To Hold Back The Dark - Chapter Five
David had left with Kaythan to attend the Caravan meeting, leaving Rhea alone with Raun. She was very surprised to see Corin and Allanah's parents come down the stairs.
"I didn't know the Morningstar's were here!", she exclaimed.
"I didn't tell Corin because I didn't want to ruin the surprise. His younger sister, Aline, is finished with her apprenticeship as a healer and is now ready to head out on her own. Her family came to see her before she leaves."
Raun stood to greet the Elf Lord and his lady. Kichiera Morningstar was a gorgeous woman, with long white hair and luminous gold eyes. Like her daughters, she was small and slender, despite having given birth to six children, four of which were multiple births. Her husband, Lord Gorin Morningstar, was a towering figure, with black hair and steel gray eyes. His presence was noticeably felt, even when he wasn't yet within sight. Of the two, it was Lord Gorin who had the magical talent that had been passed on to their children.
Many people would have found it hard to believe that this man was in reality a doting father and gentle healer, for on the battlefield, he had nerves of steel and muscles of iron. It was said of him that he would never falter in the face of danger.
"My Lord, do you and your Lady wife have a table preference for tonight?"
"This table will be fine. We would like the chance to visit with Miss McShane."
"Then take my seat and I'll bring you some wine while you wait for your meal. Will your children be joining you?"
"Not tonight."
The pair sat down as Raun hurried into the kitchen. Lord Gorin smiled fondly at Rhea. Since his children had banded together with the others, Rhea had become a favorite of theirs, especially since Rhea's own parents were long ago dead. The three regarded each other warmly, for Rhea felt the same affection for them which they had for her.
"It's good to see you, Rhea," his voice was deep and rich.
"I'm really happy to see the two of you. Raun mentioned the reason for your visit. I'm sure that you must be extremely proud of Aline."
Kichiera smiled, "We are. To have both her and Corin follow in their father's footsteps is a source of pride to me. I've always felt blessed that with six children, all of them would be born with some magical talent, when you consider that I have none at all."
"I've often felt a little left out since Michael has the talent and I don't, but I'm hopeful that my children will gain what I lack."
"Magic runs in your family. I knew your mother, she was a very strong welder of the magic of the mind. I'd have to say that she was one of the best. Speaking of magic of the mind, where is Allanah?" Lord Gorin inquired.
"Somewhere on the road to Tralik. I suppose that you've heard about the attacks on the Plain."
"Yes. How dreadful it must be for that young girl who survived! To lose your family in such a way." Kichiera shook her head.
\"Well, Emilia still has her immediate family. Anyway, Michael and Allanah went to the site of the attacks to see what clues, if any, they could find regarding this thing. They were going to try to meet us at Merchant's Pass yesterday, but they never showed. The only thing we can do now it to hope that they arrive safely in Tralik."
Gorin looked worried, "They went alone? Do you think that was wise?"
"There was no way that all of us could go. The Hutheir's were very shook up and wanted us to escort them into the mountains. By the time all of us would've been done with that, the trail would have been cold. Michael and Allanah are very competent. They'll be okay."
"I must admit that I'm disappointed that she's not here. I was heading to Tralik in a few weeks to speak with her. When I discovered that you were expected here, I had hoped to talk to her at this time."
"Is something wrong?"
"That depends on Allanah. I've had an offer for her hand in marriage."
"Oh." Rhea tried hard to hide her surprise and disappointment at the prospect of her friend leaving. Being the only females on the team, they had developed a close, sisterly bond. She was also a little apprehensive since she knew from Allanah's own admission that she was very interested in Michael. "Is he very important?" she asked.
Gorin smiled. "You might say that. He tells me that he has admired her for a long time, and now he wishes to marry her."
"I wish you'd at least tell me who he is," Kichiera exclaimed. "I don't understand why you're being so secretive about this! It's not as if our daughter is diseased!"
"I don't want to spread his name around just in case Allanah says no. I have no intention of forcing her into a marriage against her will, no matter how good a catch the man may be. Besides, if people know who he is, then they may unintentionally pressure her into marrying him. Rhea, you know her very well. Is she favorably minded towards marriage right now?"
Rhea squirmed as she considered how much to reveal, "Well, I think she may be, if it's the right person."
"Ah, well, I won't push you into revealing any secrets which the two of you share. I'm sure that Allanah will confide in you and seek your advice after I speak to her. Just assure her that her mother and I first and foremost desire her happiness. Ah, Raun, that was quick service," he said as Raun and the serving girl deposited their food and drink at the table.
"Quick for the food, slow for the wine. My apologies for not bringing the wine out immediately as promised." The cook had been having some difficulties in the kitchen, but Raun didn't feel that it was right to offer that as an excuse. He knew that his apology would be all that the Elf Lord needed.
