by Rory Surtain
I left Andarion with the Scouts in the North Tower. Duncan would find him some dinner and a bunk and introduce him to the rest of the group. I asked that he keep his weapons secured there and get cleaned up while I went to check on Raven and grab a late dinner.
Meeting Doctor Loeb and Sentinel Glenn in our living room, I let them know that there would be a new face hanging around starting tomorrow. I asked them to stop by the North Tower tonight to meet Andarion for themselves. He was a Royal Guard and blood relative of Raven, I explained and left it at that.
After cleaning up and changing into more comfortable clothes, I heard voices coming from Raven’s room. I walked in on Lynda sitting by the bed, chatting away with Raven about the best horses in the stable and which would be fitting for Raven as she learned to ride.
“Ladies, I hope you have been having a restful evening,” I said, knocking on the frame of the open door.
I haven’t had much time in my life for the fairer sex, but having these two beautiful young women turn my way and smile, did a world of good for my self-confidence. It also helped me understand Sentinel-Adept Keil’s overdone interest in Lynda.
Lynda hopped up and hugged me. “Glad to see you’re back in one piece. They told me that your patrol was late in returning. Is everything alright?”
“We ran into a bit of trouble, but no new scars,” I answered, still trying to get over the warm hug. “Umm, actually, some pretty important things came up, important to Raven, that we need to discuss. It might be good if you stay, please.”
“That sounds a bit serious,” she said, returning to her seat.
I thought about where to start. There were so many things to cover, mostly good, I hoped, but I wasn’t so sure in the face of Raven’s exile and the reasons for it. Maybe I would just be opening fresh wounds.
Saints forgive me.
“Raven, I'm not sure where to start,” I said. “Do you know a dark elf named Lorna?”
A dumb question that.
Her answer was immediate. Surprise and torment with a pinch of terror ran across her sadly pale face. “Why, why do you ask?” she whispered.
I looked at Lynda and then back to Raven. Lynda got the hint and reached for her hand.
“Well, I met her today while on patrol in the Lower Everest mountains, and she wanted me to hand you a gift from her father,” I said.
Reaching into my pocket, I produced a silver disc on a thin braided leather necklace. I placed it gently around Raven’s neck.
“It’s a small gift, but I think it has a much larger meaning. Don’t you?” I offered.
I sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for her reaction, feeling the shock and confusion collide within her. And then suddenly, Raven was in my arms, sobbing, spilling out all of the pain of loss and abandonment she carried over the past weeks. My shirt and my soul seemed to soak it all up, like black blood in the darkest part of the night. I had underestimated what she had been going through, but I could also feel a new seed of hope reaching her heart. Maybe there was more to the necklace than just being a talisman for hunters. Several minutes passed before she calmed. I wasn’t in any hurry to let go.
“Always making it rain, aren’t you, Ara,” said Sentinel Glenn from the doorway.
I looked up, realizing our second gift had arrived.
“Raven, I have one more gift for you, and it’s a bit larger. Would you give me a second to go get it?” Lynda looked at me with raised eyebrows.
Divine, I hope this is a good idea.
Leaving the room, I looked to Glenn for his input on things. He just nodded towards Andarion, who was waiting quietly off to one side with a bittersweet look on his face.
“She’s been through a terribly hard time these past couple weeks, and she’s still physically exhausted,” I told Andarion. “I couldn’t bear to see her tormented further. I gave her the amulet from her father, and I think she’s still in shock.”
“I would be too if a guy like you gave me such a gift, but we can talk about that later. Right now, family matters, so lead the way,” he said, pointing to Raven’s door.
“One more thing,” I said, looking him in the eye. “If you walk through her door, you must promise that you won’t be leaving Raven any time soon. She’s had enough abandonment for one lifetime, and I won’t allow anymore. Are we clear?”
And here he smiled broadly, “Mott was quite right about you. Yes, we are very clear.”
“Great. Please wait out here for my signal.”
