“Aedan” Everything seemed dark, murky his mind couldn't make sense of what was happening. He struggled to focus on the voice, fading in and out, “Aedan!”
“mmm”
“Aedan, you must wake up! The time for resting is over.”
The clouds in his mind seemed to clear, and he realized he was in that all familiar clearing, laying on the ground, the familiar silver knight of his visions kneeling over him
“You must wake up Aedan, you are needed”
“How? Where am I, what has happened?”
“You are in a monastery, in Calay, you must awaken! Gabriella has been taken, you must go to her, she needs your help”
It all came flooding back, seeing the princess, watching the attack unfold, rushing to her aid, and then...blackness.
“How long have I been here?”
“To long Aedan, you must rise now, the Source has healed you, Awake!”
At that, his eyes opened, he was in a small room, dimly lit, he saw his father slumped in a chair in the corner, his head hanging in a fitful sleep
“Father” His voice cracked, and he suddenly realized he was thirsty
“My son!” Detric jumped from his chair, all tiredness gone
“I'm thirsty”
“Of course” Detric rushed to his son's side, calling for water as he did so
Crimthann rushed in with a pitcher of water, closely followed by Jaci and Isibeal, and soon behind them, Alsandiar and Caoilte.
Word spread quickly throughout the monastery, and the hall outside the room became packed with monks wanting to see this hero, son of a source touched. Rarely was there such a commotion in the monasteries, not much rattled or pulled these men from their duties and studies, but truly this was an exception, a true hero of the Source, dwelling among them?
The head monk soon appeared “Enough, cease these schoolboy antics, if you have no purpose here, leave us, you may see him soon enough!”
Without waiting to see his orders followed, he entered the room.
“I see our boy is awake, Source be praised, how are you feeling lad?”
“Where is my sword, my gear?”
Jaci placed her hand on his arm “Son, you must rest, you have been through much”
Aedan looked into his mothers eyes, and then looked around the room at his family and friends “Mother, I am sorry to put you through this, know that I love you, but I must speak with father, alone”
Jaci withdrew her hand, she recognized that stubborn look and tone, she knew that an entire brigade of elite warriors would be hard pressed to keep her son in that bed. She hugged her son, somehow managing to hold back tears “Source guide you my son, be wise”
She left, shepherding the others out with her, hoping that perhaps Detric could convince their son to remain, to rest, but knowing it wasn't to be, he was after all his fathers son, her son for that matter, determination was in his blood.
Not long after Detric and Aedan emerged, Aedan dressed for travel, with his gear and weapons. Alsandiar, Caoilte, and Crimthann stood “We travel with you lad”
“No, you must not” Aedan spoke, his voice heavy, almost sad “You must not follow me”
Jaci began to speak, but stopped as Detric embraced her “He must go his own way, the Source will guide him”
She collapsed into his arms, she wasn't sure if it was her son's tone, or the tiredness in her Detric's voice that finally broke her composure, but she knew they weren't telling her something, she could sense it, they were trying to protect her.
She felt Aedan's hand on her shoulder, then he was gone. She prayed to the Source to bring her son back to her, she already worried for one who had disappeared, would the Source take both of her sons from her? What had been spoken between father and son? Why had Detric allowed him to go off with barely any resistance?
Aedan left the city with a heavy heart, it saddened him to leave his mother, family and friends so, but the Source willed it, he must do this alone, he could endanger no one else, this was a personal quest. He headed east, towards a range of low mountains, about a days travel from the city. As he traveled, he heard rumors along the road, from a merchant here and a traveler there, of a new darkness in the hills, of folk entering them and never returning, of something unheard of in the Nortlinds in generations, fear. This only confirmed to him that this was where he must go, and as he traveled further, the road became sparser, till he was soon the only one traveling on it.
He approached the hills around dusk, and silently made camp. No fire, he mustn't attract any undue attention, if he was right about what he was headed into, his only faint hope would be surprise.
He silently prayed to the Source for protection and guidance, quickly ate a cold dinner, and fell into a light sleep
He awoke an hour or so before dawn, and quickly cleared all sign he could that anyone had camped here. After checking over his gear and weapons, ensuring all was well, he set off into the hills.
From higher into the hills a dark hooded figure watched his approach, made a quick motion, and a second figure ducked into a cave nearby
Aedan approached what appeared to be an entry into a cavern, and debated whether he should enter or go on, he saw no sign of any tracks, but that simply meant those he was hunting had skill in more than battle. Suddenly he heard a rustling behind him, and spinning about, his sword flicking into his hand, he realized he had made a foolish mistake, he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Seven dark cloaked figures surrounded him, six with drawn bows aimed at him, the seventh with sword in hand, apparently in command “You will come with us, you are expected, do not resist” with that two more dark figures appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and disarmed him, they even knew of his hidden blade in the soul of his boot, none knew of that blade, except Artegal! Had he been captured here as well? Perhaps together they could escape and rescue Gabriella!
His captors bound his hands, shackled his feet, and placed a hood on his head, and led him off, he guessed into the cave. Source help him, why hadn't he payed more attention? To be captured so easily, like an amateur, who would now rescue the rescuer? Little did he know that wouldn't long be an issue.
******************************************************************
Crimthann paced the monastery courtyard. Aedan had been gone nearly 2 weeks now, no word, no message, he couldn't stand it much longer. What if he had failed, what if the boy was in trouble? He shouldn't have gone alone, Crimthann was surprised that Detric hadn't done more to convince the boy to at least allow some friends to follow. Now Detric seemed to spend all his time with the monks and clerics, constantly at prayer, and when he wasn't praying or consulting with clerics, he was either with Jaci, or consulting with the commander of the city garrison. Crimthann was uneasy. Events were building up, he could sense something was coming, all was not well in Caley, and the kidnapping of the princess, the disappearance of Artegal and now Aedan, he couldn't shake the feeling that all was tied together.
He quietly gathered his gear and departed the monastery compound, the others would simply try to make him stay, to wait, and this he couldn't stand. He was a rogue, he did not wait for events to unfold, he must go now, before he went insane with impatience.
He headed for the hills to the east, it seemed most likely to him that would be the direction of Aedan's travel, and if the rumors growing ever louder about the city were even partially true, there lay the answers to what was going on of late.
Crimthann had circled around, approaching the hill region from south of the main road, if something did lurk in these hills, surely the roads would be watched, and better to spend a few extra days than to wander into an unknown enemy unawares. No, the south was a better approach, a harder one for sure, but more likely for him to remain hidden as long as he chose.
He moved carefully through the wooded hills, slowly circling about, keeping his eyes peeled for anything untoward. He had noticed since entering the hills that it was much too quiet, the very animals seemed uneasy, something surely was in this region, why had the forces of Nortlind allowed anything to become so comfortable in their domain?
He turned as he heard movement behind him, but he was to late, and his world went black.
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