Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

Eliana pulled the gloves onto her hands and slipped the jacket on over her violet tunic. Carefully and respectfully, she strapped the belt with the Rider’s sword around her waist. It was lightweight, and she would have hardly noticed its presence if not for the touch of the sheath’s tip against her leg.

Then, for the first time in her life, Eliana pulled back her hair, tying it with a narrow strip of leather. She picked up the hand mirror from beside the basin and looked at her reflection. She turned her head first one way, then the other, looking at her slightly-pointed ears. She smiled a little at herself. She didn’t need to hide what she was any longer.

“Eliana,” a voice called from the doorway.

She looked up to see Caelum standing near the bridge, dressed once again in his Iterum army colors—green tunic over brown trousers, brown sword belt at his waist. It had been nearly a week since his return to Iterum, and he had hardly spoken to her in that time. The howling animal had crept back into her chest. Somehow, its raging now felt much more painful than the suffering it had caused her before.

“Yes?” she replied, doing her best to sound nonchalant.

“We’re nearly ready to go. We just need you to come saddle Oriens, and we can leave.” His voice was clipped and formal—not the voice of her only friend, but the voice of Iterum’s army captain. That was what he was now. And Eliana was just another soldier.

She nodded. “I’ll be down in a moment.”

To her dismay, he gave a quick bow, then crossed back over the bridge, disappearing down his own staircase. She bit her cheek in frustration and turned to collect her black traveling pack; a tailor had stopped her after the feast and given it to her as his personal gift to Iterum’s Rider. She swung the pack on one shoulder and started to leave.

She stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to look at the room again. She wondered for a moment if she would ever return here.

“It feels as if this has always been my home,” she said to her dragon, who was out in the practice field with the gathering army.

“Perhaps it always has been,” he replied. “It just took you nineteen years to find it.”

The thought made her smile. “Perhaps…” she answered slowly. “These were my mother’s people, after all. And now… they are mine as well.”

With a sigh, she turned and hurried down the stairs, through the palace, and out to the practice range. A crowd had gathered on one side of the field; it looked as if the entire population of Iterum was there to see off their soldiers. Oriens, Caelum, Raena, and the rest of the departing troops all waited in the center of the field. She trotted up to them, waving briefly at the other elves, who had cheered when they saw her coming.

“Well, it took you long enough,” Oriens teased.

She smiled up at him, feeling his excitement coursing through her own body, chasing away some of her own dull sadness. “So sorry to keep you waiting.”

“I will accept your apology if you get that blasted thing on me quickly!” He was eager to leave, to spread his wings and explore the world beyond Iterum—the only world he had ever known.

Eliana dropped her pack on the grass and picked up the saddle, which rested at Oriens’ feet. Over the previous week, she had had some practice in getting the saddle on her dragon’s back, receiving instruction from the elves who had designed it based on the old sketches in the archives.

Now, she slipped the saddle into the groove between his shoulders and buckled the straps around his neck and behind his forelegs with ease. She moved lightly and expertly around him, tightening the straps and checking to make sure they were secure.

Once the saddle was in place, she slipped back to the ground and turned to Oriens. She found his eyes locked on Caelum’s. The two seemed to be having a silent conversation, which unsettled her. Oriens had never spoken to anyone without allowing her into the conversation. After a few seconds, they both turned and looked at her.

“You will stay with the troops,” Caelum said, his voice still clipped and commanding. “Oriens will follow in the air and keep a lookout. He will communicate anything he sees to you, and you will report to me.”

She looked at Oriens for an explanation, but the dragon simply gave a small nod. She looked at Caelum, feeling agitated. “Yes, sir,” she answered curtly, emphasizing the last word with as much bitterness as she could muster.

She was ashamed and satisfied to see that he looked briefly stung by the word. Then he turned away to address the rest of the troops. “We leave in five minutes,” he said. “Take care of any last-minute things you need to do.”

The majority of the soldiers hurried to the crowd at the edge of the field to say goodbye to family and loved ones. Only Raena remained were she was. Her ice-blue eyes were smug and satisfied as she watched Eliana and Caelum. It was obvious that she’d noticed the change between them, and Eliana knew that she must be quite pleased by it.

