It was early but Arianne was elven like him and she too awoke with the dawn. It was a habit that she was unable to discard since leaving Eden Taryn where everyone awoke with the sunrise. In Sandrine however, it was beneficial to Arianne to continue her early rising, for as Queen, it allowed her to gain more from her day especially now that she had a baby to deal with as well.
‘It serves me to have more hours in my day,’ she responded with a smile.
‘Will you join me this morning for a ride?’ He asked politely. In their youth, they rode a great deal together and he knew her to be an even better horsewoman than Dare.
‘I wish that I could,’ Arianne sighed, thinking that there was nothing nicer than a morning ride. ‘Unfortunately, I must be close by for the little Prince’s feeding. He makes demand of me already.’ She smiled.
‘He is his father's son,’ Aeron pointed out and returned her smile with one of his own, thinking how well motherhood suited her.
‘True,’ Arianne said, giving him no argument on that because it was the truth. ‘I do have an ulterior motive for seeking you out this morning Aeron. I require your aid.’
‘Indeed?’ The archer's brow crooked upwards. ‘I am at your service as always, my Queen.’
‘You are a good friend,’ she reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘I fear I have done something foolish and now I have set events into motion I cannot stop.’
‘What do you mean?’ His tone became serious and one could very well believe that he had led the elves at Dare’s side into battle at Astaroth.
‘I have given Melia intelligence that may send her riding towards Tor Iolan,’ Arianne explained, still embarrassed that she had not foreseen her revelation to Melia would result in this.
‘Tor Iolan?’ Aeron exclaimed, his surprise was as evident as his horror. ‘Why in the name of the Creator, would she wish to go there?’
Arianne hesitated, debating whether or not she should break Melia's confidence and knew even as the thought crossed her mind at revealing the truth to Aeron that she could not. ‘I cannot tell you Aeron , I promised her I would not tell anyone.’
Aeron opened his mouth to protest but Arianne continued speaking before he could utter a word.
‘She has good reason Aeron. That is all you need to know. Nothing will keep her from it, not an order from Dare to desist, nothing. I know her determination in this, she will go there or die trying.’
Aeron could not imagine any reason to go to Tor Iolan whatever the cause. However, Arianne's reluctance to tell him why brought to light how little he really knew about Melia to begin with. He recalled what she had said about fleeing from Nadira to escape a marriage that she did not wish. Had that only been part of the tale?
‘Arianne,’ he looked at her seriously. ‘The wood of Eden Iolan are not to be taken lightly. For those who have never wandered its paths, it can be deadly. I know what roams those woods.’
Even before Balfure had come to Carleon, the woods of Iolan had were notorious. While considered a part of Eden Halas, the two forests were separated by the river and to ensure his sovereignty, Halion had placed Gavril, formerly of his Forest Guard, in charge of a small settlement protected by the Veil to keep watch over it. Iolan’s forests, unlike Halas was occupied by creatures of the Primordial Wars who remained within its borders and rarely emerged to menace anyone unless trespassers entered its domain. When Balfure had decided build Tor Iolan to house the Disciples overseeing the Northern Provinces during the occupation, he had done so to take advantage of the wood’s reputation.
‘That is why I have come to you,’ Arianne returned his gaze. ‘You intend on returning home to Eden Halas, do you not?’
‘Yes,’ he answered gingerly as it dawned upon him where Arianne was going with this and knew it was not a good idea in any shape or form. At least Melia would certainly consider it as such.
‘Could you not travel with her to Tor Iolan?’ Arianne implored. ‘If you went with her, you could see to it that she is safe. You could be her guide through the woods.’
‘Arianne,’ he interrupted before she could continue further with this idea of hers. ‘Even if I agree to your request and I do not say that I do, there is no way you will be able to convince Melia to accept my aid.’
