“Tomorrow, we’ll feast, and sleep in real beds,” Mehrika sang out. They continued in laughter and good cheer throughout the meal, and once their dinner was finished, their euphoria slowly gave way to a sense of well-being and calm. Glaide got up and moved closer to the edge of the hill which, at this point, was more like a cliff than a hill, even if it was only three or four yards up in the air. The sun, now in its last throes, was giving off that light that he loved so much, a warm, intense golden hue. It was still high enough to light much of the ground around them, but low enough to provide a dusky twilight. Mehrika joined him there, and the two stood gazing into the distance. Then, the young woman turned to him to speak, her voice soft and gentle.
“Tomorrow, I might not have a chance to tell you... Or I might forget, and I’d feel terrible...” Glaide laid his dark eyes on her. “Thank you,” she finished softly. For a fraction of a second, she hesitated, uncertain, and then she made up her mind: slowly, she drew close to the face of her companion. Glaide’s heart began to beat faster as he felt her warm breath, so near, so nice... She closed her eyes, and he felt tempted to do the same, to abandon himself to this eternal moment.
Their lips would have touched if Glaide hadn’t turned away...
“I’m... sorry...” he whispered, his throat tight, his eyes resolutely fixed on the setting sun. He didn’t have the strength to face the young woman—not after what had just so nearly happened. From the corner of his eye, though, he could see her dismay; she looked lost, incomprehension masking her face. She reddened, and fixed her gaze on the ground. The adolescent felt a sting of pain at the embarrassment he’d caused, all the more because he couldn’t understand his own reaction. Had it been a reflex, to protect himself? Fear? No, it had been something else... Contrary to his expectation, Mehrika stayed at his side, and eventually her gaze lifted once again. Her face was impassive now. Glaide admired her strength, and his own actions seemed even more illogical and out of place because of that. But, he had done what he had done, and as he stood there, he began to understand why. Why... As soon as the word formed in his mind, he understood. He spoke, a tremble in his voice.
“I... I can’t do that... It’s not your fault. It’s me. I have so much left to do, battles to fight, people to lead. I cannot bring you the happiness you deserve. Not now. I have obligations, even if I did not choose them.” Suddenly, something Kezthrem had said came to mind. “Every story has an end.” His master had asked if his was one he wished for, or one he feared, and for the first time, Glaide felt able to answer that question. “In this moment, I wish...” he continued, “that my story would have an end, that I would one day be free to do as I wish, and to live as I desire to live, without concern for the future...” Just an hour earlier, his obstacles had seemed distant, and he’d had no thoughts for the future. Now, they’d caught up to him with frightening strength, relentlessly. “My inner strength has never failed me yet, and today is not the day. I have to overcome this, though it will be even more arduous because I’m no longer alone in it; I leave someone behind me, and I bring sadness to someone else...” The thought broke his heart. Suddenly Mehrika’s voice rang out, clear and full of confidence.
“I’ll wait, then.”
With that, she turned and headed into the shelter formed by the rocks, leaving her companion alone with his thoughts and his questions, but also with his admiration for the young woman who had vanquished her fears and who it seemed couldn’t be defeated by anything.
Chapter 16
GLAIDE stayed outside for a long time, thinking about everything as he watched the great ball of fire settle below the horizon. Finally, when the darkness of night and the pale light of the stars replaced the gleaming rays of sunlight, he decided to head into the cavern that had been created to welcome travelers like him. Mehrika was already sound asleep, a peaceful expression on her face which he knew now matched the contents of her heart.
The young man decided to lay down a ways away from the girl, nearer to the cave’s entrance. As he lay there, he contemplated the fact that his enemies would likely soon know where he was, if they didn’t already, and then he wondered to himself exactly what awaited them in the day to come. What would the village be like? Why did the inhabitants have such a different appearance from others in the Known Lands? Why had Mehrika been sought out and captured? He curled up in his cape, pulling it around him and giving a sigh of contentment at the comfort it provided. This pleasant journey was drawing to a close, but so many adventures and new friendships still awaited him.
“It’s almost like this journey was some kind of a test,” he thought to himself. “A test that let me take up everything Kezthrem taught me, and come to understand it better, and learn how to adapt it to do what I need it to do. Yes, in the end, I think it was important, even necessary, that I experience all of this before finding my friends, and before heading into the battle that is our lot. I’ve changed, and Emily, Gwenn, and Jeremy will see that. I wonder how they’ll have changed?”
He fell asleep without even noticing, lulled there by dreams of glory and of the victory that would dissipate all of his obligations in the midst of the jubilation of mankind, finally liberated from fear... Dreams where he could go wherever he wanted, and live with whoever he wanted to...
He awoke several hours later, with only the last fleeting images of those dreams in his mind. He was sure of one thing, though: he had dreamed about Mehrika.
The young woman in question was already up. The sun had not yet risen, but it would soon, and the sky was already lightening. It would be mere minutes before the horizon would take on its rosy tint. The young woman was sitting at the edge of the hill, a few yards in front of her companion, who wondered to himself exactly how he should approach her. He didn’t doubt but that the happenings of the night before were still on her mind. Nonetheless, he gathered his courage—not an easy task so early in the morning—got up, and headed over to where she was. She heard him coming, and turned to face him. Glaide smiled timidly at her, but she returned the smile with the frankness that was so much a part of her.