"That's quite all right. We were so busy talking that we didn't even notice. Please join us while we eat."
Things were running smooth now, so Raun sat down with a sigh of relief and sent the serving girl back to the kitchen, "Will you be attending the meeting at the Caravan Grove?"
"I believe I will go. It looks as if that's the only way I'll get to see my son."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here. Perhaps visit with Rhea, that is, if you're not planning on attending?" Kichiera asked Rhea.
"I'm not, and I'd love the chance to speak with you more."
Kichiera smiled, "Good. Perhaps Ariana will be back by then. Oh, I forgot, you and Ariana don't particularly care for each other. Well, we'll just tolerate her presence. I swear, ever since her husband became a Master Mage, you'd think she was royalty from the way she behaves. Ariana has always had such a bad superiority complex. I just can't figure out where we went wrong with that girl. Still, I suppose that one like that out of six isn't too bad."
"It could be worse. She could be our only child."
"Thank God that she isn't! She may look like me, but she is most definitely not anything like me! None of my children really are. They all tend to take after their father in one way or another."
"Are you saying that Ariana is like me?" Gorin stabbed a piece of beef.
"In a way she is. You do bear yourself in an aloof manner, dear."
"I do not!"
"You most certainly do."
"Well, if I do, then is must come naturally and there isn't anything that I can do to control it or change it. You can be assured of that," he chomped on the meat and chewed vigorously.
Kichiera laughed, "Comparing Ariana to each other always brings out the best of our parental love. Poor girl."
"Well, I would like her, but she doesn't seem to like me.", Rhea observed.
"You are a threat to her, my dear. She sees that we are fond of you and she imagines that you are replacing her in our hearts. Nothing could be further from the truth. We do love you like a daughter, but we still love Ariana," Gorin stated.
"Jealousy never is logical, Lord Gorin," said Raun. "I remember how David was so jealous of Corin back when Corin first started spending time around here. David had been out adventuring and when he returned, he found that Corin was spending all of his free time here. At first, David was jealous of Corin's ability to heal, then he was jealous that we were such good friends. He seemed to feel that only he could have me. He outgrew that fast, and now, he and Corin are very good friends!"
"Thank goodness for that! Having David and Michael arguing all the time is bad enough without having Corin added to it."
"I think that deep down, David and Michael really do like each other."
"Raun, I've never doubted that! It's getting along together that they have trouble with."
Lord Gorin downed the last of his wine and regarded his empty plate, "That was a good meal, Raun. And now ladies, if you will excuse us, I think that we're ready to go to this meeting."
"Of course. Please tell Corin that I would like to see him at least once before he leaves."
"I will," he kissed her cheek, then turned to Rhea, "And when are you leaving?"
"At first light. David wants to reach Tralik as soon as possible."
"I see," he and Raun stood to go, "Well, if I don't see you again, then have a safe journey.", he hugged her, "Take care."
"I will."
Raun went into the kitchen to leave brief instructions, then he and Lord Gorin headed for the Caravan Grove.
Aline had decided to accompany Corin and Marianna to the meeting. Mainly she wanted to visit more with her brother, and since she was heading out on her own, she was curious as to the nature of this dangerous thing. David was already there when they reached the Grove and he was just as happy as Corin had been to see her. The people attending the meeting included not only the Caravaner's, but the Mayor, the City Council, the chief healers, and everyone else who was influential, wise, or just plain curious. Emilia had enough good sense to stay away. Raun and Lord Gorin made it to the Grove just as the meeting was about to begin and he and Corin didn't have much time to talk, although they did make plans to talk later at the Inn. Also present and coming in at the last minute were Corin's two older brothers, Dhillon and Darion, as well as their brother in law, Kiryl. The family sat together with David and Raun as Kaythan got the meeting underway.
Kaythan Hutheir stood before the semi-circle of people and gave a detailed account of what had happened to his Caravan and to the Naythor Caravan.
"The main question we are here to consider is whether or not the Caravans from Marille should risk returning through the Plain. It is not an easy choice. Safety of the Caravans is an important factor at all times. However, returning to one's homeland is vital to the morale of a Caravan. The floor is now open for discussion." Kaythan returned to his seat.
There was a lot of murmuring amongst the attendees and then a sturdy, middle-aged man took Kaythan's place up front.
"That's Twinor Smaruchuk, his Caravan is from Marille," Corin whispered to the others.
"I feel much sorrow at what has happened, as I'm sure we all do. Many years ago, the roads were treacherous for all. Our Kings saw to it that the roads were made safe for any traveler, or at least as safe as they could be. I haven't had to make the decision of whether or not to travel somewhere for nearly thirty years. Now, I find that I must ask my people to risk death or worse in order to get home. Other Caravans have made it this far. The Hutheir Caravan is right here, preparing to journey further west. They made it through all right. How am I to make the right decision?"
