by Shawn Sodman
“Of course I am.”
“I'll be fine, father.”
“Perhaps I'll stay on board until the war is over.”
“The orcneas wouldn't stand a chance against the Red Dawn with you back.”
Looking up at the woman he calls his daughter, Red Beard says, “I am so proud of you, Ariella.”
“Stop it, father,” she says with a sniffle. “You’re going to make me cry in front of the crew.”
“All right,” he says. “Enough with the soft talk.” Suddenly his eyes shift to the stern of the ship. Ariella turns to see what Red Beard is looking at and finds Chance climbing down from the railing. Red Beard says quietly to Ariella, “It looks to me like the wind has brought a feather to rest on your branches.”
Ariella turns to her childhood love and asks, “Chance, what are you doing here?”
“You!” Chance calls angrily to Red Beard. As if he is looking right past Ariella, Chance starts toward the dwarf. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
Ariella quickly intercepts Chance and pushes him back. “Chance, wait!”
Red Beard stands his ground. “It’s all right, Ariella, let him say his piece.”
Ariella stands aside as Red Beard moves forward. Chance, now face to face with the man responsible for his letters never reaching Ariella, does not know what to do next. “You had no right,” he finally says.
“I had every right,” Red Beard retorts. “She’s my daughter. I did what I had to do to keep her safe.”
“You didn't have to keep her safe from me,” Chance says. “I loved her.”
“Aye, lad, that you did,” he says. “But as long as Ariella was with me, I knew that I could keep her safe. I had no way of knowing if you could do the same, and while I mean no disrespect to your departed wife...”
“Father!” Ariella snaps. “That’s uncalled for.”
Chance stands there, trying his hardest to contain his anger. His body is trembling, and it takes every bit of strength not to attack.
Red Beard explains, “I’m not saying that it was Chance's fault. No one could have predicted or prevented that from happening. But don't expect me to stand here and say that I wish that it was Ariella who met that fate.” Chance looks down and nods as he begins to contemplate his words. Red Beard continues, “Chance, my actions may not have been to your liking, but you ended up with a family. Three children, if I am not mistaken. Now, you can be angry with me until the day you die if you wish, lad. It makes no difference to me. Or, we can put the past behind us and move on.”
Red Beard extends his hand, and Chance stands there staring at it. Chance finally takes his hand and shakes it. He asks, “Do I have your trust now?”
Red Beard laughs, “In all of Runefell there isn't a man I trust more than myself to keep my daughter safe, but you...” he nods. “You I trust more than any other.”
“That means a lot to me, sir,” says Chance.
“Now, I'll leave the two of you so you can be alone,” Red Beard says as he starts down the stairway to the quarterdeck.
“No need for that, Father,” Ariella says. “As I told you, Chance already has someone else in his life.” She turns to Chance, looking for confirmation. “Don't you, Chance?”
Before he can answer, Red Beard replies, “Well, then what is he doing here? You can't tell me that he came here just to yell at an old dwarf over some letters written twenty years ago.”
As Red Beard leaves, Ariella turns to Chance and waits for his reply. Chance, nervously looking down at deck boards, clears his throat and says, “Actually, I would like to talk with you, if that's all right.”
“Of course,” Ariella replies, anxious to hear what Chance has to say.
Just as Chance is about to speak, a giant eagle lands on the railing of the poop deck. Chance and Ariella watch as it transforms into an elven female.
“Kristieana?” Chance asks.
Kristieana looks around the ship and then at Ariella. “This must be the Red Dawn.”
“Yes, it is,” Chance says, confirming her observations. “What are you doing here?”
Kristieana, distracted by the realization of what ship she is on, has to focus her attention to answer his question. “I’m sorry, but the refugees from Dury and Northwind are starting to arrive. King Arioch wanted you to be informed.”
“And they sent you to tell me?” Chance asks.
“I certainly didn't volunteer, if that’s what you’re asking,” she replies.
Ariella asks, “And what is wrong with her?”
“Nothing,” Chance answers hesitantly.
Ariella looks at the tall Amazon and says, “This is the other woman, isn't it?”
“Other woman?” Kristieana asks. “Chance, what did you tell her about us?”
Chance, not wanting Ariella to hear his answer, quietly says to Kristieana, “Only that we kissed, and that was before I found out about you and Isen.”
“So it IS her,” Ariella says. Chance lets out a heavy sigh, knowing this is about to become a very awkward conversation. Ariella walks up to Kristieana and sizes her up. She says, “Kristieana, is it? It’s nice to meet you. I am Ariella Stormrage.” Ariella looks her over a bit more and adds, “I like your hair.”
“Thank you,” Kristieana replies with a smile. “I was just about to say the same thing.”
The two women turn their attention to Chance and stare at him with raised eyebrows. Chance, feeling the weight of their stares, asks, “Why are you both looking at me like that?”
Without answering his query, the women turn back to each other. Kristieana says, “I’m sorry, I am interrupting. I should go.”
Chance says, “Yes, you should.”
Embarrassed, Kristieana turns to leave when Ariella says, “Chance, don't be rude. After all, isn't she what you wanted to talk with me about?”
