by Jordan Baker
"I'm sure he will be fine. You and I, both, we have been through some trials ourselves. One time I was asleep for nearly a month after a blast of magic knocked me half way across the land."
"Yes, but that was by choice, and you blasted yourself with magic, which was somewhat foolish. I believe I told you that at the time," Stavros reminded him.
"Yes, you did," Zachary replied. "It matters not. I slept until I had recovered. He will sleep until he recovers. There is nothing wrong with him."
"That is something we will discover if he wakes."
Zachary frowned. Over the past few days, he had spent most of his time either in the room or down at the tavern. His own room had barely been used since he could not sleep at all. It was useless for him to hover around constantly so he had tried to relax by drinking more of the pirates' sweetwater, the strong drink favored by the people of the sea, but whatever weak effects it previously had on his mage's constitution were now barely noticeable as his tense energy burned it away faster than he could consume it.
The girl, Carly, had taken to sleeping in the room as well and lay asleep on a bedroll on the floor. Apparently she had history of some kind with the pirates of Meer Island and they were at odds over something, The last time she had ventured down to the tavern for any length of time, a fight had broken out between her and some of the pirates who were part of Lanos-Meer's contingent and Zachary had been forced to intervene. While they had previously ignored him, now that they knew of his power, the pirates gave him a wide berth, not wanting to test him.
Since they had ample time to talk, and once their tempers had cooled, Stavros had filled Zachary in on the story of how Aaron ended up living in hiding with his brother, Tarnath. As angry as Zachary was about having missed out on the childhood of his son, he understood the reason Stavros had done what he had, and he grudgingly admitted that the grey-cloaked mage had, in fact, attempted to speak with him, at real risk to his own life. Zachary had not been a reasonable man to deal with after the death of the woman he loved and, in his grief, did some terrible things before he finally retreated from the world, disappearing almost entirely.
Only for the past few years had he started to visit places where people lived and, even then, he kept to out of the way places like Meer Island, populated by thieves and brigands, the sort of folks whose accidental incineration by an angry mage might be considered by some an improvement to the world. Not that Zachary had killed anyone, but he had come close a few times, when crossed by those who saw his unkempt, greasy appearance and smelling of sweetwater and mistakenly thought him to be little more than a common drunk and tried to take advantage, although, the mage now realized that it was exactly what he had become.
After Stavros had completed removing the ward from Aaron's power, Zachary had cleaned himself up, bathed, trimmed his facial hair back to its former shape and even cropped his long hair back up above his shoulders. He had even bought new clothes, trading the stained and threadbare tunic and tan leather pants he had worn for a fine outfit of black and gold, put together by a talented clothier in town, who, despite having a flair for the dramatic, had done a decent job. At the very least, Zachary wanted to look somewhat respectable when his son awoke, even if he himself might not deserve much respect, though he remained nonetheless, hopeful.
Carly stirred from her bedroll, opening her eyes and rubbing the sleep from them. Stavros was where he had been when she had fallen asleep, still sitting in the chair next to Aaron's bed. She looked up and saw Zachary leaning against the wall, dressed in his new clothes and she quickly straightened herself and brushed the tangle of hair out of her face as she stood. She was about to comment on the mage's much improved appearance when she felt a strange and familiar sensation.
"Someone is here," Carly said, although she did not know why or how she knew such a thing.
Zachary and Stavros both gave her questioning looks then a moment later the air in the room crackled with power as they gathered their magic, ready for whatever approached, for they now felt the presence of something or someone powerful.
There was a light knock at the door to the room.
Zachary stepped over to it, lifted the iron latch that held it and slowly pushed it open. A moment later, he stepped aside as a young woman entered. She smiled warmly at him as she walked into the room, and she smiled at Stavros as well but she stopped for a moment when she saw Carly. There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes, and she tilted her head for a moment then she smiled at her before moving on. Next, she turned her attention to the bed where Aaron lay, unconscious and she frowned.
