Avalyne Series 02: The Easterling (5 page)

‘
I understand,’ she said touching his shoulder gently. ‘Before I fled Nadira, I grappled with such questions. I have always tried to be the good daughter for my father because he had gone against so many traditions to see me happy. I thought I would be dishonouring him by fleeing but then I knew that he would not wish me miserable for the sake of tradition. That was never his wish so I took charge of my life and I ran. Perhaps I live a less comfortable life than what I was accustomed to but I am happy. Especially when I am surrounded by people who have come to mean much to me.’

‘
I am glad,’ Aeron replied sincerely. ‘Unfortunately my father is nowhere that understanding.’

‘
Do you not get on with him then?’

‘
I love him,’ Aeron admitted without hesitation. ‘But I do not think I have been the son he wished. Perhaps I am too much like my mother. I cannot harden my heart when I see someone in difficulty, no matter what race they are. My father lost everyone he loved during the Primordial Wars and he has never forgiven the Celestial Gods for using our people to cleanse the world when they were in fact preparing it for other races too.’

‘
Really?’ Melia said with surprise. ‘That is a shame, I would imagine the Gods would have planned for you elves to guide the younger races and not hide away from them.’

‘
My mother thinks that but my father disagrees. In fact, I was sitting out here contemplating how many of my people may feel the same way. Perhaps it is time for our isolation to end and for us to return to the world. Even if my father chooses to retreat behind the Veil forever, I cannot imagine all our people wanting the same.’

‘
I think that there is much your people can teach the rest of us,’ Melia stated in earnest. ‘I think that if you choose to join the rest of us in the world, that can only be a good thing. Look what you have done as a part of the King’s Circle.’

‘
I know,’ Aeron agreed on that point. ‘I have found more fulfilment in the last eighteen years than I have in one thousand.  During those years, I have seen great and terrible things, felt despair and elation. I fought a war and helped restore a kingdom. That by my reckoning is living, not trapped in amber, where nothing changes except my growing boredom.’

Melia reached for his cheek without even realising she had done it,
‘Then live Prince. Live the way you wish. Be free to run because simply existing is not enough. You yourself know this by now.’

Her hand on his cheeks was soft and warm. He covered her hand in his and held it in place, liking the sensation of her flesh against his. For a moment, they did not speak because staring into each other’s eyes was a language in itself. 

It was Melia who broke away first, realising they had crossed a line with each other without noticing it was there to begin with. With the stars above their heads, the beautiful scenery before them and only each other for company, Melia imagined anything that transpired now would only deepen this thing between them and so she withdrew. She knew better than to encourage this attraction between the two of them even if he did not. 

‘
It is late,’ she said stepping back, grateful that her dark colouring did not reveal the blush across her cheeks. Her pulse was racing and when she spoke, she sounded breathless, ‘I will leave you to your thoughts. Good night Prince.’

‘
A lady should never wander about without an escort.’ He called out to her, trying to steady his own reaction as she moved away from him towards the Keep once more.

‘
And when I find a suitable one, I will be sure to ask for him his assistance,’ she returned sweetly before disappearing into the darkness, leaving Aeron with a corresponding smile on his face.

******

When Melia returned to her room, she was rather surprised to find that Arianne was awaiting her. The Queen seated on the same chair occupied by Celene earlier that day.

‘
My Queen, is there something wrong?’ Melia asked, wondering what could warrant Arianne's presence in her room at so late an hour.

‘
Nothing is wrong,’ Arianne quickly assured her, aware of how self-conscious Melia felt at being in the Keep. In the woods it was simple, she, Celene and Melia had been on a quest, equal parts of important triad. Here in Sandrine, that dynamic was no more. She was the Queen and no matter how much Melia or even Celene for that matter tried, they would never be able to forget that. ‘I came to your door and entered when I realized that you were not in your room.’

‘
I am sorry,’ Melia apologized. ‘I have difficulty sleeping indoors and thought a walk might help my slumber this evening.’

