Origin

by Samantha Smith

  The next few pages of Rhianna’s diary described how lonely she was during the day when she had nothing to do but wait until someone was available to teacher her about her duties as the ruler’s wife. She tried to be patient, because she knew everything was in turmoil after the sudden death of Lord Elwin. She also recognized that her mother-in-law was still very active in the governing of Silvendil, and showed no signs of turning even some of those duties over to her in the foreseeable future. Rhianna’s only pleasure came in the evenings when Azavon would come to their suite in the castle, share an evening meal with her, and spend the evening curled up with her talking about his day. For the next season Rhianna’s life fell into a routine consisting of spending her day reading, learning more about Silvendil, and riding Gemma; then spending her nights with her husband. This continued until one afternoon when she came upon her mother-in-law while walking in the garden. Lady Azriel looked at her strangely and asked her when her last cycle had been. Rhianna did not normally pay much attention to when it came and went, but realized, after thinking about it, that she had not had her cycle in quite a while. Rhianna quickly calculated and told her mother-in-law that her last had been over three months previously. Lady Azriel smiled, gave her a hug, and suggested that she go and visit Malac, their healer, and based on what he told her to have a talk with Azavon. Rhianna wrote that she was puzzled and a bit concerned about her mother-in-law’s words and saw the healer that very afternoon. How surprised and delighted she was when Malac pronounced her almost three months pregnant.

  Rhianna described how she was waiting excitedly when Azavon came to their suite that evening. She was wearing her best dress and had a nice dinner ready, prepared by her own hand. After dinner, when they were curled up together on a pile of large cushions that looked out over the grassy meadow where the morden stayed, Rhianna told Azavon that she was expecting a child in six months. She wrote that he was so joyous and excited that the morden in the meadow raised their heads and listened to him laugh and cheer. Rhianna was ecstatic that her husband was looking forward to having a child as much as she was. She wrote that from the moment she realized she was with child, she started talking to it. She nicknamed her unborn child “El” because she and Azavon agreed that the baby would be named, whether boy or girl, after Azavon’s father, Elwin. Each evening when they were together, they would both tell little El stories about their day and their hopes for the future.

  Rhianna wrote she spent the next several months sewing a layette for her unborn baby. There were many people at the castle, who would have been willing to do that for her, but Rhianna enjoyed sewing, and it helped her to pass the time when Azavon was not with her. During her pregnancy she came to know Lilith, a young girl assigned to her as a personal assistant. Lilith became a good friend and confidant to Rhianna. In her journal, Rhianna wrote that there were only three people in the castle that she would willingly trust with her life; Azavon, Ayron, and Lilith. It seemed that many of the people at court had their own agendas, and kept their plans carefully hidden. Rhianna wrote how different the court at Silvendil was from her father’s court, where she knew many people and was comfortable with most of them. As her pregnancy progressed and she was unable to ride, Rhianna and Lilith would take long walks together in the meadow adjacent to the Royal suite, greeting the morden as they grazed. Rhianna wrote that she really missed riding Gemma and would have disobeyed Malac’s orders not to ride, if he had not expressed his concern to her husband, who extracted a promise from her to stop her afternoon riding until after the baby was born.

  Rhianna was very disappointed that Alysan seemed even more upset with her than ever after she heard the news of her pregnancy. Alysan had discovered shortly after Rhianna announced her news that she was also pregnant. Rhianna hoped this would give them something in common to talk about, but it seemed to make Alysan even angrier with her. Alysan went so far as to publicly ignore her at family functions. Even though Azavon told her to pay it no mind, Rhianna was very troubled by Alysan’s hostility. Ayron, on the other hand, was delighted to hear that he was going to be an uncle, and told her that he was looking forward to spoiling his future niece or nephew. Rhianna often wrote in her journal about how kind Ayron was and how much she could tell that he loved his family, especially Azavon. She knew that Ayron often stayed at court for Azavon’s sake, when he really wanted to be off gallivanting through the woodland with his soldiers. As the months passed and the time for giving birth drew nearer, Rhianna was content to spend her time in quiet conversations with Lilith during the day, and enjoying her time with Azavon in the evenings.

