ALIENA

   "Wake up, Alie."
   Geacob, no, it hurt too much.
   For the sake of the Gods, Alie or Aliena, or whoever you are, you expect me to just be alright with this? He looked so angry as he looked down at me. His eyes went red and I turned away, afraid.
   "Alie." I said. "My name is Alie."
   "Aliena, darling," said a sweet voice, "don't forget who you are?"
   "Mum?" I searched the hazy darkness around me desperately. Mum, where are you? I can't see you.
   "I'm right here." She said, taking my hand. She kissed it and put it against her face. "Remember who you are, darling, you are the daughter of the ancient kings of old, you cannot be so careless."
   "I'm sorry, mum." I cried. "I'm sorry."
   "I have to go now."
   "No." I said. "No, please---"
   She suddenly caught fire and my arm caught fire with it. I screamed and tried to pull away but the burn kept burning, all the way up to my shoulder.
   "Shh, Alie. Shh."
   "Geac?" He was leaning over my arm, his hands on it as the burning continued. "Don't," I told him, trying to pull away but I couldn't move, "You'll burn too."
   "A fiesty one ye is." Arnick was there now, pinning me down. Oh Mother, no. You're dead! "No." I struggled, trying to pull away. "No, please. Don't touch me, please..." But it face went blurry and I felt blood on my hands, lots of blood. It was all over. I tried to wipe it off but it wouldn't go away and then I realized the blood was on fire too and I was burning...
   No... no, no... please...
   "Calm down, it's just a dream."
   "Papa?"
   "Shh, it's me. It's Geacob. Ritch is here, too."
   I searched the darkness. "I can't see you."
   "Shh, I'm here." Papa's face came into view of the blur. He wore his nightclothes and had a candle in his hands. "You only had a bad dream, Aliena. You're safe now."
   "I'm so scared, Papa. It is too dark. I am afraid of the dark."
   He chuckled and sat at the edge of the bed. Sweet daughter, the dark is most welcoming. In the dark, you do not have to see what is right in front of you. It is the light that people truly fear.
   "But the dark is so frightening."
   The Mother herself gifted us the inability to see in the darkness so that we may hide there with lies and games of pretend. But you are daughter of the kings of old, you're above what others hide in, you need to see the light.
   His words were oddly comforting but the candle he held tipped and fell onto my shoulder and suddenly, I was burning again and he was burning, too. He turned to ash before my and I screamed his name. "Papa!"
   Now now, little sister, if father came every time you called, he'd be sitting upon your shoulders. Aaren grinned at me and I smiled back. "Drink this now, and get some sleep."
   Aaren --- no, no it's was Uncle Jack. He put a cup to my lips but I shook my head. "No. You'll kill me."
   He snorted. "If I kill you, Geac will kill me, silly girl. Besides, you're a Ranger. I'm not allowed to kill you, remember? First law." He put the cup to my lips again and I took a mouthful but it tasted terrible and I could drink no more. 
   "Good girl." He said. "You'll be alright now. Just sleep."
   "I'm afraid to sleep."
   "That's a good thing." He told me. "For as long as you're afraid to fall asleep, you'll keep fighting to wake up from it." He put a cloth on my face and it was cool and wonderful and the fire started to recede. "That's a good girl. You sleep now, then you be sure to wake up. My boy needs you."
   "Geac hates me. Hates me like you do."
   "No one hates you, Aliena. I don't think anyone could hate you if they tried."
   "I'm a liar. I stayed in the darkness. Papa says I'm supposed to stay in the light."
   "Aarys was a good man, but you're just like your mother and Lil loved plays and mystery and puzzles and adventure. Go to sleep now and dream of them both."
   "But they're burning." I cried as darkness swallowed me. "I'm burning."
   I was in the tunnel and I was burning but there was no fire. I wandered the passages alone and thirsty and hot, trying to find my way out. I was lost. I needed to find my way out. I needed to live.
   There was the sound of water but I couldn't find it. If I could just reach the water, I'd be cool and I'd leave the tunnels. I'd know my way.
   "This way."
   "Mama?"
   "This way."
   I followed her voice. "Mama?"
   "This way."
