by D. E. Morris
The castle ruins still smoldered and had kept predators away while the men slept. Cavalon shook his head as he looked at it, hands on his hips. Whatever Badru found in there was terrible enough to make him bring down the entire turret and everything contained therein. Other than his talk of the pain in which Nealie had died, he’d spoken nothing and no question asked of him drew forth any answer. Not even a nod or a shake of the head.
Jessiah coughed and rolled over. His eyes opened slightly. Seeing Cavalon just standing there staring at the castle made him yawn and scrub his hands over his face. He sat up slowly and rested his arms on his knees. For a long moment, he stayed silent as he watched as well. When he spoke, there was disappointment in his tone. “I thought it had been a dream.”
“No.” Cavalon’s voice was heavy and his eyes sad. When he looked down at Jessiah, he took the younger man in with an even gaze. “You saved my life last night. I won’t soon forget that.”
“You would have done the same for me.”
Cavalon shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Besides, you’re much bigger than I am and I knew if those Gaels came back and you were down, I’d have no chance.”
“Glad to know I’m good for something.” He frowned. “You came out a little worse for the wear.”
With a half smile, Jessiah looked himself over. His clothing was torn and stained with blood almost everywhere he looked on his body. “What, this? I had tougher scuffles with my brother when we were lads.”
The comment made Cavalon smile slightly. Little by little, he was warming up to Jessiah. He’d never appreciate how much the younger man talked, but his easy going nature was contagious at times. For a man who seemed to be constantly wound up, Cavalon appreciated the calm that Jessiah brought to the group. Especially in the present.
“He slept all night that way,” Jessiah said after a moment. He was looking at Badru. “I kept waking up for a little while, hearing wings or feeling the ground shake with footsteps. At least I thought I did. Every time I awoke, Badru was in that very same position. If I couldn’t see his side moving right now, I’d wonder if he was still alive.” Looking up at Cavalon, Jessiah’s brow furrowed. “He mumbled something about soft skeletons.”
The term meant nothing to the Badarian and he turned to look back at the smoking castle. “We should get moving. The longer we stay here, the more I feel like something bad is going to happen.”
“Oh, you mean something else bad is going to happen. Because last night was pretty bad in my opinion.”
Cavalon went to where Badru slept and crouched. He put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and spoke low. “Badru, time to go. Wake up.”
The darker man stirred, immediately shying away from the touch and scampering to his feet. His hands went for the dagger at his belt, sleep still thick in his eyes. When Cavalon threw himself back and reached for his own weapon, Badru blinked and seemed to realize what was going on. His hand lowered and he straightened, sorrow etching into the lines of his face. “Forgive me,” he whispered heavily. “I did not know...”
“It’s all right.” Cavalon glanced at Jessiah, his brow furrowed with concern. “Jessiah said you were talking in your sleep about skeletons. What were you dreaming about?”
The answer Badru gave was just a slow shake of his head. Heavy lidded eyes lifted to the castle and his shoulders seemed to sag even more. His hand rose to grasp his chin and cover his mouth. Everything was destroyed because he hadn’t been able to control his rage. Any evidence, any clue they might have been able to use was now gone, and it was his fault. “Jessiah.” He had to clear his throat to sound closer to normal. “Your high king said you know Ibays better than anyone. What was this castle? How old is it?”
“Um.” The younger man turned his confused gaze the the castle and thought. “If I’m not much mistaken it was once Baerston Hold. Only two kings reigned here and the first died in his twenties of influenza. It’s not long been in ruins, either. Only since Tadhg attacked this county and that was...” He trailed off, eyes going skyward as he counted in his mind. “Twenty-two years ago maybe?”
“So at best this castle is not even a century old?”
Jessiah shook his head confidently. “I’d say maybe a little less than half a century. Why?”
He clearly didn’t want to talk about it. “The tower was used for torture, holding people and killing them. It was larger than it looked on the outside. Every hundred or so feet there were rooms and bones on the stairs.” He couldn’t stop staring at the castle. “Bones of men. Bones of dragons. Bones of Gaels. They turned to dust at my touch.”
