Souls of Aredyrah 3 - The Taking of the Dawn
Page 2
“Why do you keep saying that? They won’t change, so you’d best get used to the idea that I’ll be leaving one day—alone if I have to.” Dayn shot her a contemptuous look. “Why do you think it will be so hard for me to leave without Falyn? You left Reiv behind didn’t you? That didn’t seem so hard.”
Alicine threw her hand up to cover her mouth. But it didn’t stop the sob that escaped her throat. She wheeled around and stormed to her bedroll, then threw herself upon it, keeping her back to him. “It…it was hard,” she said between muffled sobs.
Dayn folded his arms and stared at the ground, then at Alicine’s back. He could see her shoulders rising and falling to the rhythm of her grief and regretted that he had been the cause of it. His sister knew how to manipulate him with her tears, but these, he knew, were sincere. When it came to the subject of Reiv, their conversations were always emotional ones. During their time in Tearia, they had both come to love Reiv. Once a prince, Reiv’s personal tragedies had thrust him into their lives in a most unexpected way. And while Dayn had come to embrace him as friend and cousin, Alicine had come to embrace him as so much more.
“I’m sorry, Alicine,” Dayn said softly. “I shouldn’t have talked about you and Reiv like that. I know it wasn’t easy leaving him.” He knelt beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “But he said himself that we would see each other again. And you know Reiv has a way of knowing things.”
Alicine looked up at him. “He does, doesn’t he.”
“I don’t think he would lie about a thing like that would he? I mean, you did manage to straighten him out on that little issue of his lying, didn’t you?”
Alicine smiled. “That I did.”
“There, you see?”
She nodded. “I’ll see him again,” she said with a sniff.
“Get some sleep,” Dayn said, pulling the corner of the blanket over her.
He rose and made his way back to what was left of the campfire, pushing the wayward sticks and coals back onto the pile with his foot. With fresh kindling and a few gentle breaths, the fire billowed back to an orange glow that radiated a perimeter of warmth and sent a trail of smoke into Dayn’s face. He wiped the sting from his eyes with the back of his hand, then curled up on his bedroll. But he found he could not sleep, and he could not stop the tears from trailing down his cheeks.
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Chapter 2: Jewel of the Valley
Dayn and Alicine traveled for three more days before finding the pass that led them between the mountains. As Dayn had suspected, they’d simply not gone far enough north. Reiv had told Dayn to look for the pass between the two peaks east of the smoking mountain. But the closer they got, the more difficult it was to tell where one peak began and another ended.
At last they found the passage they were seeking, but when they reached its end, they could only stop and stare. Below them was a vast green valley, its wild grasses rising and falling like waves on an emerald sea.
“I swear, if I wasn’t so tired I’d gallop right into it,” Dayn said. He twisted around in the saddle to look at his sister. Her grin was stretched as wide as his was.
They wound the horses down the mountainside until at last they were standing at the edge of the vale. It spread across the landscape like an endless palette of teal upon teal, spotted here and there by patches of red and white and yellow. A ring of snow-capped mountains surrounded it, rising like a great crown tipped with sparkling jewels.
Dayn pulled a breath through his nostrils, relishing the sweet scent of clover mixed with early autumn wildflowers.
“It’s so beautiful,” Alicine said, gazing out. “Think of the crops Father could grow in a place like this.”
“Anyplace would be better than that rocky patch of ground he struggles with year after year,” Dayn said. Then his hopes lifted. “Do you think he’d consider moving the family here? I sure wouldn’t mind it. Then we could live closer to…oh, never mind.”
“Closer to Tearia?”
“Well, if we lived halfway between…”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen, Dayn, so you might want to put that little fantasy to rest.”
“Just a thought,” he said.
The valley proved to be rich with life, and it soon drew Dayn into a sense of contentedness he had not felt since they had left Tearia. But he knew better than to linger. If what Reiv told them was true, and it probably was, they had only to make their way between the two ridges directly ahead of them and they would be in Kirador. From there they had only to go west, then—
“What’s that?” Alicine asked, pointing to the ground in front of them.
Dayn squinted in the direction she was indicating, toward a patch of faded pink flowers with pale yellow leaves. A reflection could be seen glinting in the sunlight, appearing and disappearing with every step he took.
“Where did it go?” Alicine asked, rising in her saddle.
“There…over there,” Dayn said, his arm outstretched. “See it?” But he didn’t wait for a reply and dismounted his horse.
The glimmer vanished, and Dayn searched the area in slow circles. Alicine dismounted and joined him, but whatever it was they were looking for was no longer in sight.
Dayn shrugged. “Probably just a rock or something.”
Alicine halted. “No,” she said, and reached down to gather something that lay at her feet.
Dayn took several strides toward her. “What is it?”
Alicine thrust out her hand. Dayn gazed into it, his heart skipping. He would have been less astounded if she had been holding a serpent under his nose. Cradled in her hand was a brooch of silver, a purple amethyst set at its center. It was a brooch surely made for a royal, much like the ones they had seen Whyn, Reiv’s brother, wear. But Whyn’s jewels were emeralds, not amethysts, and he would never have had cause to be in this place.
