Whispers of Time

by Gwendolyn Ilimaris

  “Perhaps,” Jaeha replied with a noncommittal shrug.

  “Why did you tell her?”

  “She did not entirely leave me any choice,” Jaeha said with a half-smile. “She is far too observant for her own good.”

  Wren gave him a look of disapproval before glancing down at Lyra. “And you, are you not supposed to be on my side?”

  “I am,” she laughed. “However, I must also know when it is a lost cause and I am sorry to say when it comes to your sister yours is a lost cause.”

  He shook his head. “The women in my life shall be the death of me,” he muttered under his breath. Jaeha chuckled and nodded before he headed back up the hallway. Lyra looked up at Wren once he was gone.

  “You should go speak with her,” she said. “This must be patched up before she goes…” She trailed off, unwilling to say the demon realm.

  Wren’s expression darkened. “I had almost managed to forget where she was intending to go. The joy of today had overshadowed all of my worries.” He paused with a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately, it appears that reality has returned.” He leaned down and kissed Lyra when she looked up at him. “I shall go and speak with her. Will you wait for me here?”

  “I would like nothing more, but I must prepare all of my herbs for tomorrow.” She frowned when she saw the worry on Wren’s face.

  “Will you grant me one request?”

  “That depends what you are requesting,” she replied, her voice growing wary.

  “Allow me to assign a rider pair to you.”

  Lyra tilted her head while she studied his face. “Will that make you more at ease?”

  “Yes.”

  “I shall not like it,” she said with another frown. “But, for you, I will allow it.”

  When she agreed, Wren sighed in relief and he leaned over and kissed her again. “I shall find you later.” Once she nodded, he turned and walked down the hall. Lyra watched him until he was out of sight before she headed in the opposite direction. She had to prepare her herbs and potions for the next day.

  Wren walked down the hallway deep in thought. His brows furrowed while he reasoned out where his sister would go. If they were home, she would go somewhere outside when she was upset. He headed for the park when he realized that would be as close as she could get inside the city. When he entered from the northern entrance he paused and scanned the part that he could see. He walked toward the tree in the center when he realized that his assumption was correct. Rin was sparing with Kaedin in the large open area around the tree.

  “Rin,” he said when he got within earshot.

  She did not acknowledge that he said anything, even though Kaedin paused in the sparring. Turning her back to him, she started to walk away when Kaedin would not resume. Wren shook his head and tried to grab her arm. She spun and smacked his hand away with a scowl.

  “I do not wish to speak with you.” She again turned her back to him and started to walk away. He took several large steps and slid in front of her, so she had to pause to keep from running into him. Without looking up, she stepped to the side and tried to walk passed.

  “Rin,” he said as he reached out again. This time she pushed his hand away with more force, but he caught her sleeve. “Talk to me.”

  She jerked her arm backwards and the material slipped out of his hand. “I have nothing to say.” She still would not look at him and his eyes narrowed. Before she could step away from him, he reached to stop her and this time she swung at him. He leaned back in time to keep her from punching him. “Leave me be.” Her voice rose, and he could see the beginning of tears in her eyes.

  His eyebrow rose, and he sighed. He shook his head when he realized he was going to have to push her to spar with him or they would not talk before she left the city. It had been years since he had to force her to speak with him. He moved so that he was in her path again and acted like he was going to reach for her. When she threw another punch at him, he blocked it and returned with one of his own. She ducked under it with a scowl.

  “I do not wish to spar with you.” She tried to push him away from her, but he did not budge, and she kicked at his shin in frustration. He stepped back and kept her from hitting him before he put his hand on her shoulder. She spun and brought her elbow up and caught him across the face. He stepped back with a frown before he reached up and touched his lip. When he pulled his hand back his frown deepened. She broke his lip open and it was bleeding. He took several quick steps forward and grabbed her shoulder again. She jerked his hand off and tried to twist his arm behind his back. He jerked it forward and grabbed the back of her shirt with his other hand. Dropping so that she was dead weight, her shirt slipped out of his hand. When she was on the ground, she rolled and got a few steps away from him before she got back to her feet.

