The Beasts of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 2)

by Aaron J. Ethridge

  Within hours, the spirits of the young knight were once again raised. For the moment, at least, he had put the enemy of Innalas out of his mind. He rode alongside the fair Gwendolyn, talking and laughing quietly as the band made its way deeper and deeper into the badlands.

  “You know, Darian,” the maiden said with a playful smile on her lips, “I really thought you'd try to stop me from riding with you. Aren't you worried about my safety?”

  “I am,” the Telian replied with a nod. “I honestly did consider ordering you to remain with the army, but a number of things made me change my mind.”

  “Really?” she replied, her smile widening. “Like what?”

  “Well,” the knight began, “to start with, you really are very remarkable.”

  “Congratulations, Sir Darian!” Gwendolyn exclaimed.

  “For what?” the young knight replied, a look of confusion on his face.

  “For finally saying something gallant!” she laughed. “It took you long enough, but you managed it at last. I suppose that's what really counts.”

  “What did I say?” he asked.

  “Oh well,” she replied with a sigh. “It seems it was just an accident. Still, you're young. There's time.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” the maiden laughed again. “So, I'm remarkable? In what way?”

  “In a lot of ways, really,” the knight replied.

  “Oooo,” the young sorceress interrupted before pausing and shaking her head. “No. No, never mind, I'm sure it was just another accident. Please continue.”

  “Alright,” he said, once again confused by the maiden's response. “First, there's the fact that you're a very powerful sorceress. You've got to learn to harness that power for a number of very obvious reasons. As Lord Andor himself pointed out, this is a good opportunity for you to hone your skills.”

  “So… I'm a sorceress,” Gwendolyn said, counting his first point on her index finger. “What else?”

  “Really,” Darian replied, “the fact that Galrin and Valrak are still after you was the second thing I considered. We may face some dangers in the badlands, but I doubt they'll be anything as dangerous as either of them. I felt that, under the circumstances, it would be best to keep you near me.”

  “Oh,” the maiden said, her eyes locked on those of the young knight, “So you want to keep me near you?”

  “Of course,” the Telian replied. “How else can I keep you safe?”

  “Obviously,” Gwendolyn nodded. “So, that's point two. By all means, continue.”

  “Well,” he said thoughtfully, “there's also the fact that you can be very... determined... I guess we'll say. I felt that, if I tried to stop you, you'd just steal a horse or something and try to come after us.”

  “Correct,” the maiden agreed with a nod.

  “Needless to say, that would have been even more dangerous.” he replied.

  “Agreed.”

  “And foolish.”

  “Certainly,” the maiden said, touching her third finger. “That's point three. I'm sure there are more.”

  “Yes, there are,” the knight nodded. “I was also fairly certain that the rest of the party, especially Sarena and Erana, would disagree with the decision to leave you behind. That incident with the giant yesterday proved just how valuable a companion you are. They all have a great deal of faith in you.”

  “Do you?” she asked with a coy smile on her face.

  “Of course,” he laughed. “I'd be a fool not to. Especially after I saw what you did to that monster.”

  “Alright,” she replied, once again counting on her fingers. “That's four. Surely, you have another.”

  “I do,” the Telian nodded. “The fact that you're able to heal is incredible. Needless to say, we may need healing during this trip. More than once in the last few weeks, Ian and I have been taxed to our limits. I feel better knowing that, if the need arises, you can step in and lend a hand.”

  “So you might want my help?” she asked.

  “Absolutely,” he replied immediately. “Now that you've learned to do it, you should use it. You could honestly be a very real help to me.”

  “I guess that would make us partners, wouldn't it?” she asked with a knowing smile.

  “It certainly would,” he nodded. “And, I really like that idea. You and me. Partners. It's almost as if it were fated to be. The sorceress Gwendolyn and Sir Darian, Telian Knight; partners of justice!”

  “You know, Darian, sometimes...” the maiden began.

