CHAPTER FOUR
This time she walked, slowly meandering in the darkness towards the dilapidated old house she hadn't been to in years. A cold puff of air sent shivers down Nyrendra's spine and she drew her hood more tightly around her face to cut out the chill.
Upon reaching the house, she paused for a moment, trying to decide the best way to proceed. Her eyes scanned the darkness, seeing further than any human could, and she frowned in puzzlement. Where were the guards? Cautiously she approached the fence, slipping quietly over it, and around the back to a certain bedroom window.
She rapped lightly on the glass pane in a familiar rhythm, a pattern that had long ago been a signal. Nyrendra listened intently and after a few moments heard someone stirring in the room. A face appeared at the window. Long, dark chocolate-brown tresses hung in loose curls around a narrow, angular face. Two honey-coloured eyes widened in surprise as the young woman threw open the window.
"Moira," Nyrendra smiled. "It is good to see you again, my friend."
"Nyrendra? Is it really you?" the young woman cried excitedly, helping Nyrendra in through the window. The two old friends hugged each other tightly for a second, then Moira released Nyrendra, looking at the elf with sparkling eyes.
"What brings you back to Athkalta? And if you're looking for my brother-" Moira began.
Nyrendra shook her head. "I have already found him, as a matter of fact," she replied. "I came here tonight to see you. Anomen doesn't know."
Moira nodded absent-mindedly. "Probably for the best." she trailed off, then abruptly changed the subject. "He was very upset, you know, when the letters didn't come," she held up a hand as if to ward off Nyrendra's protests. "I know, I know. I never believed you would just disappear without a word."
"I don't know what happened," Nyrendra said glumly. "I wish I had never left." Haltingly she told Moira what had come to pass since they last had seen one another, and how it came to be that Nyrendra had returned to Athkalta.
"It is good that Anomen is going to be traveling with you," Moira grinned. "He needs to do something besides mope about the Order or those dingy taverns all day long," her smile faded. "Anomen's.changed since you left. He hasn't quite ever been the same."
Nyrendra frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"It was after several months had gone by, with naught a word from you." Moira began.
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Moira crept towards the table as silently as possible. The little ten year old knew better than to disturb her father. It was not even midday, and already he had drunk himself into oblivion. He was snoring loudly, slumped over the kitchen table. His head rested on his arm, and a slight trail of drool trickled from his mouth onto the pile of letters underneath.
Moira trembled being this close to him, but she was on a mission. With the stealth and steady hand of a master thief, she slowly eased the papers out from under the slumbering form of her father. He stirred only once, and soon she had retreated to the safety of the pool room. She sank to her knees, and spread the letters out on the floor, looking each over carefully. A sickening, sinking feeling of disappointment struck in the pit of her stomach when she failed to find anything addressed to either herself or her brother.
Moira gathered the letters together and placed them back on the table, near her father, praying to Helm that he would not notice they had been shifted. She then snuck out of the house and out into the street, making her way towards the compound of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart.
Anomen was in the middle of a sparring match. Moira stood on the edge of the ring and watched as her older brother whirled and spun, executing the moves the instructor called out, a look of intense concentration on his face. The instructor called for a short break, and both Anomen and his opponent jogged over to the sidelines. Moira waved to her brother, and he came up to her, a hopeful look on his face.
Moira took his arm and they walked a short distance from the others. "Any news today?" Anomen asked, his tone low.
Moira shook her head. "Nothing," she sighed. "I'm beginning to worry."
Anomen had ceased to listen, his face was beginning to cloud with anger. Moira looked at him and shuddered, thinking how much he reminded her of Cor for just that one second.
"Nothing?" Anomen asked in an incredulous voice. Trying to subdue his anger, Moira reached out hesitantly and touched him on the arm. "Anomen." she began.
Anomen jerked sharply away. "Nay, do not defend her. She has deceived the both of us. False friend!" he growled. With that he whirled around, and angrily stormed back into the arena to continue the sparring.
