The Paladins of Naretia

  Chapter 28

  Aria ran faster than she had ever run before, only slowing enough so that the torch she carried wasn't extinguished by her speed. Save for the alarmed cries of the elves, the forest was unnervingly silent, and every snap of a broken twig under her feet, sounded out like a firecracker. Although she could not see them, she could feel the terrified stares of four legged creatures hiding in the thick brush, as they watched her run all the way back into Rhidwynn.

  Reaching the hollowed tree again, Aria was relieved to find Aramus still there. He seemed unaware of the commotion that was happening outside as he adjusted the leather strap of his satchel in the brightly lit meeting place.

  "Aria, what's the matter?" he asked, stepping toward her.

  "Didn't you hear the ground tremble?" she said, trying to catch her breath again.

  "I did. But why do you look so terrified? It's not as if the ground has never shook before," he said with a small smile.

  "No, not like this. Something is wrong, something is very wrong. Come outside and see." Aria grabbed Aramus by his arm and dragged him out into the pitch-black woodland. "Look at the sky, the moon has gone, and I can't see the stars anymore. Even the vines have disappeared and the elves cannot call them back again. I had to run all the way here."

  Aria breathed heavily as she searched the canopy where the night sky should have poked through, but her eyes failed to see anything other than the darkness. In all of her years alive, in all the stories she had heard about her kingdom, she had never encountered such a thing, and it terrified her. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of their situation, but it ran too fast to give her a reasonable explanation.

  Aramus turned toward her and his amber eyes rested on some indiscernible place on her face; her nose, her lips, she couldn't tell which. It was only then that she realised she was still clinging tightly to his arm.

  "Don't be scared," he said. "Ol?rin will know what to do."

  Aramus reached up and pushed some of the red curls away from her face. His hand followed the line of her jaw until it rested gently under her chin. Stepping closer to her, he raised her head until it was only a few inches away from his own. Aria felt a nervous thrill start in her belly and a deep flush ignite a heat in her cheeks. She was grateful for the darkness in that moment.

  "I won't let anything happen to you," he said, with a handsome smile.

  Aria couldn't help but smile in return. The chains around their necks loosened again and if she tried hard enough, Aria was sure she would be able to squeeze it over her head. But she didn't want to, not yet. She wanted to see if Aramus reflected any of the feelings that she seemed to have developed for him. Like a tidal wave that withdrew at the beginning, recoiled at the coast being so close to it, her feelings for Aramus had washed over her and destroyed the hate she had for him. But Aramus was always so irritatingly calm when they were in close proximity. The amber eyes she gazed into now, only served to remind her that he was still the son of Dantet, and her parent's murderer, no matter what she might feel for him.

  "Ol?rin said I am to bring you to him," she said, quietly wishing that Aramus would refuse to go for just a few moments longer. Aria was disappointed when he withdrew his hand.

  "Come on then, best not keep the wizard waiting. He might die of old age if we delay," Aramus said, taking hold of her around her waist and spreading his wings wide.

  Within seconds they were soaring through the air at a speed which Aria was sure would see them crash into an unseen tree. She dropped her torch and wrapped her arms around Aramus's neck, her eyes wide with fright.

  "Slow down, Aramus. It's too dark to see where you're going."

  "My eyes see through the darkness," he said, pulling her closer to him.

  Aria rested her head against his and closed her eyes tightly. It wasn't until she felt his powerful wings become still and they glided gently downwards, that she opened them again. She was relieved to see that they had arrived at the cave, safely. Ol?rin was waiting for them outside. He rushed toward them just as Aramus let her go.

  "Aramus, thank the Goddess you're safe," he said, the obvious worry on his old face now replaced with relief. "Do you know what has happened here?"

  "How could I know, old man?"

  There was still some animosity in Aramus's voice as he spoke to the wizard. Aria expected that it would take some time for the feeling of betrayal to fade.

  "What I meant was, can you see what has happened to the moon?" the old wizard asked wearily. "You have always had better eyesight than a worgen in the darkness."

  The children of Dantet were named Dark One's not only because of their allegiance with the Dark God, but because they preferred to hunt at night - their eyes able to see as clear as if it was day. It appeared that Aramus was no different. He stepped away from the cave and stared long and hard into the nothing.

  "All I see are vines," he replied. "Thousands and thousands of vines. They seem to be interlocked tightly with each other over the trees, as though they were some kind of shield. That's what is blocking the sky."

  "He's right. I can see them too," a strange female voice said from behind Aria.

  Followed by Mirathall, Thalia, and a few other elves who eyed her charily, was Sudia. Her long silver hair had turned a dirty grey colour. Only one eye was silver now, the other remained pitch-black. The veins that had pulsated across her body had all but disappeared, save for a few that still framed the edges of her face. Her once azure lips were a dusty grey, and her voice still hinted at the monster that once lay within her.

  "I can see much better in the dark now, hear much better too," she said, twisting her head from side to side, listening to all that was around her.

  "You could not cure her?" Aria asked Ol?rin quietly.

