Arkin was impressed with Sasha. She was smart and noticed more than she let on. She wasn’t as good as him, however. Maybe in time and with some training, but not yet. “I have to figure out what they know,” he thought. “So what is it?” he said confidently.
She had lost. There was no way around it. Legon had given them away. Arkin had been waiting for today. “Purple,” she said.
“I was hoping you were going to say green.” She could hear the sadness in his voice.
“Why green? What’s wrong with purple?” she asked in a calm but commanding tone.
“Green means that you’re not part Elf. Any change in color means that you are.”
“So what does that mean, Arkin?” asked Legon, looking agitated but not unsurprised.
“It means that one day the Elf in you will die and you will be full blooded human. Or the day will come when the Human part will die and you will be full Elf. The change in color shows that the Elf side is winning.”
She noted the resignation in his voice; he didn’t want this to be true. He wanted Legon to be full human, but why? Elves were immortal. The thought came to her then: But humans are unnoticed. Legon was looking down at his drink. She knew the same thing was going through his mind. There was no need to ask Arkin about how or when it would happen; the day would come when he would change.
“Why does the queen hate the Elves? I need to know why she is going to hate me or why she already does,” Legon said.
“I will tell you, but you need to save your interruptions to the end. I will have to give you some history and you will have to accept that what I tell you is true, and that I will not answer all of your questions. Does that work for you?”
“Yes,” said Legon. Arkin turned to look at Sasha. “Yes,” she said.
“There was a time when Elves were like humans. They died just like us and lived just like us. There was no magic. They were led by two Dragons—two brothers, one whose scales where white as pearl and glittered with brilliance, and the other whose scales were black as coal and pulled the light from the sky. One was good and the other evil. I don’t know too much more about how they parted or what all happened, but the Elves say that when they did they used magic so strong that they can’t take physical form anymore. I don’t understand it, so don’t ask.” Arkin sipped his tea and continued.
“Up to this point only the two dragons could use magic, and after they disappeared, magic was available to all. The Elves split into the three races: the Elves, the Iumenta, and Humans. I don’t know how this happened, but the Elves claim it did. The Elves were loyal to one of the brothers and the Iumenta to the other, and it was at this point that Dragons began to appear in the land. You see, if a magic user gets strong enough he will ascend and become a dragon.”
Legon always knew that Dragons were strong in magic, but now he began to appreciate just how strong. He couldn’t imagine the power it would take to turn a person into what he’d seen in his dreams. He knew now that what he’d seen in his dream was one of the brothers. He didn’t know how he knew this but he did, and the knowledge was frightening. Arkin was going on. Legon focused, trying to catch everything. He could think later.
“To put it simply, the Elves and Iumenta are blood enemies. The Iumenta went to the wastelands to make their home. They rebelled against anything that connected them to the Elves. There came a time, however, when they realized that humanity could be of use to them. Not only could humans be used for labor, but they could be a tool for destroying the Elves.”
Sasha interrupted. “How can humans destroy the Elves? Humans are weak compared to Iumenta and Elves.”
“Humans can do the dirty work,” Legon answered. “They can fight and die, and that will save an Iumenta’s life.” The thought was disgusting to him, that one race would use another to kill its enemy. At the same time, the logical side of his mind said, “It’s an effective plan if you view the fighting force as animals.”
“And humans breed faster than Elves and Iumenta so their stock will never run dry,” Arkin added. “Humanity is the perfect resource. It is easy to control with magic and dragons; it will work hard, breed hard, and kill your enemy. There is some extra pleasure in turning humans against Elves, as the Elves have always been advocates for our race.”
Something Arkin said didn’t seem to stick.
“Arkin, how are we easy to control with Dragons and magic?” After Legon spoke he could see that Arkin was impressed by his perception.
“That is a good question for another time, but suffice it to say that Dragons influence the people in whatever area they are in, so the minds of those around can be turned to what the dragon desires. This is how the Iumenta took control. It was a slow process, taking over a hundred years. They won us by planning and stealth. They didn’t make a military move against the Elves and free lands until they had the noose around our necks. Is there more you want to know?”
“Yes, what does Legon’s tattoo mean?” asked Sasha politely. She was impressed how Arkin managed to give them a huge amount of information and not answer their question.
“Ah yes, the tattoo. I almost forgot. It’s a crest, as I’m sure your parents told you. Every Elf child is given one at birth. It is put on by magic and does not cause the pain that our tattoos do when they are applied. Furthermore, it can be altered. That tattoo is unique to you and only you. The dot in the center represents your marital status. When an Elf gets married that dot is hollowed out and an exact replica of their partners tattoo is placed within. The only other thing that I have heard is that when an Elf comes of age the tattoo will change color, and that color will stay the same for the rest of their life. Now have I answered your questions?” he asked tentatively.
“Yes, thank you Arkin. We’d better go now,” said Legon. When he spoke Sasha noticed him scratch above his left ear. This was a sign they made for each other to say “It’s time to leave”.
