The End is Near

Chapter 19

16 – 17 July 2045 – Caves

Dinner was scrumptiously delicious and you can insert as many superlatives that mean excellent food here. However, it was also an absolute nightmare of tension for me. All I could think about was how to secure an agreement to spend the night and how to keep my excitement from showing on my face.

Lord Lilon was at the head of a long table that positively groaned with food. I was seated on his left and the Seventh was nowhere to be seen. Yet it was not a formal sit-down dinner by any means. We were probably the only three to sit in the same place for the entire meal as there was a steady stream of people to and from the table as they took food and made their way around the cavern. Sitting seemed very optional, with some choosing the informal seats scattered around, some choosing casual picnic style sitting on the floor with cloths spread and some even stood and walked around as they ate. It was very relaxed and no one paid any attention to us at all.

"What was it like living in the woods with just your mother?" Lord Lilon asked suddenly. No one was paying any attention to us and he had lowered his voice enough that it didn't carry far.

Took him long enough to show any curiosity about me, the female that was supposed to be their Chosen One.

"It was quiet..." I said. Before I could continue he was laughing and I realised he thought I was referring to how noisy this meal-time was. I felt myself smiling ruefully in response. "We spent our days gathering herbs, taking care of any sick that came to us..." I remembered those serene days when we would walk the woods, eat whatever was convenient at the time and just be free of care.

He was nodding and I realised I had been musing aloud. "My apologies, I must be very tired..."

"You should stay the night. While the ways between our peoples are kept safe and the Seventh knows the way, it would be best not to travel tired. There is no urgent need for you to be elsewhere tonight is there? And who knows, a night may bring some information from those whom I've asked about that which you seek..."

He waited for my assurance that there was nowhere I needed to be. "The Seventh is in meditation and I will inform him. You will be taken to where you may rest, now."

Wow, that was easier than I thought it would be. Should I be relieved? I tried to keep any expression from my face and hurried to follow the female who appeared, as though she had been monitoring the conversation.

I have to be careful in this place, where so much seems to happen below the surface.

This girl was as beautiful as Shara with the same flowing form of dress. I didn't bother to try to make conversation, wanting only to be where Serafina could find me.

My nighttime 'enclosure' was far more spacious than the one I'd been led to earlier. I took in the comfortable looking bed with a chest at the foot of it, the table and chairs, sofa set up and a screened off area where I assumed bathroom facilities were concealed. Everything was beautiful and well-crafted. All I cared about was that there was enough room for me to pace.

Now that I was alone again, I admitted that I was peeved with Gwydd. Why had he left me like this? He had not even bothered to check in to see how I was getting on. I had thought there was something between us, a closeness that was more than just us trying to accomplish a mission. Clearly I was wrong.

What time would Serafina get here? Did she mean darkest night when everyone was asleep? Did everyone even go to sleep at a particular time here? If it was darkest night, should I try to take a nap so I would be more alert later?

I discarded the idea of a nap almost immediately. Not only was I too keyed up to sleep, I didn't feel safe enough. It must have been about an hour later when the wooden door slid back and Serafina entered. She wore dark grey clothing and carried a bundle of material in her hands.