8. Thoughts of the Past

Normal POV

Leyva and Banhr had been practicing with the bow and arrow until the bell signaling the start of breakfast rang. Both of them dropped their weapons, ran out of the room, and up the stairs to the mess hall. They burst in just as most of the crew had sat down. The passengers usually slept in late, so they weren't there, except for Leyva's dad, who always got up early.

The red-head sat next to Banhr, who was at the head of the table.

'Leyva, don't tell a soul about your hair being what color it was! Some people get a reaction here, but it might leak out to the crew, and they might think you're someone different. One of us,' Banhr whispered to Leyva.

'"Us"? Do you mean the elves?'

Banhr nodded. 'Don't tell anyone! Not even Ruby or Lena!'

'Okay�'

'Now, after breakfast, I want to teach you how to sword fight. That's going to take all day. And all day tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after. And probably until we get to Rinlantaerlanta.'

'Is Rinlantaerlanta the capital of He'Anlae?'

'I haven't told you before?'

Leyva shrugged. 'You might have, but I forgot. I can't remember anything important for the life of me!'

Banhr chuckled. 'You remind me so much of someone I knew. Someone I wish to see again before I die.'

'Who was it?'

'Lanah. I've talked about her. And remember, don't tell the Prince that they're brother and sister! No one's supposed to know. Big hush-hush secret. I don't know why I told you, but�well�I'll probably lock the memories away sooner or later.' He sighed deeply. 'It tore me apart when they had to take her away and make her move. To Earth.'

'Why do I remind you of her?' Lock my memories away? Hm. I'll ask him later. Leyva stored the thought in the back of her mind to examine at a different and better time.

'She could never remember anything, and she was just as good at archery as you.'

Leyva burst out laughing. 'You mean, she was just as bad as me, and always hit the target far away from the center. Like me.'

'No. I mean she always hit the target exactly four inches to the right. No matter if she aimed straight up. It always landed four inches to the right. Like you.'

'That must've been hilarious to watch!'

'It was�but it was frustrating, too.'

'I'll bet.'

The two friends ate in silence, until Leyva pushed her plate away, picked up her tankard of cider, and drained it. 'Does He'Anlae look different than Earth? I haven't had much time to look around.'

'It's as different as a beech sapling and a redwood. Except He'Anlae is the redwood. Or we could say that it's like waking up and seeing light for the first time.'

'That sounds reasonable.'

They stood up, and walked outside, just as Ruby and Lena were coming in.

'You're finished already?'

'Yeah. Been up since five. Ate at six.'

'Wow! How can you do that? Creep�'

'It's restlessness, and the new air.'

'Have you seen outside yet? It's amazing!'

'No, I haven't. Banhr was saying how nice it was, but I was in a hurry this morning.'

'Oh.' Ruby walked on and sat down at the table. Leyva turned to Banhr. 'Will you show me around? Even though you can't show people around that much when they're on a boat they've been on for over a week.'

The duo went outside, and stepped onto the deck. Leyva gave a gasp. The sky was of the bluest sapphire, and it was not fully light out, giving the appearance ot twilight, yet it was nearly seven, and the end of summer. The ocean waves were crashing up against the rocks, sending fans of smoke-like water droplets up into the air.

Even the air seemed different, like waking up to a fresh day after a thunderstorm.

Leyva took a deep breath. 'Wow. It's so�so�beautiful here. I never thought that there could be a place so free of�pollution�and smoke.'

'I know what you mean. When the crew and I first got to your world, we got really sick, because our bodies weren't used to being infested with all that crap. I could tell the moment we got down Zav Zena, because I could breathe.'

Leyva and Banhr sat on top of the Dragon figurehead, just looking towards the ocean, love of the sea mirrored in each of their eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the day passed, not much happening, just sitting around and thinking, and waiting. Waiting for the unfamiliar land to rise before them, shedding light and hope upon the ship. Why there was none now, only Banhr could really tell.

