“Me? You should be talking to Cale.” Erynn dropped her gaze.
“You are far more powerful than Cale.”
She stared up into his glistening eyes and frowned. “No. That’s not true. Cale accepted his abilities.” She shook her head. “I refused to acknowledge my talents. I hid them—ignored them. And now—”
“What you and Damon did was necessary at the time. You shouldn’t blame yourself. But Arranon needs you—needs all the children of mixed heritage. You are what you are, Erynn. You can’t suppress what you have, the gifts I gave you.” The water in the pond surged, bubbling. He watched the rippling action on the pond’s surface. “The Anim Blath feel your power.”
“What are Anim Blath? Are they responsible for the shrill voices?”
“You’ve heard them then.” He smiled. “I spent my life studying Arranon and her history,” Zander continued, as if acknowledging that she’d heard their voices was enough of an answer to her question. “Thousands of years ago Arranon gave all the life forms living here a choice. They could either live on the cold surface in the light or go underground and live in the warm darkness—”
“Wait.” Erynn’s face twisted with the skepticism she felt. “This sounds like a child’s tale.”
“Yes it does,” Zander agreed. “I believed the same until I found evidence that this actually happened.”
Erynn tipped her head, her eyes wide. “What kind of evidence?”
“I don’t have time to explain all the wonders I discovered. I’ll leave them for you to uncover on your own.”
Erynn’s voice wavered. “Will that be necessary?”
“Yes. You’ll need this knowledge to fully understand your abilities and help Arranon.”
Her stomach did a little roll.
Why is all of this dependent on me?
Zander watched her, his expression sympathetic. “Both realms flourished and lived knowing each existed, but they remained separate.”
Like Arranon and Korin.
“Arranon gave them what they needed to survive and prosper, helping them adapt, to learn about the magical characteristics of their environments—”
“Magical?” Erynn interrupted. “There’s proof of that, too, I suppose?”
“That was one facet of what I have to tell you that I didn’t think you’d question.” Zander gave her a wide smile. “You’re the proof, Erynn, just as Cale is, and the children you recently met. You’ll understand more in the days to come. My time here with you is short, and there are some important issues we need to discuss.” He was no longer smiling, and his brown eyes had darkened.
Erynn nodded. “I’m listening.”
“The two realms of Arranon lived in peace for hundreds of years until the birth of Dhoran. Born of the light and of the dark, a parent from each realm, he possessed tremendous powers.”
Erynn’s frown deepened.
Another coincidence—the strange similarity between Korin and Arranon, and the children born of mixed parentage.
She pulled back her wandering musings. Her attention needed to be on what Zander told her.
“He strove to rule both realms, to force the inhabitants of the surface into slavery to serve his underworld. Dhoran convinced those that dwelled underground, and even some from the surface, to begin a war for domination.” Zander paused, watching her.
“Arranon didn’t like that,” Erynn said.
Zander nodded. “You’re perceptive, Erynn. Arranon didn’t like Dhoran starting a war and assisted those rebelling against him by revealing more of her magical secrets. The war waged on for many years with heavy casualties on both sides. Dhoran was eventually driven deep underground, his armies depleted and crushed.”
“He didn’t die, did he?” Erynn asked.
Zander shook his head, his brow furrowed. “I don’t believe his kind of evil can die.”
That icy hand was back, gripping her insides. She shivered. “That’s who we’re fighting then?” she asked. “Dhoran? Did he bring the invasion on us?”
“No, Erynn. You’re up against a collective outside force, who in their own right are evil. They want to destroy Arranon. You can’t allow that to happen.” He glanced at the pond and then back to her. “The point is, during my exploring I located areas of immense energy. I tapped into Arranon’s strength—her magical power—before you were conceived.” He stepped toward Erynn. “I took this knowledge of Arranon into my very being. Her magic became a part of me. That same strength flows through you.” Zander’s eyes narrowed. “You are more than just a child of mixed heritage. You have a connection with this world no one else can claim. Arranon needs you, Erynn.”