They had many such signs. They came up with them when they were little as a way of getting around their parents when they did something wrong. It came in handy later in life. Sasha could remember several situations that Legon told her to leave before a fight would break out, or times when she had warned him of impending danger. She didn’t need the warning twice because like Legon, she could tell that Arkin was not only holding back information, but he may not have been the person they had always thought him to be. She wasn’t sure if he was a threat, but she wasn’t going to take the chance now.
They got up and gave their goodbyes to Arkin, who walked with them to the door. As they left he touched Sasha’s arm. “I know what is going on in your head, but I’m not an enemy, and I’m not with the Iumenta. Think about it and you will see.” She nodded and walked out the door.
The sun felt good as they walked out of the shop and headed toward the town’s central market to get produce for dinner that night. They seemed to move with semi-awareness of the people around them, and didn’t notice when people waved at them or greeted them in any way. There was so much to think about and all of it was way too big for both of them. Dinner was also a haze. None of the family seemed to want to talk. Legon originally planned on talking to Sasha that night about what they’d heard, but both agreed that they needed a good night’s sleep before thinking about anything.
Sasha lay awake in bed long after Edis and Laura had fallen asleep. Her mind moved with the slow rhythm of her father’s snores from the room next to hers. She was still thinking about what Arkin had said about one side of Legon dying and the other living. It sounded so… so brutal, she thought. She shuddered at the thought of part of herself dying. Or maybe it felt good? She wasn’t sure. The concept boggled her mind. She heard a sound to her right, coming from Legon’s room. He was having another dream, and no wonder after the day’s news. The sound made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. There was something scary about it. She heard the whimpering and wondered which brother was coming for him tonight. She didn’t know how she knew it was the t
wo dragons, but somehow she did, and this was even more frightening to her.
She wondered if he would remember it. She thought about going and waking him up, but she stopped. “Maybe his dreams can help us figure this out,” she thought. It felt cruel to leave him, but at the same time something tugged at her mind, telling her to lay down and that all was well tonight. As this thought came to her she began to feel better about the situation and had a hard time concentrating on the problems at hand. She was having a hard time thinking at all. It wasn’t like an episode, but she felt herself losing control of her mind. “Is magic being used on me?” she thought. The feeling of emptiness tugged harder at this thought. “Well if it is, I don’t think it’s… it’s….” She didn’t finish the thought before she fell asleep. It was a deep sleep, a peaceful one, probably the most peaceful she’d had in a long time, and certainly the most peaceful she would have in the near future.
Chapter Six
The Plan
“When I asked the master about life’s movements, he told me that he likened life unto a river. When I asked what he meant he said, ‘Picture yourself as a drop of water. Now see yourself on top of a great hill. Where would you like to go? What land would you like to bring life to with your moisture or, conversely, what land would you flood? Now step off the edge of the mountain and flow down; the rapids and twisting of the river is your life. Plan for the destination and the direction; after that, hang on tight.’”
-Conversations in the Garden
Sasha knelt down to pick a mushroom that was growing at the base of a tree. As she pulled it out bits of moss came with it. The moss was all over the tree’s roots, which gave it the appearance of having a green rug wrapped around its base. It was still relatively early in the day. The morning dew still glistened on the plants and the air was sweet and clean. Her mother had sent to her to the woods to find certain rare mushrooms that she used for healing various ailments. Sasha placed the mushroom in a little basket that was on her shoulder and stood up. As she stood she noticed a little bean-sized black beetle crawling up the tree trunk. She smiled, not at the memory of having one of these creatures in her soup, but at the thought of getting back at Legon. More important, this was her last memory of a life that was innocent and seemly free of magic, Elves, and Dragons.
Of course, it had never really been free of these things. They had always been there and she just hadn’t known about it. She wondered what else had affected her world that she was now blissfully unaware of. It had been three days since they had talked to Arkin; three days of going into each other’s bedroom after their parents fell asleep to talk about what they thought was going on. Three days of Legon’s nightmares. He didn’t wake from them anymore, and he didn’t remember details in the morning. She noticed that if she came in while it was happening and spoke to him as he slept he would calm down a bit. She felt a pit in her stomach as she thought of the years that Legon had been doing the same thing for her, the times he had needed to restrain her and spend hours comforting her. She stepped over a fallen tree and looked on the ground for more mushrooms. She found one and walked to it.
Her mother sent her mainly because she was so good at finding things in the forest. They just seemed to leap out to her. I wonder why I’m so good at this, she thought. I guess it’s like the games I used to play at Arkin’s when I was a little girl. Arkin had spent many days watching Sasha when her mother was busy with a patient. He had played all kinds of interesting games with her, some with memory and others with finding things. She marveled at how the games she’d played as a child now helped her as an adult. The teacher was also interesting, especially lately.
Legon and Sasha had decided that Arkin was not working for the empire and that he probably wasn’t a major threat. They came to this conclusion after Legon made the observation that Arkin had taught him, Barnin, and Kovos everything they knew about fighting. It wouldn’t make sense to train your enemy how to fight. He had also taught Legon everything he knew about hunting, from tracking to stalking. In truth it scared her to see that many of the skills that seemed so unique and important were taught by one person.
