He had seen her briefly at lunch, and she had still been flushed with excitement at being free of Stonewood. He smiled at the memory of her joyous look.
He wound his way through the encampment, back toward the road. The supply wagons were pulled just off of the road, the drivers were afraid to take them any farther for fear of getting stuck in the soft sand.
Aaron walked in amongst the tents and campfires of the other soldiers, and was surprised to see several of them nod in greeting to him. Usually the veteran soldiers ignored the younger soldiers, at least until they had a chance to prove themselves. Did they think that the guardians had already proven themselves? He smiled at the thought.
He rounded one of the supply wagons and stopped in his tracks. Elona stood next to another wagon, talking and laughing with one of the wagon drivers. She was doing nothing wrong, but Aaron still felt a knot growing in his stomach.
He shook his head, he had no claim on Elona, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to have a claim. Still he didn't like her laughing with the wagon driver. Steeling himself, he squared his shoulders and walked over to the pair.
Elona, still giggling, spotted him first, and rushed to him with a smile on her face. The driver lost his smile quickly at the appearance of Aaron, and he seemed to be measuring him for a fight.
“Oh Aaron, I'm so glad you're here. I was afraid that I wouldn't see you tonight.”
Aaron smiled down at her, “Why would you ever think that?” Elona wrapped her arms around him.
“Don't worry. We'll watch her real close.” The driver wore a rather unpleasant smile.
“Well, now I feel at ease,” Aaron said with a glare for the man. If anything, the smile on the man's face got even nastier.
Elona looked back over her shoulder, “This is Eli. He drives one of the supply wagons, and he has some of the funniest stories you ever heard.”
Aaron smiled at her, amazed that the girl couldn't sense the lewdness that the man exuded. Eli stepped closer, and Aaron was sure that he would have put his arm around Elona, except for the fact that she was still hugging Aaron.
“Eli and I were going to dinner. Would you like to join us?” Elona asked, still smiling at Aaron. Eli did not appear to like the suggestion at all.
Aaron ignored the man and instead he focused on Elona. “I'm sorry, but I must eat with my squad.” The smile returned to Eli's face and he took a step closer. “Elona, why don't you have dinner with us?” Aaron asked.
“Oh can I?” The girl asked, her face lighting at the thought. “They won't mind?”
“Not at all.” Aaron was pleased to notice that Eli's smile was completely gone.
“Wait!” Eli said, “I thought that we were going to eat together.” He took a step closer to Elona, and Aaron tensed.
Elona didn't even look at the man; instead she kept her eyes on Aaron. “Perhaps tomorrow night, Eli.”
Aaron smiled at her as he led them back through the camp. He didn't notice the venomous look from Eli that followed them.
Later that evening after dinner, Flare and the guardians were sitting around the campfire when Arch-Bishop Ferrell walked over to join them. The bishop was a broad shouldered man nearing his middle years. Streaks of gray lined his temples and streaked his goatee. He was fair, and had the look of a man not used to long stints in the outdoors.
“Hello. Do you mind if I join you?” The bishop asked, without waiting for an answer, he moved toward an open spot on a log. The bishop was wearing a long brown cloak that hid most of his other clothes from view. As he walked, polished black boots peaked out from under the cloak.
“Not at all, Bishop Ferrell. Please sit down.” Philip answered, much to Flare's displeasure. Flare was still not comfortable with the bishop's presence, fearful as he was about being discovered practicing magic.
“Thank you. Have we met before? You look familiar to me.” The bishop said to Philip.
“Yes sir, we have met once before. My father is the Duke of Atwell, and you attended a gathering at our family estate several years ago. My name is Philip.” Philip replied, his words seemed to trip over each other as he spoke.
“Ah yes. Your father is a good man, and a loyal servant of King Darion. I am sure that he is pleased with the fact that his son is now a hero of the people.” The bishop smiled at Philip before addressing the rest of the guardians. “You are all heroes, returning home to a hero's welcome. You should all be proud of yourselves.” Another pause, this one longer than the last.
