Book 1: Visions from the Past, Chapter 2

2. A Stranger Comes:

  As Adrianna finished her tale and her eyes regained their focus, away from the misty world of dreams, she saw that her audience were astounded. For a moment, the magic of her story stayed in the crisp, Midsummer Night’s air, and then the assembled nobles began clapping in delight.
  A ripple of applause swept around the circle, and Adrianna was filled with an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. She had just told a story to the men and women of the Renalan Court, and they had clapped for her; a peasant girl.
  “That was beautifully told, Adrianna,” King Melchior nodded to her, and she felt a blush creeping up her neck. She lowered her eyes meekly, and mumbled thank you, before hurrying to sit down and get away from the observant gazes of her audience.
  As Adrianna had told her story, the night had worn on, and the stars were shining brightly in the heavens. She spotted some of her favourite constellations that her father Pederos had shown her as a little girl, and she also spotted a new, interesting star. It was shrouded in a greenish-blue mist, and it seemed bright yet frail; as if it could simply evaporate or be blown away.
  When Adrianna looked back to the great bonfire that before had been burning furiously like the fires of the Underworld, it was now but a dim light. The flames had devoured nearly all the fuel and so it would soon be time to cast the black ashes into the River of Rena; to be carried away to the sea, and dismiss all the bad luck of the previous year. Then fresh waters would flow back past Linuina from the great mountains of the north; the Hevadh Nemash, symbolising a new beginning, a grand circle of life, and the renewal of all things.
  As if reading her thoughts, King Melchior stood up and went to speak with some robed men that would conduct the next ceremony. They nodded, and one called out through the valley; his voice powerful but not too loud. Surprisingly, despite the noise and merriment, silence fell upon the various companies, as everyone turned to look towards the great big bonfire; now just a few feeble flames dying out near the ground.
  Shouts sounded as the remaining fires diminished, and plunged the night further into darkness. Now, only the smaller bonfires and the stars above remained to give light, and it was time for the final ceremony of the night.
  There was only a pile of black ash; that was all that remained of the burning, and men and women cheered in joy at the accomplishment of removing the past year’s grief and blackness. Now all the old had been destroyed, and past sorrows and regrets could no longer haunt people. Crimes were now forgiven, and everyone was equal; able to start afresh. No one could be judged any more by their sins, for past actions were forgotten.
  Then men of the Gods robed in white and navy blue collected the hot ash in their bare hands, after dipping their flesh in special water to protect from the burning coals. Slowly, they gathered the ash into simple white silk bags, and began carrying them to the river beyond. The people of Linuina followed them; first dipping their hands in the water, and then gathering a fistful of ash.
  As the city approached the banks of the river, the people flung the ash onto the smooth, flowing waters; their lips murmuring, and as one silent nation, they watched the gentle current of the river carry the blackness of the ash away. It disappeared beneath the inky blue of the water, or if it did not sink straight away it was lost on the horizon; either sinking down to the riverbed or floating away to find a new life.
  The crowd soon turned away, and silence descended as everyone said their prayers for the New Year. Adrianna thought of the White Woman again; oh, how she hoped that help was on its way to the people of Meridisia. Surely, such spirit and faith as the citizens of Linuina were now displaying should not be ignored. Not such beauty as Renala and all the Kingdoms of Meridisia and the Earth People exhibited? For their beauty is beneath the skin; it is in the blood of the people and the rock of the land.
  As people finished their prayers, the crowds of families and friends slowly began to head back to the city. The celebrations were over, and now it was time to rest and refresh their bodies for the year ahead.
  Adrianna watched as the Royal Guards assembled around King Melchior and Prince Fredrik and together them and the court moved steadily back to the palace. She saw Cain approach her, his face crinkled into a smile.
  “Well, ye sure did well tonight, didn’t ye?”
  Adrianna laughed and she let Cain lead her away from the remains of the bonfire. They wandered down the valley for a bit; seeming content to just absorb in the beautiful night air, and think of the wishes they’d made when the ash had been cast into the River of Rena.
  When they reached a soft patch of grass, Adrianna and Cain sat down to relax for a moment. Most of the Linuinan citizens had already returned to the city, and so the night was quite deserted. Those that still lounged around their fires were closer to the gates, and so their noise was faint enough to allow Adrianna to hear the whistling of the wind and the faint chirping of birds and insects.
