Song of the chapter - The Wait is Over by Disciple

Eliana's nerves had never been so strong. Preparing to meet with the Ancients was worse than taking her exams, which always made her sick to her stomach.

"Calm down, girl! You're a guest at their party, not the main course!" Harper chided as she continued to braid her hair. Eliana wanted to appear as Ferlish as possible to meet with Fae and Ferlish royalty, as it were. It was a lame attempt, but something she felt she could do to prepare.

"Done. Now lets get this crazy get-up on you." Harper said, Eliana still staying silent through it all. "Say something! This is getting to be a one man show over here. I'm bored, entertain me with your fears."

Eliana just sighed. "I'm not ready for all of this."

"Oh yes you are. You've been ready since the refuge. That knife throwing proved you've got what it takes to get this done. I know it, you know it. Everyone knows it. Get over it, babe. You're the warrior they've been waiting for."

She just shrugged. "It's more than that." Her heart was hammering in her chest, afraid of what the future held. Eliana's instincts screamed at her, telling her that this would not end without a sacrifice. Of what, she had no idea, and that thought alone woke her up night after night with worry.

Harper took Eliana by the shoulders and spun her around, bringing them to face each other. "Listen to me, Eli. You've got this. Blaike's got this. I feel it in every part of me. When we came out of that cave and figured we were in some strange place, I saw you change. You are so different here, but it's a good different. I know it's been hard, harder than anything you've ever done. But you're doing it, and you're doing it well. It is meant to be, so don't fight it."

Eliana closed her eyes at her friend's words. She knew them to be true, but the knowledge that they wouldn't come out of this unscathed continued to plague her mind. "You're right, I know. But, Harper...not everything will go perfectly. There will be a price to pay. I just don't know what it is. And that is what scares the hell out of me. It has ever since the pass."

Her best friend just gave her a knowing look. "Nothing amazing is without sacrifice, Eli. Shouldn't we be willing to give whatever it takes for these people?"

That's when the tears came. The anguish and anxiety that had held her hostage for weeks came pouring out. Harper wrapped her arms around Eliana, comforting her in a way that only a best friend can. Words were no longer necessary as the two held onto each other, wondering what the future held.

After Eliana's tears slowed and her breathing relaxed, Harper's wit returned. "Okay, enough girl stuff. Let's get you decked out and show that biatch who's boss."

Laughter was the last thing Eliana thought she would have on such a momentous day, but the street-wise comment elicited a belly laugh from the overwhelmed girl. Harper quickly gathered the outfit, a warrior's uniform if Eliana knew better, that was sent by the Queen.

"These leathers are beyond words." She commented as Harper handed her the thick, bodice-hugging waistband, which was fitted to her exact measurements. Eliana pulled it around her middle, gathering the dark grey tunic close to her skin and then fastening the criss-cross of buckles and straps that secured it to her. Ferlish boots, in a similar leather style, were slid on and cinched tight. Harper took over to place the leather armband on Eliana, covering her forearms as the bodice had done for her torso.

The final piece was the cross piece for her sword. Eliana had spent months at that point sparing and practicing, but had not yet been given a sword of her own. Blaike had always supplied her with one from the armory. But that morning, by way of Ferlish guard, a sword had been delivered along with her fighting leathers. The design was intricate, and she noticed immediately that it mirrored the geometric lines of her necklace. She was sure it was forged from Fae metal as well. It was light, much lighter than the swords she had trained with, and made specifically for her hold and size. In other words, a perfect fit.

Once in place, Eliana felt the rush of strength that came with being a battle-ready warrior. That sense of readiness washed over her in a way it hadn't before. Suddenly, she was confident in her skills and the duty she had been called to. Even as a sense of dread settled within, knowing that a sacrifice of some type would have to be made. Eliana just wished she knew what...and who, might suffer because of their quest.

With a deep sigh, Eliana declared, "Ready as I'm gonna get. Although I'm surprised that the Queen would send fighting leathers for me to wear to a meeting with the Ancients. Seems a bit...threatening, doesn't it."

"If the Queen had sent it, I would probably agree." Harper replied nonchalantly. As if her words didn't create a tremor in Eliana's blood. Something about Harper's tone brought her nerves back.

"What do you mean? Who sent them if not the Queen." Eliana asked, even as she could guess on her own.

"Blaike. Did you really need to ask? That boy wants you safe, no matter how much of a dick he's being. He's still got your back."

