Post 14

Rayna was careful each night to ensure Arius drank the tea Eithna sent for him, and he was thankful for it. The dream had not come again, although other strange things seemed to be happening to him lately. The halos of light seemed to appear around people at random, and it was certainly distracting to be attending one of Rayna’s many events that she had accepted on their behalf to be distracted by a corona of iridescence around another guest, or worse yet, around Rayna. The color of hers had not changed; it was still a bright, pure white, ringed with darkest black.

Arius was having a difficult enough time maintaining his role throughout the endless teas and suppers, and even another ball. He was bored senseless, even with the opportunities to learn more about the supposed nobility. Even though he knew deep within that every small parcel of information he could take back to Ragged Valley could be crucial, it was still a constant battle to keep up the charade. It had been a full moonturn since his first ball at Lord and Lady Glamora’s manor, and only the chance to escape the dreams each night kept him motivated to continue. Well, that and his time alone with Rayna. Arius flushed a little to remember a few of the things she had taught him the previous night. She was constantly surprising him, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain.

“What has that grin spread across your face?” Rayna leaned forward to peer up into his face. He blinked, bringing himself back to the present, and then laughed but didn’t answer. She settled back into the carriage seat across from him with a matching grin and a knowing look on her face.

“What is next for the evening?” Mood shifting suddenly, Arius crossed his arms across his chest, trying to tamp down his impatience with the endless carriage rides and visits to over-furnished manors to choke down tepid tea and refuse to make small-talk while he listened to boorish nobility share gossip. It literally exhausted him, playing the role she had designed for him.

Rayna seemed to notice, and not for the first time, that he was trying very hard not to be obvious. “Ari, I know you’re seething to be done with this all.”

He flinched. “I just feel like… I feel like I am not actually accomplishing anything.”

“Well… would it make you feel better if I told you that we received a very special invitation yesterday?”

He cocked one golden brow at her, his gray eye dull, and shrugged.

Rayna’s smile slipped a little. She suddenly realized just how short a leash he’d been keeping himself on. It wasn’t just playacting that he kept himself aloof from the happenings going on around him. He really didn’t care, and he sincerely didn’t want to be attending the events she’d been tugging him around to.

Rayna considered him thoughtfully. Apparently, she had needed a reminder that he wasn’t just a young lordling under her care to learn some manners before being shipped back off to this father. “Why didn’t you tell me how much you abhor all of this?”

He flushed a little, but had the good grace not to deny it. “I recall being instructed that I would do as I was told, and that I would attend every function accepted on my behalf.”

“Oh, Ari…” She frowned at him. “Wait a moment.” She turned around and knocked on the wall of the carriage above her head, then turned back to face him. After a moment the vehicle rumbled to a halt and the footman opened the little door to peer in. Rayna thought for a moment and then leaned forward to whisper into the footman’s ear. The man nodded, closed the little door, and soon enough they were on their way again.

Arius took in her smug smile with a flat expression. “What exactly was that all about?”

“A surprise, nothing more.” She refused to reveal more, and even leaned forward to tug the curtain closed over the little window so he would not see outside. Then she simply sat primly, her radiant smile divulging nothing. Arius continued to stare at her for a long time, but gradually his eyelids grew heavy. His head began to bob, and finally he gave in to the exhaustion that seemed to reach with clutching fingers.

Rayna watched him sleep, her smile softening. She’d become so fond of him. Not love, not precisely, but she did care deeply for him. There were other emotions wrapped up in that, other than the tenderness that came with taking a passionate lover. She hoped great things for him, and hoped that at least his little experiences with her would allow him to face the High Lord Gregor with confidence and poise. This young man before her would not run from a supper as if the hounds of the seven hells were on his heels. In less than two moonturns he had literally become the gentleman she had wanted him to be. Any Lord or Lady would accept him in their manor now, and he had become a familiar enough face that rumors had surely already reached High Lord Gregor’s ears. Although Arius had carefully not been associated with Ragged Valley, once he revealed the connection, it would be difficult for the High Lord to simply ignore him.

