Truthbearer: The Journeys of Connor Clark, #1

By Hans Erdman

Forced to witness the execution of his wife for refusing to renounce her faith, Connor Clark escapes his captors and seeks refuge in the forest. There he encounters the wizard/cleric Padraigh, who leads him into the Juncture of the Nine Worlds. Then, the adventure really begins! Connor is given a quest, to bear the Truth about the rise of the Dark Magic to the Nine Worlds. Accompanied by two elves from the Aerielands; the beautiful Ranger, Iolena, and the impetuous bounty hunter, Menta Kai, Connor must learn to separate friend from foe and truth from lie, in the Realm of Gewellyn, where the magic has died. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: White Owl Publishers
• Release date: May 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386570097

Hans Erdman

I began writing fantasy in 2016, after my wife, Ellen, was diagnosed with cancer. It really took off a year later when she was declared in full remission and was able to start helping me. When I was a park ranger and, before that, a paramedic, I used to write articles about my areas of expertise. Now, I am writing the tales that have played in my imagination for over 60 years. My stories are epic fantasy with a Biblical world-view, and we test everything by how our teenaged granddaughters would react to it. I hope you enjoy the adventures and will join us on the journeys with Connor, Iolena, Menta Kai, and Fiona!

Book preview

Preface:

Welcome to the Gewellyn Chronicles, the stories of a world where good and evil still fight for supremacy. It is the story of a man, Connor Clark, an expelled elf queen, Iolena Yaleria, and an impetuous, often irrepressible rogue bounty hunter called Menta Kai. It is a story of love lost and found again, of faith, family, and friendship. The story of a man with the courage to speak the Truth in the face of persecution and oppression who pays a terrible price because of it. Rising from the ashes of unspeakable loss, Connor and Iolena will learn to love again, Menta Kai will learn to trust, and the three of them will embark on an adventure like none the worlds have ever seen. They have been called by the Creator to take the Truth to the Nine Worlds. Connor Clark is the Truthbearer.

When I first started writing Truthbearer, I had no idea that it was going to turn into a series of books. I created Iolena Yaleria after my wife was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cancer. It was an escape from the uncertainty of her diagnosis. Then my wife went into remission and one story led to another. Dreams and visions became storylines. In addition to the three that you will meet in this book, a fourth daughter, Fiona, was added to the family with a marvelous backstory that became The Adventures of Fiona Clark. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The saga of the Truthbearer, the chronicles of Gewellyn, the adventures of Fiona, and the amazing travels of Tessa Chart all begin with this story. Because I didn’t know that this was going to be the first book in a series, there were a number of inconsistencies and plot elements that don’t tie in with the subsequent books. Approaching the eve of the 2019 Realm Makers Christian fantasy writers conference, I decided to make some changes, so that the story now flows more evenly.

My wife’s cancer remains in remission, and Connor, Iolena, and Menta Kai with their family and friends, continue their adventures to take the Truth to the Nine Worlds. The evil is out there, and it is coming. It is like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. This is the truth that Connor Clark bears. This is the quest of the Truthbearer.

Hans Erdman

Isanti, Minnesota

June 2019

Dedication:

Dedicated with heartfelt gratitude to the doctors who detected and successfully treated my wife’s cancer, and to my wonderful wife Ellen, who survived it.

You are my Iolena, Nin Mel.

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Truthbearer

Principal Characters:

Connor Clark – Traveler and Truthbearer. Chosen by The Great Lion to bear the Truth to the Nine Worlds. Descendent of American explorer, William Clark. Padraigh tells Connor that he has powers he cannot even imagine yet.

Iolena Yaleria-Clark – (Pronounced Ya-lena, soft e, as in Welsh) Guardian to and eventually, wife of the Truthbearer. An Elven Borderlands Ranger, she is a Master Archer, skilled with swords, knives, and other throwing weapons. Excellent horsewoman. Sister to King Tlannatar, and joint heir to the throne of the Great Forest Realm, banished by her brother for marrying a common Elven soldier.

Menta Kai Lee (Silvarin) Yaleria-Clark – (Kailee, or Kai) Elf, Bounty Hunter, an orphan. Connor and Iolena’s adopted and fiercely loyal daughter. Independent but flirtatious, self-assured and wary, Connor and her BFF, Arianna Windmera, are the only two non-elves that she completely trusts.

