Odif had no idea who knew what about him and didn’t want to talk in front of two dozen men. She wasn’t even sure if Tayan knew he was alive. She nodded towards the men.
“Can they leave? I think we should talk more privately.”
Jeni stiffened and glared at her. “You come here, scare the wits out of my aunt then hide in the garden and suckle my baby. I demand to know right now who in the abyss are you, and what do you want with my husband!”
Meeting her gaze, Odif spoke evenly. “I am Odif Longforest, and your husband is my father.”
“Your father?” she asked breathlessly. “Impossible.”
“It’s impossible he’s still alive,” Odif corrected, “but he is my father and I need to find him.”
Regarding her for a moment, Jeni folded her arms over her chest. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
Odif shook her head and sighed. “If you’re asking for proof, all I can tell you is my mother saw him two years ago in the Jude. One of my friends, Zit, told me about him when we went to clear hoarcs out of the Jude Fortress.”
“The place where Eric fought the black knight.”
“Right.” Odif winced as Erica found a few strands of hair in easy reach and tugged. Rescuing it from the baby’s grasp, she sat her up and started patting her back to burp her. Erica noticed her mother and gave a gurgle as she reached out for her.
“Go see Mommy?” Odif asked as she lifted her to Jeni.
Jeni wasted no time in taking the child and enfolding her in her arms. As she stepped back, Belenaris yelled, “Now!”
Odif shot to her feet. Bringing her arms up to the sides, she concentrated on the insects of the garden. Behind her, a cloud of bees began to congregate. The first men to come at her would find themselves being stung on every exposed inch of skin. To her surprise, Jeni stepped in front of her, facing the men.
“No! Stay back.”
Pointing his sword at Odif, Belenaris spat, “Jenasalinthia, she tried to steal Erikenthansia!”
“I did not!” Odif gasped.
Jeni glanced at her then told the man, “Belenaris, if she really wanted to take Erica, she would have done it. It’s all right--thank you for coming.”
It was obvious by his pose he didn’t trust Odif. He moved up beside Jeni as if to protect her. “I am only looking out for you and your precious child. I’ll send my men away but prefer to stay beside you.”
Jeni shifted her gaze from him to Odif indecisively a few times. Finally, she said, “All right, but whatever we discuss goes no farther, understand?”
“As you wish, M’lady.” Turning to his men, he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Glancing at the cloud of insects behind Odif, he asked, “Could you make your friends go away?”
Odif let the tiny creatures go about their business. The ones that flew towards Jeni, she directed away. This didn’t seem to relieve Belenaris--he watched her as if she was going to grab Erica and run. She sensed unease from Jeni, though she looked happier now she was holding her baby.
“Do you want to talk inside?” she offered.
Jeni eyed Odif, still clearly not sure what to make of her. “Yes, this way, please.”
Belenaris remained tight to Jeni’s side as they went into the mansion. Odif walked a few steps to one side, taking in the finely carved stonework and smooth marble floors. Although there was very little gold work, the wood and stone were polished to a glassy finish. They went through a large foyer and into a study that had high, arched windows filled with glass.
“Is this all yours and Eric’s?” Odif asked absently.
Jeni glanced at her. “This house belongs to my grandmother. We only live here.”
“No doubt the lady is awestruck by the finer things in life.” Belenaris smirked.
Odif shook her head. “Quite the opposite, this place is dead. It reminds me of the mausoleums in Paladnia. I prefer to be surrounded by living things.”
Jeni led them to a half-circle of upholstered chairs near the windows. “Please have a seat.”
She sat down herself, cradling Erica on one arm. Belenaris took the closest chair to her. Odif went to the window and sat on the floor with her back to the wall, facing them.
“Don’t you use chairs?” Belenaris asked.
Odif ignored him. Her position was defensive, should he decide to call in his men. “What can you tell me about where Eric might be?”
“What do you know?” Jeni asked in a cool tone.
