The Heir Of Westfall [The Alurian Chronicles Book 1]

by Christopher W. Wilcox, Sr.

  Arianna said, “There are worse foes than humans, Rory. The fell creatures have their own dark plans for the lands above the ground."

  "What are these fell creatures you speak of, Arianna?"

  "They go by many names, such as ogres, demons, imps, and many more. Some of the creatures are neutral, such as the dwarves, who only want to be left alone in their mines and deep caverns, but others follow a sinister and evil path. They seek the enslavement of all others. They are the ones we must guard against."

  Rory had always believed the stories of these fell creatures to be myths and tales to frighten unruly children. To hear her discussing them so matter-of-factly made him reexamine his own beliefs. He had already met many creatures of legends, including pixies and dryads. Why shouldn't the others be real as well?

  Prince Brightblade came over to them. “That was the greatest display I have ever seen. I had thought Swiftstalker was exaggerating when he said how fast you were, but I see now he spoke only the truth."

  "He sure challenged me today. I had never fought with two swords before and I find I like it."

  "Then I shall find you a worthy partner for Wolf Fang,” the prince responded. “It will take a while but you shall have it before you return outside in the spring. Now, I suggest you bathe and change before we visit the Heart of the Veil. It would be very improper to approach the Heart bearing weapons."

  * * * *

  Rory, now freshly bathed and dressed in the flowing silk garments favored by the Fair Folk, walked along the paths between Arianna and Brightblade. He had admired her color choices. While males tended to wear colors symbolic to them, such as his own Westfell green with the crest, the females changed their style to suit their moods. Today she was wearing a kaftan of flowing black. It was not just black; it was like looking at the reflection of moonlight on a placid pond at midnight. The blackness seemed to shift and move, drinking away any light that touched it. Her normally pale skin was even whiter in contrast to the inky darkness that shrouded her form; only her fiery hair and emerald eyes gave her any color at all. Her lips, devoid of any artificial color, were an extremely pale pink. Rory was shocked as he realized he had just been thinking that her nipples would probably be the same shade as her lips were now, palest pink adorning the white slopes. He was ashamed of himself as she had never given him any reason to think of her in this manner, although he had found it very sensual when she had wiped away his sweat from his back. It had felt as though she had lingered at the task.

  The path they followed was one he had never taken before. The hedges lining the path grew taller and denser, and there were no markers along the way since there had been no branches to other paths. He became aware of that same susurration of sound he had experienced before at the Veil to the outside, and a sparkle was dancing in the air ahead of them. They stopped.

  Arianna walked ahead and entered the shimmering sparkle. As she passed within, she seemed to fade out of existence, vanishing before their eyes. Prince Brightblade said, “She will be waiting on the other side for you. I will remain here until I am sure you have passed within. Should the Heart deny you admittance, I will take you back to your hiakehla."

  Rory nodded his understanding and stepped forward. As he entered the shimmer, he felt the touch of something in his mind and deeper into his very soul. He mentally greeted the intrusion with a cheerful welcome and then he was through the Veil. Arianna reached out and took his hand.

  "How do you feel?” she asked, peering intently into his eyes.

  Lost in her eyes, he knew he couldn't answer that accurately or he would risk offending her. “I feel fine. What an interesting experience!"

  She looked at where their hands joined and Rory realized he was running his thumb along her hand in a caress. He let go with a hurried, “I beg your pardon, Arianna."

  She smiled at him, her even white teeth flashing in the odd light within the Heart. “Don't worry about it, Rory. I liked it."

  Before he could respond, his father came through the shimmering wall. “Shall we?” Prince Brightblade gestured with his hand toward the path.

  No one had described the Heart of the Veil to Rory. If he had failed to gain entrance, he had no need to know what was within the protected space, and if he did enter he would see for himself. As they left the hedge-lined path, he realized they had not explained because words had failed them.

  The path opened into a clearing almost the same size as the training arena. In the center stood the Heart itself: a stone sphere of perhaps twenty feet in diameter that glowed from within with pulses of energy. The glow gave the sphere a rosy glow like the first rays of the sun as it pierces the dawn. Around the sphere were placed stone benches upon which various elves were seated, intently gazing into the stone.

  "Rory, I want you to sit down on one of these back benches and truly open your mind to what is around you. In a few minutes, I want you to describe to me what you see,” Arianna said, leading him to a bench set back from the others.

  Rory obediently sat on the hard bench and opened his mind. At first, he became aware of great waves of energy flowing into the sphere from all directions along the ground. These waves were stronger along the four cardinal directions, yet still intense even in the smallest line leading to the stone. Opening his mind still further, he recognized smaller waves of outgoing energy as well. Some went to maintain the barrier around the Heart, while another went to the Veil encompassing the entire area. A trickle there heated the pools; another over there provided the energy to all the pixies doing the myriad tasks that supported the elven community. He concentrated still deeper, this time focusing his attention on one elven male. He could see the energy exchange between the mage and the sphere and followed the flow to its destination. He was subtly guiding the clouds in an effort to break a blizzard high in the Kendrahl Mountains.