However, this time Anomen made little effort to pay any heed to the instructor's commands. He advanced on his opponent with lightening furry, raining down blow after blow on the other squire's shield until he had knocked him to the ground. Still Anomen kept swinging his weapon, seemingly unaware of his instructor's repeated commands to stop. Finally, the duel- master marched into the ring, and angrily pulled Anomen off of the other student.
"That is ENOUGH," he declared firmly, yanking Anomen's sparing equipment out of his hands. "Squire Anomen, you are dismissed for the remainder of the day. Return to us only when can you behave in a manner more befitting that of a knight."
Anomen looked briefly like he was going to argue, and Moira held her breath, bracing herself for a most horrendous outburst. Instead, Anomen turned and fled, dashing out of the compound, followed by the snickers of the vast majority of his classmates, who were less then fond of him. Moira dashed out after him, barely managing to keep up with him as he ran heedlessly through the crowded streets, not even bothering to look where he was going.
Moira followed her brother at a breakneck pace, until they reached the outskirts of Athkalta, where he slowed to a jog. Careful to stay far enough behind him that she was out of site, Moira watched and waited to see what he would do.
With wide eyes she watched as he wrenched a branch from one of the nearby trees, and screaming an cursing at the top his breath he began to slam the branch against the base of the tree over and over again. Finally, having exhausted himself, he sank to the ground, shoulders heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Moira crept closer, not daring to reveal her presence.although she wanted to comfort her brother she knew that he would not appreciate having been followed in the least, and that in all likelihood anything she said would make things worse. Anomen was talking aloud to himself, and Moira could just barely make out what he was saying,
"Damn you Nyrendra," he swore softly. "Never again, never again."
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"He stopped trying after that, really" Moira said softly, sighing as she traced the grooves in her wooden table with her fingers. "He kept to himself mostly. I was.I am the only one he ever confides in. He's becoming more and more like.like." Moira was unable to finish her sentence. Nyrendra grasped her friends hands, a wave of sadness and a sense of loss washing over her.
"I love him so much, I will not see him destroy himself ," Moira declared, searching Nyrendra's eyes. "Would you look after him for me? You could always.get to him, no matter how hard he resisted."
Nyrendra sighed. "I promise you that I will try, although I don't know if things could ever be the same between us again."
Moira smiled and hugged Nyrendra. "I don't think he has a choice in the matter," she whispered into the elf's ear. "As much as he will hate to show it, in his own way I think he loves you still, no matter how angry he may be because of your absence. You should go now, the night is ending rapidly, and what if you tell me is true, you have a long, hard road ahead of you. You will be in my heart always, my friend."
"And you in mine," Nyrendra said softly, giving her friend one last hug before slipping back out of the window.
Nyrendra had much to think about as she made her way back to the inn. So engrossed was she in her private musings and memories that she didn't notice the figure waiting for her outside the door to her room until she had practically run into him. Nyrendra let out a small gasp of surprise,
"A-Anomen! You startled me! What are you doing?"
"I should be asking you the same question. You have not been in your room for some hours now. Where were you, so late at night?" Anomen asked, looking at her intensely.
"I.couldn't sleep, and went out for some air," Nyrendra answered slowly, looking at her feet.
"Nyrendra, tell me that you did not.you wouldn't."
"I had to see her before we left Athkalta," Nyrendra said softly, not wanting to lie to Anomen and risk the fragile trust that had only just begun to form again between the two.
Anomen grabbed Nyrendra's arm, and gently lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him.
"Promise me that you will not go back there, not without me at your side. It isn't safe Nyrendra, not as long as he.Lord Cor is still." Anomen was obviously struggling to finish his thought, and looked pleadingly at Nyrendra.
"You do not have to worry so, I am not the little child I once was," Nyrendra said gently "But if it shall ease your sleep at night, then I promise. I won't go back again, not while I'm alone."
Anomen nodded, and already Nyrendra could see relief written on his face. "We should both get some rest now, we have a long day's journey ahead of us," Nyrendra pointed out. "Goodnight Anomen," she said, slipping into her room. It wasn't until she had closed and latched the door behind her that she could hear Anomen turn and leave, softly treading down the hallway back to his own room.