She had noticed his protectiveness all along, so of course that made sense. Eliana swallowed the lump of emotion threatening to steal her confidence away, and turned to leave their dressing tent. Nura would be waiting to escort her to the clearing, a spot deep within the Travor forest which had been deemed safe enough to meet, yet close enough for guards to keep watch on the dark leader's movements.

"Good luck!" Harper called out, "I'd say break-a-leg but I'm kind of afraid you might actually do that. Plus this isn't a play..."

Eliana turned back to her friend, her sister at heart, "Are you telling me you have finally embraced the reality of our situation?" She teased, referring to Harper's insistence that they had been dreaming the whole thing.

"Meh, fantasy and reality can get pretty mixed up sometimes. I'll just go with the flow and see where it takes us." Harper laughed.

Eliana shook her head, laughing as well, then turned and continued on towards the campsite where Nura was waiting.

***

Nura, dressed in similar fighting leathers as Eliana, had been leading her through the thick trees for a while. She had no idea how long, because her thoughts had been jumping from one thing to another with rapid fire succession, unable to focus on one thing at a time. She worried about seeing Blaike for the first time since their tense conversation while traveling to that very forest. She wondered what the Ancients were like, and what information they might bring along with them. She wanted to see Queen L'Oran, feeling that her presence would be a calming influence on the whole battle plan. Then she fought her own desires, realizing that a calm battle was an oxy-moron, and what in the world was she even doing in the Ferlands to begin with? Why her, why now?

Eliana's mind became frantic with the thoughts, blowing away her previous confidence gained from finally feeling like a warrior. Was that truly her role? Was she there to fight in a way that would change the tide of the battle? How could a girl raised on a farm in Pennsylvania be the one thing needed to overthrow a dark force such as Claec? There had to be something else, something she was missing. Of course, having the gift of a Seer must be a part of it as well. Was it she that was meant to locate the horde of Starlight kept in Claec's control?

The questions swirled within Eliana's mind, round and round, over and over. Finally, Nura stopped her forward motion, turned around and grabbed Eliana by the shoulders.

"Take a deep breath. You are so fearful that your breathing has become erratic. I can hear it from my position in front of you. If you are not careful, something will crawl out of it's hiding and seek the creature making such a commotion." Nura chided, a hint of humor in her voice.

"Yes, I know. I'm just overthinking things I guess." Eliana said as she closed her eyes and started to calm herself down. The trouble was, nothing could calm the nervous energy she was feeling. The only cure was knowledge, wiping away the dark feelings of the unknown. And the only way to get such knowledge was to continue forward and commence with the summit.

"Better?" Nura asked.

"Yes." Eliana said simply. Her concerns were still present, but determination took over and allowed her to take the next step.

"Good, because we have arrived."

As Nura spoke, the clearing became visible up ahead, less than fifty yards in the distance. Passing a few trees, whose leaves were not quite as vibrant a green color as those just outside of Travor had been, the two females came to a break in the undergrowth and a parting of the trees. Set before her eyes was a dark meadow, much smaller that those she had first seen in the Forgotten lands upon her arrival with Harper. The trees were closer together, the grass and shrubs more densely packed. There was an energy present that Eliana recognized. It was similar to that of the Fae forest, the trees that had seemed alive, with a soul and a purpose. It took her breath away for the moment that she stepped into the clearing.

Surrounding her were the close nit trees, and from each corner of those trees stepped forth a being exuding a strength and power that Eliana didn't understand. She could feel it practically touch her, but she couldn't name it. It was certainly not something one would experience in her world.

To her left she noticed the Queen of the Fae and her general. Zolen stood at attention next to his beloved monarch, dressed in finer battle gear than she had yet laid eyes on. Directly in front of her stood four Ferlish leaders, what must be the Ancients. Two males and two females, all dressed in some type of light colored robe bound with a variety of different sashes. One was a deep garnet color, bejeweled with silver stones and wrapped tightly around the waist of the female who wore it. Another was a bright blue, no embellishments to be seen, but tied with intricate knots. A third was golden in color, the fabric creating all of the shimmer and sparkle of the stars at night, and secured with buckles rather than tied. The final female wore a thick sash, covering her midsection from hips to breastbone, and made of a deep brown material that Eliana thought was bark, but from the distance she stood could not be sure. It had no buckles, no knots or extras that could be seen. It was worn almost as one would have a bracelet on their wrist, seemingly slipped on. The four, standing with authority exuding from them, made an impressive picture.

