The Forgotten Valourith

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

LONDON

"Dad, come on! Hurry up!" Ally huffed as she walked faster towards the station. She threw her head back and saw her dad walking casually. A slight frown made its way to her face. Ally was going on a vacation with her father to their farm house which was situated in the countryside. She was extremely excited from the moment her father had informed her about the trip. For days she kept penning down the things she wanted to do and see.

For some reason Ally always loved the town life rather than the city. An arm slung over her shoulders which made her jump in surprise. The girl looked over to see who it was and her body eased at the sight of her father. "Ally, calm down. We won't miss the train," her father said in his British accent.

Ally just rolled her eyes at her father. He always did that. Whenever Ally worried about anything, he would just come around and whisper few soothing words which would actually calm her down. It was like magic. Ally always believed in what her father said. She adored him and he spoilt her in the good of ways.

Ally never saw her mother since she was born. All she had known was that her mother passed away in a terrible accident. Ally lay awake for nights and wondered what had actually happened and why hadn't it showed up in the news. She wanted to ask her father, but somehow she always took a step back.

Whenever Ally tried to surface the topic of her mother, the look in her father's eyes always stopped her from going further. His eyes held pain and remorse. For her father's content, she never pushed that topic. Since childhood, it was always her and her father.

Ally's father refused to marry any other women for he loved her mother dearly and truly. He always told her daughter that the moments he had spent with her wife was all her wanted until his death. No amount of happiness with other women could ever replace it. And Ally respected that.

In the course of years that followed, Ally's relationship with her father had turned strong. "What are you thinking?" Ally's father, Armin asked with an amused expression.

"Nothing."

"I always know when my daughter is in deep thought," he smiled at her.

"Really dad, it is nothing. Come on, let's get on the train," she said bouncing with excitement.

Once they were seated properly, Ally turned towards her father. Armin was sitting opposite her and looking out of the window on to the busy station. "Dad," she called out to him.

Armin looked at her and smiled. "Yes, Ally?"

"Why is your name 'Armin'?" she asked with amusement. Armin rolled his eyes at her daugter. This was a conversation which he avoided at all possible times. Till date he had been going round and round. He really didn't have a straightforward answer to the question. But Ally always brought this topic up and teased him. She found it funny since the name sounded so ancient.

"Ally..." Armin warned. But Ally could see a small smile playing on his lips. She took it as a good sign and continued further.

"Who named you, daddy? Was it grandma or granddad?" She asked.

Unfortunately, Ally had not met either of her grandparents. Armin told her that he moved away from them after her mother's death. Ally didn't find it convincing, but like all other times she didn't voice her opinion. It was unlikely that her grandparents had not even called her once to ask how she was. No grandparents would do such a thing.

It had been nineteen years since her mother passed away. Ally always thought that with the new rays of the sun, her grandparents would let go of their grudge against her and give her a call. Somehow Armin had always sensed her worry. He used to tell her that they aren't angry with her. It was just the pain that was keeping them away. And in those moments, she believed her father.

"Not again, Ally. Why don't we talk about you, princess?" Armin tried to dodge the topic.

The girl narrowed her eyes at her father. "I know what you are doing, father."

Armin sighed at his daughter. "I feel like a child instead of a parent, at the moment," he said which made Ally giggle. She shook her head. Looking to her right, she saw passengers settle in. There was a small girl of about four. She kept staring at Ally and she was extremely adorable.

Ally had an urge to get up and play with the kid. But she stayed where she was. She didn't want the parents to think of her as a creep.

The train whistled, signaling its leave. A huge smile broke on Ally's face. Finally she would be away from the city life. City life wasn't really meant for her, but that was what confused her. She had never been out of the city, yet somehow she felt close to the countryside. Just hearing the names made her smile.

Ally removed a book from her satchel and started reading. She glanced up at her father who is sound asleep. Armin needed rest from his busy schedule. He worked hard for his daughter. Ally prayed that this vacation would ease some of her father's pressure of work.

Get her attention back to the book, she sighed contently.

~*~

"Wake up, child. It is lunch time," whispered a voice.

"Huh?" Ally slowly opened and rubbed her eyes lazily.

"You've been sleeping for a while now, love," Armin told her.

"What time is it, father?"

"It is half past twelve."

"What?" Her eyes widened in realization. "I have been asleep for more than five hours! And I missed breakfast," she said in disbelief.

Armin chuckled at her reaction and told her that it was absolutely fine. They were going on a vacation and she could do whatever she wanted at whatever time suitable for her. They ate their lunch in silence and Ally couldn't help but adore the scenery on her way.

The train was now nearing a tunnel amidst the forest and a fear set in the girl. She gripped the armrest of seat tightly. Armin noticed this and his lips pressed into a thin line. Ally would never let her father know that she was scared of closed and dark places. Because probably it was nothing serious and it was perhaps something psychological. She always brushed this topic away.

Ally swallowed hard as she saw the darkness approaching. Her hold on the support got tighter and her knuckles turned as white as a paper. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed for this moment to pass soon as it arrived. "Are you okay?" Armin asked, but got no response.

Ally's body tensed as the train started to slow down.

Oh, god, not now. Please!

Soon it was over and they had passed the tunnel. Ally let out a breath that she had been holding, unconsciously. Relief flooded in her veins as that small journey through the tunnel went uneventful.

She looked at her father and bit her lip. Armin raised a questionable eyebrow at her. "You do know that I am your father, right?" He asked and Ally nodded.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his finger. It looked as if he was trying to soothe some hidden pain. Ally reached out and placed a hand on her father arm. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, c-child," he said hesitantly. Ally saw fear and pain in his eyes. She choose to ignore it, but how much ever she wanted to turn away she couldn't. Those eyes held her attention. They captivated her. Those dark eyes held secrets and this time they were begging her to free them.

"Ally, whatever happens in the future, promise me one thing."

"Anything..." she said, but her stomach formed knots and she didn't like it one bit. She was afraid of what Armin was about to say.

"Don't look back just yet. Focus at the task in hand. Complete what you are supposed to do. Be strong and remember whatever I taught you. I will always lov-"

A loud screeching sound made Ally tear her eyes away from her father. Armin's face went pale and fear was splashed all over it. It was the last time she saw her father's face properly before the train turned upside down.