by R W Caron
Chapter 10
Alina's Quest
As the leaves on the trees have long since been put to rest and the land of Esmos lay blanketed in snow, Alina sat nestled in a tree. She wore a wolf pelt for warmth and could not be found without her bow. The others in the tribe had followed Andrew to the settlement. He had given them shelter, warm food and a home. He also had his men carve under the settlement for if the King where to arrive, they would have somewhere to hide. Alina could not join them. Andrew had tried many times over the changing of the seasons to convince her to come, but she refused. She did owe him her life, but he had taken the only part of her life that she felt mattered.
Nahan was brash she knew and when he had revealed himself, she knew that he truly had feelings for her, now however, he was gone. Andrew was not to blame she knew but she could not help but blame him. She wanted Nahan back, she wanted to know what had happened to him, if he lived, if he died, if he was being tortured, anything. Ryukin had stayed with her through many of the night, helping her through her nightmare, but even his touch had become cold to her. Shortly after he had gone missing they found Nahan’s daggers and bow in a clearing in the woods. There was signs of a great battle and signs of a huge beast but no sign of Nahan, just the bodies of a few mercenaries. She feared the worst; that the creature had killed and eaten him, or that he had been taken prisoner and the creature had shown up shortly after the battle, intrigued by the action. Part of her felt as though it was hopeless to believe him to still be alive but another part of her, a part deep within her knew he was alive somewhere, as the wind howled by she swore she could hear his voice, calling to her. Her imagination had continued to get the better of her as the season changed. She continued dreaming of him, but slowly the hope faded with the freezing of winter.
Alina had taken it upon herself to find out what had happened to Nahan, she had come up empty so far. Theories and speculation had been all she had been able to come up. She shifted in the tree and reached into the leather pack Andrew had given her. She pulled out one of Nahan’s daggers and rolled it over in her hand, staring at it in the fading light. As she stared at the blade she forced herself to stop seeing his face in the daggers reflection but every time she rolled it over in her hand she saw his smiling face looking out at her.
“I miss you.” She whispered to the dagger. The wind howled around her and she closed her eyes and strained her ears listening to the world around her. The sound of hooves cutting through snow made her open her eyes and look towards the settlement. Andrew, dressed a bear pelt was riding towards her location. She sighed softly to herself and uncovered herself, shaking the show off the pelt she wore. Andrew came to the tree she was sitting in and smiled up at her.
“Alina,” He called. “How are you?”
“I would be better left alone.” She replied looking down at him and shaking her head. “Can I not go one day without you coming to check on me?”
“No you can’t.” Andrew replied. “Until Nahan is found, I am making sure you are safe.”
It was sweet of Andrew to continue to talk the way he did. She had almost given up on Nahan, almost assumed the worst but Andrew would not accept it. He believed so strongly that Nahan was still alive that he made a vow to protect Alina with his life until Nahan was found. “I am fine Andrew, thank you.”
“Your brother has requested you come to the settlement. He has news.” Andrew called up.
“Of Nahan?” Alina sat up very quickly causing the branches to shift; a large amount of snow suddenly fell from the branches covering her in snow. Andrew laughed whole heartily under the tree as she shook the snow off herself. His laugher infuriated Alina and she glared down at him.
“Oh you look like an old mage. Big old white beard and a poin...”Andrew was suddenly cut off as Alina shot her foot out kicking the branch he was under. The snow fell in a blink of an eye and he did not see it coming as it covered him and his saddle. “Very mature.” He yelled up.
“You where being a dokona.” She replied cursing in her own tongue.
“I was not being an ass.” He shot back.
“Were too.”
“Was not.” Andrew countered. “I was merely laughing at your misfortune.”
“And I was merely causing you misfortune.” She replied.
The two burst into laughs and Alina slid out of the tree landing on the back of the horse. The horse reared up at the sudden change of weight but Alina held tight to Andrew. “Are you ok?”
“You never answered me, is the news about Nahan?”
“I’m not sure. He didn’t tell me.” Alina looked at him displeased but understood. Andrew spurred the horse on and the rushed towards the settlement. Alina looked back as they rushed across the snow cover land and saw something large fly just over the tree tops. At first glance she thought it to be a bird but it was much too large to be a bird. As she watched it disappear into the haze of snow filled sky, she suddenly realised that might be the creature who attacked Nahan. As she turned her head back towards Andrew something in her told her not to tell him. She would investigate on her own, after they find out this news.
Alina and Andrew sat in a small room to the right of Andrews house. Ryukin, Tuck and Brittina were also in the dimly lit room. In the soft light Alina could see a young man sitting in a chair in the shadows, his head hung low and his shoulders slouched as he continued to stare at his feet. Alina continued to stare at him as the others talked around her.
