Dark One Rising (55 page)

When she was refreshed and awake, she went back to her bedroom and opened the clothing chest. It was full of simple, easy to move in clothes, spun from natural fibers. The colors were exquisite, as well as the tailoring. She ran a hand over the soft cloth and pondered how you made dye of such rich colors from nothing but plants. After she was dressed for the day, she climbed down the ladder and followed the path toward the eating hut, where there would be lively conversation and good smells.

When she entered the hut, she saw Tomaz sitting cross legged on the floor, a female elf sitting beside him. She was thin and sinewy, with long blond hair that was tucked behind her pointed ears. She was wearing pants and tunic of simple homespun material, just like all the elves she had seen, but she had what looked like a glass bauble hanging from a cord around her neck. The light that came in from the canopy of the hut shined down on it, and when it caught the light just right, it glowed. Tomaz saw Melenthia approach and looked up at her, smiling a greeting. He stood up and the female elf followed. Tomaz placed his hand on her shoulder.

“This is Melenthia, and the next few days, she will be your charge.”

The female bowed to her; when she stood erect again, she smiled. Her green eyes were bright, her beauty unmatched by any woman Melenthia had ever seen. She had an aura about her that was almost surreal.

Tomaz looked at Melenthia. “This is Dallen. She will be your companion while you are here. She will show you around the entire city and teach you things, but mostly be here to help you with anything you need.”

Melenthia was slightly embarrassed. At home she was required to have hand maidens, but she didn’t like it and had often dismissed them when she wanted to be alone. She didn’t want anyone to make a fuss over her, and certainly not a being as sacred as an elf. They served no one.

“That will not be necessary. She can show me around, but I don’t need or want a servant. I can manage on my own.”

“It is my duty,” Dallen said, almost shocked that Melenthia would feel uncomfortable. “I have been given this honor.”

“I don’t want anyone to make a fuss over me.”

Tomaz answered, “You do not yet know your value or understand who you are. This journey you take with us will be difficult. You will need someone to help you through it. Besides, Dallen needs something to keep her busy. She tends to dally too much.” He did not smile, but Melenthia understood that he was making a jest.

“It is fine,” Dallen said to her. “I am honored that you are here with us, and I will fulfill my duty as I have been given it. It might be kind of fun having a sister of sorts around. Brothers can be much too bossy.” She bowed to Melenthia and then to Tomaz and bounded somewhat from the room.

“You will have to forgive my sister; she is young yet, and she is not used to having guests. None of us are. The only other human who has stayed with us in over a hundred years was Sol.”

“I didn’t think anyone was allowed inside Vallis.”

“Usually not, unless invited, and that too is rare. I could only name one other person who even knows how to find us, and that is Alek.”

She was surprised. “Alek? He knows how to find the city? How’s that possible?”

“He is a Bounty Hunter and has been enlisted by the king to keep the borders and all the dwellings in between free of undesirables. There have been a few times we have had to call upon him to remove someone who was getting too close and causing trouble. Sometimes even us elves need allies. Sol is the only one to have ever been invited to stay here. Sol is not like others. He has been a help to my kind for more years than I can recall, and I have known him my entire life. Elves are simple. We choose to devote our lives to the earth and the nature that surrounds us. We get our strength from them and in return we nurture and care for them. We have not had an allegiance with anyone in thousands of years. Since the kingdom was divided by war and strife, we have chosen to keep to ourselves and not get involved in the wars of man. We do not hold the same ideals as you do, and we do not care to involve ourselves in the pettiness that comes with power.”

“But you have chosen to let me in and have chosen to make an alliance with us now.”

“We have waited for you. Many years we have watched and listened for the word that you had come into the world. When you made your presence known, we heard it. We were there, watching. You have come to this point in your life because we have chosen it to be so. I will admit that we were not expecting everything that has happened; some things unfolded of their own accord. But we are here now, at this point, the place we have waited for. This is the beginning for you. The place where your rise to greatness will start. There will be times when you will wish none of this ever happened. Times you will want to give up, where your strength will fail you. Dallen will be there for you in those times.”

She looked at him, question in her eyes. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Everything will fall into place as and when it should. I would suggest that you eat and spend the next two days getting to know your environment, learning from Dallen the ways of our people and history of your kingdom. Then, the real work will begin.”

He motioned for her to sit down. When she did, several children came to her and sat down in a circle around her. She glanced up at Tomaz. He gave a lighthearted laugh and squatted down so that the children could hear him.

“Take good care of her. Make sure she eats, and make sure she knows her way around. Do not let her wander past the boundary of the Sacred Wood.”

They all nodded their heads and looked at Tomaz with admiration. He left them and walked out of the hut. She looked at all the young ones and had no idea what to do. Most of them were probably older than they looked, maybe some of them were even older than her. A voice above her head caused her to jump.

“Well do not just sit there and gawk like a bunch of skittish rabbits. Go get her breakfast.” The children jumped up to obey. Dallen sat down next to Melenthia, crossing her legs and smiling. “Kids.”

Melenthia was overwhelmed with everything that had happened, and she had only been here since last night. Dallen must have felt her discomfort.

“Things will seem second nature in time. No one expects you to know everything in one day. You have to remember, though, that you are an honored guest here, a guest that the beings of Vallis thought they would never see.”

“I don’t want to be some idol, some untouchable hero.”

“Your destiny is what it is. You cannot change it. You cannot change who you are or why you were placed in this world. All of us have a purpose. Yours is just more important than everyone else at this time.”