The bishop surveyed each guardian in turn, finishing with Flare last. Flare met his gaze without flinching or looking away, and he was actually a little pleased with himself for holding the gaze, the man's eyes seemed to bore into him.
“You Flaranthlas, are especially returning as a hero. I have found it incredible how you held the defenders together for so long against such overwhelming odds. You must be very proud of your accomplishments.”
“Proud?” Flare responded. “I am proud that the attackers did not get through, but I cannot be happy with so many young men losing their lives.’ And one beautiful young woman.' He quickly forced that thought down.
The bishop observed Flare for several moments, as if he had not expected the answer. When the bishop spoke, his tone seemed to have changed, perhaps a little softer.
“Well, you are right. Many soldiers died at the fort, but they made a wonderful sacrifice. They sacrificed their lives to save thousands of innocents. I know that is difficult for you to understand, but you did a wonderful job here.”
Flare nodded his head, “Thank you, sir. It just doesn't feel like it sometimes.”
The bishop stretched his legs out in front of him, “Well, if it makes you feel better, their souls are with the lord Adel. That is, assuming that they were a member of the church.”
“You will forgive me if I don't exactly agree with you on that.” Flare answered, not even considering his words. Utter silence ensued, and he looked up from the fire. The looks of shock were clearly evident on several of the guardian's faces.
“Flare, how can you....,” Philip started to say when Bishop Ferrell interrupted him.
“Let him finish, Philip.”
“I was just saying that not everybody believes the same way. Some of the soldiers that died here may not believe in your religious beliefs.” Flare replied, starting to feel a little defensive about the way some of the guardians had responded to his comments.
“Yes, unfortunately there are some that the church still have not reached. But each person must make a choice as to what they believe. Don't you agree, Flare?”
“I agree that each person should believe the way that they want to believe. For example, I don't pray to your god Adel at all. The elvish religion believes that we should pray to Silverti.”
The bishop leaned back, and regarded Flare for a moment or two. “Flare, the church believes that Adel is the ultimate source of good in the world. The church believes that Adel is in a constant struggle against the gods of evil, of which Silverti is one. When Adel made man, he made him so that there was both evil and goodness in him, and man must choose which path he will follow. Do you not agree?”
“I agree that Adel made man with both good and evil, but the ancient scriptures tell us that Adel did not make the world.” Flare could not tell if the bishop was angry with the way this conversation was going, or if he was amused that a mere soldier had chosen to contradict him.
“All right Flare, tell me what you believe.”
“You want me to tell you what I was taught about the formation of the world and the races?” Flare asked, to see if he understood what the bishop was asking.
“Yes, just tell me what the elves believe.” The bishop replied, smiling as he spoke.
The other guardians turned their faces to Flare, and all of a sudden, he felt uncomfortable. He also didn't like the smile on the bishop's face. It took several moments for Flare to realize the bishop was talking to him as he would a child. “Well, elves are taught
that in the beginning, god the father made the world. He populated it with many spectacular things, and for a time he was happy to enjoy these things by himself. After a time however, he got lonely. He wanted to share these things with someone else. So he made the other gods. One of the first gods he made was Silverti. Adel was also one of the first. These new gods were like his children, and he treated them as such. He assigned to each of them to create life, and create life they did.”