She continued to walk, looking for places that the mushrooms would be. They had also decided that just because Arkin wasn’t an imminent threat didn’t mean that he wasn’t a threat. The fact was, they didn’t know how Arkin knew as much as he claimed and why he had taught them so much. Their training, because they now saw it for what it was, was different for both of them. There were similarities, but no two lessons were the same. He’d used memory games with both, so they both could remember everything with crystal clarity, and he had taught Legon how to fight and fight well.
Legon and Kovos went over to Arkin’s a lot as youngsters to learn how to fight with swords. Arkin would let them fight with wooden staves from the shop and gave them pointers. Kovos came out on top with the blade, although Legon was also extremely good. Arkin also taught them hand to hand combat. They always assumed that he did this because of how often Kovos and Legon got into fights with people about Sasha, but the training was too good for brawlers. Nobody in town could hold a candle to either man. There was so much more going on that she couldn’t wrap her head around.
She diverted her attention to some birds pulling worms out of the ground. She felt for the worm. It was how she felt, like she was being pulled out of her world and thrown into a much larger and more dangerous one. She could only hope that, unlike the worm, she wouldn’t be eaten.
* * * * *
Legon was tired. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, and from what Sasha had told him, the sleep that he was getting was haunted by nightmares. They didn’t wake him up anymore, and he didn’t remember much of them in the morning, but he knew that they were still there but somehow a bit better.
He hefted a pork shoulder onto the counter, reached for a knife, and began to cut the meat. He should be thinking about what was going on with him and his Elven side, but right now he didn’t give a heap of dung about it. The only thing on his mind this morning was Sasha. He was going to come of age in one month, and that meant he was going to have to leave regardless of whether he became an Elf or not. He decided to go with the original plan of moving to another town and starting a life there, and if he became an Elf he would cross that bridge then. He would avoid large cities and probably move to a new territory to ensure that no one knew anything about his past.
The biggest problem was Sasha. Kovos was right; it would be impossible to get enough money to the family before next spring. She was going to have to come with him and Kovos. There was really no way around it.
He turned to his father. “I’m taking her with me.” His father didn’t need an explanation. He knew what Legon meant.
“Are you sure? It’s a big sacrifice. You won’t be able to get married or start a family of your own until she gets married or is able to live on her own, and neither seems likely,” he said, turning to look at his son.
“I know, but it’s the only way to give her a chance. I don’t like the idea. I don’t know what my life holds, and that may put her in danger, but we know what will happen if I don’t take her,” he said flatly.
His mind was made up. Sasha’s situation was precarious from any angle. If she stayed here she would be made a slave; if she came with Legon there was a chance that she would get hurt.
There was a little comfort in the thought of Kovos coming along. He knew that if things got bad he could always send Sasha to Kovos and that would at least give her a shot. He explained this to his father, who gave a deep sigh after he was done explaining.
“You think it’s a good idea, I take it?”
His father took his time answering. “No, I think it’s a bad one, but it’s also the only way. Your mother and I have always hoped that you would take Sasha with you when you left, but we didn’t want to press you one way or the other. It had to be your call because you are the one who has to pay the price.” His face was somber. Legon could tell that he hated the
thought of either of his kids being dealt a bad hand in life.
“I understand. Don’t worry dad, I’ll take care of her. I’m going to try and tell her later this week. She’ll fight me on it, but if you and mom back me then Sasha will cave in eventually.”
“You have our support, but we hate to have this happen to you two.”
“It’s fine. Everything will work out.”
In truth, part of him was happy at the thought of Sasha coming with him, but the other part was sad, not because of the future that he was probably giving up, but because he knew there was a hard road ahead. He didn’t want Sasha’s life to be any harder than it already was.
He decided to tell her the next day. He would take her on a picnic so even if she got upset, she wouldn’t be able to walk away and lock herself in her room. He knew that this was going to make her mad, not because she had little choice in the matter, but because she would see it as Legon throwing his life away. The biggest argument that he would have to make was that it was very unlikely that he would be getting married soon, if for no other reason than he didn’t know if he was going to be Elf or human and so he would always be in just a bit of danger. He finished with the pork and began to clean up. They would go in for lunch soon.
When they entered the house Sasha was home, standing over a pot and stirring. She turned and smiled at them as they walked in. “I hope you guys are hungry. I found some great mushrooms in the forest that I made soup with.”
“That sounds good, honey. Where is your mother?” asked Edis, taking a seat.
“She had to go over to see someone who fell off a horse and broke their arm or something. I don’t know much about it,” she said, carrying over the pot and placing it in the center of the table.
Now seemed as good a time as any. “It’s been nice lately,” Legon began. “Would you be up for another picnic, Sash?”
“Yeah, that sounds good. When were you thinking?”
“Oh I don’t know, how about tomorrow? We can go for lunch. How does that sound?”