Alyssa Pennini's Blog, page 2

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 22

Previous Chapters

His feet moved without command and he fled before his mind could stop him. The ground was slick, he stumbled and fell to his knee. He pushed up and continued to run as if nothing had slowed him down. The ice gave way to compacted earth which provided traction as he sped downhill. He didn’t stop, didn’t slow. He let his thoughts cease, relying on instinct to make his way down the mountain. Night fell, darkness encasing him, and Kael carried on, going as far as he could while his strength remained. Only when his legs failed him did he collapse to the ground in exhaustion and fall into a fitful sleep.

She was here with him, standing beside him in the tunnel opening over the mountain glen, holding his hand. He watched her, witnessed the emotions cross her face: the surprise, the relief, the joy. Love bloomed within him, threatening to lift him right off the ground.

And there she was showered in light on the lake’s edge, face turned over her shoulder, staring back at him with her emerald eyes glinting with her last secret. I saw it…in a dream, she called, wading into the lake and diving into the water.

She was sitting next to him, bathing in the sun’s rays with the miracle stone resting on her leg. Hair had slipped over her shoulder, hiding her face. He lightly swept the strands behind her ear so he could view her raw emotion.

Panic was all he could see from her face now, as she clung to life on the icy edge. There was fear, but determination as well. I love you and I need you to save my brother. Protect my family. Leave me. Never come back. The ice cracked and she fell.

Kael woke, heart racing, pulse pounding in his ears. He clambered to his feet, yanked his pack over his shoulder and fled from the pain. By the time Kael reached the base of the mountain, he could barely remember how he got there or how much time had passed. The whole journey after…it was all just a blur.

Now that he had reached level ground he slowed and examined his surroundings. The lack of trees meant he had traveled farther south than he had planned into northern Nodin. He would have to backtrack a little way to the border, so he changed direction, heading north. This was the closest that he’d been to his home in years, and yet he felt no pull, no desire or need to go any closer. He had a mission now, had to finish what Prea started…no matter what. That was his destiny now.

The sun was high, bearing down on his bare neck as he walked through the tall grass native to this canton. By nightfall he had made it to a town on the bank of the River Nairne and walked straight through the mass of buildings towards the dock. The moon had taken her leave, disappearing as she did every month, leaving behind only the stars as a guiding light in the darkness.

The reflection of the stars dotted the surface of the empty river and Kael’s heart dropped at the lack of boats. He would have to wait for morning to acquire passage down the river and waiting was the last thing he wanted. He didn’t have time to sit around and do nothing; Carr needed his help. But he couldn’t keep traveling, his legs wouldn’t allow it. The only option was to rest for the night and look for a boat come dawn.

He traced his steps back into the town and found his way to the tavern where he collapsed into a chair and ordered a pint. If he had to stop and take a break, he wasn’t going to do it with a clear mind; the truth was too painful.

On his second round, he asked the tavern owner’s son, “Excuse me, can you tell me when the next boat will dock on the river?”

“I’m not sure of the exact time, but there should be one around dawn or a little after. There’s an inn down the street if you need a place to stay the night,” the son offered.

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” Kael answered. “When you get a chance could you grab me another pint?”

“Yes, of course,” the son replied.

“Thanks,” Kael replied.

He sat alone, drowning his sorrows as the crowd’s voices buzzed loudly around him. Without thinking, Kael pulled the stone out of his pocket and held it tightly in his hand. The weight and power steadied him, made him feel closer to Prea even though she was gone.

He should despise this piece of rock, shouldn’t he? Prea had died to get it. But, then again, the stone was the reason they had met in the first place. It was a lose-lose situation. So he drank and played with the only thing he had left of his love, never realizing that the glowing rock was catching the eye of several other patrons.

After many pints, the tavern closed and Kael staggered out into the night. He wandered aimlessly through the streets in his drunken stupor, avoiding all other walks of life. Somehow he made his way back to the river and found a grassy spot on the bank where he fell to his hands and knees. He shrugged his pack off his shoulders and rolled over until his head hit the ground. He threaded his fingers through the tall grass and gripped it tight as he stared up at the sky.

Kael fought for control. He didn’t want to think, but the ale compromised his willpower. Grief doused him, flooding him on dry land, threatening to haul him away. He clutched at the grass, desperate for a connection, a foothold to this land. Tired eyes were no match and tears flowed as his eyes shut. All he saw was Prea’s smiling face and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces, just like the ice from which she fell.

When he couldn’t handle it anymore, he opened his eyes and looked to the midnight sky. He searched the stars, waiting to find Prea amongst the jewels of the night. That was part of the legend, wasn’t it? Kael thought. When you died, your presence passed on to live forever as one of the moon’s starry children, a bright light in the darkness. His eyes scanned, but he found nothing. He waited for her to brighten, light up his life and show him that he wasn’t alone. He fell asleep on the bank of the River Nairne, looking for his love.

* * *

In the shadows of a building near the riverbank, two men followed and watched Kael as he stumbled and fell to the grass. They knew the stranger was drunk and alone; they had watched him carefully. And it seemed he had something of value.

“Fletch? Did you see where he put the stone?” one whispered to the other.

“I think he put it in his pack,” Fletch answered quietly. “We just need to wait a few minutes, Raff, until he falls asleep. Then we’ll take it.”

“Do you think it was gold?” Raff wondered. “If it is, it’ll be worth a fortune.”

“I don’t know if it was gold, but it glowed. It has to be valuable.” They watched and waited as Kael laid on the ground, staring up at the sky. “How odd. Is he clutching the grass?”

“You know what, Fletch, I think he is,” Raff answered with a chuckle. “What a fool. Does he even realize how easy he’s making it?”

“After all that ale, he probably isn’t seeing straight, let alone thinking clearly,” Fletch replied lightly. Kael’s grip loosened on the dark green blades of grass signaling that he had fallen asleep. “Let’s wait a few more minutes just to be sure he’s asleep.”

“Then we’ll get him,” Raff added, pulling out a small dagger.

The night was quiet and few people still walked around outside. The two thieves soon left the shadows, stalking over to where their mark lay on the ground, uncovered and unprotected. Light on the their feet, they moved quickly and stealthily until they came upon Kael, appraising him silently. One hand remained on the ground, but the other rested lightly on his pack.

“How do you want to do this?” Raff mouthed. Before Fletch could respond, Kael shifted, rolling his hand over, revealing the stone was still clutched in his fist. He had never put it in his pack.

“Look,” Fletch said. “It’s still in his hand. Raff, hold him back if he wakes up. I’m going to get the stone.”

Raff got into position, blade at the ready, while Fletch moved closer to the stone, squatting down in preparation.

“One. Two. Three,” Fletch mouthed and then they struck.

* * *

Kael seemed to sense something just in the nick of time and woke up on the bank of the River Nairne with two strange men standing over him, one holding a sharp dagger. The ale still messed with his mind, but he instinctively tightened his fingers around the stone still in his grasp. Could he have possibly been more foolish?

One man tried to pin him down, clutching the blade against his throat, while the other attempted to rip the stone from his hand. Kael lashed out, thrashing against any potential hold and felt a sharp sting as metal sliced skin.

“Don’t move. If you value your life, don’t move,” the one with the knife threatened.

“Get off!” he yelled into the night, grabbing at the knife wielding arm.

Arms and fists were flung about, connecting with flesh. It should have been easy for the thieves; it was two against one, they had a weapon and Kael was impaired. But there was something or someone working to help Kael out of his predicament.

“Get off of me,” Kael yelled again, finally managing to twist the man’s wrist until the knife fell from his grasp. Kicking the blade away, he climbed into a sitting position as energy pulsed in his palm, power flowing into his hand, coursing up his arm and throughout his body. He pushed and punched, slapped and kicked. Any blow he delivered with his stone wielding hand rang true.

“Oy!” Raff yelled when Kael’s fist met his face.

“I. Said. Get. Off. Me.”

“Give it to us,” Fletch muttered, clawing for the stone.

“It’s not yours. It’s mine,” Kael growled, kicking his way free of his attackers.

A few more blows with the hand holding the stone and Kael managed to break away from the thieves, free himself and his pack. By then, he had rained down enough punches, forcing the men to retreat empty handed.

Kael kept moving on the bank, not wishing to stay in any place too long. The thieves had managed to get a few good throws in, with both hands and knife. His body was sore, on its way to bruising and blood was flowing from lip, neck and hand. And he couldn’t seem to release the stone, it remained clutched in his fist. The power still radiated, causing his skin to vibrate.

How could I be so stupid? Kael thought. Drinking obliviously in a strange town playing with a legendary object was beyond idiotic. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice, so he kept moving for a while before finally picking a spot to rest under the cover of a tree on the riverbank. Now sufficiently out of sight and seeing no one else around, Kael sat down and was finally able to uncurl his fingers, revealing the stone laying on his palm.

“How is this possible? How can I feel the power?” Kael murmured in the darkness, his mind still fuzzy from ale. “Why did it help me?”

The stone only held a faint glow now, as if the power had gone dormant for the time being. “Why am I surprised? After all I’ve seen, this is par for the course.”

He studied the stone for as long as he could keep his eyes open, trying to feel the power again or sense the energy within. He wanted answers, but whatever it was seemed to be gone and eventually he succumbed to a fitful sleep.

* * *

The growing warmth and loud voices woke Kael on the grassy waterside. He lumbered into a sitting position, rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes and sat with elbows on knees, squinting in the bright light. Just as the tavern owner’s son had said, there was a boat sidled up against the old dock, unloading cargo that appeared to be fruit or vegetables. He didn’t know how long they would remain, so Kael jumped up with his pack and started over. He tripped over his feet a few times, the last of the ale still asserting its power.

The wood creaked under his weight as he strolled down the dock past the workers and sailors exchanging goods. Kael scanned the boat and dock, trying to make out the captain among the men.

“Oy! What are you doing just standing there?” a burly man asked and it took Kael a minute to realize the question was directed at him.

“Uh,” Kael muttered, mind still a bit fuzzy.

“Get moving! We need these boxes unloaded before the captain gets back,” the man yelled.

“Sorry, I think you’re mistaken,” Kael replied, but the man was no longer paying attention. Hoping that this would benefit his request for passage, he complied, helping to unload the cargo boxes from the ship.

“Thanks,” the man said when Kael finished.

“Actually, I’m looking for passage downriver,” Kael said. “Do you think the captain would be willing? I’ll pay, of course.”

“Possibly. If he’s in a good mood.” The burly man’s eyes narrowed as he appraised Kael. “You’re not a dock worker?”

“No.” Kael shook his head.

“But you helped unload anyway?” The man eyed him suspiciously.

“Yes.”

“Huh. Well, if it was my ship, there would be no problem. But it isn’t, so you’ll have to wait and see. I’m Cap, by the way,” he said and held out his hand.

“But you’re not the captain?” Kael wondered.

“Nope.”

“That’s not confusing at all,” he replied and shook Cap’s hand. “I’m Kael.”

“Where are you headed, Kael?”

“The Bay of Aldin.”

“That’s at least a five day trip with stops in between. You shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

The planks of the dock vibrated as a new addition approached. “Cap! What are you doing? We need to be pushing off in a few minutes. We have a schedule to keep,” the tan, dark-haired man screamed.

“Looks like you might be in luck,” Cap muttered to Kael. “Just waiting for you,” he added louder. “We’re all set and ready to go.”

“Who’s this? Who are you?” the captain demanded when he reached the end of the dock where Cap stood by Kael.

“I’m looking to buy passage downriver, if you would be so willing. I need to get to the Bay of Aldin as fast as possible. You won’t even know I’m there,” Kael promised rashly.

“We don’t have the capacity to take on any passengers for the entire trip downriver. You’ll just be in the way,” the captain answered. “I’m sorry.”

“I can fix just about anything. I can work if you need things repaired,” Kael added desperately.

“Blake, he did help us unload the cargo,” Cap mentioned in Kael’s defense. “And he doesn’t even work here. He might be of some use.”

“Cap, you’re my second in command, but I make the decisions around here.”

“I know, Blake. I’m just saying we do have a few things that need fixing. Kael here could do them while we’re sailing which means we wouldn’t be wasting time waiting dockside on repairs in the future. We might be gaining more than we bargain for.”

The captain considered Kael’s proposal for a few more moments as desperation became more evident on Kael’s face. Cap had made some good points.

“All right. My name is Blake,” he said reluctantly and held out his hand. “But this is a temporary arrangement. If you get in the way at any point in time, you’re off and you’ll be on your own for the rest of the way. I won’t even stop. I’ll just toss you overboard.”

“I understand. Kael Farron,” he replied, grasping the captain’s hand firmly.

“You should just be glad I’m in a good mood right now,” Blake muttered and Kael looked sideways at Cap. If this was the good, he most certainly did not want to see the bad. “All right. Anchor’s up!” he added and they all boarded the vessel.

Kael moved to the port side and tried to stay out of the way as he waited for them to set sail. He minded his own business, watching as the crew returned and went about their duties. All but Cap avoided Kael in his place leaning against the side of the boat.

It was a beautiful morning, the sun’s rays glinting off the surface of the river. Kael closed his eyes and focused on the brush of the fresh river wind against his face and the wash of sunlight that bathed his skin in a welcome warmth. He focused on the elements around him as their presence steadied his breath. It wasn’t serenity or peace, but a brief moment of surprising calm filled him on this new summer morning. And, as quickly as that calm filled him, he opened his eyes and it was gone, a wisp of cloud passing by.

* * *

Kael’s presence onboard was soon accepted by the rest of the crew and he was put to work, fixing all sorts of things around the boat, on deck and below. Warped wood, loose boards, ripped sails, little things here and there that had gone a long time without the necessary mending. It kept him very busy, all day, every day; but the nights were another story.

When only darkness was left, spotted with dim light and accompanied by the sound of wind and water rushing by, Kael laid down on the sturdy wood of the boat deck and looked up. He gazed at the stars searching for Prea in the night sky as he waited to find sleep. Another reality was setting in as the bay drew closer. Questions began popping up in his mind and fear blended with his grief.  

“Prea, what I am going to do?” he whispered into the dark. “What am I going to tell your family? How am I going to explain all that’s happened?” He paused as if waiting for an answer. “How are we supposed to go on without you?”

* * *

Just before they reached the Bay of Aldin, the small boat sidled up to the Alder bank and Kael hopped out on the go. He followed along the river until he came upon the first few houses in the town of Beech. He hurried through the river and dockside parts of town before he started the climb towards the center of Beech and the cliffs.

Afternoon turned to evening, the sun sinking in the western sky. No more time could be wasted, enough had been spent already. Kael knew that Prea’s house was located on the cliffs, but not much else, so he was heading in that direction and would ask for help if need be.

He traveled the road that hugged the coastline until it leveled off atop the cliffs and forked, one side leading to the center of town and the other leading the rest of the way down the coastline. He paused for a moment, deciding which path to take. He’d find more luck following the cliff; something was pulling him in that direction, be it intuition or something more.

Kael moved further away from the town center and he could make out a few possibilities off in the distance. Before he could look more closely, a woman and a young boy turned onto the road a little way ahead of him. The woman had fiery red hair and she was chasing after a boy with golden curls.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 21

Previous Chapters

Light crept in over the eastern peaks of the glen, washing the travelers in the sun’s morning rays as they lay in each other’s arms on the shore of the glen’s lake. Kael’s uninjured arm was wrapped around Prea, her head on his shoulder. Her eyes opened in the growing brightness and she extricated herself from Kael’s grasp and sat up, brushing hair out of her tired face.

Kael’s eyes flickered open when his hand fell to the ground and he realized that Prea was no longer in his arms. He turned his head slightly and squinted up at Prea sitting beside him. She was unusually quiet in the morning light, her back and shoulders set in solid, unwavering determination.

