The Drifting

by L. Filloon

  “What’s that?” asks Tolan as he sits next to Ka looking exhausted.

  “It’s a journal,” replies Ka cryptically.

  “By who?” questions Tolan leaning in to get a closer look.

  “A Manui queen named Se’lliane. She was given the honor of protecting the key until the child of prophecy was born. She put it in the palm of a statue made from sea salt from the Wera Sea. She kept it on her desk as a paperweight…in plain view.” He looks up at me and asks, “Where’s the stone from the Manui soldier?”

  “I gave it to Lily,” I answer. “I attached it to a chain made of Thessi’s gold. It can’t be removed unless she takes it off…or I do.”

  Ka nods going back to the book. “According to Se’lliane’s notes, Lily has to have the stone with her when she stands before the doorway to Eirrell. The stone is the key that will open the way once she does whatever it is she’s supposed to do to open it.” That makes sense. It’s like the Malainisi stone that allows Cessa to travel between her realm and ours.

  “What is it that she has to do?” asks father.

  Ka shakes his head, “I don’t know. There’s nothing specific here that says what happens once she’s reached the doorway. Not only that, but some of the entries are blurred with age.”

  “Anything more in there about Velesi being destroyed?” asks my father as he leans in trying to read the small handwriting scribbled on the old parchment pages.

  “No.” replies Ka. “It only repeats that the virgin queen will bring death to Eirrell and so on.”

  “Where did you get that book?” I ask.

  “The library at the Willow Clan,” answers Ka.

  “How did you get it?” I question further as I move away from the table. It really doesn’t matter to me how Ka got it, but I have to distract myself from thoughts of Lily. I don’t like that she is the queen in the prophecy. It was hard enough for her to accept who she really is and the responsibility she carries with that acceptance.

  “I have an inside man at the Willow Clan. And since Falsad and Harlu don’t know it exists, it was easy for him to retrieve it for me,” answers Ka going back to reading the journal.

  “So, they aren’t aware of the prophecy?” asks Tolan.

  “This isn’t the only book written about the prophecy, so we need to assume that they do,” replies Ka. Tolan goes back to reading the book, nodding his head as if he understood.

  “What’s on your mind, son?” asks my father as he watches me closely.

  I turn and face him, and then turn to Ka asking, “And then what?”

  Ka looks up from the book, “What do you mean?”

  “What happens to Lily once she’s opened the door?”

  The old elf looks over at my father and an exchange occurs between the two. “I’m not sure,” replies Ka slowly. “The writing here is almost illegible, it was written six thousand years ago after Kalinest formed the clans.”

  “So, you’re saying there’s no guarantee that Lily will come out of all this unharmed or alive once she’s opened the portal?”

  Tolan sits back in his chair interested to hear Ka’s answer. It is father who answers, “No, Tharin, there is no guarantee.”

  “Then no. I won’t risk losing her to open a doorway to a realm that we don’t even know still exists. Do you even know if it remained intact after the Great War?” I direct my question to Ka. He sighs before giving a negative headshake.

  “We don’t have a choice, Tharin,” answers father. He lifts his hand to quiet me when I’m about to argue. “Velesi wasn’t form by the natures of law, Tharin. It was form by the will of a Sidhe, Kalinest. Granted, he had help from the Ancients, but at that time there were thirteen. There are only six remaining and they carry centuries of burdens on their shoulders.”

  “What about you and your wife?” asks Tolan, directing his question at Ka.

  Ka sits back in his chair, pushing away the diary. “We are Ancients, but not of the original thirteen. Although we were there, we have aged as well and don’t have the strength needed to keep the realm in tact.

  “Intact?” questions Tolan, leaning forward. “What are you talking about?”

  “The realm, Velesi, was created by the will of Sidhe and only six of them remain. Once the last Ancient dies, so does the realm.”

  “What?” Tolan sits up at the news and turns to me with a stunned look on his face.

  Father leans back into his chair and he too, looks my way. Ka stares at me as well, all three waiting for a response. Ka rubs at his chin saying, “We couldn’t take the risk of telling you before you left for Lily.”