   I found the first chamber and it was hotter than ever, but I could hear the water. A dragon stood there, not the female, but Roiloighon himself. But his eyes were a bright silver and encased in glass. "This way." He said with The Mother's voice and pointed to the tunnel. "Quickly now."
   I ran inside, into the darkness and saw the river. I slipped in and let the icy cold water take me away.

GEACOB

   "You can eat more then that, son."
   "I'm not hungry." I told my uncle again, wiping the hair back from Alie's face.
   "She was quite lucid last night, Geac. She's healing."
   "Her fever's broke." I said sharply. "She'll be fine. You can leave now, Uncle."
   I saw him cross his arms in the corner of my eye. "You planning on giving her the same hateful treatment when she wakes?"
   "I don't hate you, Uncle. I love you and you are family." I looked at him. "But that doesn't mean that I can't be angry with you. You've lied to me my entire life. I understand why you didn't tell the others, but lie to me?"
   He came close and kept his voice down to a whisper; no telling who could hear on the other side of the thin branches. "And have you grow up angry? Grow up full of hatred and bitterness? Filled with the need for revenge? No boy, I wasn't having that."
   "But that was your plan, wasn't it? To raise me as leader? Gain the respect of the Rangers and use them to take back the crown?" I'd had a lot of time to think about this, and I knew it was the truth before he confirmed it.
   "Eventually, yes." He agreed. "You are the rightful King of Dargolyn, son."
   "I don't want that title."
   "Your father would want you to---"
   "Don't." I said firmly. "Don't you dare."
   Something must have show on my face because he didn't dare. "Alright." He said. "I won't then, but that doesn't change the fact that you are Geacob Dargolyn, rightful---"
   "You're king?"
   Both our eyes swung to Alie's and I scrambled to get water when I saw her blinking at us. "Here." I said and helped her take a mouthful. Not too much, but some. She was still so weak.
   She didn't forget what she heard though, and she studied me with tired eyes. "It's true." She said. "I've seen paintings. You look like King Arow." Her eyes moved tiredly to my uncle. "Sir Ghakol Dargolyn." She said. "Of course. That is what you thought I knew."
   "Thought?" My uncle blinked at her. "You mean to say that you did not know?"
   She shook her head. "Knew you were highborn and hiding something. Didn't know what. Wouldn't have ever guessed you were a Dargolyn." She closed her eyes. "I'm so tired."
   I quickly pulled the fur up but she pushed it down and shook her head, opening her eyes again. "I don't want to sleep anymore." She looked at my uncle. "The babe that was thrown from the balcony..."
   "Was mine." He said hoarsely. "He was eight months, but sickly. He wasn't going to live the week, never mind the year. When the castle gates were torn down, my brother knew it would be the end of us all. We switched the babes and I took Geacob down the privy hole, knowing I'd be assumed dead among the royal guards." His voice shook, but his face was calm. "I had assumed they'd kill him quickly at the queen's breast. A quick death for the both of them. A better death then the suffering he would take if I were to take him with me." His face went tight in anger. "I never assumed..."
   To all the gods, no wonder he had hated the Petal's.
   "I'm sorry." Alie whispered.
   He nodded once. "I'll fetch some broth. So long as you are awake, you should eat something." He left quickly and I felt a stab of guilt.
   "So that's why you're at my bedside, Geac? Because you found you were a king?"
   "What?" All thoughts of my uncle vanished and I gripped Alie's hand. "No. No. I never meant to... I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Alie. I shouldn't have assumed you---"
   "Don't." She pulled her fingers away. "I have never in my life felt so absolutely humiliated---"
   "I know. I was terrible. I felt betrayed and I wanted to hurt you and I'm sorry."
   "I believe you are sorry, but... to call me ruined for bedding you. Is that truly what you think I am now? You see impropriety as something alright only for commoners and judge the highborn for such things with disgust. The fact that you are sorry does not matter, because even if you said all those things specifically to hurt me because you were angry, the disgust I saw on your face was very much real."
   "Alie, that was before---"
   "No, Geac, allow me to speak." She waited for me to nod before she continued. "When you first saw me hunting, and saw me wield my knife and shoot my bow... when you first saw me climb a tree or sew a wound, you looked at me with awe, or you were at least impressed, even amused. But if you see me do that now, all you'll be able to think is that it is improper for me to do so."
