by Toni Cox
“How do you even know your premonition is about Somas? Until I told you, you were not even aware he was going.”
“I did not know it was about Somas until you told me. Now I am certain.”
Maia hated her premonitions; she could not control them. Sometimes, when something terrible was happening, she was completely unaware of it. At other times, she felt them so strongly that it made her sick. Again, she wondered if the Mother had chosen wisely when she selected her to be a Life Prime. She could not interpret her dreams, nor understand her premonitions, so what good were they?
Feeling terribly sad, she shook her head. “Just please let me know when he returns,” she said to and moved to leave.
Her father’s eyes followed her as she made her way through the door. She noticed Riker nod to her father and then the three of them were on their way back.
She was utterly exhausted by the time she climbed into bed. She missed Wolf, who was still with her brother. Rothea blew out the candle on her bedside table before climbing into the makeshift bed that had been erected in Maia’s room. Riker slept in the spare room. She stared at the dark ceiling for a long time before sleep eventually took her.
Finally, he had made a breakthrough; a lead he knew would yield results. He agonised about the note he had intercepted for days. It seemed that the mysterious stranger had sent not just one note, as the order to kill everyone had been executed nonetheless. He was furious when he heard about what happened to the people of Stoneloft and intensified his search for the one instigating these attacks. But his foe was cunning and his magic strong and, no matter how hard he tried, he could not get closer to the truth. What he needed was a softer target and it appeared he had found it; a group of Vampyres that had come close to Shadow Hall, stayed for a night and met up with another, before they had moved on towards Braérn. This group had met with the one he was hunting and there was a chance he could extract the information from them; he was good at hunting Vampyres and they were easier to persuade to give up their secrets than his unknown enemy.
He hated to leave Shadow Hall, and Maia, but could not delay. Maia was safe. Although he knew the precautions around her had been put in place because of him, he could not fault Lord Longshadow for his decisions. Things had been especially difficult for him since Jaik had led the hunting parties. Jaik’s ability to track and sense danger was impressive and his men followed him with confidence. Maia’s wolf also seemed to follow her brother almost anywhere and he was almost as difficult to hide from as Midnight. Maia would be safe while he was gone. He hoped.
Quickly he erased any signs of his presence from the site he had slept in last night and then followed the spoor east. This group was made up only of Vampyres, all Generals, but no Werewolves. There were five of them and they were extremely careful. Tracking them took skill and, if it had not been for the stench of death that followed these creatures everywhere they went, he might have lost them on numerous occasions.
But he was good at finding death, and dealing it, and they would not escape him for long.
Maia’s hair stirred in the downdraft from Midnight’s wings as he flew by overhead. She looked up through the trees and caught glimpses of him as he circled the city, casting deep shadows with his passage. The people were used to him by now; Midnight routinely patrolled the skies above the city. Maia missed flying with him, but her father had forbidden her to go into the forest or leave the city. She felt ready to rebel, but making the Silva took up so much of her time, she simply did not have the energy for it.
From Midnight, she learned that Blaid was not close to Shadow Hall anymore. At first, she was shocked to learn that Midnight had been aware of Blaid’s presence over the past few Quarters, and then she was upset with him for not telling her. Midnight had remained silent then and only when Maia apologised had Midnight been forthcoming. Blaid had left a few days ago, hunting. Midnight assumed it was Vampyres, but he had not wanted to leave the city to confirm this suspicion.
The fact that Blaid had been close all this time confused Maia. She understood why he had not been able to see her, but why had she not felt him? She had also not dreamed about him lately and, while they could be strange and confusing, she now realised she missed those dreams.
Thinking of Blaid did not make matters easier for her and she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she watched Midnight make another pass.
They were on their way to one of the storage caves to fetch yet another batch of ingredients for the Silva. They had one hundred and twenty vials already; each vial about the size of a small flagon of wine. Each one could sustain up to fifty Elves and give them the extra strength and energy they needed to carry on fighting when even the strongest would falter. Silas had discussed the quantities with her father and the hope was to bring together at least twenty thousand Elves to stand against the Vampyres. They had been hopelessly outnumbered during the last war and, had it not been for Blaid, they might all have died.
Maia shook her head. Her thoughts keep coming back to Blaid. She should be concentrating on taking stock of the ingredients needed. To make at least four hundred vials required large volumes of the rare mytherna crystal powder, and Silas was worried they did not have enough.
“Here we are, My Lady,” Riker said and reached out to help Maia over the last step.
Riker’s hand was warm and he held her hand for a moment longer than necessary. Quickly Maia reached into her pocket to extract the key to the door. This cave was not used for food or other ordinary items. As one of the royal storage caves, few people had access. It contained anything from rare materials, to sensitive information of state and items of the royal estate. Maia had not set foot in this cave for many years and she suddenly felt a prickle of excitement. When younger she had loved to accompany her father here to look at all their treasures.
She was grinning by the time she led Rothea and Riker down the dark passage, a single crystal lantern lighting their way.
