“Where to this time?” I asked, numb with disbelief. It wasn’t that Treygon felt like anything close to home, but the idea of packing up lock, stock, and barrel and being shipped off to yet another foreign place in a foreign world… I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
“Laytrii.”
“Laytrii?”
His answer took a moment to sink in. When it did, I couldn’t hide my excitement.
“Really? You mean it? I’m really leaving here? I’m going back to Laytrii?”
“That you are.”
I smiled broadly—couldn’t help it. This was too good to be true. Leaving Treygon for Laytrii? Exchanging the silent Simathe for the company of Rittean and Elisia? I’d take that trade any day.
“What about Aureeyah? Is she coming too?”
The Simathe High-Chief nodded. “She will accompany you partway.”
“Only partway? She won’t be going to Laytrii? Why not? I need her.”
“Perhaps you should ask her that.”
“Right. Aureeyah. I’ll go ask right now. Thanks, Ilgard!”
I turned to dash off, but had only gone a few steps when something made me stop and swivel back toward the man behind me.
“Ilgard?”
He turned to face me. “This place where you’re going, is it dangerous?”
He hesitated before answering, as if trying to figure out why I asked. “For others, perhaps.”
Ah, so it was dangerous. But then, the Simathe were immortal—or said to be. I still had a hard time wrapping my mind fully around that. I supposed it was that small, niggling doubt that prompted me to say, “Be careful, won’t you?”
He blinked in surprise, just once. On a normal person this would have been the equivalent of a jaw dropping open in shock. Before he could say anything, I hurried on, “Oh, I know you all say you can’t really be hurt and all that, but still—be careful, okay?”
Something flickered in the darkness of his eyes. “We will, my lady. And you do likewise.”
Pain
Be careful, she had said. Whatever could have prompted that?
Standing in place, the Simathe lord watched her hair swing from side to side as she jogged back toward Treygon’s main building. He thought of the mix of feelings, both joy and disappointment, that she had felt upon hearing she was to depart Treygon. Once, to leave had been her fondest wish. Once, she would have cared little what happened to him when he left her.
But no longer. She was changing, discovering herself as the Artan and the Simathe as her allies. And himself, how did she see him? As her friend? Her protector? Or still as her enemy, determined to wreck every chance at happiness? The feelings he discerned in her were confused, at best.
As for himself? Deep down, in a tightly locked place, rarely brought to light, he was confused, as well. During the rare moments he allowed himself to think of her as more than merely the Artan, the woman he was sworn to protect, the Simathe was forced to admit there were things about her he admired. Despite all she’d endured, her spirit had not been broken. She was resilient and pliable to needed change. She could bend rather than break. She was sweet as well as stubborn, good-natured as well as unruly. She was clever, kind to those around her. And she was not afraid to contest him, to tell him exactly what she thought, defying his authority even when she knew it was a futile endeavor.
Perhaps it was her stubbornness and defiance that truly set her apart from all the women, and most of the men, he had encountered in his lifetime. She challenged him, had fought him even while she feared him. And, most incredibly, it seemed she had grown to the point where she feared him no longer—at least, not as she previously had.
At times, the warrior found himself watching her, studying her, memorizing her movements, traits, habits, and quirks of personality. The way she made a point of always thanking the underlings who served her; the way she tried so hard to make Cole and Kan, with whom she was most familiar, break habit and laugh aloud. Her easy friendship with Aureeyah. The way she worked so determinedly at her lessons with the fairy and the weapons training with his men.
He could not help noticing the other things, the small things, the things he should not notice. The way sunlight caught in her hair and the scent of her perfume. The grace of her stride and the quick tosses of her head to fling the hair out of her eyes. The way her mismatched eyes glowed when she grasped a new concept or skill, and the sweetness of her smile, warm as springtime itself. Her laughter brought new light to Treygon’s halls and her presence a vivid new life. She fascinated and drew him in, despite his determination to resist. She possessed a mysterious strength contradicting her tiny frame; she was a beautiful mystery he wanted to unravel.
