Ch 19: Fortress Heartlund

Pela knew the young man was being sincere when he apologized and other than those she now surrounded herself with, he was the only other person she believed when he stated he was sorry. She could see it in the depths of his blue eyes he was sincerely sorry by the way he was looking at her. Nodding her head that she accepted his apology, she smiled shyly again when he commented on her appearance and stated he was glad Bad Rock didn’t eat her.

”Me too. I would be missing out on a great many things. Mostly the chance to come to this magical place…..”

She paused for a moment and added in a barely audible whisper.

”….and you.”

When she felt the warmth of his hand cover hers, she glanced down briefly then glanced back up into his eyes. Tilting her head ever so slightly, she watched him intently to see if there were ulterior motives to his physical contact but when he pulled back slightly, she let out the breath she’d been holding.

When the dancing butterflies caught their attention, she watched the dancing with fascination. In all her years, she had never looked at this display as anything other than butterflies caught in some sort of acrobatic battle. But as he explained what it was to his people, she looked at the butterflies in a whole different light.

As she heard him speak about the way the Elves closed themselves off and missed out on many things, she looked back to him. Her ice blue eyes never strayed from his own blue gaze when she spoke to him.

”The world beyond these borders is harsh and wicked. Yes, there are times when good is seen and followed, but it is not always so. It is a kill or be killed place at times. I would hate to see someone like you make your way beyond these protective walls and fall victim to death or worse, find yourself becoming as ruthless as the Dark Queen herself. But I also know that if you do not leave this place and discover the world for yourself, there may not be a chance for you to do so in the future. It is a dilemma, indeed. I hope you make the choice that is right for you, Olwa.”

She blinked then and withdrew her hand slightly so that only the tips of her fingers remained under his palm. Her cheeks colored slightly as she realized she had been rambling on this time.

”Forgive me. I did not mean to make things seem so ominous. I was merely trying to be honest. Unfortunately, my delivery of honesty needs to be refined. Or so I have been told at times. I suppose it will be the hardest thing for me to change, if I ever can.”

She glanced back towards the windows they walked out of to reach the balcony as she heard the hum of conversation and activity coming from within the festive atmosphere then looked back to him again.

”And you are right. I feel very honored I have two wizards to learn from. If not for them, I fear I would have destroyed myself by now. And Gods know how many others I would have taken with me. There are still times when I feel as though I do not know where I truly belong, but I hope I will figure it out. Soon.”

He listened as she spoke about being glad Bad Rock spared her when she was at her weakest, and when she whispered 'and you' his face lit up a bit, as well as bringing some pink to his cheeks. She began to talk about the world outside of Silvanesti and he hung on every word she spoke, listening with full attention and nodding as he agreed with what she said. When she said she hoped he made the right choice he half smiled and responded, "It is less my choice to make and more the Speakers, or should I say, the Captain of the wall guard. I am under his command starting at noon tomorrow when the next initiate receives the robes of assistance to the Speaker. From there I don't know what happens to me. My Father is a high ranking officer in the guard, I suppose that is where I get my penchant for archery and ranger skills. I have always had an affinity for the bow however, even more so than my kin. Of course you probably know that Elves are known for their archery skills, but I have always managed to edge them all out. Some say I was graced with it from the gods, I don't put it on such a high level. To me, being graced by the gods means you are being called to something, I have never really felt that. I have a steady hand and smooth release, but I have never felt that this was a trait the gods passed down. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the gods and their ability to put certain people on a path, I guess it's just not something I have felt yet."

As she withdrew her hand slightly he felt sadness, though it never showed in his face. As far as he was concerned they could stand on this balcony all night and look into each others eyes. There was no doubt he was instantly smitten with the young human and though he did not know exactly how old she was her wisdom of the world was certainly beyond most her age, that much he could tell. As she apologized he shook his head and responded, "There is no need to apologize Pela, I know it's not a garden of paradise out there. As far as your honesty goes, I don't see any reason for reformation, in fact I like that you are honest, too many people are phoney and circumvent the truth for the sake of staying proper or political or to not ruffle feathers. In my eyes, sometimes feathers need to be ruffled if things are to move forward. I hope you never refine your honesty, I hope you always tell the truth and stay who you are."

He followed her gaze to the crowd within and he wasn't sure if Pela caught it but Ceridwyn was watching them. She had positioned herself to be as unnoticeable as possible, but Olwa found her almost instantly. He turned and spoke to Pela as she mentioned that she might have destroyed herself by now. His voice and his face were suddenly full of new curiosity, "What do you mean you would have destroyed yourself? Is your affinity for the arcane that powerful that you can't control it?"