“That’s impossible,” Cavalon defied. “Those bones would have to be older than you and me combined.”
“I know.” Badru finally looked at his old friend. His face was worn from exhaustion and such sorrow as he could never properly express. “It is not time that made them so brittle.”
Cavalon’s brow wrinkled deeper, a flash of anger in his golden gaze. “You think it was magic.”
“A darker magic than we have encountered in our lifetimes, yes.”
The Badarian braced himself for the answer to a question he couldn’t help but ask. “What happened to Nealie?”
Bile rose in Badru’s throat, the corners of his mouth turning down as he swallowed hard. “I know nothing for certain, but that she was there. She was held there for a long time. There was blood spilled in the room. If it was hers, I could not tell you. One of her gowns was there, torn to shreds...hair, scales...whatever happened to her was not pleasant by any standard.”
Jessiah ran a hand over his mouth and chin, turning away while Cavalon simply stared darkly at Badru. “You think this dark magic was used on her, too?”
Badru shrugged unceremoniously. “I can only guess.”
“What about the book? Did you get anything, any feelings or thoughts just from being in there?”
“The only feeling I got brought down the tower.” Badru stooped to brush ash from his sandals. “We should not linger here.” He looked at his companions, taking them both in for a long moment. Then finally he said, “I think it would be best to return to Altaine.”
Cavalon was confused. “Now? We can't have that much of Ibays left to search.”
“We do,” offered Jessiah. One cold glance from Cavalon had him shrinking back.
“Badru, we can't leave now. We just found our first solid lead as to what happened to Nealie-”
“Which I destroyed.”
“- and we haven't even come close to finding out who may now have the powers of the Water Elemental.”
Badru shook his head, unable to be swayed. “No one wants answers more than I do, Cavalon, but please, I beg you. I need to leave. We will continue our search in time.”
Everything in Cavalon wanted to fight Badru on this, yet there was a haunted look in the eyes of his friend that was impossible to ignore. He could easily send Badru on his way and continue on with or without Jessiah, but they had begun this journey together. Finding out what had truly happened to Nealie and who and where her eldest child may be was more important to Badru than anything, and Cavalon knew that.
With a heavy sigh, he relented with a nod. “All right. We'll go back to Altaine. We should probably drop the kid off first.”
“Or I could go with you.”
Both men looked at him, but it was Cavalon to voice his hesitation. “Don't you think you'll be missed at Lerranyth?”
Jessiah shrugged. “High King Donnchadh knows I'm with the two of you and he's told me to go as long as I need to. He never said I had to stay in Ibays. Besides, if you brought me back to the castle I'd have nothing to do but what I was doing before, and that was irritating Cailin out of boredom.” Badru and Cavalon looked at each other, making Jessiah eager to soften them to the idea. “I've always wanted to go to Siness again. Some of my best memories are from the last time I was there.” His enthusiasm faded. “It was the last time I was with my brother.”
Cavalon resisted th
e urge to roll his eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was take Jessiah back to Altaine with them. It would mean flying, for one, and that they would have to continue to put up with his incessant chatter.
“What happened to your brother?” asked Badru.
“He...had a bit of an accident. My father was a horse breeder and we grew up in the stables, always comfortable around the beasts. But there was one mare who never liked to have either of us around her. She didn't like children especially when she was pregnant. Killian was mucking out stalls, off in his own world as he usually was, and went into hers to get to work without even thinking. She immediately reared up and kicked him in the head. He managed to stumble out somehow because he was on the ground outside of the stall and the horse was gone when my da' found him. He never got up again.”
Again the two men looked at each other. Without words, Cavalon was trying to convince Badru not to be swayed by the sad story, but he could already see it on his face and looked skyward with another sigh.
“Of course you may come with us.” Jessiah immediately brightened at Badru's offer. “All we ask is that you be mindful of where you are and to whom you are speaking at all times. You will not be disrespectful to the high king and queen of Siness under any circumstances.”
“On my honor.”
“Very well.” Badru slid his gaze to Cavalon. “You will have to carry Jessiah, of course.”
Of course. Badru's scales were practically pure fire. There was no way a simple human could withstand a quick touch, let alone a ride that would last several hours. Cavalon grumbled, “Let's just get going.”
“Yes.” As Badru wet his lips, he took the castle in one last time. “We will find whoever did this to you, my dear friend. We will make him suffer as you have. We will find your child and protect them with everything within us.” He closed his eyes briefly, bowing his head in silence. When he was done, he moved away from Jessiah, as did Cavalon, to shift once more into his dragon form and begin the flight east.
~*~*~*~
Zarra rested her chin in her hand and sighed, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. She, Mairead, and Lilia were outside with Ashlynn and Lochlainn, relaxing in the warm air and the coppery light of the setting sun. It had been an easy day with no complaints to listen to, no pressing matter to attend, and no feuds to dissolve. Those days were few and far between, and were a luxury they were all enjoying. Except, as it would seem, for Zarra.
“Oh do stop sulking!” Lilia exclaimed. She plucked a grape from one of the various platters on the blanket they all sat on and scowled at the younger girl. “You're going to get permanent frown lines and then no man will want you. Least of all...”
“Least of all, what?” Zarra sat up, her brow wrinkling. “And I'm not sulking.”
“You are sulking,” argued Mairead, her soft voice complimenting the way she smiled down at the baby in her arms. Lochlainn cooed and smiled up at her in return, reaching for her dangling earrings. “You have been since Cavalon left. Hasn't she, little prince?” Lochlainn laughed which made Mairead smirk at Zarra. “You see? Even the baby knows.”
“I'm not sulking!” Zarra protested, almost whining. “I just wish we had news, that's all.”
Lilia quirked an eyebrow, laughter dancing in her brown eyes. “Since when are you so concerned with the business of Elementals and their kin?”
Zarra was stricken. “I've always been concerned. Ashlynn is an Elemental, you know!”
“You don't say!”
Ashlynn laughed quietly at her ladies, watching the way they interacted with each other. They were so different from one another, but she loved all three of them dearly. Mairead had a good head on her shoulders and, with the right union, could be a force to be reckoned with. She was unassuming most of the time, but when she spoke there was astonishing knowledge in what she shared. Lilia was quite intelligent as well, something that Ashlynn had been surprised to learn given her spoiled upbringing. She had a fire and sass the likes of which Ashlynn hadn't really known before and her loyalty to Ashlynn went above all others, save her own family. She could ruin kingdoms with her quick temper and willingness to leap without looking, but she was also quite strong and could shoulder much before she would be broken.
Then there was Zarra. Darling, sweet Zarra who only had eyes for Cavalon. Being the youngest of the group, she still had much to learn in life and it was quite evident in the way she behaved and spoke, but she was learning. She wanted to learn, which was helpful. She may have been flighty and whimsical, but if Ashlynn did her job right, she would be a good wife someday. Just not to Cavalon. But how to break the news?
“I am sure we will hear something soon,” Mairead was saying. “It has been over three weeks now, has it not?”
“It has,” agreed Ashlynn. “I am choosing to believe no news is good news.”
“I hate that saying,” Lilia grumbled, lounging back on her elbow. “I think it's lazy. You should send word whether it's good news, bad news, or in between. It's rude to let people sit in wonder for so long.”
Ashlynn couldn't help but laugh. “I pity the household you will run someday, Lilia.”
The comment made the girl grin wickedly. “So do I.” She turned to her queen. “You must be glad to be back in your rooms with Jaryn.”
“Glad is not the word I would use. Overjoyed perhaps.”
Mairead handed Lochlainn to Zarra as she asked, “No more nightmares, then?”
“No nightmares, no dreams, absolutely nothing.”
“I'd hate not dreaming,” complained Zarra. She peppered the baby's face with kisses, making him smile wide and coo for more of her attention.