   "That's not true."
   "Loryn annoys you, but you do not think that she should be more like me. You never have. You understand that she is highborn and know that it is the way. Now you will look at me and think I should not be the way that I am. That I should not be so... so very wild."
   I swallowed. "I won't stop you from doing those things---"
   "It does not matter. I was afraid you would look upon my face differently once I told you the truth, and I was correct. Even now, you keep me covered with a fur when you know it is too hot for one, and my guess is because it hides the form of my body better then linen, and none should see the outline of my bodies form." When I couldn't deny it, she shook her head. "My guess also is that you have had Loryn and Darci cleaning me as I slept, or at least present, becauae for a man to see my bare legs is inappropriate unless you are married, which you and I are not." She looked me in the eyes. "You haven't washed me once, have you? You haven't touched anything but my hand and my face because it is improper."
   "Alie..."
   "You even say my name differently. You find in improper to be calling me something so intimate as a nickname, but you feel calling me Aliena would make me feel like I am a stranger. Am I right?"
   "I love you. I meant what I said to you in that tunnel."
   "I know you did. You love me, yes. Somehow, even after all you said before the Rangers, I believe that. I can see it on you face as clear as fresh water, but you love me as Alie." Tears came into her eyes but remained unshed. "I do not believe you could love Aliena Greyor, too."
   I felt my heart pounding. "Alie, please---"
   "If any of what I just said is untrue, then I beg you to inform me of it."
   I wanted to. I wanted to deny it all... but the truth was that the first thing that entered my mind on those words was that no queen should beg for anything.
   She nodded as if I had spoken aloud. "I ask you to leave me."
   No. "Alie---"
   "I understand that we have much to discuss. We will soon need to gather and speak of the vision and what to do next. We have more travel ahead of us and no doubt there will be more danger for which we will rely on each other once more, but for now, I would like you to leave me be. Uncle Jack," she looked at where he stood in the doorway, carrying a bowl and a grim expression. "I appreciate you bringing me food, but I ask that you leave as well and perhaps prevent the others from entering for some time? I wish to be alone."
   He brought the bowl over and laid it on the ground next to her, nodding, but he said, "Someone should change that bandage of yours."
  "I am now capable of doing it myself, but thank you." Her eyes turned to me. "Leave. Now, please."
   I didn't want to, but I stood and shuffled my way out. My uncle made sure the branches were in place over the doorway to give her some privacy, then sat in front of it and took out his whetstone and sword, taking his guard seriously.
   I walked away, numb to everything except the sound of the sob that filtered out from behind the branches.

RITCH

   "We won't need any more wood cut, Ritch, it's only one fire tonight. Come sit by the fire, we have things to discuss."
   I dropped the axe and made a deep bow to where Alie had paused in her walk toward the fire. "Yes, your majesty. Whatever you say."
   Alie bent, picked up a pebble, and threw it at me with an irritated look and I grinned at her until her lips twitched, then she sighed. "You're having much too great of fun with this."
   "I am." I agreed and went to her side, tossing my arm over her shoulder. "But don't worry, it will get old soon enough and I'll argue with everything you say."
   "You never argue with me."
   "Hm. That's true." I shrugged. "I could start if you like?"
   She chuckled. "I will think upon your request and we shall discuss it at a later time." She jested in exaggerated tones.
   "I will await my summons." I said gravely, ruined by my grin.
   "Summons?" Loryn asked, raising an eyebrow at us both when we approached the lone fire. The Rangers had gone on ahead toward The T just this morn, under Geacob's request --- they needed supplies and other such things and so they'd agreed readily.
   "Just a jest." I said, sitting next to her. Alie walked around and sat between Loryn and Venny. It was odd seeing her and Geac on opposite sides, but they'd been particularly polite and distant with each other since Alie woke. The distance was taking a hold on the both of them, making Geac colder and Alie less lively.
   "So." Alie began. "I've been thinking on some things. We have two queens and a king among the five of us. After what Roiloighon said, I'm force to assume the rest of you are as well."
