“But the Aether has nothing physical or tangible she can control. She is the spirit that flows through all of us. She can communicate with the subconscious of living things but has hardly ever used that power on anyone. It essentially takes away the free will of others, something she refuses to do. For the most part, she stays on the spirit plane, but has taken on a temporary human form every once in a while, whether to help guide us in the early days or lend aid in times of trouble.”
Isla nodded. It was beginning to make sense, how this spirit elemental worked and the role she played with the others. “So, you used to live with humans? A long time ago?” she prompted.
“Yes. The four of us used our abilities to help humans start their civilizations, to grow and prosper. We saw kingdoms rise and fall, even stepped in with the wars if it was absolutely necessary.”
She hummed, remembering legends of these beings helping in times of need. Like when the very person in front of her supposedly saved thousands of people in Evonlea from an avalanche at this very mountain. But then, they disappeared.
“What happened?” she asked.
His gaze stayed fixed on the fire, the rhythmic dancing of the flames at odds with the coldness in his eyes. “After a while, I suppose the idea of simply existing among them was not enough. We disagreed with the humans in power and became reckless. We wanted to be so-called ‘gods,’ as you say. It was a mistake.” His words turned grave. “We chose to remove ourselves from the situation.”
“How?” Isla asked, entranced. She leaned her elbows on her crossed legs and rested the uninjured side of her head in her hands.
“We had the Aether put us into a permanent slumber, only to be woken when imminent danger to us or the world was detected.” He looked toward the fire and added more wood. “A few days ago, I awoke here in the mountains. She summoned us, and the only thing I heard was a single word.Aataran.” He poked at the logs with a large stick.
“Here? The mountains?” Isla paused. “So that’s why you think the others are coming. They might have heard the same thing you did.”
Her mind was spinning. The fact that these ancient, powerful beings existed and that there was some unspeakable danger heading to the kingdoms was hard to wrap her head around. Worries of her tentative relationship with Hamil, her recent run-ins with pillagers, and even her father’s recovery were dwarfed compared to what Rynn spoke of.
“I presume so. But this should be of no concern to you,” he said sharply, turning to her. “You are welcome here, as I said, but I will find you passage back to your home when you are ready.”
Isla started to object, then stopped herself. Isn’t that what she had wanted this whole time? To get back to her family? She had gotten caught up in his stories and the idea of all this power and wonder of which she had barely scratched the surface. But she was being ridiculous. Her place was back in Lockhurt, where she could make sure her father was safe and they could continue living their small, happy lives.
Even so, many questions still vied for her attention. Isla sat there for a moment before asking, “How long were you…asleep?”
“A thousand years, give or take.”
Her elbows slipped on her knees, and she jerked forward. A hiss escaped her lips at the jolt to her injured cheek. “What? So you were up in these mountains, basically in hibernation, for athousand years? Why here in Aataran?” she asked, lightly touching her stitches to make sure they hadn’t opened.
He gave her a look. “I believe I have allowed you to ask far more questions than our deal indicated,” he said, but continued anyway. “When the other elementals and I parted ways, I came here because I knew they would not follow. I suppose I have always felt a special connection with the people of Evonlea. It is pure coincidence that this is also where the Aether seems to be summoning us.”
Isla couldn’t begin to imagine such a large amount of time. It was beyond her grasp of reality. “How could you be sure nobody would find you for so long?”
“I sealed myself in,” he said, motioning to the gaping hole in the front of the cave. Sure enough, Isla saw the edges of a massive rock jutting out from the side. The boulder must have been covering the entrance this whole time.
“My turn to ask a question,” he said, turning his full attention to her. It felt like little ghosts of a finger trailed along her arms as warmth climbed up her neck. He was staring at her like she was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.
“How did the daughter of a merchant manage to take down all of those men?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you implying that a simple town girl shouldn’t be able to fight? I had my bow and arrow with me that night in the woods. I’m trained to hunt, so I know how to shoot just fine.”
“I would say what you did was more than ‘just fine.’ But that is not what I meant. Many of the fiercest warriors I have ever known have been female.” He stood and moved silently to her, studying her face as he knelt to meet her eyes.
Her breath quickened, and she internally cursed her body for having these reactions to him. “Then I don’t know what you mean.”
“Most fully grown men would have hesitated at least once against such large odds.” He put his hands on the log behind her, trapping her between his arms. “You let those arrows fly without even thinking. Like they were your last hope. You had no hesitation at all.”
Isla was barely breathing now. The air crackled in the empty space between them, and every hair on her body stood on end. “That’s not a question,” she whispered.
“You’ve known loss,” he said, his eyes boring into hers. “And you would do anything to prevent that again. You are brave not for yourself, but for those you care about. What has been taken from you?”
Images of her mother and Waylan appeared in her mind, and Isla instantly felt like she had been dropped into a river of freezing water. Rynn must have seen the change in her features, because he let go of the log and stood, backing away.
“I apologize. I have overstepped,” he said, and she was surprised by the genuine regret in his usual standoffish tone.
“I think I need some rest.” She stood and made her way to the blanket bed, instinctively reaching for the locket that hung from her neck to anchor herself.
Her fingers grazed against bare skin. The necklace was gone.
