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 JORAH
THE BRINNSWICK CHRONICLES IV
MICHELE NOTARO
 Copyright © 2021 by Michele Notaro
All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in
any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author
except in the case of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places or events are purely the
product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, actual events, establishments, businesses or locales is purely coincidental.

Edited by: TRIBE Editing

Proofreading by: AlternativEdits

The amazing book cover was done by:

Soxsational Cover Art

This is a gay romance that contains adult language, adult situations, and
sexually explicit material between two men. It is intended for ADULTS
ONLY.
 CONTENTS

Author’s Note

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue

Acknowledgments
About Michele Notaro
Also by Michele Notaro
Also by Bobbie Rayne
 AUTHOR’S NOTE

Fair Warning from the Author!

The very first scene in the prologue is a little gruesome and rather
horrible. If you’re unsure about reading it, you can skip it and pick
up the prologue after the scene break.
This book has some heavy themes—abuse, violence, torture (you
only see a little, most is alluded to), and some thoughts
romanticizing death, although it’s within the same tone as the rest of
the books in the Brinnswick/Ellwood world. If these things are
something you’re worried about reading, you might want to skip this
one. If you’re unsure, you’re welcome to email me or send me a
message on FB, and I’ll be happy to clarify and answer any
questions you may have.
Happy reading! I hope you enjoy Jorah and his viramore. <3
Love,
Michele
PROLOGUE
 JORAH

“G o! We have to go!” the man yelled, pushing his brother.

“Please, buddy, they’re coming. You need to speed up.”
“I’m trying,” the youngling said, tears in his voice.
“Shh, it’s going to be okay, Cato. Just stay quiet and go. Dive
under and swim as deep and as fast as you can.”
A sound caught their attention, and fear laced his heart. They
weren’t going to get away in time.
He sucked in a breath as a huge net was thrown, blocking their
path. He grabbed his little brother and turned to go back the way
they came, but the net was surrounding them. No, no, no. He turned
and tried a different direction, but stopped short when he saw the
net. Spinning in a circle, he saw they were completely surrounded.
Mother Sea, help us. He pulled his crying brother to his chest.
I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Cato. Tears filled his eyes as he muttered
prayers to no avail. They couldn’t escape. After all this time, they’d
been caught anyway.
The net began to move, enclosing them inside, and then it
started pulling them higher and higher in the water. Fear gripped
him, and he began to pant heavily. This was it; they’d finally been
captured.
“I’m scared,” Cato whispered as the net was pulled up so they
broke the surface of the water. It went up higher, hanging in the air.
The long arm holding the top of the net began moving to the side,
bringing them above the deck of a ship. A ship he recognized and
feared.
He scanned the net again, trying to find a way to escape, but
there was no way out. Not when he knew a regular blade would
never cut the spelled rope, not when they were already on their
enemy’s ship, not when the enemy was slowly surrounding them.
Rubbing Cato’s back, he whispered back, “It’s alright. The Mother
Sea will protect us.” And if She couldn’t, She would see them to the
Promised Waters.
Before he could reassure his kin again, a face appeared beside
the net, making him jerk backward only to hit the other side of the
net, unable to move very far. The face grinned manically and
cackled.
He only had one weapon left, so he opened his mouth, and a
sorrowful and beautiful Song fell from his lips as he stared at the evil
man outside the net. He pushed harder with his Voice, but the man
cackled, leaned in, and tapped his ear, saying, “Not gonna work on
us.”
He cut off his Song abruptly and stared in horror. Earplugs, but
they were spelled. He could feel their magic from here. If they
couldn’t hear him, there was nothing he could do, nothing to stop
the evil creatures in front of them. When he turned to his younger
brother, true fear gripped him so hard he could hardly breathe.
What would they do to the youngling? How could he save Cato?
The evil man stepped away for a moment, then came back with
that scary grin on his face, saying, “Just what the chef ordered.”
Quicker than he could’ve imagined, the evil man lifted a spear and
shoved it through the net.
He tried to pull Cato out of the way, he tried to jump in front of
him to block him, but the spear moved too quickly. His little brother,
the baby brother he’d been protecting for years, cried out in pain.
He screamed out, loud and filled with heartache, and the evil
man pulled the spear away.
He barely registered the evil being licking Cato’s blood off the
spear because his brother was bleeding heavily. There was blood
everywhere, more than he’d ever seen.
 He cried as he pressed his hands to the wound, but the blood
poured out around his fingers.
His little brother reached for him, weakly grabbing his wrist as he
whispered, “The Mother Sea will take me to the Promised Waters
now… I’ll finally… get to… rest.”
“No,” he yelled, tears in his eyes. “Please. You can’t leave me.
Please, Cato, please hold on.”
The net suddenly fell, and they hit the ground hard as he pulled
Cato into his lap. He screamed as Cato’s eyes took on a faraway
look.
They stilled.
Cato’s entire body stilled.
He screamed out in pain, long and drawn out, his heart aching as
it was ripped into pieces at his loss.
No sooner did he pull Cato’s body into a hug to Sing the Song of
the fallen did grimy hands wrap around his arms. Men dressed in
dark clothing with pale skin and anger in their eyes put their hands
on Cato’s body, and he screamed, and he Sang, but no one could
hear him.
He screamed and Sang louder and cried harder, but the monsters
around him only laughed before they ripped Cato away from him.
One of the monsters said, “We’ll be eating good tonight!” And the
others laughed and laughed.
He Sang again, thrashing against the hands holding him down,
but nothing worked. His Voice couldn’t stop these evil beings.
He watched, horrified, from ten feet away as the monsters began
cutting his brother’s body into pieces, as if he were nothing more
than a slab of meat to eat.
The bile came fast when one of them faced him, grinned, and
took a bite out of Cato’s detached arm. He threw up, and then he
threw up some more, and the monsters chortled at his pain.
“Looks like it’s our lucky day!” one monster laughed out as he
began dragging another net up. “We have another catch!”
He watched, and terror filled him when he saw his three little
sisters caught in another net.
“No,” he cried, tears streaming down. “No.”
 His sisters’ fearful eyes found his, and he wailed. He Sang
through his sorrow, and his sisters’ voices joined him.

