Whispers of Time

by Gwendolyn Ilimaris

  “All right, all right,” he said, his voice gruff. “I have work to do.” He waved them out of the shop before turning back to a shield.

  Once she was back out on the street, Rin headed back toward the palace. The sun was sinking behind the edge of the walls and she knew Wren would be looking for her soon. They made it halfway back to the palace before a little elven girl dashed up to them.

  “Excuse me, excuse me,” she called as she ran up to Rin.

  “Yes, child?” Rin asked when she stopped and looked down at her. The little girl peered up at her with big, hazel eyes. She pushed thick, brown curls out of her face.

  “Are you really the princess?” When Rin nodded, she grinned. “Oh, good! I have made something for you. My mama told me that you got lost before I was born.”

  Rin chuckled and knelt in front of the little girl. “What have you made for me?”

  The little girl held up a pink flower made out of parchment, “It even has a compass in the middle, so you will not get lost again.” Rin took the flower and smiled when she saw the small hand drawn compass in the center of the flower.

  “That is a wonderful idea,” Rin said. “I thank you for such a thoughtful gift.”

  A proud smile crossed the little girl’s face and a murmur ran through the couple of elves that paused to see what was going on.

  “Will you wear it?”

  “I would be honored. Will you put it in for me?”

  The little girl was vibrating with excitement when she took the flower back from Rin. Her little fingers trembled when she stuck her tongue out a little bit in pure concentration. She put the flower into Rin’s hair just above her right ear. When she was finished, she stepped back with a grin, “It is perfect.” Her voice was filled with confidence.

  “Thank yo...” Rin trailed off when an elven woman rushed up to them. She gave Rin a hasty bow before she pulled the little girl away from her.

  “Forgive me, my lady,” she said, her face flustered. “My daughter speaks out of turn.” She gave the little girl a look of disapproval.

  Rin got back to her feet. “There is nothing to forgive. The child has given me a lovely gift and I shall treasure it.”

  “Thank you, my lady,” the woman said with a sigh of relief.

  Rin nodded before she looked down at the little girl, “Thank you for the gift.” She turned away from the woman and child and began to walk down the road again. The handful of people that gathered started to disperse as she passed through them. They were almost back to the palace when Rin paused as a group of city guards approached them.

  “Lady Rin.”

  “Yes?” She asked, her voice wary.

  The guardsman shifted, and his discomfort became visible when Kaedin and Jaeha moved to stand on either side of her.

  “My lady, I have orders to bring you to your father’s study.”

  Rin’s eyebrow shot up. “You may inform my fa--, him that I shall come to his study later.” She started to walk past the guards but one of the other guardsmen stepped forward to block her path. Rin stopped with a frown.

  “My lady, his majesty said right now,” the first guard continued. “Please come with us. I do not wish to resort to force.”

  “There are not enough of you to take me anywhere by force,” she said with a laugh. “If he has an issue with me then he can come and find me. Now, stand aside and allow me to pass.” She once again moved to walk forward and this time the guard put his spear in front of her. In one swift motion, she grabbed and twisted the spear, jerking it out of his hands in a split second before she dropped it on the ground at his feet. “Stand aside!”

  The rest of the guards stepped back, and she walked past them. She headed into the palace and returned to the guest rooms. When they arrived back, Paige, Jake, Raven, and Sara were still training. Everyone, except Raven, appeared like they were getting tired.

  Rin acknowledged them with a head nod before she walked into the room with the beds and closed the door. Kaedin watched her go before he walked over to Raven.

  “This is for Paige,” he said as he held out the katana. “Rin shall modify it for her later.”

  Paige took the katana before Raven could get it. Her face filled with excitement, “Sweet! My own sword.” She started dancing in place and Jake glanced over at her. He grimaced and shook his head, his sister armed was not something he thought was a good idea.

  Once she closed the door, Rin made her way over to a small stone in the wall beside the mirror. She pried it loose and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the hole behind it was still full. Pulling everything out, plus the flower from the little girl, she wrapped it all in a piece of cloth. After it was wrapped, she secured the package with a piece of twine before she slipped it into a pocket on her vest. Without stopping to survey the room, she headed back toward the door when a sudden glow caught her attention. She glanced at the mirror and froze in place. After a few seconds, she stepped toward it with slow cautious steps and gasped when she was close enough to see an older version of herself looking back at her from the mirror.

  “Touch the mirror,” the older Rin said. “Hurry, he tries to stop me already.”

  Rin stared at the mirror and was unable to react.

  “Touch the mirror! You must hurry and leave tonight.”

  Rin swallowed hard before she reached out and put her fingers on the surface of the glass. She gasped again when images appeared in her mind.

  She could see inside her father’s study. He was speaking to Londar, but she could not hear what they were saying before the vision shifted. She saw her old rooms. The entire group lay dead on the floor. It appeared as if they just finished their evening meal.

  The vision stopped, and Rin staggered backwards with a small gasp. When she could shake off the disorienting effects of the vision, she looked back at the mirror. It was only her looking back. She stared at it, her face blank, for a few seconds before she bolted back into the room with the dining table.