“I know he was here right after he left the Jude. Zit told me he had gone with King Alderlan’s caravan when they started home. The caravan was attacked about fifty miles this side of Spring Valley. There were few survivors--Tayan was badly hurt and Lucinthia was killed. I tried to get more details out of them, but no one would talk to me. At the time, I was more concerned with Tayan...he took Lucinthia’s death very badly.”
Jeni bit her lip. “And Eric?”
“Except for rumors, no one spoke of him. Based on what I learned of the attack, he should be dead, but he isn’t.”
“And how do you know that?” Belenaris asked caustically.
Odif studied his glaring face. She could not tell if someone was evil or not, since druids didn’t readily define people as such. At the moment, she wished Amber or Frieda were here to tell her if it was safe to speak freely in front of him. The unnatural forces at work had to have many spies to deal such devastating blows. She could not trust he was not one of them.
“I know.”
“So do I,” Jeni said softly. “You know as much as I do. How can we find him?”
On her lap, Erica gave a kick and tried to get comfortable. Lazily, she grabbed Jeni’s collar. Jeni looked down at her for a long moment, lost in thought.
Odif got up with a sigh. “I was hoping you would know more. Thanks for your time.” She started to walk away and Jeni rose to grab her arm.
“Stop! You can’t go yet--how will we find him?”
Odif looked into her stricken face. That was a good question, how was she going to find him? He was gone without a trace--even wizards needed somewhere to begin looking. “Have you tried a seer?”
Jeni despairingly shook her head. “A few. One told me he died, which I know isn’t true. Others had, well, not very believable explanations.”
“Do you have anything that belonged to him--clothes, weapons, anything?”
“Yes, let me put Erica down and I’ll show you.”
As Jeni left, Belenaris sauntered over to her. “You are very convincing. How much do you want?”
“What?”
Standing stiff-legged, he planted his hands on his hips. “Lady Jenesalinthia has lost her husband. She does not need any more false hope from the likes of you. It is bad enough she pines over a dead human; I will not have you using her misery for personal gain.”
She shifted her weight to her left as she turned her right side to him. “Any more from you and she’ll be grieving over a dead elf,” she warned him.
Wearing a look of disgust, he snorted, “Really?”
“Really.” Snapping her foot up, she kicked him under the chin hard enough to throw his head back and lift him off his feet. He landed flat on his back, out cold. She knelt down beside him and laid her hand on the unconscious elf’s forehead. He had cracked his skull hitting the floor and a couple teeth would ache, but he would live.
“Next time, I won’t be so gentle,” she told him then followed Jeni.
She came in as Jeni put Erica in her crib. The baby swung her arms and made grabbing motions at Odif.
“Naptime, sweetheart,” Jeni coaxed, but when she made her lie down, the child kicked and cried.
On the other side of the crib, Odif leaned on the railing. “Try singing to her, it might help.”
Shooting a glare at her, Jeni focused on Erica, rubbing her belly and cooing to her until she quieted down. It took a while, but eventually Erica’s eyes started drifting shut. Once she was sleeping, they crept out into Jeni’s sitti
ng room.
One of the maids came in, looking worried. “Mrs. Redman, young Lord Tolham has had an accident in the study. I’m afraid he is unconscious.”
“That Belenaris guy?” Odif asked.
“His proper name is Lord Tolham,” Jeni explained.
“No accident--I knocked him out.”
Jeni gaped at her. “Why?”
Odif thought about explaining how pompous he had acted or how callous he was. Instead, she just shrugged. “He was being an ass.”
Jeni put a hand to her forehead as pain crossed her face. “You can’t just...knock someone out like that!”
“Yes, I can.”
“No!” Jeni said, flustered at her. “This is not the woods!”
Odif didn‘t have time for nonsense. If a man acted badly, he paid for it. “Are we going to find Eric or not?”
“Yes,” Jeni sighed. To the maid, she said, “Please attend to Lord Tolham and give him my apologies when he wakes up.”
“Yes, M’lady.” the maid said with a bow and walked out.
