The song of Nellena, the maiden who died waiting upon her lover in a field of nightshade, was often sung by young boys or girls who's voices could reach higher notes. It was often sung during times of peace, and it was often sung to remind young lovers to be cautious before running off into their sunset. So why it was being sung the day after war had been officially declared in Gardelle by word of King, and after the message had been sent off to Partrall as well, and by an older man in a baritone voice was beyond Luistia's comprehension.
She woke with a start as he began to sing a line about how she tired, and desired, to lay her sweet head down. As he continued to sing she shook her head, yawning and trying to remember what'd happened. The clouds had broken and the sun was shining for perhaps the first time in ages. Next to her, Elesen was still asleep, and she quickly shook the boy awake as well.
Neither knew where the man was, for his voice sounded to be right with them, yet he was nowhere in sight. The sparse bushes around were too tiny to hold anyone, and the trees were too far for him to have been singing there and his voice to have reached them like so. Cautiously, Luistia stood and placed a hand upon the mane of one of the horses, who were chewing on the grass that grew up through the cracks of the rocks.
"Hello?"
The man continued to sing as if he hadn't heard them. "For nay be it that her life not breathe, that her breath not sing, that her love be naught! As tales have cursed and lives have worked, and as evening fights the dawns retreat, and lovers love shall be brought to thee," he sung, his voice strong and powerful. A light breeze began to blow, and leaves that had fallen during the storm were drifting about with it, along with twigs and flowers that had been broken off. The man took a deep breath before starting again, "Nellena, my love, Nellena, my love...Why art thou so cold? Doth life not bring thee happiness, and life not bring thee lovers kiss? Bring thyself back to my arms, lest I fall through deaths dark charms-and wait for naught as mine love doth fade, into the loving everglade."
As he took another deep breath, Luistia caught sight of him atop the rocks they had been sleeping under. He was a short man, shorter than she'd ever seen before, and though his face was old and his hair was white, he had not a beard upon him. He continued to sing, having not noticing either Luistia or Elesen watching him with confused looks.
Finally, Elesen cleared his throat loudly and spoke. "Fair day, sir?"
He laughed, looking down at them with no surprise. "Ah! So the lovely couple hath awaken to see lights beaut, no? From Gardelle, by the looks of ye. Twas sure a nice 'prise to saw both ye sleepin' so kindly and naught. Most travelers whose way is lost be such in good comfort to sleep for days durin' a storm such as that. Aye, it be heaven's mercy upon us all, bless our souls."
Luistia looked to Elesen, who only started to laugh. She couldn't help but grin at how he looked, all childish and sweet as he held his stomach. "Twaint we be together, old man. Nay, I be with friend on journey ta save far more lives than either of us know."
The little old man chuckled as well, squatting down and jumping off the high rocks. He landed on his feet before them, only reaching half of Elesen's height. Yet as he looked up at them, and they down upon him, Luistia felt as though he was bigger than both. He must fair from Odmen, it cannot be ta far off from thus point, can it? We best not have strayed onto a different trail durin' that storm, lest we lose an entire day's journey.
"Name be Jon. Be what yours?"
"Elesen. And this here be Luistia, we fair from Gardelle, as thou had predicted. Where might thou fair from, is it from the tribe Odmen, hidden inside the Mountains of Odmen?" he asked, only to receive several nods as answers. "What doth bring thou out this far, good sir?"
"Aye, it is of tragic heart and mind that I hath traveled thus far by meself. My family was killed by way of spy, and assassination. Be it naught that I shalt stand by and let them hath died in vain. I only stopped on my journey towards Gardelle to ask if either ye had plans to go south from here. To do so is death, kind travelers. Behind me is the mountains, and behind me is naught but sorrow brought by those assassins of Partrall. Mine entire village was ransacked and burnt to ashes, and I hath lost most all mine family," Jon told them, looking behind him. His eyes grew wide and for a moment both thought that he'd cry, but he only coughed deeply and turned back to them, blinking. "What journey brings thee past these rocks and hills and past the Garden of Forestina?"
