Fantasy Tales From Distant Lands

[Wendigo_]

Rauzlyn smiled softly at the girl, knowing precisely what she was speaking of. "It seems that those feelings are mutual between you two, then. Perhaps rather than tell me about them, you should go and tell him. I'm sure that would make things quiet clear and solve the problem, wouldn't you think?" She concluded in a gentle tone, adding a friendly wink at the conclusion of her suggestion.

"You two still have a little ways to go before you reach Illium, so I'm sure a good chance will arise for you two to have a good heart-to-heart."​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava's hand stilled again. Rauzlyn was right. Perhaps if she told Elias what she was feeling, why she had been so shy and distant it might set things right with them again. Even so, Hava couldn't help but feel the small trance of fear.

"What if I don't know what to say?" Hava asked. "What if I say things wrong? What if..."

 

[Wendigo_]

Rauzlyn gently rose from her seat as Havilah rambled out her concerns in the form of questions. She placed a hand on the young shepherdess's shoulder as her voice trailed off. "It will all end up okay. You just need to be honest about how you feel and the right words will come to you."

Not a moment after the healer finished her sentence, the distinct sound of boots trudging through the coarse grass trickled through the wall's cracks. When they reached the door, it was gently pushed open to reveal Elias in his traveling clothes with a small rucksack slung over his shoulder. The boy looked bashfully at the pair, having clearly calmed down from him and Havilah's interaction.

"I've got all our stuff packed," Elias said with an awkward smile as he gestured to the bag he carried, "So we can leave whenever we're ready." The boy's eyes skirted the edges of the room, seeming to glance at everything other than Havilah herself.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava looked up at Rauzlyn and gave a slight smile. Somehow she knew Rauzlyn was right. Hava cared about Elias, if only she could gather up her courage enough to tell him.

"Thank you," she said softly. At a moment later, Elias stepped into the barn. He seemed different again, like his mood had once again shifted. Hava noticed that he wouldn't look at her and she felt her heart twist in pain inside her chest.

"We just need to saddle the horse and we'll be ready to go," Hava said, trying to ignore the hurt she felt.

 

[Wendigo_]

"Let's get moving then," Elias said as he placed the bag on the ground before making his way to the bench upon which the traveling saddle rested. Under the gazes of both the shepherdess and the healer, Elias heaved a blanket and saddle on top of their steed, tightening and tying straps and bags. Before too long, their horse was prepared to travel, and the only their unsaid goodbyes kept them tethered in place.

Elias walked up to Rauzlyn, extending his hand out to her. "Again, I cannot thank you enough. I surely wouldn't have made it without your help."​

 

[Equusheart]

Rauzlyn smiled as she grasped Elias' hand in hers. Truth be told, Rauzlyn wished that the two would stay, but if there was one thing she had learned it was that she couldn't interfere with the lives of others. She could only help in whatever way she could.

"You are very welcome young man," she said, smiling though tears came to her eyes. "Just to be a bit more careful around bandits." Rauzlyn gave a hug to Elias, then to Hava. As Rauzlyn pulled away Karo stepped into the barn carrying what looked to be a medallion of sorts.

"Here," he said as he handed it to Elias. As Elias took it he would see that it was made of pure silver and etched on it the image a circling dragon.

 

[Wendigo_]

As Elias returned the embrace, he offered a sarcastic, "I'll try my best to avoid them in the future."

The boy was surprised to see Karo suddenly approaching him and even more floored when he near silently placed a necklace of silver in his hands. Elias passed his thumb over the etchings, quietly appreciating the value of such an object while his curiosity and confusion piqued.

"Thank you, but what is this? It seems rather valuable..." The boys voice trailed at the thought of the price such a piece of jewelry would have fetched back home.​

 

[Equusheart]

Karo gave a shrug of his shoulder. His eyes were distant as he looked at the medallion, as if he were gazing into a completely different place and time.

"Just a little bit of home," he said, turning his gaze to Elias. "The medallion has magic in it and can bring you aid should you ever need it. But be warned in what you use it for, for it only has enough magic to be used once. And remember these words, 'si rigluin aso. orn saurivic confn ekess ve.'"

