When Qenn awoke, Kandish was sleeping at his side. He breathed in her scent as her body pressed closer against him. He hesitated to move, not wanting to wake her. He couldn’t see her face, but he imagined it to look peaceful. In a better world, he thought, things would be more open between them and he could have put his arms around her. But she had not let him think that would be so now, and so he remained where he was.
Qenn knew he would have a hard time through the journey ahead without her. He was on the mission given to him by Shadox in part because he knew he had to, but also because he wanted to protect Kandish, as foolish as he thought that sounded now. If he ignored the sorcerer’s warnings and let things unfold as they would, the demons would advance on the Races and things of great beauty, such as Kandish, would succumb to terrible nightmares. He couldn’t let that happen.
The thin, narrow features of his face bent and hardened. He would see the mission through to the end. No matter what.
Qenn noticed Kamen’s men were awake, on watch as usual, and Prevost had taken over at the helm. He turned his head and found the big man sleeping under his coat at the end of the boat—a mass of brawn and anger. Qenn gingerly stood and quietly walked to stand next to Prevost. The morning sunlight brightened the peaks of the Shard mountains next to them, though the river was still in shadow. Animals were seen in the woods, and birds were abundantly chirping. Overall, Qenn thought, it was starting to feel like a good day.
Prevost greeted Qenn with a smile upon his arrival. “You look better today, elf.”
Qenn smiled. “I feel better. Optimistic, I guess.”
“Just hold true to your feelings when everything turns grey. Darkness has a way of sucking the hope out of you, and despair is not your friend.”
Qenn nodded. “Where are we now?”
“The woods to the right is called the Lyyn Forest. Home of your kin.” Prevost pointed.
“I’ve never been this far north,” Qenn admitted. “I’ve never been around the Elves.”
“That’s a shame. You should make it a point to get to know your people, Qenn. Know who you are.” Prevost smiled and patted Qenn on the shoulder.
“What about you? Where are you from?”
“Why, Tannindell of course.” He winked mischievously at Qenn. “I was an orphan. Grew up with a bunch of kids in a building owned by two couples that raised us all. Very spiritual group, they were. Though I guess not much of that ever stuck with me. I abandoned them when I was still young, thinking I needed to be someplace else. But I was just a boy; I didn’t know anything about anything. Learned a lot though, real quick. Tannindell is a tough city, no place for a wandering boy. There are plenty of folks out there that would take advantage of that, as I found out quickly.”
Prevost paused long enough for Qenn to think he was finished. Qenn wasn’t sure what to say. But then Prevost continued, turning to Qenn with regret in his eyes and something else that Qenn didn’t fully understand.
“Life is too hard to think that there’s no one out there willing to help, willing to stand against the wrongs. It’s far too often that heads turn in the other direction.”
He paused again, this time having a genuine smile. “That’s why I am with you. All of us, really. We’re all searching for something that is greater than ourselves. Your fight is the most worthy cause. We’ve been against those demons for some time now, and only now have a real idea of how to defeat them. This, I believe, is what all of my hard years have been spent training for. The darkest battle.”
Qenn watched Prevost turn away and said nothing in response. He stood at Prevost’s side feeling vulnerable and small. The men, and even Kandish, all had such different backgrounds, ones in which they became tested and hard. They all were fighters and tough minded, battle-scarred and emotionally wounded. They all had a story to tell. All of them, but himself. He had been through practically nothing. His life seemed so sheltered, compared to theirs. He had no stories of great danger or anything of that nature to relate to. These men fought against the Takers; he had fled them and never really stopped running.
As he turned away from Prevost and sat next to Kandish, he felt like a boy. One much in need of protection.
The sun was now high enough in the morning sky to be visible between the breaks of the trees, the dimness of dawn had faded away to the blue sky overhead, and the air was getting warmer by the hour. Kamen awoke and took the lead again, saying very little to Prevost as they stood at the helm, as Kandish slept for a few more minutes. When she awoke, Qenn was at her side. He smiled instantly. To his surprise, she smiled back. She sat upright and looked around, this time she stayed where she was.
“You should have woke me,” she said to Qenn, yawning.
“You should get all the rest you can,” he replied softly.
He was right, she knew. She didn’t want to offend him. “I know. I just don’t want to be asleep when everyone else is awake.”
Qenn looked away from her, expecting her to jump up and leave. But when he turned back to her, he caught her just then turning away from him.
“It’s so pretty out here. Peaceful.” Her voice was as soft as her skin.