The fairy tale was almost over; this magical place offering them a gentle reprieve from the seriousness of their journey. He waited for a moment, just watching her be, before he sat up. Then no time was wasted; they ate and readied themselves for the next leg of their journey. Kael’s arm was still bound, so Prea was charged with carrying both packs, at least for the next few days.

Kael stood. “What’s the plan to get out of here? We can’t go back the way we came.”

Prea walked off towards the eastern side of the glen. The southern slopes were less steep, providing a more realistic route over the mountains. She wanted to keep as close to a direct route as possible to limit travel time. Surveying the land, she formed a plan.

“I’m thinking we head towards that peak,” she said, pointing to the southeast. It wasn’t as high as some and would put them in a good location once they reached the summit. “Once we cross, we’ll be in Nodin, but close to the Alder border. Then, ideally, we could buy passage on a ship to take us downriver to the Bay of Aldin. Then we’ll be home.”

Kael kept pace beside her, considering her suggestion. “Are you sure you haven’t traveled before? You have good instincts, a natural sense of direction. That route should be good. It looks like our best option.”

* * *

Their progress was moderate and measured as they crossed the field and began climbing towards the trees up the eastern slope. They made good time in the morning while the sun was still rising, but once the heat began beating down on them, the trek slowed. They moved steadily through the trees for a few days, covering a lot of ground before the slope steepened and the journey became more strenuous.

The trees dispersed as the ground hardened into stone which left Prea and Kael struggling with every step. They were like snails now, creeping up the vertical slope as fast as they could. They had reached a higher altitude than on the climb to the waterfall in Rodor, officially crossing into new territory. Kael, arm healed, traversed ahead of Prea, turning to help her when the climb became too difficult which, given her height, was quite often.

Not only was the climb demanding, but making camp was nearly impossible. Kindling for a fire was scarce and few spots were suitable enough to rest.

One night, the two sat huddled around what they could scrounge up for a fire, eating the small dinner from the food they had begun rationing for the rest of the journey. They spent the evening cozied up beside each other against the rock wall.

“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” Prea murmured into the darkness.

The light from the moon cast a shimmery radiance over the mountain glen. From their position, they had an amazing view and it looked very different at night. The glow added an eerie quality and the surface of the lake was like a mirror in the darkness, the moon’s reflection sparkling on the smooth surface of the water. It was mesmerizing; the lake perfectly round and surrounded by picturesque nature, a pure convergence of three elements. Prea stared below, committing every detail to memory so she would never forget this beautifully secret place.

“I’m surrounded by beauty on all sides,” Kael muttered in response, eliciting a shy grin from Prea. “I wish we could capture it somehow and take it with us.”

“I know what you mean. I never want to forget this place, not ever,” she said emphatically. “And it should always remain this way: pure, untouched, sacred. Don’t you think?”

“It’ll always be our secret,” Kael promised, turning to look at Prea. The following silence extended as he quietly willed her to return his gaze. When she finally did, Prea saw the unending truth in his deep stormy eyes. She sat precariously high up a mountain and yet felt remarkably safe in his presence. “It will always be something that we share. Others may know this place exists, but no one has experienced it the way we have. And they never will.”

* * *

The higher the travelers ascended, the more dangerous their journey became. The slope wasn’t completely vertical, that would have been impossible for them to climb, but its steepness was tricky and problematic. They had reached a point where, no matter the power of the sun, the air still held a chilling cold that sunk to the bone, making them shiver and shake and unsteady on their feet. But this was a summer chill and, though it was cold for them, the ground continued to thaw, the snow melting underfoot. The rocks loosened, slipped and fell behind them as they moved.

“Kael? Can we take a break, please?” Prea pleaded breathlessly. “I can’t feel my legs.”

He turned back and appraised Prea before stripping off his pack. “All right, we can rest for a while.”

Prea followed suit, releasing her pack from her shoulders and placing it carefully on the rock beside her. She considered the ground around her, decided on what she considered the safest place to rest and sat down on the uneven slope.

“How are you doing?” Kael asked.

“It’s just tough to keep my balance,” Prea explained. “And I don’t have much in terms of muscles.”

“At least we’re getting closer. It must make it easier to see the progress you’re making, even if it is a little slow.”

Prea thought about it for a minute before answering. “I suppose so. But I’ll feel so much better once we reach the summit and can finally see our way home. Only then will I feel like everything is truly going to be all right,” she said as the brisk wind whipped her across the face.

“You’re still worried?” Kael questioned as he sat next to her.

“Oh, of course. You’ll know what it feels like when you have children of your own. I’ll stop worrying when Carr is awake again in my presence,” Prea declared. “But it will only subside momentarily. There’s no true end to it really, Kael. I know I can only do so much to protect them and keep them safe. The rest is out of my hands. It doesn’t make it any easier, though.”

“They’re lucky to have you,” Kael muttered softly as he considered her. “They’ll never really know all you’ve done for them. But that isn’t the point, is it?”

“No, it isn’t…”

A faint rumbling began deep in the mountains, growing louder as the land vibrated beneath them. The two looked around as the sound echoed in their ears, finally looking up as a crack rang clear through the air. Time appeared to slow as Prea watched the large rocks break free of their prison and tumble towards them. She sat frozen in place, unable to move as the rocks gained momentum and drew closer to where they rested. The next thing she knew, Prea was being pulled by the arm and dragged aside just in time for the first boulder to skirt by behind her.

Kael threw Prea against the mountainside, covering her body with his own as a shower of rocks released from the slope above, bearing down on them. Prea followed Kael’s lead as he directed them out of the path of the earthly missiles. It was a dangerous dance they played where every step posed a precarious challenge. They managed to dodge almost all of the larger rocks, but one of the lagging stones tripped them up as they attempted to evade the last threat.

The uneven rubble shifted and their feet flew out from under them as they joined the rocks and began to tumble down the slope. Both Kael and Prea managed to halt their descent before they lost too much distance and, once they steadied their nerves, collected their dispersed packs.

They wasted no time and closed the gap between them, ending up in each other’s arms. Once again Prea felt safe, even after all that had happened; she would always feel safe in his arms. Kael pulled away and looked her over.

“How are you? How badly are you hurt?” Kael asked quickly.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just some bumps and scrapes. Nothing serious. What about you?” she countered. “Please tell me you’re all right. I don’t know…”

“I’m all right,” Kael interrupted, holding her by the shoulders. “Don’t worry, Prea. I’m fine.”

The companions started their hike again, refusing to stay in this unstable area one more minute. They trudged warily, higher and higher until they could go no further, the land changing to snow and ice. They worked hard over the next few days, carefully climbing the rest of the way to the summit. The two ascended the last elevation, exhausted and sore, and faced the land of Nodin under the warm vestiges of sunlight.

The icy land evened out for a stretch in front of them, a safe place to finally rest for the night. Prea let out a sigh of relief at being that much closer to Carr and a few tears escaped, freezing when they met the cold air.

“We made it,” Kael muttered into the coming night, his breath visible in the air.

“Yes, we did,” Prea added.

Though they had reached the summit, they were not without problems. There was no kindling for a fire anymore, not that the icy floor would have allowed the flames to ignite. Prea and Kael created a makeshift camp with the provisions that remained, managing the best they could in the freezing temperatures. They wore all the clothing available and still shivered in the darkness. Once they finished their rationed dinner, the two curled up together on what they had in terms of a blanket. Their combined body heat was the only thing keeping them warm throughout the night. Even so, the wind and cold were brutal and sleep was limited.

* * *

The cold chilled Prea to the bone as she trod carefully on the ice in Kael’s wake as the wind lashed at her face. A layer of snow coated the ground under their feet and Prea kept her eyes down to avoid the harsh sting of the air and the glare of the sun. Her jacket was wrapped tight around her body, her hair tucked into the collar protecting her ears. Kael’s footsteps in the snow were her current map down the mountain.

The air tickled Prea’s nose, unleashing a sneeze which caused her eyes to snap shut. In that second of blindness, she slipped on a patch of ice and toppled over, knees and elbows bumping and knocking against the unforgiving ground. Kael turned at the crash behind him and saw Prea in a heap on the ice, her clumsiness bringing a smile to his face in the thin mountain air. While on her knees, she looked up, peering past Kael downhill and saw that there was an end in sight to the ice.

“Are you all right?” Kael asked, stifling a laugh. 

“Yes,” Prea groaned as she scrambled to her feet, brushing snow off of her pants and jacket. “I’m fine.”

She remained still for a moment, catching her breath after the fall, when she heard something faint, a sound she couldn’t quite place. The noise became louder, clearer and ultimately distinguishable.

Chipping. Cracking. Splintering.

Her head flew up, listening close for clues as to where the fracturing was coming from. She realized the answer too late, her eyes shifting to her feet. She glanced up once more and her eyes locked with Kael’s for one second before the ground shattered. Instinct flooded through her and her arms flailed, hands groping for anything to hold onto as she plummeted. Her arms landed on the ice as a sharp stabbing pain hit her stomach and the breath deserted her lungs.

Panic rushed through her as she struggled to hold onto the slippery ice. Her heart hammered, her body shivered and her mind was paralyzed. Kael ran towards her and that movement was enough to spark her mind. He stopped only when Prea called out.

“No! I don’t want you to fall too,” she screamed as the cracking extended around her.

“Prea! You’re going to be all right. You’re going to be fine,” Kael yelled anxiously, fear stripping the color from his face as he desperately tried to think a way out of this mess. Prea levered herself up as much as she could while inching her right hand toward the opening of her jacket. Her fingers clawed at a pocket just inside the lining, ripping the stone from its hiding place. She used all her energy to toss the stone in Kael’s direction, relieved and absolved when he plucked it out of the snow.

“Prea, what are you doing?” Kael demanded, stepping towards her.

“Kael, listen to me. I need you to go on. I need you to save Carr. Please, do that for me,” Prea pleaded, her hands clutching at the ice for an anchor.

“I’m not leaving you, Prea. You’re going to be fine,” he assured her. “You’re going to save Carr yourself.”

“Kael, I don’t have much time. I can’t hold on much longer. And if you fall too, this will all be for nothing and I’ll have failed Carr completely.”

“Your family needs you, Prea. Don’t let go,” he begged, his midnight eyes shining.

“My family needs you now. I’m doing this for them, Kael. I’ve lived a full life. I’ve had friends, a family, I’ve raised a child. I’ve loved and been loved in return. Twice.” She paused briefly. “I never expected to feel anything again after Leal. But you ran straight into my life and burrowed deep into my heart. You helped me, comforted me, rescued me. In more ways than one. I love you, Kael,” Prea choked out the words, gasping for air, her stomach searing in pain.

“I love you and I need you to save my brother. Protect my family. Leave me. Never come back. Promise me, Kael,” she cried out, the sound of splintering ice echoed loud in her ears.

“Prea, I’ve loved you ever since you held your ground in the Ashton pub, I just didn’t know it. I never expected to want this. You’re unimaginable in all the best ways and you were someone I never expected to find. But now that I have, I can’t…”

“Kael,” Prea interrupted sharply. “Promise me.”

He took one step closer, saw what he needed to in her expression and whispered, “I promise.”

The cracking started under her arms, cleaving the ice right up to Kael’s foot, causing him to jump back. She watched him for as long as she could before the rest of the ice below her arms broke apart and she fell.

“I love you,” she breathed one last time.

Then…nothing.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 20

Previous Chapters

Birds chirped high and loud from the tops of the trees above Prea’s head. She sat up on the wooded floor and shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the hazy confusion. Though the pain was better today, the feeling of sickness remained and her body still felt odd. It took a moment to get her bearings and, only when she glanced around, did the truth sink in. They had made it; found their way to the secret home of the sun and the moon in the middle of the mountains of Valtera.

Kael was nowhere in sight. Probably getting some water, she thought.

Prea scrambled to her feet, the world spun and her stomach dropped. She leaned against a nearby tree until everything righted itself and she slowly walked in the direction of the stream. Before she left the woods, she caught sight of Kael by the stream’s edge and paused by a tree, watching him for a quiet second. He was standing in the early morning sunshine, shaking out his dripping hair. He looked up as she stepped out into the light.

“Morning,” Prea greeted.

“Hello, Prea,” Kael responded.

“Have you been up long?” Prea asked, walking towards him.

“A while. I couldn’t sleep, so I walked around a bit.” He played with his hair as Prea leaned down to get some water. “I haven’t seen any wildlife except the birds.” He hesitated, looking off into the distance. “They really are beautiful.”

“They’re also very loud,” Prea said drily, bringing a ghost of a grin to Kael’s face. “How’s your arm?”

“Still painful. Maybe slightly better. I took more of that stuff for the pain.”

“I’ll check it again before we leave.”

“Okay,” he responded, studying her face. “How are you feeling?”

“Me? I’m fine,” she said and stood, returning his gaze. It was clear he didn’t believe her, but she still felt nauseous and really didn’t want to focus on their injuries at the moment. He lifted his good hand to the side of her head, feeling the large bump hidden under her golden strands. Prea flinched at his touch.

“You ran away last night,” he said softly. “You’re not fine.”

“That was nothing. I just felt a bit ill. I’m in better shape than you are.”

“We’ll see about that,” Kael answered as they started walking back to camp.

Prea rifled through their belongings for some food for breakfast. However, her nibbling did not go unnoticed by her companion. He apparently was going to keep an eye on her.

“Where are we headed today?” he wondered. “I take it we’re not going to have to scour every inch of the land to find what we seek.”

“We’re going to the lake,” Prea answered simply.

“Okay.” Kael had learned not to ask questions; she would give him her reasons and explanations when necessary. Anyway, the lake made sense to him somehow. There was a symmetry between water and the sky, an overwhelming immensity that was both fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

With Prea carrying both packs their pace was slow at best, but the two fell back into step as they set off, keeping to the shade of the forest that provided momentary relief from the burning sun. The weather had begun to swelter, summer finally arriving in the mountains. Even the awning of branches couldn’t protect them from the powerful rays, sweat pooling in uncomfortable places. Prea spun her hair, twisting it around itself so her neck was free and clear. The sloped earth made their progress easy and soon the trees ended, leaving only the grassy field between them and the lake’s shore.

“I have never been this hot in my entire life,” Prea complained, wiping perspiration from her brow as they stopped for a break.

“Really?” Kael asked.

“Yes, is that really so surprising? I live on the coast. The sea breeze keeps the air cool.” Prea shielded her eyes as she glanced around in the bright daylight. “I’ve never traveled anywhere else.”

“Then you will never want to go to Nodin, let alone Egan which is far hotter and drier. I grew up in Nodin which can get hot in the summer, but I’ve been to Egan and even I thought that place was too hot. Water is scarce there, the air oppressive and the heat unbearable. This, on the other hand, is nothing in comparison. It’s quite nice, really,” Kael said, quietly chuckling at her discomfort.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Prea accused lightly. “But my skin feels as though it’s baking. How do you stand it?” She was quite serious now.

“It’s rough in the beginning, but just like the dark, you’ll adjust to the heat. We won’t be here long enough for you to adapt. And in the mountains, the sun is only bad during the middle of the day when it’s highest in the sky. Once it moves towards the western peaks, the mountain’s shadows will provide shade and the temperature will cool down.”

* * *

That night they relaxed on the emerald grass, laying beneath the bright stars waiting for sleep to come. It was cool, but comfortable and peaceful in this hidden place. Prea searched the sky, wishing for a sign or message from the heavens, but the desire only made her long for her mother. It was a keen reminder that her mother was no longer here to offer guidance or support.

“You don’t speak much of Leal,” Kael commented in the quiet.

Prea’s heart started beating harder in her chest and she was glad to be surrounded by darkness.

“What do you want to know?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. It was hard to speak of her lost love; it was hard to speak of anyone she lost. Her grieving period was cut short, dramatically, and her life was in an extreme state of flux. It would take being back home with her brother safe before she would be able to focus on herself.