  Lying back against the springy turf of the valley, Adrianna looked up at the stars shining in the Heavens above. They were powerful and unfaltering, living on for aeons; they didn’t age and die in the fast fashions that mortals lived their lives; they just simply burned above as beacons and gazed upon the life below. Did they feel any remorse for the war tearing Meridisia in two? Were they personifications of the Gods; strong and forever existent in the cosmos?
  Adrianna wondered what it would be like to be a star or a God; something powerful that lived forever. She imagined having that kind of power to do what she wanted, and not have to worry about anything, but then she realised the value of humanity.
  What would be the point of living without emotion? What would be the point of living forever? If she could live forever, she wouldn’t treasure specific moments, because she would feel no need to have moments; there was an endless future ahead. She wouldn’t have feelings; perhaps she would be glad not to feel grief and fear, but then she wouldn’t know happiness or love. That was what made humans so special; they could make mistakes and then try to correct them. They could hope and look for something brighter in their lives, and they could live each moment knowing they had to make the most of it.
  Adrianna let the lids of her eyes droop, for she was suddenly incredibly weary after the festivities. The night air seemed to caress her face, and she sighed at the beauty of the land; peace and tranquillity settling over her.
  She began to think of her life; Adrianna had arrived only a few years ago in Linuina, and she lived with her grandparents. Her room was a simple place that had once been used for storing food, but it was enough to house her and her few humble possessions. In terms of clothing, she owned a few travelling coats, tunics and leggings that she had used to disguise herself as a man, and the one gown her grandmother had made for this occasion; for the other gowns she once had were much too small.
  Of her other things, she had a small reed flute that belonged to her father, a few precious old books she had scrounged, a pendant her father had given her as a girl, a stuffed doll, a skilfully carved wooden horse, and a secret pile of parchment that was rapidly dwindling.
  Mostly, Adrianna did not interact much with her only remaining family, for her grandparents were getting old and she only lived with them for a roof over her head. They needed her too though; her grandparents could not earn a coin if she wasn’t there to tell her stories, for they were too weak to work, and jobs were not easy to come by if that was your condition; especially in the poor village.
  But at least they offered her shelter after the harsh years of her childhood; that was all Adrianna cared about. First, her mother had died, as she’d come into the light of the world, and then her father, from a sea attack on her homeland of Tarvesi on the coast of the beautiful Herramekan Sea. War had even reached the peaceful little Soonada Kingdom that had remained tucked away from the worst of the fighting. And that attack had been unusual too; even now, the Henalas barely ever attacked Soonada; Renala was their main goal.
  Adrianna hurriedly pushed aside those thoughts of war, and instead concentrated on the life she’d had before Linuina; before she knew anything of hardship and war and horrors. A life when she lived in far off Soonada, in the city of Tarvesi. She could remember the rolling green plains dotted with buttercups, and the glimmering ocean; and she saw herself.
  Always she was running, skipping and laughing on the lush, fertile grass beside the sea. She was spinning in beautiful dresses of violet and rose and emerald green or bright yellow, lilac or sky blue; for Soonada was known for its beautiful silk fabrics, and the colourful dyes made from the minerals produced by the volcanic activity in the Fhea Karadid – the Fiery Mountains dividing Soonada in two. These mountains were both a beauty and a curse; to their west were lands of fertile volcanic soil for crops and forests, but to the east was a dry, arid land. The height of the mountains drew moisture away from the east, leaving desert and steppe, while the west thrived with fertility.
  Adrianna’s thoughts returned to her carefree time in her homeland; as she played upon the plains and on the cliffs of the shore, her voice would ring clearly out in the crisp air; laughing and making exclamations of joy. Her father Pederos or his nephew Mathieu was there to tickle her or pick her up to twirl her up in the sky and make her feel like she was flying. Flying like the birds of beautiful plumages she would see, streaking the sky and always pure and heavenly.
  She lived upon the continent of Meleka of the Earth Kingdoms; only one majestic part of the Triangle. Legends say there are Water People living amongst the sea’s secrets, and the Gods themselves are those of the Sky. Were birds then, flying through the air as they did, closer to the Gods? Did they lead the path for us, and should we follow the signs of the birds?
