"Have you seen Ariana?" Michael approached Jareth from behind, causing him to jump. "You really ought to work on that."
"No. Not in the last few hours. And why be on guard in a protected rea… nevermind."
It had been almost a week since Michael's encounter with Jules. He'd returned home to discover that Duncan had given Ariana yet another weapon, this time a bow and arrows, which both worried and angered him. It would be one thing if it were recreational archery that she fancied, but he had the sinking feeling that she had no intention of using Duncan's gifts for sport.
"I've heard her mention exploring the old world on more than one occasion – don't give me that look Michael, I didn't encourage her."
Michael grimaced. Keeping up with her was going to be the death of him.
"Let her go," Jareth laughed. "She's not a child."
"It's not her age or maturity that concerns me. Has she said anything more of Garren to you?"
Michael hated to ask him this, hearing anything about her attention toward Garren seemed to make Jareth's skin crawl, but Ariana had taken to confiding in Jareth. Michael tried his best to not let it hurt his feelings that she hadn't spoken to him.
"Thank you for reminding me. She's managed to not mention him in over a week." Jareth scowled. "You're going to look for her aren't you? Do you want me to come with you?"
Michael considered it for a minute. "You mean, 'Can I come along pretty please because I'm in love with your sister?' Sure. I could use the company."
"You, my friend, can be an ass sometimes." Jareth stood with a telling grin on his face. "Duncan told her about the entrance near the Aidolis. That might be the first place we try. We aren't going to let her know that we were looking for her, are we?"
"No. If she knows I'm trying to keep an eye on her, she'll be that much harder to manage."
"Has it occurred to you that she might not need managing?"
"Has it occurred to you that my father might have spent her entire lifetime lying about her existence for no reason – no? It hasn't occurred to you because the idea is ludicrous. Thus, her protection has my full attention."
Jareth shrugged. "I'm just saying that perhaps you should consider seeing her as an equal, trust her with your thoughts, your concerns. That's all."
"My equal? You mistake me. That sword I was telling you about? It matches perfectly the description of the fabled sword of Ereubus, said to be hidden just beyond the borders of Arcadia."
Jareth smirked. "You seem to be under the assumption that I stayed awake for ancient human history. Allow me to correct you."
"Jareth, I am not saying these things lightly. That sword took the first human soul and hasn't been seen for nearly three thousand years. She saw Arcadia as it once was – no doubt through the power of holding that very sword. Bronach said a being spoke to her there as though life and death itself rested in her hands. You saw her touch the Aurora stones, and while she thinks it bears no meaning, she's wrong and so are you. She is not my equal. She is worth more than all of us combined and Eidolon knows it."
Jareth seemed to understand this. "We'll need to take a lantern with us."
They reached the entrance to the cave. Jareth turned the wick up on the oil lamp as they descended deeper into the shadow. Michael kept his ears open, hearing nothing but their steps. It was a long way into the old world from that entrance. It did eventually empty into a courtyard, but it was after nearly a mile of darkness. He hoped she had taken Koen with her.
He was grateful for the beast, no one could come near her without its approval; it amazed him. He'd never seen an animal so attentive before.
It was low at first. Michael was in front of Jareth in the narrow opening and motioned with his hand to quiet him. "Lower the flame," he whispered. He heard someone talking ahead of them, and assumed it to be Ariana speaking to Koen. He couldn't make out any words, but it certainly sounded like it could be her.
Light burst the darkness in front of them, so intense that it appeared as though the sun had sunk beneath the ground. It happened so suddenly that it caused Michael to stumble back onto Jareth, who fell to the ground. Michael quickly regained his footing and ran toward the source.
As they approached the end of the tunnel, Jareth grabbed Michael's arm and pulled him back into an alcove. "Wait," he whispered, "look."
Ariana stood with Koen in the center of the immense room. It was hard to tell where the light was coming from. It was shining from every crevice. It appeared similar in color to the aurora stones, but it was much more intense. Jareth put out the flame from his lantern and set it down.
Ariana was speaking, but he couldn't understand the tongue she spoke. She lifted her hand toward the ceiling. A small, rotating ball of light hovered above her palm, growing in brightness as the words left her lips. Michael was speechless. As the light spun faster, a beautiful humming sound started to emanate from the walls around them.
