by Narro, B. T.
“Thank you,” Lisanda said.
“I’m certain he’s making that up.” Calvon snickered.
“But it sounded good, didn’t it?” Peter grinned.
Laughter broke out. Cleve and Reela said their goodbyes.
It was time to leave. Their most difficult farewells would be the next morning, as Cleve, Reela, and Vithos left the palace for the last time. They found Vithos making Giant laugh and managed to drag him away.
Chapter 48:
CLEVE
When they awoke the next morning, they wondered if they were expected to visit each of their friends one last time. They were to meet Fatholl and the rest leaving for the docks by midday. There was hardly time to search the vast palace.
Gerace served them breakfast. After bringing in their trays, she hugged Cleve, shook hands with Reela and Vithos, and said goodbye. Reela was giggling when Gerace left.
“Did you know that young woman’s locked onto you?” Reela said.
“Oh. I suppose that explains some things.”
The three of them ate quickly. They’d gotten back to the palace late and hadn’t sleep long, but Cleve didn’t feel tired. He was too sad and excited at the same time to feel much else.
With their bags in hand, they started toward the palace exit. Cleve hated goodbyes. Some part of him hoped to make it out without seeing anyone. But when he heard Jek calling his name, relief surprised him. He turned to find Lisanda and Jessend there as well.
“Trying to get away without saying goodbye?” Jessend teased.
The six of them came together. As Jek shook Cleve’s hand, he said, “I can’t come close to expressing my full gratitude to you for coming back.”
“I’m happy I could help.”
“Any nightmares last night?” Reela asked.
“Only good dreams.”
“I’m so glad.” Reela and Jek hugged.
Jessend hugged her next. “My brother, the King,” she said with mock importance, “is busy attending to other matters.”
“But we’re not,” Vala said, she and Micah coming down the hall behind Jessend.
“Anything you need.” Micah lowered his head. “Just ask.”
“Thank you,” Reela said, “but you’ve already given us everything we need, and unfortunately we must be leaving.”
For the last time, they exchanged handshakes and long embraces.
“Find us in Kyrro if any of you come to Ovira,” Cleve said.
“We will,” Jek answered for them.
Nulya was waiting beside two other horses Reela and Vithos had chosen—gifts from the Takarys. Vithos had decided to let his first horse, Jitch, go back into the wild.
The three of them knew how valuable horses were in Ovira. There was hardly a better gift. Cleve touched the handle of his Bastial steel sword, the last gift he’d received. He hoped he’d never need to use it again, though something told him he would.
Reela was wiping away tears as they rode out of the palace gate. Then Cleve noticed Vithos sharing a glance with her. The Elf began to cry as well.
“What is it?” Cleve asked.
“Rek,” Vithos answered.
Just his name tore at Cleve’s heart. His own tears swelled and spilled down his cheeks.
They met Fatholl and three thousand other Elves just outside the eastern wall of The Nest. They would wait another hour for the last of their group before riding to Goldram’s docks. A ship would take them to Ovira, specifically Merejic in the north. Cleve was nervous yet excited about the Elves interacting with the Krepps. He’d see Zoke again. He trusted the Krepp to help them prevent battle, and with Zoke were the Krepps that had left Doe and Haemon’s army. They didn’t want to fight anymore. There would be peace.
After everything in Merejic was settled, Cleve, Reela and Vithos would ride south to Kyrro. Hopefully Effie, Steffen, and Alex would’ve returned from Sumar by then. When Cleve left, they were getting ready to travel into the unknown territory with the Slugari. The idea had never sat well with him. He had an obstinate worry they’d encounter something better left unfound.
The air was coming in cold. As Cleve waited for the rest of the Elves, he searched one of his bags for his gloves. He felt something he didn’t recognize and pulled it out for a glance. It was a note: “For your wedding one day. It’s the least I can do for bringing me the cure.”
Cleve didn’t know what the note was referring to, though it was clearly from Jek. He searched around the bottom of his bag. Then his fingers felt a pouch.
He looked around. Reela and Vithos were busy talking with Klaiya.
“I’m sad to see Peter isn’t with you,” Reela was saying.
“It was a difficult decision for both of us,” Klaiya said. “But Peter isn’t ready to leave his family and friends for me, and I’m not ready to stay for him. If we had more time, it might’ve been different. Ao wasalli falea yust ma jens.”
Cleve had heard the phrase before and knew that it meant, “but sometimes it’s just what happens.”
“I’m sorry,” Reela said.
Cleve got the pouch’s cord undone and could only stare at what he found inside. It was money, more than he’d ever held at one time. More than I’ve spent in my whole life, he realized. They were gold coins, the same used in Ovira.
Reela must’ve sensed his surprise. She came and crouched beside him. “Bastial stars, that’s a lot of money, Cleve!”
He showed her the note from Jek. A smile slowly came over her lips. “Well, at least we know now the poor boy gets paid well.”
Cleve laughed.
Soon it was time to ride. Cleve realized he had a question for Fatholl that he couldn’t let out of his mind. So he rode to the front with Reela and Vithos and asked Fatholl if they could speak.
“We have at least three days of riding to make it to the docks,” Fatholl said, his voice rhythmic and wise. “There are few better ways of passing the time than talking.”
“Did you speak to Raymess after the desmarls were all killed?” Cleve asked. The King had seemed in high spirits every time Cleve saw him. He wondered if Fatholl finally had been forgiven.
“I try not to speak with men who want to kill me,” Fatholl said.
“He still feels this way?” Reela was incredulous.
“Yes. And I don’t think he’s crazy for having these thoughts. I was responsible for his father’s death, after all.”
There was a long silence.
“Do you regret it?” Reela asked.
Fatholl looked to be holding his breath. Cleve felt like he was holding his as well as he waited. “The story of our lives is told by our dreams when we’re young and our regrets when we’re old,” Fatholl said. “The more those childhood dreams become regrets, the more sorrowful our story.” His eyes were distant as they glimpsed the road ahead. “I dreamt to see Greenedge free of war and desmarls, and I’ll never regret the sacrifices that turned that dream into reality.”
Cleve felt himself swallow a dry gulp. It was easy to forget the “sacrifices” when in the end, the world was better off. Fatholl was a murderer, responsible for the deaths of many. But that meant Reela, Vithos, and Cleve were murderers as well.
“I wish I felt better about how your goal was achieved,” Cleve admitted, thinking of Danvell’s death.
“That means you have a just heart. Don’t ignore this bitter feeling. Live your life by it, instead. Then clearing Greenedge of desmarls won’t be the last good deed you do.”
“This means you feel the same sting of guilt that I do?” Cleve asked.
Fatholl nodded. “It’s this innate demand of betterment we share that drove me to the plan you witnessed. Perhaps one day the same feeling will lead you down a path just as controversial. The world is right for now, but there will always be those slowly setting it atilt.
“Men like us will always have enemies, Cleve. We just haven’t met them all yet.”
End of the Rhythm of Rivalry Series
Although this book mar
ks the end of the Rhythm of Rivalry series, the saga continues with a fresh series that starts in Sumar, called, Fire Games.
We follow the lives of new characters and learn about an exceptional type energy yet to be discovered in Greenedge and Ovira.
Expect a surprise visit from a few familiar faces as well.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by B.T. Narro
Cover art by Ricky Gunawan
Maps by Annette Tremblay: midnightwhimsy.deviantart.com
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