The Atheil Chronicles: A Call to Fire

Chapter 18

    Ariana stepped out into the hallway, letting the bathroom door shut quietly behind her. She looked to her left and saw that the hallway went on for what seemed forever, so she turned to her right. The hallway carried on about 20 or so feet but then it looked like there was a drop off from a stairway below. She headed in that direction, her eyes grazing over the dozens of paintings that lined the deep red walls. They consisted mostly of castles and scenery, some had depictions of different animals in various landscapes.
    She eventually made it to the staircase and could see that the stairs and banisters were carved out of the same stone that made up the floors. The staircase bordered the wall to her right and, from her vantage point at the top, she could see down into the foyer. The place was large, but it certainly wasn't lacking in coziness. There wasn't much furniture, but there was a vintage looking chaise lounge set across from the front doors and some scattered tables holding knick knacks. Just like the upstairs hallway, the room was painted a deep red and had dozens of random paintings hung up on the walls, making the place feel eclectic and homey.
    When she finally made her way to the bottom of the stairs, she stopped with her hand on the rail, unsure of where the kitchen was. However, after a moment of silence, she could hear Lamis' cheerful voice coming from her right, so she followed the sound until she came to a large two door entrance. She pushed the door on the right open and walked into the room.
    Ahead of her, Ryonen and Lamis sat at a large table filled with fruits, vegetables, and half a dozen different kinds of bread. The two of them seemed to be in the middle of a conversation and they didn't notice her until the door swung back into place, making a thwacking noise that echoed throughout the enclosed space. Ryonen turned his head, the ghost of a smile still etched on his face as he gazed at her. He got up from his chair almost as if in a trance, taking a step toward her. He didn't say a word, but simply looked her up and down.
    Ariana gave a weak smile and took that moment to observe his appearance in turn. He was wearing a tunic similar to the one he had been wearing earlier, long sleeved, but the tunic he wore now had more complex embroidery on it than his previous one did. The fabric was a dark shade of green with light brown sleeves, the belt hanging at his waist a dark brown leather. The embroidery on the bottom of the tunic was strewn with gold threading and it appeared to depict an archer standing next to a giant dragon spewing fire. He had also been given a pair of juniper green leggings and some dark brown moccasins.
    They looked at each other for several moments before they both seemed to realize what they were doing. Ryonen shook his head, stepping forward and taking her hand to lead her to the chair next to his. She sat down gingerly in it, taking care not to crease her dress as she pushed herself up to the table. She was adjusting her sleeves when she felt eyes on her. Lamis was staring at her, a strange gleam lighting up his blue eyes and making them particularly bright in the glow of the kitchen.
    "You used the bottle of Luna flos." He said quietly.
    "Yeah." She said, confused. "Was that okay?"
    He blinked and then nodded slowly. "Yes." He said. "It's just...that was my wife's favorite."
    "Oh." Ariana said, feeling guilty for the second time tonight. "It's lovely."
    Lamis nodded and looked down at his hands before bringing his eyes up again, tears forming in his blue eyes and cutting through Ariana like a knife. She internally kicked herself for drawing attention to his wife so many times. She felt like she couldn't open her mouth without accidentally bringing up something that would upset him. She decided to change the subject. "I absolutely love this dress." She said, acting like she hadn't noticed his tear stained eyes.
    Lamis nodded and then a smile returned to his face. "Yes, well, it's fit for a queen. It seems to fit you perfectly." He said.
    She felt a smile breaking across her own face. "Thank you." She said, then looked down and rubbed the fabric of the sleeve between her thumb and index finger. "I hope it's okay that I'm wearing it. It must be worth a fortune, what with all the jewels and embroidery work."
    Lamis shook his head at this. "It's perfectly fine. I'm just glad that it's getting worn and not wasting away on a shelf." He paused and then let out a sigh. "Money is of no matter to me. Not anymore." He closed his eyes and looked away, seemingly lost in thought.
