Chapter 8
Milla awoke first. She had instinctively counted her breathes during her sleep and awoke automatically. It was always dark in the castle but she knew it was morning because she had counted 1267 breaths. Milla gently pried herself from Tal's muscled arms and moved silently towards the bathing tub she had sighted across the living room last night.
Inside she found a golden tub. She twisted the valve of the pipe that was directly above the tub and hot water came spilling out and into the tub. The scent of ghalt stone hit her nostrils and it was a tell tale sign that the water was heated from the volcanic recesses deep below the old underfolk levels.
After Milla had bathed and dried herself she made her way back towards the bedroom where her clothes lay strewn on the floor. She put them on and after planting a soft kiss on Tal's forehead she left and headed back to her quarters.
When Milla arrived at her quarters she found the door wide open. Milla readied her talons as she cautiously entered the room. She cautiously explored the rooms looking for the person responsible for trespassing. She was about to look in the bedroom when she heard a noise from the sun chamber.
Quickly and quietly Milla snuck towards the door that led to the sun chamber. Bracing herself Milla grabbed the door handle and with a heave opened the door. As soon as she got in the room she lengthened the talons on her fingers and looked around. Sitting in the chair amidst the warmth of the sunstones was a woman clad in simple black furs.
The women had shocking luminous blue eyes that seemed to glow. A tell tale sign of a young Crone. Milla immediately shortened her talons until they were no more threatening than a pair of long violet fingernails. The Crone in the chair was facing Milla but was not looking at her. Milla observed more closely at the Crones' eyes and found that they were clouded then she understood. The Crone was communicating with other Crones in the collective mass of minds that all Crones were apart of.
As Milla waited to speak to the one Crone in front of her she tried to recognize the face of the Crone sitting in front of her. Then it dawned on her. The woman sitting in front of Milla was none other than Malen. Malen was one of the four people who had helped to defeat Sharrakor. After a few minutes of waiting Malen's eyes unclouded and she sneezed. With a sheepish smile, Malen finally looked at Milla and greeted her.
"Hello Milla, long time no see. How are you?" she said in her ethereal voice.
"I am well Malen. What are you doing here? I heard you were on your way to the Far Raiders to tell them what happened to me." Milla said casually.
"Well I was but there were more pressing issues at hand." Malen said cryptically.
"Is there anything that needs my assistance?" asked Milla guardedly.
Malen smiled a hesitant smile then she was silent for a few minutes as her eyes clouded again. Milla waited patiently and brooded over what Malen had just said.
".More pressing issues at hand?" thought Milla frowning.
Malen remained silent for a few more minutes then once again she sneezed and her eyes unclouded.
"Forgive me Milla but the crones have just informed me of last night's activities."
Milla cocked an eyebrow. What did the Crones want? Why had the Crones taken a sudden interested in Chosen events? Confused, Milla decided to voice her thoughts.
"Forgive me for being direct but why do you have a sudden interest on what the Chosen do? What urgent business brings you here Malen?"
Malen closed her eyes and then after a second or two opened them. Milla noticed that her eyes were not as luminous as they usually were. Milla looked at Malen and for the first time Milla felt as if she were looking at Malen and not the hoard of Crones. Then Malen spoke.
"Milla I have disconnected myself from the Crones for a moment so I can speak with you privately." Milla stood there awestruck. Milla had never heard of a Crone who had cut herself off from the collective mind. Malen was taking a big risk by doing this. She could be given to the ice or worse cast out of her clan. Whatever Malen had to say must be of great importance for her to risk her life.
"Milla I have come to tell you important tidings, listen carefully, we only have a few minutes before the Hoard become suspicious of my actions." Malen said urgently.
"I'm listening." replied Milla.
"Good. Milla there is discord among the clans. Some clans believe that a union with the Chosen is like making a false oath. They feel that the Chosen will betray us again and have acted to sever all ties with them. Nearly half of the clans have put a plan into action. The clans are recruiting as many other clans, Thanes and wanderers. The reason for this we don't know but we suspect that they maybe raising an army of a sort."
Milla was shocked to hear the news but soon recovered as she had sort of expected this to happen but on such a scale.
"Do you know what or who they plan to attack?" asked Milla.
"We believe that they will try to attack the Chosen and all who side with them."
"Who are on our side and who started raising the army?" asked Milla enraged.
"Most of the Northern and Eastern clans are loyal but we fear that not even we can stop the Western and Southern clans, not with the army they are building. As fro their leader we have reason to believe that the Far Raiders are responsible for the discord between the clans."
Milla stopped breathing. The Far Raider's clan was Milla's clan before she was cast out and taken in by the Ruin Ship clan. Then Malen spoke again and more quickly this time.
"Milla I realise how difficult this is to you but you must listen to me. The Crone Mother of the Ruin Ship has requested your return so that we can combat this problem and retain peace between our people and prevent a potential civil war. Come back Milla. We need your help." At that very moment Malen's eyes clouded over. Milla was in shock about what she just heard. How could there be a war in such a peaceful time? To make matters, worse the Far Raider's were responsible for the start of the potential war. Milla was lost in her thoughts so she only heard a distant sneeze, a tell tale sign that told Milla, Malen had just reconnected with the Hoard. Then Malen spoke.
"Milla pass on my congratulations to the new King of the Chosen," said Malen putting a slight emphasis on the word congratulations.
"I will do so," Milla's responded in a mechanical tone.
"I must leave now, farewell." Malen said and clapped her knuckles and walked out.
Authors note: still waiting for the reviews peoples.
