Feeling that he had once again angered a great Elidhu, Cadvan tried to apologize for what ever Ardina was angered by, but she would not hear of it till her daughter was safe and sound wrapped up in the warm blankets of a soft bed. When Maerad had fallen sound a sleep Ardina then turned her attention to Cadvan. Once again hissing at him she spoke, " I know of the presence that my daughter speaks of, but how you are able to sense it is beyond even me. Now come there is much that you need to know before you try to speak of atonement to me."

Not liking the sound of Ardina's voice Cadvan could not find any other solution but to follow the great Elidhu. Staying close to her they made their way quickly to her palace .once there Ardina escorted the truth teller to a large room that he had not either seen nor knew of before. Entering threw a set of hand carved double doors Cadvan found only a lone high back chair and a small tide pool. Neither item in the room seemed to hold much importance nor any special markings, though they both seemed oddly out of place.

Sharply Ardina spoke, " Cadvan of Lirigon take a seat."

Cadvan nervously sat in the chair after pickling it up and bringing it closer to Ardina's position by the tide pool. Not knowing what he had done or was doing to anger the Elidhu he softly spoke, " My lady tell me what I must do to atone for my misguidance."

Squinting her yellow cat like eyes, Ardina pierced into Cadvan's cobalt eyes. Seeing that he truly had no Idea of what he had done nor how to calm her anger Ardina fought back the rage from her voice as she spoke, " There are many thing that you must make atonement for but only a sad few are by your own doing, but I see know that you are not yet aware of the misguidance to have brought to my daughter."

Looking deep into the clear dark water of the tide pool Ardina continued, " it seems that there are many thing about your self that you yet do not know, and because you do not know you have put your self and my daughter in a very odd paradox.

The presence that you found id the same presence that took you into the future rather to the past where I wished for you to go when I sent you to Maerad. This presence in your daughter though how at this stage of life you can feel her proves her power. This power could be the very undoing to my dear daughter and to you."

Cadvan's face once again turned ghostly white. Maerad with child? His child? But how, how could this be… when he had spoken to the girl she said Arkan was her farther? Not speaking his question Ardina knew what was racing in his mind. " It seems that Maerad was already with child when you went to Dagra, it is because of this that she survived at all. I thought it best not to speculate on the power of the unborn Elidhu but I now see I can not any longer. The child yes conceived out of love will not be raised by you though the events surrounding this I have not found. In every place I look It is Arkan that raises this child at the side of my daughter. This I must prevent at all cost or this world will not be at peace much longer."

Cadvan stood up abruptly, " I will not allow the winter king to take my family from me." rage shone bright in his eyes."

" Before you say such passionate words you need to know all that you do not." waving her soft hand slowly over the tide pool she spoke," you need to know your true birth right."

Puzzled Cadvan asked, " what do you mean true birth right. I know my parents , my brother and sister." as he spoke the water began to glow with an eerie green light.

As the light dimmed Cadvan saw Nyanar placing a newborn child on the step of the house Cadvan grew up in. as the baby began to cry a young woman answered the door her soft brown hair fell around her face as she looked toward the sky her could see his mothers eye's. in shock he spoke, " How?"

With sympathy in her voice Ardina began to speak. "Your father was the Child of Nyanar. In fact his only child. He was killed at the hands of the nameless one only days before your birth. Your mother grieved for days till you were born. Unable to move past her grief she took her own life in hope to be with your father once again.

Nyanar was unable to give you the care that you needed so he took you far from his realm to Lirigon. There he laid you at the door step of a humble cobbler and his wife. He had hoped that sending you so far away he would not see you again. None of us thought about the possibility that you may be mistaken for a bard or that you would come into Bardic like powers as you grew.

With that misassumption we thought that you had perished many moons ago. Though it came to light that you had not only after the death of Ceredin. With her passing the Landrost became aware of your power and took special interest on you. This interest was also shared with Sharma for he thought that you may have been the for told because of your lineage. Though we all know how wrong he was all of the Elidhu paid close attention to your travels and to the choices you would make after the death of dear Ceredin."

Picking up on how Ardina referred to Ceredin, Cadvan asked, " why do you speak of Ceredin with love in your voice if you had never known her?"

Half smiling Ardina answered, " You do not know do you?" waving her hand once again over the tide pool Ardina summoned the final day of Caredin's life.

Cadvan watched closely her eyes shone like crystals in the sun. looking more closely there seemed something vaguely familiar about her eye's. though it wasn't they way that they captivated him nor how they looked when the sun reflected in them it was something more simple. The answer was at the tip of his tongue…. Arkan, her eyes looked similar to his. The same cold glass stare that he now knew so well.

In disbelief Cadvan glanced fearfully at Ardina as she nodded, " she was his daughter. Born from the Ice and raised by a family that would teach her the Bardic ways. Be fore her death Arkan was not as cold hearted as he is now nor was his palace as empty.

Though I believe that he will not try to go up against my father nor Maerad openly , he may try to cross Nyanar. If this happens the balance of the Elidhu my be tipped into the favor of one or the other and if that happens the future you saw will be certain."

"how do we stop this from happening?" Cadvan's heart raced in his chest from not wanting to loose Maerad but also from not wanting to be the cause of the suffering of his unborn child.


this wasn't originally how I was going to write this but I think it turned out alright though I may still do a bit of touch ups here and there. let me know if you have any sugestions. as always creative criticism is always welcome