company for a change. One of them even kept coming back several times to her mother until he finely stole her heart and they fell in love.
‘Nalis, a very kind man,’ Tirsa told her. ‘They live happy together in our house in Zoria. He even raised Elimar as his own.’
She saw Artride looking rather doubtful. ‘But, when I make a quick adding up, Elimar is twelve right? So he cannot be your father’s child, because he is deceased for more than twelve years and he can’t be Nalis’ as they met ten years ago.’
‘That’s very perceptive. My father has been dead for sixteen years this year, to be precise. Yes, Elimar is my half-brother.’
‘But you said your mother did not socialise with other people all those years before Ceartas ’ knights came?’
Tirsa sighed. ‘She didn’t. She was raped four years after my father died.’
‘O, Great Spirits, no.’ Is there anything this girl and her family isn’t spared from?
‘When I was older she told me where my baby brother came from. I remember the day my sister got very ill, running a high fever and hallucinating and she needed the help of a local medicine man as our herbs were not curing her. I was only ten and too young to go, so I nursed my sister. It was a two-day trip for Mom to get there. When she got back, she brought a medicine. It cured my sister all right , as the medicine man had promised. He also gave my mother a full belly.’
‘No! How awful!’ Artride whispered with her mouth hanging open.
Welcome to the real world! ‘Well yes, her body that one time was the only price he wanted from her so she had given herself to him. She claims there was no violence involved really; but I still see it as rape and my sister blames herself terribly, even today.’ She sighed. ‘But we were all happy with Elimar of course.’
‘Does he know?’
Tirsa nodded. ‘More or less; knowing my mother, she told a different, nicer story; that he already existed within her sleeping; awaiting to be brought to life and that an angel in the village, where she got the medicine from, did so. He is old enough to understand the real truth; but as long as my mother isn’t sorry, he is not.’
‘Now I understand why your mother isolated herself and her family. What was her reaction when you joined the army?’
‘It helped that Dad had been a knight and Nalis is one too. She understood that I had to do what I had to do after … some time.’
‘I bet she is proud now.’
Tirsa completed her story by telling her how she finally went to Ceartas two years after she first met the Ceartas knights. Shades had promised she could sign up if she turned eighteen.
‘A long and thorough training followed; for both my body and soul, but I was determined.’
‘But still to revenge your father?’
Tirsa fixed her eyes on her, incredulously. The queen felt brainless for asking.
‘That was my only goal. What did I have to do with Ceartas and its people? However , … slowly it became more than that; somehow I came to believe I could change the world; fight evil and all that.’
Even though it was not her world at all.
‘Noble indeed.’ And naïve, Artride thought and was curious enough to ask, ‘Did you succeed; I mean did you get your revenge?’
The fire was dimming slowly and when a breeze blew Artride’s way , she was breathing smoke, she coughed. When she stopped, she saw Tirsa grinning.
‘Of course.’ She began to tell her when she had had the opportunity as a beginner to meet and study the Razoras in their last war nearly four years ago. How she became a predator in her search for her pray and found at least one of them; one of the murderers of her father. She could not be any luckier.
‘Anger helped me to get closer to him and fight myself a way towards him. He was well protected, for he was a leader, but I got help from my fellow knights who covered my back. I … did not know how many I cut down, but … they say it was a lot. I do not remember anything
‘Nalis, a very kind man,’ Tirsa told her. ‘They live happy together in our house in Zoria. He even raised Elimar as his own.’
She saw Artride looking rather doubtful. ‘But, when I make a quick adding up, Elimar is twelve right? So he cannot be your father’s child, because he is deceased for more than twelve years and he can’t be Nalis’ as they met ten years ago.’
‘That’s very perceptive. My father has been dead for sixteen years this year, to be precise. Yes, Elimar is my half-brother.’
‘But you said your mother did not socialise with other people all those years before Ceartas ’ knights came?’
Tirsa sighed. ‘She didn’t. She was raped four years after my father died.’
‘O, Great Spirits, no.’ Is there anything this girl and her family isn’t spared from?
‘When I was older she told me where my baby brother came from. I remember the day my sister got very ill, running a high fever and hallucinating and she needed the help of a local medicine man as our herbs were not curing her. I was only ten and too young to go, so I nursed my sister. It was a two-day trip for Mom to get there. When she got back, she brought a medicine. It cured my sister all right , as the medicine man had promised. He also gave my mother a full belly.’
‘No! How awful!’ Artride whispered with her mouth hanging open.
Welcome to the real world! ‘Well yes, her body that one time was the only price he wanted from her so she had given herself to him. She claims there was no violence involved really; but I still see it as rape and my sister blames herself terribly, even today.’ She sighed. ‘But we were all happy with Elimar of course.’
‘Does he know?’
Tirsa nodded. ‘More or less; knowing my mother, she told a different, nicer story; that he already existed within her sleeping; awaiting to be brought to life and that an angel in the village, where she got the medicine from, did so. He is old enough to understand the real truth; but as long as my mother isn’t sorry, he is not.’
‘Now I understand why your mother isolated herself and her family. What was her reaction when you joined the army?’
‘It helped that Dad had been a knight and Nalis is one too. She understood that I had to do what I had to do after … some time.’
‘I bet she is proud now.’
Tirsa completed her story by telling her how she finally went to Ceartas two years after she first met the Ceartas knights. Shades had promised she could sign up if she turned eighteen.
‘A long and thorough training followed; for both my body and soul, but I was determined.’
‘But still to revenge your father?’
Tirsa fixed her eyes on her, incredulously. The queen felt brainless for asking.
‘That was my only goal. What did I have to do with Ceartas and its people? However , … slowly it became more than that; somehow I came to believe I could change the world; fight evil and all that.’
Even though it was not her world at all.
‘Noble indeed.’ And naïve, Artride thought and was curious enough to ask, ‘Did you succeed; I mean did you get your revenge?’
The fire was dimming slowly and when a breeze blew Artride’s way , she was breathing smoke, she coughed. When she stopped, she saw Tirsa grinning.
‘Of course.’ She began to tell her when she had had the opportunity as a beginner to meet and study the Razoras in their last war nearly four years ago. How she became a predator in her search for her pray and found at least one of them; one of the murderers of her father. She could not be any luckier.
‘Anger helped me to get closer to him and fight myself a way towards him. He was well protected, for he was a leader, but I got help from my fellow knights who covered my back. I … did not know how many I cut down, but … they say it was a lot. I do not remember anything
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