M y eyes flew open , and I leaned over my bed a moment before my

stomach emptied itself of its contents. I puked until there was
nothing left in my stomach, and then I groaned in pain, disgust, and
heartache.
The vision of that poor boy being chopped up was fresh in my
mind, and I couldn’t seem to shake it off.
Visions came to me every now and then, and I always felt them
as if they were truly happening. I felt the emotions of the people in
my visions, so this time I’d felt the loss of the younger man as if he
were my own brother because I’d felt the older man’s grief. I could
still feel it.
The problem with my visions was that they were almost always
about someone I didn’t know. If I didn’t know who—or when or
where—something was going to happen, then what was the point?
Why did the magic inside my body think it needed to show me these
horrible events? These horrible nightmares that I lived as if I’d been
there, as if I was the one losing a brother and watching those
monsters degrade his body. I could feel that man’s pain as if it were
my own.
So it was no surprise that a sob tore from my lips.
My Bonded One, Kiwi, flew from her perch to stand beside me on
the bed, headbutting my arm. She was a giant eagle—as in the huge
ones that were bigger than Pegasi—but she was currently in her
regular-sized eagle form. She could shift into any size she wanted,
so when she was indoors, she usually remained small. I gave her a
few absent pets as my body shivered with leftover horror.
I wrapped my arms around my drawn-up knees, buried my face
against them, and sobbed. Kiwi pressed against my back to offer
comfort.
 A moment later, I heard Thayer’s voice in my head, asking, Are
you okay?
Yeah, I said, my voice sounding shaky, even through our
telepathic link. Just another nightmare. I called on my magic to
clean the puke off the floor and in my mouth, and tried to take a
deep breath, but the panic from my dream was still swirling around
in my chest.
Do you need us to come over? Basil asked, joining in on the
conversation.
No, I’ll be okay.
I could feel their disapproval through our link, so I added, I’m
going to take a walk. I need the fresh air, and before you ask, no, I
don’t need an escort.
Please let us know if you need us, Jor, Thayer said.
We’re right here if you do, Basil added.
Thanks.
With a sigh, I ran a hand through my hair, already feeling a little
better. Knowing my two brothers were always with me soothed some
of the hurt I felt in my chest. The three of us had taken on the
Power of Three a decade ago, and had since been linked
telepathically. The Power of Three was a crazy-strong magic that had
originated in Faela—the land of the fae—and the best way to
contain, control, and purify it was to divide it into thirds and have
three hosts with good or light souls take on the mantle. It hadn’t
started off well, to be honest, but we now knew how to control it,
and I appreciated the bond the three of us now shared. Although,
the Three magic was the cause of my nightmarish visions, so I
wasn’t feeling particularly grateful for it at the moment.
The two of them had both found their viramores—soulmates—
years ago, and I didn’t want to burden them with this nightmare. It
wasn’t as if we all didn’t have nightmares of our own from the
Berserker War and the many battles we’d since fought in.
But I was the one with the visions, so I could handle the extra
nightmares adding to my own.
After rubbing my hands over my face, I stood, threw on a
hoodie, and stuffed my feet in my boots. Kiwi jumped up onto my
shoulder and rubbed her little head against my cheek, and I
appreciated her comfort and support. Then I headed out the door
with only my cell phone in my pocket and a bird riding my shoulder.
I started heading for the big house where Seb, Ailin, and my
younger siblings lived, but when I realized it wasn’t even five in the
morning yet, I hesitated. I wanted to go in there and talk to Seb—
Ailin’s viramore. Since Ailin was my dad in all ways but blood, Seb
was my sort of step-father, and he gave the best hugs. If I was
honest with myself, I’d admit that was the only reason I wanted to
go in there, to receive a huge bear hug from Seb. But I didn’t want
to wake him—or the younger kids—up for it. I was too raw to deal
with anyone else’s emotions on top of mine, and if I woke people up,
I’d be surrounded by them and their feelings.
I couldn’t handle that right now. Not at all.
With a sigh, I changed course. There was one person I knew that
didn’t have a viramore to warm his bed and also wouldn’t mind
getting woken up in the middle of the night. He was kinda used to it
at this point since the nightmares had been happening to me all too
often.
When I reached my destination, I knocked on the door. It only
took a minute for it to swing open and reveal the sleepy-eyed,
green-haired fae that had become, not only a good friend, but also
family—coven.
“Hey, Talon,” I said, then held back a wince at how rough my
voice sounded.
Talon scanned my body for a moment before asking,
“Nightmare?”
I nodded, and he opened the door for me to come inside and
gave Kiwi a few scratches as I passed by.
As soon as he shut the door behind us, he asked, “Vision,
memory, or regular nightmare?”
“Vision. A bad one.” I turned to face him, and my chin quivered
as my eyes filled with the remembered sorrow of that poor man
losing his younger brother. “A real bad one,” I whispered.
“Oh, Jorah,” Talon breathed before stepping up to me. “Come
here, youngling. I’ve got you.” He wrapped his arms around me,
pulling me tight to his chest.
Kiwi flew to a perch Talon had put in his living room just for her,
letting Talon take over comforting me. She was sweet and continued
sending a sense of unconditional love through the bond we shared,
but she knew I needed Talon right now.
I leaned into the embrace, resting my head on Talon’s shoulder
as he began rubbing my back.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered again, tightening his hold.
I cried on his shoulder for a few moments and sank into him.
Maybe Seb wasn’t the only one that was great at hugs.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Someone was captured, their brother was killed, and their
sisters were captured along with him. They… they mutilated the
younger boy’s body, Tal. It was—” I cut myself off, snapping my
mouth shut and holding my breath before I barfed on Talon’s
shoulder. He’d be less likely to give me a hug next time if I did that.
Talon rubbed my back. “You’re okay, Jor. You’re safe.”
I nodded and sank further into his embrace before I tried again.
“They were disgusting, and I don’t even know what kind of creatures
they were. I couldn’t even tell where they were… I couldn’t tell at
all. They were in the middle of the ocean, Tal.”
“No landmarks you recognized?”
I shook my head, taking a shuddering breath and straightening.
“None. Just water. For all I know, they’re a three-hour ride from
here, or they’re on the other side of the planet off the shores of
Gauhala, or they could be in fucking Faela near the Sapphire Islet—
across the entire fucking fae world from where we live when we’re
there.”
“Shh, youngling. You’re okay.” Talon rubbed my upper arms, then
squeezed my biceps, keeping his hands there to comfort me and
hold me steady.
“Why would my magic show me this if I can’t do a damn thing
about it? I don’t know where it is or even when. Could be now, or a
hundred fucking years from now. Could’ve already happened. Could
be in our realm, or in another realm and across that world.”
“I don’t know why you get any of the visions you see.”
 I snorted. “Yeah, me either. I can never figure them out in time
to do anything about them.”
Talon lifted a shoulder. “Maybe the Fates think you need this
information. Maybe it isn’t that you need to do anything at all, but
that at some point, everything you’ve seen will come together, and
the information will help you later on.”
I huffed. “Yeah, maybe. Or maybe the Fates are a bunch of
bitches that think it’s funny to make me suffer.”
One corner of his lips lifted. “Or that.”
I snorted and pushed his chest a little. “You’re not supposed to
agree with me on that.”
He grinned. “Since the Fates made Nik and I wait hundreds of
years to find you Three and become your guardians, I think it’s only
fair that we get to call them bitches.”
I chuckled, and some of the grief in my chest lessened. Tal
always had a knack for helping me through the tumble of emotions
that came with visions, memories, and nightmares.
“You good?” he asked quietly after a minute. “Or do you want to
tell me more about it?” It was true that I hadn’t given him very
much to go on, but damn, did I want to think about it right now?
Taking a breath, I nodded. “Yeah, I’m as good as I’m gonna get.
I don’t think I want to talk about it right now, but maybe later.”
He offered a small, sad smile. “I’m here when you’re ready.”
“I know you are. Thanks, Tal.”
“Anytime. Do you want to come to bed? Do you think you can get
more sleep?”
“Will you stay with me?”
Talon nodded. “Of course. Come.” He led me upstairs to his
bedroom, both of us petting Kiwi on the way, and we climbed into
bed.
Basil had found me here once and had been so surprised he’d
started throwing accusations at Talon and me before I managed to
calm him down. Talon and I were friends—family—and absolutely
nothing more than that. In fact, thinking of him like that was
insanely gross. Not that he wasn’t good-looking or anything—he was
fae, so obviously he was beautiful with his dark brown skin, green
hair, and moss green eyes—but he was coven and more like an older
brother than anything else.
The two of us were close since he was a guardian of the Three,
along with his twin brother, Nikolai. But since Nik had found his
viramores—and so had the other two-thirds of the Three—Talon and
I were often left to our own devices. Because of that, we’d spent a
lot of time together, just the two of us over the years. I loved Talon,
but not like that because, yeah, gross.
Talon hugged me and pulled me closer as we lay together. He
kissed the top of my head, and I finally started to relax in his
embrace.
His fingers carded through my hair as he whispered, “I’ll keep the
nightmares at bay. Get some sleep, little youngling.”
With a sigh, I breathed out and closed my eyes.
When I was immediately accosted with the face of the man from
my vision, I bit back a whimper. The man was beautiful in a haunting
way, and the instinct to hold him and protect him was fierce.
But I didn’t know who he was or when that event would happen,
so there was nothing I could do about it. So I pushed those
thoughts away.
Even with Talon using his magic to soothe away my nightmares,
that man’s face never disappeared from my mind’s eye, and every
dream I had featured the beautiful creature I wished I could save
from that awful fate.
CHAPTER ONE
 JORAH

