Chapter 15-Loose Ends
Amity leaned against the wooden railing, watching the chaos going on around her. Early that morning, Darrian had noticed their proximity to the capital and directed Nath to a deserted cove he was familiar with surrounded by thick forest. They would make their way to the capital, where a band of Darrian's refugees would already be assembled under Andrew's leadership. Along the way, he had judged how long it would take them to reach the coastline and sent a messenger bird to Andrew apprizing him of the latest developments.
Now, their ebony-haired leader was not looking as suave as he'd had that morning, when he and Malina had gone over their plan around fifty times to make sure everyone would understand. It had been arranged that Ami, their other naiad healer, Althia, and the elf Leanna would stay on the ship. Leanna was not as competent in the healing arts, but she could bandage wounds, fetch herbal medicines, and aid the two healers in any way possible. She was also staying behind because her inexperience in fighting made her a liability.
This was precisely the point that Darrian was now arguing with Serenitatis, whom he had expected to stay behind. Two days ago, he had had a similar argument with Reisha–and lost, of course. She had refused to speak to him for two days straight afterwards. Seren was being equally stubborn in her own way. She wasn't prone to blowing up like Rei, but it was easy to see that she was getting fed up with Darrian.
"I'm telling you, it's too dangerous! I already risked my neck twice saving you. You always plunge into danger without thinking about the circumstances!" he yelled.
"If I'm so foolhardy, why did you teach me how to fight? Why give me some new ability and then cage me up?" she demanded before turning away from him, her trembling lips held tight together.
"This is ridiculous! Do you want to die? You've only been fighting for two weeks. Haven't you watched the royal palace guard train? Believe me, I've fought them countless times, and you're no match for them. You're staying here if I have to tie you down!"
Slowly, she faced him again, her expression emotionless. "If I'm such a bother to you, why don't you just let me die?"
He felt like she'd slapped him. "I don't–you don't know what you're saying!"
"I do know! You're angry at me, aren't you?"
"I'm angry because you're throwing your life away! I promised Kentan that I'd keep you safe."
She flinched when he invoked Kent's name. "I know. And I can't be your burden–or his–forever, Darrian. I know what I'm doing. Won't you trust me?"
His expression was wary now. He felt like he'd been maneuvered into a very tight spot. He gripped her slender, white wrist tightly. "Tell me what you're planning to do, Seren."
"Let go, Darrian."
"Tell me!" he ordered.
She met his eyes steadily. "It might happen again, you know...you might be forced to choose between me and Kent. It hurt you last time to leave him behind, to make the decision that all three of us weren't going to get out. I'm making that choice for you this time around, Darrian. If it comes to it, I'll stay behind." There was a strange, new sense of dignity in her bearing, and her face was serene as she watched his reaction.
"I won't let you do this," he said hoarsely.
She smiled then, a sad, knowing smile. "Can you stop me?"
He dropped her wrist and cursed violently. "You're not coming. You're going to stay on this ship if I have to tie you down!"
Seren sighed. She wished that it hadn't come to this. In a fight of brute force, Darrian would definitely win. "Darrian, listen to me. What are you going to do if we can't get out? The possibility has to have occurred to you. Mother will probably have Kent's cell ringed with powerful magik users, because she can't trust any soldiers with the job. Ever since my absence, the guard has probably been tripled, if not quadrupled. She's expecting you to come after him again."
"She's sent numerous squads of soldiers out into the countryside to search for you. Only yesterday, an entire company was dispatched. She's expecting us to take refuge with the folk."
"They're in danger because of her suspicions. If I go back to the palace, she'll call them back," Seren reasoned.
Darrian's face was almost purple from rage now. The volume of their argument had decreased slightly, but still, no one dared to approach them–not even Mina, whose expression was very grave. "Don't you understand?" he exploded in a vehement whisper. "The queen is hell-bent on hunting down every last one of the folk–except for the ones that will defect to her side. And once she doesn't need them anymore, you can be sure that she'll have them killed. You and Kentan are their only hope for the future!"
Her face was sad as she replied, "Kent is their hope. He's the heir, and he'll rule. He hasn't spent the last sixteen years of his life learning nothing but embroidery and dance steps."
The sorrow in her voice made Darrian soften his tone. He grasped her shoulders gently and looked down at her. "Your sacrifice will mean nothing to them," he told her quietly. "It can resolve nothing. I know you mean well, Seren, but I can't let you go."