Pela gave Olwa a small smile when he told her to not stop being who she was and to keep her honesty just the way it was. It was good for her to hear another tell her this for it helped reaffirm her own belief that honesty was always the best policy. Hers was just not as received because of the way it is delivered. In Pela’s mind, that was not her problem.

When he asked her about her control over the arcane, she wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Shrugging her shoulders, she tried to explain the best she could.

”I suppose that would be a way to describe it. Many of my spells have the tendency to be far more powerful than they should be. At least, that is what I am told. If I let emotions fuel the spells, they tend to get very out of control and quickly. It is far better I remain in control of myself and not let my emotions rule my actions.”

She felt her cheeks grow warm and she looked down at her dress once more before she looked back at Olwa briefly only to look out over the beautiful city again.

”Emotions are still new to me. You see, Bad Rock, my foster father, was not a very emotional creature. While I know he cared for me and taught me how to defend for myself as well as survive, he could not teach me what he did not know himself. And that was emotions. When he died…..I was alone. For the first time in my life. I am still trying to learn how to make it without him and how to handle all these things I am experiencing. Right after he first died, I almost killed several Knights that survived the battle.”

As her post battle memories became very real and raw once more, her body began to react as well and without realizing it, she was causing the floor of the balcony to begin to frost over. And that frost was beginning to creep out from directly beneath her. Even the very air began to take on a bit colder feel.

”But they deserved it. I was taunted and teased and I did not like what they were doing to me. I tried to leave things alone but they would not stop. I had to teach them a lesson. If I did not, they would continue their cruel campaign against me. And I simply was not going to allow that to happen. Just because my father was dead did not give them the right to do what they did. And they needed to see I was quite capable of taking care of myself. No matter what they thought.”

As she talked, her hands slowly drew back by her sides and slowly clenched into tight fists as she remembered how hurtful Sir Walter’s taunting had been. The look in her eyes turned almost wild looking and the look on her face was far from the shy beauty Olwa had seen. She looked almost sinister. Even her lips began to curl into a wicked smirk.

Suddenly, though, as though she realized where she was and who she was with, Pela blinked and unclenched her fists. Glancing down she saw how the frost had crept over to Olwa and was beginning to creep up his foot to his ankle. Her eyes snapped to his and she saw the look on his face and she reached out to touch his hand then quickly stopped herself knowing her touch would most likely be ice cold. Her cheeks flushed brightly and she took a small step back away from him as her mortification bloomed fully.

”I….I am so sorry, Olwa…..I did not mean to…...”

Swallowing hard, Pela felt as though she were on the verge of tears and she was trying her hardest to keep them from falling from her eyes. She glanced once more inside and saw Ceri looking at her with a concerned look on her face but Pela shook her head ever so lightly. She needed to try and work through this on her own and if Olwa walked away from her now, then it was her own fault.

Swallowing hard once more, she looked back at Olwa and apologized once more.

”I….please forgive me…..”

Pela talked and Olwa listened, he didn't interject into the conversation, allowing her to speak what was in her heart. As she changed right before his eyes and he saw the emotion bubbling over he was caught in the web of intrigue. It was fascinating to him to see how she could so instantly go from shy and docile to what seemed like a doppelganger of her own self.

As the frost began to form and creep under his feet he did not move. He could have, his feet were not frozen to the stone, but he remained, he watched her and his eyes took in everything she was doing. His feet stung and his mind screamed at him to move away from the pain but he waited and endured. It was in his mind much like the training the young Elf had endured when learning to survive in the forests during the winter. Often they were sent out for days at a time with nothing but their bow one arrow and the clothing on their backs. No skins for warmth, just pants, boots, a shirt and a tunic. It was almost exhilarating to his senses and his body to feel the sensations that she was causing, but mostly he had a strange feeling that to step away would be to do what those very Knights had done to her. He would support her, even if just through this, and wait it out, no matter how much it hurt.

She snapped to and stepped back. He smiled, though his lips were blue with the cold in his feet and legs. Suddenly the Pela he had been spending this lovely evening with was back and looking up at him. He smiled and spoke through his shivers, "Y, You....h,h,have quite a... gift th, there Pela. I... I'm not surprised.... that Cer, Ceridwyn is int... interested in you."

