by Zora Marie
Zelia asked Yargo and his brow creased. He seemed caught off guard by the question, but he regained himself and responded, “No, I would like to apologize to Orvi first. I realize that it won’t change anything, but it still needs done.”
They soon came to the makeshift building that had been constructed for the dragons and the guard who stood at the door straightened at the sight of Yargo.
“It’s good to see you up and about, sir.”
“At ease. You may go.”
Once he was out of earshot, Zelia couldn’t help but ask, “You’re not going to inform everyone about Terik, are you?”
“No. He is better off if the Fenari don’t know who they have. Even if it is only a slight chance that they don’t know.” Yargo paused to look out at the snow-covered city that sprawled out at the bottom of the hill.
Raven and Orvi waited just inside and Zelia could feel Raven’s anger simmer just below the surface. It was a long moment before Yargo turned and entered ahead of her. She was taken aback when Yargo gave Raven a slight bow, then turned to split his attention between the two dragons.
“What happened today never should have happened, any of it. I am sorry for the part my wife had in leaving the two of you. I hope that one day you will be able to forgive us.”
Orvi continued to glare at Yargo and steam rose from her nostrils in a long, slow stream.
Raven let out a sigh. “Orvi, go wait for Linithion by the bridge.”
“But—” Orvi gave Raven a sidelong glance, then slunk from the building.
“Go. I won’t be long.”
Yargo gave Zelia a questioning glance as Orvi left and Zelia shrugged.
“Zelia, come here.” Raven settled down in an invitation.
Zelia nearly sighed at the warmth that rose from Raven’s scales as she leaned heavily against her. The palace was warm, but not like the comforting warmth of her dragon. “He really is sorry, and I believe Zivu will be too, once she has had a chance to sit and realize what she has done.”
“I know. Tell him that I accept his apology. Orvi just needs time. She is young and scared.”
Zelia translated and Yargo nodded his thanks. “Orvi is lucky to have you, Raven. As is Zelia. I consider her my daughter and would have her feel welcome here, but I know she will not stay with what has happened. All I ask is that you care for her and Linithion while I cannot.”
Raven stretched her neck forward and let out a long slow breath through her nose. Her softened demeanor made it obvious that she accepted his request.
“Good. I do have one question, which is why I asked Zelia to come. Do you feel the dragon riders will be able to defend themselves? It has been a time since I have visited to teach them.”
Raven sank back. “No. The memory of man is short. They no longer carve runes on all their weapons. Only a few clan leaders still carry weapons that would do any good and that is only because they were passed down from their Grandfather’s time.”
Zelia repeated this and added, “And the same can be said for men on the mainland. Skylar is the only human I know of that carries rune weapons and his is only his sword.” She hadn’t thought much of it before, but all the Elves carried weapons etched in runes. Even her own arrow tips had been etched.
Yargo nodded. “Then I’ll send mages to teach them.”
“They won’t listen, not on the mainland.” Zelia sighed and leaned back against Raven. “Have them say I sent them. I think townspeople were calling me the Phoenix of The Hold, girl of fire, or some nonsense like that. In the Kingdom of The Mountains you can use my name, King Gregory knows it.”
“So even they have fallen from tradition?” Yargo asked.
“They’ve killed all but Skylar from your bloodline and they didn’t know who he was until The Hold. Skylar was born and raised among the Wolfbloods, until his mother was killed. I’m sure Eadon taught him what he could, but Elven traditions are different from yours.”
Skylar had claimed her as a sister, because he, too, had been raised with Alrindel as an older brother. But Yargo should have known about Skylar, about the downfall of his family.
“Shouldn’t you know all of this already? I know Lumid should have seen some of it at least. Why didn’t you interfere sooner?”
“I knew parts of it, but even Lumid cannot watch everything all the time. Plus, we had all agreed that the realms should have some sort of separation once those who moved there settled in. So, I had been encouraged to let the humans sink or swim, but with the guild gone it is past time that I did more.”