  “Return to Lyra,” she snapped at him. “You care for her while you consider the feelings of no one else.” Her eyes started to rim with unbidden tears, and she turned to bolt. Wren knew she despised crying in front of anyone and was already moving when she tried to run from him. He snatched her up around the waist with one arm and brought the other around her pinning down her arms.

  “Let me go,” she yelled as she kicked at him, but he did not loosen his grip. “Wren!” Her voice cracked, and tears began to run down her face.

  “What troubles you?” He asked, his voice gentle. “Speak to me as you did when you were young. I have not lost your trust?”

  Rin struggled for several more minutes to get free of her brother, but he was far too strong for her to break his grip. “I am afraid,” she gasped, and she stopped fighting. “I cannot lose anyone else. Mother…” She trailed off and Wren’s eyes widened in surprise for a split second. He had not heard her admit to being afraid since she was very small. When he felt her start shaking, he remained quiet. “It is my doing that mother is gone. She would still be here if I… And how do I fix it all? I know nothing about these powers! How am I to learn what I need and not be torn to pieces by those who hate us?” She paused and took several deep breaths before more came pouring out of her. “What do I do if Londar finds me? You will not be there to help me. You… you… and you join without me. Do I not matter to you? Father hates me, but I thought…”

  “Rin do not for a second doubt that I care for you,” Wren said, his voice sharp.

  She started shaking her head, “I know, forgive me, I speak like a foolish child. These are things I should not be concerned with.”

  Wren frowned when he realized she was attempting to repress everything. “No, they are not. You must deal with them and not repress them. It shall only cause them to hold control over you.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “Let me down.”

  He did not let go of her until he felt her relax. Once she did, he set her on her feet and let go. She stayed where he put her and did not look up at him. “I am most sorry,” he said. “I should have considered your feelings about not being present when I joined with Lyra. I do not always understand what those important to me feel. Can you forgive me?”

  “I must, because I care for my brother.” Without looking up at him, she turned and grabbed him in a tight hug.

  “I care for you a great deal.” He said as he returned the hug and held onto her. “Do not be afraid while you are on your mission. You must be cautious and always thoughtful of your actions but never afraid. Fear will cause you to make poor choices.” He paused and stepped back from her. “Promise me that you will not fear him. Kaedin shall be with you, there is no need to fear.”

  She finally looked up at him and it took her several moments before she nodded. “I promise.”

  Wren held her gaze for a few moments more before he turned and the two walked toward the entrance of the park. They were almost there when Rin peeked up at him.

  “I am sorry about your lip,” she said with a frown.

  He glanced at her and shrugged with an amused half smile. “It has been a long time since I have had to push you to speak with me.”r />
  “Sorry,” she mumbled as her gaze fell to the ground. He chuckled and tousled her hair. She looked back up and shoved his hand away with a dirty look, but the mood between them lightened. When they reached the entrance, they found Kaedin waiting for them. Rin walked over to him and he put an around her shoulders when she stepped next to him.

  “Will you return to the common room?” Wren asked and they both nodded. “If you need me I shall be with Lyra.” He ignored the grin that appeared on his sister’s face before he turned and headed off down the hall.

  Just before dawn the next morning Wren returned to the common room to check that everyone was preparing to leave. He took several minutes to be certain that they had all the gear that they needed. Paige and Sara were both wearing a set of rider gear instead of the dresses. Jake had his usual BDU pants and t-shirt with the black leather armor chest piece he was given. The rest of the group was dressed as usual while Lyra had her healing robes and satchel thrown over her shoulder. Everyone had a backpack filled with extra clothes and various supplies.

  When Wren was satisfied that they had everything, they left the common room and made their way to the entrance of the city. In the entryway, they were met by Ronin, who was waiting on them. He bid each of them farewell in turn until he reached Rin. When he got to her, he paused before he jerked her into a tight hug.