"I see he has not yet awakened," she said, in a voice that sounded both soft and gentle like a summer breeze, yet powerful and unrelenting as gale.
"Who are you?" Carly asked.
"My name is Ehlena," she told them, in a voice that was much smaller than it had been a moment ago. "I am the daughter of King Toren Al-Aran of Aghlar and Lady Elara of the House of Valamyr and I am a friend."
"Why are you here?"
"Aaron saved my life. He helped me once, when I was in need, and I would like to help him now."
"Curious," Zachary said. "I find myself believing everything you say, yet I trust no one. What are you?"
"She speaks the truth, but not all of it," Stavros said, his eyes shimmering black with power, but with a warm smile on his face. The grey-robed mage knelt on one knee. "She is the Lady."
"Rise, Stavros," Ehlena said, her voice registering with power once more. "I do not require obeisance from those who serve me."
"Nonsense." Zachary was skeptical. "You are but a girl, yet you have great power about you. How is this possible?"
Stavros rose to his feet. "I do not know how, only that it is true."
"You follow your own path, Zachary," Ehlena said, her voice powerful again. "This has always been your way, but you are not alone, for I have seen your joys and your pains and would give you solace if you so desired it, even though I know you will never accept the gifts that I offer. Stavros has paid respect to me, and for that we are grateful and give him protection as we are able. Know this, Zachary, there is one who seeks your undoing and many who follow him seek this as well. Now that I have returned to this realm, I might safeguard those who honor me, but those who stand alone must also face the shadows alone. I do not know your fate, but I can tell you this; the one who seeks you is driven by fear, for he knows you are a threat to his design."
"You speak of this one god that the priesthood follows," Zachary said.
"I do."
"Let him try," Zachary said.
"That is why he fears you," Ehlena told him, with a smile on her lips. "You are powerful, mage, and you have within you great potential, but you must guard against the shadows, for they may consume you."
"I will try to remember that," Zachary said. "Now how can you help my son?"
"He is lost within himself. I will call to him. I do not know if he will hear me, for there are those who choose to remain lost," Ehlena said then she paused and stared directly at Carly for a moment before continuing. "Nonetheless, I will try."
"What do you mean by choosing to remain lost?" Carly asked. Something about the girl's words bothered her, but she could not figure out why.
"I meant exactly what I said," Ehlena told her. "Some choose to lose themselves. The mage, Zachary, tried to accomplish such a thing, but it is not in his nature to remain silent. Aaron has been hidden from himself for so long that he does not know himself and there are things he must face that will be painful for him. His challenge is very difficult. As for you, Carly, you too are lost. It is a choice you made, but I think you do not remember it. Perhaps, in time, you will, but it is good to see you here, helping this young man."
"How do you know my name?" Carly asked. "How do you know all of our names?"
"I now know many things," Ehlena said. "It is a gift, the power of the Lady, or perhaps you would know me by a different name, for I am also called Ayra."
Carly
took a step back from Ehlena and stared back at her with a hint of sadness in her eyes. At the mention of the name she had spoken, something awoke deep within Carly's thoughts and she found that she was suddenly very uncomfortable around the girl.
"I am hungry," Carly said abruptly. "You do whatever you think you can do and I'll be down in the tavern finding something to eat."
"As you wish," Ehlena told her. Stavros and Zachary traded a look as Carly left the room.
"I will leave you to this task, Lady Ayra," Stavros said.
"See to her," Ehlena told him. "There is much trouble with her. I am named Ehlena. My other names are true, but they are not who I am now."
"Ehlena it is, then," Stavros agreed and bowed his head before turning and following after Carly.
"I'll stay if you don't mind," Zachary said.
"Of course." Ehlena smiled at the mage then she sat down on the bed next to Aaron and placed her hand on his cheek.
"Can you help him?" Ehlena asked.
"You can help him."
"How can I help him?"