   Venny's eyes widened. "How did you know about me?"
   We all frowed at him. "What about you?"
   His shock turned to confusion. "Wait, who's the king?"
   "Geacob." Alie said, as if it were obvious and our eyes shot to the uncomfortable Geacob.
   "Geac's a king?" Venny gaped.
   "Are you a king?" Geac asked Venny.
   Venny nodded numbly. "Koven Kaide of Tark."
   After a few blinks of surprise, Alie said, "So the four of us are..." Alie looked at me and I realized the others were too, waiting expectantly.
   I threw up my hands quickly. "Don't look at me, I'm a bastard boy from the darkest reaches of the Silver City."
   "But the kings bastard." Alie reminded me. "And the only blood of the king still remaining."
   "We don't know that!"
   "But we do, or Averton would have named a king long ago."
   I blinked. "We're all kings?" I looked at Venny. "You're a king? I thought you were a shipboy?"
   "Youngest son of three." He explained. "I've spent most of my life on the ship with Hark and his father. When we set out, we believed it would be the safest course of action if I were to continue to assume a shipmate occupation." His accent was gone now and he sounded... dear Father, he sounded highborn. I could suddenly see it in him so clearly. The face, the straight back. Even the way he sat was highborn. It have been so easily hidden under an accent, scars, and Harks stories.
   But Geacob...
   We all looked to him. "You're a king?" I repeated Venny's earlier shock. "You're a Ranger. And you look nothing like King Perry."
   "I'm not his son." He said. "I've recently found out that my father was Arow Dargolyn."
   I felt awe. "You are Dargolyn? Sweet Anul, Geac, you're the last Dargolyn!"
   "Not the last precisely." Alie said. "Uncle Jack is truly his uncle."
   "Ser Ghakol Dargolyn." Venny said. "Of course! I've seen paintings of King Arow in my fathers library. You look near identical to him except the eyes. The eyes are dark, like the queens."
   "That's why we were all able to hear the dragon. We have the blood of the kings of old."
   Loryn cleared her throat. "I don't. I'm the daughter of a High Lord and in no relation to the Flower's, remember?"
   "As if you'd let us forget who your father was." Geac grumbled.
   But Alie looked uncomfortable. "Loryn... are you sure your mother did not..."
   Loryn's face turned steely. "Are you insinuating that I'm a bastard?"
   "I... well..."
   "The hair is right." Ven... no, Koven said. "The eyes, too. And the cleft in your chin. Your parents have neither, though you do have your mothers nose and---"
   "I'm not a bastard!" She shouted.
   I frowned at her. "There's nothing wrong with being a bastard, Loryn, or so you keep telling me."
   Her face flushed. "My Father is High Lord Barrick Rosel. He's my father. Not some king that didn't look at me twice."
   Ah, and that was the true reason of her outburst --- the lord had loved her and treated her so. She couldn't stand to not be his daughter in blood. "I'm sorry, Loryn." I said, taking her hand.
   She yanked away. "I'm my fathers daughter, not the kings." She said, but she was trying to convince herself of this, I knew. It was so clear in her voice that no one bothered to argue with her.
   "So." Alie said, folding her hands in her lap. "This is what the dragon spoke of. If we had spoken our true names at the time of meeting, we would have had more of an idea of what was going on. Aliena Greyor, Venny... err, Koven Kaid---"
   "Oh, you can still call me Venny." Said the young king cheerfully. "It's been my nickname on the ship for years." He said with a smile. "And Hark never called me Koven."
   Alie smiled at him, then went on. "Geacob Dargolyn." Geac winced at the name. "Ritch Avery, and Loryn Flowers." Loryn said nothing, only looked at her hands. Alie looked around at us. "This is truly incredible. Five of the remaining persons of the Kings of Old, all sitting around a fire eating day old soup and crusted with filthy pond water."
   "We are the future." Benny said, quoting the dragon. "But why bring us together? Why not just keep us from burning, then have us walk back into our kingdoms?"
   I knew the reason of that. "The vision explained that."
   "The five thrones." Alie remembered, understanding as well, but Geacob and Venny frowned in confusion. Loryn was still looking at her hands.