This time she walked, slowly meandering in the darkness towards the dilapidated old house she hadn't been to in years. A cold puff of air sent shivers down Nyrendra's spine and she drew her hood more tightly around her face to cut out the chill.
Upon reaching the house, she paused for a moment, trying to decide the best way to proceed. Her eyes scanned the darkness, seeing further than any human could, and she frowned in puzzlement. Where were the guards? Cautiously she approached the fence, slipping quietly over it, and around the back to a certain bedroom window.
She rapped lightly on the glass pane in a familiar rhythm, a pattern that had long ago been a signal. Nyrendra listened intently and after a few moments heard someone stirring in the room. A face appeared at the window. Long, dark chocolate-brown tresses hung in loose curls around a narrow, angular face. Two honey-coloured eyes widened in surprise as the young woman threw open the window.
"Moira," Nyrendra smiled. "It is good to see you again, my friend."
"Nyrendra? Is it really you?" the young woman cried excitedly, helping Nyrendra in through the window. The two old friends hugged each other tightly for a second, then Moira released Nyrendra, looking at the elf with sparkling eyes.
"What brings you back to Athkalta? And if you're looking for my brother-" Moira began.
Nyrendra shook her head. "I have already found him, as a matter of fact," she replied. "I came here tonight to see you. Anomen doesn't know."
Moira nodded absent-mindedly. "Probably for the best." she trailed off, then abruptly changed the subject. "He was very upset, you know, when the letters didn't come," she held up a hand as if to ward off Nyrendra's protests. "I know, I know. I never believed you would just disappear without a word."
"I don't know what happened," Nyrendra said glumly. "I wish I had never left." Haltingly she told Moira what had come to pass since they last had seen one another, and how it came to be that Nyrendra had returned to Athkalta.
"It is good that Anomen is going to be traveling with you," Moira grinned. "He needs to do something besides mope about the Order or those dingy taverns all day long," her smile faded. "Anomen's.changed since you left. He hasn't quite ever been the same."
Nyrendra frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"It was after several months had gone by, with naught a word from you." Moira began.
**************************************************************************** *********
Moira crept towards the table as silently as possible. The little ten year old knew better than to disturb her father. It was not even midday, and already he had drunk himself into oblivion. He was snoring loudly, slumped over the kitchen table. His head rested on his arm, and a slight trail of drool trickled from his mouth onto the pile of letters underneath.
Moira trembled being this close to him, but she was on a mission. With the stealth and steady hand of a master thief, she slowly eased the papers out from under the slumbering form of her father. He stirred only once, and soon she had retreated to the safety of the pool room. She sank to her knees, and spread the letters out on the floor, looking each over carefully. A sickening, sinking feeling of disappointment struck in the pit of her stomach when she failed to find anything addressed to either herself or her brother.
Moira gathered the letters together and placed them back on the table, near her father, praying to Helm that he would not notice they had been shifted. She then snuck out of the house and out into the street, making her way towards the compound of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart.
Anomen was in the middle of a sparring match. Moira stood on the edge of the ring and watched as her older brother whirled and spun, executing the moves the instructor called out, a look of intense concentration on his face. The instructor called for a short break, and both Anomen and his opponent jogged over to the sidelines. Moira waved to her brother, and he came up to her, a hopeful look on his face.
Moira took his arm and they walked a short distance from the others. "Any news today?" Anomen asked, his tone low.
Moira shook her head. "Nothing," she sighed. "I'm beginning to worry."
Anomen had ceased to listen, his face was beginning to cloud with anger. Moira looked at him and shuddered, thinking how much he reminded her of Cor for just that one second.
"Nothing?" Anomen asked in an incredulous voice. Trying to subdue his anger, Moira reached out hesitantly and touched him on the arm. "Anomen." she began.
Anomen jerked sharply away. "Nay, do not defend her. She has deceived the both of us. False friend!" he growled. With that he whirled around, and angrily stormed back into the arena to continue the sparring.
