Chapter 20 - Anguish

Randen returns home, and all, it seems, is lost.

Echo was pacing back and forth in her room, trying to understand the feeling that was coursing through her. She had felt anxious ever since Randen and Ania had left two weeks ago. She knew it to be spawned from the emotional confusion of her friends. She had always been able to sense the emotion around her, but it had been strongest with her friends. Part of the reason she had always hated Skaught so much was how it felt to be around. He gave off this aura of… anger, or something… and it was more repulsive to her than was the stench of rotting meat.

She had felt the pain of Ania when they had talked that night, making if one of the hardest things she had ever had to do.

It was rivaled only by when she had had to talk to Randen.

  She had felt their pain ever since they had left. Then, about a week after a week after they left, she had felt a rush of sadness, and then, contrary to anything she had expected, but everything she could have hoped for, she felt an explosion of joy from both of them. He had told her. She had accepted him.

But then there had been a rush of fear, anger, and adrenaline. She didn’t know what was going on. The emotions were all over the place, one moment up, one moment down. It was all so confusing…

And then, just as it was looking up again, it plunged downwards in a never-ending spiral, and she felt as though the swirl of emotions that was Ania was smothered, put out, and Randen’s emotions plummeted, and such a feeling of loss, pain, and horror as she had never felt was now washing over her. She had collapsed to her knees, and Aimon had had to carry her to her room.

She had spent that night, and every night since, in a feverish sweat, trying to make sense of the emotion. Aimon had come in several times and tried to calm her, but the emotions remained.

As she stood there, she suddenly realized that the feelings were stronger, closer. Randen was near.

Running to the window, she saw the trail of dust coming out form over a slight hill. There was a hawk circling above it, a wolf running to the side. There were two horses…

But only one rider.

Echo’s heart threatened to stop.

She ran out of her room, not even bothering to grab her cloak or weapons belt. She was wearing one of Ania’s shirts that she had lent her while her own were being washed and mended. Ania was larger than her, so it hung loose, catching on the air rushing past her as she sprinted down the hallway.

Aimon came around a corner just as she reached it. They nearly collided, and she was about to go around him when he grabbed her arm, looked her in the eye, and asked, “What’s wrong?” He knew about the emotions, and was just as worried as she was. This terrified looked on her face did not help.

“Randen’s coming. He had Jimande and Hakem with him, but Ania’s gone.”  She didn’t stop to watch the color drain from his face, but turned and continued running, Aimon quickly following behind.

It was late in the evening, the sun just about to set, so most people were in their rooms, but a few came out to see was the noise was. Echo never stopped, but Aimon would always quickly explain the situation, and it was a testament to the loyalty of the Knights when more and more people joined with them, concern for their comrade evident on every face.

They reached the out compound, and met the Masters next to one of the stables. They were able to know immediately that something was wrong.

“The scout patrol that went out two weeks ago�"Lady Ania and Sir Randen...they…it…” Aimon was trying to talk and catch his breath at the same time, and it wasn’t working out.

“Yes? What about it? Are they returning early?” This was the SwordMaster, concern and confusion playing across her face.

It was Echo this time who gave the news. “The horses just crested the last few hills. Randen seems to be alright, but…” She couldn’t make herself finish the sentence.

Sir Alecgorn met her gaze with a glare that would have stopped the strongest heart. “But what? What of Lady Ania? Is she alright? But what?” Echo still couldn’t make herself say anything.

Alecgorn walked up to her, grabbing the front of her shirt as he spoke in a low, threatening voice. “Where is my daughter?”

Echo felt a tear make its way down her cheek. “She… she’s not there. Her horse is, Hakem is, but she’s…not.”

 

.:*:.:*:.:*:.

 

Half the Inner Compound and a good portion of the Outer was standing outside the walls of Magani when Randen, bent over one arm and guiding Maldeen with his knees while his other arm pulled Jimande along behind him. Trissta stayed aloft, circling above the silent group. Hakem stood, eyes closed, more stiffly than any had ever seen.

Maldeen came to a shuddering halt, nostrils flaring and coat slick with sweat. Randen’s face was white, but his eyes were red and his cheeks streaked with tears. There was a blood soaked rag wrapped around his right arm, the sleeve ripped away. He held the arm tight up against his chest even as he toppled out of the saddle. Aimon got to him and was able to soften the fall, but Randen didn’t even bother trying to get up.

