by Luna Lais
Lissandra looked at Eranen then around the barn. It had been days since either of them had done anything but look at the books. "No," she said sighing. "I need to clean this place up and start packing our things for the journey." She looked down at herself and then to Eranen before starting to laugh. Curious Eranen watched her leave the table and quickly climbed the ladder to the loft. A few minutes later she climbed back down and stood before him holding a leather pouch. "Here," she said shaking the pouch at him. "If we were in Calandoria you could have me publicly whipped for not giving this to you on the day of our marriage," she said winking.
Curious Eranen took the pouch and opened it. It was full of gold, he looked back to Lissandra. "Take it and see if you can find us some clothing suitable for court," she said.
Eranen's looked hardened has he handed the pouch back to Lissandra. "I have money for acceptable clothing. I will take care of it," he said forcing the pouch into her hands.
Lissandra took the pouch and moved to the side as Eranen stood up and stretched his arms over his head. He then headed towards the stalls where the stallions where kept. "I did not mean to offend you," Lissandra said, "It was mine before we married, but now legally it belongs to you."
Eranen turned and smiled at her. "I am not offended Lissandra," he said honestly. "I have just kept my wealth hidden from you. I live frugally by choice not because I have to." At her confused looked he added. "I am saving to build the academy."
Lissandra laughed, "Then we will save it for the academy as well," she said.
"No," Eranen said. "Save it for our children." He turned back towards the stalls and began preparing one of the stallions for the trip to Heartsfield. He did not notice Lissandra's blush.
"Do you think we will have children?" she asked. It had not occurred to her before now that they might. How it had not crossed her mind before she did not know, that was the reason most people got married was it not?
Eranen led the stallion from the stall and tied it to the railing. He walked over to Lissandra and gave her a quick kiss, "Yes," he said. "I do think we will have children." Without saying anything else he went back to the horse and led it from the barn. She heard him yell he would be back before dinner just before he mounted the horse. "I'll be waiting," she called back, but was not certain if he heard her or not.
She turned towards the table and began gathering the books. A few minutes later she was swung around by the arm to face Eranen. "You are coming with me," he said. She watched him as he went to the stall the other stallion was in and began putting a saddle on the animal.
"But, Eranen," he cut her off. "You are not safe until harvest unless I am with you Lissandra. Harvest does not begin until tomorrow; therefore you are coming with me." He led the horse from the stall and then walked over to where she stood. He picked her up and carried her to the horse. Instead of releasing her so she could mount he sat her down in the saddle and led the horse from the barn.
Lissandra had started to protest before Eranen's words had sunk in. This was the last day. If anyone was going to harm her it would be today. She watched Eranen mount his horse and together they rode towards Heartsfield.
The first order of business once they arrived in the small town was to purchase a wagon for their upcoming trip. It had been accomplished much easier than Lissandra would have thought given the size of Heartsfield, but apparently the town stable always had at least one for sale according to Eranen.
After securing the wagon and hitching the stallions to hilt, Eranen took Lissandra to a dress shop. He did not go in with her, but instead went across the street to a tavern to inquire about men looking for work. He returned just as Lissandra was finishing her purchases. They spent the rest of the afternoon shopping together buying supplies and other things they would need for their trip. They had dinner at the tavern and then went to the Inn to secure a room for the night. This would give Lissandra the rest of the evening to pack the trunks with their purchases and would only leave a few sparse belongings at the barn to gather before they left. Eranen organized the wagon and loaded the trunks once Lissandra had finished packing them. Eranen planned on leaving for Rorgrim the next day. He had made arrangements with the men he had hired that afternoon to take the crop to be sold. The men would split the profit, leaving none for Eranen. Not what Eranen had hoped for, but better than letting the corn rot in the field.
The next morning before dawn the men Eranen had hired met them at the Inn and together they headed back to Eranen's farm.
It was near midday, they were less than a mile away from home and Lissandra was in a wonderful mood. It had been a long time since she had not spent a whole day think of nothing but the future. At last harvest had arrived, she was still alive and best of all she had Eranen. He was driving the wagon and she was sitting next to him enjoying the scenery, lost in her thoughts. Eranen grinned at her, "You seem happy today."
"I am," she tilted her head back with her eyes closed and let the sun shine on her face. "Do you think everyone who marries is as happy as we are?" She turned to him smiling.
"No," Eranen said chuckling, "I am sure no man as ever been as happy as me." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.
They carried on a casual conversation for a few minutes before topping the last hill that would bring the farm into view. Eranen suddenly halted the wagon, jarring Lissandra. She looked at him, but did not speak. Instead she followed his stare to the destruction that lay before them.
The barn and the fields had been completely burned. A light haze of smoke still covered the ground. The shack was still there, but Emy Lou was no longer tied behind it where Eranen had left her the previous morning. Eranen's eyes darted to the forest were the house was being built. The trees surrounding the structure where untouched. That might mean the partially complete house was untouched as well.
