“How did you come to be here?” Darian asked, approaching Daegon with an outstretched hand.
The warrior grasped the young knight's wrist and pulled him into a firm embrace.
“We came to rescue you,” he laughed.
“How did you know we'd need rescuing?” the Telian asked.
“Well, Andor said you would by the time we got here,” the old warrior replied. “I usually trust him on such matters.”
“You see how it is, Daegon?” a familiar voice asked. “You spend years raising up a thankless boy and, when you rush to his rescue, he doesn't even speak to you.”
As he said this, Malfas lifted the helmet from his head that had, until that moment, covered his face.
“Father!” Darian shouted.
“The same,” Malfas smiled, wrapping his arms around his son. “You didn't think I'd let Daegon fly to your aid without me, did you?”
“No, sir!” the Telian replied.
“I'm just glad we arrived in time,” Daegon said, slapping the young knight on the back. “Had we been a little later, things might have been very different. It seems destiny made you a hero, after all.”
“It's not destiny that makes a man a hero,” Darian shook his head. “It's a hero's heart.”
“I couldn't agree more,” his father nodded. “Now, attend to your duty.”
“So, now they've completely escaped us,” Valrak said, gazing down at the image of his defeated men.
“It would seem so, my son,” Galrin sighed, waving his hand over the pool and dismissing the scene of their failure from his sight.
With slow and heavy movements, Galrin stepped to a nearby chair. He seated himself as his foster son began to pace the room; his fury increasing with every step.
“I told you I should have gone myself!” he snarled through clenched teeth.
“To what purpose, my lord?” the ancient wizard asked, waving his hand at the now vision-less bowl. “Had you gone, you can be certain Andor would have joined the rescue party.”
“And, if he had?” the warlord barked.
“Well, my lord,” the old man shook his head. “He has defeated you once before.”
“Yes,” Valrak yelled. “When I was a child and he in his prime he did. However, I'm no longer a boy and he is an old man.”
“Do you think his power lessened with age, my son?” Galrin asked, rising from his chair. “Do you consider my own power waning because of my years?”
“Only a fool would think so!” Valrak snapped.
“Then, don't be foolish enough to underestimate that old man, as you call him,” the wizard replied. “His power is both great and terrible.”
“Had he faced me on the battlefield, he would have encountered a power that was even more so!” the warlord assured his foster father.
“Of that, I am certain, my son,” the old man sighed, lowering himself once again into his seat. “But, you seem to overlook the main consideration. Andor was watching them, as well.”
“Was he?” Valrak asked.
“He must have been!” Galrin yelled, slamming his fist on the armrest of his chair. “That, or the Eilian warned him in some dream or vision. Whatever we had done, he would have answered in kind. He used only the force he felt he needed to. Had you joined your men, he would have come with more of his. All we could have done was ridden out with half your army in the hopes of overwhelming them with sheer numbers. If that's your desire, we can assault his fortress even now and carry the girl away.”
“No,” Valrak replied with a deep sigh of his own. “That seems unwise.”
“I'm glad to see your respect for wisdom, my son,” the old man said. “If we were to attack the fortress, then others – far too many others – would move to interfere. They would certainly want to know why this child was worth all the effort.”
“That is something they must never know!” the warlord exclaimed.
“I agree,” Galrin nodded. “So, we must be patient. We must be quiet. We have waited this long, my lord; we can wait a little longer. We have to maintain the illusion that this was just a matter of maintaining your authority. You and Andor, another great lord, struggled and you lost. That will be enough for most men.”
“And, as for Andor himself?” Valrak asked.
“As for him, he is an opponent that is both wise and powerful,” the ancient wizard replied. “He doubtless knows she is more than she seems; but he cannot know how.”
“And, should he discover the secret? If he should learn the truth about her?”
“Why ask the question, my lord?” Galrin replied. “We will deal with whatever situation arises. For now, it has to be enough that he doesn't know. We can only hope that he doesn't learn. Even if he does, he can't imagine what we plan to do with her power. I believe our secret is safe. For the moment, we can only wait for another opportunity.”
“And, in the mean time?”
“We watch,” the old man answered. “There is nothing more we can do. In truth, I believe that her being trained to use the arcane power could greatly ease our task.”
“So then, we wait until her training is complete?”
“I would not go that far,” Galrin shook his head. “I would only say that we wait until the time is right.”
“Is there no other option?” Valrak asked before slowly taking a deep breath.
“None that I can see,” the wizard asserted.
“Then, we will wait,” the warlord nodded. “When the opportunity arises, I will take my prize.”
“It is a prize worth waiting for, my lord,” Galrin smiled.
“Indeed, yes. All of Areon is worth the wait. I only pray it won't be long.”
With the conflict over, the wounded were attended to. A majority of Valrak's men still lived, although many were severely wounded. All of the men that Daegon led into battle survived the encounter, however, many of them also needed healing. Within minutes, the specter of death had been driven away from those whom it had not already carried to the halls of Kaldor. The decision was made to release Valrak's men. They were sent on their way without mounts or weapons. As soon as all these details had been attended to, the entire band rode on toward the fortress.
