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It took three weeks to get back. Autumn is beginning to set in now and all the leaves have become an explosion of colours. It's almost distracting when I'm studying on the library window seat. So far, all attempts to create a perfect potion have failed. Either they make the plants less resistant to diseases, they're unable to flower, or they age more quickly. It's going to be very hard to find the right combinations of the ingredients, maybe something's missing. I must read some more lore, perhaps I will find some aid in the old legends.
Justin is sending me weekly letters now (there were a lot waiting for me when we got back) with so many lessons and updates on the kingdom, I'm starting to run out of free time to work on the life potion. Little has been heard from Mother aside from occasional reports that none of the elves in charge of missions will let Justin read. He says that all is well in the kingdom. Thenidiel and Suiadan have done very well in caring for the kingdom, but there's not much to do, as royalty, in time of peace except guide the ceremonies and do their part in the collective prayers of the kingdom to the Creator. Justin says he's one of the official hunters now (one can only become a hunter after completing warrior training and two years of hunter challenges) and that he's going on his first official hunt next week; they'll be going after a lupine werewolf that has been terrorizing some of the more northerly villages. He asks me to pray for him as he is for me, and wishes that we may see each other again soon. I wonder what he looks like now after over 8 years. . .
After one week of getting settled, Alastor and Lorin seem to feel very safe and happy here. They have each found rooms to their liking, Alastor's being in the cellar so as to avoid the sunlight. Roan is clearly not happy having a vampire living where the preserves were kept, as he was the one who usually went down there to collect them. Lorin's room is next to mine and she often comes to help me with my gardens, which is nice considering I don't have a lot of time to spend with them anymore.
The others seem to have too little to do. Mella often goes to the library to look up new spells to practice, Jana works the kitchen garden most of the day (so Lorin and I don't have to worry about it), Ethan is trying to create a more powerful kind of bow that requires less training to use, and Seth spends most of his time on my obstacle course trying to find a way to beat me when we compete. Jana doesn't receive as many lessons as I do, at least none she can use around the others. When she's not in the garden, she's in her room by the stables reading.
Alastor and Lorin have been talking about getting married, not around the others of course. Alastor is understandably reluctant, due to the sobering fact that is the threat of his father and company. If his kin find out that he married a human his chances of survival will be cut in half, and Lorin's even less than that. Love can be a cruel thing, constantly creating star-crossed lovers and bringing them to their doom for its own amusement. Yet, one must also remember how lovely it can be, making change and hardship almost bearable.
My garden is looking well considering that I've been gone for a few weeks. Roan must have been looking after them while we were away. They're almost ready for harvesting, but since I have so many studies Lorin has offered to do that for me.
One day we'll have to set up a special messaging system so that any towns or villages that are in trouble can call for our aid. I've been thinking of giving every town we pass through a special whistle that will call a falcon, the falcon can then carry a message to us wherever we are. The nice thing about my idea is that then no one will know where our haven is until we decide the time is right to tell. Seth and Mella like the idea, but Ethan wants to do something a little more inventive.
I don't like hiding my ears under my hair, it makes them itch. I've been using a piece of ribbon to help a bit, but I still wish I didn't have to hide all the time. I wish I could just run through the fields, without having to worry about people discovering me. I wish I could just be free and not have to hide and justify everything I do that isn't normal for a human. But most of all, I wish I could go home to my family and not have to worry about what's happening in the outside world.
Sadly, it cannot be so. Such is not the life of a protector. I must stay and defend the weak until my time has ended, or I fall to death's winds. Twenty years defending the realm, and I will have served my required time and may go home and rest, unless something big happens that the next generation of protectors can't handle.
Today I sit on the window seat in the library, fiddling with my long braid of blond hair. I'm dreaming of home, wondering how much has changed. The colours seem especially bright and cheery today; they make me hope there's pie for dessert tonight. I start thinking about the border lands, their unusually early autumn. How could they, being farther south, have a fall that comes before ours in the more northerly areas. Something's up, and I know it must have something to do with the vampires. They have uncanny and unnatural powers. I must try talking to Alastor, perhaps he'll know something that can help us.
I know vampires like the colder months better, less sunlight to harm them. The longer nights are ideal for them to prowl around and attack unsuspecting travellers, or foolish villagers who leave their houses after sundown. They prefer moonless nights, when the werewolves can't prowl and no one can see them. I fear what may happen.
Watching the horizon, I see a small, dark shape in the blue sky approaching the window. As it approaches, I can see that it's a falcon; Justin must be sending me an important message. I open the window for her (I can tell it's a female) and allow her to land on my outstretched arm; my thick glove protects me from her sharp claws. I can see no message tied to her ankle, only a strip of red dyed cloth clutched in her talons.
