She looked at Keither. There was nothing that was physically appealing about him. He was young with no social skills and also in need of a diet. At the same time, he wasn’t like most men. Kovos and Legon weren’t either, but they were strong and looked it. Keither was just a mind, and that was it. He was harmless. He was also the type that would probably follow a woman with puppy-like devotion, not because he was a romantic, but rather because he suffered from low self-esteem. He would be simple to manipulate, but due to his lack of status, money, or appearance it was unlikely that anybody with a malignant disposition would fall for him. But, that knowledge aside, there was a part of her that wanted to protect him, to safeguard his innocence. It wasn’t attraction she felt, but compassion. Could that change to something more? She didn’t think so. She didn’t want to have to take care of a man for the rest of her life, and unless Keither changed, that’s what she would have to do.
Still, the thought of what Sasha said about her and Legon…the Everser Vald. “Don’t think that name,” she said to herself. Arkin would be angry if he knew she was dwelling on it. She looked at Legon. What would it be like being with an Elf? He was going to turn, that much was obvious. This wasn’t something she knew much about, but Arkin had filled in some gaps. She pushed the thought from her mind. It would be a horrible existence when she thought about it. One would grow old, weak, and die while the other would be left behind, young forever. At the same time, she was more connected to him than anyone else in the world. He knew and understood her, and in a sense she understood him as well.
He wasn’t hard on the eyes, either. She had a crush on him as a kid. Well, if she was being honest, she still did, but it wasn’t worth her friendship with Sasha. Plus, what would the Everser Vald think of her? She knew that he loved her. She couldn’t ever deny that and she could trust him to care and protect her… “Stop, Sara. It’s not going to happen,” she thought.
She was so thankful for everyone in their little party. Every night she prayed to the White Dragon to protect them. She wondered if they believed in him. Or did they think that he was merely mythical? Sasha knew; she had to. But Legon?
She handed a plate of eggs and cheese to Kovos.
“Thanks, Sara.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kovos was changing as well. He was more tempered now. He was going to make a great husband for Emma. Now that he was sharing thoughts with Sasha, she was changing them all, making them better.
Kovos followed Legon and Arkin back to camp with Keither close behind. Legon gave Sasha a funny look when he passed her and she flushed a bit. Kovos figured she was still feeling awkward from the day he had said that he was sorry for the way he had thought of her his whole life.
As they rode he became lost in thought. He was questioning a lot about himself lately, and he wondered what kind of man he was going to turn into. Legon and Sasha were up front with Arkin, learning who knew what. That stuff made him uneasy. Lately, Legon had taken to joining the minds of all those around him for training. The idea was simple. If they got into trouble, Legon and Arkin would use magic to fortify themselves and those around them. When his mind was connected with Legon’s he was privy to the other minds he was connected to as well. Sasha was an excellent shot with a bow, so if a fight ensued she would stay back with Sara and Keither firing arrows into the fray. With all their minds “networked,” as Arkin put it, she knew where everyone was going to step and they knew where she was shooting. Her accuracy was scary. In a small farming co-op, Arkin bought Sasha a hundred-pound bow that she could shoot when Legon used magic. It was an odd sensation having an arrow streak past your ear and not be worried about it at all. Also, with all their perspectives being taken into account, the group became hyper-aware of their surroundings. In a way, they gained the experience and perspective of those in the network. It made everyone a better fighter when they would practice three on three. Knowing each other’s fighting styles in detail helped as well.
Legon, Sasha and Arkin could use pure logic, too. Sometimes, when Legon would use magic, he would tap into Sasha’s mind to figure out wind speed and trajectory, and she in turn would do that to others when shooting. When this happened, it didn’t have that much of an effect on him. It was like background noise. But at any rate, it was changing his view of the world drastically.
Arkin appeared to be done with teaching for the time being, and Sasha went to work with Keither on the horse. Legon went to talk to Sara. Arkin came up to Kovos and smiled.
“What’s on your mind?”
Kovos ran a checklist in his head. “Oh crap, do I have my mind open?”
Arkin smiled again. “No, but your body is, and I can see that you are thinking. I won’t cross into your mind without permission unless necessary. Besides, you would be able to feel it now.”
“That’s good to know.”
Kovos was happy that he was to the point where he could feel another mind and, if necessary, reach out to someone. It was also a comfort that his consciousness couldn’t be breached without him knowing.
“Now, what’s on your mind?” Arkin asked
Kovos thought about lying to Arkin but, mind protected or not, Arkin knew him too well.
“This stuff is kind of freaking me out a bit.”
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know. It’s just odd seeing Sasha and Legon sitting silent next to each other and then laughing. Or feeling other people in my head.”
“Ok.” Arkin sat silent, waiting patiently for Kovos to say what was really bothering him.
They were moving along a clearing in the trees, probably close to a co-op. As they went he could see a line in the landscape. On one side of the road were dense trees and forest. On the other were open fields. To the right of him where the fields began was a waist-high stone wall marking the edge of someone’s property. On the other side of that wall was a wheat field. It looked as if there had once been a forest where the field was, and it made him wonder at the dedication of these people. They would have had to clear cut the land and then pull all the stumps. Not to mention removing all the stones that would break a plow. That was probably where the stones from the wall had come from. The wheat was high now, and as he looked out at the field he noticed a breeze playing in it. The wheat looked like a sea of giant gold waves rippling away from them. The contrast between the forest and the field seemed to be a good analogy for what was happening to him.
“Do the elves do this a lot-the mental networking? I mean, I see true benefit in it and all, but… I don’t know what I’m saying.” He really didn’t know what he was saying. He was having a hard time keeping track of his thoughts these days. Too much stress, too much homesickness. Well, more Emma sickness if he was being truthful.
“Isn’t it nice to know what the other person is thinking?” Arkin asked.
“Yes, it is, but I don’t know… I think that maybe I’ve been messing up in life and if I knew what others were thinking…” He breathed out. “I can’t stop thinking about how much different my life would be if I knew what, well…”
Arkin helped him. “What Emma was thinking?”
“Yeah, is it bad to want to know that?”
“No, not at all. You know what the dot on Legon’s Tattoo means, don’t you?” Arkin asked.
“Yes, it’s for when he gets married.”
“Exactly. I haven’t told you about Elven society as much as I have Legon and Sasha. I should have included you in that. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Why does it matter?”
“When elves get married, they stay connected mentally, and after years of having a perfect insight into their partners they almost become one mind,” Arkin explained.
“Ok, so that’s why they’re able to stay married forever. If you understood the other person, really understood them, it would be hard to split up.”
“Yes, but there is more. They rely on each other to the point where they are completely dependent on the other person. That means that when one dies, the other is always quick to follow.”
“What do you mean?”
“Their bodies do not become frail like ours, but losing that connection kills their mind and their will to live. Once that happens, the body follows.”
Kovos sat pondering this new information. It was amazing to think about people so close to one another that
