Chapter 8
At sundown, Seth heard the runner coming back from his journey to the castle and back. The Elf didn't look like he had just ran a great distance. There was no sign of sweat or fatigue.
"What is the Ri's wish, Iriand?" the lead Elf asked.
"That I search their minds. If their memories prove them to be friends they are to be brought to him immediately."
"And if they aren't?"
"Kill them."
The lead Elf turned towards them, showing no emotion. However, Seth knew the Elf was hoping to get a kill in before his shift was over.
"Very well, Iriand."
Iriand stepped gracefully towards them. Seth thought he could snap the Elf in half with his bare hands because of how thin he was. He watched as Iriand went behind him to read Arland's memories first.
As Iriand sank down to his knees he placed the tips of his first two fingers on Arland's temples. Arland opened his mind and he ventured in. Memories have a tendency to bounce around, so searching for the right one was a difficult task. He saw the moment he met Seth about two weeks ago when they came out of the Gar Mountains. The reading of Broc's mind to learn that he had been under Arnath's mind control and was really loyal to Damien. Unintentionally he went back to when Arland was living with the Wood Elves, then as he was cast out of his clan for rebelling against their ceremonial sacrifices. Then his rescue by Garandol.
He let go of Arland's head and looked into his eyes. Arland knew what he saw.
I'm sorry, I went too far back unintentionally. he apologized.
You're forgiven, but I would appreciate you keeping what you saw to yourself. As you can see, Sol has created me differently than the rest of the Wood Elves.
Of course.
Arland nodded and Iriand returned the nod, then stood and repeated the task with Seth. He saw Seth plan the scrimmage against Arnath's men a week ago, then he saw the many places he had been kicked out of over the past ten years before making a place for himself in the Blood Mountains. Then finally he found the memory he was looking for.
Seth burst through the doors of his parent's room to find his mother already dead and his father lying on the floor with a dagger in his chest. Running to his side, Seth pulled the blade out and tried to hear his father's dying words. Then suddenly Arnath was behind him. Seth attacked but Arnath stopped him. Seth was stronger, but Arnath was able to use his mind over Seth's strength. He threw Seth into the wall, knocking him out.
Iriand pulled away from Seth with tears in his eyes.
"I am so sorry, Seth,” Iriand could barely keep himself from crying. “To see your father breathe his last from such a brutal murder." Iriand blinked away his tears and stood and looked at the lead Elf. "This is Seth, Damien's son. He is innocent of all he's been accused. Arnath set him up. And his companion, Arland, is also a friend."
"Thank you, Iriand. Untie them," the lead Elf said.
Iriand immediately began to untie the ropes that bound them, then helped them to their feet.
The lead Elf stepped up and reached his hand out to Seth. Seth grasped him by the forearm and allowed the Elf to help him to his feet.
"Forgive me, Seth, Damien's son. We had to be sure."
"All is forgiven. I understand you are merely protecting your land. What is your name, Elf?"
"Sasha-Ingatu, leader of the border guard."
"It's good to meet you, Sasha-Ingatu. I hope this won't keep us from a friendship in the future."
Sasha opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn't. Seth could see Sasha was surprised by the fact he still wanted to be friends with the Elf. Then Sasha smiled and shook his hand harder.
"Of course it won't."
"Good. So, to Cathair Aureus?" Seth asked, getting back to business.
"Yes, the Caravan is waiting to take us," Sasha-Ingatu.
"The Caravan?" Seth asked, recalling his childhood visiting the Elves with his family. They had been brought into the city in a train of carriages. The experience had left such an impression on him that it caused him to dream of the Elves' land for years.
"Yes, it hasn't been used in years, but it's waiting to bring anyone from the royal family into the city," Sasha explained. "Excellent," Seth said, grinning from ear to ear, the excitement of a child in his eyes.
