The Path to Destiny: Tia's Folly

Copyright © 2012 Elly Mae Helcl

All rights reserved.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This
book is dedicated to my ornery husband – who somehow tolerates my ever moody
self – and has supported me throughout the years.

And
to my friend Roxanne Packard-Baush, who growls at me for my poor grammar but
eventually does help me fix all of the little (and big) mistakes

Prologue

“We
are doomed.” The Drow stared helplessly at the scarred battle field. The scene
was all too familiar to the seasoned soldier…nothing but hills of death lay
spread before him. In moments like this…surrender seemed like the only option.

“Surely
the Druids will help us now!” His Gnome companion sighed, wistfully clinging to
their last hope.

“Ark,
according to the Dragons, the Gods have forbidden them from interfering,” the
Drow reminded his friend. “If their Dragon guides can’t convince them to help,
nothing will
.”

Pausing
to survey the damage once again, the pair watched as one of their fellow
soldiers limped towards them.

“I
held the hand of the last Wood Nymph as she died,” the Satyr cried haggardly as
he climbed to the top of the rise holding his wounded side. “What is a Satyr
without a Nymph to chase?”

Listening
to the broken sobbing of the Satyr, they knew there was nothing they could say
to comfort him. A Satyr without a Nymph was like the sun without the moon or
the night sky without stars. It just didn’t happen; it should never have been
possible.

As
his tears slowly dried, the odd group watched as soldiers dragged the corpses
of their fallen comrades towards a mass grave. Normally they would have been
looking for any wounded who needed help before burying the dead, but this
wasn’t a normal battle. The Phoenix Warlord, Bylan, didn’t leave
survivors.
 
As they had sounded the horns
to retreat, Bylan’s soldiers took to the battle ground and killed all the
wounded left behind; including their own. The gruesome scene was familiar to
the weary men, but they never got used to the horror the Warlord left in his
wake.

“When
the Druids hear of this I know they will help,” Ark muttered to himself. “They
have to…don’t
they
?”

“Ha!”
the Satyr responded humorlessly. “They only hear the rumors that the Warlord
can’t be as evil as we claim. And you know what? He isn’t as evil as the rumors
claim…he’s worse.”

Lost
in thought, they each silently considered the implications of continuing the
war without the support of the Druids. Each man knew that without the Druids
they had no hope.

“Bylan
has gone too far and has upset the balance of nature.” The unmistakably calm
voice of a Falkerie woman stated from behind the group. “He has now eradicated
Wood Nymphs and we have sent the only living Water Sprites to take refuge on
Druid land. I begin to believe we should seriously consider giving into the
Warlords demands.”

“Surely not, Faye!”
Ark exclaimed in shock as he spun around to face the
Falkerie. “Surely the Druids can help us!”

“The
Druids will do as the Gods command them to do,” Faye replied with a tilt of her
head. “Whether that will help us, or not, has yet to be seen.”

Part I

Chapter One

“Tia!”
The Elder admonished, truly shocked by his young apprentice’s behavior. “You
must
take the task! It is your destiny,
and - as protectors of the land - it is our
job
to ensure we are unbiased and true to the Gods!”

           
“I am too young to take on my destiny!” She flared back
undaunted as she clenched her jaw angrily. “I am only twenty-five! It is
unheard of for destiny to be forced on a Druid before they are even bonded! Why
should I accept this now? I don’t have the experience
or
the knowledge yet!”

           
“That is
exactly
why the Gods have chosen you!” He explained as he threw his hands up in
exasperation. “You are perfect for this destiny because you are pure and
unsoiled. You are still young and idealistic with the ability to compromise.
Life hasn’t colored your eyes.”

           
“I don’t care!” She snapped, curling her hands into fists
and stamping her foot. She just knew the Gods would change their minds if they
realized she was too young. “I am bonding with Roland during the next full
moon! This can wait until after I am bonded!”

           
“Tia! We do not disobey the Gods!” Her Elder was visibly
shaking with emotion. “You will bring death and destruction - with your
willfulness - to our village!”

           
“Send an Elder! Someone with more experience! The last
thing this village needs is for
me
to
make a novice mistake and bring the anger of the Phoenix down on our heads!”

           
“The Gods chose you! We
have
to send you!”

           
“I won’t go!” Tia stood her ground, thrusting her chin
into the air.

           
Sighing, the Elder walked to his table and sat down
heavily in one of the two chairs adorning his hut. Looking around the meager
lodging, he wondered what it was going to take to make Tia see that she didn’t
have a choice. Being a Druid meant you listened to the Gods without question
and did their bidding without hesitation.

