Secrets Of Philmar

Someone New

Then as she lifted her chin up she noticed a spark of dim blue light hovering over his forehead. Then the glowing heap of hope grew bigger and sped quickly into his mouth. Where it rapidly spread threw out his body until his chest had begun to bulge up and down and air escaped into his lungs.
As Gabby stared in a daze of surprise Warrien slowly opened his eyes.
“Your alive… but how? I don’t understand,” whispered Gabby with a smile as a weakening tension on her heart and spirit subsided. 
Warrien looked up at her and explained with short gasps, “I have the special ability of healing that no one else has, so… some how you gave me what little strength you had left and because you dwelled on healing me so heartedly, I guess it was just enough for my body to bring me back.”
Then he sighed with pain, “But I’m afraid it wasn’t enough to heal my wounds.”
Then the look of disappointment subsided from his face as he looked up at Gabby with a smile, “ You saved my life thank you… your debt is repaid, now were even.” 
Gabby smiled but then with a sob exclaimed, “but you wont make it… if your wounds aren’t healed.”
Warrien explained with a partial grin “We should be on the shores of Dumond and the city of Valla is only up those hills, if you take me there we will be able to find a doctor.”
“But will we be able to find it in the dark” questioned Gabby?
“That’s true. We don’t want to get lost and run out of time… then we will wait for morning!”
“Okay Warrien but just hang in there.”

Then Gabby grabbed the bottom of her robe and began ripping strips of fabric.  Then she tied them tightly around his waist hoping to stop the bleeding.
“Wait here Warrien and I will find us a source of shelter.”

She stood up and faced the hills of trees layed out before her with a great filling of mysterious peace and happiness. Then began searching for a place of refuge.
Once she had found an open clear spot among the brush and trees; where a huge dead log dwelled as a perfect shelter, she ran to retrieve Warrien as he suffered on the beach.
Soon she found him in the same spot she had left him eyes closed in suffering.
“Warrien,” whispered Gabby as she bent down to help him up.
“ I have found us a spot just up threw those trees, do you think you will be able to get up and walk.”
Warrien looked up and put his hands out as Gabby grabbed them and together he managed to stand up.  As they began walking he winced and groaned in pain but never stopped.
                   By the time they reached the clearing Warrien was panting and out of breathe. Gabby gently helped him over in front of the rotting log and laid him hopelessly down.
         Then she gathered some sticks and lit a fire using her handy powers. Exhausted she walked over and sank down next to Warrien whom was laid out on his back in all his anguish.
         She was so weary the only thing holding her up was the rotting dead log.
         When she looked down at Warrien whose head was resting next to her thigh, he appeared to be troubled.
         “What’s wrong,” asked Gabby concerned.
         He was silent for many seconds then whispered with disappointment in his voice.
         “Gabriella… you astonish me… your so loyal, noble, and strong. And you have a determination like no other. Once you return to Philmar and when you take the thrown you will make the finest queen. You could lead them in victorious battles, being the warrior that you’ve become… But me I have been so sour and dishonorable to you… what I’m trying to say is I’m sorry.”
         “But why have you been that way… Are you even the same guy that once saved me in the mountains? Or was I mistaken.”
         “No that was me, you nearly drowned.”
         “Didn’t you know what Arnada was going to do? Why didn’t you warn me? You knew who I was… But how did you do it… how did you become human?”
         Warrien fell silent than explained saying.
         “I’ve always loved everything there is about the land, but it’s not right in my nature. You see there’s not away for the mermaids to become human. Or they’ve just never tried because they hate everything there is about the surface, especially humans.”
         “Then how come you were human before and even now?”
         “That’s my own secret, that I’ve never told anyone but… if I can trust you with my life I can trust you with this.”
         “ A couple of years ago, while traveling alone to another sea I came a cross a shipwrecked vessel torn apart and under Kraken’s fatal siege. As I tried to swim clear of the horrible situation I was appalled by something glowing far off in the dark. Once I was close enough I watched as a beautiful lady passenger sank to the bottom of the ocean. Her body glowed in a supernatural way in front of me. I saved her life that night by swimming her to shore and healing her. When she awoke she thanked me for saving her life and said that she could make it up to me. Then I didn’t understand how. But then I discovered that she indeed was not human, but a sorcerer. She used her powers to make all mermaids invisible to Kraken, since he was such a horrible threat to everyone in the ocean at the time. It has saved many lives. But no one else understands how this miracle came about. Then she asked me was there any thing special she could do for me.  It was at that precise moment that she put a spell on me that transform’s me into a human at the touch of land.”
         Gabby looked down at Warrien in reflection.
         “It’s like I’ve heard or seen that story before.”
         Then after a short silence she shouted, “I saw a painting in the sages cabin, across her wall, of you and that lady. Was that lady, sage Anya? You saved her life!”
“Yes, it was her and we are still friends to this day.”
Then he winced with pain as he turned over on his stomach trying so hard to get comfortable. Then looked up as Gabby squawked.
         “You never told me the truth… on why you happened to have been in the mountains or if you had even known what Arnada was planning to do.”
         Then Gabby’s face squinted with anger as she shouted, “When I told you I had been searching for some one very beloved to me, did you actually know where Alea was and what had happened to her? Why didn’t you tell me?”
         “Yes I did know but… that coming from a total stranger would have sounded a bit strange. Don’t you think? It just wasn’t meant to come from me.”
         “Okay fine, but again what where you doing in the mountains? Did Arnada send you to follow me, to make sure I made it to the sage…so that she could play her dirty games?”
         “ No, Arnada didn’t tell me to, I just did it on my own.”
         Warrien’s cheek’s blushed pink then he managed to continue.
         “ I couldn’t wait to be in the sun again with my feet in the sand. And I wanted to watch you… to see what humans were like. You make me so curious. You’re a mystery to me, still now, I’ll never truly understand you.”
         Gabby chuckled with a smile.
         “ I don’t think anyone does, I don’t even understand myself.”
         Then Warrien looked up at her trying to figure out how exactly to tell her something then he just spit it out.
         “I’m sorry I treated you so badly, it’s just… I had to get rid of my ridicules fantasy. And face the facts that I’ll never be fully human and I am who I am… I belong underwater, in the ocean… I just held all the anger and bitterness inside. I had to act like everyone else expected me to, because I’m the future King of the Agias Civilization and nothing can change that. But now I realize that’s not what I want.”
         Then they both fell silent and admired the darkness and nature above and around them.
         Until Gabby interrupted, “Well at least I know one more secret of Philmar. But there are so many more. And I fear that very soon they will all come to the light.”
         Then as Gabby looked down at Warrien his face appeared red and flushed, beads of sweat dripped down to his brow. She reached her hand down and gently pressed it against his forehead.
         “Warrien you have a fever.”
         He just helplessly closed his eyes in pain.
         Gabby ripped another strip of cloth from her torn robe. Then she collected some new strength to create water with her powers. Within seconds she held a cold wet cloth in her hand. Where she quickly laid it across Warrien’s forehead.
          “Now rest.”
         Hold in there soon there will be daylight.
         
