Bliath: Shattered (15 page)

“Mother, you are kidnapping a princess, if you were caught?  Are you coming with us?” Vance was worried, Larin was like a little sister, and she had helped him so much in the last few days.

“No, we ride South, but they will think we are with you, or you with us they will divide and look for us so that betters our odds.  Everything changed this morning.”

Vance assured her that her horse would be ready to go, they said their goodbyes, both of them felt heartbroken.

Chapter 21

Vance watched Desree walk out, he was very heavy hearted.  Getting up and brushing off his pants, he knew he had more work now to get Desree’s mount ready.

As Vance worked, he found himself ranting his frustrations to Oren, and true to his form, he would snort where Vance needed him to as if agreeing with a punctuating point. 

It was late afternoon when Vance led Desree’s horse behind their home.  Standing back giving it once last look, he could not help but think how the one in his earlier memories was so much more regal, making him wonder again about his real parents.  The home before him was a small servants cottage, made of white stones and a grayed out bark roof, that most of the time leaked in more than one spot.  He had his own small room, as did Desree, there was a small kitchen and a seating area, that most of the time was used as a clinic.  Desree would heal anything that needed or sought her help.  She even taught him some things along the way.  His head hung low as he turned his back on his life that was apparently never really his.

Back in the barn Vance was going over the packs one more time when Larin came in and cleared her throat, “I came to tell you goodbye, I am leaving too, but you knew that.”  She sounded conflicted and for someone so young, it was impressive in its own way.

Vance lifted a brow and smiled at her, “Don’t you mean see you later Laringator?” 

She threw her arms around him, “Yes, please, please remember who you are, I mean who you are now, and me, and Desree, she only was following an order, and loves you, and Fera, and Bliath.”

“Whoa easy there, kiddo, I could never forget you, and Desree is my mom, and kids get mad at their parents, I think it means they are doing their job.  I just need time and I think I will have a lot of that soon enough.”

Larin hiccupped and in that moment she reminded him of Fera, how whenever she got really upset she seemed to get the hiccups, maybe it was a girl thing, he laughed inside his head.

“My mom will hate me, so will my dad, and Leo, and Landon, they won’t understand or try.  I saw it, they will send me away, and try to forget about me, it is not fair, I am me, and what I saw, it was so bad, I am not a freak right?”  Larin’s little body shook, whatever she saw must have been very bad.  Vance pulled her tighter into a hug, “No, you are not a freak, Desree, Fera, myself, we will always love you. No matter what!”  She shook her head yes like she understood.

“Hey Larin want to see something really freakish?”  She smiled up at Vance and he took her hand and led her to the back of the barn, and told her to stand back. Vance slowly let his energy come to the rest in his fingertips, then flipped his own switch, and made fireworks dance around his hands. Larin clapped with delight.

  After a few minutes he let the show end.  He went over and hugged her, she spoke softly but with much seriousness, “Go North, if you don’t go North you will find a bad trap, go North.”

“Larin, that will take us to the Elves.” Vance was confused, but he trusted her so much and knew her not to be wrong, so he said ok.  The last thing she asked him as she walked to his old home was that only a child could ask, “Do you think that thing under my bed will follow us?  I mean it might be nice to have something to really remind me of home.”  Vance just smiled at her and watched her go.

He walked back in and over to Oren, “So are you ready?” 

Oren nodded.  “Good, I think it won’t be much longer, the weather looks good for now.  I think there is a change of plans, I have a feeling we will be heading straight North, that means snow at some point.”  Vance thought, “So this is what it has come to, making awkward small talk, with a nut job of an elven horse”.  Oren pawed the ground as if to say he was thinking the same about Vance.

Vance did not see Leo and Fera come into the barn, but Oren knew Fera was close, he brightened and let out a whinny, he was trying to put up a wall, not wanting to hurt her mind, and he was not sure what to expect, but it had been the longest few days of his life, and sweet relief was so close.

Fera was so happy to be one step closer to everything, Leo was taking forever to get her to the barn, and she was trying to be careful and as Desree told her, keep up a mental wall since she could understand animals, and until she adjusted, if her guard was down it would more than likely over whelm her.  She wanted to reach out so bad and find Oren with her mind, she missed him so much, he was always the best thing on any day.  She also had questions for him, lots of questions, and she hoped he had some good explanation or she didn’t know what she was going to do.