‘
As is your right as my guest,’ Arianne smiled beckoning her to sit down so that they could talk. ‘I did not mean to impose upon you Melia but I did invite you to Sandrine for a reason.”

‘
I am at your service as always, my Queen.’ Melia replied sincerely and meant it. Arianne had extended a hand of friendship that she never dreamed possible and whatever the Queen asked of her, it could never be enough.

‘
Then call me Arianne, as you did when we were fellow travellers,’ Arianne implored.

‘
As you wish,’ Melia nodded, trying to rise to the friendship this noble woman was offering her. ‘Arianne.’

‘
Good,’ Arianne smiled, glad that bit of nonsense was dispensed with. ‘Melia, as I said, I had reason for inviting you here to Sandrine Keep. I hope you do not think me presumptuous when you hear why.’

Melia's brow arched, intrigued
. ‘Please continue Arianne.’

‘
Yes,’ Arianne nodded slowly. ‘For your consideration and your invaluable assistance to me and my son, I wanted to do something for you when I returned to Sandrine.’

‘
I did not require a reward,’ Melia started to say when Arianne cut her off.

‘
I know that,’ the Queen answered. ‘However, I thought that I might aid you in your own quest since you were gracious enough to ensure that I survived mine.’

‘
I do not understand,’ Melia looked at her in confusion.

‘
Let me ask you one thing first,’ Arianne stared back. ‘Who exactly was your mother?'

Melia swallowed, not
expecting to have this conversation today, especially with the Queen of Carleon. However, she suspected Arianne had purpose for asking and Melia was bound to answer.

After a lengthy pause, Melia finally spoke.

‘I am not sure. I know her name but little else. My father claimed she called herself a River Daughter but since I have begun my search, I have made little headway in finding out what that means.’

‘
I have heard the term before,’ Arianne stated.

‘
You have?’ Melia's jaw dropped in shock. Finally, after all these years of searching, someone who had the answer she sought! It was almost too good to be true! ‘You know them?’

‘
No,’ Arianne shook her head hating to dash the hope she saw in Melia’s eyes and quickly added, ‘I know
of
them. They were supposedly sprites who served Dalcine, the Water Wife.’

‘
Sprites?’ Melia's shock continued to grow. Was
she
some kind of a River Daughter? ‘My mother was not human?’

‘
It has never been truly discovered what they are though they are known to take mortal lovers for a time. Men seem to suit their purposes best for they are not immortal and they are somewhat disposable,’ Arianne tried to explain it as kindly as possible but there were some truths that were simply unavoidable. ‘I asked my mother when she last journeyed here to see my son what she knew of the River Daughters along the Yantra, particularly of one named Ninuie.’

‘
And?’ Melia asked, her voice hushed as is she dared not speak too loudly for fear of ruining the revelation.

‘
Lylea knew nothing of Ninuie,’ Arianne replied and saw Melia's crestfallen expression before continuing. ‘However, prior to the Shadow of War, Tor Iolan was occupied by the Disciples and they used that terrible place to commit all manner of atrocities against Eden Halas. It is believed that the Disciples may have captured and killed River Daughters in their dungeons.’

Melia said nothing for a moment because her heart was turning into stone and threatening to shatter. She would have wept at the unfairness of it, the cruel trickery of fate that would allow her to come so far and search so long only to be met by this unhappy conclusion but she could not. She could not because she knew that
Arianne was wrong. Perhaps only some of the River Daughters were killed in Tor Iolan. She could not deny the source of the intelligence but she knew her mother was not among the dead.

‘
Not my mother,’ Melia whispered after a while. Her eyes closed when she answered, ‘my mother is not dead.’

Arianne
took her denial to be borne of frustration and grief and sought the right words to speak that would not cause Melia any more sorrow than she already felt. ‘Melia, you must face the possibility. I encountered some of Balfure’s Disciples. They were beyond darkness. They existed in evil and every waking thought of their existence was to serve Balfure in any way possible. The River Daughters if they were indeed servants of a Celestial would have compelled the Disciples to destroy them, to ensure they did not ally themselves with Dare.’

