by Mary Akers
“I’m sorry I left you alone so long,” Asher said after a long, quiet moment.
Elora nodded, her throat thick with relief.
“I’m sorry, too,” Elora replied softly, hazarding a glance at his face.
He looked over at her, holding her gaze for a minute before nodding slightly and returning his attention to his task. Having unfastened the girth, he pulled the wet saddle from the horse’s back and hauled it over to an empty rack near the plow harnesses. He came back to tug the bridle over her ears, gently waiting for her to release the bit from her mouth before he pulled it free of her head. He draped it over the peg where Elora had removed the cloak only moments before. Loose, the horse wandered around the barn, sniffing curiously, occassionally jerking her nose back nervously as she timidly explored her surroundings.
“So this is Kit,” Elora said, watching the horse.
“That’s Kit,” Asher replied.
He was exhausted. She could see the weariness in the lines of his face and the curve of his back. His broad shoulders sagged as he rested his hands on his hips. He inhaled deeply, as though he could finally relax. He lifted his hands to rub the water from his face, pausing to scratch at the stubble on his cheeks before pushing his fingers through his wet hair.
“The storm is still going strong, Elora,” he said. “We will just have to sit tight a while. We might as well try to sleep.”
He retrieved the lantern and walked over to the workbench. He hopped up easily onto the table, setting the lantern down beside him. He leaned against the wall, letting his head fall back and closing his eyes.
The barn fell into an uncomfortable silence. Elora stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Now that they had escaped from Windom and weren’t surrounded by the Liana, her fears of being captured had subsided, only to be replaced by a new kind of tension. Asher was a virtual stranger. She was suddenly acutely aware of how alone and secluded they were. She feigned interest in the horse but stole glances at him every few moments.
“They won’t come looking for us,” he said finally, oblivious to the real source of her unease. “Only an idiot would go out in that storm,” he muttered, chuckling at his own joke.
When she didn’t respond, he opened one eye.
“Come on,” he said, patting the workbench beside him. “You need to rest. We have a hard journey ahead. And I want to put out the lantern already.”
She hesitated, but relented a second later as she realized that she truly was exhausted. Her shoulder still throbbed and her arms burned where they had scraped against the wall. There truly was nowhere else to sit and the ground was covered in puddles from the leaky roof.
She walked over to the workbench and clumsily climbed onto the table beside him. Perching on the very edge, she twisted her hands nervously. She snuck a look at Asher and seeing that his eyes were closed again, gave in to her curiosity and studied him. He was strong, and he carried himself with confidence. He had been kind to her friends and was considerate of her needs. He was also uncomfortably attractive, but she no longer found that intimidating. Her hands calmed in her lap and the tension drained from her back as she realized that she felt safe with him. She trusted him. Had she really only met him just this morning? So much had happened since then. And now he was literally the only person she could rely on in the entire world.
She slid the lantern out of the way and scooted back until she could lean against the wall, careful to leave some space between them. Asher’s breathing was deep and even. He was so calm. She watched him quietly, his ability to relax so completely soothed her in a way she couldn’t explain. Turning down the wick of the lantern, she blew out the flame and the barn fell into darkness. She closed her eyes, letting her head drop back. The roar of the driving rain pounding against the roof and the rumble of distant thunder lulled her to sleep.
The barn was silent when Elora regained consciousness a few hours later. She was still so very tired, it took her a moment to differentiate dream from reality. She was struggling to believe that any of what she remembered from the day before had actually happened. She was content to feign sleep and pretend it had all been a nightmare until she felt something touch her leg. Her eyes flew open in surprise. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness, but a gentle snuffle put her mind at ease. Kit was pushing against her knee with her velvety nose, tugging at her pants with her clumsy lips. Elora reached out her hand, letting the horse nuzzle her fingers, blowing hot puffs of air through its nostrils.
“She likes you,” came a soft voice close to her ear.
She froze, suddenly realizing that she had shifted in her sleep. The feel of Asher’s still damp shirt against her cheek finally registered. The heat of his body radiated through his shirt where her arm was pressed against his. She lifted her head from his shoulder and quickly shifted back to her original place a safe distance away.
“Sorry,” she whispered, a blush creeping into her cheeks.
“That’s alright. I’m glad you were able to sleep,” he said, unable to see her embarrassment in the dark. “But it sounds like the storm is finally passed. It’s time to go before the sun gives us away.”
