Rueln Layheart

I was still awake when Master Esra got up just before dawn. When she saw me, she came to check that my fever had finally broken, then asked a series of questions a healer advised her to. Satisfied with my answers, she ordered breakfast and had water heated for a bath before she seemed to relax enough to sit down beside me. I was grateful for the bath. Though the sweat had dried, I felt dirty now in a way I couldn’t remember caring about before my recall. It made me understand just how much the memories from another life affected my body and life now. I didn’t like it.

Master Esra moved to the bed, pulling gloves off her hands before tossing them onto the mattress and turning to look at me. “The healer, Master Gibbs, said it would take a while for the recall to integrate fully with you. You’ll feel confused about some things, and that’s normal,” She told me, trying to explain what I had already figured out. Vhal Aairith had known that already, and because she did, so did I, or at least I thought that was how it worked. It had for some things, though I had to think about it for a while to get an answer, and it didn’t work for everything.

“Okay,” I said, taking the glass of water she offered me and drinking it. Despite the amount I drank earlier, I was still thirsty. I wanted to sleep more, too, but couldn’t seem to make myself. “How long was I asleep, Master?”

“Just over a day,” she said, her hand moving to brush back my damp hair from my face. “We weren’t in any rush, so don’t think you caused me any trouble. A recall can happen to anyone.”

“Yes, Master,” I said, lowering my eyes. I didn’t want her to read anything that might be on my face as if her green eyes could pierce right through me and to the truth I now had to hide. I couldn’t tell her who I was the reincarnation of, I realized. I couldn’t tell anyone.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. I’m tired and my head feels funny, but I think I’m okay now.”

“Good. You should stay here and get some more rest. If you feel up to it, we’ll leave tomorrow morning.” Master Esra paused, hearing somone knock at the door. Rising to her feet, she opened it. The servant in the doorway greeted her then handed Master Esra a plate of food, bowed, and vanished again back downstairs. Nudging the door shut with her foot, Master turned and set the food by my pallet and ordered me to eat the lot.

I might have normally refused such rich food from someone, but as soon as I saw it, I started drooling. My stomach ached for something to eat, not realizing how hungry I really was until the food was in front of me. I was halfway through it before Master Esra smacked my wrist. Jerking back, I looked up at her with my mouth stuffed with fresh bread and meat, wondering if I was supposed to share.

“I’m not raising a heathen,” she scolded, though she laughed at me. “Eat slowly. The food isn’t going anywhere. By the gods, boy, you’ll make yourself sick.”

“Sor—” I nearly choked and had to take a moment to chew and swallow what I had in my mouth before I apologized.

Less than an hour later, after I finished eating and had a bath, Master Esra dressed and urged me to return to bed. I protested I was fine, but in the end I obeyed, pulling the blankets back over me and laying back onto the pillow. “Rest, Rueln. Now that you’re feeling better, I need to finish gathering supplies.”

I glanced over to the corner to see a pile of things she had already bought, including my clothes, which the seamstress delivered while I was unconscious. “That’s not everything?” I asked, still surprised by the amount of things she was buying for me, yet part of me felt like it was very little. I fought off another moment of confusion. My past life’s views asserting themselves over this life were enough to leave my head spinning, and I ducked under the blankets as if that would help.

The hardwood floor creaked behind me, and a second later a hand rested against my shoulder from the other side of the blanket. “It’s going to be okay, Rueln,” she promised, as if she had understood what I was feeling. I didn’t move, but that seemed to be enough for her. “Sleep. I’ll be back in a few hours.” A moment later, the door clicked shut, and I was alone.

I honestly tried to sleep for about five minutes. The effort was in vain. As soon as I closed my eyes, Vhal’s memories threatened to rush back, her emotions drowning me. I couldn’t hide from it, and I couldn’t rest until I somehow quieted them. Frustrated, I pushed myself up, threw the blankets off me, and looked around, trying to figure out something, anything, that could help.

Groaning, I rubbed my face with my hands before I dropped them into my lap. By chance, my eyes focused on the small wounds in my right hand. Frowning at them, I wondered where they had come from, not remembering injuring myself until it clicked. Vhal’s comb.

With the thought, my eyes burned and my throat constricted on itself. I stood. It may have never belonged to me in this life, but it was still precious to me. Her—our mother’s comb. I might have resented its existence a little, but that didn’t change the fact that I needed to get it back. Pulling on my ragged shoes instead of the new pair Master Esra bought for me, I ran out the door and left the inn, hoping with some luck I could find my way back to the market where the memory relics were being sold.

