The Drifting

by L. Filloon

  He gives a short snort as he straightens looking out once more, “Oh yeah, but for someone else.”

  Ah, I understand now. Nodding, I say, “Tharin.”

  He nods still not looking at me. I sit next to him thinking about who this Nameth is and not liking her for hurting Ziri. To be honest, I don’t like her for liking Tharin…damn, I hate admitting that. I mentally scold myself – this is about Ziri, not you. I reach out and touch his arm causing him to give me a sideways glance and a small smile.

  “I know, I shouldn’t blame Tharin,” he continues. “He didn’t know she existed, at least not that way. He always treated her with kindness…he treated every female in the court with kindness and nothing more. Yet, they all fell for him, still do, I’m sure. It’s a wonder that there are actual couples in the clan with him around.”

  Not liking hearing about Tharin and other women I cut in, “Well, did you ever tell her how you felt?”

  He shakes his head, “I was about to. I sent her word through a mutual friend to meet me in the Summer Garden. Even though she wouldn’t know it, I dressed in my best clothes, cleaned myself up. I was going to tell her then how I truly felt and hoped that she would see me, truly see me from all that she’d known of me through our years growing up.”

  When he’s silent once again, I slip my hand under his arm wrapping it around him as I move closer to him. “What happened,” I ask quietly.

  “She was there waiting. She has a keen sense of hearing, so she heard me approach before I even stepped into the garden. When she turned, she was crying and upset. I didn’t know what was happening and I went to her to try and comfort her; but she pushed me away telling me I had ruined any chance she had with Tharin. She accused me of going to Tharin and telling him about her feelings and that we laughed about it, making it into a joke. She told me everything the others said about me was true, that I was an ugly monster, a freak of nature, and worse, jealous of Tharin.”

  I hug his arm to me, laying my head against his shoulder. I reach for his hand, giving it a small squeeze. He grasps it, holding it steady. Then he removes his arm from my hold and wraps it around my shoulder, holding me to him. We remain this way for a while without saying anything. Finally, I say, “You know it was a lie, right? And it kind of sounds like maybe Tharin didn’t know anything about what Nameth was saying either.” I lean away to look at his face. “Did you ever ask him?”

  He releases me and leans forward placing his elbows on his knees again as he shakes his head. “Hmmm,” I muse, “for someone who has it together when it comes to fighting, intrigue and crazy-ass training, you’re not very smart, are you?”

  He glances back at me, “Intrigue?”

  “Umm…yeah. You did kidnap me, remember?”

  Ziri sighs heavily as he continues. “I was fourteen in Pathen years then, an adolescent. I was so hurt and angry by her words that I lashed out at who I thought was to blame…Tharin. As I got older that anger just seemed to always be there and I didn’t know how to get past it. I mean, by then Tharin was already pretty pissed at me. After that he just kept his distance.”

  “And Alorn?”

  “Hmmm…he and Tharin are more alike than Tharin and Tolan. Tolan and Phoris are more alike in nature and thought. What hurts Tharin, Alorn takes personally.”

  “What of Mellis?”

  “There’s no one like Mellis,” he answers with a wry grin. I laugh thinking that if Mellis were here he’d have a smart comeback to that.

  “So, in actuality, she’s the reason you left.”

  Ziri gives me a slanted look, “How do you know I left?”

  “Mellis.”

  He snorts, shaking his head. “I’m going to have a really long talk with my cousin.”

  Ziri stands and looks down at me, ready to go. He offers me his hand to help me up, but I slap it away playfully, getting up on my own. “What’re you trying to do, get me in trouble with my trainer?” He laughs again and I find I like seeing him happy. He puts his arm around my shoulder, giving me a warm hug. I throw my arms around his lower chest, hugging him back. We start back on our trail to the thela laughing and just feeling good when we suddenly come up short.

  Standing in our way several yards ahead is Alorn. Next to him is an extremely pissed off Tharin. From behind Tharin, Mellis gives a big smile and waves cheerfully at us. Without missing a beat, Ziri pulls me up and plants a kiss right on my lips. Stunned momentarily, I’m rigid as a board. Finally getting my senses back, I struggle against him, trying to push him off me. I glance over at the others and the only thing I see beyond the big elf’s shoulders is Tharin running at us at a really fast, really pissed off run. Oh crap.