“Prevost said we are at the Lyyn Forest. I would think the Elves would keep things peaceful.” Qenn stared off into the woods, wondering what it would be like to have grown up there, in the midst of an Elven civilization.
“Hungry?” Kandish held a handful of berries and offered some to Qenn. As he took a few, she smiled. “There’s things about me that I never wanted people to know. Things that have always kept people away from me.”
Qenn nodded. She was so beautiful, he thought. How could someone even think about hurting her. “You have to learn to take chances again. Not everyone reacts the same way.”
He stared into her luminous eyes and for the first time saw her as innocent. She had always been tough and edgy, her eyes full of a bitterness that he didn’t understand. But not now. He enjoyed the way she looked back at him. Then she looked away, rose to her feet and walked to the edge of the boat, staring down into the water.
Qenn didn’t move. He understood to give her time, give her space. Eventually she would speak to him again. It must be hard for her, he thought, to let someone in, to fully be able to trust someone again after shutting so many out for so long. She wasn’t used to it, he could tell. Time would change that. He hoped so anyway.
The sun rose high overhead when the group decided to put the boat on shore again to eat. The meal was the same, fruits and fish, fresh water from the cold Spira, and they sat around a small fire. Conversations were light, far and few between. Kamen offered them some insight as to their whereabouts, telling them they had a few more days adrift before they would reach the city of Tannindell where they would cross and head west. He spoke of the rumors that circled the areas thereafter. The Pikes, as he put it flatly, was inhabited by a Faerie creature. Anyone who came in contact with it, was never seen again. Prevost confirmed the rumor with a telling of a story he had heard while living in the city. This stole everyone’s attention, as Kamen had said after the story, because this was the place that they were headed to find a talisman.
The story left them all in a funk of despair.
Maybe Kamen was right and they were all headed to their deaths, Qenn thought.
They put the fire out and set out again up the mighty river. It was not long after that when Qenn felt a sense of being watched. He couldn’t explain it at first and said nothing for a few minutes until he realized what it was that he was feeling. His Elven senses were alarming him. He moved to the side of the boat and faced the woods, listening intently, straining his focus to see anything moving. The others began to take notice right away, joining him, concern mirrored on their faces.
“What is it?” Kamen asked.
“Did you see something?” Kandish added quickly. All of them were staring into the woods now, seeing nothing.
“No, I didn’t see anything. But I feel it. We’re being watched.” Qenn kept his face towa
rds the trees, his focus was deep, his pointed ears were bent back, his long eyebrows slanted down to the corners of his eyes. “We’re not alone.”
“I see nothing.” Kamen was growing angry. “If it were the demons, we would have seen them by now.”
“What else could it be? Who else would be tracking us?” Kandish wondered aloud.
“The Elves.” Qenn said it as a matter-of-fact. The others turned to him in question, but his conviction was enough. “I see them.”
But no one else could. They all strained their sight, blocking the sun as they could with their hands, asking Qenn to point them out so they could make sure. But Qenn simply replied that they were there, blending into the woods as much as the bark on the trees.
“Why can’t I see them?” one of Kamen’s men barked in frustration.
“Because you’re not an elf.” Prevost said with a half-smile. He gave up the quest to find what was not his to see, then walked to the head of the boat and stared up river. “If they don’t want to be seen, you’ll never see them.”
Qenn was given dirty looks by Kamen’s men, as they walked away mumbling to themselves. Kandish and Kamen remained at his side, staring back into the trees as if to make a statement. Kamen didn’t like not being able to see who was watching him, but he handled it better than Qenn would have thought.
“Prevost is right,” Kamen said almost to himself. “They’ll show if they want to. We have nothing they want, I suppose.”
Kandish put a hand on Qenn’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Qenn nodded. “I’ve never seen another elf.”
“They look like you. Just not as flimsy.” She joked. A broad smile flashed across her face before she broke out in laughter as he quickly turned his head towards her with a crushed look.
“What?”
Qenn could only laugh. It was nice to see her smile, he thought. A second later, he told her as much.
“Qenn!” Prevost pointed ahead and everyone ran to the front of the boat.
As the boat was coming around a bend in the river, a tall figure dressed in a blue silky gown stood on shore. He made no attempt to disguise himself from them, he didn’t even move as their boat came into view. Instead, he turned his head and watched them approach. As they came near, his hands lifted and motioned gently for them to move towards him.
“Who is it?” growled Kamen Ode. His men were ready to fight, already moving Qenn and Kandish behind them.
