The Elemental Trilogy Box Set

by Toni Cox

  Rothea led their party with confidence and Aaron was suitably impressed with the red-headed Elf’s ability to lead a Regiment. Over the past year, there had only been a few occasions for him to speak to her, as she spent most of her time guarding Maia. During the past Quarter, Aaron discovered Rothea to be a stimulating conversationalist, highly intelligent and extremely knowledgeable about warfare, tracking, poisonous plants, navigating by the stars and various other subjects Aaron found absolutely fascinating.

  After that first day; when he found out that Maia might be in love with Death; Aaron’s mood had darkened and, although he made up his mind to continue with his quest, he struggled every day to keep his emotions in check. His talks with Rothea kept his dark thoughts at bay and, as the days went by, he woke up in the mornings looking forward to their conversations.

  “This is one of the old paths we used to get to Thala Yll before the Trade Route was established,” Rothea said, riding beside him. “It will join with the forest path that leads from the Hollow Tree to Shadow Hall within the next hour. We shall make camp by the Hollow Tree tonight. I believe you have spent a night there before.”

  “Yes,” Aaron confirmed, “when we first came to Elveron.”

  His thoughts darkened again at the memory and the feelings it brought with it, but Rothea kept on talking, distracting him.

  “The Hollow Tree is one of the oldest living trees in this part of the forest. Even though it is hollow, it is still growing. The hollow cavern at the bottom of its trunk can accommodate up to one hundred people. Do you know what kind of tree it is?”

  “Maia told me it is a giant red cedar.”

  “That’s right, as are most of the trees our houses are built in. They are some of the largest trees on Elveron, along with the giant pines and sequoia trees.”

  “I believe there used to be giant trees on Earth, once, but were cut down long before my time.”

  Rothea grimaced. “I cannot imagine why anyone would want to cut them down. They are an essential part of the ecosystem, without which we would not be able to exist.”

  “Greed, Rothea,” Aaron said, his voice bitter. “Most Humans aren’t nice people.”

  “I am glad then that I have the privilege of getting to know some nice Humans,” Rothea said, smiling at him.

  She is pretty, Aaron thought, noticing how her red hair contrasted pleasantly with her fair skin and how her green eyes flashed whenever she smiled. Frowning, he shook the thought off and they rode in silence for a while.

  Soon, they reached the wide path the led to the Hollow Tree and they made good time that day, reaching the tree before dark. Their companions immediately got busy with setting up camp and even Aaron had certain chores he did every morning and night to assist them.

  During the evening, Rothea went over their plans for the next few days, before they settled in for the night. Aaron did not sleep well, his mind replaying the first night in this tree, and he spent most of the night walking the forest with Wolf.

  He was happy when they got an early start in the morning and rode out into the misty forest. They travelled along the path, heading south, for most of that day until eventually, late afternoon, Rothea chose a narrower path that led towards the plains to their left.

  “If we carry on straight, this path will lead into the dark forest,” she explained. “No one has set foot in there and come out unharmed in centuries. It will be safe to travel on the plains.”

  It only took them about half an hour to reach the plains and, once out in the open, they rode until sunset before they made camp again.

  Aaron noticed the rolling hills and swaying autumn grasses of Menandril Fields to their left and remembered that day they travelled across them, Maia unconscious on a floating stretcher.

  He went to bed that night thinking he had a lot of bad memories about Maia and their first few days on Elveron. He had not known he harboured that much ill will towards her for those first trying days and in his mind he searched for reasons to forgive her for putting them through that.

  Life on Elveron suited him and he could not imagine a more beautiful place to live. He was thankful that Maia brought them here, not upset, and he wondered why he now had such negative thoughts about it.

  “I believe you are feeling hurt because of what I told you about Maia and Blaid and your mind is looking for reasons to be upset with her,” Rothea said when he told her about his feelings the next day. “I know you have forgiven her for what she put you through by bringing you here so, what you are feeling now, I think is jealousy.”

  “Jealousy?” He had never been a jealous man.

  “Yes. You want Maia to be yours, yet it seems she has chosen another. It is only natural to feel the way you do now. I would be worried if it had no effect on you at all.”

  “Maybe,” he agreed.

  “Aaron,” Rothea said, “only a few days ago you were certain you would marry Maia in the spring and that she would be your wife forever. It is all right to be angry. Let yourself feel it, then learn to deal with it. It will get better with time.”

  From that day on, Aaron stopped questioning his feelings and soon he stopped being angry. They spent three more days riding along the treeline of the great forest to their right, with Menandril Fields’ swaying yellow grasses to their left, and Aaron discovered that he enjoyed this travelling life.

  Riding made him stronger, as well as more confident, and he learned to survive off the land from Rothea, who took the time to explain to him where the food they were eating came from.

  Although they had brought food along; dried fruit, dried beans, dried meat and some grains; they supplemented their meals with fresh food from the forest every day. Hunters brought fresh meat, or fish, on a daily basis, and they gathered edible plants as they searched the vast plains for their prey.

  The amount of plants fit for consumption was staggering and sometimes Aaron wondered why they had brought food in the first place.