"What about Emy Lou," Lissandra said still unable to believe what she saw. "We will look in a minute," Eranen said climbing down from the wagon. He walked towards the men he had hired. They had been following them and had stopped behind the wagon. Lissandra was too concerned with her own thoughts to listen to the conversation Eranen had with the men. She did see him hand several gold coins to them, before they turned their horses around and headed back towards town. Once Eranen was seated in the wagon again he drove them the rest of the way down the hill.
He pulled the wagon to a halt at the charged remains of the barn. After stepping down he went to Lissandra's side and helped her down. "Do you think you will be okay here by yourself, for a few minutes?" Lissandra indicated she would and began looking around at the destruction. Eranen unhitched one of the horses and quickly mounted. He looked at her one more time before galloping across the field towards the trees.
Lissandra's eyes were drawn to the shack, which stood untouched. The fire had consumed the garden next to it, yet not a single board was charred. Seeing nothing to salvage in the barn she walked over to the shack, just to make sure it was truly unharmed. To her amazement the book she had brought with her from the Temple of the Moon's Soul along with those of Eranen's they had been reading sat on the ground in front of the door of the shack. Lissandra knew the books had been left in the barn. The only way they could have been stacked so neatly in front of the shack was if someone had moved them there. As if expecting to see someone standing close by she turned around looking. When she saw no one there she laughed at herself.
Lissandra search around the shack and then in the what was left of the barn for any sign of Emy Lou. She found nothing that suggested Emy Lou had been killed by the fire, which probably meant she had run away frightened. Given what Eranen had said about the cow she would no doubt turn up sooner or later. Lissandra still standing in the middle of the where the barn use to be spotted the clay pot that had stood on the mantle of the fireplace. It was lying on the blackened ground a few feet in front of where the stones of the fireplace still stood. She quickly retrieved it and used the hem of her dress to wipe the black soot off the outsi
de of the jar. She could hear the jingle of the coins Eranen kept in it. She was so intent on what she was doing that she did not hear the riders approach. She turned around after removing all the black to find herself confronted by four men on horseback.
"My lady," one of them said as he dismounted. Lissandra watched the man approach her. His armor had the Forstar crest across the chest. This man was part of the Hikirian Royal Guard, Lissandra thought to herself. He stopped and knelt on the ground a few feet in front of her. "Are you well, my lady," he asked looking up at her.
"Yes," she said. "And you are?"
The man rose to his feet before answering. "I am Duncan Hollis, my lady. Princess Allista sent us to see after your safety."
Lissandra eyed the man suspiciously, "Why?" she asked.
"She rode with your brother to Rorgrim several weeks ago. Me and my men," he said indicating to the three men still on horse back, "were ordered to watch over you from a discreet distance and offer our assistance if the need should arise."
Eranen, riding fast from where the back of the barn had once stood, stopped the stallion in between Lissandra and the man. Quickly scanning the men he concluded that they were Hikirian soldiers. They did not wear they same symbol on their chest as those Darien had helped him kill. "Why are you here," he demanded of the man who had been speaking with Lissandra.
"Pardon, my lord," the man bowed to Eranen. "I was just explaining the same to the Princess Lissandra when you arrived." Eranen turned to look at Lissandra. She was covered from head to toe in ash and soot.
"Are you alright," he whispered to her. She nodded in reply. Eranen then turned his attention back to the man and listened to his explanation.
Duncan told Eranen of the orders he had been given to by Princess Allista. Eranen was impressed by the men's skill, but he did not mention it. In all this time he had never suspected that they were being watched. Duncan also told Eranen that all but one of them had followed them to town the day before. The man left behind was back at their camp if Eranen wanted to question him about the events of the night before. Eranen definitely wanted to speak to the man. He asked Duncan to bring the man to the edge of the woods. Duncan nodded before mounting his horse and riding away with the other men. Eranen held his hand out for Lissandra and helped her to mount behind him. Once she was seated he turned the horse towards the woods at a fast pace.
"What is this place?" Lissandra asked after Eranen had lowered her into a hole in the ground just behind the house he was building. It was to dark for her to see her surroundings.
"This is where I lived before I met your brother," he said lowering himself into the hole. Lissandra blinked rapidly when he lit a lantern behind her. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust in the dim light. "This is also where I hid my books on prophecy." Eranen sat the lantern down on a barrel which sat below the opening in the roof.
It was no wonder that Lissandra had not found the books. She had thoroughly searched the barn and the half constructed house to no avail. Once her eyes had fully adjusted Lissandra took in her surroundings. They were in a large underground room. Eranen had covered the floor, walls, and ceiling with wood. Above ground he had placed dirt over the structure making it impossible to detect. The opening she had been lowered through was just wide enough for Eranen to fit through.
In one corner of the room there was a table with a chair on each side. In another corner sat a large bed complete with blankets and pillows. "It gets cold in the winter," he said moving up behind her and wrapping his arm around her. He stood there for a moment holding her. "I need to bring the wagon into the woods and question the guard that stayed behind yesterday. Will you be alright alone in here for a little while?"
