Charlie would have commented on the size of the priest’s mushroom, but he was already floating along to a different dimension. His thoughts and concerns regarding Rhen and Thaster had slipped away.
In the student dining hall, Rhen and his friends ate breakfast, chatting about the upcoming races at the Wood Elf Castle. Erfce and Latsoh seemed very excited about attending. They’d been in the past and had had a fun time watching the competitions, eating at the many food stalls and browsing the market.
As they stepped out of the Wood Elf Forest into the clearing near the stadium, they heard an announcer reading the program for the day over the intercom system. Elves from all four tribes and foreigners from other planets stared at Rhen as he walked across the courtyard towards the stadium. They knew about him from the oracles’ predictions and had heard the news of what he’d just done at the University. Curious to see what he looked like, they craned their necks and jostled each other to get a better view.
Almost at once, Rhen and his friends bumped into Princess Lilo, Reed’s wife. She was standing near the stadium greeting people. “Hi,” she called out, when she saw them. Reed had told her to watch out for Rhen. He wanted his little brother to watch him from their family seats.
“I’ve been looking for you,” Lilo said, blowing air kisses to Latsoh and looping her arm through Ceceta’s. “Come watch the races with me.” She stepped around a family of Ventarians, who’d stopped to stare at Crystam, and walked up the worn stone steps to the right of the main entrance. “How much do you know about our stadium?” she asked Rhen as they walked up the spiral staircase.
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“Ah, well, Themrock built it when he built our castle. It’s made of wood from our forest and reinforced with rocks from the badlands between our territory and the Fire Elves’.” She glanced behind her at Latsoh.
“Our lands connect to the Wood Elves’,” Latsoh told him. “You should visit us sometime. We’re only a half-hour jet ride away.”
“Someday,” Rhen replied noncommittally.
They reached the top landing and walked out into an open balcony that could comfortably hold fifty people. Lilo separated Rhen and Ceceta from their friends and pulled them over towards her mother. “Mom, you remember my brother-in-law Rhen and his wife Ceceta?”
“Yes, of course,” the Wood Elf Queen said, greeting them with a smile. She felt sorry for Rhen. He hadn’t been given a proper elfin upbringing, and in her opinion, suffered from it.
“Dad,” Lilo called out to a man wearing a brown and green outfit leaning against the top railing of the stadium and talking to a group of elves. “Rhen and Ceceta are here.” The Wood Elf King nodded in their direction but turned away. After a few minutes had passed, during which he continued to ignore them while he talked to his friends, Lilo said, “Sorry, he’s still having trouble with your eating meat and… well, stuff.” She couldn’t believe her father was acting this way, when they all knew how important it was to bring Rhen into the fold.
“No need to apologize,” Ceceta told her. “We’d be breathless, if we had to apologize to everyone Andres insults.” Lilo laughed and walked them back to their friends, who had sat down on the right side of the balcony. She took a seat next to Rhen and glanced over at his friends, wondering what it was like to know Rhen and Ceceta personally.
Behind her, Lilo noticed the Thestran Royal Family lurking about. They were seated near Rhen, and from their posture, it was obvious they were trying to listen in on his conversation with his friends. Lilo frowned. She knew they had to bond with Rhen, but somehow the way they were going about it, seemed annoying, even to her. Rhen must have felt the same way, because he was ignoring them.
The stadium’s stands were filled to maximum capacity as the first race was about to begin. In anticipation, Lilo leaned over to Rhen and said, “This first race is really between Reed and Aaron, the son of the Fire King. They’ve had a rivalry for years.”
Latsoh laughed in agreement adding, “Since they were born.” She waved across the stadium to a well-dressed man and woman, who were sitting in a private balcony area across from them. “My parents,” she explained, when Ceceta craned her neck to see who she was waving to. Ceceta decided that Latsoh looked like her mom, which was a good thing, because her dad was rather unappealing. Glancing about the stadium, she noticed that there were four private balconies, one for each elfin tribe. She wondered how the Thestran Royal Family felt about that. Themrock hadn’t made any balconies for the humans, because during his time the elves had ruled the planet.
