He deserved the look she gave him. Castien should not have been staring at her the way he had.
Still, she was a distraction for him.
After lighting his incense and tossing his flower, he found that he could not say more than thanks. It was unusual for him. He knew so many things about Nara, what she should have looked like, how she had been born. But, staring at her from the bushes in the forest, he hadn’t known it was her until Taruk had said something.
Nara wiped a tear from her eye, causing him to swallow hard. He stood with her and followed her from the chamber. She did not stand as tall as before, and he frowned at this, running several questions and scenarios through his head as he followed her.
Stopping in front of the tall statues of the gods in the temple entranceway, he offered her a partial truth. “The king of Ghela sent me and I am here for someone. I am also here to attempt to make peace with your Elders.” He glanced at the people passing by them who stared but would not speak.
She stopped too and blinked at him. Unshed tears lined her eyes. He could already tell she had too much pride to allow them to fall.
“Why would you not tell me that when I asked?” She wiped just under her eye.
He shook his head. “It’s important that this person not know just yet. I should test the waters. See how they react.” He shrugged and smiled. “I was also ordered not to. But here you have me cornered.”
She smirked, wrapping her arms around her waist. “Telling me in the middle of the entryway is probably not best.”
“You’re right.” His smile widened, and he placed a gentle hand against the small of her back, thankful that no spark occurred as long as he touched cloth. Surprisingly, she allowed him to lead her through the doors. “Can we speak now?”
She nodded and followed him from the temple, past the statues of the twin goddesses, to a tree that stood just apart from the forest that surrounded the temple. While still able to see the temple, he felt more comfortable speaking to her where no others seemed to wander.
“I suppose I should tell you about my name,” she said as she leaned against the tree and slid down to sit.
“You could,” he said, easing himself down to sit beside her. “But now I would like to know why you were crying. Something tells me I’m right about your name. And if I will only receive information for information, I would like to know that.” She looked away from him with an audible sigh. However, Castien was not one to give up so easily.
Wrapping his hand around her chin, he ignored the initial spark that occurred with the contact. His breath was heavy as he turned her face to look at him. Her lips parted and he knew that she felt it too. Some heavy call between their crystals urged him to kiss her.
But he drew his hand away, and the fog passed from his mind.
“Tell me,” he murmured, “what did you pray about?”
She stared at him for a long moment. Her hands were tight, holding one another in her lap. Looking down, she answered, “The Elders want me to marry someone and….” She sighed. “There is so much.”
“Tell me,” he urged, growing tense at the mention of marriage.
Nara closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “I like him. But he is my friend.” She shook her head. “I wanted to marry another. But he’s gone. He followed what the Elders wanted him to do, and then he left the island. But I told the Elders I would not marry.”
“Did the one who left, did he know you loved him?” She nodded. His jaw tightened, but he pressed on. “Did he not ask for you?”
“He said he did.” She shook her head and looked up at him. Her cheeks were now tear streaked, but her voice did not waver. “I do not believe him. No one knew about us either. He said he would marry her, wait for me, then leave with me.” Nara scoffed. “But he would have already been bound.”
Castien shook his head. “That was a terrible plan.”
“Yes.” She looked distant again. Running her hands across her skirt, she took a deep breath before speaking. “He left. I wanted to take care of him, and I thought he loved me as much as I loved him. But I swore that I would not take a promise unless I wanted to.” She smiled, even though her lips were tight. “I speak too much.”
“No, you don’t.” He wanted to know more. He had to know more. “Who was he?”
“That’s not important.” She waved her hand through the air. “He wanted to sail; he spoke to me about it often enough. He got his wish. Soon I will have mine.” She ran her hand through a patch of grass. “I will see the world, and I will marry when I am ready. I’m sorry for turning my friend away, but I know of several maidens who are interested in him.” She chuckled. “He seems oblivious to their advances, even after Melowyn and I have pointed one or two out.” Nara brushed her hair from her face and leaned her head back against the tree. “He will make a good husband to anyone he chooses.”
Castien listened intently. Hearing what she said, her desire to choose a husband, made him happy for many reasons.
Slowly he leaned into her. When she looked back at him, she did not move away. He had made this dance several times in the past. But this time, it was different. This time he had to be careful in everything he did. This time, he would learn as much about his intended as possible.
He was so close now he could feel the heat coming off her cheeks.
“I should go,” Nara whispered just before he could kiss her. She pushed against the tree and stood. Running her hands over one another, she took a step back. “I have to take care of something.” She looked down and turned, but not before he saw her smirk. “I will return to you later.” His smile widened, and he leaned his head against the tree as he watched her speed away.
Nara would discover things soon enough. But not before Castien wooed her, preparing her for his own gain.
NARA
Seeing him had been too much.
By the time the sun set the night before, Nara had already regretted leaving Castien behind. However, she was exhausted from a day of unexpected events.
The next day, she quietly made a path to Taruk’s room.