She couldn’t take it any longer she ran in the direction she heard his whinny. Leo was half laughing behind her.  When she turned the corner, she looked at Vance standing in front of Oren and her heart gave a confusing shutter, like there was something so odd and she could not place it, then she saw Vance advert his eye quickly. Fera went over to both of them, Vance cringed, he forgot to tell her Leo said not to even look at her. 

Vance started to back away from Fera, who had Oren wrapped in a bear hug, and telling him how much she missed him. Vance saw Oren puff up his chest and stand a little taller, and glare straight at him, Vance read that as Oren telling him “see mine,”  Leo walked over to stand next to Fera. After a few minutes Fera turned to talk to Vance, she was too caught up in seeing Oren to greet him and was feeling a little guilty in that moment.  When she saw him, he looked tired and a little on edge, she went over and threw her arms around him, “Vance thank you for taking care of Oren, he looks good!”

Vance just turned bright red, and carefully removed her arms, and gave a small bow, while looking at the ground he talked to her, “It is my job, and I am but here to serve you Princess.”  She laughed whole heartily, “Oh Van, you’re so funny,” she giggled again and mocked him, “I am but here to serve.” 

Before Vance could use better judgment, he looked at her, she called him Van, how would she, why would she call him that, but before he could get the words out Leo was in front of them, and he was so far from amused, it was anything but funny, a vein was bulging out on his temple.

Vance was sure most of the kingdom could hear the yell, “I told you, you so much as looked at her, talked to her, you would be done, you forget your place!” 

What happened next Vance could not have seen coming in a million years.  Leo doubled back and punched Vance right in the eye, Vance felt energy ripple but he was keeping it in check, Leo commanded him to bow, and when Vance did, Leo kicked him over. 

Fera stood in shock, what the hell just happened, Leo snapped but holy baby bunnies, he just hurt Vance, over me touching him, Fera felt power surge through her, her body heat up, she had no clue how to rein it in, Leo went flying backwards, and her temper was far from over, her verbal skills cut as bad as her magic, “Who do you think you are, telling people they cannot talk to me, or me to them, you are rude and impertinent, a sad excuse for a man to hit someone who clearly would not lay a hand on you out of respect, and because you’re a Prince you think you can get away with it, you are so wrong, to rule by force and fear is the true mark of a pathetic sniveling, coward!”  Fera at this point was shaking, she was trying to hold her energy back, but the air was crackling.

Leo’s eyes widened, he was looking at Fera like he had never seen her before, she had magic, and clearly a lot of it. . .  who was she really?  “You’re a freak, and you will leave admittedly and take that with you. Both of you are abominations that should be destroyed,” dripped venomously from his mouth.

Fera lost it again and now Leo was raised up two feet off the floor, Vance was back on his feet, he was locked on Leo, he was going to kill him if he lost it, he went over to stand next to Fera.

Leo laughed at her like a madman, “That’s right freak show, keep it up I will make sure this will be the end of you”

Vance took Fera’s hand just trying to calm himself, but when he felt his energy mix with hers, she couldn’t hold it back, and manic fireworks of energy rippled out. One went right through Leo, and he dropped to the ground.  Fera tried to let go of Vance’s hand but it was like it was welded to hers, and the more she panicked the more energy poured out, the hay was on fire, Leo was lifeless on the floor, Vance was desperately pulling now, adding to the manic energy.

Oren kicked open his stall and charged at Fera, he stopped dead in front of her, the sparks were scorching him, him pressed his nose to her, she froze in place, he gave her a gentle nudge, and let down his mental barrier letting his mind crash into her. He felt her mind waver and then let him in. 
“Fera, please, please, let go, you can do it, I am here, I have you, you are safe, Fera, please.”

His voice, Oren’s voice wash over her like a calming rain in sweltering heat, her breathing slowed, the fireworks faded, she let go of Vance.  Vance fell to his knees, he was terrified of what just happened.  Fera threw her arms around Oren, she threw her mind against his, “
Oren, I am so so sorry, I could have hurt you, thank you, oh what have I done, I am a freak.”

