finally asked, “Who is it?”
Elinar grinned. “You will see in just a moment,” he said. “You have witnessed a lot of awful things recently, I’m sure. I think this will be a good turn of events.”
“Good?” Lian asked.
Before Elinar could reply, a feminine voice cried out. Elinar grinned and pointed toward a nearby house. Lian watched, still confused. A woman was running toward him. She wore a long flowing white elven dress with decorative designs of green vines sewn into it. Her long brunette hair flowed down her back with blonde streaks in it that caught the remaining sunlight. Lian watched the woman running toward him. He didn’t know what to think. The woman hit her knees in front of him and threw her arms around him. She embraced him tightly with tears streaming down her face.
The woman pulled away, smiling at him through her tears. “You’ve grown so much!” she said in a joyful voice.
Lian stared at her eyes. They were the same color as his. Lian’s eyes widened and tears welled up in them.
“You don’t know me,” said the woman, still smiling. “But my name is--”
Lian quickly interrupted, “Lyssa. You’re my… You’re my…”
Lian couldn’t finish his words. He grabbed the woman and squeezed her while tears streamed from his face.
Lyssa squeezed him tightly and buried her head in his shoulder. “Yes,” she said. “I’m your mother, Lian. And I’ve missed you so!” Lyssa stood and looked at her son, appalled at his blood-stained clothes. “My son…” she said with a shudder, “what happened to you?”
Lian shook his head. “It was awful--”
Elinar quickly interrupted Lian. “Lady Lyssa,” he said. “All that I warned you of years ago has come to pass.” Elinar sighed deeply. “You should be thanking this wolf. He was protecting your son when we found him.” Elinar closed his eyes momentarily. “I really wish you would have told us about your son’s survival. We could have brought him here.”
Lyssa glared at Elinar. “Nonsense! You took me captive after I left Lian! How was I to know your intentions? You knew everything about me and my child.”
Elinar shook his head. “We knew because of your importance…” said Elinar without raising his voice. “We risked our discovery to stop those who pursued you and your son. After you lied to us about his survival we gave you refuge. Now that he has survived, your child now bears a burden that no one should ever have the weight of!”
Lyssa shook her head at Elinar. “What burden?” she demanded. “Those things you’ve told me over the years are just stories!”
Elinar shook his head slowly but remained silent.
Lian looked to Elinar and his mother. “What stories?”
Lyssa stared at Elinar. “Aren’t they?” she asked. “Answer me!”
“I never reached the valley,” said Elinar. “Your son had already fled. Ask him what happened.”
Lyssa placed her hands on Lian’s shoulders and spoke urgently, “Son…” said Lyssa. “What happened?”
Lian looked into Lyssa’s eyes for a long moment. “Monsters…” he said finally. “They killed everybody.” Lian dropped his head. “They killed Elder Marrow in front of me… then Miss Eva…” Lian wiped his eyes. “Then Bagra-Shuk, an ogre… he died protecting me… Kane sacrificed his entire pack to save me… and I thought we had escaped… Then that thing was about to kill Kane, but I saved him… I think.”
Lyssa shook her head. “How? How did you save him?”
Lian smiled then. “The sword,” he said. “I got angry, and I drew the sword. Something happened, then I woke up with Elinar.”
Lyssa’s eyes widened. She dropped to the ground, sitting in shock. “It is all true then…” She looked to Elinar, then back to Lian. “I’m so sorry my son… I’m so, so sorry.”
Elinar knelt down to a sobbing Lyssa. “I’m sorry, I
Elinar grinned. “You will see in just a moment,” he said. “You have witnessed a lot of awful things recently, I’m sure. I think this will be a good turn of events.”
“Good?” Lian asked.
Before Elinar could reply, a feminine voice cried out. Elinar grinned and pointed toward a nearby house. Lian watched, still confused. A woman was running toward him. She wore a long flowing white elven dress with decorative designs of green vines sewn into it. Her long brunette hair flowed down her back with blonde streaks in it that caught the remaining sunlight. Lian watched the woman running toward him. He didn’t know what to think. The woman hit her knees in front of him and threw her arms around him. She embraced him tightly with tears streaming down her face.
The woman pulled away, smiling at him through her tears. “You’ve grown so much!” she said in a joyful voice.
Lian stared at her eyes. They were the same color as his. Lian’s eyes widened and tears welled up in them.
“You don’t know me,” said the woman, still smiling. “But my name is--”
Lian quickly interrupted, “Lyssa. You’re my… You’re my…”
Lian couldn’t finish his words. He grabbed the woman and squeezed her while tears streamed from his face.
Lyssa squeezed him tightly and buried her head in his shoulder. “Yes,” she said. “I’m your mother, Lian. And I’ve missed you so!” Lyssa stood and looked at her son, appalled at his blood-stained clothes. “My son…” she said with a shudder, “what happened to you?”
Lian shook his head. “It was awful--”
Elinar quickly interrupted Lian. “Lady Lyssa,” he said. “All that I warned you of years ago has come to pass.” Elinar sighed deeply. “You should be thanking this wolf. He was protecting your son when we found him.” Elinar closed his eyes momentarily. “I really wish you would have told us about your son’s survival. We could have brought him here.”
Lyssa glared at Elinar. “Nonsense! You took me captive after I left Lian! How was I to know your intentions? You knew everything about me and my child.”
Elinar shook his head. “We knew because of your importance…” said Elinar without raising his voice. “We risked our discovery to stop those who pursued you and your son. After you lied to us about his survival we gave you refuge. Now that he has survived, your child now bears a burden that no one should ever have the weight of!”
Lyssa shook her head at Elinar. “What burden?” she demanded. “Those things you’ve told me over the years are just stories!”
Elinar shook his head slowly but remained silent.
Lian looked to Elinar and his mother. “What stories?”
Lyssa stared at Elinar. “Aren’t they?” she asked. “Answer me!”
“I never reached the valley,” said Elinar. “Your son had already fled. Ask him what happened.”
Lyssa placed her hands on Lian’s shoulders and spoke urgently, “Son…” said Lyssa. “What happened?”
Lian looked into Lyssa’s eyes for a long moment. “Monsters…” he said finally. “They killed everybody.” Lian dropped his head. “They killed Elder Marrow in front of me… then Miss Eva…” Lian wiped his eyes. “Then Bagra-Shuk, an ogre… he died protecting me… Kane sacrificed his entire pack to save me… and I thought we had escaped… Then that thing was about to kill Kane, but I saved him… I think.”
Lyssa shook her head. “How? How did you save him?”
Lian smiled then. “The sword,” he said. “I got angry, and I drew the sword. Something happened, then I woke up with Elinar.”
Lyssa’s eyes widened. She dropped to the ground, sitting in shock. “It is all true then…” She looked to Elinar, then back to Lian. “I’m so sorry my son… I’m so, so sorry.”
Elinar knelt down to a sobbing Lyssa. “I’m sorry, I
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