Aiyana

Chapter fourteen - Back on the road

Ahren
Elfish Tribes, Ferlin Tribe
Near the Frayen border
Lydia Hollow 

           All eyes immediately snap to me and Dorian as we re-enter the Council Room, their gazes like pin needles. We sit back down at the Coren table, and all eyes expectantly go back to Norrin, the room shadowed in a deafening silence. Norrin is sitting with his arms crossed at the High Table, his eyes watching me closely. Sylus looks at me and scoffs under his breath. “Bobk…” he mutters. I keep my eyes down on the table, but muse in my head. If anyone here is a baby, its you Sylus.
“Lydia Hollow,” Norrin calls on me, sending a chill down my back. I stand and hold his gaze evenly. His eyes shift behind me. “Lizx Tyler,” he calls her, and she stands and joins my side, holding Norrin’s sharp gaze. His lips are pressed into a thin line as his eyes flick between us with an unreadable expression. “It seems that Inara has another Law to write in The Book,” he says in a low tone. Relief reels in my mind, my heart fluttering, but my posture holds straight and my eyes hold his gaze still. “It seems that way,” Lizx replies coolly. Norrin’s eyes narrow as he looks from me to Lizx, as if he’s trying to read something. Trying to find something. After a bit of this, and assuming he’s found nothing, he stands and retrieves The Book of Life from the High Table drawer and places it in the center of the table. Inara stands, and confidently strides past me and Lizx, right to Norrin with a confidence that astounds me and I wish I had. She eyes him directly for a moment before Norrin breaks their gaze and steps aside, his hands behind him. Inara approaches the High Table and sits, her movements fluent and wavy in a sense, her blonde hair bouncing as she sits. She lifts her left hand over The Book and the cover flips open, along with the bright yellow pages until they stop on a page just past the middle. She lifts her hand up, and a green pencil sparkles into existence, tiny green leaves delicately twirling around the slim object, and then it falls into Inara’s hand. She directs the pencil to the page, and the room is in silent awe as she writes, the scribbles sounding almost musical.
The pencil stops, and Inara rises from the seat, closing The Book’s cover and holding it in her arms, the pencil pressed to the cover. She takes a deep breath and her eyes shift from each table, and each of us at the Coren table and me and Lizx standing just to the left of her. “I, Inara, Sage of Life and ruler of Ahren, guardian of it’s forests and creatures, issue this New Law, Law nine; Elves are Elves.” Then, The Book glows a bright green and sparkles out of existence, her arms now empty as she drops them to her sides.
My mind is reeling with amazement at witnessing Inara issue a Law, my Law. All the passages and paragraphs in every History Book in my Great Library back at the castle flood my mind like the ocean’s waters at high tide. All the descriptions and accounts from the authors witnessing this pay no resemblance to actually seeing it. This action amazes me, even if this is my fourth time witnessing it.
Inara saunters back to the Coren table where she takes her seat, and so do me and Lizx. Norrin stands where Inara was, and his eyes lift to all of the tables. “This Council is dismissed.”

