Souls of Aredyrah 2 - The Search for the Unnamed One

by Akers, Tracy A.

  Reiv had little time to spend with Kerrik or answer questions before he was whisked to a place of safety. With his fame now spread throughout Meirla, it was only a matter of time before Pobu and Tearia learned of it as well. Talk was that the former Prince played roles in two prophecies. He was now believed to be both the Transcendor and the Unnamed One. This left him, in the minds of most, with more power than even the Priestess possessed. He remained strangely mute about the entire experience and allowed himself to be shuffled along by Nannaven and the Elders, who in that short time had made it their mission to direct his every move. They insisted he hide, at least for a while, for they knew he was no longer safe in Meirla. And so they escorted him to a cave tucked within the rocks of the coastline several miles away.

  The cave was not deep, more like a yawn in the cliffs than a cavern. Few knew of its existence; it had been used for ancient rituals long since forgotten. Its entrance was well hidden, thick with an overgrowth of roots and mossy overhangs. Nannaven and the Elders set Reiv up as comfortably as they could, and provided him with some basic necessities. The only thing he requested was that Dayn stay with him, though he would not say why.

  “I appreciate your concern,” Reiv said when Nannaven had settled him into his hideaway, “but I will do no one any good hidden away. I would like you to arrange a meeting of those you know can be trusted, then send for me. There are issues that need to be discussed. It does not matter to me where the meeting takes place, but Pobu would probably be best. It needs to happen soon, though.”

  Nannaven agreed, then hurried out the cave with the three Elders at her back. As Reiv watched them depart, Dayn settled onto a mat by the fire that had been lit for their comfort. He held his hands over the flames. “It’s cold in here,” he grumbled. “And I hate caves.”

  It rained hard that first night, and continued without ease for the next three days. During that time, Dayn paced back and forth with boredom while Reiv mostly slept. Restless with confinement, and increasingly annoyed with his sleeping cousin, Dayn marched over and nudged Reiv with his foot. But Reiv did not move. “Why in the world do you require so much rest?” Dayn muttered. “You seem healthy enough.” He folded his arms and leaned down toward Reiv. “If you wanted me to come to this stupid cave with you,” he said rather loudly, “you could at least stay awake and keep me company.” Realizing his words had made no impact, Dayn returned to the warmth of the fire and plopped down in a huff.

  Glaring in Reiv’s direction, Dayn cleared his throat with exaggerated effort.

  Reiv stirred, then yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “What is there to eat around here?” he mumbled. “I am starved.”

  “There are some dates and palm nut, there in the basket,” Dayn said with indifference. Reiv rose and tottered his stiff body over to the food and sat down beside it. He grabbed the basket and propped it in his lap. Munching on a bit of nut, he eyed Dayn warily. “Why the face?” he asked.

  “Why the face? Well, let me see…it’s been raining ever since we got here. I’ve been stuck in a cold, damp cave with no one to talk to and nothing to do. I have a cousin at my side who could be murdered at any moment—myself included if I happen to get in the way—and a sister who’s off with a Spirit Keeper rounding up rebels for who knows what. You’re right, why should I be unhappy?”

  Reiv laughed. “Oh, little cousin, you are only looking at the dark side of things. Look around you. It is pouring down rain outside, yet you are sitting next to a nice warm fire. You have a basket of fruit, plenty of water, a blanket, and your favorite cousin wide awake now to keep you company.”

  Dayn attempted to stay angry, but a grin won out. “Fine. Hand me a date.”

  The two of them sat munching and stared into the flames that flickered in a tumble of ash and wood. Dayn grabbed a handful of dried moss and tossed it onto the pile. It cracked and sparked momentarily before turning into a curling blob.

  “Tell me about Kirador,” Reiv said.

  Dayn lifted his gaze from the fire and shifted his weight as though settling in for a long dissertation. “It’s beautiful there, I guess.” But that was all he said.

  “And…” Reiv said, prodding.

