met.”
Chapter 11
T he words took a moment to sink in. If his parents had met outside of Elaeavn, there could really only be one reason for it, but the reason made no sense, not given what he knew of his parents. They had always followed the Elvraeth rule and had served as expected, living quietly within Elaeavn, or had until Rsiran had been sent to the mines.
“If you met in Thyr, that means that you’re one of the Forgotten,” he said.
Her entire body stiffened. “You think that I could have been exiled?” she asked.
Even the term she chose matched what the Forgotten used. Exiled, not Forgotten.
But that meant that he had ties to the Forgotten. Had Evaelyn known? Was that part of the reason they had wanted him?
No. They wouldn’t have poisoned him, trying to force answers from him if that were the case. Unless Inna didn’t know. Evaelyn had been upset at how she’d used the slithca syrup on him.
He needed to find Della. She might know more.
Rsiran turned his attention back to his mother. “What did you do?”
She pulled her chair back and took a seat. “I did nothing but have the misfortune to be born outside of the city,” she began. “Your father returned me. Such a thing is allowed, but there is monitoring, and a price to pay.”
“What kind of price?”
“The kind your father paid,” his mother said.
Rsiran frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means that he had permission to return with me to Elaeavn, but there would come a day when he would be asked to do more. You, like your father, are descendants of the ancient smith blood. There is power in that.” She pointed toward the pockets of his cloak where he’d tucked the knives. “Even they know that.”
“The Forgotten. Father was called to help them,” Rsiran said. “That was the price? That was why he was in Asador?”
“He was called because the metal began to flow freely again. Whatever restriction had been on it was eased. As a smith—one of the true smiths—your father was summoned.”
From what Rsiran had seen, he hadn’t been the only one summoned. Many of the smithies within Elaeavn had been shuttered. He had thought it due to the lack of lorcith, but his mother was right: the flow of lorcith had increased since the restrictions had eased. For the Forgotten, he knew Josun was their supplier, accessing Ilphaesn from the other side of the mountain. For the rest of Elaeavn, he was quite sure the mine he’d worked in was their only source.
But someone had been controlling the output generated from Ilphaesn, hadn’t they? Why relax that control?
Everything began to make some sense, though questions remained. He wished Brusus hadn’t gone. He was connected well enough to understand the strange politics and knew what questions needed to be asked.
“That was why he was in Asador,” Rsiran said.
She nodded.
Rsiran made a slow circle around the inside of her home, pacing as he often did when in the smithy, trying to piece together what he knew. He had answers to why his father had been in Asador, if not the reason they had wanted lorcith forged. He might even understand why Venass wanted his father if they thought to either learn what the Forgotten wanted from the smiths or thought to prevent them from claiming it.
That left Alyse.
“Why did you come here, Rsiran?” his mother asked. “You knew about your father, but not enough to have come to me. Why now, when you clearly have known how to find me for some time.”
He blinked, pushing away the questions. He would begin to work through them another time, but not on his own. Jessa could help, would have to help, and Brusus.
“I haven’t known that you were here,” he said. “Only that you were in Lower Town.”
She nodded. “Why today?”
“Did Alyse ever tell you that she saw me?”
The corners of her eyes tightened when he mentioned his sister’s name. Could she know where she was? If she was afraid of the Forgotten, could she have somehow found a
Chapter 11
T he words took a moment to sink in. If his parents had met outside of Elaeavn, there could really only be one reason for it, but the reason made no sense, not given what he knew of his parents. They had always followed the Elvraeth rule and had served as expected, living quietly within Elaeavn, or had until Rsiran had been sent to the mines.
“If you met in Thyr, that means that you’re one of the Forgotten,” he said.
Her entire body stiffened. “You think that I could have been exiled?” she asked.
Even the term she chose matched what the Forgotten used. Exiled, not Forgotten.
But that meant that he had ties to the Forgotten. Had Evaelyn known? Was that part of the reason they had wanted him?
No. They wouldn’t have poisoned him, trying to force answers from him if that were the case. Unless Inna didn’t know. Evaelyn had been upset at how she’d used the slithca syrup on him.
He needed to find Della. She might know more.
Rsiran turned his attention back to his mother. “What did you do?”
She pulled her chair back and took a seat. “I did nothing but have the misfortune to be born outside of the city,” she began. “Your father returned me. Such a thing is allowed, but there is monitoring, and a price to pay.”
“What kind of price?”
“The kind your father paid,” his mother said.
Rsiran frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means that he had permission to return with me to Elaeavn, but there would come a day when he would be asked to do more. You, like your father, are descendants of the ancient smith blood. There is power in that.” She pointed toward the pockets of his cloak where he’d tucked the knives. “Even they know that.”
“The Forgotten. Father was called to help them,” Rsiran said. “That was the price? That was why he was in Asador?”
“He was called because the metal began to flow freely again. Whatever restriction had been on it was eased. As a smith—one of the true smiths—your father was summoned.”
From what Rsiran had seen, he hadn’t been the only one summoned. Many of the smithies within Elaeavn had been shuttered. He had thought it due to the lack of lorcith, but his mother was right: the flow of lorcith had increased since the restrictions had eased. For the Forgotten, he knew Josun was their supplier, accessing Ilphaesn from the other side of the mountain. For the rest of Elaeavn, he was quite sure the mine he’d worked in was their only source.
But someone had been controlling the output generated from Ilphaesn, hadn’t they? Why relax that control?
Everything began to make some sense, though questions remained. He wished Brusus hadn’t gone. He was connected well enough to understand the strange politics and knew what questions needed to be asked.
“That was why he was in Asador,” Rsiran said.
She nodded.
Rsiran made a slow circle around the inside of her home, pacing as he often did when in the smithy, trying to piece together what he knew. He had answers to why his father had been in Asador, if not the reason they had wanted lorcith forged. He might even understand why Venass wanted his father if they thought to either learn what the Forgotten wanted from the smiths or thought to prevent them from claiming it.
That left Alyse.
“Why did you come here, Rsiran?” his mother asked. “You knew about your father, but not enough to have come to me. Why now, when you clearly have known how to find me for some time.”
He blinked, pushing away the questions. He would begin to work through them another time, but not on his own. Jessa could help, would have to help, and Brusus.
“I haven’t known that you were here,” he said. “Only that you were in Lower Town.”
She nodded. “Why today?”
“Did Alyse ever tell you that she saw me?”
The corners of her eyes tightened when he mentioned his sister’s name. Could she know where she was? If she was afraid of the Forgotten, could she have somehow found a
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