  Aaron was deep in conversation with Rothea about the healing properties of some of the plants they ate every day, when Wolf suddenly growled beside them. They looked up to notice their Scout, who always rode a few miles ahead, race back towards them at break-neck speed.

  “Commander Goodheart, I see the dragon ahead.”

  “There have been attacks around the city,” Lord Swiftfisher said during the meeting in the Elder Hall the next day. “This group that hunted you yesterday has been causing the most trouble. I am glad they were dealt with.”

  “We are expecting the attacks to become less frequent as cold weather approaches and, by the looks of it, we will have an early winter. What measures have you put in place to keep your city safe over the next few Moons?”

  Jaik, standing tall in his Commander’s uniform in the centre of the hall, felt calm and in charge during their discussions. He had been emissary to his father for decades and councils such as this were second nature to him.

  He knew his father’s plans, had his instructions and was aware of every city’s current state of affairs. He was confident in his ability to lead a council, to give advice - or orders, if necessary - and how to help the Lords of the cities to deal with issues that arose.

  “As you noticed yesterday, we have archers on our walls day and night. We also have scouting parties, tasked with flushing out pockets of Vampyres. They travel up to fifty miles from the city at times. This way, we have had much success in eradicating the scum from our area, but it has its cost. We have lost many warriors since the war.”

  Jaik nodded, aware of the deaths. Shadow Hall had been similarly afflicted.

  “Other than that, we are trying to fill the gaps in our Regiment and Legion, training new warriors every day. We have also started to bring in people from the outlying towns and homesteads, recruiting them into the Legion. We cannot afford to be outnumbered again. As you have said, this war is coming, and we need to be prepared.”

  “I am pleased to hear it,” Jaik said. He expected nothing less from Lord S
wiftfisher. “My father will have a consignment of horses ready for you before the winter. They should be dispatched to you within a fortnight. Most will be young animals, but they will be trained. My father hopes to acquire more horses from the neighbouring countries during his travels, as our stocks are running low. We lost many during the war and the Werewolves have been raiding our herds.”

  “Aye, even we keep our horses close to the city now.”

  “My father will leave for Thala Yll as soon as I get back to Shadow Hall. There he will negotiate with Lord Hazelwatch as to how many dragon riders to send to each city around Grildor to guard the herds. I believe there are already three dragon riders stationed at Alea Yll to protect their livestock.”

  “We can only be thankful that Lord Hazelwatch has offered the use of his dragons,” Kyreon agreed.

  The talk then turned to other affairs and Lord Swiftfisher asked his Commanders to bring their grievances before Jaik in turn. Jaik dealt with each problem with serious efficiency, and the day passed swiftly. They addressed most of the topics his father had asked him to discuss during that first day and, by evening, he felt more hopeful than he had the night before.

  “As always, we thank you for your support, Kyreon,” Jaik said as the two men walked out of the Elder Hall side by side.

  “It is always gladly given, Jaik, especially in time such as this.”

  They parted ways then and Jaik watched the lord walk down a narrow, cobbled street, followed closely by two Guard. Times had been hard for Kyreon after it was discovered that his son, Kanarel, had been the traitor that brought the Vampyres to their planet. Kyreon almost lost his position as lord of the city because of it.

  Once Lord Swiftfisher was out of sight, Jaik headed into the city. Even at night Braérn was beautiful; its whitewashed, timber frame houses lit merrily by multi-coloured lanterns.

  He made his way along the promenade, turned towards the market square and finally down a wide, tree-lined avenue towards a prominent, sprawling building at the end.

  Siya’s family was one of the oldest in Braérn and her parents were of the most influential nobles of the city. It was one of the reasons why his father had agreed to his marriage.

  Pulling his jacket straight, he knocked on the door. A Server opened it immediately and let him in. Lord Elothrin Sparrow stood in the spacious and lavishly furnished entrance hall to greet him.

  “Jaik, we have been expecting you. I believe your trip did not go as you had hoped.”

  “My Lord, it is good to see you,” Jaik said, clasping arms with the tall, blonde-haired Elf. “Yes, we ran into some troubles a few miles from Braérn, but the threat has now been neutralised.”

  “I am glad to hear it,” the older man said. “Soniana is worried enough as it is about Siya travelling.”

  “I assure you, My Lord, I will take care of your daughter.”

  “I know you will, Jaik; it is my wife you will need to convince. Come, let us go through to the common room. I am sure the ladies are dying to see you.”

  Together, the men made their way from the entrance hall down a passage to the common room. Jaik had been here many times and always marvelled at the sprawling house and its rich furnishings. He hoped he could make Siya happy in Shadow Hall and provide for her as her parents did.

  “Jaik!” Siya rose from her seat by the fire and ran to him.

  The held hands and touched cheeks.

  “My love,” Jaik whispered under his breath.

  They stepped apart again and Jaik went to greet the lady of the house, Soniana Sparrow.

  “My Lady, you are as beautiful as ever.”

  “And you are as charming as ever, young Lord Longshadow. Now, if you will excuse us, we have an event to attend. Server Milla will keep you company and be at your service while we are away.”

  “Thank you, My Lady,” Jaik said and bowed to his future mother-of-wedlock.

