The Jewel of Creelah 4

The King and Queen were involved in a very deep conversation. "She knows something Tryloh, I can feel it." Hearing the fear rise in his beloved Queen's voice, "Maybe we need to tell her, let her know at last her destiny." "I cannot do it Tryloh, she is not ready." "Will she ever be ready in your eyes Teijrah? You hold her close in your heart yet your grip on her suffocates her. She has your likeness for adventure can you not see it?"

"Yes, I see it and it takes my breath away. I fear for her, she has never left Creelah. How can she manage her inner self and her powers with no outside experience? I had you to help guide me.." "And Noakhali has Valdor, he is very capable of handling the task laid before him. Give it time and you will see just as I can see now, they are bound. He would die before letting harm fall upon her," hoping his comments had comforted her.

"What do I tell her when she calls for me Tryloh?" "Tell her the truth, at least let her know where she comes from." Knowing the king was right it was time Noakhali knew her heritage. She would understand so much more if she knew where she came from, her real tribe.

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"Come now we have to leave. Take what weapons you can, and run I will meet you outside the back gate of the castle hurry!" Valdor shouted. All the confusion had her head swimming, her mind was telling her body to move but her body wasn't following the orders.

"Where are my parents?" he could not only sense the fear rising within her but he could hear it as well. "I will try to go find them but I need you to listen to me, you are my priority. You need to gather yourself quickly I have no time for questions, just do what I tell you and run."

She had learned in their short time together his orders were not to be taken lightly, Noakhali grabbed her sword and a shield and ran down to the back exit of the castle.
She was hiding in the woods just outside the back gate when she saw them, big and black even in the moonlight flying above the castle.

Vallroch's, their shape put fear deep in her heart. With her mother and father still inside she desperately fought the urge to go back. Valdor was not a man to defy. As she waited tears escaped down her beautiful face, she could hear the screams coming from the village below.

Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind startled she started to fight, "Shhh, it is I, Valdor." She turned around to face him, he could see the fear in her eyes of gold, fear he had never seen before.


"Where is my father? ," She cried, "my mother? Tell me they are coming Valdor please." She knew even before the words started to form that they had been lost in the battle. "Noakhali they are gone . . . " Valdor whispered. She could see the sorrow in his eyes also, she knew Valdor loved her father and would not leave him there unless he had to.

"I promised your father I would not leave your side no matter what," He said. Noakhali still not wanting to believe her parents were gone, wasn't really listening to Valdor. They sat in silence waiting for the Vallroch's to leave.

Noakhali must have nodded off because she was startled when Valdor grabbed her, "Noakhali they're gone, lets go back and see if we can find anyone still alive." She walked behind him slowly trying to listen for anyone moving in the woods, as they got closer to the village she began to see the devastation the Vallroch's had left behind.

Suddenly Valdor stopped, "You stay here I will go first if you see anything run."
She was startled by his want to protect her all of a sudden "I can defend myself, you of all people should know that, I will not stay behind." Not wanting to argue and draw unnecessary attention to the two of them he agreed, "Fine but you cannot leave my side, do you understand?" "Yes, I understand, " she replied.

They slowly made their way to the village. She had never seen such destruction before, she often heard some of her fathers men tell tales about wars but had never witnessed the damage it could cause. She flinched as Valdor turned over some of the bodies looking for signs of life. "We are not going to find any survivors here. Lets go up to the castle and see what we can find." She followed his lead with her hand tightly clinched around the handle of her sword

As she watched Valdor move gracefully through, what was left of their village she started to see him in a different light. Valdor was much younger than some of the men under his command, but they all admired him for his skill with weapons. He had a larger build than the men in Noakhali's village, very broad shoulders and golden brown skin. He had dark-brown hair that he kept neatly tied back with a leather band, and he had the greenest eyes Noakhali had ever seen. She sometimes felt as though he was looking right into her soul with them.

They were getting closer to the castle and Noakhali was fighting the urge to run in and find her parents. Valdor was in front of Noakhali as they entered in through the front gate still leery of anyone or anything lurking around suddenly Valdor stopped, Noakhali came out from behind him to see what it was. There in front of them lay her father. Noakhali let out a moan and fell to the ground at her father's side crying.

