The Drifting

by L. Filloon

  “He did?” I ask surprised.

  “Yeah,” answers Mellis, stuffing his face again without looking at me. “He says as long as you wear it, it will protect you. Or something like that.”

  I touch the stone and realize that it’s identical to the stone on my wrist, only larger. I smile to myself before realizing three sets of eyes are on me. I look up at Ziri to find him sitting back in his seat, arms folded, giving me a knowing smile. I glance over at Alorn who gives me a small crooked smile and when I look at Mellis, he’s grinning at me while chewing.

  “What are these?” he asks as he stabs at another rotini.

  “Seedlings from a man-made tree,” answers Ziri.

  “There is no such thing as a man-made tree,” retorts Alorn.

  Ziri tosses his hand out as if presenting me like a The Price Is Right prize. Alorn looks at me with a raised brow, “Really? You actually told him that pasta came from a man-made tree?”

  I smile at him and shrug my shoulder, “He deserved it.”

  “When do you return to the Oak Tower?” interrupts Ziri.

  Alorn turns back to Ziri and quietly answers, “When we return Lily for the Seating.” Alorn gives Ziri a challenging look, waiting for him to respond.

  “I don’t need help in training her,” answers Ziri, just as quiet.

  “I don’t care what you need. We stay until we are ready to escort her back,” replies Alorn.

  “Done!” pipes in Mellis. He pushes the empty plate away, sits back on his chair and rubs at his tummy. I smile at him and his silliness. I glance over at the other two and my smile fades quickly. What is up with them? From what I can tell, Alorn and Mellis are here to take me back for the Seating. Sema explained that the Seating only happens immediately after the death of the current ruler. After that, it’s every six years until the rightful heir decides to take his or her place as ruler of the Willow. She goes over the plan on how we’re to wait for Harlu and Luc…I mentally shake my head. No, not Lucas…Falsad. We are to wait for Harlu and Falsad to try and claim the throne. Since Harlu is my cousin, he’s the next heir to the Willow Clan. When he is denied, that’s when I step forward and take the throne. I got that part, but Sema didn’t mention anything about escorts. So this must be Tharin’s idea.

  I’m shaken out of my thoughts when Mellis takes my hand and leans in whispering, “Let’s go. These two will be at it all night. Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get in.”

  He rises quickly and pulls me after him. I look back at Alorn and Ziri, but they continue in their quiet-eerie-kind of…I don’t what they’re doing. It’s like there’s a challenge there, but one is waiting for the other to make a move. Do they want to fight each other? I shake my head at them and turn running to keep up with Mellis.

  As we step out of the thela, Sema is walking toward us carrying a basket full of something that looks like coconuts. As she nears, I see that they’re not coconut but some kind of large fruit, maybe? She smiles at me when I approach, but her smile disappears when she sees the stone around my neck.

  “Sema,” I ask, “Is Tharin okay? I can’t remember what happened to him, if anything, after you pulled me back.”

  “Yes, Lily, he’s fine. I see he has sent the Manui stone to you.”

  I look down and grab hold of the stone. That’s where I’ve seen this, from the statue warrior, but it was covered with rust and algae and in shape of a box. That’s why I didn’t recognize it at first. I smile at her, “Yes, he did.”

  She nods as if to herself. “Well, I guess there’s nothing to be done about it now.”

  I look at her curiously wondering what she means, but she moves past me heading toward the thela. I turn to Mellis who’s watching Sema walk away, an unusually serious look on his face. He turns to me, grins and shrugs his shoulder before turning the opposite direction, taking me along with him.

  We make our way to the small platform I shared with Lucas and stand looking out toward the forest of giant trees. Mellis stands with his hands on his hip looking about him as if studying the area on where to start his mischief first.

  “Mellis?”

  “Yes, Lily.”

  “Did everyone make it back to your tower?” I ask not looking at him.

  “Alorn and I haven’t made it back since we got here. We were heading that way until Tharin sent us to find you. Knowing Tolan, he had everyone up and going early. In my estimation, they’ll reach the tower in perhaps a few hours.” He doesn’t look at me but peers intently at one large tree, particularly at the higher branches.