At the first sight of light in the sky Gabby jumped up saying its time. She picked Warrien up and placed him on a square of wood, she had found on the beach, while he was sleeping.
She borrowed Warrien’s belt to create a loop to use to pull him. By now he was too weak to walk.
It took all her strength to pull him and all her determination not to stop. So she kept on, like an oxen pulling a wagon, threw the trees.
She was soon grateful to see a trail up ahead threw the brush hopefully it led to Valla. She was glad they had waited for morning realizing that they never would have found the small trail in the dark. She was thankful for nature’s course and the bright sun’s light.
The trail seemed to carry on forever. By now Gabby was panting for air, and her legs and arms were so weak they turned to jelly.
As she leaned forward holding on to her knees for support she felt like giving up for the moment, perhaps for the day.
But as she stared ahead with despair she nearly fell over at the sight of a tall wooden gate in the distance. 
I did it I’ve reached the town.
As she ran for the gate with Warrien dragging behind her the guards greeted her with over reactive caution.
“What has happened,” asked one of the guards stiffly.
Lying threw her teeth she hoped no one would discover her secret Identity.
“Will you help my husband he needs immediate attention?”
Then they stubbornly asked, “First tell us who you are, where you’re from, and what happened. Were not going to let just anyone in to are town, with all the strange things that are happening around here.”
“Fine, but I pray that my husband Warrien doesn’t die from your stubbornness. Please just take him, then I will tell you.”
So then the guards with new out look, not wanting to be murderers, grabbed Warrien and disappeared to the other side of the gate.
“Now explain,” shouted the guard coldly, who was the only guard left and happened to be the stiffest.
“I have nothing to explain to you besides that we have obviously been threw a great deal of misfortune. But if you must know, a shark bit Warrien after we were left for died in the ocean.”
But then you would have had to swim carrying him miles to shore. Then pull him all the way from the shore; to get to be were we are now. It seems an unlikely story.”
“Sir, I’m telling the truth that’s what happened.”
Gabby’s head sank with disappointment but then she decided she wasn’t giving up; she was going to make him believe.
So she looked him straight in the eyes and spoke with an angry confidence.
“If just what little I have told you now… seems to be so hard to believe, then if you heard my whole life story you would think it was only a very interesting… over exaggerated lie…But I’m afraid to say sir that we are in no dream. I will not be waking up from this nightmare… Now I am very weary and don’t need your bother. So please better my luck and let me in to my husband. I promise we will be no threat to anyone.”
The guard’s mouth dropped open with astonishment and his cheeks burned hot with embarrassment.
“Beg your pardon miss, I will take you to Doctor Aden’s house myself.”
He hesitated then said.
“Your not like other women, you spoke like a true warrior, perhaps a queen.”