“He was a sailor, right? How did you meet?”

“Three years ago he came back as one of the crew on my father’s ship after a trip to Delmar. My father brought him home for dinner the first night he was back.” She didn’t want to talk about him, not here, and especially not with Kael. Her heart and mind were a battleground of emotions and, right now, there wasn’t a clear cut winner. Too much had happened, too quickly, and she didn’t really know how to take it all.

Talking of Leal didn’t just bring grief, it brought surprising guilt as well.

“What was he like?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m curious,” he said and looked over at her, but she continued to stare at the stars.

“I don’t really know what to say.”

“You were going to get married, weren’t you?”

“That was the plan,” she answered, surprised that he remembered.

“And yet you don’t know what to say?”

“Why are you pushing?”

“I just find it strange that you’ve talked about your parents, your siblings and your friends, but you’ve barely said anything about the man you loved.”

“Have you ever been in love?” she asked, trying to postpone the conversation as much as possible. And she was willing to do it at all costs.

It took him a long time to answer, longer than she expected. “No.”

“So you don’t know. And I don’t know how to explain.”

“You could try,” he murmured defensively.

“I feel guilty,” Prea snapped and sat up, clutching her knees to her chest. “And it’s not ‘loved’. I still love Leal. I’ll always love him,” she added, but it was more for her benefit than his.

“Why on earth do you feel guilty?” He was dumbfounded, having very little experience with relationships himself.

“I don’t feel like I’m being fair to him. Like other things…other people were, and are, more important than my love for him. Or my grief for him.”

“You lost a lot, Prea. It’s understandable to be stretched thin in terms of grief.”

“But then I look up and think of him as one of those stars up in the sky, shining down on me. What if he’s seeing me more clearly than maybe he did in life? Like he’s witnessing it all. And what if he’s not happy with what he sees? It just feels like I’ve betrayed him somehow.”

She didn’t really know what to do as her eyes pricked with tears. It hurt to talk about it, but it hurt not to as well and discussing it with Kael made it even worse. For having little experience with love or loss, he listened to her and managed to say all the right things. And that made the guilt worse.

“Prea,” Kael said. “Prea, look at me.” It took a while, but eventually she turned to him. “It might hurt, but just remember how you reacted to that dream. That’s proof enough. You loved him so much that your grief almost consumed you. That’s nothing to feel guilty about.”

She laid back down on the grass and searched the sky for Leal, tears falling from her eyes. Prea couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw one star flash brighter than the rest, if only for a second. But it was enough of a reminder.

“He was a prankster,” she whispered into the night and smiled as that star flashed bright once more.

* * *

The glen was rather small and the two made their way across the open field to the lake in a day and a half. It was a welcome relief, the water the last obstacle between Prea and the stone. They stood side by side on the shore, Prea dropping both packs onto the ground beside them as they watched the still water. This was the answer, the end of the road, the final destination. Everything Prea felt upon finding the tunnel was magnified a hundredfold as she stood in the presence of her heart’s greatest desire.

“We’re here, now what?”

“Now I get the stone.” Prea kicked off her boots and peeled off her shirt, walking away from a stunned Kael. She pulled off her pants, letting them fall on the last bit of dry ground before her feet touched the water.

“Where? How?” That was all he managed; words failed him as he watched her undress on the way to the lake. She left her undergarments on, just as she’d done at the waterfall, but now she was a sight to behold bathed in glorious sunlight.

She stopped at the sound of his voice, looking over her shoulder at him. Her smile was wicked and knowing as she revealed her last secret.

“I saw it…in a dream.” Prea turned, running until she was knee deep before diving into the water.

Under the surface life took on a distorted feel, vibrant and enhanced. She glided through the deep blue before breaching the surface for air as she swam across the calm lake towards the mountain. As she moved closer, she spent more time slithering under the surface, sinking downwards through the remains of a stone courtyard on the lake bed.

The mountain glen was where Aylin and Ciro lived, but the stone was located in their home. She had seen it as it had been, long ago, the temple carved into the mountain base with its stone courtyard beautifully mixed with elements of nature. The plants and shrubbery of the courtyard were no longer there, not suited to life on the bottom of a lake; the lake which had formed from the runoff of the melting glacier on the mountain slope above.

One last time she surfaced, took a deep breath and plunged deep into the lake. The light dimmed as she descended; arms slicing, legs kicking, she crossed the threshold into the temple home of the sun and the moon. And there on the opposite wall, in what could be called the foyer, was an amazing depiction of Aylin and Ciro etched into the solid rock. The light was brighter here, the rock ceiling glowing just as the tunnel had. The wall gleamed as well, illuminating the etched image, bringing it to life somehow. It was as if they were still there, just under the surface of the stone.

Ciro’s profile was inscribed on the bottom of the western side of the wall, his gold curls flowing around his head. His eyes sparkled in awe of his love, his incredulity at her presence, and yet it was tinged with a hint of sadness. His arm extended upward, reaching desperately for his beloved. On the top of the eastern side, Aylin’s face turned downwards, her hair flying behind her. Her eyes glittered with the love only found in dreams, with respect and poignancy. Her arm was lowered, offered towards her other half.

It was utterly breathtaking. Prea’s eyes had never seen anything that embodied the immensity, the purity of everlasting love. And in the space between their outstretched hands was a brilliant gleam of light, emanating from a stone set into the wall. The light bloomed, love pouring out to her in the water, passing through her, almost suffocating her with the enormity of it.

Quickly, Prea raced to the surface, sobbing with emotion as she sucked in fresh air before diving once more. This time she laid her hand on the carving, a shock trilling her fingers, rushing up her arm and vibrating throughout her entire being. She dug at the stone, hope threatening to burst her heart wide open. Astonishingly, the stone came free with very little effort and floated onto her palm. She held the heavens in her hands for a moment, then ran her left hand lightly over the etching, feeling everything there was to feel, committing it all to memory, before she flew back to the water’s tranquil surface.

* * *

The infirmary was quite empty, the warm weather keeping away any serious sickness in town. Anyone that came in now typically had problems relating to heat which could be remedied easily. As a result, Alvie wasn’t very busy with patients and was taking time to organize some of the infirmary’s supplies.

Clean cloth and linen needed to be folded and stacked, oils needed to be extracted from herbs and the dirty bandages and linens needed to be burned. She had a list of things to do and once the list was finished, she would check on Carr before heading home.

Alvie hummed while she folded, feeling the warm air coming through the open window. Soon a bird joined in on the harmony, singing along happily. After she finished with the linen, she returned to the window where the bird sat on a nearby branch, its song now hushed.

“Thanks, beautiful. For the song,” Alvie muttered through the window. The bird turned towards her for a second and Alvie nodded slightly in recognition before it took off. She watched the bird fly away for as long as she could, wanting to witness the bird’s complete freedom.

“Hello, Alvie,” Beda said, coming up behind her.

“Hi, Beda,” Alvie responded, turning around to greet her sister’s best friend. “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking in. Did Dal get in touch with you?”

“No. Why?”

“He stopped by the shop, said he was needed for a quick relay up to Birch. Just left.”

“How long?” Alvie wondered reluctantly. She didn’t like it when he was gone, even for a short trip.

“Just tonight. Though he might not be back until tomorrow afternoon or evening.” Alvie looked away, her expression dejected. “Don’t worry, Alvie. He won’t be gone long.”

“I know, but I tend to notice someone’s absence more than most.”

“Sweetheart, I know you feel like you’re all alone, but you’re not. I may be closer with Prea, but I’ve known you your entire life and you’re just as much my little sister as you are hers. We’re family after all. Always have been, always will be.”

Alvie turned back to Beda, someone who she had, in fact, known her whole life, but was now seeing in a new light. “I never knew you felt that way,” she said.

“Are you kidding? We don’t talk about it much, but Dal and I always felt more at home with your family than either of ours. I love my parents, but Prea and Dal are my sister and brother. So are you and Carr.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Alvie replied, caught off guard by Beda’s admission.

“You don’t need to say anything,” Beda responded simply. “But I do want to add that Dal’s always had his eye on you. It’s nice to see you two spending more time together.”

“Alvie!” someone called anxiously, causing both girls to turn in the direction of the voice. “Alvie, come quick. It’s Carr!”

* * *

Prea moved slowly across the lake, feeling the power of the stone heavy in her hand. She flipped over onto her back, closed her eyes and floated on the warm surface, her feet lightly propelling her towards the shore. She wanted to absorb everything here: the sun’s warmth, the water’s fluidity, the stone’s power. In this moment, she felt the energy of the universe surround her and she finally believed that life might work out after all. Prea spun right side up as the shore came closer and waded out of the water, walking up to Kael on the dry ground. Holding out her hand, she let the stone spill off her fingers and fall into Kael’s outstretched palm.

Kael’s blue eyes glowed for a split second in the reflection of the stone as he stared, turning it over in his hand. In the light, Prea could see it clearly. It was small and round, fitting perfectly in the palm of her hand; a luminescent white color with speckles deep inside, changing colors in the light.

“It’s…heavier than you would think,” Kael whispered. Prea sat on the ground beside Kael and hugged her legs to her chest, resting her cheek on her knee. “And mesmerizing. It’s the entire universe locked into a little piece of rock.” Kael held the stone between thumb and forefinger, raising it up to the sky, looking at it with wonder. “You said you saw it in a dream…” Kael began, placing the stone back in Prea’s hand.

“I saw it as it was, long ago. I saw them here, living in their home. And I saw the stone after they were gone,” Prea explained, caressing the stone lightly in her hand. “It was incredible. The lake didn’t used to be here, instead it was a stone courtyard and there was a temple cut into the base of the mountain. They were gorgeous, ethereal, clad in pure white; they were light on their feet, almost floating along just above the ground. In the dream, they were brilliant and their love was palpable, even their love for their children. It was almost as if I was there with them,” she revealed softly.

Prea shook out her now damp hair, brushing the fingers of her free hand through it. The last of the shining sun had almost dried her completely. She extended her legs out in front of her, put the stone on her thigh and leaned back on her hands.

“There’s a carving on a wall in the entrance to the temple, an etching of Aylin and Ciro, arms extended towards each other in yearning, but just out of reach. In between their outstretched hands was the stone, set into the wall. East of the Sun and West of the Moon, just like the poem said. The whole scene gleamed in the darkness.”

She stared at the miracle sitting atop her leg. Its existence still surprised her. Kael lightly traced the stone on her leg, tickling her. “I still can’t believe it’s real and I found it. I feel like I’m still in the dream,” Prea murmured.

Kael brushed the hair off her face forcing her to look him in the eye. “You seemed so certain,” he said confused. “You were positive of its existence. And now you’re surprised?”

“Just because I believed everything didn’t mean that it was going to be here or that I was actually going to find it.” Prea grabbed the stone off her leg and climbed to her feet. “And now that I have it, I have to get back to Carr.” She threw on her trousers and shoes, tossed her shirt into her pack and shoved the stone into her pocket.

But, after looking around for a minute and contemplating her surroundings, Prea decided that there was no point in setting out right now. Her head and body still ached, and she was exhausted; the water had stripped away her energy and the light was fading off in the distance.

“Let’s face it…we’re probably better off camping here for the night, starting fresh and early tomorrow,” Prea decided reluctantly and settled in for the night.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 19

Previous Chapters

A valley fell below them, surrounded on all sides by the glorious snowcapped mountains of Valtera. The ground dropped sharply beneath their toes, ice snaking down the mountainside directly below them. The mountain slopes were steep along the entire northern half of the valley, ice cutting through the land like nature’s frozen tears. Trees flowed from halfway down the slopes, circling around to the east, leaving the west all but bare. The land evened out in the center, a lush green swath of grass tumbling away to the south where a perfectly round lake, blue as a sapphire, hugged the southwestern mountainside like a lover.

Prea choked out a sound that landed somewhere between a laugh and a gasp; her eyes sparkled with unshed tears of surprised relief. It was almost too much to absorb: the emotions, the sights, the sounds; her brain was practically exploding from astonishment. She had never seen anything like it before in her entire life. Prea had known all along that this place existed, that this was the end of her journey, ever since her dream, but being here and seeing it was different. It was indescribable.

A light squeeze caught her attention and she turned to find Kael staring down at her.

“I told you we’d find it. I told you it was real,” Prea said, staring into eyes that seemed to glow gold in the sunlight, though in reality, she knew they mirrored the blue of the lake below. She had never seen him like this, with a smile that lit up his face from within and eyes that glittered with joy and amazement. It was an expression of pure emotion and Prea knew hers matched.

“You have no idea how glad I am to be wrong,” Kael said and he raised his free hand to her cheek, brushing her hair out of her face. As if it belonged there, Prea tilted her head into his palm and they stood for another moment, eyes locked as Kael stroked her cheek lightly with his thumb. His eyes held hers as he leaned in slowly, grazing his lips against hers. After a second, Kael’s hand moved to the back of her neck and the kiss deepened.

“What was that for?” Prea said finally as she pulled away slightly, the stirring reignited.

“Celebratory gesture,” Kael said, smiling.

Prea’s eyes shimmered. “Now that we’ve celebrated our discovery, how are we going to get down from here?”

The tunnel opened out onto nothing, a circle cut into the side of the mountain in a seemingly random location. The mountain slope jutted out into a small ledge ten or fifteen feet below them; it was hard to tell. Their only options were to climb down or jump onto a slick river of ice and pray for a safe landing.

“Climb or jump,” Kael replied, his mind on the same page. “Which will it be?”

Kael went first, carefully climbing down until he hung from the opening by his fingertips. He let go and fell the rest of the way to the sloping glacier. There was no way to land other than hard, his feet colliding with the ice with a loud thump. The slippery surface provided no traction and he toppled to the ground with a scream.

“Are you all right?” Prea called down anxiously. He answered with a moan. “Kael? Are you all right?” Still no answer, just sounds of pain.

With nothing left to do, Prea followed suit, falling farther and landing just as hard, if not harder. Her feet met ice, legs slipping out from under her. She fell sideways, landing on her hip before her head struck the ice with a loud crack.

The pain was ferocious and she couldn’t even release a scream as she continued to slide down the icy slope. Prea managed to regain some sense and dug her heels into the ice until she forced herself to stop. Using all of her strength, she rolled over and saw she had passed by Kael.

Her head was throbbing and it was hard to focus as she lifted her hand to feel the lump growing under her hair. She flinched when she touched it, pain shooting over her entire skull.

“Kael?”

“Prea?” Kael responded through gritted teeth.

“Can you slide down here?”

“Give me a minute,” Kael said as he prepared to move.

Prea tried to move as well, shifting on the cold ice until she was sitting up for the most part, heels still dug in preventing her from moving further down the mountain. It took Kael a minute before he slid down, clutching his left arm to his chest until he reached her.

“What’s wrong?” Prea asked immediately.

“I hit my elbow on the ice. I think it might be broken,” he managed with a grimace.

“This is so not good,” Prea groaned.

“Are you all right?” Kael wondered.

“I hit my head…and my hip, but other than that…” Prea trailed off, looking around. “We can’t do anything up here. We have to get to lower ground.”

The two had a better perspective from their current location, but that perspective wasn’t going to make the next leg of the trip any easier. Standing was not a possibility; the ice was too vertical, too slippery.

“We’re going to have to slide down,” Prea determined. Kael just nodded.

They sat on the frigidly glassy ground and dug their heels in as they slid quickly down the ice. They couldn’t stop, they could only slow their progress slightly as they made their way down the mountain. The crisp air whipped past, stinging eyes and burning skin. Her eyes couldn’t help but water and the tears flowed in little frozen streams down her cheeks. Equal parts fear and exhilaration coursed through Prea as they sailed downwards, her hair billowing out behind her like golden streamers on the wind.