  Rhianna also wrote that after a few months, she received a letter from Rhys. She was pleased to hear that he was married and working as a blacksmith in a small city in the land of Unity, called Tarlon. Although Rhianna had never been to Unity, she knew of its existence and where it was on the map. Tarlon was a small city on the coast between the two large port cities of Galba and Strabo. Rhianna wondered if that was where Rhys went on his long trips during the time he lived in Silvendil. No matter, she was happy that Rhys seemed to have found some peace and someone to love as she had. She was even more excited for him when she received another letter from him filled with the joyous news that he and his wife Alesia were expecting their first child. Rhianna had never known Rhys to sound so happy and excited. As a boy and young man, he seldom expressed emotion and since Stefan’s betrayal and the death of their parents, he didn’t speak much at all. She quickly wrote back and put a special note in her letter for Alesia expressing how happy she was to have a sister and how excited she was that they were both expecting babes.

  Elwyn yawned. She was so engrossed in reading the diary that she’d been unaware of how much time had passed. Part of her wanted to keep reading, even if it took all night long, but the other part of her knew that she would need the rest if she were going to continue her journey to Findara tomorrow. She was determined to leave Kren behind whether it was on her own, or even better, with Ayron by her side. After checking on a sleeping Keroc one last time, Elwyn stretched out on her bed pad and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

  Chapter 26– A Saving Grace

  As Ayron fought to defeat another assassin who’d maneuvered himself close to the wagon, he could see out of the corner of his eye that Rhys and Clayre were both still unharmed and were huddled together in the bottom of the wagon, partially covered over with a pile of heavy canvas tarps, to protect them from any stray projectiles as well as to hide them from sight. Ayron’s arm was beginning to feel like lead as he countered the barrage of attacks from the assassin, who was moving from foot to foot across from him. He seemed to be doing some sort of rhythmic dance, and Ayron wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug “I’ve got you” expression from his ugly flat face. The assassin’s red eyes were also dancing. They were constantly darting from him to Gerrack and back again. Gerrack was standing right beside him attacking the enemy with his hooves, trying to hit his sword arm, or at least keep it from making contact with him. He fought as furiously as he could, constantly looking for a way to gain an advantage over the mottled greenish brown stranger standing before him.

  Ayron found it a bit unnerving to be unable to read how his opponent was faring, but those flat red eyes expressed no feelings he could discern. He feared for the lives of his remaining soldiers and for Rhys and Clayre. Ayron had never reached this level of despair in all his seasons as a military man. To see his men picked off one by one right in front of his eyes was torturous. He knew that, without a miracle, it was only time until they were all dead. He wondered briefly what Elwyn would do if he didn’t show up to meet her as he promised. Of course, she would also blame him for the death of her uncle and Clayre. He could hardly bear the fact that he was letting her down. Deeply lost in despair and fighting the assassin on instinct alone, Ayron could barely hear the sound of a horn blowing in the distance.

  Breaking through the darkness rode a large army of Amarani soldiers. They were accomp
anied by several torchbearers lighting up the whole area as they came. The assassins were suddenly at a great disadvantage. Ayron almost sobbed in relief. His friend Hodari was here and brought, what looked to be, his whole army with him. Two of the closest Amarani warriors jumped down from their morden and joined him in his fight. Ayron was suddenly able to read something in his opponent’s eyes. Fear! Within seconds, the flat expressionless face of his enemy was staring up at him in death. As he turned to join in the rest of the fighting, he could see that the Amarani were handling the remaining two assassins very well without him.