Rayna thought for a moment, tapping her gloved fingertips to her lips. She could let Arius go now, with no further training. She would hate to lose his companionship; after all he was very intelligent and very sweet as well, in spite of his stubborn pride, not to mention a very generous lover. But this wasn’t about her, this was about him and his Ragged Valley, and surely there was nothing else pressing that she needed to teach him. He could be on his way with the morning, if she was willing to let him go that soon.

She felt sad at the thought, but collected herself firmly. She had known this day would come at some point, but she had wanted to put off even considering it as long as possible. Rayna knew it was a selfish thought that had her waiting to wake him. Why hurry things? Tomorrow would work as well as today. She let her thoughts drift as the ride continued.

Eventually, the carriage rumbled to a stop, and she reached out a hand to caress his face gently, leaning forward and pressing her lips gently to his. Arius jumped a little, but wasted no time responding with a deep kiss that curled her toes in her slippers. She laughed huskily when he growled as she ended their kiss. “We’re here.”

He opened his eye and met her soft brown gaze, a little confused, still adorably half-asleep. “Where?”

“My surprise.” The footman opened the door and pulled down the step, and Rayna ducked out the door without waiting for Arius to help her out. She called over her shoulder. “Come on, Ari!”

He frowned slightly, but followed slowly, stretching once he was free of the confines of the carriage. If he never rode in another vehicle again he would be happy. “Where are we?”

Rayna just giggled and reached out a hand towards him. Arius hesitated, and this time she laughed. “Oh, Ari, just trust me!” He scowled a little, but he took her hand.

They were in a little meadow where a rough dirt road ended within tall thick grass. The carriage was already backing slowly, trying to get turned around, the four matching black horses tossing their heads in agitation. A small path led around the edge of the clearing, and that was where she led him.

Arius wished he’d had a chance to change out of the soft-soled boots he had donned that morning, and not for the first time he thought of his old clothing, comfortable and loose-fitting. Their fine garb stood out here among the grasses and yellow and white wildflowers. A thick forest of close-growing trees closed in to their left as they circled the little meadow, birdsong floating out from the dimness. On the far side of the clearing the trail dropped down a little ways and became a bit rougher. Rayna nearly skipped down it in spite of her soft slippers, clearly knowing the way.

Arius wanted to ask again, but was certain she would not answer. He frowned grumpily and continued to follow as she led them into the forest, down the path now covered with pine needles. He watched her back carefully, trying to guess what she was thinking, glancing down a few times at the now-ruined slippers and her dirty hem. Her fingers were curled tightly around his.

The light changed, and he looked up, to stop and gape. Rayna nearly tripped at his sudden resistance, but then she was grinning over her shoulder at him. “What do you think?”

Arius stared around him in wonder, his grip tightening unconsciously on hers. She winced and tugged lightly on his hand, but he didn’t seem to notice. “It’s… beautiful, Rayna.” She just giggled and patted his hand lightly, and he flushed and released her fingers as if she had burned him. “What is this place?”

She turned away from him to face the little pond tucked within the trees, staring across the water at the slanted cliff face that towered up on the other side as far as they could see. A wide trickle of water flowed across the stone, gently tumbling into the pond butted up against the crag. “It was a special place for me, once.” Rayna turned and pressed herself abruptly against him, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped hesitant arms around her. Her voice was muffled as she continued. “My husband brought me here on our wedding day. We escaped here often. I haven’t been here since… I thought maybe it wouldn’t be as beautiful as I remembered it, but it is.”

Arius heard the tightness in her tone, and tucked a hand gently beneath her chin to lift her gaze to his. Her big brown eyes were shiny with unshed tears, and her smile was tremulous, on the verge of disappearing completely. He leaned down to touch his forehead to hers, their breath mingling. He whispered against her lips. “Thank you, Rayna. Thank you for sharing this with me.”

She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, holding him there as she pressed little kisses all over his face. Across his cheeks, his nose, his eyelid, even his eye patch. He waited patiently until finally she met his lips, and then he swung her up into his arms. She sighed softly, certain he would find a perfect spot for some afternoon loving, but instead he settled down near the edge of the water with a perfect view of the waterfall, and held her snugly in his lap, her head tucked beneath his chin. He just held her, and she wondered for a moment what his intentions were, until suddenly without her seeming to realize how it happened, her tears spilled over and slid down her cheeks. Before she knew it she was sobbing, clutching his jacket, face pressed into the soft fabric.