Then she followed the guard into the town, as the huge gate slowly was lifted up.
Once she got a glimpse of the Town she had heard so much about she thought it was nothing royal or luxurious compared to Philmar. But it did justify itself, but in its own great way. 
The first thing her eyes were drawn upon was the natural beauty that resided there. She looked out at meadows of fresh grass, covered in a remedy of rare glorious flowers. 
Trees unsparingly traced the northeastern side of the town.
On the west a huge open misty lake awed her spirit.
Only a heap of smoky mountains could be seen far off in the distance and the gate curved and carried out threw the water, so that from the other sides of the lake no part of Valla could have been discovered. The town could never be seen from the outside because of the huge continues gates, it was like a hidden journal ready to be opened but only if you were lucky enough to have the key.
Their dwellings even blended in with the scene of nature and were spread out in an unusual way.
It was a simple place; their homes were hand built wooden cabins with only colorful embroidery sashes covering the doorways. But there was a small marketplace and there she saw people exchanging food and goods.
There were also beautiful orchards, flower gardens, and hedge mazes with fountains and carved majestic statues, also gardens with growing vegetables, and trees full of ripe plump fruit. It was all too great; it reminded her of all the magical places in Philmar.
But the most amazing thing about the town was that they had somehow miraculously created floating docks and even buildings that went fare into the deep waters. The tall waterweeds, bamboo and clusters of lilies connected them all, and this wonderful contraption continued across the lake. If you stared with a hard gaze you could see everything slowly swaying together.

In her new surroundings she saw something she had never noticed before in the peasants, workers, and farmers. They didn’t have fine clothes or wear lots of expensive jewelry yet they appeared to be perfectly happy. They seemed to enjoy their lives.  It’s something about ruling and protecting your very own land and families, then watching them prosper and grow. That’s all you need. Then something clicked. She understood her calling, how great it would feel to rule and protect her very own kingdom. It was up to fate whether she could fulfill her personal duties. If she made it threw the war, she would one day take the throne and become the Queen of Philmar.
So with a huge gap finally filled in her thoughts and soul, Gabby returned to reality and realized they had reached their destination. They had stopped in front of a colorfully painted stone house that actually had a solid door. 
All the other homes had only sashes in there door ways, to protect their homes. This must be a very trusting and safe place for everything to be so open. To have a simple piece of clothe protecting your family from danger walking inside.

“Here, this is Doctor Aden’s place,” choked the guard. Then he rudely trotted off leaving her to enter on her own.
Quickly she knocked on the door anticipating Warrien’s health.
As the door swung open a sweet old woman greeted her. Her short brunette hair showed no sign’s of age but from her warn out body and slightly wrinkled face, you could tell she had lived a long life.
“My dear please come in, you must be the young mans wife, the guards told us you was coming… Give no mind to the stubborn old guard Brutus; he thinks he owns the place. But its only because at home his wife owns him.”
Gabby smiled as the old women let out a slight chuckle and closed the door behind them.
“Everyone here calls me Mrs. Margret and my husband of course, is Doctor Aden.”
So then Gabby politely introduced herself as her code name, Sudaria.
“So how is Warrien,” asked Gabby.
“Aden is with him right now fixing him all up, so in a while he will be out to tell you everything. I’m sure he will be fine. You can stay for the night, because I know you’re not from around her.”
“Thank you so much, especially for helping him.”
“Oh we’ve all been in a tight situation before, and you cant do it all on your own. Some times you just need a little bit of help.”
Then Margret looked over at Gabby and whispered.
“I don’t mean to pry or anything but with a few words, what happened to your husband?”
Gabby pondered the question then whispered.
“Truthfully, unjust… war…and a beast.”
Margret seemed to be lost in her answer than surprisingly she looked up with unbelievable understanding.
“You look like you could use a real meal and a nice bed. If you’d like you could wash up in our wash room too.”
“Oh I’d love that. I can’t even remember the last time I sat in a tube.”
Then she lead Gabby threw there den and up to another door.
“You just go on in and take as long as you need and I’ll get you some nice hot water.
Then as she turned to leave she circled Gabby with a huge grin.
“My daughter was just about your size, I just might can find you a new robe, that ones ripped to almost nothing.”
Then she scampered of with excitement ready to find exactly what she needed.
As Gabby opened the door all she could see was a dark room with a small window high up on the wall. A tiny bit of light had managed to escape into the room.
Once her eyes finally adjusted she almost cried with joy. A huge tub, built in to the dirt floors, took up the other side of the room. And a huge cloth hung ready to dry her off against a hook attached to the wall.
Then Gabby almost jumped when from what seemed like nowhere water began rushing into the tub. She later realized it was coming from a carved tube that extended out of the wall.
You could see the stem rising out of the tub; like morning winter mist on the Great Lake Tilidoson. The homey image brought her joy.

