skin had darkened to the
ebony of the night. All but her blue lips. She was taller. The blade rest
against her chest. Though Aryaunna was startled, she dared not pull back.
“Stay
away from my sister. Leave us. We’re nothing to you. Let us be on our way!” she
demanded as she looked up into Lena’s silver eyes that shone clearly in the
night.
“Your
sister, I fear, would not make it back to Kenan, let alone anywhere safer,” the
deep voice informed.
“I
will see to her safety just fine, thank you.”
“I
am sorry if we frightened you, Emissary. You must understand we had to be sure
you are who we’ve been waiting for. Please, allow us to help you.” Lena smiled
lightly, silently asking for Aryaunna to trust her still.
“You
are welcome to fight Lena. She will defeat you with ease. But the longer you
draw this out, the longer your sister will suffer. Is that what you want,
Aryaunna?”
“I
want a great many things. However my sister’s suffering is not one of them.”
Stepping back, she sheathed the knife at her side. Without hesitating she
turned her gaze away from them and stooped down to Elizabeth’s side. She did
not look well. Cupping her hand to Elizabeth’s cheek, she felt fevered flesh.
Elizabeth
smiled sadly, as if in defeat. “I’m sorry, Ary,” she whispered to her as a tear
brimmed over her eye.
“I
swear to you, on my life, you shall be safe with us in the Hollow, Aryaunna,”
his voice sounded from just behind her. “The both of you.”
“And
I shall hold you to it,” Aryaunna warned. Reaching out, her arms cradled
Elizabeth to her and eased back up to pull her sister to her feet.
A
strong hand supported Aryaunna’s back as another took Elizabeth’s arm. “We
still have a ways to walk yet. Please, let me take her.” Looking up, Aryaunna
was surprised by the face that loomed above hers. He’s chosen to appear
human for me, she thought.
Elizabeth
looked up to him and studied his features openly. “Do I not get a say in this?”
she asked boldly.
A
smile crossed his lips as he stepped back fluidly. His chin was all they could
see beneath the shadows of his hooded cloak. It was a strong chin, with an
amused smile on fair lips. “But of course, my lady. Walk to me, and I will
allow you to make your own way.” He stood but ten paces from her. “Without
falter of course.”
Elizabeth
had always been independent. Challenging aid did not surprise Aryaunna in the
slight, though the gleam in her eye and the twist of Elizabeth’s lips did.
Pulling from Aryaunna, she walked slowly, light of foot across the whitened
earth. The air hushed as Lena and Aryaunna watched them closely.
Elizabeth
stepped so tenderly that even the crush of the snow underfoot could nary be
heard. Her fawn like grace brought her to stand before him. She did not falter
once. “You’ve succeeded.” There was a tenor of pride in his voice for just a
moment before it was displaced with a mild scorn. “At what price, I wonder? Is
your pain a worthy expense to compensate your ego?”
“Indeed,
it is.” Elizabeth smiled sweetly, even going so far to give him a small curtsey
before she turned on her heel to rejoin her seemingly stunned sister.
“You’re
going to regret that, aren’t you?” Aryaunna whispered under her breath against
her as she took her arm for aid.
“Oh
yes, I already do.” Elizabeth was generally mild natured, but there were times Aryaunna
wondered if that was no more than learned behavior from the Church. She had
another side to her, a side no one really even knew, for she had hidden it from
the world since she was six. Sometimes, she wondered if Elizabeth even knew it
was there.
Stooping
down, she swept the cloak up from the forest floor where it had been left to
lay. It was not too wet. It would at least help keep the wind off her. Aryaunna
twisted the cloak, allowing it to billow from her fluid motion until it lay
over Elizabeth’s shoulders, and clasped it over the one already