Between Darkness and the Light

by Paul T. H. Mitchener

  The question remained whether he and his minions would be strong enough to take on a whole troop of fifty or more armed highly trained elf troopers, the host master and two guardians. They had no idea of when, where or even if he would appear, so they all decided that caution was the best option, at least until they knew what they were up against. They would cross over in three sections and at three different points, and meet up once they were safely in the woodland. That way, Alfwald would have no idea which party Henry was in, making it impossible for him to know which one to attack first.

  Henry, Bert and Ben had been at the palace for some time and were busy preparing themselves for the trip back home. Although it was less than a day to walk back to where the crossing stood, they had to prepare themselves well, because once they got back to the woodland, no one knew how long it would be before they had an opportunity to collect fresh food, or even have time to wash up. So, hey packed with the view that it could be days before they all had the opportunity to replenish supplies. Bert had been busy packing for both himself and Ben, whilst Walt was silently sitting in a corner looking somewhat sorry for himself under guard.

  Bree hadn’t left Henry’s side since she returned upset from the palace. She had hardly said a word to him or any of her travelling companions. When Henry enquired as to why she wasn’t herself, she just smiled and said things were fine, even though he knew they weren’t. He watched her as she rushed around busily restocking supplies in the belt she always wore. It was obvious to Henry that she was trying to avoid making eye contact with him or anyone else around her. It didn’t take long before Henry started to become upset with her and decided that enough was enough. He needed to know what was wrong, so he walked over to her and took her gently by the arm.

  “Come with me,” he said quietly, and gently escorted her into a room at the side of the main barracks that looked to be an office for one of the senior ranks. Closing the door behind him, he turned to see that Bree was now crying. “Don’t ask me,” she cried, becoming increasingly concerned. Henry knew that it must be something major to have upset her this much. “You must tell me… whatever it is,” he said now holding onto her hands. “Bree… whatever it is… I’m here for you… now and for as long as I live… you know that… So why won’t you just tell me?” he insisted. Bree for the first time since they met pulled away from him and moved to the other side of the room in a vain attempt to escape answering his questions. Henry knew not to push her too hard. She was in a volatile state and upsetting her more wouldn’t help, but he needed to get to the bottom of it.

  He followed her across the room to comfort her and to try and hold her again, but Bree put up her hand to stop him where he stood. “No… no closer,” she said, trying to hold back her tears. “Then tell me!” Henry shouted, although he hadn’t meant to, his frustration getting the better of him. Bree looked horrified by Henry’s outburst, and her eyes started to well up again. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but the longer it takes for you to tell me what’s wrong… the more frustrated and upset I’m becoming…You must tell me.” Bree nodded, stepping a little further away from him, still taken aback by his outburst. “Very well… but you’re not going to like it…” she said, then after a long pause continued.

  “I’m so afraid of losing you.” Henry was about to say something to reassure her that that would never happen when Bree gestured for him not to speak. “My dear sweet Henry…” she said, crying, “I feel that I’ve been untrue to you… and I can’t live with the shame.” Henry was standing speechless… What did she mean by “untrue”? Had she fallen for someone else? All sorts of unpleasant thoughts were going through his mind. Bree continued. “When I offered to help Mylon… I should have told you what it would take to be successful… I didn’t tell you because I knew that it would hurt you to know the truth of what would be expected of me.” She paused again to find the right words and stepped a little closer to Henry. “To start with, I should have explained everything to you… that was dishonest of me… I know that I should have told you everything before I went to Mylon… If I had, I would not be experiencing the pain that I feel now,” she said, starting to break down again.

  Henry rushed forward and held her in his arms as tightly as he could, but Bree didn’t respond, her arms hanging loosely by her side. The lack of response from her made him think that perhaps she was right… and perhaps she’d done something that would come between them… But what…? She had definitely put some distance between them, that was for sure. He stepped away, giving her some space, but he must have had a look of disappointment, because as soon as Bree noticed the look on his face she rushed over to him and hugged him as tightly as she could, shouting, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry!”

  Henry sat her down on one of the wooden chairs and knelt in front of her. “Just tell me,” he said with rather a fed-up tone to his voice. “It can’t be that bad… Surely we can work it out together.” Bree looked him in the eye and said, “We had to connect… Mylon and I.” She paused to see what reaction she got from Henry, but he just looked at her, waiting for her to say more. “In order to help Mylon I had to get close to him… hold his head and place mine on his.” Again, she paused, satisfied that she could continue, she said, “I had to enter his mind and channel his thoughts with mine… I had to bury his guilt so whenever he thought of his father, only good thoughts would come to the surface… I had to go deep into his mind and in doing so see… or feel some of his pain.” She placed her hands gently on Henry’s cheeks. “He has feelings for me,” she said out of the blue. “I know this for sure… The longer the connection… the stronger the bond became… but l had to stay with him until I had finished… I should have pulled away from him when I felt the connection… but I had to help him.” Again, she went quiet, moving her hands from his face. “I am a soul joiner… which means I have the ability to join with others… not just in minds, but I can connect deep within their souls… No emotion or secret can be hidden from me… I felt what my presence meant to him and I, too, felt something for him.” Now she could see the shock on Henry’s face and the mere thought of upsetting her Henry made pain rip right through her. “My feelings could be that of pity… or sadness for his pain… But there was a connection… That I cannot deny… to myself… or to you.”