As Eliana glanced to her right, the intrigue she felt at observing the Ancients was replaced with mixed emotions. She saw Blaike, not in battle gear as she and the others were, but in his Finding Night finery. Her breath caught as she took him in, a warmth spread throughout her body, and despite the time away, the tension and the rebuff she received from him, she realized her feelings hadn't lessened or changed. Standing next to him was someone Eliana had not expected to see, and the sight of her brought tears to her eyes again.

Aine had come to represent the Seers, protected in this forest by the Captain of the Watchers himself. Nothing less for the Head Seer, of course. Breaking with whatever protocol might be expected, which Eliana was unaware of herself, she went directly to Aine and wrapped her arms around her grandmother.

"I had no idea you were coming!" she whispered.

"Things worked out for me to attend. I wasn't sure myself at first, but..." Aine replied, dropping her words at the end. "All will be made clear soon enough. Return to your spot, my dear, and we will get down to business."

Eliana smiled at her grandmother, "Yes, ma'am." Obeying the direction, Eliana turned and walked the few steps back to Nura. Once she had returned, Queen L'Oran spoke.

"Let us step in and begin." She commanded. Eliana followed Nura's lead and stepped forward into the small clearing, as the others present did as well. Suddenly, a warm rush of energy passed over her, and along with it a slight glow. Her eyes scanned the group and noticed that they were all covered by this glow in an arc, reaching from all edges of the clearing and gathering over their heads in the middle.

A force field?  she wondered.

Within her own mind, she heard the reply. "The trees, my dear. They have offered their protection for our summit, keeping our words within this covering of energy, storing our decisions for the future of the Ferlands." The Queen's voice was clear, as if she had been speaking, but as Eliana glanced toward the Fae leader, her mouth was a thin, unmoving line.

The air within the covering shifted, and a vision of Starlight appeared overhead. All eyes looked up towards the light and then one of the female Ancients used her mental voice to speak to the group.

"Long ago, the first Seer was tasked with the gathering of Starlight. As her gift was granted, her role was defined: locate others with this gift, save the land and prosper. Elin was dutiful and fulfilled her role, starting the long held honor of Seers."

A male voice then took over.

"Watchers were raised up to see to the protection and care of our most precious call to protect and nourish the land. Another honorable tradition was born, as many generations have dedicated their lives as protectors of Starlight.

"But even from the beginning, it was known that the Fall would bring us to this very time, this dark place. For it is written:

"That which was wrong will now be made right; That which was dark will be brought to the light

That which was lost has finally been found; That which is dead will be laid in the ground."

Eliana was familiar with the Prophesy, both from the stories that she had been told by the Queen and her grandmother, and from the Star Map, which told of that prophesy. Still, she was thirsty for more, there had to be more information than just a few cryptic phrases.

The next Ancient's voice began to speak.

"The time has come for the wrong to be made right, for the dark to be made light. We will find what was lost, as the dead will soon be buried."

Aine's voice interrupted the Ancient, which made Eliana wonder if she had broken some type of unspoken summit rule. She waited for an Ancient or the Queen to shush her, but no one did. No one even looked surprised at Aine's interruption.

"The time has come for all of these things, of course. But please help us understand how my Granddaughter will be of importance. We knew from her birth, her eyes being the foretold Hazel, that she was part of the prophesy. However, it is not clear how, from your words."

Aine finished, asking the same question that had just been on Eliana's mind. This time, it was the Queen who spoke.

"There are hidden elements of that prophesy, parts that the Ancients kept to themselves and the trees. Parts that had to be kept from the fallen Seer so that the prophesy could be fulfilled."

The Queen looked back towards the Ancients, allowing them to continue with their explanation. The final female began to speak.

"This is true. There was another element to the prophetic words spoken so long ago. The trees have held onto them for us, hidden deep within the forest's soul. We speak them for the first time now, as all who will fulfill their words are present.

"It was also written:

"Destiny calls she who holds the Starlight to join with the one watching over the night. Fate brought her back, fate calls her still.

Fate has been answered, the prophesy filled."

A silence fell over the clearing, each one present taking in the words spoken. Eliana replayed the first line in her mind, not knowing if anyone could hear her thoughts. What did it mean?

Then it was Aine who spoke.