Could this�Leyva�be the one I've been waiting for all my life? Could we just have randomly picked a person, and it turned out to be the one? They seem alike, yet they're so different in many ways. Leyva's corrupted by Earth. We can't have that. Oh no, we can't have that at all. She would need to be Healed. But�we can't be thinking of Healing when I'm not sure at all of her true lineage. But�if it's not her, then He'Anlae has no hope. Helent told me a few days ago that Aergul's troops have been coming faster and more numerous. We can't hold them off for long. Not without a�a�Lizzard to save us.

Is that what I think Leyva can become? Our Lizzard?

No. They have to be trained from either a young age, or show amazing skills of weaponry.

But�if it is Lanah, then she has been trained from a young age, and she does show good skills. I haven't tested her sword fighting, but�it'll probably be amazing. Like how she fights Aliant-ish.



Banhr's thoughts were interrupted by Leyva sitting down next to him with her back to the opposite side of the mast.

'Why've you been so quiet lately? I see you, and you always seem to want to ask me something, but you never do. What is it?'

Am I that easy to read? Can Leyva really tell there's something I need to tell her? Does she know�does she remember�?

No! It's not her! I know it isn't!

But�

NO!!!!! Don't even think about it.

'I�it's�I don't really know myself. I'm not positive. I will be by the time we get to Rinlantaerlanta, though.'

'Well, what's your suspicion?'

'I�don't think this is my right place to say.'

'Who or what is it about? Some deserter or something?'

'Far, far from that. An�ancient leader�and�I think�I think it's�you.'

Banhr stood up from the mast, and walked away, going down below deck. He found himself standing in front of the hidden door. He was the only one of the crew that could see it, and then Leyva.

Another reason to think she's Lanah. An ordinary human, or elf for that matter, couldn't have opened this by herself.

He reached for the doorknob, and pulled it open. He found himself in the familiar room full of the rare and precious jewels.

Lanah, come back to me! If that's you, hiding in the disguise of Leyva, then�remember. Remember me. Remember Helent. Remember everyone that used to be important to you. Tears overcame Banhr's sad features. I miss you�my best friend�don't stay�too long. Exhaustion fell onto the captain, and he slumped down, sleeping deeply.

~*~*~*~*~*~

What was that about?

Leader? Me?

I've never been able to lead anything! Hopefully Banhr's wrong about this. I don't want anything bad to come out of this whole thing.

Leyva slowly stood up and went into her cabin, her good mood dampened for the day. What's so mysterious about Banhr? I know he's hiding something besides this leader thing. Is it something about me? And why did hearing the news that he thinks I'm some famous leader make me tired and sad? Gods, this world is messed up. Beautiful, but messed up.

Leyva walked over to her room that was now empty. Ruby and Lena were probably at breakfast, and wouldn't be in the room for a wile, and then they'd probably go outside to just hang out. I don't know really what's going on. We don't seem to be as close as we used to. Us three were inseparable, and now I seem to be spending a lot of time by myself or with the captain. Not with my friends, like I should be. Leyva fell into a slumber, exhausted. Her sleeps were light, and she tossed and turned at night, making her always tierd during the day. It was night when she finally woke up. Where is everyone? Oh yeah. They're probably out somewhere, trying not to disturb my beauty sleep. Leyva chuckled dryly, and decided to find Banhr. I feel like I'm getting over jet lag, or something. I need to ask if the time is different here. Or maybe it's moving from one world to another that does that. She walked out of her room and across the deck, to climb down the rickety stairs to the captain's cabin. She peeked in, her eyes slowly adjusting to the gloom.

'Banhr? You in here?' No answer. I guess not.

Leyva walked all over the ship, looking for her friend.

'Hey, have any of you seen Banhr?' she asked a group of sailors on watch. They looked at each other mysteriously.

'He's been missing all day, ever since he was talking to you. Check below deck. I think that's where we last saw him, but I'm not sure,' one of the men said.