Reoccurring Characters:

Padraigh, Wizard/Cleric – One of the original Council of the Wise created by the Great Lion, and one of the last of the Council remaining in the Aerielands and Gewellyn. Sent by Lady Celantine and The Great Lion to First Earth to rescue the Truthbearer from his pursuers, and guide him through the Juncture for the first time. Reappears from time to time to assist Connor, Iolena, and their family.

Alenia Yaleria – Captain of the Aerielands Borderland Rangers. Iolena’s daughter by her first marriage. Her mother’s best friend and confidant.

Sean Windmera (Windmera=Great Elf Horses {mera} of the wind) – a descendant of Ayden Windmera, first High Elf of Gewellyn. A magically gifted healer who befriends Connor and Iolena in the wildlands and introduces them to King Lochlain.

Arianna Windmera – wife of Sean, former Raider with a deep and mysterious past. Master horsewoman and skilled warrior from her earlier days. Menta Kai’s adversary then best friend..

King Lochlain Wynfarin – First king of Gewellyn since the Great Emancipation of all slaves by his father, King Fergus. Close friend and confidant to Connor although they do not always agree.

Shannon Clark – Daughter of Connor by his first wife, Claire. Mother of Talia and Joy. She was appointed by King Lochlain as High Sheriff of Gewellyn permanently after resolving the death of Tome Dorsa.

Talia Wynfarin-Clark – Adult daughter of Shannon, Connor’s granddaughter. Healer, apprentice, then teacher. She forsakes the title of Princess and becomes renowned as a magically gifted and innovative healer.

Tanya Joy Wynfarin-Clark (Joy) - Younger daughter of Shannon. Joy is the magically gifted teenaged human who will grow to become the Crown Princess of the elves of Gewellyn.

Chief Deputy/Investigator Karsh – Sheriff Shannon’s elf assistant. Very savvy to the undercurrents of Gewellyn City, but entirely dumbfounded by his new human boss. Former Army officer assigned to assist Shannon on the Tome Dorsa case.

Deputy Sgt. Darian – Sheriff’s other elf assistant, also a soldier assigned to assist her in the Dorsa case. Highly observant, and fascinated by the science of criminal investigation.

My Journey:

I am convinced that magic exists, even though I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I have seen evil become more and more powerful in my nation and the only way that it survives and thrives the way it does is through dark magic. I have looked into the dead eyes of the leaders of this nation that we used to know as the United States of America and seen nothing but malice, hatred and pure evil. Emboldened, I started to speak out; to call evil what it was in the public arena. The more I spoke out, the more the powers of the time strove to silence me, to silence the ones I love, to keep the truth from being known, seen, or heard.

We have been persecuted for many years, and as I aged, I became aware that the persecution was taking a new form. The evil was effectively silencing the good. Believers were imprisoned and, in some cases, executed. Those who own firearms and held onto their weapons despite the ban by the One World Government, were hunted down with weapons far more advanced than their own and paid a terrible price.

Magic, whether it’s the evil that controls this country and its government today, or what The Great Lion called the Deep Magic, does exist and it does have power. When you can’t silence a speaker empowered by the Deep Magic, you seek to kill him. When you can’t kill him, you try to isolate him. You destroy everything and everyone he loves, and then you pursue him. Drive him not just from his town, state or even his country, but from the world, chased out from this level of existence.

A number of years ago when I first became aware of the evil magic in our nation’s and state’s capitals, I also became vaguely aware of different levels of the world. In some of those levels the magic, both good and evil, is very strong. In others, it is nonexistent; rebuked or cast aside as irrelevant by the rulers, leaders, and clergy, as it has in the world I am from. To this day, I have no idea whether what I am living is real or a dream. Whether it is part of a medically induced coma, or I am really living this existence, but I tend to believe the latter because I have been hurt, cut and bled, I have made friends and traveled places that until my banishment I believed were fictional. I spoke of The Great Lion. I have met him, I have spoken with him, and he guides my steps. I have been to the Aerielands, I have been to Bolandria and Hevanok, and I have stood before the Vardarianna, the very Tree of Life. In this present form, be it real, imagined, or... magic, I have traveled across time, space and dimension to the worlds I previously believed to be epic fiction. Everywhere I travel, my message is the same; there is a great evil coming to the worlds, and we must prepare to face it or be doomed. I have been laughed at, thrown out of the halls of great kings, and held counsel with one of the greatest men of God in history. I have made friends and allies. My traveling companion, one who was also banished from her home, is an Elven ranger who was assigned as my Guardian. Now she is my wife. Together with the elf daughter we adopted, we bear the message, we fight the battles, and we stand side-by-side. I don’t know if I ever will make it back to my homeworld until the end of all days, when, in that world, they face Armageddon and whatever version of that the world I am in comes to, Until that day comes,  I continue my mission, my calling, my quest. My name is Connor Clark... and I am the Truthbearer.