Jareth gripped Michael's arm, astonished. Another light, even brighter than the first, abruptly exploded from the center of the room, causing both Michael and Jareth to fall to the ground, covering their eyes. Then it dissipated, leaving them again in relative shadow.
Michael rose to his feet first. He could make out the shape of Ariana's body on the ground beside her lantern. He stumbled to her, Jareth at his heels.
Kneeling beside her, he cradled her upper body and patted her cheek. "Ariana?"
She brushed his hand away, her eyes still closed.
"Ariana, are you all right?"
She slowly opened her eyes, a confused expression on her face. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. "Where am I?" She looked over at Jareth, then back at Michael.
Jareth laughed. "Are you playing with us or do you really not know where you are?"
She frowned at him, pushing herself up from the ground and out of Michael's arms. "Oh, because looking helpless would really benefit me? What's going on?" Michael looked over at Jareth, willing him to keep his tongue stilled. "Always the discerning one. Forget it, I'll figure it out for myself." She started to turn around and lost her balance.
Jareth caught her. "You're in the old world. I was setting out to look for you when I ran into Michael and asked him to accompany me. I figured you might be here."
Ariana turned to Michael. "Your friend's loyalty is endearing. Though somehow I find fault in his story." She rubbed her eyes. "How did I get here?"
Michael had no intention of telling her what they'd just witnessed until he'd had a chance to discuss it with Jenner first. "That I truly can't answer. You appeared to be awake when we found you, but I suppose you were sleepwalking."
Koen trotted over to Ariana, making a low whining noise.
"How glad I am to see you! You abducted me didn't you? That's it, you wish to steal me away and keep me all for yourself. If you needed more attention, all you had to do was ask."
Jareth laughed as she spoke. Michael wanted to feel endeared by her innocence and playful nature, but he was too stunned.
"I used to sleepwalk all the time in Palingard, but Bella always heard me," Ariana admitted. "Though I don't recall lying down to rest today."
Jareth put his arm around her shoulders and leaned into her. Michael couldn't hear what he said to her, but whatever it was it made her smile.
Ariana held up her lantern, illuminating the area around them. "Considering the length of time I've begged and pleaded with Jareth to show me this place, I suppose it would do for one of you to at least show me a little of it, seeing as we are already here?"
Jareth shot Michael a sideways grin. "Told you I didn't encourage her."
Michael took the lantern from her. "Well, some of the old world we won't be able to access from here. What we can reach is unremarkable. There isn't much left that isn't dust and rot. Perhaps we can still see some of the architecture."
He wiped dirt away from the carvings on the walls. The old world had fallen into even more disarray since he was young and it was in bad shape then.
"How could Adoria let something this incredible fall apart? I've seen how everything else is kept up, why let this place turn to rubble?"
"I couldn't agree with you more. Perhaps, considering the separation, our people will have more time on their hands for renovation. This is partially why Bronach has been brought here from Artesh." Michael placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping that this would make her smile, but it didn't.
"Bronach's said as much. But why bother? Why not let this barren, desolate place symbolize what's left of Middengard – considering the separation?"
"Michael, come look at this!" Jareth was several feet from them, peering down into a stack of what looked like rocks.
He pulled away from Ariana to walk closer. "What am I missing?" Michael asked, leaning in to line his vision up with Jareth's. He couldn't have cared less about whatever it was Jareth was trying to show him, but he couldn't take any more of Ariana's sarcasm. He agreed with her and it was only a matter of time before he'd slip and tell her.
"Appears to be pieces of old pottery."
Michael looked closer and saw that mixed in among the rocks were pieces of shattered plates and goblets, some of them almost whole. He turned around to call for Ariana and realized that she wasn't there anymore.
"Ariana!"
Jareth jumped to his feet, echoing Michael's call. "Ariana!"
Suddenly, it dawned on Michael what part of the cavern they had wandered into. Further down the narrow opening to their right was one of the few borders to Middengard that could be reached from underground. He looked at Jareth, who seemed to have come to the same conclusion.
Taking the lantern with them, they walked a short distance to the opening and came out onto the other side. There, she knelt in silence, looking out across the field.
There were thousands of corpses. It appeared they'd been there for at least several days, which added to the stench of the decay.
Michael clenched his fists at his sides as he sat down beside her.
Jareth walked over to the rocks and threw up. Michael was too angry to be overwhelmed by the smell and it appeared that Ariana was in shock. He touched her on the shoulder. "You don't need to see this."
