Grellia placed the book in her lap and looked down at its cover, as Fa-Tev sat down beside her. A few hours ago, it seemed like the most important thing in her life and now, it was just a book. But it was her book and it was all she had left. Her fingertips flicked against the edge of the pages, trying to capture what had made it so important to her, but it was merely paper. What magic did she think it held?
She turned her head towards her companion and looked at him closely. She had been with him several hours and she had not really seen him. As she studied his face, she could see the pain that he had been suffering, but she could also see the hope that still resided there. Had she really been the cause of that? Had she, a nobody from a ruined town, really given someone back the spirit that they lost?
Her gaze followed his hands as he reached in and retrieved his shoulder pads. She could not help smiling as she watched. Even as she watched him, it was like he was changing into a different person, she could hardly recognise him as the man who had shot her in the leg and carried her through the woods only hours ago.
When he handed her the necklace, she examined it closely, turning it over in her hands. She had no knowledge of runes, but she got the feeling it was something important. It meant a lot to him, so in turn in meant a lot to her. She did not own any jewellery herself, her mother would not let her accept anything from anyone. Such things were to show that someone belonged to another and her mother had refused to let her be promised to anyone. But it seemed like the right thing to do to keep this one, if he was offering it to her. He had offered to protect her, she took this as a sign that he meant to do just that.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured softly.
Fa-Tev looked away and continued talking, explaining about a Prophet. She listened with interest and by the time he finished, she thought she understood a little more about what was happening. But there was so much to take in that her head felt like it was swimming. She got the most of it that someone granted power and she was one of these people. She had no idea why her, but she knew that she had no choice but to follow her destiny. Her mother always told her than there was a path for everyone and that once you found the start of it, it would lead you wherever you were supposed to go. Her path had led her to her book and now to this strange place, so it had to be where she was meant to me.
She nodded her head in response to his question. “I think I would like that,” she said, then looked at him a little alarmed. “It won’t hurt, will it? No one has ever been in my head before, at least, I don’t think anyone has.” She had seen people in her dreams and they had spoken to her, but they were normally her mother and brother, or other people that she knew.
Then she lifted the necklace up to him, giving him the chance to take it if he wanted it back. “Is this for me?” Before she asked, she felt that she knew the answer, but she had been told that it was wrong to take what was not hers.
* * * * *
The search party scoured the surrounding area, looking for Grellia. No matter what the man in his head had said, Doran was not leaving anything to chance. The girl could not have left the Island and when he found her, he was going to make her regret the moment she stepped out of the town. What he had done to her mother was nothing compared what he was going to do to the little bitch. She would regret the day that she had made him angry.
When they had returned several hours later, the only trace that could be found of her was the bag she had carried her book in. It had been found under a tree and there were a man’s footprints nearby, that led away from the town. They had tried to follow, but they trail was lost when the ground turned into rock, and they were unable to find it again, no matter how far out they searched. But they had a general sense of the way he was heading, but it was possible that he changed direction when they were unable to track him.
Doran’s temper just flared with every bit of news he had about the girl. It would seem that there was some truth to the dream’s declaration that he had her taken, but that did not mean that everything else was going to come true. They would make an offering to the ‘Dark One’ and ask for guidance.
* * * * *
Carmen sat in the darkness, her eyes focused on the wall ahead of her, seeing the symbol in her mind’s eye. She had seen what would happen to the girl and she knew that it was Doran’s fault that the end would come. If he had sacrificed the girl like the ‘Dark One’ had wanted, she would not have fallen into the arms of the enemy. Doran did not listen to her, he only heard what he wanted to hear. His lust for human flesh was going to be his downfall, the ‘Dark One’ was displeased with him.
There was still hope, but Carmen knew that the end was coming, and it was coming fast.
