Souls of Aredyrah 3 - The Taking of the Dawn (33 page)

“But the image showed
Reiv
leading the
people there,” Alicine said.

“This Reiv person you speak of,” Uaine said.
“Why are you so certain the image we saw is of him? Could it not be
someone else? An ancestor perhaps?”

“Could be,” Dayn conceded, “but there are
images of him all over the walls. Reiv is a Transcendor, which
makes him a vessel of Aredyrian history. If the person in the cave
was a Transcendor also, he would have known about the coming of
Reiv. And if Reiv leads our world to greater things, isn’t it
possible the artist in the cave wanted us to know about it?”

“So what you’re sayin’ is this Reiv fellow
could be headin’ our way as we speak?” Brenainn said.

“And bringing demons with him if the images
are to be believed,” Uaine said.

“I told you,” Dayn insisted. “There are no
demons. If Reiv is leading people to the valley, then his reasons
are peaceful ones.”

“Dayn,” Alicine asked anxiously. “Do you
think something bad has happened in Tearia?”

Dayn shook his head. “I don’t know. I hope
not, but—”

“Well something bad is happening
here
,” Eileis interrupted. “The mountain’s awakening, and
people are dying for it.”

“If something similar is happening in
Tearia,” Alicine said with concern, “then Reiv and his followers
might be trying to escape a similar fate. He knows of the valley;
he’s the one who told us about it in the first place. Could they be
seeking refuge there?”

“When we left, everything was calm,” Dayn
said thoughtfully. “The Jecta were at peace with Tearia, and all
Reiv wanted was to lead a normal life. We haven’t been away that
long. Could so much have gone wrong in such a short time?”

“They’re just drawings!” Uaine stressed.

“And the Written Word is just
words
,”
Eileis said. “Who’s to say there’s more truth in one than the
other?”

Uaine’s face grew stern. “Watch what you say!
The Vestry could tie you to the stake for it.”

“And who’s going to tell them I said it?
You?” she countered.

“Enough,” Peadar ordered. “It could take
decades to interpret those images, just as it took decades to
interpret the Written Word.”

“Don’t forget,” Dayn said. “Whether the
Written Word was given to us by the Maker or another source, the
words were still set to parchment by men. They were interpreted by
men and transcribed by men. You know there are passages that were
not included in the final texts. There were many versions until the
Vestry settled on the one we study now. Who’s to say it’s the one
true version.”

“And who’s to say the drawings in the cave
aren’t lies?” Uaine replied.

“No one can say,” Eileis agreed. “So that is
the point we must argue with the Vestry. We must ask them to open
their minds to other possibilities. Our world is changing; the
mountain will see to that. And we must change too if we are to
survive.”

“Reiv told the Tearians the same thing,” Dayn
said. “It was the Jecta, the outcasts, he told first. They were the
ones in the most need of understanding. At first they were
skeptical, but before long they knew what he said was true.”

“So what you’re sayin’ is that one fella had
enough charisma to spirit his people away from their beliefs?”
Brenainn said.

“Charisma. He does have that,” Dayn said with
a laugh. “Have you ever met someone with hair the color of fire and
a tongue to match?”

“Well, I did know a woman once with a temper
that would singe the hairs off your balls,” Brenainn reminisced,
“but—”

“Enough,” Eileis said with a wave of her
hand. “The Vestry meets tonight. Are the implications in the cave
enough to sway them? Probably not, but it might at least give them
pause.”

“I, for one, am willin’ to present to ‘em
what we found,” Peadar said. “And if they wish to see it for
themselves, they’re welcome to the land of the Aerie, but only for
that purpose. With all the clans still gathered here, I doubt
they’d try anythin’ foolish.”

“We’d best be callin’ the plenum to order
then,” Brenainn said, rising from the bench. “Cos if we’re gonna
settle the issue with the clans and reach Kiradyn by nightfall,
we’d best be quick about it.”

