The Drifting

by L. Filloon

  Before me in the shadows, still and standing with his large beast beside him, is the same orc bounty hunter. He is dressed as he was, the rack of knives lined down his chest in a double formation glints from what little light the stars provide, despite the rain. He smiles and softly whistles a light tune. We wait as more orcs dressed as he appears along both sides of the path. All of them wearing Sidhe cape and all hooded, and at each of their sides is a beast of their own. I’ve never seen them before nor have I heard of any renegade gang of orcs. I had mistakenly assumed that the orc before me was a bounty hunter, but I can see he’s an assassin. And the Sidhe capes are from their leader, Harlu. I know that because they’re wearing the Ange symbol on their capes – the black arrow emblem.

  “Phoris, how many?” I call to my cousin.

  “There are six on my side,” replies Phoris quietly.

  “There are six on mine, as well,” shares Tolan.

  “I will handle the beasts,” adds Ka. I look at the old elf and he turns to me, giving me a wink. “Don’t let this old dog fool you, son. I’m as bad as they come.”

  And then all hell breaks loose.

  ~ * ~

  Chapter Sixteen

  ~ Lily ~

  Every time I think I’m going to be sick of chicken pasta, I find myself devouring every plate put before me. Tonight, one was enough. Throughout dinner my thoughts were on Tharin, always on Tharin. I can’t seem to think of nothing else.

  “Tomorrow, we’ll start early,” says Ziri as he finishes off his third plate of pasta. Alorn had two plates, and I believe Mellis is polishing off his fifth. How can elves eat so much and still be in the shape that they’re in? It must be their high metabolism. I remember riding on Tharin’s back, and I swear the room seems to sway just at the thought of the speed we were traveling. If it weren’t for Tolan’s potion he gave Julia and me for the rest of the trip, I don’t think either of us would have made it. That entire event of the last part of our trip comes back to me, and I see glimpses of moments that I shared with Tharin. I see visions of him tying me to his back; of him rubbing my legs after he untied me, of him laughing as we stood before the doorway to Velesi, and finally, his look of terror when Ziri grabbed me from his side. I look over at Ziri and can’t imagine him as the same person who kidnapped me. In the short time we’ve known each other, I find myself liking him, even trusting him. It then occurred to me that something is missing from this picture.

  I turn to Sema, asking, “Before Ziri knocked me out –”

  “Ziri knocked you out?” asks Alorn, tension seeming to rise around him. Even Mellis shoots Ziri a hard look.

  I sigh, “No, he didn’t really hit me, he pricked my wrist with a thorn and then I was out.”

  Mellis relaxes and goes back to finishing his chicken pasta, but Alorn continues to stare at his cousin. Ziri sits back giving Alorn a crooked grin.

  I shake my head at them and turn back to Sema. “As I was saying, before Ziri, you know, put me under, there was a wolf standing next to him.” I turn to look at Ziri, “Right? There was a wolf standing next to you.”

  Ziri nods and when I look over, Sema is looking at me with that knowing smile of hers. “Of course there was, Lily. It was me.”

  I don’t think I heard her right. “You? What do you mean it was you?”

  Before my eyes, Sema begins to fade in and out; her body slowly changing form. At first it seems as if she’s disappearing and shrinking at the same time. Next, she begins to change to something bestial…furry with large ears and snout. The last of the transformation is so sudden I almost leap out of my chair. The wolf eyes me steadily until I realize the eyes belong to Sema. It didn’t matter – my heart is beating so fast I think I’m about to pass out. I slowly turn to face the others and I get the feeling they are just as surprised as I am, except for Ziri.

  Alorn looks at me with concern while both Mellis and Ziri stare at me curiously, but no one moves. Finally, Mellis asks, “Lily, are you all right?”

  I shake my head slowly at them and turning to Ziri, I ask nervously, “You…you’re not going to turn into a vampire, are you?”

  “What?” he replies, looking at me as if I was a crazy person.

  Suddenly, Mellis does the whole speeding thing and is at my side before I can take my next breath. He covers the lower part of his face with his elbow giving me a dark sensual look that is so ridiculous that I forget that I’m supposed to be scared to death. He twitches his eyebrows at me and says with the worst Dracula imitation I’ve ever heard, “I vont to bite your neck.” He grabs me with his other arm and does the yum-yum-yum noise again as he tries to pull me close. That was it – I’m done. I start to laugh uncontrollably as I try to push him off me.

  “Tharin was right,” says Alorn from across the table, “you do watch way too many movies.” He shakes his head at me. I look over at Ziri and he continues to stare at me archly as if questioning my sanity.

  Mellis is back at his seat and gives me a wink. I throw my napkin at him, still laughing. When I look back at Sema, she’s once again herself. “How are you able to do that? Can I do that?”

  Sema shakes her head, “Not everyone has the patience to shape-shift.” She looks over at Alorn. “You and Tharin have the ability to learn how, but you’re still too involved with your warrior skills. Time will come when the two of you will learn how to shape-shift. Tharin is marked, he will become the panther tattooed and scarred on his arm. You, however, haven’t found yours yet.”

  Alorn stares at the old woman, his face unreadable. Mellis sits up asking, “How about me?”

  “All Sidhe have the ability to do so, but only a few can master it. At the moment, only Ka and I have mastered the transformation. You,” she addresses Ziri, “have the blood of the Lithi, and although you don’t have the ability to shift, you are able to communicate with the beasts.”

  “I’ve never done that,” replies Ziri thoughtfully.

  “No, you haven’t, but you’ve always had a way with animals. It’s too bad that you’re mad at your brother; he has the ability, so does Alorn. You should put aside your issues with them and ask them to teach you how it’s done.”

  “Pfft,” is Ziri’s only response.

  Sema shrugs her shoulders and turns to me. “As for you, Lily, unfortunately, it is one of a few abilities you don’t possess.”

  I look over at Mellis and he gives me a quirky grin. “It’s okay, cousin. We can still beat them at eating chicken pasta.”

  “Speak for yourself,” I reply. Although I’m grateful for Mellis’ attempt at keeping it light, I am a little disappointed. Then again, none of them, including Tharin, would be a match for my Cessa. I lightly touch the black onyx on my wrist and smile wistfully. She does belong with me. Tharin gave her to me as a wedding gift and once again my thoughts are on him, but they’re not thoughts I was expecting.

  The images of Tharin shift and suddenly the room grows dark. I’m no longer in the thela but out in the rain standing in unfamiliar woods. Around me are dark giant trees and I’m standing on a path. I turn to see Julia on the ground fighting someone in a cloak and Tharin comes to help her as he takes another cloaked attacker down with his sword of fire. Tolan is fighting back to back with the old man from the minimart. He’s using his chains on more attackers while the old man is pointing a stick at what looks like huge wild dogs. They seem more like werewolves that come out of nowhere.

  Tharin has Julia on her feet and they stand back to back until she takes off and takes down another attacker charging Phoris from behind. Phoris has silver rings spinning before him, behind him – they seem to be spinning all over the place. As Julia gets up, one of the rings takes the head of the attacker she took down. She now stands back to back with Phoris.

  Julia! Oh my God, is this a dream? I turn to find Tharin facing off with another cloaked attacker, but this one seems different. Next to him is a beast bigger than the others…and Tharin is without Cessa. Oh my God, why did he give her to me? Just when
the cloaked man and beast leap at him I’m suddenly back in the kavi thela.

  Somehow I’m lying on the floor with Sema holding my head on her lap. I’m out of breath as if I’ve sprinted a mile in only a few minutes. “It’s all right, child. You had a vision and I’ve seen it, too. I’ve sent Alorn, Ziri and Mellis to help. It’ll be all right, Lily. Calm your breathing.”

  I sit up quickly and stare at her unbelievably, “Are you kidding me? Out of nowhere I get a vision, black out and then you tell me that you sent the guys to help them? I’m wondering if I’m going out of my mind, if this is all real, and all you can tell me is to calm my breathing? What is up with you, lady? Take me to them…I want to be with my friend.”

  “You mean, you want to be with Tharin.”

  “Yes, no…I mean, I want to be with Julia, she’s in trouble…and yes, I want to be with Tharin, too. What’s wrong with that?” I get up off the floor and head out to the landing, but the door doesn’t appear. I turn to Sema, “Let me out!”

  “No. You will calm yourself, Lily. You know I can’t let you go to them.” Sema remains seated, arms folded before her.

  “No, you’re going to let me out and send me to them, or I will…”

  “You will what, Lily? Go home? Leave and try to find your way to wherever it is they are?”

  “I’ll walk this whole damn realm if I have to, and I swear I won’t do anything you want from me – ever.” I’m so angry now I feel myself shaking with rage.

  We said nothing as we glare at each other and just when I thought I would start begging, Sema sighs, irritated. “Very well. I can take us to them, but you must stay at my side at all times. Is that understood?”

  I nod eagerly, not sure of what to do next and I feel the panic rising. Sema’s stare finally cuts through my panic and I try to calm down. Straightening my shoulders I ask, “How?”

  “Come here,” she says reaching out to me with both hands. I move closer until we’re inches from each other. She takes my wrists and I immediately feel anchored to her, not just physically, but emotionally, too.

  “Close your eyes, Lily. I want you to see yourself at the path, but this time I’ll be there with you.”

  “Are we drifting, Sema? I know how to do this.”

  “No, we’re not drifting. I’m taking us there physically.”

  “Teleport? You’re teleporting us?”

  Before she can answer, once again I’m back in the dark woods standing to the side of the path, the rain pouring around us. Beside me, true to her word, is Sema. She’s holding on to my wrist while watching the scene before her intently. I see that wearing a hooded cloak against the rain and I not – I’m immediately drenched. Turning to me Sema says, “Remember, we are not in the drifting state, Lily, so be quiet and make no moves to be seen. If we distract Tharin and the others, it may cost them their lives. Do you understand?”

  I nod, nervous and scared that I would cost Tharin, Julia and the rest of my soon-to-be family any harm. I find Julia, watching her anxiously. I know she can take of herself, but these are not Frank and Chris. These are assassins and they are far more dangerous. “What can I do to help?” I whisper to Sema without taking my eyes off Julia. I feel myself react to a blow to the back of her head and it takes everything I have not to run to her when she falls. The hooded attacker stands above her ready to give the final blow. Screw this!

  I make to take off, but Sema holds me in place. Her grip is unbelievably strong and I can’t seem to pry her fingers from me. She pulls me back hard and then points back to the fight. I turn in time to see her attacker reach up suddenly at his throat. Tolan’s silver chains are twisted tightly around his neck, and with a hard jerk, Tolan sends Julia’s attacker flying, his head landing several feet from the rest of his body. Tolan is instantly at Julia’s side, standing above her, his chains dancing protectively around them, stopping any attackers from coming in close.

  The attackers, moving like shadows, continue to endlessly come forth from the woods. And then there are the giant dog-like beasts. The old man seems to be able to handle them, but sooner or later they’ll overwhelm him, too. I feel Sema stiffen beside me and with a release breath, she lets go of me and waves her hands before her. She pulls her hands in and with a slow push, an energy pulse surges from her and spreads forth like an invisible wave. The old man comes to a standstill and looks over at us. He smiles at his wife and gives her a wink. As Sema’s energy moves forward, every beast it touches drops to the ground fast asleep. Her husband spins the stick overhead and acts as if the beasts are dropping because of him. In doing so, he keeps the attention away from us.

  The one fighting Tharin leaps back in a crouch and watches his own beast wobble on his legs before falling heavily to the ground fast asleep. Without his pet to assist he’s at a disadvantage in his fight against Tharin. Stepping back, he whistles and more men and beasts surge from the forest. Three beasts are cut down by Tolan’s chains leaving an opening for a fourth to charge at him, taking him down. I see another from the far end charging where Julia lies and my heart drops. Without thinking I call for Cessa my attention fully on protecting Julia.

  The black stealth, blacker than the shadows dancing about, rushes at Julia, leaping over her and hits head-on with the attacking beast. Cessa is bigger than the large dogs and easily takes her prey down. Her sharp fangs give a final twist at the dog’s neck, killing it. As another cloaked attacker rushes at Julia with a blade in his hand. Cessa cuts him off, taking him down fast. She makes her way to Julia and crouches protectively over her, her hackles up, fangs showing and her tail whipping behind her as if with a mind of its own.

  I turn to Sema whispering harshly, “I need to help them.”

  “Don’t force me to send you back, Lilianethia,” she threatens followed by a stern look. “If you go now, you will get Tharin killed.”

  “Tharin is fine, it’s Julia who needs me,” I beg, turning back to see two flashes flying into the midst of the melee. Ziri is dropped unceremoniously near Tharin, but rolls out and is quickly on his feet as a black dog leaps at him. He easily catches it, but instead of throwing it aside, he slams it to the ground followed by a knee in the gut. The animal remains motionless. Ziri is up and tosses his cape as he pulls from behind him a sword similar to Tharin’s but without the fire dancing about it. Out of nowhere another short blade appears – a blade as silver as Tolan’s chains. Daggers are flying everywhere and the sound of deflections from rings and blades ring throughout the rainy night.

  Tolan! I quickly turn to locate him and see that Alorn is at his cousin’s side, his blades in both hands as they move in quick succession to slice through his opponents. It’s as if he’s performing a fluid dance with the blades. He spins and turns sending blood and rain about him like aerobatic splashes as if by design keeping tempo with his dance-like form.

  I catch a glimpse of Mellis and I have a hard time keeping track. Mellis is using his speed to do run-by attacks moving through the attackers at breakneck speed – slashing and stabbing, taking out opponents as he goes.

  “Enough! TeaSemalienna, come to me!” calls the old man, his voice booming over the chaos.

  He stands in the midst of the fighting with his stick over his head. His hand reaches out to Sema and with speed that rivals Mellis, she appears at his side. I move to follow but find my feet routed to the spot. I look up in time to see Tharin’s surprised look to see me at the same time his opponent does. But I don’t care, all I can think of, all I can focus on, is Julia lying motionless with Cessa remaining at her side.

  I watch as Sema stands with her back against her husband’s and together they reach for the heavens. Bolts of lightning are pulled from the sky called forth by the old couple, capturing the bolts with open palms. They bring their hands down and spread their arms to the side sending lightning out into the fray – hitting every attacker and their beasts. The unfortunate scream of the men and high wailing from the beasts fill the air and I place my hands over my ears trying to b
lock out the sound of death around me.

  It takes me a second to realize that Tharin is holding me close to him trying to bar the noise from my ears. It wasn’t necessary, but I hold on to him anyway. I start to shake and he tightens his hold, his face close to mine and I can feel his breath on me. I shift my head to stare up at him and I’m captured by his look of longing. And time stands still.

  My eyes lower to his lips. The feel of his chest and arms around me arouse unfamiliar feelings and the unknown excitement of it sends chills through me. I hold my breath as he leans in and kisses me. The soft contact is like being hit by one of the lightning bolts. He pulls away slightly, giving me a strange look. I feel weak and lightheaded. I hold on tighter, afraid to let him go. His hold grows urgent as he runs his hand up my side, reaching for my face, holding it in place as he leans in to recapture my lips. I feel the tender brush of his tongue lightly lick my upper lip and my world grows dark. And in this darkness there is only Tharin. I feel dizzy and I’m torn between passing out in his arms, and throwing my arms around him hard to pull him even closer. All I know is that I never want him to let me go.

  “Tharin, let her go.” It’s like coming up for air after being underwater for far too long when Sema interrupts us. I lay my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat, breathing hard. I feel him shift slightly to glance behind him, and then he turns back to nuzzle my hair, giving me the sense that he has no intentions of ever letting go.