Chapter II - A Path Revealed
The crescent moon hovered dimly in the sky, as the sun began its slow descent into the horizon. Deep shades of red dominated the visible clouds. The brightest few stars shone through high in the early evening sky, blinking in and out of view as small clouds drifted past. A light chill hung in the air, as the warmth of spring had not yet fully taken its grip on the weather. The afternoon breeze had died down, and quiet filled the woods. The area would have been silent, were it not for the Katari home.
Ashira sat on the porch, gazing out into the darkening surroundings. She could still see better than most, thanks to her keen elvish eyesight, but even that had its limits. Her face showed her concern, wondering where Talin was.
"Ashy!" a young girl’s voice yelled from inside the house. Its source, little Feylin Katari, jumped out the front door. She was two months past her eighth birthday, and still quite a bit shorter than Ashira. "Dinner’s ready Ashy!"
"Okay, I’ll be in soon," Ashira replied, smiling down at the girl.
"Hey! Where’s Talin?" she asked, defiantly. "Mom’s gonna be mad if he’s late for dinner again!"
"He’s...he’s not back yet," Ashira said, trying to mask her worry. "He’ll be home soon Fey, don’t worry!" She smiled and placed her hand atop Feylin’s head, giving her brown hair a ruffle. "Go help mom set the table, okay?"
"Okay..." Feylin said, starting to turn back to the house. As she did, she spotted two figures coming from the trees, and quickly recognized her brother. "Talin!!" she yelled, running to him.
"Feylin! Good to see you," Talin said, as he picked her up and gave her a hug.
Ashira caught up after a moment, and said with a smirk, "You're late for dinner, you know." She motioned toward Elora, "Who’s your friend?"
"I know, I know...it took a little longer than I thought to get home. And this is," he paused, a look of confusion on his face. "Well, I guess you never got around to telling me your name."
"Yeah! Who’re you?" Feylin added, sticking her tongue out at the girl.
"I’m Elora," she said, with a little laugh. "And you must be Ashira? Nice to meet you."
"Been telling her about me?" Ashira asked, nudging Talin. "Yeah, that’s me. Are you joining us for dinner?"
"I would love to," she replied, with a nod.
"I didn’t..." Talin mumbled, as Ashira spoke.
"Alright, I’ll go tell Mom. Fey, want to race back to the house?" Ashira asked, smiling.
"Yeah!!!"
The two ran off toward the house. Ashira's cape fluttered behind as she ran, though she was letting Feylin beat her.
"Shall we go in, then?" Elora asked.
"Sure," Talin replied, and they walked toward the porch.
The welcome scent of a home cooked meal wafted through the front door as they approached. Walking into the kitchen, they saw food laid out in plates all across the large wooden table. Helpings of chicken, potatoes, corn, and bread awaited them, all looking quite appetizing. Ashira and Feylin each sat at the table already. Myra Katari, their mother, was still at the stove, picking up the second tray of rolls.
"I’m glad you made it home safely, dear," she said, upon hearing Talin walk through the door. She picked up the tray and started to turn around. "And this must be our guest," Myra paused as she saw Elora, "My, you look awfully familiar. Have we met before?"
"N...no, I don’t think so," Elora answered, a tinge of nervousness in her voice.
"Oh! I know what it is. The bow in your hair...it makes you look a bit like my sister Celia when she was young," she said, with a little laugh. "Sorry to startle you, dear."
"I wasn’t..." Elora started, and then gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, it’s alright Mrs. Katari. It looks like you’ve prepared an excellent meal. Thank you for allowing me to join you." She bowed slightly, and sat down. Talin took a seat as well.
"Oh, don’t you worry about it. It’s my pleasure to have a guest in the house," Myra said, as she set the tray down on the table and sat down. "Now, let’s eat!"
*****
Stars scattered across the sky, with the crescent moon above. Its dim light was all that kept the fields from being plunged into total darkness. A small lantern kept the porch lit where Talin, Ashira, and Elora sat, talking after dinner. It had been an excellent meal, as Myra’s always were. All of their appetites were quite satisfied.
"Now that we’ve eaten and have a chance to talk, could you explain why you came?" Talin asked, looking over at Elora.