"Same as thee," Luistia said, "though we plan ta stop Partrall 'fore they destroy all of Gardelle's kingdom."
"Aye," Jon said, "brave of ye both. Keep safe, heroes of Gardelle! I shalt find ye once this be over, and we shalt meet in fairer place in time. Now, I be off to warn thy Queen and King of what hath happened thus far. Cautious, yesterday through the storm there be word that war hath already broken out."
"It has," Elesen told him, "Mine-The Queen sent word the past day out to Partrall that they were no longer neutral, and that war hath been claimed by word of Gardelle."
"That may not be wise."
Elesen frowned, "Why might it be naught?"
"In Odmen an army awaits. Once they hath heard news of war, they shalt strike Sydeni and Gardelle the same as they hath done to mine village. Aye, now I only can pray that the Queen shall grant meself mercy enough to stay in Gardelle until mine kin find their ways out as well."
Luistia nodded, then she looked west, towards where Sydeni was closest to at the moment. Their time was slowly fading, and the more they waited around talking the worse off it could get. The spies could have already left Sydeni with the orb, for all she knew the orb could be back in Partrall. Still, she felt pity in her heart for the older man.
"There be Tower in Gardelle, famous for itself," she said. Elesen looked over at her, but she just gave him a tight smile and turned back to Jon. "Find ya way there, kind stranger. Mine Master, Destrim, shall give ya home once ya have told him who has sent ya. Tell him that Luistia sends her blessings, and ta keep himself safe when ya find him, if ya can. Destrim be no stranger to loss and his heart may be stiff, but he may keep ya safe nevertheless."
"Blessings upon ye as well, lady of Gardelle," Jon said. Then he raised his right hand. "For later, when we meet again," he told her, taking her hand in his and closing it. He gave her a kind smile, then let go of her hand and began to walk away. "The both of ye survive, now! Life be strange."
"And strange be life," Elesen said, giving the man a smile back. He was on the trail and out of sight before the two had gotten their things back together. Luistia got back onto her horse, legs still tired from the day before, and waited for Elesen to do the same. He shook his head as he did so, smiling like a fool.
"What wrong with ya?"
"Naught," Elesen told her, "but what did the old man Jon give thou?"
"The same ya mother had given me-a rock with the mark of his home on it."
"Where did thou put it?"
She shook her head, patting the horse's main gently as they began to ride again, the opposite way down the trail as Jon. "It be in my pack, along with mine things. Quick now, we mustn't waste more time talking of foolish manners."
"Aye, thou be right. We shall go."
"Good. We should never stray again on this path, lest we lose all chance of capturing the spies. Your mothers orb is far ta precious ta lose, and with Gardelle now at war, and enemy camps so close, we have no hope but ta find ta orb 'fore it finds its way to Partrall," she told him. Then, she began to ride her horse faster alongside the trail. Elesen caught up with her quick and rode with her, neither saying a word. They rode for hours, with Elesen catching those that he remembered to count on his sand glass, and it was not until the sun was going back into the clouds sometime past noon that they stopped to rest the horses and refill their strength with food and water.
The jerky she'd brought was tough and chewy in her mouth. Still, she shared it with Elesen. He did not comment on the state of the food, which was far beyond what she would expect, and he even ate it without question. A prince eating common food and not even complaining? His mother must have taught him more than just magic, she thought. They filled up their canisters with spring water from a hole within the rocks, letting the horses drink as well before they continued.
As they went about the trail the rocky land began to have more grass and dirt, as it did back when they were closer to Gardelle and Forestina's Garden. To their left, Luistia could see the peaks of the Mountains of Odmen in the distance. She looked for signs of what had happened to his village-smoke in the sky, even perhaps people hiding up there, but she couldn't find anything. Still, she knew that he hadn't been lying. Anyone who travels with the crest of their homeplace is someone who knows they may never return there.
