Aislin of Arianrhod (Land of Alainnshire)

by S. L. Jesberger

  “So this...Eternium...gives a Sylvan a long natural life, but you can be killed or injured, just like a human?” Aislin asked.

  “Yes. All of this was going on inside Madaheth’s castle, so we had no idea. We were just very relieved that our people had stopped disappearing. Things soon went back to normal.”

  “Madaheth sent her army into the forest of Elinbourne during our harvest festival. The entire village was out in the open clearing when they struck. We knew who they were, we just didn’t know why they were attacking us. They wanted us alive, so there wasn’t much bloodshed. They rounded up everyone they could catch, tied them together, and took them to Madaheth’s castle. Many of us made it to the safety of the forest, but many of us didn’t. We were scattered, broken. We still didn’t know why they were attacking us. We had always lived in peace.”

  “A young boy by the name of Bartis was lucky enough to escape from the castle, and he soon found his way back to the forest. He told us about the potion, the Eternium in our blood, and that the captured Sylvan were kept in cages in the lower floor of the castle. Our people were tied down, and drained of their blood when she needed more of the potion. Bartis told us many of them screamed the whole time they were dying. Once the Eternium was extracted from their blood, their bodies were thrown into the fires of the castle like rubbish. We were horrified to find out that we carried such a precious commodity within our bodies. We were as valuable as gold to Madaheth, and she harvested us like cattle.”

  Aislin’s eyes were swimming with tears. Small wonder he’d been angry with her for calling his experiences with humans unpleasant. This was the most ghastly thing she’d ever heard.

  “How old were you when this happened?” she asked.

  “I was 120 years old. In human years, that’s about eighteen. We knew we had to fight back, knew we had to get into the castle to rescue our people. But we were terrified. We’d never faced an enemy like this. We started to use the Old Ways again—the Magik we knew we possessed but rarely needed to use. It was the best weapon we had against such a monster as Madaheth.”

  “Magik,” she whispered. “What kind of Magik?”

  “I’ve always had the gift of foresight. I could see what was going to happen before it happened, but it was in short, confused glimpses. It took me awhile to understand what I was seeing in these visions. It was how I found you in the forest with Duff. I learned to use these visions to ward off attacks, and to rescue those in danger.”

  “Every Sylvan has at least one special ability when they are born, some have several. Some of the Sylvan could transport themselves long distances in the blink of an eye simply by thinking of their destination. My father could call animals to our aid. Colven has the ability to summon the elements of weather against the enemy. Together, using Magik, we rescued those that we could from the castle, and we defeated Elinbourne’s army...” His expression grew fierce. “... and I killed Madaheth.”

  “By that time, there were only about a hundred of us left. Our secret was out among the humans of Elinbourne, and the hunt for our blood continued. What was left of the Sylvan gathered together and set out for Blackthorne Forest. We carved a village out of the marble cliffs here and named it Oakenbourne, after the beautiful old oaks we’d left behind in our ancestral land. We’ve been here for over 100 years. We killed any humans who strayed too close to us, in the hope that we would remain undiscovered until the end of time.”

  “That’s a horrible story. No wonder you hate humans. Your family...your father...they survived?”

  “My mother and father survived, yes.” His voice was cold, and he stared at her with empty eyes. There was something unspoken that hung in the air between them.

  “My sister did not survive,” he finally said.

  “Your...sister. I wear her clothes,” Aislin whispered. “What happened?”

  “Starr was two years younger than me. She was delightful, smart, and very sweet. She was my only sibling, and I loved her very much. She’d been born with a deformed leg, but by sheer determination, she taught herself to walk. The other Sylvan children would pick on her sometimes, but I always protected her. I always made sure she was safe.” His eyes grew pained and distant.

  “Madaheth knew we were beating her at her own game, knew she was losing. She and I had many battles, and I always bested her, though she always managed to escape me at the last moment. I could never seem to capture her,” he said.

  “She was desperate now, and she sent her men to the forest to carry out one last raid on us. Starr happened to be in the abandoned village, retrieving her favorite books from our home when they rode in. Starr was no match for them with her twisted leg. They caught her easily. They knew who she was. I had foreseen all of this in my mind, but for some reason I couldn’t make sense of the visions in time to find her. They took Starr to the castle and presented her to Madaheth as the sister of Tristan, Prince of the Sylvan. I can only imagine how delighted she must have been to have caught such a prize.”

  “Madaheth was trying to make one last batch of potion. She immediately strapped Starr to the table in her chambers and she drained every last drop of blood out of her. I got there too late... I was too late.” Tristan groaned in agony, shaking his head, his face in his hands. “I had been having visions of her, but they were distorted and confused. By the gods, if I’d been able to make sense of what I was seeing, I would have been there in time to save her. I never thought Starr would go back to the village, given the danger. I wasn’t there to protect her, and I couldn’t find her when it mattered most.”

  Tristan took a moment to compose himself.