Even if he knew little about Melia’s past, Aeron was astute enough to grasp that Melia would be adamant about making this journey alone. While she revealed some details of her life in Nadira, even he could tell that she was purposefully holding back much of her tale. She was protective of her secrets and this business of him escorting her into Iolan, despite the good intentions behind it, would not be well received. Melia would take it as a slight.
As much as he teased her about not being able to fend for herself, Aeron knew otherwise. She was extremely capable. He had fought at her side at Sanhael and knew how skilled she was. Furthermore, one did not become a watch guard if one did not have one's wits about them. However, he was certain that her refusal in this instance would most likely be due to their personal relationship and the perilous attraction that drew them towards each other.
Stubbornness however, was not a wholly exclusive human trait as Arianne stared at him hard, not about to relinquish the idea she had put forward to him.
‘Aeron, I have known you all my life and I know I have never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her. You are like my brother, Prince of Halas and I know your heart. If you care about this woman as much as I think you do, you will find a way to convince her. Short of ordering her as her Queen not to go to Tor Iolan, I have been unable to convince her from going there. This matter for her is deeply personal and she cannot go there alone. You need to guide her there.’
Aeron swallowed hard, turning his eyes away because Arianne could see through him. He was the youngest son of Kangaloon and would have spent much of his childhood alone if it had not been for the bright spark that was Arianne when he visited Eden Taryn. He could not deny that he felt something for Melia, something that he did not understand and whose intensity frightened him. While they had only dabbled with harmless flirtation until this point, Aeron knew that if he decided to fully indulge what he felt for Melia it would turn into a passion that would consume them both.
They kept each other at arm’s length because the night before had shown how necessary it was. Even Melia understood how much tragedy would lay before them if they chose to indulge their attraction for one each other. However, he could not deny that Arianne’s words had struck a chord inside of him. He could not stand by and let her attempt to enter Tor Iolan alone.
‘Alright,’ he conceded with a nod, his eyes staring at the stable floor for it was easier than allowing Arianne a glimpse into his soul. ‘I will do as you ask. I will go with her but I tell you now that riding a dragon bareback would be a far easier task than convincing her.’
‘You can do it,’ Arianne offered him an encouraging smile. ‘I know you can.’
‘Well,’ Aeron frowned, not at all sharing her confidence at his ability to convince Melia to accept his help. ‘You had better let me tell her. She’s accustomed to being angry at me.’
******
Melia slept poorly.
Her thoughts were too filled with Arianne's news to be able to close her eyes and drift into slumber. She thought of all the years she had been searching, the clues that led nowhere, the promises of possibility that ended with disappointment. Now there was tangible proof of who her mother might be, beyond her father’s hazy recollections of the wife he never stopped loving. Melia had been too young to remember Ninuie and there were times when she feared the goal she set herself was unattainable and maybe this quest she set herself was an empty one.
All that changed with Arianne's report that Lylea herself had known of the River Daughters. Even if the news was not about her mother specifically, at least Melia knew the River Daughters were real. Melia could not deny that there was a part of her that feared that this was some fanciful tale her father had c
onjured up to explain why her mother had left them both. However, in her adulthood, she realised that Hezare’s explanations were scant because he had no more than to give her. He had known as much about his wife as Arianne did now.
Melia fully intended to keep the promise she made to Arianne about not leaving Sandrine Keep until first letting the Queen know her plans. After the aid Arianne gave her, not even Melia's burning desire to fulfil her quest would have her slight the hospitality of the Queen she now considered her friend. Besides Arianne was right about one thing—she knew little of Tor Iolan and needed more information before she set off to the place.
With sleep eluding her, Melia sought out the library in the Keep where the old maps of Avalyne were kept. Once there, she perused the old parchments to find the best way to reach the woods of Iolan. As always, Melia was concerned if her horse Serinda could make the journey with her because if the terrain was too unwieldy for the animal, she would stable Serinda in Carleon for the duration.
