Demon's Height

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Liorn watched with heavy lidded eyes as Melinia and his children slept. The early morning breeze felt refreshing. It has been three days that he'd sent the messenger to deliver the message. And another day since his commander Margot and his men disappeared. Something smelled wrong and dirty and Liorn knew it. Also, he would have to break it to Melinia that he would be leaving soon to depart for the small war.

Truthfully, Liorn didn't want to leave his wife and kids for hours, how would he survive days and maybe even weeks without the constant wailing of the babes. He wanted to reconcile the relationship he never had with Melinia and he felt that this was his answer. His chance.

He knew personally that she had soften towards him again, even smiling at him. Her words were soft and she did not flinch when he neared or accidentally brushed against her skin. She was actually getting closer to him he believed. Late at night when neither of them was asleep they'd find a topic and converse. Until one of the infants start to cry again.

Liorn sat on the small chaise lounge and saw Fayal's tiny arms and legs move in the air. Looking over at his son, his small green eyes played mischief in them as his small palms grabbed onto his feet and he made little gurgling sounds. Smiling Liorn reached over and touched his small fingers, rewarded with Fayal's strong grip on his forefinger. "Buhrr" Fayal spoke his baby gibberish to Liorn.

He tickled Fayal's tummy, rewarded again with squirming and a smile. No teeth in the child but he could see the pink gums healthy and happy. His son was, he knew was going to be a handsome young man when he would grow up. All the girls would want to marry him. Along with Fiora, Liorn was afraid that he'd have to fight off her would-be-suitors with an army of men. His children he thought were precious to him along with their mother. Never had he felt this way. The warm tingle inside his gut and chest.

"Have you ever loved a child?" Liorn heard a soft voice greet him at his back. Turning he found Melinia with her head laying on her arm on the pillow as she looked at him. Her hazel eyes were shiny and she yawned wiping the tear away.

Liorn stared at Fayal, who clutched to his finger, then glanced to Melinia. "No, I have not, I've never held one before, truthfully. I was afraid I'd hurt them. They seem so small and delicate that any touch would hurt them." Liorn blurted out.

Melinia closed her eyes and spoke. "I thought so, you always seem afraid to cradle the infants." She opened her eyes and reached over to Fiora to grab Fayal’s other hand. He held onto her finger too. "Have you?" Liorn asked. She looked at Fayal's fingers with awe as if there was some mysterious kind of magic to them. "No, I have not but the nurse had taught me before I was to bed you that night as your wife." Melinia looked at Liorn. "She was so happy and enthusiastic."

Fiora woke up crying. Melinia grabbed her and stood up from the bed. She walked over to the window and felt the spring breeze brush her hair. "Sky may cry this day" She commented on the gray clouds that were in the distance. Fiora stopped crying and laughed as if her mother made a jest. "Fiora you must protect your little brother" She snuggled her head into Fiora's tummy. The baby made and infant like giggle her green almost hazel eyes looking at her mother as if she understood.

Liorn grabbed Fayal with one arm and stood next to Melinia. They placed the infants near each other. Both the children looked exactly the same. Melinia looked at him. "They have your smile" A confused Liorn looked at her, "How do you know?" She watched him closely. "The indentation on their faces show a slight indentation- like you" She then smiled her eyes tired and mane of hair a mess but damn him she was still the most beautiful creature he had stumbled upon.

Her eyes twinkled in the dim lighting of the room but the sun still caught contrast with her eyes before that sun was displaced by the dark clouds. No more hate, sorrow or fear shadowed in the depths of her eyes. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked trying not to embrace the fear of rejection or her straight answer that threatened his stomach.

She paused. How exactly was she supposed to respond to his question? "Liorn-" Before she could finish, he kissed her on the lips. It was fast yet methodical and a gentle kiss. Liorn pulled back, looking almost as if he was shy. He looked down at Fayal, his attention on the child.

