Free The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold by Jeffrey Quyle

friends again,” Bethany said with genuine pleasure. The prospect of re-gaining friendships and companions and life on the Hill is had motivated her to leave the ghosts of her Goldenfields relationship with Alec behind. “You’re the very first person to come to visit.”
    “ Plenty more will come when they realize you’re back,” Tritos gallantly said. He held out his hand to shake, but Bethany hugged him instead. “Since the Hill isn’t used to having so many people so suddenly, I thought you might like to go to dinner in town tonight?” he asked shyly.
    And then there were the surprises that should have been surprises, but weren’t. “Aristotle asked if you would visit him,” came another summons after Tritos had left and Bethany had returned to Allisma to chat about her pending dinner. With curiosity and apprehension, Bethany excused herself and walked over to the house where the head of the Ingenairii sat in his office.
    “ Bethany, child, thank you for coming,” Aristotle invited her in and motioned her into a comfortable chair. He looked at her intently for a few seconds, making her nervous. “You probably haven’t had much time for news since you arrived back here, have you?” he asked. She shook her head. “Well, I’ve just received a note a few days ago by way of Alec’s former cleaning lady, and then another note arrived today from Alec himself.
    “ He is alive,” Aristotle stated. “He’s off on his quest, and when he’ll be back, I cannot tell you. Did you have any idea, or had you received any word from him?” She shook her head again, numbly. She was not surprised to learn that Alec was still alive; she had not been convinced that he had died in the strange explosion he had created, but of course had no grounds for her uncertainty. Nothing Ari could have said about Alec would have surprised her now, after his disappearances, resurrections, long silences and inability to speak of love. Nor was she surprised that he was again writing letters, but none to her. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, sure that Aristotle could hear it in the silence of the room.
    “ Is that all, Ari?” she asked. Bethany didn’t want to reveal anything about how she felt towards Alec, confusing as those feeling were. Ari looked at her as if trying to decide what to say next.
    “ I’m not feeling well today. May I go back to rest now?” she asked, and stood.
    “ Yes, by all means child, make yourself comfortable. Come see me again when you feel better so we can talk some more, please,” Ari acquiesced, and watched with sadness as the girl walked out of his office. He had failed to handle Alec’s relationship with Noranda as well as possible, he knew now; he had not communicated to each what he knew about the other. He suspected that was best in the long run, but he hadn’t known it at the time. And now he was finding circumstances leading towards the same sad lack of facts and of feelings being exchanged between Alec and Bethany.
    Aristotle worried for Alec, and worried specifically about what would become of the boy in the future. His young heart still had not really learned what love was, and Ari believed that it was going to learn the sharper side of love before it fully appreciated the gentler side.
    In the meantime, he had to remain focused on the mundane and pragmatic issues. He had to continue his devotion to the re-organization of Ingenairii Hill, the maintenance of good relations with the Prelate and the church, and the provision of assistance and advice to Rander and the palace leadership. For the time being abou were no resources to offer to assist Goldenfields, while patrols were still needed to bring order to the streets of Oyster Bay, keeping the pretenders to the throne at bay.
    Bethany returned to her house, and found Allisma and the other girls waiting for her return. “What did Aristotle say?”
    “ He told me that Alec is alive, and out in the wilderness on a quest