  “Oh, that’s good,” I reply distantly. I let my imagination take hold of me before I can check myself. In my mind I see Tharin taking Kalis in his arms as he greets her. I imagine her reaching up to him, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. I shake off the image and try to concentrate on the beautiful scenery before me. As my eyes drift to a new spot Mellis points out to me, my mind’s eye see Kalis laughing as she takes Tharin’s hand luring him to a private area to share more passionate kisses.

  “There,” points out Mellis. I nod without thinking and he takes my hand again. We make our way to another branch leading upward, then another. I run to keep up with his long strides and every now and then he picks me up to place me before him, until he takes the lead again. I find myself enjoying the run with Mellis and his infectious laugh draws out my own. Once we reach the branch he pointed out, he continues up the branch taking us to its peak. I concentrate on my steps even though he has a good hold of my hand.

  We make our way to another large leaf and once again look out before us. Despite the rain, the view is magnificent. Through an opening of trees I see a vast landscape of green forest and jungle. The distant waterfall I spotted while I was with Tharin is farther out than it seemed during the drift state. It looked small and the thundering roar of the water that I remember can’t be heard from where we stand. Near the falls is a smaller area that seems to sparkle in what little sunlight there is. I squint trying to make out what it is. It looks like a small circle of golden trees. How awesome is that?

  “What is that?” I ask Mellis while pointing to the golden spot.

  “What,” replies Mellis trying to locate where I’m pointing.

  “That, right there. Those golden trees?”

  “I don’t see it. Where?”

  I look at him. Is he playing with me? “Mellis it’s right there, near the falls. How can you miss it? It’s sparkling in the sun. Look, right there,” I point it out again, our heads now close in our attempt to get him to see what I see.

  Mellis pulls back straightening, giving me an arched look, “I have elfin eyes, cousin. I don’t see anything. Besides, there’s not enough sunlight to sparkle anything out there.”

  I turn to him at his calling me “cousin.” He catches my surprised look and grins. Shrugging, “Tharin will take you for his wife. You might as well get use it.”

  I smile at Mellis and then hug his arm. He takes it from me and puts it around my shoulder, patting it like a big brother and Lucas comes to mind. Although I push his image back, I smile at the thought of having family here in this strange place. Somehow, the sorrow at losing my brother eases a bit and I know that Lucas would be okay with that. Mellis lets me go and sits down, his legs hanging over the edge. I follow, sitting next to him.

  Mellis leans in and points toward the north. “See that ring of giant oaks in a circle?” I nod seeing a patch of thick, large treetops close together like stalks of broccolis sticking out of the vast jungle landscape. It is farther north of the waterfall and I would have missed it if Mellis didn’t point it out to me. “That’s where the Oak Tower is, the home of the Oak Clan.”

  I lean in farther trying to make out any sign of a tower within the circle of trees. I thought it would be bigger, but then it could just be because I’m looking at it from the top on a giant leaf. Now that I know what it is, I can’t take my eyes off it. I continue to stare as if any moment I would be able to see Tharin. I think of Julia an
d how lucky and awesome it is for her to actually be there in only a few hours. An excitement grows inside of me and I can’t wait to get there.

  “What’s it like, Mellis?”

  “It’s a place you have to experience for yourself to truly know it.” I turn to him and smile. He has a distant look in his eyes and a content smile on his face. My new cousin seems happy with life, his life. Nothing seems to faze him and I seldom see him in a serious mood, always keeping things light. Unlike me, he seems to have no worries, no difficult choices to make, and if he did, he never shows it. He is loyal to his cousins, not afraid to show that he loves all of them, and although he’s gentle, kind and funny, I’ve seen him in a deadly fight with an orc. He hides his true warrior nature well. I wish I had a girlfriend I could set him up with. I laugh to myself thinking that she would have to possess a monumental amount of patience, if not a tolerant and forgiving sense of humor.

  “So,” I ask as I turn back to the breathtaking scenery before us, “what’s up with Alorn and Ziri. Do they hate each other?”

  Mellis shakes his head, “No, just the opposite, they love each other like brothers. At one point, you couldn’t separate the two. And Tolan would be with them, too.”

  “And you and Phoris? Were you two also part of the ‘gang’?”

