On a happier note, I know that my husband will instantly fall in love with our little Elwyn. She is so beautiful and resembles him in many ways.... Oh where are they and why hasn’t my husband come to take me home?”
Elwyn then skipped over to Rhianna’s last entry.
“I know now that I will not live much longer. I feel so bad for Rhys. He is losing everyone he loves. I am getting too weak to write in this diary but am leaving some instructions behind for when I die. Rhys, I would ask that you please go to Findara and speak with Ayron and Azavon to let them know what has happened to me. Tell my husband about our precious little girl and tell him to shower her with love every day of his life. Ask my brother-in-law Ayron to protect little Elwyn and to show her how to take care of herself. I have the feeling that my daughter will be very much like her uncle. I have instructed Rhys to give Gemma to Elwyn as soon as she is old enough to learn to care for her and I have instructed Gemma to watch over her while she grows and protect her with her life.
When Elwyn grows up, please make sure that she has my pendant and this diary as gifts from her mother. And make sure that she knows that I loved her with my whole heart, and that the only regret I have is that I will not be there to watch her grow up.”
Elwyn had tears in her eyes as she read Rhianna’s last entry. It was written to her. In it Rhianna told her what a good man her father was and how anxious she was that they comfort one another after she was gone. Rhianna’s last words were to request that Elwyn made sure that her father knew just how much she loved them both.
Both Ayron and Kierra were silent for a time after she finished reading the last few entries. Elwyn could see that Ayron was also fighting back tears. She knew that they were both picturing how different things might have been, had Ayron or Azavon had any idea what happened so long ago. Instead they arrived back in Findara to be told that Rhianna was so unhappy she took her own life.
After a few moments Kierra began to dissect what they knew of the facts. At this point, possible suspects from the royal family were Lady Azriel, Lady Alysan, Gelmir, and Daeglin. The most likely suspects from the Council of Elders were Daeglin, Lady Azriel, Safriel, and Kahril. After reading the diary, they had to include Malac, who was still the elder healer in Findara and was also an elf. In addition, they also had to conclude that there were at least two people involved in the conspiracy because of the conversation that Lilith overheard outside the council chambers. Another huge question in all of their minds was Lilith. Rhianna hadn’t stated if she was a human or elf. Neither Ayron nor Kierra knew her. The critical questions were: What happened to Lilith? Why hadn’t she come forth? And, where was she now?
The three of them were exhausted by the time they finished discussing the possibilities. They all felt as if they needed some rest and time away from the many questions that, at this point, had no answers. They agreed to get together the next day and try to determine a plan of action. Ayron and Elwyn recognized that Kierra was expending a tremendous amount of energy keeping all of this information blocked from the other drakenhawks. Kierra did say that she was also linked with Gemma during their conversations so that Gemma could help keep the news from spreading among the morden.
Before she withdrew from their minds, Kierra made the suggestion that she speak with Lady Silvenna about both the situation with Elwyn and the plot they’d uncovered. She wasn’t a suspect and knew more about most of the possible suspects than anyone else in Findara. Kierra felt that she might also have some wisdom to offer about how to break all this to Azavon. Ayron wholeheartedly agreed with her, and Elwyn chose to bow to their wisdom.
When she was alone trying to fall asleep, Elwyn hoped that whatever destiny lay ahead of her was worth all of the sacrifices that were being made on her behalf. She knew, without any doubt, that she would have a huge debt to pay to the people and the companions that had nurtured her, protected her, and willingly sacrificed their lives so that she would live.
Chapter 41 – Heir to Two Thrones
Elwyn woke up to a sharp rap on her door and Ayron’s gruff voice letting her know that breakfast was ready downstairs in the common room of the inn. He told her, in between Keroc’s enthusiastic chirps and whistles, that they would be waiting for her at a table near the fireplace. Elwyn giggled as she tossed back the warm blankets. She had given up trying to outdo Ayron when it came to getting up in the mornings. He seemed to take great pride in being the first awake and starting the first preparations of the day. She sometimes wondered if he just liked the time alone, to think and dream. She had been the same way while living with Rhys.
