Page 167 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
Cailleach tilts her head, frowning slightly. “I will think about it.”
That’s good enough for now, I decide, while turning towards the cliff again. “Elio!” I yell and wave.
The young dragon lifts his head and takes off again, landing right in front of me. He turns to his human form again, his eyes widening with pain and anger when he sees the deity.
“That’s Cailleach,” I tell him. “The real her.”
“She is not bound anymore?”
“No,” I say. “And now it’s time to wake up your brother. She will help us.”
Cailleach nods. “Follow me,” she says.
I can feel Elio’s hesitation, and I can’t blame him. It doesn’t matter that she was innocent, she was still the one who murdered so many of his kind. Her words make much more sense to me now. How is anyone ever going to live with such guilt?
None of us says anything as Cailleach leads us into the castle, and then through a huge hallway. I notice Elio’s eyes clouding over in sadness. “This was your home?” I ask quietly.
“It used to be so lively,” he mutters.
“It will be again,” I say. “I… I don’t know how to take this pain from you or what to say that can even remotely make you feel hopeful. But Favian is alive, and I’m sure with the strength he displayed, he will lead your people to prosperity again… with you at his side.”
“With me?”
“He will need you,” I say.
“Right.” Elio straightens his shoulders. “There is going to be a lot we will need to rebuild. And then he has to work on new political relations, and we have to think about how to make our economy work again, and how to find the dragon shifters again, and how to get them to return home. He will need some assistance.”
Sadness fills my heart when I think about the trauma Elio and Favian have faced, and how long it will take for them to overcome this. I’m glad Elio has a task at hand now, and can hopefully look into a brighter future.
“Here we are,” Cailleach interrupts us. She has led us to the basement of the castle and stops now in front of a big wooden door. “He is being kept in this room.” She tosses us a short glance. “I will leave and make sure the werebears are under control.” She shakes her head. “Another species almost ruined, but unlike the dragons, they are partly at fault.”
“They weren’t enchanted?” Elio asks without looking at her.
“Not all of them. Some of their leaders acted out of greed and made an alliance with Penelope, the dark witch.”
“Can you pick out those who are innocent?” I ask. I know the werebears are not well-liked in these lands. Their dislike of the bears is something all other shifters have in common. But, they are part of this world, and excluding them will only lead to more battles and more division.
Cailleach looks at me, amused. “It seems all the shifters needed was a human to step into their world and bring a new perspective. I know what you are planning to do, and I agree.”
“I’d need at least one trustworthy high-ranking member. An alpha’s child would be ideal,” I say.
“I will see what I can do,” she promises before disappearing into thin air. “And, I will be there once you are ready to move against the witch.”
“Do you trust her?” Elio asks into the silence that lingers around us, once she has left.
“I don’t think I can answer this question so easily,” I answer. “Trust has to be earned. She is a deity, and she created this realm. She loves these lands. Let’s see what she will do.” I turn around. “Come, Favian is waiting for us.”
We enter the room at the same time. The witch and Cailleach have been hiding Favian’s body here in the underground section of the castle. At least they kept the room warm. I instantly recognize him, although he looks so pale and skinny. It seems like the man I met in my dreams was how he once looked; this, here, is just his shadow.
Elio looks heartbroken at the sight of his brother. “He was so strong,” he sobs.
“He stillisincredibly strong,” I tell him. “He battled these people for years, just through the power of his mind. If that’s not strength, I don’t know what is.”
“But, they weakened him so much.”
“And he will get strong, again,” I comfort him. “He is a shifter, isn’t he?”
Elio nods tentatively.
