The Maiden of Anniera (Part 2)

The wind howled outside Ari's bedroom window as she tossed and turned in her bed. Finally, after several hours of restlessness and not being able to sleep, Ari got up and walked to her window. She shoved the curtains to one side and gazed down on the Shining Isle. The cottages sprawled out all over the Isle and little pinpricks of light shone from them.

Suddenly, Ari felt the urge to go up onto the tower. She tiptoed out of her bedroom, down the hall, past her siblings' and cousins' rooms, up the stairs, past the guards, and then she was finally on top of the tower. Ari just stood there for a moment, catching her breath, and then she looked up.

Thousands of tiny stars were scattered throughout the night sky, and Ari felt as if she could reach up and pluck one of them as if they were a totato. Then she looked down on the Isle. Ari's breath caught in her throat. Everything appeared tiny from up here. And everything looked beautiful. From the slow river Rysen, to the resting ocean, and the tiny villages resting on the Isle as a sleeping child rests on his mother, Ari realized that the Isle was a wondrous and beautiful place that she would die for. As Ari gazed down on Anniera, she started to hear the murmur of voices coming from below her.

Ari slipped back down the stairs, and as she did the voices grew louder. She rounded a bend in the hallway and then she saw the room where the voices were coming from. The door leading to the room was slightly ajar and light spilled out into the hallway. Ari tiptoed up to the open door and peeked her head around it. Inside the room, she saw her mother and her father, her uncle Janner and aunt Sara, and her uncle Kalmar all sitting around a table. Ari thought Uncle Kalmar looked tired and worried, probably from the stress of being king and his wife, Gayla, who could give birth at any time now.

Then Janner spoke,"Kal, you have to. it's the only way."

"I know," Kalmar said. "I just dread doing it. I hate having to tell them to leave. . .to go into hiding . . ." He trailed off, his head in his hands.

Who has to leave? Who has to go into hiding? Ari wondered.

Janner was silent for a moment and then spoke,"Leeli, will you be able to talk to the dragons?"

The dragons? Ari's mind reeled. She couldn't make any sense of it.

Leeli nodded mutely and her eyes were sad and disturbed."I can talk to Hulwen tomorrow morning at the dock. I'll tell her about . . . ." Her voice trailed off and they were all silent.

Hulwen? Ruby? What was going on? What was going to happen to her friend?

Her mind spun in circles. It was her father's voice who interrupted her thoughts.

"Lugaron."

Then it all made sense to her. Lugaron the Symian Pirate was trying to kill the dragons.