He pushed off of the workbench and walked over to the barn door, sliding it open to let in the moonlight instead of relighting the lantern. He busied himself saddling Kit in the faint white glow.
Elora rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tucked the hairs that had broken free of her updo back behind her ears. She climbed down from the table and pulled on her satchel. Waiting for Asher to finish, she wandered over to the barn door. The moon was still fairly high in the sky, but the horizon was beginning to lighten with the telltale grays of the early sunrise. She turned and walked back over to Kit, smoothing her forelock while Asher adjusted the straps of the girth.
“Are we going to retrieve one of the horses that my parents purchased?” Elora asked.
“We have to assume that the Liana will know about that,” Asher said, shaking his head.
“Right,” Elora whispered, dropping her forehead against the horse’s wide face. “Because they have my parents.”
“For now,” Asher replied, pausing to look at her.
She nodded, avoiding his eyes, fighting to keep her tears in check, trying to ignore the painful clenching of her heart. She noticed, for the first time, the bow and quiver of arrows attached to his saddle. Reaching out, she touched the feathered end of one.
“Are Claren usually archers?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Yes,” Asher responded, moving to retrieve the bridle from its peg.
“Hmm. Hunters in Windom usually use rifles,” she mused.
“A bow is quieter,” he said.
Elora nodded in understanding, recognizing that a quiet weapon would be in keeping with their vow of secrecy. She wandered over to the barn door, watching the sky brighten by the second. They only had maybe 30 more minutes before the sun would crest the horizon.
“Are you ready?” he asked, walking up to stand beside her. “We need to start moving.”
“I’m ready,” she said, nodding with enthusiasm.
She was starting to get nervous. They had taken such pains to escape the wall unnoticed and she didn’t want to lose that advantage.
Asher gave a little whistle and Kit walked up to him, nuzzling against his hand. He took hold of the reins and led the horse outside, turning back to Elora and waving for her to follow.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
Elora took a deep breath. Her legs felt weak as she made her way out of the barn, sliding the door closed behind her.
Asher was already on his horse when she turned away from the barn, waiting with his hand outstretched to help her up behind him. She lifted her leg to the stirrup and taking his hand, awkwardly pulled herself up. She winced and swallowed a groan, her sore body protesting the movement. She tried to ignored the ache a
s she wrapped her arms around Asher’s waist and wriggled closer to the saddle.
“Don’t let go,” he said, pulling the reins to turn the horse and squeezing it forward.
The rain from the storm overnight had turned the ground into slick mud and Kit struggled to keep her footing at times. Elora had to hold on tightly to Asher to avoid throwing off the horse’s balance, and to keep from falling off altogether. Her shoulder throbbed in defiance at the way she was using her injured arms. Asher would accidently bump it every so often as he maneuvered Kit through the patchwork of fields. It was very slow going, but at last they reached the far edge of the exterior crops.
In front of them, the open plains stretched all the way to the horizon. An ocean of yellow grass, gently blowing in the morning breeze spread out as far as the eye could see with only an occasional errant shrub to mark the distance. The sun was beginning to rise in earnest, the sky tinted in pinks and oranges but quickly giving way to crystal blue.
As Kit took her first steps onto the wild, untamed prairie, Elora couldn’t help but look backwards at Windom, the only place she’d ever been, the only home she’d ever known. It was there, in the small yard behind their sweet little house, that she had taken her first steps. It was there, at a social in the church courtyard when she had been 5 years old, that she’d met a raven haired little girl just her own age and discovered the gift of friendship. She had followed that raven haired girl down the aisle of that same courtyard only yesterday. She had grown strong and smart and confident, safe and content within the walls of Windom, surrounded by her parents and friends. With a pang of sadness, she realized that she was leaving behind her entire life.
They were moving more quickly now, free of the muddy, loose soil of the cultivated fields. The settlement was fading from view just as the sun finally crested the horizon. She turned one last time, fixing her eyes on Windom, committing to memory the last sight she would likely ever have of her home. In the full light of day, she could finally see clearly the wall that had nearly defeated her the night before and she gasped. Even from this distance, she could see the vines climbing the barrier, splashing up against the tan stones like a green wave.
Hearing her gasp, Asher pulled Kit to a stop and turned back to see what had disturbed her.
