Origin

by Samantha Smith

  Elwyn continued to hover over Thane, recognizing that he was growing weaker and weaker. After a bit, he asked her to bring Raffe over to him, and Elwyn stepped away while Thane said good-bye to his beloved morden. She knew that Thane was asking Raffe to remain strong and not lose himself in grief. He was probably trying to impress upon him just how much she and Gemma needed his strength and abilities. Thane then called Elwyn to join them and asked her to care for Raffe and see that he got safely home; which she gladly agreed to do. He also asked her to take his things to Ayron who, he said, would know what to do with them. Finally with a smile on his face, he saluted her and said,

  “I have been greatly honored to serve you, my queen and even more honored to ride with you as my companion. I know that you will be up to any challenge the future holds and I believe that you will come to be loved by all the people of Silvendil. Think of me from time to time, my friend.” With those words said, Thane passed on with no more than a gentle sigh.

  Elwyn fell upon her bed pad unable to move as she was hit with wave after wave of gut wrenching sobs. Thane had been her first real friend and this was her first experience at losing someone close to her. To make it worse, he’d died saving her life. Elwyn was horrified that Ayron, his soldiers, and their companions were risking and even sacrificing their lives so that she would live. Tonight the toll had been two. If Thane’s lessons to her were true about the life-bond and the morden, then in a way the toll was three. How many more would be called upon to lose their lives protecting her? She just wasn’t sure that she could live her life like that. The young man that just died saving her life didn’t know her, wasn’t part of her family, and had yet to live his own life to the fullest. A part of Elwyn hated this and just wanted to give up and try to find her way back to Tarlon. She’d spent most of her life yearning to find more about her origins so that she wouldn’t feel so alone. Now that she was getting closer to achieving her lifelong goal, she felt more alone than ever. The price of friendship and love was much higher than she’d ever imagined. A short distance away, she could hear the sounds of Gemma trying to soothe Raffe as he expressed his grief physically by running, rearing, and squealing. He seemed to be in an uncontrollable frenzy, with Gemma his only source of solace. After a few hours of lamenting her situation and grieving for her lost comrades, Elwyn got to her feet and assessed her current situation.

  She knew that if she were to survive, she would have to come up with a plan to finish the journey to Kren. First, she would bury Thane. Then she would break camp, and look for Keroc. Since Thane knew he had been wounded by a poisoned arrow, he should not have been able to fly very far from the location of the fight. Based on her own observations, as well as the information provided by Thane, Keroc was most likely lying somewhere dead. She felt it was her duty and responsibility to give him an honorable burial next to Thane. Keroc deserved at least that much respect from her. After that was done, she would saddle the morden and head north again, not stopping until she came to Kren. Elwyn was determined not to shame Thane by failing to accomplish the goal Ayron placed before them, and that he died for. It was impossible for her to rest and she would have been too afraid to try to sleep after the events of the evening, so she got out her small shovel and began to dig.

  The first light of morning was filtering into the small meadow just as she finished burying Thane. She buried him deep enough that scavengers would not be able to desecrate his body, and marked the small grave with some stones and wild flowers so that the other soldiers in his troop would be able to find it. She let the bodies of the four assassins lie where they fell, not wanting to touch them and unwilling to show them any respect. She thought about searching their bodies, hoping to learn something about them, but decided that the risk of unwittingly poisoning herself was too great. Elwyn took some time to walk down to the small pond located nearby, and wash the blood and dirt from her body and clothing. She changed into a clean brown tunic and matching leather pants, afraid that the scent of blood on the clothing she’d been wearing might attract unwelcomed scavengers while she was searching for Keroc. She walked back over to the campsite, cleaned everything up, packed all their gear, and brought it over to the small meadow and sat it near the morden. Everything in her wanted to just stay frozen in this place and not move forward with Ayron’s plan, but she knew that if she did, there would probably be another attempt on her life. To sit here and just wait for one would be suicide because, if Elwyn was sure about anything, it was that she and the two morden would not survive another attack on their own.

  Elwyn spent some time in the meadow with the morden, making sure to give each one a careful onceover for scratches they may have received the night before that could possibly make them ill. She felt surprised and relieved to find none. At first Raffe seemed spooky and standoffish. She told him that she understood, but reminded him of their conversation with Thane the night before. She gave both the morden a hug and told them that she was going to look for Keroc. Gemma snorted and nudged Elwyn who got the distinct impression that wherever she went, the morden were coming as well. It seemed almost as if they had taken up positions as her personal guards. Even Raffe seemed to be dealing with his grief well enough to be determined to follow along. Elwyn explained to them that she planned to spend as much time as possible looking for Keroc but, if by late afternoon they were still unable to find him, they would have to move on or risk another attack. Just as Elwyn began to feel silly for talking to the morden as if they could understand her every word, they nickered and shook their heads.

  “Was it coincidence?” Realizing that she had no time to spend finding answers, she turned and walked back toward the campsite followed closely by her two remaining traveling companions.

