Chapter Ninteen

Chapter 19: Becoming One



The familiar beat of Thorodan's wings became a calming lullaby. The wind whipping through his hair made his lips crack, and his nose numb, but he wasn't thinking on those things.
His thoughts were on his mission, and how he was to go about it.
Before, he would have turned around. But now, he knew he couldn't, and a new sense of purpose flooded through his spirit like a crashing wave.
   From what little he knew about Falion, he knew he would either have to convince a king, or a council. Neither of those was he looking forward to convincing.

Night had begun to fall when he spotted the first village.
Forests had replaced the plain several leagues back. This he decided, was both good and bad.
The forest meant Thorodan would be easily hidden, but also make it harder for him to land, and easier for Kade to get lost on his way back to the yerto, or to the village.
He was careful not to let the yerto near the village as they searched for a clearing, he had no desire to be looked down in fear or anger when he walked into the village, as they asked questions about the strange bird flying over their roofs.
They finally found one not too far from the village, that Kade would not freeze before he got there, but far enough into the dense forest, they wouldn't be found by accident.
Thorodan landed, squawking as his feet came in contact with the cold ground. Kade immediately jumped down and looked around the clearing with a sharp eye.
There was nothing to see, except the darkness between the dense trees, and the snow falling lightly, covering any tracks on the ground that might have been there before.
Kade had made a note while they had flown that the village was due north, he glanced up and looked at the position of the sun and nodded. It shouldn't take him too long to get there.
He then looked around and saw a small alcove of tall bushes and immediately walked over to investigate.
He found no animal living there, the wall of bushes was pointed towards the north, which was good, so the wind would not hit the opening.
Quickly he hacked down a few branches from surrounding trees, along with a few other bushes to create a temporary shelter.
He whistled to Thorodan and guided him into the shelter. It was just tall enough for the bird to have head room, while sitting down.
   "There you go old boy. I'm going to go down to the town. I'll come back in the morning and then we'll be on our way. I'll bring you back some jerky, I promise." He said, rubbing the bird's neck affectionately, before plunging into the dark forest.

The villagers of Calsven were going about their usual lives. The women took care of the children while doing the laundry, or going to the market, while the men went hunting, or attended their sheep or prepared for the next farming season.
The last thing they excepted was a new arrival in the their humble little town. But there he was none the less. Frozen half to death and asking for directions to the inn.

Anna walked along the streets, a basket balanced on her head, her free hand clutching her numerous skirts out of the brown snow. She turned to the corner into the market square and froze as if the ice had touched it's fingers on her joints, not allowing her to move.
Her eyes clasped in on a violet pair that looked strange. She saw the dark hair that framed the young boy's face, the flush of his cheeks and the cloud of his breath on the air. She saw his cloak wrapped tightly around him to ward off the cold, and the warned look in his face that said he had traveled a great distance.
She looked around and spotted her sister coming up behind her.
   "Eleanor, here," she handed her sister the basket. "Take this and sell it to farmer Aidan. He should give you thirty yewns for it."
Eleanor gave her sister a quizzical look, but Anna was already running across the square to the boy that was about to collapse from exhaustion.
   "Come let me help you sir." She said, swinging his arm over her shoulder just as he legs gave out. When she moved his hand, she saw a flash of hard leather, and in the belt hugging his hips, was a long sword.
She quickly got over the shock as the boy pulled himself up onto his feet.
   "I'm sorry ma'am. I am looking for the inn." He said, his voice husky and harsh, his accent was unfamiliar to her. He pronounced every word crystal clear, unlike the low hum and blur that everyone she knew spoke with.
   "Come, my father owns the inn. Let me show you where it is." She said, letting go of the boy and lead the way down the streets of Calsven.

When Anna bought the stranger into her father's inn, her father was immediately on them, setting the boy up in a private room, ordering a hot meal for him and arranging him access to the hot springs in the back of the inn, that the family had turned into a place where weary travelers could rest their feet and over come their aches of their travels.
That night Kade slept though it peacefully, for the first time in a long time.

{+++}

Sonera was growing anxious.
She trusted Eleyos with all her heart, but she still couldn't help but wonder where Kade had ended up.
And it wasn't hard for Ysmay and Elowen to read her thoughts.
They exchanged glances as they watched Sonera's restless attitude.
   "Sonera, it's going to be fine. We'll find him." Ysmay spoke up, clasping the girl's hands to keep them still.
Sonera sighed and smiled at the smaller girl.
   "Am I that obvious?" She asked.
Elowen smiled and came up beside her.
   "Only to us lasses. The lads don't see a thing."
Sonera laughed at this, and the two girls looked relieved to hear it.

