The Eternal Darkness (12 page)

“This is Grenta,” she said happily, rubbing the wiry-haired brown dog.  “And this is Rena,” identifying the larger dog with a coat of thick black and brown hair.

The dogs came over and cautiously sniffed at Jake, who reached down and petted them both.  As if this was all they needed, the dogs began jumping and running around Jake, each competing for his attention.  He heard Hailyn laugh with joy as he tried to pet one, only to have the other one try to shoulder in.

“Hailyn, is that really you?” a woman called from the house, surprise and delight in her voice.  Jake looked up to see Hailyn’s mother come out onto the porch.  He knew it was her mother instantly, as she and Hailyn were too much alike for it to be anyone else.  Though she was in her late thirties or early forties, she had a small frame like Hailyn, though she carried a little more weight.  The same curly brown hair had a few strands of gray mixed in, but her face was what Hailyn would look like when she reached that age.  Except for some fine wrinkles around the eyes, her skin was still smooth.

Hailyn ran over and embraced her mother, who kissed her cheek and held her close.  They spoke quietly for a few moments, and then turned towards Jake.

“This is Jake, Mother,” Hailyn said.  “Jake, this is my mother, Joslyn.”

Hailyn’s mother came over and reached out to touch Jake’s face.  “Be welcome to our home, Jake.  Hailyn has written about you and your journey.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he replied.

“Please call me Joslyn,” she said.  She glanced over to the fence, where the dogs were sniffing at the horses.  “Let’s get your mounts settled in the barn, and then we can sit and talk.”

They led the horses to a large pen in the barn, where Jake unsaddled them while Hailyn and her mother put in feed and water.  Once he was done, he slung both of the saddlebags over his shoulder, the action made awkward by the gold in his bag and the sword strapped across his back.  Shifting them around, he finally found a comfortable position.  He looked up to see the women waiting for him.

Joslyn took his arm and led him towards the house.  “Come inside and relax.  You can set your things in Hanen’s room.  She will sleep with Hailyn tonight.  I can make you something, if you are hungry.”

Once inside, Jake saw that the first floor was open, with a kitchen set against the left wall and the main living area taking up the rest.  To the left of the main door, under one of the front windows, a wooden table with two long benches sat, close to the kitchen.  Built into the wall on the other side of the door was a long bench, covered in blue cushions.  Near the center of the room, a semi-circle of chairs sat, facing a large stone fireplace.  To his immediate right was a set of stairs heading up.

Joslyn directed him up the stairs, which led to a short hallway.  There were three doors, two along the right wall and one set at the end of the hallway.  She opened the first door and motioned Jake inside.  In the room, he found a small bedroom, with a single bed and large wooden chest.  The room was in stark contrast to the light brown walls, filled with bright red, pink and white fabrics in the bedding and drapes.  There was a wooden flute on a small table next to the bed.

“You will sleep here while you are a guest with us,” Joslyn said kindly.  “Come, set your things down, get out of your armor, and join us back downstairs.”

Hailyn took her saddlebags from Jake, giving him a wink and smile that only he could see.  She and her mother went to the next room while he unstrapped the sword and slid it carefully under the bed.  Once he had unbelted his weapons and removed his armor, he went back down, finding Hailyn and her mother sitting across from each other at the table, a pitcher and cups in front of them.  He went over and sat down next to Hailyn.

She slid him a cup of water and returned to her discussion with her mother.  After they caught up on family matters, the topic turned to what they were doing there.

“What is so important that you needed to come here in person?” her mother asked.  “While I am glad that you are home, I do not believe that this is a personal visit.”

Jake let Hailyn do the talking, sitting quietly unless Joslyn asked him a direct question.  Hailyn did not go into details, just saying that they were on a mission for the Temple.  Her mother seemed to understand that explanation was not the whole truth, but she did not press further.

“Well, when your father comes home, we can discuss it further,” Joslyn concluded and switched the subject.

After being in the saddle for days, the warmth and comfort of the house began to take its effect on Jake.  Despite his best efforts, his eyes felt heavy and he began to nod off slightly as the women talked.  Joslyn noticed his efforts.