She soon had socked in the tub for so long that her fingers and toes had turned to prunes. Tacking the hint she forced herself out and threw the warm cloth around her.
Just after she had gotten out there was a light knock at the door.
“May I come in, I found the perfect clothes.”
“Sure, but you didn’t have to get those.”
“Oh yes I did.”
Then Quickly Mrs. Margret rushed in holding up a robe toward Gabby.
It was the silky color of a morning rose still sparkling with fresh dew.
“ It’s beautiful, but I can’t wear this.”
“Why not.”
“Doesn’t it belong to your daughter, she would miss its glorious elegant expense.”
“She shouldn’t be coming home anytime soon, she left home many many years ago. We haven’t heard from her sense. But she did love us.”
Gabby looked unsure.
So Margret reassured her.
“I know if she were her she would have loved for you to wear it. She had such a kind caring heart.”
She grinned and chuckled saying, “once when she was only seven, she secretly gave away our only milking cow to some poor traveling stranger. We couldn’t get onto her because we new it was the right thing to do, but we were so mad. We just never expressed that to her until our best stallion went missing. She never told us what she did with it.”
Gabby smiled enjoying the sweet ladies talks.
“ This may sound strange, but it’s as if I have heard that story before. I just can’t recall where… but of course I’ll put it on.”
“Oh you must,” exclaimed Mrs. Margret before shouting something about her soup burning, and then scampered hurriedly off. 
She quickly slipped it on. Then she followed her rumbling tummy and nose to the kitchen where she was overwhelmed by the smell of boiling soup that resided in the sweet air.
“Something smells great,” exclaimed Gabby startling the old women.
As she turned around from the stone counter she gasped with surprise and Gabby’s entrance.
“You… look… just like my daughter. But of course it must be the robe or the fact that I miss her so much.”
Gabby just smiled back happily.
“Would you like some soup, I’m sure your starving.”
“Oh, please. And any news on Warrien.”
“When I last checked Avin was rapping up his freshly stitched wounds and now he’s doing all he can to get Warrien’s fever down. Then you can see him and stay in his room, especially since you shouldn’t be kept from your husband.”
Thank you was all Gabby could say. 

After eating all the soup she could take in she adventured into the den where she made her self at home collapsing into a big hand carved wooden chair. It was covered in some kind of soft vibrant animal skin. She guessed a wolf, by its grayish black color.
“Oh there you are dear, so you like Avin’s craftsmen ship huh,” whispered Mrs. Margret pointing at the furniture.
“Yes its wonderful. Its nothing like what I had at home.”
And that was the truth; everything she had at home was made of silk, cotton, and stuffed with feathers. Yet Avin’s work was more elegant and special.
Then Mrs. Margret fiddled in her pocket and pulled out a toothed comb of course smiling.
“I thought your hair could us some brushing.”
“How thoughtful, but… could you or would you, brush the back for me its gotten to long and knotted for me to handle.”
“Oh sure, I used to always do that for my daughter.”
After some more sweet chatty talks and very interesting funny stories, Gabby’s hair was perfectly braided back with strong fancy white ribbon and as usual Margret was still grinning unbearably.
“Oh dear you need some rest, I’m sorry once I get to chatting there’s no stopping me,” whispered the sweet old lady.
         “Oh it’s okay I enjoyed it. You know, back at home I grew up with out a mother, surprisingly you’re probably the closest thing I’ve had to a mom. But I did have a very great father.”
         “Dear what happened to your mother?”
         “She died when I was young.”
         “You know you’re the closest thing I’ve had to a daughter in a long while too. Its like we where meant to meet for some unknown incredible reason.”
         “Yes, indeed it is.”
         Then Mrs. Margret sighed and whispered, “Here get some rest I’ll wake you once Avin is out.” Then she disappeared once again.