After greeting her with a grunt, his rigid, short ears twitched. She sat in a chair in the corner of his room, staring at him while he sat on the bed. The beds were not made for beings of his girth. A design of delicate vines formed the frame that was usually only enough to hold one elf unless there had been a room available for couples or families. The gentle wood bowed, yet it did not break. Nara beamed, thinking an enchantment must have been placed on it for the orc to safely sleep upon it.
Light pooled in from the window against the back wall, illuminating his pale grey skin. Taruk looked like the rock that his kind was said to be formed from by the god Promethus. It was early morning still, and she had every intention to speak with Castien. After a night’s rest, a night to ebb her anger, she wanted to speak with Taruk about Castien before she’d go to see the elf herself.
“I should nah speak of these things,” Taruk said, his voice gruff as always. It was never an indication of his mood, only his accent, which caused great difficulty for her sometimes.
“Taruk, you have to tell me about him.” Nara stood, crossing her arms over her chest and inclining her head. “There’ve been a number of things that have happened that have me curious and worried. You’ve always been keen to indulge my curiosities. Why won’t you tell me about him?”
Taruk looked up with a scowl. She could see a hint of frustration and fear in his eyes when he narrowed them even further. “Was told nah,” he finally said after what appeared to be much deliberation. “Nah just by him. The High Elder greet him. There was nah name but his place. He is important, as you say.” He switched the language he spoke from the common tongue to orcish. “He is…prince? No…” Taruk looked over at the table in the center of the room; the design of it matched the bed and the same light colors of the room. It was meant to be calming, but Nara and Taruk were tense.
Taruk’s eyes darted back and forth. “There
is no word to describe his place in my tongue, but he stands at the right of the king, as they say, with his father.” Again he looked at her, switching between languages. “The only I will fear. They are slavers and murderers of my kind.” Nara understood his fear now. Slowly she made some sense of everything that had transpired so far. This was one of the elves that Taruk had told her stories of. “I cannot say everything, Nara.”
“Please tell me more, Taruk,” Nara pleaded in a hushed tone, her knees giving in to kneel before him. Taking his large hands into her own, she noticed how childlike her hands were against his. The roughness of his skin when she ran her fingers across the back of his hand left the tips of her fingers red. “Why did you say that he promised not to hurt me?”
It did not appear as though he would answer her, and before she could press the issue, there was a knock at the door. She froze for a moment, thinking it could be Castien at the door. Now that she knew something more about him, she feared the power this elf had. However, unwilling to let her friend face him she stood and crossed to the door. She grasped the long silver handle before turning it.
It was not Castien, and her anger faded.
Standing there instead with a wilted smile was Fallon. Melowyn stood beside him. Her cheeks burned red and her brown eyes bore down on Nara. She wondered if they had fully expected to see her here.
“Why would you reject the Elder’s decision, Nara?” Melowyn snapped. “Of all people, why would you deny Fallon?” Nara blinked, her anger skipping a beat as she glanced at Fallon who was silent and unable to meet her eyes. In her haste she had not realized that she could have offended her longtime friend, regardless of what they felt for one another.
“I have every right to deny their decision.” Nara spoke low. “I did not deny Fallon. I only rejected the decision that they made for us. Perhaps he wants a different maiden as well, as I am not long to be here. There has been nothing but a bond of siblings between us. I’m offended that the Elder’s even suggested the two of us. Why are you so angry over this? You knew this was coming. You knew that I was leaving as soon as I could.”
“Nara, their decision is final,” Melowyn stepped towards her. “You’ve no right to deny their decision as they have absolute power over the affairs of Vheria. You should not leave, either. You were raised in the temple and by the Elder’s. You have a duty to them.” Nara scoffed and shook her head. Despite this, Melowyn continued, “The decisions they make for us are for our own good. They know what it is they are doing. When offered to become an Elder Apprentice, I graciously accepted. As the gods say, honor the Elder’s in all things for it is they who are blessed with wisdom.”
Nara dove in, ignoring the last Melowyn had said. “I have no right? Many have the right to make their decision, Melowyn. It shouldn’t matter who raised me or where. If I leave and return, I should be received with open arms.” She looked at Taruk who had moved to her side. Seeing that he would offer no support nor would he hinder her, she looked back at Melowyn and continued more calmly, “I will leave with Taruk after my rites have passed. They cannot force me to do anything and neither can you. Please, let me be in peace to make my own choice to fulfill my own life, to make my own decisions and, gods willing, my own mistakes.” She tried to keep her anger hidden as she made her request.
The red in Melowyn’s face deepened and her next words struck Nara deep in her heart.
“If you return, I will pray for the gods to influence the Elders’ decision,” Melowyn growled, a heavy hatred entering her voice. “I pray that you are never allowed back. Or perhaps I will pray for your end.” From the corner of her eye, Nara saw Fallon’s mouth open as though to speak, but he was silent, shocked as much as Nara. His reaction was more typical of him when the maidens argued. Many times, when they were younger, he had tried to intervene, turning their anger on him instead. He had since learned to avoid that.
Still, Nara was surprised he would say nothing to rebuttal Melowyn’s hate-filled words. Before Nara could recuperate from the painful barrage, Melowyn had stormed away. Nara looked at Fallon for support. There was no expression from him. Nara shook her head.
