“I’ll stay a while if you’ll have me,” Yori said with a smile.
“You’re always welcome here. Always.” Darin put an arm around Yori’s shoulders and said, “Come on. There’s one more load across the river, and you can help us carry it.”
Yori gladly accompanied the elves to the river. As the raft pushed away from the shore, Yori knelt and looked into the blue water. A silver mist swirled just below the surface, and he could not resist the urge to touch it. As he placed his hand lightly in the water, the runes of his silver ring flashed. The runes that had once been purple took on a faint blue tint. Removing his hand from the water, he inspected the ring. The band itself had taken on a bluish tint as well.
None of the others on the raft seemed to notice what had happened. Yori remained silent, not fully understanding what had occurred. Pressing the ring to his heart, he suddenly remembered a promise he had made. Perhaps the River God was reminding him to show him the path he should follow.
Once they reached the shore, Yori helped the elves load up the last of the bricks from the forge. As they crossed the river for the last time, Yori saw no sign of the being that lived in the water. Being blessed by the river’s magic, he no longer felt uncertain about his future. He knew what he should do and where he should make his home.
“You seem a million miles away,” Darin commented as they reached the shore.
“Just thinking,” he replied. “I’m going to keep my promise to the prince,” he declared. “He has kept his promise to us, and I should do the same.”
Nodding, Darin replied, “I understand, but stay here with us for a few days. I like having you around.” His green eyes sparkled as he looked upon his grandson.
“I will,” he replied. “I hope I’m able to visit here once in a while. The forest is in my blood, and I don’t want to stay away from it too long.”
Chapter 51
Reylana paced anxiously outside the palace. Na’zora’s palace district was a far cry from her forest home. There were few trees and only tiny gardens spread here and there. The palace itself included a larger garden, but the winter’s chill had claimed every plant.
“Stop pacing,” Essa said. “You’re making me nervous.”
Halting in her tracks, Reylana took a seat next to Essa on the stone steps of the palace. “I bet the other clans are giving too much away,” she said, shaking her head.
“They have to negotiate for themselves. If they stay strong, they will do as well as we have done.”
“We’re moving farther north than I had hoped,” Reylana admitted. “I will miss the forests where I was born.”
“That forest is no more,” Essa said flatly. “There is a healthy forest waiting for us, and our people will thrive there.”
“Everything’s going to be different,” Reylana replied, looking at her feet. “I have no one, and I don’t even have my homeland anymore.”
Essa looked at Reylana, her eyes sincere. “You have your clan. We are your family, and you are needed. Together, we will make a new life.”
Reylana nodded, trusting in Essa’s words. “Let’s get back in there,” she said, standing.
The two elves returned to the king’s throne room where scores of elves and humans had gathered. A large wooden table had been brought in for the occasion, and the king sat among the elves rather than on his throne. Choosing not to perch himself on his throne and look down upon them was a wise choice. Reylana respected the decision, hoping it was a reflection of the new king’s true nature. Though she doubted he truly considered the elves his equal, at least he was making them feel as if they were.
The newly appointed Overseer for the Silver Birch Clan was speaking forcefully, trying to convince his clansmen that his idea was best. “That land is destroyed,” he said. “We cannot return to our former home, so we must make do with what we’re given. The Forests of Viera are unspoiled.”
“Your former village will never be the same,” Aelryk said. “There’s no point in trying to rebuild. The mages have ensured it would be uninhabitable by my father’s command.”
“What will become of it?” a Sycamore clansman asked.
“Na’zora will clear the land, and part of it will become farms. We will not be expanding our borders very far. We only wish to make use of the land that is now useless to you.”
Though the new king’s words sounded logical, the elves murmured among themselves. Making a new life in a new forest could prove difficult, but some of them were eager to take on the challenge.