The gang had been walking for days, following Elowen's knowledge of Falion, the gang made their way from the Arriescent Ruins and towards Asmodea.
Outside the protection of the Illumination Forest, they were greeted by harsh winds and snow blizzards.

   "Well this is fantastic." Merek noted gloomily, barely audible over the wind.
Ellie sighed and pulled out Drey's map again.
   "The closest town is Calsven." She informed. "It's several leagues due north."
Drey nodded and shifted his pack.
   "Then lets get going."
Merek and Drey led the group into the snow, knowing that the small town was their only hope of a warm meal and soft bed.

They didn't go very far before they saw a second forest rise up from the ground.
   "Is that more of the Illumination Forest?" Merek shouted over the wind.
Ellie sook her head as she pulled her robe tighter.
"No, that is the Zipora forest." She hollered back.
He nodded and turned to Drey. The two discussed what they were going to do.
As they came to a decision, they led them into the forest's edge.
   "The forest is due north." Drey explained. "So we'll go through it and hopefully get out of this wind."
Ellie nodded, agreeing it was a good plan.
   Once inside the shelter of the forest, they paused a moment to catch their breaths.
Ellie looked around at her friends and shook her head.
   "We might have a wee problem when we get into Calsven." she said.
Sonera tossed her silver locks out of her blue eyes and placed her hands on her hips.
   "And what's that then?" She asked.
Elowen gestured to her and Ysmay.
   "I know on Cevlon it is alright for a lass to dress as a lad. But down here that's not done. We'll stick out like a sore thumb. And lads! No one is going to help us if they see how armed you are."
They all glanced at each other and found that she was right.
   "But Ellie," Ysmay spoke up. "How are we suppose to get new clothes? You are the only one dressed appropriate, how are you to carry it all?"
   "I'll buy one set of clothes and bring it back for you, once you've changed you can help me gather the rest."
Ysmay nodded in agreement.
   "Sounds like a plan lass." Merek said. Then he nudged Drey in the ribs.
   "She's a real keeper that one."
Drey looked as if he could murder him, but Elowen was just laughing.
   "Come on then. I could do with thicker skirts." She said. Sonera and Ysmay agreed eagerly since they now knew that they're leather pants didn't do much against the hard winter.
   "Aye, I'm with you on that." They said with a chuckle.

{+++}

After Ysmay and Elowen had changed into dresses with thick wool skirts, and sheeps skin vests, the two went out into the market againt to gather up some more clothes for the rest.
As Elowen bartered for a plane green dress for Sonera, she over head two women talking, on their way home.
   "We don't get many strangers in the middle of winter." One lady was saying, deep in thought.
   "Aye," Agreed her companion. "And such a strange lad too. That violet gaze. I've never seen anything like it."
Ellie froze a moment in shock. But quickly recovered as the man behind the counter handed her the dress she had paid for.
   "Thank you sir." She said with a smile as he dipped his head in acknowledgement and Elowen hurried off  to meet Ysmay in the middle of the square.
Ysmay appeared, arms loaded with tunics, vests, jackets, and a single cloak.
   "Drey always forgets his cape." she explained as she gave half the pile to Elowen with a motherly smile. Ellie just giggled.
   "Well lets hurry up before night falls. I bet Sonera's freezing with nothin' but those leather legging she wears." Ellie noted as she took off leading the way back to the forest where they had left their friends.

   "Wait, so Kade was here?" Sonera asked as she tried the vest on tightly over her jacket, then placing her cape on over it.
   "Oh, this is much better." She remarked as she glanced down at her new dress, while she placed her weapon belt on her hips.
   "It is isn't it? I might not go back to leather leggings." ysmay agreed.
   "But back to Kade. Do you know if he's still here?" Sonera repeated. Ellie gave a little shrug.
   "I don't know. But I'm sure we can ask the innkeeper."
Drey came out from behind a thick screen of bushes, tightening his weapons belt subcounciously, as he listened into the girls' conversation.
   "We can definitely ask." He agreed, coming up beside Ellie as he went to fix his quiver.
   "Well of course we can ask!" Merek cried, still behind the bushes.
   "But first I want a nice hot meal and some good coffee."
   "Hey!" Ysmay shouted in offence. "What's wrong with my coffee?!"
Terryn stumbled otu into view, tripping over his laces.
   "There's nothing wrong with your coffee." He objected as he knelt to tie up his boots.
   "Lad, your vision is tainted, so when it comes to Ysmay's coffee let me be the judge." Merek said, coming out and pushing Terryn over into the snow.
Ellie sighed and handed Drey his new cape.
   "come on. Let's get some rooms before there's none left." She said with a roll of her eyes.

