Origin

by Samantha Smith

  I have had many seasons to think about this, elf, and I believe that somewhere in your court there has been a carefully constructed plan to eliminate as much of the human element from the throne and royal family as possible. I think things have been quiet until now because, as you told us; you have never been married, Azavon has never remarried, and your sister married an elf. Think about it Ayron and please see that my little girl isn’t walking into more danger than she risks with me.”

  Ayron and Clayre were both shocked by this revelation. Ayron suddenly realized that by taking Elwyn to Findara, he was most likely leading her into a nest of vipers. He also realized that the most poisonous ones had hidden themselves very well. As he shared this with Rhys, he came to realize just how difficult it was for Rhys to stay here in Amarni when the person he loved the most in this world was walking into danger. While both he and Rhys knew that the time had come for Elwyn to take her rightful place as heir to the throne of Silvendil, they were now both very aware of just how dangerous a situation that could be.

  “I’ve been patiently sitting here listening to you both talk about the dangers to Elwyn from enemies in Findara. But what about all of the attacks we have experienced so far and this King Stefan you both keep talking about? Where does he fit into all of this? It sounds like too much of a coincidence that all of this is coming up at one time. Rhys, you and Elwyn seem to have enemies coming out of every corner. Is there anything else you haven’t told me about yourself that I should know?"

  “Now woman, don’t be so harsh to a sick ‘old man,’ said Rhys with a grin. I agree with you that something is going on that none of us understands yet. And no, to answer your question, I am not aware of any other enemies Elwyn and I have in the Known Lands. What do you think about this Ayron?”

  “I think that Clayre has a good point. There has to be some connection between Stefan and Findara. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that they are allies, but our enemy in Findara is most likely coordinating their efforts with Stefan to eliminate a common problem; mainly you and Elwyn. She is the rightful heir to both the throne of Silvendil and of Avrelan and I can think of many reasons why some people from both kingdoms might not see that as a positive thing. Rhys, I need you to get well as soon as possible so that you and Clayre can come to Findara to help us figure this whole thing out. Rhys, you may know more than you realize about the situation and Clayre, I value your perspectives and insights as we talk. You are the only one here that has an outsider’s perspective because you have neither attachments nor feelings toward either Silvendil or Avrelan. You may be able to see what we miss.

  Rhys, I’d like to go back to something you said earlier. Did Rhianna ever say the name of the person she trusted this information to? I know that she had a young woman who worked as her personal assistant, but I’m not sure if that is the person she trusted so much. No one ever came to me when Azavon and I arrived home from Grimsfyne,” he said with a puzzled frown.

  “No,” said Rhys apologetically. “I’m sorry but that was all Rhianna shared with me and I was reluctant to push her on the subject as sick as she was. Perhaps she wrote more about some of these things in the diary that Clayre gave Elwyn to take with her. I never had the heart to read it myself, but I probably should have for Elwyn’s sake. I know that she wrote in it frequently.”

  “Don’t worry Rhys,” Ayron said cheerfully. “Reading the diary will give us something to talk about as we journey toward Findara. It will also give me some time to see if I can separate friend from foe.”

  After bidding them both farewell, Ayron left the hut and went out to talk to his remaining soldiers. He was surprised that the sun was already dipping below the western horizon. His discussions with Rhys and Clayre took much longer than he’d anticipated. Kormir, Alea, Mintas, Briten, and Galdor were all waiting patiently for him by the large village campfire, each drinking a hot cup of tea and waiting for the evening meal to be served. Even though each one of them looked exhausted, he knew that they would all have followed him into much worse. In fact, if he were to ask, they would willingly follow him to their deaths. The problem was that he was going to ask them to do something even harder; to stay behind and wait for Rhys to heal. They had lost so many of their number while trying to get Rhys and Elwyn to safety, he felt he had to leave the five soldiers that were still living, here in Amarni so that they could safely escort Rhys and Clayre to Findara as soon as Rhys was strong enough.

  After greeting his soldiers, Ayron got a mug of hot tea for himself and explained the situation to them. He could tell that they were unhappy about being left behind, and even more unhappy about him riding off alone to find Elwyn. They did, however, understand his request. With all that Rhys and Clayre had been through, his soldiers could understand why he felt he needed some familiar faces to stay with them and then to be a part of their escort to Findara. That knowledge was at war though with the army code that stated that it was considered risky to ride off alone unless accompanied by a drakenhawk who could signal danger as well as join in a fight. Ayron planned to take this trip to find Elwyn alone and so they tried as hard as they could to convince him to take at least one other soldier with him. Kormir even offered to send his drakenhawk Krill along with him, but Ayron refused to take him, explaining that Krill would be the only way that they could communicate with each other after he was reunited with Keroc. Because he was uncomfortable enough about the situation with Kierra, he chose not to share it, even though it would have reassured his soldiers to know that he wasn’t really alone. In the end, each of his soldiers realized his plan made sense and agreed to stay behind in Amarni. They shared an evening meal together, and then wished him good health and good fortune as he left. His next stop was to find and speak with Hodari.

