Rayne, Child of a Thousand Years CH 32

The look on the woman’s face froze in empty darkness as she flicked her hand at Rayne and turned away. “Then it’s for the best,” her voice was emotionless and empty as she disappeared behind the throne.1

Rayne was left standing in the empty throne room with the cage to her left and the body of her father slumped in the chair before her. When the emptiness finally made her fall to her knees, she heard a whisper.2

RAYNE……3

No one else was in the room but she distinctly heard a voice.4

RAYNE…5

It was so quiet that the youwarkee wondered if she was just imagining things in the silence. The woman might be behind it, too. She was so strangely eccentric and everything.6

RAYNE, OVER HERE.7

That time, the youwarkee turned to the cage with a little surprise. Whatever sat underneath that beautifully crafted cloth must be calling her. She hadn’t brought her spear from her room with her so Rayne was a little leery of any surprises. Still, curiosity made her approach the cage and raise a hand to pull the drapery away.8

Silk whispered its way to the floor about them as she stared into the eyes of a haggard man. They were empty like the strange woman’s eyes. Still, Rayne could sense something different about this man. “Who are you?” Her voice was whisper-quiet. She listened patiently as he spoke. To Rayne’s surprise, his lips didn’t even move.9

GO. TAKE YOUR SPEAR.10

It puzzled her as she stared at him. His voice rumbled with power and yet he seemed to be trying to keep it from thundering. “Who are you?” she repeated.11

There was a quiet sigh as a hand came down on her shoulder from behind. Rayne nearly screamed in surprise as she spun away, slamming hard into the cage behind her. A young man stood there wringing his hands, looking this way and that with agitation, “Come, My lady,” he spoke hurriedly, “We must hurry. Let me lead you to your friends.”12

“Jacub? Tyke?” Rayne spoke swiftly. “Where are they? Are they all right? What happened to them? Who is this man? What’s…”13

He raised his hands swiftly and glanced about again, “It’s not safe here, come. We must hurry!”14

With that, he took Rayne’s hand in his own and raced out of the room, glancing back just once as he closed the door behind them. It’d been years that he’d served Queen Tullia, but he was not like the other lowly peons. He had been Lord Talmyk’s page and squire. And no matter what happened, he had made a promise all those years ago…he would save the last of the blood.15

“Who are you?” Rayne’s voice came in gasps as they finally made it outside the castle walls. It was freezing cold outside, and she could see the puffs of white breath before her guide.16

He didn’t answer at first as he kept looking this way and that several times. Rayne could only assume that he’d actually heard her before he took her hand again and dragged her off into the snowy wasteland. It was obviously night out and Rayne wondered when it’d gotten so late. Surely she hadn’t spent so much time in that castle…or whatever that place was.17

Her guide came to such a sudden stop that the youwarkee had to flap her wings to slow herself down in time. She growled a little at that because her wings were aching recently from jumping off that cliff after Jacub. The man turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes. His dark green eyes were clear and sparkled with worry, “I do not know the way from here, my lady, but I’m certain that you know where it is we must go. Your friends were taken by the Queen’s knights…to a town by Yucu Miki Bay.”18

Rayne studied the man carefully. “Who are you?”19

The guide paused for a moment to stand his full height and look at her with as much pride as he could muster, “My name is Gable.”20

It took a moment for Rayen to find her tongue again. She glanced about warily for a moment before asking her next question, “Why are you helping me?”21

“My lord demands it,” he said it so simply as if there was nothing else to tell, but Rayne was so curious as to who this ‘lord’ was. It irked her when he turned and headed out over the snowy terrain.22

They were headed due south now. There was a slight winding road that was barely noticeable. It was only a matter of moments for Rayne to get over her irritation. She was soon entranced with this strange road they were on. It must lead somewhere. Rayne glanced back to see that the path vanished behind her. So it was a magical road then…23

Shaking her head, she turned back to concentrate on the road before her. It wouldn’t do to accidentally take a step off the path for she’d never make it back if she did so. She’d read something about these strange roads, but she couldn’t remember all of it. It was on an old scroll that Jeremy had slipped under her door so many years ago. Jeremy… Rayne screwed her eyes shut for just a moment to rid her thoughts of her beloved little brother. No, now was not a time to be thinking about that.24

“My lady!” gasped Gable’s voice.25

Rayne opened her eyes to look at him. His face was beaming merrily and his right arm was thrust out before them as if he wanted her to look in that direction. When she did, Rayne was taken by surprise over what she saw below. A beautiful land rolled out before them. Mountains on the opposite side of the bay were tall and regal with icy caps bracing the night sky and the rolling hills about them glistened slightly as the gentle wind whispered through the lush greenery. It was so beautiful here.26

It seemed so impossibly peaceful. Why would anyone take someone to this place? It didn’t seem like a devious sort of thing to do. Gable’s voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to him, “There are dangerous lands to the North of this village, my lady. I beg that you do not travel there, but I do not wish you to be caught by Queen Tullia either…”27

Rayne smiled slightly at that. Gable obviously didn’t want to put her into danger, but he probably didn’t have much choice. “You are free to come with me if you choose,” offered Rayne with a grin.28

The young man sighed wistfully for a moment and shook his head. “I cannot. I must tend to my lord!”29

With that, he turned and raced back the way they had come. The path followed him and Rayne was soon left on the top of a hill overlooking the quaint little town. She’d better wait for dawn before she try her luck with finding Jacub and Tyke...30