  Then Adrianna thought of her father’s face. She could barely remember him; his features always seemed blurred and shrouded by fog whenever she tried to imagine them, as if he was a dream fading away that she had to grasp to, before he vanished altogether. Yet she could imagine his individual images; it was only seeing the whole that eluded her. His skin had been darkly tanned, and his features rough and chiselled. He had endured many hardships before he had raised her; that she knew, although she knew nothing of the past he had had and if it had been dark.
  But beneath layers of evident sorrow and pain, Pederos had been young and free like a minstrel; mischievous and well-travelled, who knew the soil and rock of the earth. He had a beautiful tenor; he would sing to her in the evenings, and she would escape with him to a world of peace and love, of happiness and joy. But sometimes they went to a place of sorrow and grief, when the mood called on those songs. For what is joy without sorrow?
  Adrianna could tell Pederos had once been a very different man; perhaps even princely. Despite his dark, weathered skin, he could well have been very handsome, with his mischievous blue eyes like hers, and his falling locks of auburn hair.
  Sighing, she forgot the past, for there was no use dwelling in it. She must live where she was now; her stories would now take over her mind, along with her memories, and she would slip away from reality more and more regularly. The trouble was, her present life reminded her so much of her old one. They weren’t at all similar, but suddenly she would realise that she didn’t have something anymore, and she would remember that in the past she had.
  Slowly Adrianna opened her eyes again, but in her relaxed state, she took no notice of Cain lying down beside her. He took her hand gently in his; if she’d been in her normal senses she probably would’ve shifted uncomfortably and detached his grasp from her.
  “I’ve been thinking about who ye are,” Cain said softly, and Adrianna turned her face to his. The faint starlight from above spilled across his features, and she saw his soft brown eyes glinting. His locks of chestnut hair fell over his forehead, and he brushed a few strands aside.
  “What exactly have you been thinking?” Adrianna asked; her voice gentle.
  Cain shrugged, “I dunno exactly; just ’bout how ye’ve lived your life for so long. And I still can’t believe ye managed to deceive me…”
  “I’m sorry,” Adrianna smiled crookedly. “It’s just that when I came here, life was so unsafe, and now… now I can be freer. There hasn’t been a siege in quite a while, and times are softening. You don’t see as many beggars, although many are still hard on money…”
  Cain nodded, “I know what ye mean. Perhaps better days aren’t far off.” He winked, and then his hand reached up to stroke Adrianna’s cheek. “I never knew ye were a woman, and I never saw much of your face. Ye always wore that hood… ye had to, otherwise I would’ve seen how beautiful yer features were, and would’ve guessed yer identity.”
  Adrianna didn’t know how to respond, and she just lay there, feeling her heart thudding in her chest.
  Then Cain drew closer to her, and she could smell the strong but not unpleasant odour of a man who spent his days forging metal by the hot furnaces in a smithy. “Have ye given any thought as to who ye’ll kiss?”
  Adrianna’s eyes widened and she tried to break free of his hold on her arm. But he was strong, and held her there, his gaze locked on hers, and wandering down her body.
  “Please Cain; you’ve always been my friend but… but not this.”
  He sighed, and his hold weakened, but his eyes were still intense like before. “Everyone kisses someone on Midsummer Night. If ye were still the Adrian I knew, we could’ve gone into town and found two young pretty lasses, but now ye’re Adrianna, and to spare both of us looking…”
  “Cain, stop it,” Adrianna retorted, more harshly than she intended, and he drew back wounded. They were alone down this end of the valley, and it was only then that Adrianna realised Cain had not gone off with his friends. No; he had stayed, first to hear her story, and now to be with her on this special night, rather than drinking with a gang of rowdy celebrators in some pub.
  Then for no particular reason, Adrianna felt something foreboding on the air. A strong aura of wrong filled her senses, and it wasn’t Cain. She suddenly felt like crying, and reached for his arms. “I’m sorry... I don’t mean... but men just scare me, well, I’m used to seeing violent men in pubs, who abuse women. And I know you’re not like that, it’s just...” she broke off and looked into Cain’s eyes.
  He seemed taken aback, and awkwardly tried to comfort her. He took her uncertainly into his embrace, and stroked her beautiful bronze hair. “I didn’t want to hurt ye,” he muttered, unsure as to what he should say. Then he rose, brushing the grass off him, and helped Adrianna to her feet too. After all the alcohol she had seen Cain consume earlier, he still seemed sober.