Dayn took the ornament from Alicine’s hand and inspected it. “This can’t be Whyn’s.”
“It’s Reiv’s,” Alicine said. “I’m sure of it.”
“Reiv’s? But when would he have—oh…of course. But I didn’t think he’d actually been here. I mean, when he transcended and the goddess gave him visions of the valley, I thought they were just visions.”
Alicine’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the brooch. Dayn handed it back to her. “Here, you keep it. Something to remember him by, ‘til you see him next time. Won’t he be surprised you found it?”
She smiled, then pinned the jewel to her dress, low enough at the breast so she could look at it with ease. “The color reminds me of his eyes,” she said, running her finger over the stone. Then she gazed at the shell bracelet draped around her wrist, its iridescent swirls competing with the elegance of the brooch. Both were precious in her eyes. Reiv had given her the bracelet and now, in a way, he had given her the amethyst as well.
****
The pass into the valley from the southern side was not difficult, other than the finding of it, but the pass into Kirador to the west proved to be more treacherous. There was evidence of recent landslides all along the canyon-like passage they had entered. Dirt and massive boulders were tumbled into precarious mounds on either side of them; trees, once towering giants, lay toppled with root balls exposed; a fresh mountain stream was now a river of mud and debris.
As Dayn and Alicine slowly made their way through, an uneasy silence surrounded them. There was no sign of life, no birds or insects, no song of the wind, no fluttering of leaves in the trees, not even the dry ones. They glanced nervously at the towering walls of stone on either side of them. Perhaps it was just as well there were no sounds. The slightest vibration seemed as if it could bring the mountain down on top of them.
A landslide of pebbles trickled down the slope, bouncing and echoing off the larger rocks below. The horses responded with nervous neighs and dancing hooves.
“We need to get out of here,” Dayn whispered. “This place gives me the chills.”
“Do you think it’ll
be like this back home?” Alicine asked in a worried tone.
“I hope not, but let’s not talk about it now. I’m afraid anymore noise might bring something unpleasant down on us…like that,” he said, motioning to an overhang of granite above their heads.
They continued on as quickly and quietly as the terrain would allow, and before too long the scenery changed from that of potential entombment to a place to soar and breath free. They paused atop an embankment and stared at the forest that stretched down the mountainside. They had finally reached it—Kirador—the place Alicine called home, but that Dayn no longer could.
“We’re there, Dayn,” Alicine exclaimed. “We’re finally in Kirador!”
But Dayn remained silent. He was happy for his sister, but couldn’t bring himself to share in it.
“I can’t believe you actually got us here,” Alicine said. “You did it!” She began to laugh, then cry, then leaned over to Dayn and threw her arms around him, almost tumbling from her horse.
“Whoa, hold on there girl,” Dayn said, straightening her onto the saddle.
“Why the face?” Alicine asked, realizing her brother’s gloomy expression. “Can’t you be happy at all? Surely there’s room in your heart for the happier memories. You do have some, don’t you?”
Dayn focused his eyes on nothing as he contemplated an answer to her question. Then he said, “Well I remember it felt pretty good to sleep in a real bed. I do look forward to that.”
“That’s it? That’s all you can say? This is your home. You grew up here for goodness sakes!”
“No, I grew up in Tearia.” Dayn searched her face for a hint of understanding. To his surprise, he found it.
“I guess we both did,” she said. “Come on, let’s go.”
Dayn forced a smile. “You’re right; we still have a long way to go. No sense sitting here arguing about whether I’m happy or not. I promised I’d get you home to Mother and Father, and that I’ll do. At least that will make me happy.”
****
It took two days for their surroundings to appear more familiar. As Dayn surveyed the peaks growing distant at their backs, he began to chart in his mind approximately how much further they had to travel. He had spent most of his life looking up at the mountains. Now he just had to look at things from a different perspective.
The cabin of their childhoods would be nestled just below the high forests of the clan lands. Only affluent citizens were allowed to own property in the fertile bottomlands or live near the thriving coastal city of Kiradyn. It was there that the Vestry council met, and it was there that the political and religious powers of Kirador were firmly entrenched.
Located on the southwestern border of Aerie territory, their family’s cabin was closer to the thriving city than the others of their clan. They visited Kiradyn frequently; his mother’s healing potions were popular, and his sister had been one of the few chosen by the Spirit Keeper for private tutoring. Unfortunately, Dayn was frequently forced to tag along. More than anything his parents wanted him to be accepted in spite of his differences, so had worked hard to assimilate their ways with Kiradyn customs and speech. But though Dayn may have sounded like a Kiradyn, he would never look like one. As Dayn thought on it now, he was grateful his parents had never moved closer to the city. Though the rocky soil of their homestead had caused them nothing but grief, at least he and Alicine wouldn’t have to pass any Kiradyn homes to reach their own now, and there was little chance of running into anyone other than a fellow clansman along the way.
They continued their descent through a seemingly endless landscape of firs and aspens and pines. Dayn had expected them to reach home by late afternoon, but the bright autumn sun had turned dim with a thin layer of clouds moving in from the north, slowing their pace with the arrival of an early season cold front.