Even though the sun hung high in the sky, everything in the forest seemed to grow brighter as they made their way to the Caravan. The trees were richer in color and seemed to be more full of life than in Eranithia. It was almost as if they were ready to pull themselves from the ground and begin to dance.
Seth put his hand on one tree as they passed and felt a surge of energy come over him. Whatever fatigue may have been creeping into him vanished like a wisp of smoke and was replaced with an energy he'd never felt before.
"The Trees of Healing," Iriand explained, appearing at Seth's right. Seth studied him quickly. Even though Elves were immortal and took many years to show signs of aging, Seth could see that Iriand was a young Elf. There was a spark in his eyes told Seth this Elf was still absorbing everything as something new. He was also still learning how to use his abilities even though he was mastering them quickly.
While Iriand was watching Seth's memories, Seth had done a little searching of his own without the Elf knowing. Seth was curious as to what Iriand saw when he probed Arland's mind, so he found the specific memory and saw Iriand had gone back too far. He saw Arland's past as having once been a Wood Elf. Because Iriand was keeping such a sensitive secret about Arland's past to himself, Seth felt he could trust this young Elf.
"I remember these trees from when I was a child," Seth said as they walked to catch up with the rest of the Elves.
"How old do I look to you?" Iriand asked suddenly.
The question caught Seth off guard and made him study the Elf again for a moment then said, "Seventeen."
The Elf slowed his pace for a moment, his mouth gaping and eyes wide. His mouth widened into a grin.
"You're right! I only discovered my ability to see memories three years ago. I still see things I shouldn't at times, but I'm getting better at it. My teacher said I'm the quickest learner she's ever taught."
Seth liked this young Elf. It wasn't often one meets a young Elf. Because of their immortality, Elves didn't feel rushed into getting married and raising a family. But to meet an Elf as young as Iriand was a blessing.
Iriand was full of life and curiosity. The entire walk through the woods the Elf asked Seth questions about his life, how he survived in the Blood Mountains for so long, what he remembered about visiting Ashenland as a child...
The questions never seemed to end. Iriand reminded Seth of Mark. That young, curious mind and energy that radiated from him. Seth hadn't seen Mark since the small battle at the Onyx Battlefield. He'd barely heard word from Garandol as well. Seth had been so focused on hearing from Sol, he isolated himself from any communication with them unless it was absolutely necessary. The night he'd spoken to Garandol in the fire was the first he'd spoken to him since their separation.
Once they were through the woods they came to a red gravel road. The sun revealed a sparkle in the red dirt.
"The dirt is red from the red rock of the dead volcano,” Iriand began to explain, noticing Seth's observations of the road. “Thousands of years ago, she erupted and turned the soil red." Seth smiled at the Elf and said, "I know, if it weren't for Sol's providence, many Elves and humans would have perished in that event."
Iriand grinned from ear to ear and said, "And the sparkle, is diamonds."
Seth looked back at the ground when he took his seat in the carriage, noticing the sparkle of diamonds on the road. To think that something seen as such a valuable thing in Eranithia was gravel in Ashenland amazed him.
The white carriages were wide open with red canopies to block the bright sun. The canopies were held up by golden rods at each corner of the carriage. The red velvet seats were etched in gold and silver embroidery with extravagant designs. They were so soft to the touch, it was like sitting on a cloud.
"Wow," Iriand said sitting across from Seth. "These are very soft. I've never been in the carriages. Have you?"
"A long time ago. I was only ten years old then," he thought about how many years had passed since he last visited the Elves. "That was fifteen years ago," he said shaking his head. He couldn't believe how many years it had been.
"I was just a youngliff. Only about two years old. Did you meet my parents?"
Seth looked at the young Elf's bright eyes with a smile and said, "I don't know. I may have. When you're ten, and you're the son of the royal family, it seems like you meet a lot of people. Do they live in the palace?"
"No, but they're there quite a bit. They're part of the royal family of the Elves. The Ri is my uncle."
"Then I'm sure I've met them."