ONE YEAR LATER

T he screaming woke me, and I was panicked and confused for a

moment before I realized the screaming had come from me.
Before I could decipher what was happening, I bent over the
couch where I’d fallen asleep reading, and puked. Fuck.
My Bonded, Kiwi, flew over to perch on the end table while
chirping at me in concern.
Once I emptied my guts, I wiped my mouth and sat up,
immediately getting a lap full of bird. Kiwi chirped, questioningly, and
I shook my head, unable to form words at what was happening to
me. Hugging her to my chest, I ran into the bathroom, calling on a
spell to clean up the nastiness I’d left on the floor.
Panic, fear, and heartache were churning in my gut, but I pushed
it down enough to brush my teeth and splash some water on my
face while Kiwi stood on the counter, watching. I didn’t understand
where the feelings were coming from. I was in our home in Faela,
safe. I hadn’t had a nightmare or a vision. Thayer was down at the
cherry blossom fall with his viramore, Basil was outside with his
viramore, and everyone else was still upstairs. Everyone was safe.
Nothing was wrong.
No, something is very, very wrong.
A knock on the bathroom door made me jump, but a moment
later, my niece’s voice drifted through the door, asking, “Are you
okay, Uncle Jorah? I heard you yell.”
“I—” My voice cracked, and I had to clear my throat a few times
to find it again. “I’m okay. Must’ve been a bad dream.” Right? What
else could it have been?
“Do you need anything?” Rasha was almost fourteen and was
one of the sweetest people I’d ever known.
“I’m okay, sweetie. Thank you anyway.”
She hesitated before asking, “Do you want to go for a walk? Or
do you need to be left alone?”
Ignoring the tightness in my chest, I splashed a little water on
my face again before opening the door and offering her a small
smile as Kiwi jumped to my shoulder. “A walk sounds nice. Do you
want to go down to the beach?”
She nodded. “Sure. Let me grab my bathing suit and a towel.”
“Okay.”
As she walked away, I shook myself out, trying to force away the
strange panic that was still clawing at my chest. Instead of going
away, it almost seemed to take hold of my heart and squeeze.
Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths, soaking up the comfort
of my Bonded as she pecked away at my hair. It didn’t make the
sensation go away, but it also didn’t get any worse, so I’d call it a
win.
“Uncle Jor?”
My eyes snapped open to find Rasha standing there with her bag
in hand, staring at me and looking like she maybe had called my
name a few times already.
“Sorry.” I offered a weak smile. “Ready?”
She nodded and gave Kiwi a few scratches before we headed to
the front door. She asked, “You sure you’re okay?”
I rubbed her back as we went outside. “Yeah, I’m good.” My
brother, Basil, and Rasha’s dad, Hiro, were outside doing Mother
knew what, so I yelled over, “Rasha and I are going to the beach.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Jor,” Basil said with a smile while his
viramore gave me a nod before narrowing his eyes at his daughter.
Rasha rolled her eyes at her dad and hurried away from them.
 I asked Basil through our telepathic bond, Are Rasha and Hiro
fighting again?
Yes. Teenagers are mean sometimes.
My little Rasha is never mean!
I heard Basil snort in my mind. Tell that to Hiro. Pretty sure she
hurt his feelings last night.
Was he being an overprotective ass? I was probably the only
person that could get away with calling Hiro an ass to Basil and not
get chewed out. Maybe because Bas could tell I didn’t actually mean
it. As I followed my niece, I rubbed at my sore chest. The panic was
still resting there behind my heart. Not my panic, someone else’s.
But when I searched Basil and Thayer, neither of them were
panicking. So then what was I feeling? Whose emotions was I
feeling?
Basil’s hesitation was answer enough, but I still chuckled when
he said, Maybe a little.
Maybe if we get Niya to come with us next time, Rasha will have
more to do while we’re here and maybe be happier.
We’ll have to ask Dad if we can bring her, but that’s a good idea.
A moment passed before Bas asked, Are you okay? You sound off.
It wasn’t surprising that he’d picked up on it, considering he and
Thayer could feel my emotions the same way I could feel theirs, but
I had my end of our link locked down tight so my anxiety wouldn’t
bleed through. Plus, after checking that Thay was good, I didn’t
want another glimpse of what he was doing with Toby over in the
cherry blossom fall. So Bas must’ve heard it in my voice rather than
actually feeling it through our bond.
I’m alright. Had a bad dream.
Need to talk about it?
Nah, I’m good, big bro. I’ll let you know if that changes.
Alright. I’m here if you need me.
Yeah, yeah. Go have fun with your viramore.
I felt a small burst of happiness come from him before he locked
himself down as well, probably also trying to avoid feeling, hearing,
or accidentally getting a mental image from Thayer. So gross.
 That honestly had to be the worst part about being connected to
two of my brothers. I knew way, way, way too much about both of
their sex lives, and I really, truly wished I didn’t.
I shuddered at the thought as Rasha and I moved into the giant
butterfly field. The huge pink, three-feet wide butterflies were lazily
flying around, but a bunch flew over to us, eager for attention. They
were like huge puppies with wings, always seeking attention.
Rasha laughed as one landed on her head and another on her
outstretched arm. Their wings were hot pink with darker pink and
black patterns on them, and their huge, fuzzy bodies were dark pink.
She looked ridiculous prancing around the field covered in giant
butterflies, but even the sight of her acting like a kid for once wasn’t
enough to rid my chest of this pain.
The giant butterflies steered clear of me since I had an eagle—
one that could eat them in a single bite in her large form—on my
shoulder. But I petted my Bonded as I made my way across the
field, then leaned against a tree to watch Rasha.
She eventually made her way over with a huge smile on her face,
and the butterflies flew off her to join the rest of their group. After
sending her a smile I wasn’t quite feeling, I led the way to the pink-
sanded beach.
Everything was pink here, at least on this island since we lived on
the Pink Isle when we stayed in this realm. It had taken some
getting used to back when we’d first come here over a decade ago,
but now I thought it was beautiful with all its millions of shades of
pink, most of which couldn’t be found in the human realm. It was
almost jarring every time we went back to Brinnswick and were
surrounded by other colors again.
Rasha and I found a pink boulder to sit on, and I watched in
amusement as she laid her towel down, then glanced at me and
changed the angle of it more to the north than it had been. I sent
her a grateful smile before settling in beside her.
It was no secret that since I was a kid, I always liked to face the
north while we were in Faela. Something had always called to me in
that direction. We’d traveled to the Orange Province before, which
was directly north of the Pink Isle, but whatever it was that called to
me—to my magic—was farther north than the orange land.
Unfortunately, everything farther north than Orange Province was
entirely off-limits because it was an unknown land said to contain
dark magic. People that traveled that way never returned, and so my
brothers, along with our two guardians of the Three, had never
allowed me to travel there the way my body and heart ached to.
As a result, whenever I was in Faela, I tended to spend a lot of
time staring off in that direction.
It freaked everyone out.
I couldn’t really blame them.
It freaked me out sometimes, too.
What if there was a part of my Three magic that still held onto
the darkness that had consumed it for centuries before my brothers
and I took control of it? What if the darkness of the north was trying
to gain access to this powerful magic that brewed within me?
No, I couldn’t blame anyone for keeping me away from that
place.
And yet… I was still compelled to go.
In fact, the longer I sat on this rock, staring into the north, the
harder that something called to me, pulling me to come to it.
A long while later, the ache in my chest turned to an active pain,
and my breathing came fast and heavy.
A scream of torment filled my ears, but when I glanced around, I
didn’t see the source of the gut-wrenching scream. When I glanced
at Rasha, she had her eyes closed, sunbathing as if nothing was
wrong.
I heard the scream again, and I jumped to my feet, asking, “Do
you hear that?”
“What?”
The sound came again, and I spun around, thinking it was
behind me, but as soon as I faced that direction, it sounded like it
was coming from the north, so I turned back. “Do you hear it?”
Rasha spoke again, but I couldn’t hear her over the
heartbreaking scream in my ears. Wait, it wasn’t only a scream, was
it? It was a… song, maybe. One of fear and heartache. The sound
brought tears to my eyes, and my chest pierced as if my heart was
being broken.
Releasing a shaky breath, I closed my eyes and listened. The
screaming and singing was filled with pain, terror, and grief, and yet
it was one of the most beautiful sounds I’d ever heard. Hauntingly
beautiful.
The longer I listened, the more I realized I could no longer
ignore the call to the north. Something was wrong. Something was
seriously wrong, and if I didn’t do something about it, I was afraid
