“I am strong enough to hold on, Ali,” Rionan whispered to her, and Alianna pretended she did not feel the flicker of doubt run through her. Was that her doubt, or his?
“I know you are,” she replied, speaking into his chest. They held each other wordlessly, the sounds of the now stirring camp outside beginning to creep in. Dawn was not far from breaking, and a new day would be brought in. A day that could hold answers – or hold disaster.
Alianna took in a slow, steadying breath, trying her hardest to memorise Rionan’s comforting scent, the feeling of his body against hers, the sound of his heart beating in his chest.
In the hours that came, she would find out more about what to expect from being in Xanthia.
For now, she would hold on to this moment, in the hope that if she did so forever, the inevitable chaos of the impending war would not find them.
35
Hope
Korva did not find answers that day. Or the day after that.
Alianna spent the following two days with Rionan, exploring the hidden areas of the mountain pass. He showed her, from sheltered positions, views that could be seen by the area they occupied. He pointed down to the paths she could follow to reach the Port town that he had shown her. He pointed to the direction of Savangrad, his ancestral home, with the promise that he would one day show it to her.
Rionan shared food with her, tucked inside a rocky alcove together, as snow trickled from the sky above them. In any other circumstance, Alianna would think that this was romantic.
But the reality of the situation was plain. Rionan could not take her anywhere where they might be spotted. By enemy forces, by the Amassa.
He did not risk straying too far from their camp due to not being able to use his powers to defend them, should he need to.
Wherever they wandered, he told Ulreah precisely where they were going and when they would be back. Alianna knew it pained Rionan to report in to him in this way, like a child telling a parent where they would be and when they would return home. She also knew that somehow, Ulreah had a watchful eye on them, and should they find themselves in a perilous situation, the force of the skies would come crashing down on anyone who tried to harm them.
Rionan’s night terrors did not improve that night, or the night after.
They got worse.
Rionan thrashed around more wildly with each episode, grinding his teeth together so hard that Alianna could hearthe force of it, a sound that ran through her like nails on a chalkboard. His elongated canines pressed down against his bottom lip so hard that he drew blood.
She went to find Thallax each time, who stayed with her until Rionan had woken, and they confirmed that he had indeed been able to contain his powers. Alianna wondered if it would be quite clear if he had not – how explosive it might be should he struggle to bind them as he currently was.
Alianna sat around a campfire, where several guards and warriors sat side by side, smiling, laughing, enjoying each other’s company – despite the uncertainty of their current situation.
The remaining children had been led North by a kind woman named Ikanna, who hadn’t said much to Alianna but offered her warm, welcoming smiles.
As Alianna stared into the crackling flames, sitting alone on a rock, she contemplated her decision to travel to Xanthia with Rionan. He had shown her such a beautiful territory, and she truly hoped that she would be able to see it. To see it with him.
Coming to Xanthia would not be something she came to regret. With Rionan, here, she felt part of something. Nobody had questioned their Lord bringing a human home with him. Perhaps they had not dared to.
A shadow appeared beside her as somebody lowered themselves onto the log next to her. She looked up to find Ulreah staring into the flames as she had been. His face was contemplative, calm, his eyes unreadable.
“Are you hoping the flames will send you some sort of answer as to what we might do next?” he asked, his voice as cool as an autumn breeze. She had no idea if this was a serious question or not, and wondered if he had met other humans in his lifetime.
“The flames do nothing for me but warm my bones and make me smell of smoke,” she confessed. “How about you?”
Asmile broke across Ulreah’s face. “Very much the same.”
They sat together in silence for a few moments, until he spoke again, the ethereal stillness of his voice unlike any Alianna had heard before.
“I am sorry,” he started, “that the Xanthia you have come to is this way. I know that Rionan hopes to show you our lands when they are fully restored to their most peaceful state. Xanthia is a wondrous place. A place that makes even my storm-ridden heart stutter with its tranquillity, at times.”
Alianna considered his words.
“Do you think we will live to see Xanthia that way, again?”
A sadness crept across his eyes, like clouds converging before a downpour. “I think that Rionan will do whatever he can to ensure you are safe, Miss Ali. He cares deeply for you.”