  “When I got to Madaheth’s chamber, the last of Starr’s blood was draining into the cauldron. The queen had already started to age and was an old crone by the time I got to her. I gutted her like the pig she was.” He took a deep breath. “Starr was completely white on the table, those beautiful green eyes blank, and I knew she was dead. I couldn’t save my sister, Aislin. I just didn’t get there in time. She trusted me, believed in me, and I let her down.”

  “What a terrible thing for you to see.” There were no words of comfort she could offer him. It was obvious this was something he replayed endlessly in his head.

  “I got the same feeling last night when I stood in front of your empty cell. I knew Duff had taken you, but I didn’t know where. I ran through the forest in a panic trying to make sense of the visions in my head. I’m just so thankful my abilities didn’t fail me this time.”

  They sat quietly for a time, but she was still curious about his family. “Your parents. They still live here in the village?” she asked.

  “We numbered about a hundred when we arrived in Blackthorne Forest. Unfortunately, our numbers are now down to about half of that. My parents, along with many others, died almost eleven years ago during the sickness that also devastated your kingdom.”

  Chapter Twenty Five

  THE AIR HAD BEEN SO charged with emotion that they both jumped at the knock on the door. It was Colven. Tristan tried to keep his head down, but the elder’s sharp green eyes missed nothing.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No,” Tristan said. “Why would you think something was wrong?”

  Colven stared at him. “The princess...she’s not in her cell, and I was hoping you could tell me...”

  “She’s here...with me.” Tristan stood back from the door, and let Colven look around him to Aislin, sitting on the chaise.

  Still looking curiously up at Tristan, Colven made his way to Aislin.

  “Dear girl, what has happened to you?” Colven gasped, as he knelt down in front of her and tipped her chin up.

  “Duff happened,” Tristan growled.

  Colven looked up at Tristan. “Duff is responsible for this bruise on her cheek?”

  “He took her from her cell last night. He was g
oing to kill her in the forest...among other things. I found them before he could do so. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, given his attitude toward her during the meeting, but I can’t believe a member of council would do such a thing.”

  Colven got to his feet, shaking his head as though dazed. “I....I...don’t know what to say. This is terrible. We’ll have to talk about this.”

  “I agree. Did you need something?”

  “Well, I was looking for Aislin actually, but you may come along as well. I have something for her in my apartment.”

  “What are you up to, Colven?” Tristan asked.

  “It’s a surprise,” he laughed, clapping his hands together in front of him. “I haven’t been this excited in a long time!”

  Curious, they followed him down the hallway.

  Grinning for all he was worth, Colven opened the door to his apartment and motioned for them to enter ahead of him.

  Aislin’s eyes fell on a young girl sitting at the window, playing some kind of game. She narrowed her eyes. There was something familiar about the girl.

  “Aunt Aislin!” And then Maeve... Aislin looked again just to be sure... yes, Maeve was in her arms!

  She clutched the little girl to her, closed her eyes, and whirled around the room with her beloved niece in her arms, laughing and crying at the same time. Maeve was the last person she expected to see here!

  Aislin stopped in the middle of the room, and just held the girl to her for several long minutes, her eyes closed as she savored the feel of that dear little body against her. Finally, Maeve wriggled in her arms.

  “Aunt Aislin, you’re squishing me!”

  Aislin laughed and loosened her grip. Looking through tears over Maeve’s shoulder, she saw Devin. She slowly put Maeve down. They were supposed to be safe in the cave.

  “Devin, what are you doing here?”

  “What happened to your face? Did someone hit you?” Devin shot back. Tristan made a strangled sound. Devin looked at him and back to her. “Who are these people?”

  Colven motioned to the soft chairs in his sitting room and said, “Come. Sit down. I’ll pour some wine. There is obviously a great adventure here, and I want to hear every second of it.”

  Devin told them how the hooded Sylvan had caught them in Blackthorne Forest. He thought for sure they were about to be killed, but none of them seemed comfortable killing a child. And then one of their captors had ridden forward on a horse, taken one look at Maeve, and made the men put their weapons away. For some reason, they decided it was best to present the two of them to Colven, though they’d been unhappy about bringing humans to the village. When Colven found out who the captives were, he told them Aislin was also at Oakenbourne, and that she would be pleased beyond measure to see them.

  “But what about Mother and Gwen? Where are they?” asked Aislin.

  Devin hung his head. “Somehow, Jariath found the cave. I guess that means he found the hidden door in the sewing room. Maeve and I were out for a walk, and had almost made it back when Jariath showed up in one of the boats with Brock and several of his men. I didn’t know what to do, so Maeve and I stayed hidden. They took Gwen and your mother back with them. I would imagine they’re imprisoned in the dungeon at Arianrhod.”

  Aislin dropped her face into her hands, unable to speak.

  Now what? The plan was for everyone to stay safe in the cave. She knew Jariath would’ve been pleased to have captured someone, but he would’ve been violently angry that she wasn’t with them. She didn’t even want to think about the things Jariath might do to her mother and Gwen in his frustration at missing her. She stood up and began to pace.

  “If he has them, he won’t treat them gently. I can’t let them take the brunt of Jariath’s anger.” Aislin turned back to Devin. “It’s me he’s after. I have to think of a way to get them out of there. Or...” She hesitated. “...I may have to give myself up to him.”