The tunnel of this cave was winding and longer than most, and it was chilly within the rock. The narrow tunnel opened into a small alcove, where the torches and lanterns were stored. Quickly Riker busied himself with lighting lanterns and then they continued on into the large cavern that opened up from the alcove. Hanging the lanterns from evenly spaced hooks quickly brightened up the space and soon it was light enough to see even into the deepest corners of the oblong cavern.
Rectangular niches had been cut into the rock to act as storage holes, wooden framework set against the walls acted as shelves, and the centre was strewn with tables and chests and other objects. At first glance, the items visible did not look like anything special; boxes with scrolls, rolled up carpets, some furniture and other odds and ends. But Maia knew the real treasures were in the sealed chests and within the recesses of the walls. Most of the precious metals the city owned were stored here.
When she was young, she learned the meaning of each symbol. She knew that the large, wooden chest with the square symbol contained gold, the iron-bound chest with the triangle contained silver, the red-painted chest held platinum, and the pretty chest with the silver lattice contained diamonds. There were many more, but they were not what they were here for.
“Silas said that the mytherna should be in the niches on the northern wall. He always has some in his cave, but we have exhausted his supply. He has not been in here for some time, so he is not sure which one it is. The mytherna is stored in blue pottery urns with a red wax seal. They should be easy to identify.”
Quickly the three spread out and to investigate the holes along the northern wall. There were many and the search was often interrupted by oohs and aahs from Riker and Rothea as they discovered treasures such as they had never seen before.
Maia found a wooden box containing fireweed and wondered if anyone would mind if she took it. She only thought for a moment before she stashed it in the haversack she had brought. The next niche yielded a large collection of maps of places she did not recognise, then some
jars with a variety of gem stones, and then rolls and rolls of fine silk in various colours.
“I think I found them,” Riker shouted.
Quickly Maia made her way across to him. “Yes, these are the ones. How many do you count?”
Riker took the first three out of the nook and set them on the floor.
“There are two more rows, so we have nine bottles.”
Relief washed over Maia as she realised there would be more than enough. “We will only need four to finish the rest of the Silva. Let us pack them carefully.”
Rothea took a blanket from her own haversack and laid it on the floor. Carefully she rolled two of the bottles in the blanket and then put them in the bag. Riker did the same with the other two.
With Rothea and Riker carrying the precious cargo, Maia took it upon herself to collect and extinguish all the lanterns and return them to the alcove. With their single lantern, they made their way back along the winding tunnel.
Bright sunlight blinded them as they stepped out. Maia had not realised how musty it smelled within the cave, but now took a deep breath of fresh air and closed her eyes for a moment.
I have a present for you, she transmitted to Midnight and felt his curiosity stir. Meet us by the field next to the Silver Forest at the end of the day.
Having accomplished their task, the three made their way to Silas’ cave. While glad they had enough mytherna to make the quantity of Silva her father had ordered, Maia was not looking forward to the long hours preparing it. Even with the help of others with Water magic, most of the work fell to her and Silas. She loved Silas’ cosy cave, but was starting to dislike going there; she would rather be sparring, training, flying or simply being outside.
“We have brought four urns, Silas. There are another five left in the cave,” Maia said as they walked in.
“Let us not waste any time then. I want to have the mixture going before nightfall, so the others can take over the night-shift.”
Riker and Rothea unpacked their precious cargo and retreated to their customary spot at the entrance. Because they now spent so much time in the cave, Silas had set up a table and chairs for them, as well as refreshments and anything else they might need while they watched over Maia.
Maia busied herself with grinding up ingredients. She forced herself not to rush, as improper preparation could impact the strength of the Silva. Silas joined her and they worked in silence for a long time. The ball of boiling liquid already hovered over the flames and, one by one, Maia carefully added the ingredients. By now, the novelty of the changing colours had worn off. In the beginning, there had been excited exclamations from everyone as the ball changed with every item added; it sometimes even glowed or emitted tendrils of coloured smoke. Now Maia hardly noticed it; she just wanted it done.
“That should do it,” Silas finally said. “The others should be here soon to take over. Why don’t you go home? I can take care of this until they get here.”
“Thank you, Silas,” Maia said, trying not to let her relief colour her words.
She took her haversack from where she had dropped it near the entrance and left with her companions in tow.
“Do you mind if we make a short stop by the field? I have something I would like to give to Midnight,” she asked as they stepped out into the dusk of evening.
“It is well within the city, so I do not see a problem with it, My Lady,” Riker said, smiling at her. “And most of the people should have left their workshops by now, so Midnight should not cause too much of a panic. But we will have to hurry, as the nightly curfew still applies.”
Maia signalled Midnight that they were on their way. She felt him acknowledge and soon she sensed him flying overhead. They hurried the half mile to the field and, by the time they reached it, Midnight was already waiting for them. Riker and Rothea stopped along the tree line of the Silver Forest, while Maia continued on into the field.
Midnight’s strong dragon smell greeted her as she approached and she closed her eyes for a moment, savouring his familiarity.
I have missed your nearness, she said with her mind and he rumbled in agreement.