"Fair enough," she replied, with a slight chuckle. "I guess I did come along a little unexpectedly. Like I said earlier, I was sent out here to find you. Let me ask you something. Have you thought about going out on your own? Taking the adventurer’s path?"
Ashira looked a bit surprised by the question, but Talin nodded almost knowingly, and answered, "Some. I actually talked to my mother about it recently. I’d like to learn the ways of the sword, like my father did, long ago." He looked down for a moment, upon mentioning his father.
Elora smiled. "I thought you might say something like that. Did Tristan ever tell you where he trained?
"He told stories all the time," Talin said, with a little smile. "He trained with Master Dokasa, all the way out on the Western Continent. Not to mention a few adventures."
Elora nodded. "Well, what if I told you I was from Arsalun myself?"
Ashira’s face took on a mixed look of surprise and concern, as she whispered under her breath the seldom-heard name of the Western Continent.
"Arsalun...?" Talin asked, also a little surprised. "You came all the way out here from Arsalun?"
"I did," she answered. "Did you know that Master Dokasa is still there?"
"Interesting," Talin said, with a smirk. "So I suppose you’re saying you came all this way to bring me to Arsalun? Who sent you, though?"
"Ah," Elora started, caught off guard by his second question, "I can’t tell you that just yet. Just consider me as a guide," she paused, "To...help you find the right path."
Ashira stifled a laugh at Elora’s slight blush. Talin just smiled, and said, "Alright, I guess that’ll have to be enough. I’m not sure why, but I trust you."
And he did. Talin couldn’t put a finger on why, but for some reason he knew what Elora was saying was right...he knew he would find his destiny somewhere in Arsalun. He had always dreamed of going there, to seek out the great swordsman Arthrin Dokasa, who had trained Talin’s father almost twenty-five years before.
"So maybe...maybe it is the right time to head out there," he added.
Ashira’s ears perked up, and her eyes widened a bit. "An adventure? Don’t think you’re going anywhere without me!"
Talin laughed, "I wouldn’t think of it. I guess I’ll be leaving home a little earlier than..."
"Tea, anyone?" interrupted Myra, as she walked through the front door onto the porch, carrying a tray with four cups on it. She set it down on a little table between the three of them.
"Oh! Mrs. Katari," Elora said, startled.
"Please, just call me Myra, dear."
Talin spoke, with a touch of nervousness in his voice, "Were you listening just then...?"
Myra smiled. "You think you can sneak something like this past your mother? I’d think you would have learned by now!" she said, with mock surprise. "I know what you have to do. Just be sure to come back in one piece, and that means you too, Ashira."
Elora chimed in, "We don’t have to leave right away. I have some business to attend to in the area anyways. Is a week long enough for you to get ready?"
Talin thought for a moment, looked to both his mother and Ashira to confirm, and then nodded. For a little while longer, they talked about the upcoming journey. They decided to leave from Westport, a city on the ocean’s coast, and the largest port city anyplace near to Ariko. The trip there would take two days, along the main road. As it had grown late, Myra offered the guest room to Elora for the night. After finishing their tea, they decided to get some sleep, retiring to their rooms.
*****
Long after all the others had gone to bed, Myra remained out in the kitchen, sitting in a chair by the window. Pale moonlight shone on her face, as she gazed out at the starry night sky. One bright star in particular drew her attention, the same one she always looked to late at night. A lone tear ran down her right cheek, catching a slight sparkle from the moonlight as it fell to the ground.
"I wish you were still here Tristan," she whispered to herself. "He’s leaving soon, off to chase his destiny. You’d be so proud of him...I wish you could see him. I know you’re watching somehow..."
A little voice came from behind her, "Mommy? You still up?"
"Hmm?" Slightly startled, Myra brushed at her cheek and turned around. Feylin was standing there, rubbing her eyes a bit and holding a small stuffed toy. "Oh, Feylin honey, what’s the matter? Can’t fall asleep?"
Feylin shook her head, and asked in a sweet little voice, "Can you tell me a story so I can go to sleep?"
Myra smiled. "Of course. Now let’s get you back to bed," she said, as she picked up her daughter and walked down the hall to the bedroom, strained a bit under the weight. "Hmm...I guess you’re getting a little too heavy for this, dear."