Sage, who was sitting in front of Rhen and Ceceta, leaned back towards Lilo and said, “Don’t forget, we Water Elves are in this race too. Princess Sarah is challenging Reed and Aaron.”
Shaking her head, Lilo said, “But she’s never won a race on a dry course, she doesn’t stand a chance.”
“She’s very good, and one day she’ll beat your husband,” Sage retorted.
“I know Sarah and Aaron,” Rhen told them, breaking their good-natured rivalry and causing them to stare at him, since he rarely spoke. “They’re some of my better students.” He searched the field, to see if he could pick them out.
Lilo laughed at something beside Rhen. Turning to see what she had found so funny, he saw her pull her daughter, the little blond girl in the green dress who had tried to look under his tunic on his first day, up onto her lap. The girl stared at Rhen for a minute and then surprised him, when she pushed herself off her mother and crawled up onto his lap. Rhen sat very still as she mounted him, afraid that any movement on his part might dislodge her, causing her to fall. With raised eyebrows, he stared down at her as she settled herself on his lap.
“You never said you were sorry,” she told him, once she was comfortable.
“You say it first,” Rhen said with a hint of mirth. Ceceta appeared confused, but Rhen knew what the girl was talking about. She wanted an apology for his shoving her way from him after she had tried to look up his tunic.
The girl stuck her tongue out at him then turned to watch the race. A horn blew somewhere in the stadium and the riders took off. It was an exciting race, because Reed and Aaron were well matched. Sarah kept up with them, but she didn’t take the same risks they took. Reed won the race by one jet bike length and the Wood Elves cheered.
“Just wait until the water course. Sarah will beat them both there,” Sage told Rhen with confidence.
Lilo snorted at Sage’s remark. “As if.”
In retaliation, Sage swung her popcorn upwards, so it flew into Lilo’s face. Lilo laughed and threw some of the popcorn she was holding down into Sage’s brown hair.
Bored by their behavior, the girl on Rhen’s lap lifted her head to look at him. “My daddy’s the best,” she told him. Rhen nodded. He had no quarrel with that. He had ridden with Reed several times and knew firsthand how talented he was. Something caught the girl’s eye and she climbed up to stand on Rhen’s lap. Holding onto his shoulders, she smiled and waved behind Rhen at both of her grandmothers, who stared at her with shock. The little girl grinned and leaned backwards, releasing Rhen’s shoulders. Rhen caught her at once, so she wouldn’t fall. Nestled between his strong hands, she smiled as her grandparents watched with open mouths.
A minute later, she grew tired of their scrutiny and turned back to Rhen. “I play the piano very well. Mommy and Daddy say I’m a natural.”
At that comment, Lilo stopped picking popcorn out of her hair and focused on her daughter. “Alexa, get down. It’s not nice of you to stand on people, unless you’re invited to do so, and it’s also not nice to brag about your abilities.”
With a shrug, Alexa flopped down onto Rhen’s lap. “I’m not moving,” she said. “He’s taller than you, so I can see the races better from his lap.”
Lilo gave Rhen a sympathetic look. “Is it alright with you if she sits on you?”
“It’s fine,” Rhen told her. He liked children, although he’d never been comfortable around
foreign children. They always seemed undisciplined.
The next race began and it was just as exciting as the first. A woman from Jeniper beat Reed and Aaron by a millimeter. When the race ended, Alexa turned around and reached her small hand up to Rhen’s chin, grabbing it with her little fingers. “You look familiar,” she told him.
Lilo laughed. “Of course, he looks familiar. He’s your uncle. He looks just like Uncle James and Grandpa Henry, only with elfin ears.” Someone in the stands above them yelled out Lilo’s name, so she turned around to wave at one of her many cousins.