Oren didn’t move, her voice in his head was amazing, it was like he could sense every part of her, and it took all he had to focus on stay how he needed to be.

“
Fera you are not a freak, you are mine!”
He sounded reassuring but unwavering
“Fera, we have to go, we have to see if Leo is ok, and we have to go!”

“Oren, you’re mine too. Let’s go.”
Fera let go of Oren and took a step back.

Fera could feel Oren’s emotion. He was worried for her, but love was the forefront of it, and contentment to finally talk to her. She put her wall back up and turned to Vance, he was still on his knees, and his face was is his hands, he looked up, with a mix of emotions. He had no clue what just happened, but in this moment they could not afford a repeat performance.

Fera was feeling guilt in mass amounts, she reached to help Vance up,

“No! You can’t touch me!”  The second he said it, he knew it is not what he meant, and before he could correct himself he saw rejection, the hurt that goes hand and hand with it, and shock.

She took a step back, and turned around to go check on Leo, “Oh come on Fera, that is not what I meant, you know that, it is just you saw what happened, and we have to go.”  He waited a moment, “Come Fera, look at me, Fera please?”

“I understand Vance, I am fine, let’s just get moving, ok?”  Her tone said the opposite of her words. Vance got up and went beside her, Leo was breathing, that was a plus.

“Fera you have to let me explain…”  Vance was almost pleading.

“Now’s not the time, open the stalls I am going to drag Leo out, and let’s go, please?”

Vance went to work letting the ten horses out and took Oren and Aloine to the back door of the burning barn, Vance felt like it was such a waste, but it would make for a good diversion to aide their getaway. 

Fera came tearing around the back of the barn, she was out of breath, and was up and on Oren faster than Vance thought possible, he looked at her for an explanation.  “They are here, there was funny looking soldiers going into the castle, we need to run.”

With that both horses were in a full gallop as they crashed into the forest for cover.

Chapter 22

After distancing themselves far enough from the castle, they came to a stop, to get their wits about themselves and figure out the best way to go. Fera slide off Oren, as soon as she hit the ground, she heaved, the combination of the day and the rich food Leo had made for lunch, was not doing fun things to her insides.  When she stood up and turned around she had two sets of eyes on her, Oren and Vance seemed to be at a loss of words.  “I am fine, lunch and an intense ride didn’t mix. What now?” 

Vance got down and handed her a canteen with water, she almost didn’t want to take it.

“Fera,” Vance groaned out her name when he could tell how mad she still was, “You are going to listen to my explanation, it is not that I don’t want to touch you, but our energies, well, um, you saw what happened back there, we almost killed Leo, I lose control around you, and you have not learned control, one or both of us could get hurt, Fera, please look at me.”

Fera was biting her lower lip with her eyes closed she shook her head and looked up to Vance as she spoke, “You know, I could feel your energy, it runs cold, and mine runs hot, and when they mixed, it was, I am not sure I can explain, it felt like my body was warm yet tingled, did you feel it too?”

Vance nodded, and didn’t want to think about it, because in the back of his mind he knew he loved that feeling. “Ok, Larin said to head straight North, and if we attempt to get to your grandfather in the Mountains, we will fall into a trap, what do you think?”

After a moment of thinking on what would Markus do or what she calls in her head W.W.M.D, she spoke, “I think we straddle the line, like ride the half way line as long as we can and get a feel for the land, and see what we can find, and make our decision on which way to go once we have all the information?”

“Spoken like a queen.” Vance laughed at her.

Fera put her hands on her hip, “I am not a queen, I am a Princess and that means I get my way and I can throw the brat card down.”

“Not to mention the DO you know who my Grandmother is card?” Vance laughed back.

Fera went to playfully punch Vance’s arm but when she stepped in close he flinched, even though he told her why, it still stung. 

They climbed back up in the saddles, Fera’s head began to hurt, she reached out, “
Oren, how are you, need anything?”

“I need you to be ok, and I need us to be safe, and when your head starts to hurt worse I need you to just lay down on me like before, and I will take care of you.”

“Oren, I love you so much, I love the fact I can talk to you now, really talk to you, were you always this sweet?Is this what I could never hear, I felt it, I just couldn’t hear it?”

“Melamin, amin mela lle.”
Oren’s thought had such conviction to it, it almost sounded like a prayer to Fera.