He placed his hand on the railing and leaned into it, not only had she made it cold but she seemed to be able to leech the very life out of him with that cold. He used the rail to move closer to her and he then placed his arms around her, grabbing her in a hug. He let go of the rail and the weight of his body fell onto Pela. It was surprising how light he was, though he stood slightly taller than her she guessed he probably weighed 15 - 20 pounds lighter. As he held her he inhaled and whispered words that she did not understand but recognized as magical. A slight warmth grew from his chest and began to bring his temperature back to normal. It occurred to her that he could have done this anytime to counter the effects of her spell. It was forest magic, what Rangers used for survival, the spells were not near as powerful as those of wizards but beneficial in their own way.

He whispered into her ear as he held her on the balcony, "We all have our burdens, you, me, everyone."

After a moment he released and stepped back looking at her with a smile, "I must say, you are getting more and more interesting by the minute Ms. Pela."

Pela felt remorse for what she had done to cause Olwa to shiver like that. She knew her frost could be painful and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him in any way. He’d done nothing but show kindness to her and here she had repaid that kindness by darn near freezing him to death. But when he reached out and grabbed her in a gentle hug, she didn’t know what to do.

Her arms straightened board stiff and she leaned back slightly and the look on her face was nothing short of panicked. But when she felt how light hos frame was against hers and when she felt the warmth of his spell begin to warm him but bot affect her in any way, she relaxed a little and even brought her arms up to hug him in kind. As good as she could. Hugging was still very foreign to her. Even Ceridwyn and Rayann had not been able to really hug her yet.

As he released her and took a step back, she blinked and gave him a small smile that seemed more like she was confused more than anything. And she was. While she couldn’t say if she liked the hug she definitely knew she didn’t really mind it. And when he stepped away, she was disappointed for some reason. She was so confused by her own reactions even she wasn’t sure of herself..

When he told he she was becoming more and more interesting, her smile returned and it grew to almost radiant. It was obvious she was very glad he wasn’t upset with her for losing control of her abilities and for those abilities turning on him even if just slightly.

”And you are getting more and more interesting as well, Olwa. You are he first male to not want to run away from me. Not to mention the fact the first male I have been able to talk to for longer than a few minutes.”

She reached out and gently touched the back of his hand with the tips of her cold fingers before settling her hand back at her side as she smiled again.

”Thank you for not being angry at me.”

Tanjee smiled at Keatara and nodded.

”I believe I do know what it’s in reference to, but I cannot say for certain. He has to talk to Trystan about the subject first and make sure it will be permissible with him. It is important order be maintained in the Keep. With all these people now here it is very easy for things to get out of control quickly. The Knihts are very strict on maintaining discipline and order. In he meantime, I will show you around a little more and I know of a place where we can get some tea. My brother’s Lady told me about the place so I would not have to go without my honey mint tea I am so fond of.”


Aeolis eventually made his way to Trystan, who was instructing a group of squires on their duties. He waited a discreet distance away and when the Knight was finished and dismissed the squires, Aeolis approached offering a smile and his hand ingreeting.

”I see you have not lost your touch in knowing how to intimidate just right so as the younglings do not tremble at the thought of your authority yet are aware enough to not test it. I believe it is one of the many traits that separate you from the others.”

As Trystan laughed softly and returned greetings to Aeolis, clasping his forearm, Aeolis turned a bit more serious.

”I have come to offer my advice. You know how you were talking of starting up a sort of school to teach the children how to handle bows and work with the horses…..I believe I have found your first teacher, so to speak.”

Seeing the look on Trystan’s face, Aeolis laughed and clasped his friend’s shoulder.

”I would not have come to you if I did not think she was up for the task.”

Trystan raised both brows.

“She?”

Aeolis nodded.

”Aye. She. In fact, she reminds me a great deal of another woman who blessed us with her presence. And I know she would be glad if someone were to step into her stead in this particular manner.”

Looking at Trystan, Aeolis nodded.

”Aye. Kellan would be happy to know this task was being given to one with similar skills. This woman is not a Knight, but I do not see why she could not be appointed. The new comer, Keatara Ulengard. I have seen the way she interacts with children and she handled a horse about as expertly as Kellan used to. And it is obvious she knows how to use the weapons she carries. I would even offer to make bows for the children so they could have their very own to practice with and learn to use. Of course I will honor whatever your decision is.”

As she said he was getting more and more interesting as well, Olwa felt a small tickle in his stomach. He nodded and spoke, "thank-you."

She reached and touched his hand, those cold fingers, it still dazzled his mind to feel her touch. It was strange to say the least, that a person's skin could be that cold and yet so inviting, he literally felt like he was under a spell, but he knew he was of sound mind and here of his own choosing. As she thanked him for not being mad at her he laughed softly and spoke, "I am not to be thanked, you haven't done anything but be yourself, how could I be upset about that?"

