The Blaze Ignites (23 page)

With the White Warrior’s help, I went down
the torch lit halls of Rocksheloc to my room again. I changed out
of the blood-soaked clothes I’d been in since Sepp attacked me and
then marched back out the door towards the throne room. I knew
everyone would be waiting for me there.

I thought about the understanding that the
White Warrior and I had come to and wondered if she would keep her
end of the bargain. I wondered, too, if she could hear me
wondering. I doubted she would keep her word. She was smart and
knew what I wanted to hear. Her promise to me was good enough to
get me off my ass, though, and get out of here for the moment, but
I doubted she’d keep it for the long run. She had probably one
hundred secrets conjured up in her mind, but I’d never know about
them. I would never fully understand her until I became her, when
that “window” in my mind was flung open. And I didn’t see
that
happening anytime soon.

Our agreement was that as long as I didn’t
have any more emotional episodes, she would let me in on the things
she did, like gathering over a hundred beings in less than a day to
protect me from a mere twenty. I shook my head at that thought. I
still couldn’t believe she’d done it. How I longed for that
leadership ability. It was rightfully mine, and it burned my heart
that another had it! Two people? What kind of psychotic thing was
that? Two people living in one mind. It was insane!

I threw open the double doors to the throne
room and saw everyone gathered there. Some looked at me with
genuine warmth and admiration. Others looked at me with uncertainty
and fear. This had just better go by quickly. Ortheldo and the
others had left almost a day ago, so I had some serious riding to
do to catch up. I only hoped Forfirith was well rested and cared
for. His strength was really going to be put to the test if I was
to close in on a day’s lead. But it had to be done. Ortheldo was in
trouble, which meant my brother was too.

The king was sitting on his high throne and
stood when I entered the room. He bowed at the waist, and then came
down to me. “We know you are in a hurry, so I will not hinder you
long.” He smiled. “I just want to tell you how grateful we are that
you have been returned to us, White Warrior. The world is falling
to evil once again and the twenty new graves in our cemetery are
proof of it. We need you dearly.” He smiled, then bowed again.
“Thank you for weeding out those under my mountain with evil
hearts.”

“No problem. Is my horse in the stables?”

“Yes. He has already been fed and
packed.”

I flinched, “Oh.” I glanced at the hallway
out of here. “I must go then. Goodbye everyone.”

I turned to leave, but the king took a gentle
hold on my arm. “I have something for you, a token of my personal
gratitude for restoring Goodness to my kingdom.”

A human with shoulder length orange hair
stepped forward from the surrounding crowd with a beaming smile. He
held in the palms of his hands a gorgeous silver box with purple
and blue jewels studded all over the top. King Elraramir lifted the
lid to produce a thin silver chain. From it dangled an unimpressive
brass key.

“This is a symbol of when peace was in the
world, peace which you will restore. It may be useful to you.”

He raised the chain to place it around my
neck, but I quickly backed away and took it from him instead, not
trusting any of these people to get too close to me. I turned it
over in my hand, studying it. It was smaller than the length of my
little finger and looked very old.

“Does it open anything?” I said looking up at
him.

“It once opened the ancient tunnels of Spar
Ridges. Both of our lands used those tunnels widely and freely
before Evil swamped them and has since taken them over. No one
really wants to venture how much Evil has slipped into Spar Ridges
from those tunnels, so it stays the most exiled and secluded land
in Casdanarus. I suggest you avoid that place, White Warrior.”

I rolled my eyes. A key that opened a tunnel
of Evil. Great. “Yeah, I’m sure this will come in
real
handy,” I said, and shoved it in my pocket.

He smiled despite my bitter attitude. “You
never know.”

“Well, I don’t plan on going that far east,”
I said. “I’d rather avoid the Black Mountains and Blood River and
all those lovely lands out that way anyhow.”

“We wish you luck and happiness and a safe
journey, White Warrior. I pray we may meet again.”

“Goodbye,” I said, then bolted toward the
hall leading to Beldorn’s room. I had more questions for the old
man and hoped he’d be here still. I frantically pounded on the
door, but with no response.

