truly am,” he said. “The burden that was meant for you has passed to your son, and I don’t know how much time we have.” Elinar looked to Lian, then back to Lyssa. “I must contact the collective council. With any luck, they will recall us to Alinshahar.”
Lyssa looked at him. “What are we supposed to do while you consult with your father?” she asked. “If the stories are true they--”
Elinar interrupted, hoping to ease Lyssa’s mind, “They will have a very difficult time finding us. Don’t forget, my father faced them over a thousand years ago. His counsel will prove invaluable.”
Lyssa shook her head. “And if it’s not?”
Elinar smiled. “Let me tend to that. Now, you and Lian take the night. Twelve years apart will require some catching up. I will know our course of action by the morning.”
Lyssa stood and smiled slightly at Elinar. She held out a hand to Lian. “Come son,” she said. “Let us go, then.”
Chapter 7: Generations
Lyssa led Lian through the outpost to her house, a mansion in comparison to anything Lian had ever witnessed. It had stone walls and floors covered with marble tiles with beautiful tapestries along the walls.
Lian was in shock at the beauty of the home. “You live here?” he asked.
“I do. I hope you like it. I really hope we can spend many nights together here.” Lyssa smiled at him.
Lian smiled back. “Of course I like it…” he said, briefly pausing. “I’d like any home.” Lian looked to his mother. “I’ve never had one.”
Lyssa’s face grew troubled. She knelt down to Lian. “You’ve never had a home?”
Lian shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”
Lyssa looked at Lian with confusion. “What about Lana?” she asked. “She was a close friend of mine! She promised to take care of you!”
Lian dropped his head. “I never knew Lana,” he said. “The Elder told me she had been killed by wolves. I’ve been on my own for as long as I can remember.”
Tears welled in Lyssa’s eyes. “No one took care of you? No one at all?”
Lian shook his head again. “Miss Eva would take care of me sometimes,” he said.
Lyssa raised an eyebrow. “Eva?”
Lian smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “She said she used to visit you in your bakery. That she was the one who told you about the village, that you could come there if you needed to.”
Lyssa shook her head. “I never knew anyone named Eva,” she said. “Lana always visited me. She told me about the village in the valley.”
Lian reached behind his head and pulled the ribbon from his shaggy long hair. He held it out to Lyssa. “Eva gave me this yesterday for my birthday,” he said. “She said it was yours, that she found it while looking for you.”
Lyssa took the ribbon and looked at it. She knew it was hers, but she was still puzzled about this Eva. “It was mine,” she said. “I want you to keep it.” Lyssa smiled. “How old was Miss Eva?” she asked, thinking perhaps Lana had changed her name for some reason.
Lian shrugged. “She was old,” he said. “The oldest woman in the village.”
Lyssa smiled at Lian and hugged him tightly. “I’ll take care of you now Lian,” she said. “I promise.”
Lian smiled. “I know you will,” he said. “Kane can help too…” Lian paused before becoming alarmed. “We left him outside!”
Lian and Lyssa heard scratching at the door and the sound of Kane whining. Lian quickly ran over to the door and opened it. Kane ran inside.
Lyssa looked at the wolf. “Elinar said this wolf protected you?”
Lian nodded. “Yeah, he did. His name is Kane!”
“Thank you Kane,” said Lyssa, “for watching after my little boy.”
Kane distinctively nodded at her and kneeled as if he were bowing to her.
Lyssa raised an eyebrow at the wolf. “You understood me?” Kane nodded his head once again. Lyssa smiled.
Lyssa looked at him. “What are we supposed to do while you consult with your father?” she asked. “If the stories are true they--”
Elinar interrupted, hoping to ease Lyssa’s mind, “They will have a very difficult time finding us. Don’t forget, my father faced them over a thousand years ago. His counsel will prove invaluable.”
Lyssa shook her head. “And if it’s not?”
Elinar smiled. “Let me tend to that. Now, you and Lian take the night. Twelve years apart will require some catching up. I will know our course of action by the morning.”
Lyssa stood and smiled slightly at Elinar. She held out a hand to Lian. “Come son,” she said. “Let us go, then.”
Chapter 7: Generations
Lyssa led Lian through the outpost to her house, a mansion in comparison to anything Lian had ever witnessed. It had stone walls and floors covered with marble tiles with beautiful tapestries along the walls.
Lian was in shock at the beauty of the home. “You live here?” he asked.
“I do. I hope you like it. I really hope we can spend many nights together here.” Lyssa smiled at him.
Lian smiled back. “Of course I like it…” he said, briefly pausing. “I’d like any home.” Lian looked to his mother. “I’ve never had one.”
Lyssa’s face grew troubled. She knelt down to Lian. “You’ve never had a home?”
Lian shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”
Lyssa looked at Lian with confusion. “What about Lana?” she asked. “She was a close friend of mine! She promised to take care of you!”
Lian dropped his head. “I never knew Lana,” he said. “The Elder told me she had been killed by wolves. I’ve been on my own for as long as I can remember.”
Tears welled in Lyssa’s eyes. “No one took care of you? No one at all?”
Lian shook his head again. “Miss Eva would take care of me sometimes,” he said.
Lyssa raised an eyebrow. “Eva?”
Lian smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “She said she used to visit you in your bakery. That she was the one who told you about the village, that you could come there if you needed to.”
Lyssa shook her head. “I never knew anyone named Eva,” she said. “Lana always visited me. She told me about the village in the valley.”
Lian reached behind his head and pulled the ribbon from his shaggy long hair. He held it out to Lyssa. “Eva gave me this yesterday for my birthday,” he said. “She said it was yours, that she found it while looking for you.”
Lyssa took the ribbon and looked at it. She knew it was hers, but she was still puzzled about this Eva. “It was mine,” she said. “I want you to keep it.” Lyssa smiled. “How old was Miss Eva?” she asked, thinking perhaps Lana had changed her name for some reason.
Lian shrugged. “She was old,” he said. “The oldest woman in the village.”
Lyssa smiled at Lian and hugged him tightly. “I’ll take care of you now Lian,” she said. “I promise.”
Lian smiled. “I know you will,” he said. “Kane can help too…” Lian paused before becoming alarmed. “We left him outside!”
Lian and Lyssa heard scratching at the door and the sound of Kane whining. Lian quickly ran over to the door and opened it. Kane ran inside.
Lyssa looked at the wolf. “Elinar said this wolf protected you?”
Lian nodded. “Yeah, he did. His name is Kane!”
“Thank you Kane,” said Lyssa, “for watching after my little boy.”
Kane distinctively nodded at her and kneeled as if he were bowing to her.
Lyssa raised an eyebrow at the wolf. “You understood me?” Kane nodded his head once again. Lyssa smiled.
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