Arius let her cry herself out, rubbing her back gently, crooning softly to her. When finally her tears ran dry and her little hiccupping sobs had faded, she sighed deeply, too weak to do more than rub her face against his hard chest, loving the feel of his strong heartbeat thudding against her cheek. “I didn’t intend this. I was going to seduce you, to take your mind off of everything.”

“You needed this more, I think.” His soft response was a rumble beneath her ear.

“I guess so.” She was quiet for a long moment, and then she whispered so quietly he almost didn’t hear. “Thank you.”

His arms tightened around her, but he didn’t comment. She sniffed, certain that her face was a wreck, and her cosmetics had probably run all over the place. At least his jacket was black, and so the smudges wouldn’t show. For several long moments they sat there silently, the birdsong wrapping around them, the soothing sound of the water the perfect accompaniment. Finally Rayna pulled back, turning her face away as she tried to scrub at her cheeks. Gentle fingers tugged at her chin until she faced him fully, and she was startled when he dabbed her smudges away with a soft linen handkerchief pulled from inside his jacket. “I must look so hideous.”

Arius’ smile was tender. “You could never be hideous, Rayna.” He finished cleaning her cosmetics away and met her gaze steadily. “Have you ever mourned your husband?”

She shrugged, uncomfortable, but didn’t look away. “I don’t think I really did. He was a good man, Ari. You would have liked him, I think. It seems so unfair that I lost him so early. His name was Eduar.” She leaned forward against his chest again. “It wasn’t a love match, originally. My father chose him for me, and I fought like a wildcat to resist the marriage. But my father ultimately won out, pointing out that I was his only heir, and that he would see me wed before he left this earth. He did, too. But once I was in Eduar’s manor, and in his arms, I was lost. He was such a gentle soul, like you. I should have known my father would have chosen well.”

Arius was glad she couldn’t see his mouth twist bitterly. Gentle, was he? He hoped she always thought that of him.

“Eduar was a lot like you, Ari. Maybe that’s why I took this post with you. I had decided to retire, you know. I have plenty of money, and as you can imagine I’ve grown a little weary of the Court games. I almost refused Lord Wensellas’ request outright. I’m glad I didn’t.” Rayna sighed deeply. “I suppose I can retire now.”

He stilled, and she pulled away again to meet his gaze sadly. “Yes, you heard me. You’re clearly ready to continue on your journey. I doubt there is anything else I can teach you that you can’t pick up on your own. I should stop torturing you and let you go. It’s just so hard. You’re such an admirable man in so many ways, and I want so badly to hold onto you.”

A little surge of panic clutched Arius’ chest tightly. She noticed the dread within his gray eye before he damped it out, and she smiled a little. “You silly boy. No, I don’t love you, not like that. I won’t ask you to declare any intentions for me. Although I think we could suit for marriage, you and me, I think we would grow bored with each other eventually.” She laughed a little. “At least, outside the bedroom.”

He released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, and a little spark lit her brown eyes. “Should I be offended that you are so relieved?” At his new look of horror she laughed. “I am jesting, Ari. I really am. You silly boy.” She tucked her head back beneath his chin again, and relaxed as he leaned them both back to spread out on the soft grass. She sprawled across him, her ear pressed again to his chest, listening to his slow and steady heartbeat. Eventually she dosed, and so did he.

The dream caught him in its grip slowly, sneaking up on Arius quietly and softly. But once it had wrapped around him, the usual gray floor and gray ceiling stretching every way he looked, it would not let him go. He felt despair flood his soul as complete recall came to him. He looked around for the statue, for the carvings in the wall, for the people kneeling. But this time, they did not come.

Soft footfalls seemed to pace toward him, but there was nothing within range of his vision, just the endless floor and ceiling. The steps came clearer now, more solid, but still there was nothing visible. Suddenly they stopped, seemingly right behind him, and he spun about, to find nothing there. He turned back, and thought his heart would jump from his chest.

It was his mirror image again, returned to mock him. A flat gray eye watched him closely, the figure cloaked in the strange swirling dark fabric from every dream before. Less than an arms-length away, his image stood motionless, as if waiting for him to make the first move.