All agreed, though Uaine was skeptical, and
headed out to call their clans to the Plenum of Four. Within the
hour all were gathered within the circle. The evidence found in the
cave was presented, and Dayn’s and Alicine’s story about their trek
to Tearia was revealed in full detail. The topics were hotly
debated, but after some time it was agreed that the Chieftains,
along with Haskel and Eileis and several bodyguards, would leave
immediately for the Vestry. As almost an afterthought, Eyan was
accepted as a member of the clan, but throughout it all, Dayn’s
thoughts were elsewhere—on the Well of Wishes and the girl who
would hopefully be waiting for him there.

* * * *

It was mid afternoon by the time the mounted
delegation departed for Kiradyn. Every member of the party was a
skilled horseman, but none of them dared ride too swiftly. Eileis
was amongst them, and though her spirit may have been as strong as
a warrior’s, her brittle bones were not.

Dayn had paced the floor until the group
finally left. The instant the flank of the last horse disappeared
down the road, he grabbed up some flint and one of Eyan’s bows from
the barn and headed for the woods.

“Dayn!” Eyan called at his back. “Wait. I’ll
go with ye.”

“No,” Dayn said over his shoulder. “I think
I’ll go by myself this time.”

Eyan caught up to him. “But if we both go,”
he said, “we’ll bring back more. Mother says we’re nearly out o’
meat.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t go hunting, Eyan,”
Dayn replied impatiently. “I just don’t want you to go hunting with
me
.”

Eyan’s face fell.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Dayn said, trying to sound
as though he meant it. “I just have a lot on my mind and I want to
be by myself, that’s all.”

“Well, I’ve a lot on my mind, too,” Eyan said
crossly. “Or have ye forgotten? It would be nice to have someone to
talk to.”

“Well that someone is not going to be me,”
Dayn snapped. “Maybe later.” Then he marched down the path and
toward the forest, leaving Eyan behind.

Dayn veered off the path and into the trees,
navigating the woods as quickly as he was able. He knew the tangle
of undergrowth would slow his pace for a time, but it was only a
temporary decoy. He would detour onto the main road further down,
then fork off toward the Well of Wishes.

It was said the well could grant a person’s
deepest desires. To make a wish, one only had to throw a coin into
it. If the coin made a sound when it hit the water, the wish would
be granted. But if there was silence, well…better luck next time.
The well had once been a place for parties and celebratory
gatherings, but over time it had dried up, and few visitors went
there now. Dayn had heard rumors that lovers sometimes still met
there, but most people stayed away. If wishes were no longer
granted, it was just a long walk to yet another pile of rocks.

As Dayn marched in that direction, he
wondered what he might wish for if the well still held its magic.
At this point, a conversation with Falyn would suffice, but
considering the way he usually behaved around her, he would more
than likely end up stammering at his boots. It occurred to him that
he hadn’t stammered at all when he confronted her father that night
at the springs. He had, in fact, acted rather bravely, he thought.
Falyn, however, might not have thought him brave at all. Perhaps
she thought him a fool instead and was inviting him to the well to
tell him that very thing. As for her brother—why, he probably hated
Dayn more than ever, especially since Dayn had seen him naked and
vulnerable. But Sheireadan was not someone Dayn wanted to think of
at the moment. He shoved the boy’s scowling face from his mind and
replaced it with one far more pleasant: Falyn.

He envisioned her standing before him, her
almond-shaped eyes staring into his, her lips inviting him for a
taste. Would she allow him to kiss her? he wondered. He had only
ever kissed one girl, and that had been Jensa. As he thought back
on it, he recalled how nice it had felt, but it had also alerted
him to how easily a kiss could lead to more. And it was the “more”
he truly wished for with Falyn.

He glanced around him. The forest was
darkening with elongated shadows. How long had he been walking? He
was confident he was on the right path, he had long since forked
off the main road, but he had not expected it to take this long.
The sun was setting behind the trees now, darkness would soon be
upon him, and with no moon to light the night sky, he would have
only the stars to guide him. With luck, no clouds would roll in to
obscure them, but he had brought flint just in case, and could
fashion a torch if need be.

A clearing up ahead caught Dayn’s attention,
and he realized he was nearly to the well. He could just make it
out through the foliage; it was centered on a grassy knoll that was
dotted with rocks and tumbled old ruins. But then he realized the
area surrounding it was illuminated. He ducked behind a tree and
peered around it toward the knoll. A lantern could be seen resting
atop a crumbling wall, and next to it someone appeared to be
leaning over the well. From where Dayn stood, it was difficult to
determine whether they were friend or foe, but when the person
straightened up, he realized it was Falyn.