As soon as she finished dressing and donning the hat to hide her hair from view, Elwyn hurried down the stairs to the common room, sat down across from her uncle, and looked in disbelief at the huge platter of food sitting on the table.
“When are your other soldiers joining us, uncle? For surely it would take an army to eat all of the food on this table.”
She looked at Ayron in amazement as he sheepishly told her that he had ordered them the best breakfast that the inn had to offer. It was obvious that the innkeeper’s wife took him very seriously. There were steaks, thick slices of ham, roasted potatoes and squash, some sort of thin bread with honey, thick fluffy biscuits, lots of eggs, a variety of fruit, and even some cheeses.
“There is no way that we can eat all of this food. I hope that the innkeeper’s wife doesn’t feel insulted when people that come here don’t eat everything on their platters.”
“Ah, don’t worry little one, we can pack up the leftovers and eat them for lunch while we travel today,” Ayron said with a broad grin. “At least you won’t have to hunt for our lunch.”
“This food is enough for lunch and dinner,” she replied shaking her head. “I still say that traveling with you could make a person too heavy for a morden to carry.”
“Well then, problem solved. If the morden refused to carry the person, all the walking they would be forced to do would cause them to lose weight again,” Ayron said laughing.
Elwyn was shocked at what a good mood her uncle was in. He sat at the table and laughed and joked with both her and Keroc, who disagreed that there was too much food to eat. While they sat eating, Elwyn heard from Toruk, who continued to report that the drakenhawks had not detected any threats. She let him know that she was happy with his news and that she and Ayron would be leaving the village within the hour. As they were getting up to leave, it occurred to her that, perhaps Ayron’s mood was improving because he was getting closer to home. He, like she, kept most things to himself; she would never know, unless he chose to share the reasons with her.
The innkeeper packed up the food that was left from their breakfast and told them, with a big grin, that his wife had added some more slices of ham and a few more steaks to the basket as well. Ayron handed her the basket of food and had her wait outside in the shadows while he went and got the morden. Elwyn was a bit puzzled by this and as they were leaving the village, asked him about it.
“Both Azavon and I have been to this village, left our morden at the stable, and stayed at that inn. I don’t know if anyone here would know what those deep violet eyes of yours mean, but I didn’t want to take any chances. We have all worked too hard to keep your identity a secret, to have it come out now because we got sloppy.”
“I guess that makes good sense. I sometimes forget about my eyes. I keep thinking it is all about my hair.”
“I think it is more about not letting people put the pieces together. We are getting closer to Findara now. There is only one more village before we reach the city. The closer we get, the more the villagers and travelers we meet will know about the royal family and how our eye color is unique to us. All other elves have either green or blue eyes.”
“I’ll make sure to keep my head down as much as possible. If anyone approaches us though, I’ll depend upon you to answer any questions.”
They rode along in companionable silence for a while, just enjoying the bright sunsh
ine and mild temperatures. The rain that fell the night before left everything appearing fresh and smelling sweet. Elwyn almost giggled as she looked over at Keroc riding along on the pommel of Raffe’s saddle. He seemed to be bobbing his head up and down to the rhythm of the morden’s hooves. It was amazing to her that she had become so comfortable with her little group of companions. After a short while, Ayron interrupted her pleasant thoughts with a rather startling question.
“Elwyn, you have come to realize that you are heir to the throne of Silvendil, haven’t you?”
“Actually, I have been trying not to think about it. I am like you and don’t want to rule anything. I have always liked being off by myself in the woods, Ayron. I believe that I would find life as a ruler like living as a prisoner in a clear cell, with my every move and action watched and evaluated. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to rule an entire land and having their every move either dictated by politics or duty. That is certainly not why I agreed to go and meet my father,” Elwyn said vehemently.
“I know how you feel, but sometimes our destinies are already laid out for us and we just have to be willing to follow the path.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that.”