"They'll be at the feast tonight," Iriand's eyes smiled with joy.
"I look forward to meeting them again."
Seth looked out of the carriage at the passing forest. The trees on the Ashenland side were so much brighter than on the Eranithian side, one could see where the border was by the change of color.
The red road sparkled with diamond dust and pebbles. Seth was falling in love with Ashenland all over again. He wondered if the Ri would allow him to have his own retreat in Ashenland after he was made King of Eranithia.
"Look to the other side,” Iriand's voice suddenly broke the silence. “The Gem Bluffs will appear once we get around this bend."
"You seem to know the land pretty well for having never ridden the Caravan."
"I've run throughout much of Ashenland. I've seen quite a bit," he said with a hint of arrogance.
For a moment Iriand had forgot the lessons he'd learned in Etiquette. Seth chuckled to himself and appreciated the fact that even though this Elf was related to the Ri, he was still a typical teenager at heart.
Seth looked out of the left side of the carriage. They were making the turn around the bend and the Gem Bluffs came into full view. The cliff was a large diamond and protruding from it in different places were large boulders and flat, jagged stones of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Seth remembered seeing the Gem Bluffs for the first time as a child. Seeing them again left him no more speechless than before.
He thought of Serina and how much she would love this. Then he remembered her locked up in an enchanted sleep. He had to rescue her. Nothing had kept them apart as children. He hated himself for not trying to rescue her sooner. His stomach turned with regret. Nausea crept through his insides; he tasted bile. Then suddenly he threw up over the side of the carriage. He looked at Iriand as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
Iriand's eyes were wide and his mouth was open slightly.
"Are you okay?" Iriand asked, concerned.
"Yes."
"You don't look like you're okay."
Letting his head fall back against the plush seat, Seth closed his eyes and grinned a little as he asked, "Then why did you ask?"
"I'm sorry," Iriand apologized a little more sincerely than Seth had thought necessary.
"For what?" Seth asked opening his eyes to look at the Elf.
"You regret not going after your sister."
"You were in my head again?"
Iriand nodded regretfully but Seth ignored his apology and looked out at the Gem Bluffs again. He breathed deep and slow to settle his stomach. Then he felt the carriage begin to climb up a steep hill. He looked behind him to see the long steep hill they were on. It went straight up to the top, no twists or turns, just one long straight shot.
"It's two miles to the top from the bottom," Iriand explained, regret for having read Seth's mind was still thick in his voice.
"That's quite the climb," Seth said.
The hill grew steeper, so he switched to the side Iriand sat, facing the hill. He leaned to his left, sticking his head out the side to watch the road as the crest of the hill approached. The slight rocking of the carriage put him at ease. Pulling his head back inside the carriage, his eyelids grew heavy and began to droop...
"Hello, brother," Serina said.
Seth opened his eyes. He was back at the top of the Gar Mountains with Serina. Serina sat next to him in a white gown. "Hi," he said, surveying his surroundings.
"You fell asleep in Ashenland."
"I guess I did," he said, accepting the fact he was in a dream again, talking to his sister.
"I put you to sleep," she admitted.
"Why?"
"Do I need a reason to talk to my brother?" she asked with a teasing pout.
"No, you don't," he said warmly, then a knot grew in his throat. "I miss you."
"I know you do, and I miss you too. How is the trip to Ashenland?" she asked, trying to sound more conversational to distract his sadness.
"Well, they tied me and Arland up for a couple of hours, what does that tell you?" he joked.
Serina giggled, "That they are doing their job protecting the land from Arnath's men."
"That they are. However, I could have easily slipped out. They didn't quite tie the ropes tight enough. But-”
"You needed to win their trust," Serina finished his sentence for him.
"Yes."
"And you did," she stated simply.
"I did."
"Now what?" she asked, laying down and resting her head in his lap as they looked out at the country they would rule over one day.