Entering Raven’s room, I could see a look of anticipation on her face, which I much preferred to the torment of moments ago.
“No, I did not get you a horse!” I joked. “But we’ll begin your riding lessons tomorrow morning if you’re still up for it. Instead, I got you the second-best thing, a valet.” I ducked my head out the door and then stood aside.
In stepped Andarion, offering me a sideways look. “Second best to a horse? Really? And here I was going to congratulate you on your betrothal,” he said.
“Andy?” exclaimed Raven in shock.
“Yes, Rae, it’s me. I’ve come to keep you company in your old age,” he responded with a grand smile, and I could feel the relief that filled them both. It seems that dark elf blood is thicker than water.
I left with Lynda a short time later, wanting to let things calm down and needing to speak with Vigil Snow about the latest events.
“Did he just say that you were betrothed?” Lynda asked as soon we were on the stairs headed to the third floor.
“Ha, Andarion was just yanking my chain after my brilliant horse joke,” I replied.
She chuckled at that, then gave me a quick hug before heading off to bed.
I held a long discussion with Vigil Snow and Warden Hartwell about my day, including the dark elves demon problems and the upcoming Order promotion ceremony, which happened to coincide nicely with my eighteenth birthday. It turns out that I would then be eligible to join the Sentinels, eighteen being the minimum official age. I would be included in the Summer ceremony, and I would be allowed to pick some new Adepts to train after their promotion.
Heading back down to bed, I ducked my head into Raven’s room, which was now dark. She was sleeping quietly, as was Andy in the chair next to her bed.
The next morning found me in the stables prepping for a ride. The stable-master had saddled a gentle-looking mare, gray with white splotches, named Fenny. I saddled up Daur. He looked eager for a long run, but I was going to disappoint him today. We were only going for a short tour of the area around Berykholt. I was wearing my off-duty garb and only carried my war knife in its sheath across my back. My left arm was wrapped in its sturdy leather binding, and I wore my new talisman tucked under my shirt.
My senses soon picked up the approach of a pair of young ladies fresh from eating breakfast. I turned around to find Lynda and Raven walking my way. She was wearing her amulet, and yet I could still sense her quite clearly from a distance. I would have to ask Andarion about that.
“Do you have a horse for me?” asked Lynda. “Ah, Fenny will do. Andy has just reminded me that we can’t allow you two to roam about without a chaperon, and well, the keep does get a bit stuffy after a while.”
“Sounds fine,” I replied, “If Raven won’t mind riding with me.”
I was going to owe Lynda big time for this.
Raven just nodded. I think she was a bit intimidated by the size of the animal before her. I adjusted my sheath to place the knife across my chest then mounted up. Reaching a hand down, I gave her a lift up behind me. She felt lighter than I’d expected.
“Can I call you Rae?” I asked.
“Sure,” she said as she wrapped her arms around my waist. “And thank you for the gifts.”
“I think you will heal faster now. You already look better today than yesterday. You must have slept well with your new bodyguard to watch over you.”
“Don’t get me wrong; having Andarion around is a luxury few will ever get to enjoy. Still, I
am sort of happy with my old bodyguard.”
“Sort of?” I asked in mock chagrin. I tapped Daur with my heel, and he lurched forward for a second, causing Rae to grab me tightly to keep herself balanced.
“Oh, so we’re gonna play that way, are we?” she said with a laugh.
We continued onward, riding through the town of Berykholt down to the main bridge that spanned the Westever River. Crossing that bridge would lead you to Stonnberg after about one hundred miles or so. Taking a boat on the Westever downstream for a similar distance would eventually drop you in the Gulf of Breen, right next to the city of Hamport. That coastal town was governed by the Duke of Breen, which in my opinion, sounds a whole lot better than the Duke of Hamport. They say quite a bit of livestock comes and goes along that coast.
Turning around, we headed back up toward the castle and training fields. I switched places with Rae and gave her a chance to learn the reins. Finding a safe way to hold onto Rae proved a bit challenging. Lynda was shadowing us the whole time, but keeping enough distance to allow us to enjoy each other’s company and confidence. I could hear her laughing as Rae finally grab my arms and pulled them around her waist.