“I don’t know of anyone who’s met you that doesn’t recognize that there is something very unique about you. By birth, you are less than half-elf, and yet you possess all of the abilities and features of an elf; except for your hair, of course. You possess an uncanny ability to interact with companions and other intelligent species that you come in contact with. When we fought the shadow squads, you took down more of the assassins than I did, even though I am the seasoned soldier. The head mare of the morden chose to life-bond with you. In the history of the elves, there has never been a person born who has a greater potential to bring peace, end bigotry, and set us on a unified course for the future. I know that you don’t see it and that all of this has hit you very suddenly, but you must begin to consider what I am saying.”
They rode together in silence for a while and then Ayron looked over and said, “Do you have any questions, Elwyn?”
“I promise that I will think over what you have said. It is a lot for me to take in. I was not raised to think that I was anyone special, and now everyone says that they know I am. If this keeps up I will need Rhys and Clayre around to feed me a piece or two of humble pie.”
They rode along for a while longer in silence, each one deep in thought. Suddenly Elwyn leaned toward Ayron and said, “I do have one question. Does this mean that I have to wear a dress?”
Ayron laughed hard and shook his head. He recognized that her humor was partly to disguise her discomfort at everything that was happening to her, but he also knew that she was still extremely uncomfortable with her own femininity. When he thought about it, perhaps being brought up by Rhys had helped prepare her for her future more than she realized. She would be taking her place as a ruler without any expectations. She’d never had servants and treated everyone as an equal. She had done her fair share of hard work and appreciated the value of a job well done. She was willing to take risks when it seemed appropriate, or when it involved someone or something she cared about. She was a person who valued the truth and could be trusted. And finally because she had been somewhat of an outcast her entire life, she didn’t reject people or other species that were different than she.
“Well thought, Ayron” said Kierra as she gently entered his mind. I wanted to discuss something with you before I speak to Elwyn. I was thinking about asking Elwyn if she would be willing to life-bond with a drakenhawk before she arrives in Findara. I know that she has been through a lot of new experiences over the past few weeks, but a drakenhawk companion would be in a much better position to protect her when she is in the capital. After thinking it over, both Gemma and I agree that there has to be some element of companion treachery involved in all of this. When we discussed the possible suspects, every one of them has at least one companion if not two. How do you feel about hosting a private choosing?”
“I’m not sure that she is ready for all of this, Kierra,” Ayron responded. “I realize that you and Gemma are trying to protect her, but the idea of a companion is a relatively new concept to her. She never knew that Gemma life-bonded with her. Thane had to explain it to her. I know that she has willingly let you into her head during this stressful period, but Elwyn enjoys her privacy and solitude. She may not be willing to give that up yet, even to save her own life.”
“I understand what you are saying, but I will feel terrible if I don’t at least try. The best time to do it would be shortly before you arrive here with her. You would serve as witness. If we were to wait, I’m worried that someone here may try to block a choosing, either because of her age or her newness to Silvendil.”
“Kierra, if I were you, I would wait until after you speak with Lady Silvenna to approach Elwyn. I think it is time we speak with someone who has much more knowledge about the inner workings of Silvendil than we do.”
“I will do that, Ayron. I have not been able to discuss this with anyone but Gemma so far, and she agrees because she thinks it is the best way to protect Elwyn once she is in Findara. Gemma will not be able to be with her at all times. Farewell for now. I will join the two of you later this evening so that we can work on a plan together.”
Elwyn was surprised when Ayron led them off the road and announced that it was time for lunch. He had been very quiet for the past hour, in fact she wondered if he had fallen asleep. The morden were grazing happily as the two of them dove into the basket of food they brought along from the inn. Elwyn enjoyed some thick slices of ham accompanied by some of the fluffy biscuits dripping with honey. Ayron pulled out some steak and some of the roasted root vegetables that were left from breakfast. Keroc enjoyed taking tidbits of meat from each of them. He started hopping on alternating feet from excitement though, as Elwyn informed him that he was healthy enough to hunt on his own, as long as he stayed fairly close and kept in contact with Ayron.
