Enaya: Solace of Time Read Free Page A

for several years now ever since his mother and brother died. Nile had no idea where his father was, perhaps still fighting the Great Pursuit. The Great Pursuit was a constant conflict with the Lucian Empire.
    Nile assumed his father had died, since the rest of the knights had found their way back to the kingdom of Woodlands. Nile tried not to think about his father. It would keep him awake more often than not.
    “Nile,” said a familiar voice.
    Nile turned to see Leo stumble through the swarm of children. Nile rolled his eyes, realizing that he wanted to be alone today.
    Leo came to Nile in wide steps. “And you thought you were going to get away.”
    “I almost did,” Nile said, forcing a friendly smile.
    “But you couldn’t get rid of me, no siree,” Leo said. “Where are you heading?”
    Nile shrugged, looked toward the forest surrounding the kingdom, and walk onward. Leo followed him, unaware that Nile was bound to get him in trouble. As they passed through the kingdom, they were greeted by everyone, from the blacksmith to the baker and from the merchant to the gardener. Nile attempted to keep the conversations short, not wanting to engage in a lengthy conversation over the wedding, but as fate would have it, he found himself just on the edge of the alley, ready to make that first step into the unknown when Mrs. Spoonfell stopped him.
    She was a short, round lady with dry gray hair. She had the heart of a court jester, friendly and smiling. Nile always enjoyed Mrs. Spoonfell, but he had no interest of talking with her today. He tried to push his way through, but she asked the one question he didn’t want to answer.
    “How do you feel about the new prince?” Mrs. Spoonfell’s cheeks were as red as the rising sun.
    Nile swallowed. “She will be happy.”
    “Oh,” she said, “how beautiful she looked yesterday.”
    Nile smirked and glanced at Leo, who was standing behind her. He was mocking her with wide mouth gestures. Nile tried not to laugh, but Leo was always finding himself in comedic situations.
    “She looked beautiful,” Nile commented. He turned toward the forest.
    “Have a nice day,” Leo called over his shoulder.
    Nile left Woodlands and made his way into the forest. He stopped. He stretched his neck back, staring at the sky. The canopy of trees shaded his face. He held out his arms and closed his eyes. Several leaves fell around him.
    “I come out here and forget about back there,” Nile said.
    “I remember,” Leo commented.
    “This is where she brought me,” Nile said, staring at the sky.
    “Dywnwen?” Leo asked.
    “No, my mother, when she was alive.”
    Leo said nothing. It was a bad omen to speak about Nile’s mother and brother. It was bad to mention anything relating to that day .
    Something moved in the woods. A deer. Nile glanced upward and it leaped through the forest.
    He turned around and saw it run through the forest—its home. It was nice to have a home to run wild through. Nile felt that. He could feel the happiness resonant in him when he thought about his idea of home. Nile glanced to Leo and waved his hands for him to follow him.
    They walked for several minutes, passing large towering trees. The leaves had begun to change color on some of them. Nile loved that. He came to an opening beyond the trees, almost circular in shape. In the middle were the remains of what appeared to be an angel statue. The head was severed and the wings detached, lying around the base of the legs.
    “Here?” Leo asked. “You wanted to come here?”
    Nile nodded.
    “Why here?”
    Nile gasped, finding it hard to speak. He wanted to tell Leo all his memories of this fond place, but he couldn’t. Not all the strength in the world would allow Nile to discuss what had happened here.
    All he could say was, “My mother and brother came out here often.”
    “You never brought me out here,” Leo said.
    “I never had a reason to.”
    Nile sat down against the standing remains of the statue