As Karo spoke the strange words, it almost sounding as if he were growling.

 

[Wendigo_]

"Magic?" Elias thought to himself as he stared into the engraving. Karo explained the nature of the medallion to him while the boy tried his best to commit the strangely accented words to memory, keeping notes on the foreign manner in which the man pronounced them. Elias had heard stories of magic and the different races' proficiencies with it, but had never truly seen it due to Humanity's lack thereof. "I wonder if I'll be able to use it."

Not too long ago, Elias would have found such an odd gift out of place, but given Havilah and his recent luck he was in no mood to deny such generosity. He placed the string holding the medallion around his neck, tucking it beneath his shirt. "Thank you, again, I'll be forever in both of your debts." He extended his hand again, this time to Karo, grasping the man's firmly.​

 

[Equusheart]

Karo grasped Elias' hand back and gave the boy a nod. Standing there watching the two, Hava couldn't help but feel like she was glimpsing at the future. Though Karo towered over Elias, in some small way, in him Hava saw the man Elias might one day become.

Hava once again felt that all too familiar fluttering in her chest and this time all Hava could do was smile.

"You are more than welcome," Karo said. There was a slight rumble in his voice again, almost as if he were purring. "And a small word if advice to take with you as well. Always keep a watchful eye, for not everything is as it seems." Karo grinned and for just the briefest moment, his eyes flashed silver before returning to brown.

 

[Wendigo_]

Elias caught the glimpse of silver in the man’s eyes that he had seen when they first met once again, causing his own eyes to widen in surprise momentarily. The boy reigned his curiousity in, however, simply stating through a friendly smile, “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for things.”

A moment later, Elias pushed open the stall doors and led the steed out of the barn while the rest followed in procession. The boy flung himself into the saddle with his newly regained strength, and once settle extended his hand down to help Havilah up.

“Farewell,” he said in a melancholic tone to the couple, taking a moment to wave before he spurred the horse onwards.

 

[Equusheart]

As they rode on, Hava was silent though her mind whirled with different thoughts. She thought over what Rauzlyn had said. Hava knew that the healer was right about telling Elias how she felt, yet everytime she opened her mouth to speak nothing came out. Almost as if she was second guessing what she'd been about to say.

Gods, why was it so hard to talk him all of a sudden? Had things changed that much between them? Hava felt her heart clench as her grip tightened on Elias' cloak. She just had to speak to him. Perhaps when they setup camp next and they had a moment along she would say something.

 

[Wendigo_]

Reinvigorated after their stay in the healer's cottage, the pair rode on towards their original destination: the capital city of Illium. Despite the relatively short distance left to cover in their journey, each mile they put behind them was a hard fought battle. They navigated backwoods trails and crossed the peaks of the mountains to the backdrop of earth-shattering thunderstorms and gales that threatened to lift them off of the face of the peaks.

Despite their difficulties, the pair emerged from the gauntlet that was the mountains in two days time; a little worse for wear but not fazed in the slightest.

Elias kicked the stoned that lied on the path ahead of him as he trudged on. It wasn't an intentional act, his feet had simply grown too tired to lift themselves far enough off the ground to clear them when the boy took a step. Elias led a sturdy workhorse by the reins up the switch back that would lead them to the top of yet another hill. "This has to be the last one, right Hava?" Elias desperately asked the young shepherdess perched in the saddle, who no doubt was growing weary of the prolonged journey herself.

Not more than a few moments later, Elias could see the afternoon sun glimmering over the crest of the hill, signaling the end of the ascent. The boys eyes were locked firmly on the ground, and so he did not see the silhouette of the city forming before him until it became impossible to miss. Immense stone walls encircled an unfathomable number of buildings and streets the likes of which Elias had not seen in quite a few years.

At a loss for words, the boy simply stood at the top of the hill, looking down on the city bathed in a blood-orange hue as the gentle breeze tugged at his cloak.​

 

[Equusheart]

"I should hope so," Hava replied with a sigh. She was use to hard living in the mountains having grown up there. But after she and father came to live in Haven, and after their time spent with Karo and Rauzlyn, Hava was starting to realize how much she missed sleeping in an actual bed. Even Pippin seemed to lag behind a bit.

