Adin's Children

Adin could not have been prouder of his children. Five of them, there were, each one as beautiful as the last. Zara had borne them all with relative ease, much to his pride and relief, and hers.

There was Alderic, his heir, who was growing more and more each day to be like Zara with her Toran looks and strength. Folk murmured in approval of Alderic's fairness and his cunning, when he was asked to preside over this or that part of Adin's duties as king. Whatever he resolved and did, it pleased Adin to see his son so dedicated to his role and well-liked by his people, who applauded him for ensuring that the city was well-stocked for the winter and dwelling in relative safety and comfort. It eased part of the burden from Adin's shoulders, and allowed him to focus on the threats that surrounded Deltora: the threat of the Shadow Lord, still existing as he did in the Shadowlands, ever waiting for a chance to claim Deltora as his own.

There was Leah, his beautiful daughter with her delicate features and her strong sense of justice. She stood now up to his shoulder, smiling at him with her mother's face. And Ronan, clever Ronan, with his love of mischief and his interest in the workings of the forge, something which none of his other children expressed. Shannara, who only reached up to his arm, and was already as lovely as the brightly-patterned tapestries Zara loved to weave every evening, telling the tale of his rise to kingship.

And then there was Alanis. She was the youngest of all, born nearly five years after Shannara, but was as mischievous and bold as her much older brother Ronan. Betimes they both did not know what to do with her, and her boundless energy. Adin could only thank fate for Az-Zure's monthly visits, for they distracted Alanis from her restlessness and gave her something constructive to do. She was not in the least capable of sitting still in the forge cottage for long, or in her crib, for that matter, and Adin could imagine that when she was older she would be quite a handful. It had been so with Ronan. And Adin rather suspected that he himself had been the same, at that age.

Not so Zara. For all of her childhood, his Toran wife had been serene and biddable- the perfect daughter, in any parents' eyes. Zara's parents had had to endure no childish tantrums, no hyperactivity, no sleep difficulties when it came to any of their offspring. Adin was both envious and admiring of them for it. He and Zara had experienced any number of problems over the years, raising their children as they did among the people of Del.

'Although,' Zara said, her eyes sparkling, 'if I had been raised outside of Tora, I do believe that I may have not been so biddable and quiet. And truly, I found Tora stifling at times. I am glad that our children will not have to grow up there as I did.'

Adin looked up at her from where he sat near the forge bellows, examining a damaged metal horseshoe, and grinned. 'I know. I do not think that Ronan would have lasted a moment there. Nor Alanis.'

'Alanis.' Zara frowned. 'She did not sleep at all well, this past night, Adin. Or any of the previous nights. Perhaps...' She hesitated, for a moment. 'Perhaps she would do better in Tora. At least for a time.'

Adin stared at her. 'How can you say such a thing?'

'It would only be for two or three years, Adin.' Zara's eyes hardened. 'We have tried all else in our power. Perhaps we ought to ask for aid, and convince Tora to shelter Alanis. They will. They owe it to me- to us. They cannot refuse.'

Adin hesitated, before speaking. 'Did we not have similar trouble with Ronan, and it passed? Perhaps we can handle Alanis as well.'

'Truly, I do not think so, Adin.' Zara's eyes shone with the conviction that she was right. Adin could not say as much, yet. For all he wanted the best for Alanis, he had to admit that he was a doting father. He could not bear the idea of being separated from any of his children, and not seeing any part of their childhood, for however short a time. The metal in his hands felt unnaturally heavy, as his mind digested Zara's suggestion.

'We must think more about this,' he said at last. 'It is an important decision, and we cannot make any changes to Alanis' life now, until we know for certain that there are no other alternatives. She is so young...' He looked quickly away, so Zara would not see the trepidation in his eyes.

Zara inclined her head toward him, but said nothing further.

As trade began, Deltora flourished, and its people were content. With each delegation, Adin would meet, the Belt glimmering around his waist as he stood in the harbour, giving only a hint of its true strength. A hint was enough—with nervous smiles, the delegates would either accept the terms of trade Adin offered to them, or flee, back to their homelands, afraid of the power the Belt revealed. Adin would return to the forge well-pleased, embrace his wife and almost grown son and daughter, and pick up his younger children and swing them in his arms, marvelling at how light they were still, and how small. Soon they would be as tall as his eldest ones, who had begun to have the air of children who were convinced that they could care for themselves.

It brought an ache to his heart to think of it.

Had it truly been only fifteen years ago, that he had stood on the Plain of Hira, preparing for battle against the Enemy, with an army standing behind him? When the Belt had shone for him, each gem blazing as brightly as the sun, proclaiming him a king? It seemed almost like a dream, from which he would wake, one day, and by fate, he would wish that he need not. Fifteen years ago, he had been a blacksmith, plying his trade, not worrying about anything other than the metal in his hands and the coins he received in return for a weapon forged, or a horseshoe mended. Anything that metal could be shaped into. Now, fifteen years later, he was king of an entire kingdom. It was almost beyond belief. If a person had told him, before, that his life would take this drastic turn, he would have laughed in their face.

However, he knew that despite all the fears, all the burdens, all the troubles he and Zara faced, he would not long to change those fifteen years, even for a moment. He had well and truly been blessed. He had a wife he loved more than life itself, and five precious children who he would love and protect as long as there was breath in his body. He had formed friendships, during his difficult travel around Deltora, which would last for a lifetime and beyond. Greel, the Jalis who had seemed so fierce when they had first met, who had given him so many lessons in swordplay, and who would even now sometimes challenge Adin to a mock-fight, and clap him on the back afterward for giving him a good fight. For all he tried, he could never disarm Greel.