  Adrianna looked at him long and thoughtfully, before a shiver passed down her spine, and the strange feeling she’d felt before returned to flood her body with terror and urgency.
  Suddenly, the sound of hoof beats penetrated the still night, and Adrianna looked down over Cain’s shoulder to where a black cloaked figure on a midnight stallion was approaching steadily; coat flapping in the wind.
  Adrianna looked at Cain in surprise as the figure began drawing closer, increasing in size from the previous dot she had spotted. Surely, any travellers would have already arrived at the city for the festival; not after the merriment. That could only mean that the man was a messenger or…
  Then the memory of her dream she’d had the previous night surfaced to the top of her mind, although she could not clearly remember what had frightened her so. Some sixth sense told Adrianna that this was not right, and she wanted to scream although she couldn’t exactly define the reason why. Cain, sensing her distress, followed her gaze to the horseman; growing steadily larger.
  “What is it, Adrianna, what troubles ye?”
  She didn’t know, but she knew something was wrong. “I... I had a dream last night... I have to get back to the town,” she whispered, her voice tense with fear. “Cain, run!”
  He shook his head; “Please, tell me what troubles ye? It is just a…” His voice trailed into the distance, as if he too sensed something was amiss. The night suddenly seemed so much colder, and if Cain hadn’t been there to jerk Adrianna into motion, she would probably have never moved again; petrified as she was.
  “I believe that aint no traveller,” Cain whispered to her, and Adrianna nodded. She felt fear creeping through her body, for the dark figure illuminated by the stars seemed to have an evil intent. On a night like this when the city was in celebration... This was a night the Henalas could use to doom the Linuinans.
  “What should we do, Cain? Has it spotted us yet?” Adrianna shuddered as the figure on horseback began to get closer. She couldn’t make out features yet; all she knew was that the man and horse seemed like a black shroud drawing in on them. That seemed to be no man; it seemed to be a creature of darkness, sending fear and despair sinking into her bones.
  Cain grabbed at her arm and hurriedly tugged her over to some shrubs. “I don’t know; I think it best we stay down.”
  They crept through the undergrowth on the side of the valley, trying to get closer to the village and their homes. There they could find safety; if there was any danger. But it would be better to be cautious than not, and Adrianna believed that there was indeed something to worry about, although she had no hard evidence beside her impressions about who this man could be.
  The horseman was cantering down the valley now, and Adrianna and Cain dropped down into the shrubbery to stay out of sight. They could hear their hearts hammering in time with the horse’s hoof beats; a noise that made them tremble yet more.
  Then the horseman slowed; his stallion sniffing the ground. He cast glances about the valley from beneath his low hood, and Adrianna shuddered. For a moment it seemed as if he was looking straight through her and examining her very soul, but then his gaze had turned elsewhere and the moment passed.
  He set his black stallion trotting further down the valley; making no move to be inconspicuous, while Adrianna and Cain crept after him with their heads down; anxious to get to the village. Then the horseman passed some of the citizens who were still merrymaking around their fires, and they cast suspicious glances at this intruder. But however strange this new comer seemed, none physically showed the fear that was overwhelming Adrianna.
  Then the man pulled halted his horse; his black gloved hands jerking the reins and bringing his mount to a stop. He looked down at a group around a fire, and, creeping closer, Adrianna caught the words he was saying, in a strange accent she did not recognise.
  The wind seemed to send his words whispering down the valley; and both the chilly air and what she heard sent Adrianna shivering.
  “Do you know a young woman by the name of Arian? I have come from Jalas to collect her; she is an orphan and I am a messenger from some of her relatives.”
  Her heart was beating so fast in her chest, that Adrianna thought the horseman would be able to hear it from down the valley. She had no relatives in Jalas! She lived with her grandparents, and no one was coming to take away. She would not go with this… this man.
  One of the more sober people of the group he had asked frowned, but then replied, “Sir, I know no Arian, but I know an Adrian; he is an orphan.”
  “And where does this Adrian live, may I ask,” the horseman replied, eager for information. His voice seemed to slither out into the night, as if it was a serpent.