  “Darian, Gwendolyn,” Kilren interrupted as he and Erana rode up to the pair side-by-side. “We were wondering if we could speak to you two for a moment.”

  “That's a bit formal,” the young sorceress laughed. “I hope it's nothing serious.”

  “It is a little serious,” the rogue replied with a nervous smile on his face. “At least, it is to us.”

  “Then, by all means speak,” the knight said to his friend.

  “Well, we would like,” Kilren began. “I know this may seem like a very odd time to mention it – what with us being surrounded by danger and death and not knowing if we're even going to make it home or not – but, all things considered, we felt we had better ask just in case something happened to one of us. Which, of course, Eilian willing, it won't. But, it could! So that's why we decided to ask you.”

  “Ask us what?” the human maiden giggled.

  “Oh, of course,” the rogue replied. “We would like. That is to say, Erana and I would like, when the time comes... for us... for us to... that is to say when... when we...”

  “When we get married,” Erana said, completing the young man's sentence.

  “So, you are getting married?” Gwendolyn interjected.

  “We believe so, yes,” Erana answered, blushing as she spoke. “My brother has given us good reasons for hope. He feels certain we'll be able persuade my father in time.”

  “Congratulations!” the knight said.

  “Much appreciated,” Kilren replied with a swallow. “Well, as I was saying, at our... at our...”

  “Our wedding,” the ranger explained.

  “Yes,” he nodded, “when we get married, at our... at our...”

  “At our wedding,”

  “Thank you, yes,” the young man replied. “At our wedding... we were hoping... That is to say, Erana and I were hoping...”

  “Darian, will you be Kilren's best man?” the ranger asked, having grown slightly impatient with the rogue's rambling.

  “So, they do have them!” the knight observed with a broad smile. “I thought they would!”

  “Yes,” the rogue nodded. “They do. So, would you...”

  “Oh, yes, of course!” Darian replied excitedly. “It would be an honor!”

  “Good,” Kilren replied before clearing his throat. “That's excellent. I really hoped you would. It's a time in life when a man wants his closest friend at his side. And, of course, Gwendolyn that's why we were hoping that, when the time comes... for us to get married, that is... We were hoping, Erana and I, I mean...”

  “Gwendolyn, would you be my maiden of honor?” the ranger asked, looking at her love with a hint of frustration on her face.

  “Yes! Absolutely!” the maiden exclaimed. “I was hoping you'd ask me!”

  “Good, then,” Kilren replied, once again clearing his throat. “That takes care of that, then. We want to thank you both. Our... our...”

  “Our wedding,” the elvish maiden sighed, rolling her eyes.

  “Yes,” the rogue nodded. “Our wedding just wouldn't be the same without you two.”

  “It seems, my bold knight,” Gwendolyn began, “that you and I will soon be standing before the altar together.”

  “Looks that way,” the knight replied, smiling at the happy couple.

  “Does that give you any ideas, Sir Darian?” she asked.

  After a few moment's consideration, the knight spoke.

  “Yes,” he said, glancing down at his
armor before turning his gaze to the maiden at his side. “Actually, I suppose it does. I'm really going to have to polish up this armor. I think you should probably get a new dress, as well.”

  “You know, Darian,” Kilren said, gazing at the sky above as he spoke, “sometimes, I really do worry about you.”

  By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the party had traveled many miles into the badlands. The lush and living forests that made up the kingdom of Innalas had slowly faded behind them. The woodlands in which they found themselves as evening fell were far more drear. Many of the surrounding trees were bare and dry in spite of the season, and the forest floor was littered with broken limbs and decaying leaves.

  Tealor decided to bring the band to a halt before the last rays of the sun had fled the sky. Although the first day of their journey had been uneventful, these lands would likely be more dangerous by night. Three watches would stand guard over the camp, each composed of two members. The party was already deep within enemy territory; they would have to be cautious.