  ~ * ~

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  ~ Tharin ~

  All my focus is on taking Ziri down…and hard. I can’t get to him fast enough, and there was an attempt on Alorn’s part to hold me back, but he was too late. I broke away from his grip, thinking of nothing but beating the Lithi out of Ziri, and then knocking the Sidhe out of him after. I know he’ll let Lily go and take me on. I’ve had enough of his attitude and putting his arms, not to mention his lips, on Lily has broken the dam of my patience and I am beyond pissed.

  As I expected, he steps from Lily, pushing her out of the way and our eyes lock. As I close in, I’m ready to sweep at his ankles and bowl him over. At least, that was the plan when from my left, Lily rushes in. She throws herself at me and wrapping her arms around my neck.

  Too fast! I’m going too fast, the impact against her small body is jolting, and I hear her grunt as the wind is knocked out of her. Her body instantly goes limp and I grab her around the waist and push her head to my chest, anchoring it to me. I see the shocked look on Ziri’s face, knowing it matches my own. At the speed I’m going, there’s no soft landing and my only thought is to protect Lily. Ziri catches my arm and keeps pace, but we both know he can’t keep up for very long. I’m unable to get my footing corrected fast enough as we head for a collision with a giant kavi up ahead. At the last second, Ziri throws himself at us, wrapping his arms around me, sandwiching Lily in between. He spins us about and takes the hit against the tree as he throws us back on course. As we spinout I see him fall, landing hard on the ground.

  We continue to spin out of control but Alorn and Mellis are at my sides, each take one of my elbows, straightening me, allowing my feet to slow down to match pace with the rest of my body. Alorn stays with me until I finally have control as Mellis lets go and heads back to Ziri. I nod at Alorn and he gives me a look and a shake of his head before letting go.

  I ease up on my pace at the same time adjusting my hold on Lily. Damn it. Damn her, damn him…damn it all. What the hell was she thinking…or better yet, why the hell wasn’t she thinking. I swear this woman will be the death me if I don’t end up killing her first.

  Before putting too much distance between us, I connect with Alorn.

  “Ziri’s all right, Tharin. The blow just knocked him out, he should come to once we take him back to Sema,” assures Alorn.

  I sigh with relief. Despite my anger over his obvious ploy to piss me off, I was relieved to hear that Ziri will be okay.

  “I’ll meet you and the others at the tunnels of Cini Falls. Let Sema know not to worry,” I say, knowing that Sema would worry anyway.

  “How’s Lily, Tharin?” asks Mellis, joining in our conversation.

  “I don’t know, I’ll find out once I get a chance to take a look at her. I’m taking her to a private spot. We’ll meet you at the tunnels once Lily is okay to travel.” I shut off communication with them.

  I glance down at Lily and I have to look away as I feel my anger start to rise again. I give her a kiss, and now she has to get kissed by everyone else? I shake my head, still angry as I wrap my cloak around her, shielding her from the rain. I hold on tight and the feel of her weight against me, the warmth of her breath makes me feel…right, whole and a sense of a different kind of belonging.

  As I make our way to
the golden clearing, I think of how just this morning I imagined a warm welcome from Lily. Ka had sent word to Sema that we would be there to take Lily back to the Oak Tower to prep her for the Seating that will happen in three days. We planned on using a secret route back to the clan and hide her within the tower. However, we arrived at their thela to find she wasn’t there.

  “She’s still training with Ziri. They seem to be running late,” explained Sema. I waited two seconds before making my way to the training area, Alorn and Mellis following close behind.

  I imagined her happy to see me. Instead, as I walked with Alorn and Mellis, we see them sitting intimately together. I don’t remember coming to a stop but vaguely heard Mellis give a small whistle. I kept in control when Lily hugged Ziri’s arm to her as they chatted softly with each other. I kept in control when Ziri hugged her to him. I even kept it together when he helped her up and they gave each other another intimate hug. But when he looked at me and gave me that cocky smile. I knew what he was about to do. It’s when he grabbed and kissed her that I snapped.