“So, how did Andor know we were in need?” the knight asked, renewing the thread of the previous conversation.
“I'm not exactly sure,” Daegon answered. “He burst into my chambers before morning telling me to prepare for battle while he woke the rest of the men. In less than a quarter of an hour, we were mounted and riding as fast as we could toward this field. Honestly, I was afraid we weren't going to make it in time.”
“You almost didn't,” Tealor observed. “If my dear bride hadn't broken that first charge, there wouldn't have been anyone left to rescue.”
“You flatter me, my love,” the sorceress smiled.
“No, I don't,” he replied. “It's just the simple truth. I've never seen you do that before. I didn't know you could.”
“I couldn't,” she laughed. “That is to say, I've been considering the technique for months, but I hadn't mastered it. My former instructor could do it with even more devastating effects. Still, I suppose that's all due to practice. I'll improve with time.”
“I think it's impressive enough without improvement,” Daegon chuckled. “It certainly gave us the extra moments we needed.”
“I'm glad to have been of service,” the sorceress smiled. “I'm also very glad Andor knew to send you when he did. He seems to know a great deal.”
“He does,” the old warrior nodded.
“I think we have much to discuss with him,” Sarena observed.
“I'm sure you do,” Daegon agreed.
Meanwhile, the bard moved up to the side of the rogue. Erana and Gwendolyn rode a short distance ahead, discussing what each had seen in the battle. This gave Ian the chance to speak to Kilren alone.
“So, you kissed her,” the dwarf said, gazing at his companion with a knowing grin.
“I did,” T
he rogue nodded. “It seemed the thing to do at the time. I'm not sure how she felt about it, though. She looked at me a little oddly, but she didn't say anything.”
“That would hardly seem surprising,” the bard replied. “If you knew anything about elvish culture.”
“Why is that?” the rogue asked.
“Well, first,” the dwarf said. “I'm rather certain she had never been kissed before.”
“What makes you think that?” Kilren replied. “I guess she is a little young, but...”
“No, no,” Ian replied, shaking his head. “It's not a matter of age, it's simply a cultural difference. You see, when an elvish man kisses an elvish maiden, he does so in order to propose marriage.”
“What was that?” the rogue asked with a note of surprise in his voice.
“You heard me, lad,” the dwarf chuckled.
“I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm not sure that I did, actually,” Kilren stammered. “Because it sounded like you said-”
“That is what I said,” the bard interrupted with a wide smile on his face.
“But, then... I mean...” Kilren said, searching for words as he considered the situation. “How do I know if she accepted?”
The dwarf stared at him with a single raised eyebrow.
“She accepted,” he nodded slowly.
“Well... Well, good!” Kilren replied with a nervous laugh. “It's an excellent idea. I'm glad, really!”
“I'm happy you feel that way, lad,” Ian smiled. “But, there's more to it than that. You've asked and the maid's accepted. So far, so good. However, you'll still have to speak to her father – and I doubt that's going to prove an easy task.”
“So, there's a chance he'll tell us we have to wait a few months or years even?” Kilren said with a touch of excitement in his voice.
“There's a chance he'll give you an outright no,” the dwarf replied, giving his companion a sideways glance.
“Well...” the rogue began thoughtfully, “I don't think that's right. If she wants to marry me, why should he interfere?”
“For several possible reasons, lad,” the bard answered. “This is far beyond you, though. Once Gwendolyn is safe at home, Erana will be heading back to her people. She'll be expecting you to come with her, of course.”
“Of course...” Kilren said, trying to sound excited at the prospect.
“Since that’s the case, I'll come along, as well,” the dwarf offered. “I think I can help you sort it out.”
“I would truly appreciate it!” Kilren exclaimed.
“Not at all,” Ian laughed. “No matter what happens, I'm sure to get a story out of it.”
For several hours, the party rode onward; passing through forest and across plain, drawing ever nearer to their destination. At last, the outlying farms of the young knight's home came into view and tears filled his eyes as he gazed over the familiar fields. The Telian had made his journey – the journey – and the place that had known him as a boy would now know him as a man. He had returned. And, he had returned victorious. He turned his eyes to his father who, at the moment, rode by his side.
“I've missed you all,” the knight smiled.
“We've missed you, son,” his father nodded. “Which is, no doubt, why your mother is standing at the door to meet you.”
Darian stared ahead at the seemingly minuscule farmhouse. He could just make out the figure of his mother, anxiously awaiting their return. With a kick, he sent his horse galloping quickly toward her. The father followed the example of the son and, in moments, the family was once again united. The knight stood, wrapped in his mother's embrace; his father, brother and sister at his side.
This first family reunion was shortly followed by a second. As Gwendolyn approached the farmhouse from one direction, her parents approached it from another. Andor, along with several others who had come from the castle, including Daegon's merry wife, observed these scenes of family felicity with wide smiles and more than one teary eye. Faelor ran wildly up to his daughter before lifting her in his arms and kissing her on the face. The maiden laughed with joy as she hugged her father, mother, and Nanna each in turn.