  Ol?rin didn't have time to answer. Sudia moved more quickly than Aria could see, and in the next instant, Aria found herself three inches off the ground, her neck clasped in Sudia's strong hand.

  "What did you say about me, whelp?" she hissed.

  Aria grappled at Sudia's hand trying to free herself. The elf had an unnatural strength about her, and no matter how hard she beat Sudia's arms, she couldn't loosen her grip. Aria gasped for air and stars began to dance around her periphery. It wasn't until Aramus's fist met with the elf's jaw, that she breathed freely again.

  "Keep your hands off of her," Aramus shouted, steadying Aria.

  "Ha! I should have seen it earlier," Sudia said, picking herself up off the floor and rubbing her jaw. Her deranged eyes followed Aramus's hands which were gently holding Aria by her waist. "You have feelings for this girl, don't you?"

  Aramus said nothing. He let Aria go and stood his ground, clenching his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. Aria could only feel anger coming from the necklace.

  "That is enough," Mirathall boomed.

  The old elf glided between the two with the drifting grace of a ghost. Her despondent silver eyes reflected the light from the oil lamps being carried by the other elves, and her expression was grave.

  "Sudia, there are terrible things afoot here today, some that we might never get answers for," Mirathall said, facing the elf. "But perhaps you might answer one of them. Can you tell me who did this to you?"

  Sudia's mood switched dramatically as she went from enraged, to distressed in an instant, like there was still some part of her that was still struggling against a darker side.

  "I? I don't remember," she said, holding her hand over her injured ear that was now missing its tip. "I remember the Geminum being handed to Ol?rin, but everything after that is a blur; snippets of memories that make no sense. But there was a voice, a dark voice that taunted me, told me to do things and? and I couldn't stop."

  "I see," Mirathall began, not looking directly at her. "Sudia, you have become like a daughter to me. Were it not for that fact, I do not believe your life would have been spared. This fact has made me guilty of favouritism. As it is, your purity is tainted b
y the dark blood of Dantet, but it seems that we cannot completely heal you of it. Your aggressive behaviour is not your own, and it does not belong within the elf community."

  "What are you trying to say?" Sudia asked, trying to catch the old woman's gaze, to no avail. "Are you going to try and kill me now?"

  "No," Mirathall replied quietly. "If we have seen fit to allow the half-breed of the Dark God to live, then balance dictates that we must also allow you to live too. But it cannot be within Elwood. There is no place for a grey-elf here."

  "A grey-elf, is that what I am? Neither light nor dark, but with the capability to turn to either side? You, of all people, should know that I would never turn my back on the elves. This wasn't my fault," Sudia barked, turning her furious gaze on Ol?rin. "I did not break my vows. I did nothing wrong. So why am I being punished for it?"

  "You are not being punished, Sudia, but we must protect our people. I am hopeful that Ol?rin's cure will continue to work within you," Mirathall said, drifting back toward Thalia. "But the wisest of us has decided that you should leave Rhidwynn, leave Elwood, and not return until then."

  Aria felt a sudden pang of pity for the elf, and she wasn't sure if it came from her or Aramus. Seeing as how the elf had just tried to choke the life from her, Aria assumed it did not come from her.

  "What am I to do? Where am I to go? If my own family won't accept me, who will?" Sudia said, her eyes wide, searching the fellow elves around her for an answer. They gave her none, and her lips curled around her teeth viciously. "So, you're going to let a child decide my fate? An impudent, smug, little rat like her? No, I will not allow it."

  Without warning, Sudia lunged for Thalia. The young girl ducked behind Mirathall's white robes and let out a squeak of fright. It was Ol?rin who stopped her, his long white staff pointing directly at the enraged elf, freezing her in place.

  "You may come with us," he said, releasing Sudia once she had calmed down.

  Aria's mouth dropped open.

  "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Aria asked him. "The children of Dantet have only ever wanted Aramus dead. What makes you think that she won't try to kill him too?"

  Sudia hissed at Aria, like a feral cat would hiss at its enemy. Her one silver eye and one dark eye burned into Aria as though she would love nothing better than to plunge a blade into her chest.

  "I am not a child of Dantet," she spat.

  "No, indeed you are not," Ol?rin replied. "If I have hope that Aramus can be cured, then it must stand to reason that you too can also be cured. This tragedy which has fallen on you, that occurred only because of our presences in your realm, is ours to resolve. If you swear your allegiance to our cause, your loyalty to me, then I promise to search for a way to cure you until my last breath leaves my body."

  Aria thought that Ol?rin looked suddenly older, like the weight of another burden had aged him. She also suspected that Ol?rin felt guilty for what had happened to Sudia, like it was his duty to rectify every mistake which Aramus had made. She also began to wonder if that was the true reason he had also brought her along, instead of releasing her. After all, they had already dispensed with her army of ogres and worgen, how much more damage could she really have done?

  "Fine," Sudia said. "I'll help you stop this prophecy if you promise to cure me afterward."

  "Agreed."