Retracing my steps took far longer than I imagined. I got turned around three times, thinking I was going the right way, and when I thought I found something familiar, I wasn’t sure where to go from there. I had to circle a block twice to find the alley I used before to find the storytellers, and then retrace my steps to the gates I had passed through to explore the relic market, only to find them shut.

I kicked the iron gate once, then cursed, hopping on one foot in pain while holding the other until I could feel my toes again. When I could stand normally again, I looked around, trying to see if anyone was near enough to protest. Seeing no one, I dropped to the ground and rolled underneath the gate, ignoring the dirt now covering my clothes.

To my surprise, the streets were almost empty. The crowd was gone, and the few people who remained were busy packing up. Knowing I stood out like a copper in a pile of silver, I ducked into a now empty stall and peeked my head out to watch, trying to remember where the stall had been that Thorton had come out of. I must have dropped the comb outside of it, but… What if someone else had picked it up? It would be impossible for me to track them down and take it.

What will I do if it isn’t here anymore?

Knowing my chances were low, I slipped through several empty booths towards the spot where I thought I had been standing. Poking my head up so I could see over the table, I glanced around, watching as a begruntled bearded man wrestled with a broken wagon wheel while a five-year-old girl held tools for him. Even as I watched, a woman came out of the shop door carrying a toddler to speak with the man before looking around. The broken wagon must have prevented them from following the others.

When the woman turned to glance in my direction, I ducked back down and pushed myself back against the stall wall. There was no way I was going to get any closer to them out in the open. How long was it going to take for them to fix the wagon? It wasn’t as if I could wait there all day. Master Esra would return to the inn and find me gone, and then I’d really be in trouble.

A loud thump above my head had me scrambling away from the sound. I just knew they had caught me. I opened my mouth, about to spout out the first lie that popped into my head when someone tackled me to the cobblestone ground and pressed a hand over my mouth.

“Shhh,” a young voice hissed at me. I blinked and stared up at the frost colored blue eyes of a familiar boy. He looked about my age, his black hair a tousled mess of curls that all fell to one side. He held a finger over his lips and then glanced over his shoulder as footsteps approached.

“Finnley? Come lad, yer uncle is almost done.”

The boy, Finnley, I guessed, didn’t speak, only winced at the sound of his name and hunched closer to me as if the shadows would hide him.

There was an exasperated sigh. “If yer into the marsh pits again, boy, I’m goin’ to have yer backside.”

“What is it, Dori?” came a gruffer voice, still far away. “No, I’m done Lilen. Put it away, that’s a girl.” He grunted. I imagined getting to his feet before calling to the woman again. “Do you want me to look fer the boy?”

“No, Phenelo, dear. I’ll get him. He was just here a moment ago, but it could have been one of those curs again. I’ll go check the marsh. You finish loadin’ the wagon. I’m ready to be off. At this rate, we’ll be the last to arrive.”

“Aye,” the man, Phenelo, said in agreement, and I heard the woman’s footsteps fade away, muttering colorful curses to herself.

Finnley held his breath a moment longer before he finally let me go and crawled off of me to plop onto the ground a few feet away. “That was a close one,” he breathed, glancing over at the table again as if expecting the woman to appear again. “If Auntie caught me, I’m not sure what I’d do.”

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

“That’s your aunt?” I asked, pushing myself back up to a sitting position. “What did you do that for, anyway? I wasn’t doing nothin’ to you.” I frowned at him, then wiped at my mouth. His hands had been sweaty. Gross.

“Wasn’t doin’ nothing, was ya?” Finnley smirked. “You were lookin’ fer a sparkler.”

“A spark—” I shifted to glance at him, confused for a moment before my eyes caught sight of what he was holding up. Sapphire and silver glistened in my vision for a moment, overlaying with memories that made me dizzy for a second too long. I darted forward, trying to snatch it from his hands only for him to jerk it back. “Wait,” I complained. “That’s mi—” I claimed it as mine, but the word froze in my throat and my eyes widened before I clamped my mouth shut.

“Yours, is it?” Finnley asked, raising one eyebrow, but knowledge glittered behind the look. “I thought this little sparkler was the empress’s. I must have been mistaken.”

I paled visibly and scooted backwards, twisting so I could get to my feet. “Keep it,” I muttered, the words like daggers embedded into my soul. The danger in admitting he was right, however, was too great. I couldn’t let anyone know who I was. Not with an imposter out there with more power than me saying otherwise.