He leaned against the railing and looked back into the room where the party was happening. He spoke as he turned his head back to Pela, "I think Ceridwyn doesn't trust me alone with you, she has been watching me like a hawk since we came out here. She is doing her best to hide it, and though she has done a fairly good job she is no Ranger, she is not able to spy without being seen."

He smiled and Pela would be able to hear it was not disrespect in his voice, just fact. He smiled again and then spun around so he was facing the city, leaning on the railing with both elbows, his goblet held very loosely in his right hand. He was swirling the Elven wine inside it and the goblet looked as if it might slip out of his hand at any moment and fall to the forest floor 50 feet below. He turned and looked at her again after several moments of silence, "So, what are you hoping to do with your life? I know it's kind of an odd question, but what are your goals? Your dreams? Do you aspire to take the trials and become a High Sorcerer? I hear the trials are intense, you pass and live or fail and die. They use it as a way to weed out the weak. My cousin is a white robe, he has been for about ten years now. He was telling me about his trials and I was blown away by what he had to go through to earn his ranking. Forest training is intense and there is an element of danger to it but I don't think my instructor would have allowed me to die... but ultimately every wizard will allow their protege to die if they aren't going to pass, no matter what color robes they wear, it's the way of the Art."



Trystan had just dismissed the squires and was turning to find Aeolis right beside him. He laughed and shook his head at the Elf's ability to simply be there all of a sudden. He laughed and exchanged greetings with his friend.

As Aeolis talked he listened and nodded periodically. He had not yet met this new comer but he had heard of her arrival from the wall guards. As Aeolis mentioned her potentially becoming appointed to the Knights of Solamnia Trystan could only smile and shake his head, it was clear that for as much time as Aeolis had spent with them he still didn't understand how appointments to the knighthood occurred, it wasn't simply a matter of being recommended or accepted, it was a process that took decades, and almost always happened at birth by a member of the knighthood offering his son or daughter to the service. It was a lifestyle, not an appointment by whim. He spoke and tried to remain simple about the matter, "We could see how her skills would be an asset to the defense of Heartlund, that much I could say. As for her instructing children in the use of weaponry that would fall to Commander Rose, she is the authority on those matters. I could meet her and make the recommendation if she appeared competent, but I do not have the ability to appoint her myself.

Aeolis' nod told Trystan that he understood and Trystan looked up to the late day sun, "I have time now, take me to her and I will meet her."

Pela found Olwa’s presence to be a welcome change from the stiff necked Knights. Not to mention she was feeling as though she could begin to relax slightly around him. Not that she would let her guard down too much. That, in her mind, was something she could never do for it could possibly cost her, her life. Still, as the peacefulness of the city seemed to take precedence over the festivities within the room, she took a deep breath and moved closer to the railing with him and looked out at the twinkling beyond.

When he spoke of Ceridwyn, she turned to see the Elfess had positioned herself close enough yet still a discreet distance so as not to be all that noticeable. Pela let a sly smile ease over her lips then and turned, tilting her head slightly tilted to look at him again with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

”Perhaps it is not me she is concerned about, Olwa. Ceridwyn knows me well enough to know that if you should try anything inappropriate, you would at best be missing a vital part of your physical being.”

Seeing the look that crossed his face caused her to laugh softly. As they both collected their thoughts and looked out over the quiet city once more, Olwa broke the silence when he asked her what she wanted to do. For the longest moment, she didn’t say anything. Didn’t even look at him. Finally she looked back at him with those ice blue orbs.

”I have not given it much thought, to be quite honest. I was not raised to pray to any Gods for help and I have not given my devotion over to any either. The future was not something I ever took into account. I always knew it was just be there for me. When I went to sleep at night, I would wake up in the morning. But now…..that is not the case. Now I know what the people felt when they knew their lives were about to end. I do not like that feeling, but I am not afraid of death. That is not to say I am ready to die. I certainly am not. My life was lived one day at a time. I did what I needed to do in order to survive. And now, I still need to survive, but there is so much more than my own self that will suffer if I do not use my abilities.”

She paused and seemed to grow nervous taking the time to glance down at her dress before looking back at him.

”Especially when I meet someone like you. Despite the fact I am dangerous and could kill you, you still speak kind words to me and wish to share my company. I see the good in the world and I know if I do not try to help in some way, you will perish. And I do not wish for that to happen. But I still do not know what path I will take. One thing is for certain, when I finally do know, I will know it with all my heart.”