  “Nah, Phoris is kinda like Tharin in that he’s firstborn in his family, which means the responsibility of Summoner falls on his shoulders. While Tharin and Phoris were pulled away into their own lessons, the rest of us found other ways to entertain ourselves. For me…I was the little cousin they played hide-and-seek with. Only I would hide, and no one came seeking.”

  I laugh, “Aw, how mean of them. But eventually they let you go along with them, right?”

  “Nope. I would go looking for Tharin and bother him until he stopped what he was doing, called for the others and ordered them to take me with them.” He gives me a wink and laughs.

  “And they did what he told them to do?” I ask a little surprised.

  “Of course they did,” he says. Then lifting hands up while shrugging as if I should have even asked the question, “It’s Tharin.”

  “Oh,” is all I can say. Geez, even as a kid Tharin was bossy. I go back to the main subject I asked about, “So what happened between Alorn and Ziri?”

  Mellis is quiet for a minute, looking out at the horizon. He begins, his eyes distant, “Ziri came to us when he was only four years old. His mother brought him to my uncle claiming his birthright to the throne of the Oak Clan. But after the medani – that’s like a doctor or medicine man,” he interrupts himself for my benefit, “the medani declared that Ziri was born a day after Tharin and Tolan’s birth and he was third in line, not first. To prove the timing of the births, my uncle called upon the medani of the Lithi to do his own investigation. But the Lithi medani also agreed that Ziri was indeed third in line. Ziri’s mother accused that the medani of the Oak Clan had somehow induced the queen’s labor, therefore giving birth two weeks earlier than her natural due date. It didn’t matter. The due date wasn’t important, but the actual day of the birth was. Furious, Ziri’s mother stormed off and left her only son at his father’s feet never to be heard from again. “

  I’m shocked to hear how Ziri’s mother’s just left him, “That’s awful. Poor Ziri, he was just a baby.”

  Mellis nods and continues, “Until Ziri was fourteen he lived with us as brother to Tharin and Tolan, which we accepted. He was closest to Tolan and Alorn, and they protected him from the other young Sidhe who didn’t accept him because of his Lithi blood. I’d like to think that we are above petty feelings, but the truth is, greed, lust and jealously are as common in Velesi as they are in the realm of man.

  “Ziri would be mocked, teased and sometimes bullied when Tolan or Alorn weren’t around. He was scrawny and skinny back then and quiet. He was an easy mark for the others to pick on. Tharin was already in training by the time he turned six so he wasn’t around to witness the abuse. When Tharin was around, I remember Ziri following Tharin everywhere, but always several feet behind him. He would hide when Tharin would turn around. This went on for a while until one day Tharin backtracked and snuck up behind Ziri. From that point on Ziri walked by Tharin’s side as we all did. No one said or mistreated Ziri after that, at least not when we were around.

  “Two months before Ziri’s fifteenth birthday, his Grandfather Zorn, the Cithonai of the Lithi, came for him.”

  “Cithonai?” I ask, interrupting him this time.

  “It’s the Lithi’s term for ‘king,’” he answers, before moving on. “Zorn had been to the north all these years and word of what his daughter did to her only child finally reached him.”

  “Wait,” I interrupt, yet again. “It took ten years for Ziri’s grandfather to get the news of what his daughter did to his own grandson?”

  “That’s ten years in your time. It’s almost twenty years our time,” he corrects.

  “What? Are you serious?” I blurt out in shock.

  “Yes,” he replies. He sits staring at me.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Are you done? We only have a few weeks before the Seating, and I’d like to finish before we have to leave.”

  “Fine, whatever…go on. Go,” I prompt when he still sits quietly. I roll my eyes at him, “I promise…I won’t interrupt again.”

  He nods and continues, “Zorn came to the Oak Clan immediately and spoke to my uncle to allow Ziri to leave with him so that he would know his Lithi heritage. As Ziri’s father, Thilthen had the right to refuse, but he knew Zorn was a proud man. Although he had four grandsons older than Ziri, Thilthen knew that Kali, Ziri’s mother, was his only daughter. Besides, Zorn was adamant about not leaving the Tower without Ziri. My uncle gave the decision to Ziri and without hesitation Ziri chose to leave with Zorn. Just like that. We had no idea that he wanted to leave. My uncle loves all of his sons, but he wanted to give Ziri his support, so he relented. He let Ziri go with his grandfather on the condition that Ziri return before his eighteenth birthday. Zorn agreed.