Upon reaching the small hill overlooking the recruit training fields, we dismounted and rested while we watched Sergeant Masterson run the troops through their paces and formations. The Summer company was looking good. The other recruit companies had a long way to go.
The one significant advantage we had over the demons was the ability to form and hold disciplined formations that fit the terrain and battle situation. On the other hand, according to Captain Glenn, demons would always operate in an open formation, or a chaotic, disorganized block of rampaging death, depending on one’s perspective and how close one was to the front rank.
Standing off to one side of the field, I could see a group of four recruits. A couple of them looked familiar, so I suggested we walk down to meet them, at the risk of Masterson’s ire. Sure enough, we met Hicks, Griffen, Lucas, and a rather large fellow wearing a sling on his left arm.
“You must be Gunner,” I said, getting a curious nod. He was the oldest of the group, maybe twenty years old. I shook hands all around. I pegged Hicks at the same age as me, with Lucas and Griffen being nineteen or twenty. For Hicks to hold the Alpha slot of his company at such a young age was impressive.
“I’m Ara. This is Raven, and this is Vigil Snow’s daughter, Lynda. I just wanted to check on all of you, make sure you were in good shape for your upcoming promotion.”
Griffen, the tallest of the bunch, chimed in for the rest, “Well, after that lesson you gave us yesterday, we’re only a bit concussed. We’ll be back to marching and running in no time.”
“I’m glad to hear it. My arm is still aching from the impacts. I’ve never given it much of a chance to heal since a demon bit right through it.”
That got their attention, which had been lingering just a bit too much on the girls for my liking.
So, this is what jealousy feels like?
Gunner looked at me with disbelief. “You got into a fight with a demon, and you still have all your body parts attached? How did you get away from it?”
“I killed it with my knife,” I said, drawing my fang knife. “Here’s it’s tooth as proof.”
I flipped the knife around.
Raven took a step back, a startled look on her face. Lynda already knew my story from her father.
“The kill was confirmed by my father during the Lockrun excursion,” she said, proudly. “They said it was a Kjaira.”
Oh, feth.
I looked over at Raven as she began to back away from me. Then she turned and ran toward the Castle. It was a great morning while it lasted.
“Lynda, please take the horses and go with Raven. Make sure she finds Andarion right away. That is very important.”
Lynda mounted up with a confused look and went trotting off after Raven with Daur in tow.
“Is Lynda your girlfriend?” asked Griffen with a grin.
“No, actually Raven is more my type of girl. We rescued her just north of Adam’s Peak a couple of nights back. A Hellion hunting party was chasing her down when our Scout patrol intercepted them.”
“What’s a Hellion hunting party?” asked Hicks.
“This one had eight demons, one of which, a big half-man, half-bull demon, was dominant enough to lead,” I replied.
“How did you save her?” asked Hicks.
“You all know there’s only one answer to that. The brilliant part was near the end of the fight when there was only a single demon left alive. I was trying to keep that last one from escaping, and Raven came running back in and carved it up but good. She’s fierce. I may have fallen in love with her right then and there.”
They all smiled in appreciation at that.
“Look, please keep this under your hats, or Sergeant Masterson will chew me up, but I'm looking to recruit some of the best from the Summer company for advanced training. Vigil Snow has already given me approval. I’d like to talk to you right after the ceremony if you’re interested.”
“You’ve gotten our attention,” said Gunner. “Now, I’d say you best get after that girl and sort things out.”
Chapter 13
Soul of a Kjaira
Racing back to the Castle, I replayed Raven’s reaction in my mind. She obviously knew the meaning of the word Kjaira, and it terrified her, as did my knife, my imbued knife. According to her sister, Raven’s only crime was that she had the soul of a Kjaira. She was exiled by her father to avoid being sacrificed and imprisoned as an imbued weapon. And there I go, basically bragging about how I had killed a Kjaira, and then waving the resulting weapon right in front of her face. Okay, I’m not winning any scholar awards any time soon.