  Arianna's touch on his arm brought him back to self-awareness. “What do you see?"

  Rory described it all and she said, “The world is covered in lines of force we call ley lines. This force, created by all living things, is truly the most powerful thing in the universe. It flows along these ley lines. In certain places, these lines cross. At the point where they cross, they become stronger. Much like the place where the Lesser Tyree River joins the Aluria River to form the Greater Tyree River. Each river has power and force individually but when merged become even greater and more powerful."

  When he nodded, she continued. “The Heart is located at such a junction. In fact, it is the junction of over thirty-two such major and minor ley lines. It draws on all that force and amplifies it in such a way we can use it to do things. The mages around the Heart are directing a small portion of the force to serve our needs. Some of them control the Veil while others, such as the one you described, are trying to help others indirectly. The blizzard raging in the Kendrahl Mountains has cut off large portions of that duchy, stranding people and creating huge risks of avalanches. By breaking up the storm, we hope to alleviate the suffering in Kendrahl."

  "This is amazing! So the ability to manipulate these ley lines and the life force they carry is the source of the fabled elven magic."

  "Exactly,” Prince Brightblade said. “Only a small percentage of our people can actually manipulate the force with any degree of control. If your concentration wavers, the force can lash back and consume you."

  Rory was studying the sphere and he sensed a small area where the line feeding it had been subtly changed. He reached out to that place with his mind, following the line back outside the Veil and far across the realm of Aluria. It grew steadily weaker as he approached Eastfell. He reached out to Arianna, linking her mind to his as he touched her arm. 'What has caused such a change in this ley line? I can sense it has changed dramatically over the past few months.'

  'I don't know. None of us have been aware of this! How did you see it?'

  'I don't know, but I could sense a wrongness; a disharmony that signaled a change that was harmful.'

  A
rianna broke the contact and went over to a group of mages near the Heart. She took them to the spot and explained what Rory had done. They all came over to him.

  "We are in your debt, Rorrick. The ley line you have pointed out has indeed been changed. Something either within Eastfell or beyond is draining the line of its force. Had this gone undetected, the drain could have extended back to the Heart itself.” The mages bowed in Rory's direction. “It is a privilege to welcome a master mage in our midst."

  "I am hardly a master anything,” Rory said, “for I am but a youth of seventeen."

  "We judge not on years but on ability, Rory,” Prince Brightblade said. “It is your ability that declares you a master mage, just as today you showed the warriors that you are beyond master class with a sword."

  "My ability with a sword is something that took a lot of hard work to obtain, Father. All I know about magic is that I can see the lines of life force, not whether I can manipulate them. I cannot assume any title I haven't earned."

  "You have a valid point,” the prince replied, a proud smile on his face. “What's more, you have the courage to stand up for your point of view. Very well, Arianna will begin to train you in the ways to manipulate the life force that surrounds us all. I have no doubt that, in the end, you will be convinced to accept the master designation."

  After Prince Brightblade left, Arianna led Rory to a bench off to the side of the Heart, away from the others. Seated beside him, she said, “I think you will find you have been using the life force for a long time without realizing it. Tell me what you feel when you fight with your sword."

  Rory explained how time itself seemed to slow when he fought and it was like he could see what his opponent was about to do before he ever moved, so he had lots of time to position his sword favorably to take advantage of the other's movement.

  "As I expected. You are tapping into the forces around you to gain strength and speed while using the other's own life force to anticipate his moves. It is but a small step to actively manipulate those forces to achieve a goal, but like all things, that first small step is very hard. I want you to relax and open yourself to all the energy here within the Heart. Then I want you to visualize something you wish to happen in your mind. Holding that image, I want you to channel that energy into it."

  Rory took a deep breath and slowly let it out, relaxing back onto the bench. He could feel the vast field of energy that surrounded them all and he reached out with a metaphysical hand to scoop up some for his use. Next he imagined a perfect rose laying on the bench between them. Not a real rose, but one made of crystal that would last forever. He channeled the energy into his image of the rose and heard Arianna gasp.

  Between them now lay a beautiful white crystal rose. “A gift for you, Arianna."

  * * * *

  Since they had established that he could channel the life force for creation, Arianna spent the rest of the afternoon teaching him to reach out and explore the natural order of things around them. Without moving from where he sat, he spent an hour following a single ant as it made its way through the foliage. He then caught sight of a hawk flying among the trees and spent an exhilarating period flying with it. He found the Veil held no terror to the creatures of nature because the hawk passed through it as though it wasn't even there. One moment it was flying in the warmth of the elven vale and the next, it was battling a storm of wind and snow above the trees outside. Spotting a magnificent stag, he merged with it for a while, brushing through the snow and running through the trees. In that moment, he understood the reluctance of those who eschewed meat; once he had been the deer, it was hard to think of it in terms of food.

  The thought of food made Rory realize just how hungry he was. His awareness returned to his body and he opened his eyes. Arianna was sitting there, watching him. Her luminous green eyes seemed to glow in the twilight. “Your eyes are glowing."

  "So are yours,” she replied.