Rain broke her from her thoughts, and pushed her onwards faster. The horses seemed as eager to escape another onslaught of rain as they were, and as night began to fall and the storm began to get worse, they reached the outskirts of Sydeni.
Elesen's legs were sore, his back hurt, and his stomach felt as if he'd only eaten rocks. He hopped off his horse the second they'd passed a sign that read 'Sydeni: Home of Tave's Tavern, 1 fortwig west'. Luistia did the same, both of them tired as they walked their horses the last fortwig into the city. The houses they passed were made of logs, well built, and contained several people-mainly children and their parents. Little children played tag alongside the road as they passed, not giving them any cold greeting, but not giving them a warm one either. Word of war had apparently found its way to Sydeni before them, somehow. More than likely, the riders of mail had raced their horses from post to post to all neutral and Gardelle owned cities and towns, gathering up the men and boys for war.
The closer to the city they got, the fewer people they saw. Only the smallest of kids were about, and Luistia only saw men too old to fight outside smoking. The rain was falling, and the storm was getting worse, yet the men didn't leave their porches and the children didn't leave their yards. A shiver ran down her as she passed by another barren house, this one with lights on. Through a cut out window with no glass she could see a mother tending to her babe and a little boy sitting by a fireplace quietly.
War had definitely begun.
"Elesen," she whispered, "what shall we do if ta spies have left already? These peoples-they have naught men nor older boys. It certain be that they hath left ta prepare for war, meaning they hath already heard of it."
He sighed, walking beside her. Elesen's gaze remained on the road before them. "I do not know. We shall only hope that if they hath left that it be not too long ago, so that we might catch up to them before time passes too much."
"Agreed, let us make haste," she said.
They both sped up their pace, pulling the horses along for the last trek of the walk until they made their way into Sydeni. There, an inn was close to the edge of town, along with a stand for them to place their horses while one went in. Elesen, having the money, went inside to get them a room. Outside, Luistia waited by the stand, both the reigns in her hands as she leaned back, the wood wet but nice to rest against. The rain had started to fall lightly again, but it still fell with vigor, and she knew that it would be some time before the storm would fully leave them. Gardelle is known for stormy beginnings of summer, and since it was only the fourteenth of summer it was sure to last for some time.
Suni neighed, rubbing her head against Luistia's shoulder. Her horse, which she had yet to name, did the same. The grass under her feet was chewed down by previous horses, but she had no feed in her pack to give them. Luistia sighed and took her pack down from her horse, looking through it to see if there might be anything she could use to hold them for the new few minutes, at least until they could be put in the stables and given a proper meal.
"Look, I have not," she told them, "so ease off, will ya?"
"Luistia! Come, come, this way to the stables," Elesen called, walking out of the door and waving his arms to her. She slung the pack over her shoulder and pulled the horses towards him. The stables were nearer to the end of the inn, but not too far off, and a stable boy helped put them into pins and get them food for the night. Elesen had taken his pack off his horse as well, holding it in his hands as they left. "Aye, I could only get us one room," Elesen told her as they walked back to the inn, "but it hath two cots. Shall I draw a curtain between us?"
"Nay, we shalt not waste time as such. Let us dine and rest for ta night, then tomorrow we shalt get early rise and meet with ta eyewitness," she said. Then she yawned, her feet heavy against the ground. Elesen didn't say anything, but she could tell that he agreed with her.
The inn was nice and cool, and their room was fair as well. It was larger than her room at the Tower, though smaller than Destrim's, and the cots were made of nicely patched straw covered by furs. Even the blankets were nice, made of a lighter, soft material that she knew was called cotton. She set her pack down on the bed and pulled out some clothes for her to change into for the morning. Elesen had already set his out and he stretched his arms above his head.
"Shall we eat now?"
"Ya go ahead, I shall join later," she said.