“Jake, why don’t you go sit in one of the chairs and rest?” she said gently.  A smile crossed her face.  “You will not hurt my feelings if you wish to sleep.  In fact, that will allow Hailyn and I to speak about you without concern.”

Jake gave her a grateful smile and went over to one of the chairs.  The cushions were deep and comfortable.  As he adjusted his position, the cat came in from outside and jumped up into the chair.  It curled up in his lap and began purring contently as he gently stroked its soft fur.  Shortly, he found himself drifting off into sleep.

He woke at the sound of voices.  As he opened his eyes, he saw that the cat was gone from his lap and the sun was low in the horizon.  He must have slept for a couple of hours.  He rose and turned to face the table, from where the voices were coming.

Standing at the table near Hailyn were a man and a girl.  The man was taller than the women, but not by much.  He was slim and had a full head of wavy dark brown hair.  He was dressed in fine linen clothes, with polished leather boots.  When he looked over at Jake, Jake saw that his eyes had the same coloring as Hailyn’s.  His face was rugged, but handsome, though his expression was one of appraisal, as he looked Jake up and down.

The girl took after her father more than her mother.  She was slightly taller than Hailyn, skinny with a pretty face and dark brown hair.  She had a red dress on, with shoes rather than boots.  She regarded Jake with a curious look.

“Jake, this is my father, Nelan,” Hailyn said as he walked over to the table.  She gestured toward the girl.  “This is my little sister, Hanen.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Jake said as he shook the man’s hand.

“It is nice to meet you, Jake.  Hailyn has written to us about you,” Nelan said.  “You may call me Nelan.”

“Now, what brings you two here?” Hailyn’s father said as he sat down at the table.  Jake motioned for Hailyn to answer.

“Father, we are on an important mission for the Temple,” she said cautiously.  “We have come to seek out a ship’s captain.”  She paused, looking into the faces of her family.  “We have to set sail to the west, journeying across the Inland Sea,” she finished.

C
HAPTER
S
EVEN

“Are you mad, Hailyn?” her father asked incredulously.  “No ship goes west more than three days from shore.  All that lies farther out is the waters where the raiders sail.”

“I know that, Father,” she replied, trying to stay calm and reasonable.  “Nevertheless, we must head west.  I cannot tell you exactly why, but it is critical.  Critical enough for us to risk our lives.”

Her father wrestled with that response.  “Are there not more experienced clerics to attempt it?  You are barely raised to the brown robe.  I need to know why my daughter must be the one to risk herself.”

“I am a cleric, Father, sworn in the service of the One,” she stated firmly, her face set.  “That means I must share the risks and face the threats against the Temple and the people.  I am strong in my power and have faced demons.  How can I ask someone else to go into danger in my place?”

“That may be so,” he responded bitterly.  He stood there silent, trying to master his emotions.  Finally he sighed and reached out to pull her into an embrace.  “But you are my daughter and I don’t have to like it, Hailyn.”

“I know, Father,” she said as she hugged him back.  “I love you and have no wish to hurt you, but we must find a ship.”

“I will go to the docks in the morning,” he said as he reluctantly pulled back.  He reached up to brush some hair from her face and laid his hand on her cheek.  “I know how stubborn you can be when your mind is set.  Since you say that this is a critical mission, I will need to find someone whom I trust and will take the risk.  It may take a few days for me to raise the money to pay for the voyage.”

“We have enough gold for that, Father,” Hailyn told him.  “What we don’t have is a lot of time.”

“In the morning, then,” he said.  “Let us leave the matter alone tonight.  We have you home and wish to hear how things have been for you.”

They stayed up late talking, sitting in the living room, sipping wine.  Hailyn, with some input from Jake, relayed the story of their rescue of Keria.  She left the quest for the sword vague, just saying that they had traveled north and had gone to the Keep.  At the end, Jake noticed that Hailyn’s father was looking at him with new respect.

Wanting to make him feel welcome, her parents asked Jake to tell them about his family.  Trying to be polite and make a good impression, Jake answered their questions as best he could.  Finally, Joslyn rose and stopped the conversation.

“You have pestered them enough, Nelan,” she said good-naturedly.  “They have had a long journey and we should let them rest.”

