Avalyne Series 02: The Easterling

by Linda Thackeray

  It was hard to imagine Halion travelling the hills as he had done with Dare, Kyou, Tamsyn and Celene. However, his father was an adventurer who had left the ruins of his homeland to build a kingdom here in Halas. Not unlike what he was attempting to do now in Ardhen he supposed.

  ‘Of course, war changes that reality very quickly and after the battle that saw Antion die and Syphia vanquished, he lay in my arms dying on the battlefield. On his last breath, he asked me to take care of his sister and I promised him I would. I wound ensure that what was left of his family survived. She was young, frightened and alone. I promised him I would protect her no matter what.’

  ‘Were you married then?’ Aeron finally asked the question he had been dying to ask his father since Tamsyn had inadvertently told him the truth, that Syanne was Halion’s second wife.

  Halion was mildly surprised but surmised quickly where Aeron would have learned this part of his past. ‘Yes,’ he nodded. ‘I was married. Her name was Isabeau. We fell in love the first time we laid eyes on each other. I was nineteen years old and she was seventeen.’

  Considering his father’s age, Aeron blinked in shock. Even by human standards, that was young. Imagining his father as a teenager, making such a bond went against everything he knew about the rigid, aloof authoritarian he had known all his life. Yet even as Halion spoke of these matters, Aeron could see the sorrow in his father’s eyes, the pain he now understood intimately.

  ‘How did she die?’ He asked, his empathy making him ache for his father’s loss.

  ‘It does not matter how she died,’ Halion replied softly, his eyes growing distant. ‘She was lost to me and I wished to leave, to travel south and start a new life. Your mother chose to come with me though I told her that she did not need to. However your mother loved me and it was my sadness perhaps, my need for something familiar that allowed me to let her. I do care for your mother but you know the difference now. You know what it feels like to be gutted and then try to give what’s left of yourself to someone who is not the person you want.’

  Aeron did and for the first time, he had clarity in his father’s relationship with his mother that he did not have before. ‘She accepted this?’

  ‘Yes,’ he nodded. ‘I tried to talk her out of it, believe me I did but she loved me, for whatever reason, she loved me and I want to keep her safe. I wanted her protected from everything terrible there was. I think she believed she loved me enough for both of us and that was perhaps our mistake. I care for your mother, I have always cherished her but she always understood that it could never how it was when I was with Isabeau.’

  Aeron let out a heavy sigh and with it went all the walls that contained the pain and anguish within that hidden place inside his heart. He stopped walking and leaned against the railing, breathless from showing that much. He gripped the wood so hard, his knuckles turned white, ‘I do not know what to do father, I have this ache inside me and it will not go away. I am wounded and I do not know to heal myself.’

  Halion’s hand rested gently on his back, ‘You do not heal Aeron. This is what I tried to tell you, what I wished to spare you. You do not heal. You learn to manage. That is all that can be done. I do not know if the afterlife will reunite me with Isabeau but that is the hope that I cling to. Melia loved you but she is mortal and she cannot understand how love is for us. When I told her to go, I did so in the hopes that it was not too late for you but I was wrong was I not? It already was.’

  ‘You said you loved Isabeau from the moment you saw her and it was the same as it was for me and Melia,’ he said away wiping the tears that moistened his eyes. ‘It was always too late, I just never wanted to admit it and now its done. I am bonded to her but she does not wish to be with me.’

  ‘I am sorry son,’ Halion said with true sympathy. ‘I did not want this for you but know that there are other forms of love. Your mother and I have survived on our love for our children, for our people and to some degree with our affection for each other. I think I have been so intent on protecting your mother, I forgot the heart needs more than safety. I thank you my son of reminding me of that.’

  Aeron nodded, turning to meet his father’s gaze, realising that at last, they understood each other.

  ‘Father, I will be leaving and some of our people will be coming with me. If I am to manage as you advised, I cannot do it here.’