Aeolis nodded to Trystan.

”Of course. I understand my friend. Last I saw her, she was heading to the seamstress’ and from there Tanjee went with her to the leather workers shop. Come, let us see if the woman will be of some help to you.”

He weaved his way through the crowded streets heading for where he was certain Tanjee and Keatara were. Of course it didn’t take him long to silently contact his sister and discover where the women were. As they stepped into the small pub like setting, he saw Tanjee sitting at a table in the far corner with Keatara. As soon as he walked in, Tanjee stood up and smiled brightly waving them over.



”It is only about time you got here.”

Turning her gaze and smile to Trystan, she nodded then leaned in closer and lowered her voice

”I would give you a hug but I see you are on official duty so I shall refrain myself. Although, one of these days, I will just to see the look on your face.”

She cleared her throat softly and stood back grinning as she made a formal greeting to him and introduced him to Keatara.

“And greetings to you too, Sir Trystan. I do not believe you have had the pleasure of meeting Keatara Ulengard yet. Sir Trystan Celest, , Keatara Ulengard. Keatara Ulengard,, Sir Trystan Celeste. We were just sipping on some honey mint tea. Would you care to join us with some stiffer drinks, perhaps?”

Olwa raised his eyebrows as Pela talked so matter of factly about death and that she could kill him whenever she liked. He looked at Ceridwyn all the way across the room but spoke to Pela, his face was a little more serious than it had been earlier, "To take a life so easily and freely, that shouldn't be a casual or easy thing to do. I can only speculate on what your life was like growing up, living day by day and merely surviving and getting by." He turned and looked at Pela, "I suppose that sort of lifestyle is inherent in the life of a mercenary however, I don't mean any offense by that but being a nomad and going from job to job would bring about a lifestyle that caused one to only look as far ahead as necessary."

He paused hoping that what he said hadn't offended, he didn't mean it like it probably came out. He turned and looked out across Silvanost once again, "I have never taken a life, well, besides hunting for food. I know it is inevitable however, I am in the guard after all, and with us on the brink of war I am sure it will happen... I don't know how that will feel."

He turned and looked at her, his eyes glassy in the pale light of the two moons, "What is it like Pela? What do you feel when you watch a person die by your actions? To intentionally take away all that have or will ever have? To watch their spirit leave their body and disappear from Krynn for all eternity?"



Trystan went with Aeolis and they found the ladies relatively quickly, as Tanjee approached Trystan smiled and then blushed slightly at her words. She was beautiful for certain, but he had never seen her in that light, she was Elven, most Elves chose not to mingle with humans in the realm of affections. Though he was captivated by her delicate curves and comely features he had never lingered on the idea. Perhaps it was the brief moment that he had spent with Kellan and dealing with her death that had made him back up slightly from the idea of love... or even more so finding a place with Kali that he was beginning to think long term but having it yanked out from under him as she walked into the protective sphere of the towers, choosing a lust for magic over his affections, whatever it was he had become content in the last two months with doing his duties and nothing else.

The idea however, now that the subject had been broken of even a hug, it did cause his face to flush ever so slightly and he whispered back, "My feeling is that the look on my face would not communicate enough."

He smiled as the introductions were made and he spoke, "It is my honor to meet you Keatara Ulengard, words has reached me that you escorted many that were not your responsibility to the Keep for protection and shelter. Very honorable of you, it is rare to find someone who is willing to risk themselves for the sake of others, especially those whom they don't know. For what it's worth I am proud to see that you took that road. With the rampages and the killings going on all around us it is easy to fall back on self preservation and let others fend for themselves."

He looked at Tanjee again as she offered for them to have a drink and he smiled, "My thanks but I am on duty until sunset which is not conducive to strong beverages, some tea would be nice however," He turned and looked at Aeolis with a smile, "My friend here has something he wishes for us to discuss."

Pela thought about what Olwa asked her for a long moment. It was clear she was trying to think of the right words to say but when that failed her, she spoke honestly, from her heart.

”I cannot answer that question, Olwa. Not the way you want me to, anyway. I am still trying to understand what it is to ‘feel’ something without physically touching it. I am learning though. But I will try to explain to you the experiences I have had.”


She looked out over the city and took a deep breath.

