Dusk rolled in quickly in Alterra. Once the sun had passed its zenith, the daylight dissipated in less than an hour.
"It's best that we travel by dark. We can reduce chances of discovery." Ergin had wrapped his thin frame in a warm cloak. The colourful weaves of the Alterrans would at least not strike the Castillonians as being Hilliri at first glance. The subtle tones used in Kalad spoke of a different origin to these hot colours of orange, pink and bright green. Liriel wondered if they should do more to misdirect, perhaps add a few bright ribbons around their wrists, but perhaps less was always better.
"Keep to the shadows and be careful. I won't forgive you for getting yourself killed." Adina chuckled at her warning to her husband, though she stared hard into his eyes for a long while after.
"I promise I will return."
Somehow Liriel felt certain that Ergin could look after himself, even under such a dangerous circumstances.
They left, heading out into the dark as the stars began to light the way. The Hilliri called themselves the people of the stars, for they saw well in the night and enjoyed the late hours, often staying awake until dawn.
They walked slowly, Ergin setting a relaxed pace for Liriel's short legs and gravid condition. She had recovered well from her earlier wanderings, but was glad for the slow gait. It would be several hours before they had to be cautious.
"What possessed you to take a Trillas man as your lover. I'm not being judgmental, but I wondered how you came to see him as someone you could love."
A smile crept over Liriel as she stepped slowly along. "I'm so tired of people judging each other. They were always talking about the Trillas like they were more beast than person, but when I healed Lorenzo of the terrible wounds my brother and his soldiers inflicted on him, I realized he was made exactly the same as we are. He has a heart that beats to the same rhythm and is located in the same place in his chest. His body works precisely as ours do. Our differences with the Trillas are minor and superficial. Colouring and height hardly matter at all. Do you think you're better than me because your eyes are more green and mine more blue?"
In the dark she couldn't see too much of Ergin's expression, but she caught the sound of a sigh. She could tell he shook his head. He paused for a moment, and she followed suit. He turned to face her. The spot where they rested was clear of branches and the starlight beamed down, lighting his pale features.
"I never thought of it that way. We're all a little bit different from one another, and the Trillas are just a bit more so, I guess." He hesitated for a moment, looking up into the sky. "How do you account for the difference in life-span, though? Aren't you worried that you'll outlive him by many years?"
Liriel shrugged automatically. Ergin wouldn't see it, but she didn't care. She never had.
"I love him. I wouldn't ever want anyone else. I didn't even think about the future when I decided that. I was content to think it wouldn't last, but it was an experience I couldn't turn from. If we weren't going to be together in the future, I would be able to accept that outcome. I was ready to give up on marriage to anyone."
Ergin stepped forward and Liriel followed. "You're braver than most, Liriel Godehera. I've lived with Adina for so long, yet I don't even know if I could exist without her. She's so much a part of me now."
"I realized I would be alone in the end. Yet I will always carry Lorenzo's love with me. I just hope it will be enough when he's gone."
They continued along a forest path for about an hour, speaking only occasionally. The second hour the forest dropped away and they walked more carefully along a rough road, one that appeared to be little used and much over grown. Ergin stopped now and then to check his bearings, but he seemed to know his way.
After the second hour had passed, the road began to look more used and less wild. The brush at the sides had almost disappeared. Finally, Ergin pointed ahead and they left the path to head out into an open field.
"This is where it gets dangerous. You should cover your head so your hair doesn't shine in the light."
They marched through the field, lifting their knees as they went, for the grass grew taller here. Rocks and boulders dotted the landscape. As the rocks became more frequent, Liriel realized she knew this land. They must be near where she had been during her last trip. Ergin pause by large boulder and bent to Liriel's ear.
"Time for us to be very quiet. We're getting near. Be ready to reveal yourself the moment you see him. Otherwise, try to stay out of site."
They crept along, pausing behind rocks and boulders as they went. As far as she could tell, they were heading west by north, towards the border where the bridge should be.