  Dayn sighed. “It’s more mountainous than here. Colder, too.”

  “Well, thank you for the geography lesson, but what about the people?” The reflection of the fire glowed on Reiv’s face, revealing sincere interest.

  “They’re all dark-haired like Alicine,” Dayn said, “and not as tall as you and me. They’re very religious and have many festivals. A matter of fact, the day I left we were at the Summer Fires and—” He frowned.

  “What about the summer fires? The summer fires what?”

  Dayn shrugged. “When I left everyone was at the Summer Fires Festival. That’s all.”

  “Must I drag every word from you? Tell me about it, more than two words at a time if you do not mind.”

  Dayn filled his lungs, then expelled the air into the cheeks of his disgruntled face. “Summer Fires is a big festival, probably the biggest of the year. I was bound and determined not to go—I hate going to those things—but Alicine tricked me into it. She was being crowned Summer Maiden, and it meant the world to her.” He paused, noting the question forming on Reiv’s face. “Summer Maiden is a girl thing…hard to explain. Anyway, she had worked for months on that dress of hers—”

  “The dress with the flowers? You mean to say she made that dress herself?” Reiv was clearly impressed.

  “Yes. Well anyway, I’d pretty much avoided all the festivals this past year, ever since I found out I was a demon, or rather, ever since I came to believe I was. But even before I’d found out, it was always miserable going to those things. I always ended up being laughed at or insulted in one way or another. Well, to make a long story short, I went and ran into Falyn—”

  “Falyn? I have heard that name. Alicine said something about her before, I think. That is the girl you like, is it not?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Dayn said. He stabbed at the embers with a stick, sending a funnel of sparks rising with the smoke.

  “Why not? You must like her; otherwise you would not mind speaking of her.”

  Dayn tossed the stick into the fire and wrapped his arms around his bent knees. “It doesn’t matter whether I do or not.”

  “She does not return your feelings?”

  “I don’t know. It never came up.”

  “It never came up? You mean she does not know how you feel? You never told her?”

  “No, I never told her,” Dayn said crossly. “God, Reiv, can’t you let this go?” Dayn rose abruptly from his spot by the fire and headed for the mouth of the cave. He stood facing out, arms crossed, and stared through the raindrops trailing from the overhang.

  Reiv followed him over and stood next to him. “I understand how you feel, cousin. I, too, have been wounded by love. First Cinnia, then…well, never mind.”

  “My sister loves you, you know.”

  “Oh, no. If you refuse to speak of Falyn, then I refuse to speak of Alicine.”

  Dayn nodded and continued his mute contemplation for a long moment, then said, “I love Falyn. I’ve loved her for as long as I can remember. She’s smart and beautiful, and she never treated me badly. Not like the others. There’s nothing about her not to my liking, except her brother Sheireadan. He despises me and would never allow me to have anything to do with her. I received many a black eye and bloodied nose for a look in Falyn’s direction, but I didn’t care. She was worth every licking I ever took.”

  “Surely she knows how you feel about her, Dayn. After all, your face does have a tendency to reveal every emotion.”

  Dayn forced a laugh. “Well, she mostly saw my backside. I was usually running in the opposite direction.”

  “You said she treated you kindly when others did not. Are you sure she does not return your feelings?”

  “It’s probably just pity,” Dayn said. He lowered his gaze and kicke
d a pebble with his toe. “It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The day I left I’d found out all the fathers had made a decision about me. They decided I’d never be allowed to take a wife. They didn’t want to risk any offspring from demon-kind like me. I guess I can’t really blame them. At the time I thought I was a demon, too. At any rate, that’s when I decided to leave.”

  “So how does Alicine figure into the picture? I doubt you invited her to come along.”

  “No, she was definitely not invited. She came looking for me and refused to turn back when she found me. By then I was almost to the cave and bound and determined not to go home. You know how stubborn that sister of mine can be. Well, I matched her for it that day. So, we went in together.”