  “Be careful, sister,” he whispered into her ear. She nodded as he released her. He looked up at the guards on top of the massive stone gates. “Open the gates.” After several minutes they were pulled open with a loud clang.

  Hikaru, Raven, and Paige were the first to leave. Paige waved goodbye to Jake and Sara from where she was sitting behind Raven when Hikaru flew out of the city gates. As soon as he was clear, he banked to the left and headed north toward the port city of Saelyris. Jake watched them until they were out of sight.

  Riku and Bheldrom were next to leave with the two rider pairs that were accompanying them. Bheldrom clung to the spines on Riku’s back as he flew out of the city gates. Riku made a slow, sweeping turn to the right before he headed east toward the dwarven capital, Khor Daeruk.

  Once they were gone, Wren and Rin led the rest of the group out of the city. They headed down the steep, rocky road toward the portal. The two hundred rider pairs going to Earth followed behind with the wagons full of katanas. It was slow going and took them several hours to arrive at the camp beside the portal.

  “We shall go through first,” Rin said looking back at the riders. “Once we meet with the leaders, I shall direct the portal so that you may come through. Only ten pairs with one wagon shall accompany us now.”

  “Yes, my lady,” Commander Orbryn said. He would be in charge of the riders remaining in Asaetara.

  Rin spent several more minutes ensuring that her riders were prepared before she headed into the cave. She paused in front of the portal. “Join hands.” She reached back and got a firm grip on Kaedin’s hand while Jake took hold of Sara’s. Sara held onto Lyra’s with her other hand. The riders behind them did the same and two of them took hold of the horses’ reins. Rin checked to make sure that they were all connected before she looked back at the portal. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the spinning vortex. The others followed one by one until they all disappeared.

  Thank you for reading Whispers of Time. Gaining exposure as an independent author relies mostly on word-of-mouth, so if you have the time and inclination, please consider leaving a short review on Amazon.

  Or send me an email with your feedback!

  gwen@gwenilimaris.com

  Thank you again and please enjoy the following preview of Knowledge of Time, Book 2 in the Chronicles of Asaetara Series.

  Preview:

  Chronicles of Asaetara

  Book 2

  Knowledge of Time

  Gwendolyn Ilimaris

  Coming 2020

  Rin stepped carefully out of the portal and into the cave on Earth. Knowing what to expect this time, she was able to keep them all from landing in a tangled heap on the ground. She scanned the cave and when she found it was the same as when she left, she moved forward enough that there would be room for everyone. Once the wagon and horses made it through, she stopped and looked to make sure everyone was all right. Her brows furrowed as she struggled to see around the wagons and horses from where she stood with her back pressed against the wall.

  Jake and Sara were leaning against the rocks next to them taking slow deep breaths to try and calm their stomachs, while the elves and dragons seemed unaffected by the trip through the portal. When Rin was satisfied that they were all fine after the trip, she slid passed the wagon and headed toward the front of the cave. The others followed behind her until she paused when the faint glimmer of light from the outside was visible. She glanced back over her shoulder and motioned for Jake to join her in the front.

  “I believe that it would be best for you to go first,” she said once he stood next to her. “I am certain that the way shall be guarded, and they do not know me.”

  Jake only nodded before they headed for the entrance. When they reached the threshold, Jake stopped dead and his mouth dropped open. The dense pine forest that had blanketed the steep slope when they left for Asaetara was gone for more than a mile in every direction. All of the trees had been cut down to make room for large tan canvas tents, military vehicles, various forms of weaponry, and ammunition storage.

  Jake made a disapproving sound in the back of his throat the longer he observed the scene in front of him. This was his uncle’s land that now looked like nothing more than a muddied open field. After a few moments more, he shook his head with a frown and started walking again. They did not make it far before they found themselves surrounded by armed soldiers with guns pointed at them. Jake raised his hands and held them in front of him as he waited for one of them to speak.

  “On the ground now!” A soldier near the middle demanded.

