The sun shone down on Aerylae's face and she tilted her chin towards it, closing her eyes and smiling as her cheeks became pleasantly warm.
"Thank you, light lord," she whispered, well aware it was forbidden to pledge allegiance to more than one elemental lord.
She sighed. Most warriors were strongest in the element of the lord they pledged allegiance to. Aerylae had been pledged to the fire lord at birth, like the rest of her village. She would have loved, as warriors were allowed, to choose allegiance to an elemental lord the day she became a guardian.
"Robina?" she asked, turning to the girl riding beside her. "If you're already pledged to a lord when you become a guardian, are you allowed to switch allegiance?"
Robina took a piece of her long brown hair and chewed the tip thoughtfully. "It's rare, but not unheard of," she said slowly. "I believe you have to perform a quest for the lord you wish to switch to."
"Hm," Aerylae looked at the reins in her hands thoughtfully.
"You're best just staying with the fire lord, Aery," Robina said, blue eyes looking worriedly at her new friend. "As rare as it is to change lords, it is even rarer for an adventurer to come back from a lord's quest alive."
"Why did you choose the earth lord?" Aerylae asked, changing the subject quickly.
"Oh, I didn't choose him," Robina smiled. "He chose me."
"But I thought guardians choose their lords."
"No," Robina explained. "I am not allowed to speak of them, but there are certain rituals in which a lord chooses you. The lord of light chose Artix," she nodded at her twin, riding ahead of them. "It is rare for twins to pledge to different lords."
Another thought crossed Aerylae's mind. "Robina, why isn't your surname Von Krieger, as Artix's is?"
"Rangers choose their own names once they come into their skills. My name was once Von Krieger as well."
Aerylae nodded to show she had understood. The women lapsed into comfortable silence.
"This is the boring part of getting to Battleon," Robina complained. "But you've never been to Battleon, have you Aery?"
"No," Aerylae admitted, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. She frowned, remembering. "The men rarely leave the village, the woman never."
"That sounds dull."
"It is," Aerylae replied, a million miles away. She remembered stick-fighting at dawn, and the women dancing at the festival of the fire lord.
"You never told us what you seek in Battleon," Robina commented idly.
Aerylae was suddenly wary. She liked Robina, but she couldn't tell her anything. The last thing she wanted was word getting out of her whereabouts. The council of elders would send riders after her, with Rilg heading them. She would be dragged back to the village and forced to marry.
Forced to leave her dreams forever.
A shout from Artix jostled her uncomfortably out of her thoughts.
"Look!" he said, pointing to a hazy outline in the distance. "We're almost at Battleon!" He spurred his horse to a gallop, leaving his sister and Aerylae behind in a cloud of dust.
"Brother, we need to work on your manners!" Robina yelled after him, but he was already too far away to hear her. She shrugged.
"We can't let him get away with that sort of behavior, can we?" Aerylae asked, green eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Of course not," Robina said, her blue eyes matching the look in Aerylae's. "Race you!" With that, she kicked her horse and sped off.
"Fire lord," Aerylae swore, and pushed her own horse into a sprint.
Aerylae had expected to outstrip the twins easily. Her father had taught her to ride a horse before she could walk.
She passed Robina with ease, but try as hard as she could, the distance between her horse and Artix's horse stayed the same.
The finally pulled their horses just to a stop outside of Battleon, waiting for Robina who was still a shape in the distance. Aerylae surveyed the town with interest. There was a tall stone tower and three large wooden buildings, each outfitted with good glass windows and thick doors. Outside of the largest she could see a large salamander, laden with bags.
"That's Valencia's," Artix said, noticing where Aerylae was looking. "There she is now."
A tall, lithe woman came out from behind the largest wooden building. She had long purple hair, tall boots like Robina's, frilly crimson breeches, a frilly white shirt and a leather vest. She wore many bangles and cuffs around her neck, in her ears, on her ankles, and on her wrists.
A small purple creature with large ears, small white wings, and a tail floated near her head.
"What is that?" Aerylae asked curiously, animosity with Artix forgotten momentarily.
"That's Truffle," he said, laughing. "It never leaves 'Lencia's side."
The woman looked up, saw Artix, and waved. "Artix!" she called. "Finally got yourself a girl?"
Aerylae could feel her cheeks burning. She glanced sideways at Artix and saw that he had turned bright red as well.
"No, 'Lencia!" he shouted back. "Robina and I picked her up on the way back."
Aerylae glared at him. "Picked me up?" she asked, an edge to her voice.
Artix glanced at her. "Yes, picked you up."
"If I recall correctly –"
Robina rode up just then. She looked amusedly at her twin and friend, but said nothing.
"Robina, we need to get this to Warlic," Artix said, patting a saddlebag. "Aerylae –"
"Is welcome to join us," Robina finished smoothly. "In fact, I would be quite offended if she didn't." Her blue eyes danced teasingly.
Aerylae laughed. "Then I suppose I have no other choice."
Artix snorted, and dismounted. He lead his horse over to a tree, and looped its reins around a branch. "Twilly?" he called.
"Twilly?" Aerylae turned to Robina.
"A moglin," Robina said. "He's a healer. Occasionally he'll help you in a battle, but it's very rare."
Just then, a creature peeked its head from out behind the tree. It squealed in delight when it saw Artix and Robina.
"Artix! Robina! I am so glad you have come back. Warlic will be pleased!" He looked at them in concern. "Do you need healings?"
Robina laughed and ruffled the creature's reddish brown fur fondly. "We're fine, Twilly. We had a run in with some Drakel, but Aerylae fought them off."
"Aerylae?" Twilly peered around Robina. His face broke into a grin and his long ears twitched happily. "Hiya! I am so pleased to meet you! You are a fighter?"
"Sort of," Aerylae said, smiling at Twilly. The moglin gave off such a cheerful air, you had to have a heart of stone not to smile at his antics.
"Well, you come to me if you need healings!" Twill said firmly.
Robina and Aerylae tied their horses to the same tree as Artix had, and followed him to one of the wooden buildings. Aerylae paused to look at the great stone tower looming in the distance.
"Robina, what is that tower?"
"That's the guardian tower," Robina said. "Come. We need to give this to Warlic."
Aerylae sucked in her breath. The guardian tower! Soon, soon –
"Aerylae, come! This is important."
Glaring at Artix, she followed him inside the building.