  “In the poor town, Sir, but why don’t you come have a drink now and you can settle your business later. Tonight’s for celebrating, it is.”
  The horseman shook his head, and replied; his voice as cold as ice. “I must proceed immediately. Can you give me directions?”
  Sighing, the man he was interrogating nodded, “He – or she, whoever it is – lives in the third street off the main one leading into the barbican. Turn left and find number five I do believe; above a bakery.”
  “Thank you,” with the information he needed, the horseman turned and dug his heels into the flanks of his horse. He cantered up the side of the valley and disappeared into the streets of the poor village.
  “Adrianna, quick run,” Cain tugged at the sleeve of her dress and pulled her into motion. They hurried up the slope of the valley, and although Adrianna had always prized herself for her fit and slim figure, her breasts were nevertheless paining her and she had a stitch in her side. She could only match Cain’s pace with difficulty, and even so, she was beginning to lag behind.
  Adrianna gathered her skirts up in her hand so she could run faster, and Cain urged her on. She did not know what she would do or where she would go, but she had to get out of the open valley where they would be easily spotted.
  “My grandparents,” Adrianna whimpered after Cain. “They’re in danger, but oh why, why does that man want me? Something is wrong; I know it is.”
  “I fear ye’re right. I dunno, but… perhaps ye can come to my house; it will be safer there.”
  “No, I cannot endanger you and your family, as mine already is. Besides, that man could search the street; I don’t think anywhere in the poor village is safe.” Adrianna shook her head, “I must get inside the barbican. There are more places I can hide there.”
  Cain nodded urgently, “Yes, we’ve got to get to the main city, where we can hide properly. I, like ye, believe there is something not quite right.”
  Once again, he urged Adrianna on, and without him she would probably have not kept going. His hand dragged her forwards, and held her upright so she did not sink to the ground in despair, and soon they reached the clustered houses of the poor town. There, they slipped into a side-street that was close to the barbican gates and away from Adrianna’s house and waited several moments to gather their breath.
  Adrianna was panting heavily; her chest rising and falling. She shuddered and saw Cain looking at her; his gaze troubled in the moonlight, and clearly fearful of something; perhaps he was even beginning to distrust her.
  “Why, Adrianna? Is there more to yer story that yer haven’t told me?”
  “No!” she nearly shouted, unable to think herself why that man could want her. “I don’t know Cain; I am scared and I don’t know anything more than you do.”
  Cain nodded, and they waited for several more seconds before slipping inside the gates that were opened for the night of celebration and festivities. They stealthily made their way down the street, doing this easily and unmatched by guards; the Henalas could do this as easily as them if they wished to. Spies could’ve come on this night when the city would be caught unawares; the people all drunk from wine and celebrations. No one would expect anything tonight.
  Then Adrianna heard a noise that sent her shuddering once more with fear. She heard the clack of hooves on cobblestones; a noise not far off.
  Cain glanced back at her and looked deeply into her eyes; as if trying to read the fate written in them. Then he returned to his senses and grabbed at her arm, drawing her into a different street and away from the clattering noise of the horse.
  Adrianna no longer knew where she was running to; she was lost in the darkness of the alleyways and in her heart. What had become of her grandparents? Only the Gods could do anything now, for she had to flee like a coward.
  Adrianna felt Cain pulling at her hand, and drawing her away from the hoof beats. She concentrated on his back, so she did not lose herself in her fear.
  The clip clop of hooves against cobblestones was louder now, although they had been hurrying away from the noise. The horseman was hurrying after them; they must have been sighted.
  Adrianna squeezed Cain’s hand, knowing that she was doomed. Yet the questions kept lurking into her mind; why would anyone care for her? What could anyone possibly want?
  Then the image of blue eyes leapt into her mind, and she knew what she must do.
  “Cain,” Adrianna whispered. “Cain; take me to the palace. It is the only safe place on this night.”
  It was absurd, she knew that. For why should anyone let her in? But it was worth a try, and it was the only thing she could do. That man was no simple traveller or messenger coming to collect her; his stallion of midnight black had been too well groomed, and he did not ride like a humble man. And Adrianna had no rich relatives; she’d always been a peasant, although in Tarvesi she had lived reasonably well with her father.