‘
I do not doubt your words,’ Melia answered after composing herself and regarded at Arianne again. ‘I believe you and the Queenly lea’s assertion that many of the River Daughters were killed but my mother is
not
one of the dead.’

‘
How can you be so certain of this?’ Arianne asked, starting to understand that her denial of what was almost certainly the truth, may have some foundation other than her stubborn refusal to believe.

‘
I simply know,’ Melia replied, reaching for Arianne's hands and holding them entwined in hers. For the first time, she really did feel like Arianne's friend and she loved Arianne dearly for the inquiries made on her behalf but she could not believe that Ninuie was dead.

‘
You must trust me in this. I know that she lives and thanks to you, I now have a place to begin my search, a place that is more than just unsubstantiated rumours. I must go to Tor Iolan and see for myself.’

‘
Tor Iolan!’ Arianne exclaimed, never expecting her words to send Melia to that dark place when she had sought this audience. ‘There is nothing there! It has been cleansed of all evil since the death of Balfure and the end of the war.’

‘
If the River Daughters were there once then that is where I must go,’ Melia said firmly. ‘It is a place to start.’

‘
How can you be so sure that she still lives?’ Arianne asked.

Melia did not answer but
she knew because she could still hear the screaming in her dreams.

She should have known this would happen.

The
Queen of Carleon cursed herself for being a fool and not anticipating this reaction when she gave Melia the news that her mother might have perished at Tor Iolan. The race of men could be notoriously stubborn when their mind was set upon a course. She should have suspected by Dare's fine example of this both irritating and admired trait of his race that Melia would be no different.

Why should
she? The woman had spent years searching for her mother,
years
! Of course she would deny all that effort was for nothing by persisting in the belief her mother still lived. Arianne could not begin to imagine what it must be like to find the reason for one's purpose in life had suddenly disappeared because of a Queen’s good intentions. Everything that Melia had become since arriving in the Western Sphere was defined by her search for her mother.

If that search was over, what was
else left for her?

Unfortunately,
Arianne's understanding of the situation did not alter the unacceptable turn of events. Melia's determination to journey to Tor Iolan was folly. Tor Iolan was located in the woods of Iolan, a deadly place even before the Disciples had tainted it with their evil. There were creatures within its woods that were ancient when her mother was young. While an effort had been made by the lord of that realm, to drive out the darkness within it, it was far from cleansed.  

As far as
she knew, Melia knew little of Eden Iolan other than its existence and for her to attempt to journey through its forests with any knowledge of what awaited her was sheer recklessness. Arianne had argued these points strenuously the night before when Melia had made her intention to leave for Tor Iolan known to the Queen. However, short of ordering Melia not to go, Arianne could not dissuade her from going.

All night
Arianne thought long and hard at what she ought to do, aware that she needed an answer quickly because Melia was suddenly not going to linger in Sandrine now that she had this information. In fact, the watch guard had confessed her desire to leave right away so Arianne did not even have the benefit of time to ponder what was to be done. Dare noted her anxiety through the twilight hours and though he asked the reason for her restlessness, Arianne could not bring herself to betray Melia confidence.

The solution however, when it finally came to
Arianne was painfully obvious.

******

Arianne rose early that morning after gaining Melia’s promise the night before, not to leave Sandrine Keep without first letting the Queen know of her departure. Fortunately, the watch guard was still a creature of duty and would not disobey Arianne's request even she were not bound by a promise. This allowed Arianne time to put her plan into motion as she left Dare in their sleeping chambers the next morning. Going to the stables, she hoped to intercept the Prince of Eden Halas before he embarked upon his morning ride.

Unlike the rest of their circle, Arianne did not make light of Aeron’s obvious attraction for the lovely watch guard. As much as their bantering might be amusing to those who witnessed it, only Arianne knew of delicacy of the situation. Aeron was not prone to making attachments lightly. While she knew he had shared company with other elven ladies in the past, what she saw of his affection for Melia was of an entirely different order.

And only she understood how tragic it could be for both of them.