All at once, the crowd grew silent, and all eyes turned towards the palace. Eliana followed their collective gaze to find Queen Ivi and Prince Denio approaching. The elves all bowed and smiled as the royals entered the practice range. Once they were near, Denio released his mother’s arm and headed straight for Eliana. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She smiled to herself and returned the embrace.

“Good luck, Eliana,” he said as he pulled away, smiling down at her broadly. “And stay out of trouble.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said, sounding more cheerful than she thought she would have been able to manage.

Denio then turned to his brother, and the two embraced for a moment. When they parted, Denio met Caelum’s eyes seriously. “Caelum,” he said, “you are my elder brother, but I have a bit of advice for you.”

“Do you?” Caelum asked with a jesting smile.

“Yes.” Eliana saw Denio’s eyes dart towards her, and she pretended that she couldn’t hear them, acting like she was readjusting one of the straps on Oriens’ saddle. The younger elf went on, “If you are too careful, you’re going to lose her.”

Caelum’s answer was barely audible. “I’m trying to protect her, Denio. I’m doing everything I can to not lose her.”

Denio shook his dark head. “That is not what I mean. Yes, you may be able to keep her safely beside you, but if you continue on in the way you are going, she will be entirely lost to you.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw the blonde elf briefly look her way. Then he turned back to meet his brother’s gaze. With a small smile, he placed his hands on the future king’s shoulders. “Now, it’s time for the elder to give the younger some advice, as it should be. If you do not choose to act, you will lose her.”

Caelum motioned slightly with his head towards the crowd at the side of the field. Eliana discreetly followed their gazes to a beautiful, raven-haired woman who was holding the hands of two young boys; they were struggling against her restraint, trying their hardest to reach Oriens. The woman looked up as the princes looked at her, and a small blush crept onto her cheeks as she gave a small bow.

They both nodded their heads and looked back at one another. To her surprise and amusement, Eliana saw a slight tint of red come to Denio’s fair cheeks. Caelum smiled at this, and for a moment, he looked like her Caelum again.

“What’s a king without a queen?” he asked teasingly.

Eliana realized then what was happening, and just who the girl must be. She laughed a little to herself at Denio’s obvious embarrassment. Then the queen stepped forward, interrupting her two sons in order to hug the elder. Eliana caught Denio’s eye and gestured to him. He stepped away from his family and returned to her side.

She nodded towards the woman in the crowd, a small smile on her face. “What’s her name?”

Denio rubbed at the back of his neck and stared down at the green grass. “Ah… you, uh, heard that did you?”

“Just the part about her,” she lied. “Well? What’s her name?”

“Kana,” he muttered under his breath.

“Doesn’t your wife have to be chosen by your mother?” she asked, hoping she was wrong.

Denio slowly shook his head, shifting uncomfortably. “After what happened with Caelum and Raena, my mother is being more lenient. She’s told me I can choose my own wife, as long as she approves of the choice.”

“And does your mother know about your desires yet?”

He shook his head.

“Does Kana?” He avoided her gaze, apparently not wanting to answer any more questions on the matter. Eliana took his chin in her hand and firmly turned his face back to hers. “Denio, you’ve become like a brother to me since I’ve been in Iterum. You need to do what you can to make yourself happy. Promise me you will.”

He smirked. “Only if you make the same promise.”

She shook her head and smiled sadly. “I’m a Rider, Denio. My duty is to Iterum.”

“Your first duty is to your own heart,” he answered firmly, “just as it is for me. And, to answer your previous question, yes. She knows my feelings for her. And she returns them.”

She smiled and hugged him again. This time, when they parted, she was surprised to see the queen standing behind Denio, watching her. Eliana turned and gave her a slight bow.

“Queen Ivi,” she said in greeting.

The queen returned the bow. “Rider Eliana.”

Then, the queen suddenly stepped forward and embraced her tightly. Eliana stood there for a moment, frozen with shock and unsure of what she should do. Hesitantly, she returned the embrace. Queen Ivi pulled back after a moment and smiled at her, her hands on the young Rider’s shoulders.

