Chapter 4: Cory

They had been walking for hours. At least that was what if felt like to A’riane. He travels so slowly! I would be twice over what we have traveled in half the time. They were only at the closest Bardum town and still had two more to go.

“Cory, is that you? Ha, let me guess, back from a capture?” a short figure called.

“Very funny, Barish. As a matter of fact, I’ve got someone of importance. And what are you doing so far away from home anyway?”

Barish just laughed and walked away. A’riane chose to speak, “So, you’re still the laughing stock of the town, then? It’s nice to know that some things never change.”

Cory winced and pushed her on down the street. “Shut up! You’re just as much of one and I am!”

“Technically, I’m not. People fear me, so they respect me, and are nicer whenever see me as Her. They don’t want to incur Her wrath. They just laugh at you.”

Cory yanked her forward and pushed her down one of the ally ways. She stopped talking and followed Cory’s directions. It would probably be better if I behaved the rest of the night. Ha, me behave. When will he take me before his Highness, I wonder. Then she scolded herself. You haven’t even been back two seconds and you’re already following your own ways. Always his Highness. She silently scoffed at him. Well better to call him Highness in thoughts than call him Ralfio to his face and get into trouble.

As she was thinking, they came to the end of the alley and to a small white stone house much like the rest of the city. So plain. That was one thing that she had always hated about Bardum cities. They weren’t allowed to have any other color of house but white. It was a reminder of their heritage and the color of their skin. And also of the first Bardum elf, Kurin, and his journey to talk to the moon. And she graced him with the color of her skin, so he and others after him could feel one with the night; she quoted silently in her head.

Cory knocked, and a small woman came to answer, looking through a crack in the door. When she saw Cory, she jumped and opened the door quickly.

“Cory! You’re back! I-It’s just- you were supposed to be back sooner, I mean you said you’d be back-“

“Quiet Marie! We’re spending the next few days here. Remember; tell no one that I’m here.”

Yeah, and then no one will know you’re here. The poor girl’s scared to death when you’re around, someone’s bound to notice.

Marie moved aside and let them in. Cory pointed to a room in the back of the small house as he was entering. “You’ll sleep there.”

A’riane nodded and silently walked to the room, looking about the house on the way. Hmmm . . . only one chair, she lives alone, so no one to come and help me. Not many possessions either.

By that time, she had come to the door, which had small decorations in the wood. She immediately thought of chestnut, no other wood was this color. She opened the door and was greeted by a quiet, pitiful meow from a small orange kitten.

A’riane blinked in surprise and looked back at Cory and Marie. Cory was at the table, talking to Marie, his back turned to A’riane. Marie was watching her, and when she saw her looking, she pleaded silently with her blue eyes. At this, A’riane nodded. All right, Cory doesn’t know about the kitten, and I won’t tell him. She smiled at Marie.

“Marie, where’s my dinner?” Cory asked loudly and curtly. Marie turned just before Cory did. A’riane slipped into the room and closed the door. Better get acquainted with kitten.

She went over to the bed, sat and looked around. There’s a mirror and a chair, but that’s it, besides the bed. The kitten was no where to be seen. When will I get to Amoris? How long will we stay here? I just want to go to his highness and get it over with.

As she was thinking, the kitten climbed up and approached her cautiously. When she didn’t move, it crept into her lap and curled up. A’riane jumped and looked down. “Hello there, you’re so pretty.

She petted it and was crooning over it when she heard the door open. She jumped and tried to sit in front of the kitten as she scolded herself. Stupid! After all these years as Lady of Shadows, stupid.

“It’s just me.”

“Marie. Oh thank the gods. I thought it was Cory.” Thank the gods?

That’s Cali.” She smiled and then asked, “The gods? Don’t you just have one patron? One of the Bardum ones of course. Arfelum, the god of war, Califus the goddess of hunting, Zaucon the god of pillaging and ransom. I pray to Califus, but you probably knew most of our gods anyway. Oh, do you worship Jaudo, the goddess of crafts making?”

A’riane had sat patiently through Marie’s speech about the gods, petting Cali. When Marie was done, she answered in a cool voice. “I don’t pray to the gods.”

Marie stared at her in shock, “None of them? Not even the lesser gods? Like-“

“None of the gods. They’ve let me down too many times.” A’riane lowered her head in remembrance.
“Oh, well, the gods can’t do everything you know. And here’s your dinner and Cali’s. Um, I’ll let you eat in piece.” She sat down a plate of food and a bowl for Cali. Then she left.

“Well, come on Cali, we might as well eat.”