Odif had a seat as Jeni went to get one of Eric’s belongings. What she returned with was a battered chunk of metal. At first, Odif thought it was some kind of art--the thing was bent nearly in half, splotched with dark colors and had holes torn into it.
Jeni handed it to her. “This is one of the few things we found at the place where the caravan was attacked. It’s the chest plate to the armor Eric was wearing.”
Inspecting it, Odif saw the dark colors were bloodstains. She wasn’t sure, but the thing looked like it had been beaten on by vlaks. “He lived through this?” she asked.
“I believe he lives. What about you?”
She didn’t see how anyone, even Glier, could live through a thrashing like that. Vlaks didn’t leave people alive once they attacked. “Our wizards had a vision. In that vision, they saw three hammers. I don’t think they know what it means, but I do. I believe it means three people: myself, Tayan and Eric. The thing that lives on the plains can be destroyed only if all of us are there at the same time. Since he has to be there then he must be alive.”
Jeni’s voice sounded strained. “You came to make him go fight this thing?”
Odif looked up to see her gazing crossly at her. “Partly, yes. I also really want to meet him. By Tayan’s description, as well as all the stories I’ve heard, he’s a monster. I don’t think that’s the case, is it?”
Jeni’s face softened. “No. Eric is a good, loving man. He did what he did because that is what he believed at the time.” She looked at her hands as she rubbed her thumbs together. “At first, I really didn’t believe the things he did. Later, I came to realize it was all true. It broke my heart to think he was like...that. But I also realized he was only doing what he thought was right. He was not evil, he was misguided.” Waving a hand towards the room where Erica was sleeping, she added, “In there is a beautiful child. A child that deserves a good father, and he deserves her.” Stopping to wipe a tear from her eye, she looked up at Odif. “We need him here. I need my husband back.”
The way she spoke, Odif had no doubt Jeni loved him. “All right, but when I find him, I have to borrow him for a while.”
“Is he really your father?”
Odif nodded. “And Tayan’s.”
Nodding to the twisted backplate, Jeni asked, “What are you going to do with that?”
Odif traced the ragged edge of a hole. “Real seers do not need hints, nor do they try to pump you for information to help make their vision. A real seer also has an aura about them. I’m going to take this to every one I can find. Somewhere in this city, there has to be a true seer.”
“Let me come with you. I can show you the ones I’ve already visited and help weed out the ones we know are frauds.” Glancing at the door, she added, “And I can help keep you out of trouble.”
“Good luck with that part.” Odif smirked.
Chapter 10
Odif agreed to wait in Jeni’s rooms while the elven woman saw to Belenaris and calmed down the household. While she waited, she explored the apartment. Besides the plush sitting room with its overstuffed chairs and polished wooden table, there was a bedroom with a large canopy bed big enough for at least three people. A small desk with one chair nestled between two closets across from the bed, and a wide chest of drawers sat on either side of the room. Noting the bed table had a folded letter on it, she went over and unfolded it then sat down to read it. The script was crude, like a child had written it; a few words were lined out and re-written.
Dear Jeni,
I love you more than life. I ache for you every day. The scrolls you told me to study I do every day. I can read pretty good now. Every time I pick them up and look at them I can see you writing and rolling them up for me. The bag Arthur gave me is very useful. I keep everything in it under my armor. Sergeant Kelnac says we will be a few months getting to the border of Elrad. Tayan does not know I am here. We are in Old Castle right now. Not much has happened except for we pulled a woman from under her wagon that turned over and I ran off a few hoarcs. Sergeant Kelnac wanted to go back and tell everyone how good I did. I made him stay quiet. There was only eight hoarcs, and Tayan might find out I came with him. I want to tell Tayan how sorry I am about what I did to his mother. I know he hates me for it. I do not blame him for hating me. I only wish I can make it up to him. I have seen him a few times riding with the elves. He looks good on a horse leading the soldiers and I am very proud of him. We are going to stop again in a place called Spring Valley. I will send a letter from there. I will always be thinking of you.