  Ayron found Hodari talking with his dawa mwaname, who was the village healer. They were fussing about the best method of treatment for an injured morden. Hodari excused himself and started to walk with Ayron back toward his hut. As they walked away the dawa mwaname lifted his spear over his head and said:

  “Brother to the Amarani people be warned. That which you seek to protect faces much danger. She will come under much more serious attack before she finds peace. It is up to you to gain her trust and be there for her when she calls. It will be important for you to know that there are large rats in your grain, so be careful in whom you put your trust once you have arrived at your destination.”

  With that, the healer turned and walked away without looking back.

  “Did you have a chance to ask dawa mwaname’s advice about the reluctance of our morden to choose a head mare to lead the herd?” asked Ayron as they walked slowly through the village.

  “I did brother, and his answer was most curious. He told me that your morden have never been without a head mare and that she and the elf queen would see to Raffe and that he would not enter the void.”

  Ayron felt as if he had been hit by lightning bolt as the shocking revelation hit him. Gemma was the head mare and Elwyn was bringing her home. The complexity of this whole situation was overwhelming, to say the least.

  “Thank you, Hodari. The Amarani have opened my eyes once again with their wisdom. I will take it back with me to my people in Findara.”

  “I would take dawa mwaname’s words and warning seriously if I were you my brother,” Hodari said as he walked. “While I often grumble about his doom filled prophesies, he normally sees things very clearly and has saved my life more times than I can count.”

  “I will my friend,” replied Ayron. “I wanted to thank you again for saving my life and the lives of the people who were with me. I am deeply in your debt. I am also grateful that you are willing to keep Rhys and Clayre safe until they are strong enough to make the trip to Findara.”

  “It is not a problem my friend,” said Hodari slapping him on the back. “Your family is my family and I know that were the situation ever reversed, you would guard my family with your life as I will yours. Now go in peace my friend and may it not be
too many seasons before we meet again.

  Next time you come, please bring your niece and plan to stay awhile. I would like to meet this female chieftain and introduce her to my people. There are many things about the morden that we are discovering daily, and my dawa mwaname says that there are many more things that we can learn from your niece, or as he calls her the “elf queen”. He says she is learning many things on her journey that will change the way we view them. ”

  “Your dawa mwaname’s comments do not surprise me. I think I’m getting to the place where nothing about my niece surprises me. I am coming to believe that she is more than just a special young woman. Peace, my friend until our paths cross again.”

  When they arrived at Hodari’s hut, his entire family was there to give him a proper send off. Kubwa, Hodari’s son, was leading a contented Gerrack who had obviously had a bath and a grooming. His saddle was also been cleaned and polished. Moya, Hodari’s daughter, came out of the hut dragging his saddle bags. All of his clothing had been carefully laundered and folded, and several packages of food filled the rest of the bags to the brim. Finally Zuri came to him, handed him two large waterskins that had been filled, gave him a hug, and wished him a safe journey. Ayron tossed his saddle bags on Gerrack’s strong back, hung the waterskins from the pommel of the saddle, and mounted his stallion. As he rode away, Ayron had mixed feelings. There was a part of him that wished that he could stay in Amarni until he felt stronger and more able to deal with the challenges that he knew were ahead. There was another part of him that was excited and looking forward to joining his niece. He was looking forward to getting to know her, and helping her to face the challenges that lay ahead.

  Ayron turned for one last look at Amarni and headed back toward Unity and the road that would lead him to Elwyn.

  Chapter 29 – A Difficult Dilemma

  Elwyn was rather annoyed to find herself still alone the next morning. She lay on her bed pad for a while trying to decide what she should do. It was obvious to her that Gemma, Raffe, and Keroc thought she should continue to wait here in Kren for Ayron to arrive. She remembered that the land to the north of her was supposed to be dangerous, but she couldn’t remember why. Frankly after all she’d been through; it was hard for her to imagine anything that might scare her more than the shadow squads had. She got up, threw some wood on the fire, put on some water for tea, and fed Keroc. After she ate, she packed up the rest of her gear, and headed out to visit with the morden.

  Elwyn could tell that Gemma and Raffe were still very much against her venturing on alone. Every time she mentioned traveling north, the morden started shaking their heads, snorting, and stomping their hooves. Elwyn did wonder if the morden knew something that she did not. “If only they could talk,” she muttered to herself under her breath.

  What bothered her most about her current situation was that she had not heard from anyone. Ayron hadn’t arrived when he said he would, Kierra hadn’t contacted her, except for that one brief moment when she first arrived in Kren, and she had seen no signs of the drakenhawks that Kierra said she sent to heal Keroc and protect the two of them. Besides, there was something about this place that made her skin crawl. It was the first time that she ever sensed danger and hadn’t been able to discern its source.

  Since she hadn’t gotten much meat from the rabbits she hunted the night before, Elwyn decided to go hunting again before she left the village. With Keroc awake and eating meat, the little she had would go very quickly, and while she was prepared to live on trail biscuits and water, she would not allow Keroc to do so. He had already been through too much on her behalf. Besides that, she had always been taught that a person experienced in woodland survival tries to have food for at least forty eight hours, if not longer, in his or her pack. Elwyn felt she needed to have twice that amount in case the hunting ahead was sparse. The morden seemed pleased by her decision, as did Keroc when she went back to the hut to collect her bow and quiver. She had the feeling though, that they would be happy at anything that caused her to delay leaving the village.