"Now,” he said with a deep breath, reclining back with his arms behind him, “I convince Efreal to assist me in rescuing you and procuring the throne."
"How are you going to do that?"
"With all the charm Damien's son can muster," Seth said sarcastically.
She rolled onto her back and laughed as she said, "Father didn't have much charm. That's where Mother excelled."
"Then I guess I have my work cut out for me then don't I?"
Seth knew he was a spitting image of his father, inside and out. If his father couldn't charm someone, how could he? He feared he didn't have enough of his mother in him to win Efreal over.
"You do, but it won't take charm to win Efreal's loyalty. You'll have to prove yourself."
"How do I do that?" he asked, doubting himself. He threw a small rock in frustration.
"Rescue me first,” Serina replied plainly, “then he'll support you in defeating our uncle."
"How can I do that without help?"
"How can you rescue me without help?” she asked incredulously, “Come on, Seth, you know that's impossible. I can only do so much in this enchanted sleep.” She sighed then said, “Don't worry, you'll find a way. You're smart and strong. There isn't anything you can't do. Besides, you won't be alone. You'll have Garandol and the twins at the very least.”
He was at a loss for words. Looking away from his sister, he stared out at the expanse of Eranithia. It all belonged to him and Serina.
"Do you really think I can do it?" he asked her, still unable to shake his doubt. She sat up next up to him, put an arm around his shoulders and grabbed his arm with her other hand. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"Of course I do. You always find a way. More than that, you're my twin brother, I know what's in your heart. Nothing will stop you from getting to me. Look into my heart and tell me what you see."
As he looked into his sister's eyes, tears flooded his own. She seemed to always bring his emotions to the surface. No matter what they were.
"I won't let him kill me before you get to me," she said. "I won't let him hurt me more than I can take, and neither will Sol. With His strength you can do this. You know what the books say. All things are possible with Him."
He could barely look at her. He'd forgotten Sol's promises over the last ten years, and even though she was being tortured daily by their uncle, she never forgot. Meeting the twins had reminded him of Sol's love and faithfulness.
"You know Sol is forgiving. He loves us. That's why he sends us reminders. Now, it's time for you to wake up. You won't want to miss this."
He looked at her again, tears streaming down his face. She kissed him on the forehead and said, "Wake up Seth. Wake up..."
Seth's eyes snapped open. He looked around and saw Iriand sitting closer to him, shaking him by the shoulder.
"Wake up, Seth. You don't want to miss this," Iriand said excitedly, grinning from ear to ear, eyes wide and bright.
Seth looked out of his side of the carriage and saw they were nearing the top of the hill. As they crested the two mile long hill, a large circular city came into view. Four roads led to the center where a tall castle stood. The city was built around the Ri's palace; a tall, jagged castle with many towers. It glowed blue near the top but as it neared the bottom it faded into silver. The windows were trimmed in gold and the roofs...
"Are the roofs of the castle made of gold?" Seth asked Iriand.
He chuckled and said, "No, but they are painted in gold."
Iriand looked at Seth like he thought Seth was crazy then said, "They're merely building materials." He looked back at the city. "But it is beautiful isn't it?"
Seth nodded in agreement and said, "It is very beautiful."
He shook his head at the wealth of the castle. What the Elves considered building materials, Eranithians used as currency. Seth figured Eranithia could be fed for a millenia from the homes in Ashenland alone, let alone the castle.
As they passed through the southern gate, made from bright white stones, the small homes seemed much brighter than in the distance. The sun reflected off of the roofs and walls but he wasn't blinded. It was a soft glow, as if the homes gave off their own light.
"The way the stones are cut, keep the sun from blinding the people,” Iriand said, seeming to answer his thoughts.
Seth looked at him, wondering if he'd slipped into his head again. An embarrassed smile from Iriand told Seth he had. Seth grinned and shook his head.
"Are they made from the Gem Bluffs?" he asked, looking out of his side of the carriage again.