The way Yargo looked at her then, the tentative love that shone in his gaze told her that he would do this for her. He would help because Mineria was where she would be.
“We’re ready,” Orvi said from where she waited at the foot of the bridge.
“They’re waiting on us,” Zelia said. “If the people refuse to listen, let me know. Raven and I can go around to the kingdoms and make a show of why they should listen to your people. I’ll also talk to Connan and see if his people are in a position to help forge rune weapons. He owes me after what he did.”
Yargo studied her for a moment and Zelia wondered if he truly didn’t know what had happened on Mineria. What had been going on for ages.
“For now, I want you to worry about healing and learning, but I will let you know if we need your help. Having someone they have heard of speak to them may be wise since I cannot go myself.”
5
The snow crunched beneath them as they appeared in a clearing. Linithion had asked Lumid to put them just outside the outer border of the Drakeon Empire to avoid alarming the guards. Within moments of appearing in the snow-covered clearing, Zelia felt rather than heard the Elven guards surround them. Even having grown up with them, it still amazed her how quietly they could move.
“My kin, it is I, Princess Linithion. Put down your bows, I come with friends to speak with Father.”
The tension in the air seemed to sigh in relief as Linithion stepped out from between the dragons and a guard jumped from his perch in a tree.
“Apologies Princess Linithion. There has been word of the Fenari being on the move once more and…” he trailed off and glanced at Raven.
“We understand Tinnan, but Raven and Orvi are friends. As is Rog, but we won’t speak of that here. Would you send word ahead of us that we are coming? We do not wish to alarm everyone.”
Tinnan made a few hoots like an owl. Zelia watched another Elf drop from a nearby tree and disappear down a path.
“Here, I’ll walk with you.”
“Have you had any word from Connan?” Zelia asked.
“The Dwarven Prince?” At Zelia’s nod Tinnan continued, “His people do well now that they are back in their home. They have been busy trading for food to get them through winter since the Darkans wiped out their stores before Kniteoff ran them off. The King of the Kingdom of the Mountains sent food from his own stores in exchange for stone and stone smiths to repair The Hold. He even sent the food ahead of any stone or workers being sent.”
“King Gregory must have heard that you consider Connan a friend,” Rogath said.
Zelia glared at Rog. “I do not consider Connan a friend, not after he tried to kill Orvi when she was barely a hatchling. Even when I stood between them…” She shook her head, it did no good to dwell on the past. “But if that is what gets his people help, then so be it. I wouldn’t wish starvation on anyone.”
Tinnan glanced at Zelia and she knew he gaged how skinny and bony she was.
“Don’t ask,” Rogath warned him.
“And who exactly are you?” Tinnan asked.
“You don’t know who I am?” Rogath gasped with an air of offense.
“Hush, it is just as well that people don’t recognize you.” Linithion rolled her eyes at Rogath’s antics. “We will explain who he is once we see Father.”
It wasn’t long before they came to the great stone gates into the city and were met by King Erolith. “Why are you back so
soon?” Erolith’s gaze settled on Rogath and he let out a long breath. “Why is he here? Something has happened, hasn’t it?”
“Father we need to speak in private, where others cannot hear.”
Erolith nodded. “Thank you for accompanying my daughter, Tinnan. Please go enjoy a hot meal before you head back.”
“Thank you.” Tinnan gave a slight bow of his head and disappeared into the maze of buildings.
“Wait here, please.” Zelia thought to Raven and Orvi. “You may not be able to hear us once we are in the shielded room.”
Both dragons nodded and sat back on their haunches. Zelia leaned on Linithion as they went to a white stone building and was thankful that Erolith didn’t glance back at them. They entered a room with a scrying bowl at its center and runes carved into the walls.
“Do not let anyone enter,” Erolith told a guard, then pulled the doors closed behind him. As soon as the door clicked closed, he spun and looked each of them over. “What has happened?”