  They turned another street, and then Cain flung her behind a marble statue. “Listen to me, Adrianna. My older brother Richard is part of the Royal Guard; run to the palace and seek refuge there as yer said. Some instinct warns me… Now, while ye run, I’ll wait here for the horseman. Then I’ll run off and lead him elsewhere, whilst ye escape.”
  Adrianna shuddered and nodded as Cain continued to give her instructions, on who his brother was, and what she would say. Then he sighed, suddenly sorrowful.
  “I fear I may not see yer again. It was a pleasure to know ye, as Adrianna for the short time that I did…”
  “Cain, this is dangerous. What if it is some threat and you…? I don’t know.”
  “Don’t worry about me,” Cain took her face in his hands, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Goodbye, Adrianna. Something tells me that ye’re more than the simple girl you are. First a storyteller, who I thought was a man, now a beautiful young girl, and who knows what next, with strange men in black after ye. I don’t believe yer name really is Adrianna though, will you grant me the pleasure of knowing that?”
  She sighed, and felt a tear escaping her eye. She didn’t fully understand; why was Cain suddenly so knightly and brave, and why did he feel the same evil as she did? Was there really a threat?
  Cain hadn’t heard the horseman asking after her, for else he would know that Adrianna was not her real name and that she knew the horseman was specifically asking after her. She owned Cain this one small duty; he’d been a great friend and now he was going to great lengths to help her.
  “Arian,” she whispered, a knot in her throat. “Arian is my name, and I can’t tell you any more – my real identity I mean – because I don’t know it myself. My whole life…” She sighed and tears well up in her eyes, “My whole life I’ve been hidden, and been living in secrecy, although I don’t know why. And today when I thought I’d finally found myself – my woman self – everything is snatched away. Goodbye Cain.”
  She kissed his cheek, and then he gestured for her to run, as the hoof beats sounded closer. Why was she wanted? She did not know, but she knew she had to reach the palace.
  She bolted down the streets, and did not look back to see Cain, who was staring forlornly at her back, as if he would never see her again.
  But Arian had no time to feel the sorrow she felt at leaving her friend; she heard the hoof beats race off in another direction, and worry filled her. Cain was doing this for her; a girl who had deceived him and who he barely knew. And he was in danger.
  Arian knew she had to reach the palace or else everything would’ve been in vain. She ran on, and then suddenly stumbled as her foot encountered a loose cobblestone.
  She hurriedly picked herself up and continued down the road until the palace came into view. As she was nearly there, suddenly, from out of the shadows, she spotted numerous men on foot, robed in the same garments as the horseman.
  Panic rose inside her as they hurried after her, trying to surround her and block her path. Stifling a scream, Arian ran harder, and soon fell in a heap at the gates of the palace. She watched the guards draw level with her, their eyes hard and judging, and Arian wondered what an interesting sight she must look.
  “Please, help me. There are men… I don’t know who they are, but they are not Linuinans, and they are everywhere in the shadows. They’re in black… and…”
  “Are you mad?” one of the guards laughed, pointing his spear at her. No doubt her hair was wild and her gown was dirty; she must look dishevelled and out of her mind.
  “Help me, I am not mad,” she whispered, and from the corner of her eye saw the strange black robed figures waiting like cats in the shadows. They could pounce any moment and snatch her away, and these two guards wouldn’t care less about a poor peasant girl.
  “Please I promise you… I know Prince Fredrik, I am Adrianna, he will recognise me…”
  “A girl like you,” the guards laughed at her again, and fury filled Arian. Fury that they did not believe her, that they were a bunch of buffoons who could not see in the dark and spot the men lurking in the shadows.
  She could see those black-robed figures approaching her, and then she had an idea. It was a last resort, but it was the only thing she could do.
  Arian curled her fist into a ball and punched the guard who had spoken to her so crudely, in the head. Her blow was soft, but she had committed a crime against the Royal Guard.
  Outraged, they dragged her roughly into the palace courtyard, although Arian did not resist. It had been the only way she could get to safety and she did not know what the penalty would be for this offence, but at least she was safe now and Cain’s efforts wouldn’t have all been in vain.
  Then one of the guards knocked her senseless, and Arian slid onto the cold pavement of the courtyard; her cheek hitting the stone. A streak of blood slithered out and stained her white flesh, but she did not know. She had sunken into unconsciousness, but she was safe.