Prologue:

Connor Clark didn’t need to look behind him. He had just killed five ISF (Internal Security Force) troopers and officers. They would be coming. He just had to make it to the forest before they got there.

They were already at the house, red and blue lights flashing eerily in the dark. Stupid, he thought. Why wouldn’t they even expect him to go to the house that he and Claire had spent the last 20 years in? But he still had to go by there to get to the forest. He skirted wide, ducking through the dense pines and balsam that formed the border of their yard. He was almost into the woods when a shout came from behind. Connor ignored the noise and sprinted for the tool shed. He threw the door open, grabbed the bug-out pack from its hook on the back of the door, and headed into the woods at a dead run. Not bad for a 65-year-old man, he thought.

Half of his heart wanted to stop, let them kill him. What did he have to live for? They had killed Claire, his beloved wife of 41 years. His soulmate. They would have killed him too, but as Claire collapsed, an ISF bullet in her brain, an incredible calm came over Connor, and then a strength he had never known. He grabbed the AR from his guard, slammed the butt into the man’s head and coolly fired two kill shots into each of the other four. And then he ran.

Connor! Connor Clark! He looked around and saw an old man with a beard down to his waist gesturing to him, dressed in something that looked like a bathrobe. It is not your day to die. The Father has a greater purpose for you. Follow me! Connor just stood there. Connor, follow me, now! Later, Connor would say he does not remember why he followed the old man, but he did. They were still behind him, their lights sweeping the forest. The old man swept his hand across the sky, and something weird happened. A hole appeared ahead of him. Through here! Come on! They’re catching up. The old-timer flexed his fingers at the big shimmering wall, and it parted, revealing a rocky field behind it.

Come on! The old man grabbed Connor’s arm and dragged him through the opening. Then he turned, waved at it again, and the opening vanished. They were in a rock-strewn field, in the middle of who knows where. Who are you? Connor asked the old man.

My name is Padraigh, but that’s not important. What is important is who you are, Connor Clark. You have been called on a quest. You are going to make a difference in all of the worlds.

Worlds? Where are we? What is this place?

Someone will be along to explain things to you. Just have a seat here and wait. Padraigh indicated a large rock in the center of the field. And remember to talk to the eagles.

Eagles? What are you talking about? Where are we?

"I will be back. I have to keep those troopers from nosing to close to the portal. Sit down, take a break. Someone will be here soon. Téigh le Dia, Connor Clark. You remember what that means?"

Yes, I remember. Go with God. Padraigh nodded, turned and disappeared. Connor sat down by the rock, looking in the direction he had gone, and eventually dozed off.

Beginnings

Chapter 1

The first thing I remember of this new life I am now leading is waking up and looking into the most amazing pair of green eyes I have ever seen. Are you alright? the woman with the green eyes asked me.

That depends, I replied. Where am I?

The Juncture, of course, she replied as if it was the silliest question she had heard that day.

The juncture of what?

She looked at me curiously, and replied, Of what?

That’s what I’m asking, I said.

You are at the Juncture. The Juncture of the Nine Worlds, the one place in the universe where you can pass from world to world without going through a portal. She paused, gauging my reaction, or having to deal with a Sentinel. It serves as an oasis, I think is the word, for those who can travel between the worlds.

Ahh, I said. From where I sat, it didn’t look like much of an oasis, refuge, or anything more than a field filled with rocks. Then I sat up with a start. Was there anyone with me or around me when you found me?

No, she replied. I was told I would find you here, and that’s what I did.

Hmm. And who told you that you would find me here?

Right now, I’m afraid that would be hard to explain. You really have no idea where you are or why you are here, do you?

Young lady, I have no idea where I am, why I’m here, who you are or if you are even real. She chuckled, We will leave the issue of ‘young lady’ for another time, and as for who I am, my name is Iolena Yaleria. I am to be your Guardian.