"You are me, and I am you."
"Okay," Ehlena said. "I don't understand everything you just told those people, but it's true, isn't it? Everything you just said?"
"Yes, but I did not tell them. You did. You are me, and I am you."
"I'm confused. You keep saying that, but I know I am me. You're the Lady, which means you're you. If that weren't true, then we could not talk like this."
"We are the same. You need only decide it and it will be so. I have given myself to you."
"But what if you do things and I can't be me anymore?"
"I would not do such a thing. You already know that."
"I know. I just don't understand."
"You will."
"All right. What do we...I mean, what do I do?"
"Call to him. And listen to him."
"That's all?"
"There is more, but first you must call to him. Use my voice that is within you, for it is now your voice. Talk to him, the way you talk to me, the way you talk to yourself, within your thoughts."
Ehlena was not sure she understood what the Lady was trying to say, but she felt like it made sense. The times when the goddess had spoken, she had felt an overwhelming sense of purpose flow through her and the knowledge of many things flooded her mind, but it was something that just happened, rather than something she intended. She breathed in deeply and thought about Aaron and she thought about the power that flooded through her when the Lady did things and within moments the power was hers and she could feel Aaron next to her, his body flowing with energy, quiet on the surface, but beneath a raging torrent. His energy was different from hers, it felt hot like fire, but also warm like the sun. She tried to call to him.
The fire burned white hot. People were shouting. A woman screamed. A child cried. The dark eyes spread shadows but the fire burned them away. The cold steel glowed hot and melted. A man screamed. The shadows fled. The fire turned to red.
"Aaron."
The flames reached higher, burning the sky. The shouting grew louder. A woman appeared. She reached out and bled as cold steel cut her. A man with a sword appeared and steel met steel. The shadows choked him by the neck and he fell. The shadows turned. Eyes like coal, coming closer.
"Aaron, wake up."
Tarnath walked into the bedroom.
"I've got something for you, lad. Follow me."
He followed him outside. His head pounded but the cool, night air was soothing. A gentle breeze whispered in his ear.
"Aaron."
A star glowed red in the sky. It grew brighter, closer, streaking toward him. Tarnath reached out and picked it out of the darkness.
"It is yours, my boy. Master the blade."
He held out a sword with a red stone set into its pommel.
"Aaron. Wake up."
He was on his back, staring up at the dark night sky. Stars glittered overhead. Eyes like shadows appeared. A man, holding a knife sneered at him. The stars faded and the darkness surrounded him. He tried to move but something held him down. Cold steel touched him.
Fire.
"Aaron."
"Balance, my boy. Balance is everything."
Fire.
He was in his bed. His head pounded. So often, it hurt just to think. A gentle breeze danced through the open window, warm and comforting yet cool and soothing. He closed his eyes and hoped the pain would go away. Shadows lurked in the corner of his eyes.
Fire.
"Aaron." A whisper in his ear.
"It's safe now."
He was at the edge of a stream and he heard splashing and laughter. The morning light shone bright. He saw a girl, the pale skin of her body visible under the water.
"Come in. It's safe now."
He looked at the water and he was unsure. He could not see past the surface. There were shadows, deep down.
"Aaron," the girl called out to him. "Don't be silly. Come in. It's safe. I won't look, unless you want me to."
For a moment, there was a different girl in her place, with dark, tan, skin and sharp eyes. She smiled and her eyes glittered like the water and the first girl looked at him.
"It's safe now. I'm here. Come with me."
He stepped into the water and felt its refreshing coolness on his skin. He floated toward the girl. She smiled and ducked her head under the water. He could not see her anymore. Shadows surrounded him, deep in the water. He felt something, a touch, and she appeared in front of him, surfacing from the deep.
"Good morning," she said then she kissed him on the lips.
He felt her body pressed up against his, warm in the cool water that surrounded them. Her hands pulled him close to her, her fingers intertwining with his own.
"It's safe now."