  Tealor and Kilren quickly collected a large pile of wood and Gwendolyn had the honor of lighting the fire for the band. Ian and Erana worked together to ready their meal for the evening, while the knight walked slowly around the area, his sword in his hands, drawing symbols on the earth and praying softly. As soon as the sun had set, they began to hear strange noises from the surrounding woodlands. They were not alone.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Erana said, taking a seat beside the young knight while holding a steaming bowl in her hand.

  “Certainly,” he said. “What is it?”

  “It's about the Eilian,” she replied.

  “That's one of my favorite subjects,” he smiled. “What would you like to know?”

  “What happens when you pray?” the elvish maiden asked.

  “Well, that depends on what you mean,” he answered. “When I pray for sanctuary, as I did tonight, the Eilian let me know if an enemy approaches and they give me aid if we're attacked. When I pray in battle, they fill me with their power to strengthen me or to defend me. When I pray to heal someone, they channel their power through me to close wounds and cure illness.”

  “Right,” she nodded. “And, what happens when you pray like a regular person?”

  “What do you mean regular person?” he laughed. “I am a regular person.”

  “No you're not,” she laughed in reply. “There are several things about you that certainly aren't normal. One of those being that you're a Telian. What I mean is: are your prayers always answered?”

  “Everyone's prayers are always answered,” the knight replied. “At least, for those who believe.”

  “No,” she replied, shaking her head with a slight smile on her face. “That's not true. I prayed for months before my fourteenth birthday for Selvios to give me a unicorn. I was certain that he would. He didn't. I've prayed for other things that I didn't get even more recently.”

  As the ranger said this, her eyes turned toward her beloved who was currently engrossed in conversation with Ian.

  “That doesn't mean you weren't answered,” the Telian replied. “That simply means the answer was no. Or perhaps only not now.”

  “Alright,” she nodded, “I see your point. But, what I really meant to ask you was: are your prayers always answered with a yes. For instance, what would happen if you prayed for rain?”

  “It would either rain or it wouldn't,” the young knight laughed.

  “So, they do tell you no, as well?”

  “Sometimes,” he replied, “yes, they do. Sometimes, they have to for our own good. It's not always a matter of them being unwilling to do what you ask. Sometimes, they can't.”

  “What?” the ranger exclaimed. “The Eilian can do anything.”

  “Well, no they can't,” Darian said with a knowing smile. “First off, they can't do anything forbidden by the creator. Not even Winrall can directly disobey that law. And, occasionally, the Eilian disagree. In which case, they may stop one another from doing... whatever it may be. Then, of course, there are situations where two people may be praying in opposition. The Eilian can't let two boys win the same contest, no matter how hard both of them pray.”

  “I see,” the maiden sighed, staring into the fire thoughtfully.

  “What's sparked all this?” Darian asked. “Did you want me to pray for something? I'd be more than willing to.”

  “Well, yes,” she replied. “In truth, I do. Some of the rangers of Innalas can use the power of Selvios. I don't know a lot about it yet, but I know that they pray and are given certain magical abilities. I've been praying about it for days now, but nothing's happened. So I decided to ask you. I thought you might have an in with them.”

  At this, the Telian laughed loudly.

  “No,” he replied, shaking his head. “I don't have an in with them. At least, not like that. I assure you that your actions have been very pleasing to Selvios. When and if you're ready, he will say yes. But, I would be honored to pray with you if you’d like.”

  “Thank you,” she replied smiling. “I'd really appreciate it.”

  The pair quickly finished their meal before heading to the edge of the camp, just within the reach of the flickering firelight. They knelt down together facing one another, the hands of the ranger held in those of the Telian, their heads bowed until they gently touched. In softly spoken prayers, the knight asked the Eilian to consider the maiden that knelt before them. He asked Selvios to give her the ability to wield his power in order to help those truly in need of aid.

  “What exactly are you two doing?” Kilren asked, staring down at the pair with his brows knitted together and an accusing tone in his voice.

  “Nothing!” the elvish maiden exclaimed, snatching her hands away from those of the Telian.