“Why is this dream different?” He hurled defiance in his own face.

Bloodless lips twisted bitterly, surely the same expression he had worn not too long ago. “Why shouldn’t it be? They can no longer reach you through the veil.”

“You keep saying ‘They.’ Who are ‘They?’ Where are we?”

“We are in the world of dreams, Veygarius. Where else would we be?”

His eye narrowed, and the gray eye of his image narrowed along with it. “You avoid all my questions about who you speak of. You call me by a name that is not my own. Why?”

His image’s face grew sad. “It is your name, Veygarius. Our name. We should have been cast from our dam’s womb together, and instead we are each only half of what we could be. They have tried to make us whole, but something resists. We must find a way. We must.”

Arius shook his head, a part of him relieved that his image did not copy the movement. “I don’t understand. You speak in riddles, instead of answering me directly. You obviously want something of me, so why don’t you come right out and ask it?”

“We cannot ask of our self, Veygarius. Only you can find the answers. Only you can take the steps to become ready.”

“I have to save Ragged Valley.”

Bitter laughter seemed to echo all around him. “Save it? If we do not save the world, Veygarius, there will be no Ragged Valley to speak of.”

“Save the world?! Are you mad? I am only a man; I am not a hero in a fable.”

“A hero… yes, a hero would be well come.” The gray eye closed, and bloody tears welled from beneath the lid. “Become ready, Veygarius.”

The tears unnerved him a little for some strange reason, even more than the sense that he was apparently arguing with himself. “You repeat that, but I don’t know what it means. Explain what you mean if you would have me understand.”

“Become ready, Veygarius. Razakel is stirring. The seals on the seven hells are cracking, and the Hounds run again. If we do not become ready, the Hounds will kill us, and Razakel will ruin all we hold dear. Your Ragged Valley will not stop Him, the Hounds will devour your soul, and the world will be doomed to become enslaved.”

This was sounding more and more like a madman’s tale. “You still do not give me answers.”

The bloody tears dripped from his image’s chin now, and were absorbed by the swirling cloak. “We must seek answers if we want them. We cannot give our self answers, Veygarius.”

“Seek answers? From who?” Frustration seethed within Arius, and he clenched his fists, wondering what would happen if he struck at the image.

“That is why we must seek, to find who.” The image seemed to be waiting for him to ask something, but he didn’t know what.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath, carefully considering for long moments while silence stretched around them. He opened his eyes abruptly, focusing his good eye on the image before him. The matching gray eye was open, staring steadily at him, although the bloody tears continued to drip into the cloak’s fabric noiselessly. “Where must I seek the answers?”

Satisfaction lit his image’s entire countenance. “Polien. You must go south and seek Polien.”

He woke with a start, meeting Rayna’s concerned gaze where she knelt above him. “Are you all right, Ari? I wasn’t sure-. Your scar was not bleeding, and you continued to breath. I thought you were sleeping peacefully until you began to cry out.”

He pushed himself to a sitting position, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “No… I mean, yes, I’m all right. This dream was different than the others.”

Rayna gasped, and he met her gaze questioningly. “You remember this dream? And the others, as well?”

Arius gaped back at her, amazed, and then sputtered. “Yes, yes I-. I do. For the first time, I do.”

“What do you remember? Tell me now, in case you forget again.” Rayna leaned forward on her hands, searching his face intently.

He sketched out both dreams slowly, carefully, and as the words spilled from him, more and more detail returned until he could remember vividly, as if the dreams were real recollections etched into his memories.

“Polien…” Rayna almost whispered the name.

Arius met her gaze with a fierce one of his own. “You recognize it?”

She shook her head hesitantly. She looked around them, as if she would soak in the beauty of the place. “I meant this to be a peaceful time for us, one last carefree afternoon away from everything. Instead, sorrow and…” She shuddered. “Well.”

The worry cleared from Arius’ face immediately, to be replaced with a thoughtful little smile. It was best to put the dreams behind him for now. Later… Later, he could take them out and examine them closer. “I think we have a little time yet.” He growled playfully as she shoved hard against his chest, knocking him back onto the ground, but his smile grew to a grin as she threw a leg over both of his to straddle his hips. “Yes, at least a little time…”

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