“Terik has been taken by the Fenari,” Zelia said.
“They attacked Hyperia?”
“No. They were near Elyluma,” Linithion said.
“Terik and I had gone to try and save our warriors,” Rogath said. “It’s my fault he’s gone.”
“How did you know they were being attacked?”
“Because I’ve been having visions again,” Zelia said.
“Father, we need to know how Grandfather saved Grandmother.”
Erolith stiffened, but Rogath stepped in, “She won’t be the one going.”
“Then why did all three of you come?”
Zelia sighed and Erolith turned to her, so she answered, “Linithion and I no longer feel welcome in Hyperia, around Zivu.”
“My mother left their dragons there when Terik was taken and basically forbade the girls to retrieve them. The whole thing was a mess.”
Linithion’s natural Elven glow dimmed at the memory of Orvi’s terror. Zelia gave her hand a comforting squeeze.
“Zelia…” Erolith said as he stared at her and Linithion’s hands.
“Father. You must learn to accept us. We are soulmates whether you like it or not.”
“No,” Erolith said and with the speed of a viper grabbed Zelia’s free hand. “While I do not agree with forcing our bloodline to end with you, that is not what I meant.” He turned her hand palm up. His fingers brushed over where calluses and scars had once been.
“I’m fine, Erolith. After the fight I ended up in the other body. It is malnourished, but it’s a blank slate and I am no longer in pain all of the time.”
“Were you checked for any lingering spells?”
“Zivu didn’t find anything.”
“Good.” He lowered her hand back to her side. “They told me you were fine before I left, but nothing more.”
“I hate to interrupt, but King Erolith, I need to know if you will teach me how to save Terik,” Rogath said.
“Do you have the ability to connect mind to mind with Terik?” King Erolith asked.
“I’ve done it a couple of times, but Terik always shoves me out and I can’t do it from this far. I’m not connected to him as I am Zelia.”
“Well, hopefully he will let you in this time as you’ll need to be able to connect to him once you are in their realm so you can figure out where he is.” Erolith paused and looked each of them over in a little more detail. “How about the three of you go get some rest. There are some things I must do before I teach you the spells you’ll need to know.”
“Thank you, Father. Should I have Rogath stay in the room we shielded for Zelia?”
“Yes, that would be good.”
The moment the door shut behind them, Rogath said, “That went well.”
“Hm?” Linithion said.
“I figured he would try to separate the two of you.”
“He thought about it, but he doesn’t dare risk pushing me away with everything going on. He’ll try to push us apart in other ways.” Linithion sighed as she came to a stone building that sat separated from the others. “Either way, this is where you’ll stay. I’ll have a guard move to stand outside. They’ll be able to help if you need anything.”
A tingling shiver spiraled out from her back, where a feather light touch traced the ridges of her spine. Zelia sucked in a breath at the sensation and Linithion’s pine laced scent filled her.
“Sorry if I woke you,” Linithion said.
Linithion’s muscles pulled tight beneath her arm and neck, and she pried her eyes open to see her staring at the ceiling. It was such a sad, distant expression that Zelia held Linithion a little tighter. “What’s wrong?” Zelia had hoped that being home would help Linithion relax, but instead Linithion was more worried than she had ever seen.
“I know you’re only going along with all of this because of me. You’ve never really had a choice in any of this.”
“Linithion, I—”
“No. I want you to do this because it is something you want, not because of anyone else.” Linithion turned to meet her gaze, her green eyes dull with the weight of her worry.
“That’s just it, there was only ever one choice they were never able to take from me,” Zelia paused to search Linithion’s face. She had thought about her lack of choice in her life, she still did sometimes. In the face of Linithion’s concern, of the worry that weighed her, Zelia clung to the one thing Asenten hadn’t been able to keep her from. “Even when I was held captive, Asenten couldn’t stop me from protecting my kin.”
“Koin?”