Valdor quickly got her to her feet and started inside, "You will have time to mourn him later, right now we need to keep moving, do you understand?" She shook her head to answer yes.
When they got inside Valdor moved swiftly going from chamber to chamber checking for signs of life. They passed through the entire castle and found no one alive.
Valdor turned to look at Noakhali "I didn't see anyone who survived, not even your mother's body was left behind." "Does that mean she might still live?" she asked. "Let's hope so," he replied.

They both quickly grabbed what weapons they could carry, some food and water then Valdor told her they needed to head toward Lachnar. There they could seek out help from some of his people.

In the night Noakhali started dreaming, she was playing around the marsh outside of the castle. Her mother Teijrah was there she was trying to tell her something but Noakhali couldn't hear her. Noakhali started to walk toward Teijrah but she seemed to be getting further away. Noakhali started to scream for her to stay . . .

Noakhali was startled awake by her dream, and there by her side was Valdor, "Are you okay Noakhali? You were screaming in your sleep." she turned away from him not wanting him to see her cry, "I was dreaming of my mother." Valdor reached out to comfort her, she seemed so fragile to him, "What was your dream about?" he asked.

"I was playing near the marsh and mother came out from the castle gate as if to warn me of something, but I couldn't hear her." "Has this ever happened before?" he asked curiously. " I have never had a dream like that before, I think my mother still lives, it's as if I feel her around me," she said.

"Well it is still dark so try to get some more sleep you will need your strength for the journey ahead," and with that he got up to put more wood on the fire.

Morning came fast and Valdor was right she was tired from the events the night before, but she did not want to complain. He was not likely to have much sympathy for her. They had reached the outer side of the woods just beyond Creelah, and were headed into the marsh.

"It would be wise if you did not stray too far behind me in here the marsh cats will be out looking for fresh meat." With that warning Noakhali rested her hand on her sword and followed Valdor into the marsh.

"I have heard of the marsh cats but I have never seen one," she told him. "They are large and fast, and they blend in well with their marsh surroundings due to their greenish blue coats."
He informed her. She envied his knowledge, more than she wanted to let on.

They continued through the marsh and Noakhali started thinking to herself. She had never seen Valdor in action, she had only heard of others talk about the battles they had won together. And just as she was thinking what he would be like in battle something had jumped out of what seemed like nowhere and started to wrestle him to the ground.

"Valdor," Noakhali shouted. With that Noakhali drew her sword to aid Valdor in the attack. Before she even realized it there were two more marsh cats before her, in order to get to him she would have to go through the two cats blocking her path to Valdor. One of the cats lunged for Noakhali, using her training she fell on her back and shoved her sword into the belly of the cat.

By the time she got up she had realized that Valdor had taken care of the other two, probably with the grace of a cat himself Noakhali thought.

"You aren't too bad with that sword Noakhali, most would have just assume lay down and die than try to fight the cats, especially when they are in a pack together," he complimented, "I know you feel as though you are capable of defending yourself, but you have never needed to until now so keep your head about you okay."

"Valdor you have seen me fight, just because you wouldn't let me fight you doesn't mean I lack the ability to defend myself." " I was not implying that, it is just that you have no experience in a real battle, with man nor beast. There are more than just marsh cats and Vallrochs to be reckoned with out here, no longer are you guarded in a fortress of a castle, just remember that," he reminded her as he turned to pick up the pack that had been knocked off his back when the cats had attacked.

He could feel her eyes burn right through his back. He disliked being tough on her but he felt as though it was what she needed now. The thought of her being all alone made him cringe.
Noakhali in some ways reminded Valdor of King Tryloh so strong willed, they both had such a drive in them. He also saw a lot of Queen Teijrah in her, the tenderness she needed was given to her in the form of a sword.

King Tryloh tried to give her the knowledge she would need for this journey, knowing it would come, just not knowing when. He did his best to prepare her for it. Noakhali was not ready to know the whole truth but it would soon start to unravel in front of her and it was now up to Valdor to help her make sense of it all.