“I didn’t dare wake you,” she began. “I’ve already been up for almost an hour. I couldn’t sleep anymore, I was so excited.” The two laughed at that.
“Right, so then I’d better not suggest we eat a relaxed breakfast, sitting around the fire, huh?” Glaide declared with a wink. “So, let’s go.” He hefted his sack onto his shoulder, then went to follow the young woman, who was already climbing down the hill. “Which direction do we need to head?” he asked.
“I’ll guide you. I know exactly where we are.”
“And you’re absolutely sure that we’ll come out in front of the woods that hide your village?”
“Absolutely.” Glaide didn’t try to argue with her. Maybe she was right, but maybe she was too excited to see the task realistically. Either way, she was the only one who stood a chance at finding the part of the woods that led to her village, instead of heading into the home of the elves... “How long do you think it’ll take us?”
“Two hours, maybe three. I don’t come here often, since it’s rather far off from my home.” Hearing that, the boy hesitated, a question on the tip of his tongue. Finally, he decided that nothing he could say would dampen his companion’s enthusiasm, so he might as well ask.
“Were you far from your village when you were captured?” She shook her head in reply.
“That’s the strangest part, as well as the part that convinced me they were waiting for me. They didn’t come across me by chance, because no monster would approach so close to the home of the elves without a good reason. But I’d imagine we’ll have an answer to that question once we arrive.”
The two traveled the last few miles in a mood of joy and happiness. It was almost as though the events of the evening before had never happened. He had to admit, though, that his companion’s excitement at going home was so great, she could probably think of nothing else. By the time the two travelers had arrived at the
edge of the woods, the sun had risen, but it was still low in the sky. The day had barely begun, and the light was dim, but Glaide could see a few rays of light filtering through the thick foliage, and bringing light to the woods.
“We’re in the right place, I’m sure of it,” Mehrika exclaimed.
“Uh huh... And what makes you so certain?”
“The way the light plays.” Glaide raised one eyebrow questioningly, but his companion launched herself into the forest with a laugh, not taking the time to give any explanation.
“What does that mean?” the young man asked as he caught up to her. “What does the light do that’s different here from anywhere else?”
“Isn’t it magnificent?” Truth be told, that adjective didn’t hold a candle to the splendor that surrounded them. Emerald rays of light illuminated specks of dust in the air and the massive trunks of trees that were hundreds of years old. The sweet scent of damp wood reigned in this place, and Glaide could make out the melodious sound of a stream in the distance. Mehrika seemed to know exactly where she was, and she quickly led the adolescent to the stream of water, which shimmered and glittered in the light, babbling joyously as it rushed over the rocks and stones that dotted its bed.
“My village is capable of living in complete independence from the rest of the land; this stream brings us all of the water we could need. We don’t know exactly where it comes from, but we believe it comes from somewhere within the home of the elves.”
Glaide listened, but made no response, too busy taking in their surroundings. Glaide noted that the trees were spaced a good distance apart, making it easy for those out for a walk to wander here and there without requiring some clearly marked path, or risking becoming lost in dense and stifling vegetation. He wasn’t surprised that Mehrika made a habit of going for walks here, outside of her village. The place was deeply imprinted with a sense of peace and calm, and it would be impossible not to want to let oneself go here. The young woman bent down to drink from the spring, and Glaide imitated her, finding the water cool, clear, and refreshing.
“As I was saying,” Mehrika maintained, “I know we’re in the right place, because the light playing around us is proof that we’re not in the forest of the elves.”
“So we must be in the woods that stand in front of your village, which is installed in a clearing at the true edge of the home of the elves.”
“Exactly.”
“And what is the difference?” The girl winked as she replied.
“The trees of the forest of the elves are much closer to each other, and their canopy is so dense that the light can’t get through. Besides that, because of some kind of spell, there are ever present glints of astonishing color that give it all an unreal look. Here, even if the place is beautiful, everything is purely natural, especially the light that plays around us.” The only time that Glaide had stepped into the forest of the elves had been when he’d passed near it, on the temple grounds, and had stepped into the edge of it. He remembered that strange, mysterious feel. Honestly, even if from a distance it was impossible to tell where the forest of the elves ended and where the current woods began, he had to admit that stepping into the foliage was enough to make it immediately clear where they were; the atmosphere was completely different.
The two young people soon found themselves on a dirt path that appeared to be used quite regularly. It snaked through the vegetation, and as they traveled, Mehrika explained that she, with the help of some other inhabitants from her village, had traced out this path. It made it much easier to move about, since those who came and went didn’t have to try to keep track of a path through the trees. The young woman declared that she had been familiar with the place from childhood, so she’d been able to go where she wanted without having to worry about remembering exactly how to get back home.