   "Didn't you see the five thrones?" I asked them.
   Geac gave me a nod while Venny shrugged. "I did, but I don't understand how it tells us why we're together."
   "Ah." I looked to Alie. "You should probably explain. I've only heard of it, it wasn't part of my lessons."
   Alie nodded, glanced at Geac, then looked to Venny to explain to them both. "The five kingdoms were once basically a single kingdom, until the war across the sea where King Terol Flowers made some bad choices and a few side deals. Before that war, the five kings of the land would meet at the end of each season to discuss... well... everything really. They personally traded amongst themselves as well as gifted each other things of which another kingdom perhaps lacked. They discussed marriages or new structures or favors. Even land was sometimes gifted. Laws themselves were discussed and brought up to be questioned. It was they who made the eight land roads." She smiled suddenly. "It was a great celebration for the people. They called each of the four days they celebrated The Day of Welcome, because it symbolized the coming of a new season as well as new things. Knights would train together, marriages would be made, drinks would flow, and the dragons would fly. I saw a painting of it once and it looked so very wonderful.
   "After the War Across the Seas and King Terol's betrayal, the Dargolyn king decided to end the meetings and become their own kingdoms fully and completely." She glanced at Geacob. "King Arow Dargolyn tried to start it up again, but Florn is the richest of all the kingdoms and refused as they feared they would loose more then they would gain. Father told me that was the true reason Florn began the war sixteen years ago --- because he feared King Arow had enough of a voice that he would gather the other three kingdoms and go against him, removing the kingdom of Florn altogether. He struck before anything could be planned."
   "So... the dragon got us together so we could... get to know each other?" Venny wondered.
   "So we could learn to work together." I corrected. "And more then that --- turning Geacob king officially, a Ranger, will be difficult. A lady child from Florn nearly as much. Not to mention me, a bastard boy."
   "It won't be easy for me either." Venny said. "Most have never seen my face. How about you, Alie? Will you have any trouble?"
   She fiddled with her necklace. "Not many have seen my face, but my eyes alone will be enough for them to know the truth of it. For them to accept me as their queen is another story. People fear me because of my eyes. That may aide me or hinder me, but either way, they'll marry me off to the highest bidder at first mention." She grimaced. "I hope Norm is still alive."
   "Who's Norm?" Geac asked, his voice a little tight.
   She gave him an amused look. "The third son of our high lord and a push over. What's better is that I terrify him. If I marry him, I could still rule the way my brother would have because I would rule him."
   "Why is he terrified of you?"
   "He attempted to look down my dress when my breasts were beginning to form, and so I broke his nose and told him that if he ever laid a hand on me again, I'd break off the leg between his legs and warn every whore in every city of Nascia that he would now be half the inch he once was."
   Loryn had been taking a drink of water when Alie said this, and it literally came up her nose as she choked and let out a laugh. Venny started cackling. I nearly pissed myself, and Geac covered his face in his hands to hide his laugher, but his shoulders still shook.
   Alie grinned, not at our reactions but in memory. "My brother overheard me and I thought he'd be angry at me for being so improper. I was used to hearing the 'You are a daughter of a king, Aliena,' lecture by this time, so much so, that I could recite it word for word and I'd braced myself for it. But instead, my brother said, 'Alie, do keep in mind that when you get into a fight, we use objects, not our fists, otherwise we'll have our parents asking about our bloody knuckles, is that understood, Sister Mine?' " She let out a chuckle, but then her smile faded. "He was a good brother and would have been an even better king. It should have been he who had the vision. It does not make sense that it was I and not he."
   Venny tried to assure her, but my mind turned it over.
   None of us were the original heirs to the thrones except Geacob, but not in the way the others were. Was there a reason for this? Did the dragon pick us by our personalities alone? Or did he not know our personality at all and picked us for different reasons?
   If so, What? We hardly had anything in common, and there wasn't a single thing that we all had in common. We've learned how to be brave, but not all of us were brave from the beginning. We weren't all kind, or smart, or wished to rule. We all felt differently about dragons and even our families were different. All of us, everything, was different, except for...
   "We're all young."
   They all looked over at me.