“Eliana,” she said, “I want to apologize again for my words when I learned of your heritage. I see now just how greatly I misjudged you. You are truly a gift to us all.”

Gratitude warmed her heart, and Eliana smiled at the queen. “Thank you for everything you have done for me,” she answered, surprised to hear that her own voice was slightly hoarse with tears.

Ivi shook her head. “No, thank you. Please, take care of yourself. And my son as well.”

Eliana glanced towards Caelum, who was watching their exchange with a flat expression. She returned her eyes to the queen and nodded. “I will.”

Oriens dipped his head low so that his gaze was level with the queen’s. “As will I,” he said to them both.

Hesitantly, Queen Ivi reached out to the dragon and touched his golden snout with her delicate hands. “Thank you, as well, Oriens,” she said quietly. “You are both a great blessing to Iterum.”

The soldiers were beginning to return to the center of the field, preparing for departure. Two more familiar figures pushed through the crowd and darted towards the dragon and Rider. Mara’s blue dress flew behind her as she ran forward, carrying something in her arms. Astrum was a streak of white beside her.

When they reached Eliana, Mara extended what she held in her arms. It was a graceful, curving bow, carved of black mahogany and polished to a perfect shine. The wood was etched with beautiful designs inlaid with gold. Beside the bow was a black quiver filled with arrows. They, too, were black mahogany.

Eliana stared down at them, searching for words. Finally, she managed to breathe out, “Mara…” But she could think of nothing more to say.

“My family is mostly weapons masters,” the archivist said. “They wanted me to give this to you as their personal gift to Iterum’s Rider.”

Eliana took them both from the woman, running her fingers over the fletching of the arrows—white and gold.

“They are your colors now,” Mara said, nodding at the fletching. “The white of the elven nation, and the gold of your dragon.”

Eliana put the quiver and the bow on her back and threw her arms around the archivist. “Thank you,” she whispered to her. “Thank you to your family for this wonderful gift, and to you for all you have taught me and everything you’ve done for me.”

She laughed as they broke apart. “Like breaking your ribs?”

Eliana smiled back and shook her head, extending her bandage-free arm. “See? No harm done,” she said brightly.

Mara nodded with a smile. “Take care, Eliana.”

“And you as well.” Eliana looked down at the bright, white fox at her feet. He was already watching her with amber-gold eyes. “Thank you, too, Astrum. If not for you, I wouldn’t have Oriens.”

Astrum dipped his white head with a slight smile on his muzzle. “My duty is to serve the elves who lead this nation. You, Eliana, are no exception.”

“Soldiers!” Caelum suddenly called from a few feet away. The few members of the army that remained with the crowd scurried forward at the sound of their captain’s voice. Once they all had gathered around, Caelum nodded, his blonde hair catching the light from the sun. “Move out!”

The troops proceed in an orderly manner through the city, towards the white-flowered gates that led out of Iterum. The crowd of elves that would remain behind followed. Eliana looked up at Oriens’ green eye, which bobbed along beside her with each of his long strides.

“So why am I not flying with you?” she asked him.

He shook his head. “I promise I will explain. But for now, you should join the troops. I’ll stay close overhead, but out of sight in the clouds.”

She hugged his nose and kissed his scaly forehead, remembering how he had done the same with his mother. “Be careful,” she told him.

He chuckled. “I am always careful.”

She stepped back and watched as he rose up into the sky and disappeared in the low clouds above.

“Eliana!” Caelum’s sharp voice called. “Let’s move!”

She bit back a smart remark and did as her captain told her, joining the end of the line of soldiers as they moved out of Iterum, towards Amiscan once more. The crowd of elves that had followed them stopped at the gates and stood, waving, until the flowered branches closed behind the troops. The forest was quiet, and Eliana took a deep breath, trying to relax her hands from their angry fists. When she finally managed to do so, her fingernails left small crescents in the black leather of her gloves.

She touched Oriens’ mind with her own. He was directly overhead, staying close but out of sight, just as he’d promised. “Now will you tell me why I’m down here while you’re up there?” she asked.

“Caelum insisted,” he answered. “I believe there were two motives behind the request.”