  Henry still didn’t say anything. The way he felt about Bree was unquestionable and he had assumed that the same applied to her, but perhaps his assumptions were wrong and the love they had between them should not have been taken for granted. He was young and this was his first love, so he had no idea of how he should feel or react.

  He may be the host master and have the ability to call upon great power… and it’s true to say that the forthcoming fight for the survival may be lost without him… But when all was said and done… He was still a teenager and, as such, suffered from all the same insecurities and confused emotion of his age. A little stunned, he moved back. His emotions were awaking the power of the Wyvern. Frightened by the feeling, he tried to calm himself. But he was a teenager and had little or no control over his own emotions, let alone a powerful creature such as the Wyvern. The more he thought of Bree and Mylon, the angrier he became. His eyes started glowing yellow as he struggled to regain control and only just managed to hold the Wyvern back.

  He knew he needed to get away from Bree before he lost control completely. Confused and upset, he shouted, “Then you must go to him!” He swung open the door so hard that it hit the wall with force, knocking two pictures off the wall and several items off a small shelf, making Bree jump in the process. Her eyes followed him as he disappeared across to the other side of the barracks, and then out of sight with a number of confused troopers looking on.

  Bree sat alone in the office for some time. Her whole body was shaking and her soul felt so empty: all she wanted to do was to tell Henry what she felt and that she had been unfaithful only by allowing herself to be so close to another through her thoughts… But he is and always will be the only person fo
r her. Perhaps, she thought, she could have handled it better and could have explained things more clearly… Even though she didn’t fully understand her own feelings. She was confused by how she felt and now feared that she had driven away her only love and had no idea of how she could make things right again. Henry may be inexperienced in the ways of love… but so was she.

  She couldn’t deny that she felt something for Mylon when they connected… But surely you could love someone as much as she does Henry and still care for others… Humans did it all the time… They loved their partners while loving other friends and families… But the trouble was… she wasn’t human… And unlike humans, she lacked the capacity to segregate her feelings and emotions, and if she was true to herself as a woodland creature… and as a soul joiner… she should only really join with one soul and care for just that one person for life… and to her there could be no other than Henry.

  She slumped back down on the wooden chair and put her head in her hands and started to cry again. Never before had she felt this bad. She yearned for her Henry’s touch and for him to hold her, but she thought it best not to go after him and to allow him a little time to calm down before attempting to speak with him again. Hopefully they would get a chance tomorrow, but unfortunately Bree couldn’t be more wrong… A teenage boy doesn’t always think as rationally as she does, leaving him to brew on his misunderstanding of the situation was in reality the worst thing she could do.

  When Mylon arrived in the main inner training yard he was met by one of the senior officers. “Well met, my lord… The men are ready when you are,” he said, followed by a quick bow. Mylon nodded and then headed across the yard followed closely by the officer. Rows of men lined up in ranks either side, all wearing the King’s Guards uniform with crossed sword and spear on their tunics, and all were well armed, most with short swords and daggers, some with spears, and other with bows slung across their backs and all carrying provisions. Mylon was also dressed for battle: he was wearing the king’s coat of arms on his tunic, and he, too, was armed with a short sword, and tucked in his leather belt was his first hunting dagger… The one he found in his father’s keepsake box. He looked a formidable sight with his heavy, brown leather cape across his shoulders and determined look on his face. Looking straight ahead, he quickly paced himself across the yard until he reached the barracks that housed Henry and the rest of his companions.

  He found Henry just outside the building alone, pacing from one side to the next and looking somewhat annoyed. When he got closer he could see the angry look on his face but approached him anyway. “Did you manage to get any rest?” Mylon asked as he walked up to him.

  Henry looked as if he was about to swing for him, but instead cleared his throat. “No… not much… Did you?” he replied, trying to stay calm. Mylon shook his head. “Too much to do… Besides… for now at least I feel I need to keep myself busy.” He paused. “I’ve put young Trammell in charge of the home guards until I return… I have also disbanded the high council for now… or at least until we get back and find out who else was responsible for my father’s death and all these attacks.” He paused, concerned that Henry’s attitude towards him had changed, and placing his hand on Henry’s shoulder.

  “Are you alright, my friend…? Is there something… something more personal we need to discuss?” he asked. Henry removed Mylon’s hand and stood back. “There’s no point in moaning about my own personal troubles… We all have a lot to do and a lot of ground to cover, so I feel our effort would be best spent if we concentrated on what we have ahead of us… don’t you?” Henry paused and then tried to change the subject. “Besides… I haven’t asked you how you’re feeling… I know it’s been a rough time for you these past few days…You must be exhausted.” Mylon gave a brief smile. “I’m not sure how I feel, to be quite honest… Bree managed to do something… I still feel the loss of my father and friends but… Well, I can’t explain it… I don’t feel any real sorrow.”