"Yes, but only what has fallen from the cliffs. Nobody cuts from the cliffs themselves. Sol forbids it. He says he will provide what is needed. And whenever a new home is needed, he causes the mountain to shake and give up just enough stone."
"Amazing," Seth whispered to himself.
As they traveled up the road leading from the West, the Elf people came running to the road, waving and cheering. It'd been more than ten years since a member of the Eranithian royal family had come through their city, so there was much reason for the excitement.
Seth could see just how much the Elf nation loved the Eranithians and longed for a good ruler in the land again. He'd never known the extent of the relationship between humans and Elves until now. He wondered if it was the same with the Centaurs. Would they welcome him the same way the Elves did?
The homes grew larger and more extravagant as they neared the castle. The proximity of the castle seemed to decide the value of the property. Elves who didn't venture out of their homes into the crowded streets leaned out of their second and third story windows, waving and shouting their greetings to him. Seth waved back at the Elves. The younger ones screamed in excitement, some argued over which one he waved to personally. He was surprised to see so many younger Elves. He wondered what brought this sudden change in the Elves' ways. But, with such a large population, and so many different generations, there were bound to be plenty of children running around.
Seth blushed as some of the Elf women winked and blew kisses at him. He was thankful for the speed of the carriages so no one saw. Then he wondered if it was possible for humans and Elves to marry. Sitting back he saw Iriand had switched sides of the carriage and was grinning at him.
"What?" Seth asked suspiciously.
"They love you," the teenage Elf said.
"It would appear that way," Seth said, watching the crowd as the sped by.
"Especially the women." Seth laughed as he blushed again. Apparently the young Elf noticed the reactions of the women as well.
"And my proximity to you will benefit me," Iriand said, his grin even wider than before.
Seth began to understand the grin on the Elf's face. He was young, but not so young that he had no interest in the opposite sex.
"You're a young Elf, you have plenty of time to consider marriage."
Iriand's grin drooped into a frown. Seth hadn't meant to hurt him; he had to give him some encouragement.
"I'm not saying that you can't consider it. Just remember, you're immortal. You have forever to consider marriage and a family. But here is my advice: Pray to Sol about it and seek what He wants. If he wants you to marry early, then he will bless you, but if he wants you to serve him without distraction for a while, he will hold back his blessing until he feels you are ready."
Iriand looked out the side of the carriage, Seth hoped, to ponder his words. Sol's words seemed to just flow out of Seth without him realizing what he was saying. Maybe he hadn't walked away from Sol as much as he thought.
"We're nearing the castle," Iriand said quietly.
Seth turned in his seat and looked outside again. They crossed a wooden bridge. It was the first wooden object Seth had seen in the city. Everything else seemed to be made of the stones from the Gem Bluffs. He looked over the edge of the drawbridge and saw a river of bright silver.
Looking at Iriand he asked, "Is that liquid silver?"
Iriand nodded. He was stone faced, jaw set, eyes distant. Iriand was still angry with him. He knew that if he had been in the Elf's position he would probably be acting the same way. He wasn't a teenager so long ago he'd forgotten what it was like at that age. He let him stew in his selfish anger for a little bit, knowing he would come out of it soon enough.
The carriages stopped in the main courtyard. Seth stepped out of his carriage and Iriand followed behind him. He crossed the courtyard where his mother and father received him with warm hugs. Next to them, Seth recognized the Ri and his wife. They hadn't changed in fifteen years since his last visit. Neither looked much older than him, and both were very attractive. The Ri wore a light, airy tunic of white with tan leather pants. His wife wore a light blue dress as light and airy as Efreal's tunic.
He crossed the courtyard and bowed to them in the customary fashion. Then the Ri, Efreal, wrapped his arms around Seth in a tight embrace and kissed his cheek.
"You look so much like your father," he said. "He was a good man. His death broke the hearts of all of Ashenland.” "Thank you," Seth said feeling a familiar knot in his throat again.