However, this time Anomen made little effort to pay any heed to the instructor's commands. He advanced on his opponent with lightening furry, raining down blow after blow on the other squire's shield until he had knocked him to the ground. Still Anomen kept swinging his weapon, seemingly unaware of his instructor's repeated commands to stop. Finally, the duel- master marched into the ring, and angrily pulled Anomen off of the other student.
"That is ENOUGH," he declared firmly, yanking Anomen's sparing equipment out of his hands. "Squire Anomen, you are dismissed for the remainder of the day. Return to us only when can you behave in a manner more befitting that of a knight."
Anomen looked briefly like he was going to argue, and Moira held her breath, bracing herself for a most horrendous outburst. Instead, Anomen turned and fled, dashing out of the compound, followed by the snickers of the vast majority of his classmates, who were less then fond of him. Moira dashed out after him, barely managing to keep up with him as he ran heedlessly through the crowded streets, not even bothering to look where he was going.
Moira followed her brother at a breakneck pace, until they reached the outskirts of Athkalta, where he slowed to a jog. Careful to stay far enough behind him that she was out of site, Moira watched and waited to see what he would do.
With wide eyes she watched as he wrenched a branch from one of the nearby trees, and screaming an cursing at the top his breath he began to slam the branch against the base of the tree over and over again. Finally, having exhausted himself, he sank to the ground, shoulders heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Moira crept closer, not daring to reveal her presence.although she wanted to comfort her brother she knew that he would not appreciate having been followed in the least, and that in all likelihood anything she said would make things worse. Anomen was talking aloud to himself, and Moira could just barely make out what he was saying,
"Damn you Nyrendra," he swore softly. "Never again, never again."
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"He stopped trying after that, really" Moira said softly, sighing as she traced the grooves in her wooden table with her fingers. "He kept to himself mostly. I was.I am the only one he ever confides in. He's becoming more and more like.like." Moira was unable to finish her sentence. Nyrendra grasped her friends hands, a wave of sadness and a sense of loss washing over her.
"I love him so much, I will not see him destroy himself ," Moira declared, searching Nyrendra's eyes. "Would you look after him for me? You could always.get to him, no matter how hard he resisted."
Nyrendra sighed. "I promise you that I will try, although I don't know if things could ever be the same between us again."
Moira smiled and hugged Nyrendra. "I don't think he has a choice in the matter," she whispered into the elf's ear. "As much as he will hate to show it, in his own way I think he loves you still, no matter how angry he may be because of your absence. You should go now, the night is ending rapidly, and what if you tell me is true, you have a long, hard road ahead of you. You will be in my heart always, my friend."
"And you in mine," Nyrendra said softly, giving her friend one last hug before slipping back out of the window.
Nyrendra had much to think about as she made her way back to the inn. So engrossed was she in her private musings and memories that she didn't notice the figure waiting for her outside the door to her room until she had practically run into him. Nyrendra let out a small gasp of surprise,
"A-Anomen! You startled me! What are you doing?"
"I should be asking you the same question. You have not been in your room for some hours now. Where were you, so late at night?" Anomen asked, looking at her intensely.
"I.couldn't sleep, and went out for some air," Nyrendra answered slowly, looking at her feet.
"Nyrendra, tell me that you did not.you wouldn't."
"I had to see her before we left Athkalta," Nyrendra said softly, not wanting to lie to Anomen and risk the fragile trust that had only just begun to form again between the two.
Anomen grabbed Nyrendra's arm, and gently lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him.
"Promise me that you will not go back there, not without me at your side. It isn't safe Nyrendra, not as long as he.Lord Cor is still." Anomen was obviously struggling to finish his thought, and looked pleadingly at Nyrendra.
"You do not have to worry so, I am not the little child I once was," Nyrendra said gently "But if it shall ease your sleep at night, then I promise. I won't go back again, not while I'm alone."
Anomen nodded, and already Nyrendra could see relief written on his face. "We should both get some rest now, we have a long day's journey ahead of us," Nyrendra pointed out. "Goodnight Anomen," she said, slipping into her room. It wasn't until she had closed and latched the door behind her that she could hear Anomen turn and leave, softly treading down the hallway back to his own room.