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Lana was not particularly in favor of Kirill accompanying her. She eyed the Madonian beside her, the one who she had called a monster just earlier this morning. Who now was a protective shadow following her, fighting off those who got too close. He moved unnatural swiftness, each of his moves precise. He was the perfect killer. She had to admit that in this situation his skill set was useful, but admitting that only angered her.

  Ardin was with them in seconds. He already was a magnificently large wolf before but with the new boost in energy he appeared to be even more massive. There was a slight blue glow about him as Kaiden’s energy was still flowing around him. It seemed almost to be sticking to his fur like static.

  Lana and Ardin still shared one consciousness from the energy transfer. In these moments, she could feel his rage and hunger to protect her. They shared their strength, fears, and thoughts as they ran down towards Valdor. If anything stood in their path Ardin would take them down before the threat could even reach her, and if someone did manage to break through, her blades would end them. She felt unstoppable.

  The sounds of Lana’s father groaning with every strike he blocked could be heard in the nearby distance. She was so close to him. The Rami in front of Valdor was a big man and by the looks of it very powerful. He had an arrow sticking through his shoulder that didn’t even seem to faze him.

  Ardin should easily have been able to take care of him, while Lana focused on another approaching Rami who would be her target. Just several steps away she glanced back to Valdor.

  “NO!” Lana’s screams broke through before she could stifle them. An unseen Rami from the side appeared from nowhere and drove a dagger in Valdor’s side. In a flash Ardin was already there, his large teeth digging into the warm flesh of the man who had Valdor’s attention.

  Moments later Lana came up with Kirill who turned to the right, taking care of other Rami fighters. The Rami by her father held up his sword in preparation for a final blow. Lana slid in front of him, he didn’t even notice her approaching the two of them. Both of her swords found their way in to the neck of the man in front of her and her father. In one swift motion she punctured the Rami’s skin and pulled her swords back. Blood flooded from his wounds as he fell back with wide dyeing eyes. Panicked she turned to her father who lay on the ground against a tree.

  Blood was pooling on the ground beneath Valdor, before seeping into the soil. Lana placed a hand on her father’s wound, pressing down. It was no use, his blood bubbled up through her fingers, coating her hand in red. There was so much of it. She sucked in a sharp breath, tears forming in her eyes.

  “Father. I’m here. You will be okay just hold on. We will get a healer.” Like a child, Lana stared wide-eyed and scared into her father’s fading brown eyes.

  Valdor raised his hand and gently touched the side of his daughters face. “No child.” He coughed. “I think it time for me to go see your mother.” He said with a weak smile. Tears began running down Lana’s face. Goosebumps danced across her skin. Suddenly she felt so unbearably cold, and not even the energy flowing through her could protect her from it. Her father was giving up, just like that. She pressed down harder on his wound but it did nothing to stop the red liquid. It seemed like an impossible amount to be coming from one man.

  “No, please! Just hold on, our people need you, I need you.” She could hardly breath. Everything had happened so quickly. This morning he was fine, just a moment ago he was injured but he was fine. This was not supposed to happen. Her father was not supposed to die like this. He was going to live to an old age, he was going to teach Lana so many more things that she needed to know before becoming the head of the Selvirian lands. She was not ready for this, he was still young, still strong. Just this morning he was fine.

  This was her fault, if she wouldn’t have snuck away, maybe he would have avoided this battle. “I am so sorry! I shouldn’t have left. This is my fault.”

  Valdor’s eyes grew large with urgency, he grabbed his daughter’s bloodstained hand and she slowly met his gaze. “No. You must believe that this would have happened no matter what, Lana. Do not blame yourself, do you hear me? You had nothing to do with this. Listen, you must be careful of who you trust, Lana.”

  Lana looked at her father with questioning eyes , unsure of what he meant and whom he was talking about. Before she could reply Valdor coughed deeply, blood came with it. With shallow breaths Valdor continued in a hushed tone. “I saw what you and Ardin did with that Rami boy Lana, it was amazing. Is that the boy you told me of as a child from Ucu?”