  “I will not allow you to do that! I won’t let you put yourself in danger!” Tristan shouted.

  Aislin whirled around to face him, shocked at his outburst. Tristan’s hands were clenched at his sides, his face dark and angry.

  “Then what do you suggest? I won’t abandon my family to Jariath!”

  Colven was entertaining Maeve, teaching her to play the elven game of Cribbetts. He looked up over the top of his glasses at Aislin. “This is quite a dilemma. What will you do?”

  “I have to go back,” said Aislin. Tristan yelled “No!” at the same time. Colven chuckled.

  “You don’t get to make the decisions this time. I’m going, and that’s final!” Aislin mentally dared Tristan to challenge her.

  Devin snickered behind her.

  “Obviously, you haven’t figured out yet that once Aislin makes up her mind to do something, it’s as good as done,” Devin said to Tristan, who stood gaping at her.

  “You don’t have to surrender yourself to him, Aislin. We can think of a way to rescue your mother and Gwen from the dungeon. I have some...thoughts...but it’s not a good idea to just go running off. Let’s talk about this first and go from there,” Tristan said.

  “He’s right,” Devin said calmly. “Jariath probably lays awake at night, dreaming of you on your knees while he shackles you. You’ll be giving him exactly what he wants if you give yourself up to him. I know how much he terrifies you. I won’t let you do it either.”

  She was outnumbered. Giving Devin a sharp look, she snapped, “Fine. We have twenty-four hours to form a plan, but then I’m on my way to Arianrhod, with or without one. I’ll make it up as I go if I have to. I’ve done it before.”

  “I don’t think Jariath will harm them. I know that won’t make you feel any better, but he knows this is one way to get you to come to him,” said Devin. “If he thinks this gives him an advantage over you, he won’t do anything to squander it.”

  Aislin knew how Jariath’s twisted mind worked, and Devin was right. Jariath would consider them bait—for the time being. She needed to be rational and careful if she was going to get them out safely. It was also true that she couldn’t go storming back to Arianrhod without a plan. She looked up and locked eyes with Tristan.

  Tristan held her gaze. “I’m going with you,” he said firmly.

  “I can’t ask you to do that,” Aislin replied.

  “I am not about to let Jariath get his hands on you,” Tristan said. “I can do certain...things...that you cannot. I won’t let you do this alone. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

  His eyes shone like stars, and she had the unexpected urge to kiss him. Hard. She knew his history with humans. The enormity of what he was offering to do for her twisted her heart into a knot.

  “I don’t think this is something I can do alone,” Aislin said softly, dropping her head so he wouldn’t see the tears. “But I know how you feel about humans...you don’t...” She sighed. “Thank you.”

  As they were talking, a young Sylvan courier arrived. “I have rooms prepared upstairs for the three of you,” said Colven to Aislin and Devin. “This young elf will take you there. You have some catching up to do. Rest now, and we’ll plan tomorrow.”

  As Aislin walked past, Tristan grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. “Stay with me tonight.”

  She smiled and put a soft hand to his face. “I wouldn’t be setting a very good example for Maeve if I did that. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She gave him a soft, lingering kiss, and then she was gone.

  “You will have your hands full with that one,” Colven laughed, as he closed the door behind her.

  “I know.”

  “You can be rather intimidating at times. She does not appear to be afraid of you.”

  “She isn’t.”

  “Good for her. What will you do?”

  “I don�
��t know, but I won’t let her put herself in danger. I can’t lose her.”

  “Tristan...” Colven sighed. “She will live perhaps another 30 or 40 years, the blink of an eye to a Sylvan, and then you will lose her to death. You will also face an uphill battle to convince the rest of the Sylvan to accept her. You alone must decide if it’s worth it.”

  “She’s worth it,” Tristan said.

  Colven could see there would be no talking him out of it.

  “You cannot expect the other Sylvan to fight this battle with you. You’ll be going alone,” Colven said.

  “So be it.”

  It was all Colven needed to hear. “I will do what I can to help you. May the gods protect you all.”

  Aislin looked down at the precious girl sleeping soundly in her arms. No matter what happened to her now, Maeve was safely out of Arianrhod.

  Maeve had been enchanted to find out Tristan and Colven were elves. Intrigued by Tristan’s ears, she had peppered her aunt with a million questions. Aislin patiently answered them, leaving out the parts she felt might be confusing to the girl.

  Aislin told them both about crossing the river right under the nose of Morrigan’s men, their capture in the forest and being brought to Oakenbourne. She didn’t mention Duff, or any of the more objectionable things that had happened to her. Her first encounters with Tristan hadn’t been pleasant. For some reason, she didn’t want Maeve to think badly of him.

  Eventually, Maeve fell asleep. Devin offered to take the child to her bed, but Aislin didn’t want to let her go. She hadn’t dared to believe she would ever see her niece again, and the weight of the girl in her arms as she slept was comforting to her.

  She and Devin talked quietly, and finally, her arms aching, she allowed Devin to take Maeve from her.