I’d lose the opportunity forever.
My eyes snapped open as a plan formed in my head. The pull to
the north was growing stronger by the minute, and it had already far
exceeded itself in strength on this visit than it ever had in the past.
Scanning the beach, I saw a fallen log near the water, and I
nodded to myself, heading in that direction. When I saw a big fallen
branch a little farther down the pink beach, I moved over, picked it
up, and dragged it over to the first log. Then I scanned the area for
more.
I began picking up any branch I could find and adding it to my
growing pile as my plan played over and over in my mind’s eye. My
heart was pounding faster than ever before because every once in a
while, I’d hear that pain-filled scream again. Every time, tears
sprung to my eyes, and I knew I had to find the poor creature that
was making those terrible sounds. They were in trouble, and I was
the only one that could help. I just knew it.
“I’m coming,” I murmured to myself, wishing the panic in my
chest would calm down now that I knew I was answering the call.
“I’m not going to let anyone stop me this time.” I grunted as I
dragged a huge log over to my pile. “No one can stop me, even if I
have to go by myself. Just hang in there, whoever you are.” I
dropped the log and scanned the beach again before heading
toward a pile of branches. “This would have to be a pretty elaborate
trap if it’s a trap considering I’ve been wanting to travel north for
over ten years. Has it been ten years? Yeah, it’s been eleven, I think.
At least eleven since I arrived in Faela for the first time.”
 The next scream that filled my ears had me drawing up short and
sucking a breath through my teeth. “Mother of All.” I rubbed my
chest, my heart aching. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, wishing the
creature could hear me.
I went back to my task and began laying out my plan aloud. My
brain was too preoccupied with the screams for me to think too
hard, so saying it out loud was helping.
I absently noted Rasha speaking to someone else, but I didn’t
pay them any attention.
“Whatcha doing, Jor?” Bas asked, his voice breaking through the
weird fog I was in.
Without looking up from my ministrations, I said, “Something’s
wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can feel it. I can…” I trailed off and finally turned my gaze to
my brother. “I can’t wait any longer.”
“Can’t wait for what?” Bas asked.
I flung my arm out, pointing toward the sea. “I have to go there.
I can’t wait anymore. Something’s wrong.” The screaming continued,
making it hard to concentrate on my brother, but I tried my best.
Bas stepped closer to me with his hands out like he was
approaching a wild animal, then gently grabbed my shoulders to get
me to focus on him. “Okay. Do you feel like your magic’s messed up
or—”
“No, Bas! I’ve always felt drawn to the north, you know that. But
something is fucking wrong.” I was almost vibrating with frustration
and impatience. He was wasting my time, and I needed to hurry. I
had to. I had to get to them, I had to save them, I had to stop
whatever was hurting them so badly they were screaming over and
over and over and over in anguish. I. Had. To. Help.
Bas paused. “You want to travel north?”
My eyes filled with unshed tears as I whispered, “I have to go. I.
Have. To. I can’t wait any longer. Something’s wrong, and if I don’t
leave now, it’ll be too late.”
“I don’t understand.”
 I wiped at my face. “I don’t either, but I have to follow my gut,
Bas. I have to.”
Bas nodded and calmly said, “Talk to me.”
I could trust my brother. I could tell Basil my plan. “I’m building a
boat, and I’m going whether you guys like it or not. I don’t care if I
have to go by myself, but I have to go. I need to.”
“Okay,” he said softly. “I’ll help you.”
A single tear finally slipped from my eye. “You will?”
“Yeah, Jor, I will.” Bas stepped closer and pulled me into a hug.
“Of course I will.”
“Thank you, Bas.” I squeezed him, then pushed away and wiped
off my face again before I started hauling a large tree trunk closer to
my pile.
Basil backed off to speak to Hiro, but I didn’t bother to listen.
The screaming was too loud, anyway. I needed a lot more wood,
and I knew I could only use fallen, already dead trunks and
branches. The queen of the Pink Isle would never allow me to cut
down any trees, and to be honest, I didn’t want to cut any down,
anyway.
A flash of green hair was my only warning before Talon was
gripping my shoulders and turning me to him. He scanned my face,
then pulled me in, cupping the back of my head with one hand, and
holding me tight to his chest as he whispered, “Tell me what
happened. What are you feeling?”
Sinking into his tight embrace, I whispered everything that had
happened today, and by the end of my speech, I was clinging to his
back, my fingernails digging into his flesh.
Talon rubbed my back, keeping his hold on me secure. “I’m not
sure what this is, Jor—”
“I’m going, Talon.” I tried to push away from him as I clenched
my jaw, but his arms were like steel around me. “I’ll go alone if I
have to.”
“You never have to go anywhere alone, Jorah,” he growled,
making me relax a little against him. “Let me finish. No
interruptions.” He waited for my nod before continuing. “I don’t
know what this could be that you’re hearing and feeling, but I sense
no dark magic around or within you, so I think this might be
something else. And I think we need to follow your instincts.”
“So you’ll help me?” My voice sounded small.
“Of course I will. And I bet we can ask your brother to help move
the rest of the dead trees over here.”
I blinked at that. I hadn’t even thought about asking my other
brother, Delaro, for help. He was one of Nikolai’s viramores—along
with Grayson—and his affinity was death, which meant he’d be able
to manipulate the dead branches and fallen trees rather easily.
“Where is he?”
“I’m right here, Jor,” Delaro said from my right, and Talon finally
released me, although the loss of his embrace made me shiver. Del
sent me a sad smile. “I’ll put everything I can find in your pile, but I
think everyone needs to back up so no one gets hit by a flying
branch or something.”
Everyone backed away except his viramores, who stood behind
him, each with a hand on his shoulder. The trio squatted down, and
Del put his hands in the sand, closing his eyes.
As if sensing my need for comfort, Talon scooted close, placing
his hand on my back between my shoulder blades, and I sent him a
grateful smile that he returned.
Delaro’s silvery magic surrounded him and his viramores as Del’s
lips moved. I couldn’t hear his words, but I was sure he was
speaking a spell to help him concentrate his magic, probably to be
sure he only called on branches and logs, and didn’t end up bringing
old bones, dead bugs, and whatnot from the ground. He may not
have been as powerful as Thayer, Basil, and me, but he was strong
in his own right, made even stronger with the strength of his
viramores at his back.
I watched in amazement as branches and fallen trunks began
slowly making their way toward my brother. Some of the lighter
branches were flying through the air, but the heavier things were
dragging or rolling on the ground.
My tiny, older brother was a complete badass.
I rubbed absently at my chest, the ache there still deep and
horrific, although it wasn’t as sharp, as if my body was adjusting to
the constant pain. And the screaming wasn’t as loud or constant
anymore. I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not because I
had a feeling the only reason the screaming would slow down was if
the person was running out of energy.
After about ten minutes of working the spell, Del cut his magic
off and collapsed back. Grayson—his half-werewolf, half-cyclops
mate—caught him, then pulled Nikolai—Talon’s twin brother, so a fae
—into his side. Nik was worn out as well, so he’d obviously been
aiding in the spell.
The pile of wood was huge, and some of my tension drained
away at seeing it. There might be enough to build my ship now. It
was a start, at least, and I was sure I could manipulate things with
my magic.
Pulling away from Talon, I moved to Del, squatted in front of
him, and gave him and Nik a small hug, whispering, “Thank you.”
They both waved me off, and Gray gave me a small smile and a
nod, so I left them to their mate. When I reached the pile of wood, I
tilted my head at it, unsure of how to start this project. I’d never
built a ship before, and had only ever seen them in real life from a
distance. I had a lot of research to do, I supposed, but the thought
of going inside to look things up made my chest ache more.
Talon came over and said, “I can help.”
“You know how to build a boat?”
“Not exactly, but I’ve at least been on a few in my years.”
Sometimes it was easy to forget that he and Nik were over four
hundred years old.
“Tell me what to do,” I said, giving Tal my complete trust.
He sent me a small smile before rubbing his hands together.
“Alright, shall we see what we have to work with and go from
there?”
“Sure.”
With a nod, he led the way, and I followed his lead, relieved that
my family members were helping me so readily. Over the years,
they’d shot me down every time I’d mentioned traveling north, so I’d
expected them to put up more of a fight, but they clearly could see
the urgency I felt. And they were trusting my instincts—something
my dad had always told us to do.
I just hoped I was doing the right thing and not leading them
into some kind of trap, leading them to their doom.