   "Why we were all picked by the dragon." I explained. "We're all young. All of us are in the age that we can have our coronation and be crowned king. Or queen." I added, motioning to the girls. "But we cannot hold the throne officially without council until we're eighteen."
   "Another test." Alie understood immediately, sounding irritated. I had a feeling that she didn't like the dragon one bit. "But it doesn't matter, we have to get there first. So, the vision?"
   Venny spoke up. "I saw my father." He said. "And his father and his father before that, then more. The faces came so fast that I could notice no details in any of them, but I remember recognizing them. They were the kings of Tark, going all the way back to King Tarken Kaide." Venny was not the storyteller Hark was, but he was still a good one and his tone had me leaning in as if I didn't know the vision first hand.
   "After the last face faded before my eyes, I found myself standing in a room before a stone table with five grand thrones. The thrones were empty of kings, but I was drawn toward the one to my right an I sat there. It was so real that I still remember the feeling of polished stone under my hand and the comfort of the cool satin cushion beneath my arse.
   "Then I looked upon the table and I was pulled inside of it as if diving into water, and I watched as black armored men raising five flags marched together in blurry darkness. I couldna see the faces, nay the ground on which they marched, but the five flags nearly glowed to me. A silver eye, I saw, a mermaids scale, a golden rose, a silverwood tree, and a dragons claw outlined in yellow-green, all sewn upon black cloth and held up by back iron posts." His accent had come back during the retelling, but he lost it again once he was finished. "Those are the images in which I saw at least."
   Alie nodded. "I as well, but the Greyor bloodline instead, and I took the seat second to my left."
   I nodded as well. "The seat to my left and the Avery bloodline."
   "The seat straight across." Geacob said, almost reluctantly. "And what I now know must be the Dargolyn bloodline. My father and his before that and so on."
   We waited for Loryn. She kept her head down, but she did speak. "Second to my right and the Flowers bloodline."
   I squeezed her fingers, knowing how hard this was for her.
   "They were Rangers." Geacob said. "The men in black armor. I'm sure of it."
   "Rangers do not march." Alie said. "And most definitely would not fight for any king, never mind for us, as the flags seem to express."
   "I know what I saw, Alie. They were Rangers." His tone was cold and firm.
   She replied in kind. "It makes no sense. There were also hundreds of men marching."
   "There are hundreds of Rangers."
   I was surprised. "Really?"
   He nodded, not looking away from Alie. "We don't keep count, of course, but I could name two dozen leaders off the top of my head and most leaders have about a dozen in their crew."
   "That's only three hundred." said Alie.
   "Two hundred and eighty-eight." I corrected automatically. Then, "Sorry, continue."
   "Not to mention," Geach stretched, "that those are only those with names I can remember. My uncle knows many more. There is also some that remain on the islands at all times. The South Island had at least two hundred alone, last I heard, and there could be more. Middle Ridge Island in Averton is home to some as well, and the Islands of Stone north-east of Tark's shores. Altogether, there is at least six hundred and likely more then that." He kept his eyes on Alie. "Satisfied?"
   She frowned. "Why would they ever fight for us?"
   His face faltered and he finally looked away from Alie. "I don't know." He admitted, glancing around. "But I'm sure my Uncle will have some ideas; just about every Ranger knows my uncles face and those who don't, know of his name."
   "My question." I said. "Is why we need an army. An army wont take five kingdoms which are apparently rightfully ours."
   "It definitely wouldn't leave a good first impression." Loryn added.
   We were all silent.
   "We'll figure it all out later when we have more information." Geacob said. "For now, we should all get some sleep and ride out toward The T in the morn. Perhaps we'll even catch up with the crews on the way." He stood, then hesitated, looking at Alie. "Unless you need some more time to rest, of course."
   "I'm quite well enough to ride, thank you." She said coldly.
   "Good." Geac said simply and left, heading toward the still-standing shelter Alie flat out refused to sleep in again.
   "Alie..." Venny began carefully, "are you sure? I mean, you're only just getting on your feet---"
   "I'm fine." She interrupted. "Just tired. I'm getting some sleep."
   I grimaced to myself, hoping Geac and Alie made up soon, because if we were right, then we were going to be dealing with each other for a long time yet.