  Tolan turns to Father looking a bit hurt, “You didn’t trust us?”

  “Here in the Oak Tower I can block your thoughts, Tolan, but not in Pathen. I couldn’t risk having your thoughts and conversations overheard. This Eathos is as powerful as Ka says. He is only equal to Kalinest. I won’t pretend he didn’t know of the prophecy before you left, Tharin. But we couldn’t take that chance – we need her. You weren’t trusted with your feelings about the treaty, the marriage and Lily.”

  “So, you see, Tharin,” continues Ka, “it really doesn’t matter if Lily dies at the portal. We’ll all be dead when the last of the Ancients is killed.”

  “Killed?” Tolan, no longer able to stand still, starts pacing.

  “Only Muniso died of natural causes, the rest were murdered,” states Ka, a fleeting look of pain crossing his old face.

  “Murdered? Are you sure?” questions Tolan, still pacing.

  “Yes, we’re sure. Four were made to look like accidents; the other two were poisoned, made to look like natural causes. As for those still with us, they’re under the protection of the king’s guard.”

  Tolan looks at Father, disbelief on his face, “Since when?”

  “Since Ziri’s departure,” he answers, looking at both of us quietly. Nodding his head, he goes on “When Ziri was banished from his grandfather’s clan he was done so by Zorn’s request; a request that was discussed with me prior to his death. We needed Ziri to find his own way, without any attachment, that way he was easily persuaded to work with Ka and Sema to help save our realm – and in taking Lily from you.”

  “Why take her from me?” I ask. Although my words were quiet, I become restless and I know Tolan senses it. He walks over and stands by me.

  “After we learned that Falsad and Harlu were in hot pursuit, we decided to spread the rumor that Lily was killed during the journey home. We had to keep her hidden, and we knew you wouldn’t let her go, especially with Ziri in the picture.”

  Taking a deep breath, Father leans forward, elbows on the table. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the prophecy, and I had no intentions of betraying your trust,” he says pointedly at Tolan. Eyes back on me, “But until we were certain of the murders of Ancients, we had hoped our only worry was Falsad. Three weeks from now he will have Harlu at the Seating to claim the throne to the Willow Clan. But it’s only a distraction, that’s all that is. The impending war, the taking of the Oak Tower, is only to distract us from Eathos’ real purpose…to destroy Velesi and then Eirrell. We’re certain Eathos will make his appearance at the Seating where he will attempt to take Lily from us.”

  “Can you now appreciate the magnitude of our situation, Prince?” asks Ka quietly. “It’s true that Lily is the key, but you must remember who she and her ancestor are. At the opening of the doorway, before death comes for her, the Unnamed Sidhe will come to her aid. We just hope he reaches her in time.”

  That was a week ago. I spent that night in my bed trying to get some much-needed rest, but I found myself unable to sleep because I was thinking and worrying about Lily. When I was able to close my eyes, and every night since, the vision of her in the rain teases and torments me. I can still feel her lips, the small tremble that went through her when I kissed her. Soon, other visions, more passionate and real keep me awake until I realize the sun is coming up. So much for sleep.

  I watch
her sleep with her arm on top of Cessa. The big cat raises her head to look at me, giving me a soft greeting, as she’s done each night I’ve come to visit. Lily raises her head sleepily. Cessa, as she’s done each time Lily would wake, nuzzles at her until Lily places her head back on her pillow. I let out a heavy sigh as I make my way to Lily’s bed.

  I understand the first week was hard on her. I could tell by her breathing how exhausted she was. But tonight she seems to be breathing a little easier. Her body is becoming accustomed to the hard training, and I know Ziri and Alorn haven’t given her any special treatment. I know Alorn in particular is serious when it comes to protecting Lily. It’s just his way, the warrior way.

