by Toni Cox
His voice sounded defeated, despite his positive words. Maia knew that the chances of the Elders that wrote the laws to change the one about about Elementals were slim. Too many negative stories existed about the subject and the histories were so ancient, all of Elveron held to the same laws. It was unlikely that one pair of Life and Death could change this ingrained rule in one lifetime.
“Come, let us get some rest. I want to get going before first light.” Blaid moved up and rolled up another blanket for Maia to put her head on and she lay down. “Do not fret, Maia. I love you and that will never change. Sleep now. Nothing will bother us while we are in Belura’s forest.”
He sat with her for a while after covering her with the blanket he had draped over her shoulder, and then moved off to add two branches to the fire. He checked on Lilith, who nickered softly when she saw him approach. After giving her a treat he produced from his pocket, he moved over to his own sleeping mat and sat on it, staring at the fire.
Maia watched him for a long time through half-closed eyes. From the first time she saw him; back in the courtyard of The Deep; she thought him to be the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. Even now, after looking at him every day for over a Moon, her opinion had not changed.
She thought of her brother as handsome; Riker had been handsome; and even Aaron had a certain something that captured her attention. Blaid had something else. She could not define it, yet it was there in everything he did. It was there in the way his dark hair fell across his face, how his violet eyes shone in the firelight, how his jaw muscles worked when he was upset and how he lifted his head defiantly when he could not get his way.
Her heart swelled with the love she felt for him and she wished she could give in to him. To withhold herself from him was one of the hardest things she had ever undertaken and she hoped she would keep strong. The journey they had embarked on would take them until the spring to complete. A long time for things to go wrong.
Midnight finally distracted her by letting her know where he had settled in the mountains and that he had hunted giant deer for dinner. She fell asleep with Midnight projecting the view of Tarron Heights’ lights flickering in the darkness of the night.
“Have you always been able to communicate with him over such distances?” Blaid asked in the morning when Maia told him where Midnight had decided to wait for them.
She frowned, thinking. She had always been able to communicate with her dragon with her mind. From the day they met those many years ago in the desert, they had mind-linked and shared their thoughts. It was different to how Midnight spoke to other people. They could only hear him, because he projected his thoughts into theirs, and then opened his own mind to receive their thoughts from them. Most people simply did not have the ability to project their thoughts, which was why Maia had not thought to communicate that way with Blaid when in his wolf form in Belura’s cave.
Yet, their ability to communicate had always been dictated by their proximity. When Midnight was away hunting, Maia lost track of him completely and only felt him in her mind again when he returned.
Now, however, she always felt him, no matter where he was. She wondered when that had changed; and why it had changed. Midnight had no answers for her on this subject; neither did he think it strange that they now communicated wherever he was.
“No,” she finally answered. “I remember being in Braérn not so long ago and only when Midnight was within twenty miles of the city could I feel him in my mind. This is new. I wonder what has changed.”
“Maybe you have become stronger in your abilities,” Blaid suggested. “Have you not learned much over the past two years? I know I have, especially these past few Quarters with Belura.”
“I don’t feel as if I am any more powerful,” she confided. “One of the reasons I sought you out was because I feel I am not strong enough. My powers are not enough.”
“Maia,” Blaid slowed and let her catch up so they could walk side by side along the forest path, Lilith’s head bobbing gently up and down at Blaid’s shoulder, “you are only turning one hundred and twenty-four years old this year. I don’t think there has ever existed another Life Elemental who was as powerful as you at such a young age. Master Margoth taught me about Life Elementals and, as far as I can remember, they only come into their full power after their five hundredth birthday. It takes centuries to master your full power, yet here you are, already one of the most powerful Life Elementals.”
“You are more powerful than me,” she countered.
“My powers are different to yours. Besides, I am twice your age. And, even with the extra experience, I don’t think I could win a fight against you.”
“I think we have established that you can. We have fought and you are definitely better than me.”
“A better swordsman, maybe, but your magic is stronger.”
“I don’t believe that. I cannot even transform into an animal, or shadow travel. There are so many things you do that I cannot.”
“As you have powers I do not. We are opposites, Maia.”
“I just wish I could do more. I feel inadequate, like what I can do is not enough to save my people. Here we are, walking towards a destination you do not want to go to, to acquire an army to help us. Even together, we do not have enough magic to defeat the enemy without an army at our backs. What is the point of being the most powerful Elemental if it does not help us in our quest?”
Blaid was silent, and Maia was about to make him admit she was right, when he finally spoke.
“I don’t think we were put here to fight wars. I am a Death Elemental. Death calls to me and I go wherever the people need me. My sole purpose as Death is to assist people cross over from life into the afterlife. I ease their transition, taking their pain.” Blaid paused and took her hand as they walked on. “You are Life. You are here to inspire the people, to bring hope and new life to the world. Your mere presence promotes healthy soil for a good harvest, fertility in women for easy conception, health in the people around you. You were not made to fight either.”