  “Stop!” She yelled and everyone in the room froze. “Has anyone eaten?” When they all shook their heads no, she breathed a small sigh of relief and walked closer to the table. She could only stare at the food for several moments before she took a deep breath and raised her hand. “Prāetan Jhēkāer.” She passed her hand over the nearest dish and it began to glow green. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized the vision was right.

  “What is go--?” Jake started to ask when the door of the room opened, and Wren walked inside. He paused with his hand still on the doorknob when he noticed something was amiss.

  “What?” He asked looking toward his sister. Rin did not look at him as she pointed to the glowing green dish of food on the table and his eyes narrowed. “He attempted to poison all of us?” His voice was laced with disbelief.

  Rin still did not look up at him as she continued to stare at the food.

  “Rin, what is it?”

  “I saw this,” she whispered, her eyes still on the table. “The mirror in the other room just now. I… it appeared like me, l…like an older version of myself. She said we must leave tonight.”

  Wren raised an eyebrow as he listened to her. “I heard rumors that you might possess this type of power, but I never truly believed it was possible.”

  “What powers?” She asked, finally looking up at him, but he only shook his head.

  “Now is not the time and Lord Ronin would be better suited to tell you then me. Right now, we must focus solely on fleeing the city. I never imagined things would be in such a sorry state.”

  “I cannot leave yet. I saw fa—him, speaking with Londar in his study. We must know what they are discussing.”

  Wren shook his head, “I shall not risk you to find out. We leave now.”

  Rin frowned as she regarded her brother. “She must have shown it to me for a reason. We must know what they are speaking about. Is this not the reason you came here in the first place?”

  Wren shook his head again. He had made no mentio
n to her about gathering information and yet she knew anyway.

  “Have everyone leave the city and I shall meet up with you,” she continued when he said nothing.

  Wren put both hands on the table in front of him and dropped his head with a sigh. He appeared to be deep in thought and Rin tilted her head as she watched him. She could tell he hated the idea of allowing her to do this, but they needed the information.

  “Very well,” he said, his voice reluctant. “However, Jaeha and I are remaining behind to ensure that you make it out safely.” Kaedin moved to take a step forward. “No Kaedin, if we were to fail, you must be outside the city, so you may go after her.”

  Kaedin was not pleased but he gave a begrudging nod after making eye contact with Rin. She agreed with her brother, but she also wanted him safely out of the city. Who knew what her father might attempt, and she would not risk him.

  “Raven, Hikaru, get everyone out of the city unseen,” Wren continued. “We shall meet at the ruins of Varalei. It is off the main road and there are no guard patrols.”

  Everyone gathered their things and after only a couple of minutes were ready to leave. Raven led the way while Hikaru brought up the rear as they left the room. Once they were gone, Wren looked over at Rin. “We shall be close,” he said before he and Jaeha both disappeared through the door.

  Rin watched them leave before she took several deep breaths. When she was calm, she headed toward her father’s study. Once she reached the door she stopped. Her head tilted when she could hear voices through the door. She pressed an ear against the wood in hopes of being able to hear without entering the room, but the door was too thick. Moving back a step, she raised her hand and knocked. The voices inside stopped.

  “Come in.” She shivered when she heard her father’s clip reply. It took her several long moments before she pushed the door open and moved to step inside. Her eyes widened when she knew right away that she was in trouble. Kilvari stood right beside the door and he grabbed her arm to jerk her further into the room. As soon as the door slammed shut, someone else grabbed her other arm and she felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck. Her entire body collapsed to the floor when her body could no longer move.

  “That will only last a few minutes,” Kilvari said as he walked back over to his desk.

  “Miss me?” Londar asked as he secured a gag in her mouth. Rin’s blood turned to ice when she heard the familiar voice in her ear. He was rough when he pulled her arms behind her back and secured them. When he finished tying her feet together, he stood back up.

  “Do what you need to do, then get rid of her,” Kilvari continued when he saw that she was secure.

  Rin’s eyes filled with hurt when she looked at him. She could see him from where Londar left her on the floor. Kilvari glared at her before he came over to stand right in front of her.

  “Stop looking at me,” he growled. “I cannot take it anymore. It is like looking at him every day.” He pushed her over with his foot, so she could not see him anymore. “I should have taken care of you the day you were born. That would have prevented everything.”

  “I shall take care of it,” Londar said, his voice cold.

  “See that you do,” Kilvari snapped. “I cannot have her getting in the way of our plans. Taking the offensive against our oldest allies shall not be easy, even without interference.” He paused and looked at a piece of parchment on his desk. “Will the red and black dragons be ready soon?”

  Londar had Rin slung over his shoulder when he looked back at Kilvari. “Priestess Kakehal confirmed that her people are prepared. The black dragons are almost ready. They only wait fo--.” A sudden knock on the door caused him to back away from it. “Arāesya.” He disappeared from view just before the door flew open and a guard rushed inside.

  “My lord, all of the riders are gone.”

  “What?” Kilvari demanded. The guard blanched at his lord’s anger and took several steps backwards.

  “Th… they are just gone, my lord. The ambassador is missing as well.”