  “We were all shocked by Ziri’s decision, but it was harder on Tharin and when he went to embrace Ziri farewell, Ziri moved away from him. We were stunned and the look of anger and betrayal on Ziri’s face hurt Tharin deeply. Without another word, Ziri walked away with Zorn and never looked back. Until this day, we still don’t know what happened.

  “Through the seasons, Tolan and Alorn would try and stay in contact with him. At one point, Alorn even rode out to Cithon, the valley of the Lithi, but returned saying he was turned away. On the occasions when we did meet, Ziri seemed to always provoke Tharin into a fight and Tolan or Alorn would have to step in between them. Alorn took Ziri’s attack against Tharin personally. Alorn is First Greaneth, Tharin’s protector, and takes his responsibility seriously.

  “When Ziri returned as promised, the wall he built between him and Tharin was solid and one that Alorn couldn’t tear down without facing Ziri in a fight.” Mellis turns to me shrugging, “Ziri is big and can hold his own in battle, but not against Alorn.”

  “I can’t imagine it, they’re so big,” I remark absently.

  “Lily, everyone is big compared to you.”

  I smack him on the arm. “Whatever. So what happened next?”

  “Well, after his return, it took a few months, but the love and bond once shared between Ziri and my uncle grew stronger each day. Often you would find Ziri at Thilthen’s side, almost always finding them in laughter. We were happy to have Ziri back, Tharin too, even from a distance.

  “A while back, Ziri received news Zorn had passed away. He was called back to Cithon by his eldest cousin and new Cithonai, Brenam. It was a formality, of course, and Ziri left to pay his respects. But, once the funeral was over, jealous of Zorn’s love for his younger cousin, the new Cithonai banished Ziri from their valley claiming Ziri betrayed the Lithi by returning to Thilthen’s side. Upon his returned, we had already heard of the banishment, but there was something e
lse eating at Ziri. He stayed a week, oftentimes in quiet conversation with Thilthen. At the end of that week, Ziri left, but this time he shunned Alorn, too. It hurt Alorn more than he would admit.

  “Tharin was furious and he confronted Ziri on the bridge from the Oak Tower. Ziri remained quiet, not saying a word until Tharin was done. Then he said, ‘It’s not enough that you’ve betrayed me, but you now accuse me of not having any feelings, as well. You should look to yourself, brother.’ Tolan and I rode behind Tharin so I was close enough to not only hear what Ziri had to say, but see the look of confusion, anger and hurt on Tharin’s face.”

  Mellis sat quietly reflecting on all that he shared. Then he looks over at me saying, “That’s all I really know. Alorn never spoke of his time when he went to see Ziri. And they haven’t spoken since.”

  “Wow,” I reply shaking my head “seems like there’s a lot of drama in your family.”

  Mellis laughs, “Yeah, you can say that.”

  “What about you, Mellis? Are you angry at Ziri, too?”

  Mellis shrugs. “Nah. I used to look up to Ziri, like I did with them all. And, yeah, I was sad when he left, but I figured he did what he did because he had a good reason to. That, unfortunately, didn’t work for the others. They wanted answers.”

  We sit tending to our own thoughts. I decide that where Ziri is concerned with Tharin, Alorn and Tolan I’ll follow Mellis’ take on it. Whatever their issues, I’m staying out of it. I have too many of my own to deal with, especially the ones dealing with my future husband.

  I look out at the landscape before me and push Alorn and Ziri from my mind. My eyes are instinctively drawn to the patch of giant oaks. One thing is for certain – as long as I’m here in Velesi, I will never be alone. No, that’s not right. As long as I’m Tharin’s betrothed, I will never be alone. One of them, Mellis, Alorn or Phoris and even Ziri will always be near when Tharin isn’t. And then there’s Cessa. I close my eyes and quietly call her. I feel the leaf move beneath me and when I open my eyes the black cat is sitting next to me looking out toward the Oak Tower.