'I already checked down there. Is there any way you can find him? Some sort of magic, perhaps?'

The first sailor gave a double take. 'Magic? You know about the magic? Who told you?'

'I've known of it for some time. Banhr told me. He's also told me a lot of other stuff, but I don't want to tell you why. Well�mainly because�Gods, I don't know!'

'Whatever.' The man who spoke first came out of the small group. 'I have an idea. I'll get Helent to come. They're good friends.'

'Helent? You know who he is?'

'Everyone knows Helent. Come on. I know how to call him here.' The man pulled Leyva away and down the familiar path to her room, except they veered to the left, and through a door Leyva hadn't noticed before. It was full of hammocks and bed rolls.

It was the crew's cabin. Obviously.

The sailor motioned Leyva to stay by the door, and he went to the center of the room to stand in a circle that had an eight pointed star in the middle.

'Wha-' Leyva started, but the sailor cut her off.

'Ssh. I'll tell you later.' He turned away from her, and with his finger, drew a shimmering blue square in the air. Leyva gasped. How the hell is he doing that? The square grew and grew until a person could easily have walked through it.

'Helent,' the sailor said, slowly and clearly. The blue lines shrunk rapidly, and disappeared with a pop, showering the room with sparks. In its place stood a tall, robed figure. The hood was up, casting a shadow across the features. All that could be told about him was that he had yellow, piercing eyes. Like a hawk's.

'You called? What for?'

'Ah. Helent. So good of you to come. You see, we can't find Banhr, and you know this ship like the back of your hand, and all of the captain's hiding spaces. Leyva's wondering where he is.'

'You did magic in front of a stranger?'

'Um�I already knew about it. Banhr told me,' Leyva cut in.

Helent slowly turned to face her. His yellow eyes widened in surprise. He stepped back a step and his breathing quickened. 'Oh my Gods! You- Okay. I see why Banhr told you. So much like�so close to�No wonder.'

'What in hell's name are you talking about?'

'I think if you don't know, then Banhr wants it to stay like that for a long, long time. I'm definitely not going to tell you. I don't want to betray his trust.'

'Whatever.'

Helent grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room and up the hallway. 'Now. Tell me every place you looked. He probably won't be in any of the unmagical places, but�we can always try.'

'Whoa. Slow down. How many magical places are there?'

'Tons. But there's only one he'd go in. Hey. Uh�how'd you know about the rooms that're protected by the magic?'

'I was running from my friend, and I came across the treasure room. The one that has a secret passage that leads to where the captain's cabin was. Mine and Lena and Ruby's room now.' Helent stopped dead in his tracks, and his jaw dropped.

'You can see that room?'

'Yeah,' responded Leyva, drawing out the word.

'Did you check there?'

'No.'

'Okay. That's where we're going. He's always hiding there, as long as he's known about this ship, and captained it. Only certain elves can open it.'

'Elves? Then why could I open it?'

'The only logical explanation. You're an elf.'

Helent stopped at the door, cutting off any arguments. It swung open, and there was Banhr sleeping near the edge of the room, breathing lightly. His face was slightly pink, as if he had wept hard before falling asleep.

Banhr gave a start and woke not long after the two had walked in. He glared at them accusingly. 'What're you doing here Helent?'

'How'd you know it was me?' he retorted.

'Come on. I know you well enough that I can recognize your eyes and the way you walk. I'm not that stupid, you know.'

'Heh.' Helent half grinned.

'Show yourself to the lady. I think she's wanted to meet you.'

'Why must you tell everyone about me?'

'I don't. Most people know. But Leyva here didn't.'

'Banhr. What did you tell her about us?'

'She hardly knows about the elves. Since she was able to find this room, I told her a little. And she spoke a very interesting prophecy.'

'You're a seer?' Helent directed this question at Leyva.

'No,' she answered. 'I just happened to spout some complete nonsense at a very random time.'