   "I have to say, that was the best meal I've had in a long while." Merek declared as he slammed his mug onto the beaten up table.
Ysmay rolled her eyes and dutifully ignored him.
Drey nudged Sonera and gestured to the innkeeper. She eagerly nodded, and the two of them jumped up and walked over to him.
   Ellie watched them, though they were too far away for her to hear what they were saying.
   "You're not getting a wee bit jealous are you lass?" Merek asked with what would have been a strait face if it wasn't for the smile lurking on his lips.
   "Merek! Have some respect." Ysmay hissed, hitting his head with her mug, splashing some of her coffee onto his new vest.
   "Oi! Watch what you're doing lass! You got it all over my new vest!"
Ysmay ignored him once again and gave Ellie an apologetic look, but Ellie had decided enough was enough.
   "To be entirely honest Merek," She said. "No. I am not jealous. Drey is his own person, I can not control his feelings towards me. If he likes me or not is his business, and blast it all if he doesn't! -"
   "But I do like you." A voice mumbled behind her.
She almost wanted to cry when she heard those words.
Merek and the rest of the lot looked happy. As if they knew this and were just waiting for him to say something.
But ever since he had confirmed her dreams, she was hoping the feelings would go as just a passing fancy.

   "...Ellie? Are you alright lass?" Ysmay asked, noticing something was off.
Ellie met her eyes, and thoguh her voice refused to conjour up words, her eyes gave more than enough.
She couldn't take the five pairs of eyes on her, waiting for her to confess feelings that could never be.
She jumped out of her chair, letting it topple to the floor with a clatter that got drowned among the loud noise of the common room.
Ellie ran out into the snow not taking notice that she had left her cape on the table, she just kept running through the town square and out of the town completely.
She didn't stop until she was at the edge of the forest, there she leaned against one of the trees.
Tears spilled over hot, but instantly became ice as they rolled down her cheeks. Her sobs wracked her whole body 'til it became uncontrolable.
   "Eleyos, if it's impossible, then why did you put these feelings here?" She cried, collapsing in the snow, hugging her legs to her chest.
   "I know all things happen for a reason, but this?" She knew it was selfish to cry. She wasn't crying because the feelings were there. She was crying because she could never act upon them.
She would end up just like the monks in the monastery.
Growing old, alone.

