3: Trials by Fire

Ceridwyn looked at Aeolis sharply, her eyes burrowing into his. She was searching, it was obvious, but in the end she sensed he wasn’t lying, though the evidence was clear that dark magic was in the room. She softened her tone slightly when she spoke.

“I have no knowledge of where your staff is Aeolis, when I entered the room there was nothing but an empty stand. I cast my spells to detect the use of magic because this was the location that it was the strongest, and my instincts, as you can see, were correct.”

She pointed and sure as she had said, the quarterstaff’s stand sat on the floor, empty, the purple glow concentrated around the base where the staff normally stood. “I wish I could offer more to aid in its recovery, for I understand the feeling of sentiment it must hold, but as I said I can be of no assistance in the matter.” There was no indication that she was lying, and then she narrowed her gaze onto his once again.

“Aeolis, how do you feel?”

Words were beyond Rayann right now. She felt Myth’s presence and his gentle, caring touch to her shoulder as he knelt next to her. Her eyes were still red and swollen from her crying and to make matters worse, when she looked into his clear, emerald gaze, she knew how hurt he would be with her. But there was no sense in avoiding the inevitable.

With a trembling hand, Rayann took Myth’s hand that was on her shoulder and moved it to her cheek, closing her eyes. Fresh tears eased down her face and as the salt filled dampness met Myth’s skin, he was suddenly thrust into what took place in Aeolis’ room. From the moment Rayann arrived to the moment she blinked away.

Even as the scenes played out for him, Myth could feel the emotions Rayann felt as the events unfolded and when he heard the scream of his daughter on the other side of the channel followed by the sound of Rayann’s voice yelling their daughter’s true name, he felt Rayann flinch again as new, silent sobs racked her body. When she removed her hand from his and opened his eyes, she was looking into his emerald gaze silently pleading with him to forgive her. When her voice entered his mind it was filled with the emotion she still felt.

~I didn’t mean….to hurt her….I…I didn’t want….her to do any….more damage. I…I’m so sorry…….what have I done?~

Aeolis looked to the stand where the quarter staff normally rested and saw the indication of the evil magic. Returning his cool gaze to Ceridwyn, he was about to say something sarcastic to her when she asked him how he felt. Blinking, the Elf was taken aback by her inquiry and furrowed his brows.

”Of what concern is my health to you?”

The question was so out of the ordinary that Aeolis suddenly felt like a youth again and his mother was trying to figure out if he were ill or not. It clearly rattled him enough where he took a step back away from Ceridwyn.

What bothered him the most was the fact he didn’t know how to respond. How DID he feel? He felt…..he felt…..he felt…. He suddenly snapped at Ceridwyn and pointed to the door of his room.

”I think you best leave now, Mage. We will keep this encounter between the two of us. And do release my men from the spell you placed them under as well as release their weapons. It does a guard no good to have weapons they cannot use.”

Aeolis’ usual calm, cool, collective exterior had taken a serious blow and when he got into territory that dealt with him directly, he was at a loss. His heartbeat increased slightly as did his respiration for he didn’t know what to say or how to properly answer the question Ceridwyn had asked.

Ceridwyn noted the change in his demeanor, but more importantly she noticed the darkness that was concentrated around him as she searched his face. She had silently, and without his knowledge cast ‘detect evil’ as he was speaking to her. The darkness that surrounded him and was concentrated around his head was not originating from him, it was coming from an external source and clearly it had been cloaked. She looked at him with her dark; almond shaped eyes and smiled sympathetically.

“As you wish Aeolis, it is your home and I will respect your wishes to leave.”

She brushed past him as she left and she purposely allowed her robes to make contact with his body and there was a sudden jolt, like electricity that would shoot through him, as if he had been touched by the white moon itself. It was not painful, not even discomforting, it was more a feeling of pleasant peace and calm. The feeling faded almost as quickly as it had occurred, but it gave her all the information she needed. Turning her head once she reached the door jam, she spoke to him, her voice was calm, but there was no joy in it.

“Your mind is plagued Aeolis, you are being held captive and you don’t even know it. If you need me, speak to the winds.”

As she walked past the guards, without looking she made the slightest wave with her hand and the four Elves roused. Simultaneously their weapons released from the webbing and clanked to the ground making a horrific racket.