    They were mostly quiet as they ate. Lamis had prepared a vegetarian meal that consisted of more fruits and vegetables than she had ever seen at one dinner. There were the basics; carrots, salad, cucumbers, tomatoes, and many other vegetables that she recognized and some that she didn't. He also had a bunch of fruits, including plums, grapes, bananas, apple slices, pomegranates, grapefruits, and more. As with the vegetables, there were a lot of fruits that Ariana didn't recognize and knew were probably native to Atheil. As for the breads, she was pretty sure they were similar to what she had back home; wheat bread, ciabatta bread, French bread, some bread with nuts in it. She took a bit of everything, piling the strange fruits and vegetables on her plate along with a hefty portion of ciabatta bread, which was a favorite from her childhood.
    She took a bite of a bright blue fruit, shaped vaguely like an avocado, and sighed. It was phenomenal; a mix of tart and sweet with the texture of grapes. Feeling encouraged, she picked up a different fruit that was a pale green and found that it had a more sour taste, but was still really good. Across from her, Ryonens plate was overflowing with food, too. She laughed silently and he looked up at her, winking before popping a grape into his mouth.
    After maybe 20 minutes of everyone eating silently, they all seemed to be done. Lamis stuck his hand out palm up, raising it toward the ceiling. As his hand moved, all of the plates of food moved with him. He adjusted his hand so that his palm now faced away from his body and moved it away from him and toward a door, the plates disappearing through the doorway into what Ariana assumed was the kitchen.
    A heavy silence filled the air as Lamis drummed his long fingers on the tabletop. He was looking at each of them in turn, a pensive expression on his face.     Finally, he spoke. "So, what's the story?" He asked.
    Ryonen just looked at him blankly. "What?" He said.
    Lamis tilted his head at Ryonen. "What's the story; why's she here?" He looked at Ryonen and Ariana's confused faces. "Oh come on, there has to be a reason that she's here. You don't just bring a human to Atheil for no reason during these times."
    Ryonen looked at Ariana and she knew that he was thinking the same thing as she was; could he be trusted?
    Lamis watched them before leaning forward on the table, his right hand coming up so he could rest his head in it. "Listen," he said, his voice serious, "you come to my home, completely unexpected by the way, carrying a human girl who is dying from a rare type of poison only used by creatures from the Darklands. Then you expect me to just help you, no questions asked?" He let out a sigh. "Do I not deserve a little bit of transparency here?"
    Ryonen glanced at Ariana again and she nodded. Lamis was right; he had earned their trust beyond a doubt. "It's sort of a long story." Ryonen said.
    Lamis nodded. "It usually is." He said simply.
    Ryonen began to tell the whole story, starting with how they had met. He left out the minor details and gave Lamis the gist of it; that Malor's assassins had attacked them, forcing them to retreat into Atheil and then come back again after finding that Ariana's mother had been taken. Lamis listened with interest, sometimes pursing his lips or raising an eyebrow. When Ryonen got to the part about Ariana getting captured by goblins, Lamis turned to her with concern.
    "It wasn't wise of you to wander off on your own." He said quietly. "It was a brave thing that you did, helping that phoenix, but this world is not what it once was. Evil has had its run for far too long. It's no longer safe here."
    Ryonen continued his story after a brief pause and then explained how Ariana had been poisoned by Morgrean, leading to her deteriorated state, meeting the Veluke, and somehow ending up in Lamis' domain. By the time he had finished telling the story, he looked worn down. It had been a lot of ground to cover and took well over an hour.
    "What I want to know," Lamis said, a curious look on his face, "is how you were able to track down Ariana after the goblins took her."
    Ariana turned in her chair. "Yeah," she said, agreeing, "I also would like to know that. I never figured it out. Though, to be fair, I wasn't exactly in a state to be worrying about those types of things afterwards."
    Ryonen shrugged as if this were obvious. "Your Phoenix found me."
    Ariana furrowed her eyebrows. "My Phoenix? The one I saved?"