“When did you arrive?” Gwendolyn asked as soon as these greetings were complete. “How did you know I would be here?”
“A young man came to us only days ago,” her mother said, smiling at the maiden with tears still in her eyes. “He said he had it on very good authority that you would be here shortly.”
“We couldn't be sure if what he said was true, of course,” her father added, taking his wife by the hand. “But, as soon as we got here, Andor assured us that you were on your way. So, we waited. It seemed like an eternity at the time but, now that you're here and safe, it doesn't matter.”
“My dear Gwen...” the girl's Nanna began before her voice cracked. She took the young girl in her arms again and held her tightly as she shook with silent sobs.
“It's alright!” the maiden assured her, drawing back and smiling at the old woman. “I'm home safe now.”
“Of course you are!” she replied, drying her eyes. “Thank the Eilian!”
“Who was this young man that brought you the message?” the bard asked thoughtfully.
“His name was Jalek. He said that, if anyone asked, we should tell them that Baldorin had sent him,” Faelor answered.
“I thought as much,” the dwarf nodded. “It was very kindly done.”
“It was!” Gwendolyn's mother said vehemently. “If we hadn't gotten that message, it would have been another day or two before we could have seen our daughter.”
As Galina spoke, she gently stroked her daughter's hair as tears began to fill her eyes once again.
“Well, these merry meetings deserve a merry meal, I believe,” Andor observed, smiling at the maiden and her parents. “I think we had all better retire to the castle where we can talk and sit down at the same time. I'm not as young as I once was.”
Darian laughed at this, stepping over and locking his former master in a firm embrace.
“I've missed you, sir,” the young knight said, smiling at the old man.
“And I, you, my boy,” the aged knight replied. “Now, tell me what happened to you.”
The two Telians led the party back to the castle, discussing the young knight's journey, the foes he had faced, the allies he had aided and the challenges he had overcome. Andor listened carefully, commenting here or there on Darian's actions, condoning his bravery, his faith, and his skill.
As the group crossed the distance between the cottage and the castle, Faelor approached the warrior and his wife.
“Thank you!” he said, shaking Tealor by the hand before kissing that of his bride. “Thank you, so much!”
“Happy to be of service,” the mercenary smiled.
“I brought the gold with us, of course!” Faelor assured the couple.
“Gold?” Sarena said, feigning both surprise and confusion.
“The thousand Tennari,” the girl's father nodded.
“My love, have you any idea what the man is talking about?” she asked.
“None at all, my dear,” Tealor replied. “None at all.”
“But...”
“I'm sure you're just overwhelmed with emotion,” the sorceress interrupted, laying her hand on Faelor's shoulder as they strode along, side by side. “Don't worry, it will pass in time.”
“I can never thank you enough!” he exclaimed.
“You already have,” the warrior replied, laying his own hand on the happy father's other shoulder.
“You did far better on your journey than I did,” Andor asserted as the party reached the castle. “The highlight of my own adventure was nothing more than stopping a runaway horse.”
“That was carrying a terrified princess at the time,” Daegon interjected.
“Well, perhaps,” the old Telian said with a wave of his hand. “It's been so long ago, that it's hard to remember. Still, that's not the point right now. What's important now is our meal!”
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As he said this, he led the group into the dining hall where the table was spread with every manner of food to tempt the palate, as well as satiate hunger. None of the band had eaten since breakfast and the smells that filled the room sharpened their hunger to the keenest edge. In moments, the entire party was seated at the long table that nearly filled the chamber. The older Telian took his seat at the head of the table with the younger at his side.
The meal went on for hours as talk and laughter filled the hall. Like all good things, however, it came to an end at last. The world had long been wrapped in darkness before the guests were each shown to a room. The rogue and the elf were placed in chambers just across the hall from one another and, of course, Rragor was made as welcome as any of the band. The husband and his wife were given their own room between those of Kilren and Ian and, for the first night in many, the couple fell asleep wrapped happily in one another's arms. The girl and her family shared a single chamber beside that of the elvish maiden. Although they had been offered more than one, Galina said she couldn't bear to spend the night without her daughter. Two more beds were brought in to make the family as comfortable as possible for the night.
Once the guests had been seen to their rooms, Darian made his way to his own quiet apartment. He had been glad to leave it; now, he was glad to return. He gazed out of the window and could see the last light still burning in his parent's cottage. As he looked on, the glow suddenly vanished. His father had, no doubt, just crawled into bed. The young knight followed this paternal example, stretching out on his bunk and blowing out his lamp. As he lay in darkness, he considered his journey. The Eilian had blessed him. He had rescued a fair maiden, driven back the forces of evil, and discovered many friends that he both loved and respected. There was no question that it had been difficult, but it had also been well worth the effort. These happy thoughts filled the young knight's mind as he drifted off, quickly and quietly, to sleep.
Chapter 14: Friendly Farewells
The Stars of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 1) Page 29