  “Praying,” the knight answered at the same moment.

  “Praying?” the rogue asked, his eyes locked on those of his friend.

  “Yes, praying,” Darian replied.

  “Praying about what?” Kilren asked, crossing his arms.

  “We were asking Selvios to give Erana the ability to use his power,” the Telian replied, gazing up at his friend with a smile.

  “You needed to be out here alone in the dark to do it?” the rogue asked, a slight edge in his voice.

  “Well, no, but it helps me concentrate,” the knight replied. “Are you mad at me about something?”

  “No! Why?”

  “I don't know... You just sound angry.”

  “No,” Kilren replied, forcibly changing his tone. “No, of course I'm not mad. But Darian, a man doesn't lead another man's bride-to-be out into the dark, all alone, to kneel down, holding her hands in his and...”

  The Telian was staring up at the rogue innocently, listening intently to every word.

  “You know what, Darian, never mind,” Kilren replied with a chuckle. “In your case, I'm very certain it doesn't apply. I don't know what came over me. I'm just tired, I guess. I'll let you get back to it.”

  “You could stay,” Erana suggested.

  “Yes,” the knight said. “Please do.”

  “I don't know,” the rouge replied while shaking his head. “I've never been much for prayer.”

  “Why not?” the Telian asked, with an edge in his own voice this time.

  “Oh, no reason,” the rogue replied. “I just wasn't sure the Eilian were overly pleased with what I was up to.”

  “Well, that's all changed now,” the knight replied. “Hasn't it?”

  “Yes, of course,” Kilren smiled. “You're right. That has all changed. And, honestly, I'd be happy to join you both.”

  The trio joined hands and bowed in prayer together. A few minutes later found them all back at the fireside with the rest of their companions. Shortly afterward, the band called it a night. They had a long day of searching for whatever it was they were hoping to find ahead of them. They all needed to be well rested.

  The watches of the night passed without in
cident. Although, more than once, the camp was observed by glowing eyes from the darkness just beyond the fire's light. They rose with the dawn the next morning. They had no way of knowing how far west they would need to go, but the earlier they started, the further they would get before the sun set.

  As the party made its way through the dreary woodlands, the young sorceress rode her mount up beside that of the warrior.

  “Tealor,” she sighed, “can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

  “Of course,” he replied, turning to face the maiden. “Everything's alright, I trust.”

  “Yes,” she sighed again, “and no. I mean, I don't know.”

  “Well,” the captain laughed, “then, I'm not sure I'll be of much help.”

  “It's just,” she began before pausing in thought. “You and Sarena...”

  “Yes?”

  “I mean, she knew she wanted to marry you the moment she saw you, didn't she?” the maiden asked.

  “So she says,” he replied with a smile, “but I've never been certain. To be honest, I've always suspected it took her at least an hour or two to fall completely in love with me. However, this might be something you'd do better asking her about.”

  “No,” the maiden replied. “Well, that is to say yes, maybe. But I wanted to ask you about it first.”

  “Alright,” the warrior said with a nod. “What would you like to know?”

  “Well,” she began, blushing slightly as she spoke, “how long did it take you to figure out you were in love with her?”

  “Oh, not long,” he replied. “A little over six years later, I realized that I had fallen in love with her the moment I saw her, as well.”

  “Six years!” Gwendolyn exclaimed. “That's not long?”

  “When you get as close to forty as I am, it won't seem that long to you, either,” the captain laughed.

  “Maybe,” she replied, “but it seems like a long time at my age!”

  “I'm sure it does,” he smiled. “But, it certainly doesn't make much difference to us now. We've been married for many more years than that.”

  “Oh, of course,” the maiden replied. “I was just thinking about other people.”

  “I see,” the warrior nodded. “Well, I wouldn't worry about that, my dear. You have to keep in mind that, when my dear bride decided she was going to marry me, she was only ten – and I was fourteen. She was a very sweet little thing, but she certainly wasn't what I was thinking about at that age.”