Summary: A brief one-shot about a little-discussed character in The Sword of Shannara: Dayel's betrothed, Lynliss. Her thoughts and feelings about the war, her betrothed's part in it, and how she copes. It's not very involved, because it jumps from pre-book, to mid-end book to post-book very quickly. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: The characters and situations belong, in truth, to the master story-teller himself: Terry Brooks. Kudos to him for my favorite fantasy series of all time, and for growing up in Sterling, IL. It gives my dad bragging rights to have gone to school with the genius, and makes me feels all warm and fuzzy to think that I almost know him...okay, enough gloating. On with the fic!
"What I'm Giving Up"
Lynliss turned away from the window with a snap as his words sank in. "You're WHAT!?" she exclaimed, gripping the back of a chair for support. Her legs were suddenly weak. "You're leaving!? Now? Dayel, we're getting married in three days!" Her betrothed looked at her, large eyes silently begging her to understand that this was bigger than their marriage, bigger than their love.
"Lyn, I have a duty to our people, to the Four Lands. If I stay and marry you now, with the threat of invasion from the north hanging over us, I'll have to fight when the battle reaches us anyway. This way, I go a long way towards preventing that battle, and our fighting in it. You know I love you," he said, taking her pale hands in his and holding them tightly. "And I swear on my brother's head that I'll return to you and we'll be married. But this is something that I have to do."
"You're not even twenty," she protested feebly, knowing that his mind was made up and in a sense, she agreed with him. She'd go herself, if she knew that she might be needed. But she and her love had the same training, and the same skills, though she was possibly a better field healer than he. She would merely be extra baggage. Heaving a sigh, she leaned forward and kissed him gently. "If you don't come back, I shall never speak to you again," she offered forlornly.
He smiled and pulled her to him in a tight embrace, kissing her deeply. When he pulled back, his eyes shone with love. "Then I'd best return, hadn't I?" he countered.
"Go, before I change my mind," she whispered, seeing Durin waiting outside the door. She raised her voice. "If you fail to keep him safe, Durin, I shall be after your head!" The elder Elf nodded solemnly.
"You have my word that I will put my life before his," he promised, one hand on his heart.
"Just make sure you never enter a situation in which a choice is needed," she retorted. "I expect you both to be at my wedding!" Dayel grinned and squeezed her hand once more. She bit her lip to contain the tears and turned away. He made good his escape.
Three hours later, Durin and Dayel galloped hard from the palace, headed due east to the Dwarf settlement of Culhaven. Lynliss watched them until they were out of sight, her thoughts and prayers focused on the man she loved and his brother, whom she loved as her own.
Eventine found her in the armory, uncoiling a string for her bow. "I hear that you intend to join the battle at Tyrsis." She didn't say anything, silently checking the draw of the bow she held. The Elven king came up behind her and gently took the polished wood from her hands. "Lynliss, you know perfectly well that neither Durin nor Dayel want you placing yourself in danger for their sakes."
"I beg pardon, Majesty," she said haltingly. "But I don't recall asking what they want." To her surprise, he laughed.
"No, nor do I. However, I cannot allow you to join the battle. You have not yet even seen twenty years, and only think how it would look if I let my young cousin's betrothed be killed."
"You will 'let' me do nothing, cousin, for I plan on staying alive and seeing my wedding through. Nothing, not even one of your executive orders will convince me to stay behind this time. I let Dayel out of my sight once and I have not seen him for many months. I will see him again before the moon is full, and I will never let him out of my presence again."
Eventine sighed. "You are determined to do this, then?" She nodded and reclaimed the bow. "I was afraid you would say that. And I am sorry."
"For what?" she started to say. She never got it past her lips as the king hit her on the back of the head with his dagger's pommel. She crumpled to the floor like a sack of grain and he sheathed the weapon.
"For issuing an executive order." He picked her up, gently cradling her in his arms, and carried her back to her rooms in the palace. He placed her on the bed and pulled a blanket up to her shoulders. "I promised Dayel I'd keep you safe, no matter what," he said to her unconscious form. "And safe is where I'll keep you, if nothing else." He sighed and departed, wishing fervently that he hadn't needed to knock her unconscious to keep her in the palace. Of course, he could have merely tied her up, but he had a feeling she would have escaped from that rather quickly.
At eighteen, the fierce beauty had resourcefulness that even the best Elven Hunters didn't possess. He wouldn't even be surprised if she woke up before the army had departed, so he called to two guards and assigned one to guard the door. The other, he sent through the room and stationed him on the balcony, in case she woke up and tried to escape that way. She'd done it before.
All his bases covered, Eventine retired to his personal quarters to dress and arm. It wasn't long before he was mounted and giving the order to move out. He spared one last glance for the balcony of Lynliss' room and the guard there saluted smartly, causing a knot of tension in the king's stomach to dissipate. Well, that was one less thing to worry about.
Lynliss ignored the insistent knocking on her door and continued to read stubbornly. It had been almost two weeks, and she still had not forgiven the king for his measures taken to keep her in the palace. She would speak to no one and took meals in her rooms, sullenly avoiding human life.
This knocker was persistent, however. Finally, her patience wore thin and she got to her feet and stalked to the door. Throwing it open angrily, she opened her mouth to deliver a stinging rebuke to whichever servant had dared to disturb her this time. Her mouth remained open, but no sound emerged as she stared into the face of her betrothed.
His eyes sparkled merrily, and his hair was longer than she remembered. But he was gloriously alive and unharmed and smiling at her in a way that made her want to melt. "D-Dayel...?" she managed to stammer finally.
In answer, he swept into the room and pulled her into his arms, placing a kiss on her lips that left her breathless. She clung to his shoulders tightly, afraid to let go of him again. "Lyn," he sighed softly, as determined to hold her close as she was to never release him.
At the door, Eventine and Durin smiled silently, watching the pair reunite after their long separation. Finally, Durin cleared his throat. Lynliss was the first to look up, and her smile warmed considerably. "I kept my promise, Lyn," Durin said. "I kept him safe."
"And yourself as well. Thank you, Durin."
"Don't I get a thanks?" Eventine asked teasingly.
"You will get your thanks when I have married this man, and not a moment before," she retorted. "For two weeks, you've left me alone in this place with only servants and guards to keep me occupied."
"And access to my personal library," he smirked, a most un-kinglike gesture.
"Hardly worth the time spent perusing it," she replied loftily. Eventine pretended to be mortally wounded, but he was glad to see his cousin and Lynliss reunited so happily.
"Come now, love," Dayel finally interceded. "We are all returned safely, and the war is won. We shall be married in a few days, and then you and my cousin shall have the rest of our lives to bait and carp at each other."
"For once, I think he has a point," Durin taunted, to which Dayel stuck out his tongue in a very immature gesture that made them all laugh merrily.