Reaching our living room, I could hear the heated discussion in Raven’s bedroom. Andy was there, as was Lynda, trying to calm Raven down.
I walked into the bedroom. Lynda looked up at me and quietly walked out. I could tell that she was at a complete loss, but she didn’t know the whole story. I hadn’t told any of my potential friends the entire truth. I had my reasons, but I was feeling more and more certain that I needed to apologize to Lynda Snow.
Raven had quieted down at my entrance. Andy took this as a sign and left the room, too, closing the door gently behind him. Raven watched from the far corner, sitting on the floor, tear tracks on her face. I was disgusted with myself to be so careless around the one person with whom I felt connected. I sat down on the floor, too, against the wall a few feet away and took a deep breath. She was scared and angry and mostly confused.
“Rae, I’m so sorry. That was careless of me,” I said. “I’m here to protect you, and yet I should have been more honest with you about who and what I am.”
“What are you then?” she replied.
“I am a weapon, Rae, imbued, it seems, with unique knowledge and an ability to fight demons. A couple of months ago, I killed a Kjaira, a powerful death demon, and in doing so was claimed by the Vigil, much as the shamans of Bastian want to claim you, Rae.”
At this point, I removed the leather brace from my arm so that she could see the cost of killing that dark beast. My arm, scarred and mangled, ached with every beat of my heart. It was a reminder to me that I was alive. That I still survived.
“And why do you carry that soul knife?” she asked quietly.
“It feels like it’s a part of me,” I said. “It felt like my own life ended when that demon finally died, like I became someone else, like the soul of the Kjaira I killed lives on with me somehow. Your sister Lorna told me that the shamans saw a Kjaira, a soul of Death, in you. Maybe that is the connection that I feel with you now.”
My stomach was turning, and my thoughts were stumbling. I was lost in my attempt to share the confusion of my life. I finally found a straightforward truth.
“Surviving is not living, Rae. Meeting you has reminded me that maybe I can do more than just survive. That maybe I can belong to
someone other than just the Vigil.”
Maybe I can belong to someone like you.
I hadn’t planned on spilling my guts to this fierce, beautiful girl, but once I got rolling, things just rose to the surface. Being honest with her forced me to be honest with myself and acknowledge my scars and fears, and desires. And in that moment of clarity, I knew what I must do.
“And where are you going?” she asked suddenly, reaching out to take my hand. I could feel her anxiety spike.
I stood up slowly and stepped back. “I just need to show you,” I said. “Before I go. So that you will know that I’ll be coming back.”
I took off my shirt, exposing the angry scars of my battles and my branding, front, and back. I stood mute, sensing Rae’s reaction. Her feeling of shock rattled me further. I did my best not to bolt from the room in shame.
She stood up and moved closer, looking at my chest. “You are wearing a royal talisman of Bastian. Did Lorna give that to you?”
I nodded, unable to speak. Rae suddenly relaxed.
She pulled out her silver amulet and showed me that it matched perfectly with the one that I wore. “See, it’s official, we’re a pair,” she said with a smile. “By my father, the King, we are connected. We are betrothed.”
“B-betrothed? Aren’t we a little young to be married?” I exclaimed, pulling on my shirt.
“I didn’t say we were married. I only meant that you…belong to me,” Rae replied, leaning forward to kiss me, but then she stopped. “I claim you, Ara. Do you accept me with my soul of death?”
“On my soul and honor, I do,” I whispered, closing the gap between us.
We left the room together a fast minute later, the storm of confusion and dark emotions had subsided for us both. Andy looked up from his chair in relief.
“Congratulations, Ara. Rae, are you sure about what you are doing? I mean, he hasn’t even promised you a horse,” Andy chuckled.
“Well, he got me the next best thing, didn’t he?” laughed Raven, grabbing my hand again.