“Meaning…?”

“He wanted you on the ground so that I could tell you of anyone or anything coming this way. But he also wanted to keep you close to him. He doesn’t want a repeat of what happened with the Dark sorcerer. He thinks you’re safer with him…”

She heard the resentment in his voice as he thought the last sentence. “Oriens,” she thought reassuringly, “we both know that the safest place I could ever be is with you.”

She felt him smile in her mind. “Thank you,” he replied. “But I believe the second safest place for you is with Caelum. And with him beside you and me above you, not even you could get into trouble.”

“Very funny.” She smiled at his teasing.

The troops stopped just long enough for one of them to summon the bridge, then pressed on towards the east. She saw Caelum glance over his shoulder at her from where he led the group, and he motioned her forward with his hand. She made it a point to meet his gaze and frown at him. She was perfectly content to stay in the back, far from him.

Of course, that was only partly true. Deep down, she was yearning to be beside him. But lately, it had become more painful to be near him than to be away from him. He motioned for her to join him at the front of the group again, but she remained where she was, walking behind the last soldier.

She saw him sigh and shake his head, then he turned and said something to the soldier beside him. The elf nodded. Suddenly, the entire troop slowed, and before she realized what was happening, she had passed them and found herself at the front of the group. They had all fallen back, forcing her to the front, beside their captain. She pretended not to notice this and continued forward, not even glancing at Caelum’s beautiful face once.

She focused her attention on the forest around her. The autumn air was crisp with the coming winter. The leaves were falling in showers of red and brown from the trees above. Autumn had always been her favorite season as a child. She loved the colors and the smells. To her, the changing of the leaves meant another welcomed change—the time when the villagers spent more time stockpiling for winter, and less time tormenting her.

She let her mind wander back to Vegrandis as she mindlessly trekked along beside Caelum’s stoic form. What was Otium doing? Did she miss Eliana or wonder what had become of her? Did anybody else ever spare her a thought? Perhaps they had celebrated the half-breed’s disappearance as much as they had celebrated the slaying of Oriens’ mother…

She lifted her eyes to the cloudy sky, searching for any sign of her dragon above him, but the cloud cover was too thick. Still, she could feel him flying above them, just beyond the range of her other senses. With a pang of guilt, she thought of how she had helped to hunt down his mother with that sense. The memory made her chest ache with pain and guilt, and she felt the tears fighting their way onto her cheeks as she remembered watching the slaughter of her dragon’s mother and siblings.

Oriens felt her sudden distress and touched her mind worriedly, but she blocked the memory from him. She had never told him the truth. It was the one secret she had always kept from her dragon.

She dashed a tear from her cheek, then felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder. She knew it was Caelum, and she shook it off angrily. She didn’t need him to pretend to care again. It would only hurt more when he returned to the cold, indifferent manners he now used.

Without another thought, she ran forward, trying to distance herself from the group of elves. She leapt over a low ridge, disappearing from their sight, and called out to her dragon. “Oriens! Come down. I’m going to fly with you.”

“Are you sure it’s not a better idea to stay with Caelum?” he asked.

But even as he said it, his golden form appeared through the clouds above, descending towards her. To her frustration, Caelum reached her before Oriens did, landing lightly beside her as he jumped down from the bluff above her.

“Eliana, what’s the matter?” he asked. The curt captain’s voice was gone, and it was the voice of her friend that addressed her.

She resisted the urge to fall into his arms and embrace him. “I need to be with my dragon,” she answered sharply. “He can protect me far better than you ever could.”

She knew it was a low blow, and she turned away from him quickly, before she could register the look of pain that crossed his eyes. Oriens had finally landed a few feet from her, and she rushed to him, vaulting onto his back before Caelum could try to stop her. She shoved her feet into the straps on either side of the saddle and firmly grasped the ones in front with both hands.

“Let’s go!”

Oriens obediently pounded his wings and pulled them into the air without a word. Eliana glanced down to see the soldiers catching up to Caelum, looking up at her and her dragon until they disappeared in the thick clouds. Once they were out of sight, Eliana collapsed onto Oriens’ neck and wept.