  Lord and Lady Sparrow left, leaving Jaik and Siya alone in the common room. Almost alone. Server Milla stood silently at the door that led to the kitchen and pretended not to be there.

  Jaik smiled at Siya and took her hand, leading her to the sofa.

  “I have missed you, Jaik. The Moons have been long without you.”

  “As I have missed you,” he replied, “but I believe you have been keeping yourself busy.”

  “Indeed,” Siya said, a hint of pride in her voice. “If I am to wed the future king of Grildor, I should ensure that I am worthy.”

  “You are already worthy, Siya.”

  “I know,” she laughed, “but I enjoy helping the people and, as it turns out, I have a talent for making Silva. If there is another war coming, we cannot run out of the precious drink again.”

  “I am so proud of you,” Jaik said, and gently stroked her cheek.

  It had been especially tough for Braérn after the war. Not only had they lost many of their warriors, but the scandal surrounding Kanarel had rocked the city and its standing within Grildor. The inhabitants, especially anyone who ever had any association with Kanarel, had to work hard to regain their good name.

  Siya, who was always perceived as kind and gentle, had during this time shown that she was incredibly strong and resourceful, and she enlisted the help of two Healers and those Elementals with two or three powers to help her produce barrels of Silva for the war to come. So far, they had made over fifty barrels; an absolutely incredible achievement in but a few Moons.

  “Father tells me that you had some trouble during the last leg of your journey. How is Firestorm today?”

  “She will heal. It still hurts her, but she can now put weight on her right leg again. She should be fit to ride in a few days. I have more meetings to attend and other arrangements to make, which should give her enough time.”

  “I shall visit her tomorrow while you are busy. Will you come to see me again after your meetings?”

  “You know I will,” he laughed, “and I promise that tomorrow I will stay longer.”

  Jaik saw the sparkle retreat from Siya’s eyes for a moment, but he could not stay. The Elders had called a meeting at Dorien’s library and Jaik had been requested to attend. He would need to make his way there soon.

  “Do not be sad, my love. Soon, you will be with me every day.”

  A smile appeared on Siya’s face and she tucked a strand of her white-blonde hair behind her ear. Jaik thought she was the most beautiful creature in existence and his heart swelled with the knowledge that she would soon be wed to him.

  “Then go now, see to your work and let the days pass swiftly so that we may be together.” She kissed him briefly on the cheek before Server Milla could do anything and then she rose to lead him to the front door. “Dream only of me,” she whispered before she closed the door behind him.

  Walking briskly towards the library, he tried hard to remove the smile from his face. Whatever the Elders wanted to discuss was sure to be serious and by the time he entered the impressive library with murals, arches and shelves that went all the way to the ceiling, he had transformed from a young prince in love to the Commander of the Guard he was.

  “Jaik, finally,” Silas said as Jaik walked in. “We have been waiting for you.”

  “Elders,” Jaik inclined his head at the group of Elders sitting in a circle around a large table laden with books, scrolls and papers.

  “Please, take your seat so we may start,” Elder Dorien, owner of the library, said, pointing to the only available chair.

  Jaik hesitated. A gathering of Elders was often called a Wisdom Circle and he wasn’t sure if he should break this circle by sitting at the table with them. Uncertain, he looked at Silas, who nodded at him.

  Feeling a little out of place, Jaik took his seat amongst the Elders and, without further preamble, Silas opened the meeting.

  “Jaik, we have called you here because what we have discovered affects you directly. I came here this morning to return the books to Dorien that you and Maia took from him during your last visit to th
is library. He asked if the information was helpful, which led us into a deep discussion about the subject. As it turns out, Dorien has been about his own research and has discovered interesting, if somewhat disturbing, facts.”

  Jaik frowned, unsure of where this was going. “What do you mean?”

  “You know that we have been researching how Maia brought the Humans to Elveron and we discovered that the subject is called Soul Reaping.”

  Jaik nodded.

  “Because the matter is so frowned upon, Dorien decided to look into it himself to make sure that was, indeed, what Maia did, or if there was some other, more acceptable explanation for it.”

  “Is there?” Jaik asked.

  Some of the Elders around the table shuffled, Dorien cleared his throat and Silas shook his head.

  “It is as we feared,” Silas continued. “The only way to bring someone through the gates without their active participation is via Soul Reaping.”

  “Oh.”

  “The reason it is frowned upon is that reapings never end well and those torn from their homes will ultimately die.”

  “I thought they would just become angry and bitter.”

  “Yes, those would be the first signs,” Silas said, “followed by depression and finally suicide. That is why it is so dangerous.”

  “None of that has happened to the Humans,” Jaik countered.

  “Which is why we spent so much time looking further into the matter. I did not want to believe Maia could have done something so cruel to people she loved while on Earth. Yet, whenever I spoke to her about it, she could not remember why she brought them. Only during recent discussions I discovered the reasons for her actions.”

  “Yes,” Jaik nodded. “Maia finally remembered after Jasmin found her true Eläm.”

  “Correct. So, armed with the information that Maia did it to save the Humans, especially Jasmin, from the life they were living on Earth, we had another look at the information we had gathered.”