"Liorn..I.." A knock on their bed chamber door interrupted her again. He paused, looked at her and then the door as there was another urgent sounding knock. "Come in"

The man servant his head down and then looked at Liorn. "You are needed in the war quarters immediately, the general says it is urgent." Liorn looked over to Melinia and then nodded. He placed Fayal carefully on the bed next to Melinia and Fiora. "I'll be present shortly" He said taking off after the manservant to the war quarters.

"My lord earlier this eve we dispatched several of our men to what the watch towers noticed enflamed farms. They had left early this morn and we have not a word from them since. It is beginning to sun set. We feel it has become bad, no messages of any sort have been received and there was no sign of them." The general in command said to Liorn, his head on the map of the nearby plains.

Liorn took a deep breath and did a mental clearance. What was he to do? He needed men to embark on the journey to war and his men have gone missing. Did it have anything to do with the upcoming war? "Has Kitar made any advances on the message?" They sent the messenger a day ago and it should have taken two days with the fastest steed.

Suddenly there was a commotion from the soldier’s barracks where they trained. Liorn and the general left the office and joined the others. A black horse with a flower emblem on its saddle ran ruckus though the barracks. In the middle of the saddle was a disembodied arm. It implanted itself within the leather of the saddle. Faint blood stained the flower emblem and Liorn recognized the emblem as his own flag. On the arm held a body mark. A slave mark and Liorn knew a person who would have a similar mark. Blood left his face as he paled and turned furiously while others tried to calm the horse. "Lieutenant Margot, was he one of the dispatched?"

"Yes-yes my lord. He was supervising the new trainees" Murmurs spread across the now hushed crowd of soldiers. Liorn took another look at the arm again. On the palm of his was a deep fresh scar of a symbol. A sword and a moon. Fire ran throughout his blood as he remembered Kitar's Seal. "Gear up, we are departing for war!" He shouted to his fellow men.

Liorn inspected his horse armored with chainmail and other rations. His men worked painstakingly quick. After, he left them to say goodbye to their wives and children while the single stayed behind to gear up.

He nodded at the teenage boy whose huge figure made him seem like a man. The young man darted off to his home to his mother to say goodbye.

Liorn paused in the doorway of the war quarters. Melinia was in the room looking at old testaments and family weaponry. "What are you doing in here?" He asked. She stopped and looked at him. "You are departing for war." It was neither a question or suggestion. He answered with a "Yes" She put her hands behind her back. "With who?"

"Kitar" He responded. She did not say anything for a while searching in his face for maybe a clue. "How long will you be gone?" Liorn took a deep breath and stood beside her. "I'm not sure how long, I promise it won't be long. I'll be back as soon as we could" She nodded her head understandingly. "I do hope so Liorn"

He swallowed his spit and spoke. "Why?" She turned her head to give him a quizzical look." I don't want you to be gone for so long and the babes, I'm sure they need their father. Wars, I know may last for months some unfortunately more." He nodded and grabbed her hands. "I understand" She said for the kids, not for her.

Liorn then bent his head to give her a kiss first on the forehead but with her contemplated sigh he grabbed her chin and raised it towards his face. He stared at her face for either a sign of fear or to let go but he did not find one. Her eyes slowly slid closed and he touched their lips together. He braced his arms with his and then moved higher from her neck to her cheeks. She placed her hands on his arm gripping tightly on the metal chains. He pulled back, feeling the warmth on his lips still.

He wanted to kiss her again, strip both of them naked and make more children, but that...that will have to wait. "Goodbye Melinia. Take care of Fayal and Fiora for me. When I get back, I want us to start over. Will you forgive me?"

"Liorn-I-come back safely" She whispered almost letting something slip. She felt the cool air embrace her as Liorn left from the room probably saying his goodbyes to the babes. What was there to worry about. He is a strong man, he'll be fine. Liorn will come back strong as ever and maybe this time they can start over like he said. The past behind them and start anew with their children. Until then, Melinia waited for him to return with anticipation.