The Shadow of the Rose
Chapter 14

Copyright© 2011 by R22CoolGuy

The platoon of guardsmen escorting the ladies had been on the road for five days and were scheduled to arrive in Realto sometime the next afternoon. Lady Laura, as well as Anastasia, was looking forward to a hot bath and comfortable bed after sleeping on straw pads in the wagon. They received scant news of the happenings of late and saw no other travelers on the road, which was strange, for trade wagons were normally always on the move. Anastasia hoped that her guardian's family would be as accommodating as Rac-Nur seemed to think they would be. She was worried about Lord Aaron and Rac-Nur as well, he looked like he had lost something and did not know if he would ever find it again.

On their second day out they had stopped at an inn with a trading post and purchased more comfortable traveling clothes. The captain had also procured mounts for the ladies so they did not have to ride in the wagon. Lieutenant Williams rode at the front of the troop, while Captain Snyder rode with the ladies and Rac-Nur several paces behind.

Anastasia and Rac-Nur had drawn closer on the road to Realto. Every morning Rac-Nur would help her practice with the thin shortsword that she wore. Several of the guard participated in the practice and Anastasia was getting better with a sword. Even Lady Laura attended the practices, gaining proficiency with the dagger she now carried. Rac-Nur also taught them about life on the road and in the wood, showing them plants and herbs used for healing and nourishment, as well as those that could yield poison. The trip also had a profound affect on Lady Laura. The realities of life and death had tempered her personality and outlook on life. The loss of her bodyguards as well as Colleen had affected her deeply. More than servants, they had been her only companions for years, her only true friends. The recent events had caused her to reevaluate her life and priorities. Inevitably, the two ladies became fast friends and Rac-Nur took on the role of protector for Laura as well.


Micah drew encouragement from the information gathered by his spies. Realto was his for the re-taking, and he planned to march into the town on the morrow and re-occupy the manor, hopefully without bloodshed. Either way, he was not going to skulk about any longer. His advisors were cautiously concerned, they did not expect a full out resistance by Duke Beadle's men, but they did fear another assassination attempt. Duke Beadle was walking a fine line of treason and could be seen as the aggressor if his men prevented Micah from returning. Above all else, Micah was still heir apparent to the crown of Aithen.


Aaron awoke refreshed and at ease on the morning of the third day after being immersed in the pool of Eldritch. His wounds were healed and the poison had been successfully fought off by his body, boosted by Eldritch. There were ramifications of the pool immersion however, that even Aaron would not be aware of till much later.

He opened his eyes and stretched feeling refreshed as he scanned the room. The surroundings didn't jog any memories and he couldn't remember ever having been there before. What did he remember? Tanith! He remembered meeting her in 'The Golden Pony', yes, a very pleasant memory. He remembered returning to somewhere to dress for... , for a ball? Yes, a ball, but for whom? He wracked his brain and memories for several moments, but nothing. He could not remember being at the ball. He could not remember! Panic started to set in; who was he, where was he? These questions were unanswerable in his mind and he remained there, eyes darting back and forth, scanning the room, trying to find some familiar thing to latch on to.


Tanith had checked on Aaron and found him still resting comfortably so she decided to take a nice leisurely flight to stretch her wings and pass the time. Truth be told, she was still a little worried. He was not in a coma, but he showed no signs of waking either. If something did not change soon, well she was not sure what to do, but something would have to be done. She had been enjoying the upper currents for awhile when she felt intense panic from her bond with Aaron. It broke her concentration and she actually fell several hundred feet before righting herself and quickly shifted to her lair entrance and back to her bipedal form and hurried to Aaron's room.


Aaron was in a full on panic attack when Tanith entered the room and rushed to his side. She held him and gently rocked him, trying to calm him down. Eventually he told her that other than remembering her, he knew absolutely nothing, could not remember anything. She told him not to worry, his memory loss was a short term effect of the attack, and proceeded to tell him everything she knew; finding him, killing his adversaries, removing the poison arrows, treating him. She told him step by step everything that had happened to him, after finding him on the ground. She spent the rest of the day at his side as he struggled with his memories, until fatigue forced him into an uneasy slumber. He tossed and turned through much of the night, until he finally settled down.