Another man stood, "You forget about the Caravans that aren't here."
Smaruchuk shook his head, "No, my friend, I do not forget them. I have to say that the only thing we can do is to ask our own people to vote on whether or not they want to take this risk. If my people want to go home, then I will take them home. If they want to stay, then we stay."
"And what about those who want to stay when the majority wants to go?," a young man called out, "Will they be forced to take the risk?"
"You raise a good point. What does happen to those who differ from the majority? Do we let them go off on their own or make them stay behind while their loved ones leave?" another man asked.
The crowd broke into voice at once, each person strongly voicing his or her opinion.
"May I speak?" Corin stood.
Smaruchuk stared at him. "You're Corin Morningstar, aren't you? Rode with the Hutheir Caravan?"
"And the Farachuk and Miador Caravans. I also tended to the Hutheir injured when they reached Emeralde."
"Of course you may speak. We are all eager to hear a healers opinion on this."
Corin decided to speak from where he was standing, "I saw the wounds that the Hutheir had. There were bruises, abrasions, and cuts. Now, Kaythan has already attested to the fact that they couldn't see their attackers at all, but obviously their attackers had limbs of some sort. How else could they wield a weapon? This can be a good indication that we're dealing with something human, with something that may or may not be able to reason. They may be attacking at random, or it all could be methodically thought out in advance on who and where they'll attack. We don't know, and that not knowing is the main problem right now. People are in the Plain right now looking for any clue that may be able to tell us what this is and how to fight it. Each Kingdom is by now well aware of the situation and I'm sure that they are taking whatever precautions possible to protect their citizens. One thing that I did notice is that none of the Caravans entering Marille from here were attacked. Now whether this is a good sign or not, I don't know. However, my advice is to go to Emeralde, but all of you go together. Once you reach Emeralde you can better judge the situation to see if you want to go any further. If nothing else, at least Emeralde is in Marille. If you stay here waiting for word that the Plain is safe, then you may be forced to winter here if the passes are snowbound."
Several heads in the crowd nodded agreement
"Your advice will be taken into consideration...." as Smaruchuk prepared to say more, a young lad ran into the clearing.
"A Caravan is coming! It's the Farachuk Caravan coming in from Marille!"
Confusion and excitement spread through the crowd as Pietr Farachuk directed his Caravan into the Grove. Seeing the large crowd, Pietr gave instructions for setting up camp and entered the clearing, "What's going on?"
"We were trying to decide whether or not to go home."
Pietr shook his head, "I'd advise against it. There's no telling what this attacker will do, or where it will strike next. We were attacked just a few hours from Emeralde; at almost the same spot where the Naythor Caravan was attacked."
Silence overcame the crowd as they listened to the two Caravaners speak.
"Did you lose many men?"
"I didn't lose anyone at all thanks to Michael McShane and Allanah Morningstar. They were able to use spells which protected us. Without their help, we most probably would not be here to tell you this. And in answer to your next question, no we did not see our attackers. Hopefully McShane and Morningstar will bring back descriptions of them."
"Are you saying that they went after this thing?" Lord Gorin demanded.
"That's right. They had a strong trail to follow and they decided to take advantage of it."
Aline sank down to her seat, "May God keep them. Two people alone against God knows what."
Darion put a comforting arm around her. "They'll be okay. Right, Corin?"
As Corin listened to Pietr Farachuk he felt fear beginning to overwhelm him. In the past few days he had felt feelings as extreme as terror and elation. He had shrugged them off, mainly because he knew that Allanah was relatively safe. Now, however, he knew that she probably wasn't. A hand on his arm brought him back to the present. Dhillon was shaking him. "What?"
"Darion was assuring Aline that Allanah and Michael will be all right."
A new, more terrifying wave of fear washed over Corin, "No! No, she isn't all right!"
Before anyone could stop him, he pushed his way past his family and out of the Grove.
"I'm going after him," Dhillon took off behind him, while Darion and Gorin were left to comfort Aline.
"I'll be all right, Father. He's the one who needs someone with him right now. I'll stay here with David and Raun. Go on."
Gorin nodded and then he, Darion, and Kyril headed in the direction that Dhillon had gone. Aline, seeing the stricken look on David's face, struggled to find the right words to reassure him.
"David, just because Corin says that Allanah isn't all right doesn't mean that the worst has happened. They're Elf twins and any intense feeling felt by one will be felt by the other. If she was seriously injured or worse, he'd be the first one to know."
David shook his head, "I let them go. My first instinct was to say no when they asked. Then I thought about how much the King would need any information which they could bring back. So I let them go off alone. We never separate for long periods of time. Never. I knew it was wrong."