Milla awoke first. She had instinctively counted her breathes during her sleep and awoke automatically. It was always dark in the castle but she knew it was morning because she had counted 1267 breaths. Milla gently pried herself from Tal's muscled arms and moved silently towards the bathing tub she had sighted across the living room last night.
Inside she found a golden tub. She twisted the valve of the pipe that was directly above the tub and hot water came spilling out and into the tub. The scent of ghalt stone hit her nostrils and it was a tell tale sign that the water was heated from the volcanic recesses deep below the old underfolk levels.
After Milla had bathed and dried herself she made her way back towards the bedroom where her clothes lay strewn on the floor. She put them on and after planting a soft kiss on Tal's forehead she left and headed back to her quarters.
When Milla arrived at her quarters she found the door wide open. Milla readied her talons as she cautiously entered the room. She cautiously explored the rooms looking for the person responsible for trespassing. She was about to look in the bedroom when she heard a noise from the sun chamber.
Quickly and quietly Milla snuck towards the door that led to the sun chamber. Bracing herself Milla grabbed the door handle and with a heave opened the door. As soon as she got in the room she lengthened the talons on her fingers and looked around. Sitting in the chair amidst the warmth of the sunstones was a woman clad in simple black furs.
The women had shocking luminous blue eyes that seemed to glow. A tell tale sign of a young Crone. Milla immediately shortened her talons until they were no more threatening than a pair of long violet fingernails. The Crone in the chair was facing Milla but was not looking at her. Milla observed more closely at the Crones' eyes and found that they were clouded then she understood. The Crone was communicating with other Crones in the collective mass of minds that all Crones were apart of.
As Milla waited to speak to the one Crone in front of her she tried to recognize the face of the Crone sitting in front of her. Then it dawned on her. The woman sitting in front of Milla was none other than Malen. Malen was one of the four people who had helped to defeat Sharrakor. After a few minutes of waiting Malen's eyes unclouded and she sneezed. With a sheepish smile, Malen finally looked at Milla and greeted her.
"Hello Milla, long time no see. How are you?" she said in her ethereal voice.
"I am well Malen. What are you doing here? I heard you were on your way to the Far Raiders to tell them what happened to me." Milla said casually.
"Well I was but there were more pressing issues at hand." Malen said cryptically.
"Is there anything that needs my assistance?" asked Milla guardedly.
Malen smiled a hesitant smile then she was silent for a few minutes as her eyes clouded again. Milla waited patiently and brooded over what Malen had just said.
".More pressing issues at hand?" thought Milla frowning.
Malen remained silent for a few more minutes then once again she sneezed and her eyes unclouded.
"Forgive me Milla but the crones have just informed me of last night's activities."
Milla cocked an eyebrow. What did the Crones want? Why had the Crones taken a sudden interested in Chosen events? Confused, Milla decided to voice her thoughts.
"Forgive me for being direct but why do you have a sudden interest on what the Chosen do? What urgent business brings you here Malen?"
Malen closed her eyes and then after a second or two opened them. Milla noticed that her eyes were not as luminous as they usually were. Milla looked at Malen and for the first time Milla felt as if she were looking at Malen and not the hoard of Crones. Then Malen spoke.
"Milla I have disconnected myself from the Crones for a moment so I can speak with you privately." Milla stood there awestruck. Milla had never heard of a Crone who had cut herself off from the collective mind. Malen was taking a big risk by doing this. She could be given to the ice or worse cast out of her clan. Whatever Malen had to say must be of great importance for her to risk her life.
"Milla I have come to tell you important tidings, listen carefully, we only have a few minutes before the Hoard become suspicious of my actions." Malen said urgently.
"I'm listening." replied Milla.
"Good. Milla there is discord among the clans. Some clans believe that a union with the Chosen is like making a false oath. They feel that the Chosen will betray us again and have acted to sever all ties with them. Nearly half of the clans have put a plan into action. The clans are recruiting as many other clans, Thanes and wanderers. The reason for this we don't know but we suspect that they maybe raising an army of a sort."
Milla was shocked to hear the news but soon recovered as she had sort of expected this to happen but on such a scale.
"Do you know what or who they plan to attack?" asked Milla.
"We believe that they will try to attack the Chosen and all who side with them."
"Who are on our side and who started raising the army?" asked Milla enraged.
"Most of the Northern and Eastern clans are loyal but we fear that not even we can stop the Western and Southern clans, not with the army they are building. As fro their leader we have reason to believe that the Far Raiders are responsible for the discord between the clans."
Milla stopped breathing. The Far Raider's clan was Milla's clan before she was cast out and taken in by the Ruin Ship clan. Then Malen spoke again and more quickly this time.
"Milla I realise how difficult this is to you but you must listen to me. The Crone Mother of the Ruin Ship has requested your return so that we can combat this problem and retain peace between our people and prevent a potential civil war. Come back Milla. We need your help." At that very moment Malen's eyes clouded over. Milla was in shock about what she just heard. How could there be a war in such a peaceful time? To make matters, worse the Far Raider's were responsible for the start of the potential war. Milla was lost in her thoughts so she only heard a distant sneeze, a tell tale sign that told Milla, Malen had just reconnected with the Hoard. Then Malen spoke.
"Milla pass on my congratulations to the new King of the Chosen," said Malen putting a slight emphasis on the word congratulations.
"I will do so," Milla's responded in a mechanical tone.
"I must leave now, farewell." Malen said and clapped her knuckles and walked out.
Authors note: still waiting for the reviews peoples.