  ‘I know,’ Halion put a hand on Aeron’s head and drew his son forward so that their foreheads touched briefly, a gesture Aeron had not received from his father since he was a little boy. ‘I have heard the discontent of some of my people, particularly the younger ones who were born here, not in Sanhael. Dare brought us kicking and screaming into the world again and perhaps we needed waking up. I think this idea of yours to rebuild Eden Ardhen is a good one. I have not spoken to Lylea but I am certain she would like to see those woods returned to elven hands. You may even find some of her people may wish join you in the south.’

  ‘Thank you father,’ Aeron said softly, deciding that he rather liked the man, almost as much as he loved the father.

  Chapter Twenty:

  The Lord of Eden Ardhen

  After his departure from Eden Halas, more than a hundred of his people joined him for the journey south. Once there, they would restore the enchantments around the ruined city of Eden Ardhen and remain within its protection while they began the exercise of cleansing the woods of Balfure’s minions once and for all. Tor Arden still stood and Aeron was determine to bring down that tower to show that a new dawn was rising over the ancient wood.

  His father was gracious enough to provide them with supplies needed until they established themselves and his new colonists were elves possessing an assorted mix of skills and vocations. There were soldiers who fought in the Shadow War, while others were artisans and craftsmen who wished a new tapestry upon which to express themselves. Some simply possessed an adventurer's spirit and wanted to see new lands.

  During the weeks that he remained in Halas making preparations, he found his relationship with Halion greatly improved. In their grief over lost mates, they shared an understanding of each other and discovered a relationship that allowed Aeron to know the man instead of the King. What also pleased Aeron was knowing that his father was taking the time to show his Queen that he cared for her, softening enough in his manner towards her. It could never be the love that the youthful Syanne had craved for but it certainly satisfied the Queen.

  For the first time, he saw Halion being a little more attentive, more appreciative of the Queen and the role she had in his life. He was even astonished to learn that Halion was allowing his mother more freedom beyond the Veil as there was talk of her journeying to Sandrine, with Syannon and the Forest as escort of course. Syanne was eager to see her new grandchild and Aeron knew for a fact that Dare and Arianne would be delighted to receive her.

  In the meantime, he tried not to think about Melia.

  Despite the pain in his heart and the sometimes mad desire to ride to the Baffin so he could find and make her see sense, Aeron chose to abide by her wishes. If Melia could not give herself to him then Aeron would not waste his time trying to convince her otherwise. He would let her go because he loved her and because that was what she wanted. No matter how much it hurt him. He knew what he risked when he gave his affections to a mortal and now he would have to suffer the price of that gamble.

  Still, there were moments when he caught himself looking to towards the Baffin to wonder if he was in her thoughts as often as she was in his.

  ******

  Upon departing Halas and sending his people onwards to Ardhen ahead of him, Aeron’s first port of call was to Sandrine.

  He went there not only to retrieve his horse Idris, left at Sandrine Keep since he had set off with Melia on their long journey, but also to call Dare’s attention to what had taken place in the Gahara Plateau. The Disciples had tricked a mage into creating a living weapon for them for use against the Alliance during the war, was he the only on
e? There were other wizards and holy men scattered across Avalyne and not all of them were of the Order of Enphilim, some may have even received instruction from Balfure himself.

  The kingdom needed to be on their guard in case any more of these dupes emerged from their hiding places with creations as vile as that of the Mage Edwyn.

  Upon arriving at Sandrine, Dare and Arianne were there to greet him. As always, his old friends were happy to see and have him visit, even for a brief time. Aeron was disappointed to learn that Kyou had only just returned home to the Jagged Teeth but also knew the dwarf would be back in the spring. The work to fortify Sandrine was yet to be completed and Aeron knew that Kyou was too much the craftsman to leave it without supervision for long.

  ******

  ‘Are you certain they are all dead?’ Arianne asked when Aeron concluded his tale about the River Daughters following dinner at the King and Queen’s hall that night.

  ‘I am certain they are,’ Aeron answered. ‘Though I must confess I was in no condition to see for myself after the battle was done. However, Tamsyn did say the hatchery was ablaze when we fled so I trust his judgement.’