”I can see the look in their eyes and on the face turn from being confident and self assured to that of panic and true fear. My heart starts beating faster and the blood starts pumping through my veins like water plummeting over a cliff. My spells seem to feed off the reaction and become more powerful than I intended. As the person begins to struggle and plead for their life, it angers me. I make them suffer as hurtful as I can letting them know their pleading means nothing to me. Even their promise of wealth does not change my mind. I do not know what their life was like before they encountered me. All I know is they will not live much longer. I was paid for a service and the sooner I get done, the sooner I can find the next job needed for my skills. As the light finally fades from their eyes, I am saddened but not because I killed them. Because I will not experience what I was experiencing as they were dying until the next time.”

She stopped talking and looked down at her fingers as she toyed with an imaginary string then looked back at the city and took another deep breath.

”But now, I know killing like that is not my life. At least, not right now. My life right now is to help stop the shift of power that is occurring. It is not easy for there is a force around the towers that makes me feel ill. Ceridwyn and Rayann have said it is because of the ambient magic being used to create and maintain the towers. I do not like feeling sick like that and I do not like seeing them get ill from it either so I will try all I can to make it stop.”

She turned her head to look over at Olwa then.

”I know that killing another being is not something I should do casually and I have promised to try and control myself and if I must take a life, it will be in self defense only. And then, only if it is a last resort. That is what Ceridwyn and Rayann have taught me if nothing else and I promised them I would try to adhere to that rule.”



Tanjee raised both brows when she heard Trystan’s whispered response but said nothing. The game was now afoot, she thought. And she was going to have fun with it. When he declined the stiffer drink, she ordered him a tea as well as for Aeolis. As her brother began to speak, she listened to what he had to say.

Aeolis sat down next to Trystan and looked across the table at Keatara and smiled.

”I have recommended to Sir Trystan that you help out around the Keep. In particular with the children in a special class that has been discussed. Your experience, patience and handling of the horses would be a great asset to Heartlund. He wanted to come meet you himself to see if my instincts were right.”

He grinned almost mischievously and gave Trystan a glance then winked when he looked at Tanjee.

”Of course I am still trying to teach him my instincts are far greater than his but he will not give quarter to that thinking……Yet”

Olwa listened as Pela spoke and he suddenly felt a shiver of cold run down his spine. Everything in regards to her approach to life was easily discarded it seemed, even life itself. She went from whim to whim, even now, she was helping because SHE didn't like what she was feeling. To hear that she actually enjoyed squeezing, or in this case, freezing the life from someone and she took pleasure in it, so much so that she looked forward to doing it again was alarming to say the least. However hearing that Ceridwyn and Rayann were training this out of her was encouraging, but could they succeed? Could a person change and become something that dramatically? He was perplexed and yet again, so interested to know the answers to these questions, dare he assume she would never do something like this to him? What if she suddenly now decided that he was not worth the time anymore, would her greater instincts take hold and snuff out his life, his mind raced with thoughts.

He turned and looked at her as she finished, again his face was much more serious now and he spoke, "We are raised from birth to hold all life sacred, to protect it and cherish it. We pray before killing an animal, we understand that its sacrifice is great so that we can continue to live, and we honor its spirit by offering words of thanks. I am still not sure if I can do what is being asked of me, to be honest I joined the guard because of the legacy of my family, dozens of generations have served as elite archers in the guard, the fact that I was gifted with the ability to shoot only made things worse. Between you and I, this wasn't my first choice of paths to walk...," his voice got quieter, "but sometimes we have to do what duty, honor, reputation and obligation says as opposed to what our heart says."

He turned and looked at her, his lips curled in a sort of hidden frown. She could see in his eyes that he understood her and he was not afraid of her, at least not in this setting.

Pela saw the slight frown and she took a small step closer to him and lowered her voice.

”You will have no trouble shooting your arrow into another living being when the choice is life or death for yourself if you do not. Self preservation is an instinct even you will not be able to fight against. What will be different for you than it is for me is emotion. It is my hope to understand emotions. And the more time I spend around Ceridwyn and Rayann and….others….I am beginning to understand them more and more. But I have not seen them expressed or knew what they were for 14 winters. It is not something I can learn instantly. I think it is important for me to be with others who are emotional so I can learn from them. Just as I am learning from you now. When I am near you, I feel…..like butterflies are dancing in my stomach. Like the ones we saw earlier. I do not know what to say to you at times for fear of sounding like an utter fool. And….to think of leaving here and not seeing you possibly ever again saddens me. And I find myself wishing this night does not end.”

It was the first time she ever spoke about how she felt about another being other than Bad Rock but even then she didn’t have emotions to sort through like she does now. She thought about what he said and tilted her head slightly then leaned a little closer and made her voice whisper soft.

”What is it your heart is telling you, Olwa? If you could follow your dream, what would it be?”