The children came back and set two wooden trenchers down at her feet. They were filled with various fruits, pastries and cheeses. Her mouth started to water, and she realized for the first time since she woke how hungry she was.

She reached across and grabbed a variety of things and started to eat. She was surprised at just how good everything tasted. The fruits were extraordinarily juicy and sweet; the cheese and bread were fresh and perfect.

“You probably already know. We do not eat any meat. The animals of this world are one with us, and we do not eat our kin. You will only eat things that nature supplies us or things that are made by our own hands, with ingredients that nature provides. You will find that the foods grown and made by elves will keep you strong, lean and healthy. You will never feel deprived. What you eat will always fill you up and keep you satisfied.”

Melenthia continued to eat, and when she was done, Dallen shooed the children away. Dallen told her they would explore, and she would show her around their city. She would teach her how to find her way around and how to know she was within the boundaries of the city. She led Melenthia out the door, the children quietly in tow.

***

“Again, again!” Tomaz said, looking down on Melenthia sprawled out in the dirt at his feet. She was bruised and sore, and every bone in her body felt as if it had been broken. Her mind was a blur of thoughts. She could not get a grasp on any of them. She was breathing hard, her eyes welling with tears. She determinedly got up from the ground and did her best to stand erect. She managed to do so, and no sooner had she lifted her sword, did Tomaz come at her again. She managed somehow to parry his attack and come in with her own over the shoulder blow, but he gracefully moved out of the way and parried. She flung her sword across her body to stop the blow, which came frighteningly close to the side of her head. She continued to fight off his attacks, which came at her stronger and harder with each swing. Her boots were covered in dust, and she could hardly see them as they danced fluidly and quickly around the arena. She was trying hard to breathe properly, but she was so tired; she could hardly take a breath in before she had to exert herself again against him. After another hour of this, he finally dropped his sword to his side and bowed to her.

She lowered her sword as well and bent over to breathe in, hoping to alleviate the stitch that had built up in her side almost twenty minutes prior. She placed a hand to her side and pressed, not understanding why her breathing was so labored and why she had let herself get riled up. She had been doing this for weeks and couldn’t understand why it wasn’t getting any easier. It frustrated her that she was so weak. When she was frustrated, she got mad, and being mad only made her make more mistakes. The more mistakes she made, the more beat up she got. Today was no exception. Tears came to her eyes, and she collapsed again on the soft earth.

He noticed her break down and sat down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder; drill master replaced with companion. “The emotions you are feeling are normal, Melenthia. Letting them go is the best way to push through them.”

“I don’t understand why this isn’t getting easier. I feel like my body is getting stronger every day, yet my mind seems to weigh me down.”

“You are right. You are getting stronger physically. I feel it in you every time we spar. It is getting more difficult for me to fight off your attacks. However, I too am unsure you are emotionally stronger. I still feel doubt in you and distress over people you left behind.”

“Fallon is growing stronger. I can feel him every day pushing past the barriers. I’m afraid that he’ll find a way in.”

“He cannot harm you here. You may feel him, but it is only the threat of him that you feel, not the reality of him. He cannot penetrate your thoughts while you are safe in these walls.”

“What about when I leave here?”

“He will then be able to get to you, but only if you let him. You need to work harder on shielding your mind from the thoughts that create confusion and fear.”

“What about the thoughts of the people I care about?”

“Those thoughts can affect you as well, but not in the same way. The people that you love can be your strength if you let them be, but you must erase the worry from your mind and concentrate on what you are doing to guarantee their safety. Once you start down a path of fear and worry, you will not be able to turn back. No more shall we do today. Go home, rest. I will send Dallen to bring you some liniment for your body. Put it in the bath and soak for an hour. Your bruises will remain, but the soreness from them will subside. Then take some time to meditate like Dallen taught you, and practice your calming exercises. These will help you find control. Tomorrow we will continue.”

She was quiet for a few moments, then, “I don’t know if I can do this.”

He lifted her chin up so he could look her in the eye. “The moment you start to believe that is the moment Fallon has won.”

She took in a deep breath and placed her hand on her chest, touching the necklace Dain gave her which she wore under her tunic. She kept it on always to remember the love Dain had for her, just as her mother had done for her father. She somehow got strength from it and needed it near her always. She took in another breath and blew it out, then stood, Tomaz with her. He picked up his sword from the ground where it lay and smiled reassuringly at her. They picked up their linens from the grassy area under a tree and flung them over their backs. They went into the city center together.

CHAPTER 34

A
lekzand’r, Kevaan, and their men had ridden hard for a couple of weeks, avoiding the main roads. They hoped to slip into the Dark Woods and get partway through them without being noticed. The sun was beginning to set, and they were tired. Alek shifted his weight in the saddle, cracking his joints and stretching. They knew they would have to stop. The rest in Azlyn was short, and his body didn’t recover as quickly as it once did; he was sure Kevaan felt the same. He didn’t know what he really expected. Old age was creeping up on him, and, although he refused to give in to it just yet, he knew he would have to slow down sometime. He knew they should stop for a bite to eat and a rest, but he wanted to reach the Dark Woods before sunset.

They pushed their mounts on. They would stop for a couple of minutes at the small stream to feed and water the horses, then be on their way again. Then a few hours later, they would stop to grab a bite themselves and stretch.

They continued on the back roads, then cut through into the woods. They reached the stream after a couple of hours and dismounted in a clearing approximately three hours from the outskirts of Amaris. Alek paced back and forth across the clearing, working his cold achy muscles, and took a drink from his water bladder.