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep her tears from coming. "Everyone will need to sacrifice something sooner or later. Why won't you let me do this? He stayed back to let me go. It's my turn to do something for him."
Her words chilled him. He was silent for a time, staring down at her bowed head as she dropped soundless tears onto the wooden planks. "He wouldn't want it this way. He did it so you could be free. Your sacrifice can't negate his."
"Yes. It's not time yet, Seren." Until Rei spoke, it had seemed like they were all alone. She strode forward, the violet highlights burning brightly in her hair.
Jalen's face was tense as he stared at her–was it just the angle of the sun that was bringing out reddish-gold lights in her eyes and hair? Was it simply a mirage, or was the air around her really moving?
"Let her go, Darrian. She must be there today...and you must not let the queen capture her. Today, the white rabbit and the gray falcon go free."
"Rei?" Ami reached out for her, anxiety tightening around her heart. Seren, too, approached cautiously. Jalen was on her heels, and the three formed a protective ring around her.
The blond-haired man looked over at the naiad. "Is she–does Rei have them, as well?"
"Have what?" Mina asked in a hushed voice.
Zacch turned to look at her, but his eyes seemed to be focused far into the distance. "Visions. She can see the future, you know."
Ami turned to look at him, her face filled with anguish. When she had gone to the elfin kingdom, when she had been with him, there had been no more of her visual revelations until one night...he had discovered her secret. It had been one of the scariest visions she had ever had...full of fire and death, and even as Zacch had held her tightly against him, he had been seriously unnerved. That night had marked the beginning of the split between them.
At the moment, Jalen was more concerned with Rei than any tangles of the past. He reached out to touch her arm gently. "Rei?" The minute that he actually touched her skin, clammy with perspiration, she fainted.
While Mina and Lita tried to recover a semblance of order in the resulting confusion, Ami, Seren, and Jalen, who was carrying Rei, made their way below-deck. As Jalen preceded them, the dark-haired woman turned to look at Seren. "Was it so important for you to prove yourself to him?"
The color that had been absent before flooded back into her cheeks. "It wasn't just for him. It was for me, too," she answered, "and for Kent. It had to be said, Ami."
"I understand. At any rate, Darrian doesn't have much of a choice now."
"Do you think he'll listen to Rei?"
Ami's gentle smile reassured her. "I'd say he'd have to be crazy not to." She hesitated before adding, "I think you should go back up and speak to him, Seren."
As the princess departed, her expression solemn, Amity turned her attention to Rei. Jalen was already wiping her face with a damp cloth. "Is it possible that she's part naiad?" he asked.
Ami turned from him, pretending to be looking for something. "I think it's quite likely," she answered in a neutral tone. Reisha was probably part naiad, but the gift wasn't unheard of in the Zurielis line. If she could see the future, it would be attributed to the royal line instead of a particular race of folk. Why had Rei so vehemently made Ami swear not to tell Jalen about her past...and why had Darrian known almost instantaneously what Jalen couldn't see? It made her wonder how much the others knew.
Her voice was uncertain as she said, "Rei was against Seren going, you know–almost as much as Darrian was. But now...she herself declared that Seren would go."
"The gray falcon...and the white rabbit. Obviously, Seren is the white rabbit. The gray falcon could be anyone, anyone who will be there today. Darrian...Prince Kentan..."
"Whoever it is," Ami replied, "should be someone important to the prophecy."
Jalen's eyes narrowed slightly, but just as he started to speak, Rei's eyes opened. Immediately, he moved to her side, all mention of the prophecy forgotten.
Ami followed more sedately. "Rei–how are you feeling?"
She was still glassy-eyed, but when she spoke, her voice was perfectly normal. "Like my head's been pounded to a pulp," she answered matter-of-factly. "What am I doing down here? What happened?"
"You don't remember what you said?"
She looked pointedly at his hand, which was holding hers. "Um...no. But it must have been particularly offensive to merit the massive headache I have."
Ami smiled weakly. "The short version is that you went into a trance-like state and told Seren that she wasn't allowed to sacrifice herself, because it wasn't the right time. However, you also told Darrian to let her fight today."
Rei's expression was one of outraged surprise. "What? Why would I say something like that?"
"You also mentioned something about a white rabbit and a gray falcon. Do you remember that?" Jalen asked, his hand still holding hers tightly. Rei shook her head, and he looked troubled. "Then–it can't be what you experience, Ami. You always recall what you See."
"I'm having visions?" Her voice shook slightly, and Jalen's grip tightened protectively.
