~Thorben~

The sound of seagulls greeted them as they made landfall along the coastline, a quarter day’s journey east of Andovale. Thorben hugged the earth as soon as he stepped out of the skiff. He ran around the immediate area, rubbing his cheek on the lush green grass, and smelling every wild flower in sight. The lingering unrest of his soul, he’d felt the entire journey, pushed the initial joy back down. While he had enjoyed the view of the Matadiac sea, with the constant tossing he found himself with a constant feeling of being lost, it would get so bad that he would feel on the verge of emptying his stomach overboard. Yet even now, the sapphire blue of the water was alluring in its own way. Ted had told him he’d find his ‘sea legs’, but his experience convinced him that was nothing more than a bunch of horseshit. Tanrin lay on his back, looking every bit as ill as Thorben felt, if not more. The sailor manning the skiff laughed, “Come on back anytime you like! A few voyages and you’d find your sea legs!” Thorben liked the guy, but fuck him.

“Thanks, but no thanks. We are grateful for the ride and generosity of the captain and crew, but I’ll stick to land travel.” Tanrin was too busy groaning and fighting the urge to vomit to say anything.

“Good luck, boys! I better head back before the captain gets impatient and I find myself stranded. Follow the river east, you’ll run right into Andovale. May the Sea Mother watch out for you!” The sailor turned the skiff about and pushed off, returning to the ship. Thorben watched as the vessel floated back to the ship like a mahogany blade, gently parting a sea of liquid gemstones, shades of blue shifting in the sunlight.

As he relaxed, he felt his inner being calm and braved a sip of water. After he’d had his fill, he passed it to his brother. Wiping his mouth off, Tanrin took a swig from the water flagon, swished, and spit it out. “How they could live on the forsaken contraption is beyond me!” He shouted. “Blessed land, I’ll never leave your embrace again!”

“It wasn’t that bad! You’d make a great sailor! I hear the captain was looking for someone to clean the hull of barnacles.” Tanrin had been physically ill the entire voyage, whereas Thorben was physically fine more often than not. It was a sensation he hadn’t encountered before. It felt almost as if a piece of his soul was missing. The feeling was fading now that they were on land again.

Tanrin didn’t bother responding, but if looks could kill. Thorben wisely held his tongue, recalling having learned hard lessons in their childhood that now served as guideposts for how far he could push his brother. Instead, he took in a deep breath of the air as they started trekking east, allowing the mix of ocean air and land scents to reinvigorate him. They should be able to reach Andovale just before the evening meal if they kept a steady pace. Tanrin reluctantly pushed himself up and moved alongside his brother.

After a few hours, both boys were feeling much better. Thorben had taken some time on the ship while his brother lay sick to read the letter his parents had sent with him. While it provided some answers, or rather speculations, it raised more questions. He’d ruminated on it during the voyage, but was no closer to understanding. Knowing how ill Tanrin had been, he’d kept the information to himself. Tanrin came across as a tavern dwelling prankster, but he could have deep insight. He wanted his brother’s advice, but wouldn’t push right now.

He took in the surrounding scenery. Grass as green as any he had ever seen waved in the breeze. A swift river broken by rocks well weathered by time. It was a truly tranquil setting, a bit of balm for his troubled mind. They stopped for a brief respite and to eat some of their travel rations. I won’t push right now, but a little bait to test his condition won’t hurt.

“Tanrin, I read the letter. I’m left with more questions than I started with.”

Tanrin looked up from his jerky and cheese, waiting to see if I was going to expand on my statement. Holding my tongue and meeting his eyes to show him I wasn’t, he asked, “Mind if I look?”

Grateful that his brother was feeling up to it and eager to share this burden, Thorben dug around in his pack, carefully unfolded the parchment, and handed Tanrin the letter.

***

My son,

We did our best to raise you as our own. We know you have faced more challenges than a boy should have, and are proud of the elf you have become, and feel you should know everything we do about where you come from. It’s not as much as we would like, but it’s a start for you to discover more.

Your parents were good friends of ours. We served together back in the United War. Rumors circulated your father had human blood running through his Elven veins. He was a very gifted mage. Your mother, Ecaeris, was a talented warrior and an elven caster in her own right.

Just about 20 years ago, they traveled to meet us here in Steelmond, with a message so secret that they would only tell us in person. We never heard that message. By the time we found the meeting place, they had fought a battle. We did our best; I swear on my honor, but it was too late. Your father was already dead. Your mother, on the verge of death, told us to protect you. Until that point, we didn’t even know you existed. We vowed to do everything we could to protect you and prepare you for life.

We have sheltered you in Steelmond. Over the last 20 years, the world has been changing for the worst. Our desire as parents was to protect you from it. Because of this, you have very little understanding of the ways of Baherune outside our small community. Maybe this was an error on our part. Nations are becoming more isolated, with crime and conflicts becoming more common. We suspect a great evil is at work, but nobody seems to know what. We believe your parents knew, but died before being able to pass on the knowledge. While this is pure speculation, it fits with the type of elves that they were.

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We know you desire to learn more about your parents. The only place to do this is in the city of Y’sshara. If you decide to go there, please be careful. If you decide not to, know that you will always have a place here in Steelmond. Whatever you do, watch out for your brother, and come back to us someday. Be safe, my son.