A month and a half in and she had covered half of the nation in that time, but this part of the journey was over in a flash. When they reached the tunnel opening they were half way up the mountain. Sliding down the ice, Prea and Kael managed to cover half of the remaining distance in a matter of minutes. This must be what it feels like to fly, Prea thought. She felt free—free and alive, her pain momentarily forgotten.

The end of the glacier grew close as their speed continued to climb. There was nothing to be done as the ice abruptly ended, their feet striking ground, flinging them into the air as they tumbled to the dry, hard earth. Their bodies crashed, rolling down the slope until every bit of flesh and bone pulsed in pain and they were left in lumps on the ground, groaning as the pain grew more intense. It took a long time before Prea was able to stumble to her feet where she swayed in place, dizziness overcoming her.

When the world righted itself, she stripped off her pack and made her way to Kael who was lying on his side, his arm still clutched to his chest. Her mind was fuzzy as she rolled him onto his back and saw the scowl on his face.

“Come on,” she said, trying to free his good arm from his pack. “We need to get this off of you.”

“What are you going to be able to do if it’s broken?”

“I don’t know. I’ll try something,” she muttered as she got one arm free. “Can you sit up?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just helped to pull him to a seated position. She moved behind him and shifted the pack so that it was on his left side, and gently removed the strap with as little movement as possibly. He still gasped in pain.

“Can you move it at all?”

“Barely.”

“Okay.” Prea dug through both packs, trying to find the additional cloth they had purchased for bandages. She tore the fabric into two long strips, and did her best to bind his arm to his body to keep it immobile. “That’s the best I can do for now. Can you get up?” she asked, and Kael gripped her hand, pushing into the ground with his feet as he rose.

He stood in place as she searched for more pain solution for the both of them, taking a swig herself before handing the rest to him.

“You go on ahead. I’ll be right behind you,” she instructed.

“What about…”

“I’ve got both packs. You go on ahead.” The pain clearly made him compliant as he walked away without another word. He started down the slope as Prea looked around for a minute before following. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around everything that had happened; right now she was just captivated.

The land was not just grass like the valley in Rodor, nor filled with trees like the forests of Alder; it was a combination of the two. Sections of open emerald turf were laced between groupings of towering trees. It was the best of both worlds, with the runoff from the glacier carving a small stream into the land. The colors seemed more vibrant here, even as the sun continued to set.

The wind whooshed and swooped among the trees, across the mountain slopes, carrying the songs of a distant bird on its back. As with all their recent encounters, this tune was new and unfamiliar. In fact there were multiple birds, each with their own harmony, the melodies knitting together and melding into a unique song.

The two limped as far as they could, following the trickling stream water until the sun’s light crossed over the western peaks. As the light dimmed, the travelers automatically drifted towards the closest thicket of trees, picking a place a few feet in to set up camp. They were almost positive no one lived in this part of Valtera, but it still felt safer to be among the trees.

As night joined them, the sounds of the land changed, shifting to match the darkening sky. The wind stayed strong, the afternoon birds’ songs fading away as other deeper notes started ringing through the air.

Without talking, they set about their camp routine, collecting wood and building a fire. Prea collected some cold stream water and brought it back to the camp right as Kael gathered a few pieces of firewood with his good arm. When Prea returned, she lit the wood with the firestone and got the fire blazing. The crackling wood and fizzing sparks added notes to the woodland choir, as Prea and Kael cozied up to the warmth of the flames in the dropping temperatures.  

Before they could eat, Prea wanted to check on Kael’s arm now that they were by a source of heat. Her head was pounding and the pain was radiating down her spine as she helped Kael undress the top half of his body. His joint had swelled and was starting to change color as she examined it.

“How’s the pain?” she asked, looking into his deep eyes.

“Bearable,” he answered as he watched her work.

She produced some turmeric and salt, combining them into a salve which she gingerly applied to the swollen joint. He winced even under her light touch and she was reminded of her ribs after her tumble in Alder.

“That should help with the swelling. I’m thinking it’s better to bind your arm to your body under your clothes and just leave it like that for as long as possible.”

“All right,” he said and shifted so she could reset his arm. He grimaced throughout the ordeal and she couldn’t help but shake her head. “What?”

“You shouldn’t have come,” Prea muttered when she finished. “I never should have let you come with me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you hadn’t have come, then you wouldn’t be in this mess. You wouldn’t have gotten attacked by wolves and you wouldn’t be hurt now.” Her mind was hazy from the pain and her body felt funny.

“Good heavens! Haven’t we been over this?” Kael argued impatiently.

“There’s the potential for more than just adventure here,” Prea continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “We’re now in the middle of the mountains, both injured, and we’re still going to have to find a way out of this place. And it will be no easier than how we got in.”

“How many times do I have to say it? This is the final time. You do not make me do anything. I am here by my choice. And I don’t want to hear you say anything else about it.”

“I’m ruining your life. This isn’t your responsibility. You should be off, traveling Valtera, living however you want.”

“You’re kidding, you have to be. Prea, you were right before. I wasn’t living, I was just existing. This has been unbelievable, but I wouldn’t change my decision. This whole journey has been a once in a lifetime experience,” Kael said simply. “And my being in Ashton…maybe it was fate.”

Her gaze latched onto his piercing blue eyes and her stomach rolled over. “I thought you didn’t believe in that sort of thing.”

“All of this has me reevaluating what’s possible,” he replied seriously.

“I have to…I’ll be right back,” she muttered quickly and ran through the trees, away from the fire and Kael, her hand clamped over her mouth. When she could no longer see their camp, Prea fell to her knees and proceeded to be sick next to a tree until there was nothing left in her stomach. She managed to climb to her feet at some point, dizzy and confused, before walking the rest of the way back to the stream.

Prea collapsed on the bank and splashed cold water on her face hoping it would make her feel better. She rinsed her mouth, drank a little and looked up, greeting the moon as she crossed over the far peaks to the east. It was a comforting sight; the moon was there for her every night without fail, another mother in the sky. She looked to the moon for guidance right now, her life ceasing to make sense the farther she traveled on this journey.

“Please let this work, Aylin. I need something in my life to go as planned and this is the one thing I ask for. Please let me save my brother. He doesn’t deserve to die, especially not because of my shortcomings. Let me do this right.”

That was her prayer for the evening, her plea to the light in the darkness of the night. Once done, Prea strolled through the shadows, weaving between the few trees to get back to their camp. She stoked the fire, watching the flames twist and twirl on top of the ashen logs, listening to the song of the forest life as she drifted off to sleep under the starry midnight sky.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 18

Previous Chapters

Prea sliced through the frigid cove, arms and legs propelling her toward the waterfall. As she swam closer, the spray from the splashes blinded her temporarily. Diverting her path, she crossed to the wall and ducked behind the plunging veil. The light of the moon barely penetrated beyond and Prea was left wrapped in darkness, the splashes all she could hear. Her eyes scanned the rock face for any irregularities, her hands grazing every inch she could reach. There was nothing unusual and her feet didn’t find anything either. Prea examined the wall above her as she worked hard to remain above the water.

Still she noticed nothing.

Her eyes turned down; she hadn’t checked under the water. Prea took a deep breath and descended under the surface. Blackness encased her and a quick jolt of fear shuddered through her. Positioning her front facing the wall, Prea swam down, her hands groping in the darkness. She was almost out of breath, making the turn towards the surface when her hand met no rock. She lost her balance and her stomach bumped into the wall.

Surprise, excitement and fear set her heart galloping within her chest and her lungs cried out for air. She turned, pushing off the wall and shooting to the surface. Breaking through, she gasped in fresh air, filling her empty lungs. After a few more breaths, she dove down again, pushing faster until she reached the anomaly.

Her hands followed the edge of the hole, creating an image in her mind. It was a rather large opening; big enough for a person to fit through. She continued to explore. Every time she came up for air, she dove down again pushing farther into the unknown. It wasn’t just a hole or an underwater cave, but a tunnel, just as she thought. It took multiple trips before she managed to break the water’s surface inside the mountain. Prea climbed out of the water and hesitantly walked farther into the tunnel as her eyes tried to adjust to the complete darkness.

Kael! Prea had completely forgotten about her companion. She flung herself back into the water, swimming as fast as possible through the tunnel before rocketing to the surface. She came up outside of the waterfall and saw Kael splashing towards her in the water.

He had come for her. He was flailing around, but he had come for her.

“Prea! Prea! Heaven and earth, Prea. I thought you were dead.” It was clear that he was not comfortable in the water. She moved towards him, grabbing him by the hand.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Prea pulled him along back to their little camp on the shore. They both lumbered out of the water, catching their breath and pulling on their dry clothes.

“What did you find? You were gone for so long and I couldn’t see you. I got worried, but I…I hate the water,” he confessed. “I wasn’t going to just stand here and do nothing. I ran in before I could talk myself out of it.”

“I could tell.” He gave her a warning look. “And you still came in after me. There’s a tunnel beneath the waterfall. It’s just black down there, hard to see, so I was going by touch. It’s not very far down and the underwater part of the tunnel isn’t that long. You can make it with one breath. The tunnel continues on land; I got out and took a few exploratory steps. It looks like it goes all the way through under the mountain.”

Kael was quiet through her speech and his face held no emotion. She couldn’t get a read on what he was thinking or feeling.

“What’s wrong?” Prea ran through the possibilities in her head and took a guess. “Is is the water?”

“No, it’s not that. Well, not just that. I had a bad experience when I was a kid, fell into a river near my house and got pulled under by the current. I almost drowned and, by the time I resurfaced, I was a ways downstream. I’ve hated the water ever since.”

“What is it, then?” Prea asked. Racking her brain, she could come up with only one other option. “It’s the tunnel.”

He nodded and sat on the ground, leaning back against a tree. “I’m not sure if I can do it. I spend most of my time traveling through the woods and, even though there’s lots of trees, I don’t feel trapped. Walking through Colter with all their buildings so close together almost caused me problems. A narrow, dark tunnel…I’ve never done that before.”

Prea understood. Fear was a tricky thing; it could be good and protect you or it could be bad and limit you. Prea wouldn’t let fear limit her on this journey, not while Carr’s life was at stake. But she didn’t want to force him to do something he didn’t want to do.

Kael said nothing and avoided her gaze. She saw him second guessing his decision.

“You can always turn back if you want to, you know that,” she said with complete sincerity.

“I don’t want to turn back. I’m not leaving you to do this alone.”

“I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do.”

Kael stood in a flash and grabbed her hands. “Prea, let me make this perfectly clear. No one, no one, can make me do something I don’t want to do. I am my own man and I make my own decisions. I’m coming with you.”

“All right.” She slipped her hands out of his grasp and attempted to compose herself before speaking again. “All right. I’m thinking we should get some sleep now and then we can enter the tunnel in the morning when the sun is out. That way it won’t be so dark under the water.”

“Sounds fine to me.”

Sitting down again, Kael laid back against his pack and closed his eyes. Prea did the same, wilting to the ground from exhaustion. She knew water was a powerful element and it had stripped away all of her energy as she moved through it. Her body was heavy, her mind was unable to focus and her head sunk onto the top of her pack, sleep quickly overcoming her senses.

* * *

Morning came quickly, the brightness of the sun causing Prea to wake. She walked over to the shore and watched the showering water disguise the entrance to their secret tunnel. Her pulse was thudding away, the anxiety of traveling through the black tunnel starting quickly in the sun’s rays. She wasn’t any more comfortable with the idea of being trapped in a narrow tunnel below the mountain than Kael was, but she wouldn’t have time to focus on her own fear when Kael’s would probably be worse.

She turned back to look at the man sleeping on the hard ground. He appeared younger in sleep, the sweet face of a boy, not a man. She had this urge to go over and push the hair off his face.

In a perfect world, this would be Carr’s future. He would wake up, still a young boy, but with a long future ahead of him. He would grow, become a man and live whatever life he wished. She hoped he would grow to be like Papa and Leal and Kael. A good man with love and values and passion. But most importantly, a man who still believed in hope.

Kael sat up and Prea was so consumed with her hopes and dreams, she didn’t even notice. Her vision faltered a few minutes later and she blinked multiple times before refocusing on her present. His blue eyes stared back at her, returning her own watchful behavior. Neither moved, both just watched. He had caught her staring and he wasn’t going to break the silence first.

“Hi,” Prea breathed out.

“Good morning.”

“Any second thoughts?”

“No. I told you yesterday that I wasn’t leaving you. I meant it.”

“Okay. When do you want to do this?” They were midway up the mountain and Prea had no idea how long the tunnel was or where it came out on the far side. They would have to rely on faith for this part of the journey.

“We might as well get it over with as quickly as possible.” They were too nervous to eat, instead they gathered up their belongings in silence.

“Here’s how we’re going to do this. I’m going to take my pack and bring it through the tunnel and leave it there. Then I’m going to do the same thing with yours. Then I’ll come back for you and we can go together. Are you all right with that?”

A nod was all she received in response.

She didn’t bother to strip down this time—all of their belongings were going to get wet so it didn’t matter if she was wearing them or not. Prea grabbed her pack, dragged it to the water’s edge and slowly entered the cove. When the water reached her chest, she set out pulling the bag behind her. Prea was struggling when she reached the splashing waterfall, working hard to negate the bag’s pull beneath her.

A deep breath in and she dove, kicking fiercely, feeling for the tunnel’s entrance. Finding it, she scooted in and swam hard until she reached the surface. Rolling the bag onto the dry rock, she pushed it further into the darkness before turning back. She made it to shore and took the same trip with Kael’s pack before returning for the last time to retrieve Kael himself.

He was already knee deep in the water when she came up for air in the middle of the cove. She swam towards him as he walked further into the water to meet her.

“Are you ready?” Prea held out her hand.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Kael said, clasping Prea’s outstretched hand as she led him deeper and eventually they reached the waterfall.

“Now I’m going to take you down to the entrance so you can see how far it is. Then we’re just going to come up again. All right?”

“Yes.”

Prea grabbed his hand as they both took a deep breath and descended. They reached the entrance quickly and Prea watched Kael’s face closely before she signaled and they swam back to the surface. “How was that?”

“Fine.”

“So the underwater part of the tunnel is about the same distance as the entrance is from here. Do you think you can make it that far?”

“Sure.”

“When we get down there, you should go first. Keep your arms out in front of you and kick hard. I’ll follow after you. It should be over pretty quickly.”

“Good.”

One. Two. Three. Deep breath. Dive. Tunnel. Kick. All went according to plan. When Prea broke the surface in the dark, Kael gripped her hands and hoisted her right out of the water. She fell into his open arms and, for a few moments, they just held each other in the darkness, the air wet and cold, their clothes dripping on the floor as they tried to control their shivering. Prea pulled away, trying to make out his face in the black hole they had found themselves in.

She leaned over, searching for her pack on the ground. “Let’s get started. It’ll be slow going, but we should make it through within the day. How are you feeling?”

“Like I just said goodbye to the sun for the last time and I’m going to die down here,” Kael said melodramatically.

“So you’re fine then. Good, let’s go,” said Prea, smiling in the darkness.

She took a leap of faith and stepped into the black. Any words spoken echoed against the rock walls, as if hundreds of people were stationed along the length of the tunnel. There was not a stitch of light and their eyes never adjusted to the darkness.

Kael was extremely quiet as he walked beside Prea. Too quiet, she thought, reaching out in the shadows to where his hand should be and finding a clenched fist instead. Not a good sign. If they had been in the light, she was sure his knuckles would have been ghostly white from the pressure. She took his hand in both of hers and slowly unfurled his fingers, feeling the half moon marks his nails had dug into his palm before lacing his fingers with her own.

“Just breathe, Kael. Deep breaths. Focus on my voice,” Prea began soothingly. “I have a lot of experience with these kind of situations. You see, Carr has these coughing fits every now and then. For the most part, he’s a healthy and happy kid. But sometimes, the coughing starts and he can’t make it stop. And then he panics because he can’t breathe. I was there the first time it happened and I’ve been there every other time. You just have to breathe.”