“Wait!” Finnley whispered, trying not to raise his voice loud enough for his family to hear. His boots scuffed the cobblestone as he scrambled after me. I didn’t even make it to the next stall before the older boy tackled me to the ground again, knocking the breath out of me.

“Will you get off me!” I snapped, throwing my elbow back and catching Finnley high in the cheek. He made an oof sound but didn’t get off. Instead, he tried to pin me down, but already having plenty of practice with the bullies back in my village, I would not have it. We wrestled, me throwing every punch and kick I could, hardly letting him get more than a couple of grunts in trying to talk. It wasn’t until Finnley shoved the comb into my chest, bruising my sternum, that he jerked back and glared at me, panting.

“Nasty little rat,” he huffed, wiping at his bleeding lip. “The tiss was a bit unnecessary. I was goin’ ta give it to ya.”

I sat up, my mouth open, trying to get in enough air to yell at this kid. “Tiss?” I asked, unfamiliar with the word. Then my eyes fell on the comb and I clutched at it, weirding myself out with how comforting it was to hold it. “What the heck is your problem?” I demanded.

“Shhhh…” Finnley hissed, flapping his hands in the air at me while he looked around to make sure no one heard me. “You’re goin’ to get us caught.”

“Do you realize how valuable this is?” I asked, holding up the comb. “And you just gave it away.”

“Do ya not want it?” Finnley asked, reaching for it. “I can take it back.”

“That’s not what I said,” I backpedaled, hiding it behind my back, out of his reach. There was no way I was giving this up now that I had it.

“I’m not stupid,” Finnley declared. “I know who that belonged to and I know what a recall looks like. My family holds the whole memory relic market.”

“But—” I started, but he interrupted me.

“Ya’re the real reincarnation of the empress, aren’t ya?”

I shook my head, denying it, despite my inability to keep the guilty look off my face. “That’s impossible. She was reincarnated. It’s been everywhere for years.”

“I know who ya are,” he insisted, leaning towards me. “That comb’s been in my family fer decades. Why are ya denying it? I can see the connection between ya and the comb. There’s no hidin’ it.”

“See it?” I asked, confused. What was this kid talking about? He was a mess, whoever he was.

“Magic,” Finnley scoffed. “I have the magic sight. It runs in my family. That’s how I saw ya the other day when ya were lookin around the market. I saw ya pick up the comb and fall. I snatched it after you dropped it and the lady took off with ya.”

“Lady? What lady?”

“A stranger. I don’ know. Nevermind. She’s not important. We don’t have a lot of time ta chat. I gave ya the comb now ya got to go before ya get me caug—” There was a crash behind him and Finnley’s aunt appeared, having nearly tripped over an empty crate.

“Finnely! There ya are!”

Finnley’s eyes widened, and he darted to his feet and grabbed me by my front, dragging me with him. “Run!” he screamed, and bolted out of the stall. Instinct took over, driving adrenaline through my limbs, and I raced after him, barely avoiding his aunt’s reaching hand as she called after us. We darted out of the relic market and into the open city markets, crashing through people and anything else that got in our way. We didn’t stop until both of us somehow made it to the city central portal.

Bent over and dizzy trying to catch my breath, I looked up to see Finnley turning in a circle, his hands in his mess of black curls. “Oh, no… Oh, no… She caught me… What am I goin’ ta do? What am I goin’ ta do?” He muttered, looking around.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, my legs wanting to fold under me so I could sit. Instead, I straightened and walked over to the older boy.

“I broke the family code,” Finnley admitted, glancing at me guiltily. “I helped you, a stranger. I gave ya a priceless treasure. I had to. The sight never lies, and it’s been all around ya.”

I didn’t really understand what he was talking about with the sight, but I had heard enough about magic that it didn’t always make the most sense to the people who didn’t possess it. There were rules the user had that only made sense to them, sometimes. I would either understand or I wouldn’t, and seeing Finnley’s expression, he wasn’t in a state to explain. “What does it mean to break the family code?” I asked.

“I can’t go back,” he said, fear seeping into his voice. The loss in the sound was too close to how I felt when I thought I wouldn’t see my family again. “I can’t ever go back. They’ll kill me for breakin’ the family code. I’m a traitor now.”

I stared at him, open-mouthed like a fish. “You’re just a kid! They’re family, they wouldn’t do that!”