  It took Elwyn about three hours to catch a small deer and carry it back to the village. She had again refused the offer from the morden to come along with her. She was afraid that their scent, which would be unfamiliar in this area, as well as the noise they would make, would cause any game to move farther away from her. Instead of hunting to the northwest into the lush forest as she had the day before, she sought game to the south of the village. The land was sparsely vegetated, but game was plentiful. At the same time, the further south she ventured, the greater her sense of danger. She felt as if there were eyes on her but saw nothing to substantiate the feeling. Elwyn had never been one to frighten easily, but she was frightened now. She turned and headed back toward the village. On her way, she was able to kill a small deer that would provide enough meat for her and Keroc. She was relieved when she arrived back in the village within sight of the morden. Neither Gemma nor Raffe were reacting as if they sensed danger, but Elwyn couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something very dangerous south of Kren; possibly a Salissian scout sitting in wait in case she showed up.

  Before returning to the hut, Elwyn collected some more firewood from the old tree in the meadow. She cleaned, skinned, and butchered the doe. She made a drying rack with some of the wood she’d collected and placed it close to the fire pit. She then used the rest of the wood to build up the fire. Elwyn hung most of the meat she’d butchered on the drying rack and hoped that the jerky would be ready in a few hours so that she would be free to leave the village. Elwyn went to check on Keroc, and was pleased to see him more physically active and mentally aware. The slight buzzing in the corner of her brain had grown louder and was almost annoying, but she still encouraged him to try to contact her as often as he was able. He had been good about keeping his broken wing immobile and Elwyn could tell that it was healing well. He did squawk a lot when she mentioned food, so she put a pot of water on for tea and another on for stew. She put some of the meat scraps that were too small to dry into the stew and fed Keroc some of the rest, reserving a small bit for a bit later. She told him that she would bring him some stew when it was ready. She then went over to her saddle bags, sat down with some hot tea, and began to explore her options while the stew simmered.

  The first option was to try to return to Tarlon. Her uncle’s house and shop was still there and if she arrived safely, she knew that the villagers would do everything they could to protect her. Once there, she could wait for either one of her uncles or her father to show up. The down side of that option was that there could very well be more assassins waiting for her. In fact, after today’s hunt, she could almost guarantee that some type of serious danger was waiting south of the village. She wasn’t sure that she had the stamina to deal with any more killing after what she had just been through. That made her think of another problem in going back to live in Tarlon. She knew that many of the villagers there would willingly die to keep her safe. She didn’t think that she could live with the blood of any more friends on her hands. She still had dreams about Thane sacrificing his life to save hers. And it had all happened because she made a stupid mistake and forgot to check the assassin she shot to see if he was dead.

  The second option was for her to try to find Amarni and her uncle Rhys. While that option really appealed to her in many ways, she had no idea where Amarni was. She dug out the map that Ayron gave Thane to help him find Kren, but it didn’t extend far enough for her to determine where the land of Urafiki or the village of Amarni was located. She knew that Ayron said they were traveling west, but the woodlands in Unity were very thick and she had no desire to get turned around in them and risk getting hopelessly lost. The idea of getting lost made her imagine what she would look like if she had to wander around lost in the woodlands of Unity for forty seasons. In her mind, she saw the picture of a wrinkled up old woman, wearing a torn tattered party dress from her coming of age celebration, with bright reddish gold hair that drifted down to
her ankles in tangled wisps emerging from the woods and scaring some poor villagers to death. She had to giggle at the image that popped into her mind. But thinking of the reality of the situation made her realize that she could get lost for a very long time looking for Amarni, and no one would know where to search for her.

  Another option was for her to continue to stay where she was. The problem with it was that, it was at best, a short term solution. The feeling of danger that kept nagging at her had only grown stronger with time. Elwyn had to admit that resting here had been very good for all of them. The downside of continuing to stay in the village was that if no one arrived, she could be living here alone for a very long time, or someone other than Ayron might come looking for her. Her uncle was very late and Elwyn had no way of knowing if he was dead or alive. She had already rejected the options of returning to Tarlon, or trying to find Amarni as too risky. Her supplies were running low and she would run out of food very shortly. It was also too late in the season to try to plant anything and expect it to grow before the cold weather came. Elwyn just didn’t see the sense in staying put. She felt too unsafe.

  The only other option that came to her was to travel north, making sure to leave Ayron a note letting him know where she’d gone and when she left. She knew that Silvendil was directly north of Kren. She also felt that once she got into Silvendil itself she would be able to ask directions to Findara from the people she met. The only downside that Elwyn could think of was that Ayron mentioned that the woods were treacherous and held many dangers. Elwyn had been trained since she was a young girl to deal with all sorts of dangers encountered in the woodlands and swamplands. She knew all of the animals, including the predators that lived in this area, and did not fear them. Given that Kierra and the other drakenhawks had not contacted her or arrived to show them a different path, Elwyn felt that going ahead was the only viable option.