  “I’m Captain Jacob Riverwood,” Jake said without moving to comply with the order. “Who’s addressing me?”

  The soldier who spoke appeared to hesitate before he glanced at one of the other men. He tilted his head up the slope and the man dashed up the hill toward the cabin.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” the soldier said looking back at Jake. “But I have orders that anything coming out of that cave is either shot or arrested. On the ground please, sir.”

  Jake still did not move and glanced at the soldier’s uniform looking for rank. “Sergeant,” he said with a frown. “Stand down, you are insulting the people who have come to offer their assistance.”

  “I can’t sir, these orders come from a higher-ranking officer.”

  “From who? General Riverwood?” Jake asked with a frown, his eyes narrowing.

  The sergeant shifted, “Yes, sir.”

  “So, these orders came from my father?” Jake asked, his voice hardening. “Sergeant, you had better stand down before word gets back to him.” He frowned as he waited on the sergeant’s reply. His dislike at having to use his father to attempt to remedy the situation was like a bad taste in his mouth.

  The sergeant seemed to flounder as he looked toward the cabin several times. Jake watched in silence and could not keep from glancing beside him when he noticed a subtle movement. He found Wren had moved closer to him during the confrontation. The elf was now right beside Jake with Jaeha just behind him. Wren only raised an eyebrow when the two made eye contact and Jake returned his attention to the sergeant. He did not need Wren to tell him that the elf was growing concerned about the outcome of this conversation.

  “Stand down!” A firm voice yelled from up the slope. Jake looked passed the soldiers and saw his father walking toward them at a brisk pace. By the time he reached them, all of the soldiers had lowered their weapons and stood waiting for further orders.

  “What’s going on here?” General Riverwood snapped, “I’m quite sure I gave orders to let me know the minute the captain returned, so why do I find him surrounded by
soldiers with weapons aimed at him?”

  “I’m sorry, sir,” the sergeant mumbled.

  Riverwood glared at the sergeant before he spun in place and looked up at Jake. “Where have you been? It’s been almost three weeks since you left.”

  “It was not a short journey,” Jake replied.

  His father scowled at him before he glanced at everyone standing behind his son. The scowled shifted to a look of intense dislike when he saw Rin, the memory of her porting him came to mind. “You can explain it all later,” he snapped looking back at Jake. “Come up to the cabin.” He turned to walk back up to the cabin when a large ball of light streaked out of the cave.

  Rin spun and watched it land thirty feet away in a large open meadow that was beyond the human’s tents. She saw the light crash into the ground and as it began to fade, ten lesser and one great demon appeared. The black, fire covered greater demon stood up and stretched out its fire rimmed wings with a low growl. It towered over the military vehicles and supplies around it when it stood to its full thirty-foot height. With another growl, it reached up and rubbed a flame covered hand over its large black horns that were on the top of its head. It appeared to be confused until it finally noticed the elves. As soon as its blazing red eyes locked on Rin, it let out a ferocious roar and pulled a massive sword out of a charred scabbard on its hip.

  “We’ll handle it,” Riverwood snapped when Rin started to move forward.

  She paused and looked back at him with a raised eyebrow before she held her hand up toward the demon. “Be my guest.”

  The general glowered at her before he turned his attention back to his soldiers and began issuing orders. They opened fire on the demons, but it became apparent quickly that their bullets were doing almost nothing, even the lesser demons appeared unbothered by the projectiles.

  Rin observed the situation and raised her hand to block the demon’s spells causing it to growl at her. It raised both hands and a huge stream of fire flew in their direction. Rin leapt out in front of the group and threw both hands into the air, “Ksāetras!” A force wall appeared in front of her just in time to block the large flames. Spinning in place, she looked back at her riders and pointed two fingers toward the demon. Without waiting on a response, she ran toward it with two rider pairs and Kaedin on her heels. As soon as they were in front of the line of soldiers, she threw her hand up again. “Ksāetras!” Another force wall sprang to life behind her to protect everyone near the cave. She glanced at Jake when the dragons started to glow.