Az-Zure the Dread Gnome, who had captured Adin, in their first meeting on Dread Mountain, but who Adin saved, when the green beast attacked. At the time, Adin could not say why he did so—the Gnome had been willing to use him as live bait to draw in a monster—other than that he knew in his heart that it was the right thing to do. He could not let anyone or anything, be they enemy or friend, be harmed or killed in such a horrible way. After, he had spoken to the Gnome, and had seen beneath the rough exterior most other people saw, to a person who was quick to laugh and was as brave as a Jalis, or any fighter in Deltora, for that matter. They had soon become firm friends, and still were, fifteen years later. Adin had always treasured their friendship, and was grateful for Az-Zure's support. Over and over again, she had proved herself fiercely loyal, and a close friend of the family. Whenever the Dread Gnome visited Del, which was often, she would spend much of her time at the forge entertaining Adin's children, and as such became a special friend to them.

And there was Padge, the small Ralad man who had aided him so much when he was seeking to obtain the ruby for the Belt. Like all Ralads, he was particularly gifted in building and architecture, and had long ago intricately carved a crib from wood as a gift for Adin and Zara's first-born child, so beautiful that folk would often visit simply to gaze at it. He had also organised the building of the Bone Point Light, which Adin had ordered and thought necessary, to ensure the safety of sailors travelling across the silver sea. Many times before the opening of the lighthouse, sailors, unable to see through the darkness, had smashed their ships against the rocks and perished. The Bone Point Light allowed them to be guided safely into the ports and commenced trade with lands far across the silver sea.

It could not have been done without Padge's support, Adin knew. Padge had rallied the Ralad builders into action and quickly enough the construction had been underway and finished, just as Adin had reached a reasonable agreement with Tora and found an able man to become the Keeper of the Light. None of it would have been possible without the support of his friends—Greel, Az-Zure, Padge, Zillah of the Mere, Asha of Hira, and of course his closest friend, Samuel, and his brother-in-law Shim. While Zara had always given him strength and love, his seven friends had given him the support he needed to make his plans and hopes for Deltora into a reality. For that, he would always be grateful to them.

Each night, himself, Zara and the children would sit in the forge sitting-room, before the blazing fire, and his children would listen as he told the tales they loved so much. Some he had heard from Greel and Tatti, the Jalis storyteller, who knew all the Tenna Birdsong Tales that ever existed. Some he himself knew, from his childhood. And there were those he had lived—the desperate battle for Deltora, and his quest to obtain the gems needed to create the magical Belt he had seen in his dreams. The children loved each and every one, but especially loved the stories which told of good triumphing over evil, and hope over despair, and love over hate and suspicion.

So Adin would tell them of how he, Zara, and the seven tribes managed to defeat the most powerful sorcerer in their world and his army against almost impossible odds; how a girl not much older than Alderic had prophesied it, and had been ridiculed and ignored by her people because they thought she was mad, forcing her to leave and settle in Del. Once there, she fell in love with a blacksmith (Adin's ancestor, and theirs, Adin told the children) and married him. He told them the tale of the girl with the golden hair and Rosnan, who loved her and followed her into the caverns of the earth to be with her. He told them of dragons of every colour who roamed the skies, and magic which could defeat the most evil of beings, and souls who never lost hope, never gave up in the face of danger and fear and everything that was the bane of them all. Adin told them, and they listened, their eyes round with awe and delight.

'But we must always remember that the Enemy, while defeated now, is not destroyed,' Adin said sombrely, as his children drank in his every word. He gazed into the fire, and for a moment could almost see again the blood, death and screams that marked the battle for their land, which he still heard and saw vividly for months afterward. This was the price that was paid for their peace and safety, the reason that he was able to sit now and speak to his children of a long ago victory against a cunning sorcerer. So many lives had been sacrificed so that their kingdom could be saved from tyranny. Though it had been worth it, his heart still ached at the losses, at the friends he would never see again.

As if sensing his thoughts, Zara leaned over and gently squeezed his hand, a small, sad smile touching her lips.

'The Belt of Deltora protects our land from the Shadow Lord,' Adin continued. Wide-eyed, his children's eyes were drawn to the gleaming Belt that lay around his waist, studded with the gems that had saved them all. Beautiful, and very, very powerful. They could indeed see how such a delicate thing could repel an evil so dire. 'It must never be cast away. Remember this, my children.' His gaze turned to young Alderic, who was listening attentively to what his father was saying, for this would be his own legacy someday. 'Wear the Belt always, and never let it out of your sight. For there will come a time when the Enemy will strike once more, and we must be ready when he does.'

'I understand, Father,' Alderic said gravely.

To one side, Leah, Ronan and Shannara nodded, their expressions deeply thoughtful. Little Alanis said nothing—she was curled in her mother's lap, Adin noted, snoring quietly as Zara softly hummed to her an ancient Toran lullaby. Seeing his glance, Zara looked up and smiled at him, and as always when she smiled like that he felt as if his entire world was bright and new and all was possible for them, if only they had each other. I love you, her eyes told him.

I know, Adin's eyes returned to her, trying to convey all the emotions he could never put into words about their incredible bond, and his joy and gratitude at Zara's steadfast loyalty, faithfulness and love for him, without which he surely would not have had the strength to carry on as far as he had. And I love you. I always will.

Later, long after they had sent their exhausted children to their beds, they sat curled together in the courtyard, gazing out at the stars. They said nothing—there was nothing to say. They simply held each other.

Take nothing for granted. The thought drifted through Adin's mind as softly as the slightest breeze as he mused. Cherish these moments, for they are hard-won, and not infinite. The Enemy is defeated, but not destroyed…

Zara's head was resting against his chest. Adin reached out and ran his fingers through the dark silk of her hair, his heart aching with a love and tenderness that was beyond reckoning.

Cherish this.

Adin breathed in the musky scent of Zara's hair and thought: Yes. Yes, always.