Nights in Rodan Ch. 01

Leni brushed the large bay horse and hummed to herself. The dirt and loose hair drifted in the breeze, unfortunately right into her face. She blew her breath out in a sigh and wiped her brow with the dingy apron that hung around her slender waist. Some of the dirt stuck to her forehead but she didn't care. She tucked a stray strand of her red hair back into the fabric headband that contained the rest of her wavy locks. She saddled the horse and rode out to the field behind the livery. Grinley knew she had a way of calming the horses, which is why he had asked her to work the new one while he was out picking up a load of hay.

The beast was smart, that was for sure. He tried to buck a few times, just to test her, but she grinned and stayed put in the saddle. She liked his spunk, and hoped the people that rented him would appreciate it also. She tried him over the low stone wall that separated the livery yard from the farm next door, her mount sailed over with ease. She decided it was time to test his speed so she turned him toward the low rolling slopes at the base of the mountain and encouraged him forward. Her heart leapt as his powerful shoulders lifted under her and his haunches bunched up. When she breathed out he released his power, she was giddy as he took off. He soon settled into a rhythmic gallop and her heart was elated, the cool mountain air whipped her face and tears stung her eyes from the chill but she loved every second on his back. She slowed him as they neared the forest and looked behind her, the city was now a tiny dot on the edge of a sparkling blue harbor filled with ships. The shadow of the bright white castle fell across the shops and houses. The beast whinnied loudly and pawed the ground. She was sure he would be even faster going home but she wasn't quite ready. She walked him through the cold mountain spring that flowed out of the pass and he didn't seem to care. He sipped a refreshing drink and she surveyed the area. The pass would close up for the winter soon, she knew. She heard something faint in the distance, an echo perhaps?

Leni remembered the first time she had set eyes on Rodan since they had left when she was a very small child. She was 12 years old when they returned. She clung to Iny's hand as the snow started to fall silently. It had been a tough march all the way from Proteria where she lived during her childhood. She hadn't spoken one word the entire journey, she had been afraid to come back. Her father died here when she was 4, the memories still haunted her. She was traumatized after seeing him, a rich and highly regarded merchant, killed in front of her. How her beloved nanny Iona had spirited her away was a hazy memory she didn't fully understand. She only remembered the determination and grit in her father's voice when he held her for the last time. He told her he loved her and to be a good girl and mind Iny. After that she remembered little. Iona had pulled her away from his lifeless body, she remembered vividly the dark blood pooling on the stone floor. She shook her head as if she could knock the memory out of her mind.

She decided it was time to get back, she had a long list of chores to complete before her work day was over but again the echo stirred within the mountain pass. She was half curious and half afraid of what was causing the vague sounds. She shrugged it off and patted the horse under his unruly black mane, where it was nice and fluffy. It warmed her hands and she took up the reins after a moment, sighed heavily and then let the large gelding run for home. She wore a girlish grin the whole ride back.

Rayn Mollach was tired; they'd been riding for 4 days and were finally nearing Rodan. It would be his last trip before winter closed the pass this year. The easy strides of his horse were lulling him to sleep; he was bored with the grey mountain and ready to be out of the chilled air. He was looking forward to getting back home from Proteria, with one notable exception. It was his duty as the Prince, he'd been informed, to come home for winter court. He couldn't get out of entertaining the ladies of the court, a perpetual bore. They were dull; concerned only with money and who's breeding was better. He detested his father for suggesting it was time to settle down. Rayn was raised a warrior, his relationship with the King was rocky at the best of times. They never saw eye to eye on anything, when Rayn was a young boy he'd confided in his mother. Losing her was difficult; he had become withdrawn and sullen. The mood lasted for years, well into his adulthood. His perceived brooding drew women to him; they couldn't wait to "fix" him. He had few friends and many lovers but none that he cared to settle down with. He spent all his time learning to fight and it had served him well. He'd risen through the ranks quickly, and now at 34 he was the youngest General in his father's army.

The 19 years of relative peace had been good for the empire of Onaendra but Rayn preferred the travel and the conquests. He grinned to himself remembering the last dark haired beauty he'd bedded. His friend and royal guard Kieran interrupted his thoughts,

"We should be in Rodan by nightfall", he reported.

