CHAPTER VII: BEGIN AGAIN

It took us awhile before Lady Limnoreia returned to scold us for not washing away the soot of the forest fire. Chastened, the two of us rushed through our bathing before we slipped on the spare clothes she had given us. My clothes were an ill-fitting woollen dress but the bagginess of it did not bother me as it at least kept me warm. Folding my robes, I bit my lip and looked at my reflection. I did not have the heart to remove the jewellery I had been given through the years. I would have removed it without any qualm had it not meant something but each gem, each design, each ring, bracelet and anklet and even the circlet with its sapphire drops hanging from it meant something.

'You do not need to remove that yet, little seer.' Lady Limnoreia's voice came in and I turned to face her, eyes wide.

Stepping towards me, she held out her hands expectantly. Though it took me a few moments to understand what she wanted, I hesitantly gave my clothes to her.

'Seeing as you and your friend had failed to wash your clothes, I shall handle all this tonight before you are taken to your new home.' Lady Limnoreia told me as she knelt down and laid out my clothes once more. 'As for your jewellery, I will be giving you a chest to keep them in so you would not lose them.'

'What do you mean before we are taken to a new home?' I asked abruptly while she was about to begin speaking about something else.

The hamadryad looked at me before she gestured for me to seat myself which I did so without any questions.

'King Adanion had communicated with us long before this siege that should anything happen to endanger the kingdom, we are to try and protect the prophets, seers and oracles alongside whoever those people had deemed their friends.' Lady Limnoreia explained calmly. 'So we created channels, forged relationships with kingdoms little known to be Visal's allies or enemies and found the most average townships among the kingdoms of Eulimios.'

Looking at me, she smiled. Albeit it was a sad one.

'I'm afraid even if your other companions had come with you, we still would have had to split you all apart to make sure you can escape without drawing too much attention to your arrival.' She told me quietly. 'Families torn apart by war is something I can never wish upon anyone.'

'And yet it will still happen.' I replied. 'I do not even know my own feelings on the matter.' I confessed to her, wringing my hands.

Lady Limnoreia looked at me for a moment before she took my robes and sank it into the still river.

'The shock will end eventually, little seer.' She told me. 'And when it ends, the pain will be great but so will be the relief that the grief had finally struck you.' Meeting my gaze, the lady smiled though it was a brief unsure sort. 'But for now? Rest will restore you. Granted, it will not make everything right but it will at least give you back the energy you had lost.'

Gesturing for me to leave her be, I did as she bade and bowed to her before taking my leave of her company.

~~oOoOoOoOo~~

Sleep did not come that night.

Instead, I laid beside Sir Thráinul while thoughts swam through my head about the fates of my family. Teroth's doom, Chasianna, Halor, Dagadan and Aralas' uncertain fates, Visal's fall. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to steady my breaths but found my breathing uneven and broken by hitching sobs. When I had begun to cry, I did not know but when the tears fell, I rolled to face away from my companion as I tried to stifle my pathetic noises.

I had only managed to silence myself for a few moments before Sir Thráinul's sleep-slurred voice greeted me.

'Child? Child, are you alright?'

I did not know if it was the concern in his voice or if it was because I was overwhelmed by the events of this night that my walls broke further. Before I knew it, Sir Thráinul had gone around me and knelt before me to wipe away my tears with the use of his sleeve while I sobbed out my fears and heartache.

'I'm sorry.' I said between broken sobs. Though I knew it was likely less coherent than I'd have liked.

Sir Thráinul gave me a small smile and shook his head. 'Never apologise for grieving for losing both your home and your family, Lady Aelinor.' He told me, his hands coming upon my shoulder, shaking me slightly. 'Never.'

Sniffling, I rose to sit up and brought my knees to my chest. 'Still, I must apologise for disrupting your sleep.'

Sir Thráinul gave me a weak smile in response. 'If I may be truthful, I was not even asleep. You and I had our beasts to fight tonight, I'm afraid.'

'Did you dream of the fall of your home too, Sir?' I asked, resting my head on my knees as I watched my smaller companion settle himself beside me.

'Yes. But this time I also witnessed the slaughter of your people.' His lips twisted into a smile that felt like he was mocking himself, but all too soon it was gone and the warm smile he seemed to favour returned. 'Given time, I know the memories shall fade once more but for now? It shall be burned into the backs of our eyelids, haunting our dreams, echoing in our ears with ash and blood tainting our tongues.'

'So it shall be an eternity before I sleep peacefully?' I asked softly.

'Perhaps an eternity, perhaps only a year.' Sir Thráinul smiled at me though it was unsure. 'One will never be able to command themselves to lose the scars carved deep within our very souls.'

My heart still felt heavy but sharing a look with my companion, I took comfort in knowing that while I was no longer with the ones I considered my family, I was not completely and utterly alone. I was about to rise and leave the willow tree we were residing in when I heard Sir Thráinul singing something softly. Curious, I tilted my head towards him.

'What song is that?' The moment my companion turned his attention to me, I felt a flush creep over my cheeks and I averted my gaze. 'Apologies, Sir Thráinul, I did not mean to-'

'Please,' he smiled, 'call me Frerin. And that song was something my brother and I had written as a lullaby of sorts.'

'It sounds beautiful.' I remarked.

Frerin nodded. 'Would you like to hear the rest of it, Lady?' He offered me.

Realising I had failed to inform him of something important, I grimaced. 'Please, call me Aelinor. I am no longer a Prophet of Visal and I am no Lady or Lord.'

My companion responded with a raised brow and I smiled at him, albeit awkwardly.

'I respond to neither male nor female references to me.' I explained with a shrug. 'As I had told many others, I am simply me.'

Understanding dawned on Frerin's face and he bowed his head. 'Very well, Aelinor.'