Glaide followed his companion meekly, as her excitement began to give way to apprehension. The only thing that mattered to him, at the same time, was what he saw before him, and he didn’t want to miss anything. He wasn’t thinking about what they would discover soon, or at least he wasn't until the clearing came into view... The two travelers were suddenly able to make out brighter light ahead of them, evidence that the forest was coming to an end. Glaide, impatient as always to discover something new, took a few steps forward, but as he arrived a few yards from the edge, he realized his companion wasn’t following. He turned, and noted that she was moving almost in slow motion.
“Mehrika,” he called out. “Come on! We’re almost there!” She finally caught up to him then. “Are you nervous?”
“I’m so nervous...” Glaide smiled a bit in reply.
“Your friends and family are just a few yards ahead of us. Don’t you want to see them?”
“Of course,” the young woman murmured. “But... I’ve dreamed of this moment and yet even when you told me you’d accompany me this far, I never actually thought we’d arrive...” Glaide understood exactly what his companion meant. That same mixture of incredulity, apprehension, and excitement... That was what he’d felt upon discovering Galadria.
“Mehrika,” he said softly. “In a few minutes, you’ll be holding your parents in your arms, and you’ll see the home and village that you know so well once again. Your life will go back to the way it was.” She nodded, looking more determined, but the young man held out his hand to support her anyway.
They covered the last few yards with record slowness. As they stepped into the open, the young woman was so emotional that she stumbled. Thankfully, though, Glaide caught her, keeping her on her feet even as tears streamed down her face. He said nothing, doubting that anything he could say would bring her any calm, anyway. She had long been held prey by her emotions, and she needed to let go of them, along with the memories. When he was sure she wasn’t going to fall, the adolescent gave himself permission to look around a bit. He saw that they were at high ground, and before them, the ground sloped gently, descending quite a ways farther. At the back of the clearing, Glaide could make out the true edge of the forest of the elves, dark and mysterious.
The clearing itself was a small one. The boy thought it was probably even smaller than Rackk, and the village within it couldn’t be any bigger than Orte-Feldir.
Something about the village as a whole struck him as unusual. At this early hour, the dirt roads weren’t being used by more than a few individuals, but it wasn’t the silence that surprised the adolescent. After a moment, he realized that it was the architecture of the buildings. As in the rest of the Known Lands, the style was asiatic, but here, no trace of any western style could be seen mixed in. Everything was built purely in an oriental style. “It’s almost as though the buildings you see everywhere else were taking inspiration from these,” Glaide thought to himself. “Over time, they lost some of their authenticity, becoming that unique mixture that you see today. But who could have lived here and been able to spread this culture so far throughout this world? Especially since the inhabitants of this village travel so little...”
Those few people who passed by didn’t seem to have noticed the two travelers yet. A few merchants were setting up their stalls, others unloading carts, while others still were simply strolling about, enjoying the fresh morning air. The same peace that the woods were impregnated with seemed to fill this place. He felt like he was facing a forgotten land, relegated to history, mysterious, like some kind of living legend... Glaide looked at the young woman at his side then. She’d stopped sobbing and was trying to wipe away the signs of tears on her face, though the adolescent knew that emotion would take over yet again in just a short while. It was a good sign, though, since it showed that she was finally able to relax a little. It had at long last sunk in that the rest of her life was hers to live, as she had so hoped it would one day be.
Just then, one of the villagers noticed them. He pointed in their direction and said something to the person next to him, who looked up in turn, their eyes seeking out the pair. At that distance, Glaide doubted they
could recognize the young woman, but he imagined any visitors would be unusual, as difficult as the place was to find.
“In a few minutes, the whole village will be buzzing,” the young man thought to himself in amusement. He looked forward to meeting these people, learning about their history, and of course, meeting his friend’s family.
“We made it,” Glaide said with a smile. Mehrika, misty eyed, returned his smile.
“We have. We’ve made it.”
Chapter 17
“MOMMA! Daddy!”
“Hey, wait for me!” Mehrika wasn’t listening, though. Glaide charged forward, following as she dashed down the slope, half laughing, half crying. The young man didn’t know which house was hers, but he soon saw her veer towards the nearest one, which was a few yards from the base of the slope. As he descended, Glaide watched the two villagers who had first spotted them going from house to house, letting them know there were visitors. Besides that, the cries of the young woman had already roused a number of people, despite how early it was. They began to gather at the entrance to the village, so that by the time the young people had arrived at the bottom of the hill, Glaide figured practically all of the village must be present. Two people were still missing, though: a man and a woman soon appeared, coming out of the nearest house on the left. The woman was a petite brunette, whose hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her face bearing a striking resemblance to Glaide’s companion, even without taking their unique eyes into account. Her husband, presumably, was at her side. He also had dark hair, and his square jaw and a few days’ growth of a beard gave him a rough look. He was about the same height as Glaide.
Glaide assumed that that house was Mehrika’s, and the girl’s reaction soon confirmed his suspicions: she came to an abrupt stop before the new arrivals, and froze in a look of incredulity. A sudden silence installed itself in that place, despite the number of people. Glaide used the time to study the faces before him. He noted that they didn’t all have oriental traits, though around half of them did, some more so than others. All of the faces wore expressions of nearly infinite surprise.
Tranquility Page 12