“Wow,” he whispered, staring at Elora’s handiwork.
“Yeah,” she replied softly, shifting to catch his eyes. “Maybe they won’t notice,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and giving him a small smile.
He chuckled and squeezed Kit forward, turning them away from the small town and the Liana lurking there.
“Goodbye Windom,” Elora whispered, taking one final look.
“You better hold on,” Asher said, as he urged the horse into a lope.
Elora tightened her arms around him and pressed her head against his back, trying to move her body with his. They at last settled into a rhythm and Kit found her stride, the ground rushing beneath them, every beat of her hooves taking Elora farther way from everything she had ever loved and saving her from the enemy she had never known to fear.
Tucked behind Asher, in a world all her own, her thoughts drifted to her parents. What must they be going through right now? What were the Liana doing to them? She had to save them. The weight of their love and the burden of their sacrifice made it hard to breathe. She couldn’t help the growing feelings of resentment towards the Claren and this cursed Prophesy for the way it had destroyed everything she held dear. If only she had never found that necklace. She could feel it dangling around her neck, the seed gently rapping against her chest with every surge of Kit’s powerful legs.
Asher slowed them to a walk, having put a fair bit of distance between them and Windom. She had worked hard, carrying both of them, and her chest was heaving with exertion.
“I’m going to lighten her load and walk for a while,” Asher said, pulling the horse to a halt.
He lifted his leg over her neck and hopped down effortlessly.
“I’ll get down too,” Elora offered.
“No, you should ride,” Asher said, shaking his head. “You’re hurt.”
She could hardly argue with him. After their harrowing ride, her poor body was nearly numb with pain. She nodded and shifted forward to sit more comfortably in the saddle.
Asher took hold of the reins and led Kit forward, allowing Elora to relax and her attention to wander.
She looked around, marveling at the magnitude of the sky overhead. The grassy plains extended to the horizon in every direction, leaving an unobstructed view of the cloudless atmosphere above. It was a breathtakingly deep blue and the vastness of it was both humbling and awe-inspiring.
“I can’t believe how beautiful it is out here,” Elora said quietly, feeling almost as though it were sinful to talk in the presence of such a view.
“It’s pretty,” Asher agreed, nodding as he looked around appreciatively.
“That seems like a bit of an understatement,” she countered, exasperated.
“Maybe,” he admitted. “But you haven’t seen Clarendon yet.”
“I feel so tiny beneath a sky like this,” she said, ignoring his attempt to downplay the grandeur.
“Well, you are tiny compared to this,” he laughed, gesturing to the world at large.
“I know,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “But you know what I mean. When you’re confronted by how huge the world is, you just realize how insignificant you really are.”
“Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you’re insignificant,” Asher replied. “You are very significant, Elora Kerrick.”
She looked down at him, surprised by his candor.
“Even tiny things can change the world,” he said holding her gaze for a moment before shifting his eyes downward to settle briefly on the seed dangling from her neck.
Her hand lifted of its own volition to grasp the seed. That seed had changed everything. It had awakened her powers and set her on the path to her destiny. It had been the instrument of her downfall, bringing the Liana to her door. It had given her visions and stolen her heart. That seed had turned her whole world upside down.
She pictured the seed in her mind with its dull brown shell and ornate ridges, slowly coming to life one bright strand at a time. She wondered what it might look like full of life, silver and shimmering. She pictured it shining brightly, clasped between two lovers’ hands. She imagined it being tucked into the earth, a majestic tree sprouting forth and stretching into the sky, a mighty forest spreading outwards from its roots. Hidden within the diminutive form of that little seed was an unexpected power and an unknown promise. It was a secret. It was a beginning. She was holding a forest in her hand.
She couldn’t help but think of the other seed, the one on her back. That tiny mark had determined the course of her entire life. It was the source of her gift and the cause of her heartache. But like the seed around her neck, it was only a beginning. It was her beginning. As the mark on her back is growing and transforming, perhaps she too is becoming what she is meant to be. That mark holds the promise that someday she will have the ability to do incredible things.
Elora gazed up at the immense blue sky above an endless ocean of grass and smiled. She no longer felt small. She no longer felt insignificant. Hidden within her was a gift that would change the world. She was powerful. She was destined. She was the Renascent.
End of Book 1
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