“I can’t. The walls…they feel like they’re shrinking, stripping the air away, suffocating me. What if there isn’t an end? What if we get trapped?” Kael exclaimed, his voice rising with fear and anxiety.

Prea was so focused on Kael that she forgot to pay attention to her feet and where she was walking. She tripped and, still holding his hand, stumbled in the darkness, reaching out with her free hand in an attempt to brace herself for impact. Her perception underground was skewed and she didn’t realize the tunnel wall was closer than she thought. Luckily she was able to use the wall for balance rather than falling all the way to the ground.

As soon as her hand touched the rock, something magical happened. The darkness receded a tiny bit as the stone above them began to emit a faint gleam. It was as if stardust had been painted on the ceiling, capturing the glow of light and locking it in place until it was called upon. Prea was utterly amazed and paused, everything else forgotten.

“How is that possible?” Kael asked, astonished. This journey thus far had been an adventure, but he still had his doubts. He believed in Prea, if nothing else, but this first display of the otherworldly had him wondering if he should reevaluate everything. What if she ended up being right, all along? About everything?

“Well, it could be some unknown mineral or type of rock – or it could be something that Aylin and Ciro did long ago when they were here.”

“It doesn’t matter. At least we can see a little better.”

Time passed, whether it be fast or slow; they had no way of telling. Prea was sure they had made good progress and, somehow in this dank underground world, their clothes had finally dried. Kael’s anxiety had lessened since the tunnel had lightened, but the two remained hand in hand for the rest of their time under the mountain.

Finally there was a brightness in the distance and the air was fresher as they came to the other side of the mountain, relief washing through them. The sun was still visible, only beginning its descent in the western sky, but their eyes couldn’t handle the sudden brightness. Standing in the tunnel’s southern opening, they squinted down into the vale below, waiting for their eyes to adjust so they could see what lay before them.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 17

Previous Chapters

The air turned sweet, becoming lighter the higher they climbed. The trees, underbrush and unusual moisture in the air created a jungle-like atmosphere around them. Prea and Kael climbed up and over a small slick ridge and met the last line of trees standing before a beautiful waterfall that flowed over the rock above and down the mountain behind them.

It seemed they had made it; this place aligned with every clue in the poem. The elements converged here—there was an abundance of air, earth and water. The only one missing was fire, but Prea knew that if she was right, fire would be joining them soon enough.

Kael looked down at Prea, unimpressed. “Is this it? How do we know we’re in the right place?”

“I’m…not sure.” Prea took a deep breath and focused on her surroundings. There was something more here, different from what she normally felt, a tingle in the earth below her feet, a whistle in the wind. It was power, an echo of immense power. She was sure of it, she could feel it. Prea’s hand brushed up against a tree beside her and she jumped, surprised by the shock of energy she received. “I don’t think this is the exact place, but we’re definitely close. I can sense it. There’s a power here. Can’t you feel it?” Prea wondered given the amount of power she could sense. She looked up into his face and saw the disbelief there.

“No. I don’t feel anything. It’s just a forest.” Kael paused, reflecting. “What’s it like?”

That surprised her; not the disbelief, she was expecting that, it was the acceptance followed by curiosity. She always knew that he was here out of a sense of honor or adventure, not because he believed in the legend or the stone. Maybe he was starting to believe in her, if nothing else, Prea thought.

How to explain? They never discussed these topics with anyone outside the family. But he was with her, had traveled this far on very little information. She supposed he deserved a little bit of her secret, she would just have to phrase it right.

“It’s hard to explain. There’s a prickle in my toes and I can feel a tickle in the wind, a little chill that raises the hair off the back of my neck. And I just got a jolt of energy from that tree when I laid my hand on it.” She pointed to the tree beside her. “Like I said, I’d know it when I found it. Part of it was the poem and its clues; the rest was…intuition.” She stepped forward and squatted down, running her hands through the water. A shiver ran up her arm, coursing through her blood and flowing straight to her heart.

Kael watched Prea as she crouched by the river, her hair sparkling in the sun. An image came to him, a picture from a childhood school book. She looked like a wood nymph, surrounded by the forest and a waterfall, as she talked of tingles and power.

“Have you always felt it? Has it been like this your whole life?” He wanted to know more, his curiosity never quite quenched when it came to Prea.

She was glad to be facing away from him. The truth was yes, but she wasn’t ready to be that honest.

“I’ve always felt a pull, a connection to nature. But that could have been my upbringing and my mother’s teachings. Nature has been the one thing I’ve always believed in, my silent companion.”

“You seem to have a strong connection, to say the least.”

“Yes, it feels that way,” she said, knowing that he had only brushed the surface. Prea cupped her hands in the water and slowly rose to her feet, letting the water leak through her fingers and watching it fall back to the masses. Her face turned toward the sky as the last of the water trickled from her hands. The sun was still rising in the east and it would be a while before it would be in its overhead position. She stepped away from the river, dropping her pack lightly on the ground. “We can rest for a bit before we search some more. We have time. And we shouldn’t have to go far.”

Kael nodded and sat down just as Prea did. The moisture in the air left the ground cushioned like a pillow and their bodies relaxed beneath them. Prea’s legs burned from exertion; the mountain slope had steepened in the last couple of days, making the journey slower and more difficult. Her pack didn’t help the cause, forcing her two steps back for every step forward. It was a miracle they had gotten this far, at least a miracle for Prea. Kael was a healthy young man who traveled for a living; he was doing just fine under the circumstances.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do when you get back and save your brother?” Kael asked quietly.

“Once he’s safe? No, I haven’t thought much about it.” She rummaged through her pack, digging out some food to eat. “I guess I’ll go back to teaching. I no longer know what normal is. Alvie will probably be grateful to give up the responsibility. And Carr’s still a boy; I have years left of parenting. So I’ll be there for my family and my friends and I’ll take it from there, I suppose.” Prea looked over at Kael. “What are your plans?”

“Me?” Kael stared at the flowing water. “I’ve never spent much time on the eastern coast. And I’ve never been to the Bay of Aldin.”

“You want to come back with me?” Her mouth dropped. “Why?”

“I want to see this through. Make sure your family is safe and your brother is okay.” He saw her surprise. “Do you really find that so shocking? I’ve been with you for most of this journey. I’m going to see you home.”

Prea wasn’t sure how to take that declaration. She had always thought of this as a temporary companionship, nothing lasting. But now he was talking about coming home with her to check on her family and her brother. That was something more, something completely unexpected. Here was a man who had literally run into her in the woods and he was turning into someone she could depend on, rely on. A few weeks before, she had thought most of those people were dead. They had left her alone. But she wasn’t alone anymore.

As she sat here in the woods, a stirring started deep within her. It was a sensation she didn’t expect to feel again for a long time, if ever. But now that it was happening, she didn’t know what she should do about it. Should she accept it or reject it? It had been mere weeks since the man she loved was taken from her. What did this say about her? About the person she was?

“Well, before we can go back home, we first have to finish what we’ve started,” Prea replied softly, before she could feel anything else.

“What’s the next clue?” he asked. “How are we supposed to find this entrance? And where does it lead?”

“We are looking for the song of the stars, which we’ve yet to find. And we are looking for a place where the elements converge, which we’ve found.”

“We have earth, air and water…but where’s the fire?” Kael interrupted.

“The fire will come soon enough,” Prea responded vaguely. “Sometimes things don’t have to be so literal. Sometimes they’re symbolic.”

“What do you mean?” Kael wasn’t a very symbolic person, Prea could tell.

“The fire doesn’t need to be present here in the form of flames and smoke, it can be represented in other ways. The sun, for example. The next part of the poem states: While fire arises twice within a day, the entrance unveiled and on display. The sun and summer, midsummer especially, are associated with the element of fire. Just as noon and the full moon are symbols as well.”

Prea stood, stepping closer to the waterfall to get as far away from the surrounding trees as possible. She lifted her face to the sky, searching for the coming sun. She could start to feel the rays through the awning of branches to the east, but it wasn’t the best view. The trees were still too close together to see much above. This is what felt off about the space. They were close but there would never be an abundance of sunlight in this place.

“I believe we’re waiting for the sun to be directly overhead in the middle of the day when sunlight is strongest. That aligns with the first occurrence of fire.”

“What’s the second?”

“The full moon is tonight. When the moon reaches its apex tonight will be the second occurrence. We may have to wait until then for the entrance to be revealed.”

“So we’re looking for an entrance to a tunnel?” Kael pushed.

“That would be my best guess based on where we are, yes.”

Prea returned to her seat. They would have to wait for a sign, something to tell them where to go next. She leaned back against a tree nearby, feeling the heat and pulse of the tree’s energy against her back as she faced the waterfall, watching it spill over the edge, tumbling down against the rocks. The melody of the rushing and splashing water filled her ears and mind, sending her into a daze, just like the fire.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Prea could feel the power magnifying around her. Even Kael noticed the change, looking around for some cause, some explanation for the shift. There was none; no visual changes. But he had noticed and that was something, progress perhaps. Maybe he would believe it now, Prea thought. Or maybe just believe in the possibility of it.

The sun was directly overhead when Prea heard the most exquisite harmony float down to her upon the air. Her head snapped up, so fast it was practically an invisible movement. Those tones, so pure and ethereal. That had to be the song of the stars. They had heard unusual birds on the journey, especially when they had begun their climb through the trees. There was a possibility that the other birds were the song of the stars, but it wasn’t clear. It could have been a coincidence and they were all just following the river.

But this sound was…otherworldly. This was the song of the stars.

She jumped up, blindingly fast. “We have to go higher,” she exclaimed suddenly.

“What do you mean?”

“We’re close but we have to go higher. That sound has to be the song of the stars. Have you ever heard anything like it?” Prea asked excitedly. “And it’s coming from above us, higher up the mountain. The right spot must be above this waterfall, that’s why we can sense the power but it’s not quite right.”

Prea didn’t wait for a response. She grabbed her pack and ran away from the water and farther into the trees. They couldn’t go straight up the rock face; they would have to go around and up. With every step she took, Prea felt an additional surge of power telling her she was on the right track. Kael’s footsteps thudded along heavily behind her, but she barely noticed.

The river could no longer be seen from their position, and neither could the rock surrounding the falls. The land rose steeply on their right; it wouldn’t be easy, but it could be done. Prea hesitated for just a moment to catch her breath before she sprinted up the slope. Thirty feet up, the land finally leveled off slightly, a tiny path forming on her right. Listening for the rush and splash of water, Prea ran through the trees, Kael close on her heels. A glint could be seen in the distance; she hadn’t realized that they had gone that far around. Breaking through the last of the trees, she stopped abruptly, blinded for a moment and Kael paused behind her, barely avoiding a full on collision. Prea blinked a few times, before her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of white light.

This was it. A rush of powerful wind flew past her, tousling her hair about her face. Actually it flew through her, signaling they had reached their destination. The entrance or pathway was here. Kael stepped out from behind her and appraised their new location. It wasn’t just a river and a waterfall.

On this level, a small cove had formed. Craggy rocks laced with emerald plant life rose up the mountain on the north side and another larger curtain of water poured over an edge high up that rock wall. The strong flow of water and the resulting splashes rippled the cove’s shining surface, spilling over the south edge and down to the river they had seen below. Here the space was wider and the sun shone down on them directly, turning the water into a shimmering mirror. The trees were farther from the edge, thick vegetation taking their place encircling the water. A rainbow assortment of flowers poked out of the greenery, adding an array of color to the scene.

Prea glimpsed something out of the corner of her eye. She lifted her head in time to see a small silver bird glistening in the light. It flitted through the air as fast as a hummingbird’s wings; there one second and gone the next.

“Did you see that?” Prea asked, pointing to where the bird had disappeared. “The bird. Did you see it?”

“No,” Kael said sadly. “I didn’t.”

“It was beautiful. Delicate…but strong somehow. And silver.”

“It was silver?” Kael asked, surprised. He had never heard of a bird or animal being described as silver. He shook his head. “I guess that fits though, doesn’t it? A bird that sings the song of the stars would be odd in any other color.”

Prea looked at him disapprovingly. “Don’t make fun. You can feel it now, can’t you? This is the place.”

“Yes, I can feel it. And even if I couldn’t, there’s still something about this place…”

“Like it’s too perfect or something,” Prea finished for him.

“Yes,” he said simply. They dropped their packs on the ground.

“We should look around while the sun’s still high,” Prea directed. Not sure what they were looking for, they went over every inch of their side of the cove including the neighboring trees. When they came up empty, Prea wasn’t defeated. The sun had fled across the sky, now hanging just above the trees on the western side of the cove. “We may have to wait for the moon.”

“Maybe.” He was doubting her again, and he was starting to wonder what Prea would do if this wasn’t true, if there was no secret entrance or pathway. Probably go over the mountain, Kael thought. He was taken aback when Prea began undressing next to him. “What are you doing?”

She stopped at her undergarments, throwing her clothes in a pile on top of her pack. “There’s still enough light. I’m going to swim across and check out the other side.”

“Go for it. I’m going to stay here.” He sat down right where he stood.

“Suit yourself,” Prea said before she dove into the freezing cove. Summer and the sun had not done much to warm the water. She broke the surface, coming up with teeth chattering. “Heaven and earth, it’s cold in here.”

“What did you expect?” Kael said smugly.

By the time she reached the other side her teeth had stopped chattering as her body quickly adapted to the cold temperature, but they started up again as soon as she pulled herself onto the opposite shore. She shivered and shook as she searched, listening to Kael’s unnecessary coaching from their home shore. Still she found nothing and her feet were sore from walking on the forest floor. She jumped back into the water and came up facing the waterfall. Prea treaded water as she contemplated the falling water. There could be something hidden there, she thought and swam towards the rock wall.

“What are you doing?” Kael yelled.

“I want to check the wall.” Prea ran her hands and feet over every piece of that wall, even skirting around the curtain of water to check directly behind. There was nothing. She continued her inspection of the rest of the wall before climbing out once more by Kael.

Prea quickly threw on her dry clothes, trying to warm herself up as fast as possible. The shaking wouldn’t stop, though, and Kael stood, moving towards her. He ran his hands up and down her arms trying to rub some warmth back into her body. He switched to her hands, clasping them within his own and bringing them to his mouth to blow warm breath over them, followed by holding them tight and rubbing them gently.

It wasn’t working; Prea was still shaking, teeth chattering away.

“Come here,” Kael ordered, pulling Prea close.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, her hands on his chest, sandwiched between them. Kael stroked her back, up and down, up and down. His body radiated heat, as if the sun were within him, blazing from his very core. They stood there holding each other for a while before Prea felt warm and comfortable enough to pull away.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He hadn’t let go of her completely; his hands still rested on her arms. He looked towards the sky where the sun had disappeared behind the distant trees. “We only have to wait a few more hours for night to come. The sun has begun to set.”

Darkness descended slowly over the clearing and cove, creating an eerie effect. The star bird began singing again, but it remained hidden high in the trees. Its song was filled with loneliness, as if it was calling to its starry brethren as night fell, wishing to join them in the sky once more. And Prea saw the truth in the bird’s song as a stream of images entered her mind. This one remained far from home, in exile, living in the mountains of this strange land. Its heavenly brothers and sisters had left long ago, returning to their home in the elysian land in the sky. But this star bird endured, year after year, singing its forlorn melody night after night, at the same time never losing hope that it would eventually be reunited with its celestial family.

The song was transcendently beautiful, equal parts lonely and hopeful, and it broke Prea’s heart. She closed her eyes, opening her heart and soul to the music. It was painful to feel it all at once: the loss, the grief, the unknown future and the uncertainty of life. The magnitude of it could drown her easily, if she let it. But the bird’s song hadn’t just brought the heartache, it tugged at something deep inside Prea, something she had forgotten.

The will to live.