    "Yeah." He said, biting his lip as he thought back. "It was the strangest thing: I was sitting back at camp, waiting for you to come back when I saw something orange land in front of me. Generally, Phoenixes don't approach people, so I was definitely startled. It showed me a vision of you breaking it out of its cage and then getting cornered by a pack of goblins. When the vision ended, the Phoenix just stared at me. I asked where I would find you and it showed me another vision of it flying above you, watching you get carried away." He paused. "I realized that it was trying to tell me that it was going to lead me to where you were. I packed up camp and we set out, me traveling on foot while the Phoenix flew above and watched the goblins process. The last time I saw it was the day that it showed me where you were. It flew off as soon as it told me."
    Everyone sat in silence, Ariana's being one of shock as she had never known how Ryonen had found her. Marked as one of their own, indeed, she thought.
Lamis looked at them with an unreadable expression, his lips pursed. "You've got yourselves in quite a predicament." He said finally.
    She felt her heart sink at his words. She knew he was right, but the seriousness of his demeanor added to the intensity of the situation. Ryonen looked at her face, then back at Lamis. "We need to get to the Eastern Kingdom." He reasoned. "We'll be safe if we can just reach there."
    Lamis gave Ryonen an appraising look. "For now." He said.
    "What's that supposed to mean?" Ryonen asked. Ariana cast her gaze on him, taking in his tense posture in the chair and the way his fists were clenched. Did she detect a hint of defensiveness in his voice?
    Lamis took a deep breath. "If the King and Queen do not do anything to combat Malor, even the kingdoms of old will no longer be safe. Surely you know this. You've lived your entire life under assault by him."
    Ryonen got a strange look on his face as Lamis eyed him from across the table. "They're doing everything they can." He said, and now she could definitely hear the defensiveness in his voice.
    "Nothing is not everything." Lamis said quietly.
    Ariana heard Ryonens intake of breath and she could see his green eyes hardening. He was fuming. She put a hand down on the table. Although she did it gently, the sound seemed to pull both of the Elves out of their staring contest. Both Lamis and Ryonen looked at her. "What do we do?" She asked Lamis, ignoring the dirty look that Ryonen was trying to throw her way.
    "For now, I think that it would be wise to stay here. At least until Malor's men leave this area." He said.
    Ariana nodded and finally looked at Ryonen, who was looking down at his hands, playing with the silver ring there. "How will we know when it's safe to move on?" She asked.
    Lamis gave her a faint smile. "I have ways of finding that out. I promise I wouldn't send you out there with them close by."
    She felt the tension that had formed in her shoulders easing at his words. They were safe for at least a few more days. Minimally, they'd have time to rest and come up with a better plan of action.
    Lamis looked at Ryonen and took a breath as if he wanted to say something. When he didn't look up, Lamis looked back at her. "Perhaps you two should get some rest." He said. "It's past midnight now and you'll want to get back on a normal schedule. I'm sure you could use the sleep."
    "That sounds wonderful." Ariana said, realizing that all she wanted at this moment was to curl up on that big bed upstairs and lay there. Ryonen nodded faintly beside her. She raised her eyebrows at him but he had already looked away.
    They all got up from the table, Lamis leading them back out to the foyer and up the staircase. Ariana hung back with Ryonen, taking in his unusually silent form. He seemed strangely upset, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Lamis walked them all the way to their rooms, stopping to drop Ryonen off at his door first.
Ariana reached for Ryonen's hand, her fingers squeezing his before dropping her hand back to her side. "Goodnight." She said, her eyes scanning his face. His green eyes softened slightly and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod.
    As he was shutting the door behind him, Lamis and Ariana walked toward her room. They were both walking slowly, thoughtfully. When they reached her door, she stood there, not sure what to say. "I'm sorry about Ryonen." She finally said, her voice quiet. "I don't know what got into him earlier. He's not usually like that."
    "I see." Lamis said, though there was a touch of doubt in his words. "I won't take it personally. He comes from the Eastern Kingdom, so I can see how it might be hard for him to have to think that the King and Queen are doing nothing to stop Malor."