  He’d never known a people who had as much stamina and fought as fiercely as the Amarani. But at the same time, they were fiercely loyal to each other and devoted to their families and their animals. He was proud to call them his friends. His grandfather Lord Elrin negotiated the first peace treaty with the Amarani, and his people had been at peace with them ever since that time. The rest of the fight was over almost as quickly as it began. Ayron relieved, leaned against Gerrack to rest and catch his breath. At least he knew that none of the assassins had gotten away to report to their leader. That would buy them the time they needed to cross the border into Urafiki. In the distance, he spotted the chief of all the Amarani, his good friend Hodari. He often stayed in Amarni when he was out patrolling the border in that area, and had come to look upon Hodari and his people as a part of his extended family. Ayron ran over to greet his friend.

  “Hail little brother,” said Hodari, in his big booming voice. “I am glad to see you still with the living. I feared that we would not arrive in time to help you fight off the vile creatures from the swamp. My dawa mwaname told me that we must hurry if we were to save you. I’m glad that I was in the mood to listen to him today.”

  “Hail Hodari,” said Ayron, replying to Hodari’s greeting in a loud voice as well, which was in keeping with the traditional greeting of the Amarani people. Good fortune does indeed smile upon me this day. If you had not come to the rescue of your brother, his life and the lives of all of the other people here would be forfeit.”

  “Well brother, let us not dwell upon the unpleasant. Would you please introduce me to your companions,” Hodari said excitedly. “I am most anxious to meet them.”

  Ayron chuckled to himself. Seeing Hodari’s enthusiasm reminded him just how excited the Amarani were to meet new people from different lands. Amazingly, they also seemed to improve the mood of all the people that they came in contact with. With that, Ayron took Hodari over to the wagon to introduce him to Rhys, Clayre, and Galdor. He then introduced him to Stuart and Tomac, whose attempt to bow deeply was a bit hampered by the harness he was wearing. He was in the process of introducing Mintas and Briten, when Alea jumped lightly down from her position high up in the tree. Hodari ran over, laughed his big booming laugh, and tossed her up in the air as if she was lighter than a leaf. As he put her down and greeted her, Ayron found it amusing to see Alea battle between the joy of greeting an old friend, and the dignified demeanor of her position as both a soldier and an elf. Finally joy won out and her musical laughter echoed through the camp, lighting up the hearts of all who heard it. Everyone in their party had been through so much hardship and grief, that it was uplifting to them all to hear Alea’s musical laughter ringing through the air.

  After all the introductions were made, Hodari instructed a few of his men to ride with Alea to locate and bring back the bodies of the soldiers they’d been forced to abandon when they’d had to rush to join the second attack. Once the bodies were reclaimed, Hodari ordered his men to dig graves and bury any of Ayron’s men that had been killed, but to leave the bodies of the assassins for the scavengers. A few of his men dug an extra large grave so that they could bury Tilar and Krelan together. Hodari then asked Ayron if he and his soldiers needed to make camp and rest before traveling the rest of the distance to Amarni. Ayron indicated that he would like to move on as soon as the dead soldiers were buried, but that he had to check in with his healers before making a final decision.

  Ayron left Hodari and walked over to the wagon to check on Rhys and Clayre. They were both pretty shaken up by the fight that had just taken place. Clayre was shocked to see one of the assassins close up. She found it hard to believe that there were people with mottled greenish brown skin, flat faces, nostrils slits, and red eyes. Like Ayron, she had come across Salissians in Port Strabo, but none of them looked like these men. Clayre was a healer from a simple village and had never been exposed to violence and bloodshed before the day of Elwyn’s celebration. Her worst enemies had always been disease, accidents, and old age. The assassins trying to kill them seemed more like monsters, from the scary stories that were told around campfires late at night, than human beings.

  Clayre was amazed at how different in appearance the Amarani were from anyone she had ever come across. They were over seven feet tall, with rich mahogany colored skin. Their long pale blonde hair was pulled up tightly into a top knot that sat high on their heads. The hair in the center of the knot cascaded down to their waists, and in some cases below, like a shiny ribbon. The Amarani also had many adornments hanging from their hair, from their necks, and from their waists. These seemed to be a variety of treasures that they valued from beautifully colored stones to the bones of cherished companions that had passed on. Many of them had bands of various colors around their upper arms and their forearms. They dressed mostly in animal skins and covered much less of their bodies than most residents of Unity.

  Rhys, who normally had a sarcastic remark about everything and everybody, was strangely silent. Ayron figured that Rhys had also seen some things today that were difficult for him to deal with. He wondered if the violence of this day reminded Rhys of the bloody events of twenty seasons ago when he had to flee for his life. Here he was running again, and hiding from the same man who tried to have him killed before. In addition, Rhys had worked hard over the seasons to establish his own identity and not depend on others for help. Now life as he had known it was over and, in a sense, he was being forced to begin again. That had to be very difficult. Not knowing what else to say to them, Ayron wandered away from the wagon and flagged down Galdor to ask him if it was wise to resume their travels to Amarni. Galdor felt that it would be better for Rhys to be moving forward. Continuing on would remind him of why they were trying so hard to reach Amarni as soon as possible. Galdor felt it was important right now for Rhys to stay focused on protecting Clayre and Elwyn, rather than lamenting the life he left behind and the fact that Stefan was trying to assassinate him. Galdor hoped that continuing the journey might just put things back into perspective for Rhys.

  After leaving Galdor, Ayron went to find Kormir and congratulate him and Kifaru on a job well done.

  “I know it must have been a very rough trip for you and Kifaru,” he said giving Kormir a pat on the shoulder. “I believe that, had you arrived much later, you would have just found a group of corpses. Our fight against the shadow squads was not going well.” Ayron said shaking his head. “I hope that we have learned enough from our experiences to better train our troops how to fight against them.”

  “Thank you sir,” Kormir said rather shyly. “The credit really belongs to Kifaru here. He flew to Amarni as if there were flames licking at his hoofs.”

  “Well Kifaru, I certainly wouldn’t want you to feel left out. All of us here owe you a great debt of gratitude, especially since you were traveling with such a load on your back,” said Ayron laughing at Kormir’s substantial girth. “If he continues cooking with Clayre and eating all the leftovers, you may have trouble even trotting soon.”

  Kifaru bobbed his head up and down in reply, and then gave Kormir a playful nudge on the arm.

  “I wish I could give you more time to rest, but as soon as the soldiers that fell in battle today are buried, I think it would be wise for us to move on to Amarni without delay.” said Ayron as he left Kormir and Kifaru and headed over to where Stuart was overseeing the burial of the soldiers. Within the hour, th
e graves were dug, markers were placed, and the soldiers that had survived took a couple of minutes to say a few words about their fallen comrades. Ayron than mounted Gerrack and rode over to let Hodari know that they were ready to move out. Ayron gave the command and his soldiers along with the wagon began moving forward again toward Amarni; this time with a very large army by their side.

  The trip to Amarni was still very slow. They had to clear debris out of the way several times and even when the way was clear, they still had to travel slowly to accommodate Rhys. Ayron thought that, given the state of the trail, it was a miracle that Hodari’s army had been able to make such good time. It was very dark for most of the journey and Ayron lost track of the landmarks he remembered from previous trips. It was so dark that even the trail they were following appeared no different than the land surrounding it. He was so tired that he drifted off to sleep in his saddle on and off over the hours. He was very grateful to Hodari and his men for coming to their rescue and escorting them the rest of the way. He knew that without them, he would not have made it to Amarni. Just as he was dozing off again, he felt Kierra touch his mind. She let him know that Elwyn reached Kren safely, but that there was something about the village that interfered with her ability to establish a link with her mind for more than a few seconds. She also let him know that Keroc was still stable and doing as well as could be expected, given his condition. Ayron was extremely happy to hear that Keroc was doing well. He really did miss the little drakenhawk very much. Keroc’s overactive enthusiasm was a good balance for his own stoic demeanor. Kierra indicated that she would continue to try to reach Elwyn as often as she could and would report any news she discovered to Ayron. At this point both she and Ayron were just relieved that she’d reached Kren safely.