Myra set down Feylin in her bed, and sat down in the wooden rocking chair next to it. "So what story would you like me to tell?"
"Tell me the one," Feylin thought for a second, "about...about the heroes!"
"Okay," she replied, with a nod and a smile. "You really like that one, don’t you?"
"I do!" Feylin said, excitement in her voice.
After a moment’s pause to think, Myra began. "Hundreds of years ago, in a far away land, everything was peaceful. Kingdoms of humans, elves and dwarves all lived in harmony. But then, monsters started coming to the land, attacking villages, and travelers on the roads!" Her voice got slightly more ominous with this last part, prompting Feylin to pull the covers up near her face. "The leaders of the four great kingdoms got together, to form a great army of light to stop the monsters. But one of them..."
"...was evil!!" Feylin interrupted, now hiding entirely under the sheet.
"Now now, who’s telling the story?" She said, smiling down at her daughter.
"Anyways...one of the leaders...was an evil wizard, who had been summoning the dark monsters in secret. He made the fake alliance with the other lords, and then betrayed them!" Feylin gasped in surprise, though she had heard the legend many times before.
"The armies of the elves, dwarves, and the great human kingdom of Caryn were all beaten back by the legions of darkness. And just when it looked like all hope was lost...the faeries appeared out of nowhere, fighting back against the darkness. With the help of the other races, their armies of light defeated the hordes of monsters!"
"Yaaay!!" Feylin exclaimed, now sitting up in bed and unhidden.
"But that wasn’t the end of the fight! The dark wizard still needed to be destroyed. Five heroes came from the light itself, and fought their way into the wizard’s castle. There was a great battle! And nobody knows what happened inside, because they all vanished in a great burst of light. With the monsters gone, the faeries too disappeared, back into the forests. Some people say they walk among us in secret to this day..."
"Have you ever seen a faerie, mommy?" Feylin asked,
"I don’t know, honey. If they’re around, they’re in disguise." She smiled down at her daughter, "Maybe you’ve met one already!"
Feylin’s face turned to a look of wonder as she pondered the possibility.
"Okay honey, think you can fall asleep now?" a clearly tired Myra asked.
Feylin nodded, "Good night mommy."
"Good night dear," Myra said, kissed her daughter on the forehead, and walked off to her bedroom.
Feylin, of course, was still wide awake with thoughts of heroes, faeries, and great battles racing through her mind. She got to sleep *eventually* though.
*****
Elora was waiting at the kitchen table for Myra as she returned from her storytelling visit to her daughter’s room. Myra smiled over toward her when she entered the kitchen.
"You can’t sleep either?" she asked, sitting down as well.
"I’m not quite tired yet," Elora replied, glancing out toward the night sky. "Sorry to have startled you earlier. I didn’t intend to show up here unannounced, but I happened across Talin in the woods after I got lost on my way here."
"Don’t worry about it, dear," Myra said, with a warm smile. "I knew you were bound to show up soon, with Talin’s twentieth birthday having passed. I trust Caliana is well?
Elora nodded. "She’s fine...she’d have come out herself, if she could have. How long has it been since I was here last? Almost fifteen years, is it not?"
Myra paused to think, her mind drifting back into distant memories. "Yes...it was just before Talin’s fifth birthday when you visited. My...how the time has flown."
"So it has," Elora said, looking back toward Myra. "Will you be alright without Talin and Ashira around?"
"I’ll manage somehow. Talin’s brother Leon will be back from Kazir in a couple weeks, and little Feylin’s enough to keep my hands full for the time being. Just bring them back safely...promise me that."
"I will," Elora said, "Don’t you worry!"
Her reassurance brought a small smile to Myra’s face. "Thanks, dear. I know how hard this all is for you as well..."
Elora nodded, looking out toward the window again. "It is. I’ve managed for this long, though. Only a little bit farther."
"You should get some sleep, dear. I’m sure you have a busy day ahead."
"You’re right," Elora said with a little smile. "I’ll probably be gone by the time you wake up...I’ll be back in a few days. Tell Talin and Ashira I said goodbye for me."
Myra nodded, standing up and starting toward her room. "Okay. Say hello to Caliana for me, when you see her."
"I will," Elora said, walking toward the stairs. "Good night, Myra."
"Good night."
*****