    Ariana shifted uncomfortably, her hand on the frame of the door. "He still shouldn't have gotten so upset. You went out of your way to help us even though you had no idea what you were getting into." She paused, then swallowed. "Your kindness saved my life." She said. "I could feel that I was dying, I thought I already had."
    Lamis shook his head, though he gave her a sympathetic expression. "It was not kindness that led me to help you, it was humanity." He paused. "I know that that is a word for mortals showing compassion and morals, but it applies to us in this world too. We are all beings that feel love and pain and happiness; just because we are not mortals does not mean that we should not have compassion for others." He looked at her, his blue eyes meeting her hazel ones. "Since the fall of Atheil, this world has lived in fear, too afraid to fight for what is right because of what it might bring. They may have forgotten their humanity, but I have not."
    Ariana was taken aback by this speech and she simply watched him. There was an undeniable sincerity about him, an almost fatherly aura that he exhibited despite looking only a few years older than her. She could tell by having interacted with him the few times she did, that he was a gentle soul, like herself. "Well," she said quietly, pulling herself from her thoughts, "thank you either way."
    Lamis smiled, turning to leave, but stopped after only taking a step. He gazed at her over his shoulder, turning his blue eyes on her. "I'm sorry to hear about your mom, Ariana." He said, and she knew that he meant it. She could hear the grief thick in his voice, though she knew it had nothing to do with her mom, personally.
    She only nodded, ignoring the lump that had formed in her throat. Lamis watched her for another moment before turning. She watched him disappear down the hallway, a feeling of peace washing over her as she thought about what he had said. At least she knew there were good people on her side, she thought, opening the door to her room and letting it shut behind her.    She looked longingly at the bed and then headed to the wardrobe, desperately hoping that there were some pajamas in it. The wardrobe, she noticed, was on par with the theme of the castle. Little dragons were carved into the wooden doors of the wardrobe, their reptilian heads reared back in what looked like a roar at the sky. A shining star was carved prominently at the top of the doors, the focal point that all the dragons were pointed at. She ran a hand over the ridged surface, tracing her fingers over one of the dragon's faces before reaching for the door handle. She let out a sigh of relief when she swung open the doors and saw 4 nightgowns hanging up. She quickly slipped off her dress, hanging it up using one of the empty hangers and taking special care not to wrinkle it.
    She grabbed a cream colored nightgown at random, throwing it on and watching as it fell to the floor, flowing down her body like water. The sleeves went just past her elbows and then flared there, leaving her forearms bare. It had a fairly conservative cowl neckline, just barely dipping below her collarbone, the fabric folding over itself there. Right above the hem, golden thread was shaped into the form of sleeping dragons with tiny beads above their heads, going all the way around the nightgown in what Ariana figured were supposed to be stars. Man, she thought wryly, Lamis' wife's family must have really had a thing for dragons.
    On that note, she picked up the fold of the nightgown and crawled into the bed, sinking into the many layers of blankets there. She snuggled under them, folding her hands and laying them on top of her chest. She lay there for a long time, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about everything and anything; Ryonen's weird behavior at dinner, Lamis' generosity, the sadness she felt for him losing his wife, the obvious grief he still felt over it, and, finally, the Phoenix.
    She wracked her brain, wondering why the Phoenix had chosen her, a human, to mark as one of its own. While she had certainly saved its life, she knew now that such a thing was unprecedented. Lamis had said that it hadn't happened in thousands of years. She swallowed, wondering what else her impulsive decision would result in for her. She didn't regret her actions, not really. Perhaps in the throes of imprisonment and then poisoning she had regretted it a little, but now that she was in a right state of mind, she realized that she wouldn't have done it any differently, even knowing what would happen in the end.
*        *        *        *        *   
    It was hours later that Ariana opened her eyes and looked toward the windows. She had, at some point, fallen asleep and had been dreaming about-something. She tried to think back on what it was, but it had already slipped away from her. She was only left with a feeling of unease that she couldn't seem to shake. Bracing herself, she threw her legs off of the side of the bed and walked lazily to the balcony, gently pulling open the glass doors and stepping out into the warm night's air.