  Chapter 18 – Death Defeated

  As Ayron lay quietly on his bed pad, he opened up his mind as much as possible trying to sense Keroc one more time. After a short wait with no response, he was about to give up when he felt a foreign presence enter his mind. He was shocked beyond words when the presence identified herself as Kierra, queen of the drakenhawks. Kierra, sensing his reaction, explained that she contacted him out of necessity because she had some important news to tell him about Elwyn, Thane, and Keroc.

  “Ayron, they were attacked by a shadow squad while Keroc was away feeding. I’m sorry to tell you that Thane just recently died from an injury he sustained in the fight. He lost his life defending Elwyn. She is alive and spent several hours trying to save his life, but the poison was just too powerful. Keroc was also wounded during the fight. He was hit in the wing by an assassin’s arrow. As soon as Elwyn finishes burying Thane, she plans to search for Keroc. At this point, she believes that Keroc is dead and is determined to find him so she can give him a proper burial. I am planning to contact her as soon as I am able to let her know that he lives, and to help her locate him.

  Ayron, your mind is very still for one that has just heard news like this and I want to make sure that you are alright and understand what has happened. You cannot afford to enter a grieving state because you believe that Keroc is dead or dying. I promise you that he still lives.”

  “I’m alright Kierra and paying attention to your words. I’m in shock right now and trying to figure out how to cope with all of this. Your presence in my mind feels very foreign. I’ve been unable to contact Keroc even though I too sense he still lives. I have just been told that Thane, one of my closest friends lies dead and that my niece is now alone and unprotected. I also don’t know how to deal with the fact that Elwyn trusted me to keep Rhys alive and right now that looks doubtful, and Rhys trusted me to keep Elwyn safe, and she is definitely not. So what could possibly be more wrong?”

  "I know all this is difficult to deal with, but I need you to stay focused. There is nothing whatsoever that you can do about Elwyn and Keroc. I am trying to provide you with as much information as I can, but I will not be able to maintain this link with you very long.

  You and I both know that it would be in Elwyn’s
best interest to jump on Gemma and travel north without stopping, leaving everything else behind including Keroc and Raffe. She is unwilling to do so and refuses to leave camp until she locates Keroc and settles Raffe to the point where he is willing to travel with her.”

  “How do you know all this? Are you able to make contact with her? If so, you should try to make her see some sense and let her know she can’t save the world. Besides, she is the only one whose life really matters. She must live.”

  “Actually I have spoken with her once already. Keroc introduced me to her. He has been making contact with her since the first day they met. She has had to contend with so many new realities over the past few days. I have been trying not to overwhelm her. I did ask permission to contact her again however, and she said yes. Since that time, I have maintained a link with her so that I can sense her thoughts and feelings. I have not spoken with her tonight because she is still so full of grief and remorse that she wouldn’t hear me.

  She is digging a grave for Thane now. After he is buried and the sun rises, she plans to begin looking for Keroc. I plan to contact her then and do my best to help her locate him and to help her, if possible, heal him. Gemma is trying to convince Raffe to delay his grieving until Elwyn is safely in Findara. Thane asked Raffe to do so as well in their last conversation. I think that Raffe will honor his wishes. He won’t want to think Thane sacrificed himself in vain. As soon as she locates Keroc and calms Raffe, Elwyn is planning to honor Thane’s wishes as well by traveling north and not stopping until she reaches Kren.”

  Ayron found himself trying to cope with several strong emotional reactions at the same time; grief at Thane’s death, fear for Keroc, and relief that Elwyn survived the assassination attempt. He was relived but still puzzled how Kierra knew so much about what was going on.

  “Have you been in contact with Keroc yourself?”

  “No, the poison running through his system makes it impossible for him to communicate with anyone. I actually got most of my information indirectly from Thane as he talked with Elwyn before his death. My connection with Keroc is only a little stronger than yours.”

  Ayron found that he was rendered speechless again by this information. He had no idea that Elwyn could communicate with the drakenhawks. He hadn’t really believed Keroc when he tried to explain he’d, made contact with her so she wouldn’t panic if he had to contact her in a fight. After all she was a female and drakenhawks never made contact them. He was also floored that Kierra was willing and able to contact him. After all, she was female and a stranger to him. His people believed that the queen of the drakenhawks did not choose a companion or speak to the minds of any species other than her own. It seemed as if all the rules he thought were true about drakenhawks were being thrown right out the window.

  “If this were another time, I would explain to you just how humorous the conclusions your species had drawn about my species are. You are all very ignorance of our capabilities and still try to learn about us on your own, rather than from us. When times are less dangerous, you should educate yourself. Your niece and I will be happy to help. She had no preconceptions and is willing to try things because she has not been led to believe that they are wrong or impossible.”

  She then reminded him of the images of Keroc interacting with Elwyn over the past two days, and even eating morsels of meat out of her bare hands. The images stirred up so much tender emotion in him that he came close to crying. He felt bad for the jealousy he felt earlier and was grateful that Keroc and Elwyn had formed enough of a bond that she was unwilling to move on without him. The images explained why Keroc seemed to know what Elwyn was thinking and feeling. He could now see that they’d been forming a bond that was different than his, but necessary if they were to be able to support one another on their journey. Ayron was grateful to Kierra but still puzzled that she was willing to communicate with him about the situation.