It took some time for Blaid’s words to fully sink in, but even when they did, Maia still questioned it.
“But is it not our responsibility to look after our people and ensure their safety?”
“Yes, it is what we were born to do; to look after our people. It is who we are. All I am saying is, this killing does not come naturally to us. We were not born to fight and kill. We were born to prevent pain and suffering. Unfortunately, in this case we need to fight an enemy to accomplish that. Do not blame yourself for something out of your control. We are doing the best we can with what we were given. And, together, I believe we can save our people.”
“You have more wisdom than I do,” Maia finally said. “And more patience. I wish we could just end all of this now. Is there no other way?”
“We have been over this. We cannot seal off the gates to prevent the Vampyres from coming through. We would cut ourselves off from other planets in the process. We cannot go through to Naylera to fight the war there, as we simply do not have an army large enough to lead such an attack. Negotiating with the Vampyres has failed. The only thing we can do is rally our people to fight again. You know your father is doing everything he can to rebuild his forces and to get the surrounding nations to help. With winter approaching, now is the time to shore up our defences and rebuild our armies, which is why we are going to Elbendal. I promise you, we will receive help there.”
Maia took a steadying breath. “You are right. Let us do what we can. My father will look after Grildor while we go to your homeland to ask for help. There isn’t anything we can do here right now that will help my people.”
“Our journey will take some time. If you like, I will teach you some of my magic, if it will make you feel better.”
Maia looked across to him, tingling everywhere. “Will you teach me how to shape shift?”
Midnight landed in the meadow outside the dark forest as they breached the treeline. Dro
pping her bag, Maia ran to him and he lowered his head so she could hug herself to his face.
She breathed him in and closed her eyes. It felt good to with him again.
Missed you, partner of my soul.
As I have missed you. Thank you for waiting for us.
Fly now?
No, Midnight. We cannot leave Lilith. Blaid knows the quickest way through the mountains, but it would help if you could scout ahead every day to make sure we don’t run into trouble. I will also take the saddle off you, so it will be easier for you to hunt without all the leather straps getting in your way.”
Midnight rumbled his agreement. He was not happy about them not flying over the mountains, but taking the saddle off appeased him.
They camped out in the open that night, close to the bridge that led across the gorge to Tarron Heights. Midnight settled down close to their camp and Lilith soon decided he was nothing to be afraid of.
By the time Maia and Blaid rose in the morning, Lilith stood huddled close to Midnight’s side, seeking his warmth, and he had extended his wing to shelter her protectively.
“I have never seen that before,” Maia whispered. “He never did that with Fire.”
Midnight opened one red eye and stared at them. He looked helpless.
Maia giggled. You can wake her up now, Midnight. It’s all right.
Midnight rumbled softly and Lilith lifted her head, looking around. She saw Blaid and, with a whinny, trotted over to him. He took her head in his hands and leant his forehead against hers.
“My brave girl,” he told her. “Cuddling a dragon.”
Midnight made a noise that sounded very much like a harrumph in her mind and he stood, shaking out his wings. Other horses would have spooked now, but Lilith just stood patiently, waiting for Blaid to attach the bags to her back.
They travelled across the bridge to the other side and then left the valley behind them. Skirting Tarron Heights, they made their way west through the mountains. Blaid had obviously travelled this way before, and led them confidently along the convoluted trails that criss-crossed the steep, and sometimes treacherous, paths of the mountains.
Every evening when they made camp, Blaid told Maia about the magic of shape shifting. She wasn’t sure why it was this particular magic that intrigued her so, but it was definitely the first of Blaid’s powers she wanted to learn.
“I still think I should teach you how to shadow travel first,” he said one night. “It is more useful than transforming.”
“We have Moons of travel ahead of us. I am sure there will be time for that,” she replied.
“All right, let us begin, then. As I explained to you yesterday, I chose the wolf as my elemental animal. The other two are the raven or the razorback boar. I cannot tell you which one you are; it is something you need to find within yourself. You need to look within and find the animal in you. I does not matter that you were unable to do so yesterday, as this is not something you can force. Now, close your eyes and think only of yourself. Find your centre and then work outwards to find your elemental animal.”
For six days they travelled west and south-west and every evening Blaid sat patiently with Maia to discover her elemental animal. It took Maia three days before she was able to properly centre herself and look within, but even then she could not see the animal inside her.
By day six she was frustrated and struggled to concentrate, but Blaid made her sit quietly after dinner until she was calm enough. Midnight had retreated from her mind so as not to interfere and Blaid was brushing Lilith when she suddenly gasped.
“Wings,” she shouted. “I saw wings. With feathers. I think I might be a raven.”
Blaid was immediately by her side. “That’s great. Close your eyes again and try to find what you saw again. This time, hold the image in your mind. Let me know when you have a grasp on it.”