“I don’t understand,” she said. Her chest was tight, and she was on the verge of angry tears. They had been friends since Melowyn had arrived at the temple. Melowyn knew for the longest that Nara wanted to leave Vheria. Never had she been met with such anger in the past, never by anyone.
“She does not want to see you leave,” Fallon insisted. A thick crease formed in his forehead. “None of us want you to leave, Nara. We’ve talked. We are afraid you’ll never come back. It is just as bad as death. Something I know with the experience of my elder brother leaving. If you really died...I don’t think any of us would know, and it is a painful reality.”
Nara’s eyes softened, understanding if only a little.
“She is afraid I will not come back and then wishes death upon me? I cannot keep myself confined, Fallon.” She lightly touched his cheek. When he closed his eyes, she pulled away, looking at Taruk before she continued, “I need to move outside of these boundaries. I’ve had this feeling since I was a child. Taruk and his crew will keep me safe. You know that, Fallon.” When she tried to smile at the orc, he did not return the gesture. Instead, his look was grim, his large hands attempting to wipe it away. Still it lingered, and that worried her. The foundation of her adventurous energy was shaken. “Taruk?”
“Eh,” he began, his loss for words taking the flame of excitement from her, and she shook her head not understanding the situation she found herself in. In the past, Taruk had been very supportive of her decision.
Thinking back to their interrupted conversation, she grimaced. “What does he want with me, Taruk?”
“Who are you talking about?” Fallon asked quietly. Nara glanced at him and sighed.
“Castien,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. Though he was much larger than she, it didn’t stop her from trying to bully an answer out of him. “In the forest you said that he told you he wouldn’t harm me. What does he want?”
Taruk shook his head, brows falling further over his eyes. “Nah, Nara. If only I could.”
Flustered, but not wanting to further bully her longtime friend, she closed her eyes for a moment. There were other ways to get the information she wanted. She would have to ask Castien.
Nara smiled. “Thank you for your time, Taruk.” When Nara turned to leave, Fallon grabbed her by the arm. His eyes were heavy, his frown deep. She understood how much her friends didn’t want her to leave. Arlania was dangerous, especially when compared to the place they grew up in. But her friends had to understand her desires and needs too. At this moment she wanted nothing more than for them to go with her.
But Melowyn wanted to become an Elder Apprentice and Fallon a guardian, so Nara doubted either would go with her, despite her invitations in the past.
“Fallon,” she prodded when he would not speak. His eyes were downcast, fingers lightly gripping her bare skin. His eyebrows crinkled, and his lips pursed. She wanted to reach out to him, to comfort her friend of many years, but she was impatient and wanted to continue her task.
Fallon let go of her arm and shook his head. “Never mind, Nara.”
She blinked before wrapping her arms around him. “I will speak with you later tonight or tomorrow before you leave with your younger brother to visit your family.” When she let him go, his arms stayed around her a moment longer.
Castien’s room was not far from where she was at the moment. One of the buildings that lay outside the temple was large; the hallways connected in an arched manner, making it echo throughout. She could scream, and anyone could hear her from any part of the building. This was why the Elders set off-shore visitors there. It was separate from the main temple, where students and mainland visitors resided, and built in such a way that all could be heard.
It was also harder for her to sneak through. Removing her sandals, she moved through the halls at a steady pace. Unlike i
n the temple halls, she was unable to feel the presence of the gods as strongly here. Though in a separate realm, the gods were able to touch people with their presence. Their presence was stronger at the shrines and temples. She hoped when her day came to separate to the Celestial Realm, she would remember to ask them how they did it.
She turned a corner in the long hallway and didn’t have to take more than a few steps before she heard yelling. The muffled screams of what sounded to be elf and maiden echoed off the walls and reached Nara at the end of the hall.
Seeing Castien’s door slightly open, she crept forward, moving on tiptoe and pulling her skirt up to ensure it wouldn’t sweep across the wall or floor. It was the same as hunting, and over the years her hunting skills had served her well in eavesdropping.
The closer she came, the better she could hear what was said, and she held her breath to hear even better.
“I’ve no idea what your father plans, Castien, but I know him to be treacherous. Does he conspire against me? You should leave. Leave before the hearing and let all go in peace.” Nara recognized that voice, Theola Raenen. Never had Nara heard her talk with such anger and hatred, no matter how many times the two had had a match of wits.
Castien sounded just as contemptuous as Theola. His words escaped like a growl, his voice carrying without having to raise it. “You know what we’ve planned? Tell me. And please tell me why would he have anything planned against you? You left Father. You left me. He left your betrayal at that.” Someone shuffled. “You are not so important. You never were. As you said, the High Elder has called a meeting with those Elders across the island. I’ve reached a higher level of meaning. I refuse to leave, Mother.”
Barely an inch from the wooden door frame now, Nara’s eyes widened, and she stilled. Theola is his mother. The thought hardly registered. Theola had left Vheria at one point. At one point she had taken an actual taste of the outside world. Either that or she came to Vheria from the outside world. Nara smiled. Even if she never told Theola, she would still have this satisfaction.
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