“Ya don’ know how important my clan puts loyalty. If yer out, yer out. There’s only one way to prove yourself ta them after this and it’s a death sentence. No one’s ever returned from it.”

I just shook my head, unable to believe it. I wished Aleah was with me. She would know what to do. Maybe… there is something I can do. I held out my hand to him and grabbed his wrist. “Come on.”

“Where are we goin’?” Finnley asked, but he followed without resisting. What else could he do? It was clear his family wasn’t from this city, and if what he said was true, then they wouldn’t have any reason to wait for him anymore. He was on his own, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have anywhere to go.

“You’ll see,” I said, hoping I was doing the right thing.

I led Finnley through the city, having to circle a few times when I got turned around, but I managed to find the inn. It would be a lie to say I didn’t impress myself that I found it at all. Together, we slipped inside and ran up the stairs, pushing open the door to the room Master rented. “We’re staying here for now, but—”

“Where have you been?” came a sharp voice. I froze and looked up with wide eyes to see Master Esra standing in front of us with her hands on her hips. I had never seen her look so displeased with me in the week I’d known her.

“Master I was—” I started, only to stumble over my tongue when I tried to think up a believable excuse.

“He was helpin’ me, Miss,” Finnley butted in, pushing me a little out of his way.

“And who are you?” Master Esra asked him, raising an eyebrow.

“You have to help him, Master,” I blurted, almost begging, but I didn’t care. I knew in my gut that I needed to convince her to accept Finnley, too. “He’s exiled from his clan. Take him as your apprentice, too! I’m sure he’ll be good!”

“Take him—” Master Esra stopped, blinking at me in surprise. Whatever she had been expecting me to say, it sure hadn’t been that. “I can’t take a member of the Mori on as my apprentice, boy. Don’t be ridiculous. His entire clan would turn on me and my guild if I didn’t get his parents' permission.”

“I don’t have parents,” Finnley said, his jaw set even with his eyes downcast. “They're dead and he’s right. I’m exiled. I don’t have a clan to return to.”

“Surely,” Master started, clearly wanting to argue, but seeing Finnley’s expression, she grew quiet. Pressing her lips together, she finally nodded, although reluctantly. “Alright. I’ve heard how the Mori clan can be with those they’ve cast out. I don’t agree with it, but their traditions are their own.” Master Esra went silent pacing the room for a moment before she turned and stared at us. I could see her fighting with herself, mulling the decision over in her head before she closed her eyes. I waited. “I suppose I can afford another apprentice.” She sighed. “But it won’t be easy work, and I expect you to learn everything well. I won’t stand for a lazy freeloader, do you understand?”

Finnley’s head jerked up, shock written across his face. “You mean it?” It was almost a whisper.

Master studied him a moment longer before she nodded. “I mean it. Now, tell me your name.”

“Finnley, Miss.”

“It’s Master or Master Esra from now on.” We turned to look at each other, grins lighting up our faces, but before we had time to even let the words settle in, Master pointed behind her. “Now, to start, you can help Rueln bring this downstairs. We’ll load up the horses and head out.”

“We’re leaving?” I stammered, thinking we would still leave in the morning.

“Of course,” she snapped. “If you have the energy to turn an entire clan on your heels, then you have the energy to travel. Now, off with you. I want to be out of this city within the hour.”

We hurried to do as we were told. I introduced Finnley to Peach, curious to find a second horse tied to her, then we got to work. Finnley was very adept at loading the supplies onto the packhorse, working far quicker than I could. It was only because of him we made it out of the city before Master Esra’s deadline and were well on our way down the road.

About a mile out of the city, my footsteps slowed as I dug in the front of my tunic for the small blue comb and pulled it out. It glittered in the sun like the precious jewel it was. I couldn’t help staring at it, amazed that it was mine again. It felt like an old cherished treasure, even without it ever being mine before today, at least not in this lifetime.

Staring down at my precious treasure, I smiled, a small thread of excitement filling my chest. I wanted to know who the imposter girl was who’d been telling everyone she’s Vhal. It was difficult to say how she’d been getting away with it for so long, but I wasn’t interested enough to reveal myself and put any claim to the throne just to get answers. She could have it. I—Vhal held it before and it was too much work. I liked not having to worry about things. With Master, I didn’t have to anymore.

“Rueln, hurry it up,” Finnley called, stopping to look back at me. “Ya can gawk at the sparkler later.”

“Coming,” I yelled back, slipping the comb back into my tunic and jogging after them.