“Ryukin and I am managed to persuade the settlements of the Westen Wasteland to join the cause Andrew.” Tuck started in. “Tis a victory in its own right.”
“But we do not have the Settlements of The Rock’s or Ballie and his Riders of the south.” Andrew reminded them.
“Ballie will join us without problem, the king murdered his wife the last time he spoke ill of the crown, I’m sure he will be itching to get revenge.” Tuck replied.
“Or, he will be scared enough to run to the king himself and destroy all we have worked for.” Ryukin hissed. “I think The Rocks is a much Better bet. The king has basically cut them off from everything, no trade, no support, nothing.”
“We need them both if we plan to attack the citadel.” Andrew said, shaking his head and leaning on the small table in the middle of the room.
“I believe I can convince Ballie to join us. He owes me his life more than a few times over.” Tuck said with a slight grin.
“And if he won’t join us?” Ryukin asked.
“We kill him.” Brittina said with a coldness that made the entire room feel colder then the blistering wind outside.
“If we must, yes.” Tuck replied. “I however believe he can be reasoned with. If you allow me and a few men to leave tonight, we can be there within a week.”
Alina’s gaze had yet to leave the boy sitting in the corner. He was rolling something in his fingers now. She sprang from her chair, her movement quicker than any expected causing everyone in the room to jump back. The chair rocked back and then landed back on all four legs but she was already across the room and had the smaller man but the tunic. She lifted him off the ground and slammed him hard into the wall causing some of the boards to shriek in protest. “Where did you get that?” She growled.
“Alina,” Ryukin started.
“Where!?” She yelled in the man’s face. He continued to stare at her, with a blank look on his face.
“Alina stop.” Ryukin continued, as he reached out for his sister.
Alina dropped the young man down, driving her knee into his stomach. She quickly slammed him into the wall again as looked into his eyes and tears slowly traced lines down his face. “Where!?” she yelled again.
“Alina!” Ryukin deepened his voice and it echoed in the small room. Andrew stepped forward quickly and grabbed Alina. In one smooth Motions she twisted to backhand him but Andrew had seen it coming and caught her arm before it connected. She glared at him and tried to force her arm past his block.
“He knows some
thing about Nahan.” She growled. “He knows where he is. That arrowhead is Nahan’s, I gave it to him.” Suddenly all of her anger, all of her pain was replaced by tears and fear that she had lost him. She started to weep and buried her face in Andrews slender chest. Andrew wrapped his arms around her head and strokes he long brown hair comforting her. “he knows something... He knows.” She pleads into his chest.
“Ryukin, check the boy.” Andrew orders.
“No need, he is my contact.” Ryukin explained. “The king cut out his tongue for stealing water.”
“How is he your contact then?” Brittina snapped.
“There are more ways to communicate then through words, mercenary wench.” Ryukin snarled.
“Don’t talk to her like that, you mudpig.” Tuck stated, getting out of his chair and into Ryukin’s face
“Maybe I should slit your throat and end everyone’s pain of having to listen to your mou...” Ryukin started.
“Enough all of you.” Andrew bellowed. “I will not have you two fighting over petty insults. Ryukin if this boy is your contact tell us how he had come into possession of Nahan’s trinket and Tuck remember your place. Ryukin is our guest” Andrew reminded.
“Yes Sir.” Tuck replied respectfully. He bowed his head towards Andrew then gave Ryukin a glare. “Ah, you may be our guest now, but speak to her like that again and I swear to the gods it’s be the last thing you do.”
“We shall see about that.” Ryukin replied with a cocky smirk. “As for how the boy came into Nahan’s trinket, he had told me he found it in the forest, under an old oak tree.”
"He lies.” Alina screamed. The boy shook his head up and down indicating yes. “You see? he agrees with me.”
“He doesn’t understand.” Ryukin explained. “He is rather simple.”
“He knows more.” Alina growled through gritted teeth as suddenly all of her anger had come back.
“No, he doesn’t.” Ryukin replied. “He found it under an oak tree, sister.” Ryukin hissed. Something about the way he said the words made the hair on Andrews neck stand on end and he could not understand why.
“Nahan must have dropped it at the oak tree, or whomever...”
“How dare you?” Andrew and Alina stated in unison.
“I’m sorry but we need to face facts. Nahan is most likely dead. He was always biting off more than he could crew and maybe this time he did just that.” Ryukin explained.
Tears welled in Alina’s eyes and Ryukin stared at her showing no emotion. “Is this way you made me go and get her, to do this to her.”
“Yes.” Ryukin replied. “She needs to stop chasing ghosts and help us with the rebellion against the citadel.”
“I don’t want anything to do with any of you.” Alina cried. “Let me go, now.”
Andrew started at Ryukin and suddenly let Alina go. She stormed out of the room pushing past her brother and rushing out into the cold. “How could you do that to your own sister?”
