Chapter Eleven: Suluk P.O.V.

'I know you said this house needed some work, but man…. This is a lot…' I link with Kieren again as we all three stand there staring at the overgrown cottage. Ava hasn't said a word yet, but she's just standing there unmoving, with an unreadable expression.

'I haven't had time, or stability to come here since.' Kieren whispers back to me, but I can feel everything he doesn't say. The pain, the sadness, the physical hurt he's experiencing just from standing here.

Looking at the soft curves of the roofs to come to a point on the left side and the middle. The round, flat roof of the small tower to the right. The tower's windows have a layer of dirt and grime to them, the brick and mismatched stones slightly starting to crack from being overrun with nature. The other windows around the house are not much better while the wood is also covered in vines, and flowers. A few of the thicker, decorative pieces of wood around the front have fallen, partially sunken into the barren garden that used to surround the house. The poor garden no longer grows vegetables, or the city's most beautiful flowers; it's now overrun with weeds, mounds of dirt, insects, and a few small creatures that now call it home. The large, round window with a thick, flat piece of wood that used to hold pies, pastries, and dinners sat on it for unruly kids who would stop by, is no longer open with warm light and laughter spilling from it. It sits empty, dirty, dark, closed underneath a pointed pale roof. The stained glass dragonfly still hung right in the center between the window and the roof's point, dirty but a reminder of who used to fill this run down, small home with love, laughter, and hope.

"It's beautiful…. And it's mine for now?" Ava whispers, drawing our attention to her. She has tears sitting on her lower lashes waiting to fall, her eyes glued to the home as if she's not seeing all the work we're about to have to do, but rather the potential that it could be once again.

"Yes." Kieren whispers back, not looking back at the house again but staring at her. His emotions run too fast through him and the link, for me to keep up.

"Thank you." Her voice slightly cracking as a tear betrays her, slipping past her lashes to trace over the curve of her cheek before she quickly wipes it away.

"Definitely needs some work. We can grab new furniture tomorrow when we show you around town. Hopefully the bedrooms are better than this." I sit down the scraps of pillow onto an equally falling apart couch. Looking around at the table barely held up by its legs as it sags in the middle.

"We'll figure it out." Kieren speaks as if he is barely here, responding as if it's reflex and not actually listening to anything we're saying. He looks like a shell of himself. Like a ghost moving through this house as if he never left, as if now he looks like his spirit has always felt…. Waiting for someone to come back, who never will.

Ava is beside me in a second, standing there barely breathing as we watch Kieren slowly walk down the hall to look at the rooms. Her hand softly gripping onto the fabric of my shirt, making me look down to her sad eyes. "Who's house is this? He looks like he's seen a ghost… or turned into one when we got here." She looks up to me keeping her voice low to not disturb him. My eyes turn sad at her question, feeling the ache deep in my heart as well.

"It's not my place to tell… if you want to know you'll have to ask him. Just be gentle when you do." Looking up from her to where Kierens figure had walked off into the darkened hall, I can still feel his emotions running slowly as if he's stuck in a loop.

She doesn't go after him to ask like I think she will, instead looking around at the tattered, disintegrating furniture and once loved belongings. Picking up a broken frame, the painting that used to sit in it beyond recognition; torn, all the color gone and just a rough outline of what may have once been a bird sitting in a tree left behind. Looking hard at it as if she's trying to picture the color and detail that once used to be there, her fingers delicately running over the torn, loose fabric. Kieren shuffling over a creaking board draws our focus as she sets the ghost of a memory down.

"Place is rougher than I remember. Sorry." Is all the breaths out as his hand runs down a wall next to him. His eyes far off as he looks around at the room again.

"Kieren you don't have to be here. I can help her, and if you want you can fly over to town and get new furniture…" I leave the question mostly open to allow him the reason he needs to leave quickly. Without another word he nods and walks out, only stopping by the door to run two fingers over the small scratch that's carved there, from long ago.

"Is he going to be alright?" Ava asks as she stares at the open, lopsided front door where hazy light flows through the dust, we have disturbed walking around.

