After Empire of Storms

Chapter 2 - Rowan

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There was an empty feeling in his chest a feeling that no matter what he was doing, he always felt it. Sometimes this feeling left him unable to move, bed bound until the feeling lessened. That feeling was his mate.

Mate. God how could he have been so stupid to not have noticed. Maybe he ignored it out of loyalty to Lyria, or just the fact that he wasn't ready yet. She had kept it from him, holding that knowledge alone, waiting until he was ready. He did not deserve her. Rowans hawk let out an ear piercing screech from where he was circling above the ship scouting for anything, any sign that she was near. The bond had gone dead. It had been a week since she had been taken from him and every night Rowan called down into the empty abyss hoping, waiting for a response, a sign that she was okay. There was never any response. With another cry of anguish, Rowan dived down towards the ship, shifting back and landing lightly next to his former cadre Gavriel. "Anything." Gavriel asked as he gazed out across the open ocean. Rowan gave him the same response that he'd given him yesterday, and the day before that. "Not yet."

Suddenly, Rowan felt a scorching pain down his back though no visible wound appeared. The sudden shock of it caused his knees to collapse from underneath him and him to gasp from the pain. "Rowan?" Gavriel asked rushing down to help him, even Lorcan had come over to see what had cause Rowans outbreak. Elide just watched from a distance letting the fae males deal with it, like she always did since Lorcans betrayal. But Rowan didn't care about that. No, the only thing he could think about at that point was the fact that they were whipping his mate. His Fireheart being whipped like an animal. Rowan cried out as another shooting pain shot down his back. Oh god, how was Aelin dealing with this? Cairn. He was going to rip Cairn apart with his bare hands "They're whipping her." Rowan whispered from his position on the floor.

"Get yourself together!" Lorcan shouted at Rowan, kneeling down so that he was face to face. Rowan snarled. They were hurting her. His mate. "Use this to track her! Get a sense of her position so we don't keep going round and round in circles!" That wasn't actually a bad idea though Rowan didn't want to admit it. Pushing through the pain, Rowan closed his eyes to explore their bond.

He walked down a string that led only into a raging darkness. The pain had stopped and he was left with only a tingly feeling down his back. "Fireheart?" He called out with no response but he could feel her, he could feel her at the other end alive and fighting. He tugged down the bond which sent a storm of pictures and memories which infiltrated his mind. Happy moments they'd spent together. He laughed as a picture of him eating that disgusting chocolate cake she had made zoomed past. When a picture of their wedding rings raced past Rowan lifted a hand to his chest, where he kept them both rings safe on a chain. The pictures were becoming more and more recent until they were pictures that Rowan didn't recognise. Stone rooms. Darkness. A stone throne. Rivers dancing together. Darkness. An iron spiked whip like the one Maeve once had used on Rowan.

Rowan gasped shooting out of unconscious to find Gavriel and Lorcan staring down at him. Rowans face was wet from tears or sea spray he didn't know. He knew where Aelin was. "Doranelle." He muttered "Doranelle, Aelin is in Doranelle!" He said getting up to his feat while changing the direction of the wind so their ship was sailing in the right direction. From the corner of his eye Rowan saw Lorcan glance at Gavriel, they didn't believe him. "Rowan, look, why would Maeve take her there ? We crossed it of the list for a reason it's too obvious !" Lorcan said while walking closer to Rowan."She's there, I can feel it!" Rowan snarled.
"I believe you, Rowan" Elide said getting up from her corner of the ship, glaring at Lorcan. "If you think about it logically,Doranelle is probably one of the most easy to defend and fortified place." Elide suggested still glaring at Lorcan. Rowan shuddered he would not want to be on the receiving end of that look!

"She's right," Gavriel added walking towards the group "anyway even if it's wrong it's better that the aimless wondering we've been doing" "It's not wrong!" Rowan hissed.
"We know Rowan and we'll find her." Elide said comfortingly before walking off to her cabin.

Gavriel cast Rowan one last glance to make sure he was okay before departing to the other end of the ship, where he continued to stare out at the glimmering ocean. Lorcan went to approach Rowan, to say sorry or argue with him Rowan didn't know, didn't care. "Not now, Lorcan." Rowan muttered walking down into the belly of the ship where he opened the door to his cozy room.

He glared at the bed which was too big and empty. He remembered the last time he and Aelin were on a ship and a smile crossed his face. It quickly vanished as soon as he remembered where that ship journey led to. Rowan collapsed onto his bed, it creaked under his weight. Wetness still clung to his face, tears, they were tears. Rowan laughed. If only Aelin could see him now; he could imagine it. She would call him a "big baby warrior brute" and then she would hold him, wiping away his tears one by one as she whispered into his ear.
He would be strong for Aelin. If ... When he finds her, he will be that person she can rely on. She will never have to go through it alone again.

"Rowan!!!" Gavriel shouted. Rowan was up on deck in seconds sword and daggers out, magic at the ready for whatever threat awaited them. But then a familiar scent hit him, a scent of fun and mischief but also a scent of sadness and loss. "Fenrys?!" Rowan gasped putting away his weapons but had his magic at the ready. If Fenrys could be here so could anyone else. "Where is she? Is she alright?" Rowan asked. Elide now joined the fae male on deck, with questions of her own. "How are you here?"

"It's not good Rowan," Fenrys started, moving to stand in front of Rowan. "Cairn he, he was going easy on the beach. They have her locked in the darkest cell and whip her with iron spiked whips. I went to visit her in the night to clean her wounds." Fenrys stopped and looked to Rowan "keep going" Rowan said through clenched teeth. "They're rubbing iron into her wounds Rowan, iron powder to prevent them from healing properly." Rowan collapsed, his Fireheart trapped in the dark.

Elide stepped forward "How are you here?" She repeated, "I thought you were under Meave's command?" She stepped forward. Elide had become stronger in the passing week, Lorcans betrayal had caused her to close of her heart and mind. "Meave wants me to deliver a message, she got distracted before she could tighten the command, which is why I was able to say the other thing." Fenrys started pacing, he was nervous. "Meave said that if you gave her the wyrd keys, she would had over Aelin." There was a ominous silence. No one dared say a word. Everyone looked towards Rowan, to see what his reaction would be.

"We need to talk to Adeion and Lysandra. We can't make a decision without they're agreement." Rowan eventually said.
"What you can't seriously be considering giving that bi*ch the keys!?" Lorcan exclaimed looking at Rowan like he's gone mad and perhaps Rowan had. Fenrys has stopped pacing to watch this confrontment.
"This is my mate, Lorcan. We wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't care about about Elide! I will do anything to get my wife back!" Rowan shouted his voice portraying all the emotions he's kept hidden this week. "I'll fly to Terrasen, I'll get there quicker. You guys keep sailing to Doranelle I'll meet you there." Rowan didn't wait for a response before he shifted and flew towards his home, deep down he already knew the decision he was going to make.

Hope you all like the second chapter it's shorter than the first at 1400 words but I hope it's all okay. Any tips and comments would be really helpful and ideas on where you want the story to go! :)