Iron of the Innocent: Mistress of Agony (Vol 2)

Chapter 18: The Ruins of Cuthras

274 I.C.
Sacren
Solorn Kingdom
Solorn Province
The Ruins of Cuthras

"He calls himself Leash," Dalora said as she rode next to Dreydan earlier in the morning. They continued to travel north toward the Cuthras ruins at first light. "Your name is on a list in his possession with eight others."

"According to what Bethahna told me, Leash is the name of the one who attacked the group transporting me when I was injured in battle," Dreydan told her. "If it wasn't for Bethahna and the others, I'd be Kaedres' prisoner. He claimed I belonged to him." The soldier patted his horse's neck considering his statement. "Like I was some kind of an animal or his property. I don't understand that mentality. I don't belong to anyone."

"Of course not," Dalora told him. "It may have simply been his way to intimidate them." She was only slightly surprised to hear that Dreydan and Bethahna encountered Kaedres previously. "He must be attempting to track down the names on that list."

"I wonder why," Dreydan said.

Dalora looked at him, "According to someone very close to him, he is gathering what he needs in an attempt to cure his undeath. Reverse it. And he needs your blood," she said, "But, I don't know for sure if that is the truth."

"Why?" Dreydan asked.

"The person close to him is a woman named, Nimevere. I think she lied to me," Dalora answered. "Something isn't right about her or how she supposedly met Kae when he was a child. It brings everything she told me into doubt."

The next few hours rolled slowly by as the group drew closer to their destination. Dreydan's mind turned once more to the distant, waning column of black smoke from the direction they came, and he felt very uneasy about it. He noticed it shortly after the sun rose, and part of him wanted to return home to make sure everything was as they left it. However, he kept those feelings to himself.

After his conversation with Dalora, Dreydan moved up to ride next to Bethahna who was in the lead of their small group. Dalora continued to follow the wagon to act as rear guard and keep an eye out behind them. Bethahna noticed how Dreydan rode in silence, and she chose not bother him. The weight of the information Dalora told him shook him to his core, and it only added more on top of what was going on with him.

Some time later as they traveled through the rising landscape, among the forested foothills of the mountains, she spoke to him. "We always have a choice," she said.

"About what?" Dreydan asked as the rode.

"Whatever we face, we can choose to let it break us, or we can choose to let the experience make us stronger. Just as training makes our bodies physically stronger, dealing with the controversies of this life makes us mentally and emotionally stronger. This life is about learning."

Dreydan nodded a few times as he listened. "What do we learn about?" he asked.

"We learn to appreciate and value the good in life because we experience the opposite. We can truly appreciate joy and happiness because we live through sorrow and sadness. We can be truly grateful for a good meal because we understand hunger." She paused a moment thinking, "There are so many examples. Thirst, loneliness, pain, suffering. Experience them and we understand and can value a clear, clean river, being with friends and family, being in good health, and living a life of peace and abundance. That way we will not take anything for granted. However, the most important is we learn the true value and worth of the creator. One day all those who trust in Iethis will be in the creator's presence, and on that day we will understand this life we live separated has prepared us."

"Prepared us for what?" Dreydan asked.

"To truly appreciate and understand that Iethis is more valuable than anything else in this existence. Far above everything else. Nothing will compare. Iethis is worthy of all our devotion, and the creator is the source of all that is good in this life including love. And we will be with Iethis forever."