Elven Legacy

Chapter 28

Jaden

Their third day of travel brought them to the town of Vansheer. This was still in the northern part of the empire, and some people in the streets spoke Etreoni whilst others spoke Azurian.

They'd stopped at the Blue River Inn, named for the affluent river that spanned half a mile south of it and continued its course far into the Great Steppes.

It was getting late, and the moon shone, bewitching, between two large clouds. Jaden sat alone at one end of a porch with flaking turquoise paint. His wooden chair creaked with every shift in his position. He was trying, without much success, to read the book he'd brought with him on this journey.

The oil lamp set against the wall over his shoulder bathed the pages in enough yellow light, but he had trouble concentrating on the words. It didn't help that the book was written in Azurian.

And yet that was the whole point. He wished to learn, and improve.

Truthfully, he found the title quite lousy: Forbidden Love. The book Neros had sent Zemisha a few months ago. Jaden already knew how tragic the ending was – Zemisha and Moira had both wept upon finishing it.

Still, Jaden figured an engaging story might prove an efficient way to learn. And with any luck, it might enlighten him somewhat on Neros' way of thinking.

And, well, there was another reason.

It made him feel like he had something of Zemisha's with him. That, along with his black, gold-lined scarf – the one Noah had worn to conceal the mark on his neck, before Kili hid the mark with magic and Noah didn't need a scarf any longer. Something of Zemisha's, something of Noah's.

Jaden absently touched the soft woolen fabric around his neck, looking up from the book he wasn't reading anyway.

That had been the first time he'd ever seen Kili, that time she'd made Noah's mark disappear. In an apple orchard in Moonvale. It had been Autumn Night.

Gods' sakes, sometimes it felt like so long ago, and other times, such as right now, it felt rather like time had flown past him far too quickly. It was almost dizzying.

A rising night wind hooted down streets and alleys, causing the flames of torches, set at intervals along the street, to flicker wildly.

In spite of it, the night was not particularly cold, and the area bustled with life. People going in and out of taverns, alley cats wandering about the throng, groups of teenagers laughing, a few street brawls here and there, stiffly interrupted whenever a Red Patrol came nearby, and the occasional carriage, pulled by proud-looking horses.

On the other side of the Blue River Inn's porch, a stable boy was on a break, having a smoke and observing the street like Jaden.

Smells of horses and hay from the side stables vied with the scents from indoors – mainly ale, pea soup, and roasted meats. Jaden had already eaten with the others earlier and had found it all to be rather bland. He'd wager not even Noah would've liked it, despite his self-proclaimed love of all foods.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he would perhaps hear Noah's voice. 'Thinking about me, Jay?'

As it were, Jaden heard only silence.

Must be busy. He's got a life, you know.

Jaden was startled out of his thoughts when the door opened, and Moira walked out onto the porch, smiling at him.

She looked lovely in her traveling dress of dark-gray and light-blue fabrics. It had a wide shoulder-to-shoulder collar and long sleeves that ended in lace just before the knuckles. Her copper hair tumbled down, unbraided and wavy, reaching her chest as it fell on either side of her rosy-cheeked face. Perhaps she'd indulged in a second pint of ale.