She wanted to finish this mission and then see what else the universe had to offer. She would see her family again someday, until then though, they would want her to live, not just survive.

She felt a light touch on her forearm and opened her eyes to see Kael looking at her with worry in his stormy blue ones. “Prea, are you all right? You’re crying.”

Prea covered his hand tightly with her own for a moment. “Yes, I’m fine. Better than I have been in a while.”

Night had fallen and the glow of the moon could be seen through some of the trees. It wouldn’t be long now. Her anticipation could not be contained and she rose to watch the moon’s path between the stars. Kael mirrored Prea’s movements coming to rest beside her, his hand reaching out and clasping hers, their fingers lacing together. Her heart leapt in shock at the intimate gesture.

The moon performed its nightly routine, a friendly face and a beacon of hope in the darkness. They stood, hand in hand, watching and waiting patiently for something magical to happen. The moon broke past the treetops, finally casting its glow onto the cove’s surface. Prea’s heart began to race in excitement. She pulled her hand from his grasp and stepped toward the water’s edge, paying close attention to the moon’s reflection on the water’s surface. She looked up to the sky then back down again to the water. The reflection stretched out as the moon continued her own journey.

“Do you see anything?” Prea asked softly, not taking her eyes from the water.

“No.”

Prea took another step closer to the edge. The reflection was pointing towards the waterfall, or so it seemed. She stared at the water spilling over the edge above, plunging downward, splashing as it connected with the pool of water.

It never changed.

No matter where the moon was above them, the reflection never moved. It remained fixed on that plummeting wall of water.

“It’s the waterfall,” Prea whispered. She tore her shirt over her head and threw it to the ground, ripping her trousers off seconds later. Just as she had done earlier that day, she took a few steps and dove back into the midnight water.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 16

Previous Chapters

The days looked the same, the nights not much different, as they continued south through the valley in Rodor. It took a week before trees began to sprout and the land rose into the lower mountains towards the center of Valtera. Kael and Prea both sighed in relief as they entered back into the protection of the woods. They had put up with the uncomfortable openness for as long as necessary, but both would always prefer the forest and their bodies relaxed as nature welcomed them home.

Sunlight was fading, inching away to the west as it followed its blazing source. The trek became more arduous as the elevation rose and the hikers were forced to truly climb for the first time on this journey. They weren’t at it long before night fell and darkness spread, making it impossible to continue. Camp was made, wood collected and a fire started as the temperature dropped. Once the flames had grown enough to provide warmth, the two travelers sat down and pulled out food for dinner.

“So we’ve made it to the mountains. What’s next?” Kael asked between bites of food.

“We-ll…” Prea drawled, looking down as she focused all of her attention on her food.

“Well what?” he asked.

“Well…I’m not entirely sure what we’re looking for next,” she answered vaguely, shifting her focus to the fire.

Kael’s body stiffened and his eyes narrowed across the swimming flames. He waited in tentative expectation for her to elaborate. But she didn’t and refused to meet his eyes.

“What do you mean?” Kael pressed.

“I know the poem and I can tell you the next verse, but I don’t know what it means or where it leads to,” Prea explained reluctantly as she finished her dinner. He continued to stare at her, silently attempting to elicit some sort of reaction or answer.

“Let’s talk about it more tomorrow. Can we?” She was tired and didn’t want to get into this discussion tonight. She wasn’t in the mood for an argument.

Caught off guard by her sudden request, he paused before responding. “Sure…that’s fine,” he said hesitantly. She didn’t look like she could stay awake much longer, let alone participate in a heated discussion.

Her muscles were leaden and her eyelids drooped as she reclined back against her pack, positioning herself for sleep. There was only so much that she could know, only so many answers to be had before a leap of faith was needed. Prea had known before she left that she didn’t have all the answers; there were some things that she needed to figure out along the way. They had finally reached that point.

Prea woke a few times during the night as a chill ran up her spine. Each time, the fire was fading, smoke billowing up through the branches. So she stumbled in the dark, gathering kindling and stoking the fire alight.

Even after the interrupted sleep, she was surprised when she woke the next morning to find Kael already enjoying his breakfast. That’s odd, he’s never up before me, Prea thought as she propelled herself into a sitting position.

“Morning,” Kael greeted quietly from his seat across the fire.

“Morning,” Prea replied and stretched her arms above her head, twisting the soreness out of her tired body. “How did you sleep?”

“Pretty good, considering. I always sleep better under cover rather than out in the open,” he answered. “What about you?”

“I will always feel safer in the woods than in a valley. I woke a few times to the fire dying. Other than that, I slept pretty well,” Prea replied as she dug breakfast out of her pack.

As usual, they ate quickly and didn’t dally in their preparations for the day. After the fire was dusted, they trekked higher up the mountainside and the undergrowth flourished under the lush canopy of trees. The rough trunks provided welcome support as the slope steepened and slicked with needles and leaves. Kael was either better prepared or had more experienced as he remained surefooted during their climb. Prea, on the other hand, couldn’t help but slip and slide; her arms constantly waving in an attempt to keep her balance.

“Care to explain?” Kael asked when he couldn’t bear the silence anymore.

“What? Oh, yes,” Prea responded. “I guess I do need to explain.”

“Yes, please do.”

Where to begin? “Like I told you in Flint, I started out only having an overall plan and destination. But I didn’t know specifics. Once I reached the mountains, I thought I’d figure it out as I go along,” Prea admitted as she began her explanation. “If the poem spelled it out, someone would have found the stone long ago.”

“Okay…” Kael added, unsure.

“Anyway, the next verse of the poem is Listen close for the song of the stars, to lead you down the path near or far. I know this is the direction, I just don’t know what I’m looking for. I’ll know it when I see it…hear it…feel it. Much like why I trusted you, it has more to do with feeling rather than knowing. And I have faith I’ll find it, whatever it is.”

“Song of the stars? Down the path near or far?” Kael repeated. “You don’t have any thoughts?”

“About the song of stars? No. But I figure the song will reveal a way to cross the mountain easily as opposed to climbing over the peak. There has to be a quicker way,” Prea insisted. “If Aylin and Ciro lived in the mountains and traveled around the island, then it would be beneficial to have another way to cross other than the full climb and descent. That would just take too long, don’t you think?”

“I guess. But what do you think this path is?” Kael prodded. He didn’t know where she was going with any of this, but she had clearly given this whole thing a lot of thought. “And what if we don’t find it?”

“I assume that it’s either a hidden path through the rocks or maybe a tunnel under the mountains. As for not finding it…I’m prepared to go the distance and travel over the mountain if I have to,” Prea answered with unwavering conviction. “You can always turn back. Whenever you want, Kael. Know that.”

Kael looked sideways at his companion, surprised by her sudden change of topic. He shook his head and sighed. “I’m not turning back. Wherever you go, I’m going. I wish you’d believe that.”

“I do believe that. Trust me, I do. It’s just I told you the mountains and now I’m telling you I don’t know what’s next. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to be here,” Prea muttered as she climbed.

“Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t know whether or not I believe you, but now it’s finally getting interesting. So what’s the plan then?” Kael wondered.

Prea remained quiet for a few moments as she considered their options. They had followed the valley river up into the woods and stayed on the north side through the trees.

“I think the river is a good place to start. There’s no other direction or path out here, just the river. The water will lead us north to its source and I figure it’s our best option,” she disclosed. “Water is a powerful element; any clue is likely close to the convergence of the elements. The more elements, the closer we’ll be,” she claimed. “What do you think?”

Kael shrugged next to her as he walked. “Sounds reasonable to me, but I’m just following your lead on this.” And he spoke the absolute truth; he was just along for the ride.

“The river it is then.”

* * *

The water flowing in the river next to them remained steady, though it narrowed as they climbed. There were a few breaks in the trees where the clear blue sky peeked through overhead and openings among the branches that framed the valley below. The weather was heating up, but between the canopy of leaves and the higher altitude, it wasn’t much of an issue. It was pleasant during the day, but the temperature still dropped each night, forcing the travelers to maintain a fire or risk it getting too cold.

When visibility lowered once more, the companions moved quietly through their evening routine before they both relaxed by the fire and drifted off.

A deep howl of agony broke the silence of the night, propelling Prea into a sudden seated position as she scanned the surrounding darkness to find the source of the noise. Her pulse was pounding wildly in her ears and her breathing quickened as she was reminded of her mother’s screams all those years ago. What she found had her blood crystallizing into ice and her stomach tightening into a giant knot.

Black surrounded the camp with ribbons of smoke the only remnants of the once-lit fire. The screams continued to pierce Prea’s heart like an arrow as she looked across the embers and saw Kael struggling on the ground, arms thrashing, his head caught in the strong jaws of a large wolf.

Wolves? There are wolves in these woods? Instinctively Prea jumped to her feet, her thoughts frantic and incoherent. With fire the only weapon available, she grabbed a piece of smoking kindling, the flame immediately reigniting at her touch, before yelling and waving her arms in an attempt to distract the wild beast. She quieted as a shiver swept down her spine. Faint growling crept up behind her, forcing her head to spin like an owl’s in order to search the area for more predators.

Kael escaped the clutches of the wolf’s teeth and scrambled to standing, backing away from the enemy threat. Somehow his mind still worked; he quickly appraised the situation, grabbed more kindling and began stoking the fire back to life in an attempt to scare off the wolves. Prea, on the other hand, continued to wave her hands, jump around and scream as loud as she could while she circled the camp defending her companion and their position from the possibility of attack.

Kael managed to get the fire burning again and fed the flames with more wood until it blazed like the sun on the forest floor. In the sudden influx of light, Prea detected the rest of the pack spaced evenly around their camp, growling as they retreated from the fiery weapon. She kept up her defensive position, guarding her camp until the wolves shrunk back into the darkness, completely out of sight. Only then did Prea drop the torch she was holding, turn her back to the woods and tend to Kael who had blood streaming down his back.

“They’re gone,” Prea declared. “Are you all right?” He gave no response. “Kael, are you all right?” Prea demanded once more, as she scrounged through her pack in search of medical provisions. Kael stayed quiet as he sat in front of the flames with his hand covering the back of his head. Prea moved behind him and pulled his hand away from the wound. “Kael, how are you feeling?”

“Huh?” He was dazed as he examined his bloody hand. “It…it hurts. How does it look?” he added anxiously.

Prea took the cloth in her hands and wet it with some water before gently blotting and wiping the blood from the wound. There were a few large gashes as well as puncture wounds all over the back of his head, the base of his skull, down to the top of his neck. She took her time separating his hair and skin, cleaning both until she could properly see the wounds that had yet to stop bleeding. The cloth was drenched in his blood and she left to get a new piece.

“Hold this. Keep pressure on it,” Prea ordered and Kael’s blood stained hand came up to meet hers.

She was careful and cautious as she moved through the forest in search of the river where she refilled her container with fresh water before returning to camp. After finding another piece of clean cloth, she resumed her treatment of Kael. Removing the dirty cloth, she threw it in the fire and watched it burn as she replaced it, adding pressure to the wound. She handed him the water. 

“Here, rinse your hands off,” Prea instructed. Kael did as she said, flinching as his head moved under her hand. “That’s not a good sign,” she muttered under her breath.

Prea rummaged through her pack again, this time looking for the remaining solution the apothecary had given her back in Flint.

“Here take some of this for the pain. It will help,” Prea promised, handing the turmeric solution to Kael. “How are you doing?”

“The pain is…intense,” he mumbled in response, pulling away from her slightly. “I feel sick.”

Prea backed away from the fire until she met the uneven bark of a nearby tree. 

“Come here,” she ordered, tugging on Kael’s shirt. “Come lay down. Right here. Come on,” she said, patting her lap. Kael gave her a half-hearted grin and did as she asked, scooting back towards her. He slowly lowered himself down, positioning his head carefully in her lap.

“Thank you,” he whispered into the flames.

Prea smiled sadly in the dark. “Just relax. Get some sleep. I’ll watch over you,” she whispered in reply as she stroked his hair. Her soothing touch and familiar presence lulled him to sleep and she took comfort in her own motions, feeling her pulse beat with the stroke of her hand. She focused on the weight of Kael’s head in her lap, his steady breathing and the warmth of the fire to keep her calm.

The further they traveled, the worse things seemed to get. First her hallucinations, then the fall and now an attack from a pack of wolves. They were lucky, although Kael would probably think differently under the circumstances; it could have turned out a lot worse. But Prea thought it fitting she was the caretaker; now it was her turn to repay his kindness.

Only at times like these did doubt enter Prea’s mind. She had been in such a rush to save Carr that she hadn’t thought of any of the ways things could go wrong on her quest. Maybe if she had thought about it, prepared more or been patient, then things would have gone differently. But then again, there was no use in second guessing her decisions. Things happened, she was where she was and there was nothing she could do to change the past. All she could do was plan better for the future. They would have to be more careful, make their camp more secure and be more aware of their surroundings. They couldn’t risk any more of these incidents happening in the future.

Kael stirred.

“Shhh. Sleep. Just sleep,” Prea whispered and smoothed his hair, sweeping a few strands off of his face. After he stilled, she took that time to strategically remove the cloth and check his wound. Prea noted that it had stopped bleeding and still looked clean. Relieved, she finally allowed herself to relax and, with the crackling of the fire, she soon drifted off herself.

* * *

A rustling noise woke Prea early the next morning, her muscles tight and stiff from her awkward position against the tree. Kael had moved, his head was still in her lap but now he was facing her. He turned away before she could stop him and rolled over onto the back of his head. He shot up, woken by the sharp stab of pain.

“Oww,” Kael cried, his hands moving to the back of his head.

“Watch it, you don’t want the bleeding to start up again,” Prea directed as she moved to check his wound.

“I know. I’ll have to be more careful,” Kael said as Prea crouched behind him and began her examination. She parted his hair and brushed it out of the gashes where the openings were crusted over with dried blood. “How does it look?”

“It’s not bleeding anymore, so that’s good. But you should take some more of the turmeric solution for the pain,” Prea instructed as she retrieved the solution from her pack and offered it to Kael.

“Thanks,” he replied.

Prea studied her companion closely; he looked tired and sore. They would have to take their time whenever they set off again. It would do neither of them any good to rush and risk more harm. They were ahead of schedule and could take their time for a bit as the goal of midsummer was still days away. She had yet to reveal that clue and didn’t want to worry him now with the information.

“What?” he asked when he caught her staring.

“Nothing,” she answered shaking her head and averting her eyes.

“I’m fine, Prea. Truly,” he assured her.

Prea wasn’t that convinced but nodded anyway. She would continue to watch him and worry. That was her life, wasn’t it? It was hard, nearly impossible, to turn off the worry and anxiety once it was triggered. She still worried about Alvie and Carr, obviously, and always would. But Kael now belonged among those ranks.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 15

Previous Chapters

The sun crested over the eastern side of the valley where the travelers still slumbered. Prea’s eyes flickered, opening slowly as she stretched her arms above her head. Her clothes were stiff with dried rainwater, fitting her body oddly. She shifted into a sitting position, glancing over at Kael, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Prea squinted as she looked around the valley; it was later than she expected. Crawling over to the riverside, she splashed frigid water onto her face which immediately slapped the last of the sleepiness from her mind.

Kael stirred on the ground behind her, groaning as he sat up. He sat with elbows on knees, the base of his palms rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes. His hands fell from his face as he looked around, spotting Prea on the bank of the river. She was looking back at him over her shoulder.

“You know a good splash of river water in your face will wake you right up,” she greeted, trying to suppress a grin in the morning light. “It did wonders for me.”

“Oh, I’m sure it would,” he said. His movements were slow, his clothes set in the position in which he slept. Kael pulled his pack towards him, opening it and examining the contents. “Things seem to have dried out overnight.”

Prea nodded as she left the riverside and moved back to Kael. The air warmed around them, spring belatedly reaching the valley floor. The sun was rising higher in the sky as the two companions enjoyed their breakfast. It didn’t take long before Prea became impatient and begged Kael to start moving.