"Good. I'm ready for a hot meal and a soft bed."

"Aren't we all," Kieran grinned.

**** Leni pushed open the rough door of her small home. Lukas shrieked with delight at her arrival. He toddled toward her eagerly, ready to greet his mama. He had only been walking for a couple of months now but he was getting more confident by the day. She sighed, wishing his father could see him now. Lukas resembled him so much. She took him in her arms and kissed his ruddy cheek.

"How is my little man?" she asked him, as he wriggled away from her, ready to be on the move again.

"He was tearing everything apart today," Iny answered from by the fireplace. She stirred the pot on the hook and then swung it back over the roaring flames.

"Dinner is almost ready dear."

Leni sank into her favorite chair, it had been Colin's favorite chair too. Sometimes she swore the blanket on the back still smelled of him even though it wasn't possible.

"Thank you for cooking Iny, I hope Lukas wasn't too much trouble today."

"Nonesense," she responded quickly, "he's an angel. He slept long enough for me to get my sewing done." She smiled broadly, her dark eyes glittering in the firelight.

Colin's oversized beast of a dog, Wren, put his head in Leni's lap looking for attention. She mussed his sleek grey fur and then shooed him away. Lukas brought one of his small wooden toys to her and she pulled him into her lap. She spun the small wheels on the horse as Lukas watched her hands. Wren settled down on top of her feet. She smiled, loving being surrounded by reminders of her late husband. He'd died before Lukas was born. She missed him terribly and it had been almost 18 months. He'd been so excited about becoming a father, carving several sturdy wooden toys for the baby. Then, one night in the early summer, raiders from the plains swept through Rodan. She felt the familiar pang of longing and loneliness in her heart and sighed.

"How was today?" Iny bustled about the house, readying the table for dinner.

"Just fine, the new horse is working out well. I think he's a keeper."

"Good. Come and eat, dinner is ready."

Leni went through the familiar motions of family life before settling into bed with Lukas. They all slept on straw pallets covered with furs and blankets. Colin had provided for them well; he was a talented woodworker, well respected, and loved by everyone who knew him. Her life had never been easy; she started working to support her family when she was 10 picking fruit in the orchards. Most of her friends got married when they were 16 but she hadn't wanted anything to do with men. That is, until she had seen Colin farming in the fields when she was 20. She was taken in by his blue eyes and experience, he kissed her behind a barn on a mid summer's eve and she fell in love with him instantly. He was 5 years her senior and they never argued over anything. He loved her wild independent streak and let her do what she wanted. He took her hunting with him, taught her how to survive in the wilderness, and how to make love. She'd never been with anyone before she met him or since he'd been gone. He was her everything; after he died the only thing that kept her going was knowing she was carrying his child. Lukas was the only piece of Colin she had left. Leni hugged her sleepy boy close and breathed in his baby smell. "He won't be little for long," she sighed sadly.

Rayn and his men made it to the castle just as the sun dipped below the horizon. He had missed the huge white stone walls he called home. He received a warm welcome from everyone as they'd entered the inner city gates but all he cared about was avoiding his father until morning. However, as soon as he'd made it to his quarters his father summoned him to the throne room.

Rayn pushed the heavy doors open, letting his crimson mantle billow out behind him. He truly was a force to be reckoned with. He was tall, even among Rodanian men who were taller than average for this part of the world, his face was shadowed with scruff from his journey, his dark hair was wavy and neatly kept, and he had an unmistakable commanding presence. His dark eyes rose to meet his father's.

"How was your journey my son?" King Mollach looked up from his papers, his blue eyes twinkling in the low light.

"Uneventful."

"Were your negotiations successful?" He father raised one graying eyebrow.

"Yes, I think so. We'll be allowed to station troops indefinitely but they still don't trust us." He said gruffly.

"They will after we dispatch those raiders from the plains permanently."

"They've been a thorn in our side for too long now." He agreed.

"I won't have any usurpers taking my throne, and defnitely not some barbaric raiders. The time has come for you to legitimize your claim to the throne Rayn. Have you given any more thought to my offer?"

Rayn narrowed his eyes, he'd been hoping to avoid this conversation. His father must have read his mind because he sighed.

"Rayn, I am old and tired. If you marry I will happily step aside for you. I'd like to see our line-"

Rayn cut him off firmly, "I have no desire to rule this empire. My heart is on the battlefield, you know that. None of those delicate, well bred court ladies can understand that either."

"You have six months to make a decision Rayn, and that is final." His father stated definitively. His steel blue eyes hardened on his son.

"Good night father." Rayn spun on his heel and was gone.

He threw his mantle off his shoulders as he entered his quarters. His blood was boiling. He paced the floor, taking off his armor and dropping it loudly piece by piece. He was furious! How dare his father give him a time limit when he was also trying to deal with the raiders. He growled and clenched his jaw. He stripped down to nothing and sank into the warm bath that had been drawn for him. He dipped below the surface and came up rubbing his eyes and face hoping for clarity. He soaked in the bath until the water started to cool. His attendant stoked the fire and left a tray of food for him on the table. He dressed in a night shirt and loose trousers and sank into his chair in front of the fire. He stared into it, watching the flames lick and dance. He ate his dinner and sipped brandy. He caught himself nodding off and finally went to bed. It would be nice to find a warm body to sleep with every night, but no woman he'd ever met had stirred strong feelings within him. He doubted she existed but he hadn't resigned himself to a marriage for political gain.

The next morning he paid a visit to his scholar. Ramsey was in a fit over the discovery of a secret library of castle records. He'd sent Rayn a note on his breakfast tray asking to see him as soon as he was able. When they'd expanded the Onaendra to include Rodan they'd stormed the city and taken the castle by force many years ago, it was an all out war. Rayn had been much younger then, a boy of only 15. The area had been unstable for some time, the last king had no male heirs to claim the throne. King Domnall's only daughter was never found, it was assumed she had died in the malay.

"Morning Ramsey", he said brightly.

"Ah, Your Highness! So glad to see you, I trust your journey went well?" the old man prodded.

"Quite well, what was it you wanted me to see this early in the morning?" He sat down at the cluttered table, it was covered with scrolls and parchment.

"Let me see, ", the old scholar muttered, he stroked his long grey beard absently.

Rayn flipped through the parchment in front of him, looked like records of some sort. The old man rustled some parchment on his desk before holding up a piece of paper. "Here it is!", he rushed to the table where Ryan was sitting.

It was a drawing, a diagram of a dark haired woman with her head turned slightly away. Her shoulder was exposed, revealing a strange birthmark.

"This is a drawing of the last Queen of Rodan, see here?" he pointed to the mark.

"What is it?" Rayn didn't recognize the symbol.

"It's an X, a strange marking that only the maternal side of her royal family possesses. Her maiden name was Swansea as the parchment explains, but she was supposedly the last living descendent."

"What's that?" Rayn noticed something odd about the X.

"I'm not sure but it seems to just be a natural flaw, it's almost a hook hanging off the top there isn't it, " Ramsey felt around for his magnifying glass and gave it to Rayn.

Rayn examined the birthmark under the magnifying glass,"It is a hooked X Ram, but why are you showing me this?"

"I've seen this mark before!"

"Really," Rayn looked incredulously at the man.

"It's true. I saw it when I was out in the city a few weeks ago, at the market."

"On a woman?" He still didn't believe it.

"Yes, on a woman!" Ramsey was excited now.

"Come with me, and bring that paper with you." Rayn commanded.

Ryan started off down the corridor towards his father's quarters, he was in no mood to go on a wild bear hunt for some woman with a scar that meant nothing. He knocked.

"Enter"

"Father, did you know about this?" Rayn took the paper from Ramsey and handed it to him.

"The last Queen of Rodan........yes. She died several years before we invaded, childbirth I believe. That's when this kingdom started downhill. The King went mad with grief they say." He considered the paper carefully and then returned it to Rayn.

"Did you ever see the mark? Perhaps when you used to come here regularly?"

"Yes I remember noting it the first time I was here. The Queen greeted me in the throne room and I walked with her at court. I never thought to ask about it though."

"Ramsey claims he saw a young woman at the market with this mark on her shoulder."

The King looked at Rayn coolly, and then over his shoulder at Ramsey.