  ‘Well,’ Dare said lowering his cup of wine after taking a sip. ‘I am glad that you fought so bravely. It would not have bode well for Avalyne if those creatures had escaped and was unleashed upon us.’

  ‘We did what was necessary,’ Aeron replied shortly, not wishing to dwell too much on the subject because inevitably Melia would enter the conversation.

  ‘You did what you always do,’ Arianne commended, reaching across the table to clasp his hand. ‘You fought with courage with no thought to yourself. I am glad that you were not permanently injured.’

  Arianne appeared as if she wanted to say more but pulled back, particularly when given a stern eye by Dare that Aeron caught despite the King’s effort to keep it fleeting. With an inward sigh, he knew that the subject of Melia was going to be revisited after all.

  ‘You give me too much credit,’ the elf said after a moment and then added, ‘ I sense that there is something on your minds that neither of you have yet to bring to my attention. I will spare you the trouble of finding some way to broach the subject with me. What is it that you wish to say?’

  Dare frowned at Arianne as if trying to tell her to let the matter rest but it seemed his wife had other ideas.

  Arianne ignored him and said to Aeron, her voice sympathetic. ‘We have not asked you about Melia because we have seen her.’

  ‘You saw her?’ Aeron exclaimed and immediately cursed himself for his telling reaction. ‘When?’

  ‘She came here for her horse Serinda,’ Arianne explained. ‘Melia told us what took place between you two. Aeron, I am so sorry.’

  Aeron swallowed hard, wishing that his parting with Melia could have remained private between them. It felt like the entire world new his heart was broken. His jaw clenched as he compose himself to hide just how much it still hurt him. If it were anyone else but Arianne and Dare before him, he might have succeeded in concealing his sorrow, unfortunately they knew him too well and so his pain lay exposed, much to his chagrin.

  ‘It was her game,’ he spoke after a moment. ‘I knew what I risked when I chose to play.’

  ‘I do not believe it was a game to her,’ Arianne tried to speak in Melia's defence but it was difficult to do so when Aeron’s eyes were filled with such pain. Since his arrival, he had worn that tough mask over his emotions, hiding his anguish from all that saw him. However, in the privacy of this room before his dear friends, that mask had lowered and she saw the Prince's true feelings behind his impassive demeanour. ‘She loves you Aeron but her heart is still wounded from what happened in the mountain.’

  Dare had remained silent, allowing Arianne to speak about Melia to Aeron but the King did not feel comfortable about discussing so private a subject with the elf, even with the best intentions. In truth, he did not think well of Melia for simply leaving as she had. If it were Arianne who had done that to him, it was quite possible that Dare would behaved with less restraint then Aeron was comporting himself.

  ‘Aeron,’ Dare found his voice at last. ‘You do not have to speak of this if you do not wish it. We just want you to know that we are here if you need us. You are dear to us both and should you decide not to confide in us then we will understand that too.’

  ‘Dare…’ Arianne started to say but Dare cut her off abruptly.

  ‘I have spoken Rian,’ Dare said firmly in that voice of his that tolerated no argument, even from her. ‘This is a private matter between Aeron and Melia. We will say nothing more.’

  Aeron cast Dare a grateful look even though the King was being treated to a scowl by his wife. Aeron had the distinct impression that Dare would sleeping on the floor of his bed chamber before the night's end. Despite his best friend’s impending marital predicament, Aeron was glad that it was at his discretion whether or not the subject would be discussed. Still, he had no wish spurn Arianne's desire to help completely and so he made some concession to the Queen.

  ‘Arianne, I know you wish to help but this matter can only be resolved by Melia and myself. She made her choice clear and though it pains me more than I can say, I have to abide by her decision. I cannot hold her to me if she does not wish it.’

  ‘But she loves you!’ Arianne cried out in frustration, hating to think that it should end so tragically between two people who were so obviously meant to be together. It pained her that Aeron should give his heart to someone after so many years alone, only to have it broken in this way. She saw Melia's eyes when the watch guard had told her what transpired between herself and the Prince of Eden Halas. Arianne was certain that what difficulties between them would be resolved if they only saw each other face to face.