I sighed. I didn’t have time for this. I ran
down the stairs to the outside and turned right from there, knowing
the stables were carved into the northern face of the mountain.
Thankfully Forfirith was in the first stable with three other
horses. He looked at me as I approached and began pawing at the
ground, seeming impatient to get out of there. I jumped over the
top of the gate, swinging my legs over it and landing softly.

“Ready to run for it, boy?” I asked as I
pulled his reins down from a nail in the wall.

“He should be,” a voice said.

I spun around and saw Reese come from the
shadows at the back of the stall, already mounted on a fine white
and brown spotted steed. My brows dropped as I studied the fashion
he was mounted in; packs stuffed to the brim, his fine Salynn
clothing now replaced with fine travel clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“Going with you.”

“No you’re not,” I said as I mounted.

“I have orders and I
will
follow
them.”

I glared at him, “Orders from whom?”

“The Deralilya.”

My eyes narrowed. “What do
you
have to
do with her and the Redians?”

“I’m a member of her command?” He answered as
if it should be obvious.

I glared a moment longer until I realized
Ortheldo still hadn’t explained to me exactly what the Deralilya
was…or really who the Redians were. “What team?” I asked, risking
looking stupid.

Both of his brows dropped. “You don’t
know?”

My glare deepened. “If I knew, I wouldn’t
have to ask, now would I?”

The expression melted from his face and was
replaced by a look of sympathy—sympathy he immediately tried to
hide. “The Deralilya is second in command to you. It is the
position of the White Warrior’s Lead Protector. The Deralilya is in
command of everyone who has ever sworn a binding oath to your
father that they—and at least one descendent of their family
forever—would uphold Goodness and protect the Barer of The White
Sword with their own lives.”

My brows dropped. “You’re a team
of…protectors?”

He nodded, holding his head high with pride.
“Generations and generations have passed since your father’s reign,
but always one member of each family that originally swore the oath
has lived to protect Goodness in some manner, since the White
Warrior himself wasn’t around to protect it. Now I’m here to do my
duty and fulfill my ancestor’s oath to protect you with my
life.”

I swallowed heavily. Why would my father keep
that hidden from me? Since I outranked the Deralilya, I could order
Reese away, but how could I do so after he just told me he was
ready to die for me? I sighed. I swallowed again. “Are their
others? Other protectors like you and the Redians?”

Reese nodded again. “Though they are
scattered across the world right now, they’ve heard the Deralilya’s
call and we will cross their path at some point in this
journey.”

“Was Acalith’s ancestor also a
Deralilya?”

“Her ancestral family had to have sworn the
oath to protect the White Warrior, otherwise she wouldn’t be a
member of the team. However, her title of the Deralilya was given
to her by you.” My brows dropped. “Your father’s Deralilya was
chosen by him as well. His Deralilya could have been any one of
your protector’s ancestors.”

“But, I never chose Acalith to be…” I
couldn’t even finish the sentence as the realization dawned on me.
The White Warrior had picked her.

He smiled his handsome smile. “You did, you
just don’t know it yet.”

He was making a mockery of my double-mind
predicament! The White Warrior chose the Deralilya, not me!
Probably long ago. He was making fun of…no, he wasn’t. He was just
trying to make me see the humor in it. I looked in his eyes and saw
genuineness in them. He was trying to comfort me with humor.

While I couldn’t bring myself to smile about
it, I appreciated his effort. I looked away from him and towards
the closed gate and used a bit of magic to open it. “The White
Warrior was right.” I glanced at him. “You should smile more
often.”

I squeezed Forfirith’s sides and he leaped
forward. Reese was soon galloping at my side. I pushed Forfirith as
fast as he could possibly manage.

“Where’s the fire?” Reese called over the
whipping wind of speed and the thundering of hooves.

I took a deep breath as I stared determinedly
ahead.
In Ortheldo’s pocket,
I thought to myself.