“What? No.” Chance shakes his head.
Ariella says, “So, you weren't about to tell me that you're taking vows with her?”
“Of course not, Ariella,” he answers. “You're being ridiculous.”
“Am I?” asks Ariella. “It wouldn't be the first time that I witnessed you taking your vows.”
“Ariella, please stop this,” he replies.
“Very well,” Ariella relents. “Still, she should stay. I would like to get to know her more.” Ariella moves close to Kristieana and says to her, “It's always good to know who you’re up against.”
Kristieana says, “Ariella, Chance and I are only friends. He left me behind the next morning in the mountains. Now I see why.”
“She’s not why I left,” mutters Chance.
Ariella snaps, “She and I are having a conversation here. Stay out of it.” She then says to Kristieana, “You say he left the NEXT morning. After what? The kiss?”
Kristieana replies. “Yes, we did kiss just before he left, but I was referring to next morning after we had met.”
There is a short silence as Ariella turns to Chance and asks, “Is that all it takes to forget about me? Half a day with a pretty stranger?”
Chance explains, “I still thought that there was something between you and Fernando.”
Frustrated, Ariella does her best not to yell at Chance, and says, “I TOLD you there was nothing between me and Fernando. Why didn't you believe me?”
Feeling frustrated himself, Chance retorts, “You mean, aside from the fact that you were kissing him when I came back?”
“He kissed me,” she replies. “And what you didn't see is that I slapped him for it afterward.”
“I am sorry,” Chance says. “I just assumed that with your reputation with other men...”
“Not that again,” Ariella sighs. “Men brag about the number of women they’ve been with, and no one gives it a second thought. But when you hear of a woman who’s been with more than one man, she’s a whore.” With every word she speaks, Ariella becomes angrier. Chance takes a step back as she approaches, out of fear that she will try to strike him.
She continues with her tirade. “How dare you stand there and judge me for doing what men do all the time! And just how many women have you been with?”
Chance is taken off guard by the question. When he does not answer, Ariella says with a mocking tone, “Surely there’s no shortage of women for the hero of the Second Orcnea War. You probably have them lined up outside your chamber at night.”
“One,” Chance answers solemnly. “There has been only one.”
An awkward silence ensues. Kristieana is the first to speak. “Sha'al has been gone a long time. Do you mean to tell us that you have only been with one woman since?”
“No,” Chance replies. “I mean to tell you that not only was Sha'al my first, but she was my last. There has been no one else.”
Once again, the three of them stand there without saying a word. This time it is Ariella who breaks the silence. “Well, it's no wonder you're so damned gloomy...”
Kristieana and Chance are both taken aback by Ariella's comment. Ariella shrugs and adds, “It's true.”
Kristieana bites her upper lip to keep from laughing. Chance looks at the two women and says, “I am glad the two of you are enjoying yourselves. It just so happens that I don't take sleeping with someone lightly. I don't rush into things.”
Feeling somewhat offended by Chance's comment, Kristieana replies, “That's not exactly true, now, is it?”
Puzzled, Chance asks, “What do you mean by that?”
Kristieana answers, “I mean no disrespect when I ask this, but just how much time did you take to get to know Sha'al before you took her.”
“Do not bring Sha'al into this!” Chance snaps.
“I am sorry, Chance,” Kristieana says firmly, “but you are the one who is trying to shame us for our relationships when you slept with someone within minutes of her claiming you, and after just meeting for the first time.”
Chance glances at Ariella, who looks hurt and confused. Ariella says to him, “Chance, please tell me that's not how it happened. You didn't even know her?”
Just as they always seem to do when he is with Ariella, the proper words elude Chance once again. He turns to Kristieana and says angrily, “How dare you compare what I shared with Sha'al with anything that the two of you have ever had. I took vows with her.” Chance takes a second to mind his tone before continuing. “Just to be clear, I am not ‘shaming’ anyone. I don't care how many men Ariella has been with or how many blue beads you have around your neck. It just isn't something I can do without falling completely in...” He stops just short of completing his thought. The anger within him is already fading, and now Chance desperately wants for Ariella to understand. He looks at her and says calmly, “Ariella, it had been years since I saw you. I had written you countless times with no response. I didn't know then what we both know now.” Before Ariella can respond, Chance addresses them both and says, “So, the two of you can stand there and joke about my lack of experience with women if you wish, or point out that I, too, rushed into things with Sha'al, but in the end I made her my wife. I know my heart well enough to realize that if I had stayed with either of you, it would have held a deep meaning to me, and I didn't want to take the risk that it would not mean the same to either of you. So, yes, I hesitated in an attempt to protect myself from being hurt, but as it turns out, because I hesitated, I was hurt anyway. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I must help with the refugees.” Chance walks to the railing of the ship before transforming into his eagle form and taking flight.
As they watch him fly back to the castle, Ariella says, “I never knew that Chance had met his wife that way. Thank you.”
Kristieana sighs. “I just hope he isn't too upset with me for saying anything.”
“I’m sure he will forgive you,” Ariella replies.
Kristieana says, “In the mountains, right before he left, I thought for sure that he was going to take me, but he suddenly pulled away. I know he said that he was afraid of being hurt, but I am not so sure that it wasn't also about you.”
