Aaerynn didn’t make it far from the camp. Eventually she dismounted and found shelter beneath a tree whose roots had been hollowed out. She sat and pulled her knees up to her chest, listening to the rain fall around her. Kai whined and laid down at her side, squirming his head into her lap. Aaerynn gently stroked his head but her eyes were focused on the tree’s roots and on her thoughts. Baineth whinnied and attempted to enter the small hollow, but ended up just sticking her head and neck in. A small smile cracked on her lips as she saw it. “Such fools, huh?” She spoke to the wolf as she grazed his ears and scratched his back.
That was when she felt it, Kai’s back tensing as his head picked up, and ears twitched. No later he was up on his paws, sniffing the air. That’s when her own ears twitched slightly, and Aaerynn shifted into a crouch. Her hand went to the hilt of her dagger, fingers curling around the leather. Baineth back stepped, looking over to something Aaerynn couldn’t see. Then she heard it.
“I cannot believe you are still a crybaby after all these years.”
It was a voice she hadn’t heard in over 180 years, and slowly Aaerynn stood and exited the hollow, coming face to face with her brother. He looked the exact same as in her memories. His long blonde hair fell to his shoulders, with his bangs braided along his hair line. His eyebrows were thick and dark, his jaw line sharp, with his nose prominent in the center of his face. His eyes were a mossy green as they looked down on her with a bemused look.
Kai stepped in front of her, his fur bristled and his teeth exposed but the elven man merely waved his hand and the young wolf retreated behind Aaerynn’s legs with a whine. Aaerynn merely stood there, a bit dumbfounded as she eventually responded. “I’m only passing through Lysander, I—.”
Lysander held up his hand again. “I am not Father nor am I a pesky wolf god. I do not care why you are here or what you are doing. I have my own matters to attend to.”
That was when she noticed his armor, gold plating and leather straps. His helmet was nestled under his arm and as Aaerynn looked around she caught sight of the other elven soldiers in the same get up. They paid her no attention though, as they continued their task of retrieving their arrows from the bodies of goblins, trolls and orcs. The elves had cleaned up the rest of the mess that had attacked them at the camp site.
Aaerynn’s light blue eyes finally returned to the sight of her brother as she murmured softly. “You haven’t changed at all.”
The elder wood elf quirked an eyebrow as he responded. “Neither have you. Except that you smell like a rotting old log. You are still so childish. Do you cry as often as you used to?”
Aaerynn frowned at the teasing, and was going to make a rebuttal but Lysander beat her to it. “You may lack the tears, little sister, but you are still as much of a coward as you were back then. Even now you are running away, are you not? Are you not leaving for the next continent?”
The female elf closed her mouth and looked at the ground. “How did you know?”
Lysander motioned to the wolf behind her. “You should not entrust your faith with the wolves. They are worse gossipers than the sparrows. You are merely lucky that Father has not caught a whiff of it.”
Aaerynn turned silent, feeling the grief and loneliness return in her chest. It beat against her rib cage, freezing up her insides. She had had enough emotional turmoil for the day. Her response came out as a whisper, “I’m not a coward.”
She watched as her brother’s nostril flared in disbelief, it was probably the closest thing to a snort that an elf like him could manage. He shifted his helmet to his other arm as he said, “Surely you must be jesting. Your entire life has been made up of taking rash decisions and not following through on them. All you do is run away sister. That is why you are suffering so dearly now, is it not? It is because you do not have the courage to face it, the courage to combat it. You want to suffer, and you hold onto your guilt and grief because you feel you deserve it and you are unwilling to change it. You are afraid of not suffering.”
Aaerynn shifted her weight from foot to foot in annoyance. Her fingers continuing to curl and uncurl into fists. “That isn’t true.”
“Yes, it is.” Lysander scoffed. “Tell me a decision you have made where you took responsibility and where you followed it through with your actions. You cannot because you never have. Someday you have to face your life and the choices you make, you cannot continue living as if it is not worth it. I have no pity for you.”
Aaerynn turned silent. Her mind was frantically searching for one decision she had made and stuck with, one instance where she didn’t run…but she couldn’t. She had always been running. She had always changed her mind and was never able to follow through. That was always the point at which something bad happened, someone was hurt or left dead because of her. She had never faced anything in her life. Perhaps that was what she was, a coward.
She didn’t want to be a coward anymore.
Aaerynn didn’t notice that her brother had stepped towards her until he put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise and he stepped back, his hand returning to his side. Lysander looked away as he said, “I apologize. I have wanted to say that to you for some time. I have heard things about you, you know. Having a chance to see you in a hundred or so years, I did not want to waste it. I hope you heed the advice, from one elder brother to his younger sister.”
Aaerynn remained silent, but she looked up at him, taking in his face. She wanted to remember this. He had risked a lot to talk to her, seeing him after so long was making her feel nostalgic as well. First Rudolf and now her own brother. Perhaps it was time for her to take the hint, and face everything. She didn’t want to run away anymore. She was tired of playing the coward.
Her thoughts were interrupted as another elf approached her brother, handing Lysander an arrow covered in orc’s blood. The elf whispered in a low voice, too low for Aaerynn to hear, and Lysander dismissed the elf as he held the arrow up to the rain to observe it.
The female elf finally found her voice as she changed the subject. “How long have they been appearing?”
Lysander’s eyes didn’t move from the arrow as he answered. “It has been about a decade now. They suddenly sprang up and have been causing havoc ever since. We get rid of one group and another pops up.”
Aaerynn frowned as she too looked at the arrow. “One of the goblins had been screeching about elven hearts and a ‘he’ that is coming back.”