The best route to Tor Iolan was by the way of the Yantra River. Travelling up the great river, she would bypass the Falls of Iolan by travelling on foot and then follow the eastern fork of the Yantra towards Tor Iolan. Unfortunately, the fortress was located deep in the woods and no matter how quickly she approached that forest by river, there was no avoiding the fact that she would have to enter it at some point. Arianne warned of it being a place of ancient evils and Melia knew this to be true by reputation alone. However, Arianne’s assertion that there was nothing at Tor Iolan to find was wrong. Melia knew her answers were waiting for her there.
She could feel it in her bones.
The next morning saw Melia glimpsed herself in the mirror to find a more comforting reflection than that woman in a dress the night before. Here was the person she was most comfortable with. The watch guard that feared little, was capable of handling herself in the company of all and never felt an ounce of self-doubt. She could face whatever terrible outcome her journey to Tor Iolan might yield, far better than that woman in the dress could ever manage. In her heart Melia knew that she hid behind the title. For so long, it protected her against everything, including the loneliness she would admit to no one.
Being the watch guard was far safer than being Melia.
Melia turned towards the door once she had packed away all her belongings with the intention of finding Arianne and thanking her for her kindness when someone knocked loudly before she could reach it. For an instant, Melia hoped that it was Arianne at her door so that she could carry out her farewells and depart Sandrine Keep without much fanfare. In truth, a long and involved farewell with the others would simply make her uncomfortable and Melia was eager to begin her journey.
She hastened her pace to cease the constant rapping against the wood that had become quite irritating by the time she reached the door knob. When she opened the door, she was not entirely surprised by who she found outside it.
‘Leaving so soon?’ Aeron asked.
‘Yes I am,’ Melia answered with some puzzlement. Had Arianne told him that she was leaving? Of all the people at her door this morning, it was he she wished to see least. Not after their exchange the night before. ‘A matter of some urgency has arisen, I must leave immediately.’
‘What could possibly be so important that a watch guard would deny the hospitality of the Queen?’ Aeron inquired innocently.
‘I do not have time to spar with you elf,’ she retorted and turned on her heels, retreating into the room so that she could retrieve her belongings and continue on her way.
‘It would seem so,’ Aeron remarked as he saw that she was packed and ready to depart when he followed her inside the room, much to Melia's chagrin.
Melia paused, uncomfortable by his presence and somewhat bewildered as to what he wanted of her. Turning around after retrieving her saddlebags, she faced him once more. ‘Are you here to say goodbye?’ Her instincts told her otherwise.
‘Why do you not call me Aeron ?’ he asked suddenly, surprising her with the question.
‘Because I would rather call you vexing!’ She cried out in exasperation. ‘What is it you want?’
He straightened up and looked her straight in the eye as if what he needed to say required bracing himself for her reaction. His expression became serious and Melia guessed immediately, that she was not going to like his words.
‘I know you're going to Tor Iolan,’ he stated.
Melia let out a sigh of frustration, realizing why Arianne had made her wait and bristled with annoyance at the Queen's subterfuge. What was Arianne playing at? Did Arianne think this elf was going to convince her not to go when Arianne herself was unable?
‘Yes I am,’ she answered because he was waiting for her response and Melia suspected he would not move from the spot unless she provided one. ‘Not that it is any of your concern.’
‘If you are going to Tor Iolan then it becomes very much a matter of my concern,’ Aeron declared firmly, refusing to yield anything to her on this point. ‘That is a dark, dismal place with evil that comes from the Primordial Wars. It is a blight upon the land that should be avoided. You court great peril by going there alone.’
‘That is my choice,’ Melia replied with just as much determination. ‘Not yours.’
‘I am the Prince of Eden Halas, the woods of Iolan is recognised as part of my father’s kingdom,’ Aeron stared at her with seldom used imperiousness. ‘You will not step one foot into those woods without encountering my father's men and he does not appreciate trespassers.’
‘I will take my chances,’ she whispered, refusing to show that his words had unsettled her when Melia attempted to brush past.