  He paused for Henry’s reaction but didn’t get any, so he continued. “I feel that there’s something I must tell you.” He paused again, but this time to choose the right words. “I’ve not stopped thinking about Bree since she came to help me.” Mylon could see the look on Henry’s face, now realising why Henry was acting as he was. “And I’m more than a little confused as to why she ran off in tears like she did.” He paused. “Perhaps it was something I said or did… or maybe it’s all about you… I really don’t know… Perhaps you can shine a light on it?” he enquired but still got no reply. “Whatever… I haven’t had the opportunity to thank her for what’s she done for me and to make sure that was she okay.”

  Henry was really starting to boil inside. However, he knew it wasn’t Mylon’s fault that Bree felt the way she did. “She’s something really special, Henry.” He paused as he looked around to see if she was within hearing distance. Happy that she wasn’t, he continued in a low voice. “I know you and Bree are meant for each other… that much is clear… and I also know that nothing in this world… or the next could… stand between the two of you… I sensed it when we connected… It was clear how much you mean to her… I also sensed from her that she was feeling guilty for being so close to me… Perhaps that’s why she ran off like she did.” Henry still didn’t respond so Mylon continued.

  “I have to be honest with you, I felt a connection to her… and I’m sure she felt something back.” Henry still didn’t respond, trying his best to hold back his anger and to control the fire that burnt within. “I understand now why you look so down… I can read it on your face… the anger that you’re holding back… Believe me, my friend, when I say this… You’re the last person in this world I want to upset.” Mylon spoke with sincerity. “But there’s something you must understand… Bree is a creature of nature and elves are not that far removed… So it was inevitable that we would find some connection through the process of her healing me.” Henry stood forward and looked Mylon in the face. “What sort of connection…? All I hear from you and Bree is connection this, and connection that… Be honest and tell me what the hell you both mean by it.”

  Mylon wasn’t perturbed by Henry’s outburst and answered him calmly. “I mean exactly that… a connection or, in plain terms… a feeling for each other.” Henry was about to explode but Mylon raised his hand and said, “Before you jump to any other conclusions, I want to put things straight… My feelings for Bree are not reciprocated… She doesn’t feel the same for me as I now feel for her.” He paused again, waiting to see what Henry would do, but he just stood quietly, content that it was safe to do so. Mylon continued by saying, “I know what she feels for you… she couldn’t live without you, Henry… And I know in your world that term is used often and if a couple parted they wouldn’t literally drop down dead … But in Bree’s case it could literally mean just that… Damn it, man… Haven’t you got it yet…? You are her life… She’s bonded to you and could never be unfaithful… It’s not in her nature.”

  A little flustered with Henry’s childish behaviour, Mylon took a deep breath and continued a little more calmly. “I know a lot has happened to you over the past few days… and I know you have a lot to contend with… but you should take a little time to get to know her… I mean… really get to know her… If she loses you… she’ll lose herself.” Mylon waited for the statement to sink before continuing. “Bree was born into this world to be with you… and only you.” Again, Henry didn’t react, so Mylon stepped forward and took the risk of retaliation by placing his hand on Henry’s shoulder again.

  “My friend,” he said softly, “Bree is yours… what I feel for her doesn’t matter and it will only be between you and me… We’ve known each other for only a few days, but our short friendship has meant a lot to me and I’ll do nothing to harm it… but I’ll never lie to you… whether it’s hurtful or not… I won’t deny my feelings for Bree… But take my word for it when I say I would do nothing to get between the two of you…You are both meant to be… She knows it�
�� and I know it… but the big question is… do you?” He paused. “If you could put your irrational emotions and anger away for one minute and be honest with yourself, you’ll see it.”

  Henry looked down at his feet a little embarrassed by his behaviour, then back at Mylon, knowing that everything he had said was true. He managed a quick smile. “Our friendship means just as much to me,” Henry replied. “I’m sorry for doubting you… Let’s say we put my childish behaviour behind us and concentrate on matters in hand.” He looked in the direction of the office. “I’ll try to speak with Bree a little later but we really need to get moving: time is not on our side… Are you and your men ready?” Mylon smiled and then nodded. “We are… and if we make good time we should be at the crossing just before nightfall… But we must retrieve the dreaded staff of the Aelfgar before we set out.”

  With that, they both made their way back to where the troops were assembled. “I know it’s not my business, but I’d not leave it too long before you speak to Bree,” Mylon said. Henry just smiled and nodded.

  Mylon was then met by two of his officers who informed him that the advance party had already crossed over to the realm of humans and would be ready to report back to them once they reached the barrier crossing. Henry decided to continue back to the barracks and try to meet up with Bert and Ben. He hadn’t had much time to be with them over the past few days and felt he should at least travel with them once he had retrieved the staff. It would also give him time to talk and hopefully come up with some kind of plan if they were unfortunate enough to meet up with Alfwald on their return journey.