Chapter Twenty

Chapter 20: The Cost of Life



   “Alright so you both are happy, going to live forever after and all that as king and queen but can I ask, how on Cevlon are you going to do that?”
Elowen glanced up at Drey, fully content to let him answer Merek’s question. Drey cleared his throat and tried to figure out a way to do just that.
Luckily for him, Terryn jumped in.
   “Ah who cares? They’re young. They’ll figure it out as the go along!”
He picked up his mug of coffee and cheered. The girls laughed as they raised their own.
   “Here’s to you!” Terryn shouted over the usual noise of the tavern.
   “Aye!” Everyone agreed before taking a swallow of the warm drink.

Elowen sat down next to Ysmay and joined in on the light hearted talk as Drey ordered two more mugs of coffee.
The girls ‘awed’ as she retold what had happened in the forest.
   “Oh!” Sonera pulled out a little pouch from her belt. She set it on the table and opened it, taking out the small cake that the faeries had given her.
Ellie’s eyes grew wide in horror.
   “No! Don’t!” She cried.
Sonera jumped in surprise, but she had already taken a bite.
   “Spit it out!” Ellie jumped up and ran over to her, hitting her back causing her to spit the piece of cake across the table and into Merek’s face.
Everyone had fallen quiet, stunned as they watched Ellie check Sonera’s pulse, her eyes, and her mouth frantically.
   “Ellie what’s wrong?” Ysmay asked, finally breaking the silence.
   “Sonera how do you feel? Anything…out of the ordinary?” Ellie asked, ignoring Ysmay’s question for the time being.
   “Well…now that you mention it…” Sonera said slowly. When she tried to focus on Merek, there seemed to be two of him. The room was swimming, and black spots were covering her vision.
They never got an answer out of her, before she collapsed against Ysmay.
The boys toppled their chairs over as they jumped forward.
   “What’s wrong with her?” Merek asked, the cake wiped away from his face now.
   “Oh I should have tossed those cakes out as soon as we had left the Forest. -” Ellie mumbled as she began to check Sonera’s pulse again.
   “- Ellie what’s wrong with her? -”
   “- You never know what Pixies are up to, they’re always tricking people and now they’ve gone and poisoned the cakes and -”
   “Ellie!” Drey’s worried voice cut through to her. She looked up and saw that everyone was as worried as she was.
   “What is wrong with her?” He asked.
Ellie shook her head.
   “I - I don’t know. We have to get her up to the room in order to figure that out.”
The boys nodded and moved to pick her up.

.:+++:.

Ellie wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her sleeve. She let out a sigh of relief, stepping away from the cot that Sonera now slept on.
   “Is she going to be alright?” Ysmay asked.
   “Well…She is running a high fever, so we’ll have to take turns watching her through out the night.”
Everyone nodded solemnly.
   “How - How long do you think it’ll take for her to heal completely?” Merek asked.
Elowen hesitated to answer.
   “We’ll have to see in the morning.”

.:+++:.

   “Did ye hear?”
   “Infidels.”
   “Aye, Mercos saw a whole army marching due north of here.”
   “Where in the name of Eleyos could they be going?”
   “Don’t know. Rumor has it that they be headin’ to Asmodea.”
Drey’s head snapped up at the news. His eyes sought out the table full of farmers sitting around with steaming mugs in between their hands.
   “Can I get you another mug sir?”
Drey looked up and saw the inn keeper’s daughter standing in front of him.
   “Oh no thanks.” She was about to walk off when he caught her elbow. “Excuse me,”
The girl turned back and waited for him to continue. “but is it true about the Infidels?” He asked.
The girl nodded.
   “Yes sir. I’m afraid so. Saw ‘em with my own eyes.”
Drey nodded and she went on her way.
After sitting there a few more moments, he jumped up from the table and ran out the door of the tavern.

He ran across the white snow that had just freshly fallen in the market place. He then ran onto the low wall that surrounded the village. But that height didn’t allow him to see what he was looking for. He glanced around and saw a flag pole with the Asmodea flag flying proudly. He hadn’t seen the flag in years, but it was still the same as he remembered. The white staff of a Magi crossed with the royal sword, topped by the crown.
He quickly scrambled up onto the flag pole and balanced on the top. The wind had died down, so no snow was picking up. His line of sight could go right through the forest. It took him a moment to see anything but the falling darkness in the forest. But he soon saw shadows moving steadily, and upon looking further he could distinguish actual human forms.
   “Oi! Get down from there boy!”
Drey glanced down and saw an elderly man, bearing arms, looking up at him.
Dreyden jumped down from the flag pole and straightened his tunic.
   “Sorry sir.” He apologized.
The old man eyed him for a moment before gesturing to the woods.
   “Watching the enemy eh?”
Drey nodded. “Yes sir, I had to see them for myself.”
The patrol nodded and leaned his weary body against the wall.
   “Aye…Best see it for yourself than rely on rumors.”
   “Sir is there…Is there anything else that direction they could be headed for? Other than Asmodea?”
The patrol shrugged.
   “Not really son. They could turn back east, and head to Wedgemore, but an army that big? No, the real prize is Asmodea.”
Drey watched the army pass by solemnly.
   “Trouble’s brewing son. If the Legions don’t get their acts together we’re going to be in one hell of a state.”

.:+++:.

   “We have to go.” Dreyden stated as he walked into the room.
Everyone looked up in surprise at his sudden entry.
   “Go? Now?” Terryn asked.
   “Yes. Now.”
Ellie noticed the look in his eye, as did Merek.
   “What happened Drey?” He asked.
   “Infidels are on the move.”
Ellie rose to her feet at the news.
   “Where are they heading?”
Drey’s eyes met hers.
   “Asmodea.”
Gasps went through the two girls as the boys grew serious.
   “You saw them?” Terryn asked.
   “Aye, even asked one of the patrols what other possible targets there were in that direction.”
   “And?”
Drey shook his head.
   “There is none except Asmodea.”
   “What are we suppose to do with Sonera then?” Ysmay pointed out.
Everyone hesitated until Terryn spoke up.
   “Drey and Elowen need to get to Asmodea, we don’t.” He gestured to the remanding three.
   “We’ll stay here and watch over Sonera. You two go ahead, we’ll catch up with you.”
Elowen was about to protest when Ysmay reassured her.
   “He’s right. We’ll be fine.”
Elowen sighed and began to pack up her things.
   “Well brother,” Merek said, coming up to Dreyden. “I suppose this would have been goodbye, if I was staying here. However, I’m coming with you. And no! This is not open for discussion. I’m not about to let you walk into the dragon’s den with out me to back you up.” Merek finished with a grin.
Drey smiled back, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to talk him out of it, nor did he want to.
   “We’ll be expecting a letter to be sent out as soon as Sonera is well and before you travel.” Elowen instructed. Ysmay nodded and watched her dear friend sling her pack onto her shoulder and take up her staff.
   “I’ll see you again, Eleyos willing, in a few days time.” Elowen said, hugging Ysmay tightly, and then doing the same to Terryn.
   “And no magic while I’m gone.” She said, pointing a finger at him. “None.”
Ysmay chuckled at Terryn’s blushing cheeks.
   “I’ll keep him strait.” She called out as Drey led the trio out of the room.
   “Behave you two.” Merek instructed as he brought up the rear, smiling at them before he closed the door.
On the other side, he chuckled as he saw their stunned faces in his mind’s eye.
Aye, they’ll turn out just fine. He thought.