Chapter 3

We wrapped ourselves in our heavy cloaks as we ascended higher and higher, and we soon flew above a seemingly endless green mat of tree crowns. It was only broken now and then by a river or a small village, and somewhere beyond the horizon lay Naria. It was exhilarating to see all the small dots of life so far below us, and a rush of fear washed over me when I realised how high we were.

The wind ripped at every loose object, making it impossible to speak over its roar, and so we ended up pointing at all the beautiful places down below, hoping the other would notice them before we passed and lost sight of them. By the end of it, though, the chill got the better of us, and we huddled in the corner to try to get away from the wind.

The sun stood high in the sky, and we were frozen to the bone when Kine nudged us and pointed ahead. Naria. It was enormous, much bigger than I remembered. I had visited it before, of course, but seeing it from above was a different matter. It rested on the bank of the great River, surrounded by a stone wall, with the temple, built of grey stone, standing at its centre.

It was huge and so different from our simple village. For the first time, I wondered why someone would build something like this. Legend had it that my people found it when they first arrived in these lands, long before the beginning of time, and had restored the overgrown city to the habitable place it was today. Then I remembered the stone chambers that remained cool even in the heat of summer, and I understood. If only our village could be built like this, I wouldn't mind summer so much…

The Griffi suddenly took a steep dive, and we clambered onto the ropes hanging from the basket as we descended. We landed at the large square at the back of the temple, already filling with people drawn by our arrival. I got down from the basket and sighed with relief as the sun tickled my skin and the rough stone warmed my frozen feet.

My auntie made her way through the gathered crowd, and Kine walked over to her and offered her a couple of talking stones from the pouch hanging from his neck. I wondered what messages had been brought to Auntie and from whom, but at that moment, a cocoon of light enveloped them, and I could barely see them through the shimmering light. I was in awe of how easily Auntie could cast such a spell.

“So this is Naria..." Aase whispered, staring at the square with wide eyes.

I smiled. Of course, she’d never seen it before, but I remembered how amazed I’d been when I first saw it.

Kine and Auntie seemed to be taking forever, so we climbed back to the basket to retrieve our bags and get our things ready, but they were still talking when we were done. At least the crowd had slowly left. Probably bored, just like we were, waiting for them to finish. I really wanted to show Aase around. I sighed. Finally, the cocoon dissolved, and Auntie walked over to us.

“You must be Aase."

Auntie smiled and put her hands on her head.

“Welcome to Naria, my child. May you find the answers your heart is seeking. May peace…"

“Auntie…” I sighed. “You don’t need to be so formal. She’s my...”

“Your sweetheart, I know…” Auntie smiled and patted Aase’s head, making both of us want to die on the spot.

“She...”

I stopped myself. Somehow I couldn’t bring myself to deny it, even though it wasn’t true. But I decided at least not to admit it, and instead I went to say goodbye to Kine. We returned his cloaks and then watched him take off before following Auntie to her small stone house that lay next to the temple.

That evening, we were given a room in a long building where other helpers lived, and assigned the duties we would do during our time here.

If I had thought we would have a relaxing time now that we had left our farm, I soon found out I’d been wrong. We were busy from early morning to late evening, and it didn’t take long to realise our tasks were even more boring than harvesting Nuru. Even the magic lessons with Auntie turned out to be dull.

We’d try to escape our duties sometimes, but she always seemed to know it, and we didn’t manage to fool her even once. For a while, I’d hoped that Imae, an elf from the Star tribe who was taking care of all young helpers, would at least be fun, but she was no better.

As the weeks passed, part of me began to regret coming here, and I wished we could go home. Thinking back, our farm hadn’t been that bad after all, and we’d been mostly free to do as we wanted. I’d hoped our families would at least come to visit us, but as the sunny days were replaced by the Rains, we still hadn’t heard anything from them.

At first we just assumed they must be busy. After all, it would be more than a week's travel to Naria, and maybe there were things on the farm they had to attend to. But that was before the strange rumours started to come in. Naria had always had visitors seeking the Guardian’s wisdom, but instead of the calm influx my auntie had always told me about, more and more people began to come until Auntie and Imae were so busy we barely saw them. And all of them brought news that chilled my bones.

“Do you think it is true?” Aase asked one evening as we lay on her bed.

I shrugged and pulled my knees under my chin.

“The Spectre thing? Who knows?”

In those first weeks, I hadn’t known what to think about the strange stories brought by the newcomers. Rumours about monsters roaming their lands and taking people. It all sounded so strange, and I’d never heard about anything worse than the Traxes. But over the weeks, as more people arrived, the normally tranquil atmosphere of Naria had been replaced by a frenzy that seemed to spread everywhere people gathered.

Then, I’d heard it directly from Tore, a Lycan girl who had come all the way from the snowy mountains in the East to seek the Guardian's wisdom. She’d told me about a strange translucent worm that had appeared in their camp one night and taken their companions until she was the only one left.