“
Was that Elfish, you know the only elfish I know is what I picked up from Markus and that was usually when he was mad so something tells me, Auta miqula orqu and Wethrinaer, are not appropriate to use? So what did you say?”

Oren was laughing so hard he could hardly send her a focused thought, “
You know how to say, go kiss an orc, and say, you're deceitful, in my tongue, well your tongue too, but you should refrain from saying them if you can, as for what I sa
y
a'mael, nothing that you do not know already. We should focus on the trail, and your head's pounding more.”

Without another word Oren put the mental wall back up, but it was a little too late, Fera felt the blood drip from her nose.  Vance saw too and pulled alongside them. “Are you ok, do we need to stop again?  What caused it?”

“No, let’s keep going.  I am not sure, but I think my brain is not used to hearing Oren’s thoughts, smaller animals seem to be ok though, then again he functions on a human level?  It has stopped now, I guess I will just have to not talk a lot at once and build up a tolerance.” She shrugged it off.

Vance slightly scowled at her, “Fine if you say so, but you don’t look so good.”

“Thanks, just dump salt in a wound why don’t ya, you aren’t looking that hunky either at the moment.”  Fera was clearly annoyed, “So how long until we get to a point where we will have to decide which way to go?” 

“That is not what I meant, I don’t think you could ever not look beautiful, you are just pale, umm, paler, and now you have blood smeared on your clothes.  I am guessing it is a few days if not a week’s ride to whatever grandparent’s door you decide to knock on. We will ride until dark, then try to find a place to camp.”

Fera looked down, she did have blood on her, her head was pounding, and she was a little shaky, “Oren” She said aloud, to get his attention and the drop the wall, which he happily did.

Before she got her thought out, paused and turned his head to take a look at her with one eye,
“You are more than beautiful and if anyone saw you and the blood, they would think you a skilled elven assassin, and beg for death just to be touched by such an enthralling creature’s hand.”

Fera was laughing in his head and that was his favorite sound in the whole world, the sound of her happiness. 
“Oren, you are even more charming than I ever thought.  You almost sound a little cocky, it’s funny.  I am going to have to shut you out, sorry, but I am going to lean down on you ok?”

“Confident, never cocky, relax you will always be safe with me.”
Oren felt her wall come up around her mind and she leaned down against his neck, and brought her hand up to rub his neck.

“I know” She said out loud to Oren.

“So, you are conspiring with a horse?” Vance hated being left out of the conversation, but what could he do.

“Yes, we are plotting a hostile takeover of all of Bliath,” She said with sarcasm and a hint of irony, “I am going to chill up here, so if we need to full on run a heads up would be welcomed.”

Vance knew she was feeling off again and he prayed she would not go back into limbo or if she did, they would be somewhere they could hide.  “Ok that is fine, whatever you need, let me know if you need to stop, ok?” 

Fera just nodded her head, then laid it back down on Oren.  They rode on in silence for a while, the day was coming to an end and they could see night slowly descending around them. 

As the stars came out Vance stopped in a clearing, and looked up, Fera looked up too, hoping he was better at following them than she is.

“Everything is written in them.”  Vance said in a hushed tone gesturing up.

  Without thinking Fera started talking, Markus would have called it word vomit if he was listening, but she needed anything to fill the silence, to stop the what ifs, and whys, or she was going to go insane and Vance’s comment rocked her core.

“What are you saying?” Vance was looking at Fera like she was already crazy.

“They fall, the stars, they fall to Bliath, or burn out, I am looking up to see where I am going, where I have been, they are supposed to be a constant, but they fall, if something so mighty, so all telling, that burns so bright can...”

Vance cut her off, “Are you ok?”

Oren pushed on her wall to get his thoughts in, “
Fera
,
a'mael, it is still worth looking up. Even if it’s just for the view.”

Fera reinforced her wall, and said aloud, “it is.”

Oren heard the tones of her broken heart, he wanted so bad to comfort her, but knew it was not his time, that Vance would have to get a clue to her, the real her and what she needed, he needed to hug her to tell her this is just a bad moment, and when this world hands you a good one this one will be gone, but he would not touch  her, not that it bothered Oren, but it is what she needed and he would give her anything she needed. 