One day and half a night were behind us.
Reese didn’t complain or question me when we rode for hours in the
dark, which I appreciated. We rode across open ground with woods
lining each side of the clearing. The only worry he voiced was
whether I would get enough rest, as I only planned on sleeping for
about three hours before getting going again.

Tonight we didn’t even bother with dinner or
even a fire. We were too exhausted to care. We just laid out our
sleeping gear and fell asleep. Or tried to! My body was tired, but
my mind was restless. It refused to calm down and let me sleep.
Events of the last few weeks played over again in my head. From the
very beginning in The Pitt when the mob attacked, through the short
time we had with Norka, then over the events of Crox Path, Oaksher,
Blesska, Narcatertus, and finally to Rocksheloc and what was
happening now.

I thought about Reese lying next to me and
oddly found myself wanting to get to know him better. After all,
why not? He was my protector, and we’d be spending a good amount of
time together before we got to Triple Peaks.

“Reese,” I asked, “do you know where I’m
going or why?”

“No,” he replied after a moment. “I was only
told that I was to go with you.”

I rolled over on my opposite side so I could
face him. He was lying on his back, staring up at the sky, his
fingers interlaced with each other as they rested on his
stomach.

“I’m on my way to Triple Peaks to find out
where I’ll be taking a magic necklace.”

“A necklace?” he asked, turning his head to
look at me.

I smiled in spite of myself and looked down.
“Sounds foolish, doesn’t it?”

He remained quiet until I finally looked back
up at him. “You’re serious?” he asked.

I nodded. “I’m told it’s a very important
necklace, though.”

“What does it look like?”

“I’d show it to you, but while I was having
my mental breakdown I gave it to my friend Ortheldo.” Reese laughed
and looked up at the sky. “I’m not joking,” I said insistently,
grinning at the sound of his laughter.

He looked back at me and we shared a warm
smile for a moment before he looked up at the sky again.

My smile faded as I thought back to when we
were in the library. I remembered that suicidal look that had come
into his eyes when I had my Salynn blade to his neck. “Reese?” He
gave a questioning hum as he turned to look at me again. “Why were
you so sad when we were in the library?” His soft smile faded. “I
have a talent for reading eyes and the sadness I saw in yours was
so deep that it was as if there was no end to it. The only other
being I’ve seen with such sadness was”—I twisted my mouth to the
side—“well, someone who’s been through more heartache and misery
then you could have possible seen in your life.”

He was quiet for a moment and looked up at
the sky again. “Why
couldn’t
I have seen such misery in my
life?”

“Believe me, no one could even
touch
the misery this creature had to live through.”

He sighed softly. “There are many depths to
sadness, and all can be triggered by different things.”

I studied him for a moment. “What triggered
yours?”

He looked at me, then cast his eyes down. “I
too have a talent for reading eyes, though in a much different way
than you do.” His eyes came up to meet mine. “If I get the chance
to look deeply into a person’s eyes, I immediately live their
entire past in seconds.”

My heart stopped. He’d seen my life, my past?
He saw what I’d been through? He saw what I’d done? I suddenly felt
very cold. He’d seen everything of my life? No, he couldn’t be
serious.

“I saw yours,” he said softly. “I saw and
felt everything that was done to you in The Pitt.” I held my breath
as he went on. “I did see the good times with your mother and
Rabryn, and the times when you were growing up with your father and
Ortheldo.” He shook his head slowly. “But your pain, your
humiliation, and your misery overwhelmed all of that.”

My throat burned with sobs that I refused to
let out. It took everything I had to hold in the cry that wanted to
burst forth. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Could I have an
ally, a partner in my pain? If he’d truly felt what I felt, I just
might.

His forehead creased with sympathy. “My heart
exploded for you,” he whispered. “I wanted to die or have you kill
me, or something,
anything
to allow you to release the pain
you’ve had to endure.” A tear rolled from the corner of his eye and
dripped into his dark brown hair. “I never knew humans were so
brutally heartless and cruel.” He swallowed hard. “I had to use my
magic to seal off the tears and screams that wanted to burst forth
for you and all those times you courageously stayed silent.”