    A full moon floated in the sky, bathing the balcony and Lamis' surrounding grounds in its silvery light. Thousands of stars twinkled in the sky and the sight of them made her feel a distinct aching in the pit of her stomach, reminding her of home. It was there that she would often spend her sleepless nights outside on the porch with Henry, the two of them silently gazing at the stars until they finally grew tired or daylight came. She was staring up at the sky when she heard the soft clicking of a door being shut.
    Ariana turned to look to her right and, about 20 feet over, was Ryonen. He was standing on his own balcony, looking thoughtfully out onto the silent grounds. She leaned against the railing, tilting her head as she watched him. "You couldn't sleep either?" She asked, her voice sounding like an explosion in the silence of the night.
    Ryonen visibly started and then looked over at her. "Ariana." He said, breathless.
    Ariana raised her eyebrows at him. "Did I scare you?" She asked, trying to hold back her laughter.
    He smiled sheepishly. "Let's call it a pleasant surprise."
    "Sure." She said, smiling. He looked so striking in the moonlight, and she was reminded of the first time she had truly met Ryonen, that encounter being in the middle of a moonlit drenched night, too.
    "What are you doing up?" He asked her.
    She shrugged. "I don't know. Couldn't sleep, I guess."
    "Me either."
    They both got quiet and Ariana felt that tug in her stomach again, leading her toward him like some sort of gravitational pull. She turned her eyes on him and they both just stood there, staring into each other's faces from across the space between them. After a few moments of this, Ariana inclined her head toward the door in a silent request. She didn't look to see if Ryonen was following, but made her way into the room and toward the door to the hallway. She walked quietly, her feet barely making a noise as they brushed against the cold stone floor. Ryonen stood waiting outside her door, leaning against the wall there.
    He smiled as she shut the door behind her. "Hi." He said.
    Ariana smiled back, somewhat shyly. "Hi." She gazed into his warm green eyes and then moved her hand so that it rested in his. He looked down, surprised, but clearly pleased. "Let's go for a walk." She said, pulling on his hand lightly and looking up at him.
    Ryonen smiled. "A moonlit stroll. Very cliche."
    Ariana felt herself laugh and tried to quiet herself. She pushed him with her shoulder, rolling her eyes. "Let's go." She said, ignoring him.
    They made their way down the stairs, silently slipping out the front door. Ryonen had to close the door himself since it was so heavy, so she stood off to the side waiting for him. She glanced along the outer wall of the castle, looking for a footpath they could follow. Instead, her eyes fell on the blue flowers that she had seen the day they arrived and she gasped in surprise. They were completely open now, glowing with a radiance that nearly matched the moon in the sky. Their bright blue petals were filtering out sparkling aquamarine light and even the stem and leaves shone with an inner light, casting a green and blue glow upon the darkened surroundings in waves as they bobbed in the air.
    Ariana smiled, kneeling down in front of a flower and putting a hand out to touch one of its silky petals. She watched, fascinated, as the flower danced away and then came her way again, throwing its light across her hands. As it neared her, she gently cupped the base of the flower in her hands and inhaled deeply. She closed her eyes as its sweet aroma filled her nostrils, smelling exactly like the perfume that she had used earlier in the bath.
    Ryonen stepped behind her and she looked over her shoulder at him. "What does Luna flos translate to?" She asked.
    Ryonen smiled. "Moon flower."
    She took another big whiff of the moon flower and smiled. "Makes sense." She said, letting the flower go and watching as it swayed away from her. "I never dreamed flowers like this could exist."
    Ryonen held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on."
Ariana slipped her arm through his and they walked silently toward the back side of the castle. She was watching the night sky as they walked, her eyes taking in the beauty of their unique formations as she let Ryonen lead her. She was trying to find the little dipper when Ryonen gently touched her hand, making her look ahead of them.