           
“Get us some tea,” he directed as he rubbed a weary hand
over his face. He knew that nothing less than directly asking the Gods for leniency
on her behalf would satisfy Tia.

           
Instantly contrite for upsetting her Elder, Tia prepared
the tea in silence. Keeping her head down, she wondered why she was born a
Druid. She didn’t look like a Druid; she didn’t act like a Druid, and she
certainly didn’t
think
like a Druid.
All of her life she had felt like an outsider. Her father had drowned trying to
save a child before she was born and her mother died in childbirth; she had
been raised by her Elder, Uren.

The
few minutes that the task took gave them time to gather their thoughts and for
Tia to calm down. She knew she was being stubborn and that she was taking her
frustration out on the wrong person, but it was hard to confront the Gods.
 
Tia knew Uren would assess the situation as
logically as possible while all she could do was fidget and pluck at her robe.

           
“Uren-“Tia began hesitantly as she set a cup of tea in
front of him. “Are you alright?”

           
“Fine-I’m fine,” he assured her.

           
Studying his calm countenance, Tia wished she could be
more like him; she wished she could feel like she belonged,
just once
. Meeting and holding her
Elder’s eyes, she silently begged him to consider the truthfulness of her
words. As the silenced stretched, she watched as Uren sighed and then closed
his eyes to commune with the Gods.

 
          
“Please,
be reasonable,” she begged the Gods helplessly. She knew they were listening;
they always listened to Druids. “I am being asked to do something that normally
only a High Priest or Priestess would be allowed to do.”

Tia
watched him apprehensively until the noiseless whisper of the Gods permeated
the dwelling and pushed the tension out of their bodies. Her stomach clenched
as she slowly sat down at the table and decided to accept whatever the Gods
decreed; she’d made her case, there was nothing more she could do now.

Frowning,
Tia wondered how she could be elevated to the status of Gatherer when she still
couldn’t hear the Gods clearly. Another one of her differences is that she
could only hear them whisper. Normally, Druid children developed that skill by
the time they hit puberty. Uren continually reassured her that she was just a
late bloomer. Tia couldn’t help but wonder
how
was she supposed to be guided on her path to destiny by the Gods if she
couldn’t understand them?

           
“You will go,” the Elder stated firmly, startling her out
of her thoughts and confirming her worst fears. Seeing her uncertainty, he gave
her the only good news he could. “But, I think the Gods have heard your
plea...they are sending Roland with you.”

           
Tia’s heart fell into her stomach at the announcement.
She realized this was probably the
only
concession she would get; the Gods had spoken. Taking a deep breath and feeling
her eyes mist over, Tia tucked her chin into her chest and tried not to cry as
the doubts came crashing down on her.
What
if she failed?

           
“I’m
so
scared,
Uren.” She sniffed softly trying to put on a brave front. Inside she was
desperately afraid that she would make a mistake and anger the Gods. “I don’t
want to go.”

           
“If the Gods hadn’t commanded it, I wouldn’t let you go,”
Uren admitted huskily as he reached over to pat her hand. He had twenty years
of work on the line here. If she did the wrong – or right, depending on how you
looked at it – thing here, he was responsible for it too; after all, she was
his
apprentice. “But we are Druids. We
are the people of the Gods. The
only
reason we exist is to do the Gods’ work here.”

           
“But this
doesn’t
make any
sense
!” Tia was trying to
understand the Gods’ decree. She knew she had to go, but she just couldn’t
comprehend
why
.

           
Uren pressed his lips together and studied her downcast
appearance. There was only so much he could say to answer her questions.
Wanting to give her a little comfort he shared a little piece of the puzzle she
would have to figure out on her own.

           
“You aren’t just the average Druid.” He began hesitantly
as he mentally sorted through the story and picked out tiny pieces to tell her.
“Your path is different. It is up to you to correct the mistakes that were made
before you were born. We had no idea your destiny would begin before you were
even ready, but now it is time for you to lean on everything you have been
taught, and go save the lands.”

           
“There’s no pressure at all,” she sarcastically remarked
even as she marveled at the weight of responsibility that had just settled on
her shoulders.

           
“What have you been taught about insurmountable odds?”

           
“When in doubt, follow the Gods. They will show the way;
no matter how unlikely their path seems, always follow where they lead.” Tia
automatically intoned.

“If
you are the Gods’ chosen child,
and
they are requesting you; how can you fail?” He tried to put a positive spin on
the situation for her, even though he himself felt anything but settled inside.