Legon Restoration (20 page)

"So what, we have no purpose now?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "In some ways yes, I suppose that's true. I can still work as a healer but I use crystals for most things now, no longer do I have to worry if a fever is going to break or if a treatment I used is going to have an effect. As for you, you worked with your hands all day, and while I can keep myself busy as a healer and learning more about medicine you do not have that, there are no butchers in Seeon."

This was true; Elves grew plants however they wanted, even making fruit that was seemly no different than meat. "So you're saying I need to find something to do, huh?"

She shrugged, "Maybe, if you think about it we don't have to do anything. We live in the Palace and we cannot go back to a human city, nor would we want to. Maybe you need a hobby that can take your time, isn't there anything you've always wished you could do?"

Edis thought and smiled. "When I was a boy we lived near the sea. My father and I would go out sailing sometimes; his friend had a small sail boat that we would all take. We would try and fish a bit, but mostly I just liked being out on the water and diving in the reef," he said.

Laura smiled up at him. "You've never told me that before, why not?"

"I don't know, I didn't think about it. When I moved to Salmont there wasn't an ocean nearby and I always assumed that's where I would spend the rest of my life, ya know? There was no need to think about it, and after years I guess I haven't thought about it much here either."
 

Their conversation was cut short by a thud behind them. They were almost back to the Palace so Edis wasn't surprised to see Legon and Iselin in their dragon forms landing behind them.
 

"You look happy," Edis said to his son.

"I can jump!" he said and added, "It’s beautiful this evening, Iselin and I are going to go for a flight, would you like to join us?" he asked.

"But dear, haven't you been flying all day?" Laura asked.

Iselin answered. "That was training, this is just for enjoyment. Don't worry Laura, flying for us is like walking for you, we aren't too tired," she said warmly.
 

Edis knew that flying wasn't Laura's favorite thing to do, but he put his hand on the small of her back and gently pushed her towards Iselin. Laura glowed pink and rose up in the air to rest side saddle on Iselin's shoulders. "You just need to loosen up a bit," Iselin said to Laura. And then she took off.

"Do you need help old man?" Legon asked.

Edis scoffed, "Do I need help?" Then he looked up at Legon's towering form, "Yeah, I could use a hand," he said.

Edis felt himself rise in the air and then settle on Legon's shoulders. He, unlike Laura, enjoyed flying immensely. It was a thrill for him each time he was on a dragon. Once they were in the air Edis connected his mind with Legon's. "I have a question for you," he said.

"What is it?"

"I'm thinking about taking up sailing, can you think of who I need to talk to?" Edis asked.

"That's wonderful, and yes, I have a few people that can help you. Do you need a boat? We have plenty," Legon said and then added, "If you like I could grow one for you."

Edis beamed, "Thank you Son that would be nice of you, but are you sure?" Edis was touched. Legon didn't have much in the way of time, and there was something about your child making you something that made Edis feel good. He relaxed on Legon's shoulders looking forward to his new hobby.

Chapter Fourteen

A Dream Come to Life

"Life is a sea of memories, dotted with islands of choice events."

-Excerpts from The Diary of the Adopted Sister

Tom, one of Arkin’s old unit in Salez, looked across the table at a stone faced Stacy. Things in Salez and around the rest of the Empire had been on a steady decline over the last few months. Tom glanced over to Seth and Brian, trying to see what their reaction to Stacy’s news would be.

“Well? Does anyone have anything to say?” Stacy asked irritated. “We have had four contacts kills this week; doesn’t anyone have something to say?”

Tom cleared his throat, “I’d say we have a mole.” He tried not to sound dramatic or on edge.

Stacy blinked, “A mole?”

“Stacy,” Tom said, “think about it. We have people getting killed left, right and center. Information we have collected has been leaked and even law enforcement seems to be getting wise to us. We have a mole.”
 

Seth answered, “How do you know we aren’t just being followed? I mean, we knew that at some point in time the Iumenta would create an organization like ours, right? So maybe that’s what this is.”