"She who holds the starlight? Is that Eliana? Why does it use 'hold' and not 'see'?"

Aine wanted clarification on the verb? Eliana felt that was a frivolous question, especially when she thought of the second part about joining with the one watching over the night. What did that mean? Her heart was racing, hoping that it meant something more than it seemed. The words had brought a rush of emotion as they were spoken, as if their meaning was greater than she could begin to guess.

The Ancient who first spoke, the female with the garnet sash, answered Aine.

"Eliana is not a Seer. Her role is that of Holder. She is able to gather great amounts of Starlight and set it where she wills, not where the land calls for it. Her gift is much greater, and what is required to end the rule of the fallen Seer.

"As for the second part, only a Watcher who had been drawn to and chosen by this Holder can bring her gift to it's full potential. A pure love, unconditional and unwavering is needed. It is the strength of conviction of the two hearts together that will bring a balance back to the land, removing the curse of the selfish hearts who sought to control it."

The male Ancient with the deep blue sash started to walk towards Eliana, the female with the band made of bark joining him. As they stood in front of her, their voices rang out in unison.

"It is you who has been called by fate through the portal. It is you who has been destined with the gift of the Holder. It is you who is still called by fate to join with your Watcher and rise against the darkness. My dear, it is you whose mother and father fell together, and you who is the one to bring it to an end."

Eliana stumbled back from the presence of the Ancients, overcome with strong emotion and disbelief. Her mother and father did this? Claec is her mother? Why had she not been told? Eliana turned to look for Aine, but the woman had already come to stand in front of her heartbroken granddaughter. The covering of the forest energy pulled away, called back by the trees as all of the secrets were already out.

"Oh, my love, I am so sorry to have you hear it this way. My desire was always to tell you, but fate called me to leave it here in this land, the knowledge of my own daughter's betrayal, and that of the Watcher she loved."

"You told me my parents were dead, that they died in the war!"

"Your father did die. Your mother's spirit died with him. But they were lost to me long before that." Aine explained. It wasn't enough though. How could it be?

Before another word was spoken, Eliana closed her eyes, attempting to absorb what had been revealed. How would she face the mother she had never known, the one who had brought destruction and despair to the land she herself now loved? The answer came to her as soon as the question made itself known in her soul.

Claec had never been her mother. She had never held her, loved her or cared for her. Brett was more of a mother to her than anyone could ask for. Her blood ties to this dark, wicked soul would not change her role or her destiny. Eliana was ready to do what was necessary, and suddenly the sacrifice needed became clear. Bringing the woman who birthed her down from her self-proclaimed pedestal may be the biggest challenge of Eliana's life.

Opening her eyes, Eliana felt resolved. She looked again at Aine, willing to forgive the life-long deceit, which must have been difficult for her as well. Her arms went around the older woman, holding her and whispering in her ear, "I can't imagine what it must have done to you."

Aine's arms tightened around her, telling her what words could not. The love her grandmother felt for her was endless, the woman would have done anything for her, and had, to keep her safe. It was Eliana's turn to protect those she cared for, those she loved.

Their arms loosened, each stepping back from one another, a look of absolution on their faces. Time to talk and understand the past would come, but at present Eliana needed to understand the next steps in the battle for the light. And speaking to her chosen Watcher was first on the list.

The moment the Ancients spoke of unconditional love, she knew. Her heart was certain that the Prophesy was speaking of Blaike. Her instincts had been telling her all along that there was a connection between them that surpassed all others, even though Blaike had been fighting it the whole time. Eliana felt that his worries had just been evaporated by the hidden portion of the Prophesy, and the time to speak with him about it had come.

Her eyes closed, Eliana took a deep breath, attempting to calm the excitement she felt at the possibilities ahead of her. She turned her head to make eye contact with Blaike, to seek him out and call to him. But her hopes turned to shock when she found he was no longer in the clearing.

Blaike was gone.

〰🖤〰

So...what are you impressions of Eliana's meeting with the Ancients? It seemed to confirm things that most of you had probably guessed. And to be honest, I've gone back and forth over the relationship between Claec, Aine and Eliana. I'm still not certain about it. In fact, I had the crazy idea recently that in my revisions, maybe I should make Claec Blaike's mother...its the plot holes that I keep digging for myself and then they catch up to me later.

The wait is over... and I meant for all involved in this story, Eliana, Blaike and you, my readers! I hope the wait was worth it. But there is still more to come!!

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