Amaranth's Yule

Chapter Eight ~ Shadows Sinking in a Sea of Fire

Emira awoke to a beam of pale, white moonlight in her face. She blinked her eyes open drowsily and panned across the dark room. After a moment, she crawled out of bed. This was the fourth time she had woken up since going to bed three hours ago, and this time, she just decided to stay awake. Slinking over to the door, she slipped into the hallway and peered down the dark, shadowy corridor.

Though she couldn't see them, she knew that knights and soldiers of many ages were positioned in small squadrons in and around the castle, all of them sitting there, listening, watching, waiting. They would rotate watch shifts occasionally, while others slept. There were bigger groups out by the borders and outskirts of town, armed more heavily to defend against the first wave of Velador troops when they arrived.

Emira thought about the war as she headed down to the garden for some fresh air. It was past the ten-hour window now; the minimum time it takes to get to Velador and back, and everyone, including her, was on edge. Every muscle in her body was a tightly coiled spring ready to launch into action at the blow of a horn. It could happen at any moment, and Emira thought she might just have a heart attack when it did.

She emerged into the garden where a sharp, freezing wind hit her face and instantly made her shiver. Wrapping her cloak tightly against her body, she strolled through the rows of shriveled, frosty flowers and over to the birch tree that stood erect in the center. Other than the wind, the night was calm and peaceful, as if the Earth was unaware of the great battle that would disrupt the night's tranquility.

"Can't sleep either?" A familiar voice asked abruptly through the darkness.

Emira flinched, startled. She hadn't seen him under the shade of the tree. After taking a few breaths to calm down, she sighed and sat down at the base of the birch. "Yeah," she admitted, glancing up at Lassor's shadowy figure leaning against the trunk. "I'm just nervous."

Lassor slid down until he came to a full sit, bringing his knees close to his chest. They both sat there in silence for a while, minds on the war.

"Hey, Lassor?" Emira began quietly as the wind picked up a few stray leaves off the ground. "I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary, but..." She trailed off, gazing deep into her brother's eyes. "I think we have to surrender."

Lassor sighed heavily and turned to gaze across the eerie, moonlit garden. "As much as I hate to admit it, I think you're right."

Emira's lips parted open in surprise. She hadn't excepted him in a million years to agree with her. To stand down and declare weakness. It just wasn't him. "You agree with me?" she exclaimed quietly.

"Sadly, yes," Lassor said dejectedly. "What else could we possibly do? Facing an immortal would be a death wish."

"We could earn the trust of another immortal and get them to help us in the war," Emira proposed in a not so confident tone.

"But building trust takes time," Lassor argued, quickly shutting her down. "And we don't have that kind of time."

Emira didn't respond. She was suddenly buried deep in her thoughts, brewing up a theory that might be able to save them all. Still unsure of her idea, she turned hesitantly to Lassor. "Do you remember the time..." she began slowly as Lassor faced her once again. "...when we were learning to fly our mounts with Cerise, and Valor tackled you with supposedly enough force to break your ribs, but you didn't even get a fracture?"

Lassor gazed at his sister uncertainly as she spoke, trying to process everything she was saying as she began to speak faster.

"And that other time when you accidently ate poisonous berries when you were like, five, and you walked out alive with nothing but a small stomachache? And a few years ago, when we were training with Cerise in the woods, and you fell out of that tree and into the rocky river with nothing but a few bruises and scratches?" Emira watched her brother's confused face as he processed the long story she had just illustrated.