"David, they chose to go on their own. Nobody forced them into it." Aline tried to think of anything else she could say to take away the anguish in his eyes. She had always admired the way that he took the welfare of his friends so much to heart and she felt he made a good leader. "Nobody finds it very easy to dissuade Allanah once she decides on something."
"She follows my orders. She wouldn't have liked doing it, but she would have stayed."
"Well, you can't dwell on this. From now on we just have to believe that they'll be in Tralik just as you agreed upon. Right now the two are probably cooking supper over a blazing fire. Let's see, they would probably be feasting on squirrel."
"Michael hates squirrel, so it would be rabbit.", a small smile appeared on David's face, "You are absolutely right. They can handle themselves and we really don't have to worry about them. Well, I don't think that much more will be going on at this meeting. It'll take them a while to decide whose advice to follow. We better head back to the Inn. Uncle Raun told me that your wonderful mother is waiting back there."
"She is. I'm ready to get inside anyway. It's getting chilly out here and I only brought this lightweight cloak."
The three returned to the Inn where Rhea and Kichiera were sitting, deep in conversation. On the way back they had agreed not to mention what Corin had said about Allanah, but to let Gorin handle the telling once he had found out just what Corin had meant. They quietly joined them at the table and quickly related the events of the meeting, editing as they saw fit. Kichiera listened intently to her daughter, but didn't believe much of it. Aline had never been a good liar and she could tell that the girl was hiding something. Gorin would be returning soon and she decided to wait and question him about the meeting. It must have been very important, because David and Raun were also upset. For now, the least she could do was let Aline think that she was successful in her attempt at subterfuge.
As Corin pushed his way out of the Grove, he did so blindly, not really knowing where to go. Instead of thinking, he let his feet lead him and he eventually found himself back at the garden of the hospital. As a student, this garden had been a special place to him. It was designed to be soothing to all who entered it, and it soothed him now. A small stream winded its way around flowers and through fruit and nut trees, cascading at times over small waterfalls. Serenity filled the air in this place and Corin wearily sank to the ground by the huge oak that dominated the center. He had barely gotten settled when Dhillon ran into the garden.
"I thought I was going to lose you back there, little brother."
"Why did you follow me? I came here to be alone!"
"Oh, I don't know why. Maybe it had something to do with the way you scared everyone to death with your outburst. For some reason, when my brother seems to think that something bad has happened to my sister, I get a little worried about the both of them."
"I guess I did maybe over react."
"A little."
"I couldn't help it. All of a sudden I felt so much fear and pain. I've been feeling odd things ever since we split up. Terror, hopelessness. And a funny feeling of elation."
"Elation?" Dhillon looked thoughtful, then smiled, "Well, so much for the wedding proposal!"
It took a few moments for Corin to understand what Dhillon meant, "I'll kill Michael if he's hurt her. How could he take advantage of her at a time like this?"
"Hey, it could be a mutual thing."
"Bull! They're out there alone and she's vulnerable. He's got women all over this Kingdom; why in Hell did he have to add her to the list? How could she let him?"
"Whoa! She could be more than just a name on a list to him. Don't sell your friend short."
"Friend? What kind of a friend beds your sister? What kind of sister lets him?"
"Jealous?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Corin, I felt very angry and hurt when Ariana lost her virginity. For starters, it was not on her wedding night, although it was with Kyril. And you better not ever mention that to another soul!", he warned. "First of all, she went out and did this without checking with me first. You can well imagine how I felt when I felt her feelings! The sensation is quite unmistakable. My anger quickly turned to jealousy as I thought of someone, anyone, touching my twin. She was as close to me as my own flesh, and yet she was letting another man touch her. Corin, you feel that Allanah is yours and yours alone. It takes a while to accept that she doesn't belong to you."
"Well, she certainly never mentioned feeling anything like this to me."
"Ariana says that women don't really care about these things except for where their husbands are concerned. Now, did you get all upset over the feelings of elation, or is something else wrong?"
"I felt fear and pain, but maybe they're all connected. I don't know. I think that they are in trouble, Dhillon, and I can't do anything to help," he stared away into the blackness of the night.
"May we join you?" Lord Gorin's voice broke through the silence.
"Father," Corin stood, "I'm sorry for my outburst."
The Elf Lord regarded his son solemnly, "Is she all right?"
"I really don't think so. But at the same time, I can't tell you what is wrong."
"I see. Well, we should get back to the Inn. You have a hard journey in front of you tomorrow, and your mother still wants to see you. Please keep your fears from her."
"I had intended to. There's no need for her to worry over what may be nothing."
The Morningstars headed back to the Rested Traveler. Despite his words to his father, Corin couldn't help but worry.