“Stay away from the shore,” Prevost offered. But the boat was drifting towards the man and no matter what they did, they could not regain course. “We’ve lost control.”
“He’s using magic!” cursed one of Kamen’s men.
“Steady yourselves,” Kamen whispered, one hand gripping a dagger at his waist.
As their boat reached a sandy shore, the man waiting for them smiled. One hand lifted and motioned for them to come ashore.
“Greetings. I am Terill Estrial of the Forest Elves. Do not be alarmed. I have waited for you to pass this way. I have something for you. Please, come.”
Terill’s plea could not be argued with. One by one they exited the boat. Qenn made his way to the front of the group with a twinkle in his eyes.
“What do you want with us?” Kamen Ode asked right away.
“I wish you peace, all of you.” Terill began, his smile fading gently.
Terill turned to Qenn and Kandish, staring at them for a few seconds. Then he spoke to their minds. You two are the saviors of us all. When he spoke out loud, it was only directed to them. “What are your names?”
Qenn smiled in return. “I am Qenn. This is Kandish.”
Terill smiled again. “An elf to replenish what other elves destroyed.”
Qenn introduced the rest of his company, but Lord Estrial didn’t seem to care as much. He merely nodded to them in a friendly fashion, saying nothing. Instead, he moved closer to Qenn and Kandish, placing his arms on their shoulders, escorting them away from their group. “I am a friend, an ally in the war which is coming.”
“How do you know who we are?” asked Qenn.
“Or what we are doing?” added Kandish.
“What I know is that you are running out of time. I am here to offer you what I can.”
Lord Estrial removed a staff from his gown and handed it to Qenn. It was long and narrow, dull in shine, light in weight, and didn’t appear to have anything special about it.
“What is this for?” Qenn asked curiously.
“It was created by Elven magic. It is a power that will hold what you cast to it. Use it in the LifeWaters. Find the Faerie creature there and get power from it. In turn, use that against the Mrenx Ku.”
Kandish and Qenn shared a dumbfounded look. More elves began to appear now behind Terill, walking closer to them. Kamen and his men moved closer to Qenn and Kandish.
“I don’t under—” Qenn began, but the other cut him short.
“Whatever you bind to it, will remain until you set it free. You will know when to use it, Qenn.” He turned to the others and nodded solemnly. “You are all very brave. We owe you our gratitude. You hold the world in your palms. Be strong.”
With a gesture of his hand, the group walked back to their boat with no further questions. Terill stood watching, a large group of Forest Elves standing beside him, some waving, others merely staring with concern. The boat was pushed back into the current, and all aboard watched the elves until they were out of sight.
“Even the Elves are worried about us,” Kamen remarked, checking out Qenn’s staff before walking to the bow once again.
“How will I know when to use it?” Qenn said aloud, if only to himself. “How will I know how to use it? I don’t have any magic. Maybe it was meant for you, Kandish?”
She shook her head. “It was meant for whom he gave it to, I think. You’ll just have to find a way to unlock its power.”
Qenn sighed. “That’s a lot to trust in.”
“Trust in yourself.” Prevost smiled. He left the two alone and walked back to stand with Kamen Ode.
“You have magic,” Qenn stated to Kandish. “What does it feel like to use it?”
Kandish’s face turned sour. “I don’t talk about the magic.”
Qenn decided not to press the issue. Out of them all, she was the only one who might give him some insight on how to use magic. And from what he gathered by her expression, using magic was something he might never want to do. But looking at the staff, he knew there would be a time for it. And though he didn’t fully understand the staff, he was actually more at ease now with it. He felt less vulnerable. He felt like he belonged with the group.
“It’s not a toy,” Kandish whispered.
She must have seen the smile on his face as he was looking over the staff. “I know.” He went back to looking a little less excited.
The rest of the afternoon came and went with no further interruptions as the sun sank below the Shard Peaks, illuminating the sky in a purple wash. The night sky slowly crept in, bringing with it clouds and a cool wind. Qenn, Kandish, and Prevost camped out in their normal spots under the tent spending most of their time looking at Qenn’s staff and making idle talk about it, thinking aloud what possibilities that it could do.
“I would also be concerned about what the magic would do to you in return, Qenn. That is something to consider.” Kandish said with some sympathy.
“Well, I’ll let you two dwell on this by yourselves.” Prevost smiled, rose to his feet, then wrapped himself in his coat behind them. Kamen was on first watch, with another one of his men watching the rear. Everyone else began to sleep.