“What can I do?” Erynn asked, her voice unsteady. “I don’t know what to do—not like you or Cale. Can’t you stay and help us?”
“You know more than you believe you do, Erynn,” Zander told her. “There’s no better place to start on a journey than the beginning. You hear the Anim Blath. You made it to this place. That’s a good foundation.”
“This place?” She glanced around.
The water heaved and rolled. Colors brightened casting a blue, purple, and green luminosity around her.
Erynn sighed. “But there’s more—important details I don’t understand. Lives are at stake. I’m afraid… what if I fail?”
“You’re powerful, Erynn. You’re my daughter. I’ve placed much hope in you.”
“Don’t say that,” Erynn groaned. “Will you help me?” she pleaded. She wanted to reach out, take hold of him, and make him stay. It would be like trying to carry light in the cup of her hand or hold tight to a wisp of fog.
“I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do. This is new for me, too.” He stiffened and stared at the pond.
“You’ve never… come back before?” Erynn asked, watching him.
“No. I felt a strong pull to return to this place. That’s when I sensed your presence. I wanted so badly to see you, to talk to you. This desire must have given me the strength to…” he glanced down at his shinning form, “appear.” He smiled at her. “You are so beautiful—just like your mother.”
Heat rose in Erynn’s cheeks.
“I believe in you, and I trust your instincts,” he said, his voice ringing and strong. “Never forget that Arranon will be there for you. All you have to do is ask, and believe.” His aura changed, darkening, and his form appeared to shrink. “You must always follow your heart, Erynn.” Zander moved to stand next to the pond. The colors dimmed, and the surface action slowed.
Underneath the soft burbling the rippling water made, Erynn heard musical voices. She glanced from the pond to Zander. His face appeared older, the lines around his eyes deepened. She recognized sorrow and regret in his pained features. She closed her eyes, reached out with her mind, and sensed intense waves of power emanating from the pond. Once again surrounded by the peaceful, warm, bubbling sensation, Erynn floated.
When she opened her eyes, Zander watched her, smiling. His expression reminded her of her dad, Damon, and of his loving glances. The pond creatures were quiet, the colors gone. Erynn peered around at the deepening shadows. Day was nearly over, the air chilled.
“I’m sorry. I’ve wasted time you could have been teaching me what I need to know,” Erynn whispered. The white light surrounding Zander paled, and details of his face were hard to see.
“You’ll learn what you must. There’s nothing more I can do. Take what I’ve told you to Cale. He’ll understand. This information is crucial,” he murmured. “I did love your mother, Erynn. I love you.” Sadness marked his fading voice. His form darkened into the shadows until there was nothing but the colorless trees in the deepening twilight.
“Wait! Why must Cale know this? Where do I find him? What do I do now? Do I leave or stay?” Her questions went unanswered. Zander was gone.
In the sudden quiet, with night’s rapid approach, Erynn felt a loneliness she’d never before experienced. She walked back from the edge of the water, built a fire, and set up c
amp.
Huddled in her coat and gazing into the night-cloaked forest, she re-lived her encounter with Zander, her dead father. The orange glow of the dancing flames reflected off the still pond. High howls broke the silence, and black shapes slipped between the dark forms of trees. She added wood and watched the shadows. The flames built. Thoughts of Damon, her dad, and his murder, filled her mind. Her heart ached with his loss and the loss of the father she never knew—a father who had loved her.
I am alone.
Chapter 18
ERYNN WOKE TO THE MUSICAL voices of the pond beings. She glanced around. Trees took shape out of gray morning light and shrinking shadows. The capora strained his tether to reach the tall grasses beyond his boundary. He had already shortened the stems in a radius around where he was tied. The rich scent of soil turned by his hooves touched her nostrils.
She yawned. “I guess you’d like to eat.” He pivoted and stared at her, ears pricked with eager anticipation. “That’s a yes.” She gazed out over the mist-covered water. Faint color touched the uppermost regions of the forest. A breeze stirred the spicy scent of needle leaves with the musty aroma of the forest floor. Sunlight hit the far edge of the fog-shrouded pond, turning the low-lying cloud a glowing, silvery white. The radiance reminded her of an Interceptor, gleaming in the sunlight on the scramble pad. She smiled at the memory.