“No,” Alexa said. She continued to examine Rhen’s face. “You look like someone else. A picture of someone I’ve seen before.” She paused. “I know. You look like the man painted on the ceilings and walls of our castle, only you have shorter hair and no beard.” A servant with treats walked past their seats and Alexa forgot what she was talking about. She asked her mom for candy. When Lilo said ‘no’, Alexa turned her attention back to Rhen. “Do you play the piano?”
As soon as she asked the question, Tgfhi started to choke on the water he had been drinking and Latsoh giggled. Their reactions indicated that Rhen’s friends knew something about his abilities. While no one was looking, Kate closed her eyes and felt the chill of her powers as she pushed them into Latsoh’s mind. She saw Latsoh’s memory of playing music with Rhen and smiled. “What?” Lilly whispered next to her mother. Kate pushed Latsoh’s memories into the minds of Lilly and the other members of Thestran Royal Family, who were sitting around her. She shivered when she was finished using her powers. The Royals were amazed by the beautiful songs they heard Rhen and the others playing in the University’s storage room.
“Did Latsoh say you could go into her mind?” Lilly asked quietly. Kate shook her head. Lilly rolled her eyes with annoyance.
“I had to do it to help Thestran,” Kate whispered back, justifying her actions.
Lilly couldn’t take it. She stood up and moved over next to James’ wife.
Meanwhile, Alexa persisted in badgering Rhen. “So, can you play the piano?” she asked him for the twentieth time.
It occurred to Rhen that she wasn’t going to give up without an answer. “On my planet, music is forbidden, so no, I don’t know how to play the piano. But, if I lived on your planet, I would say yes, I can play the piano.”
Alexa laughed. “That’s not an answer. Yes or no is an answer, not yes and no at the same time.”
Without responding, Rhen stared past Alexa, down at the races. He hoped, by ignoring her, she would get the hint that he was done with their conversation. Unfortunately for him, Alexa repeated herself over and over, until her whining annoyed Lilo enough that she yelled at her to stop. After Lilo had disciplined Alexa, she quieted down. A minute later, she stood up on Rhen’s lap and stared into his eyes. “You do play the piano, since you’re living on Thestran. That’s the answer,” she told him. Satisfied, she plopped back down and reached over to pick up his left hand to study it during the next race. Reed, Aaron and Sarah tied in that race and everyone in the stadium cheered.
The announcer told the audience that the next batch of races would be held on the water course in half an hour, so the stadium began to empty as everyone made their way to the Wood Elf Lake.
“Have you seen the lake yet?” Lilo asked Rhen. He shook his head. Lillo sighed. “It’s not pretty. Since Themrock’s been gone, the lake has deteriorated to a point where nothing can live in it. The water has turned a dark brown color and its consistency is rather soupy. We know it’s not polluted, but we have no idea why it’s in the state it’s in. The priests think it might be tied to Themrock, which means it will only go back to its original splendor when he returns. For now, our lake is useless. The only time anyone visits it is during Reed’s jet bike races.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Rhen told her. “I hope your God Themrock retur…”
“I can see,” Alexa said, interrupting their conversation and waving Rhen’s hand back and forth in the air. “That you’re actually an amazing piano player. It’s written all over your hand. Can I hear you play after the races?”
Rhen laughed at her insightful comment and said, “No.” He picked her up off his lap and placed her down on the ground beside him. “Go play with your friends,” he said, with a dismissive gesture.
Alexa frowned and reached out Rhen’s hand. “No,” she told him.
As Rhen regarded her, memories from his childhood on Surpen raced through his mind. If he had said ‘no’ to his father, he would’ve been punished. Yet here, on Thestran, this child felt no repercussions from speaking back to an adult. Without realizing it, he began to feel sorry for himself. Rhen tightened his grip on Alexa’s little hand and walked with her towards the water course.
When they were about halfway there, Reed ran up to join them. He was wearing a green and brown racing outfit, the official colors of the Wood Elves. Reed hugged Lilo as she congratulated him on his win. Turning towards Rhen, his expression changed from joy to surprise, when he noticed Alexa holding Rhen’s hand. “So, did you like the races?” he asked with hesitation.
“Very much so,” Rhen said. “You rode masterfully.”