Something warm was drapped over her. She was grateful for the cloak, but refused to acknowledge the person crouched next to her.
  "Ellie I'm sorry." Drey's voice had an instant calming affect on her. So much so she had difficulty keeping her guard up.
   "I - I..." the boy hung his head and let out a sigh. "I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that. I just couldn't help myself. I thought it had been pretty obvious. Since everyone else seemed to know about it."
Elowen's sobs had stopped, and now she took a deep breath.
   "It was obvious Drey." She whispered
His head shot up in surprise.
   "I mean why else would you break me out of jail, or go to some where you haven't been too since your childhood, and bring your family with you on top of that?"
Drey hesitated a moment before responding.
   "Well if you put it that way, yeah I guess it is pretty obvious. so why did you...?" He refused to finish that sentence, but waiting for her to answer was almost just as bad.
Ellie sighed and finally looked at him.
   "Because it can never work Dreyden." She answered.
His face was full of confusion.
   "Why not?"
She drew in a sharp breath before answering.
   "Because you are the prince, soon to be king. Its going to be hard enough getting the two worlds to unite under the same line, what do you think they'll say if they see you marrying a lass that is nothing but an orphan and a Magi on top of it?! I can't imagine what the Cevlonians will think of that since they already killed me."
She pushed herself onto her feet and walked a few paces away.
   "You're acting as if I'll take up the throne!" Drey called after her.
   "You are! Other wise what your parents did for you will mean nothing. And the line truly will die!"
   "What if I don't want the responsibilities?!" Drey rose from his crouch and walked towards her. His cheeks were flushed, his hair blown across his forehead. She saw he had forgotten his own cloak, but showed no sign of feeling the cold.
   "Do you know how big my father's shoes are? Do you know how much I’ll have to go through to get accepted, or even acknowledged that I am the heir. And after that I not only have to keep up with one kingdom, but two! What if - What if I just want a normal life as a normal hunter?"
Elowen realized what he was asking in between the lines. And she came to a very hard decision that almost tore her in two.
   "Dreyden listen to me very closely." She looked him evenly in the eyes with such a fire in her own that he was  a bit startled.
   "I cannot marry you when you are a king. Nor will I marry you if you shun everything and become estranged to your own heritage. Something's are never meant to be." She then stood there, her face set in determined lines, and Drey knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind.
Taking a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers, he leaned in. Elowen's breath got caught in her throat, as she screamed in her head. Surely he wouldn't disrespect me to that extent!
But Drey would never dishonor her in even the smallest way.
He simply leaned close to her ear.
   "I can live as a king, or as a hunter, but I will never stop loving you." He whispered.
Elowen's eyes grew wide in shock.
Drey knew that she would hold true to her word. But he also had been shocked to find that she was so desperate for him to become king that she would with hold her own feelings for the greater good of the kingdoms. It was because of her own strength, that he knew he would do anything to make her happy. Including taking up his heritage once more.
   "Why else would I break you out of jail? or come to a place I haven't been since childhood, bringing my family with me?" He asked, coming away from her so he could see her face.
   "It's because I love you Elowen."
She was shaking her head, trying to deny it all.
   "One cannot fall in love so quickly Drey -"
   "If it's Eleyos' will then yes one can." Drey answered back coolly.
Elowen wanted to believe that was true. No. She knew it to be true because she had felt that way for a long while now. But...
   "But Drey I -"
He took a hold of her small shoulders.
   "I would never force anything on you Elowen. Never. But because of you, I will take up the throne. Or at least try. But I need you to do something for me,"
Her heart had soared and dropped in one instant.
   "Tell me you don't feel the same way, so I don't have false hopes and can burry these feelings and not speak of them again."
Tears sprang up from her eyes once again.
   "Drey -" Pleading was in her voice and he couldn't stand it.
   "No. Just say it so I can put this behind me." He said firmly, hanging his head so he couldn't see the pain in her tears.
Elowen reached up with her cold fingers and ran them through his hair. It was soft like she thought it might be, and she hadn't realized how many times she had wanted to run her fingers through them until she actually was.
   "I've been taught all my life not to lie. And I'm not going to start now lad." she whispered.
He slowly reached up and grabbed her hands, pulling them out of his hair.
For a moment, she was scared she had gone too far, but the thought was quickly dismissed.
Guided by an instinct he didn't quite know he had, Dreyden cupped her chin, running his thumb across her skin. His touch sent a shiver up her spine and she didn't dare breathe.
Drey hesitated only a moment, asking permission. His heart soared when she gave him the slightest head nod.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned in closer, his eyes watching her carefully. Her eyes fluttered close as he drew nearer, but after that, all he saw as a burst of colors so bright and vibrant they almost blinded him. He never knew he could feel so much in one instant, so much joy, happiness and contentment. He could have sworn he heard a child giggle.

It seemed forever, and only a moment when they broke apart. Panting as if they had been running hard.
For a single minute, they were in paradise. All the problems of their lives, forgotten.
But then reality came crashing back, stealing Ellie's breath.
   "But Drey! What about -" He hushed her by placing a finger on her mouth.
   "I'm the prince El. I use to study the laws, and I don't remember anything that says  king can only marry royalty." He said with that calming smile she had always loved.
   "But it's been done for centuries." She protested, though she wasn't entirely sure why.
   "Yes, but that is just tradition. There is nothing in the laws that say I have to marry royalty. That's only happened in the past to unite other kingdoms."
   "I still don't think Cevlon will like it." She stated after a moment of thought.
Drey smiled at her worried face.
   "No. I don't believe they will but it really doesn't matter since I'm their king, they'll have to listen anyways. Have you realized how many times someone has said you'll be my strength? Don't you think they knew something?"
She opened her mouth before she could fully comprehend what he had said.
   "Well...Yes, I suppose so." She said slowly.
   "Then Eleyos must have meant for this to be."
She still didn't feel completely at ease, when a thought occurred to her.
  "Alright," She said, grasping his hands tight. "I will do anything you want within the laws of honor and chivalry, but you have to promise me something first."
Drey nodded solemnly.
   "Wait for things to cool down after you ascend the throne. It'll be hard enough for people to accept and get use to that, we needn't throw a marriage that breaks tradition at them as well."
Drey shook his head in wonder.
   "What would I do with out you?"
   "You'd still be trying to find something worth living for." She stated in all seriousness.
Drey laughed first at her serious answer, and then at her confused expression.
   "Come on, the others will be worried by now." He intertwined his fingers with hers and led the way back to Calsven.