"He will be." Is all I answer as I walk past her into the kitchen to see if the stone hearth oven was still usable; luckily finding other cooking utensils like pots, pans and stones. I hear her small footsteps tapping on the wooden floor long before I feel her at my back, her hair tickling my ear as she leans over my shoulder to see what I am doing.

"What is this?" Her question catches me off guard for a moment, forgetting she has probably never seen one of these. I take my time explaining how it works, pointing to things as I speak slowly for her to keep up.

"This is a stone hearth oven. This empty spot down here, this is where wood goes to warm it up, that's why there is a chimney to let the smoke out. This rounded section up here is where you can cook a few different kinds of food. There's a wooden thing, I can't remember what it's called. It has a large, flat end for you to put the food on to take it in and out, with a long slim handle so you don't burn yourself. It'll take practice, but I'm sure you'll get it in no time." I smile up to her, my breath catching in my throat as I turn my head. She's so close that our noses touch, our breaths mingling as we just sit there staring at each other. "Beautiful…"

"What was that?" She doesn't move, doesn't look away from my eyes as I curse myself for saying that out loud. Clearing my throat and leaning back a little breaking the little trance we were in. She shuffles back and runs her hands down her thighs as if she needs the distraction, a light touch of pink dusting over her cheeks as she does so. "Thank you for that explanation. Maybe one day you or Kieren can stop by and show me how it works some time." Her rambling is adorable when she's flustered like this. I'll have to remember that for future use.

"Of course, anytime." I lose the fight with the smile that wants to curve my lips at her cute actions.

🜹🜹🜹

Thankfully there was a broom, some useful rags and random pieces of cloth we could use to clean the place up as best we could. Ava swept, and wiped down all the windows. Thank the Goddess that the water still runs in this place! That made our job so much easier, and faster! I removed all the broken furniture and glass, placing magic over the empty windows to keep creatures out until we can replace them tomorrow. Thankfully the bedrooms were still intact, needing a good wash, but still usable.

Ava has gone down to the river nearby to wash the bedding and a few clothes for the night and next day, while I'm kneeling in the grass burning weeds and brush from around the house. Emptying the garden and seeing the bare, weathered walls now more clearly. It will definitely need a new coat of paint and something to help this wood, I'll have to add that to the list of things to get in town.

'You look ridiculous in the dirt like that.' Kierens laughter fills my head. Turning to see him walking up the small hill, on the large stones that have made into a staircase, up to the plateau where the house sits. The small smirk on his lips contradicts the emptiness in his eyes.

'How was town? Everything is still running well and good?' I stand, dusting my pants off as I meet him halfway. He was kind enough to grab a few drinks while out and that makes me feel better that he wasn't pining over the house while he was gone.

'It's always the same. The only things that change around here are how many people are within the walls and the new recruits we get.' He chuckles and takes a sip of his drink, looking down the stone steps. I become curious and look down the steps as well.

"What's going on down there?" I finally question when I can't find anything interesting, even in the valley where the dirt path begins and branches out into two ways in the treeline. One way for town and the other back to the wall and barracks for recruits and soldiers posted for watch.

"Something is not right. I can't find it. I thought maybe it was the stairs, like I needed to replace a stone. But I couldn't find one, then I thought I saw something in the trees . But I can't sense anything there either." He looks around confused for a moment as I do the same.

"I haven't sensed anything, but you're better at that than I am. Maybe it's just being back here?" The question barrels its way out of my mouth before I can think twice about it. He glances back to the house before shaking his head for a moment.

"I mean it does bring up a lot of memories, but that's not it. I'm just glad that Ava is-" His eyes widen as he looks to the empty house, the front door digging into the dirt as it hangs there loosely. He searches the area before turning to me with a frantic expression. "Where is Ava?!" I stand there looking at him shocked for a moment, unsure what to answer. She was at the river. How long has she been there, though? "Suluk!"

"She said she went down to the river. She took some blankets and things with her to wash them, and I told her I'd dry them when she returned." The words rush out of my mouth as I stare at the empty door.

"When did she leave?" Kierens question feels as though it is a dagger piercing me. I stand there dumbfounded for a moment as I try to think, but it feels like a small fog is clouding my mind.

