Splintered Fate (29 page)

Whenever she wasn’t sparring Lana
spent a lot of time with Nadina and Alex. She taught them things
that she had learned from her mother, happy to have the opportunity
to pass the information along to eager minds. Tricks to survive in
the forest, which berries to eat and which to stay away from. Lana
took them swimming in the warm pond that she had discovered on her
second day in Alogrin.

Kaiden had made Alex a new bow,
made of silk thread, and had him practicing making wooden arrows
and shooting with the bow. Alex had finally begun enjoying the
skills he had as a Madonian, though he had not fully admitted it
yet.

Lana loved watching them together, it made her
think of how Kaiden was when they first met, as a child. There was
something so boyish about him when he ran around with Alex and that
bow.

Alex was introduced to Jakobe, the
Rami boy Kaiden had met his first night in Alogrin. At first the
two didn’t seem to be very fond of each other. Everything appeared
to always be a competition between the two of them. But that
quickly faded. Alex provided an endless supply of perfectly made
arrows and Jakobe helped him to further fine-tune his
skills.

While Kaiden continued to teach
Alex archery, Lana began teaching Nadina how to throw knives.
Nadina still had much to learn of her Madonian strength and how to
control it, to form artifacts that she could hold on to. She was
unable to use her gifts for what Lana had planned on teaching her.
So Lana had Donn acquire a few small silver blades for
Nadina.

Lana continued to try and befriend the council
and their advisors, though she found it difficult. Her father had
always been the diplomat, the one who tried to see everyone’s way
and to connect with all. He was able to reach people, to influence
minds. Lana had always preferred to stay out of the light and not
think too much about why Valdor did the things he did. Though now
she often thought of her father, doing what she assumed he would in
similar situations.

She had yet to gain the full
support of the Alogrin council against Arkhip Dukrans looming
threat. Clyte seemed to be coming around the most. She was always a
warrior and Lana played to that side of her. However, Micah was
more challenging to reach and Cale was someone who Lana pretty much
avoided if possible.

“
No Clyte this morning?” Kaiden
asked when Lana approached.

“
No, she has been busy over the
past few days and whenever I try to talk to her she has somewhere
else to be.” Lana replied with a frown.

Against all odds, Lana and Clyte
became fast friends. For a while the three of them would meet every
morning and practice attacks and sparring together. They would
practice individually or in teams, sometimes Ardin would join them.
That was until a few days ago when Clyte seemed to completely
remove herself from them.

“
I am sure she is
busy.”

“
But with what?” Lana said
plopping to the ground beside him.

He shrugged.

“
Want to practice?” Kaiden spoke
as he formed a small sphere in his hand. A dangerously playful
smile on his lips.

Lana cringed, “No way.”

They had practiced, Kaiden giving
Lana energy without the use of Ardin, the way Zorin and his wife
were able to. Their practice was unsuccessful. It left Lana with
glimpses of pain that reminded her of when Garin had her in his
grips. After a few days of practice, which was more like torture,
Lana called it off.

Kaiden laughed and threw the ball
of energy into the air. Quickly Lana formed a dagger in her hand
and threw it at the moving target. When her knife hit the sphere it
popped violently with an electrifying bang and the dagger glittered
away into dust.

“
You are getting better at that.”
Kaiden complemented.

“
Getting better? Don’t you mean I
am awesome?”

“
You are as awesome as I have
taught you to be.”

“
Whatever, I surpassed you a long
time ago.”

They both laughed at each other’s
teasing. It was so easy with Kaiden, easy to talk to him, to be
around him, to joke with him. Even his smile was easy.

“
Where is Ardin?” He
asked.

“
What no rebuttal? No use in
fighting the truth I suppose… and no idea. He was gone when I woke
up this morning, I figured he may be with Donn and the kids
somewhere.”

As if her Aorra had heard himself being
called, Ardin’s voice entered Lana’s mind.

Lana, you are wanted in the brown
room by the council.

The room we were brought to when
we first came here?

Yes.

What for?

Just come. If Kaiden is with you
he can join too.

“
We are being summoned by the
council,” Lana said jumping to her feet.

“
Where?” Kaiden joined
her.

“
Ardin said we are wanted in the
brown room.” She shrugged.

“
What do they want?”

“
Beats me, Ardin tells me nothing.
Maybe they have come to a decision about helping our people in this
war?”

“
Isn’t Ardin supposed to be your
soul mate or something and tell you everything?”

“
I have an untrustworthy one I
guess.” She grumbled.

I heard that.

A small smile touched Lana’s lips
at her Aorra’s reply.

* * *

Lana and Kaiden entered the room to the three
Alogrinian council members, their advisors, and Ardin.

"What's going on?" Lana asked,
shocked to have such a grand audience. All of them were watching
her from the moment she entered.

"A Madonian warrior has been wandering the
mountain for a week now." Micah answered. "At first we thought it
was an accident or he was looking for the Rami warriors, but he has
been deliberately avoiding them. We think he may be searching for
you."

"Who?" Lana asked, not sure what to
think.

"A Council member.”

“
Which one?” Lana asked in wonder.
Maybe it was General Flynn, but he isn’t a council member. Perhaps
it was the Maddox’s. They were friendly with Valdor, and maybe
after her disappearance they have been looking for her. But then
they would most likely send people to look for her and not come on
their own at a time of such turmoil within the lands. But then
Micah said it was a warrior, maybe it is one of the Laderic
brothers? Though why would they be looking for her? Lana was not
sure what to think, who this mystery Council member looking for her
was.