Tanith had just stood up from the bed, when she felt Aaron drawing Eldritch in his sleep! She took a step back as Aaron continued pulling power from his surroundings, and then she got a real shock, he began taking it from her, which should not be possible! And more importantly, he was draining her fast! That talent had not been seen in three ages and yet here was her mate taking power as if he was a first-born, as if he was a Guthard!

"Aaron! Aaron, wake up!" Tanith called out.

He did not respond, as more of her power was being taken away. She had to draw as much power as she could just to match the outflow. She sent a silent command to awaken down the bond link and waited. Finally, he stirred! The outdraw diminished and then stopped altogether as he rolled over and opened his eyes.

"Tanith. I had the strangest dream," Aaron began, the tiredness reflected in his voice as he sat up. "We were attacked and I saw Rac-Nur go down and then the carriage driver was hit, and there was screaming in the coach. I was shot with arrows, and a giant dragon saved me. Weird dream, huh?"

"Aaron, most of that is true," Tanith sat on the bed and held his hand. "You were ambushed on the way to the palace, I do not know who else was hurt, but I felt your pain and went there and fought off the assassins and brought you here. They tried to kill me as well."

"How long ago?" Aaron asked trembling.

"Five or six days ago," Tanith replied. "You were hit with poison arrows, four times. One-step venom and enough to kill ten men. Do you remember any of it?"

"No. Wait, yes, I think so," Aaron responded. "I remember Red Rose, that's one of my swords, I remember getting the warning of the ambush, and relaying it to Rac-Nur, my bondservant, then I turned my horse, Gods, Thorn is dead too. That horse had been my only companion for years. I remember seeing Rac-Nur falling, no, wait, he did not fall, he swung backward down into the coach and then I was hit twice and then twice again. My last thought was a command to my sword..."

"Black Rose, to me," Aaron commanded holding out his hand.

"My Lord!" Black Rose acknowledged and appeared in his hand. The sword's runes pulsed in black brilliance. Eldritch was almost palpable in the very air.

Aaron stood up and was a little shaky on his feet. Tanith reached out to steady him and Aaron held her and then stood on his own.

"Black Rose, give me strength," Aaron commanded and then felt the power flow from his sword. "Black Rose, where did you send the ladies?"

"Aaron, I can hear this conversation through our bond,"Tanith chuckled. "I know the general capabilities of Runeswords, as well."

"Black Rose, no secrets in her presence," Aaron commanded.

"Yes, My Lord," Black Rose replied and relayed the command to Red Rose. "I sent them back to the dwelling you were at earlier."

"Who did you send?" Aaron asked.

"The Shoc-Du and two human females, My Lord," Black Rose replied.

"Which two?" Aaron asked.

"Your ward and the one you swore to protect, My Lord," Black Rose replied.

"Tanith, where are my clothes?" Aaron turned to her and then held out his other hand. "Red Rose, to me."

"My Lord!" Red Rose replied, appearing in his other hand. The same thing happened; the sword's runes were glowing red, pulsing with the over abundance of energy.

"Aaron, you are not recovered enough yet," Tanith replied worriedly. "Your swords would tell you that also. You will do no one any benefit in your current shape. Wait until the morning."

"I need to know they are safe," Aaron replied. "They may need my help."

"Aaron, you are barely standing, how do you intend to help anyone?" Tanith asked, trying to calm him.

"Alright," Aaron replied, weariness plain in his voice. "Tanith, you said most of my dream was true, what about the dragon?"

"Aaron, it was not a dragon, any more than you are a chimpanzee," Tanith sighed. "It was me, in my true self. Before your age there was another, the first age, and it was ruled by Wyrms. We were the first-born; the children of Eldritch. When you are stronger, I will show you. Does it matter to you?"