Whether or not he knew it, the greatest gift Arianne’s father had given
her was been the gift of mortality. By being his daughter, Arianne could choose whether or not she lived as an elf or a human. The choice allowed Arianne to live a mortal life with Dare and it was not a decision she regretted, with the knowledge that someday she would watch Dare pass on and follow him soon after.

Aeron did not have the same allowance.

He was a full-blooded elf, the son of a King. There was no choice for him and like all elves once he mated, that bond would be forever. Not even the death could alter that. In the light of that kind of finality, it was no wonder that he made no serious attachment. Furthermore, she knew the union of his parents left him thinking that choosing unwisely could be a lasting mistake. If he cared about Melia or any human for that matter, Arianne knew that he would have to sit by and watch that love grow old and die. 

As much as she wished the best for Aeron and Melia, she knew that any relationship between them would only result in pain.

******

Ever since he
began his stay at Sandrine, it was Aeron’s habit to ride out of the city for a few hours in the morning. He was, by his very nature, an elf of the wood and this urban living was not natural for him. Arianne was the same but she had grown accustomed to it in a way Aeron had not. He still needed to feel the forest air around him as frequently as possible. The few hours where he was allowed to explore the wilds around Sandrine Keep was more than enough to satisfy the need, though he suspected that after while even this would not be enough.

Sooner or later, he would leave simply to get out of the city.

Arianne entered the stable and found him saddling his steed Idris, the horse that had been presented to him by Yalen, King of Angarad during the first days of the Shadow of War. Since then, Idris travelled with him everywhere.

‘
Aeron ,’ Arianne called out to the Prince in elvish. When they were alone, they often reverted to their native language. He was gently brushing down Idris's flank and looked up at her at her call.

‘
You awaken early my lady,’ Aeron stopped what he was doing and bow gently at her in greeting. ‘I thought I was the only one who chooses to ride at this hour.’

It was early but
Arianne was elven like him and she too awoke with the dawn. It was a habit that she was unable to discard since leaving Eden Taryn where everyone awoke with the sunrise. In Sandrine however, it was beneficial to Arianne to continue her early rising, for as Queen, it allowed her to gain more from her day especially now that she had a baby to deal with as well.

‘
It serves me to have more hours in my day,’ she responded with a smile.

‘
Will you join me this morning for a ride?’ He asked politely. In their youth, they rode a great deal together and he knew her to be an even better horsewoman than Dare.

‘
I wish that I could,’ Arianne sighed, thinking that there was nothing nicer than a morning ride. ‘Unfortunately, I must be close by for the little Prince’s feeding. He makes demand of me already.’ She smiled.

‘
He is his father's son,’ Aeron pointed out and returned her smile with one of his own, thinking how well motherhood suited her.

‘
True,’ Arianne said, giving him no argument on that because it was the truth. ‘I do have an ulterior motive for seeking you out this morning Aeron. I require your aid.’

‘
Indeed?’ The archer's brow crooked upwards. ‘I am at your service as always, my Queen.’

‘
You are a good friend,’ she reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘I fear I have done something foolish and now I have set events into motion I cannot stop.’

‘
What do you mean?’ His tone became serious and one could very well believe that he had led the elves at Dare’s side into battle at Astaroth.

‘
I have given Melia intelligence that may send her riding towards Tor Iolan,’ Arianne explained, still embarrassed that she had not foreseen her revelation to Melia would result in this.

‘
Tor Iolan?’ Aeron exclaimed, his surprise was as evident as his horror. ‘Why in the name of the Creator, would she wish to go there?’

Arianne
hesitated, debating whether or not she should break Melia's confidence and knew even as the thought crossed her mind at revealing the truth to Aeron that she could not. ‘I cannot tell you Aeron , I promised her I would not tell anyone.’

Aeron
opened his mouth to protest but Arianne continued speaking before he could utter a word.

‘
She has good reason Aeron. That is all you need to know. Nothing will keep her from it, not an order from Dare to desist, nothing. I know her determination in this, she will go there or die trying.’