He paused for a moment to make sure that he kept the story in the correct order that he had been taught. His eyes were on the fire as he spoke, “At first, they created plant life and then came animals. Silverti was not happy with this, and she created the elves. The elves were the first race created that could think and reason. She gave the elves a soul, and put them in the forests that she loved so much. She made the elves long-lived, and gave them great wisdom. God the father praised Silverti for her creation of the elves, and this made the other gods jealous. They each strove to make a race of beings of their own. Thal made the goblins. He gave them great strength, and he made them capable of reproducing at a fast rate. Thal did not give them much intelligence, and he gave them his hatred of the elves.” Flare paused, before continuing, “Adel, saw the shortcomings of both species, and he tried to create a species that would have the benefits of both. He created man, and gave him intelligence and wisdom, although not to the extent that Silverti gave to the elves. He also gave man strength, making him stronger than the elves but not as strong as the goblins. One other thing that he did was that he made them both good and evil. Elves, for the most part, are essence of goodness. Goblins, for the most part, are the essence of evil. Adel made humans so that they could choose. And of course, the other gods made the remaining species of life, such as giants, dwarves, and so on.”
“For a short time, there was peace in the world, but that did not last long. The goblins and the elves believe in things that are so different, that it was inevitable that fighting should break out. God the father was disgusted with the death and cruelty in the world, and withdrew leaving his children in charge” As he finished speaking, Flare raised his eyes to meet those of the bishop.
Silence engulfed the small group for several moments. Finally, the arch-bishop spoke, “Do you actually believe all those things that you just said?”
“Well, I was not there, but that is what I was taught from my childhood,” Flare answered, with just a touch of sarcasm.
“Ridiculous. To think that Adel was a god-child, and that other gods were as good or better than Adel. That whole story is rubbish.” The bishop answered, and Flare could tell that he was getting worked up.
“Perhaps, but may I ask you a question?” Flare asked, not sure if he should proceed with this conversation or not.
“What?”
“If Adel is the way to mercy and salvation, why then do people have to be a member of the church to get salvation. It seems to me, that Adel provides salvation to people.”
The bishop bounded to his feet, his face seeming to turn a touch purple, “Enough! I warn you Flare, you are bordering on blasphemy. If you continue to spread these lies, then I will be forced to take this matter to the church hierarchy for action. I would suggest that you keep these ideas to yourself.” The bishop then turned and marched away from their fire.
Once again silence engulfed the small group of soldiers.
For a moment, Flare worried about what kind of trouble the arch-bishop might cause for him. But those feelings quickly passed. After the battles that the guardians had been through, what could the church do to him?
“Flare! How could you say those things to the bishop?” Philip demanded angrily, rising to his feet.
“Philip, he asked for what I believed, and I told him. I did not say that my version was the only possible way that things could have happened.” Flare stood, spreading his hands in front of him, “In fact, I admitted that I was not there at the time of creation, and therefore I don't know exactly how things were created. He is the one that believes he has all the answers. Don't get angry with me.”
“Flare, he can cause a lot of trouble for you,” Trestus said quietly. He didn't seem to be taking sides, just warning of possible trouble. “If the church decides to pursue it, they might could get you exiled or worse. They have a tremendous amount of influence.”
The words almost made Flare laugh, in fact he found himself snickering at Trestus' words. “Exile me! Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Now would it?”
Philip did not respond, but doubt was evident in his eyes. He did not partake in the rest of the conversation, but instead sat off by himself.
The next day the company started early. They broke camp shortly after sunrise, but Captain Mondell, kept them to a leisurely pace.
Flare was sore from riding the day before, the muscles in his legs and shoulders ached from the long ride. Aaron even groaned as he climbed back onto his horse. Neither man knew how they were going to be able to ride the whole day, but they both knew to keep quiet. If Kara heard of either man complaining of hurting, she would have them riding in the supply wagon before they knew what happened.
Aaron caught Kara watching the two of them, and he motioned for Flare to fall back toward the rear of the company.
Flare slowed his horse down to match Aaron's speed and let others pass him by. “Aaron, Are you okay?”
Aaron smiled, “Yeah. I kept catching Kara watching us. She looked like she was trying to find an excuse to send us to the wagons.” Nudging his horse to speed up, he matched speeds with the rest of the company of soldiers. They didn't even notice the two guardians.
