Divine Realizations [ Clarion X Milori ]

Chapter 28

A persistant knocking woke Ash from his light sleep.
Groaning inwardly, he hoisted himself out of bed, silently cursing whoever it was that had interrupted his futile attempt at rest.
A glance at the clock revealed that it was barely morning, only heightening his annoyance.
But he had just begun to open the door when all of a sudden, a tall figure pushed it open all the way and quickly shoved them both further into the small chamber.
With the lights off, Ash couldn't see who the masked figure was and fear shot through him.
Remembering his defense training that all carriers were taught, he swiftly delivered an uppercut to the intruder but missed by an inch when said intruder quickly ducked.
Ash was about to attempt another punch when all of a sudden he heard a familiar, low growl.
"Enough boy! It's me, uncle."
In hearing this, Ash quickly put down his fists and moved to turn on the lights.
As he did so, his uncle moved back to close the chamber door fully so as not to wake anyone else.
Both men breathed heavily from the skirted tousle, and they faced each other in silence for a few minutes.
'What is Skye doing here', Ash thought to himself.
If he were to get caught, these past 5 years would all be for naught.
Ash then voiced as much.
"Fret not, I made sure no one was awake and the patrol guards are conveniently occupied with some flyaway snowy owls."
At this, his uncle waggled his eyebrows and a huge grin graced his face.
All at once, memories assailed Ash.
Memories of a simpler time when it was just him and Skye.
His father, Kealy, had far to much on his hands being king and a young boy only added to his stress so Ash had been sent away with his uncle, a seafarer for Pixie Hollow.
Originally Skye's job had been to ship things from one island to the next throughout Neverland, but becoming a surrogate father to Ash became his primary role.
Pleasure swept through Ash in remembering the only truly happy part of his childhood, when it was just him, Skye and the seas.
But all that had changed when they were sent word of his father's untimely demise.
Now here they were, sneaking around and lying like rats.
It made Ash's stomach churn.
Shaking himself from his reverie, Ash considered his playful uncle.
"Please tell me it was not Saffron, Ladoga or worse, Archimedes. They are our fastest carriers and Milori will be livid."
His grin still intact, Skye answered,
"No just some of the young ones."
But before Ash could scold his uncle more, skye's demeanor changed darker and a tension filled the air.
"We are behind schedule, the princess is supposed to have been in love with you by now."
Irritation thrummed through Ash's veins, he was tired of using Avalon as a ploy.
She was proving to be too good for this world and especially him.
"Well what about you, you were supposed to accomplish something with the Queen were you not? Instead your waltzing around beaches and picking up trash."
Rolling his eyes, Skye huffed out a breath and sat on the small bed while Ash continued to stand.
"Don't remind me, I thought wooing the Queen would be much easier but she hardly allows for a different subject and is wary."
At this, Ash peered at his uncle with more scrutiny.
"What do you mean woo? I thought you just wanted to cause some trouble or challenge Milori, not ruin their marriage."
Skye laughed.
"I can't ruin a true marriage, sides, I'm only still figuring things out but leave the details and worry to me. You just need to make sure the girl is in love with you. It will help things run more smoothly in the end, you'll see."
But Nevertheless Ash was hesitant.
These past few years had added lines to his uncles' usually flawless skin and a new darkness seemed to dwell within him.
All a testament to how hard it had been for them but still surprising to Ash as normally nothing could bring down his carefree kinsman.
"How did you even get a forest ranger position here? Surely you'd need credentials or some sort of past experience."
Waving a dismissive hand, Skye replied,
"It was easy, many old friends of your father's fled here after the Hinterlands were abandoned and vouched for me immediately after I inquired about any available positions. If you ask me, I think we'd have enough support to even start an uprising."
But Ash was already shaking his head at the thought.
The king and queen had been most gracious to them both and their people after the Hinterfall.
No questions were asked on whether or not they'd take in Kealy's people, they just did it without asking and Ash would be forever grateful to them for taking care of his subjects.
It was a good thing there were no other Hinters' working in the palace along side them though, as surely word of Ash's position would have gotten out.
"No, no rebellion, I'll have no bloodshed this time."
Pensively, Skye studied him at his firm refusal and finally replied,
"You know, sometimes I forget that your Kealy's' boy and not my own, for your father would always have gone the easier route. One that cost however many lives it took. I admire your caution, however someone is going to pay for your father's death. I'm not a violent man and the lord knows Kealy wasn't a saint but retribution is needed and I'll not rest till we have revenge and the Hinterlands back in our legacy. It was wrong that they kept our lands after slaying its king, especially when you are it's rightful heir."
Now it was Ash's turn to study Skye as he mulled over his words.
Loneliness fueled revenge like crazy and Ash couldn't help but wish his uncle had someone else in his life.
His time as a sailor kept him from forming any real/long lasting relationships for which he was paying for now.
The fairymen in their lineage were some of the most handsome in all of Neverland, with their dark-good looks, light eyes and strong builds.
They made for striking pictures and often attracted attention but it did little good by way of spouses.
Ash's own mother left when he was very young and he thought he recalled Skye once having a serious affair but for some reason it didn't last.
Again he realized his thoughts were wandering and he tried to focus on the task and conversation at hand.
"Very well, we will do this your way for now Uncle, what do you need from me."
Approval in his eyes, Skye said,
"Spend more time with the girl and her parents, show them how good you can be and gain trust. I'll do the same for Clarion and try to get inside her mind. Sooner or later she'll confide in me and the wedge will be driven. It's still unknown up until that point what the next move is but I believe a distraction will soon come in handy."
Blearily, Ash nodded, wishing for Skye to depart.
If he was to continue leading on his best friend, he'd need way more sleep than what he was getting.