Several silent minutes passed, and Oriens did not attempt to interrupt her crying. He was a warm, silent presence in her mind, offering her what comfort he could, not knowing what was wrong with her. Finally, she regained control of herself and sat up, drying her eyes with the long sleeves of her Rider’s jacket.

Oriens still said nothing to her, and she reached out to touch his mind. To her surprise, she heard another voice speaking to her dragon—Caelum.

“She wouldn’t tell me anything,” the elf’s silent voice said in her dragon’s mind. “Is something the matter?”

“Oriens,” Eliana said aloud, to make certain her dragon would hear her over Caelum’s thoughts, “I don’t want you to speak to him.”

Her dragon sighed beneath her, but answered, “As you wish, my Rider.” The elf’s thoughts disappeared from her dragon’s mind. “Would you care to tell me what the matter is, since apparently you wouldn’t tell Caelum?”

“Yes…” she answered slowly. “I would, actually. It’s about your mother.”

She felt his confusion. “My mother?”

“Yes. And your siblings. You had seven brothers and sisters. They were murdered. And I helped the people who killed them.”

She then proceeded to at last tell her dragon the horrible truth. She couldn’t bear to hide it from him any longer. She had aided in the murder of his mother and brothers and sisters. Oriens listened in silence. She felt his sadness welling inside of him when she told him of how his mother had died protecting him, then entrusted him to Eliana’s care.

When she had finished, she asked desperately, “Oriens… can you ever forgive me for what I’ve done?”

There was a long pause before he answered. “Eliana, I’m glad you told me. I did wonder how you had found my egg, but I never imagined it to be anything like this… But I could never hold the act against you. I could no more hate you than I could hate a part of myself. And it would not be fair for me to try to punish you for what you did, when you have been so punishing yourself. Regardless of how you found me, you are my Rider. I chose you. I love you. And I forgive you.”

Tears ran down her cheeks again and she wrapped her arms around his neck as tightly as she could, kissing his golden scales. “Thank you, Oriens. I love you more dearly than you can imagine.”

For most of the rest of the day, they flew in silence. The moisture from the heavy clouds wetted Eliana’s skin and hair, and rolled off of Oriens’ scales. As the sun began to set, the air became chilled. She began to shiver. Though her jacket was thick and repelled the water, the rest of her clothing did not, and she was soaked through to her skin.

“I’m going to come out of the clouds,” Oriens said in her mind. “You need to get out of the wet, and it’s dark enough now that nobody is likely to see me. Can I tell Caelum?”

She’d forgotten that she had told her dragon not to speak to the elf. “Yes,” she answered, feeling a knot of guilt in her gut for having ordered Oriens around like that.

There was a brief pause as Oriens withdrew from her mind and spoke to Caelum on the distant ground; she didn’t try to listen to their conversation. Her dragon spoke to her mind again. “Caelum and the troops are stopping for the night. They would have stopped over an hour ago, but they were waiting for word from us.”

The guilt grew, despite her attempts to suppress it. She knew she had been childish, and her actions had disadvantaged the rest of the troops. Still, she would not apologize for it. Not even to Oriens.

The golden wings on either side of her folded, and they quickly lost altitude, falling out of the clouds. As the ground rushed upwards, Oriens opened his wings to slow their fall, and they landed gently back on the earth.

The soldiers had already spread out blankets and were busy gathering wood, starting small fires here and there around the campsite. Most of them stood in tight-knit groups—all except two. Raena and Caelum stood on the outskirts of the troop. They did not speak to each other and, though she was standing close to him, Caelum hardly seemed to notice Raena’s presence.

As soon as Eliana’s boots touched the ground, Caelum marched forward. He was very clearly angry. Raena danced along in his wake, as graceful as ever, overjoyed by Caelum’s fury, which was obviously directed at the dark-haired Rider.

“Eliana!” the captain snapped.

“Yes sir?” she replied tersely.

This only seemed to vex him more. “What you did was self-centered and foolish! Not only did you desert your troops, but you completely cut off contact with me, refusing to allow your dragon to communicate with us! What if something had happened? How would I have known if you needed help?”