She surprised him by putting her hand over his. "Do you see where Koen is?" He was pacing around and around a particular body, whining.
Michael nodded. All his senses told him to get Ariana away from there as fast as possible, that they weren't safe perched on the rocks. But he couldn't move his feet. He supposed he was shocked as well. This wasn't the only border the Ereubinians knew of. He wondered how many others had been slain and left to rot.
"I recognize the blue from her dress." Her voice was hollow.
"Is it your friend Sara?" He didn't want to hear her answer.
"No. Bella." Ariana turned hard, tearless eyes to him. "Why would Garren have done this?"
"He needs no reason for his depravity. I've told you this."
"It seems to me that with every human being at their mercy, they wouldn't be so wasteful. She was alive, Michael. She was still breathing before now. Servant of the Laionai or not, she was still alive! Something provoked this."
As much as he wanted to be self-righteous, and as badly as her comments stung, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd made an error in judgment. He had certainly felt convinced that killing Jules and his men was warranted, but had it really only been out of vengeance? Could he have let them go, resulting in the same message being sent? He looked out across the landscape, laden with death and the casualties of hate.
Jareth coughed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he came up beside them. "Garren killed Caedmon's cousin and two other Adorians, slayed them brutally and without reason. We were ambushed by his men last week and had our own not been as loyal as they are, we wouldn't be here. We left only one of them alive."
Ariana looked at Michael again. He was silent, his body aching from both anger and regret. She leaned in to whisper to him, "You want me to be candid with you, and yet you disclose to me nothing of importance."
He placed one hand on her cheek. "I am guarded in what I tell you because I care for you. Nothing else matters to me but your safety and that of Adoria."
"And had you not returned home last week? What then? Don't you think I'd mourn your loss? Or worse yet, go on thinking you were alive – searching for you until I was sure that you were either dead or unconcerned with me?"
"You thought Father left and didn't return because he didn't love you?" He reached to pull her close but she rose to her feet. "Ariana, that's not true."
Koen had returned, no doubt at the sound of Ariana's distress, and rubbed his nose against Michael's arm, whimpering.
"Duncan has already told you that Father spoke of you nonstop when he was away from you. I certainly hope you don't question that you are loved by me and by all of Adoria. Don't misunderstand my caution as anything more than what any brother would do. Genny had to bear the same from Jareth. If she were still here, I would keep her at the same distance from things of this nature. It isn't personal." He lied. That wasn't quite true. He'd had less to worry about with Genny. Ariana's little display back in the caverns alone would be enough to elicit several discussions with Jenner concerning her heightened protection.
She shook her head, her expression losing its momentary warmth. "And what a wonderful, close, relationship that must have been. How blessed she must have felt to traipse along in your shadow, doing as she was told and never thinking a single thought for herself." Her voice cracked. "There are women on the council of elders, in case you haven't noticed. Some of us are here as more than ornaments in your perfect world!"
Ariana couldn't have been more wrong in her assumptions about how Michael viewed women, how he'd viewed Genny. Truth was that Genny had a weak heart – both literally and figuratively. He'd learned to be careful with her because by the time he'd married her, he'd had no choice in the matter. And in the end, it still didn't do her any good.
Jareth coughed again and clamped his hand over his mouth and nose, making his words difficult to understand. "That's unfair, Ariana. You didn't know my sister and you don't know what kind of relationship she and Michael had."
Michael waved Jareth quiet. Now was not the time for an argument.
Ariana turned toward the caves. "Will you still do nothing to help Sara?"
Michael sighed. It just wasn't plausible. She was likely dead, or from Ariana's description, she might have been chosen as a breeder. If the latter was the case, they would never be able to get anywhere near her.
"If it were within my power to allow it or to rescue her myself, I would. I swear it to you, but I can't. There are greater things at play here that overrule any one human being, no matter her place in your heart."
Ariana nodded only once and he thought he heard her whisper, "OK," as she passed back through the divide, leaving Michael alone on the rocks with Jareth.
It almost bothered him more that she didn't cry. Seeing her caretaker should have elicited more of a reaction than a temper tantrum. He feared that she'd experienced one too many losses. Perhaps not having Sara's death confirmed would work in his favor until he'd had time to decipher everything that was still unknown about her abilities.