"Are you sure Ramsey?"

"Yes." He shuddered to think what the King would do if he was wrong. He gulped.

"Go find this woman Rayn. We will have to question her immediately. She could be a threat to this crown and you know the Empire of Onaendra cannot afford to lose Rodan" King Mollach was livid now.

"Yes father." Rayn was VERY irritated.

GODS!

Why did HE have to escort the old man around the city looking for someone who probably was not the Princess of Rodan and just an ugly old maid. He could have kicked himself for going to see Ramsey first thing in the morning.

There goes my day, he thought to himself.

**

Leni readied herself for market day. She packed her shopping bags and saddled up. Grinley always lent her a horse on market day and she picked up the things he needed while she was there. It was such a chore riding walking the middle of the city in that crazy place. She rode down the winding street toward the walls of the castle. She didn't mind doing his grocery shopping, he was a widower himself and his son had died also, in the same raid Colin had perished in as a matter of fact. He hardly cooked for himself anyway, usually Iny made extra dinner and took it to him, they were great friends. It was an odd partnership, almost like a dear uncle living up the road. He was always happy to help Leni out and she repaid him with extra work at the livery or a warm meal. She could see the market a couple of streets over, she tied her horse and started walking.

** Rayn and Ramsey rode out into the city in a royal cart.

Rayn saw it was a nice day and squinted up into the sun. He should have been running drills with his men, and preparing for the next raid that was sure to come, they'd been more frequent lately. He tapped his fingers on his bent knee. The crowd at the market parted for them automatically but not without difficulty. Rayn kept his eyes open and his hand on his sword. Ramsey scanned the crowd. He didn't see the girl anywhere. He could have sworn she was here the last time he'd been here. They went along silently, both of them analyzing the crowd as they passed. Most people bowed when they saw him coming, but a few were too wrapped up in their shopping to notice. Rayn didn't care, he was a warrior at heart, not a Prince.

"There!" Ramsey pointed.

"Which one?" Rayn asked, looking at several different women.

"The tall one, that's her. You can't see the mark now but it's under that shawl I'm sure of it. "

She was smelling an apple, she handed coin to the merchant and tucked her purchase into the ratty bag hung over her shoulder. Her hair was tied up with a small scarf. Wisps of red waves had escaped. Her face was a little dirty, but her features shocked him. Under the dirt there was an attractive woman barely over 20.

"Wasn't the last King a redhead?, " he asked Ramsey.

"I believe so, your highness."

"I'll follow her and meet you back at the castle later."

He stepped down out of the cart. He took slow steps, trying not to bring attention to himself. He didn't want her to see him yet. He followed her down the street, she picked up a few more items and slipped between merchant booths. He lost sight of her.

Damn it!

He slipped through between booths also, and frantically looked for her. Hoofbeats echoed down the street, he took off towards it instinctively. He saw her sling the bag over her horse's shoulders and lithely swing into the saddle. She rode down the street at a leisurely pace, humming to herself. Her skirt was bunched around her legs revealing her pale calves and feet clad in simple leather shoes. She clearly didn't realize she was being followed. He wove around the busy street, locking his gaze on the woman atop the horse. He had to get a look at her shoulder.

He finally caught up with her when she dropped the horse off at a livery. She must be close to home.

**

Leni brushed the grey horse down, patted her, and shared an apple with her before starting off down the street toward home. It had been a long day. The sun was starting it's descent and it would be dark by the time she got to her door. She heard footsteps behind her, and sped up. This part of town wasn't usually dangerous but, any part of town could be dangerous. She slowed way down and noticed the footsteps did too.

Her body shivered.

This was creepy. She quickened her pace to get home sooner. Hands roughly grabbed her. She slapped at them but the man was very strong. She tried to look up at him but he turned her around and shoved her against a building. The rough stone was cold under her cheek.

"Stop, get away from me!" her anger washed over him in waves.

"Stop struggling, I will not hurt you." A deep voice answered gruffly. She stomped down on his foot causing him to grunt.

She elbowed him in the ribs hard but he didn't seem to care. He was a big man and Leni was terrified. She felt her heart racing and the adrenaline kicking in, it warmed her and made her tingle. She fought harder.