When they were underway again, Ayron let Keroc fly short distances in the area around them. He was still concerned about Keroc’s health and wasn’t sure if he had enough strength to fly longer distances yet. Keroc tried so hard to convince Ayron that he was back to full strength that he almost missed landing on the pommel of Raffe’s saddle and ended up scrambling to regain his balance. As the afternoon wore on, Keroc settled down and Ayron could tell that he was healthy enough to begin his training again.
It was still mid-afternoon when Ayron turned from the road and led them along a small trail. They traveled for a few more miles to a small house that sat on the edge of a large pond. Elwyn was delighted at the location and was happy to learn that the house actually belonged to the family.
“My father used to bring Azavon and me here at least twice a season to hunt and fish. We always looked forward to our visits and considered this place our own special hideaway. Of course, Azavon spent most of his time inside reading, while I did the hunting and fishing for all of our meals. Our father used to spend a lot of time sitting on the rocks surrounding the pond just thinking. He said that one of the things he missed the most from before he became ruler of Silvendil, were the times he could get off by himself and just think or figure out how he felt about things.
I think that Azavon would agree with me, that the best part of our short trips was just the chance for us to spend time with our father, without all the responsibilities of ruling Silvendil coming between us. Unfortunately since my father’s death, our getaways stopped and I am the only person who ever comes here. Maybe you can convince Azavon to bring you here for a few days from time to time, just to be alone and get to know one another better.”
Elwyn nodded and told him how delighted she was to be staying at the quaint little house. She spent some time looking around the interior and was excited to find that it had beds and that there were clean linens in the cupboard. The pantry was also stocked with staples, dry goods and herbs. The little house looked well
maintained and when she asked, Ayron told her that he paid a couple that lived in Sylreth, a small city to the north, to keep the place stocked and clean for him. Ayron went outside to see to the morden while Elwyn brought in some firewood, built a fire, and put water on for tea. They still had plenty of food in their basket, so Elwyn heated up the meat and vegetables, warmed the bread and biscuits, and put the fruit and cheese out on a platter she found laying on a shelf in the kitchen. After they ate, they both worked together to clean up. Elwyn contacted Toruk and let him know that they were settled for the evening, so that the drakenhawks could feel free to hunt. He thanked her and told her that they would hunt in shifts, with at least half of them still watching for signs of danger.
After all the work was done, Ayron and Elwyn each got a mug of hot tea and settled down to wait for Kierra, who wasn’t long in making her presence known. She gently greeted them both and suggested they should begin by trying to narrow the list of suspects as much as they could before she spoke with Lady Silvenna the next day. Kierra admitted to being a bit nervous about communicating with Lady Silvenna. She told them that when Lady Silvenna addressed her or the drakenhawk healers, she spoke out loud to them as if she was speaking to people. Kierra’s mother Galista had been life-bonded to Lady Silvenna and died saving her life. She had never sought to bond with another drakenhawk after Galista’s death. Kierra hoped that Lady Silvenna would not take offense at her intrusion, but felt that the danger to Elwyn was worth the risk.
Over the next three hours, the three of them examined and re-examined the potential conspirators. They narrowed the list to six of the most likely candidates. Highest on the list was Daeglin an elf who had life-bonded with Grapp, a drakenhawk and Koram, a morden. Safriel, an elf, was next on the list. He was life-bonded to Donak, a morden and Weilik, a drakenhawk. The next suspect was Malac who was an elf, the master healer of Findara, and was life-bonded to Phena, a drakenhawk and Mavelor, a morden. Gelmir and Alysan were still on the list of suspects, although none of them believed that either of them could have masterminded the plan to kill Rhianna. Neither Gelmir nor Alysan was life-bonded with a companion. One of the biggest issues they had with the list of suspects was the lack of females. They were obviously missing something.
Origin Page 38