  I slow to a trot as I adjust Lily in my arms cradling her against me. I look about the wooded area, finally coming to a walk as we near the edge of the gold oak trees. Several yards from the clearing, the sisters appear instantly at my side. “Is the princess all right?” asks Glynnis as she looks about her.

  “Yes,” I answer. As soon as we step over the invisible border to the clearing, the rain disappears and we’re instantly dry. I briefly wonder at the magic we’ve created here and find I can’t wait to share it with Lily. The sister’s drop their guard, now gathering closer to take a look at Lily and making sure she’s okay. I make my way to the thela of the oak I had used before, leaving the sisters outside.

  Over the past few weeks when I could get away from the tower and Kalis, I would return here to the clearing. With the sisters’ assistance, I spent most of the time here preparing the thela for when I would bring Lily here as my wife. Behind a wall is the bedroom area, a large bed takes most of the space, and at one time was filled with gardenias. But on my next visit the room was so heavily covered with the powerful scent I had Milina and Glynnis plant them around the clearing, only leaving one gardenia sitting near the tub. The open area houses a comfortable sofa, armchair and shelves that cover one wall from floor to ceiling with books. I remember the mismatched bookshelves in her living room, knowing Lily had read all the books there. The kitchen area only has a small table for two, but the cooking area was bare. I had no idea what she likes to eat. The sisters were born and raised in this realm so they also weren’t sure. For now, a large basket of fruit and bread sits on a small side table.

  I lay Lily on the sofa and begin to search for any broken bones, especially around the neck area. I get that she thought she would stop what was obviously going to happen between Ziri and me, but it was a stupid move. Once again she put her safety first before others’, and this time I didn’t want to feel proud of her actions. I want her to wake her up so I can tell her what a stupid move it was. I sit back and look her over. She’s breathing easily, so no injuries to her lungs or upper body. When I continue to search for any broken bones, my touch becomes a bit too intimate and I have to pull away.

  I stand quickly, running my hand through my hair, frustrated at the turn of events. It took all my efforts to hide my excitement last night when my father and Ka came to me. They felt that Lily would need some preparation before the seating, to learn the oath and the ceremonial acceptance after the crowning. It was Sema’s reminder to her husband that Lily would also need to be fitted in the ceremonial gown. There was the dress, the shoes, the hair and other primping required for her presentation, and it was made clear that Ka was not to argue. I laugh as I think of the old elf bowing to his tiny wife, the image playing before me. I look over at Lily and wonder if our relationship would be the same. Would I bow to her every whim? I’d like to believe that I would have the upper hand, but as I watch her sleep I know there is nothing I wouldn’t give should she ask.

  “Tharin?”

  “Yes, Sema.”

  “Where are you? And what have you done with Lily?” she demands, not hiding her anger. Ah, so the clearing protects us from her eyes and I’m assuming, Ka’s, too. Even now I can tell it took some effort for her to get through to me, her mind still searching for our location.

  “What exactly are you imagining I’m doing with Lily, Sema? Do you think I have her chained up in some dungeon? Whatever you may think or believe, Lily will always be safe with me.”

  “I know you love the girl, Tharin, but you can’t protect her alone against Eathos. He will take her from you if he finds out she’s alive,”

  She might be right, but as I look at Lily I answer, “Let him try.”

  I shut off communication with her, knowing she had more to say. I purposely walk over to the armchair, putting some distance between Lily and me. There is much that we need to talk about, and this time nothing will distract me. It’s not much longer before Lily stirs. I stay seated when she reaches up to her left shoulder, grabbing at it as she winces in pain. She sits up and looks about her, still holding her shoulder. I watch as she concentrates on the nearby panswa until it brightens enough for her to see the room clearly. When her eyes land on me, she startles, holding her hand to her chest, eyes wide. I remain seated, afraid to move, to leap across the room and take her in my arms. I know that if I kiss her now in this vulnerable state, I won’t be able to stop.