T he ship took two days to build , which was actually very fast for a
huge ship, but it was far too long for me, and my nerves were a
jittery mess. We’d all worked around the clock, expending our magic
to build the ship to fit our needs, and now, we were loading it with
supplies. Hopefully, we could embark soon and be on our way.
Basil had taken Rasha back to Brinnswick in the human realm
where our dads would watch over her while we were on our
adventure. But we were all going to be in constant contact with our
parents, Rasha, and our other siblings. Over the last few years, we’d
perfected communication between the two realms, and as long as
we had access to a mirror, we’d be able to talk to our family.
That was so much better than when we hadn’t had a way to
easily speak to anyone back home. When Basil, Thayer, and I had
been whisked away by Nikolai and Talon so we could purify and
control the Three magic, we’d had no contact with our family for
three years. It had been awful. My family hadn’t even known if we’d
survived or if they’d ever see us again. We’d known we’d see them
again, but it was still very difficult. I couldn’t imagine how hard it
had been for everyone back in Brinnswick. Delaro and Nikolai had
worked together to figure out communication so my family—
especially my dad—wouldn’t panic while we were here.
That was probably the only reason why Basil and Hiro were both
going—they’d be able to check in on Rasha anytime, and check in
with Ailin and Seb, also known as Dad and Papa, to ensure she was
safe.
I was just glad everyone was coming, although I really wished
they’d hurry their asses up so we could start the journey. It was
going to take us at least two weeks to get to that dark place up
north.
The pain in my chest hadn’t eased-up at all since I’d heard those
screams that no one else seemed to hear. In fact, there had been
times it’d gotten so bad that I’d had to curl up in the middle of the
ground with my hands over my head, praying for it to stop.
My heart was aching. I felt as if I carried a great loss, but I
logically knew the loss wasn’t mine. I was carrying someone else’s.
Why I was carrying it remained a mystery, although I had theories.
So did everyone else, but since I sneered anytime someone wanted
to talk about it, they’d all stopped trying. Thank the Mother.
I couldn’t handle any other emotional baggage at the moment.
The screaming person’s agony was already too much.
Thayer walked over with a small smile, saying, “We’re just about
loaded up. Are you ready?”
“I’ve been ready,” I growled up, then grimaced at Thay’s flinch.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” He waved me away. “I know you’re stressed.”
“Someone’s in serious trouble, and I need to find them. I need to
save them.” From the evil beings I saw whenever I shut my eyes.
Thayer smiled sadly. “We’ll help them, Jor.”
I took a shaky breath. “I sure hope so.” At this point, I was afraid
it’d be too late.
“We’re not going to be too late,” Thayer said, clenching his jaw.
I cringed because I hadn’t meant for that thought to trickle
through our bond, but damn, I was all out of sorts and unable to
keep a handle on our bond. Things kept slipping through because
my focus was elsewhere.
“We’ll get to them.” Thayer grabbed my shoulders and met my
eyes. “We’re going to save them, Jor. You’re going to be okay.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.”
Thayer tightened his hold on me. “I know, bro. I know.”
With a sigh, I stepped closer to him and gave him a quick hug
before releasing him and saying, “I’m going to wait on the ship.”
“Right. I’ll go get everyone now.”
“Thanks.”
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
En hora desdichada y triste
día
tan muerto fuí, que no
podrán las aves,
que en la mañana alegran
monte y prado,
ni el rutilante gesto de la
Aurora
de mi alma desterrar la
escura noche,
ni de mi pecho el lamentable
canto.