Qenn sat close to Kandish. The night was growing dark around them. There was very little light to navigate. The mountains to their left appeared to be a black curtain, and the woods to their right didn’t fare much lighter. Once they saw a giant black bird sweep down into the water and pluck something from it before disappearing back into the sky. The bird was as big as their boat. It made them sit closer togethe
r, moving more in the center under the tarp.
It was a while before Qenn asked Kandish what was troubling him. “What did you mean when you said that magic always affects its user?”
She took a moment to respond, but when she did, she looked right at him. “By using it, it attaches a piece of itself to you. A bonding, I guess. Maybe I don’t know how to explain it. But I’ve seen it change people.”
“Is that why you don’t like to use yours?” The look she gave him suggested that it was more than that. They were quiet for a few minutes then.
“Qenn, we are in this together. We have a bond, I think.” She looked at him in short intervals, looking away when she stopped to choose her words.
“The Seer told me things, things that will happen, things that we need to make happen. She told me that something bad was going to happen to you, that you would need me. But I was not going to be able to help you. She said that we would need to stick together to avoid any danger to each other. We are connected, she said. Do you believe her?”
“Don’t you?”
“I do. You might not believe me, but since I met you I’ve felt a connection.” She stared at him now, seeing a mask of shadows. “The Seer told me that we need to trust each other in order for us to succeed. I think she meant me, because she knows that I don’t trust anyone. But she’s right. You’re right. I need to trust again. I want to.”
“But you’re scared. You’re scared that I will see you the same way that everyone else did.” Qenn reached over and held her hands. They were warm. “What I already know about you, makes me want to know more about you.”
He felt her hands quiver, but didn’t realize she was crying until tears dropped on them. “Kandish?”
“Qenn,” she sobbed, “I don’t want you to hate me, too.”
Qenn brushed his hands across her cheeks, wiping the streams of tears away. He held her face then with both hands, gently brushing back her hair. The tears stopped then, and a few moments later she was able to talk again. Qenn held her hands.
“When I was a little girl, my father began teaching me about potions. He could make a potion to heal anything but death, and he could make others that would kill anything instantly. He had been using magic when he had met my mother and tried teaching her as well. From what I hear, she understood it far better than he. She died giving birth to me. And when I was about five, we found out that I had been born with magic. It was the effect of my mother’s usage. Somehow it was transferred to me during the pregnancy. This delighted my father so much. He spent hours every day trying to figure out my power and what I could and could not do with it. I didn’t enjoy it sometimes, but it made us close, and after losing my mom, I was really all he had left.”
Qenn squeezed her hands, his thumbs caressing in circles. He kept quiet, waiting for her to finish.
“And then one day we were outside in the field and he wanted me to do something that I had not tried yet. We stood between two trees. I was touching them both. He wanted me to try to uproot them, to use my power to pluck them out of the earth. The trees were big, strong. I tried and couldn’t. He pushed me harder. I failed again. Then he started yelling at me to do it. I remember that I was crying and just wanted him to stop screaming at me. I just wanted to please him; I just wanted him to leave me alone. Then all at once I felt my body tingle and a heat surged through my body in a nauseating wave. There was a flash of light. When I opened my eyes, he was dead. I had killed him.”
She felt Qenn stop rubbing her. She wanted to look away from him, but as dark as it was she couldn’t see what he was thinking anyhow. But then she decided she wanted to know.
“What are you thinking, Qenn?”
His voice was soft. “I am so sorry for you, Kandish. I don’t know what to say. It was an accident. You didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“When people learned what had happened, I was called a witch and forced out of my town. I had no place to go, no one would take me in. They burned my home to the ground. Some of them hunted me like an animal. So I ran. I ran as far as I could. But it didn’t seem to matter. Everywhere I went, someone knew something about me. Someone was always trying to ransom me, or use me in whatever way they could.”
She paused, smiling sadly, before finishing. “I can kill people who have magic. Who would want anything to do with me?”
“I love you,” Qenn said instantly. His heart ached for her. All he wanted was for her to feel loved. So he said it.
He squeezed her hands. “I want you to know, I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.”
She tried to say his name, but cried. She could not stop. She reached over and held him close, feeling his arms wrap around her tight. It was a wall breaking within her; they were words she never thought she’d hear again.
Qenn held her until she stopped shaking, though he was not sure if she had ever stopped crying when she kissed him then rolled over, asking him to lay close to her. He did so without hesitation.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE