The Other Side of Midnight - The Return

By Karen Rivello

(Book four) The king of the north must defend Waters Edge and has sent out a small group of elves to the world of men to find Legña and make him pay for the treason against his own kin; though they are not the only ones to have breached the pools.
As more of the prophecy comes to light there are also more surprises revealed. The elves must align themselves with the humans, knowing it is the only way to win against King Ërrin who now possesses the black stone of Dalbhach. And as is the evil stone’s nature, the human king has also fallen to its call.
When the battles converge on both worlds the chosen one is finally revealed, and it’s not what anyone expected. The One with blood still pure is the only one who can wield the blue sword of blood, forged by the blue flame.
How had the Elvin child been hidden for so long? And who are the other elves that have lived among men that now come to their rescue using their Elvin gifts?
Death waits for many…and yet Death itself will fail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329560895

Book preview

The Other Side of Midnight - The Return

The Other Side of Midnight

The Other Side of Midnight

The Return

Type of Work: Text

Registration Number / Date:  TXu001945745 / 2014-10-27

Title:  The Other Side of Midnight – The Return

Description: 1v

Copyright Claimant:

Karen G. Rivello, 1961-

Date of Creation: 2014

Standard copyright

ISBN: 978-1-329-56089-5

2015

Cover photography by © Philipdan | Shutterstock photos

Cover design work by George and Karen Rivello

You can find Karen’s other books at her website http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/visualenrichment

Books in the series:

The Other Side of Midnight – The Prophecy

The Other Side of Midnight – The Journey

The Other Side of Midnight – The Fulfillment

The Other Side of Midnight – The Return

The Heirs Prophecy

Through life he lives in silence; through birth he claims the right,

Paralleled in another world, she too will claim the night.

When blood of blue is fired, the steel will take its shape,

Leaving blade and maiden sired, no more the blood escapes.

When fire of blue meets scales, then fire of breath meets steel;

Though only one will know the truth, and never death to feel.

Both dragons will fight as warriors, yet only one does breathe the air,

The other is wielded by a stronger arm, the sting to lay him bare.

The Other Side of Midnight

‘A hundred years shall pass away ‘til the harvest moon shines bright, to lead her back to Waters Edge to the other side of Midnight.

Now Spring and Summer have come as one, darkness rears yet trembles. Then Autumn brings the Lily home and the armies stand assembled.

Life will be decided in the throes of wars fought hard, so the heart will be the keeper of the gate the light will guard.

To turn back now will seal the pool and never more rise the mist. The worlds to be divided for the fate of loves first kiss.

To restore the pool the heart must sink deep within its depths, and then the One will be revealed atop the thousand steps.

The prophecy has been foretold of They with Elvin blood. To bear alone the heart of light until the waters flood.

Those who come to see the truth will be as once before, Then Darkness shall be taken and the valley be restored.

The mist will once again arise and the trees shall all take flight, taking back the land they left in the darkest vales of Midnight.

Once the heart has fallen the gate will close to all, to the other side of Midnight no more shall come to fall.

One will stand, the other will fall; the heart will take its rest. It brought them back to the land of lore, the land that bore their quest.

An Elvin Prophecy

CHAPTER ONE

As the cold of winter started to settle in, E’sidar, the cave at the top of the White Mountain became increasingly colder by the hour, and since their supply of wood was becoming sparse, they had to limit how much each fire could use without cutting them off completely. There were only two fires left now, the fire in the front section of the cave, and the one in the smaller cave where King A’lōin and Kezia were at. Jo’Ash had sent the elves out in search of more wood, but it was getting harder to find in the stinging snow, and what they did find was now wet, plus they had already gathered up the wood that was closest to the cave and now had to go farther out.

They had never been in this much want of fire wood before since they had never been trapped like this in the cave, though this new event would make them aware of different mishaps that could take place and plan for the unknown, even in their own land.

Their food was also becoming depleted; even the game that they had hunted after the Nel’laf had eaten most of their supplies was waning. Jo’Ash was hesitant to tell the queen about this for fear of putting more of a burden on her shoulders than she already had. So far he had made all of the decisions, but if something came up that he knew she would want to know he would then tell her.

As the snow began to lighten Jo’Ash decided to send out another hunting party for food and wood since he had no idea of how long they would be trapped on the mountain; and knowing that the threat of being attacked by the Nel’laf, or something just as vile was still a very real threat, it meant that they would have to be very alert when hunting and that did not give them peace of mind.

When the sun began to set over the western hills the small group that had gone hunting could be seen coming back up the trail, carrying a light load; there wasn’t much wood in tow, but two of the elves carried a young buck and several rabbits. It was a small amount of food for the amount of time they had been out, but they were thankful nonetheless. It would feed them for another week if they were careful. At least they had found another spring in the back of the cave while they were exploring, probably the one that fed the Pool of S’Elcarim, but it was deemed alright to drink so they did not have to worry about their water supply. It was Kezia that had tested the spring to make sure that no one would fall to any harm if they drank it, and deeming it safe, all drank freely.

As Jo’Ash entered the smaller cave where his king and queen were, he knew something was wrong, the fire had burned down to embers. He quickly set down the bowl of stew he had brought for Kezia and rushed over to check her. She had lay down next to King A’lōin, wrapping her arms around him and then covering them both with the furs, but what shocked, and saddened Jo’Ash, was that Queen Kezia had also placed herself into the deep sleep along with King A’lōin. Why she would have done this was clearly a mystery and he would have to use his words carefully when telling the others; what he did not know was that Kezia had done this to share her energy with her husband as she had felt him grow weaker and it was the only way to give him more time.

He built up the fire in the small cave and now placed a guard to watch them, which also changed the mood in the cave, fearing more mischief now that Kezia also was no longer able to protect them. Jo’Ash questioned though if she had done this to herself or if it was also a product of the evil that crept ever closer, invading the pure land of Waters Edge.

King A’lōin had grown very pale and it was unknown as to how much longer he could last in this state. Did the prophecy hang by just a thread and would any come out of this alive? Maybe some would but whom? His thoughts were troublesome as he now looked out over the valley towards home and the darkened sky that loomed over the white city.

*

King A’sos felt a chill come over him as he stood on the bulwarks watching their enemy and he shuddered, though it was not from the bitter cold rain that covered Waters Edge. What was this new sense of dread and emptiness? He looked towards the White Mountain and wondered at the safety of those guarding the king, but then he wondered at the safety of the queen. He could not make sense of what he was feeling; all he could do was pray they were safe as he watched the storm clouds that now sat on the mountain top and hid it from view.

*

A’lior felt a cold shudder run down his spine and looked around to see if anyone else had felt the same thing, and by the reaction of the other elves, he could tell they had. The prince casually walked over to Au’tem and started walking next to him, and was quickly joined by the other warriors.

April looked around, scared, and wondering why she had felt a strange feeling of dread come over her. She looked at Lily and she too was looking around with a strange look on her face.

April, what’s wrong? she whispered so as not to alarm anyone else.

I don’t know Lily, she whispered back, trying not to draw attention to them; though when the Elvin warriors had gathered together and started talking quietly it also drew the attention of the humans, and being quite experienced in warfare also, they knew something was amiss.

Red and Jabez approached the warriors and stopped next to them, looking from one to the other. It was Red that finally said something.

I don’t like being kept in the dark any more than you do, and when we’re about to battle a dragon I like to have all the odds presented to me so I know what I’m up against, he was quite frank in his statement, though wanting answers pushed him to the point of being just a bit rude.

The others looked at A’lior, but he could only surmise, as they all had, at what could have caused them to feel the same thing; something in the Elvin world had changed and he wasn’t sure he wanted to voice it.

His face looked strained as he struggled for the right words, but after a few seconds he carefully stated, We elves have felt a change coming from our world, though what it is cannot be said, however we fear it is not in our favor. It does not mean that we will not be successful in our task, it just means we must be all the more aware of what is going on around us.

I thought we were, Jabez said with a little frustration in his voice.

Red took a deep breath as he began to realize the complexity of their situation; a dragon was not going to be easy to kill and if they were so lucky as to succeed, who would walk away from it alive, for he assumed all would sustain some amount of wounds, whether life threatening or not, as was the nature of war.

Well, I for one am not going to turn back now, no matter how the odds have changed. This world will never be free as long as the dragon is alive and living here. If I have to die to make it happen, I will die then. Red’s face was hardened with the hatred and determination of one who had seen the destruction these Nel’laf could bring.

Jabez stood taller as Red finished, he too would fight till the death for he had nothing left to live for and would give all to see that others would have the freedom they could give them. He looked around at the others from his village that had gathered themselves and were now within earshot and saw the same expression on their faces; yes, they would fight.

Aye, we will fight to the death, Jabez stated, looking at the elves who knew they had a formidable army, even if they were outnumbered, and human.

*

The cursed land of Midnight now lay in continual utter darkness, compelling all to seek escape; even those who had been left to guard the ruined castle of Legña had left it completely deserted. With the spread of the curse, every foul creature that had found a home in the dark realm, now sought refuge in the land of Waters Edge; though the driving force was now a slow moving mist that even the goblins feared.

The Creatures of the Mists had slowly made their way to the land of their birth and stopped at the entrance, waiting for the last call to battle, and then they would answer it, coming to the aid of those clearly outnumbered by their enemy.

*

As the sun rose on the day of the banquet, Rhiannon set about preparing herself for the evening, though she was not excited about it, for her heart was heavy and fearful. If Ërrin suspected her of betrayal he would surely kill her himself, not allowing anyone to take the Elvin pendants from him. He had become obsessed with his new power so that he never took the pendants off in the presence of anyone else for fear of them being stolen.

Rhiannon new this so she would have to be clever; should she drug his wine only in her bedroom or have her maid deliver a new bottle with the drug in it towards the end of his meal? Though what if he delayed and then feeling the effects of the drug went straight to his own chambers.  No, she would have to wait for him to come to her and then lure him to drink some more. She had been able to entice him in the past, but would she be able to do it now?

Hannah, the queen’s handmaid, had came into the room followed by numerous servants carrying hot pails of water for her lady’s bath and poured them into a large marble tub, while she then proceeded to instruct the others in their duties as she laid out several gowns for her lady to choose from.

Tonight would be the night to determine success or failure, but none could so easily claim to be the victor? Hannah feared that King Ërrin would actually kill Rhiannon, and anybody else who helped her. She and Mi’lān would have to be very careful so as to not draw attention to themselves and their doings.

Mi’lān had already brewed the herbs during the night that would put their king to sleep so he would not be disturbed, nor detected by those who had been ordered to spy on him. He had noticed several of the king’s guards’ stationing themselves in his hallway at odd times during the day, so he had attended to his work in the middle of the night, when his hallway was usually empty; and for an apothecary, he had all the herbs he needed to accomplish his task.

He placed the small glass jar on a darkened shelf in a corner and then placed several books in front of it to obscure it from view, hoping he would not have any visitors before Hannah came to collect it in a few hours. But he was not to be so lucky; without any forewarning several of Ërrin’s captains entered his room and started looking around haphazardly as if they were looking for something but had no idea what it could be. They rudely moved things around and left things messy and disheveled, making the harried scribe even more frazzled than he normally was, to the amusement of the guards.

As one of the soldiers moved the books that were concealing the bottle of sleeping potion, Mi’lān dropped a book, distracting everyone, I’m so sorry; I’m getting shaky hands in my old age, he contrived as he picked up the book, eyes still on him, and placed it on a shelf where some had just been removed.

Being irritated at the old fool the guards were distracted and never realized what had just happened, I think we’ve seen enough; there’s nothing here, their captain stated with rude impatience and brushed past the frumpy old man, not apologizing when he bumped into him, shoving him aside.

In finding nothing suspicious or interesting, they left as quickly as they had entered, though with the room in a much worse state, if possible. Mi’lān cringed at the mess they had left, even if others thought his state of affairs were chaotic, he knew where everything belonged and could find exactly what he needed, but this…it would take him hours to clean.

He was still cleaning up when Hannah arrived to retrieve the small bottle, though she entered the room with haste and quickly closed the door behind her, then held up her finger to her mouth to keep Mi’lān quiet as she pressed herself against the door. Within a few moments they heard footsteps walk by and voices’ softly talking though nothing was discernible.

Hannah’s heart was racing as Mi’lan stood motionless, waiting for her to signal that all was clear. A few moments passed before she felt safe enough to even whisper as she moved away from the door. They’ve gone, her voice quivered, fearing to speak in a normal tone as she whispered.

We must pretend you’ve come for my lady’s pain herbs for her head again, he whispered back as he retrieved a blue bottle from the shelf then went to get the other bottle for Queen Rhiannon, which was also blue. Don’t mix them up lass, or we’ll all be trouble and King Ërrin won’t even walk away with a headache from all his liquor.

Hannah placed the bottle for the queen in the folds of her skirt, in a small hidden pocket, and then took the bottle for pain and smiled as she turned towards the door, listening to make sure it was safe before she left. When she heard nothing, she opened the door quickly, looked out, and then closed it behind her.

No sooner had she left the hallway, two soldiers turned the next corner, making Hannah’s heart skip a beat as she tried to act as casual as possible.

Ey there, where are you coming from? one of them asked rather curtly.

I went to see the apothecary, for some herbs…for my lady; she’s having one of her moods, Hannah tried to sound as if she were in a hurry, though as normal as any other day, hoping her fear did not show through.

Let me see that bottle, the other stated as he took it from her tense hands. He eyed her suspiciously as he opened the bottle and sniffed it and then took a small sip.

Ey, that’s my lady’s, she spat with repugnant indignation.

It’s my responsibility to make sure there’s nothing suspicious goin’ on…and it’s not like she’s gonna to miss any, he grinned as he placed the cork back on the bottle and handed it back.

Hannah eyed him with hatred for they knew of the queens maladies; they just liked to harass her whenever they could for she had rebuffed their advances for far too long. Humph, she huffed and stormed off, playing up the mood and it worked as they laughed at the glowering maid. She desperately wanted them to pay for their disrespect towards the queen, but she knew she could say or do nothing.

When she reached the door of her lady’s chamber she rushed inside and latched the door, resting against it as she tried to calm herself. Once her pounding heart had eased, she then straightened her hair and made herself presentable before she addressed the queen, though she also took the cork off and wiped the lid with her skirt to remove the presence of the vile soldier before her lady put it to her own lips.

As she opened the inner chamber door she approached the window where Rhiannon was seated, My lady, I have it, she stated as she walked forward and handed her the first bottle, your medicine.

Rhiannon smiled at the intuitiveness of her handmaid as she took the bottle, opened it and took a small sip; though Hannah did not have the heart to tell her lady that a soldier had defiled it. The queen looked back at Hannah, Have you anything more for me? she queried.

Hannah dug into the folds of her skirt and retrieved the bottle then gently handed it to the queen, who also gently took it, cupping it in her hands as she stared at the sleeping potion, wondering if it would work for the time drew near.

As the sun made its journey across the sky to meet the western horizon, there remained but a few hours before the nobles of the land would be dinning in the great hall, whether they wanted to or not. Rhiannon’s hands trembled as she placed the small bottle in a secret drawer in the bottom of a jeweled box that sat on her desk. She then returned to her window and stared off towards the north and the land that cried out for vengeance, and she hoped it would be tonight.

*

Rebecca sat in front of the fire and became lost in its mesmerizing dance as she once again thought of the journey that had brought her to this very moment and she shuddered when she thought of the dark land of Midnight. When she looked up there were a couple of elves watching her with such intensity that she blushed, unconsciously grabbing and fidgeting with the locket her mother had given her so long ago, and again wondering at the fate of her  aunt.

One of the elves though quickly came forward when he recognized the Elvin symbol for the northern kingdom on her necklace, Where did you get such a thing, he asked with urgency, causing Rebecca to pause in her answer as she herself brought back to memory the day she received it.

On her mother’s death bed, she had bestowed the beautiful locket to her only child, Rebecca, and told her to never part with it, for it was blessed and would lead her home. Being the young child she was she could not make sense of her mother’s last words so decided it was the delirium of a dying woman and never gave thought to it again.

Rebecca’s family was very wealthy, rivaling that of the king’s wealth, though never boasting the truth for fear of the king’s wrath and deceit in forcefully taking it. Her father, Bréanainn, was a quiet and thoughtful man, secretive in his doings for she never knew what it was that he did to bring them so much wealth. As for her mother, Móirín, she was as doting as a mother could be; tall, petite and beautiful, and Rebecca was bestowed the same blessing.

Rebecca, the elf repeated startling the young woman from her thoughts, From where did you receive such a thing, for it is Elvin, he stated again, though his tone had changed to one of great curiosity.

As she gathered her thoughts, ‘Elvin’ rattled in her head, and she tried to form her words but all she could say was, my mother, for her throat was now very dry.

*

When Hannah returned later to the queen’s quarters, Rhiannon was once again sitting in the widow where she had been earlier, though she could not say whether she had been there the whole time; it did worry her though since it appeared she had not touched her lunch.

My lady, the time draws near, you must ready yourself, she stated as calmly as one could, not wanting to cause Rhiannon any more grief than necessary, for she knew it had already taken its toll on her by the tired countenance etched on the queen’s face.

She knew the queen did not relish the evenings events; dinner with nobles who were deathly afraid to oppose her husband, revelry to celebrate King Ërrin’s new tyranny and the new possessions he had acquired with the devastation of the kingdom to their north, Lachlan, the land of Rhiannon’s birth; now she had no kin left save her husband.

As Rhiannon looked up from the window seat she saw Hannah moving the tray of food and felt a pang of guilt for not eating after her handmaid had carefully prepared it. I’m sorry Hannah, I just haven’t felt like eating anything, she sighed.

I’m sure you have your reasons my lady, I just don’t want to see you make yourself sick, she added, but then changed the subject just as quickly. Have you decided on what gown you are to wear?

Rhiannon moved to her closet where the gowns had been replaced and pulled the skirt of a dark green gown out and then smiled, I think I’ll wear this one.

You’ll look beautiful in that one, as always. It makes your hair look like the golden tree tops in autumn, Hannah smiled, remembering the last time her lady wore the dress. It was a happier time, one when King Ërrin actually cared about other things rather than his new obsession.

Hannah saw the faraway look in Rhiannon’s eyes and quickly retrieved the dress then hung it on a hook while she began the process of dressing her lady, all the while talking about better days, if not to distract, but to certainly remind both of them that life had been, and could be, better again.

Rhiannon paced the floor of her chambers in agonizing anticipation of the night’s events, wondering if she should remove the vial now for easier access, and then decided she should, placing it in a small drawer next to her bed. It would be easy to reach when needed and it did look like her herbal remedies for her headaches if Ërrin were to find it for some strange reason; maybe if he acquired a headache from his revelry she could offer him some without suspicions.

King Ërrin decided at the last minute that Legña should now join them at the banquet, much to the added apprehension of Mi’lan who would now have to alter his plans, though believed it would be much easier to obtain Legña’s freedom this way. What he could not calculate though was how many guards there were to be with him. King Ërrin’s thinking was always to be questioned for motive, and for the life of him Mi’lan could not understand what possible outcome Ërrin would want from this exhibition other than to parade his Elvin trophies to all, including the living one, Legña, to his newly acquired nobles.

*

As the weather continued to grow gloomier by the hour, the Nel’laf hunkered down as a steady rain pelted those who were out in the open, as opposed to those who sat under the trees, and they were not inclined to trade places either. Legña was expecting them to rescue him though no one knew when the day or time would come, as they all still waited for the call to battle to come, and it unnerved the humans how it was that the large camp of Nel’laf was not discovered as of yet. The meadow they were in was somewhat hidden and in a lower valley, but was still half a day’s ride from the castle.

Legña had been allowed to clean himself up before being presented to the nobles, though he wasn’t so enthusiastic about eating with those he so detested. He considered them lowly and stupid and had already decided that he would not let himself be engaged in conversation with them.

The more he let himself think about his circumstances the angrier he became and wanted to exact his revenge with swift devastation. Somehow he had to reclaim his pendants, but Mi’lan had not been back to confirm any plans of his escape and he was beginning to grow impatient, and worried. Would he truly waste away in a human prison; his mood darkened.

The stately elf walked over to the window in his small cell, one of the few pleasures afforded him in this dark tower, and gazed out at the setting sun. Even in the human world it was a welcomed sight, especially since it had not been enjoyed in the land of Midnight for a hundred years. The warmth of the sun on his face was a sensation he had not felt in a long time and it was most welcomed, even in a world he hated.

He cringed as he heard the guards coming up the winding staircase, laughing and making sport with one another, though when they came around the corner they became serious. When they unlocked the door and opened it, Legña did not turn around.

Well looky here Phillip, the Elvin lord does not want our company. The guards laughed but still entered the cell and stood fixed with their swords and spears ready to prod the elf to exit the cell if need be.

Legña clenched his jaw, forcing himself to hold his tongue; he would make them pay dearly for their insolence. He turned slowly and then smirked at their numbers as he strode forward, surrounded by the company of twelve guards that were sent to retrieve him, a lone elf; yes, they still feared him he thought as they quickly bound his hands.

*

As the nobles of the land entered the great banquet hall to take their seats, King Ërrin was entering from his private chambers, eyeing those he deemed as weaklings with