Below the Peak (Sola)(86)
“What’s going on?” she asked, brows furrowing.
“You just do what I say,” Calemir said instead, his cryptic expression back in place. The fine hair on her skin erected with unease.
“You are not in danger,” he spoke, sensing her trepidation. “I just want you to be cautious. Matter of fact, do whatever but don’t go too far from the house or return home late. This order doesn’t apply only to you, everyone else in town has been notified in case you need reassurance.”
“Are we under attack?” Nara asked.
“Far from it, it’s just precaution” he replied.
“Okay” Nara agreed, still frowning and feeling even more alarmed that the whole town was under some curfew order.
Turning his focus back to the duo on his side, Finn muttered something to him. Nodding, Calemir pulled the end of the map and rolled it. Once again, he faced her, the folded sheet in his hand. “Please take this to my study” he lifted the map.
“Oh alright” Nara stood and walked toward him.
“Until then” his voice was low, a whisper as if he just wanted only her to hear as she took the map from him.
“Be safe” she murmured, knowing it was a farewell and deep down whatever he was heading towards to, was dangerous.
And with that, the three elves departed.
Could it be the rebels? Nara pondered as she made her way upstairs to the study room. Stepping inside the room, she glanced around, finding a spot where she could put the map. The room was neat and organized, nothing out of its place. After a long minute, she gave up on deciding which appropriate place to put them a map and decided to leave it on the table. Nagged by curiosity Nara opened the map over the table. She ran her fingers over the detailed, labeled features of the mountains and forest, valleys, major cities and its smaller towns, and roads. Her attention glued at Ontophen, hoping if she stared at the city long enough it would tell her something.
Nada. Nothing.
Sighing, she rolled the map back and left it there and went to find Izza.
“I must leave early today,” Izza said in Nyr, strands of her hair caressing her face. Nara and Izza were sitting under the red tree, enjoying the afternoon.
I understand the prince told me” Nara pushed a strand behind her ear and asked. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“Not entirely, my son told me things are not right in Ontophen.”
Nara blinked, shocked. “You have a son?”
“I have two sons” her tone was filled with pride and affection.
“Huh” Nara muttered, still shocked at this revelation. “why have you not talked about them until today?”
The elf mother shrugged, “There’s never been a reason to talk about them.”
Wanting to know more, Nara asked. “Are your sons serving in the military?”
“Only my eldest son, the other one is still young and have little interest in it.”
Resting her head against the tree, Nara peered at the sky. “How old are you Izza?”
“I’ve served the royal family most of my life, watch prince Calemir grow. He is almost the same age as my first child. So, just know I’m old enough” Izza replied, toying with a leaf in her hand.
Nara didn’t know how old Calemir was but the thought he had witnessed the Dark war, which was over two centuries ago, he must be old. Older than she suspected. And to imagine Izza was old enough to be his mother, that said something about her age. When one looked at the elf beside her, it was incomprehensible to imagine the lady who appeared not more than five years older than her to be hundreds of years old. Questions of their immortality floated in her head.
“How do you live?” Nara asked, finding it hard to apprehend such kind of life. “I mean to live for so many years, does not life get dull? Isn’t it a burden to always need to find meaning in one existence when you have seen everything and done it all?”
“You are right to have those kinds of questions when you see your kind always seem to be fighting against time to fulfill goals and dreams before the body gives out.” Izza began.
“But when one as lived long as I have or most of the elves, you learn not to anticipate time but the events and activities it brings. What I mean is time is the least of our concern. People and everything else is what matters most. With that, it is not very hard to find meaning in life.” Izza paused, then added, voice cryptic. “You’d be surprised by the events time reveals.”
Nara nodded reflecting how different their concept of time was. Time to her kind was a precious commodity not be spent carelessly.
Chapter Forty-One
Ontophen
“Who is providing weapons to the rebels?” Calemir asked the three militants standing before him. He had just arrived in the city after two days of riding and had gone straight to the command post and summoned the three men. Focusing his eyes on the one standing near the table, he questioned. “Is it you Brasson?”
“No.” there was no hesitation in Brasson’s reply.
“Are you in a way involved with this betrayal?”
“I would kill myself than aid them,” Brasson said.
Truth. There was no prickle of fear or guilt on Calemir’s skin. Calemir shifted his attention to Síron, standing at the right side of Brasson. Calemir needed not to ask, Síron spoke first. “I swear on Faethurin it is not me.”