Eric
Odif felt a lump rise in her throat. This was a letter from her father. She read it a second time, and a third. The man who wrote this was no monster; he was the loving man Jeni described. He was a man who had feelings, good and bad, just as any other. He was a man of nature.
The third time she read it, she focused on his mention of the bag. Tayan had the bag he was found in. She remembered Entaurus had found what he thought were children’s scrolls in it, scrolls that had the alphabet on them. She also remembered the painting they found. Tayan had told her who the people were--the baby in the painting was Jeni. Suddenly, she wanted to find Amber and root through the bag again. If Eric had it then maybe there was something in there that could help her find out what had happened to him.
“Do you always go through other people’s things?”
The elf woman standing in the doorway had slightly darker blonde hair than Jeni and her eyes were a much lighter blue, but she had Jeni’s facial structure. She stood with arms crossed over her chest and wore a dark green jacket over her lighter green frilled dress.
Odif blinked back the tears clouding her eyes. “You must be Saur...enthansia,” she said, hoping she got the name right. Tayan had told her the name of the woman in the painting. “Jeni’s mother, right?”
“Yes,” she said crisply. “What is this I hear about you being Eric’s daughter?”
Odif nodded and held the letter up. “I was hoping that this would tell me a little more. It has, but no clue as to where he has vanished to.”
Saurenthansia gave an irritated sniff. “That belongs to Jeni. I am asking you to have some common decency. If you have any respect for Jeni or Eric then please put that back where you found it.”
Odif folded the letter and placed it back on the table exactly as it had been. She was in no mood to be snapped at but decided to hold her temper. City people were trying, and she would have to deal with them.
Clasping her hands between her legs, she said in a calm voice, “I want you to understand something. I do not want to start trouble. I came to find my father, and I will do whatever it takes to find him. If that offends anyone then so be it. I do not have much time, so may the gods help whoever stands in my way.”
“We have no intention of getting in your way. If you can find him then we will do everything we can to help.” Saurenthansia walked over and sat on the bed beside her. “Jeni
has been at wit’s end searching for news of him. Lately, she’s been taken with the idea she needs to go looking herself. The only reason she isn’t running all over creation is Erica. We’ve sent word all the way from the Sylvanari to Newburg and we have heard nothing.”
“That’s pretty much what I’ve learned so far,” Odif admitted. “But I have to find him.”
Saurenthansia got up, motioning for her to follow. “You can call me Sally--or Sauri, as Mother does. Come meet the rest of my family; and if you would be kind enough, apologize to my sister for scaring her out of her wits.”
Odif shrugged. “Sure, as soon as she apologizes to Art for her insult.”
Sally stopped and looked at her. “What insult?”
Recalling the moment as well as she could, she quoted, “'If your mother would have stuck to her own kind, you wouldn’t have happened.'” Rising, she added, “I have learned to deal with remarks like that, and so has Tayan. Maybe Art should be spared such insults from his own family.”
Sally’s nose flared. “Come with me,” she said, her voice sharp, and strode out.
The ring of chairs in the study was full. Jeni sat by an elderly elf woman. On her other side was a graying human man with broad shoulders and a leathery, aged face. Next to him was Art, who sat by a well-dressed, stiff-backed elven man; and across from Jeni was the elf woman who had run screaming from the courtyard.
On seeing them come in, Art jerked the aging human’s sleeve. “Dad! Look, I told you, it’s Odif!”
The stiff-backed elf shot to his feet, watching them approach with a critical eye. As Sally walked over to him, he said in a chilled tone, “My wife has been assaulted by this...” Pointing a finger at Odif, he spat, “...woman! I demand she be arrested!”
Sally moved around him and faced her sister, staring down hard at her. “Did you insult Arenthanas?”
Shalenthansia glanced at Art then Odif. “No.” she said coolly.
“Liar,” Odif growled.
The elf pointed his finger at her again. “You be quiet.”
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