In the end, however, she was a woman. The Artan. And he was Simathe. He would not marry, and her future lay far apart from him. Yes, he had vowed to safeguard her, to follow her, and so he would. He would even give his life for her, were that possible. But she could never be his. And at that unspoken realization, a part of him, before unknown and sheltered away, began to hurt.
Forget this, he told himself.
Best to disregard all thoughts of her as anything more than the Artan who commanded his allegiance. They were from different times, different worlds, and faced different destinies. It was never meant to be.
Alas, even when he wanted to forget her, the bond Joining them together would not permit it. Day and night he felt her presence, experiencing her joys and fears in a way no one else could. Had she been any woman besides the Artan, had she not been Joined to him, had she not been so different from the rest, he would not think such things about her. He would simply overlook her, as he had overlooked scores of Aerisian women during his life. But Lady Hannah, this one young woman from another world, he found impossible to overlook or forget.
Contrey’s past warnings concerning this very thing rang in his ears as Ilgard bent to retrieve the cloak she had carelessly left behind on the training grounds. He would leave it for her in the main hall before going on with preparations for his own journey. Perhaps, in the quietness and distance of their being apart, he could find time to wrestle some peace for his soul.
Part Two
Return to Laytrii
Fairy Homecoming
We began the return passage to Laytrii later that same morning. It was as uneventful and easygoing as a trip down steep mountain pathways on horseback could be. Peering over sheer drop-offs that plunged thousands of feet, I found myself extremely thankful I’d been asleep the first time we navigated these trails. For somebody from Colorado who’d traveled plenty of hairpin roads in her day, I was having a hard time keeping my head on straight.
Maybe it was the fact that we were on horseback and there were no guardrails. If it’d been up to me, I would’ve dismounted and walked. However, my Simathe escorts rode along like it was no big deal—which, to them, I guess it wasn’t—and I didn’t want to betray my cowardice. Instead, I clung tightly to the saddle horn while my horse hugged the cliffside wall. One false step would have sent us both hurtling over the edge. The whole ordeal was harrowing, to say the least, and I was never so glad to reach level ground. At the mountain base we halted for the night, getting up and leaving very early the next morning before the sun had even topped the mountains peaks.
Strangely, I felt a bit depressed, a feeling that deepened with every new mile put between myself and Treygon. Yes, I was excited to be going back to Laytrii and was also looking forward to seeing my friends again. On the other hand, I knew I’d miss the Simathe stronghold in a very weird sort of way. Or maybe it was their High-Chief? The farther from him we went, the stronger grew the pull inside me for him, until it became an ache I could hardly push aside or ignore.
To counteract the depression and the ache, I tried concentrating on my surroundings or my companions. The scenery was beautiful, wild, untouched, and untamed, as only raw nature could be, but my escorts were disinclined toward speech and I didn’t feel like trying to draw them out. Even Aureeyah was s
trangely silent.
The hours passed and the expedition went on. Just before nightfall on the second day, we reached the thick trees signaling the entrance to the fairy’s domain. Entering, we passed under silent boughs whose autumn leaves were now painted brilliant shades of gold, yellow, orange, and red. Aureeyah raised her head, drawing in a long, contented breath.
“My home. I have missed it so.”
Her smile was blissful, serene, and peaceful all at once.
I tried to smile back, but my heart wasn’t in it. After another mile or so, she pulled her horse to a stop, and the rest of us did the same. Sliding gracefully off her mount, she came to me, placing a hand on my knee and looking up into my face.
“Come, my friend, dismount. I would speak with you.”
Nodding assent, I climbed down carefully from the back of my own horse, handing its reins to the Simathe riding beside me.