However Aeron was not about to let her escape so easily. What in the Creator’s name was so important that she was so stubbornly refusing to yield to good advice on this matter? He did not know her to be adamant in refusing good advice. What was so important that she had to risk life and limb to reach Tor Iolan? He could see his warning had sunk in and yet she was still determined to go. Why? As she attempted to slip past him, Aeron grabbed her arm and stayed her beside him in order to find out.
‘I will go with you,’ he replied gently, hoping that would appease her slightly.
Her eyes flashed and she pulled away from him fiercely. ‘Absolutely not!’
‘Melia,’ Aeron stiffened, coming to the conclusion that there would be no compromise with her on this point. ‘You need me.’
‘I need nothing from you!’ She burst out angrily ‘This is not your concern. Arianne had no right to bring you into this!’
Travelling with him, alone. It was folly. Did he not see it? She liked him. She liked a great deal but anything between would only be a mistake. Even worse, he was distracting and now more than ever, she needed to be focussed.
‘She brought me into this because she cares about you,’ Aeron retaliated, rising to Arianne's defence. ‘The Queen fears for your life although quite honestly, I cannot imagine why since you are so determine to squander it by not listening to sense!’
He had no wish to be so harsh with her but she needed to understand what awaited her once she entered the woods of Iolan. Aeron had no difficulty in being cruel to be kind because Arianne was right, he cared too much about her to spare her feelings by not speaking the truth. Melia stared back at him. Her face revealed the battle she was having with indecision. He guessed that she might be seeing the sense of his words but the person she was made it difficult to admit that she might need his assistance.
‘Melia you are no fool and I will not treat you as one,’ he spoke with firm tenderness. ‘Despite how I jest that you are unable to fend for yourself, you know that I do not believe that for an instant. However, you must trust me in this, the woods of Iolan are dangerous. I have lived there all my life and I still know caution when I must walk those paths. You need a guide or you will never reach Tor Iolan alive.’
Melia closed her eyes, wanting to refute everything he said but she could not. However, her rea
sons for objecting so strenuously to him had little to do with her quest and had everything to do with him. For reasons she dared not accept, this elf had touched her heart in more ways than she cared to admit. It was dangerous and she knew it. Even if he was too stubborn to see the tragedy of it, she was not.
Yet despite her protestations, she also knew he was right The woods of Iolan were dangerous. Even with Halion establishing a presence in its confines, the elves still regarded the place with caution and if Aeron was warning her so stridently about going there, she could not ignore it.
As much as she loathed admitting it, she needed him.
‘Alright!’ She hissed angrily. ‘We will travel together but you will not get in my way! I mean to go to Tor Iolan one way or another! I would prefer it without you but since that is obviously not meant to be, I will accept that I must have your assistance!’
‘You are welcome,’ Aeron retorted sarcastically. ‘You make it such a pleasure to be your guide.’
‘You are impossible!’ She groaned in exasperation before storming out of the room.
“I assure you,” he countered, following her out, “I am not the only one.”
Chapter Four:
Departures
Since becoming the High King of Carleon, the most difficult thing Dare had to face was the realisation that as time passed, he would be saying goodbye to more and more of his friends.
The most recent of these farewells was not a farewell at all but the loss of Tully Furnsby in the Frozen Mountains and to a lesser extent, his wife Keira. Although Keira was lost long before the Frozen Mountains, only they did not know it. Dare still carried the guilt of their tragic ends, having reason to more than one occasion, wished he never found that small house in the Green. The disaster that he brought upon them both weighed heavily on him.
He would eventually face departure of Kyou, once the fortifications were to Sandrine were complete and while Celene spent three months of the year at the Keep with Ronen, there would be a time when children would keep her home in Gislaine. Tamsyn was already gone, wandering the Western Sphere in search of acolytes to rebuild his Order and today, he was saying goodbye to Aeron, who parting was the hardest of all to bear.
Avalyne Series 02: The Easterling Page 5