Emerald And Aharon

Chapter 16

She almost laughed at my words, but I kept my expression blank as I waited for her answer.

“I figured it was high time for me to show up. I have heard somewhere that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but they neglected to mention that it also makes the heart grow lonelier.”

She kissed me then, and I wrapped my arms around her waist and twirled her around. She broke off the kiss and laughed; I smiled back and led her into the kitchen.  I was happy that she was here, if she hadn’t I wasn’t sure what I would have done.

Alleyne and Fire were in the kitchen, Alleyne teaching Fire how to cook like their mother had taught Alleyne.  Alleyne had not quite as much patience as her mother had in teaching, but she was young.  They both looked up when we walked in and Alleyne glared at Emerald, “what are YOU doing here?” she demanded at Emerald.

Emerald leveled her gaze at her and said coolly, “Its none of your business what I am doing here Alleyne, that is between your father and I.”

Alleyne opened her mouth to retort, but Fire cut her off.  “Emerald!!” She yelled coming across the room and around the table, throwing her arms around Emerald.  “I’ve missed you.”

Emerald hugged her back, and I hid the smile I felt forming. 

We soon fell into a routine and life as we knew it resumed. I taught Alleyne more swordplay, and sometimes Emerald would try and help but Alleyne would refuse to acknowledge Emerald. The only time Alleyne did acknowledge Emerald was to insult her or glare at her, but I put a stop to that immediately. Other than that I let it be, Alleyne obviously blamed Emerald for what happened, so the two of them would have to work it out.

Alleyne turned sixteen and she left the castle. I let her go, if she felt she was old enough to make it on her own then she was free to do so.  Emerald was upset that Alleyne left, she felt that she was too young, but she also let Alleyne go.

One sunny day not long after that, Emerald took Fire riding for the day to do some shopping in the village and spend some girl time together.  I stayed behind to give them that time together and get some things done that I have not had a chance to do yet.  It was spring, and there were a lot of plants that needed tending.

About mid-afternoon clouds started gathering, and the wind picked up a bit.  It soon started raining, and after a few hours the light rain turned into a downpour, and the wind howled outside.  Where was Emerald and Fire?  How dare Emerald keep Fire out in a storm like this?  I paced back and forth, maybe the girls stayed in the village to wait out the storm.  I continued to pace as I waited, and the storm got worse, and the sky darker.  As I looked out a window over the courtyard I saw Emerald and Fire come riding in and head to the stables.  I headed down to the kitchen to wait for them to come inside.

When they did, I glared at Emerald who was soaking wet. “What in the hell were you thinking, riding with Fire in a storm like this?”

Emerald sighed, wiping some of the rain off her face, “Would you rather that she and I stay in a cave where Talatiana might try and turn her into her next midnight meal?”

I felt my jaw drop and I stared at Emerald, who moved over closer to the stove to warm her hands, “She eats flesh?”

Emerald shook her head slowly, her eyes on the stove, “No she eats blood.  Needs it to stay strong and healthy.” She rubbed her hands together and lifted her eyes to mine, “a long time ago, she married a mortal man, and settled into the life of a mortal, and she was happy.  Orcs came to her farm, tortured and killed her family. They left her for last, r****g and beating her until they thought she was dead and left her. She was so far gone that even our natural ability to heal wasn’t enough to keep her awake.  She took what strength she had left to drag her body to a witch’s hut.  Even then she barely had the strength to scratch at the old woman’s door, but she did.  The old witch gave her the one thing that would help: the blood of a druid.”

I knew there was more to my dislike of Talatiana, and there it was.  Anything that drank the blood of a druid and lived was marked for life, damned almost, at least amongst other druids. I frowned and spoke, “Druid’s blood is poison outside of a druid.”

Emerald shook her head, droplets flying every which way. “Not to immortals. It’s an elixir of rejuvenation, any injury or ailment instantly cured and strength fully restored.  Though that rejuvenation comes at a high cost.  Once you drink it, you thirst for blood.  The more blood you drink, the more blood you need and the more dependent you become.” She shook her head slightly, “Talatiana got her revenge.  And she likes to kill, so those she kills, she drinks their blood to stay in top form.”

'Great,’ I thought to myself, 'if she ever comes near Fire again I will kill her myself.’ She wouldn’t be the first immortal I had killed.

She glanced at me and walked through the kitchen, “now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to take a warm bath then scrounge up some food and then go to bed.  You can join me in the latter two if you so wish.”

I watched her leave and then turned my attention to Fire, who had been listening to the whole conversation.  “Food, then bed young lady.  I noticed that unlike Emerald, Fire was totally dry, seemed Emerald had taken extra precautions to ensure that would happen when she found they would have to brave the storm to get home.

Fire started to protest, “I want to hear more about that woman...” but she stopped when she saw the look on my face.

She quietly ate the stew I set before her and then headed upstairs. A few minutes later Emerald came into the kitchen, she looked beautiful in a green robe and her hair down about her waist.  “You took your hair down,” I commented.

