36. Chapter Thirty Six Rhowyn
Chapter Thirty Six: Rhowyn
The day passed uneventfully as we all rode toward the Gwyllion following Brannoc's lead. Conversation flowed easily as we all got to know each other better, sharing the small things you could only discover through time spent together. The gentle breeze that made its way through the trees made the day feel damn near perfect. It almost felt like we were all on our way to a picnic. Our pace was slow and steady because of the thickness of the underbrush, and I found myself forgetting several times that we were still in our second trial.
When we'd started out, the mountains on the horizon seemed so far away, but as the day wore on, their size increased until we were just a couple of miles off. The light from the non-existent sun had reached its peak and was now starting to slowly fade as we all plodded along.
Arryn rode up next to me, and I graced him with a smile, thoughts going back to what we'd gotten up to that morning. I knew that if I could see myself now, I'd think I was some kind of sap, but I couldn't seem to help the butterflies and joy that swelled in my chest as he drew nearer. He smiled back at me in greeting, his eyes heating until I clenched my thighs around Meadow, wishing we weren't surrounded by everyone else and I had the time to really explore his delicious body.
As if reading my thoughts, he said, “There'll be time for that later.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.” I said, playing coy and earning a chuckle from him.
“I actually came over here for a reason.”
“Oh? And what reason could that be?” I teased him further.
With a smile still on his face, he ignored my banter. “We're approaching the Gwyllion, according to Brannoc. I thought you'd like a crash course on what to expect.”
I straightened at that, eager to hear more about the creatures we had spent two days searching for. “Anything you can tell me, I'd appreciate.”
“The Gwyllion are creatures that gather information. They always come in pairs and trade information with passersby. It's for this reason that we are seeking them out. They will have the information we need on how to find the Lady of the Lake. They're friendly as long as you speak with manners and aren't aggressive toward them. We'll have to exchange secrets to get what we need, otherwise they'll simply answer us in riddles.”
“They do love their riddles,” Baer said as he approached my other side.
Not paying Baer any mind, Arryn continued. “It's best if one of us is selected to speak for the group while everyone else hangs back so as not to appear threatening.”
“Sounds reasonable,” I agreed.
“After talking with some of the others, we've decided that it will be me that approaches them for the location of the Lady.” I nodded, not finding fault in that logic. Arryn was the most levelheaded among us and seemed to have the best knowledge of the creatures that inhabited this world .
“Sounds like a plan.” I smiled at him.
Now that we had that settled, we fell into conversation about nothing, just speaking to pass the time as we made our way toward the Gwyllion. The light grew darker, dusk on the horizon. We'd probably have to make camp soon, hopefully after we found out the details we needed.
Finally, Arryn signaled for us to stop. I stood up in my stirrups, hoping for a glimpse of what was before us. The mountains rose on either side of the narrow path we had been riding along, reaching so far up into the sky that I got slightly dizzy trying to find the top.
Pulling my sight from the peaks and trying not to fall from my saddle, I noticed the Gwyllion. Their positioning reminded me of the statues in The Never-Ending Story , the ones that shot lasers from their eyes. I sure hoped they didn't do the same.
They were clothed in businesswear, so out of place here in the wilderness. One was wearing a green suit with an orange shirt and red bow tie. The other was in an orange suit with a green shirt and the same red bow tie. Nearly complete opposites in their clothing but identical in their appearance. I couldn't get the image of Smeagol from my mind. They didn't look near as crazy or grimy, but their hairless bodies and demeanor clearly put them in the same category. I wondered if Smeagol had been inspired by these beings that were now before us.
Arryn dismounted and approached the Gwyllion on foot, the rest of us staying back as requested. “Greetings!” he called out, his voice carrying to us in this silent space.
They turned to eye him simultaneously, their heads tilting as they took him in. “Man of secrets, what is it that you seek?” Their voices were in perfect harmony as they spoke at the same time, haunting and mysterious. A shiver wracked my body at the tone of their voices .
“We have come to ask the location of the Lady of the Lake,” Arryn said without preamble.
They eyed him for a long time before looking back to our group. “We shall not give that answer to you. We wish to speak with the Chosen.”
Arryn's body stiffened at their request, confusion tainting his words as he asked, “Which Chosen?”
Their gazes snapped from where I was sitting atop Meadow to him. “The only Chosen that matters, of course.”
“We have two Chosen among us. Do you wish to speak with them both?” Arryn tried to clarify.
“We wish to speak to the one who is scarred and full of anger. The Chosen who will change everything we know, bringing about our death and destruction or delivering us from the shadows that creep up on us.”
Tension tightened my shoulders at their words. It was evident now that they could only mean me. Their words haunted me. I watched as Arryn approached me on foot. “You don't have to speak with them,” he whispered to me. “We'll figure out another way to find the Lady.”