“Of course, my dear,” he replied.  “We will have more time to talk tomorrow.”

After tossing most of the night, trying to get used to the soft mattress, Jake finally crawled out of bed when he heard the family getting up and moving around.  He glanced out the window and saw that a light fog covered the ground.  He quickly dressed and went downstairs.

“How did you sleep, Jake?” Joslyn asked him as she and Hailyn prepared some food.  “I hope you were comfortable.”

“I slept fine, thank you,” he told her, keeping the truth from her.  He gestured towards the door.  “I saw that it is foggy outside.”

“We get fog off the sea most mornings,” Nelan said from the table, with Hanen sitting sleepily next to him.  “It burns off in a few hours.”

After breakfast, Jake went with Hailyn’s father outside to help him saddle his horse.  As they walked to the barn, Nelan turned to him.  “I do not mean to embarrass you, but Hailyn wrote us and stated that she had developed strong feelings for you,” he said unabashedly.  “I would like to know your feelings towards my daughter.”

Jake was caught off guard by the direct question.  After stumbling to answer, he stopped and took a deep breath.  Once he was calmer, he responded, “I love Hailyn, sir.  She means everything to me.  We’ve been through a lot and I can’t imagine being without her.”

Her father was silent for a few moments as they continued to the barn.  At the door, he stopped and clapped Jake on the shoulder.  “No father wants to face the fact that his daughter has found another man to love, but I am glad that you have the courage to say such things.”  His eyes took on an intensity as he squeezed Jake’s shoulder.  “Promise me that you will do everything you can to keep her safe,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion.

“I will defend her with my life, sir,” Jake said calmly and directly.  He saw relief on the man’s face as he released his shoulder.

“I am pleased to hear that, Jake,” Nelan stated and continued into the barn.

They saddled the horse in silence, each consumed with his own thoughts.  Once Nelan swung into the saddle, he looked down at Jake.  “I should be back by early afternoon, though I cannot say that I will find any captain willing to sail into those waters.  We can discuss what to do next, if I am unsuccessful.”  With a final nod, he spurred the horse forward, riding off and fading into the fog.

Jake spent the morning with Hailyn as she showed him around her home and the surrounding land.  She spoke of her childhood, pointing out places her and her friends played or where some event took place.  As they walked and talked, the sun finally began to thin the fog.  By the time they had returned to the house, the sun was shining brightly overhead, drying out the dampness in the air.

They were in the front yard playing with the dogs, when her father returned, accompanied by another man.  When Hailyn saw him, she gave a delighted cry and ran over to greet them.  Jake followed and saw the other man get down from his horse and embrace her.

“Uncle, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Cannot a man simply come visit with his friends, my dear?” the man said, laughing.  He was slightly taller than Nelan, with a more muscular body.  He wore a green vest over a long-sleeved white shirt, with brown pants tucked into the tops of leather boots.  A long sword and dagger hung from a wide belt around his waist.

However, his appearance confused Jake.  He looked nothing like Hailyn or her family.  He was clean-shaven with shoulder-length dark black hair.  He had a tanned round face with narrow eyes, a slender nose and thin lips. 
Maybe he married someone’s sister
, he thought.

“And who is this?” the man said, his arm around Hailyn’s shoulder, as he pointed at Jake.

Hailyn motioned Jake to come over.  “Uncle, this is Jake,” she said.  “Jake, this is Uncle Norai.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jake said as they shook hands.  Norai had calloused hands and his grip was firm.

“Have you stolen my Hailyn’s heart?” Norai said with a grin, though his eyes were appraising.  His grip tightened.  “Just remember, lad, that the ocean is deep and cold.  If you hurt this girl, I will dump your body where the monsters can use your bones to pick their teeth.”

“Stop that, Uncle,” Hailyn said, giving him an elbow in the ribs.  The man laughed at that, releasing Jake’s hand.

“Norai and I have been friends for many years, Jake,” Nelan said in explanation.  “He has been at sea, last seen in the far south, so I thought he was not available.  I was surprised and delighted to find him on the docks.  He is the captain of a ship that may meet your needs.”