"I'm not sure…. Kieren, I can't seem to remember!?" My frantic eyes turn from the sad door to his staring off into the distance of where the river is.

"Let's go." Is all he says before grabbing my arm and running off down another set of steps, dropping our drinks as we sprint down the hill into the treeline. My heartbeat feels as though it's trying to keep up with my rapid feet as it pounds in my ears. My hands shake with nervous energy and for the first time in a long time, I begin to sweat. Kieren looks no better than I, as he uses his shadows to look ahead and check for danger.

We hear the water rushing over stones, lapping at the bank, long before we see the river itself. The place looks untouched by time, the complete opposite of the cottage. The clear water flowing gently over smooth rocks and pushing fish in one direction, leading down just a few feet away to a small drop off that turns into a white, bubbly current twisting and turning around boulders placed in its path. The small waterfall makes for ideal cleaning in the shallow end, but step too far in and you'll be swept away and taken far down the river, nearly to the ocean and the things that lurk in its depths.

Bursting through the treeline we don't let up our pace as Alavira comes into view. She looks like a perfect painting as everything seems to move in slow motion, the calm before the storm. Her large basket sits on the shore and a few wet clothes sit on its rim, as she is calf deep in the river by the waterfall, rinsing the blanket. She is unaware and beautiful as the sun shines off her hair, her face focused on the task at hand, the water lapping at her legs, and her hands diligently scrubbing the cloth. Kieren and I try to scream, to warn her of the creature behind her, but the warning falls on deaf ears. She's standing too close to the waterfall, too close to the noise for her to hear us, but that doesn't mean that the Helse Duilker behind her doesn't hear us.

It lunges before we can, its gnarled face only giving us a few moments to look at it in the sun before it grabs her. It's obsidian talons digging into her skin as it drags her into the water.

"AVA!!!" Kieren and I screamed in unison as we both reached for her. The look on her face is one that will forever haunt my dreams along with that blood curdling scream before the water took her voice. The clear look of panic, horror, hurt, and sadness in her eyes will be engraved into my memories for as long as I live.

Kieren doesn't think twice as he runs into the water to follow the creature. I'm hot on his heels as I do the same. Taking a large, deep breath before diving down into the white rapids to be drawn down to the inky depth where the Helse Duilker resides.

'Everything now makes sense with your memory loss and me feeling like something was watching us. It was that thing the whole time. I should have realized sooner. I am sorry my friend.' Kierens angry voice speaks up down our link to fill my already buzzing head. I don't respond. I don't have to. He can feel every emotion I'm running through trying to swim faster to get to her.

Dragons aren't built to swim, or at least most aren't. Definitely not myself and Kieren!! I refuse to wait for help, refuse to give this creature even one more second of a head start! I will not lose her! She only just got here! This is not how it ends! I will not let it be the last time I get to see her smile, to see her have a glimmer of hope behind her eyes. I will swim to the bottom of the ocean if I have to to get her back. To bring her back to the cottage, where she will be safe and cared for as she finds her footing in this world.

I am realizing now how wrong I was to not see why she wanted to learn to fight, to defend herself and protect those she cares for. I am just now realizing I want to do the same thing for her. I want to see her grow strong, to see her battle and win. I want to be beside her every step of the way and see what she is fully capable of when shown how to wield her potential properly.

Our lungs burn, the water is freezing, our limbs grow tired from fighting the current, but we do not falter. Our exhaustion is mirrored down the link, but so is our determination. The light slowly fades from the surface and I know we are getting close to its dwelling. Everything in me is buzzing with alarm as the visibility is slowly receding. The shadows take over as what looks like an empty, inky, never ending abyss awaits us.

We have not run into a single fish or creature that should be swimming down here, the water feels thicker, more pressure on us as our ears begin to pop harshly. I've almost started to think that we won't find her in this emptiness when a few black spots bubble up in front of us. They begin to grow thicker, as more come up in almost streams, right before we see that soft shine of strawberry blonde hair float up slightly, and a sickly hand reaches out of that abyss to pull it back down.