Lissandra turned around in his embrace and nodded. Eranen seized her lips in a demanding kiss. When he pulled away from her he was panting. "When I think I could have lost you," he said. He gave her one more, quick kiss before turning back towards the hole.
Lissandra watched him climb on the barrel and hoist himself up through the opening. He then slid the lid over the hole sealing her in. She smiled to herself. Yes, I feel wonderful today she thought.
It did not take Eranen long to retrieve the wagon and park it near the house he was building. He quickly unhitched the horses and tied one to a nearby tree. The other he quickly mounted and head to the spot near the edge of the woods were he had told Duncan to meet him. They were waiting for him when he arrived. He quickly dismounted and walked to the group of soldiers.
"Which man stayed behind," Eranen asked Duncan as he approached.
"That would be Jamie, my lord," Duncan said indicating a man with blond hair sitting on the ground a short distance away. "I tried to question him myself, but his ramblings make no sense to me." Eranen looked at the man in question. He had his knees pulled against his chest with his arms wrapped around them. He was rocking back and forth mumbling to himself. Eranen frowned at the man's odd behavior before following Duncan over the him.
"Jamie, Lord Palek wants to talk with you," Duncan said to the man, but if the man heard he made no indication. "Jamie, did you hear me? Lord Palek wants to speak with you." The man continued mumbling and rocking ignoring Duncan's words.
Eranen gently pushed Duncan aside and lowered himself to the ground in front of Jamie. The man stopped rocking and looked at Eranen. After a few moments he started rocking back and forth again. "Jamie, will you tell me what you saw?" Eranen softly asked the man.
Jamie shook his head wildly still rocking back and forth, his brown eyes rolled around in their sockets. "Y-you w-would n-n-not believe m-me," he stuttered. Something had frightened the man that was obvious to Eranen.
"Please," Eranen asked again. "I have to know. How can I protect my lady if I do not know the threat?"
Jamie stopped rocking and looked at Eranen again. "T-the cow's h-hair turned blue." Eranen did not make a reply to the man's statement. He did not know how to reply to the man statement. Jamie did not say anything else he just stared at Eranen.
"Where is the cow?" Eranen asked hoping Emy Lou was alright.
Jamie's eyes darted to Duncan then back to Eranen. He leaned closer and spoke in a faint whisper. "It climb on its back a flew off." Eranen stared at the man before frowning and shaking his head. He might have believed the man had thought Emy Lou turned blue. The light of the fire could have cast an odd shadow on her, but nothing would make him believe the cow flew. He slowly lifted himself from the ground and dusted off his pants.
"T-told y-you would n-not believe," Jamie said looking up at him. "It w-was a dra, a dr-ragon."
"Did you say a dragon?" Eranen said looking down at the man. Jamie nodded wildly and began rocking back and forth once more.
Eranen turned to Duncan. "Bring your men under the cover of the trees to camp tonight." He looked up and scanned the sky.
"You do not believe him, do you my lord," Duncan said following Eranen's gaze to the sky.
"I am not sure" Eranen said turning to walk back towards his horse.
Lissandra had finished removing the layers of dust from everything, but the bed. The large blanket looked as if it would need to be beat before they could use it, but the rest of the bed would be fine. She tugged the heavy blanket off and threw it on the floor. Eranen could take it up once he returned and she could beat it while she found them something to eat for dinner. She sat down in one of the chairs to rest for a minute and surveyed the room. It was much cleaner now and that alone made it more comfortable. As she looked around she saw something poking out from underneath the mattress of the bed. Curious she rose to retrieve it when she heard the lid covering the hole in the ceiling slide away. She turned to see Eranen drop into the room.
"What is this?" he asked pointing at the blanket.
"I need you to take that up for me so I can beat the dust from it or we will spend the night sneezing, instead of sleeping," she said walking to the bed. Eranen bent over and picked up the blanket. That was when he noticed Lissandra's arm under
the mattress.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Seeing what secrets my husband keeps under his bed," she smiled pulling small thin book out.
Eranen laughed, "Oh that," he said. "I really thought I burned that last winter." She looked at him with a quizzical brow. "That is the worst book of poetry ever written," he said.
Lissandra frowned and opened to the first page of the tiny book. She read the first verse out loud. "Her beauty rivaled the moon, she sought a great boon. Instead she married a man not quite a loon on a sunny afternoon." Eranen laughed harder at her look of disgust.
"My grandmother gave it to me as a birthday present. She swore it would win me a bride." Eranen shrugged his shoulders and climbed back up the hole with the blanket.
Why would anyone waste the paper to write this dribble on she thought as she tossed the book to the bed. She went to the hole expecting Eranen to lean over and reach for her. After a few moments of waiting she called to him, but he did not appear. Frowning she went back to the bed and sat down to wait. The little book slid against her leg. Looking at it she picked it up and opened it reading the next verse to herself. Princess or pauper was the choice to be made and it could not wait one single day. Power or death was the choice to be made, by dawn on that special day. Home or South was the choice to be made a brother to find her and guide her way. Lissandra looked from the book to the hole in the ceiling. Where was Eranen?