Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2016 14:58:30 +0400
From: Nell Bas <helledon12@gmail.com>
Subject: the last feres/ the feri light 9

Happy reading!

				The Feri Light
				   Chapter 9

    'Rye, over here,' Caleb shouted from across the hall. He and an older
man I didn't know hunched over a table. Ander was there too. He sat on the
table watching the men with interest.

   'Where's Wren?' I asked.

   'He's outside with the other rangers repairing the damage done to the
wall last night.'

   I sighed. 'He told you not to wake me, didn't he?'

   'Yeah,' Caleb said scratching his head.

   'He left breakfast for you,' Ander chimed in.

   'Thank you Ander,' I said ruffling the boy's hair. That was when a felt
a tingle.

   At first I thought I was feeling faint from lack of sustenance, but it
became clear when I felt the pull that I triggered another vision.

   On a raucous yet blurred battlefield, I saw a young warrior drenched in
sweat and blood, on his back, gazing at a bearded and much older warrior
holding a blade high over his chest.

   Fear gripped the young warrior as his enemy spat; "Now you die, scum!"

   As the blade descended the young warrior held his breath. Bugged out,
his eyes never left the sword. Just when I thought he was done for, a
dagger appeared under the warlord's neck. With a quick swipe, blood spilled
and the bearded warrior fell unceremoniously onto the ground. Another tall
warrior stood in his place holding the bloody dagger. Surprisingly the new
warrior looked a lot like Ander. An older version, but he was Ander, I
realized. Dropping the dagger, Ander pulled the fallen warrior up. He
grasped the other man's face between his palms, "Are you hurt atsa?"

   "No. he just grazed my wrist," the fallen warrior replied revealing the
cut on his, glyph-less wrist.

   'A Feres?' I mumbled. I peered at the glyph-less warrior. 'What the...?
That's impossible!'

   While I stood gawking at the young feres, the older Ander smiled and
pecked him on the lips.

   "It will heal. Now let's finish this and go home. Ryestown is awaiting
our victorious return."

    The two men picked up their swords. They exchanged one last look before
jumping back into the fray.

   The vision suddenly came to an abrupt stop, leaving a bitter taste in my
mouth.

   'Rye, is everything okay?' Caleb said holding my arm. He guided me to
the bench and sat me down.

   With a worried look on his face, Caleb held my gaze.

   'I'm fine,' I said.

   'No you're not. Did you have...?'

    'No,' I cut him off, 'It was just a dizzy spell. I'll be fine once I've
had something to eat. I promise.'

   Caleb creased his brow. 'Tobb, can you fetch him his breakfast, please,'
he said.

   Tobb nodded wordlessly.

   'Let me, let me. I know where it is,' Ander chanted excitedly.

    'Okay. You show me where it is then,' Tobb said chuckling.

   The little boy rushed out of the room with the man striding after him.

   'Slow down, boy.' Tobb chuckled again.

   Amused, Caleb and I watched them go.

   'Are you sure you're all right, Your Majesty?'

   'Yes. There's nothing to worry about. Like I said, it was just a dizzy
spell,' I lied.

   Caleb smirked. 'Really? You went stiff and your eyes turned smoky. That
looked like one of your visions to me.'

   I forgot Caleb witnessed me having a vision before.

   I huffed in resignation. 'You're right Caleb. I just had a vision of the
boy. I'm not sure what it meant yet.'

   'Nothing bad, I hope, because I'm starting to like the little guy.'

   'You have nothing to fear. The Ander I saw was a man in his
mid-twenties.  He'll grow up to be quite a formidable warrior. Trust me.'

   Caleb smiled. 'That's good to hear.'

   Satisfied with my answer he changed the subject. 'Tobb and I are taking
Ander fishing. Would you like to tag along?'


   An hour later, I was by the river with my three companions. They were
fishing.  However, I doubt they'll catch anything with an enthusiastic
Ander underfoot.

   Caleb offered to teach me how to fish. I declined. I hate fish,
especially the smell.

   So, the whole morning I've been basking in the sun. Back in the human
realm, my friend Alex and I use to do that all the time. We would go to
Leiden Park equipped with towels, suntan lotion, sunglasses and water
bottles. We would listen to music, talk about school and movies or simply
ogle at the cute boys playing football on the lawn a few feet away.

   I missed the old times. I missed Alex.

   'Rye, Rye, look. I caught a big one.' Ander's voice cut into my
reveries.

   I sat up to see him holding a struggling fish. I laughed.

   'Put it in the basket before it bites you.'

   He pulled a scared face and rushed back to the river. I laughed watching
him place the fish in the basket and going back to sit near Caleb. The
shifter gave him the fishing rod and ruffled his hair.