“What's this?” I ask the young bird, in elvish of course, “Who sent it?” As I examine the strip, I can see that the red is not from dye, but blood.
“The small seer gave this to me, told me to take it to the girl who could understand.” She turns to preen her feathers, then looks expectantly at me. I pull a strip of smoked fish from one of my pouches, which she quickly swallows. “She said, 'follow the death trail to gain entry and cleanse the bloody towers. But don't tarry, lest end be on your hands.'” She then flies out the window to leave me to my thoughts. I contemplate the bloodied strip; it looks like part of Lorin's dress, but the blood is fresh.
I must tell the others this news quickly, but I can't tell them that the falcon told me, or they'll think I'm crazy. I'll just say that there was a message, but it blew from my hand after I read it. I really wish I didn't have to lie to my friends. I must say, it was a strange message, they might not believe me.
I find everyone sitting down to lunch, bread and butter with a summer harvest soup and some sweetened lemon juice on the side. I tell them the cryptic message, they all look rather confused.
“Who sent it?” asks Seth, “And how did the falcon know where to find us?”
“I didn't see who sent it before it blew away, but it sounds like a seer's prophecy. I think it's telling us how to get into Kierin city.”
“Hmm, I guess that makes sense,” comments Ethan, “Have you ever heard on the death trail Lorin?”
“Yes, actually, it's a path through the woods near the city. They call it the death trail because none who has ever ventured through there is ever seen again. It is said that a mysterious fog rises up along that path so no one can ever find their way out again.”
Lorin is dressed much more simply than when I'd first met her. She is wearing a yellow dress with a red hem and an orange sash tied around her waist. She still keeps her hair tied back with a ribbon, but this one isn't made of silk, and her shoes are an earthy brown colour, making her look like one of the trees outside. Alastor is the only one not present, as he would be sleeping at this time of day, or reading in the small library Jana'd set up for him in the cellar.
“Sounds like vampire work to me,” says Jana, “How long has this been going on for?”
“About a year, three months before the first people were reported missing from within the city. My father was one of the first to be taken by the fog.”
“Hey, Seth!” says Mella suddenly, “We experienced a fog like that on our way to the city. Maybe we had ended up on the Death Trail without knowing it. We could just retrace our steps bak there.”
“But, Mella,” I reply, “that was a whole month ago, and we were lost when we got there because of those clouds. If what Lorin says about no one getting out alive is true, we were lucky not to have ended up dead ourselves. It was probably the decision to stop that saved our lives.”
“Then I guess we have no choice,” says Seth, “We have to take Lorin with us as a guide.”
“Not necessarily.” We all turn around. Standing in the doorway, just out of reach of the light beaming from the large dining room window and wrapped in a blanket, is Alastor. He looks rather weary. “I can lead you there. I've been on patrol on that trail a few times and I know the way well enough to lead you around the traps and hunters there.” I can see his eyes look slightly red, from lack of blood. He's only had one deer's blood all month, and he would probably need some human blood soon. I'll have to mix up something for him if he's going to have the strength to lead us to the city safely.
I've finally whipped up a potion for Alastor. I mixed some fresh deer blood with my own blood and several dried herbs. Lorin had offered some of her own blood, but I didn't think that would be such a good idea; besides, elf blood should satisfy Alastor longer.
I bring a large vial of the mixture to Alastor as he helps the others to pack. The sun is, of course, slipping past the distant Western Mountains. The others leave the room in revulsion at the sight of the reddened glass container. Alastor drinks the scarlet liquid down to the last drop and gives a contented sigh, much like that of one who has taken their first drink of clean, cool water after spending months wandering the endless desert that lies to the far South.
“Thank-you, Sapphire,” he says to me, “I really needed that.” I watch as the red tinge leaves his eyes, slowly replaced by the cloudy grey that normally occupies a type A's eyes. “What was in that? I tasted deer blood and herbs, but I don't know what the other taste is.”
“It's my blood.” It's slightly awkward talking to him as he's much taller than me, about 1 1/2 feet. “I figured it would tide you over better than normal human blood and give you more strength. I'm packing more of it in my saddle bag for you later, but don't go searching for it. I want to save it for emergencies.”
“Thank-you very much. I hope you didn't take too much of your blood, you will need your strength if you're going to make it through the trail. By-the-way, I was wondering who would look after Lorin while we're gone; it'll take us at least a month and a half before we can get back.”
“You don't have to worry about that, Alastor. I've left Roan with specific instructions on what to do if any vampires or werewolves show up while we're away.”
The others then enter with the last of the necessary supplies. We head out with the sun vanished behind the mountains and it's last few rays lighting up the sky in a lovely show of colours.
 Girl of the Dragons · Tue Dec 21, 2010 @ 04:39am · 0 Comments |
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