'That's what seers are.' Helent snapped before turning back to Banhr. 'And at your request, I shall show the lady who I am.' He flipped back his hood and faced Leyva.

His chin-length layered hair was as white as freshly fallen snow, and had red tips, black streaks, and long, thin bangs that fell almost to his shoulders.

Leyva gave a gasp, and stepped back a pace in surprise. 'Deja-vu!' she exclaimed.

'Wha�?'

'Sorry. Human term. I think�that I've�seen you before. But I don't know from where.' Her eyes were wide.

'I had the same reaction with you, if you remember right. You look so much like�'

'And then you never told me who you thought I was. Said to leave that to Banhr.'

The captain cut in. 'Leyva, I'll tell you once we get to Rinlantaerlanta.'

Leyva giggled. 'I love that name! So awesome and long and random!'

'It gets longer every century. Don't laugh at it.'

'But why won't you tell me? You've already said I remind you of Lanah, but do I look like her as well?!' Leyva's face never lost the question that was burning through and her arms flew up to accent her point. Helent whirled around and grasped Banhr's shoulders, his eyes furious.

'How much do you intend to trust this stranger?!! Even if she is who we hope, we can't tell her everything that comes to mind about us!!! Do we want everyone to know about the elves deepest secrets!? Do we want a complete outsider knowing who we are?!!!' His yellow eyes flashed dangerously, and he could easily have been a hawk in front of a small fox. 'We think its her, but what if it isn't, what if she goes of running to her stupid little friends!? What if she betrays us? She's HUMAN!!!!!!!!!! She�can't�be�TRUSTED!!!!!!!!!!'

Leyva watched the white haired man's outburst, curiosity showing through her sharp features. No one would ever be able to tell that Helent's two years younger than him. He doesn't look sixteen. 'Well�you said yourself that the only way for me to have been able to open the door to this room was for me to somehow be an elf. Are you contradicting yourself, now?'

Helent stopped shouting at his friend. 'I'm�sorry. I guess�I was just�angry at Banhr for telling you a lot about my people. He's�he's right. You could be the person we've waited for ever since�Lanah had to leave. You could be her.'

Leyva's POV

A Couple Seconds After Helent Speaks

I felt my mind go blank, and I slumped to the floor. In my head I saw a door. A simple, plain, wooden door. My hand went up to open it, but I found it was locked. I looked around, and saw that I was in a hallway of doors. The ones on one side were open, and the ones on the side I was on, were closed.

They're my memories, I dimly thought, as I looked through a door on the other side of me, and saw the first day of school, and when I met Ruby and Lena, and when I met Ruby's sister. They were all memories from when I was younger. Why am I here? And�why are the other ones locked? Are they forgotten memories? Different lives? I walked on, and paused by a door that was partially open. A black aura seemed to be coming from behind it, radiating throughout my body. I haven't had anything awful happen to me before, so then�why is this door so�terrifying? Slowly, and with an air of fear, I pushed open the door. Raw pain washed over and through my body, awakening my nerves, and making me scream. What the hell is this? Is this something that happened to me?

I saw a green haired girl being dragged down a long, dark hallway. Her feet were tied, as were her hands behind her back. Five men were holding her, trying to calm her down, and another ten were standing in a circle around her as a guard to keep her from escaping. The strange thing was, they were moving away rapidly, but they never left my sight. It was if the door was a TV or something. They were always right in my vision, and never left. Where're they taking her?

The girl let out an ear splitting scream when the men dragged her into a dimly lit room. She was laid down on a stone table and chained. The bonds were cut, and her arms and legs were cruelly attached to the stone. They're�torturing her? For what? A man slowly drew a sharp, shiny knife, laid it to her skin and pressed down. Blood came boiling out from where the blade was pushed into her living flesh. Her ragged clothes were torn more so by the evil man. Until now she had been silently weeping, and trying to bear the pain. But then:

'Father! Help me! Please, come back and rescue me.' As if called, a tall man walked into the room. His hair was wavy fire red, and reached down to his shoulders. His eyes were of pure evil.