Erynn sat up, and her blanket fell away. “What am I doing here? What am I supposed to do now?” She stared at the thick mantle floating over the pond. Wispy fingers rose in thin silver strands to meet the sun, drifting higher until they joined the sky and disappeared.
Gone—like Zander. Will he come back? Should I stay, or return to the others?
She stared into the dark recesses of the dense forest. From the far side of the pond, sunlight glinted off small red, yellow, and blue surfaces. She glanced at the capora. “I’ll be right back.” Erynn scrambled out of the tangle of blankets, pulled her coat around her, and set off to investigate.
She slipped between full bushes ringing the water. Feathery leaves brushed gently against her, and thick mud at the shore tugged on her boots. On the other side, she pushed through low limbs in the area she’d seen the shining colors. About to give up and check elsewhere, the bough she held moved under her weight. There, ahead of her, was a stone carving decorated with red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and purple gems glittering in the morning light.
She pushed forward to examine the statue. The gray stone carving was Erynn’s height and over twice her width. Rounded in the front, the surface curved to a flattened back. She reached out to one of the jewels the size of her palm, and found that she was able to depress the sparkling gem. Trying each stone in turn, they all depressed when pushed. She studied the strange symbols etched down the right side of the statue. They meant nothing to her, their significance unclear.
Erynn walked around the stone monolith, glancing up and down the height. “What are you doing out here, in the middle of nowhere?” When she returned to the front, the forest’s tall shadows covered the jewels. The gems were different, less vibrant with the sunlight no longer shining on them. She pushed at the cool, smooth colored orbs, but they were solid and didn’t move.
Erynn spent most of the day exploring the forest around the statue. The sensation of being watched brushed at her. She was followed in her quest by a constant rustling among the foliage and scrambling through dry leaves that covered the soil beneath low boughs. “Aleuns in the branches, or small animals searching for food under the trees.” Erynn peered into the dark shadows and laughed quietly. “Small animals? Are there any small animals on Arranon?”
She continued to investigate and found nothing that would help her understand the statue’s purpose. Late in the afternoon, she returned to camp and built a fire. A large tree downed by age lay perpendicular to the stone cabin and stretched into forest. The rotted stump was so decomposed the crumbling remains only hinted they had once been a part of the massive trunk.
Her fire blazed a meter before the fallen tree. Erynn’s gaze darted from the stockpile of wood and the rising flames. She nodded, confident the amount would last the night. Smoke swirled and eddied around her. The thick, pungent smell burned her nose and caused her eyes to water.
She’d set up her camp between the cabin to the right and the forest on the left. Using the log as a backrest, Erynn sat staring into the fire as night enveloped her. She allowed her attention to settle around Damon. “Dad. He is, was, my dad.”
She didn’t want to consider his death—the way he had died. She understood enough. Birk, with this Admiral Newell watching, had murdered her dad. Sorrow mixed with a burning anger wrapped around her heart. She wondered what her dad’s last thoughts, his last feelings, might have been. Possibilities ran through her mind, fear and anger for Korin and himself probably most prominent. Or perhaps he had envisioned her face, been worried for her, and whispered one last, “I love you, Erynn.” Pain tightened her chest.
Erynn squeezed her eyes shut. “I love you, Dad.” She fought the burning tears seeking release. “Think. Zander brought me here for a reason. He told me there were discoveries I must make. Maybe this place is where that knowledge begins. Zander said I could help Arranon and Korin.” A breath shuddered in and then out. “Don’t let Damon’s—Dad’s—death have been for nothing. He deserves more.” Her fingers curled into fists. “I’ll do my best, Dad. With faith, hope, and a lot of luck, we’ll beat this.” Her lips turned in a small, sad smile. “I’m a new, different person.” She shook her head. “No, I’m special, like Cale, Tiar, Sean, and the children.”