He looked at her as she approached and he listened as she talked. His eyes stayed locked with hers and glassed over slightly as she spoke about getting to know what emotions were. It was so foreign to him, a being that was struggling with simply, how to feel. What sort of lessons had the Netherman put her through that she, a human, could not 'feel'.

As she mentioned her age he half smiled and shook his head, here he was, 56 years old, being told the lessons of life out in the real world by a fourteen year old girl. It was simply... amazing to him what this night was turning into. He thought he would be lucky even to see her and now here he was, on the deck of the royal balcony, staring into her eyes, listening to her words, processing everything she was saying.

As she mentioned having butterflies in her stomach he nodded ever so slightly, echoing the sentiment. She would see it in his face, he had been feeling the same thing. He reached up and brushed some hair off her cheek and slipped his hand down the side of her neck and let it come off her shoulder back to his side, "I know exactly what you mean... it's called 'interest'. It's not an emotion, but it does happen when you find someone you connect with on a level of attraction."

As she leaned in he thought for a moment she was going to kiss him, but then she spoke. Her words rang in his ear like a bell chiming in the dead of night. What WAS his heart telling him? He wasn't sure... was this his way of rebelling against all that he had been brought up to be? He had followed his parents every instruction, he had followed in the footsteps of his father, not necessarily because he wanted to but because he... he had to. He looked at her, the tilt of her head, the nervous flutter in her voice, the words echoed again in his head, 'what is your heart telling you?' Now he was unsure of himself, his eyes glassed over again, ever so slightly, he stared into her blue eyes and felt pain in his heart. If what he was feeling was simply for the sake of silently getting back at his mother and father it would not be fair to Pela, but at the same time, he knew this was not the case. Of course they would never approve of his taking a single step towards a relationship with a human female. He was a Silvanesti Elf they would tell him, the upper echelon of the Elven race. His families reputation would be tarnished, he would be cast out of the graces of the nobility for even considering this.

Her lips trembled ever so slightly, he could see the movement in his lower peripheral vision and he knew it had nothing to do with the chill in the night air. But was it her anticipation of his lips touching hers causing the movement, or simply the wait for his words. The very world seemed to slow down as his head filled with the fuzzy thoughts that were bouncing through his skull... his dream, what was his dream... what would he follow if given the freedom. Was it something as simple as a different career path, or was it something as life altering as embracing the whole of this world for all it's spices and flavors, to put the exotic fruit in his belly and know the taste of all that Krynn had to offer.

The tension was like the string of his bow pulled taut and he shivered softly with the anticipation. The doe was in his sight and he narrowed his eyes on the target. Like the center of the bowstring so too the center of his body was tight and he could feel that if the strain was not released he would snap in half like a limb pressed to its limit. The string was being pulled tighter and his vision darkened as his almond shaped eyes closed. His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, he could feel Pela's breath against his lips and he leaned in as he tilted his head opposite, in response to hers, "My dream, if I was to follow my dream it would be...,"



Ceridwyn's voice broke the silence as his mouth was mere millimeters from Pela's, "Pela child. It is late, perhaps we should think about returning to our quarters. We have a big day tomorrow."

Olwa snapped back. The arrow was loosed and hit a twig, the doe heard the sound and disappeared into the forest. He was flush, his whole face as pink as a rose as he turned to Ceridwyn and spoke nervously, "Miss Ceridwyn... we were, um, I was showing Pela the city at night. She said she had never seen Silvanost at night and I brought her out here so she could see it and not be alone."

Ceridwyn lowered her head slightly and stared at him from under her narrow eyebrows, "I thank you then Olwa, for ensuring her safety and seeing that she come to learn some of the culture of our kin."

Ceridwyn raised her chin once again and looked at him more than knowingly, "I appreciate that a young elf would treat her with kindness and respect, seeing that her mind... and body remain protected."

He knew exactly what she meant and he bowed his head respectfully as he responded, the tension that was within him still lingering in its effects, "Of course Miss Ceridwyn, it was my pleasure."

Ceridwyn turned and looked at Pela with a warm smile, "Shall we then Pela?"

Pela could feel herself leaning closer and closer to Olwa and she could tell he was leaning closer as well. Never in her life had she experienced anything like this. It was almost like the reaction she had when she closed in on her prey only…..better. Even when she felt him brush some hair from her face and his fingers brush against the skin of her neck and she didn’t react badly to it. She saw the darkening in his eyes as his pupils dilated. At one point Pela dared to glance down at his lips and let the tip of her tongue moisten her own. What was going to happen?