The girl looked up, and recognition lit up her face. 'Father! �Why're you here?'

'I came to witness�the job my men are doing on you.'

Oh Gods! Her own father is killing her! Wait�why is this in my memories? Maybe it's someone I once knew�?

The girl shrieked. 'Lanah, shut up,' her father said. This is Lanah! Banhr's niece! So�would that be Aergul? His own daughter! Poor Lanah!

'Father�father�if you ever loved me�if you ever loved Sihmé�please� help me. Please! Please�don't let me die�alone. Don't let me�die�'

Aergul's face contorted into a mask of pain. 'Sihmé�' he whispered. Obviously, Lanah had struck a nerve mentioning her mother.

'Sihmé�why the hell did you have to leave me? Why can't you realize how much I love you. How much I still love you. Forgive me for what I have to do to our daughter. Forgive me. Forgive me�' Aergul broke down weeping. Tears streamed openly down from his eyes that weren't evil any more, but filled with longing, and an unearthly pain.

I rested against the door frame, leaning my head gently against the dark, soft wood, tears prickling my own eyes. Why does it feel like this has happened to me? But�then�if it did�why wouldn't I remember?

Aergul took a whip from the rack on the other side of the room. He raised it high above his head, lust for blood filling his eyes. 'Forgive me�' he whispered, before bringing the weapon down with a sharp crack. A welt formed on Lanah's stomach where the whip hit. Aergul struck again and again, transforming his daughter's front into a bloody mass. The red liquid streamed onto the table and on the floor. It trickled around the tyrant's boots, coloring them a dark crimson.

'Father�stop,' Lanah muttered. Her voice cracked with the pain and pressure she was being put through. 'Father, I beg of you! Stop! If you don't, your hands will forever be stained with my blood. If you keep going, I'll never forgive you. Stop, and I might. I know there's good in you still. Just�don't put me through any more pain.'

The blood lust left Aergul's face, to be replaced with anguish. 'Oh�Lanah� what've I done?' His voice truly sincere. The dark king's servant placed his hands on Haevenlanah's stomach, and silver thread twisted out of his fingers, wrapping itself around Lanah's body, replenishing the lost blood and healing her wounds, just leaving a crisscross of scars that danced across her stomach and chest.

Real magic! Wow. It's so pretty!

'Dad�you�healed me! I�I�I thought it was just hopeless banter. Thank you, father.'

Aergul swept his daughter into a hug. 'Lanah�what the hell did I do to you�Can you�ever forgive me?'

'Maybe� With time�' She forced herself out of her father's arms and fled out of the room.

And then�the memory ended. Just like that.

I slowly stepped away from the now closed door. The newfound memory deeply engraved in my memory. I'm�Lanah�? How can that be? How can that possibly be me? No. It isn't. I'm not some lost person that came back to the place where she belongs. I'm not her. I know it. I'm not her! I walked down the long hallway again, gazing longingly at the closed doors, wishing some of them would be open, wishing they would reveal their secrets to me. I paused at a section of doors at the end of the long hallway. It was on the side of the closed ones, but it was half transparent. It wasn't invisible, but it wasn't completely visible, either.

Forbidden memories. The thought passed unwillingly into my head, as if pulled there by an obscure, fleeting hand.

I slumped down again, falling on the floor of the long corridor. When I next opened my eyes, I was in the same position in the circular room, and Helent and Banhr were looking down at me with worry on their faces.

I slowly sat up.

Normal POV

'What happened?' Helent asked, anxiety flitting through his bright, biting eyes.

'I�I think,' Banhr answered for him, 'that she came upon a forgotten memory of her past.'

'Banhr�are those�are those memories all mine? Because that one is�I half remember it happening, but I'm not sure. I don't know if it was something that happened to someone else, or not. I really don't know.'

'What did the memories look like?'