  ‘Rian!’ Dare rolled his eyes in exasperation at his wife stubbornness in this matter. ‘I am certain Aeron knows that.’

  ‘Arianne,’ Aeron declared, ‘I know you mean well and you are right, I do not doubt that Melia feels something for me but she does not trust me and until that can be overcome, nothing between us is possible.’

  Arianne frowned, realizing that Aeron was right. Trust was vital in any relationship, even one without the complications that existed in Aeron's and Melia's. Arianne trusted Dare with her heart to never betray her. She could look into his eyes and know without doubt or hesitation that he loved her and would never do anything to break her heart. Such certainty made everything else between them easy. Arianne was convinced Melia loved Aeron that much but she could not give herself to him because of doubt. However, the Queen of Carleon was certain that Aeron was wrong about Melia being unable to trust him.

  Arianne believed that it was herself that Melia did not trust.

  ******

  ‘You elves are a peculiar lot,’ Kyou remarked as he observed closely the construction of Aeron’s hall almost three months later.

  The construction at Eden Ardhen was well underway with the ancient trees playing host to the new homes built above ground. The architecture differed to Eden Halas as the dwellings were built on decking that surrounded the thick tree trunks and supported by struts beneath. Aeron’s own keep, he was adverse to calling it a palace, since it seemed to formal for a place he wished to call home, was one of the largest. Each tree house was connected to each other by thin bridges that crisscrossed over the forest floor.

  Within the protection of the Veil, the elves were able to continue the building their new home while in the woods of Arden, they were slowly driving out the remaining Berserkers that still lingered. Aeron wanted them to have a place to return to after a day of cleansing the woods of evil. There was so much to do but the safety of the Veil allowed them to build a home and rest without fear of attack.

  Judging by all the building he saw around him, Kyou believed it would not be long before Eden Ardhen would be as enchanting to behold as Eden Taryn or even Eden Halas.

  ‘How so?’ Aeron replied, glancing briefly at the dwarf while he and Larone
studied the parchment spread across the table before them. A member of his father’s Forest Guard, Larone had fought with Aeron at Astorath and was one of his most loyal lieutenants. He had only been too happy to join Aeron when the suggestion to reclaim Eden Ardhen was made.

  Kyou had arrived only a few days ago, claiming an elf was unable to build anything that would stand the test of time unless there was a dwarf to help him. It had taken a bit of convincing, before Aeron was able to convince all the elves in the colony that the dwarf had not meant any offense and that Kyou was just being Kyou. Besides, a Master Builder of Kyou’s credentials was nothing to take lightly.

  ‘All this trouble to built around the tree when you could build inside of it,’ Kyou retorted, staring at the huge trees whose trunk was so thick that if anyone chose to carve out its innards, it would be enough space to house the entire colony. Instead the elves had chose to build his home around the massive trunks, an enterprise that seemed more trouble than it was worth.

  ‘You dwarfs would destroy anything,’ Aeron grumbled, wondering how many times he had to have this discussion before Kyou understood that an elf would consider it an act of murder to butcher a tree that had lived as long as these ones had. As it stood, elves were known to harvest trees but it was done with the greatest of economy and following a ritual of permission from the Celestial Goddess Inafsia.

  ‘Its just a tree,’ Kyou teased and saw Larone smiling because the former forest guard knew that the dwarf often amused himself by baiting his new lord.

  ‘Like you are just a dwarf but you do not see us trying to chop you down.’ Aeron drawled, his eyes still fixed on the plans before him. ‘Probably because the whining would drive us to distraction.’

  Kyou gave Aeron a look just as Larone started to chuckle.

  ‘You can tell the crafters this is fine,’ Aeron straightened up as Larone rolled up the parchment and made a hasty retreat before the dwarf and his lord launched into one of their infamous arguments. This usually ended either axe or sword being drawn.