling to Findara and meeting him. Now, if she could only calm the part of her that made her skin crawl and expected assassins to jump out from behind every tree, she would be fine.
As Elwyn continued riding, she realized that some of the things she learned this day weren’t sitting so well with her. She was still not thrilled with Ayron’s plan. She felt crushed at not being allowed to go and at least say good-by to her uncle. Elwyn was a person that liked seeing and hearing things for herself. Because she’d been unable to do that, she was still extremely worried about his health, his ability to withstand the rigors of travel, and whether or not Ayron could get him to safety before assassins stuck again. Ayron seemed certain that the attacks would continue, and she hoped that he was as good a solder as Thane seemed to believe he was. She had difficulty comprehending why her presence would put her uncle and Clayre in more danger. But, she did see some logic in Ayron’s explanation, and because that was so, she’d felt forced to agree to his plan. As she continued to ride, the adrenaline that had been pumping through her body from all the danger and excitement started to wane. She began to experience feelings of overwhelming sadness at the idea of being separated from her uncle, from Clayre, and from her village. She wondered if she would ever see any of them again. Elwyn tried to refocus her thoughts, as she fought to hold back tears of sadness and loneliness.
She couldn’t help remembering running out onto the path leading back into the village just as Clayre and her beloved Gemma, being led by another of Ayron’s men, came into view. She remembered running and throwing herself into Clayre’s arms, joyous to feel and smell something familiar at last. Clayre’s words to her were indelibly etched in her memory and as she thought about them she could almost hear Clayre say:
“Oh, my poor child, I am so sorry that all of this had to happen to us. I believe that your uncle will live, but he is very weak and will need a long time to recover from his wound. Don’t let your fear for him cripple you and keep you from finding safety for yourself. I promise you that I will watch over Rhys and bring him back to health if I am able. I’d hoped that we could continue to be a family and not be separated, but for now that isn’t possible. Always remember that you are the daughter of my heart, and I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood.
Quick, let us go over by those trees as I have brought some things for you and have counsel from your uncle that I need to impart quickly, for we have little time.”
Elwyn remembered clinging to Clayre while she was speaking; unable to do more than nod occasionally and blink, increasing the tears flowing like waterfalls down her pale face. She remembered Clayre leading her back into the shelter of the trees, and beginning to speak softly to her. She knew she would always remember the words that Clayre said in those few moments as if she were hearing them again for the first time.
“Elwyn, Rhys and I want you to know that you can trust Ayron. He is also your uncle, and has demonstrated his willingness to protect us all; with his life, if need be.”
Elwyn remembered nodding, still too caught up in the emotion of the moment to speak.
“Besides your clothes and weapons, I have brought along several items your uncle wanted you to take with you. We will not be coming back here anytime soon, and these things are a part of your heritage.” That said, she motioned to Stuart who came over to the corpse of trees leading her mare Gemma.
Elwyn remembered throwing her arms around the snowy white neck of her beloved mare as Stuart brought her near. Then she remembered Clayre clearing her throat trying to regain her attention and beginning to speak.
“Your uncle wanted you to take his sword with you. It is the sword that his father gave him when he reached sixteen seasons. It’s as important a part of your heritage, as the pendant you now wear around your neck. He told me to tell you to guard both the pendant and the sword carefully, as they may play an important role in your future. He also asked that you continue sparring, if Thane is willing to partner you, and use the sword when you do. It is heavier than your short sword and it will take time for you to get used to its feel and weight.”
Elwyn remembered thinking it strange that her uncle would send his sword with her, but knew that this wasn’t the time to question his request. She felt sure that he would explain his reasoning to her at a later time. Her thoughts stilled as Clayre began to speak again.
“Elwyn,” Clayre said pulling her close. “I have also brought with me a book. It is your mother’s diary. I have never read it, and your uncle said that he was too grief stricken to look at it, but perhaps it will answer some of your questions. Rhys and I now know that the only one who knew the truth of what happened so long ago was your mother Rhianna. Perhaps by reading her diary, you can find some answers for yourself, as well as for your father.”
As Clayre handed her the small leather bound book, Elwyn remembered feeling as if she had been punched in the stomach and had the wind knocked out of her. She knew that her uncle had tried, ever since her birth, to shelter and protect her from harm, but he had no idea how much this little connection with her mother would have meant. What this book contained were her mother’s words and feelings, actually written by her hand. The only connection that Elwyn had been able to establish with her mother had been through the pendant which, while beautiful, was still a piece of lifeless metal. She hadn’t even known enough about her own mother to be aware that Rhianna had a temper until Ayron spoke of it today. There was so much for her to learn. It was very difficult for her to cope with why all of this was hitting her at once. Elwyn found that she was longer really listening to Clayre. She was trying to understand why her uncle kept all this from her for so long. She had to work hard to refocus her thoughts. There would be time for her to sort all this out later when they were reunited. She listened as Clayre continued speaking.
“I’ve
also packed some other necessities for your trip. I packed three sets of your hunting garb. In fact, you might want to step behind that tree and change as we finish speaking. I can’t see you happy having to ride Gemma in that skirt,” Clayre said gently teasing, and smiling for the first time since she arrived. “Take the outfit with you though. You might want to have something pretty to wear when you meet your father.”
Elwyn remembered nodding vigorously, grabbed her clothing and stepping behind a rather large tree to change while Clayre kept talking.
“I also brought your bow, along with your quiver, and as many arrows as I could gather in so short a time,” she said shaking her head. “There were arrows scattered all about your sleeping loft. I found two hunting knives and a short sword mixed in among the arrows and the clothing, which I packed as well. I packed some jerky, a large tin of travel biscuits, and your waterskin. I don’t know how fast you will be traveling over the next few days or how much time you will have to stop and find food to eat. You can eat these rations in your saddle and they should keep you healthy until you reach your destination. There is enough here for you to share with Thane.”
Elwyn remembered stepping from behind the tree, garbed for travel and reaching out to draw Clayre to her. She could see Ayron over the top of Clayre’s head signaling to Thane. She felt devastated as she realized that the time had come for her to leave. Ayron walked over to where they were standing and gently pulled them apart. He gave Elwyn a quick hug, threw her up on her horse, and told the two of them that it was time to get underway.
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