Mi voz no mudará su triste

canto,
ni para mí jamás será de
día;
antes me perderé en
perpetua noche,
aunque más canten las
parleras aves
y más madrugue la
purpúrea Aurora
para alumbrar y hacer
fecundo el prado.

¡Ay, enfadosa huerta! ¡Ay,

triste prado!
pues la que oir no puede
este mi canto,
y con rara beldad vence la
Aurora,
no alumbra con su gesto
vuestro día;
no me canséis ¡ay!
importunas aves,
 porque sin ella vuestra
Aurora es noche.

En la quieta y sossegada
noche,
cuando en poblado, monte,
valle y prado
reposan los mortales y las
aves,
esfuerzo más el congojoso
canto,
haciendo lloro igual la noche
y día,
en la tarde, en la siesta y en
la Aurora.

Sola una Aurora ha de vencer

mi noche,
y si algún día ilustrará este
prado,
darme ha contento el canto
de las aves.

Luego Ismenia, que por la

ventana estuvo escuchando,
conosció que el que cantaba era
su esposo Montano, y recibió
tanto gozo de oirle, como dolor en
sentir lo que cantaba. Porque
presumió que la pena de que en
su canción decía estar
atormentado era por otra y no por
ella. Pero luego quedó
desengañada, porque oyó que en
acabando de cantar Montano dió
un suspiro, y dijo: ¡Ay, fatigado
corazón, cuán mal te fué en dar
crédito á tu sospecha y cuán
justamente padesces los males
que tu misma liviandad te ha
procurado! ¡Ay, mi querida
Ismenia, cuánto mejor fuera para
mí que tu sobrado amor no te
forzara á buscarme por el mundo,
para que cuando yo, conoscido mi
error, á la aldea volviera, en ella
te hallara! ¡Ay, engañosa Sylveria,
cuán mala obra heciste al que de
su niñez te las hizo tan buenas!
Mas yo te agradesciera el
desengaño que después me diste
declarándome la verdad, si no
llegara tan tarde, que no
aprovecha sino para mayor pena.
Ismenia, oído esto, se tuvo por
bienaventurada, y recibió tanto
gozo que no se puede imaginar.
Las lágrimas le salieron por los
ojos de placer, y como aquélla
que vió cercana la fin de sus
fatigas, dijo: Ciertamente ha
llegado el tiempo de mi ventura,
verdaderamente esta casa es
hecha para remedio de penados.
Marcelio y Diana se holgaron en
extremo de la alegría de Ismenia,
y tuvieron esperanza de la suya.
Quería Ismenia en todo caso salir
de su aposento y bajar al jardín, y
al tiempo que Marcelio y Diana la
detenían, paresciéndoles que
debía esperar la voluntad de
Felicia, oyeron nuevos cantos en
la fuente, y conosció Diana que
eran de Syreno; Ismenia y todos
se sosegaron, por no estorbar á
Diana el oir la voz de su amado, y
sintieron que decía ansí:

SYRENO
Goce el amador contento
de verse favorescido;
yo con libre pensamiento
de ver ya puesto en olvido
todo el passado tormento.

Que tras mucho padescer,

los favores de mujer
tan tarde solemos vellos,
que el mayor de todos ellos
es no haberlos menester.

A Diana regraciad,
ojos, todo el bien que os
vino;
vida os dió su crueldad,
su desdén abrió el camino
para vuestra libertad.

Que si penando por ella

fuera tres veces más bella,
y en todo extremo me
amara,
tan contento no quedara
como estoy de no querella.

Vea yo, Diana, en tí

un dolor sin esperanza,
hiérate el Amor ansí,
 que yo en ti tenga venganza
de la que tomaste en mí.

Porque sería tan fiero

á tu dolor lastimero,
que si allí á mis pies tendida
me demandasses la vida,
te diría que no quiero.

Dios ordene que, pastora,

tú me busques, yo me
asconda
tú digas: «Mírame agora»,
y que yo entonces
responda:
«Zagala, vete en buena
hora».

Tú digas: «Yo estoy penando

y tú me vas desechando,
¿qué novedad es aquesta?»
y yo te dé por respuesta
irme y dejarte llorando.

Si lo dudas, yo te ofrezco
que esto y aún peor haré
que por ti ya no padezco,
porque tanto no te amé
cuanto agora te aborrezco.

Y es bien que te eche en

olvido
quien por ti tan loco ha sido,
que de haberte tanto
amado,
estuvo entonces penado
y agora queda corrido.
 Porque los casos de amores
tienen tan triste ventura,
que es mejor á los pastores
gozar libertad segura
que aguardar vanos favores.

¡Oh Diana, si me oyesses

para que claro entendiesses
lo que siente el alma mía!
que mejor te lo diría,
cuando presente
estuviesses.

Pero mejor será estarte

en lugar de mí apartado,
porque perderé gran parte
del placer de estar vengado
con el pesar de mirarte.

No te vea yo en mis días,

porque á las entrañas mías
les será dolor más fiero
verte cuando no te quiero
que cuando no me querías.