  Lana stared at her father. She did not know he actually listened or cared enough to remember her stories of Kaiden. As soon as she came back to the Madonian lands from Ucu she began telling her father of Kaiden and her time at the school. But that was short-lived, ending as soon as she saw her mother lying motionless on the cold ground in Gorthyn. Lana never mentioned Kaiden again after that.

  Now, she could only nod in answer to her father. His lip twitched in a weak smile.

  “You will be a great leader for our people. You will give them the strength they will need. Believe that, believe in yourself. You are more special than you know. You will save them.” He sounded so sure of his words.

  "But I need you." Tears were rushing down her cheeks, making it nearly impossible for her to speak. Lana could only let tears flow as she shook her head, unable to accept her father’s willingness to give up, to leave her. Valdor’s grip on Lana’s hand released. “No, dad. Please!” she cried out softly, reaching her arms around him.

  “I’ll tell your mother what an amazing child you turned out to be.” He whispered, a fleeting breath. Lana felt it, the shift in the air, the moment his soul left his body. He was gone.

  Unable to restrain herself, she released an agonizing cry. It cut through the air. A loud howl erupted near by from her Aorra. Ardin shared this burden with her, the pain.

  Somewhere nearby someone smiled.

  Chapter

  Seven

  The darkness of the night was welcome, like a blanket that hid the imperfections of the world. But it could not smother the pain of loss for there was nothing like it. To be completely void of something, missing a piece that had always been there, it felt unnatural. Valdor was the foundation of Lana’s world, he was strong, a leader, a good Madonian. Now with him gone, she not only lost her father but her largest support. There was no plan for what had to be done next, no one to show her the best course to take.

  Stars glimmered in the night sky, providing a twinkling backdrop for the two moons that danced across the sky. One of the moons was large with a blue glow to it and had a ring circling it, the other was smaller and not visibly unique in any way, but it was more special than it appeared. It was the place where Lana and Kaiden had first met.

  Lana sat apart from everyone and stared at the stars overhead. The only thing she could feel was numbness. It was the kind of numbness that clawed through a persons being. So overpowering that it crushed the soul in its ice like hands.

  She stared at the minor of the two moons, where she had first met Kaiden, in silence.

  Come join us. A gentle and familiar voice entered her mind.

  Lana turned to the small campfire where Ardin sat looking at her from the distance. Around the warm glow of the campfire also sat Donn, his grandkids, and Kaiden. They all seemed to just be sitting in a worn-out silence while their bodies and sore muscles were warmed by the heat of the fire.

  No. Lana replied to Ardin's request for her to join them.

  You don’t have to be alone.

  I want to. Lana returned her gaze towards the sky, this time looking to the blue moon with a ring around it.

  Why did you choose to go to Alogrin? Ardin asked. Lana assumed it was his attempt to have her open up, to let him in. After Valdor’s death she had closed herself off so that he couldn’t feel her emotions. She didn’t want to share her hurt and pain with him. She didn’t want to share anything with anyone.

  Why did you not oppose
it? Lana countered. She was sure Ardin would not want her to leave her people at such a volatile time, however he surprisingly did not contest her choice. In fact, Lana had the feeling he was slightly relieved by it.

  She could feel Ardin’s eyes staring at her from the distance. With a sigh she decided to give him more of an answer, in hoped that it would be enough to get him to leave her alone again.

  General Flynn is a good man, I trust him as a temporary leader. My father trusted him. The people look up to him, they will follow him in my absence and he is a warrior, something that I fear is necessary for what had happened in Abder. Lana kept her eyes on the moon and the stars.

  Ardin was not telling her everything, she was sure of that. The slight relief she thought she had felt from him when they were leaving Abder was odd, but through her numbness she did not care. Alogrin was always said to have the best warriors in all the lands with their golden army. If this is still true, I will ask for their assistance. They live in peace, both Madonians and Rami, surely they wish for the same for all the lands. And it will be a safe place for Kaiden.