Outside the steel house, Kazumi clings to Inara’s side as Klive and Meria Forel, single leader of the Zerra Tribe stand across from us. Meria’s long light blue wavy hair drapes over her shoulder and down her back, two parts of her hair on the sides of her head, just above her ears are pulled back behind her head tied into a long braid down the center of her hair. Her skin is a sky blue and her eyes are a light pink that glows in the sunset behind us. Meria offers a kind smile to Kazumi, but he shoves his face into Inara’s side, clinging tighter. Meria frowns slightly at his hesitance, but quickly recovers. She approaches him and Inara and kneels down to be eye level with Kazumi, her smile welcoming. “Kazumi,” she says, her voice smooth and sweet, and meant for a child. Kazumi peeks out from Inara’s side as Inara moves her hand to his shoulder assuringly. Marria’s smile widens, her gentle aura comforting not only Kazumi but everyone around. “My name is Meria. Meria Forel. I am the leader of-”
“The Zerra Tribe,” Kazumi interrupts her. She smiles warmly and nods. “Yes. and this is-” Klive steps forward next to her, laughing softly. “He knows me, Mer,” he says as he tousles Kazumi’s pastel green hair, getting a small giggle from him. Inara smiles warmly down at Klive and Meria, mouthing thank you. The two nod and Klive extends his hand to Kazumi, who takes it with no hesitation. Klive walks with Kazumi behind Meria towards the Zerra Tribe Ranger Captains and second in command Elves, some smiling and waving at him, and others patting him on the head. Meria stands and places her blue hand on Inara’s shoulder. “We will take good care of your brother, your majesty,” she assures. Inara giggles softly. “You don’t have to call me that, Mer,” she says. “We’re friends!” Meria laughs and pulls Inara into a hug, their heads over each other’s shoulders. I can see Meria’s eyes beaming softly, the sight warming my heart and putting to rest some nerves. “Be safe, Inara,” she coos in Inara’s ear, still tight in the hug. “I will try. You be safe, too, Mer,” Inara replies, pulling away from the hug to look into Meria’s eyes. They look at each other for a few seconds before Meria smirks. “I better be cuz I got your brother, huh?” she jokes, small laughter bubbling from everyone near. Inara nods and giggles softly, releasing Meria from the hug, her hands still on her upper arms. “Yeah, you better be.” They smile at each other and then Meria joins her Tribe Rangers and they walk away into the dark forest.
Inara pulls in a deep breath, and then turns to us. “Kadence, Fon; stay alongside Kazumi. Continue your responsibilities, but keep an eye on him,” she orders. Kadence nods and Fon energetically nods. “Maybe he could help with the preparations for Family Day!” Fon happily suggests. Inara smiles warmly and nods to him. “I’m sure he would love to.” she says. She looks at Kamitra. “Kamitra, ensure that the Ferlin Tribe abides by the Law,” she orders. Kamitra nods. “Gotcha, Nari,” she assures. Kamitra nods. “Gotcha, Nari,” she assures.
“Sage!” A familiar voice calls out from behind us, the Elf turning out to be black haired and gray eyed Azyl. Everyone tenses as he comes to a stop before us, his expression unreadable as always. Inara turns and holds his gaze evenly. “Azyl Kratt?” she says, in question. Azyl nods once, his expression still unreadable. “Despite what you may believe, I do not agree with Ferlin’s discrimination,” he says, surprising us all. “In fact, I despise what they’ve done.” he adds. Inara blinks in bewilderment. “I don’t understand. Sylus Trax is your best friend.”
“He is a self centered arrogant fool.” Azyl spits out, a sudden tone of anger in his voice, surprising us further. Inara’s mouth lifts into an unexpected smirk, and Azyl smirks back. “Norrin is a racist power-thirsty Ilm vor,” he adds, saying old man in Elvish. Unsure chuckles of agreement sound from us, before Azyl extends his fingerless gloved hand to Inara. The chuckles cut off, and Inara looks up in surprise at Azyl. Azyl smirks at Inara’s surprise. “We are not enemies, Sage of Life. We are allies.” he tells her, his voice suddenly sincere. Inara hesitates for a moment, before taking his hand in hers and shaking it firmly down and up once, their hands lingering. “Allies then,” Inara states. Azyl nods formally. “Allies.”
    Inara looks to me after Azyl returns into the steel house. “Okay…” she sighs. “Freya it is.” I smile and nod.
  Elise and Kamitra lead the Coren Rangers through the path in the forest back to the Coren tribe, Kadence and Fon splitting and going to the Zerra Tribe. I sit on a nearby rock, quite a bit away from my vomit from earlier, examining the Calinian rune box. Dorian approaches and sits beside me on the cool rock, leaning closer to peer at the box. “Anything yet?” he asks with hope. My heart sinks a little as he asks this, and I let out a sad sigh. “Nothing,” I flip the box on its side, showing a swirl of runes on its left side, tracing my right pointer finger along the intricate design. “These are runic locks. It’s the base of all locking or storing boxes, but that's all I know,” I explain. “Hmm,” Dorian studies my movements and takes in my words. “But that’s still something,” he says, tilting his head to look up at me. I look down at him, our heights altered by the rock, and smile and nod kindly, though his words don’t resonate with me. His eyes narrow and he huffs an amused laugh. “Ly, don’t give up. We will probably have spare time at the top of the mountain. I know you can figure this out-”
I suddenly sit up, hunched over the box in surprise. “W- what? Did you find something?” he stammers as he leans closer. “The top!” I quickly reply, submerging back into my thoughts. “Y- yes, the top of the mountain?” he asks, thrown off. I shake my head quickly. “No, the top of the box,” I turn towards him, showing him the top of the box, my left pointer finger tracing quickly. “Ly, tell me what you see.” he says curiously. I sigh shortly and look down at him. “To open a Rune box, you have to tap the top of it. B- but this thing has been dropped and carried and jostled around- wouldn’t it have opened already?” he looks at me intently listening to my rambling in silence, following along. I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose, my eyes closed tight. “I get it, I get it, I swear!” he exclaimes. I laugh and gently push his shoulder. “No, you don’t!” We sit there, laughing playfully for a moment before Inara and Elara walk up to us with amused smirks. I quickly compose myself and stand up from the rock, holding the box in my left hand. “Ready to go?” I ask, Dorian standing from the rock as well and standing next to me. Elara’s expression turns serious and she nods. “We should hurry before the squirrels attack Devan,” Inara jokes. We all giggle a little, then reach the West side of the mountain, quickly figuring out that the rubble is only on the Eastern and Southeastern sides. The sun sets in the blink of an eye, and by nightfall we reach the drier part of Ahren, and settle down at the mountain’s wall for the night. I summon my book and sit against the rock wall of the mountain, flipping to the map of Aiyana to check where we are roughly. I assume that we are near the Freyan border, since the ground is drier and there are less flowers; though that could just be from the Dark Magic. “Where are we?” Dorian asks as he drops down next to me, his ears drooped in exhaustion. “Near the Freyan border, I believe,” I say as I toss my book to the side out of existence and take out the Calinian locked box. He sighs deeply, and after a moment he turns his head to me. “I thought we were going to the top of the mountain,” he says. I look up at him, and shake my head slowly. “That would be too dangerous. Plus, we would have to maneuver down the Northern spike… and that's nearly impossible,” I continue, “only three Elves have made it up and down the mountain, and one Eirian. Both attempts were eighteen years ago, and considering the damage to the mountain now-” I pause as I realize I’m rambling again. “Sorry,” I sigh. Dorian chuckles in tired amusement. “No, no, don’t be. I enjoy your rambling.” I turn my head to him in surprise, my eyes wide in disbelief. He sees my expression and laughs a little more. “I’m serious!” I giggle and lean my head back on the cool rock wall, the cool night air soothing me. “You’re delusional.” He laughs more at this, our giggles picking up before dying down, the cold silent night surrounding us. I have to hold onto moments like these, I tell myself, because I don’t know what will happen next. I turn my head to ask Dorian something, but I see his eyes closed and his head down uncomfortably, and realize he is asleep. I sigh quietly and smile, my eyes glued to the adorable sight. I worry about his neck and back, though, and gently pull him closer, his head resting on my shoulder. I feel the tickle of his ears twitching every now and then and a warmth blooms in my chest as I hold my friend close in his sleep. His warmth is like a cozy blanket, adding to my exhaustion, as my eyelids grow heavy, the last thing I see before I close my eyes being the Calinian locked box.