Flare rose up in his stirrups, looking over the heads of the soldiers, and then settled back down in the saddle. “I can't see Kara now, so we should have a few moments of peace.”
Aaron smiled, “Knowing Kara, it won't be long before she comes looking for us.”
Flare smiled back, “Actually, I thought that you wanted to talk. I noticed Elona at dinner last night; she looks like a new person.”
The smile slipped from Aaron's face. “I wanted to thank you for that.” Looking toward Flare, he said, “I don't know what I would have done if she had been sent back with Stonewood.”
“So what's going on with you two?” Flare asked. “I'm just curious, that's all, you don't have to answer if you don't want to.”
Aaron looked forward again, and for a moment Flare thought that he wasn't going to answer. After a moment or two of silence, he said, “I'm not sure. I couldn't stand the thought of her staying with Stonewood, but I'm not sure that I want her to stay with me. You know?” Flare grunted something non-committal and Aaron continued, “I mean last night I found her talking to a wagon driver. At first, I was jealous,” he paused to scratch his chin, “but then I felt,” he paused, searching for the right word, “relieved.”
Flare sighed, “Just because you wanted to protect her doesn't mean that you want to love her. Is that right?” Flare asked.
Aaron smiled, “Yeah, but I still don't like the guy I saw her talking to. He had the look of a guy who was up to no good.”
Flare laughed and Aaron eyed him questioningly, “Come on Aaron. If there is any girl that should be able to judge a man, it's Elona. She's had some experience at that sort of thing.”
The trip continued without the fireworks of the first night reoccurring, partially because the arch-bishop kept his distance from the guardians. None of the other guardians brought up the topic of religion, and Flare knew better than to bring it up himself.
He enjoyed the ride back to Telur. The weather was warm, and the soldiers rode slowly. The slow leisurely ride overloaded Flare's senses. The chirping of the birds and the calls of the other animals. The smells of the forest, and the occasional animal that Flare spotted reminded him of the joys of the woods. In a way, he found himself getting homesick for his elven homeland, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away. There were a couple of days where Callin and Murleen didn't enter his thoughts until
at least noon. At first he felt guilty, but he knew that it was just part of healing.
Due to the slow pace, the trip from Fort Mul-dune took five weeks; where as the trip to Fort Mul-dune had only taken twenty-five days. As they neared the city, Flare began once again to get nervous. 'How will I be treated? Will this win the hearts of the people, or will this change anything?' He kept wondering. And as they neared the city, another thought began to bother him, 'Will I be blamed for the deaths of the soldiers that were under my command?'
Flare wrestled with these thoughts and concerns, right up until they rode through the city gates.
Chapter 19
Captain Mondell had sent scouts ahead to notify the King of the approach of the soldiers. When the soldiers arrived, they were expected.
The soldiers broke camp that morning, knowing that they would sleep that night in Telur. With the exception of Flare, all of the guardians were looking forward to a hot meal and sleeping in a nice bed. Flare was still nervous about how he would be received. Would the people understand what had happened at the fort and cheer them as heroes, or would they blame the deaths of the soldiers on him?
All the guardians were packing up gear, and Flare was bent over, rolling up a bedroll, when he was surprised by a voice from behind him, “Uh, no, you won't be wearing those clothes.” Straightening up, he turned to see who had spoken. The bedroll dropped from his hands at the sight of Captain Mondell standing in the middle of the guardian's camp. Since the first day that they had set out on the march, Mondell had not visited them. Not intentionally avoiding them, he was the captain, and he maintained his distance from the soldiers, but that had just changed for some reason.
Captain Mondell motioned to the clothes that Flare had on, and also to the clothes that the other guardian's were wearing, “You're returning as heroes, so wear something a little more appropriate, hum?” He grimaced and shook his head, “That hair makes you look like you've been fur trapping in the mountains for six months, but I guess it's too late to do anything about it now.”
The Guardians: Book One of the Restoration Series Page 32