Alecgorn and Echo came up, kneeling beside the young man, Aimon holding him up. Echo put her hand on his shoulder, feeling it shake with more than physical pain. “What happened?” She whispered it, and she felt as much as saw the tremor of anguish pulse through him.

He started speaking in a voice that barely reached a whisper, and only those closest could make out the words behind the tear-choked voice. “We reached the Lakes a week after we left. Right after sundown, I…I told her. I told her everything.” That was what the rush of joy had been. She had been right.

He squeezed his eyes shut, letting a new cascade of tears roll down his cheeks. “It was perfect, but…But then, out of nowhere, a Joconan fist of over forty warriors came out from the woods.  Some how they’ve learned to block our Companions senses.” He had started speaking a little louder, and several people gasped at this sobering news.

“I took a bad hit to the stomach, and had to seal it before I lost too much blood. She covered me, and it looked like we got most of them when this old man with a bunch of crystal and piercings all over him�"“

“A Joconan shaman.” Alecgorn interrupted. Randen nodded.

“That makes sense. He didn’t try to attack, but when Ania went for the offensive, she couldn’t move. He grabbed her, started pulling her away. Hakem was thrown back every time he got close to the old man. He poured some green liquid down her throat, and Hakem started acting strangely. I tried to follow, but a bunch of warriors came out and surrounded me. I got them all in one hit with summoned lightning, but before I could get to her, the man…” He swallowed a sob. “He… He stabbed her in the back with a knife.” He looked up at Alecgorn, tears streaming down his face. “I swear, I tried to get to her. I did everything I could. But she yelled something�"it sounded like Geschyichti, but I couldn’t understand it�"and Hakem’s eyes turned white. Instead of helping me get to her, he grabbed my arm and started pulling me back. I tried to go back for her later, but every time, the same thing.” He pulled the stiff bandage off his arm and everyone cried out at the sight of the mutilated flesh. Teeth marks and claw marks covered his arm. As the bandage was pulled away, chunks of coagulated blood and green, infected fluid came away with it, opening a few of the raw wounds. Just by looking at it, Echo could tell it had been reopened and new wounds added almost three times a day for the past week.

“What did you do to the wolf?” Echo had been so preoccupied that she hadn’t felt the approach of Skaught. Turning, she saw a look of anguish and pain that was so transparent she was surprised she couldn’t see straight through to his scheming mind. “I’ve heard of Companions that won’t leave their Masters’ graves until their dying day, and you are telling me that his Mistress was mortally wounded and the wolf pulled you away? You honestly expect us to believe it did that of its own free will?”

“Not of his own free will, you idiot boy.” Alecgorn stood; looking like the embodiment of a thousand angry storm clouds resided behind his green eyes. Casting a look back at Randen, he asked, “You said she yelled something that sounded like Geschyichti?”

Nodding, he said, “Yes, but I couldn’t understand it.”

“Do you remember it?”

“Yes.”

“If you heard it again, could you identify it?”

“I will never forget those words.”

Closing his eyes, Sir Alecgorn said, “Neither will I. The words were Ikh stellen Sie deysen mann zu schützen, wye Sie mikh schützn würde. Nehmen Sie ihn von deysem ort, und auf dies weyse sie werdyn myr deynen eine letzte Mal.” Randen nodded firmly. Turning back to Skaught, he spoke in a calm, deadly voice. “The Final Command. When a Legacy Knight feels she is about to die, she can give her Companion an unbreakable order to protect someone else. The translation is ‘I order you to protect this man as you would protect me. Take him from this place, and in this way you will serve me one last time.’ They have an uncanny ability to be the last words she ever speaks.”

“And how would you know?” Skaught was grasping at straws, desperate to rebuild his accusation against Randen.

“Because they were the last words my wife spoke. She added a phrase at the end, ordering Jimande to protect Ania when the time came. I would assume Jimande would have been subject to the same effect as Hakem?” Again Randen nodded. “After Alliania said that, she died in my arms. I was lucky�"I at least got to see her one last time. I got to bring her home. This boy,” �"here he pointed a faintly shaking finger at Randen, all the while keeping a solid eye on Skaught�"“doesn’t even have that. He doesn’t know for certain. He will always wonder. So shut your pompous mouth and do not speak of what you do not know. And show some pity. If such a thing can be found in your heart.” He turned back to Randen, who was now curled around his arm, letting every bad emotion in him fall to the ground in a stream of endless tears.

That didn’t make it any easier.