“Thank you Seth, followed is more likely,” Stacy said. “Tom please, a mole, honestly?” she scoffed.

Tom shrugged, “That’s what I would do.”

Brian raised his eye brow, “What, is what you would do?”

“If I found a clandestine organization running operations in my city, I would follow them, find key people and then try and plant someone in that organization. Kind of like...oh yeah, what we did in Salez with the local government.”

“But we didn’t come up with that plan, an Elf lord did and my...” Stacy stopped talking for a moment and then went on, her voice thick, “and Arkin.”

Tom’s face fell, “Stacy I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...”

She waved him off, “Don’t apologize, I should be able to keep myself under control and after all you’re just doing your job. Look, I don’t want you guys to think about moles or people following you, just do your jobs and let me handle this OK?”

Seth and Brian agreed and Tom did only grudgingly. There was something that was off to him about the whole situation that they were in.
Why now?
he thought.
Why were they being targeted now?

* * * * *

Sasha looked herself over in the mirror. Her dark hair was piled atop her head with jewels and fine silver and gold bands wound throughout. A delicate lace collar rose to just below her chin, connecting with a flowing white gown. She felt as though she'd run out of breath and couldn’t quite catch it again. It was her wedding day; a day that she had both dreamt of and yet didn't believe would happen in her whole lifetime. She, like most little girls, had fantasized about this day, imagined a day fit for a Princess, though no one expected that to happen. But here stood the girl who would never be with anyone; here she stood on her wedding day. She was the heir to a Great House, today she was a Princess.
 

"You look breathtaking," Iselin said from behind her and then asked, "Does it feel real?"

Sasha turned to her, "Real?"

"Yes, on my wedding day it didn't feel real to me, more like a daydream that I hadn't snapped out of yet. Here I was marrying a man that I could have never in my wildest fantasies come up with, and the ceremony, the one you put together, was like nothing I could have ever hoped for," she said reminiscing.
 

Sasha turned back to the mirror smiling. "Yes, actually I was just thinking about that. I keep thinking that I am going to wake up in my bed back in Salmont. I never thought today would happen, Edling is perfect for me in every way and I am perfect for him. If it weren't for the turmoil in the world right now I would say that the life I have now was too good to be true and I must be in a dream. But I am not going to think of anything negative today," she promised herself.

Her mother entered the room. Sasha turned to look at her, Laura's eyes filled with tears as she took in her daughter. "Oh dear, you couldn't look more perfect," she gushed.

"Are you going to cry all day?" Sasha asked warmly.

Her mother sniffed. "Of course I am it's a mother’s job to spend her child's wedding day in tears. Today is a great day for your father and I, our last child is getting married, and if we are very lucky you will not follow in your brother’s footsteps and Edis and I might actually get some grandchildren," she said glancing over at a red faced Iselin.
 

Before Iselin could be chastised more, she was saved by Emma and Sara walking in. Sara and Keither had jumped in the previous morning and Sasha was elated to see her again. Sadly, Barnin was unable to attend the wedding. Legon had to do some work to get Sara and Keither to come and still they couldn't stay long.
 

* * * * *

Legon stood next to Edling by the altar. They were in a large hall that Iselin had specially built for the day’s events. It was massive, with an arched ceiling that towered overhead. The ribbed beams of the ceiling were separated by circler windows below, and long stained glass windows extending to the floor. Chandeliers hung from the arched tops of the beams bathing the room in warm light. The altar was on an elevated platform below which were row upon row of chairs with guests in them. Behind Legon and the altar was a wall wrought in gold and silver. The wood Iselin had ordered grown was floor to ceiling in pure white and along the walls ivy grew with flowers of pink and red blossoms. Legon couldn't have imaged a more elegant setting.
 

Legon looked to his left; Edling looked as if he'd stopped breathing. "Are you ok?" Legon asked softly.