“We have to get going, it’s already later than I would like,” Prea said eagerly.

“All right, all right,” Kael acquiesced, but Prea couldn’t wait and set out while Kael continued to gather his things before following. It didn’t take long for him to catch up. “So we’re heading to the mountains. But why are we in Rodor? How do you know this is the correct path to take?” He was curious.

“The next section of the poem contains the next clue for our journey. May earth, air, water and fire, lead you there at your desire. By valley low and mountain high, birds alone spy high across the sky.”

“But there are valleys and mountains in every canton of Valtera. How are you so sure this is the valley the poem is talking about?” Kael interrupted.

Prea stopped, crossing her arms against her chest as she stared at him silently. Kael continued walking for a few steps before he realized she wasn’t beside him. He stopped short and turned back to Prea, eyebrows raised in surprised confusion.

“What?” he asked annoyed. Prea didn’t answer, just waited. It only took another moment before Kael understood and apologized. “I’m sorry,” he said somewhat dramatically. “I won’t interrupt again, I promise.”

Prea still didn’t respond, but unglued her arms and strode forward. “The clue has nothing to do with the line about valleys and mountains. It’s the next line that’s important,” Prea explained.

“What…” Kael started before Prea’s look cut him off. He closed his mouth immediately and waited for her to continue.

“Just as there are cardinal directions, there are corresponding cardinal elements—air, water, earth and fire. Those four elements are the basis of everything in and on this land. But there is a fifth element, ether. Ether is the…it’s hard to explain…it’s the sky or celestial space in the universe. Aylin and Ciro had power over each of the elements, including ether, and in a symbolic gesture they named each of their children after an element,” Prea instructed as they traveled beside the twisting river.

“According to the legend, whether by fate or happenstance, the children developed an affinity for or power over their namesake element. They helped found the five cantons of Valtera, each child gravitating towards the land of their power, of their blood. In honor of this connection, the cantons were named for them, becoming Delmar, Rodor, Alder, Egan and Nodin,” she explained. “Delmar is water, Alder is trees or earth, Egan is fire, Nodin is wind or air and Rodor, well Rodor is sky.”

“Birds alone spy high across the sky,” Kael murmured just loud enough for Prea to hear.

“Yes,” Prea confirmed. “Rodor means sky, so that’s why we’re approaching from the northern canton. As far as we’re concerned, we are going to follow the valley floor until the land rises into the mountains. Only then will we find the next direction.”

Kael was pensive as he mulled over what Prea had revealed to him. She knew it was a lot to take in for someone who appeared to doubt anything that wasn’t directly in front of him. He was a skeptical person and, though she trusted her instincts completely, she understood he didn’t. And, if everything went according to plan, there was a lot more that Kael was going to have to come to terms with on this journey. This was just the beginning.

* * *

“Don’t you ever get lonely?” Prea asked, after a lengthy stretch of silence.

“Lonely?”

“Traveling by yourself so much,” she explained.

“Sometimes. I’m just like anyone else; I don’t like to be alone all the time. But people can be too much for me. And there’s a difference between enjoying solitude and being lonely.”

“I’m rarely alone,” Prea replied.

“Really?” he asked surprised.

“Good heavens, yes. My sister is three years younger than me and my mother was always around when I was a child. If I wasn’t with my family, I was with my friends. Then Carr came along. And Leal.” She paused for a moment. It was the first time she had mentioned Leal since that night in Flint.

“What are your friends like?”

“I really only have two: Beda and Dal. Beda’s my age and an only child. Her parents are always working, they own the tailor shop in Beech. We met before school, when we were three and she’s been like a sister ever since.”

“And Dal?”

“Dal’s a year younger. And quiet like Alvie. He’s the youngest of eight, all boys. I had seen him before, my father knew his family, and I remember seeing him just sitting by himself one morning in the schoolyard. He didn’t look sad, more like he was overwhelmed. I said something to Beda, and between my experience with Alvie and her boldness, we befriended him. That was kind of it. We just got along for some reason, and they would always much rather spend time at my house than either of theirs. Even after Carr was born.” Prea was quiet for a moment of reflection. “I don’t know what I’d do without them. They’re looking out for Alvie while I’m gone.”

“How do you think she’s doing?” he wondered quietly.

“Well, I hope she’s not still angry. Though that’s unlikely.”

“You don’t get along?”

“We definitely see things differently. React differently. I think it’s more that we don’t understand each other rather than us not getting along.” Prea looked over at her companion. “What about you? Any good friends?”

“Not really. I’ve met some interesting people over the years, but relationships didn’t do much for me as a child, so I never tried to make any once I left. Nothing lasting. People have never been there for me; I’ve never been able to count on anyone.”

“You know, you have to give people a chance before they can be there for you. And there are people out there you can count on. Maybe you just haven’t found them yet.”

Kael looked sideways at Prea as they walked with an unusual expression on his face and Prea couldn’t quite tell what it was. “You don’t know what it’s like, Prea. You just said you were never alone and always had family and friends there for you.”

Prea hesitated as she tried to formulate an answer. “It’s true that I don’t know exactly what you went through, but just as you said there’s a difference between solitude and loneliness, there’s a difference between being physically and emotionally alone.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. “After Mama passed, Papa still chose to work out at sea. For the most part I understood why, he needed it and had already lost enough, but there were times when I hated him for leaving. I was fifteen and, though friends are great, I was left in charge of a twelve-year-old and tasked with raising a three-year-old. Papa did what he did for us, but I would have loved to have just been a girl for a little while longer.”

As she spoke what she knew was the truth, her stomach twisted and tightened with guilt as she hated to speak ill of the dead. “I’m not trying to lessen your past or experiences, but I want you to know that I do understand what it’s like. To not have people be there for you. You’re not alone anymore, Kael. I want you to know that you can always count on me to be there for you whenever you need,” Prea promised.

* * *

Alvie knelt on the cold hard ground in the spring morning surrounded by the familiarity of nature and her garden. The house still felt wrong after all these weeks; she was never going to get used to the way it was now, even with Beda staying there. It was just empty space, like the emptiness inside her heart. So she escaped to her garden where she fiddled and pruned whenever she could. She was out there so much that there was nothing left to tend really. But the feel of the ground beneath her legs, the smooth leaves of the plants and the crumbling dirt falling between her fingers was beyond comforting in her current situation.

Her toffee hair was pulled together at the base of her neck, the ends flying on the sea breeze. The salt and pine were her friends, enveloping her with their serene aroma. Out here she could breathe. Out here she wasn’t forced to feel. Out here she had some peace.

Alvie sat back on her feet and let her head fall back as her face turned toward the sky. Her eyes closed as she rested her hands on the sturdy ground beside her. She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, letting the air swim past, feeling its tickling brushes against her skin. She allowed its power to flow through her; it was the power that calmed her, its reassuring voice floating into her mind, reminding her that all was not lost. It was brief, but it was present.

And she hated it, hated that it was there, that it made her feel better.

Alvie’s heart and mind calmed, lulled by the graces of the earth. She stayed in that position, bathing in the sun’s warmth until something in the air shifted. She sensed a new presence around her…and it was familiar.

“You look well,” he said and her heart skipped a beat.

She turned her face in the direction of the voice and opened her eyes to a loving face. Dal watched her from beside the house with caring eyes that scanned her face to assess her mood. Her heart sighed at the sight of him; he had been the one person to keep her sane and together since Prea left. She didn’t know what she would do without him.

“I’m better now,” Alvie replied as she pushed to her feet and walked to him. “Good morning,” she greeted as she threw her arms around his neck. Dal’s arms tightened around her waist in a welcoming hug. They had grown close in the weeks since Prea’s departure. Her hands fell to his chest as his remained clasped behind her back and he tugged at the end of her ponytail, forcing her chin up as he leaned in, his lips meeting hers.

He had done so much for her; she could never repay him. Beda had helped with ensuring she was not living alone, but Dal was the one who had filled the void after Prea’s abandonment and his simple presence had made all the difference. He respected her feelings and her space. Mainly he just spent time in the house, counteracting the ghostly feel of the place. Like he did today, Dal came over early every morning and stayed late every night. He had comforted her when she was lonely and held her when she was scared. He checked in on her and Carr at the infirmary almost every day.

“What does the day look like today?” he asked against her mouth, before pulling back to look into her crystalline blue eyes.

“Oh, I don’t know…do something with these herbs and vegetables,” she said as she unlocked Dal’s hands from behind her back and gathered her crops. They walked back to the house and headed into the kitchen. “I’m going to visit Carr. Maybe read to him for a little bit,” Alvie finished.

She unloaded the produce onto the counter in neat piles, separating one from the other. Dal watched her, seeing the sunlight bounce off her hair, picking up the golden tones laced throughout. He had loved her for as long as he could remember. He loved Prea and Beda too, but he had always had his eye on Alvie. She was his soul mate. He didn’t like it, but her losses had brought them closer together.

“Do you want me to come with you to see Carr?” Dal asked, studying her for a reaction. Some days the visits were positive and helpful, some days she left more vulnerable and heartbroken than when she arrived. It all depended on the day and there was no predicting which would occur.

She glanced over her shoulder with soft and loving eyes. “Thank you for offering, but I’ll be fine. I promise,” she responded and returned to her bounty on the counter.

* * *

Hours later, Alvie sat curled up in a chair beside her brother’s bed in the infirmary. His condition hadn’t changed and it seemed he would never wake. He looked so young, his eyes closed as he breathed softly. Alvie clasped his hand in both of hers.

“Hi there, buddy. I don’t know if you can hear me or not, wherever you are, but know that Prea and I love you so much. You’re the only little brother we have, so you need to hang on. Just hang on a little while longer. Prea’s going to save you,” Alvie whispered, even though she doubted it herself. “Prea will save you, I promise.”

The tears started, but she wiped them away quickly and picked up the book in her lap. They had a whole library of books at home, but Alvie only ever brought one. It was the only one that mattered and she thought, if anything, this would bring him back. If not by her reading, then in the truth of the story and the reality of the stone Prea was out there to find.

Alvie cracked the well-worn spine of the book, flipping the pages until she reached the one she sought.

“Fire, hot and bright, streaked across the night sky as a blaze fell from the heavens to the land of Valtera,” she began in a soothing voice. “The ball of light went unnoticed as the few inhabitants of the island nation were asleep under the night sky. No one would believe that when the ball of light finally connected with the Earth, it wasn’t a meteor or comet, but a man and a woman hand in hand.”

She read the rest of the story, all the while trying to imagine what happened after the ending. What was her plan? Where was she headed? Her sister hadn’t divulged anything to anyone before she left; she had kept it all to herself.

This stream of thoughts had Alvie leaving the infirmary, anger renewed within her heart. How could she do this? She wasn’t ready for any of this. She needed her big sister. Prea had always been there, after Mama and even when Papa was gone; she had always been the constant influence in Alvie’s life. I can’t keep doing this, Alvie thought, it’s all just too much.

When she returned home, instead of going inside, she headed around back, through the garden and trees before coming to rest at Prea’s worn spot atop the cliff.

“I need you, Prea,” Alvie called to the sea. “You’re my big sister…Carr and I…we need you here with us. You’re all we have left in this world. Please, please come back,” she cried as her voice became the wind.

An image suddenly popped into her head, of her mother standing in this very spot calling upon the heavens and earth to bring her husband home. Before Alvie could think, she started reciting the spell her mother had said so many times so long ago.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 14

Previous Chapters

Two sunrises later, Prea and Kael strode through the last line of trees and into an open field. That simple step signaled they were leaving Alder behind and were moving forward into the new and unknown.

The land grew before them into a ridge, with slopes forming the shape of a V where Colter rested in the center between rising mountains. The dirt road stretched out before them, closely following the climbing land, buildings on either side. It was a sight to behold in the early hours of morning, the walled city one of the few crossings between the two cantons. The sun was rising behind them, and the lights dotting the tallest buildings in town were the only spots visible in the distance.

Prea’s lingering sore ribs slowed their progress, but both were still out of breath when they came to the outskirts of the city. They walked through a few rows of houses before coming to a halt in front of the towering outer wall.

The gatekeeper called them forward. “What is your business in Colter?”

“We’re just passing through. Our destination is Rodor,” Kael replied.

“Very well.” The gatekeeper opened the small door cut into the wall, allowing them passage.

“Thank you, sir,” Kael said.

The door slammed shut behind them, the sharp sound loud enough to make Prea turn back. She watched the gatekeeper resume his lonely position, waiting for the next travelers to come or go. Kael touched her arm, steering her in the direction of the city center.

The citizens of Colter had made the most of their space within the outer walls. The buildings were practically built on top of each other, with only space for small alleyways between. The main road they were traveling on was the only spacious area in the whole city; the road had to be wide enough for carts and carriages to pass.

As they walked on, Prea felt an increasing sense of claustrophobia, the more time she spent within the walls. This place was the opposite of her home. Even in the forest of Alder, she felt a sense of freedom and openness. All she wanted to do now was get to the gate into Rodor and leave this congested place.

The two had discussed the possibility of stopping for breakfast once they arrived, but Prea saw a look on Kael’s face that she imagined matched her own. He was no more comfortable in this city than she was. The main road wound through the close buildings, leading them past the inn and tavern, a bakery, seamstress and tailor, apothecary and blacksmith. It was still early and only soft noises and a few voices carried on the wind. An hour later, after replenishing their supplies, they reached the far wall and the Rodor gatekeeper who granted them leave.

They crossed over into the northern canton of Rodor where a low valley sank below them to the south. The road down to the valley floor was steep and coated in gravel; they would have to tread carefully.

The sun’s rays and warmth dulled as Prea and Kael trudged down the road. Overhead clouds mixed with the inky blue strokes swirled across the sky, blotting out the color as they converged over the valley. The fog, heavy and thick, crept down the slopes, wrapping the two and the valley in an invisible cocoon, creating an eerie, almost ominous effect.

A wisp of cool air ruffled Prea’s hair, tickling the end of her nose. She looked upwards and contemplated the darkening sky. It was going to rain, she was sure of it. What she didn’t know was whether thunder and lightning would accompany the rainfall. They had departed the protection and cover of wooded land leaving them exposed to the elements, but the two quietly reached the valley floor before the weather took a turn for the worse.

They set off south, the valley stretching out in front of them for as far as they could see. A small stream flowed like a snake through the emerald floor with mountains flanking them on the left and large hills on the right. Unlike Alder, Rodor seemed to have no trees at all, only small bushes and brush that spotted the hills, starting halfway up and growing thicker as it climbed. Prea had never seen anything like it and she felt exposed, as if someone was watching her.

It had been hours and only the beating of their footsteps on the ground filled the crisp air. Plop. Prea raised her head to the sky. Plop. Right on her cheek. The water had become too much, the clouds buckling under the weight. It started as if through a sieve, the rain falling only here or there. But their pace never hastened; there was no destination, no place for them to escape the elements. They continued to walk in no great hurry.

“So why do you think the stone is real?” Kael asked, breaking the silence.

“Most people believe that the story is just that, a story; a fairy tale told to children to explain what cannot be explained,” Prea began as she described her logic, choosing her words carefully. “Others believe it to be a legend; that Aylin and Ciro existed long ago when our nation and its people were just beginning. People may or may not believe the magical or supernatural elements—that Aylin and Ciro were from the heavens, possessing the powers of the moon and the sun—that’s up to them. In my family, though, we believe that the story, in its entirety, is true. It’s been passed down generation to generation as our history and we’ve always treated it as such.”

The weather changed, the rain increasing from a drizzle to a light shower. Their clothing absorbed the water, sticking close to their skin and Prea’s hair flattened across her brow, heavy with moisture. She played with the long soaked strands trying to make them manageable in the current conditions. Kael looked no better, but his hair could be easily pushed off his face and she couldn’t help but be a little jealous. All our things, our packs, will be soaked through soon, Prea thought. But there was nothing to be done about it. She knew the power of nature, the elements and the universe; a little bit of rain was far from the worst thing that could happen.

