Origin (56 page)

“Well I don’t know about wrapping him around my little finger. I would just like these butterflies in my stomach to stop fluttering and making me feel so nervous.”

“Remember that I will be with you,” said Kierra to Elwyn in a whisper meant for her alone. “I will stay with you until we are close to your father, and then I will fly back to Drakenreach, our place of rest. I need to make some arrangements if I am to be at your side in the manor and I thought that you could use some time alone with your father. Elwyn, our bond allows us to reach each other with a single thought. No matter where you are, if I live, I can hear you and you me.”

As the discussions died down, Ayron and Elwyn mounted their morden and resumed traveling towards Findara. Elwyn was very nervous and had trouble relaxing, even after trying the relaxation techniques that Rhys taught her. She was worried that her father might not like her or that he would be disappointed that she lived and her mother didn’t. From time to time, both Ayron and Kierra tried to reassure her, but their words of encouragement were drowned out by her own fears. She was also nervous about having to live in a royal manor. Elwyn always valued her time alone in the woods. When she heard that her father could never go anywhere without an armed escort, she worried she would be treated in the same manner. Her mind continued to race until, before she knew it, they were at the entrance to the meadow where she was to meet her father. Kierra sent word to Torjon that they had arrived. Then slowly, Ayron and Elwyn made their way into the center of the meadow and waited.

E
lwyn sat astride Gemma in the middle of the large lush meadow blanketed with wild flowers of every hue and took a few moments to look around. The sun was just beginning to drop below the tops of the trees on the western edge of the thick forest that surrounded them on three sides. Elwyn caught sight of a large complex of buildings in the distance that seemed to shimmer in the late afternoon sun. There was a single large manor house, made of glistening white stone that dominated the center of the city, with more buildings than she was able to take in with one glance fanning out from it; each made of the same white stone topped with roofs of varying colors. It made such a beautiful picture that Elwyn felt sure she had entered a faire land.

“This is your first glimpse of Findara. What do you think of it?” Ayron asked with a smile.

“I have never seen anything like it”, she replied, while trying to drink in the huge central complex with its many structures. “It’s just like a city from the faire tales Clayre used to tell me as a child”, she added a bit sadly, remembering the village and the many people she’d left behind without even a farewell. “I have never seen buildings as large as the ones in front of me now,” she said, still trying to take in all the details.

“Well, the largest building in the center is my home and your new home as well,” Ayron said smiling at her look of astonishment. “The large building actually serves as the center of government for Silvendil and contains offices, council chambers, and residences for the ruling family and several members of the Council of Elders.” He turned in his saddle and pointed in the direction of some of the smaller white buildings. “There are many other buildings that are a part of the complex.”

Ayron spent the next few minutes pointing out the stables, the field where the morden who were home spent much of their time, the healer’s residence, and the archery training range. He said that he would make time the following day to show her all around the large manor and its associated buildings. “This place can be like a maze until you get used to it. I’ll be happy to give you a tour. I would recommend that you draw yourself a map as we walk so that you can find your way if need be.”

“I’d like that very much Ayron, I was hoping you wouldn’t just drop me off here and then be too busy to find time to see me. I know that you have a lot to do, but I will feel much safer if you are nearby. Besides, I really want to help you in your investigation.”

“I’ll be here for quite some time. I’m sure it will take us a while to ferret out the conspirators and figure out the mystery of what really happened here. And I want your help and Kierra’s too. I don’t think I will be able to figure this out all on my own. And I wouldn’t miss seeing how you do in weapons and hand-to-hand combat competition against my soldiers barracked here in Findara. I’m a little afraid that you might put them to shame.”

She laughed, grateful that Ayron was there trying to help her to relax. She was beginning to wondering what was keeping her father. Then it suddenly occurred to her that he might be as nervous as she was. Kierra assured her that this was so and reminded her that Azavon had been sure he was alone all these seasons.

“Finding out that he has a grown daughter might very well be bittersweet news to him, Elwyn. I’m sure that a part of him was filled with joy to learn that the child he and his beloved created together survived and was coming home, but there has to be another part of him that has no idea how to deal with a child, especially one that is now a young woman. And,” Kierra added, “Azavon isn’t a man that enjoys making mistakes.”