As she looked at them, Ami suddenly felt old. "Don't worry, Rei. We'll speak of this later, I promise. But I don't think Darrian will want you going with them today."
She sat straight up and clutched her head, pulling her hand away from Jalen. "He can't keep me from going."
"Well, if he can't, don't think I'll just stand by and let you walk in there like this," Jalen said darkly.
Rei glared at him, and Ami sighed. Ordinarily, she would have sided with Jalen and Darrian. Something told her this was too important–they needed Rei. Darrian knew that he didn't have enough able fighters assembled in the capital yet, and he had gone missing for almost a month. It was the main reason he had allowed both Reisha and Zaccheus to come with them.
Without looking at Jalen, she said, "I'll have something ready for you in about a half an hour, Rei. The leaves and flowers of Virgin's Bower have to be steeped for that long. Go and ask Darrian to wait, Jae."
"What?!"
"You're wasting time. We need her there today, Jalen." She was still looking away, inwardly recoiling from the hurt betrayal in his voice.
"You don't think I know that? Of course we need her! But that's besides the point!"
He looked positively furious, as did Rei, who interjected, "Stop talking about me like I'm not here, both of you!"
"Fine," Jalen snapped. He then proceeded to pull Ami out of the room and slam the door behind him. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed at her irately. "I was forced to let her go in perfect health, but now she's not fit to stand! How can you let her go out there?"
When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were shining with tears. "I care about her, too, Jalen." Without another word, she brushed past him to retrieve the herb she had promised Rei.
****~**~****
Nathair and Lirita stood at the railing together, her face filled with anxiety and his with enduring calm. "You do think she'll be okay, don't you?" she asked.
His voice was strong and reassuring as he replied, "Yes. Rei's very strong, and Ami says she'll be fine. Besides, I know you'll be watching out for toward–as will Jalen. She couldn't be in better hands." He turned to look at her. "Do many dryads have the Sight?"
Lita shook her head, her long ponytail swinging. "No. A long time ago, some of them did, but the power's died it." She smiled wryly. "We are simple Folk, Nath. It remains mostly with the water nymphs, and even they are losing the ability to See into the future."
"Does that mean that Rei is part naiad?" he queried.
"I suppose so. Although...she did not strike me as possessing many naiad qualities. She is–different." The little worry lines on her forehead deepened when she noticed his preoccupied expression. Sensing his inward unease, she turned towards him. "What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head at an inquisitory angle. "You've been very quiet all morning."
"It's nothing. Don't worry."
Her eyebrows slanted downwards angrily before she forced herself to say in a collected tone of voice, "Very well. Since you're clearly reluctant to share your thoughts with me, I won't bother you with my troubles anymore."
Lita was about to stalk off in a foul mood when he reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "No–forgive me, Lita. You would never bother me."
She turned slowly, knowing that once she faced him again, she would lose herself in his eyes.
"After nearly twenty years of keeping my thoughts to myself, it's difficult for me to adjust," he said ruefully. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right," she replied softly.
Nath shoved his hands in his pockets in a frustrated gesture. "I was wondering if Rei's...revelation was a bad omen."
She couldn't help it; the amused laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "You're the last person I would have expected to believe in symbols and portents."
He raised his eyebrows. "It could be a sign that our endeavor today is doomed. Even you should admit that the timing as odd. It's delayed our progress...and Darrian's supporters in the capital must be getting worried."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Nath. He's sent them a messenger pigeon just a few minutes ago."
"Still–everyone's feeling a little jumpy now." He shifted nervously at his own words.
"Everything will be fine," she replied firmly. "Cheer up and relax while you can, won't you?"
He smiled down at her. "With you around, how could I not?"
After that flattering pronouncement, the pair remained silent, watching as people scurried here and there, banging into each other and dropping things. Nearby, Mina was trying to calm a raging Jalen down, while Seren and Darrian appeared to be arguing again. Zacch had disappeared, much to Mina's chagrin (she didn't want to deal with Jalen anymore), and Rei was catnapping. Everyone was accounted for, and Lita leaned her head against Nath's shoulder. His arm settled around her shoulders, and they were the one source exuding peace among mayhem.
****~**~****
Ami had just handed the cup containing the infusion of Virgin's Bower and water to Rei when the other girl pointed out, with an alarmed look, the red rash on her arm.
"Oh–it's all right," she said vaguely, "I forgot that handling the plant without gloves causes me to break out. I'll put something on it in a minute, and it'll go away. Your headache should be much better after drinking that. It's meant to relieve even the most severe headaches."