Aeron
could not imagine any reason to go to Tor Iolan whatever the cause. However, Arianne's reluctance to tell him why brought to light how little he really knew about Melia to begin with. He recalled what she had said about fleeing from Nadira to escape a marriage that she did not wish. Had that only been part of the tale?

‘
Arianne,’ he looked at her seriously. ‘The wood of Eden Iolan are not to be taken lightly. For those who have never wandered its paths, it can be deadly. I know what roams those woods.’

Even before Balfure had come to Carleon, the woods of Iolan had
were notorious. While considered a part of Eden Halas, the two forests were separated by the river and to ensure his sovereignty, Halion had placed Gavril, formerly of his Forest Guard, in charge of a small settlement protected by the Veil to keep watch over it. Iolan’s forests, unlike Halas was occupied by creatures of the Primordial Wars who remained within its borders and rarely emerged to menace anyone unless trespassers entered its domain. When Balfure had decided build Tor Iolan to house the Disciples overseeing the Northern Provinces during the occupation, he had done so to take advantage of the wood’s reputation.

‘
That is why I have come to you,’ Arianne returned his gaze. ‘You intend on returning home to Eden Halas, do you not?’

‘
Yes,’ he answered gingerly as it dawned upon him where Arianne was going with this and knew it was not a good idea in any shape or form. At least Melia would certainly consider it as such.

‘
Could you not travel with her to Tor Iolan?’ Arianne implored. ‘If you went with her, you could see to it that she is safe. You could be her guide through the woods.’

‘
Arianne,’ he interrupted before she could continue further with this idea of hers. ‘Even if I agree to your request and I do not say that I do, there is no way you will be able to convince Melia to accept my aid.’

Even if he knew little about Melia’s past, Aeron was astute enough to grasp that Melia would be adamant about making this journey alone. While she revealed some
details of her life in Nadira, even he could tell that she was purposefully holding back much of her tale. She was protective of her secrets and this business of him escorting her into Iolan, despite the good intentions behind it, would not be well received. Melia would take it as a slight.

As much as he teased her about not
being able to fend for herself, Aeron knew otherwise. She was extremely capable. He had fought at her side at Sanhael and knew how skilled she was. Furthermore, one did not become a watch guard if one did not have one's wits about them. However, he was certain that her refusal in this instance would most likely be due to their personal relationship and the perilous attraction that drew them towards each other.

Stubbornness however, was not a wholly exclusive human trait as Arianne stared at him hard, not about to relinquish the
idea she had put forward to him. 

‘
Aeron, I have known you all my life and I know I have never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her. You are like my brother, Prince of Halas and I know your heart. If you care about this woman as much as I think you do, you will find a way to convince her. Short of ordering her as her Queen not to go to Tor Iolan, I have been unable to convince her from going there. This matter for her is deeply personal and she cannot go there alone. You need to guide her there.’

Aeron
swallowed hard, turning his eyes away because Arianne could see through him. He was the youngest son of Kangaloon and would have spent much of his childhood alone if it had not been for the bright spark that was Arianne when he visited Eden Taryn. He could not deny that he felt something for Melia, something that he did not understand and whose intensity frightened him. While they had only dabbled with harmless flirtation until this point, Aeron knew that if he decided to fully indulge what he felt for Melia it would turn into a passion that would consume them both.

They kept each other at arm’s length
because the night before had shown how necessary it was. Even Melia understood how much tragedy would lay before them if they chose to indulge their attraction for one each other. However, he could not deny that Arianne’s words had struck a chord inside of him.  He could not stand by and let her attempt to enter Tor Iolan alone.

‘
Alright,’ he conceded with a nod, his eyes staring at the stable floor for it was easier than allowing Arianne a glimpse into his soul. ‘I will do as you ask. I will go with her but I tell you now that riding a dragon bareback would be a far easier task than convincing her.’

‘
You can do it,’ Arianne offered him an encouraging smile. ‘I know you can.’

‘
Well,’ Aeron frowned, not at all sharing her confidence at his ability to convince Melia to accept his help. ‘You had better let me tell her. She’s accustomed to being angry at me.’