Ergin stiffened and held out an arm to stop her from going further. His placed a finger on his lips. Liriel nodded. She waited, straining to see what was ahead. A shadow crossed the field ahead in the distance. After a moment, another passed, heading in the same direction.
They waited, watching as even more shadows passed. After the last one, Ergin held her back as he waited. Finally, his body relaxed and he grabber her sleeve and pulled her forward.
They scurried forward, hunching over to avoid notice. When they reached the spot where the shadows had been, Ergin located a boulder and tucked in behind it. Liriel squinted to see if she could locate the Castillonians who were clearly in the area.
A snick of wood on wood caught Liriel's attention. She turned to find a green clad woman aiming an arrow right at her. As all of her focus had been centered on the area before her, she forgot to think about what was happening behind her.
Three other archers appeared in short order, each one aiming, alternating between Liriel and Ergin. Ergin turned and raised his hands, the white linen cloth fluttering in the breeze.
The faces of the Castillonians were grave. The woman tossed back her curly auburn hair and signalled to the others to hold off. While they remained active with their bows aimed at her, their posture seemed to be more easy.
"Explain your presence." The woman spoke the common tongue with a heavy accent, rolling r's on the tip of her tongue. It wasn't so different from the way Lorenzo spoke.
Ergin moved to face her. "We seek audience with Lorenzo Calimero." His own common was smooth and crisp. Liriel was surprised he knew the language. It was hardly a necessity for the average Hilliri to know.
Liriel stood up to her full height, slight as it was, and made sure her condition was clearly visible. The woman glanced and took note. She turned to one of her companions.
"Get Lorenzo, quickly." The man nodded and left, fading into the shadows. The others snapped to attention and refocused on their aim. Liriel had expected they would be tense upon finding Hilliri wandering in their area. After all, it was their job to keep the Hilliri out of Castillon at all costs.
Another man approached from the dark. He was almost as tall as Lorenzo, and his hair, though following a similar fashion, was more dark brown than black. As she observed him, she realized there were similarities between the two, and wondered if he was a kinsman.
"What's going on here, Renata? Who are these people?"
"Ghosts, as you can see. The woman is pregnant, nearly ready to birth."
"How the blazes did ghosts get through our defence line? Someone must have been sleeping at their post." The man frowned, and again, Liriel saw the resemblance.
"We came from the East, not across the bridge." Ergin seemed anxious to allay their concerns. He lifted the white linen a little higher. Perhaps he was right to do so.
The man scowled even more. "I don't like this. And they speak common." Liriel wondered why he didn't speak to them directly.
"They asked to speak to Lorenzo. I sent Tolero to go find him."
"That will take a while, he's gone back to the village. Don't let them get away from here. I'd execute them right now, but Lorenzo would not be happy."
"The white flag should always be honoured, Marcusi. If we don't do it, we can't expect our enemies to either."
Marcusi rolled his eyes. Liriel recognized the signs of an impatient personality. The man tossed his curls and turned to stomp back several paces. He turned, as if he'd made a decision.
"Let them speak to him, but I'll have your hides if they escape. Once he's talked with them, I want a turn before any decision is made." He turned and left, fading into the darkness.
Renata turned back to Liriel, assessing her, then Ergin. "You took a great risk in coming here. This is defended territory and is full of soldiers. If you're not here on behalf of Kalad, then you're in great danger."
Liriel decided she liked this woman. She lacked the sour suspiciousness of the man. At lease she wasn't afraid, or was it disrespect, to speak to them.
"If it were up to me and I could make it happen, I would have this war end." Liriel took the risk of saying this, although it was possible this woman liked battle and would be sad to see it end.
Renata kept her bow aimed at her charges, but she responded. "I would rather be in your position and bring life into the world than to take it away, but sometimes it is necessary to keep our way of life and our freedom.
Liriel bowed her head, appreciating the sentiment. They stood and waited for quite some time. Liriel thought the town Marcusi mentioned might be the one where Lorenzo's house was located. It was a fair distance from here, but if the soldier had described her to him, she knew he would come in haste.