“It is what? Fera do you need to rest?” Vance was really starting to worry.

Fera, now looking Vance in the eyes, could see the concern, “I was talking to Oren, he understood what I was rambling about, I am fine, are we heading the right way?”

He very much disliked the fact a horse understood her better than him, but he had to keep reminding himself that Oren has had so much more time with her than him, and he just needed time too. “We are headed the right way, we actually covered more ground than I hoped for today. We can and should rest here, then get an early start, I am thinking before sun up?”

“Well that is good I guess, you know I hate the fact I feel like I am running, I mean I know we are running, but I was taught you never run from a fight, you fix it, and now I just run, and I can’t help but wonder am I running to something or from something?   I have no clue what I am supposed to do.”  Fera let out a long sigh and started to climb out of the saddle.

Vance finally gave in and touched her arm, and to his delight he only felt a slight warm surge if energy, no big explosions happened around them, “I think it is a little of both, running to and from something, as far as the fight, how can you expect yourself to enter a fight when you do not know who you are fighting, and what you are fighting for?  That will come with time and understanding.  You just have to trust in what your father and Markus said.  Your mother protected you at all costs, you owe it to her to keep yourself safe.”

The tears welled up in her eyes, she hated thinking about any of them in this moment. “Vance, I need to know the why, and not just the text book version, there are at least two sides to every story, and this one has like five.”

That got Oren’s ears to perk up, he knew she was very much her own person, this would give her issues if and when she met her grandmother, the high elves.  People that questioned things tended to disappear, but with her, they just might be different.

It took Vance and Fera a few minutes to untack the horses, and set up a small camp, with no fire.  Fera started to share her supper, two rolls and some cheese, when she caught Vance staring at them, “What?” she asked him like it was obvious what she was doing.

“Why do you do that? You treat him just like a person, you know if he was hungry enough, he would eat like a normal horse?  I get the super smart Elven mount thing, but still?” 

Fera could tell Vance had thought about this for a while and it bothered him. “You're funny, you can’t see it can you, he isn’t a horse to me, he isn’t a pet, he is my best friend, I trust him, I love him, we understand each other, he carried me through all of this mess, he tried to protect me from you and Leo, and the big guy before, but I was so sick, and he knew we needed help so he stopped fighting.  He has carried me through this mess,” Fera was made a big gesture with her hands, “I know he would carry me through so much more if I needed him to, so if giving him part of my dinner is what he wants, it is the least I can do.”  She was now looking at Vance like 'duh you idiot get a clue.'

Oren threw his head around her and hugged her close, and she laughed into is neck.

Vance threw up his hands, but he couldn’t help but smile slightly, “Ok ok, I get it, let’s turn in ok?”

Vance got out two bedrolls, after putting one on the ground, Fera snatched the other from his hand. He wanted to know what she was doing, they had curled up before, and figured sleeping next two each other was no big deal out here, in fact it was safer, but he found himself shaking his head again as he watched, Oren lay down and Fera cuddle up into him.  He swore he saw Oren stick his tongue out at him.  There was definitely something more to Oren, and Vance was going to figure it out. The sounds of the night lulled them to sleep.

Chapter 23

Fera slept but not well, her dreams were not fully formed and the pieces she saw made her heart and stomach feel heavy.  She could see her father locked in a room, he looked disheveled and broken. She saw Markus in a pub he looked clean, but just as her father slightly broken.  She saw a man that looked familiar but she could not place him, he was pacing the floor talking to someone, he looked pensive. Then there was a voice, it softly called to her, wanting her to follow it, to come to her.  It was so haunting and beautiful, it made her feel at peace.  Before she could follow it, Oren woke her, and he looked startled.

“What is it”?  She said in a low tone so not to wake Vance.

“Look around, something is not right.”
Oren’s thoughts hit her, but not as hard as they have been.

She looked around, there was a fog like mist that surrounded them, it hung in the air, and Fera could feel a strange energy signature in it, it made her hair stand on end and Goosebumps travel down her arms.
“What do you think it is, when did it come in, have you ever seen anything like this?”

Oren, sniffed the air,
“No, I have no clue, Fera, I think you should wake Vance, I think we need to leave, something does not feel right.”