Lysander gaze flicked to her face but he didn’t seem surprised. “They always mutter such nonsense. They grew powerful during the Dark time, now with any sniff of bad luck on the wind, they drool like starving dogs. Though, be wary sister, about your heart. We were cherished by the Dark Emperor because of it. It is said he took elven hearts, and grinded them up into a solution. He believed it increased his magic capability and strength. That the seed in our hearts has potency for strange and miraculous strength.” He paused, cleaning off the arrow’s tip as he continued, “Really it must have been a bluff, an excuse to murder our people. Do not believe the mutterings of goblins and trolls, they know nothing but to continue living in their pasts.”
The she elf frowned, not entirely sure if her brother was telling the whole story. But she watched as he decided to toss the arrow and said, “That reminds me. You have an Aavikkanian in your midst. He seemed to have dealt most of the damage of your party, and allowed us to clean up much quicker than usual.”
Lysander whistled and a canteen was tossed over to him. “Give this to him.” He handed the canteen to Aaerynn, who took it with a quirked eyebrow. Lysander smiled at the curiosity. “He has made many friends with the wood elves. This was originally from someone in the South, but tell him it comes with thanks from the North. We do not want to send him off without a reminder of his friends.”
Aaerynn just stared confused at the canteen, but then she looked up at Lysander. “How do you know I’m even going back?”
Lysander had already moved away from his sister, returning to his soldiers that were already disappearing into the wood. “Because it is your time, Aaerynn. Either change or die.” He gave her one last smile, but then fumbled into his pockets and suddenly tossed her a glass bottle. “Here, a gift from me. So that you also do not leave without a reminder of your family.”
By the time Aaerynn caught it, the elves were already gone, leaving her alone with Baineth, Kai and the rain.
As the rain seemed to lighten, and the clouds filled with white light from the hidden sun, Aaerynn returned to camp. She was drenched from the rain, her hair curling and wet as it stuck to her skin. She was silent as she walked into the clearing, leading her horse and the young wolf behind her.
Her eyes slowly looked up to see that Elrithos had spent the rest of the night outside, and she approached him slowly. He was already awake and Aaerynn unslung the canteen and handed it to him. “It is a thank you, from the North and South elves. It smells like the traditional sweet juice, so be careful when you open it.”
Her voice was softer, and she looked beaten down both physically and mentally. But there was something new inside her, not yet courage and not yet happiness, but it was something. Determination, perhaps.
The wood elf wasn’t able to hear the desert elf’s reply as Rudolf suddenly burst out of the canvas covered cart, puffing in surprise as he said, “Aaerynn!”
Aaerynn shifted her gaze away and felt Baineth nudge her in the back as encouragement. Eventually she said, “I’m….sorry.”
The words were dragged out as if she were pulling her own teeth. Her hands clenched into fists, but she finally looked at the dwarf. “I want to continue the journey. If it’s alright.”
She wasn’t expecting the dwarf’s arms to snake around her, nor for her to be lifted off her feet. He squeezed her and her eyes widened as the dwarf said, “Of course, of course! My you’re soft!”
That granted him a swift knee in the gut, and the dwarf let go with a laugh. “C’mon then! Let’s get ready! We should hit the next town soon!”
The camp filled with the bustle of everyone getting ready. It was faster than usual, the anticipation to reach a town with an inn, warm beds and warm baths was enough to get most of the party bustling.
Setna had adjusted his sister so that he could carry her on his back. There was no way he was going to leave her on a cart where he couldn’t hear her breathe. The thought terrified him, and he’d rather carry her the few miles than deal with her dying or waking up without him beside her.
The boy was surprised though as the wood elf drew near, and asked him, “How is she?”
Setna looked back at the unconscious face of his sister. “Better, I think.”
His gaze went back to Aaerynn and he smiled for her. “Mostly thanks to you. I’m sorry I didn’t thank you before, I honestly don’t think she would have survived as long as she has without your medicine. So…thank you. I don’t have anything to pay you with but…”
Aaerynn looked awkward, and her gaze shifted away as she continued walking past the boy. “Just tell me when she wakes up, and I’ll take a look at her.”
Setna looked back at the wood elf. There was still some ice in her words, but it seemed like she was trying to be more sociable.
The boy shifted his sister’s weight, feeling her limp body against his back. All he needed was for her to wake up and to keep pushing forward. After she would wake up, Tirian would train her, and Setna would take up the offer for training with Elrithos. They would both become strong, and things would get better.
The Syndarean lifted his head as he heard Rudolf whoop and the oxen began to trot. That’s right, things would get better. “They have to…” He mumbled to himself, as he began to walk forward, Deetri the horse following behind.
Aaerynn had moved on from the twins to Caelis. The man looked extremely battered and the wood elf had retrieved a pain relieving salve from her pack. She approached slowly, feeling awkward again. "How are you doing? It doesn't seem like you're suffering from anything lethal so..."
She paused and this time she turned to Faith. There was no longer a sense of disgust as Aaerynn put on a brave face and attempted to shove down the bile and grief that raged up into her throat. She handed the young girl the salve. "This will make his wounds hurt less. Make sure that he uses it."
Her words came out rushed and just as she had appeared, she was gone, quickly returning to her animals so she wouldn't have to hear them respond, or look at their faces.
It didn’t take as long as anyone thought for them to finally exit the forest and enter the bustling town of Cromerth.
The town had prospered into a city, its roads paved with cobble stones, and all sorts of shops had their doors open for customers. A market had even been set up to sell fresh produce from the local farms and fresh meat from the finest butchers, all in the courtyard of a large cathedral that stood stark white against the sky.
As they entered the bustling town, Rudolf turned to his companions with a large grin. “Welcome to Cromerth! I will be heading to the Bronze Lantern Inn to set up our rooms and accommodations. Feel free to follow me or to split up and explore! Everything should be ready in a few hours, so feel free to meet back up at the inn when you’ve had your fill of the town.”