Taking my hand, she led me off the road, away from the Simathe and into the trees. I noticed her aura brightening visibly the deeper we went into the trees. Sadly, I recalled the way her glow had faded the longer she’d stayed with me at Treygon. Now that she was back in her natural element, her health was being restored before my very eyes. She was home, and her aura gleamed brighter than ever because of it.
What had she sacrificed, I wondered, to stay with me all those weeks, to be my friend and teacher, helping me come into my own? She hadn’t breathed a word of complaint, but I recognized her sacrifice for what it was and felt gratitude.
She now drew me to a halt beside the banks of the same stream where I’d first seen her several months back. Here she turned to face me, taking my hands in her own.
“I have enjoyed this time spent with you, my friend. I have seen you learn, grow, and change. I perceive in you a strength even you do not fully understand. You carry upon your shoulders the weight of both Aerisia’s welfare and her future. I know you will not fail but will succeed in delivering all of us from the Dark Powers’ curse.”
“Aureeyah,” I began, but she cut me off with an upraised hand.
“Nay, my lady. Allow me to finish.” Her eyes diligently searched my face. “You have been a friend to me, and for this I thank you. I will never forget your kindness to me, a humble forest fairy. I—”
“No, Aureeyah,” I broke in, and this time I would not be deterred. “You’re the one who’s been kind to me. You’ve been my friend, helping me, teaching me, and showing me how to do the things I need to do. It’s I who will never forget your kindness to me.”
This pleased her. Without a word, she stepped forward to place a soft kiss, much like a benediction, on my forehead. When she stepped back, her glowing smile spoke volumes.
“Remember all I have taught you. Search inside yourself, for therein lies the strength to perform the feats required of you. To Command lies deep within your person. Visualize what you must Become, find its elements, and you will succeed.
“If ever the Dark Powers tempt you to abuse your gifts, remember that you are of the light. You are good. Resist, and the Dark Powers shall have no sway over you. You are the Artan.
“Also, I would advise that, for the time being, you keep the extent of your abilities and the progress you’ve made in discovering them to yourself and those closest to you. Perhaps—I do not say ’tis so, but perhaps—the Dark Powers have found a willing subject in some person residing in Laytrii. The swiftness of the attempts on your life as soon as you were brought to Aerisia certainly suggests this. If such a person exists, you will not wish to tip your hand. Not yet.”
“I’ll remember,” I promised solemnly, trying to take in this unexpected twist.
A hint of sadness—sadness mingled with pride—glimmered in her lovely emerald eyes. “I know that you will. My lady,” she went on, “I know that you have endured many painful trials in your journey thus far. It may be that the Powers are testing you to prove whether you are ready for this or not. It may be that they test you to prove to you that you can overcome all in order to fulfill your destiny. Whatever the case, more hardships may come as you struggle to become Aerisia’s Artan. It is your duty to rise above pain and sorrow in order to find the greatness within.”
I felt tears gathering in my eyes. “I didn’t ask for greatness.”
Didn’t ask for it, didn’t look for it, don’t really want it now…
She shook her head gently. “No, but you were born for it, nevertheless. Greatness was—greatness is—your destiny. Embrace your destiny, and let go of the past.”
I realized what she was asking: she wanted me to forget my old life on Earth and embrace a new one with a new future here in Aerisia. Problem was, I didn’t think I was ready for that just yet. Maybe I’d see my family again someday; maybe I wouldn’t. But I couldn’t let go of them, not without feeling like I was spiraling headfirst into the great unknown without any bits of my former self to anchor me in reality.
I swallowed with difficulty and managed a tight nod. It could’ve meant anything, but the fairy took it as assent.
“I knew you would agree,” she smiled. “Come, the time for your departure has arrived.”
Once more she embraced me, bidding me a heartfelt farewell. After answering in kind, I’d already moved to leave when her quiet call stopped me.
“Hannah?”
I spun back to her. “Yes?”
“I would have one final word. Your Joining with the High-Chief is a bond that cannot be denied or destroyed. It is something unprecedented in Aerisia’s history.”