With love,

Mom

***

As Tanrin finished, he sat in silence for a few moments before gently remolding the letter and handing it reverently back to me. “Wow, that’s heavy! What do you want to do? We heading to Y’sshara?”

Thorben smiled at that. His brother was something else. Without a thought and with no consideration to the difficulty, he knew he’d drop everything and travel to Y’sshara. All he had to do was ask. He would do the same for Tanrin, but it still spoke to the strength of their bond. Throughout the voyage, he had ruminated on the events of the past weeks. Something strange was happening to him, and he couldn’t deny it. He’d tried to convince himself that it was all just in his head, but all his justifications just rang hollow. He’d seen words and done things that nobody should be capable of. Now the time had come for him to come clean with his brother. Tanrin hadn’t meant to put him at ease with his words, but he’d succeeded. “There’s more I need to tell you. There is something weird going on with me.”

“You don’t say! The glowing white mist looked perfectly normal to me.” Tanrin said, sarcasm dripping from his words.

“It started before that.” Thorben said. He gave his brother a dry look, followed by a summary of the weird words that flashed in his vision each time he had lost consciousness. His brother was well aware of what he called his rage. They had talked about it his whole life.

“The night Dorn and his lackey’s attacked us was this first night it happened, and I chalked it up to head trauma. Then it happened again at the way station as I lost consciousness. Do you think this is related to the assassins?”

“Words in your vision? What’s that even mean?” Tanrin asked, the utter confusion etched on his face.

Thorben contemplated the questions for a moment. “Imagine the words of that letter written in the air. You can see the words, but you can also see through them. To top it all, apparently no one but you can see them either. It’s the best way I can describe it with the limited time I was conscious.” Thorben flopped back onto the grass and gazed up at the sky, watching clouds float by.

“I spy an anvil, and is that a wiener dog?” Tanrin asked.

He couldn’t help but laugh. As kids, they had snuck out of the caves many a time to lie and stare at the clouds. It had become something they did whenever their adolescent problems seemed bigger than life. They’d pretend like all the pressure, and problems didn’t exist and spend hours pointing out the shapes and figures they saw in the clouds. “There are just so many questions. It’s overwhelming,” he said. He closed his eyes and breathed deep. He could feel his brother’s eyes on him.

“Are you forgetting our training? How do you win a war, brother?”

“With a logical plan, backup plans, clear communication, and persistence. Then, one battle at a time. Oh, and a little luck never hurts.” Thorben said. A childhood of drills made the answer automatic.

“I guess that’s the long version. Pops would say, ‘the same way you eat an elephant one bite at a time.’ So, let’s make a plan. We prioritize the questions, then start seeking answers. We will see where this takes us and adapt as needed. As we find an answer, we move to the next question.” Tanrin sagely said.

He’s right, Thorben thought. We can do this.

“Alright, thanks. Though, shouldn’t I be the one offering words of wisdom as the eldest?”

“Ten months! Ten months! Seriously, Thorben! It’s ten months!” Tanrin jumped to his feet and started walking back the way we came.

“What can I say? I experienced a lot of life in those ten months. One day, you will understand. Probably in ten months.” Thorben quipped as he ducked the water flagon Tanrin had turned and lobbed at his head. “Where are you going?!”

“Back to that ship to escape you!” Tanrin huffed.

Thorben laughed and stood up as his brother returned. He clasped Tanrin’s hand and pulled his brother into a hug. Tanrin pulled himself back and met his eyes. “We will figure this all out, Thorben. Together, we can overcome anything.”

“Thanks brother. Grab your water flagon and let’s keep going. We can develop a plan as we walk.” Thorben said. He could feel the weight on his heart lessen and somehow knew that his brother’s words were prophetic.

“You mean you need my help even with that ten months’ worth of wisdom?” Tanrin asked with a chuckle.

The rest of the journey to Andovale was uneventful but productive. Thorben felt a bit of relief as they had come up with the start of a plan. They didn’t have nearly enough information to create a complete plan of action, but they knew they had to prioritize their efforts into two fundamental questions. What was happening to Thorben? And why was the Order of Buanaì seeking their death? They were eager to reach the town of Andovale to get started.

As they journeyed onward, conversation puttered out, and the time passed in silent thought, and appreciation for the beauty of nature around them. It differed vastly from growing up in the foothills of the Langwin Highlands, where rain was scarce, plants leaned more towards a reddish/brownish color family, and there were long stretches of soil between the various patches of plant life. Here the green grass stretched as far as the eye could see. Broken only by the occasional homestead, farm field, and animal pens. Copses of trees peppered the landscape, providing cover for the abundant wildlife. The chirping of birds surrounded them, and they could hear the rustle of ground rodents. Tanrin even pointed out what they both thought was a herd of hurtu, cousin to the thurti, but smaller, with a stripped pattern and two short horns.

As the day neared evening, they noticed less and less wildlife, a sure sign they were approaching their goal. As they crested a small hill, Thorben let out a long, low whistle. “Would you look at that?! That is bigger than Steelmond, but that wall! That took some work!” In front of them was a large earthwork wall reinforced with wood in the front. The grass was visible on the back, so it looked like it had been there for a while. The two men balked at the amount of work that would have required. It had to reach two and a half times their height. Steelmond had no need for a wall and where they had grown up in the foothills, the rock exterior of the mountain provided their fortifications. They both took a minute to take in the sight before making their way towards the gates.