Sentria: The Age of Adventure (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-Five: Cold Destiny

I couldn't believe my eyes. There she was, stood before me like a celestial from haven. I was so happy to see her that I was left speechless. A large mountainman with the broadest shoulders I had ever seen came out of the house behind Princess Ilya. His skin was leathery brown and he squinted so much that it looked like his eyes were completely closed. His beard was red and long and tied four times. I assumed that this was their leader.

"You are Princess Ilya...of Cordath?" asked Prince Lucas, as if to make sure that the image of her was true.

"Yes," Princess Ilya said. "I am. Unshackle them at once."

Our captors took off our restraints and we rubbed our necks that were tender from their tugging. A crowd had formed around us to watch all of this would unfold.

I swallowed hard and asked, "What are you doing here? Are you the leader of the mountainmen?"

She laughed lightly and said, "It's not that simple, Prince Darren. After you left my father kept me locked in a tower like some maiden in a story. When fire came from the sky and turned to ice, some of it hit Cordath Kingdom and in the chaos, I made my escape with a knight that had nobility in his heart. I knew it was dangerous, but I wanted to go to the Sacred Rock at the Ancient Temple...perhaps I thought it would send me to a time long ago where I'd fit in better. Instead, destiny brought me here."

"How did you unite all of the mountainmen?" I asked.

"I told them what I knew firsthand," she said, "that Cordath would be coming and that if they did not join the south, that it would mark the end for the Mountainlands. Brunn was the first leader that I met with."

"She was foretold," said the big mountain man behind her. "In our Book of Prophecy, it was said that a woman made of two halves would come and that we had to put our differences aside or else we wouldn't survive."

"Half-relic, half-human," said Ilya. "All of the mountainmen believe this book and they saw it as a sign that it was time to put down their swords and stand united. It's hard to think of myself as some mythic figure, but who am I to disagree with a good story?"

"Princess!" said Eldwyn as he leaped forward and hugged her tightly.

Princess Ilya laughed and hugged him back. "It's nice to see you again too, my friend."

"Thank you so much," said Prince Lucas with a sigh of relief. "They claimed that their leader would eat us." He glared at Ledd.

The mountainmen laughed vigorously "Eat you?" said a mountain man in the crowd. "You're no bigger than a bunny!"

Princess Ilya said, "The mountainmen like to scare and joke, but when you get to know them they are kind."

"I'm not kind," said Ledd, licking his teeth at us. "You still look tasty."

Ilya walked toward us and brought us along through the crowd. "We'll set you up in one of the free houses where you can rest up and I'll have Erm make meals for you."

"Is there a vegetable option?" asked Eldwyn.

"I'll have them make blue onion soup for you, Eldwyn. You'll love it."

Princess Ilya left to tend to community matters and we were brought to the house of a fallen mountainman to stay in during our time there. Lucas and I ate ox when it arrived. It was rough, but the flavor was robust, and Eldwyn enjoyed his blue onion soup so much that he had three bowls. Each of us slept in our rooms in the house that night. It was a medium-sized home with four bedrooms, and although the mattresses were hard, but it was better than a cave floor.

When I woke up, I went to the main room and saw Eldwyn sitting in silence with his eyes closed. I stopped behind him not wanting to disturb him and just watched him for a while.