I rolled my eyes. “So I keep hearing. What’s your point?”
There was no humor on her face. “My lady—open your heart to love. It is possible that what you share now out of necessity will one day became far more.”
“You’re saying I might fall in love with Ilgard?” A smile tugged at my lips.
“Love’s ways are its own,” she said evasively.
I had to laugh, despite her earnest demeanor. “Uh-huh. Well, let me assure you, I seriously doubt Ilgard and I are destined to become love’s latest victims.”
“Not victims, my friend. Love does not torture or kill. Love nourishes and brings happiness.”
I remained unconvinced. “Maybe. But I don’t think you need to worry about it.”
“I am neither worried nor concerned. Perhaps this will happen; perhaps it will not. However, my long years in this land have shown me that sometimes the one a person will love is the one he or she thinks least likely. Love’s ways are its own, and a lifetime with the High-Chief may bring you the greatest happiness you could ever hope to enjoy.”
I think she’s forgetting the fact that he’s immortal and I’m not. What kind of lifetime could we possibly spend together? Not one that would make any kind of sense.“Now go,” she finished, as if sensing the objections I was raising mentally. And before my very eyes, before I could say another word, she had vanished into her surroundings, leaving me to find my way back to my group alone.
Laytrii Once More
The rest of the journey to Laytrii’s palace was uneventful. To wile away the silent hours, I mulled over the words exchanged between Aureeyah and myself at our last meeting and, as I did so, speculated if I would ever see her again. I already missed her glowing smile and optimistic personality. I decided this good-bye wouldn’t be forever. We would definitely meet again.
Once we reached the palace, I enjoyed a happy reunion with my friends, including Elisia, who appeared as delighted to see me as I was to see her. The joy of these meetings served to temporarily eclipse my sadness at leaving both Aureeyah and Treygon behind as well as the constant longing for the Simathe High-Chief, which I no longer tried to deny. Accompanying that longing was a vague sense of unease. Not only did I have to contend with Aureeyah’s suspicions of a traitor in Laytrii, but I also couldn’t help wondering about what kind of situation he and his men were going into. Would they be safe, return to me okay? Naturally, I had no way of knowing. If only they would just appear. Afraid of what
my reaction to seeing Ilgard might be, I both longed for and dreaded that day.
The morning following my arrival, I found myself eating breakfast with my Moonkind friend Rittean, her father (who I was slowly making progress in forgiving), and the Ranetron High-Chief. In the doorway, Cole was a silent onlooker, keeping watch over me despite the palace guards all around. I’d asked him to join us, but he’d declined. I shrugged it off.
Too busy playing bodyguard, I guess, I thought, and went on with my business, leaving him to his.
“Where’s Elisia?” I asked after swallowing a bite of the cheese and fruit from my plate. “How come she isn’t eating with us?”
“Here I am, my lady.” She appeared in the doorway, magnificent in a scoop-neck, formfitting gown of deep red. The sides were slashed to flaunt a spun silver fabric, and an ornate silver bracelet was clasped on her bare upper arm. Her glorious hair was caught on top of her head, with wispy curls escaping to frame her delicate face.
“Good morning.” I gave her an approving smile. “My, don’t you look nice?”
She shot a quick peek at Lord Garett and actually blushed. Then, with a soft “thank you, my lady,” she slipped gracefully into the seat next to me.
What’s all this?
I slid a glance toward the silent Ranetron lord, who was staring back, utterly transfixed, at the beautiful Spinner. By the look in his eyes, the sun had just risen in this room, and for him alone. I smiled to myself. Maybe it had. Garett and Elisia…now there was something to think about. How long had this been going on?
After exchanging warm greetings with the others at the table, the Spinner picked up an ornate silver fork and speared a slice of pear cut in the shape of a flower. She lifted it to her mouth but suddenly stopped, glanced at me with a slight frown, and lowered fork and all back to her plate.
“Lady Hannah?”
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