The wind picked up, sending a rush of frigid air whipping through the branches. Dayn tightened his collar around his neck.
“I’m freezing,” he muttered.
“You’ve grown weak,” Alicine said.
“I suppose I have,” he replied. “Well, Mother will have the fire going, and I plan to plop down in Father’s chair whether he likes it or not and plant my feet right down in front of that hearth.”
“Oh, so you think Father will give up his chair for his run-away son? I don’t know…you might not have a backside to sit on when he gets finished with you.”
“I’d like to see him try,” Dayn grumbled.
****
They did not reach the house as soon as they had hoped. A veil of mist had descended upon them, followed by storm clouds that ushered in stinging rain. They sat hunched on the horses, their bedrolls wrapped around their shoulders, praying they wouldn’t have to sleep another night on the blankets that were now soaked through. But night was upon them before they knew it, and they found themselves huddled against the cold bark of a tree, wet blankets wrapped around them, their bodies seeking one another’s for warmth.
In the morning they plodded on, stiff from the dampness that penetrated their bones, their moods as dreary as the weather that surrounded them. The horses slowly lumbered through the woods, barely needing guidance. It was as if the animals knew where they were going, or maybe they sensed a nice, warm barn up ahead.
Dayn gazed through the mist. The landscape would have seemed dismal had it not been spotted here and there with bright orange leaves clinging to branches and blanketing the dark forest floor. A sudden opening in the trees caught Dayn’s attention. “There it is,” he said, unable to disguise his excitement. “The house—there—through the trees!”
Alicine jerked her head up, her eyes wide. “We’re there. We’re really there!” she said. She kicked in her heels and urged the horse forward.
Dayn followed behind her, but realized she was getting too far ahead. “Wait,” he called.
Alicine stopped and twisted around to face him. “Wait for what? I’ve waited long enough! Come on. You’re too slow.”
Dayn caught up to her. “Are you planning on running through the door with me still back in the woods somewhere?” he said. “Don’t you think we should ease into this a bit? I mean, Mother will keel right over if we just barrel in. She’s probably going to keel over anyway, but…”
Alicine sighed, but resumed her place by his side as they rode toward the house.
When they reached the edge of the clearing, Dayn sensed that she was about to take off again. But then he realized something was wrong. He threw out a hand. “Stop,” he ordered.
“What do you mean stop?” Alicine said with indignation.
“Something’s not right. It’s too quiet. Where are the chimes?” Dayn’s eyes darted back and forth along the eaves of the front porch. There had always been chimes there, dozens of them in all shapes and sizes. Their mother had placed them there to ward off demons. All Kiradyns did.
“Why would Mother have taken them down?” Alicine asked, scrutinizing the house.
“I don’t know,” Dayn replied. “And you know that nice warm fire I was looking forward to? Well, there’s no smoke coming from the chimney. Mother and Father always have a fire.”
Suddenly the house did not seem inviting at all. Was this the home they had left all those months ago? Once it had been a place full of light, but now it was dark, like a shadow of its former self. Dayn shivered. He thought he had gotten his sister home, but now he wasn’t so sure. “I’ll go first,” he said. “You stay here while I take a look.”
“No,” Alicine said. “We go together.”
Dayn frowned, then nodded. There was no sense in ordering his sister to stay. She wouldn’t do it anyway.
The closer they got, the greater the knot in Dayn’s stomach became. The front door was ajar, like a mouth howling the wind whipping the eaves. The windows were opaque with fog, and the gray mist made the structure’s cedar appear dark and ominous. Memories of summers sitting on that porch swept through Dayn’s mind. Happier times. No, he hadn’t forgotten.
He reached up to lift her from the horse. “Come on,” he said. “We have to go in sometime.”
Alicine allowed him to help her down, and together they made their way toward the house. They hesitated at the doorway, staring at the portal as though it would swallow them whole. Then they entered, and any thoughts they had of returning to what they had left evaporated.
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Chapter 3: Darkening Shadows
Dayn and Alicine walked across the floorboards of the cabin, their footsteps echoing the emptiness of it. The place felt spiritless, as if the life-force of their family had been drained out of it. Most of the furniture was missing, the few remaining pieces either warped by dampness or scattered about in pieces. Kitchen cabinets were left ajar, dangling on their hinges, contents raked out. Flour-sodden debris mixed with shards of glass blanketed the floor. The wind whistled through a kaleidoscope of broken windowpanes; rain-stained curtains slapped against their frames.
Dayn could read the anxiety on Alicine’s face. “I’m sure Mother and Father are all right,” he said assuringly.
“How do you know?” Alicine asked, her voice rising. “Where are they? And just look at this place! Mother would never—”
“They’ve probably gone to stay with relatives.”
Alicine crunched across the kitchen floor and opened the pantry closet. A broom sat propped in the corner, along with a pail and a few cleaning utensils. “You’re right,” she said. “They probably just left for a while, until the mountain settles down. They’re coming back…definitely coming back.”
She pulled out the broom and began to sweep, slowly at first, then more vigorously. Glass mixed with dirt scraped across the floor. “Mother would have a fit if she saw the state her kitchen is in. Dayn, why don’t you get those windows boarded up and—”