“Thank you.” Reed was pleased that Rhen approved of his skill. He glanced down and saw that Alexa had taken another step closer to Rhen. Her body bumped into his side as she swung their hands back and forth, staring out across the lawn at the attendees for today’s event. “Is she bothering you?” Reed whispered to Rhen. “She can be very… persistent.”
From Alexa’s sudden change in posture, Rhen realized she had heard her father’s words but was pretending that she hadn’t. Remembering how his father used to do the same thing to him with his advisor, he understood Alexa’s frustration. “No,” Rhen told Reed. “I like Alexa. We’re friends.” He felt Alexa’s grip tighten on his hand and grinned.
Reed gave his little brother an odd look before turning to greet the rest of his family, who had walked over to join them. “What are you doing here? You never watch my races.”
As the Royal Family talked to Reed, Rhen glanced down at Alexa to find her smiling up at him. They had formed a bond.
“So,” Reed said, walking over to Rhen’s side. “When are you racing little brother?”
Rhen couldn’t help himself from laughing. “What? I can’t even stay on my jet bike. I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to race.”
“But it would be fun to watch,” Ceceta mumbled, receiving a frown from Rhen in response.
“Why don’t you race with the Children’s Division?” Reed said. “They’re all learning how to ride. You’d enjoy it.”
Rhen raised an eyebrow at Reed in mock horror. “Are you trying to make me look like a clown?” he asked. “Thank you. No.”
Reed laughed and turned to go back to his jet bike, adding, “I’ll put your name onto the children’s line up in case you change your mind. After all, you are my little brother.”
“No,” Rhen yelled at his retreating back. They could hear Reed laughing as he ran back to prepare for the water race.
The water races took the riders through the Wood Elves’ dead lake. Both the jet bikes and the riders were outfitted with special, clear forms, so they could fly underwater. At certain points in the course, the riders jumped obstacles that would bring them out of the water. On the far edge of the lake, the course ran up the side of a cliff before plunging back down into the water. The cliff part of the race was where most of the riders tried to pick up the speed they would need to finish in first place.
Instead of going into the stadium by the lake to watch the races, Rhen and the others found a grassy spot on the bank of the lake to sit down. Alexa asked Rhen to put her up into the apple tree that was above them, so he lifted her onto one of the tree’s branches. She giggled, trying to hold onto the branch. In no time, she slipped. Rhen caught Alexa with ease and tossed her back up into the tree, which brought forth a scream of delight. This time, she caught the branch and h
eld firm. “Come up here with me,” Alexa yelled down to him.
“No, I’m too big,” he told her.
“And you’re not wearing shorts, right?” she said.
Rhen smiled at her jab. “Yes, I am.”
“Then you’re not a true Surpen man or we are assholes visiting your country,” Alexa said mockingly in a low voice, calling forth what he had told William the morning of his first day on Thestran.
Rhen laughed out right at her gall. “Alright, you win,” he told her, pulling himself up into the low crook of Alexa’s tree. “I wasn’t that bad,” he said.
“Yes, you were,” she yelled back.
“Then you’re right, I should apologize.” He bowed to her from his branch. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll forgive you if you play the piano for me.”
Rhen shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t do that. You’ll have to come up with something else.”
The announcer declared the riders in the first race and everyone quieted down to watch. The race started to the sound of a loud horn. The riders took off, struggling through the water. Their jet bikes groaned under the strain of the pressure. Sarah took an early lead, which no one could lessen. She won the race hands down. There were eight more races through the lake and then the audience was asked to move back into the main stadium for the final set of races.
Sage decided to take this opportunity to announce to her family that she was pregnant. As everyone congratulated her and Ryan, Rhen jumped off the tree and helped Alexa down. He swung her up onto his shoulders and then followed the others back to the stadium.
Half way back, Lilo noticed Alexa was eating an apple. “Where did you get that?” The servants hadn’t brought them food, so she couldn’t imagine where Alexa might have gotten an apple.
RHEN (Themrock Series Book 1) Page 33