Elwyn caught a sudden movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced to her left, as a horse and rider galloped from the trees toward them. The rider sat astride a beautiful black morden. Raven wore neither saddle nor bridle. His beautiful long black mane flew free in the wind. The rider astride him was very tall and wore a forest green cloak with the hood pulled back exposing his head to the sunlight. Elwyn immediately noticed his long jet black hair; a perfect match to Ayron’s black tresses. As he drew closer, he slowed his horse to a walk, and seemed to focus his eyes only upon her. He seemed to be taking in every detail.

“Looking at you takes my breath away, Elwyn. You are simply exquisite.” With tears in his eyes, Azavon described to her just how much she resembled her mother the first time they met. “She was just sixteen seasons when I first laid eyes on her and only got lovelier with each season that passed.” Azavon then told her just how much she also resembled his grandmother Lady Silvenna. “It sounds as if you and she have more in common than just looks. I can’t wait to hear all the details of your journey. I was so sorry to hear about your uncle Rhys and hope that he will be well enough to join us soon. I was also heart sick to hear of the trauma you experienced in Tarlon and then trying to reach Findara. I know that I couldn’t truly understand the trauma your mother went through at your age, just as I can’t understand everything you have had to go through over the past few weeks, but as with your mother I can testify that time and family can help to overcome the sorrow, fear, and grief.”

Raven’s nicker to Gemma broke the tension of the moment. Gemma softly nickered in return and it occurred to Elwyn that the other morden would all be happy to see their head mare return home. Azavon also took the time to greeted Gemma, and said that he was happy to see that she was well and had found her way home to Findara. He apologized to her for not trying to find her, saying that he often wondered what had happened to her, but was told by his advisors that she ran off, crazed with grief after his wife’s death. Elwyn noticed that her father’s voice, while commanding in nature, seemed very gentle and kind as he spoke to Gemma.

Azavon turned his attention back to Elwyn and she noticed a strange look flicker across his face as he took in the golden pendant hanging around her neck on its chain of intricately woven hair. Tears streamed from his violet eyes and down his cheeks as his eyes stayed fixed on the lovely pendant with its delicate chain.

“I gave that chain to your mother on our wedding day. It was my gift to her and was meant to represent the blending of our two lives. How fitting that you, the product of our love, should wear it now.”

“My mother always wore this necklace. She never once took it from her neck as long as she lived. I believe she also saw it as a symbol of your love together.”

As Azavon drew even closer, Elwyn noticed that Ayron pulled back toward the trees. When he was just a few feet away from her, Kierra inclined her head toward him and with a soft whisper of encouragement to her, flew off to tend to her subjects. Elwyn found herself focusing on the rider’s face and realizing that this man was really the father she’d wondered about for so many seasons. There was something familiar about him, beyond his similarity to Ayron. As he looked back at her, his face seemed to pass through a kaleidoscope of emotions; grief, pain, confusion, recognition, and finally joy.

“I can’t get over what a beautiful and intelligent young woman you are, Elwyn. You look like your mother in many ways, and yet you resemble my grandmother Lady Silvenna as well. It is definitely a lovely combination. I know that it will take a while, but I promise that I will try to bring joy into your life again. I hope that for now you will be able to accept me as a friend. Perhaps, someday you will be able to regard me as a father. From what I hear I have some rather big shoes to fill.”

“And you are much like my mother described you in her diary. I am anxious to get to know that man that she loved so very much. Her dying wish was that I find you and tell you just how much she loved us both. It took sixteen seasons, but I am here now.”

Azavon reigned in his horse next to hers. Elwyn found herself lost in his deep violet eyes, and could barely hear the words he spoke as he introduced himself to his daughter for the very first time. As Azavon leaned over and pulled her into his embrace, Elwyn knew instantly, in the depths of her heart, that she was home...

A
yron and Keroc sat on Gerrack and watched as Azavon, overcome by emotion, embraced his child for the first time. Tears came to his eyes as he was able see, after so many seasons, his brother experience a moment of pure joy. Elwyn also seemed to relax into Azavon’s arms and accept the embrace of the father she never knew. He had a feeling that all would be well between them. He felt a touch of sadness as he thought of the challenges and dangers that lay ahead of them both. But for now at least they had each other.

Ayron tensed in his saddle as he watched two riders leave the heavy canopy of trees on the opposite side of the meadow and head toward the unguarded king and his newly discovered heir. With a heavy sigh, Ayron signaled Gerrack who responded with a loud snort as his huge hooves dug into the ground. Keroc took flight soaring high above the tree tops as the three of them charged forward, ready to meet the challenge.