  “Find them,” Kilvari bellowed as he pointed at the door. The guard bowed before he bolted out of the study. As soon as the door closed, Kilvari stormed around the end of his desk. Londar reappeared a few seconds later and pulled Rin off his shoulder. He held her up by the arms for her father. Kilvari grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head up

  “You did this,” he growled. All she could do was give him a defiant glare and his face became red. A few seconds later he slapped her hard across the face. “This is the last time you shall ever defy me. Get her out of my sight.”

  Londar slung her back over his shoulder and slipped from the room. Once he was in the hallway he looked around. “Arāesya.” He disappeared from view and he made his way out of the palace. When he was outside, he hurried over to a wagon that was already waiting. A couple of humans jumped out of the wagon when he appeared beside it. One of them was holding a large burlap sack. Londar dropped Rin on the end of the wagon.

  Rin waited a second for him to move before she kicked him hard in the face. He staggered backwards and fell from the force of her kick. She was able to get her feet free in one quick motion but stumbled when she tried to stand. All of her movement had not yet returned. Londar leapt back to his feet and punched her hard in the stomach.

  “Vēijal,” he snapped, and a small lightning bolt shot through her. She gasped and crumpled forward. He caught her and threw her into the back of the wagon. She let out a small muffled yelp when she landed on her arms and her head hit the side of the wagon. Londar jumped in the back and grabbed hold of her face.

  “That hurt,” he spat. “I cannot wait to get you back to the demon realm. I shall have such fun with you.” The tone of his voice caused Rin to shiver and a smug smile crossed his face as he pricked her neck with the needle again. He could tell she was afraid of him and he enjoyed it.

  Once she was unable to move again, Londar climbed out of the wagon while the humans put her inside a large burlap sack. They tied it closed and left her in the back of the wagon. Londar looked around again before he stepped out of the way.

  “Take her to the rendezvous point.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  The human snapped the reins over the backs of the horses and the wagon started to move away from the palace. They traveled through the city in a slow, unhurried manner so they would draw no attention. It took them a while before they were through the city and out of the gate. A couple of miles down the side of the plateau Wren and Jaeha attacked. They killed the four humans in a matter of moments and Wren leapt into the back of the wagon. He reached down and ripped the sack open. His expression hardened when Rin looked up at him and he could see her eyes were rimmed with tears. Without a word, he freed her from the sack and bindings. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face on his shoulder. He held onto her as he stood up and jumped out of the wagon with her. As soon as his feet were on the ground, Jaeha appeared beside him and they set off at a brisk pace down the road.

  “There is nothing that you must tell me,” Wren said in a hushed voice. “I heard and saw everything.” He paused and tightened his grip. “They are both quite fortunate that I was not alone tonight. If Jaeha was not with me, I do not believe I would have been able to restrain myself.” He glanced down at her when she nodded against his shoulder. She did not lift her head. “I apologize it took so long. We could not get to you without witnesses.” He frowned when she again only nodded, and he fell silent. It was several miles before she finally looked up.

  “I can walk,” she whispered. He set her back on her feet and she fell into an easy pace beside him. They walked in silence for a while before he glanced over at her.

  “Rin.”

  She looked up at him when he did not continue. He tilted his head when he noticed the vacant look in her eyes but was unsure what to say to her.

  “I am sorry,” she said when she noticed he was worried. “It is difficult knowing the elf I cared for as
a father has hated me since the day I was born. I remind him of Lord Kanamae.”

  Wren stopped walking and grabbed her shoulder, “He has not always hated you. I was there when you were young. He cared for you and I believe he still does. His guilt causes his current course.”

  “Perhaps,” she said as she shrugged his hand off and continued to walk. He sighed before he followed her. As much as he wished to, this was something he could not solve for her. She had to deal with it in her own time.

  A short time later they approached the ruins of the outpost of Varalei. Wren slowed when the first of the collapsed stone buildings came into view. He looked around before he whistled a low, slow tone. The answering sound was immediate and came from a large building to their right. They walked into the ruined building and found the others waiting on them.

  Rin headed straight to Kaedin as soon as she saw him. He put his arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him but when she still would not look up at him, his face clouded with more worry. He knew things had not gone to plan when he sensed her pain and emotions.

  “We must keep moving,” Wren said. “The silver dragon capital city of Caradthrad is the safest place for us to head. We shall be safe there for a while.”

  “How far is it?” Jake asked from where he stood with his sister and Sara.

  Wren tilted his head, “I am uncertain of your units of measure. I can tell you in days of travel if that will suffice?” When Jake nodded, he continued, “By foot, it shall take us close to two weeks. We would normally be able to make the trip in closer to one, but I do not believe your companions would be able to keep pace.”

  “We aren’t going to fly?”

  “We cannot,” Wren said with a shake of his head. “The dragons would be spotted as soon as they transformed. Porting is also out of the question due to the port block on the city as well as the steep dangerous terrain leading up to the gates.” When Jake asked no more questions, he looked over at Jaeha. “Laethys?”

  “It shall, more than likely, be watched but I can think of nowhere closer to gather supplies,” Jaeha replied with a frown.