She narrowed her eyes. “And how would you have planned to help me, Caelum? If that Dark sorcerer had returned, and I had to fight him again, how would you have helped me when I’m hundreds of feet in the air with my dragon? What could you have possibly done?”

Caelum opened his mouth, but no words came. He didn’t seem to have any. Her obvious triumph brought Eliana no satisfaction this time. Instead, it left her feeling empty. She turned away and marched towards the troops, stopping outside of their clusters of blankets and dropping her sack in the grass.

“Eliana, I need to go hunt,” Oriens said, following her. “Are you going to be okay?”

She sighed and turned towards him. “Yes. You go find something to eat. Let me get that saddle off you first.”

She quickly and silently removed the saddle from Oriens’ back and he flew off into the darkness in search of prey. Trying to keep her mind off of Caelum, she stormed off towards the nearby woods to find fuel for her own fire. She angrily ripped dry branches off of trees, then marched back to where her pack lay, still fuming.

She piled the sticks together, then reached out to place her hands near the base. She had not even touched the wood when the flames erupted, making her jump backwards. She landed heavily on the ground, knowing exactly what had happened—she had let her emotions control her magic.

With a sigh, Eliana pulled the blanket from her pack and spread it out on the ground. She sat on it and wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing close the fire. A pair of footsteps approached her, but she didn’t look up, certain that it was Caelum.

“Hungry?”

She looked up in surprise at the unfamiliar voice and found a bowl of thick stew extended towards her. It was held by a male elf with short, blonde hair like Caelum’s.

“Thank you,” she answered, taking the bowl with a small smile.

The elf sat beside her, the light from her little fire lighting up a very child-like face. “I’m Iocus,” he said with a friendly smile. “It’s wonderful to finally have you returning to Amiscan with us, Rider.”

“Please,” she responded, shaking her head, “just call me Eliana.”

He seemed pleased by this, and his smile broadened. “Very well. Eliana then. So, Eliana, is it true that you are half human?”

She grimaced at his subject choice and answered, “Yes, it is.”

To her surprise, he laughed. “Incredible! A halfling! I never thought I’d see the day!”

She raised her eyebrows at his apparent excitement. This was, by far, the strangest reaction she had received from someone hearing about her bloodlines.

“Excuse me,” he said, gaining control of his laughter, but still smiling broadly. “I just never thought I’d see the day when someone such as yourself would join us.”

She made a face. “You’re not talking about that prophecy, are you?”

He shrugged. “Yes and no. I’ve never really placed much faith in prophecies and such, though you do seem to fit the bill—golden dragon and all. But even if one does not believe in such things, you are still quite unique. Not only a Rider, but also a halfling. You are one of a kind in many ways.”

Eliana smiled a little and turned her attention to the stew Iocus had brought her. They ate in silence for several minutes, then he set his empty bowl beside him and leaned back on his hands with a sigh. Eliana set her bowl aside as well, wrapping her arms around her knees again, still chilled by the moisture from flying through the clouds.

“Are you cold?” he asked, seeing her shiver slightly.

“A little,” she admitted. “I’m still a little damp from the clouds.”

“Here,” he said with a smile. “Allow me.”

He made a gesture with his hand, and Eliana felt the moisture wick out of her clothing, forming a mist in the air before dissipating. Suddenly, she was completely dry.

She laughed a little. “Guess I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you.”

“It’s truly my pleasure,” he said. “Are you quite sure you’re entirely dry?” As if checking for the answer to his question, the elf trailed his hand up her spine, then softly ran her ponytail through his long, thin fingers.

Eliana stiffened. “Um, yes,” she stammered. “I- I’m quite dry. Thank you again.”

Iocus gave a small grunt of acknowledgment, but did not stop toying with her hair. He pulled on the string that tied it back and let the hair fall down across her back. He continued running it through his fingers.

“You have lovely hair,” he said in a quiet, thoughtful voice.

She swallowed hard and forced a short laugh. “It’s the same as all the other dark-haired elf women.”

“Is it?” he asked innocently. “It seems quite different to me.”

“Iocus!” a familiar voice snapped.