  Mentally shaking herself from my gaze, she unknowingly tucks her hair behind her ear, looking everywhere but at me. I see the faded bruises along her arms and face, and whatever gratitude I felt for Ziri for saving us from the tree disappears. I remind myself that he and Alorn will still answer for the bruises when all this is done. I take a slow breath trying not to move, waiting for her to speak first.

  “Where are we?” she asks still trying not to look at me.

  “At the thela where my body rested when I came to you in the drift state.”

  “Oh,” she says still glancing about. She stands then, but sits back down quickly as the blood rushes to her head.

  “Sit still, Lily,” I command patiently.

  That’s all it took to rile her up, she looks at me angrily, “Why do you feel you always have to tell me what to do, Tharin? Stop being so bossy all the time.” She sits staring at me in a challenging manner, but I notice she didn’t try getting up again.

  There has never been a time that I’ve ordered any woman to do as I say unless of course they are part of a unit. However, every time Lily challenges me, I can’t help myself. I like seeing her irritated and riled up because she thinks I’m taking something away from her. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am trying to take something from her. What that could be I don’t know. All she has to do is ask.

  “I want to go home, Tharin.” Okay, anything but that. I look her in the eye giving her my own challenge.

  “You will be going home,” I answer quietly.

  “I am?” she asks taken aback by my answer.

  “Yes. As soon as you’re able to travel, we’ll be going home. To the Oak Tower.”

  “No, Tharin, I want to go…wait, what? We’re going to the Oak Tower? But I thought I wasn’t supposed to be there until the Day of the Seating?”

  “You weren’t, but Sema reached out to Ka saying we needed to bring you to the tower to prepare you for the ceremonies. We contacted her earlier letting her know we were on our way. I guess she didn’t have time to warn you that we were coming.”

  Her eyes widen and I was sure she would take the bait, but instead she says in a small voice, “Ceremonies…”

  “Yes, Lily,” I reply, a little irritated that she’s getting distracted. “There’s some preparation to the Seating you’ll need to learn, including the oath to the clans during the coronation.”

  She stands again anxiously, “What? I have to learn an oath? To the clans? A coronation…you mean I have to stand and speak in front of a crowd? I…I tho
ught this was…was a private event.”

  This isn’t exactly how I wanted this to go, but it seems that I’ve pushed her into a corner where panic is her only response. I stand and walk over to her as she sways in place, her eyes large and distant. I take her by the shoulders, “Lily, snap out of it.”

  She slowly looks up, shaking her head, “Tharin, I can’t…I can’t talk in front of people. Oh my God, I think I’m going to be sick.”

  She’s serious. I watch as her face turns pale and then a shade of green and just when I’m about to tell her everything would be all right, she throws up on me. I step back without letting her go in case she faints.

  She wipes at her mouth, “Oh God, Tharin…I’m so sorry.” She looks up at me again, almost pleading, “I can’t talk in front of people…I can’t…I won’t.”

  I would take her in my arms and comfort her, but the front of my jersey is a mess and to make it worse, she throws up on me again. “Okay, that’s it, come on.” I grab her by the wrist and pull her after me. We make it out the thela and the sisters instantly stand back from me. Glynnis actually makes a face. When they see Lily behind me, they curtsy deeply. I stop as Lily tugs at my hand, stopping to look at the women, now in their golden form. I watch as she blinks in recognition of the two and is stunned at their current state.

  The clearing now has a large running pond with a small fall coming from underground. A week ago, I opened a tunnel several feet below ground connecting to Cini Falls. The fall is the only evidence there is water in the wide opening since the water is clear as glass. Again, Lily tugs at me to stop as she stands in the middle of the clearing taking everything in. I release her wrist and head toward the pond – stripping as I go.

  ~ * ~

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ~ Lily ~

  As soon as Tharin pulls me through the thela doorway and out into the clearing, the cool air clears my head. I take a couple of gulps of fresh air to completely cleanse my system of any nausea when I notice movement to my right. I pull back from Tharin to look at the two figures in front of me and realize they’re the same women who attacked the trees at the clearing.