  "You are the queen of the drakenhawks. Why is it so important to you to help save one young women and a young drakenhawk?”

  Kierra explained gently that Keroc was her son, by her deceased mate Berroc, his former companion. In a way, they were part of an extended family and in times of great need, the normal framework of the drakenhawk society could be altered to accommodate certain situations. Ayron was simply amazed by this. There were so many unprecedented events taking place right now, that he didn’t know what to think or how to feel. He was even more amazed when Kierra announced that she believed that Elwyn’s safety meant more to all the inhabitants of the Known Lands than simply gaining an heir.

  “If you will give me your permission, I will try to communicate with you as often as I am able, to let you know how they both are. It is difficult and taxing over such long distances and I have to make Elwyn and Keroc my first priority, so please don’t worry if some time goes by before you hear from me. If something goes seriously wrong I will contact you immediately. I have also dispatched six of my personal guard to fly to Elwyn’s location to guard her until you arrive, and to bring an antidote for the poison that debilitates my son. They are the fiercest of my warriors and will guard the two of them with their lives.”

  Ayron expressed his appreciation to Kierra for the help she offered, and the news she brought. Even though he knew it would be difficult, he asked her to keep him informed as often as she could. She agreed, and then quietly departed from his mind.

  Ayron quickly pulled on his boots and threw his cloak over his head as he hurried from his shelter to that that of Rhys and Clayre. He didn’t know if Rhys would be able to hear him, but he intended to let him know that Elwyn was alive and still expecting him to join her in Findara when he recovered. When he arrived at the tent, Clayre and Galdor were just replacing the cold cloths on Rhys’ body with fresh ones. His temperature was still dangerously high, and his breathing seemed to be more labored than when Ayron was there a few hours before. He shared his news quietly with the healers, noticing Clayre’s tears of joy at the news that Elwyn was alive and well and would soon be receiving some help. He then asked for permission to speak with Rhys. Reluctantly, the healers both agreed, knowing that if Rhys could hear him, the knowledge that Elwyn lived and was waiting for him, might make a difference in how hard he fought to get well. They also agreed that the news had to come from Ayron so that Rhys would know that it was the truth.

  Ayron leaned down over Rhys so that he was only inches from his face and said, “You need to fight this, Rhys. Elwyn is alive, doing well, and will soon again be on her way to Kren. But, she is still worried about you. I don’t want to have to be the one to tell her that her sacrifices were in vain. She, Thane, and Keroc defeated a shadow squad sent to kill them tonight. Thane was killed and Keroc is injured, but Elwyn is still of strong heart and is planning to continue on to Kren alone. Some drakenhawk warriors are already on their way from Findara to help the morden protect her until I arrive. Please Rhys, don’t make me have to give this child any more bad news. She believes that she is helping to keep you safe and is willing to face this danger to help protect you. You must fight, old man. This is the time to live and not to die.”

  With that Ayron nodded goodnight to the two healers and went back to his shelter to lie down. He felt that he had done everything he could for Rhys. From now on it was up to Rhys to decide his own fate. Within minutes he fell asleep while listening to steady rhythm of the rain beating on the roof of his shelter.

  Ayron had no idea how long he slept, but he woke up to the sun and the sound of sea breezes gently playing with the flaps of his shelter. He quickly got dressed and hurried to see how Rhys fared during the night. He was greeted by Clayre who gave him a smile and a big hug. She told him that Rhys must have been able to hear him the night before, even though he hadn’t responded immediately. Clayre said that almost from the time he left, Rhys’ breathing started to get stronger, he was able to drink more of the medicated broth, and within the hour his fever broke. Ayron was pleased to hear the news and asked the healers to meet wi
th him by the fire as soon as they were able.

  Galdor arrived at the campfire first, obviously exhausted from working alongside Clayre throughout the night to save Rhys. He also had the look of a man who was carrying a large burden.

  “I know something is troubling you. It might be better if you spoke up and said what’s on your mind rather than walking around looking as if you lost your last friend.”

  “I feel responsible for the fact that this illness was allowed to progress so far before it was discovered,” said Galdor hanging his head in obvious shame. While you were all in town procuring supplies, I was busy helping the men and taking an inventory of our medicines to make sure we had enough of everything to finish the rest of our trip to Armani. I checked on Rhys several times, but he always seemed to be sleeping. In my preoccupation to get other things done, I never stopped to check why he slept for so long. Ayron, that is basic health care....,” whispered Galdor hoarsely, with more emotion than Ayron had ever heard from the normally composed elf. “I should have known better!”

  “I’m no healer, but I’m not sure that you would have been able to keep the infection from running it’s course no matter when it was discovered, Galdor.”

  “I’ve been trying to get that fact through his thick skull all night,” said Clayre as she joined them at the campfire. “Once an infection like that takes root, there is nothing any healer can do but let it run its course and try to keep the patient cool and hydrated, which is exactly what we did for Rhys. We did a good job and I know for a fact that without Galdor by my side, Alea bringing us the fresh water, and Kormir who kept us supplied with hot tea and broth, we would never have been able to save Rhys.”