Liriel felt herself sway as fatigue set upon her. "May I sit?"
Renata took a moment to think.
"Sit, if you wish."
Liriel slid to the ground and propped herself up with her hands. The tufts of rough scrabble under her fingers reminded her of her need to revive herself with more maru soon. She spread her fingers and let her vision shift until she saw the world in terms of maru. Every blade of grass, every tree, every plant, and Ergin and the Castillonians guarding them glowed with the same eerie light. She dipped her conciousness into that sea of eerie light and sucked, drawing power to her, filling her body with it's strength to renew her. Her blood pulsed thickly, thrumming in her ears. She felt herself filling, almost overflowing, to the top and over. She could hardly control it. Trembling with the strength that coursed through her, she summoned her last bit of will and cut off the flow. She wavered and nearly collapsed with the effort. Ergin noticed and moved closer so she could lean on him while she recovered.
The stars moved across their paths in the sky until the night was almost gone. Finally, she heard hooves, several sets, moving to a fast beat, approaching.
"Renata, I got your message." The voice came from nearby in the dark. It warmed Liriel upon the very first word. She moved slowly to stand, leaning hard on Ergin's shoulder.
"Lorenzo?" She called into the void.
She heard feet thump hard on the ground. Horse tack jingled then stilled.
"Liriel?"
Still brimming with power, Liriel had difficulty stay upright. Before she had the chance to fall over, Lorenzo's strong arms had wrapped around her. She leaned against his chest, listening for his heartbeat.
He pulled back from her a little, so he could see her in the starlight. The light would fade soon, darkest just before dawn, as it always did. His eyes darted about her face and her body, resting on the place of greatest concern. His mouth dropped open.
"Liriel, I had no idea." She could see he struggled to understand her gravid condition. He place a hand on the swell of her belly and looked into her eyes. She could have wept for gladness.
"Is this mine?" There was so much hope on his face just then. Liriel could only smile and nod. She had lived with this state for a long while, but Lorenzo would take time to process this news. She watched him, waiting to see how his expression changed.
"Poor girl, I left you like this, and you've been alone all this time."
Liriel shook her head. "I've been with Ergin here, and his wife Adina. I had to leave Kalad, I couldn't have the baby there. I tried to find you, but I kept failing."
Lorenzo caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I'm sorry love, I missed our meeting time, and then the next one. I was under orders to organize an attack, and then I was in the middle of another battle. We hadn't planned for any more contingencies."
Renata moved up a little ways. "My Lord, is this woman is one of your lovers?"
The thought of sharing Lorenzo with another woman turned Liriel's blood hot.
Lorenzo looked up at the woman and spoke softly, as if he wished only for her to hear. "No, Renata, not a lover. This is Liriel. She's my wife."
Renata could not have been more stunned. She allowed her bow to drop down toward the ground as her mouth formed an 'o'. Lorenzo turned to the others who still had their own weapons ready and aimed.
"Stand down, people. These people are not our enemies."
As ordered, they all tucked their bows away, yet they remained where they stood, their bodies alert, unconvinced of the status of their new guests. Marcusi shoved his way through their ranks and stood before Lorenzo who was still holding Liriel in his arms.
"What's going on here, cousin? Are these ghosts not our prisoners?"
"No, Marcusi, they're not."
As Liriel waited for Lorenzo to explain, she felt odd. Her belly rippled strangely. All of a sudden, the muscles around her midsection tightened up, squeezing her until she could hardly draw breath. Warm wetness seeped out of her and trickled down her legs. A sharp pang somewhere inside caught her by surprise. She cried out at the sudden pain. Without thought, she reached out, grabbing Lorenzo in one hand and Ergin in the other while conjuring an image of Adina in her home in her mind. With a light touch, Liriel wished herself there.
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I hope you enjoyed this instalment of Ungloved. If you did, please consider voting so that it has a chance to receive some more attention by rising up the ranks in the (rather large) Fantasy category. I also enjoy comments, so please feel free to let me know what you thought.
Cheers!
Rebecca