When they finally crested the last hill, Hava breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, they'd made it through the mountains. Having never seen a large city like Illium before, Hava smiled as they gazed down at the many buildings.

"Now isn't that a sight to see," she said.

 

[Wendigo_]

Even from the distant hilltop, Elias could distinguish the moving dots of color that would prove to be an immense number of people conducting commerce and going about their daily lives. "I've never seen anything like it before," the boy said in a quiet state of awe. "You're sure we actually woke up this morning and that we aren't still dreaming, right?"

The gentle tug of the wind was the only present thing to ensure that time had not stopped entirely for the pair for some time. Once an indistinguishable amount of time had past, the pair managed to snap out of their trance and make their way down towards the city gates.

***

The walls of Illium began to loom overhead as the group neared the main entrance to the city. Elias took advantage of a moment in which Havilah was looking away in order to put the hood of his cloak up, discreetly making sure a few strands of his hair covered the front of his ears. While he wasn't proud of having to hide who he was, it was the far easier alternative.

At the main gate to the city, two spear-wielding soldiers dressed in light amour flagged Elias and Havilah down. The black lion sewn into the middle of their white tunics seemed to glare maliciously at Elias as they approached. One of the guards spoke to the pair flatly. "State you business for entering the city," he said with a gruff voice.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava glanced at Elias and frowned slightly as he drew up the hood of his cloak. She didn't understand why he was trying to hide his ears. After all the time they'd spent together, Hava had grown use to rather fond of them and she actually thought that they made him look handsome.

Hava's cheeks flushed at the thought and quickly looked away to hide the slight smile that tugged on her lips. She hadn't yet found the nerve to talk to him about how she felt. Everytime Hava had opened her mouth to speak to Elias, she found her words jumbled in her throat. Hava gave a sigh. Would she ever be able to talk to him like Rauzlyn had suggested?

"We are travelers and we are looking to stay the night at the inn if you please," Hava said to the guard that had stopped them.

 

[Wendigo_]

The guard took a moment to size up the pair while a gentle breeze rustled their loose garments, punctuating the definite tenseness of the interaction. Elias, despite averting his gaze in an attempt to keep attention away from his face, managed to catch the sentry glaring at Hava for just a moment too long. Before the boy could say anything, however, the guard made way for them to proceed down the road.

"Very well. If you follow this road for about half a mile you will arrive in the lower district square. There's a large inn right in the center, you can't miss it," he mentioned apathetically before returning to his post.

***
​

Darkness was beginning to take hold as the two steadily closed in on their destination. Despite all of the people and carts that moved to close shops for the day bustling around them as they walked, Elias could truly only focus on one thought. "I just realized something, Hava..." the boy said in a fatigued voice, "For the first time in ages, we're going to get real beds. There should be a tavern too... So we'll be able to eat and drink something besides bread and water..." The boy felt a tug in his gut as thoughts of the creature comforts that they were mere moments away from receiving materialized when the square came in to view.

 

[Equusheart]

Hava gave a tired smile at Elias' words. A warm soft bed and a hot meal did sound really good right about now. While Hava loved the mountains, she had to admit that she'd been slightly spoiled when she and her father had moved into town. Having a permanent place to call home had been very pleasant.

Hava then frowned as a thought occurred to her.

"Elias," she started. "How are we going to pay for this?" Inwardly, Hava wished she had the presence of mind to bring some money. But then, Hava remembered she'd given the last of what they had to Bryne.

 

[Wendigo_]

Even as Havilah was just beginning to finish her sentence, Elias began to casually sift through the satchel that hung from his belt. From it, he withdrew a small sinew pouch that clinked with each small motion. Holding it triumphantly in front of him he said offhandedly, "The old man was generous and decided to give me a little bonus when I left. He mentioned that it should get the both of us by long enough to start making some money of our own," Elias concluded with a confident grin. The boy twirled the bag in his hands nonchalantly as they reached and entered the inn.

The weathered wood panels and chipped stone blocks that made up the interior of the inn were illuminated by the soft glow of miscellaneous lanterns hung about the place. The clamor of the tavern adjacent to the establishment could be heard quite clearly from where the pair stood.

"Hello there," Elias said to the man managing the desk, "Could we get a room with two beds for the night, please?" Elias loosened the cord on the pouch, secretly excited to make his first real transaction.

 

[Equusheart]

Hava glanced over and smiled at Elias as he held up the coin pouch, her worries once again drifting from her mind. Silently she thought of how kind it was of the old man to give them a small start. She also found herself silently thinking of how clever Elis was for keeping the pouch hidden this entire time. Her heart began to flutter in her chest as she gazed at him before she felt her cheeks begin to warm. She looked away quickly to hide her blushing.

"Perhaps I can try to get a job weaving blankets or something," Hava said trying to fill the silence between them as they made their way to the inn.

Inside, the gristled innkeeper turned to glance at Elias and Hava as they approached. He eyed them both with slight suspicion, his gaze lingering on Elias for a few moments before he turned to pull out a large legder book and quill.

"That'll be 5 gold a night," he said in a gruff and tried voice. "And that's not including meals or stabling for your animal." He pointed out the window to where the gelding stood.

 

[Wendigo_]

Elias drew five thin golden coins out from the pouch, carefully placing them on the counter in front of him. The Lion that was stamped into each piece of currency was identical to the one sewn into the gatekeeper's uniform, its teeth bared menacingly towards the boy. There was a bit of an awkward pause as Elias dug through the coin purse before placing an extra silver coin on the counter. "This should take care the animal's needs for the night, no?" Elias remarked with a confident grin, looking back at Havilah momentarily.

The journey to get to this point had by no means been an easy one. Simply reflecting back on their previous circumstances felt as if he were seeing someone else's life entirely. Knowing that Havilah had been besides him the whole way filled him with a joy he couldn't find the words to describe.

 

[Equusheart]

The innkeeper's gaze narrowed as Elias placed the silver piece on the counter along with the five gold.

"It's 5 silver for a full feeding," the innkeeper growled at the boy. He leaned over the counter, looming over Elias and Havilah. "If you don't have the coin I suggest you find another place to stay."

"Oh, for Lord's sake, John," a woman's voice spoke up behind him. A middle aged woman with her brown hair pulled up into a messy bun stood with her hands on her hips as she glared at the innkeeper. Her voice had a scolding tone to it as she spoke. "Can't you see those kids are tired from traveling? Who knows how long they've been on the road and all you want is your quota." The innkeeper, John, turned to glare at the woman.

"We aren't running a charity here, Melly," he argued in his gruff voice. But the woman didn't seemed by the man's growling.

"So what if we aren't?" Melly said giving an indignant sniff as she crossed her arms in front of her. "We get more than our fair share already. A few missing silvers is hardly going to to send us to the poor house you insufferable grumb." John narrowed his gaze at her, but didn't argue. He only grumbled as he scooped up the coins Elias had placed on the counter and walked off towards the other end of the counter. Melly sniffed at him before turning her attention on Elias and Havilah.

"Don't you mind him dearies," she said as her lips pulled into a warm smile. "John's bark is worse than his bite. I'll have our son, Martin, take care of that horse of yours." She gave the pair an appraising look. "So, you two hungry? You both look like you could use a hot meal."

 

[Wendigo_]

"We would love one," Elias replied gratefully. "We've come a long ways, and we're famished from the journey here, so we really appreciate your hospitality. We'll be sure to repay it when we get the chance."

"Oh, don't worry about matching things coin-for-coin, dear. When you get older, I think you'll find that real value comes from everyday acts of kindness." Melly placed two topped-off bowls of stew on the table, one in front of each of the duo.

Elias, now realizing just how large a toll the journey had taken on him, devoted his entire attention to his meal. The short period of silence during which the pair ate their meal gave the boy some time to reflect, and a startling thought rolled over him. Not wanting to alarm their host, Elias elected to hold his tongue until him and his companion were momentarily alone. "Havilah," Elias whispered to his partner, "Is there any chance that Bryne would have sent people after us? Everyone in Haven must know the two of us are gone by now." The pair's recent narrow-escape from armed assailants had instilled a healthy anxiety in the boy.