   I couldn't help but smile as I lay back down again.

   'Is this what you've been doing all morning?' A cocky voice said.

   'Aren't you supposed to be fixing the wall or something? Don't tell me
you gave up already.'

   'We're done.' Wren dropped to his knees and kissed me full on the mouth.

   'Hey!' I said. 'You're blocking my sun.' I peered up at him. 'Ew, you're
sweaty and sticky. Go jump in the river. I will not have you near me like
this. GO!'

   'Certainly, Your Majesty.' Wren laughed out loud before making his way
down to the river.

   After ten minutes he returned drenched from head to toe.

   'Do I meet your requirements now, Your Majesty?' He teased.

   'Tsk, tsk.' I shook my head.

   He reached for an apple in the bag Caleb brought and took a bite.

   I sat up and watched him. He looked cute with his honey brown eyes and
his wet plastered hair.

   I reached up and felt his powerful jaw as he chewed.

   'You look just like him?'

   Wren knitted his brows together. 'Like who?' He leisurely asked.

   'I had a vision after touching Ander this morning. He was older but the
interesting part was the young man he was with.'

   What about him?' Wren took another bite of the apple.

   'He was our son.'

   Wren swallowed and started coughing immediately after. It went done the
wrong pipe, I guessed.

   'Come again?' He asked when the coughing subsided.

   I smiled. 'I saw our son.'

   Wren momentarily pondered the news. 'I don't doubt your visions, Rye,
but as much as I would like to have a child with you, I'm afraid it will
never be. And you know why.'

   Dismissing the outlandish notion, he chuckled.

   'Don't laugh at me. It's unbelievable, I know, but I trust what I saw.'

   I will find a way to show him what I saw.  Maybe then he will believe
me. If there is one, Devlin would know, I thought.

   Speaking of Devlin, I forgot about his assignment. I mentioned it to
Wren and he told me to do it.

   'I don't see any animals around.'

    'There is. Over there,' He pointed towards a grouse which were
inconspicuously hiding in the grass. Wren's wolf senses were amazingly
acute. 'Call it over.'

   'It's not as easy as you think,' I said.

   'Like granny always says; "You won't know until you try. And If you fail
on the first try, go for a second try and a third try, even a forth if
that's what it takes to succeed".'

   I snickered.  'Granny. I thought your grandmother died before you were
born?'

   'Not my witch grandmother. She's very much alive. She lives in the woods
near Theran. She loves it when Wain and I visit her but she hates the
city. I used to run away to her cottage all the time and she would conceal
me when my father's men came looking for me.'

   'She sounds adorable. I would like to meet her.'

   'We'll visit her when we get back home. Now you have some practicing to
do.  Get to it.'

   I love Wren but he can be bossy at times.

   Exhaling deeply I momentarily closed my eyes to channel my center. I
raised a hand towards the grouse.

    Now what? I thought. Devlin used a spell. Can I replicate his exact
words?  No. I dropped my hand. That can't be it.

   I spent almost half an hour before I figured it out. The spell Devlin
used was just for show, a distraction. I realized it has something to do
with manipulating my own inner core. I have to use it to make the
connection. And that any command has to be made through the connection.

   I raised my hand again. Using it as an anchor, I reached out for the
grouse by expanding and siphoning my core. As I touched the bird's life
force I flinched. It was like touching a warm body.

   'Rye. Are you okay?' Wren worriedly asked.

   'In a minute,' I hissed.

   Perturbed, the grouse tried to flee. I held him down through the
connection.

   Now comes the fun part, I thought.

   "Come to me," I urged through the connection.

   Just like that the bird stood up and flew into my lap.

   'Wow!' Wren said excitedly. I patted the bird for a brief moment then
severed the connection I had with it. As soon as the bird realized it was
free it spread its wings. Unfortunately, Wren quickly grabbed it and broke
its neck.

   'EW! WREN!'

   'You did it atsa. And on the first try at that. I'm proud of you.'

   'Yeah, but don't ask me to do it again. I refuse to lure more animals to
their death,' I said pulling a disgusting face.

   Wren chuckled. 'You just secured dinner. I hate fish.'

   'Yeah, next time you'll hunt for your food.'

   Wren laughed again. 'What difference does it make whether I hunt the
bird or not. I saw an opportunity and I took it.'

   'There is a difference. In a hunt the grouse could have at least a
fifty-fifty chance at evading capture.'

   Wren sighed. 'Okay Rye. Clearly you're upset about this. I apologize.  I
promise that I will never ask you to use your powers for this purpose
again.'

   ..................................................................

   End of chapter 9