“Because I believe the story is completely true, I believe the stone is real,” she continued. “It holds the powers of the universe, whatever that means. But it will save my brother.”

“You’re putting a lot of stock in hope,” Kael interjected.

Prea stopped abruptly. Kael turned to face her, and she gave him a look he had never seen before on anyone. Fierce determination radiated out of every inch of her face as rain fell into her sparkling green eyes. It stole the breath right out of his lungs.

“When you lose hope…you lose your life. As long as there is hope, there is a reason, a purpose for life. There is still hope for Carr.”

“I didn’t mean to suggest that there isn’t hope. Or to suggest that this isn’t a realistic endeavor. I just meant…I’m sorry, Prea. I don’t really know what I meant,” Kael apologized.

She looked him straight in the eye for a good long minute and saw something that curbed the anger and resentment that was bubbling up inside her. She turned away from him and set off again, waiting to cool down before speaking.

“What do you live for, Kael? What is your purpose in life? What drives you?” Prea asked with no aggression or judgment. “I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but it might be something to think about.”

He accepted her questions as honest inquiries. He had never really given the topic much thought until now.

“So what’s your logic? Why the mountains?”

“The stone is in the center of Valtera,” Prea explained. “The land is uncharted and uninhabited; the perfect place for something to remain hidden for centuries, millennia even. The clue is in the second section of the poem. Beneath the sky heavens dwell, hidden away by an ancient spell. Where north, east, south, west meet, lies a stone which quells defeat. The only location where the cardinal directions converge is in the center. Our final destination is directly in the middle of the mountains.” Prea looked sideways at Kael. “You can still back out if you want to.”

“I’m not going to abandon you. It’s just…still hard to believe. I want it to be true. I want it to be real for Carr’s sake. But what if we do all of this and it doesn’t exist? What then?”

Kael had a valid point. Prea was determined and she was trying to live one day at a time. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to function at all, so she hadn’t thought that far ahead. She didn’t want to believe the stone wasn’t real; that wasn’t really an option for her.

“If that ends up being the case, I will deal with it then,” she confessed. “There’s no room for doubt on this journey, though. If you let doubt take hold…it will never let you go.”

* * *

Night closed in as the rain fell harder and faster against their bodies. The pack was digging into her shoulders, pushing her down into the ground; her ribs ached in her chest under the pressure. Prea’s legs felt like lead dragging beneath her as if she was walking through water. She was falling behind, finding it harder to keep pace with Kael’s long strides. He looked back towards her, realizing she wasn’t beside him. He stopped and adjusted his pack.

“You look exhausted. We’re not going to make any more significant progress tonight, so we should just camp here. It’s as good a place as any around.” As he decided, he swung his pack off of his shoulders and dropped it to the ground. Prea did the same.

“Are we going to be safe out in the open like this?” She glanced around, uncomfortable with their position. But there wasn’t another choice.

“It’s not as if someone can sneak up on us. We’d hear or see them long before they reached us.”

He sounded confident, and if he was confident then there was nothing to worry about. The rain continued, rendering a fire pointless even if they had something to burn. They kept close to the river, making sure water was at least within walking distance through the night before succumbing to the relief of sleep.

The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 13

Previous Chapters

Hours later, night was arriving when Prea opened her eyes. She glanced around the candlelit room, stopping when her gaze landed on Kael sitting by the window looking out into the coming darkness. The candles nearby threw slight shadows across his face and, though he had slept earlier that day, Prea could tell that he was still spent. And not just tired; his anger was evident, bubbling just below the surface.

She had made a real mess of things, that was for sure, but Prea had always known that she was going to have to do this on her own. His presence had momentarily distracted her from the truth of her situation. She couldn’t rely on him forever. She was grateful for his help and guidance these past few days, but he could go on now and live his life however he pleased.

“Where did you go?” Prea asked quietly, though he refused to look at her.

“I needed some space, time to think. I talked to some people down in the tavern. Had a few pints of ale.” Kael finally met her gaze. “You’ve been out for a few hours.”

“I feel a bit better. The sleep did some good, at least.” She averted her eyes.

“I’ve done a good deal of thinking while you were asleep and…” He took a deep breath. “I’ve decided that I’m coming with you for the rest of your journey.”

Prea froze. Her eyes flew up to meet his. This was unexpected, to say the least.

“What…what are you talking about? You don’t have to do that. I expected to do this by myself and I’ve accepted that fact. You can go on and do whatever you want with your life.”

“What if this is what I want to do with my life?” Kael countered. “I’m old enough to make my own decisions and I want to go with you. That’s that.”

“No, that’s not that. Before you were questioning me, asking how I could believe in this and leave my family at home. And now you want to go with me? Why?” Prea demanded.

“I don’t want to be the reason something happens to you,” Kael admitted quietly. “I’m capable of going with you and offering any assistance you need. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

“You don’t have a life to get back to? Family? Friends? You can just up and leave for who knows how long to help me?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I can. I lead a transient life, living off the land, traveling wherever I want. When I need money or something, I have skills that are useful in finding easy work. So, yes, I can leave for who knows how long to help you.”

“But why?” Prea still wasn’t convinced.

“We’ve spent, what, two weeks together? Believe it or not, I like you and I don’t want to see you get hurt, or worse, when there was something I could do to stop it. And while I don’t believe the stone is real, I’m intrigued. I want to see what you find.”

They stared at each other in a silent standoff while Prea made up her mind. Just as nothing Kael said was going to stop her or change her mind, she had a feeling nothing she said would make a difference either. She was not responsible for Kael, for his decisions or his actions. He was a grown man and could take care of himself, or so she reminded herself.

“Fine,” Prea conceded reluctantly. “But I want you to know that you can leave at any time. Whenever you’re done, you’re done. No hard feelings. I won’t blame you for anything.”

“Whatever you say.” Prea made no move to speak any more, so Kael continued. “First things first. Where do you think this stone is? We need to know where we’re going in order to know what to pack. We need to have a plan.”

“I don’t really have much of a plan, just an overall route and destination. It’s not very specific,” Prea admitted quietly.

“Well, whatever you can give me.”

“My plan was to travel through Colter into Rodor. Then immediately turn south. The final destination is somewhere in the mountains in the center of Valtera. I have a map. I can show you where we need to go.”

“Okay, show me.” Prea did as he asked, illustrating her plan and where she believed they needed to go. “All right. I’ve never traveled anywhere along that route, but I’ve been in the higher elevations in other cantons.”

“So what do we need to do?” Prea asked.

“How are you with horses?”

“Not great.”

“Actually it’s probably better to just not bother with them given we’re heading for the mountains. We need food, herbs and some medical supplies, and some blankets, things for colder weather.”

“Can we get all of that in Flint?” Prea wondered.

“Probably. If not, we can replenish in Colter. How much money do you have with you?”

“Enough.” She had brought the better part of a year’s salary with her. They weren’t exactly wealthy, but her father had had good, steady work, as did she and now Alvie. They were prudent and she had both taken enough money for herself, and left enough behind for her siblings so that everyone was taken care of.

“Are you well enough to shop?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

* * *

After a restful night at the inn, Prea and Kael set out together on their new journey the following morning. The comfort of a soft bed and warm room had healed her ribs more than Prea ever would have imagined. She woke renewed and surprisingly refreshed, enough to carry her own pack. Her injuries wouldn’t be subjecting Kael to more than his fair share anymore; that was one worry off her mind, at least.

Well after dawn, they stepped out into the street and walked towards the outskirts of Flint in the direction of the Rodor border where, in two days time, they would reach the border city of Colter. The two had decided that they would not be halting their journey and staying in Colter for the night unless it was absolutely necessary.

They traveled in companionable silence until they reached the town limits.

“I think our best bet is to stay on the road all the way,” Kael said. “There isn’t really a reason why we would need to veer off into the woods, but at least we know it’s always an option.”

“That’s fine,” Prea agreed. “So we’ll just step off and find a place a few yards into the woods to make camp at night? It seems like it would be the easiest way of doing things.”

“We’ll make sure we’re out of sight of the road, so we don’t have to worry about others coming across us. But yes, that’s the plan.” Silence extended for another few minutes. “Aren’t you going to tell me anything else?” Kael prodded. “Like why you think the stone is real? Or where you think it is? Or any type of explanation at all?”

“No, no, no. Not yet,” Prea said. “It’s your turn first.”

“My turn for what?” Kael demanded, glancing at her sideways.

“Your story,” Prea replied. “I’ve told you mine, or at least some of it. Now it’s your turn. Where are you from? What do you do?”

She waited patiently for Kael to answer as they walked. It took him awhile; it seemed he was having trouble figuring out what to say.

“There isn’t much to tell really. I grew up an only child in a small farm town in central Nodin. My father is a furniture maker, my mother a home keeper,” he explained. “I left as soon as I was able and I haven’t been back since.”

Prea was speechless; she couldn’t imagine ever leaving her family without the expectation of return. She could never truly say goodbye to them. This would be her one and only journey away from them. Never again.

“You left and you’ve never been back?” Prea was unable to keep the disbelief out of her voice. “How old were you?”

“Sixteen. I left as soon as I came of age,” Kael answered. “I had skills and knew I could find work anywhere.”

“But why?” Prea pushed.

Kael shrugged. “My father isn’t exactly what you would call a warm, loving person. As soon as I was old enough, he put me to work in his shop; made sure I knew that everything in my life was there by his choice and he could take anything away whenever he wanted.” Kael paused. It was clear that he didn’t talk about this often. “As soon as I was working, I paid my own keep. My mother loved me, but he could make her do anything he wanted. She never stood up to him, not for herself, not even for me.”

Prea had always been aware that she was very lucky in terms of family. But she could never imagine her father being that harsh or strict with her or her siblings. Her parents did nothing but love and support her, and she always knew it.

“It wasn’t the best childhood ever, but it was far from terrible,” he continued calmly. “I am grateful, though. If I hadn’t grown up the way I did, I may never have left. I wouldn’t have traveled, wouldn’t have met the people I’ve met or seen the things I’ve seen. All in all, my life has been pretty good.”

Prea held her tongue. She did not ask him if he ever planned on going home and seeing his family again. It wasn’t her business either way.

“Where’s the best place you’ve ever been?” she asked instead. “I used to love hearing my father tell stories of all of his voyages, everywhere he went, everything he’d seen.”

The change of topic brought a small smile to his lips. “Well, let’s see. I’ve been to every canton of Valtera. I do not care for Nodin or Egan and I’ve only been to Rodor a few times. I don’t like the lack of trees, being out in the open. It makes me feel bare and vulnerable,” he confessed.

“I’ve spent most of my time traveling around Delmar and Alder. Inland Delmar is a pretty nice place; there are so many different rivers and they’re braided through the land, criss-crossing all over the canton. You travel by boat everywhere. But the marshland by the coast is my favorite; in some places there are water forests where trees have sprouted through the marshlands and you can row amongst them.” He stole a glance at Prea. “It’s beautiful. You can float along on the water and stare up at the branches and leaves, watch the sun peek through and throw shadows everywhere.”

“Really? That would be a sight to see one day,” she admitted. “But it will probably never happen,” she muttered as an afterthought.

“Why not?” Kael wondered.

“I’ve been reading about the history and geography of Valtera practically since I was born. My mother taught those two subjects in school and my father always told me stories of all his travels. When I was younger, all I wanted to do was travel everywhere and see everything,” she explained. “But I have responsibilities. Just because you want something doesn’t mean you’re going to get it,” Prea said, her voice sobering. “I haven’t been able to think about it much the last five years. My family has always depended on me.”  

The quiet resumed as they traveled. For hours, the thud of feet against ground, accompanied by the shaking of branches and the song of many birds were the only sounds present. Conversation ceased and thinking took its place. The morning had been enlightening as Prea finally got a glimpse into Kael’s soul. The past didn’t define a person, but she believed it provided certain insights into a person’s character.

Eventually Prea was tired of silence, tired of thinking. She was curious and wanted to know more.

“You never mentioned what you do for a living. I teach,” Prea offered. “I mean, back home I’m a teacher.”

“Well, I grew up fixing furniture in my father’s shop. I’ve always loved finding out how things work, so I’m basically a repairman,” Kael answered. “I don’t like to stay in any one place too long, so I’ve spent my time traveling around Valtera fixing what people need fixed. What subjects do you teach back home?”

“History and geography, just like my mother. She taught me everything I know, everything that she knew about the land and its past. My mother believed in the power of the elements, the power of nature and taught me to cherish it, but more importantly to respect it. I wanted to honor her life and legacy, to pass that knowledge and respect onto other children and the next generation.”

“So your mother was a teacher and your father was a sailor, correct?”

“Yes. Just as my mother was drawn to the elements and nature, the sea was in my father’s blood, it ran through his veins.” Prea chuckled. “Or at least that’s what he always used to say, anyway. It called to him; he could never stay away from the ocean for too long. He worked hard and ended up captaining his own ship. We live on the Bay of Aldin and he made his living transporting goods from the bay to the other cantons, mostly timber.”

“He was gone a lot?”

“He was, but he did it for us. He did everything for us, everything he could to provide for his family. It just so happens that to do that, he had to be away for long stretches of time. But when he was home, he only had time for us.”

“He sounds like a wonderful man,” Kael murmured.

“He was. I haven’t talked about him like this in a while. I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the whole thing.”

“What do you mean?” Kael wondered.

“Well, my father was always gone and the three of us got accustomed to being on our own. There was no way of communicating with him while he was at sea, so he would give us a general time frame for each voyage. But sometimes he would just walk through the door, surprising everyone,” Prea said, her voice surprisingly steady.

“There are times when I actually forget that he’s gone and he’s not going to walk through the door at any moment. Then something will remind me and the guilt over my forgotten grief leaves me reeling. It’s not as if I feel his loss every day; there isn’t a gaping hole in my life where his presence had been. We would go weeks, months even, without seeing him. I had become so used to not seeing him.”

“I’m sure that’s normal for someone in your situation,” he offered.

“I don’t even know what normal is anymore, to tell you the truth. I don’t know what anything is really. There’s only one thing I know for sure—my brother and sister need me. I have to find this stone if I want to save my family…what’s left of it.”

“What are they like, Alvie and Carr?” Prea skipped a step at Kael’s question, shocked that he remembered their names. Maybe she shouldn’t be that surprised, she thought. She did talk about them only last night. Maybe he actually cared what happened to her brother? That possibility hadn’t crossed her mind.

“Alvie is…the most intelligent person I know. It almost seemed like she shared a mind with our father, their connection was that substantial. It was impressive to watch them together, though most of the time it appeared as though they were barely interacting. I even made a game out of it when I was younger—watching them, trying to decipher clues about their conversation,” Prea described, laughing lightly. “I was never very good at it and I stopped playing once Carr came along. He’s always been a handful, playing games, fighting with me on every little thing. But he’s a good kid, always happy. And he has an amazing ability to brighten even your darkest day. It’s his secret talent.”

“I always wished for a brother or sister, someone to play, to share, to grow with. Someone who knew me inside and out, understood me.” He paused. “And on a selfish note, I wished for someone to draw attention away from me, bear some of the burden.”

Honesty. Prea noted that in her mind. He was kind, caring, protective and honest. Does he have any faults? she asked herself. It didn’t seem like it.

“There’s nothing like siblings; you can love them and hate them, mostly at the same time. Alvie and I are very different and we don’t always get along, but Carr and I are very close. I would do anything for either them,” Prea said emphatically. “I’m sure it’s not that way with all siblings, but it is for me.”

“Just the same, you don’t have to go through life alone,” Kael muttered under his breath, so low Prea was sure he didn’t mean for her to hear it.