Motioning someone over, Alecgorn gently pulled Randen’s arm away from where he held it against his chest, holding it out for the TruMage�"Xanya Kyatei, of all people�"who came to heal it. But when he realized what she was going to do, Randen jerked his arm back.  “No! Don’t you think I would have healed it by now if I wanted to? I was busy healing a stupid wound when that man grabbed her. I was too busy helping myself when I could have saved her. I let her die because I was healing myself.” Looking around with crazed eyes, he made sure no one dared to argue with him. “If I let this be healed, it means I forget her sacrifice. I let her die…” He bowed his head, gripping his arm in such a tight grip that it opened several of the gashes, allowing red blood to flow down over his white fingers.

“Randen…” Echo didn’t know where this thought was coming from, but she didn’t want to let it die, not when it could be true. “Randen, I don’t think you did.” He looked up, not comprehending. She went over to Hakem, and put her hands on either side of his face. His eyes opened, still glowing white. She closed her own eyes, reached into his mind, feeling the same empty feeling that cursed her own mind, the emptiness that sat where Ania had once been. Pushing through the fog, she dug for something, anything that would give her what she wanted.

“What is she doing?” She couldn’t tell who asked it, but she could tell it was Aimon who explained about the feelings and the thoughts she could feel from people. Ania had always been the strongest source, and she was hoping that that strength would act as a beacon to her now.

She was about to give up when…

“She’s there! I can feel her! She’s alone, and scared, and hurting, and very far away, but she’s alive! Ania’s alive.” Echo felt tears of joy�"the first time she had felt that emotion in a long time�"course down her face. Alecgorn came over to her, turning her to face him, and he stared into her eyes. He wasn’t certain if it was possible, but he had to check. He stared at her hazel eyes, and fell into them, seeing the connection to her hummingbird, Nyllia, as he went past. Normally that was as far as he would go, but he wasn’t interested in that connection.

Ahead of him, he saw it. A pair of midnight blue eyes and their Companion silver eyes. Storm-blue and golden.  Deep green. Farther on, he saw a swirl of eyes that mixed in and out of each other, some coming in to focus for a few moments before giving way to others.

Pulling himself back up, he stared at the young woman in disbelief. The confusion on her face told him she didn’t know what it was she had. He spoke in a quiet voice that only she could hear. “You have a weak Companion’s connection to every person in this Compound. The strongest ones after your own Companion are your three friends. You can sense them. Aimon told me that a week ago, you felt like something was smothering your connection to Ania.”

She nodded. “Yes. There is something like it in Hakem’s mind as well.”

“The liquid they forced Ania to take must have severed, at least to some extent, her connection to Hakem. Can you tell the direction she is in, or exactly how far away she is?” She shook her head. “They got rid of the attributes that would help us save her.” Alecgorn looked down for a moment, and then pulled her into a tight hug.  “Thank you,” he whispered. “You have given me hope.”

Randen managed to make his way over to her. Putting his good arm on her shoulder, he asked, barely able to make a sound past the lump in his throat. “She’s alive?” At a nod from Echo, he struggle to his feet and started for his horse. “I have to go back for her!”

No one made a move to stop him, but they all jumped when a feral growl came from Hakem. Turning to look, all were shocked to see his lips pulled back in a snarl, and even more shocked when he lunged at Randen, his jaws closing around the man’s upper arm, Randen letting out an agonized scream. He was dragged to the ground by the massive wolf, and it took Alecgorn, Aimon, and Echo’s combined strength to get the wolf off him.

Randen sucked in breath after breath through his teeth, muttering over and over that he had to go back for her. Echo wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t try and get away again when Skaught came over, and Echo’s mind was sent reeling from the power of the angry aura he gave off.

“I will not allow you to go after her. As of right now, Lady Ania Kyatei is to be treated as if she were dead. Any attempt to go after her will only result in the death of at least one, if not other, Knights. By the time you make it to the place she was taken, she will more than likely be dead. Any rescue party will be pointless, and will lose us valuable resources and manpower.”

Several people got up to argue with the Prince, but Echo was not one of them. She sat there, stunned by what she had felt from here. She didn’t know how to explain it, but it scared her. She had seen something when Skaught had come near, something that rang of evil, and of horrible things to come.

Something was about to happen, and Skaught would be at the center of it.

There was a storm coming. The horizons were black with it.

And there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

Author's Note

And, in the last 5 paragraphs, I introduce an antagonistic force that SHOULD have been present throughout the whole book. I don't mean Skaught, the jerk in the love triangle. I mean Skaught, the man with ulterior motives. This is the set-up for a second installment- You see why it needs to be fixed?