  They headed back to the warmth of the fire and sat across from each other, talking about things they had never had much time to talk about before. Reiv told Dayn about his former life as a prince, while Dayn told him about his and Alicine’s trek to Tearia, beginning with the adventure in the cave. He told him about the winding tunnels and snaking river, the strange markings and mysterious chambers, the bubbling pits and swarms of flying rats. As he spun the tale, he grew more animated, his arms waving wildly when he came to the part about the monstrous demon. His shadow loomed across the wall, the image contorting with his every move. Reiv watched with rapt attention.

  “Gods, you really put yourself through an ordeal to escape the pain of that girl,” Reiv said with amusement.

  Dayn chortled. “I suppose I did.”

  “Will you go back for her?”

  “Go back for her? I don’t know. I mean, I did promise Alicine I would take her back to Kirador, but I keep hoping she’ll change her mind. I keep hoping you’ll change her mind.”

  Reiv’s face grew solemn. “I cannot keep her here, Dayn. Her heart belongs in Kirador, at least most of it does. No, she must return home and you must be the one to take her.”

  Dayn picked up a twig and chewed on it absentmindedly for a moment. “You know, if we do go back, I’m going to walk right up to Falyn and tell her how I feel about her. I mean, if I can make my way through a cave, escape a demon of the deep, and put up with the likes of you…why, I should be able to do almost anything. Yes…I do believe I’ll march right up to her and kiss her on the mouth.” He smiled dreamily. “Right on the mouth.”

  “So you have not kissed her before then?” Reiv asked.

  “Of course not! I’m only sixteen. Even if I had been allowed to court, it wouldn’t have been until I was seventeen at least.”

  “Court? What does that mean?”

  “You know, when a boy is allowed to visit a girl at her parents’ house and get to know her and at first they’re only friends, but then if it goes well you can kiss her—but not when the parents are around, of course.”

  Reiv’s surprise surpassed even his reaction to the cave story. “You mean to tell me you are sixteen…and you have never been alone with a girl… and you have never kissed one?”

  “Of course not! It would not have been proper.”

  Reiv burst into hearty laughter. “Gods, cousin, a boy as healthy as you would have been wedded and bedded by now in Tearia.”

  Dayn felt his face blush three shades of red. “I can’t believe you said that. Just because I don’t walk around half naked, staring and touching and kissing like the people here do.”

  “We do not stare and touch and…well…we do stare and touch and kiss, but it is a natural thing. Nothing to be ashamed of. You do not know what you are missing.”

  “Yes, I do. I mean, when I picture Falyn, I get all goosy.”

  “Goosy?”

  “Yes, you know, goosy.” Dayn demonstrated with a bodily display of quivering happiness.

  “I never heard it called ‘goosy’. How did you come by that expression exactly? Does it have something to do with a goose’s neck?” Reiv looked completely serious.

  “A goose’s neck? No. Goosy. Like a bump. You know.”

  “A bump? I should think it would be more than a bump.”

  Dayn stared at his cousin like he was talking to a two-year old. Then Reiv’s meaning became clear. “Oh, you think—God, Reiv, I’m not talking about that! I mean bumps like on your arms, not—” Dayn threw his hands up in exasperation, then his eyes grew mischievous. “But as for the other, I swear it can be so annoying, can’t it? I mean, I see Falyn walking my way and evil thoughts seem to take me over, body and mind.” He grinned and found himself squirming. “I think we’d better change the subject. I’m picturing her as we speak.”

  “Well, you had best get your mind off of your bump in a hurry because someone has come to call,” Reiv said.

  “What—who?” Dayn turned his head to follow Reiv’s gaze. Jensa was making her way toward them, her clothes drenched through and clinging to every part of her body. Dayn groaned and lowered his forehead into his hand. “Oh, god, please not her. Not now,” he muttered, shaking his head.

  Reiv looked at Jensa, then Dayn, and his laughter returned. “Go on, cousin, where are your manners? Are you not going to rise to greet her?”