She forced her mind to consider the statue, the symbols, and the jewels. Something familiar about the colorful gems flitted just beyond her consciousness, and she labored to force this understanding to the forefront.
Deep howls and high-pitched yips surrounded her in the dark. Her eyes snapped open. Movement beyond the firelight caught her attention, and she stared at the edge of the forest.
Several maejen emerged from the trees. They walked back and forth, their heads down, long muzzles sniffing the ground, tails tucked. They were large animals, nearly half the size of the capora, with long sinewy legs ending in compact, round paws with short toenails. Their thick fur was shiny, and they ranged in colors from silver and black to nearly all black or pure silver. Yellow eyes reflected the fire’s glow. Their pricked ears moved back and forth.
The capora snorted from where he stood tethered at the left side of the camp against the fallen log. Erynn rose, keeping the fire between her and the maejen. She glanced at the capora. “It’s okay. Easy.” She straightened. The maejen whimpered and lay down. With heads on front paws, they watched her, eyes dancing in the light of the fire.
This isn’t normal predator behavior.
Erynn took a deep breath and nodded in the maejen’s direction. A large silver-and-black female raised her head and chuffed. From the woods, small ones scampered forward but stayed to the rear of their elders. She counted nine adults and six young.
They brought their babies. Is this to show me they aren’t here to harm me? Or make it easier when I become the meal?
She continued to study the pack. Soon the youngsters took advantage of the lounging adults by jumping playfully on top of them and chewing on their ears. The adults tolerated the little ones and nudged them gently with their noses when they ventured too close to the fire. Erynn watched the maejen until the flames began to diminish. She sidestepped to her stockpile of wood, keeping her eyes on the pack. The fire grew with the fuel she added.
Erynn couldn’t help but laugh at the sight before her. The adults sprawled in the heat from the fire, and the young nestled in beside their parents to sleep. Erynn took her seat next to the fallen tree, enveloped in warmth from the replenished flames. The capora stood dozing, the maejen forgotten.
***
Erynn woke at dawn, the musical voices from the pond rousing her. The fire was nothing more than burning embers. She jerked he
r attention to where the maejen had been.
Gone.
The capora stared at her with wide, attentive eyes, wanting his breakfast. She cared for him, ate some of the provisions Jaer packed for her, and hurried to the other side of the pond.
She waited for the sun’s rays to touch the statue’s face, watching the shadows recede until the jewels glittered in the morning light. They clicked into place, cold and smooth under her fingers. She squinted up at the sun’s progress across the small section of sky not covered by the trees and then back to the jewels. They lined up from top to bottom—red, yellow, blue, orange, green, and purple. She’d tried from red to purple, and then from purple to red, but nothing changed. They had locked in the first sequence she’d pushed. She studied the order of the colors. “What am I missing?” The answer danced tantalizingly near.
Erynn returned to camp, tended the fire, and dropped next to the log. “I’m wasting time. What if the statue is nothing? Just some idol built long ago to appease the spirits, or gods, of the weather, the animals, or who knows what.”
A rustling pulled her attention to a tree limb above the old cabin. The branch dipped and swayed under the weight of something Erynn couldn’t see. A hint of movement, a blur from the branch to the wooden roof of the cabin, caused her focus to drop. For an instant, an aleun appeared. Feathers the green of leaves in the branches above the cabin turned to the silvered brown of the old roof shakes. The scrambling of clawed feet made their way across the roof.
With another flurry of movement, the aleun swooped down, changing from the silvered-brown to the mottled tan and golden-yellow colors that made up the forest floor.
Erynn made out blurred edges as the aleun bobbed toward her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out what was left of her breakfast. She tore bits of bread and cheese, tossing them to the aleun. He darted in, taking the first offerings. With increased courage, he came closer. The mottled coloring vanished to reveal a brilliant crimson aleun. He stood about one-third of a meter tall, his neck long and slender. The aleun rose to his full height and spread wings to a width of half a meter, trilled, and greedily began to take the food Erynn offered.
Storm of Arranon Page 12