Eliana jumped and looked over her shoulder to find Caelum there, arms folded across his chest. She hadn’t felt so relieved to see him since his return to Iterum. Iocus leapt to his feet at the stern look on his captain’s face.

“Yes, sir?” he answered.

“Return to the troops,” Caelum ordered.

Iocus nodded shortly. “Yes, sir,” he repeated. He turned and bent to pick up the two wooden bowls he’d brought with him. As he leaned close to her again, he whispered, “I’ll see you soon, Eliana.”

Then the solider slipped back to where the others were now sprawling out on their blankets. Caelum remained where he was for several long moments, standing stiffly behind her. Eliana returned to staring at the fire, trying her best to ignore his presence.

Finally, he sighed and sat beside her, facing her. He crossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees, placing his chin in his hands.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked suddenly.

She turned sharply towards him, her mouth dropping open. “Me? You’re the one who—!”

When her eyes fell on his face, her sentence broke off. There, for the first time in a week, was her Caelum, smiling back at her in the firelight. The empty look that had been in his eyes for days was now replaced by that familiar, teasing look.

“Got you to talk, didn’t I,” he said with a smirk.

She didn’t respond, but just stared at him, unsure of this sudden change in his personality.

He sighed and continued, “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been…”

“Stupid?” she supplied. “Moronic? Absurd?”

He gave a sharp laugh. “I was going to go with ‘ridiculous’ if that’s alright with you.”

She shrugged her permission, and he went on.

“I know I’ve been a bit ridiculous lately. I’ve treated you like a helpless child, and I shouldn’t have. I suppose I’ve just been feeling… overprotective. I was away for so long, then when I returned you were injured, and then you injured yourself further fighting off a powerful Dark sorcerer on your own.”

“I wasn’t alone,” she replied. “Oriens was—.”

He shook his head, holding up a hand to cut her off. “I know that Oriens was with you. It’s not that I don’t trust Oriens to protect you, because I trust him more than anyone. But… it just seems like I am always in the wrong place lately.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I leave you for only a few minutes, and you fly off to fight a sorcerer. I leave you to go to Amiscan, and when I come back, you’re injured. I left Amiscan for a scouting expedition and my soldiers killed an entire group of human travelers. I should have been there. Every time these things happened, I should have been there. I could have stopped it.”

“Caelum,” she answered slowly, “none of those things were your fault. And Denio said that nobody was injured in the battle in Amiscan.”

Caelum dropped one hand from his chin and stared at her carefully for a moment. “Denio didn’t know who the humans were…” he said in a flat, expressionless voice.

She frowned at him in confusion. “The report said they were a group of travelers, that they attacked Amiscan to take it for their own.”

He shook his head and looked up at her. “That wasn’t the truth. The soldiers sent the message to Iterum before I returned, and they sent a lie. I learned the truth when I got back the next day, when they were burning the ones they had killed.

“The travelers were only a small band of families. They had seen Amiscan from a distance, and they came looking for a place to trade for supplies before moving on. The soldiers acted rashly. The moment the humans recognized the people in the village as elves, my men attacked. They didn’t even give them the chance to defend themselves. They killed them all… even the children.”

Caelum’s voice cracked slightly on the last word, and he fell silent, staring at his hands. Though the truth stunned her, the pain in his voice affected Eliana more. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around him for the first time in what felt like ages to her. One of his hands found the back of her neck, and he lifted his head, pressing his face into her hair.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered against his neck. “You couldn’t have known it was going to happen. You couldn’t have done anything.”

“I should have been there,” he repeated, his breath warm on her hair. “I will never let anything like it happen again. And I will never leave you alone again.”

The sudden change in subject surprised her, but she said nothing. She continued to hold him close, feeling his warm cheek resting against the top of her head. Too soon, his hand left the back of her neck, and he sat back. She let her arms fall as she leaned back again, crossing her legs and facing him.

She smiled at him, at the face that she remembered. “I’ve missed you,” she told him. “I’ve missed the real you.”

He smiled back. “I’ll try not to let the real me run off again.”

“Promise?” she asked, holding a hand out to him.

He smirked as he took it, and they shook. “Promise.”