“She is not my sister.” Ryukin exclaimed as Andrew stared at him Ryukin looked away to the floor. “At least, not anymore.”
Andrew took a deep breath as silence fell over the room, the wind whistled through the cracks in the walls and no one moved a muscle. No one but the small boy who had slipped out of the room unnoticed. After several moments Andrews spoke, “Tuck, you and Brittina seek out Ballie and the Riders of the south. Take a few men with you and only the supplies you need. Instruct one of your men who is staying behind to take up the guard watch in your absences.”
“Sir, will you not be here to do that?” Tuck asked.
“No, Ryukin and I will go to The Rocks.”
“How many of the men will you be taking with you? So I know who I can appoint.” Tuck asked.
“None.” Andrew replied. Tuck stared at Andrew long and hard trying to figure out what his long time friend and lord was thinking but Andrews gaze rested solely on Ryukin who was struggling to conceal his joy.
∆∆∆
Alina’s ears screamed in protest as she walked defiantly into the bitter winter storm. The snow felt as though it was needles cutting her face and piecing her ears but she paid it no mind. She could not believe her bother would say such things about their chief, about their friend, about her love. How could he believe so strongly that Nahan was dead unless he knew something he was not telling them all. She continued on defiantly, refusing to turn back or even look back at the settlement. Her heart hammered in her chest, as everything her brother had said continued to ring in her ears. She could not believe it. She refused to believe that Nahan was gone from this world, yet something inside her felt the weight of her brothers words.
If Nahan was gone then all is lost for her in this world. She should have let the troll kill her she thought to herself. Nahan would have never revealed himself and Andrews plan might have went off without a Hitch. It was her fault that everything had gone wrong, her own ignorance had blinded her. As she made it to the tree line her mind had managed to replay the conversation over in her head several times. She felt as if something had been off with Ryukin. When he talked to her for some reason she felt as though she had to believe him, almost as if her mind was being forced to. She had know Ryukin her entire life, he was her brother, her mentor and her friend, but she had never felt this compelled around him before. She could not put her finger on it but something was very odd about the way she had felt. She decided to glace back at the settlement. Observing to see if anyone had tried to follow.
As she turned around she fell back into the snow drawing her bow and notching and arrow as quickly as she ever had. Standing behind her covered in snow was the young man who’s tongue had been cut out. He raises his hands, trying to plead with her not to shoot. Alina held the arrow on him but the trinket he held out towards her, made her hold her shot.
“What do you want?” she screamed against the wind. The boy dropped to his knees, bowed his head and held the arrowhead trinket out to her.Alina stepped forward and grabbed it from his small hand, she lowered her bow as the boy sat in place, staring at the ground. “Thank you.” She said, in a far more softer voice. The boy looked up at her and motioned with his hand to his heart. He pointed to the arrowhead, then back to his heart then to Alina. “I-… I don’t understand.”
The boy pointed to her again, then to his heart then to the trinket again. He made a motion of hugging himself then made a action with his hands as if to break a twig.
“I love the arrowhead,” Alina said then shook her head. She watched as the boy went through the motions again and again. She tried to figure it out but continued to come out short on discovering what he was trying to tell her. “My love…” she started the boy nodded quickly then held up four fingers. “My love for…” the boy nodded again and pointed to the trinket. “My love for arrowhead.” The boy rolled his eyes while he slapped himself with his hand on the forehead. He motions to the arrowhead over and over again then to his heart, then to her heart. “My love for Nahan?” she asked and he made a motion that could only be symbolised as ‘finally’.
He then hugged himself tightly and Alina looked confused again. He flexed his arm and pointed to his muscle. “Strong?” she asked and he nodded.
“My love for Nahan is strong.” He nodded, then shook his head and made the motion of breaking a stick again. “My love for Nahan is strong but broken?”
The boy rolled his eyes and fell backwards moulding his face in his hands, obviously frustrated. “I’m sorry I’m not good at this.” The boy sat up and pointed at her then smacked his finger with his other finger. “Ok, I’m Bad at it I get it. ” The boy chuckled to himself. “Don’t laugh at me.” His eyes widened and he continued to point at her. “What?” he continued to point at her mouth. “Oh, I said the word.” He nodded. “Don’t?” he nodded vigorously then make the breaking motion again and pointed to the sky. “Don’t break sky?” The young man’s shoulders dropped and a sad expression passed over his youthful face. He thought to himself for a fe
w seconds then dropped to his knees and clasped his hand. He closed his eyes and acted as if he was praying, then pointed to the sky. “Faith?” She asked. He jumped up out of the snow and hugged her. She stepped back and pushed him away. “My love for Nahan is strong, don’t break faith?” she asked.
