The Mistaken Elemental

CHAPTER 2-AELLE REGINA BLACKWOOD

The one good thing Langley had to offer was her dear Uncle, her father's only living brother, Steve Vincent Endor who gladly gave up his share in the family business just so he can come and go from Langley as he wishes because of the freedom it provides a unmarried man. Dina's uncle would have long ago forsaken and left Langley for good if not for the adoring niece he comes back time and again to check on. And this Uncle is also the only one in her life right now who can't bear the thought of something happening to her.

"Remember, keep to this room all the time. Don't come out. God forbid if someone recognises you, use this." finished Uncle Steve by handing her a long dagger still in its sheath. Only the hilt showing-its dark ebony wood finished into the shape of the lost mythical creature, a wolf's head with small blue gems embedded in the place of its eyes. It must really be a very old dagger if the hilt is made of wood maybe before the time when Queens use to rule. Cradling the dagger in her palms, Dina turns her gaze towards her uncle who stood silently with his gaze fixed on her face waiting for some words to escape her mouth. The gaze in his eyes which she has come to understand as anxiety for her alone, the need to see her to safety, to protect her, and in moments like this she is glad that she loves her uncle more than her father or any of her brothers.

"I will." said Dina.

"Listen it's not safe using your real name anymore. Word has spread of your elopement from Langley. The Duke has sent every last men in his personal regiment after you and even announced a hefty reward for your capture. So it's better if you started using a fake name instead of Dina. So decide what you would want to call yourself when you reach Kings Capital?" said Uncle Steve.

More strange is her life. When she wanted to change her name from Dina to something more feminine like Rose her father had laughed at the absurdity of the thought in thinking his daughter even had the brain to come up with such a strange request. After that incident Dina had come to accept her name as one would come to terms with themselves on their faults. But now she had a choice. And God knew that choices were thrown towards her rarely if not, at all.

"Aelle Regina Blackwood.", said Aelle raising her chin at her uncle with a conviction that told the name was her to begin with.

Uncle Steve's eyes started bulging a little when he heard her first name but quickly hid his reaction beneath his bushy eyebrows. In a way renaming herself "Aelle" was dangerous but he understood that it was her mother's name and the only thing she knows of her. Even though she was ready to leave everything behind she was still not ready to let go of her mother. By the thinning of his lips masked by his black beard covering everything in his face except his cheekbones and eyes, she knew he was not going to argue about it and was giving his silent acceptance by not questioning or objecting her.

"Good. What will be your story when you reach the Spukoi port and start looking for a job or a place to live?" Questioned Uncle Steve.

"The only child of the Blackwood's, my family and I were sailing to the Kings Capital for starting a new business venture but fate turned on us and next thing we know we are caught in a storm and after surviving the night of the storm, in the morning I come to realise my parents were missing. By afternoon it is concluded that they had fallen into the sea with no scope of rescue. And with no money I plan on working my way out to the Capital soon enough." recites Aelle word by word from memory.

"Good. Good. This might actually work. Now remember my instructions or we will be in deep trouble. I don't want to go to the gallows yet mind ya.", said Uncle Steve with a grunt of approval. "I will be back in an hour to check on ya with food. Now best get some rest because the journey will be torturous for the couple of next days.", said Uncle Steve turning around on his feet going out the same way he had entered the secret cabin behind the wooden casks used to store food for the passengers and crew members together in a corner of the kitchen.

Left alone Aelle sees her surrounding properly now for the first time after arriving on the Salamander. Her uncle not wanting to see her niece dead, smuggled her out of the house in the dead of the night and took her to the deep corner of the Langley port where a ship was anchored to take her to the Spukoi Port near the Kings Capital, a day's sailing by a boat or two days by horse on land. The captain of the salamander, hearing the reason of her elopement from Langley very eagerly suggested the secret cabin for Aelle, so she could stay hidden from the rest of the prying eyes on the Salamander. After very swiftly transferring her meagre belongings which Aelle brought from her house, the captain bids her goodnight and hopefully a very safe journey leaving her and her Uncle alone in the cabin. When enquired of the Captain's generosity, Uncle Steve replied the Captain too lost a beloved niece of his to the Duke. It was his way of taking revenge on the Duke.

The cabin is dark in its surrounding with only a candle allowing a decent view of the room. The corners lost in the darkness but the light playfully throwing its light on the floor with the ships momentum. The floor containing a cot stuffed with fresh straws, a water jug and some blankets to cover her, the sheets lying folded on top of each other in one corner of the cabin. Looking above she could see a small square window out of her reach but still bringing in the hints of sea breeze into the cabin.

"I will never come back here, NEVER. I promise to myself I will die before they make me come back here.", whispered Aelle to the darkness seeping through the night and into her soul.

Sleep finally claims her. Let the fate give her a blissful sleep one last time before it decides it's bored and starts its strange game of Kings, Princes, knights in shining armor and magicians.