Dayn’s insides fluttered like a thousand
butterflies. In his eyes, Falyn looked like a fairy in a dream. But
surely that was what she was, for never had he seen anything so
beautiful. His heart danced with fear and anticipation. This was
it—the moment he had been waiting for—the chance to finally tell
Falyn how he felt about her. But then a disturbing thought shoved
its way in: What if he didn’t like her response?

Courage
, Dayn whispered through
gritted teeth. He pulled in a steadying breath, determined not to
waste a moment more, but then he realized he should give her a hint
of his presence at least. He thought to whisper her name or clear
his throat, but before he could do either, another worry entered
his thoughts. He’d received many a black eye, or worse, for a
single step in Falyn’s direction. Sometimes, if he’d been lucky,
he’d have gotten a smile from her, or maybe a word or two. But
smiles and words were no longer enough, his heart demanded more,
and if he failed to convince her tonight, he knew the pain of that
would be far worse than any beating he had ever received.

He watched her for a long moment. She was
leaning over the well again, gazing into its depths. Her long,
black hair had tumbled over her shoulders, obscuring her face. Dayn
felt his hands begin to tremble. How he longed to run his fingers
through that hair, to pull her into his arms and press his mouth to
hers.
Don’t be a fool
, he told himself.
She’ll toss you
into the well the minute you try.
He thrust his hands into his
pockets and stepped slowly toward her.

Falyn’s eyes turned to his. She straightened
up and took a startled step back. “Dayn,” she said.

Dayn tilted his head toward the well. “What
were you wishing for?” he asked.

Falyn fingered her skirt nervously. “I was
wishing that you wouldn’t come,” she said.

Dayn grimaced.

“I didn’t mean it like you think, Dayn,” she
said anxiously.

“How did you mean it then?”

She stepped toward him, but Dayn made no move
to tighten the distance. He could not trust himself not to grab her
and pull her into his arms.

Falyn stopped. “I only meant that it was
dangerous for you to come. I should never have asked you.”

“There is nothing I wouldn’t give you,” he
said, gathering his courage.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“So what is it you want?”

Falyn grew quiet, as if playing his question
in her mind. Then she said, “I want you to leave and never come
back.”

Dayn laughed. He couldn’t help it. “Not
without you.”

“You said you would give me anything!” she
said, her face reddening.

Dayn’s laughter faded. “Do you hate me that
much?”

“No. It is because I…do not hate you that I
am asking you to leave.”

“I’m going to need more of an explanation
than that.”

“Please, Dayn. Father will not rest until he
sees you brought to justice. He’s talked to the Vestry about it
more than once and with each member individually, but tonight is
when they will decide what formal action to take against you.”

“Against
me
? What action will they
take against
him
?”

“None. That is why you have to leave.”

Dayn eyed her cautiously. “And just where
would you like me to go?”

“To wherever it was you hid before. Otherwise
Father will find you.”

Dayn felt his anger flare. “I’ll not run away
like I have something to be ashamed of! If anyone should be
ashamed, it’s him. He has no right to treat you the way he
does.”

“You’re wrong,” Falyn said. “He has every
right.”

“Then come away with me,” Dayn said. “I’ll
take you to a place where we’ll both be safe.”

“There is no such place.”

“Of course there is,” Dayn insisted. “I’ve
been there.” Then he hesitated. How in the world was he going to
explain Tearia and the valley and all that he had learned since
running away all those months ago? Would Falyn think him a liar, or
even worse, a heretic? “Falyn, please listen. When I left, I wasn’t
hiding in the clan lands.”

Falyn cocked her head. “Where were you
then?”

“Alicine and I went into the cave; it took us
beneath the mountains.” Falyn gasped, but Dayn continued, the pace
of his words quickening. “We got lost and ended up on the other
side. There’s a whole other world there, Falyn. It’s called Tearia.
That’s where my real parents live; that’s where I’m from. I met my
cousin Reiv—he was a prince, but was disowned and became a
Transcendor—and there were people there called the Jecta and the
Shell Seekers and there was a battle and—”