     The grounds of the castle were huge, maybe 6 or 7 acres. Right below where their balconies were, there were beds of flowers that lined up against the walls of the castle with paths of broken stone that wove through the various flower beds and out into the yard, where they continued. There were so many different types of trees, including the orange and rose colored trees that they had seen when they first got into Lamis' domain. Fireflies shone like tiny stars around the yard, weaving through the air and leaving glittering trails as they went. What really took her breath away, though, were the hundreds of Luna flos' that sparkled and bobbed throughout the large space.
    She took a few dazed steps forward and spun in a slow circle, taking it all in. She stopped, facing Ryonen. "This is gorgeous." She said, feeling her breath catch in her throat.
    Ryonen smiled and stepped forward, taking her hand in his. "I know. I thought you might like it back here."
    Ariana nodded, at a loss for words. "I do." She paused, looking around. She spotted a bed of Luna flos' 15 feet away that had a narrow path of stones leading through them to a small circle of grass directly in the middle of them. "Let's sit." She said, pulling him to the patch of grass.
    Ryonen followed behind her silently, letting her lead them. When they got to the spot, Ariana dropped his hand and sat down on the grass, her nightgown splaying around her in creamy waves. Ryonen sat down next to her, his shoulder inches away from hers.
    "This is nice." She said, smiling.    
    He nodded, turning his gaze upward. The radiance of the Luna flos' shone on his face, casting it in an eerily beautiful blue and green glow. She watched his features, entranced by the way they lit up in the light. The sharp angles of his high cheekbones, the black of his long straight hair falling down his back like silk, and the green of his eyes, almost looking cyan under the influence of the flowers.
    "Ryonen?" She said finally, breaking the silence, though reluctantly.
    "Mmmm?"
    "Why did you get so upset at dinner earlier?" She asked, watching his face carefully. Ryonen didn't look at her, but pursed his lips and looked out into the yard. Ariana noticed that he was fiddling with his silver ring again.    Just when she thought she might have to push for an answer, he replied. "I don't know. I guess I was just upset because Lamis makes it seem like the King and Queen are doing nothing."
    Ariana bit her lip, treading carefully. "Well, aren't they?" She asked, quietly.
    Ryonen took a breath and let it out, looking down at his hands. "Yes." He said, finally, sadly.
    Ariana continued to watch him, her eyes on his strained face as he pointedly looked up at the sky. "Then why get upset at Lamis?"
    Ryonen shook his head. "The Eastern Kingdom's my home." He said simply, as if this explained everything.
    She nodded, choosing her words. "Does that mean that the King and Queen are above making mistakes?"
    "No."
    Ariana raised her eyebrows at him, though he still wasn't looking at her "Then why?" She pressed on.
    He let out a breath. "Because I've thought that very same thing before," he said quietly, "but I shouldn't have. I just didn't want to believe it. I still don't want to."
    "You can't take that out on Lamis, though." She said, tilting her head at Ryonen.     He looked down at her. "I know." He said, looking more than a bit embarrassed.
    "He saved my life, Ryonen. I would be dead right now if not for him. I could feel myself drifting away" She stopped, taking a deep breath. "I thought I was already gone when he pulled me back. He's helped us, housed us, clothed us, fed us. He doesn't deserve for you to take your frustrations out on him. Will you apologize?" She asked him, looking him in the eyes. "Please?
    Ryonen breathed in heavily, resigned. "Yeah." He said.
    She smiled in relief. "Thank you." She said, then looked down at his hand, reaching out and touching the silver ring there with her index finger. "What is this?" She asked him. "Why do you wear it?"
    Ryonen pulled his hand back slowly and touched the ring. "My dad gave me this ring when I was 15." He paused and his eyes suddenly looked far away. "It's to remind me where I come from."
    Ariana pursed her lips, searching his face. His expression was unreadable as he continued to stare down at his hand. "Oh." She said. She waited for him to say something but he kept his gaze fixed on his hand, now twisting the ring around his finger. "I notice you do that a lot." She said, nodding at his ring.
    Ryonen moved his hand away guiltily. "It's a nervous habit." He said, embarrassed.
