Blood Memories [Last of Elves book 1] (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Thirty-Four: Naameh

Naameh

The girl … I know she isn’t just any girl. He wouldn’t dare bring any girl here. So it means that she was of importance. She looked too young to be part of his family. I thought that his sister would be older, and I knew that the only other female relation he has is his mother. She is a mystery.

For now, she will be left alone. But I am suspicious of her, and the warriors are on alert. I don’t trust her – even if Panthera does.

She will be watched whenever she is not with him. She looks barely nineteen, barely old enough to be on her own.

I cannot take risks. If she persuades him to return … then all is lost. It cannot happen. Must not happen.

His destiny is here, with the goddess. Nothing can get in the way. I will do anything to keep him here.

Anything.

He must stay.

I don’t think my heart could stand losing him. I don’t know what I would do if I lost him, if he left me. He can’t leave me. She can’t persuade him to leave. It’s not allowed to happen.

But I don’t think there is anything I could do to stop him. Even if I gave orders to the warriors to not allow him to leave, I know that he would find a way out, if he was that determined to leave.

I don’t have a doubt that he could have found a way to leave even now.

The old legends tell of mysterious talents of the elves. Strange ties to plants and fire, to the native and secretive creatures. Seeing Panthera with the plant makes me believe that those old legends are true. There is an old legend that they can slip free of any bond, any rope or chain that holds them. From what I’ve seen, that is also true.

Nothing can hold an elf if they don’t want to be held.

But if that’s true, then why is he still here? Why does he stay, when he so clearly hates it, and wants to return to his home?

I don’t understand him. I don’t understand why he was here in the first place, why he came to the temple in the first place. He says that he was called here, that I intrigued him, but it doesn’t quite make sense. I’ve been through the town many a time with the warriors. He had to have seen me before. So why now?

Was it because of the goddess? Somehow, I don’t think so. He says that he doesn’t follow the goddess, and so I don’t think that he would come if she called him. I don’t even know if she could call him.

But one think still nags at me. He said, once before, that I am not the only one who has dreams. If that is true – and I don’t doubt him – then what is he being shown? What do I need to do now?

I am confused, lost. Almost afraid. I know the land is dying, and I know what the goddess wants me to do about it. But I don’t know what he has to do. I don’t know what he has been shown, and I don’t know how our fates will merge.

I am scared for us all.