  Dayn shot him a glare. “Not funny, Reiv.”

  “What’s going on with you two?” Jensa said. She walked over to the fire and sat down next to Dayn, her knee touching his, and held her hands out over the flames. She leaned across him and reached for a blanket, pulling it across his lap to hers.

  Dayn looked past her, struggling to keep his eyes averted from her barely clad body. “I need some air,” he said, and jumped up and headed out into the rain.

  “What in the world is he doing?” Jensa said. “Doesn’t he realize how hard it’s raining? Didn’t he see how soaked through I am?”

  Reiv threw back his head and roared with laughter, attempting to answer between breaths. “I think he is well aware,” he managed.

  But Jensa was not amused. “Well, if you wouldn’t mind turning off your stupidity for a moment, I came to tell you a meeting has been called.”

  Reiv composed himself and wiped the tears from his eyes. His merriment faded. “When and where is it to be?” he asked.

  “In Pobu, tonight after dark. I’m to escort you both, but with this weather…” Jensa looked out briefly toward the rain that had begun to come down in torrents. “Oh, the Guard came to Meirla looking for you, by the way.”

  “Did they now?”

  “Yes, but no one made any indication they had seen you or knew of your whereabouts.”

  “The Guard did not harm anyone, did they?”

  “No, everyone put on a very convincing show. I don’t think our people wish to lose their Transcendor so soon. Guards searched every hut, but found nothing.” She glanced again toward the mouth of the cave and frowned. “Where is Dayn anyway? He’s going to be soaked to the bone.”

  “Perhaps you had better fetch him,” Reiv said with a hint of humor. “After all, you are already wet.”

  Jensa narrowed her eyes in response, but she rose anyway, blanket around her shoulders, and headed out to look for Dayn.

  She found him standing beneath an outcrop of rock, but it provided a poor shelter and he had become as soaked through as she was. He stood there, arms wrapped around himself, shivering as he stared at the distant horizon.

  “What are you doing out here?” Jensa asked. She reached to pull the blanket from her shoulders to wrap around his, but he ordered her to stop with a wave of his hand.

  “I’m f-f-f-fine,” he said through chattering teeth. “I couldn’t breathe in there.”

  “Well, you’re going to drown out here. You’re ridiculous.” She pulled off the blanket and draped it around him. As she tugged it beneath his chin, Dayn reached for it, but clumsily grabbed her hand instead. He let go quickly and turned his face away.

  “Now you’re the one who’ll be c-c-cold,” he said. His words were directed to her, but his eyes were focused in the opposite direction.

  Jensa moved next to him and pulled part of the blanket around her shoulders. “Here, w
e can share it,” she said.

  Dayn felt the warmth of her skin against his, but instead of his shivering subsiding, it only seemed to increase. He thought to step away, to distance himself as far from her as possible. But where would he go, and did he really want to?

  “You’re shaking,” Jensa said. “Come on, let’s go back in.”

  Dayn nodded, but found his legs would not move. It was as though his feet had become rooted to the mud oozing between his toes.

  The rain trickled off the strands of hair that were hanging down his forehead and flicked at his lashes. Jensa reached a hand up and brushed it from his eyes. “What is it, Dayn? Tell me.”

  “Nothing. Reiv and I were just talking, that’s all.”

  “About what? I could tell you were not pleased to see me. Did I offend you in some way?”

  “Oh, no! It’s just that…well we were talking about things I wouldn’t have you overhear.”

  “What sort of things?”

  Dayn remained silent for a moment, his knees rocking. “Girls, that’s all.”

  “I see. And were you talking about any girl in particular?”

  “Well…yes. There’s a girl where I’m from that I sort of care about. But I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again and—”

  Jensa moved her face close to his. “Do you love this girl?”

  “Yes, but…like…I…said…” Dayn found himself staring into Jensa’s pale blue eyes, eyes nothing like Falyn’s, then at her lips, lips he realized could be his for the taking. But he found his mouth as frozen in place as his feet were.