After laying back down beside him, Frerin took to humming the lullaby once more and once more I heard him sing of mists and mountains cold where fires blazed and harps of gold were won.

~~oOoOoOoOo~~

We were woken by Lady Limnoreia who handed us cloaks and our freshly cleaned clothes.

'Now is the time you must remove the jewellery.' She told me. I felt a lurch in my stomach when I heard her words. 'I know how difficult this is, but know you will always have them by you. But for now? You are among the hunted, you must hide among the common people to keep yourself safe.'

Though it felt wrong to do this, I nodded as I carefully began slipping off the bracelets and rings.

'Am I missing something?' Frerin asked, clearly confused.

'The jewels I wear are gifts from His Majesty and my mentor upon my assignment to Oracle Chasianna.' I explained, my voice hushed as I began unclasping my necklace, my bracelets and rings lying on top of the cloak given to me by the lady hamadryad. 'Each design and stone was chosen for a reason only our oracles knew and they were, in a way, a blessing to us.'

'As important as the beads of my people then?' Frerin asked carefully. 'Something that speaks of who you are and such.'

I nodded. 'Something of the sort.'

'Normally, I would be against this decision.' Frerin told me. 'But seeing as your life is at risk, the best we can do is keep these jewels hidden away where you will not lose them.'

'Thank you.' I mumbled.

'Well, you would not need to worry overmuch about losing your gifts.' Lady Limnoreia told me with a reassuring smile. 'Ambrosius had crafted a chest for all oracles, seers and prophets when your king and my husband had made the agreement to protect you all.'

'Thank you.' I told the lady, bowing low to her in thanks.

'There is no need to thank me or Ambrosius, we of the earth must do what we can to aid one another.' the Lady told me as she gave me a small chest made of dark wood. Lifting the lid, I carefully set the jewellery I had removed within it.

'So, where are we to go?' Frerin asked soon after I had finished storing away my things. 'I was told that Aelinor had not travelled outside the kingdom and I am a complete stranger to these lands. As you can see, we are both completely unsure.'

At that, Lady Limnoreia smiled and beckoned for us to follow her. Exchanging a wary look with Frerin, the two of us did as she bade us and as we walked, I frowned when I noticed a dirt path that looked to be almost overgrown.

'This is a route the satyrs would use to socialise with us.' Lady Limnoreia told us offhandedly as we walked further in. 'This path is also connected to another way out of the forest.'

'And where must we go after we leave the forest?' Frerin asked.

At that, the hamadryad stopped walking and gestured to continue.

'There is a guard that will take you to your new residence. His name is Anatetus, he is the village guard of Whitebridge.' She told us before bowing her head. 'May the Lords and Ladies guard you and guide you.'

'Likewise, Lady Limnoreia.' I returned, bowing low to her.

Turning to face Frerin, I gestured vaguely to the direction we were told to go. 'So, shall we?'

~~oOoOoOoOo~~

Sir Anatetus was waiting for us at the end of the forest as Lady Limnoreia had said. He was a young centaur from what I could tell, somewhere around thirty-four or thirty-five though he had a boyish smile that contrasted the darkness of his wild mess of hair and the darkness of his skin. Upon sighting us, he smiled and raised his hand to us in greeting.

'Hail, Seer Friend!' He greeted as he trotted towards us. Upon seeing Frerin, Sir Anatetus' brows went up. 'And hello, Stranger Friend.' He added, bowing his head to Frerin in greeting. Returning his attention to me, Sir Anatetus smiled. 'Lady Limnoreia had told you of me, I hope?'

I nodded. 'She told us you will be taking us to Whitebridge.'

At that, he nodded. 'It will take a fair while but I shall ensure to it you shall make it to Whitebridge within a sennight.'

'Thank you, Sir Anatetus.' I replied, bowing once more.

At that, the village guard chuckled. 'Don't thank me yet, Seer Friend. Wait until we reach your lodgings we had procured for you and then you may thank me.'

~~oOoOoOoOo~~

Our guide was true to his word in that he had brought us to Whitebridge within a sennight.

Sir Anatetus was careful about our nightly stops and would only permit rests in our journey to Whitebridge if he is confident that no fire-breathers would find us. If he is unsure, we were pushed to continue on with our walking so as to cover as much ground as possible. All throughout our journey, Frerin told us tales of his home and family. About his older brother and younger sister, his nephew born shortly before a battle took place. Each night we spent in rest, Frerin would tell us of his childhood and the games he and his siblings would play in the courts of his kingdom and as we walked, he would entertain us with anecdotes about his friends and the antics they had gotten into. It helped pass the time easier for us and though I was unable to tell it to him, I was deeply grateful to him for that.

It was exactly a sennight since our first meeting with the centaur that he told us we were close to Whitebridge.

'Remember your story, Seer Friend and Dwarrow Friend.' Sir Anatetus told us, raising his brows at us. 'The Seer is young and is under your watchful eye, you are to help the Gwyllion with mining and you can open a smithy in Whitebridge as they would be open to your services, as for you,' The centauroi guard looked at me carefully. 'I can only suggest menial work from doing laundry to cleaning homes or even baking and the like. They will help you maintain a low profile from anyone in power seeking a surviving Visalian prophet.'

Without further words, Anatetus bowed and proceeded to gallop away from us, leaving us at the bridge leading to the quiet village that was to be our home for the foreseeable future.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: A short chapter but the next one is gonna have a time skip with the start of the actual adventure! So I hope you guys liked this! As always, comments keep me motivated to keep writing!

ANSWERING REVIEWS:

ro781727 - Yeah, I could see how you end up thinking of the Salamanders as nothing more than orcs but I'm glad to have taken you by surprise though!