Luthín had the strangest expression on her face as she took him from me. She looked as if she might cry. When she looked up at me with joyful expectation, I was caught off guard. “Myran, remember ‘Song?’” she asked gently.
I never forgot, right then, what she said, nor the way Ellagine, at four years of age, stood still and looked from her mother to my son to me, taking everything in. I doubt she ever forgot that moment, no matter how old grew. When Luthín spoke, it seemed as if all held its breath to listen:
"When the terrorizer of the Black Steeds and White Steeds,
Magdela the Monrage, has gone and been killed.
When everyone has gone and hidden in the land down South.
Up there will rise, Finder of the Jeweled Sword,
Conqueror of Evil.
He will come when he is young.
He will wield the Jeweled Sword.
He will dissolve the Green Stone.
Where he goes, the people will no longer live in hiding.
They will come out and rejoice.
For evil has receded, but not completely destroyed until the end of Time."
- Song - as told by
Paleidir Lady of the Green People.
Daughter of King Islider, King of the Green People.
Wife of Legone the Swift.
She looked up at me, barely daring to breathe. “He is the One that will rise up. He is the ‘finder of the Jeweled Sword, conqueror of evil.’ He is the One.”
In shock, I stared at Luthín, wondering if sorrow had driven her out of her mind. “Him? The Great Conqueror?” I shook my head in disbelief, but Luthín was adamant.
“He is the One.” She nodded, the joy in her face confirming what I did not want to know. It was hard to say no; she had never been wrong before.
Suddenly I wanted him in my arms and my arms alone; he would not be snatched up by the Iaen and taken off to be the hero, only to fall to a bloody death, such as one his father had fallen to. “He's my only son; pick someone else, not him!” I told her, trying to be firm, but fear struck my voice.
“I don't decide. The child is who he is,” Luthín said firmly, her words ringing out so decisively that I was sure a hundred Black Steeds would show up and break through the hut, determined to kill anyone who would so much as think about saving the White Steeds. I'd had enough of giving to the world. It took my parents, my life, my childhood, and, last of all, my husband. It was not about to take my child, my only child. He was all that I had left of the Tider I had married. I shook my head at Luthín, daring her to say another word; I was done with this cold world.
Instead, she took Ellagine into her lap and sat down beside me. She asked, “What is his name?”
I looked down at my tiny son and then back up at my best friend, my guardian, my mother, my companion, one of the Green People with foresight. I thought of all we had gone through and all we had yet to go through, and I could not be angry. I looked at her and smiled, a ray of sunlight was beginning to cross our paths. She smiled back at me, hugging her daughter tighter, and tired as I was, I knew we were going to be okay. We would make it through. I glanced down at my son again, and his name came to me suddenly, as if I had known it all along. This was the name that belonged to him. It was as I wished; it was as Halender would have wished. One word slipped past my lips: “Eliesmore.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Epilogue
Luthín and Ellagine stayed with Eliesmore and I until another year drifted into the past. He said his first words, he took his first steps, and Ellagine loved him. It was then that Luthín found it time to drift back into the forest, swallowed from my sight, and eighteen years passed in which I never saw them again. I was left in peace to raise my son, protecting him from the world and amusing him with stories. I was reminded of his father, always. He grew curious and adventurous, once even venturing to the sea. I found that I could return to my home that love built and the elm tree that love planted. Once again, there I made my home. My son grew healthy and strong, ignorant of who he was supposed to be: the One. I made sure because I did not want him to venture off and be killed like his father. He grew up as one of the Iaen, and I did not know whether it was due to my influence or not. He walked like one; he spoke like one. Each morning, when I woke him, he even smelled like one. And then came that day when he was nineteen years old and announced to me that he heard the call of the Iaen and must obey and must go. That was the day that I watched my son walk away, and I realized bigger things were at hand. The day had come when the immortals would become involved with mortals and when the One would rise, and I hoped that he would be strong enough.
It was not long after he left that a stranger knocked on my door, bearing a message from my son. The messenger looked familiar, but I could not place him until he told me his name: Léthin the Optimistic, son of Leon and Rena. They had been killed by the Black Steeds long ago. Their home was found and burnt; their son escaped. I had time to ponder before they came for me. How my choices had affected the steps in my life. How my son ended up with the children of those I loved best; he traveled with Ellagine and Léthin the Optimistic. Nothing drew my surprise now; I knew it was my turn, and as I thought over my own life, I realized he was the One after all. He was the answer to all the songs the young world had poured forth in its oppression. He was the One the world was counting on, and I had raised him to be strong enough and determined enough. My son, Eliesmore, was the One, the One who would save the world. I was the Flame. He was the Fire.
Dear Readers
Thank you for reading the story of Myran. I hope the tale touched your soul and helped you find that wild thing called hope.
If you loved the book and have a minute to spare, I would truly appreciate a review on the site where you bought the book. It can be short, so don’t worry about trying to sound too eloquent.
Your help in spreading the word is greatly appreciated. Reviews from readers like you make a huge difference to helping new readers find stories like this.
Also by Angela J. Ford
The Five Warriors
The Blended Ones
Eliesmore and the Green Stone
Eliesmore and the Jeweled Sword
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Acknowledgements
The first version of this novella was written when I was eighteen years old. My inspiration was drawn from Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. I love the poetic rhythm of her book and hoped to do the same for mine.
I’d like to thank the creative brains that came together to make this novella better.
Special thanks goes to Sarah Fox of The Bookish Fox for correcting my grammar and being honest when my run-on sentences and unusual descriptions got out of hand.
Thanks to Lori Follett of Hell Yes Design Studio for creating a gorgeous cover that aligns with my vision for this story.
A huge thank you goes to my four sisters for reading and re-reading this short tale, and for making me wait to release it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brought up as a bookworm and musician, Angela J. Ford began writing The Four Worlds Series—a fantasy series—at the age of twelve. The storyline of those books was largely based off of the imaginative games she played with her sisters.
Angela originally finished the series when she was sixteen. After college, Angela began to rewrite The Four Worlds Series, bringing it from a child’s daydream to an adventure young and old can enjoy. Since it is inspired by fairy tales, high magic, and epic fantasy, Angela knows you’ll enjoy your adventures within the Four Worlds.
If you happen to be in Nashville, you’ll most likely find her at a local coffee shop, enjoying a white chocolate mocha and furiously working on her next book. Make sure you say hello!
www.TheFourWorldsSeries.com
hank you for reading books on Archive.
Myran Page 14