I eyed them for a moment before shaking my head. “No. I can do this.”
“Are you sure?”
“No,” I said with a laugh as I dismounted, Arryn's hands guiding me down safely, for once not pulling a shiver of desire from me.
I approached them both, coming to a halt between them as if we formed a triangle, my eyes darting between them. “Hi,” I said, my nerves rushing through me with a tingle in my limbs.
“Chosen,” they said in acknowledgment. “What is it you seek to know? ”
“I was tasked with finding the Lady of the Lake. Do you know how we can find her?” I asked them, trying desperately to keep the fear and uncertainty from my voice.
“Is that truly what you wish to know?” they asked me at the same time, their tone scraping down my back and forcing me to stand up straighter.
I hesitated. They were right. There were so many things that I'd love to know the truth about. So many questions plagued me that I kept pushing to the background as problems to be solved on another day. Now they all came rushing forward, swarming my mind as I tried to determine how to move forward. While I desperately wanted the answers to those questions, they still weren't the most pressing. The only thing that mattered right now was surviving the second trial. Everything else could come after.
My mind made up, I answered them, “Yes. I seek the location of the Lady of the Lake.”
They regarded me, heads tilting from side to side as they did. Their perusal felt intimate, like they were seeing so much more than I wanted them to see. Arryn said they only gave information in exchange for information, and a part of me felt like they could read the secrets hidden in my mind.
“And what shall the Chosen offer us in exchange for the location?”
“What would you like to know?” I asked them, my confidence growing. Now, they looked at each other, speaking without words. I didn't know how I knew that, but I did. Having come to some sort of decision, their heads snapped to me in perfect unison.
“We wish to know what's in your heart.” Okay. Whatever the hell that meant . I nodded, trying desperately not to overthink the situation .
“Come here, Chosen. Let us look.” They waved me forward, still in perfect harmony.
I approached them slowly, forcing myself to take the next step and the one after. A feeling of foreboding threatened to buckle my knees, but I locked them, refusing to succumb to the emotions that were now coursing through me. I stopped, standing in the middle of them both. Each one placed a hand on me. One hand landed over my heart while the other placed a hand on my temple. I flinched but found I couldn't move as their magic coursed through me, digging and searching for an answer. I could feel them rifling through my memories, thoughts, and emotions, discarding whatever didn't meet their demands.
After what felt like forever, they removed their hands, and my knees did buckle this time as I landed hard on them, gasping for air, chest heaving as my hands met the moist soil. I curled my fingers into the dirt, grounding myself after that experience. Focusing on my breathing, I took a deep inhale, held it, then let it out slowly. I repeated this process until I felt strong enough to stand and face them again.
I kept my feet wide to brace myself, not wanting a repeat performance. Once my eyes met theirs, they spoke, “We find your offering sufficient. We shall tell you the location of the Lady of the Lake as requested.”
Excitement soared through me. I'd done it. A burst of pride flowed toward me through the bond, even coming from Callum. A smile grew on my face at the feeling.
“A warning, Chosen,” they spoke again, although the tone was different than before. This time they were speaking directly into my mind. I stiffened at the intrusion but didn't move. I nodded, indicating they should continue. Anything to get this feeling over with. Their words felt oily and slimy in my mind, and I wanted to run away from it as soon as possible .
“You will face many trials, but none so testing as the trial you place on yourself to be worthy. Keep following your instincts and all will fall into place as it should. Remember that to be worthy, one must believe it in themselves first. You will face many terrors, but you will only be truly terrified by the thoughts that you find deep inside your mind. Be wary of such thoughts for there is another that seeks to control them, another who has found a way to weaken you. Only you can save us all, but first, you must save yourself.”
Their words trailed off, not really telling me anything. Their riddles only frustrated me. “What does that mean?” I demanded from them.
Ignoring me, they said aloud again, “The Lady of the Lake can be found in Lough Leane, but she can only be reached by a leap from The Burren.” They held out their arms, gesturing for us to continue the path we had been on, granting us passage. “Find The Burren and call for her. She will hear you.”
They turned to face me again, their next words spoken only to me. “You will face the truth, and you must not hide from it. We are all counting on you to find what you need within yourself so that you may rise to become what you are destined to be.”
I snapped at them, “What does that mean?” My words came out louder than I had intended in my frustration. “Stop speaking in riddles and tell me plainly.” They started to fade from view, slowly disappearing and ignoring me. “Tell me!” I yelled at them as they winked out, spinning on my heel to find a glimpse of them.
“Trust yourself.” Their parting words whispered into my mind, sounding as if from a far distance or from another plane, leaving me there with their cryptic words and prophecies, floundering to understand what exactly they meant.