'Huh? Oh! Well�I don't know if this is what you're asking, but my memories were all rooms on different sides of a long, long hallway. The ones on the left side were closed, right, open.'

Banhr's face twisted into surprise. 'and�at the end? Were there half invisible ones?'

'How'd you know?'

'Well�lets just say I was once in your in your mind, and I wanted to see if you were�someone I�someone I know. Well�maybe I wanted to check your mind, but�well�okay. I'm just rambling now.'

'That's okay. I ramble a lot, too.'

The three lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, none knowing what to say.

'What was the memory?' Helent asked, but half wondering if he would get yelled at for being curious.

'It was�a girl. She was about ten, and she had midnight green hair. I almost thought it was black at first.' Like mine was. 'She had been captured. The girl�I'm pretty sure�it was Lanah. Because�when she was tortured, she called out for her father. A couple minutes after that, a red-haired man came in.' Leyva looked towards Banhr. 'Now that I think of it, he looked a little like an older version of you. But�I suppose that makes sense. She called him father, and asked him why he was torturing her. And after that, he turned from a crazy old man, into a man who looked like his life was too much for him. But that look changed into blood lust, and he started whipping her. And then�he changed again. He was a father, and had tears in his eyes. He healed her, and asked if she could forgive him. She said that she might be able to, with time.'

A pained look grew in Banhr's eyes, and he retreated as far back from Leyva as possible, against the wall, sobbing into his arms and muttering to himself. 'Lanah,' he whispered. 'Why didn't you ever tell us? You were gone that whole time, and�you never told us where you were. We were so worried, and yet�you just said you were attending to something. Looking for someone. Why didn't you tell us that that person was your father? I would've come with you. I know how to handle my brother, even if though it had been years since I had seen him last. You wouldn't have gotten so hurt! Nothing would've happened�'

Banhr couldn't stop the tears that were flowing so freely down his cheeks, and Helent looked close to crying himself. Both of them collected themselves and made to leave the room. 'Wait Banhr,' Leyva said. He stayed back.

'What?' His head was tilted slightly to the side and his slight goatee shimmering a light red from the tears that had been running down his face.

'Let me get this straight. You're his uncle,' she nodded towards the departing prince, 'and he's also the half-brother of the Lizzard, though only you, me, and the queen know of his relations?'

Banhr bit his lip and nodded his head lightly. 'Yeah. But�please, don't go around telling anyone. That could be quite disastrous.'

'Why does it have to the the Lizzard who kills her father? Why can't it be you, or Helent?'

'We're not strong enough,' he said simply.

'What do you mean by that?'

'She's not fully elvish.' Clearly he didn't want to give too much away, but would if asked the right thing.

'But�that's not common?'

'Saying someone's not fully elvish in Rinlantaerlanta is the same thing as saying in your world that someone is not all the way human.'

'Oh. So�what blood does she have in her?'

'She's half water elemental and a quarter vampire. Mother was Sihmé and her grandmother was Tilran, full vampire.' The captain for some reason was starting to get increasingly uneasy.

'But�wouldn't Helent be part vampire too? And�you're half vampire?! Oh, God�'

'Yes, we both have vampiric blood in us. Its something I don't like being reminded of. Immortality is not a very nice thing, you know. I can't die of old age, though, thankfully, I can die if someone stabs me,' said Banhr. He stood up and brushed dirt from his pant legs, looking down at where Leyva was sitting and left the room. The redhead became lost in her mind once more, thinking over the memory she had stumbled upon. It was the strangest thing ever. I know for a fact that my real parents died in a tsunami, and I was sent to an orphanage. The keeper� liked to whip me, and then I was adopted, and I live with a family that I love. But then a thought struck her. The mistress liked to whip me! Slowly, and scared of what she would see, Leyva lifted up her shirt and stared at her stomach. It was covered in scars that looked exactly like the ones left by Aergul on his daughter. What�the�hell�?!