“
Kirill Dukran." Micah
answered.

Lana simply nodded in response. A
million questions seemed to enter her mind. She looked over to
Ardin as he silently came to stand beside her.

"What are you going to do?” She asked the
council before her. Eyeing Clyte, who wore an expressionless face,
and was particularly hard to read despite how close they had
become.

"We were wondering your opinion on this,
seeing as you know him better.” Micah spoke.

"I don't really know him anymore.”

"Do you believe that he can be trusted?" Clyte
asked.

"I don't trust him," Lana quickly
responded.

H
e did save your life and told us
about Arkhip.
Ardin voiced to
Lana.

You really think he can be
trusted?

The council deserves to know the
facts, let them make their own decision.

Micah looked at Ardin, realizing that Lana and
he were communicating.

"What does your Aorra think?" He
asked Lana. In that moment Lana made it a point to start practicing
talking to Ardin in a subtler manner.

"
Kirill saved my life the day my
father's was taken."

"Another man who
saved your life,
princess
," Cale
sneered.

Lana dug her nails into her palm in order to
not react.

Micah turned to Cale, "Enough, this is not a
time for petty foolishness."

Lana continued talking to Micah. "Kirill and I
used to be very close as children. Then I went to Ucu and when I
came back we seemed to be different people. He used my mother’s
death as a reason to kill more Rami. He was greedy for glory and
Rami blood. No longer was he the boy I trusted. Then he saved my
life in Abder. During my struggles to get to my father, Kaiden
helped by fueling Ardin and myself with energy. Kirill saw Kaiden,
but did not pursue him. He is also the one who lead Ardin and
myself to believe that his father is responsible for Valdor’s
death."

All eyes were on Lana as if
weighing her words. A moment of silence passed over the
room.

"What are you thinking?" she boldly asked
Micah.

"We have to kill him or bring him in." Cale
answered.

"We can not just leave him be?"

Clyte was the one to answer Lana. “No, he has
gotten too close. Plus he has been getting in the way of our
hunting parties. Between him and the Rami’s searching for you it
has been difficult to find windows for our men to leave without
risk of running into anyone."

Lana nodded in response. She hadn’t given it
much thought, how her being in Alogrin was affecting their daily
lives. Having people looking for her over their walls wasn’t making
it easy for the Alogrinians.

"What are you choosing?" She asked the three
council members.

"He would not be welcomed here like you are.”
Micah answered.

So they are leaning towards
bringing him in.

We should try
and talk to him, see what he has to say.
Ardin shared his thoughts.

“
Does he have an Aorra?” Micah
asked. “We have been watching him but have not seen
one.”

“
No, it has always been just him.
He played it off as he had one but I believe it was just an animal
his father had created.”

Micah nodded and turned, about to speak to his
council before Lana interrupted.

"Who will be bringing him in?"

"Bredin."

Lana turned to look at Bredin a
moment. He stood off to the side, casually listening to the
conversation with his hands in his pocket. He stared back at her
from beneath his shaggy brown head of hair. His hawk Aorra sat
perched near him.

"May I go too? Ardin can go up ahead so Kirill
isn’t on edge of people approaching. He is a skilled fighter and
not very trusting. If he is coming here in search of me, it is best
I be there so no one gets hurt."

Micah nodded in agreement.

“
I will go too,” Clyte
interjected.

Lana looked to Clyte, happy to
have her be a part of this. Clyte’s features softened, and a slight
smile now pulled at the corners of her lips.

“
Must I wear the blind folds?”
Lana asked the council.

“
No” Clyte replied with a wicked
grin.

Lana glanced over at Cale who
appeared to be very displeased. When he caught her looking at him
he spoke.

“
If you betray us, we will move
the entrance to Alogrin, it will be a pain but something that can
be done. Then we will hunt you down no matter where you run. I will
kill you for your betrayal and threatening the lives of those I
protect.”

“
I have no intentions in bringing
harm to any of the people here.” Lana replied to his threat
calmly.

Just like that, the conversation was
over.

Lana was given a horse. Kaiden
decided to join too. Lana wasn’t too sure why but she supposed it
was partially to protect her. Whatever his reasons, she was happy
to have his company.

Breiden and two of his men met up
with Lana, Ardin, Kaiden, and Clyte near what was the passage
leading out of Alogrin. Once everyone was up and mounted he led
them out of Alogrin, towards Kirill Dukran.

Chapter

Fifteen

J
ust get close enough so he knows
it's us coming, but stay at a distance.
Lana warned Ardin.

I'll be
fine.
He reassured her with a playful
flick of his tail as he took off into the woods.

The party rode in silence, which
Lana broke only to inform them when Ardin had found Kirill. The
otherwise lack of conversation was not only welcome but necessary.
Lana had a frenzy in her mind to control, racing thoughts that ran
too fast for her to catch. Biting the inside of her cheek, her
hands squeezed the reigns in a mixture of nerves and
fear.

It wasn’t Kirill that she feared,
but the information that he may bring. The weight that he may add
to her shoulders with his words, was something she feared she
wasn’t ready to hold. If his presence didn’t add to her burden, it
at the very least brought the deafening sound of time slipping away
to her attention. Lana was suddenly too aware of how many mornings
she had spent behind the safety of the Alogrinian walls. Time that
she had let slip by while her people suffer.