    She let it go, knowing all too well the signs of someone who didn't want to talk about something. Her mom had been a master of beating around the bush, especially when it came to her family. Maybe that wasn't just a bad subject for mortals, she thought, smiling despite herself.
    Ryonen was watching her, his eyes trained on her face. He was watching the way the corner of her mouth curved up as she smiled, a smile playing on his own face. "Can I do something?" He asked suddenly, taking her by surprise.
    Ariana took a shuddering breath, her heart racing in her chest. Oh my God, she thought to herself, is he going to kiss me? She wasn't sure what to say, but she nodded anyway. A small part of her wanted him to, but another part was terrified of what it would mean.
    Ryonen reached over to her but, instead of kissing her, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, turning her so that her back was against his chest. He made sure she was tucked in there before relaxing his arms around her, his hands cupping her elbows. "There," he said, a quiver to his voice, "that's better."
    She felt her breath hitch and then bit her lip, stopping herself from speaking. She smiled into the darkness, tentatively leaning her head back and looking up at the stars in the sky. She felt exhilarated by the sudden closeness between them, but also a little bit guilty for enjoying herself. This thought made her stop smiling, the reality crashing over her and taking away any joy she had been feeling. She was forgetting the reason that she was in Atheil in the first place. "It's been over a week since my mom was taken." She said, her voice sounding loud in the quiet. She tried not to let the sadness creep into her voice.
    She felt Ryonen press his cheek against the top of her hair. "I know." He said.
    She closed her eyes at his touch. "I just keep going over everything in my head. It's my fault that she was taken, Ryonen. I should be doing more to help her. All I've managed to do so far is get myself captured and almost killed."
    "Why do you keep torturing yourself?" He asked.
    "Because I'm the reason that she was taken in the first place. If it weren't for me, she'd be at home sipping tea on the front porch and reading a book. Then, to make matters worse, I'm over here relaxing with you in this paradise while she's off in a dungeon somewhere." Ariana said, her voice catching at the word dungeon. "It's just not right." She finished, swallowing back tears.
    Ryonen got quiet. "I think that your mom wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over any of this, Ariana. I think that any parent would be where she is if it meant that their kid was safe."
    "I guess." She said, not really believing him.
    Ryonen moved her shoulders so that she was facing him, looking into her eyes. "You can't keep feeling guilty, Ariana. You aren't just sitting by and doing nothing for your mom; you came to Atheil so that you could rescue her." He smiled at her suddenly, the action lighting up his face. "I think that what you're doing is incredibly brave."
    She blushed, turning away so that she was looking ahead of her into the darkness. "I'm not brave." She said.
    "Yes you are. You haven't complained once since we've been here, even though we've had to live in the forest for the past week off of nothing but bread and nuts, sleeping in the dirt every night in the cold. Not to mention," he said, his voice sounding more confident as he went on, "that you literally broke into a goblin camp to free a captured phoenix, completely on your own without any training, and then stabbed a full grown goblin with his own dagger to escape." Ryonen paused. "You fought off poison that should have killed you, holding out for over 3 days when you shouldn't have even made it more than 1 or 2, and then you let a 2,000 pound wild animal come up to you and pet it, even though you knew that it was usually dangerous. Face it," he said, the smile clear in his voice, "you're brave."
    Ariana breathed in deeply, not speaking. She was feeling overwhelmed, all the emotions from the past week catching up to her as she heard Ryonen relaying them back to her. Maybe she was brave, she thought, gazing skyward as she contemplated this. She had never thought of herself as brave before. Impulsive? Yes. Downright stupid at times? Also yes. But brave? She bit her cheek, trying to keep from smiling. He was definitely giving her more credit than she was worth, but she appreciated it. It helped calm her grief stricken heart.
    She didn't respond, but laid her head right above his heart, listening to its steady beat that was just a bit faster than a normal humans. They both stared up at the stars and Ariana couldn't help but feel at peace as she sat there with Ryonen's arms wrapped around her, the soft green and blue glow of the Luna flos' surrounding them as the stars sparkled above them in the sky like tiny diamonds.