The Destiny of Amalah (70 page)

‘We don’t know that unless we try,’ Ellora protested.

‘Ellora my answer is no,’ Amara said firmly. ‘From now on we will concentrate on Basimine.’

Ellora looked around her and she knew she would not be able to convince anyone in the room that the four were being made to do what they were doing; nor would she ever get permission to go and meet them. She knew she had to reach them somehow, and she ran to her room to be alone.

A few hours later, Kalon knocked and entered her room, when he came in he went straight to her and knelt by her side. He took her hands in his and looked at her intently.

‘Ellora, I am truly sorry if I upset you in anyway but I meant what I said.’

‘And so did I,’ she replied.

‘Ellora – princess, understand – I do not want to fight with you but you are wrong when you say you can reach them, or that something is making them do this. They all have minds of their own. You did not see what I saw and I am so glad that you did not. What I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life. Rakan, Rufus, Waldon and Kenaz they are a disgrace to us and to humanity and they have lost all knowledge of what it is to be human and good.’

‘Kalon…’ she began, but Kalon continued.

‘Ellora please, I am begging you; I do not want to fight. I just want to be with you, to be next to you and the two of us – to be holding each other. Please, after what I saw, I cannot tell you how much I need you right now,’ he said softly.

He continued looking up to her with his intense blue eyes, and he continued to hold her gaze as a single tear rolled down his cheek and when it spilt – he rested his head on her lap.

Ellora leant forward and kissed him on the forehead and stroked his hair. He lifted his head once again and looked at her and she held his face with her hands and looked back at him.

‘Oh Kalon,’ she said, as she reached forward and kissed him.

He kissed her back and he stood up bringing her up with him, they kissed longingly and he picked her up and placed her back on the bed. He placed her gently on and then got on it himself. She sat up and sat astride him and the two of them began kissing again, slowly at first, and then hungrily and urgently as their need for each other intensified. Ellora removed Kalon’s top and she stroked and massaged his lean and muscular arms while he kissed her neck and stroked her back; he skilfully removed her dress and then, their bare skin was touching. It was soft and smooth and hot at the same time as they excited each other more as each second passed by.

The two of them kissed and caressed each other and removed each others clothing until they were both naked and hot and wanting each other terribly. Kalon pulled Ellora towards him and held her tightly and then they rolled over until he was on top of her and the two of them began their lovemaking; madly, passionately and deeply and when it was over – they held onto each other so tightly; each not wanting to let go of the other. They lay tangled up in each other, lying in silence, just letting the intimacy grow between them and when they were ready, they made love again and again and all through the night until both of them were happily exhausted and fell into a deep and satisfying sleep.

Ellora was the first to wake and she stretched out before she turned to look at Kalon, she looked on him and felt a surge of love when she watched him. He was so gorgeous when he slept, she thought to herself. She looked at his beautiful jet black hair and his face and then ran her eyes along his body, which she loved so much.

“He is strong and gentle, even in his sleep,” she thought to herself.

Ellora lay back down beside him and placed her hand on his arm and kissed his shoulder. He placed his arm around her waist and scooped her closer to him and let out a happy sigh while still in his sleep and she let out a soft laugh and covered his hand with hers and she was happy to lie next to him for a while longer. When he awoke Kalon was deliriously happy and he kissed Ellora on the neck.

‘Good morning Mr. Sleepy,’ she said smiling at him.

‘Good morning my love,’ he said smiling back at her.

He ran his hand down her arms and then down the side of her body and she looked straight at him as he touched her and she let out a pleasurable sigh. She placed her hand on his chest and stroked it and then she put her arm around his neck and moved in closer to kiss him. Kalon kissed her back and continued to move his hand up and down the side of her body and then up and down her back. He moved from his side and rolled onto his back bringing Ellora with him until she was on top of him and the two of them began their love making once again.

When they were done, they bathed together and took breakfast on the balcony with Amara, Garrick and Michael, before they went about their day and when the evening came; they took dinner and bathed together again. Ellora massaged Kalon’s back and shoulders and the two of them made love and went to sleep.

This time Ellora woke in the dead of night and saw that Kalon was still fast asleep. She rose and got out of bed and went to her bathroom where she washed and dressed and picked up a bag that she had previously packed. She crept back to the bedroom and saw that Kalon was still asleep; she put a note on her pillow and slipped out of the room. She ran along the corridor and into another room. Once there, she lit some candles and incense and lay down on the floor and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind and then called to Rakan in her mind; she called him continually until he answered her.

‘I am here Ellora, what is that you want?’ he asked her.

‘To speak with you.’

‘About what?’

‘No! I must speak with you face to face.’

‘I am sure you must and I am sure that when I meet you – it would most certainly be a trap.’

‘No it would not, I would never...’ she said vehemently. ‘I will come to you Rakan if you agree.’

Rakan remained silent for a few seconds and then replied. ‘Very well Ellora ride to us – this is where we are,’ he said, showing her through his mind.

‘I will leave now and will be there two nights from now.’

‘Very well,’ Rakan replied.

Ellora remained with her eyes closed for a while and when she broke her link with Rakan, she opened them again. She collected her thoughts and then rose to her feet, she slipped out of the room and along the corridor, making sure that no one saw her; she slid out of the palace and found her horse and she led him to the end of the palace road before she mounted him. She then rode towards Filine to find Rakan, Rufus, Waldon and Kenaz. She rode hard and she rode fast until daybreak and then she dismounted to eat and rest.