He left the room quietly, and once the door was firmly shut behind him she pulled out the map Destrim had left her. It contained a sketch of Gardelle, and several pathways, even one under the inn. All of them led to Tower Gardelle in the center, and where he'd drawn some houses she read the thin words he'd scrawled on the page. 'Safe house' read some, and in others 'broken latches' and 'needs repairs'. Luistia couldn't help but chuckle. Once she had memorized it to the best of her abilities she pulled out the spell book she'd packed, a small one that held only a handful of spells. One of which, she knew, was one for setting small things on fire.
She held her hands above the paper, and quietly whispered, "Dontium este luchi." It took her four tries, but she eventually got the paper to alight. It burned slowly, each little piece smoking and catching fire again as she blew on it. Once it finished she blew onto the ashes, spreading them into the cracks on the floor so no one would know what she'd done. As she stood, Luistia found herself looking about the room, just to make certain that no one had been watching her. Then, after she'd dusted off her trousers, she left the room to find Elesen.
He was sitting in the dining room of the inn, chatting with the few men and woman who were in there. The conversation didn't seem too dark, but it didn't seem so friendly either, and after stalling by the door for a moment she walked over to him and sat down on the free stool across the table. Three harsher looking ladies were there, dressed in both green and brown dresses, and four men sat. All of them looked like they'd been the ones on a journey.
Elesen gave her a quick look as she sat down, then announced her to those sitting with him. "This be mine traveling partner, Luistia. Luistia, these kind folk hath informed me of the state of Sydeni. A day ago the messenger had rode into town, announced the war, and took with him over a thousand men back to Gardelle to be trained. These men just got back from hunting, and plan to join the army by morn."
"Ah," she said. She gave them a nod and the slightest of smiles. "Any luck in hunting?"
"Aye, killed meself three deer for mine family, enough ta last dem durin' these times," one man said. He raised a hairy arm and glass of mead up to her, showing off a large scar as he did so. "Got dat meself durin' a battle with a kitear. Wasn't but a lad and still brought it home on me back."
She nodded, "Ah, ya must be mighty brave."
The guy beside him, skinnier and with longer hair, laughed. "Aye! He be stupid brave, if ye'd ask me."
"No one did," the third man said.
"Well, mine opinion be just as good-"
"Nay," the third man said, "it be not. Now hush, and let ta little lady tell us her story same as the boys. Well? Miss, it mustn't be too safe out there with everythin' goin' on as it be. War moves in faster than we could expect, if ya understand what I be sayin'."
Luistia nodded again, then shrugged her shoulders. She patted the sword that still rested against her leg. "I be safe, and with my partner ta two of us be fine alone. We be workin' to restore somethin' that'd been taken from us. Aye, hath ya got any mead to spare? A long journey often calls for longer drinks."
Elesen chuckled, pushing over a glass to her. "Drink up, Luistia."
"Thanks be," she said, taking a large drink from the glass. It burned her nose a bit, but the liquid felt good as it went down. A waitress came by, dressed up nicely, and placed down food for the table. Elesen got both himself and her a place of meat and bread, setting it before her like he'd set the table a thousand times over. "Aye, who taught you such manners?"
He blushed deeply, hiding his head some. "Mine family says that a man such as mineself should naught grow up without manners to beset him. What use be I in a position of power if not I know what it is like to earn it?" he asked, taking a large bite of his food.
So he knows his manners, yet still eats like a man. Oye, some just cannot help it, can they? She took a large bite of the meat on her plate, shoveling it down with the bread. It was well salted and cooked fine, and the food found itself inside her stomach faster than she'd have thought it could. Or perhaps it be me who eats more like a man.
"Eat up," Elesen told her, reaching for seconds himself. "Tomorrow we hath a long day before us."
*
"A long journey often calls for longer drinks." I think I'm going to use this as my motto. Your thoughts? :P As always, thanks for reading! What did you think of this chapter? How did you like learning about Odmen and Jon, the short man of the mountains? :)