Finder

Chapter Three

Adalyn was six years old, hiding behind the couch in her parent's old house. Golden sunlight seeped between the curtains, a single bar lanced down near her hiding place. For a second she was distracted, watching the tiny motes of dust swirling in the light, turning into shimmering gold.

"Now, wherever could my little Addie be," called out her mom in a singsong voice

In retrospect she probably knew exactly where Adalyn was but drawing out the search was part of the fun of the game.

Adalyn giggled before she covered her mouth with her tiny hand, trying to stifle her laughter so she could hide there and play for a little longer.

"There you are," crowed her mom happily as she began to tickle her daughter.

But then the tickling of her mom's fingers turned into the tickling of leaves.

Adalyn was hiding up in a tree, though not very far up since seven year olds can rarely get very far on their own. The sun was setting as she peeked down into the yard to watch her mom.

"Addie, Addie, where is my sweet little Addie," her mom sang.

Adalyn knew better this time and already had her mouth covered to stifle the sounds of her panted laughter.

Again her mother founder her and again just as soon as her mom touched her it went to a different scene. Each time her mom called out, her voice sounded more and more desperate.

"Where are you Adalyn," she cried.

"Adalyn please come out," she begged.

Adalyn didn't like the hurt in her mom's voice but no matter how hard she tried she could not reveal herself.

Finally, Adalyn found herself on a cliff overlooking a beach. She could again hear her mom's desperate cries and pleading voice but she could not call back. Eventually, Adalyn turned to run back to the picnic her parents were at and when she did she saw him.

Even after ten years, he still looked the same. Light brown hair, gray eyes creased with laugh lines, ratty knitted sweater that was unraveling at the hem.

"There you are, sweetie," he said. "Let's go back now, you're worrying your mom sick."

Adalyn had not seen her dad since she was eleven and he had left on a work trip, promising to bring back any present she wanted.

"A unicorn," she said, because that was the phase where she loved anything magical.

"Okay," her dad replied, "a unicorn it is."

They never found his body but in the motel room he rented that was hundreds of miles from where he said he would be the police found a little unicorn statue. The statue was in a place of honor in her apartment, the third row on the book shelf next to pictures of her with her mom and dad.

"Are you ready to go home," he asked her, holding out a hand and when Adalyn touched it the world fell away.

When she finally woke up it was not to the golden light of the sun or the white light of electricity, it was to a room brightened with only a single oil lamp and she was alone.

Down the stairs the warrior was in a much brighter room. There was still no electricity but there were more lamps and candles. He had yet to clean up or be tended to by more than a few bandages but it was important he spoke to his brother right away. Or, rather, at this moment it was not his brother who sat at the ornate desk in front of him but the lord of Temnacost manor.

Fingers steepled in front of him, Elison regarded his brother for a moment before he sighed and asked the question he had to first.

"What happened?"

"My lord, I hunted the beast as you commanded but it defeated me, not once but twice. When I came to my senses after the first time the girl was there, she helped me find Heliotrope but then the manticore attacked again. As I was fending it off another tried to sneak up behind me."

The warrior looked at his hands as he spoke, not daring to make eye contact with his brother while he was behind his desk.

"The girl stopped it for a time but the original threw me into a tree before it did the same to her. When I regained my senses they were already running away. The girl was not waking up and I could not leave her there."

Finally, he looked up and met his eyes, "she helped me brother, I would not see harm come to her."

"And this attachment," Elison began before the warrior cut him off.

"There is no attachment, my lord. The girl aided my quest. Perhaps she is even gifted, she led me to Heliotrope with the surefootedness of a wood nymph in her forest."

Elison let out a sigh as he stood from his desk and walked around to his brother and, placing a hand on his shoulder finally asked the question he wanted to most.

"Are you alright, Zivan?

"I'll live, brother," he responded with a playful but tired grin.

"Still," Elison said, "you should go get treated."

It was truly a sign of how exhausted Zivan was that he got up to leave without arguing.

"And, Zivan," Elison called after him.

Zivan turned and regarded his brother wearily.

"I would like to see the girl when she wakes."

Zivan gave a curt nod before he continued on to find someone to heal him.

Out of his armor, with the blood cleaned up and the war paint washed away he looked almost normal. That was the first thought Adalyn had when the warrior walked into the room. She was still awake even though she was in the bed. She was too tired to move but too scared to fall asleep so she stayed there on her back, head turned to watch the door.

"You are awake," he said, almost surprised.

"Where am I," Adalyn asked. "Am I still dreaming or did you legitimately kidnap me?"

"I did not kidnap you," the warrior replied, because even out of his armor he was still clearly a warrior.

"At least, that was not my intention," he continued, almost uncertainly. "You were badly hurt and needed healing."

"And you couldn't take me to a hospital because," she trailed the question off expectantly.

The warrior had stopped in the doorway when he saw she was awake but now he limped gracefully to the chair by her bed before gingerly lowering himself down into it.

"You needed a healer," he said, "and as someone who was harmed whilst assisting me you deserved the best. So, I brought you to my family's manor. My brother keeps the best healers on retainer here."

"Your brother," she asked.

"Yes, I suppose introductions are in order," the warrior said. "I am Sir Zivan of Temnacost manor."

The girl simply stared at him, confused.

"And your name," he asked in an expectant tone.

The girl stared at him a moment longer before she shook her head and told him "My name is Adalyn."