Zelia nodded. “Killing myself to protect him, taking punishments for killing people quicker than Asenten wanted, those were choices he couldn’t take from me.” Her voice shook and a tear ran down the side of her face to pool on the pillow she and Linithion shared. “While I may not have had a choice in falling in love with you, I’m choosing to stand by you. Protecting everyone we care about, that’s a choice I don’t think I’ll ever be able to let go of.” She snuggled closer to Linithion until their breaths mingled. “I love you,” Zelia said in an admission she hadn’t been able to say mere weeks ago. Until she had nearly lost Linithion to the scheming of wizards.
A knock came at the door and Linithion sighed.
“Erolith?”
Linithion nodded and rolled away from her. “Yes, Father?”
“It’s time for breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us.”
“We’ll be right out.” Linithion fell back on the bed and just lay there with the back of her hand on Zelia’s side.
“Let me guess, he heard me.”
“Yes. If you weren’t Eadon and Auntie Eleanor’s adopted daughter, he would have already separated us.” Linithion rolled over and stared at her, her chin propped up between her hands. “He approaches everything like a battle. He’ll gage both of our mental states before making a move, we’re both too valuable for him to risk breaking.”
“Why is he so against us?”
“Because between war and how difficult it is for us to have children… our race is dying out. And with each generation we lose more of the magic that makes us who we are. That’s why neither Father nor Auntie can speak to the animals like you can. I think it is the same reason we can’t grow certain plants here and why the Darkans are no longer Elves, but no one wants to admit it.” Linithion pushed up from the bed and headed for the wooden wardrobe at the far end of the room. “You can wear what you want from my stuff, it all pretty much looks the same.”
Zelia sat up and began the stretches Yalif had instructed her to do.
“Don’t let me forget to remind Rog that he has some of Yalif’s lovely drink in a pocket dimension for you. Rogath and one of the magic using guards worked out a specific pocket to get it to you right before we left.”
Zelia couldn’t help but curl her lip at the thought of the slimy drink and Linithion struggled to hold back a laugh. “Maybe I should make you drink some of it.”
Linithion’s smile faded and she cam
e back to the bed to sit beside her. Linithion’s hand was warm against her cheek and Zelia couldn’t help but lean into it. “Look at your hands. They’re already filling back in, so are your ribs and legs.”
Zelia stared down at her hands. Linithion was right, the joints weren’t as knobby as they had been.
“What Yalif is sending you is a precious resource. It may be nasty, but if you want to stand by me in the coming war, it will help you build this body up.”
Zelia nodded and chewed her bottom lip. If the muscles rebuilt fast enough for them to notice a difference in as little time as it had been, she wouldn’t have much time to train them. But if she didn’t take the juice, she would be no use in her current state. “Yalif was going to give me more exercises to do as the muscle rebuilt…”
“We can ask Father who would be best to help you. Hey,” Linithion lifted Zelia’s chin so she couldn’t help but meet her gaze, “you are my rock as I am yours. We will weather this storm together and be stronger than ever for it.” Zelia nodded and Linithion sat back. “Now come on, before Father forbids us from staying together because we are late.”
They entered the dining hall together, hand in hand. Walking was far easier this morning than it had been the last few days. Her legs didn’t shake under her own meager weight, but Zelia wouldn’t hold her breath for it to stay that way through the day.
“Good morning,” Rogath said as they sat across from him.
Linithion took the seat at her Father’s side. “Good morning, Rog. Did you get Yalif’s stuff for Zelia?”
“I knew I was forgetting something.” He flicked his wrist and a cloud of mist drew to him on a phantom wind. Then he twisted his hand in the air and the moisture condensed and froze into a sphere of ice. The sphere rippled as he plunged his hand into the ball. He withdrew a corked vial of purple liquid.
“Is that pernion juice?” Erolith asked.
“Yep. Yalif and his sister are the only two allowed to make it.” Rogath passed the vial to Linithion.
