Heart Song Read Online Free Page B

to form the words evenly, though the last word shook slightly on the way out.
    Silence returned to me. I turned to look at him only to see the doors to the room closing. I let out a huge breath that made me feel like I could slide to the floor of the balcony and cry. My heart beats sounded loudly in my ears. I felt exhausted and worn. I turned and looked over the trees one final time. A dark figure moving below caught my attention. I looked down just as they looked up. I felt a jolt to my heart and, for unknown reasons, thought again of Marren. I forced myself to turn around and walk back into the room.
    I grabbed a few pillows from the bed and threw them to the floor in front of the fireplace. I laid on top of them and stared at the fire, letting the tears fall, hoping they would wash away my cares by morning.

3
Unsettling
     
    I didn’t intend to fall asleep on the floor. My body felt stiff and unwilling to move. Enid stood over me, trying to wake me gently, “A'lainn, you must wake now. Marren wishes to see you.”
    “Then he can come to me. Not the other way around,” I muttered sleepily.
    “Very well, I will tell him that, but there is something I would like to show you as well.”
    I nodded, sat up, and watched Enid approach the bench to grab the robes. He walked back over and handed them to me. “Oh, the bump is gone. Put these on, I will meet you outside.”
    “I’m a fast healer,” I said and took the clothes. I waited until he left the room before changing. A pair of black boots fell out of the folds along with a straight bodice, obviously for keeping my breasts in place. But it did look rather odd.
    I dressed the best I could, trying to use my memory of the way they were on Marren and Enid as a guide. It wasn't too complicated. Actually, it was much easier than it looked. I pulled the boots on and wrapped the laces around the leg of them a few times and tied them. I left the hood off of my head and placed the clothes I had taken off back on the bench, then walked out the door.
    He nodded with approval then said, “Follow me.”
    I walked behind him down the hall and along the balcony above the corridor. He descended the stairs with me in tow. We walked to the doors that had been closed when I saw them the day before.  This time, they were opened into the room, allowing bright sunshine to filter out into the corridor. Windows filled the outer walls of the room. I stood by myself after stepping through the door. It was the ball room, large enough to hold hundreds of people . Large stone statues, sitting in front of each window, lined the far wall of the room. The statues were of creatures that were banished from the mortal realm of existence. 
    The first was a centaur warrior, in what I would assume would be life sized proportions if they still existed, poised with his bow in hand and an arrow ready to be loosed on his target. His face held a serious expression, as his eyes fixed on a spot ahead of him. A large quiver of arrows was strapped to his back. His hair, in many tiny braids, was pulled back. Another was of a d warf, also lifelike in size, clad in battle armor. His long beard was divided into two braids and reached the belt around his thick waist. In front of him, with his arms resting on the t op of the blades, was a dual ax . The next statue was possibly the most beautiful and captivating of all.  An elf, tall, sleek, and elegant stood wearing a smooth gown and a delicately crafted belt around her waist. She held her right hand over her heart with her head bowed, as if in a silent prayer. Her other hand remained at her side, h olding a flower resembling a large poppy.
    The end of the room held a massive fireplace. It took up nearly the entire wall.  Surrounding it were floor to ceiling shelves filled with more books than I had ever seen. It was hard to believe that there had been so many written.  The wood was dark and had a red glossy finish to it. They were smooth and plain, without the