  Like the nights before, I send Cessa back to Malainisi soon after my arrival. In her place next to Lily, I lay close watching her sleep. I reach out and trace her face knowing she wouldn’t feel my touch. I take a deep breath as I notice another black eye and her fat lip. Damn it, Alorn. You and Ziri are supposed to train her, not beat the crap out of her. I move slightly so I can take a look at her arms, the bruises and the gash seem to have healed somewhat, but I’ve seen the bruises on her small body. When this is all over, I’m putting Alorn and Ziri in the arena back at the tower. They think Lily looks bad, wait until I get through with them.

  Like the nights before, I feel myself slipping into sleep. It seems the only way I can find rest is when I’m next to her. I also know once I do, I would return to my own body to awake rested…and alone. Before I do, however, I can’t help but wonder why she hasn’t come to me in the drift state. Is she too tired, or is she ignoring me? If I didn’t know better, I would think she had forgotten about me.

  ~ * ~

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ~ Lily ~

  Alorn was right. As the days passed, my training became easier and I found myself waking early each day to get started. I completed the ten-mile run halfway through the third week without killing myself coming down the steps. I learned to use my momentum to carry me onto to the next leg of the run. Instead of running straight into the woods and using my face to stop myself on the trees. I simply turned on the path letting my speed take me forward.

  The bow and arrow has become my friend and my favorite training session of the day. I’ve learned to aim and shoot without destroying my forearms. Granted, I’ve missed every mark I’ve aimed for, but my technique’s improving. As for the sparring, I’ve gotten my footwork down, but my attack is still off. When you’re trying to hit a Sidhe warrior, the concept and technique are there, but if you don’t have the speed, forget about it.

  I’m getting really good at blocking Ziri’s fast punches and kicks. My face is no longer getting hit, but my arms and legs are still tattooed with bruises. Like Ziri tells me every session, it’s better to have my arms bruised than have my ribs broken. I’ve started to learn how to use the knife. And trust me, when I say that Ziri is very detailed about how to take out an opponent with a knife.

  Every now and then Alorn would have me call Cessa to get use to having her by my side during attacks. He said I had to trust that she would have my back and take care of herself. If I’m distracted because she’s hurt, it could mean life and death for the both of us. And he was right. During one lesson Ziri was shooting arrows at us, and I was so worried about Cessa getting hit I almost broke my neck running into another tree. Regardless, I loved having her, and I can tell Cessa loved training with me. When she’s not running alongside me, she’s standing next to Alorn or Ziri watching on the sidelines.

  My biggest challenge, of course, was Kulzo. I’ve learned to be still and take slow, soft steps to use his poor eyesight against him. I can’t fight Kulzo head-on because he outmatches me with his weight, strength and unbelievable speed for someone with such short legs. So, I use the environment around me and what I learned from Sema. With enough concentration, I’m able to move energy around us to cause the vine that we’re practicing on to move at my will. Of course, Kulzo becomes confused moving in one direction as I come up behind him from another. As for my scent, the energy helps me there as well. I call upon it to act as a gentle cyclone around me, not only covering my scent but any movement that would make the old dwarf aware of my whereabouts. Still, in the end, the lesson doesn’t end unless I take him down. I got better and better in moving around him and at him, but once he’s got a hold of me, there’s no escaping his grip. Each time he pins me, he laughs while I struggle for air under his weight. He would squint at me and say, “Almost, girlie…almost.”

  What I lacked in the physical training I made up in my lessons with Sema. Once I understood the calling, as Sema calls it, manipulating the energy to my will almost seems like second nature. I can tell by the few times Sema would be surprised at a particularly difficult maneuver I would ace on the first few tries. But I’ve been unable to elevate myself as I did the first time Sema brought me to the platform. Sema couldn’t teach me because she’s never known anyone to levitate at the height that I was, including her. I didn’t want to tell her, however, that sometimes I had help. It’s the woman who only speaks to me in my mind. When I close my eyes to concentrate, she would whisper to me, guiding me on the intricacies of certain callings. It’s strange, but when she’s with me I feel comforted and not so alone.

  The rain had finally lightened up and a steady drizzle accompanies Ziri and me back to the thela after another rigorous workout with Kulzo. Alorn wasn’t there this morning and I assumed he and Ziri either met with someone who provided supplies and news, or they actually travel directly to the Oak Tower.

  It was an exhausting training session today and I feel the soreness mostly in my legs. I walk beside Ziri knowing that he’s keeping to my slower pace, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I look about me at the plants that I’ve come to recognize during the past weeks. The giant saidai plants offer their leaves as protection from the rain during our walk back home. As we pass under each leaf, they would slowly retract leaving no sign of a covered walkway behind us.

  I’ve come a long ways with Ziri. I trust him in keeping me straight and on point with my training. I’ve come to trust him in keeping Sema and me safe. Without knowing it, I’ve come to trust him in this new life. The Day of the Seating is only a few days away and all of this – the training, our quiet little thela with Sema and Alorn, this oasis that I’ve called home for the past weeks will be gone.

  I wonder about Julia and her training. Alorn told me Tharin has put her in training with his personal guards and that Julia is excelling. Of course she is, and I’m pretty sure she would blow me out of the water if she were training her with me. Yet, I can’t wait to show her what I’ve learned. Maybe next time she puts gloves on me I’ll give her a run for her money. I smile at the thought, the forgotten loneliness poking his head out again.

  “You okay?” asks Ziri as he nudges me with his elbow.

  Still looking out at the rain, I answer, “Yeah. I’m missing Julia. You know this is the first time we’ve ever been apart for so long. We’ve never gone more than a day or so before we’re on our cell phones with each other or meeting up somewhere.”

  “From what you and Alorn have said about her, she sounds strong. Alorn speaks of her with respect, and coming from him…that’s saying much.”

  I finally look up at him. I study his profile as he continues to stare ahead, as he always does. “Why do you hate Tharin?” I don’t know where it came from, but now that I’ve said it I want to know.

  Ziri looks sideways at me without changing his course or his pace. Just when I thought he would say something, he shifts his gaze back to where we’re heading. We continue walking in silence when he suddenly stops. It takes me a moment to realize that he has and I turn to face him, giving him a puzzled look.

  “Her name is Nameth and she is the first girl I’ve loved, still love and will ever love.” I don’t know how to respond so I remain standing, waiting.

  Ziri shakes his head, embarrassed by his admission. He looks about and then takes my ar
m, leading me to a fallen kavi nearby. The trunk of the dead tree is wet, but so are we. The saidai adjusts their leaves to accommodate our new position and once covered, I sit next to the big elf who kidnapped me and wait for his story.

  Ziri leans forward, elbows on his knees, staring out into the open. “She was one of the first I met when my mother brought me to the Oak Clan. She was standing next to Phoris, who even as a little boy was built like a boulder, but just as kind. She was holding on to him, and while others stared at us as if we were from the UnderRealm, she was the only one not staring. She had her eyes cast down, looking at her feet. It wasn’t until later that I found out she wasn’t looking at me because she couldn’t see me. Nameth is blind.”

  Ziri becomes quiet and after a moment I ask, “What does she look like?”

  He leans back with a wistful smile, “Beautiful. She has red hair…”

  “Red hair?” I ask shocked. I thought everyone at the Oak Clan had blonde hair from what I’ve seen so far.

  Ziri gives me a challenging look, “Yeah, red hair. Is that a problem?”

  I shake my head at him, backing up, “No…sorry, go on.”

  “Red hair,” he says again giving me an arched look, “tall and eyes the color of cinnamon.” Cinnamon? I’ve never heard eyes described as cinnamon, must be the love talking. “She has a voice that angels envy and a smile that can light up a room…and her skin, soft and clear.” Okay, definitely the love talking here. I try not to laugh at this big elf looking like he can knock a tree down with one punch talking about cinnamon eyes and soft skin. Instead, I give him a lopsided grin. Embarrassed, he looks down at his hand with a small laugh. “Yeah, I know, it’s crazy. But I was crazy about her, still am if truth be known.”

  “Does she have the same feelings?”