Edling glanced over at him, "I don't know, there are a lot of people here and I'm nervous on top of that."
 

Legon chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that, just be thankful you don't have to walk down the aisle, and as soon as she's here you won't be thinking about anything else, trust me," he assured him.
 

* * * * *

Sasha stood at the entrance of the hall as everyone rose to face her. Oddly, there was no fear of the crowd that gripped her. In her years of service she'd addressed the masses many times, and she found that she wasn't actually scared of the ceremony or of being married. She was filled with the giddy apprehension that comes when you know that your life is about to change permanently. She felt her father next to her tremble slightly. Standing at the altar was Edling and that's all that mattered to her. She started down the aisle doing her best to pace herself. The room seemed to extend with each step she took, it felt like an eternity before she took the two small steps onto the platform and stood before her husband to be. Her father deftly gave Edling her hand. Edling's palm wasn't clammy or cold, his hands were warm like his eyes and face. His mind was a blur of emotion and neither one paid any attention to the world around them.

* * * * *

Edis looked down the aisle. When Legon got married all he had to do with stand up by the altar and shake some hands with people, but not this time. This time it was his little girl getting married, and if that was not enough pressure he had the privilege of walking her down the aisle and giving her away. It was an honor to him, a moment he'd hoped for since her birth. But now standing at the edge of the crushed red velvet carpet that would take them to the altar, Edis was mortified. Sasha and Legon spoke in public, Edis and his wife didn't, and even now Sasha was the center of attention, but he stood just to the right of her. It was a sea of faces. He felt himself tremble just a bit.
 

Sasha was the one who started walking, not him. He was supposed to be leading her down the aisle, not the other way around. He tried to compose himself. He passed by Elf lords and ladies, all smiling warmly at him and Sasha. The hall itself inspired reverence and spoke to the regal nature of his daughter’s people. Her station never left his mind and even today, her wedding day, it rung clear. Behind Legon in his white robes of the Head of House was a wall of gold and silver, on it hung banners of House Evindass. His Sasha, his sweet little girl, was far from being the toddler he'd once played with and bounced on his knee.
 

He passed Sasha's hand to Edling's and sat next to his wife. Had someone told him what Sasha would become on the day of her birth, Edis would have laughed. But now he looked at his daughter, at his own blood, and tried to see the amazing woman she'd become. He saw her kindness and beauty; saw her drive to make the world a better place. In so many ways she's didn't seem like she could be his child. Sasha was brilliant and special in so many ways that he couldn't fathom. He was blessed to have been allowed to raise her. He closed his eyes and tried not to weep as he said a silent prayer of thanks to the White Dragon.
 

* * * * *

Emma watched as Sasha twirled around the dance floor with Sydin. Emma was happy to see him again, and while he seemed slightly more haggard than normal the strain of the war didn't seem to get to him. Emma had found this to be true with all of the Elves that she had met from the front. Unlike their human counterparts, the Elves’ centuries of life experience appeared to keep them mentally and emotionally balanced. The war was more of a bad dream to them than a reality, just a terrible spot in time.
 

Other than Legon, Sasha and Iselin, Emma only had one Elf friend that she counted close and that was Opes, who was making his way over to her. He held out his hand asking her to dance. She accepted and joined those already on the floor in a waltz.
 

She could see pain in his blue eyes and commented on it. "Weddings," she said like an accusation.
 

He nodded his agreement. "I can see that you too today have bitter sweet feelings," he said referring to the fact that both he and she had lost their loves.
 

It wasn't healthy that Emma still dwelled on the death of Kovos; it wasn't something that he would have wanted. But for her she did want it, she worried that if she ever let herself let go of him that she wouldn't be able to remember him. For her keeping Kovos' memory close and painful was better than letting it drift. For Opes his wife was killed in the War of Generations and for him, like any Elf, there was no letting go, too connected were their minds by the time that she had been killed.
 

"Weddings remind me of something that I will never have," Emma said. "They remind me of what was stolen."