  He stretched to ease the muscles cramped by hours of inactivity. His joints popped as he stretched them. “It is amazing how stiff one can become when they haven't actually been moving. I think a nice soak in the hot springs is just what I need."

  "That sounds like an excellent idea. I know you have used the one near the Veil entrance and the one nearest your hiakehla. There is another one not too far from here even more secluded and rarely crowded since to get to it, one has to pass through the Heart. Would you care to see it?"

  "Sounds perfect."

  It wasn't until they reached the secluded pool that lay within the Heart that Rory realized what he had done. He had grown accustomed to sharing a pool with Swiftstalker in the manner that all men adapt to casual nudity among comrades-in-arms. This would be quite different, especially since he had never seen a woman naked before.

  Rory turned his back to her when she started to untie her kaftan. As she slid into the water without making the slightest splash and swam over to one of the ever-present niches, he removed his clothes and dove into the water, knifing through the surface with hardly any splash. He swam over to where she rested and sat in a nearby niche, close but not too close.

  Rory was trying very hard to appear calm but inside, his heart was racing and his stomach was churning. The water in the pool was as clear as glass, and the flickering torchlight cast enough light so he could see her clearly. He had been right in his supposition that her nipples would be pale pink, but he had misjudged the size and shape of her breasts. They were fuller than Rachel's had been back at Festival. He could see the shape of her hips and legs, as well as the secret junction between her thighs. She was completely hairless aside from the magnificent mane atop her head. Whether this was a matter of personal preference or typical of elven women, he had no idea.

  Arianna tipped her head as she watched Rory. From the way he was staring at her while trying to appear he was looking somewhere else, she decided he had never seen a nude woman before. Which meant, of course, that he had little or no experience with one. She decided to tease him just a little bit to see what kind of reaction she could get. She reached both her arms in the air above her in a very pronounced stretch, which had the effect of lifting her breasts and presenting them to his view. His eyes grew very round as he watched her.

  Arianna said softly, “Rory, have you ever been with a woman before?"

  "No. not in this way. I have kissed a few and had some casual contact with a couple at Winter Festival, but you are the first I have even seen naked. Outside among the humans, this kind of conduct would not be acceptable between other than a man and his wife."

  "I know. I once spent a few years among the people in Kendrahl helping them with negotiations with the dwarves. Humans have some funny ideas about what should be a perfectly natural act.” Arianna slid over next to him. “Do you find me attractive?"

  "I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

  "And I think you are the most magnificent male of any species I have ever seen. Not only are you physically beautiful, Rory, and gifted far beyond anyone I have ever met, but there is a kindness and gentleness in you that I find most appealing. Would you like to kiss me?"

  His answer was to pull her into his arms and place his lips against hers. The kiss was long and gentle, a tender exploration involving equal parts wonder, desire, and elation. He shivered as she let the tip of her tongue caress his lips as they kissed and he responded in kind, letting his tongue touch the velvet softness of hers. His hands cupped her breasts and he felt her nipples harden against his palms.

  "Let me teach you this, as well,” Arianna whispered as she reached her hand down into the pool.

  Chapter 12

  Rory woke with a start. Reassured he was in his chamber in the hiakehla, he turned his head and realized he was not alone. A pair of luminous green eyes were watching him from inches away. She wore a secretive smile and absolutely nothing else. She pulled his lips to hers and kissed him deeply and thoroughly.

  Guilt raced through Rory. He was engaged t
o marry Bethany and he had betrayed her trust. He struggled to pull back from Arianna but she was stronger than he expected and she refused to let him go. It became a game, with him trying to escape her kisses and her pursuing him with wild abandon. He found himself laughing in spite of his guilt and then thoughts of Bethany faded away as her lips claimed his once more.

  When he awoke the second time, he was alone. Her scent lingered in the air and he knew the night before and earlier this morning had not been a fantasy. He had lain with a woman and he felt ... well, to be honest, he felt terrific. He recalled his earlier guilt but threw that aside as unproductive. His elven heritage had won that struggle easily for it was hard to accept anything so pleasurable and fun could ever be bad. Arianna knew he was engaged to Bethany and he would be leaving in the early days of spring to rejoin his Westfell family and travel to Aluria. Arianna made him understand there were no claims upon either one of them other than those of their own choosing. She chose to spend her nights with him and to teach him the ways of love, and in doing so, she was really making a gift to Bethany. Now, when they were finally wed in the late autumn, Rory would know how to please his wife and gain his own pleasure in return.

  With that finally settled in his own mind, Rory smiled and stretched. That had been amazing. He had not been prepared for one facet of the experience. No one had told him it was possible for him to merge his life force with hers and let them each experience the other's pleasure.

  He saw Elona watching him. “Good morning, Elona. I hope you are well this day."

  Elona gave him a shy smile and said, “I would think you would still be asleep, considering how little you two slept last night."

  "Elona! Were you watching us?"

  "Of course. I see everything that happens in and around this tree. I must admit, even I was unaware that some of what you two did was even physically possible.” She giggled. “And I thought I had seen it all until last night."