She kissed him again and they sank slowly beneath the surface and it was not dark in the waters for the light shone down from above. The waters became the night sky and they were surrounded by stars.
"What are you reading?" she asked.
"Just a book."
"Leave it. It isn't real. Look around you. Isn't it beautiful?"
The stars glittered everywhere.
"There are no shadows here. It's safe now. You are safe."
*****
Stavros found Carly sitting on a stool by the bar of the tavern. The barkeep had just placed a bottle of sweetwater and a cup in front of her and he slid another cup across the bar when he saw the mage join her. Carly poured some of the strong liquor into her cup then handed the bottle to Stavros.
"It has been many years since I have tasted sweetwater," he said as he poured some in his cup.
"It's a staple here," Carly said then took a swallow. "Most of the pirates live on the stuff."
Stavros put the stopper back in the bottle then sipped at his cup. They had spoken a fair amount while waiting for Aaron to awaken and Carly had told him about how she once had her own ship and crew but that she had lost it to Lanos-Meer when she had refused to sink an Aghlar fishing vessel during a raid a few years past. It was part of the new rule Lanos had made when he became the leader of the pirate, to leave no witnesses to their raiding. Lanos wanted to make Meer seem like a respectable place and begin trading with the various port towns along the mainland. It was all a ploy, of course, to get the people who lived on the coast to trust the pirates, to believe that they had become a trading people. Meanwhile the pirates would continue to capture ships and plunder, only they would do it quietly.
On one particular raid of several small trade ships carrying spices and other cargo from the coastal ports of Ansara to trade with the Aghlar nation, a small fishing vessel that had been blown off course by some rough weather that had damaged its mainsail, had wandered through the battle between the pirates and the trade ships. The fishing vessel managed to get its sail back up, and they tried to get away, but not before being spotted by the pirates. Carly's ship, the Maiden, was one of the fastest among the pirate armada and Lanos ordered
her to give chase, which she did.
The Maiden easily caught up, but that was when Carly and her crew discovered that it was only a fishing vessel. Even though they had almost managed to repair their torn sail, the crew of the fishing vessel were in rough shape, low on fresh water and food and the catch they had netted so many days past that they were beginning to foul. Instead of sinking them, Carly gave them several barrels of water and let them go, honoring the seafaring traditions of aiding stranded vessels. Even though the crew of the Maiden agreed not to tell the other pirates, shortly after their return to Meer Island, word of what had happened made its way to Lanos and, as punishment for disobeying his orders, he stripped Carly of her rank as captain, took her ship and fined her a small fortune in gold before banishing her from Meer until she had paid back what was owed.
That had been several years ago, and her life had taken new paths, but she had done what she could to pay off her debt, for the pirates could have put out a reward on her life if too much time passed without payment and, knowing Lanos, it was very likely that would have been what happened, especially since Carly was the only person to have disobeyed the lord of Meer Island.
"You said you wanted to get your ship back, and yet you left the sea for a new life in the mountains," Stavros said. "Why return to all this?" He glanced around at the dingy interior of the tavern.
"I thought I could leave," Carly told him. "I thought if I never looked at the sea again I could change my world and be someone new. I had some more troubles for a time, then I met a kind man and found some happiness with him, but that ended and, through it all, I never forgot the sea. I realized that any joy I found on the land was empty for me without the sea. I know that now. That's why I want to get the Maiden back, so I can get back to the sea, to ride the waves and live the life I know."
"Is that it? Is that what the Lady was talking about? You seemed upset at her words."
"Upset? No, I just don't like it when people try to pry too deeply into my life. Ayra has always stuck her nose in where it doesn't belong."
Carly took another swallow of sweetwater then refilled her cup, ignoring the incredulous expression on the mage's face. Stavros mused about Carly's seeming familiarity with the Lady and wondered if she realized what she had just said. He took a sip of the sweetwater and caught sight of Zachary walking toward them.
