The Elf Thief

Epilogue: 10 Years Later...

Epilogue

10 Years Later…

            The noonday sun shined brightly down upon the bustling courtyard. The biannual High Council meeting was to be called soon, so every type of creature, from fay to dwarves to even a few manticores, could be seen somewhere in the vicinity of the castle.

            King Dearekk, the Rebel King and the Overseer of the New Realm, was talking a stroll across the courtyard when a ball rolled to a stop at his feet. Picking it up, he saw a young fay boy looking at him with wide eyes.

            A smile broke through his features as he gently tossed back the ball to the boy. “Here,” he said. “You don’t want to lose this.”

            “Thank you, milord!” the fay child said before darting away.

            Glancing towards the gates, Dearekk wondered when the members of the council would arrive. He knew Nyx would not be coming as she was expecting her first child. She would have to send someone in her place to come with her father. He doubted her mother would come, perhaps one of her advisors.

            Risal had arrived the day before, as the envoys of the dwarves. Her husband and she had made the trek from Raydale and were currently enjoying the sights the castle had to offer. It had taken some time for her to get over her father’s death, but moving the dwarves above ground gave her the temporary distraction she needed to deal with her grief. And once Raydale had been expanded, the dwarves were quite content to live among humans.

            Of course, there were some problems to begin with when they were trying to figure out who would run Raydale. Eron was far from willing to give up his control over the black market, and Risal refused to let the dwarves be under ruled by a human. So Raydale was split up into two districts, the dwarven council ruling one, while Enoka ruled over the other, becoming the Duchess of Raydale. This allowed Eron to still work in the shadows, but maintain control over his district. And of course, Enoka remained Eron’s right hand woman after the war was over. They would both attend the council meeting as well.

            Cormack and Tatiana were staying at the castle to represent the elves and to help with the preparations. Dearekk had been right with his prediction and the two had been married not four months after the Battle of the New Leaves or Ultim as it was sometimes called. The two had remained fast friends with Sonya and often visited the castle unexpectedly.

            Hopefully Abanth and the manticores would attend the meeting as well, but Dearekk didn’t know for sure. Sonya was the one who kept in touch with them. But despite the fact that they no longer lived in isolation, the manticore remained very much a mystery to the world. They were wild, untamed, and they always would be, no matter how many treaties they signed or promises they made.

            A shout drew his attention up to the castle tower. Looking at the window, he saw his son, Nalim, waving at him his light brown hair sticking out in all directions. Sonya was next to him, making sure the toddler didn’t fall. Smiling at his wife and son, Dearekk waved back before continuing walking.

            Sonya and he had been married for five years now. And they had been the happiest five years of his life. She had given him a son, Nalim, and a beautiful baby girl,

Letha. At first she had been apprehensive of being queen, but he had convinced her that as long as they had each other, everything would be all right.

            Their marriage had been beneficial both for themselves and for the realm. Humans and elves were closer than ever before. Of course there was the occasional human who was angry about a king with elf blood ruling over humans, but for the most part, everyone seemed satisfied with Dearekk’s rule and peace spread throughout the kingdom.

            Dearekk found himself standing in front of a large stone in the center of the courtyard. Reaching out, he touched one of the hundreds of names carved into the flat sheet of rock, Rith Talkinsson.

            He felt a tightness in his chest as he remembered the friend he lost. A low chuckle escaped him, as he remembered his friend’s easy laugh, kind smile and encouraging words. Rith had a lover, Ytone was her name, if he remembered correctly. When he had found her to tell her that…well, it as if she’d already known. He’d given her Rith’s shattered sword, told her what his friend had told him. A tight nod, a few tears and a small stumble as she walked way was the only indication that it had affected her at all. Later she had told him that Rith had talked to her before the battle. She told him that Rith…he somehow knew. He knew that his time was coming to an end. She said that even if he had survived the battle, part of him would have died any way. The guilt he carried would have ben too much for him and perhaps it was better that he left this world with his humanity in tact.

            The girl had left for the mountains as soon as she could, taking nothing but her panther and a boy that often followed her named Falun. He hadn’t seen her since.

            “It was worth it, Rith,” Dearekk whispered to a dead man, his hand still touching his friend’s name on the stone. “It was all worth it in the end.”

            Gently pulling away, as if saying goodbye for the last time, Dearekk looked towards the gate to see Eron and Enoka jump off their horses. Enoka waved to him before turning and walking her horse towards the stables, Eron right behind her.

            As Dearekk turned towards the castle, he felt something small barrel into him, almost knocking him over. “Nalim!” he chided his son, taking him up into his arms. “You have to be more careful, lad! Or else you might run into a manticore and get eaten!” He bopped the boy on the nose, pulling a giggle from the toddler.

            “Will you tell me a story tonight, daddy?” Nalim asked eagerly, his grey eyes bright with anticipation. “The one about the hydra and the glowing man!”

            “Of course I will,” Dearekk promised. When he looked at the doorway, he saw Sonya leaning against the frame, watching him and smiling.

            It was there that he decided he’d finally found the things he had been fighting for.

(A/N There will be a final author's note/acknowledgements  answer any questions you have after this.)