Quickly she retrieved the box from her haversack and then stepped up to her dragon.
Lower your head and open your mouth, she commanded him.
She received mixed feelings from Midnight, annoyance at her command and curiosity as to what she had for him, but he sensed only good intentions from her, even if she kept her secret well hidden.
Midnight’s breath washed over her as he brought his head in line with her body. Even with his head resting on the ground she could not look him straight in the eye. She reached out and stroked his face. She knew the places on his skin where he was soft - most of his skin was studded in spikes - and she rubbed them now, eliciting growls of pleasure from him. As she stepped away from him again, he opened his great mouth. Even from this distance Maia could hear the sharp intake of breath from Rothea as she beheld the vicious profusion of dagger-like teeth.
Maia stepped onto Midnight’s lower lip and leant in over his bottom teeth, before upending the box and depositing its content onto Midnight’s tongue. Quickly she sprang back as Midnight’s reflex to swallow kicked in. She landed safely back on the ground just as Midnight’s great jaws snapped shut. Maia laughed, and she heard a nervous giggle from Rothea. Riker was deathly still.
Soon Midnight made all sorts of strange noises and steam came from his nostrils. Feelings of his pleasure washed over Maia and, feeling good that she could do something nice for him, she climbed onto his foreleg and snuggled into the crook of his neck. She felt his heat through her cotton shirt, felt his contentment and suddenly felt completely safe.
What am I to do, Midnight? she thought. Everything seems so futile. War is inevitable; there is nothing I can do to stop it.
Images of comfort flooded her mind; to soothe her; then images of Midnight burning and eating every Vampyre that came through the gate assaulted her. She laughed at his exuberance, but knew he was spoiling for a fight. He was more of a fighter than even the Battle Dragons of the north. Soul Dragons were built to fight and Midnight had so far lived a sheltered life; having chosen to bond with Maia and spend much of his time on the company of Elves. She knew, although he worried about her and the Elves she cared for, he was looking forward to the opportunity to match his might against a foe.
Now that they had found a way for him to use his fire without causing Maia harm, they had a greater chance of fighting together. She wished they could practice more, as they had only just discovered how it worked. She also knew that he fought best without having to worry about her on his back. Her father would not approve of this decision, but, when the time came, she would ride Fire into battle, so that Midnight was free to do as much damage as he could. This time she would leave nothing to chance.
A wave of nausea overcame her then and Midnight quickly changed his train of thought to something more pleasant. Immediately Maia felt better and sent him her gratitude.
How was she supposed to fight if she could still not control her weakness? She had tried, before the last war, to get used to killing by slaughtering animals to be consumed, but to no avail. Killing made her sick, most often violently so. Only when she and Blaid fought together as a team, had it not affected her.
The thought of Blaid momentarily erased all other thought and she let herself drift for just a moment. She was sure Midnight would interfere with this line of thinking anyway, so she savoured the short moment. When Midnight did not interrupt, she reached out to him and was pleased to find that Midnight’s feelings about Blaid had changed for good. No longer was he suspicious or wary of him. No longer did he harbour animosity and view him as a threat. In Midnight’s mind, Blaid stood on the same level as Maia. Even if he did not view him with the same love as he did Maia, the trust and respect were the same.
She knew then that Midnight had seen into Blaid’s soul and seen what she knew to be true; he was pure, just like her, a true Prime.
He followed them for days, but their route was not making sense to him, nor the purpose of their trip. They were careful; always one step ahead of him, covering their tracks. First, they headed towards Braérn, keeping off the Trade Route, but never far from it. Then they turned south, onto the plains, and they had travelled swiftly. Tracking them on the plains had been easier and he had closed the distance somewhat but, after a while, he got the feeling that they were aware of him and they changed course yet again, heading back up towards Braérn.
In all the days he had been following them, they had not encountered any Elves and, although Blaid was aware of small settlements nearby, the Vampyres avoided them. Now they had crossed the Oakin River and were heading towards Alea Yll. Blaid wondered about the nature of their trip, but they were leaving no clues for him to find.
By now he was hard pressed to keep up and he was sure they were aware of his presence. He regretted once more that he had not chosen the Raven as his Prime animal, but then put his nose back to the ground and loped after the faint stench the creatures left behind.
It was another two days before the smell got stronger and he knew he wasn’t far behind. He used all his stealth and speed to catch up with them and he finally found their camp at Hinden Bay, a cove on the shores of Nithril Deep, during the dark hours just before sunrise.
His first instinct was to go on the attack. All five sat around a sheltered fire right on the water’s edge. Their meagre belongings were piled close to the shore and it looked to him as if they were waiting for a boat to take them across the lake. As he crept closer, he heard them conversing softly. Their language was foreign to him, but the sounds strangely hypnotic.
Curious, he changed into his elven form and sat down to listen. This melodic conversation was so different from the hissing and screeching these creatures emitted when they were fighting, that it was difficult for him to make up his mind on what to think. He sat for a long time listening to the sounds, trying to decipher what they were saying, but the only words he picked up were names and places of Grildor when they were mentioned.