Acontecióle á Diana como á los

que acechan su mesmo mal, pues
de oir los reproches y
determinaciones de Syreno sintió
tanto dolor, que no me hallo
bastante para contarle, y tengo
por mejor dejarle al juicio de los
discretos. Basta saber que pensó
perder la vida y fué menester que
Ismenia y Marcelio la consolassen
y esforzassen con las razones
que á tan encarecida pena eran
suficientes; y una dellas fué
decirle que no era tan poca la
sabiduría de Felicia, en cuya casa
estaban, que á mayores males no
hubiesen dado remedio, según en
Ismenia desdeñada de Montano
poco antes se había mostrado.
Con lo cual Diana un tanto se
consoló. Estando en estas
pláticas, comenzando ya la
dorada Aurora á descubrirse,
entró por aquella cámara la
Nympha Arethea, y con gesto
muy apacible les dijo: Preciados
caballeros y hermosas pastoras,
tan buenos y venturosos días
tengáis como á vuestro
merescimiento son debidos. La
sabia Felicia me envía acá para
que sepa si os hallasteis esta
noche con más contento del
acostumbrado y para que vengáis
comigo al ameno jardín, donde
tiene que hablaros. Mas conviene
que tú, Marcelio, dejes el hábito
de pastor, y te vistas estas ropas
que aquí te traigo, á tu estado
pertenecientes. No esperó
Ismenia que Marcelio
respondiesse de placer de la
buena nueva, sino que dijo: Los
buenos y alegres días, venturosa
Nympha, que con tu vista nos
diste, Dios por nosotros te lo
pague, pues nosotros no
bastamos á satisfacer por tanta
deuda. El contento que de
nosotros quieres saber, con sólo
estar en esta casa sería muy
grande, cuanto más que habernos
sido esta mañana en ella tan
dichosos, que yo he cobrado vida
y Marcelio y Diana esperanza de
tenella. Mas porque á la voluntad
de tan sabia señora como Felicia
en todo se obedezca, vamos al
jardín donde dices, y ordene
Felicia de nosotros á su contento.
Tomó entonces Arethea de las
manos de otra Nimpha que con
ella venía las ropas que Marcelio
había de ponerse, y de su mano
le ayudó á vestirlas, y eran tan
ricas y tan guarnecidas de oro y
piedras preciosas, que tenían
infinito valor. Salieron de aquella
cuadra, y siguiendo todos á
Arethea, por una puerta del
palacio entraron al jardín. Estaba
este vergel por la una parte
cerrado con la corriente de un
caudaloso rio; tenía á la otra parte
los sumptuosos edificios de la
casa de Felicia, y las otras dos
partes unas paredes almenadas
cubiertas de jazmín, madreselva y
otras hierbas y flores agradables
á la vista. Pero de la amenidad
deste lugar se trató
abundantemente en el cuarto libro
de la primera parte. Pues como
entrassen en él, vieron que
Sylvano y Selvagia, apartados de
los otros pastores, estaban en un
pradecillo que junto á la puerta
estaba. Allí Arethea se despidió
de ellos, diciéndoles que
aguardassen allí á Felicia, porque
ella había de volver al palacio
para dalle razón de lo que por su
mandado había hecho. Sylvano y
Selvagia, que allí estaban,
conoscieron luego á Diana y se
maravillaron de vella. Conosció
también Selvagia á Ismenia, que
era de su mismo lugar, y ansí se
hicieron grandes fiestas y se
dieron muchos abrazos, alegres
de verse en tan venturoso lugar,
después de tan largo tiempo.
Selvagia entonces con faz
regocijada les dijo: Bien venida
sea la bella Diana, cuyo desamor
dió ocasión para que Sylvano
fuesse mío, y bien llegada la
hermosa Ismenia, que con su
engaño me causó tanta pena, que
por remedio della vine aquí,
donde la troqué con un feliz
estado. ¿Qué buena ventura aquí
os ha encaminado? La que
recebimos, dijo Diana, de tu vista,
y la que esperamos de la mano
de Felicia. ¡Oh, dichosa pastora,
cuán alegre estoy del contento
que ganaste! Hágate Dios de tan
próspera fortuna, que goces de él
por muchíssimos años. Marcelio
en estas razones no se travesó
porque á Sylvano y Selvagia no
conoscía. Pero en tanto que los
pastores estaban entendiendo en
sus pláticas y cortesías, estuvo
mirando un caballero y una dama
que, travados de las manos, con
mucho regocijo por un corredor
del jardín iban passeando.
Contentóse de la dama, y le dió el
espíritu que otras veces la había
visto. Pero por salir de duda,
llegándose á Sylvano le dijo:
Aunque sea descomedimiento
estorbar vuestra alegre
conversación, querría, pastor, que
me dijesses, quién son el
caballero y dama que por allí
passean. Aquellos son, dijo
Sylvano, Don Felix y Felixmena,
marido y mujer. A la hora
Marcelio, oído el nombre de
Felixmena, se alteró y dijo: Dime,
¿cúya hija es Felixmena? ¿y
dónde nasció? si acaso lo sabes,
porque de Don Felix no tengo
mucho cuidado. Muchas veces le
oí contar, respondió Sylvano, que
su tierra era Soldina, ciudad de la
provincia Vandalia, su padre
Andronio y su madre Delia. Mas
haced placer de decirme quién
sois y por qué causa me haceis
semejante pregunta. Mi nombre,
respondió Marcelio, y todo lo
demás lo sabrás después. Pero
por me hacer merced, que, pues
tienes conoscencia con esse Felix
y Felixmena, les digas que me
den licencia para hablarles,
porque quiero preguntarles una
cosa de que pueda resultar
mucho bien y alegría para todos.
Pláceme, dijo Sylvano, y luego
se fué para Don Felix y
Felixmena, y les dijo que aquél
caballero que allí estaba quería, si
no les era enojoso, tratar con
ellos ciertas cosas. No se
detuvieron un punto, sino que
vinieron donde Marcelio estaba.
Después de hechas las debidas
cortesías, dijo Marcelio,
hablando contra Felixmena:
Hermosa dama, á este pastor
pregunté si sabía tu tierra y tus
padres, y me dijo lo que acerca
dello por tu relación sabe; y
porque conozco un hombre que
es natural de la misma ciudad,
que, si no me engaño, es hijo de
un caballero cuyo nombre se
paresce al de tu padre, te suplico
me digas si tienes algún hermano
y cómo se nombra, porque quizás
es éste que yo conozco. A esto
Felixmena dió un suspiro y dijo:
¡Ay, preciado caballero, cómo me
tocó en el alma tu pregunta! Has
de saber que yo tuve un hermano,
que él y yo nascimos de un
mesmo parto. Siendo de edad de
doce años, le envió mi padre
Andronio á la corte del rey de
lusitanos, donde estuvo muchos
años. Esto es lo que yo sé dél, y
lo que una vez conté á Sylvano y
Selvagia, que son presentes en la
fuente de los alisos, después que
libré unas Nymphas y maté
ciertos salvajes en el prado de los
laureles. Después acá no he
sabido otra cosa dél sino que el
rey le envió por capitán en la
costa de Africa, y como yo tanto
tiempo ha que ando por el mundo,
siguiendo mis desventuras, no sé
si es muerto ni vivo. Marcelio
entonces no pudo detenerse más,
sino que dijo: Muerto he sido
hasta agora, hermana Felixmena,
por haber carescido de tu vista, y
vivo de hoy en adelante, pues he
sido venturoso de verte. Y
diciendo esto, estrecha y
amorosamente la abrazó.
Felixmena, reconosciendo el
gesto de Marcelio, vió que era
aquel mesmo que ella desde su
niñez tenía pintado en la
memoria, y cayó luego en la
cuenta que era su proprio
hermano. Fué grande el regocijo
que passó entre los hermanos y
cuñado, y grande el placer que
sintieron Sylvano y las pastoras
de verlos tan contentos. Allí se
dijeron amorosas palabras, allí se
derramaron tristes lágrimas, allí
se hicieron muchas preguntas, allí
se prometieron esperanzas, allí
se hicieron determinaciones, y se
hablaron y hicieron cosas de
mucho descanso. Gastaron en
esto larga una hora, y aun era
poco, según lo mucho que
después de tan larga ausencia
tenían que tratar. Mas para mejor
y con más sossiego entender en
ello, se assentaron en aquel
pradecillo, bajo de unos sauces,
cuyos entretejidos ramos hacían
estanza sombría y deleitosa,
defendiéndolos del radiante sol,
que ya con algún ardor assomaba
por el hemispherio.
En tanto que Marcelio, Don Felix,
Felixmena, Sylvano y las pastoras
entendían en lo que tengo dicho,
al otro cabo del jardín, junto á la
fuente estaban, como tengo
dicho, Eugerio, Polydoro, Alcida y
Clenarda. Alcida aquél día había
dejado las ropas de pastora por
mandato de Felicia, vistiéndose
adrezándose ricamente con los
vestidos y joyeles que para ello le
mandó dar. Pues como allí
estuviessen también Syreno,
Montano, Arsileo y Belisa
cantando y regocijándose,
holgaban mucho Eugerio y sus
hijos de escucharlos. Y lo que
más les contentó fué una canción
que Syreno y Arsileo cantaron el
uno contra y el otro en favor de
Cupido. Porque cantaron con más
voluntad, con esperanza de una
copa de cristal que Eugerio al que
mejor paresciese había
prometido. Y ansí Syreno al son
de su zampoña, y Arsileo de un
rabel, comenzaron deste modo:

