The Elder Blood Chronicles – Book Three(205)

The mage lights flickered on as she turned and she stared for a long moment at the sheer size of it. The bed alone was bigger than her bedroom in Merro. A large cabinet covered most of one wall and various pieces of fine furniture lined the remainder of the room. Her eyes moved from the ornate dressing table to the practical desk that sat to one side of the bed. His parent’s room, she realized as she noticed the two very different tastes that had decorated the chamber.

Within minutes of exploring she had discovered the bathtub which reminded her more of a swimming pool. To her relief the rune to summon the water was the same one used in Sanctuary. Stepping back she began to strip her armor off as the tub filled and let out a sigh. It was hard to truly enjoy the splendor of the house when she didn’t know if anyone but Valor still survived to claim it.





Opening her eyes slowly, Jala shivered and sat up in the water. Blinking, she looked around in confusion until the memory of where she was returned. The water had gone cold and she shivered as she climbed from the bathtub, silently scolding herself for being stupid enough to fall asleep. That would have been a death that would have amused Neph to no end. She survived the war, but drowned in the bathtub. The thought left her shaking her head with disgust.

Jala reached for a towel and her eyes fell on her travel stained clothes and armor. She could clean them with magic easy enough, but the thought of wearing the heavy clothes once more was not appealing. With a quick spell she summoned a robe and slipped it on. The light silk was comforting after the wool dresses Jexon had insisted on and the armor that she had taken to wearing again near the end of the campaign with Avanti.

The room beyond was silent as Jala stepped from the bathroom. With a heavy sigh she gazed around the empty space and her eyes stopped on the silver tray on the table. She moved closer and lifted the lid to examine the assortment of food. Plucking a piece of meat from the tray she took a bite and chewed slowly as she looked around the chamber once more. The sheer size of the room made her feel more alone than she had since she was a child. Carefully, she covered the plate once more and headed for the door, finishing the meat as she crossed the room.

The hall beyond was black but she could see light faintly from under a door a short way down the hall. Quickly, Jala padded barefoot across the plush carpet and slowly pushed the door open a crack. Peeking inside, she spotted Valor seated on the foot of a bed turning a small wooden sword over in his hands. By the expression on his face he was lost in thought and hadn’t even heard the door open. As silently as she could, Jala slipped through the door and closed it behind her. She paused, amazed that he still hadn’t noticed her presence and looked around the room. Trophies lined the shelves along one wall while the rest of the room was lined with various objects ranging from broken weapons to carved figures. Glancing back at Valor, she cleared her throat and smiled widely at the wide eyed expression that crossed his face.

“I almost got lost in the room you assigned me. Do you happen to have a map of it so I can find my way out in the morning?” Jala teased quietly.

Valor smiled and shook his head slowly. “If you aren’t out of there by lunch, I’ll send in a team of scouts to locate you,” he promised.

Moving slowly, Jala crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. Leaning over, she examined the wooden sword more closely, noticing the worn polish on the hilt.

Valor hefted it with one hand and smiled. “Honor made it for me when I was little. I was thinking I might take it back to Merro. In a few years, Legacy will be able to bruise some shins with it,” he explained as he lowered the toy sword once more.

“I’m sure he is fine, Val,” Jala said softly. The expression of concern had been fleeting when he spoke his brother’s name, but she had caught it.

“I’m not sure if any of them are fine, honestly, Jala. On a clear night such as this we should be able to see the lights of Amdany lighting the sky to the east. It is nothing but darkness in the east. Amdany is the largest city in the south. I can’t even imagine the thought of evacuating that place,” Valor said as he tossed the sword lightly onto the floor near his travel packs.

“We will find them,” Jala promised and leaned on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen for a moment and then relax. Tilting her head upward she watched his face and smiled when he glanced down at her. His expression softened and the lines of worry faded. The silence stretched between them and Jala closed her eyes, simply content with his company. “Valor.” Her voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke.