SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter 22
“I don’t know why we have to leave right this minute. It’s the middle of the night, it’s raining, and we don’t even know where we are supposed to be going. Tell me again why we are doing this?” Shrina’s voice, though whispered, was still shrill and grated on the nerves of the two men she was with. She pulled her oiled woolen cloak closer around her shoulders as they left Jentro and headed south through the forest, not even taking the road.
Fini looked at Airidon and shrugged. Finbrahner Brackwren looked like a bear walking on two legs. He wore forest colors of browns and greens and his shaggy hair and beard were a strange mix of browns and blacks. He carried a sword at his waist and a staff in his hand. But for all of his appearance, he was a man of peace, not liking to fight until he had no other choice. There was a sorrow that never left his eyes, even when he was relaxed for sleep, that sorrow was still clear on his face. He followed Airidon for reasons he couldn’t himself fathom.
“Airidon, answer me! I will not be ignored.” Shrina stamped her foot in a puddle and then started to curse the mud and water that soaked her boots.
Without a word, Airidon grabbed Shrina by the arm and twisted her around to look into the trees. A fire burned low in its bed. Nine sleeping figures were crowded around and each bore the mark of Greshinea’s elite forces.
“Oh. Well, I didn’t know…” Airidon’s hand clamped down over Shrina’s mouth as one of the figures rolled over, mumbled in his sleep, and then settled down.
The three traveled in silence along the back trail of this patrol, losing their own tracks in with the Elite’s. In the morning, this patrol would think they were going to catch them by surprise, but in the end, it would be the Elite that were surprised.
Outside of Jentro, the rain changed to mist and then to fog and then was gone altogether. By the first light of morning, the three found themselves looking down to the great grasslands that covered central Nasinih. For a moment, Airidon looked puzzled.
“Which way to Tealshire, Fini?” His voice was deep for his age and filled with a wisdom that hadn’t belonged to him a few days earlier. He had been content to follow Shrina when they had first met. Then there was that night, when he dreamed so vividly of another place and another person. It was too real to be just a dream and too much like a memory to be a dream, so Airidon had attributed this to the fact that the gods were using him for something special and he wasn’t going to argue. He didn’t tell the others, they hadn’t seemed any different and he didn’t want them to think he wasn’t in his right mind.
The smooth oak of Fini’s staff pointed to the Southeast. “We will have to cross the badlands if we want to avoid the Siblen lands and the Shadow-dream Mountains.”
“Which way is faster?”
“Oh no you don’t, Airidon. I don’t want to go anywhere near the Siblen lands for a while. I will not be dragged into a marriage with some Sibish toad just to make it a day or so shorter. And nothing will get me into the Shadow-dreams, not love or money.” Shrina said emphatically. Fini, at her side, nodded his agreement with her. “You don’t know Nasinih, Airidon, coming from Taniry, but let me tell you, the Shadow-dreams are not a place to take lightly or without extreme caution.”
Airidon grunted. There was a forest in the northern most part of Taniry that no one would go to for love or money, so he could understand their reluctance. He had once gone to the borders of that forest and stood watching it, waiting for something to happen. When after a day, nothing more than a cold wind had touched him, he wondered if perhaps the legends of that place were as overgrown as the game trails.
“Then we’ll go through the badlands. Fini, guide us true. There is something out there we have to find.” Airidon then turned and faced his companions. “Maybe it’s the girl, maybe it’s someone or something else. But I know as sure as I know my name that we are meant to be out here now and in this place.”
Shrina looked to Fini and then down at her feet. She had felt the urge to go south as well. She hadn’t wanted to and she had wanted to forget it and go back to sleep, but she was glad that they hadn’t. Nodding, she took out her dagger and a chunk of travel cheese and cut each a piece to eat for breakfast.
“We’ll go see what we are supposed to see and then, maybe, we can sleep in a good bed again.” Shrina said, offering the cheese to her companions.
“Now this is a development I didn’t see coming. I guess even fate and whimsy is subject to fate and whimsy.” Shægnek mused as she watched three travel to meet two. The essence of Phil was so strong on Airidon it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. It was almost like looking at Tris and Debra; they too had merged close enough to share thoughts already without the gifts of Serenity.
The door closed softly behind her and she turned, inclining her head to Serenity. “Sister…”
“Shægnek.” Serenity acknowledged. The goddess moved to stand next to her sister at the window. “Chaos has stirred the pot, I see.”
“It is his way and his right.”
“I’m not here to argue or to place blame, Shægnek. I know our brother’s nature as well as any. I have great trust in you and your charge of this most important of prophecies. Father entrusted it to you and I trust Father’s judgment.” Serenity smiled at the goddess of prophecy, fate, and whimsy, and then turned to watch her champions once more.
“Shægnek, I wanted to know if…” Chaos stopped in the doorway, seeing Serenity standing with Shægnek. “Serenity, I didn’t think I’d find you here. I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Serenity walked over and joined her brother by the door. She searched his face and watched as he squirmed from her scrutiny. “Chaos…” Serenity began and then took a deep breath.
“Serenity, I had to. I know, I put it in motion with this minion, but I had to. Surely you can see…”
Reaching out, Serenity caressed her brother’s cheek a moment, her eyes gentle and filled with understanding and forgiveness. “I know, Chaos, I know. You are not the adversary, you are the opposite, and there is a difference. Come with me, share a glass of wine and we will talk about how we can further frustrate your minion. “
Chaos nodded and without another thought of what he wanted from Shægnek, he followed Serenity out of the library and to her home. Alone again, Shægnek wondered what it was Chaos wanted, but turned from those thoughts as the next stage of the prophecy moved into motion.