  What makes you think he wants to be there?

  He has no other place to go.

  Ardin stared at Lana for a short time, before deciding to leave her to herself. She hated this, the distance she was putting between herself and her Aorra. Hating that Kaiden, the boy she had once been so close to, was finally within her reach but he was a part of those who were responsible for her father’s death and the deaths of so many Madonians. Hatred and numbness swirled within her, but as night fell fear and sadness crept in. Donn and the children should not be a part of this.

  Lana continued looking up at the dark sky, littered with stars and two moons for a moment more before trying to close her eyes. The journey to Alogrin would be a long one and she had to get some rest, but every time she tried to she would see red and her parent’s motionless faces behind her eyelids.

  The night provided little rest.

  It was before dawn when Lana woke panting, her cloths sticking to her sweat licked skin. Dreams of the Rami she had killed with the face of her father haunted her throughout the night. Rolling over to her side, she looked at the camp, everyone seemed to still be asleep near a burnt out fire where dusts of black smoke drifted up. The rest of the night Lana laid still, not sleeping for fears of the dreams returning.

  Instead Lana thought of the past day. She had lost her father, the last of her immediate blood relatives. After his death a wave of numbness came, keeping her from falling apart, allowing for her to act quickly. First she found Flynn, her General, and put him in command in her immediate absence.

  Flynn was tall with brown hair, a pail complexion, and a great attitude. Valdor trusted him and so did Lana, plus he was like an uncle to her. He always followed orders and had a love for his people. The only disadvantage he had was a lack of an Aorra, but he made up for it by becoming a skilled fighter with a very smart and logical head on his shoulders. His heart was so incredibly warm and true. Lana’s people and army would be willing to follow him in her absence.

  At first Flynn was reluctant to let her go anywhere without telling him where she was heading and without protection, but he had no choice. Where in the past his orders came from Valdor, now they came from Lana. She was now the first in the Selvirian council and her words, his command.

  At first sign of light over the horizon, Lana got up and walked to the small camp. Ardin raised his head as she approached while the others still slept. Donn rested with the two children curled together for warmth. Nila, the little fox, sandwiched Nadina from the other side. Lana glanced to Kaiden, letting her eyes linger for just a moment. His face was smooth, serine as he slept. Even in his sleep his hand rested on his sheathed sword. Her foot touched his torso, waking him.

  Kaiden woke with a jolt. His fingers moved smoothly, wrapping around the hilt of his blade before his eyes registered that she had woken him. His hair was mused from his sleep. It was somehow attractive the way it unkemptly stuck up every which way.

  “Time to get going.” Lana spoke when he sat up. Ardin stretched and released a howly yawn, waking everyone.

  “We must get going, we have a long journey ahead. I fear war is breaking out. I would like to stay ahead of the wave of destruction.” Lana spoke as she began loading up the horses.

  “Are there safer roads we can take?” Kaiden asked, trying to fill the silence more than anything while gathering his things.

  “No, if we go too far inland you will be at risk and in return we all will be. We must travel next to the border, where few travel.” Lana replied with lifeless words. Her demeanor was cold towards Kaiden, part of her irrationally blaming him for what had happened.

  “I know of a few small towns scattered along the way, we will be able to get a few supplies as we go.” Donn added with a friendly smile. Lana returned the smile, not wanting to be rude, though it did not touch her eyes.

  “If we travel along the border do we not risk running into the Shade?” Kaiden asked.

  Lana turned to him, surprised by his concern of the Shade, most people believed the stories of her to be a myth. The Shade was more of an entity than a Madonian or Rami. They said that she had the powers to haunt ones dreams and to tell one’s fate.