“I do,” Ashlynn admitted, “but it's better than the alternative.”
Lilia smirked as she reached for a strawberry. “I'm sure, after having been apart for so long, you and Jaryn both will be needing to catch up on your sleep again.”
“Lilia!” Zarra shrieked.
“Oh, calm down,” laughed Lilia. “We're all friends here.”
Mairead fixed the winged girl with a stern gaze. “Ashlynn is still your queen and rules of propriety still apply.”
Now it was Lilia who pouted. “Forgive me. I suppose I'm trying to live vicariously through you.”
“I do forgive you.” Ashlynn gave a thankful smile to Mairead but laid a hand on Lilia's shoulder. “I cannot pretend to know how you feel, Lilia. I was never one to want to be married. It just sort of happened to me.”
“It's all I've ever wanted,” the girl lamented. “To have a husband and a family of my own. I always said I would pay more attention to my children than my parents did me. I may be a spoiled brat, but it's because I was always given things instead of attention. I want a chance to do things right. So long as I find a man who loves me I couldn't care less about title, status, or money.” She paused, then frowned delicately. “Maybe I care about the money a little.”
“I would be happy to stay here and serve my queen,” Mairead said after a moment. When the other two looked at her with disbelief on their faces she lifted her chin. “You may not believe me, but it's true.”
“There have been queens who have had ladies stay with them their entire adult lives,” said Ashlynn. She took Mairead's hand and squeezed it. “I would never hold you to that, sweet girl. I know desires change the older you get. You may want to marry, you may want to travel, you may want to join the circus. Whatever you want to do, I will support and bless it.”
“What about you, Zarra?” asked Lilia. “What do you want for your future?”
“Cavalon!”
“Oh, for heaven's sake. He will not-”
“No, it's Cavalon!” She pointed into the distant sky. “And Badru!”
Sure enough there were two dragons in the sky, white and fiery red, and quite close. All four women watched their approach and landing some distance off. Speculative conversation between the girls picked up when they saw someone jump from Cavalon's back, but Ashlynn kept quiet and simply watched. Within
moments the two men had shifted and were walking toward her, the stranger in the middle. As they approached the women all rose. Ashlynn kept her expectant gaze on Cavalon, occasionally looking to Badru but quickly going back to her more familiar friend and all but ignoring the man between them.
“The hunters return.”
“Empty-handed,” lamented Cavalon.
“But returned all the same.” She wanted to embrace him as she would any other she thought of as family, but Cavalon was not a man who favored physical or verbal shows of affection. Their relationship was just getting to a place of understanding and she didn't want to do anything to offset it. That, and they were in unfamiliar company. How would it look if she, a high queen, were to greet Cavalon, a simple traveler, in such a familiar way?
Badru motioned to the man with a sweep of his hand. “Your Majesty, may I present Jessiah...um....”
Jessiah smirked. “Jessiah Clery, Your Majesty.” He bowed deeply. “It is a great pleasure to be in your presence.”
“He was our guide in Ibays, commissioned by Donnchadh himself.”
Ashlynn cast a glance of surprise at Badru before returning her attention to Jessiah. “You work for the high king?”
“I do, Your Majesty. Ever at his bidding, with this small side trip aside. What a joy it is to be in your beautiful country again.”
“You have been to Siness before?”
“When I was much younger, yes. I was lucky enough to see the regent at the time, an elf, I believe. If I may, yours is a much prettier face to be greeted by than his.”
It was impossible not to smirk and Ashlynn's girls giggled behind her. “Thank you, Sir Clery.”
“Just Jessiah, if it pleases Your Majesty.”
“Jessiah, then. That is very kind of you to say.” And something she would have to remember to tell Tasarin someday. She lifted her eyes to the other two men. “I will have my husband meet us in the library and you can tell us all about your time in Ibays. I have something interesting I would like you to see as well. Jessiah, I will have the servants ready a room for you. Perhaps you would like to join us for supper.”