“As much as I want to believe that,” replies Ariella, “I practically begged him to stay with me the other day, but he left anyhow. I do believe that Chance Na'Moon is the bravest coward I have ever met.”
Kristieana, puzzled, asks, “How?”
Ariella answers, “I watched him face an entire ship of orcneas. He does not shy away from battle, but when it comes to women, it seems as though he is always running away. If I didn't know better, I would say Chance is more afraid of love than he is of dying.”
Kristieana says, “It doesn't sound like we helped him learn how to trust.”
Ariella shakes her head. “A man by the name of Fernando Greythorn kissed me right in front of Chance. As it turns out, Fernando is my half brother, but it makes no difference to Chance. What did you do?”
“After Chance had left me behind,” Kristieana explains, “I accompanied my sisters across the Northwind Range. Once we entered the orcnea territory we met up with another group that consisted of Princess Kianna, Chance's three children, and man named Isen.”
Ariella says, “And you and Isen...?”
“Yes, we did,” Kristieana answers. “And as it just so happens, Isen is not just any man, but Chance's close friend.”
“That's not good,” Ariella laughs. “And I speak from personal experience.”
Kristieana continues, “Today, not more than an hour ago, we returned from the north using a gate stone. When we first arrived, Isen kissed me, and Chance saw it.”
“So, that's why he came back to me,” Ariella replies. “You broke his heart.”
“Perhaps,” Kristieana replies. “You should know that he still creates beautiful images of you out of flames.”
“He does?” she asks, unable to hold back a smile.
“Yes,” Kristieana answers. “The resemblance is quite remarkable, really. You should also know that if you still love him, you do not have to worry about me. I won’t get in your way.”
“Thank you,” Ariella replies. “That’s sweet, but I saw the way he looks at you. You may have been with his friend, but he still has feelings for you, and you and I both know that you don't have to actually GET in the way to BE in the way.”
Chapter 32
Change of Perspective
In the basement of the library, Lyra looks up from the pages of the old tome and says, “Laura, if you’re feeling better now, I do have some work I should be doing.”
“Of course, Aunt Nica,” replies Laura. “I can take over again.”
“It's not that I haven't been enjoying the book again,” Lyra says as she hands the old book to Laura.
“I understand,” Laura says as she lays the book before her on the table and begins to look at its pages.
“Just let me know if any of you need anything,” Lyra says as she starts to walk towards the door.
“Wait, Aunt Nica,” Laura calls to her. Lyra stops and looks back at Laura, who is now flipping through the pages with a puzzled look on her face.
“What is it?” asks Lyra.
Laura answers, “Are you sure this is the same story?”
“Yes,” Lyra answers. “Why?”
Josh and Haley come over and look at the book with Laura. Laura says, “This chapter is different from the others. It's no longer in present tense… Not only that, but it's now being told in the first person.”
“Oh, that,” Lyra laughs. “I forgot that Kyle was telling you the story himself and wasn't reading you the book. If he had been, you would have seen that the author starts off in a similar fashion. Don't worry, though,” Lyra continues, “I believe this is the only time he changes the perspective within the actual story.”
“What does it say?” Haley asks.
“Yeah, Laura,” Josh says, encouraging her. “Keep reading.”
“All right, all right,” Laura laughs. “Just give me a second.” Laura flips back to the beginning of the chapter and continues the story from where Lyra left off.
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It is rare for an observer of history to become part of his own writings. I had to ask Head Master Grunwalt for special permission to proceed with the following chapter. He told me that it was acceptable, considering the circumstances, so long as I returned to the proper format afterward.
The Grand Library of Sheathelm has three tiered levels in the shape of a U. The upper levels are not much more than ledges that circle the perimeter and allow access to the vast stores of books and scrolls that are kept within the walls. The concave portion is opposite the tall stained-glass window that faces south for the best lighting. The entrance is on the top level, and there are smaller stairs along the sides down to the lower levels. One prominent staircase in the center of the room leads from the doorway down to the floor below. It is a rather remarkable structure, and is as beautiful as many of the temples. It even has a garden beyond the south wall that one can gain access to through the doorways on either side of the stained glass.
I was doing research at one of the tables on the lower level when I heard the door open. When I looked up the marble stairway, I saw an enormous man with reddish blonde hair and a beard to match. He had his hands over the eyes of a small elven woman. She asked, “Can I look now?”
“In a moment,” the man answered with a northern accent. I could tell from his voice and accent that he was a Goliath, though he seemed to be smaller than any other I had ever seen. Though he may have been small for a Goliath, he was still very large for a man. I had no idea at the time who he was or where he came from. He was no longer wearing the furs and heavy clothing that he donned when he first arrived in Sheathelm a short time earlier. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows and fit tightly around his arms.
The woman asked, “Where are we?”
After a chuckle the man answered, “Someplace that you are going to like a lot.” He then removed his hands from her eyes, and I watched as the look on the young woman's face went from confusion to one of pure joy.
“A library!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Sven, you were right. I do like it.”
“Sven thought you might,” he replied.