As she heard him start to reveal his dream to her, she gave a confused look when she heard Ceridwyn’s voice finish the sentence with something that was completely different. Suddenly she realized it WAS Ceridwyn talking and Pela blinked, pulling back so quickly she almost lost her balance.

Placing a couple of steps between her and Olwa, she looked at the handsome Elf then back to Ceridwyn looking every bit like that doe he was thinking about. She felt her cheeks blaze with heat as she realized something was just about to happen between herself and Olwa. As he spoke to Ceridwyn, Pela glanced at him then back to Ceridwyn, shifting her weight nervously from one foot to another.

As Ceridwyn spoke to Olwa, Pela wasn’t ignorant to what Ceri was referring to and she felt her cheeks flare again. As Ceri called to Pela once more, she glanced at Olwa and nodded.

”Yes, Ma’am.”

She took a couple of steps away from Olwa then stopped and turned to look at the young man again. Taking a step closer to him, she held her trembling hand out to him.

”Thank you again, Olwa. I hope to be able to continue our conversation next time we see each other.”

When Olwa reached out to take her hand he would feel the chill as always ut he would also feel the tender grip she took his hand. When he looked at her she would be smiling, sincerely, letting him know she appreciated his attention but she was also letting him know she was starting to look forward to the future and that future included seeing him again. Some how, some way.

When he let her hand go, she turned and glanced at Ceridwyn then brushed past her, tucking her hair behind her ear and keeping her head slightly bowed.

Keatara smiled at Trystan, nodding her head to him in respect for his rank. As she listened to Aeolis, her green eyes grew somber. She'd never thought about staying too long in one place after Madge had found her those years ago and helped her search for her missing brother, Tynen. She looked over at Tanjee, seeing the confusion on her new friend's face at her reaction to the news. She wanted to help while she stayed here, but this was something a little more permanent in her mind. She began to fidget some, feeling somewhat guilty that she was actually considering it while Tynen was out there somewhere. She made the decision then to tell them what had happened to her.

"I would love to work with the children and the horses, but I wasn't expecting to stay overly long. Ye see....I lost me family a few years ago when Draconians attacked our farmstead, leaving me for dead and killing everyone else. Two days after the attack, a traveling peddler woman came along and took me in, nursed me back to health and kept me with her for two years. It was after I'd recovered that I realized me youngest brother, Tynen, was not among the dead. I've been searching for him ever since and after Madge died a year ago, I started using me skills to help families and others get to safety while searching for Tynen. But, staying is very tempting. Working with the children is even more tempting. I don't even know if Tynen is still alive or not."

She stopped talking, going deep into thought as she pondered what to do. She remembered Madge telling her that at some point and time she would have to take care of herself and accept that Tynen more than likely was gone. She'd not truly thought of herself for a couple of years and perhaps this was a sign that it was time to stop and breathe. She sighed, looking over at Tanjee, then to Aeolis and finally to Trystan.

"I would be honored to teach the children, sir. And, I have experience with horses as well as canines. What is it I be needing to do? An', when do I start?"

Trystan listened to the young woman's story and as she talked about her ordeal with the Draconians he nodded, it was a history he was hearing all too often lately, it seemed all of Ansalon was finding their way to Heartlund seeking aid for these Draconian raiding parties that were ravaging the landscape.

As he looked into her eyes he could see the sadness over the loss of her brother, and he knew that if she needed to move on to find him it was the right thing to do. He had no siblings, but if he had and one was lost he would turn over every stone on Krynn to find them. Then she did something unexpected, she said she would stay. He smiled and looked at Aeolis, then back to Keatara, "Well you will be a welcome addition to the Keep then, frankly the children have been growing in number every day and we have had a hard time finding places to allow them to play. I propose we fence out a large area outside the main wall in the cleared area, I am sure we can find some unused shade covers and get them set up for you, or we can have Sir Ordin instruct the soldiers posted outside to make some for you. Obviously most of the children are young, but if a true invasion hits and they need to defend themselves I would prefer they go down swinging as opposed to cowering. I don't want another Northkeep here."

He turned and looked at Tanjee, then to Aeolis and back to Keatara, "I don't have but a small handful of spare horses, most are owned by the same Knights that ride them. We lost 95% of the Keeps mounts in the assault on the Towers. Unfortunately I won't be able to provide any equine for you to teach riding. As for basic weapons and archery skills however, we can get some of the soldiers outside not doing anything to begin making wooden weapons and Aeolis here can aid them in crafting bows. With the numbers of soldiers outside the walls my guess is we can have you up and running in two days, does this sound reasonable?"