She smiled at me and came around the table, standing behind me and wrapping her arms around me and touching her cheek to mine.  “Aye, why don’t you wear yours down?”

I grabbed her hand before she got the leather tie I used to keep it in its ponytail loose.  “Cause I don’t.” I said flatly. “Leave it be.”

She sighed and came around and sat down on my lap, “Spoilsport,” she said.

I wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, “eat.”

She stood up to head over to her chair and I swatted her on her ass.  She glared over her shoulder at me but I looked back at her innocently and she shook her head and sat down to eat.  We ate in a comfortable quiet and when she was done we headed upstairs.

When we reached our room Emerald crawled into bed and I followed, and she snuggled up against me and was soon asleep.  I was awake for a bit longer, and wondered, how long would Emerald and I last? I loved her, loved her more than anything in this world and didn’t want to lose her.  I pulled her sleeping form closer and pushed the thoughts and worries out of my mind. Might as well make the best of what was going on right now. Eventually I fell asleep myself.

Winter passed without much excitement, Emerald and I worked together patching up the stables and a few of the holes in the castle roof. Spring came and Emerald and I tried teaching Fire sword fighting but she didn’t have the knack for it like her sister and brother did.  So, we sent her to Aurianna’s to learn how to shoot a bow.

While staying at Aurianna’s Emerald and I decided to go for a ride and got ambushed by a group of Panthras, half dragon half panther creatures, vicious and eat anything they can get their mouth around.  I grabbed Emerald around the waist and went up into a tree while Ember and Nightshade took off.

Emerald looked down at the panthras circling the tree, a few trying to climb up but unable to and sighed.  She murmured a spell and a tree house formed around us. “We’re going to be here a while, so we may as well make the best of it.”

I just looked at her and she shrugged her shoulders and started making some lunch. We ate in a comfortable silence, it was broken by an occasional squabble from below, when Emerald grabbed the tie that held my hair back. I retaliated back by pulling her braid loose, and things went from there.

We were there for 3 days and 2 nights, when Emerald poked her head out cause she heard something other than the panthras fighting amongst each other. She brought her head back in and said, 

“Nightshade and Ember are back, we should head back.”

I just looked at her, and instead of answering I kissed her and we stayed another night in that tree house.

The next morning I heard a man’s voice calling my and Emerald’s names.  I poked my head out the window and saw Accalon riding up. I pulled my head in and said “time for us to head back, they sent the Calvary.”

Emerald chuckled and quickly dressed and braided her hair and climbed down. As soon as I left the tree house, it disappeared, and we rode back with Accalon to Aurianna’s and Auron’s.

When we got there I saw Aurianna’s brood out playing with Fire.  Aurianna was sitting on the porch watching them and I noticed as she stood that she was expecting another child. Fire nearly knocked Emerald over as she tackled her in a hug and Aurianna demanded, “Where in the hell have you two been?”

“Up in a tree, waiting for panthras to leave us alone,” I replied.

Aurianna smirked and nodded.  She didn’t as what we were doing up in the tree, I had a feeling she already knew.

“How were things here? Fire gave you any trouble?” I asked.

“Of course not. She’s a good child, Aharon, and a good shot with a longbow.” She flashed one of her rare smiles at Fire and turned back to me. “Do you know what happened? The Isilk are on the move again,” she whispered to me.

I nodded my head but said nothing.

“Are you leaving?” she asked, glancing over at Emerald who was playing with the children.

“I will leave only when it is necessary to leave, Auri, and right now it’s not.” Aurianna nodded her understanding and later Emerald, Fire, and I all rode back to my castle.

Spring turned to summer, and the days grew longer and hotter.  I stayed outside most days, tending to the grounds and teaching Fire more of the old ways. The heat didn’t bother me, and it really didn’t bother Fire.  She had a strange wild talent, an ability to control, create and corrupt fire. It was eerie to watch, I hadn’t seen much like that before without years of training and she had none.  I wondered where she had gotten it from and I made a note to ask Auri if wild magic ran in her family.

One hot mid-summer day a knock came at the gates of the castle.  I looked up from the work I was doing and saw a woman with auburn hair.  She reminded me of Emerald.

I stood up and approached the gates, “Hello, push on in, they are not locked.”

The woman pushed open the gate and soon stood before me and stared at me.  She was about the same height as Emerald, and up close her eyes were a similar color and looked to be a younger version of Emerald. “Are you Aharon?” she finally asked.

I nodded my head.

She took a deep breath, “My name is Acarliana, and I was told that you were my father.”

I arched an eyebrow at her, me her father?  The only women I had any relations with were Aileena, Desiree and Emerald and I know she wasn’t one of Desiree’s or Aileena’s girls. “Really,” I said and the girl shrugged her shoulders, something in the gesture reminding me of Auron.

“My mother’s name was Emerald, do you know her?”

I slowly nodded my head, “Aye, I know Emerald.” I turned and headed inside, and said over my shoulder, “Follow me.” She followed me inside to Emerald’s sewing room.  “Emerald, did you have a child by me and give her up?”  I looked from Emerald to Acarliana both staring at each other in shock.