Free The Whispering by L. Filloon Page A

out to him.
    “ What is it, cousin?” I ask. He remains quiet and I know it is difficult for him to share his feelings, an emotional scar from his childhood. 
    “ Dorlan.  He’s here and he’s with Harlu.”
    Damn.  Dorlan, Alorn’s older brother.  Two daughters came after Dorlan, Alorn following his sisters’ births.  Although he is the youngest, as far as my aunt and uncle are concerned, Alorn is their only son.  Dorlan was dead to them the day he chose to live among the dark elves, forsaking his family and his heritage. 
    I stay silent as my thoughts flash images of my older cousin.  Dorlan was everything we looked up to and wanted to be. 
    “ We will avenge your sisters, Alorn.  When this is done we will have him, I swear it.”
    Alorn remains quiet, but I now understand his earlier mood.  Dorlan is the only one I know of who can shake Alorn’s emotions from him.  It has always been so since the day Alorn was sent home, beaten and near death, by his own brother’s hand. 
    “ By the way,” I add, “your mother wants to see you when we return to the tower.”
    “ Ah, damn,” is his grumbled response. 
    Being her only child left, my aunt dotes on Alorn.  The dreaded moments of hugs, kisses and anxiety worth a hundred panic attacks my cousin suffers through each time he meets his mother.  I smile at his response.  He will have something to worry about other than Dorlan, at least for now.
    The park starts thinning out, but there are still a few families enjoying a late afternoon outing , despite the heat.  We wait patiently and at some point Mellis connect with us to let us know they are here and several yards from the open area.  I quickly check in with Lily but keep it short, my focus and attention on the playground.  So far we haven’t had any sighting of Mirnuk, not that we could miss him if he did appear.   
    On the island, there are three different families still using the playground with their kids; a young couple and their toddler daughter, a couple with two children and a father with two boys around the ages of six and seven.  It is the single father with the two sons who hold my attention.  The boys are playing quietly together while the father stands watching close by.  Something about the older boy holds my attention.  I stare back at the father and notice his eyes are on the younger child, his posture one ready to snatch up his son at the slightest hint of danger.  I was mistaken, the boys aren’t brothers.  There is something about the older boy the father senses is not quite right but can’t put his finger on it.
    “ Tharin,” warns Alorn.
    “ I know,” I answer.  I reach out to Tolan, “The dark haired boy on the playground.”
    Tolan is quiet for a moment and then confirms, “Mirnuk.”
    No one says a word as we each calculate the scene from our own perspective.  Tolan breaks into our thoughts .  “What the hell is going on?  How’s a troll able to assume a human child’s body?”
    “ Ka’sith,” answers Alorn.
    “ What’s our next move?” asks Tolan.
    Damn.  This changes everything.  “We have to assume Ka’sith expects us to come after Ziri,” I answer .  “If that’s the case, she’s put the troll in the middle of innocents to delay us.  We have no choice but to wait for the park to empty out.  It will be a few hours before it gets dark.  The days are long here.”
    “ Tharin,” calls Alorn, alarmed.
    “ What?” I answer, distracted, my mind spinning out a plan of attack.
    “ It’s Lily,” he answers.
    “ What about her?” He has my full attention now.
    “ She’s here, and she’s coming my way.”
    I turn to scan the park until I find Lily.  She is walking toward the playground island as if in a trance.  I turn to see the dark haired boy stop what he is doing, and turn slowly toward Lily.
    “ Mellis, what the hell?” I reach out to my cousin.  No answer.  “Mellis?”
    “ Tharin,” he sluggishly replies a