Obediently, Maia closed her eyes. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, the image would not return. She saw legs, then horns, then hooves. It did not make sense and Blaid eventually stopped her, telling her she was now projecting images because she wanted to see them, not because they were already inside of her.
“I don’t think I am meant to transform,” Maia said, disappointed.
“All Death Elementals are taught to transform, but I do not think it is something only Death Elementals can do. Do you remember when you left to go to your chosen planet, Earth, for your final test?”
“I do, why?”
“How did you know who you wanted to be while on Earth? How did you choose that form?”
Maia frowned. “I didn’t choose that form. Silas said the form would choose me.”
“Exactly. You were ready then to change form and to let it happen to you. You cannot force this, Maia; you need to accept the animal within you and let it come out. The change, the principle of the transformation, is the same, which means you do have the ability. You just need to let it happen. Think about that for a day. I think you have worked hard enough for now and we have an exciting day ahead of us tomorrow. We will try again in three days’ time.”
“What is happening tomorrow?” Maia asked.
“We shall take a boat.”
Thus, on the seventh day after passing Tarron Heights, they reached a deep gorge with a wide river at its bottom. It snaked between sheer cliffs without a shoreline and only the occasional shrub clinging to a fissure in the rock walls.
“That is the Aldaê Fae River. There is a dock at the bottom of the gorge. A barge leaves from there every morning and one arrives every night. The barges mostly transport cargo between here and Eskara, a small trading town along the border to Bron. From here, the goods get transported via horse to Tarron Heights and all over Grildor.”
“I did not know that,” Maia said, peering over the sheer cliff. “How do we get down there?”
“There is a path. It is steep, but wide, and easy for horses to navigate and carry goods to and from the river. We will reach it during the afternoon. We can camp here on the escarpment tonight and head down to the river early in the morning to catch the barge. It will save us over a Quarter of travel time.”
As promised, they reached the path that led to the river by early afternoon. They passed it and found a sheltered place between pine trees that huddled close to the mountainside to make their camp for the night. Sheltered as they were, their fire would not be seen, even if Traders arrived during the night.
They set up camp, by now accustomed to each other’s routines. It had taken a while to get used to the other’s habits, but they eventually found a way to make it work for both of them. Ablutions had been one of their most awkward issues to sort out.
Another factor had been the need for Blaid to eat meat every day. Now that Maia was reunited with him, her urge to hunt or eat meat had subsided. During the first few days, Blaid hunted during the course of the day if the opportunity arose, shooting hares, deer and other, smaller animals as they walked through the mountains.
Maia understood Blaid’s craving for meat - it had something to do with the wolf in him - and Blaid’s way of hunting and killing swiftly was as dictated by their laws. Yet she struggled with every death she watched and soon Blaid decided to stop hunting during the day and instead hunt at night while in his wolf form.
He would then come back to camp and they would cook a vegetable dish together, which they shared. Blaid taught her how to make dishes spiced the way he learned from his mother and she found she enjoyed the meals that at first tasted so foreign to her.
“Where exactly is Elbendal? I have only read about it in our histories,” she said while they ate their evening meal in the grove of pine trees that night. “Your food tastes so exotic, so foreign.”
“Only because you are not used to it,” he laughed at her. “My homeland might be over a thousand miles from yours, but I would hardly call it foreign. We have the same traditions, the same laws. We are further south than Grildor, though, so our weather is warmer, but we do still get some snow
s during winter.”
“I cannot wait to see your country. And your city. What is it called? Has your father been Lord of the city for long?”
Blaid busied himself with stirring their food and adding more spices. Maia watched with interest, trying to remember the quantities of each herb he put into the food.
“You’ll meet my family soon enough,” he mumbled, before taking their bowls to dish up.
Sensing the change in his Eläm, she looked at him,. Blaid had not spoken much about his family but she knew he did not get along with them, which was why it was hard for him to go back there. She only knew that his father was the lord of a city and that the country of Elbendal had a large army at its disposal. Due to the distance, they would need to hurry if they wanted to be back by the spring.
Maia wanted to ask more questions, her interest piqued, but Blaid was clearly uncomfortable talking about his family, so she put it to the back of her mind. He was right; she would meet them soon enough.
For now, they had enough to worry about. They ate their dinner, and then practiced. Maia saw the wings again, but could not hold on to the image. Upset, she did not sleep well that night and was relieved when they left their camp site early the next morning to make their way down to the barge.
The path down to the river was steep, but wide, and grooves had been cut into the path for grip so the horses did not slip. Lilith navigated it with her usual nonchalance and only pricked her ears backwards when other horses joined them on the path.
They were Traders; their two horses laden with goods. They followed Blaid and Maia down and then tied their horses to the dock, waiting for the Ferryman to tell them to board.
The barge, at least thirty strides long and ten strides wide, bobbed gently on the surface of the water, tied to the dock with thick ropes. Four small cabins occupied the centre of the barge and a tall flagpole, flying the flag of Grildor, stood proud and tall along the stern railing.