  A few men in the past went to hunt her down, only one ever returned and when he did he was not all there in the head. He would say how she was indestructible, her skin made of stone, her eyes yellow and bewitching. She haunted his dreams after that, torturing him until one day he had killed himself. Afterwards, no one really spoke of the Shade. It is said that she lives in spaces between the Rami and Madonian lands, and because most do not venture into those territories to begin with she wasn’t heard of again.

  “Oh, I think we will be okay.” Donn replied to Kaiden with a laugh.

  “You don’t believe her to be real?” Kaiden questioned somewhat defensively.

  “No, I didn’t say that. The Shade is a selfish creature. But we mean it no harm. It doesn’t want trouble and so it will stay out of our way if we happen to travel close. Such as a deer would if it heard us coming.”

  “Alright then, now that that’s settled, we should get going.” Lana spoke, sending everyone into action.

  Kaiden was given Alex’s horse, a chocolate brown steed with a blond mane, to ride while the boy shared Donn’s dapple-gray stallion with his grandfather. Nadina got to keep her brown and white horse, which she named Patches. Lana continued riding the pure white mare that Donn had first given her.

  The five of them traveled the entire day, in a palpable silence that spanned between them all. Misery was a friend of the silence, and it wrapped its talon around Lana’s throat, following her like a cape. There was nothing she could do to rid herself of them, so she just rode on without a word. They only stopped long enough to let the horses rest and graze before continuing on their silent journey.

  Once the sun began setting Kaiden found a small valley amongst the wooded area to make camp for the night. Ardin caught two rabbits that Lana skinned, as her father had once taught her, and began cooking them on the fire Donn and Kaiden had built.

  The warmth of the flames felt good on Lana’s skin, with the cool night air that surrounded her. She watched the fire, lost in its dancing flames of war. A small Aorra was sitting next to her, watching her with large wondering eyes, pulling Lana out of her fiery trance.

  Nila, Lana wondered how long the little Aorra had been watching her.

  “Nila wants to learn how to hunt rabbit too.” Nadina broke the heavy silence around the campfire. The darkness that currently surrounded Lana seemed to not faze Donn’s granddaughter.

  Giving the girl a kind smile, Lana felt sorry for what she and Alex have been going through. “I am sure Ardin would love to teach her.” She answered, looking over at her Aorra.

  I would be most honored. He replied, happy to see some form of humanity come from Lana. The group fell into silence once more, only to be again broken by Nadi
na a few minutes later.

  “Where do Aorras come from?” She asked, her large brown eyes full of wonder.

  Lana smiled at the question. It was a question that had been the center of many debates in her life. “Didn’t Donn or anybody share stories with you?”

  Nadina glanced at Donn as he replied, “I don’t like teaching things I know nothing of especially when it relates to Aorras. I like to consider my words very carefully and never give false information. It may seem strange, but it is just how I am. But I do not forbid another sharing their thoughts.” He spoke casually.

  “Well, what does Nila think?” Lana asked, genuinely interested in what the small fox thought. Nila raised her head at the sound of her name, tilting it ever so lightly to the side while looking at Lana.

  “She doesn’t know.” Nadina replied, waiting for Lana to tell her more.

  “I don’t know either, Madonians believe different things and there are many theories and stories... But I like to believe that they are the spirits of our ancestors and when we are born the spirits watch out for us, protecting us. They bond with us and eventually when we are a little older some choose to be born into our world as animals to better protect us, as guardians. That’s why if we pass away our Aorras go with us, because without us they have no purpose.”

  Nadina stared at the ground, her brows pulled together. “But then why doesn’t Nila remember being a spirit?”

  Lana turned and looked at Ardin with that question, pondering how to answer.

  “Ardin too doesn’t remember anything from before, but he doesn’t remember having a mother or father either, his first memories of this life are of seeing me as a little girl in the woods.”

  A small smile broke on Lana’s face at the memories, the first positive feeling she had felt since her father’s death. “I think it’s for protection that they don’t remember there past life. That way they bond to only us. So that knowing things from their past lives don’t get in the way and cloud their thoughts while they are with us in our realm.”