Efreal seemed to be feeling the same emotion as his green eyes glazed with sympathetic tears. Seth then greeted Efreal's wife, Luma. She was breathtakingly beautiful with long, wavy blond hair, which she wore down. She embraced him in the same manner her husband had.
"Come, you must be hungry after your trip," she said.
"I am."
"We apologize for the greeting you received at the border," Efreal said squeezing his shoulder as they walked.
"I understand. Eranithia isn't the place it once was. Your guard is doing a wonderful job protecting your land."
Seth looked back at Sasha who beamed back at him with a proud smile. Seth grinned and turned back as they entered a set of large double doors on the opposite end of the courtyard.
The throne room was similar in design to the one in Eranithia, but it was brighter. High up on the walls were large stain glass windows with a different Elf hero, Ri or Barion. The pictures of the heroes showed the scene in which they were made famous. The ones with a Ri showed them staring down at them with stern expressions, as if to remind the current Ri of his duties to take care of Ashenland. Seth wondered if Eranithia would do well to have similar reminders. The only difference was, Eranithia has had many more kings than Ashenland.
A Ri in Ashenland served a term of no more than a century, meaning they have had many less rulers than Eranithia. Eranithia on the other hand has had too many kings to portray them all in one throne room. They would need many castles to represent every good king of Eranithia. Seth was led past the throne room through a door to the left of the throne. They entered a room larger than the throne room and just as bright. More colorful stain glass pictures of Elves of the past looked down on the long wooden tables in the room.
There were three tables in all, each stretched twenty yards long. This was the Great Hall where feasts and celebrations were held. Seth had a faint memory of eating a great meal in the room. The one thing he remembered most was how wonderful the food tasted.
"While we wait for our meal, Seth, please tell me your account of what has happened to you since the deaths of your parents."
Seth expected the request but the emotion, which swelled up inside of him, was what kept him from speaking. He didn't respond for a long time, trying to gain control of his emotions first. He took a few deep breaths then told them all that happened from the moment he found his mother dead and father dying to the moment he entered the Aontacht Forest the night before. Half way through his story their food was brought to them and they ate as he told his story.
Efreal didn't show much of a reaction to any portion of the story, but Luma and the others were more animated in their reactions. Luma cried when Seth gave his account of his parents' deaths, snorted and scoffed at each account of his being kicked out of another town or city in Eranithia, and gasped when he mentioned the twins.
"The twins are here?" she whispered.
"They're with Garandol on their way to speak with the Centaurs on my behalf."
"And you chose to come here yourself eh?" Efreal puffed up his chest with pride.
Seth smiled and said, "I knew I had to prove myself to you, which meant I would have to come and see you myself." "You'll have to do more than that to prove yourself to us. It's a great gesture but before we support you in bringing down your uncle, we need to know that you will be successful."
Seth knew this was coming, "I will rescue my sister to prove it to you." He hadn't meant to say it. It just fell out of his mouth. Perhaps that's what Sol wants, he thought.
Efreal frowned and rubbed his chin, leaning back in his seat, "That's an impressive claim, but how do you plan to accomplish such a task?"
"Why does that matter? I said I would do it, and I will." He'd sounded angrier than he meant to, but he wouldn't stand for anyone doubting him. Not even Efreal.
Efreal closed his eyes halfway, glaring at his defiance. Then he smiled. He appeared to enjoy Seth's reaction.
"I admire your determination, but you can't go in there without a plan."
"The plan will come to me when I need it. Sol will give me strength and guidance."
Efreal looked impressed this time. Seth was well on his way to proving himself to Efreal.
"I can't argue with that," he raised his goblet to toast Seth. "To Seth! May he bring peace to the land and Arnath to his knees!"
The rest of the table raised their glasses in agreement and drank once Efreal took his drink. Seth bowed his head in appreciation to Efreal.
No comments:
Post a Comment