I drew a breath, My Guardian? Like a guardian angel? She gave me a look as if to say what are you talking about? What do I need a guardian from? Wait a sec... Let’s start at the beginning here. You’re sure there was no one around me when you found me? A old guy with a long beard and a green robe? She shook her head. You say I’m at the juncture of the Nine Worlds. What Nine Worlds?

Well, let us call the world you came from as First Earth. Then there are the Aerielands, where I come from. Bolandria, Gewellyn, Hevanok, Eldaria, and the Old World, and several others that I do not know the names of.

I ran my fingers through my hair carefully searching for a lump or depression that would indicate a serious head injury. The green eyes looked at me with curiosity. What are you doing?

I’ve read about those places. Most of the places you just named are fictional, so I am trying to figure out if I hit my head or if I’ve been drugged by the ISF agents who were chasing me.

I am quite real, she said emphatically, as are the places I just told you about. You asked what the Juncture is and I am trying to explain it to you.

I held my hand out, palm down, to her. Pinch me.

What?

I said pinch me. If you are real, you will have substance, and it’ll hurt. I’ll feel it. It will go a long way to my believing all of this that you told me. Just like that, she reached over, grabbed a fold of skin on the top of my hand and twisted it. Ouch! Why did you do that?

Because you told me to. Now, do you believe I’m real? Well, you didn’t have to do it that hard. I assume that’s going to bruise, but yeah, I believe that you are real. But the rest of what you told me remains to be seen. By the way, I said looking directly into her eyes, you have the most amazing green eyes I have ever seen.

Thank you, she answered. I guess it is what you would call a family trait that I share with my grandmother and my daughter. And before we go too much farther, I should probably tell you something about me, about my people, so you will understand what I am going to tell you next. She pulled back the hood of the cloak that she was wearing to reveal a pair of pointed ears. I am an elf.

I admit I stared at her. So much so that she pulled the hood back up. I shook my head, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare or be impolite. You just took me quite by surprise. So, you’re supposed to be an elf, right?

"I am not supposed to be an elf, I am an elf!"

I sat there, not sure what I was even thinking. Not sure what to say until the wrong words just spilled out. Right! You’re an elf, I’m at the Juncture of the Nine Worlds, and somebody has a heck of a lot of explaining to do here. Why don’t we start with you?

Iolena looked at me and sighed. I don’t know everything, but what I was told was that you have spent the past few years revealing the Dark Magic that is in control of your land on your Earth. Is it so hard to believe that magic exists elsewhere? That the Creator used wordsmiths to reveal his creation and magic in other places? Elves have always existed, which is why I laughed when you called me ‘young woman.’ I am probably more than 20 times your age. Are you so arrogant that you only believe in what you are familiar and comfortable with and what you can actually see?

Whoa, I said holding up my hands. I’m not trying to be arrogant! I am trying to get a grasp on what is going on here, with me, with you, with this place! I’m sorry if I come across as anything but totally dazed and confused. Lost. I looked at her keenly. Twice now you have said you were told, told you would find me here, and told that I have been fighting the Dark Magic. You need to tell me, if only for the sake of my sanity, who told you? I looked at the woman. She had a very attractive, even beautiful face, and she wore a long green hooded coat over hip-high boots and leather body armor and carried a short sword and quiver of arrows on her belt, with a longbow slung across her back. I listened.

If I were to tell you the name of the one who sent me, you would still be convinced that you are either suffering from a head injury or how did you say it, drugged? But I will tell you that she who told me to find you said that she was told specifically to send me by ‘the Great Lion.

The Great Lion? She shrugged. Okay, if you are real, and you are an elf, and you are saying you were sent here by The Great Lion, I’m going to hazard a guess. Was she, the one who sent you, by chance be a High Elf named Lady Celantine?

Iolena visibly startled. Yes, yes it was. How would you know that?

As I said to you, all of the places you named are places described in works of fiction in my world. I know she is the last of the High Elves, the most powerful ruler of the Elven race in the Aerielands, which are also called the Borderlands because they constitute the border between the known, real, world and the land where elves and dwarves and other mythical creatures dwell. It is also where you say you came from. If I am to assume that all this is real, I really need to know what’s going on. For instance, what is your backstory?