When Kalon awoke, he smiled to himself and reached for Ellora, he was surprised to see that she was not there and he wondered where she might be; he then noticed the folded paper on her pillow, which he then picked up, opened and read:

Dear Kalon, my sweet love,
Please do not be angry with me my love, but I have to try and reach them.
I know something or someone turned them and I know we can turn them back if we try. I want to stop this madness and I want to avoid a war.
I will return to Amalah four nights from now.
Love you always.
Ellora
Xxxx

Kalon read the note and quickly jumped out of bed; he threw on his clothes and stuffed the note in one of his pockets before he raced out of the room and down the stairs to the palace door.

Garrick shouted to him: ‘Kalon where are you going?’

‘To Filine,’ Kalon said, as he carried on running.

‘What! No,’ Garrick said, running after his son.

Kalon was outside the door but luckily for Garrick, Kalon had to wait for his horse and so he caught up with his son.

‘Kalon, what are you doing?’

‘I’m going to Filine.’

‘Why?’

Kalon reached into his pocket and pulled out the note that Ellora had left on the pillow for him.

‘I have to stop her.’

Garrick quickly read the note and looked up at Kalon before he spoke:

‘No!’ Garrick snapped.

‘What do you mean no?’ Kalon said raising his voice.

‘It is too dangerous.’

‘Father, Ellora has gone to find Rakan, Rufus and the others. They will almost certainly kill her. Look what they did in Santeb, Aradene and Mantor,’ he said desperately.

‘Rakan will not harm Ellora.’

‘Are you sure?’

Garrick said nothing, for he could no longer be sure of anything about his son – he knew it and Kalon knew it.

‘No I am not,’ Garrick said.

‘Then I must go to her,’ Kalon said.

‘Kalon, please, I beg you – do not go to Filine. It is too dangerous. If anything should happen, I….’ Garrick trailed off.

‘I love you father but if anything happened to Ellora, well, it is I who could not go on.’

Kalon began loading his horse and Garrick pleaded with him not to go, but Kalon would not listen. He mounted the horse and was about to leave when Garrick asked him once again.

‘Kalon don’t go,’ Garrick begged.

‘I have to.’

‘Please, as your father, I beg you not to go,’

‘I am sorry father.’

‘Then as Commander of the guard, I order you not to go,’ Garrick said sternly.

‘I cannot obey that order Commander,’ Kalon said sadly.

‘If you go, I will strip you of your rank and have you thrown in the palace dungeons on your return,’ Garrick warned.

‘I know you will father and I do not defy you to test you, I defy you because I have to. As a son and a Captain of the guard I am sorry for my defiance but I must go to Filine.’

Garrick watched as his son turned around and began to ride out and then a thought suddenly came to him.

‘Wait!’ he shouted to Kalon. ‘They’ve agreed to meet – Rakan must have agreed to meet Ellora.’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Because of the note.’

‘What about it?’

‘It says she will be back in four nights.’

‘So?’

‘So she must know where they are. Kalon – think. You have been to Filine, you know the forests and how hard it is to get there. If Ellora says she is coming back in four days then she must know
exactly
where they are and they must have told her.’

‘She is an empath,’ he said slowly.

‘Yes and you all joined minds, remember, when Kenaz was frozen.’

‘He should have stayed that way,’ Kalon said thoughtfully.

‘Indeed, hindsight would be a great attribute to possess.’

‘Father, I am not sure if the others know Ellora is coming. She may know their location but they may not have told it to her. What if she knows where they are?’

‘I doubt it son.’

‘But what if I am right?’

‘We can ask Dale and Yakira. They are powerful seers and they will know but even without the seers, I know Rakan will not hurt Ellora.’

‘How?’

‘Why did the four of them do what they did and not involve you or Ellora?’

‘Because they could not.’

‘Or they would not. Kalon, you and Rakan are brothers; you had the strongest bond. If anyone was going to follow him – it would have been you, yet you were never asked; neither was Ellora and you two were the closest to him.’

‘What are you saying father?’ Kalon asked, as he dismounted from his horse.

‘That it was Rakan’s feelings for you that kept him from involving either of you in whatever it was he was doing and that is why he will not harm Ellora. Further, she is no threat to them. She has only gone there to talk with them and they know that she can do nothing to stop them. Please Kalon, I know I am right, come with me to see Dale and Yakira before you make any decision. I do not want you to go to them.’

‘Why?’

‘Because unlike Ellora, you will try and stop them.’

‘Yes I will.’

‘And that is what I fear most, if you try to stop them, they will stop you.’

‘Father, we are going to go to war anyway. In Basimine we will have to fight them.’

‘Yes we will but you will not be alone and if we are going to go to Basimine I need you alive, and I need you alive because you are my son and the reason I wake to face another day. I also need you to lead the guard. Please Kalon, do not follow Ellora to Filine, she will be fine I know it,’ Garrick took hold of his son’s arm and pulled him away from the horse and looked at him.

‘Very well father,’ Kalon said reluctantly.

Garrick hugged his son and patted him on the back.

‘If anything should happen to her...’

‘It won’t,’ Garrick said emphatically.

Garrick led his son back into the palace and they first went in search of Amara, to tell her what had happened to Ellora.

‘God no,’ Amara said panic stricken and shaken. ‘They will kill her,’ she said, as she sat herself down.