I’d shivered as I heard it, and I’d asked her if she knew anything about our village, but she said they had taken a different route and wouldn’t say anything else. I didn’t want to worry Aase about it, so I stayed quiet, hoping she would not ask again.

"Silje..." she whispered, pulling me closer.

I hesitantly rested my head on her lap, and her hand caressed my long ears. We had stopped being embarrassed about being close, at least when we were alone. As the rumours spread and the worry for our families grew, we’d huddle together, trying to find whatever comfort we could.

“Silje, we should go home. What if our families…?” she whispered.

I sighed and turned to look into her green eyes.

“I know, but…”

“...we are needed here," she finished it for me and brushed a loose strand of hair from my face.

“We are…” I sighed.

“Maybe we can go back in the spring...?”

I closed my eyes to hide my tears and let her play with my hair as I listened to the rain falling outside the window.

We woke up the next morning to the sun barely above the grey horizon. The room was damp, and the chill seemed to penetrate every corner, and I hesitated for a moment before I lowered my feet onto the cold stone floor, wishing that, for once, we could stay huddled in bed the whole day, but we were needed…

I lit a small crystal lamp, washed my face in the basin, and waited for Aase to get up before we left for the kitchen. The simple porridge and tea we were always served were a far cry from the lavish meal Auntie had cooked for us to welcome us to Naria all those months ago. But at least it was warm and more than what those who had just arrived had had on their journey. Suddenly I remembered the Nuru fruits we’d harvested, but I shook my head and glanced at Aase.

She smiled, and we got up and braced ourselves for today’s assignment. The square was already submerged in a thin layer of water as we stepped into the rain, splattering beneath our feet as we began cleaning the drainage channels. They got blocked almost every day, so our work felt like an endless task.

We were soaked when the water finally started to drain.

“Good work, Silje."

Aase smiled at me.

“I hope it will at least stay like this for a day or two," I sighed.

A sharp whistle suddenly cut the air, and I looked up at the grey sky. I didn’t know we were expecting a courier.

“Three of them?" I hesitated.

“No, there are more in the clouds," Aase said, squinting her eyes.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Let’s get your aunt."

The news that a Master of the Council had arrived spread like wildfire through the town, and the square was already crowded when we arrived. It was a sight worthy of remembrance as the Griffi slowly descended, enveloped by a glowing sphere of light that spread over the square, protecting everyone from the rain when it landed.

A tall figure with long white hair and pale skin descended from the saddle and bowed to my aunt, dressed in her ceremonial white tunic with a huge headpiece made of colourful feathers.

“Master Anarion at your service," he said softly, and his voice rang clearly in the air. “I’ve come to offer my counsel in these dark times, as the Council of Light deeply feels the pain that your people are suffering."

“Welcome to Naria, Master Anarion."

Auntie raised her hands towards the sky, offering our guest the highest honours.

“They will help us!” Aase whispered into my ear, and I squeezed her hand.

We weren't the only ones who celebrated the Council's arrival, and soon the streets filled with people, despite the pouring rain. The Council had kept us safe from war and famine since the beginning of time, and we trusted it with all our hearts.

“Do you remember we wanted to run and ask for their guidance in case we were separated?” I chuckled, and Aase covered her face, embarrassed at the mention of the idea.

“Do you think your aunt will let you be present when he offers his counsel?” she asked.

“I hope so. I'm supposed to learn how to be a Guardian.”

It was rare to ever meet the Council, and I knew that the story of their arrival would be told for generations to come. We made our way to the temple, watching the Master’s Companions offer their blessing to everyone who asked.

“I wish I could be like them”, I whispered.

The temple was bustling with life as we entered, and it seemed that anyone who could had come to be part of the event. Imae stood in the corridor guarding the door that led deeper into the temple. She shook her head as we approached.

“Not this time, Silje. The Master’s counsel is only for the Guardian to hear."

“But why? Aren't I supposed to learn?” I pouted with disappointment.

“The Master chooses those for whom his counsel will serve the best. It’s an old custom," she said, and I knew it was pointless to argue any further.

“Maybe he just didn’t know you were here?” Aase whispered, but her words didn’t bring me any comfort.

I really wanted to hear the counsel. I also wanted to ask him about our village, but I didn’t dare say that to Aase. Suddenly a wave of fear shot through my chest, and it felt like something tried to reach out and grab my heart.

“Did you feel that?” I asked, grabbing her hand.

“Felt what?”

She looked at me, confused.

“I…”

I shook my head and glanced at the people around me. No one seemed to have noticed but was still celebrating that our suffering had come to an end.

“Nothing…” I murmured.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I… just wanted to meet him.”

“I know."

She smiled and took my hand.

“Let’s get outside and get some air.”

I nodded, and we walked back to the square, where we caught sight of a long line of people waiting to receive their blessing.