"No, my soul knows your soul. Everything else is peripheral," Aaron yawned. "I would like to see your other self, though, when I am stronger. Now, though, I am ready to sleep."

Tanith gently removed the swords from his hands and laid them on a desk close by and helped him back into bed. He was asleep within moments of lying down.


Micah awoke at first light and got up and went over to the fire and sat down. One of the men brought him a steaming cup of brew and Micah sipped it, allowing the caffeine to course through his system. Master Landon came over and sat down next to him.

"My Prince, your forces are ready, the town is ready," Master Landon counseled him. "The reinforcements have arrived from all points of the duchy, and await your command."

"Today we go home," Micah stood. "Today we reclaim Realto!"

"Master Landon, assemble the war council," Micah commanded, placing the empty cup down and returning to his tent to dress for battle.


Prince Velen had spent the last couple of days learning about the age he found himself in. Retrieving his father's sword, 'Darksoul', from Lord Devlin, he spent hours in practice with it.

Darksoul was a single hand, swept hilt sword, with a blade length of three feet. It was designed for cutting as well as thrusting, with a double edged blade. A unique weapon designed for both armored and unarmored combat. The sword, though named, enchanted, and rune carved, was not a sentient Runesword, although it had a will and a mind of its own. Its claim to fame, or rather infamy, was its ability to cut through anything, as well as the ability, nay, the desire, to feed on the souls of its victims and pass part of that energy on to its wielder. It was a cursed blade, in that it would feed on its wielder's soul if the wielder ever fell in battle. The blade was forged from a black metal, but not adamantine or any other known metal. The hilt handle was ivory with black veins running throughout it, but ivory from an unknown source. The sword's history was shrouded in mystery, no one knew when it came into the possession of the Thangdaemon Kings, passed down from heir to heir, or more importantly, who was its maker, or why it was forged.

He questioned Lord Devlin concerning his father's castle, Daemongurd, and learned that it was currently unoccupied, had in fact been abandoned since the time of the ascension. Prince Velen decided to travel to the castle and reopen it. He planned to enslave a servant force from the local human settlements. He was not a Necromancer like Lord Devlin, but he was an Eldritch Adept, preferring the Elfen title of Warlock.

Teleporting to the castle, the wards set by Red Rose flashed and shifted the teleport destination to the bridge in front of the closed gates. Prince Velen was confused when he materialized on the bridge and approached the closed doors and then stopped, feeling the power emanating from wards. Taking a step back he began gesturing in front of the doors, as well as drawing power from the surrounding area.


Aaron awoke refreshed the following morning and got out of bed despite Tanith's protests, and began to stretch weakened muscles in preparation for sword practice. Tanith stood by bemused at Aaron's stubbornness as his body protested the work out. Stopping on several occasions to rest he nonetheless continued his normal morning workouts using his swords. He noticed he was faster, even more fluid than usual. He kicked up the speed and intensity of his workout and his body responded.

"My Lord, the wards on Castle Daemongurd are being tampered with," Red Rose told his wielder.

"Well, now at least I know the name of the castle," Aaron replied, slowing to a stop and catching his breath. "Why did you not tell me the name before?"

"You never asked, My Lord," Red Rose replied. "My Lord, the wards?"

Aaron began pulling power and immediately realized that the flow was intense, as if he was perfectly attuned with Eldritch now and the power came to him more easily than before. It was if he was Eldritch, a part of the flow, instead of having to access it from outside the flow.

"Strengthen the wards," Aaron poured power into Red Rose, whose runes burned and pulsed red with power. "I do not want those wards breached."

"AS YOU COMMAND, MY LORD," Red Rose replied, his tone solemn and respectful. "It is done, My Lord."

Aaron noted with some curiosity that when he tapped into the flow of Eldritch, it refreshed him, renewed his muscle fatigue and all around made him feel great. He continued his practice and began pushing himself to improve his stamina.


Prince Velen screamed his frustration at not being able to break the wards. For a split moment he almost thought they were coming down and then they deflected his magic and strengthened beyond his capabilities to affect them.

 
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