Rei nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Ami."
Once she saw that Rei was drinking the mixture, bad taste or no, Ami left to take care of the skin irritation. As she sliced open an aloe leaf deftly, she muttered to herself, "You'd think that after years of handling things like these, I'd remember not to do something so stupid–"
"Or become immune," a masculine voice interjected.
"That too," she said with a rueful laugh.
In a more concerned tone, he asked, "Are you all right?"
Ami leapt to her feet, dropping the cut-open aloe leaf. The juice from its transparent green flesh leaked onto the floor, and they stared at each other for a moment. "I'm fine," she answered softly, belatedly.
"It's not like you to be careless," Zacch remarked quietly.
She bent, as if to retrieve the aloe pieces, but it was really to hide the emotion on her face. Her inattention had been caused by him...in an indirect manner. Her mind had been on other things ever since that morning's episode, when she had remembered one of her most frightening visions–and looked over at Zacch to see the remembrance and sorrow on his face as well.
Zacch knelt swiftly and picked up the pieces even before she did. However, he didn't see the little spines at the sides and yelped when he pricked himself. He dropped the offending pieces immediately, rubbing at his thumb.
Ami smiled suddenly and laughed. Typical Zacch to just reach out and grab things like the impetuous person he was. "I'm sorry–watch out for the barbs on the sides!"
"It's a little late for that." Despite his words, he smiled back at her. He picked up the aloe again, more carefully this time, and she held her hand out for them expectantly.
It was her turn to let out a surprised squeak when he started placed the cool flesh of the plant against the itchy red bumps that had sprung up. Her initial response was to pull away, but he held onto her wrist tightly. Ami was slightly placated to see that she wasn't the only one blushing–the heat rose in his cheeks as well.
However, his green eyes met her blue ones boldly, and she was uncomfortably reminded of the intimate relationship they had shared in the past.
Just then, a disgruntled voice called, "Ami, are you in there? And do you know where Zacch is? No one's seen him in a while...and Darrian wants everyone above–" Mina stopped speaking abruptly, for she had pushed open the door to see both of them kneeling on the floor quite close together. "Umm..."
Zaccheus rose quickly and helped Ami to her feet as well. With great presence of mind, he smirked and said, "Yes? Above?"
A wide smile slowly spread across her face. "Above-deck. But take your time, won't you?" With that last, saucy remark, Mina departed to find other errant members of their crew, laughing smugly to herself.
"Zacch...."
He looked at her, startled. "What?"
"Never mind. We'd better go," she admonished, still pink in the face.
He blocked the door swiftly. "Wait. What were you going to say?"
Ami bit her lip as she stared at him. One of his eyebrow was arched sardonically, but the smile on his mouth was warm and reassuring. It reminded her of what she could lose today. "You know...you shouldn't be going with them."
Zacch shrugged, hiding his surprise as best as he could. Whatever it was that he'd thought she would say, it wasn't this. "Neither should Seren. Neither should Rei. And really, none of us should be doing this–but what can you do?"
She no longer felt old–she felt absolutely furious with him and just about everyone else in the world for being so fixedly noble and self-sacrificial. "Be careful, you idiot!" she bit out before pushing past him and walking briskly down the hall.
With an enlightened look on his face, the only elfin prince left on the continent followed her, positively beaming. When the two of them joined the assembly company, Mina took one look at the infuriated expression on Ami's face and the jubilant one on Zacch's and nearly burst out laughing. As it was, she choked loudly and drew the attention of their black-haired leader, who was looking annoyed enough as it was.
A little too patiently, he asked, "Are you all right, Mina?"
"Fine, fine. Sorry–go on." Even though her face was red and she was still coughing, Mina caught Seren's eye and saw that she, too, had noticed the interesting turn of events. However, as Darrian started the final run-through of the plan, her mood sobered immediately. Her senses shifted into the hyper-alert stage, and her concentration sharpened. It was time to release the gray falcon.
****~**~****
AN: You may have noticed that this chapter was shorter than usual...I originally planned to have them just head off to the capital, but I discovered that some loose ends needed tying ^^; So I've split it into two parts, because the first half really needed to end here. Chapter 16 will be out ASAP (but not before another chapter of LAFS, I swear!), and there, I promise you, they will have gotten to Kent (or just about).
Thank you for reading and reviewing; I really appreciate it. ^^ I estimate maybe 2-3 full-length chapters before the end of the first part of "Soulmates." Please stick around! :)
~Ice
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