Back story? What do you mean by that?

If this is all real, Iolena, I said, rubbing my still sore hand, I need to know what’s going on. I need you to tell me your part in this, and as much as you know of my part.

"I will tell you what I know, but I’ll tell you as we travel because we have a long way to go through the wildlands of Gewellyn where I am not sure what hazards we may encounter, so we need to get going.

It didn’t take much to gather the few things I had with me, the pack I was carrying, the clothing on my back, my SIG, tucked into my belt, those few meager things I was carrying when I was fleeing Taylor Roberts and the rest of the thugs from Internal Security. Iolena offered to carry the pack, but I told her it wasn’t necessary, that I would bear my load myself. Truth be told, whether she was indeed an elf or not, there were things in the pack that I wasn’t ready to share with anyone whether they were from the Aerielands or the Adirondack Mountains.

Where are we headed?

For now, the portal to the west has been opened for us, which will lead us into the Realm of Gewellyn. I believe that when we get to Gewellyn City, everything will become much clearer to you. You asked what I know, here it is; My Lady told me to journey to the Juncture where I would find one called the Traveler. I believe that would be you.

Yes, I have been called that, although it was years ago.

She looked at me appraisingly. Does the title, or name ‘Truthbearer’ mean anything to you?

It does. Someone I cared about very deeply told me that being a Truthbearer was my destiny.  Why?

Because that was the other name she referred to you by. She said that you might be pursued by evil from First Earth, as we are calling your homeworld, and that I should be prepared to protect you at the cost of my life.

I stared at her, again. What do you mean at the cost of your life?

"If that’s what it takes to get you safely to Gewellyn City, that’s what I am prepared to do. I am your Guardian."

You mean like Eve Barrett?

Eve who?

Never mind. The first of many times I would utter those words. Well, again, if this is all real, I do not expect you to give up your immortal Elven life to protect my very mortal existence. If we come under attack, be it from my world, your world or any of the other seven worlds you mentioned, we stand side-by-side. Do I make myself clear?

Oh, I understand what you are saying, but you need to understand that my instructions come from the person I consider my sovereign and spiritual leader. And if I understand her correctly, her instructions come from your Great Lion himself. Neither one of us is in a position to challenge that.

Iolena, if we come under attack, we fight together. The two of us will do better than either one of us alone. Whether it was in consent, agreement or simply acknowledging I had spoken, she nodded slightly.

The forest I had entered when I was being pursued in my world had given way to more open and rocky terrain in this. Not having a mountain bike, or horses or whatever this world used for transportation, we hiked, and we hiked, and we hiked some more. I was surprised how well my legs held out, but finally, finding a place where the surrounding rocks would protect us from the elements, Iolena decided we would rest for the night. I scrounged through my pack looking for something for us to eat.

I have some lembas bread if you would like some, Iolena offered.

Seriously? I asked.

Why? What do you have?

Jerky, answered holding out a bison stick to her. She held out the lembas bread with one hand while taking the jerky in the other.

Don’t eat more than a small bite, it’s very filling and restorative.

Same deal, I replied.

She took a bite from the stick and wrinkled her freckled nose. It’s very salty, she said. What kind of meat is it?

American bison, and yup, it is salty. That’s how the meat is preserved. Salting and smoking it. I bit the corner off the lembas bread and enjoyed its interesting and very satisfying flavor, then handed it back to her.

Do we hazard of fire? I asked her.

I don’t think so. You may use my cloak if you are feeling cold. She started to unpin the brooch at her neck.

No, you keep your cloak. I have a blanket in my pack if I need it. Do we need to set a watch?

I haven’t seen any sign of any living thing for hours, even birds. Elves are very light sleepers when we do sleep. I will stay awake for a while, and when I do get tired I’ll wake you.

Sounds good to me I replied. I laid back with my head on my pack and shut my eyes. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew I was awakened by Iolena’s muffled voice saying, Traveler! I opened my eyes to see a knife blade held directly in front of them.

Now you be a good mate, human, and you won’t get hurt. The speaker gestured with the knife. Give us your bag there, and we’ll take it and what we came for and be out of here. I looked over at Iolena, to see she was being held by a large and very ugly man.

Are you Raiders or elf slavers?

We’re just normal types, trying to make the best possible living in a free market economy, you know. We don’t mean any harm to you. We just want to take your elf friend here for a little ride.

Well, you see, I really do have a problem with that. I looked over at my elf Guardian. They’re slavers dealing specifically in elves.

This elf here, she seems to be something special. We may have a little fun with her before we sell her. His expression brightened. She looks like she might fetch a good price at the auction. They like the pretty ones. They bring more gold.

Ain’t never seen an ugly elf, said the other one. But this one here, she’s really pretty.

Ain’t never is a double negative. It means you have. I could tell this was far above his pay grade in the intelligence department, but I was trying to buy time. So, as I said, I have a problem with that. Therefore, if you’re going to sell her at auction, what do you need my pack for?

Never know if you have something worth trading in there. Maybe gold, silver, maybe gems.

Right. Gold, silver, gems. That’s why I was using it as a pillow, right?

Just hand it over.

Okay, okay. I don’t think you’ll be impressed. I turned slightly to lift the bug-out pack with one hand, pulling my SIG out from underneath, with the other but holding it where my attacker wouldn’t see it. I held the pack up in front of me, feigning heaviness, which drew the slaver closer. Here you go, acting as if I was struggling to even hold it up. He reached for the pack with his free hand, giving me the opening I needed. I stuck the 40 Cal in his side and pulled the trigger. The noise of the SIG startled the other thief, Iolena and even me. The dying thief staggered back dropping my pack and his knife, while his partner stared wide-eyed and gape-mouthed. Fortunately, Iolena recovered faster than her attacker, crunching her boot down on the bridge of his foot, slamming her elbow into his solar plexus, and leaping out of the way, all the time keeping her eyes on me and the gun.

What is that? She demanded.

A little protection I brought from home. I really didn’t want to have to use it, but it seemed like there was no other option. The surviving thief seemed to be recovering from his start, and raised a short sword and advanced toward my Guardian. Bad move. She pulled a knife from her boot and let it fly, catching her attacker in the middle of the chest. Two down, who knows how many to go.

I am not going to tell you I could have handled that, she said. I would like to think I could have, but they slipped in silently. I must have been getting sleepy. We really need to get out of here now, she added with emphasis on the now.

Agreed. I rolled the thief I had killed over to reveal a string of pointed ears across his chest like a bandolier. Hopefully, these two won’t be missed before we get where we’re going. I had read about them and should have been thinking about the possibility. But this is all so unreal. We rolled the two corpses to a place where they would not readily be seen, just as the sun started to peek over the horizon.

Let’s see if we can find some high ground and get an idea where we are. What do you say?

Iolena nodded. I can navigate by the sun, the moon, and the stars. It is something that elves are born with, but it’s not a map. This is new territory for me. She paused, Thank you for what you did back there. I feel that I already failed you as your Guardian but thank you for being mine. She paused again What is that weapon that you’re carrying?

I will tell you, but I also need to tell you that it does not belong in this place. If I had any other choice, I would not have used it. It is called a handgun, a pistol. Specifically, SIG-Sauer 40 caliber automatic. It fires a projectile called a bullet, at tremendous speed, with devastating effect. It is a product of my world that has no place in Gewellyn, the Aerielands, or anywhere this side of the Juncture. If that is the only time I use it here, that will suit me just fine.

"Well, it gave me the chance I needed to escape. Thank you for using it, even though I can tell it pains you. I know you said you had no choice. You didn’t. They would’ve killed you and taken me.

That is not going to happen on my watch. I looked her in the eyes. Iolena, that’s what I meant by we’re partners, a team. For Pete’s sake, you’re the only person I know here, so that should make us at least friends if that’s alright with you?

You do know that I do not even know your given name. If we are to be friends, I would like to be able to call you something other than Traveler or Truthbearer. Do you have a name?

Yes, I have a name, I smiled. It’s Connor, Connor Clark. Connor means wise in the land my family came from. I wonder about that sometimes.

She held out her hand to me. Yes, we are friends, Connor. But...I am still your Guardian. She smiled, lighting up those amazing green eyes.

Making the height of a nearby hill, we surveyed the area. Something moving in the distance caught my eye I squinted to see what it was. Iolena looked the same direction that I was looking with those keen Elven green eyes and said, There are two riders on horseback. Do you think we should try to signal them?

They seem to be going the same direction we are. One can only hope they’re good guys. I reached into my pack and pulled out the signaling mirror