SYRENO
Ojos, que estáis ya libres del
tormento,
con que mi estrella pudo
enbelesaros,
¡oh, alegre! ¡oh, sossegado
pensamiento!
¡oh, esquivo corazón!,
quiero avisaros,
que pues le dió á Diana
descontento
veros, pensar en vos y bien
amaros,
vuestro consejo tengo por
muy sano
de no mirar, pensar ni amar
en vano.

ARSILEO
Ojos, que mayor lumbre
habéis ganado
mirando el sol que alumbra
en vuestro día,
pensamiento en mil bienes
ocupado,
corazón, aposento de
alegría:
sino quisiera verme, ni
pensado
hubiera en me querer,
Belisa mía,
 tuviera por dichosa y alta
suerte
mirar, pensar y amar hasta
la muerte.

Ya quería Syreno replicar á la

respuesta de Arsileo, cuando
Eugerio le atajó y dijo: Pastores,
pues habéis de recebir el premio
de mi mano, razón será que el
cantar sea de la suerte que á mi
más me contenta. Canta tú
primero, Syreno, todos los versos
que tu Musa te dictare, y luego tú,
Arsileo, dirás otros tantos ó los
que te paresciere. Plácenos,
dijeron, y Syreno comenzó assí:

SYRENO
Alégrenos la hermosa
primavera,
vístase el campo de
olorosas flores,
y reverdezca el valle, el
bosque y el prado.
Las reses enriquezcan los
pastores,
el lobo hambriento
crudamente muera,
y medre y multiplíquese el
ganado.
El río apressurado
lleve abundancia siempre de
agua clara;
y tú, Fortuna avara,
 vuelve el rostro de crudo y
variable
muy firme y favorable;
y tú, que los espíritus
engañas,
maligno Amor, no aquejes
mis entrañas.

Deja vivir la pastoril llaneza

en la quietud de los
desiertos prados,
y en el placer de la silvestre
vida.
Descansen los pastores
descuidados,
y no pruebes tu furia y
fortaleza
en la alma simple, flaca y
desvalida.
Tu llama esté encendida
en las soberbias cortes, y
entre gentes
bravosas y valientes;
y para que gozando un
dulce olvido,
descanso muy cumplido
me den los valles, montes y
campañas,
maligno Amor, no aquejes
mis entrañas.

¿En que ley hallas tú que esté

sujeto
á tu cadena un libre
entendimiento
y á tu crueldad una alma
descansada?
¿En quien más huye tu áspero
tormento,
haces, inicuo Amor, más
crudo efecto?
¡oh, sinrazón jamás
acostumbrada!
¡Oh, crüeldad sobrada!
¿No bastaría, Amor, ser
poderoso,
sin ser tan riguroso?
¿no basta ser señor, sino
tirano?
¡Oh, niño ciego y vano!
¿por qué bravo te muestras
y te ensañas,
con quien te da su vida y
sus entrañas.

Recibe engaño y torpemente

yerra
quien Dios te nombra,
siendo cruda llama,
ardiente, embravescida y
furiosa.
Y tengo por más simple el que
te llama
hijo de aquella Venus, que
en la tierra
fue blanda, regalada y
amorosa.
Y á ser probada cosa
que ella pariesse un hijo tan
malino,
yo digo y determino
que en la ocasión y causa
de los males
entrambos sois iguales:
 ella, pues te parió con tales
mañas,
y tú, pues tanto aquejas las
entrañas.

Las mansas ovejuelas van

huyendo
los carniceros lobos, que
pretenden
sus carnes engordar con
pasto ajeno.
Las benignas palomas se
defienden
y se recogen todas en
oyendo
el bravo son del espantoso
trueno.
El bosque y prado ameno,
si el cielo el agua clara no le
envía,
la pide á gran porfía,
y á su contrario cada cual
resiste;
sólo el amante triste
sufre su furia y ásperas
hazañas,
y deja que deshagas sus
entrañas.

Una passión que no puede

encubrirse,
ni puede con palabras
declararse,
y un alma entre temor y
amor metida.
Un siempre lamentar sin
consolarse,
 un siempre arder, y nunca
consumirse,
y estar muriendo, y no
acabar la vida.
Una passión crescida,
que passa el que bien ama
estando ausente,
y aquel dolor ardiente,
que dan los tristes celos y
temores,
estos son los favores,
Amor, con que las vidas
acompañas,
perdiendo y consumiendo
las entrañas.

Arsileo, acabada la canción de

Syreno, comenzó á tañer su
rabel, y después de haber tañido
un rato, respondiendo
particularmente á cada estanza
de su competidor, cantó desta
suerte:

ARSILEO
Mil meses dure el tiempo que
colora,
matiza y pinta el seco y
triste mundo,
renazcan hierbas, hojas,
frutas, flores.
El suelo estéril hágase
fecundo.
Ecco, que en las espessas
sylvas mora,
 responda á mil cantares de
pastores.
Revivan los amores,
que el enojoso hibierno ha
sepultado;
y porque en tal estado
mi alma tenga toda
cumplimiento
de gozo y de contento,
pues las fatigas ásperas
engañas,
benigno Amor, no dejes mis
entrañas.

No presumáis, pastores, de
gozaros
con cantos, flores, ríos,
primaveras,
si no está el pecho blando y
amoroso.
¿A quién cantáis canciones
placenteras?
¿á qué sirve de flores
coronaros?
¿cómo os agrada el río
caudaloso
ni el tiempo deleitoso?
Yo á mi pastora canto mis
amores,
y le presento flores,
y assentando par della en la
ribera
gozo la primavera,
y pues son tus dulzuras tan
extrañas,
benigno Amor, no dejes mis
entrañas.