by Orr, Krystal
Taetylona shifted uncomfortably next to her while the wolf whined softly. Cynra sighed heavily and, suddenly to Arizira, appeared as if much older. She looked from one face to another in an attempt to find an answer.
"Arizira--" Cynra started gravely.
Arizira shook her head and began to back away. She suspected an answer, but it was too much. Had one of them aided Lao'dahn? Had Cynra or, Aitla forbid, her very own mother led that vile man to them? Had someone she trusted been an accomplice to the tragedy of her heart?
"One of you..." Arizira shook her head and closed her eyes. Tears fell down her cheeks and her body began to shake. "Which one of you told him our location?"
The wolf, Iolirthas, sat up and raised its head from Arizira's lap. It's ears were down and its tail was between its legs. Cynra watched the wolf walk away from her granddaughter's side and lay itself down near the exit of her abode.
"Your mother aided the man. She found him while he was lost and his heart was heavy with despair. It was she that made his steps true just as it was she that kept you lost to slumber while your love left your side."
Arizira felt sick. Her insides chilled. Her heart stilled. Releasing a shaky groan of a breath, she backed away farther from the others around her. Her entire world seemed to turn inside itself as her vision blurred.
Her own mother had helped the man who had abused Talliea? She had aided the man who had taken advantage of such a pure and innocent person? Arizira had wondered, often, what had awakened Talliea that fateful morning. She had been surprised that, whatever it was, had not also alerted her. Her senses were far superior to Talliea's.
Now, she had her answer. The power of Aitla, the power that allowed her mother's spirit to take the form of a wolf, had somehow kept her asleep.
Just long enough to ensure Lao'dahn's further abuse.
Just long enough to ensure that Arizira's heroic arrival was too late.
"Just long enough to ensure our separation," Arizira whispered her last thought out loud.
Opening her eyes and swallowing the bile in her throat, she turned her eyes back toward Cynra and her mother. "You both wished this pain upon me? You, my mother? And, you, Cynra? You whom I have honored the most? Why would you desire this suffering upon me? Is that my destiny? To live in agony until this bond severs my life from this world?"
Cynra stood up and walked over to where Arizira sat on her bed of Ophe'las leaves. Sweat beaded across her brow and her skin was flushed.
"Listen to me, child. I have ever been your ally, your support. The events transpiring have been long in the making and even longer in the coming. You cannot understand every choice and decision made over the years. Know this: Aitla blessed every moment. You are blessed by Her just is your love."
"Tah-li? She is Esu. What has she to do with Aitla?"
Taetylona, who had been nearly silent throughout the entire conversation, suddenly spoke up. "She is the one who is to illuminate the truth of our two deities. The way of Esuval has become dark and corrupted. The ideals of today are a far cry from the true path He set before us so long ago. Through you, Talliea will harness the power of Aitla and, in so doing, show our people the true power of Esuval."
Arizira shook her head in disbelief. Talliea was going to be a host of power? Power from gods? Her sweet love was to herald a new way for the Esu people? Arizira recalled her accident where her shoulder blades had been injured. Her body had been broken beyond mending.
Talliea had healed her. She remembered believing that to be true. At the time, Arizira had assumed it was a power like that of the Lat'sa'val. Talliea had told her of their power to heal. Had that power been of a different kind? Had it been an extension of Talliea's love for her made manifest by her own innate abilities?
As if privy to her thoughts, Cynra broke the silence. "It was she who healed you when your body was not whole. Her desire to make you well called upon the powers she is unaware of."
"H-how did you know?"
Cynra smiled and cocked her head in the wolf's direction.
Of course. The wolf. Her mother.
Arizira suddenly recalled the day she and Talliea had first kissed. Before the kiss had happened, and after Talliea's survival testing, Talliea said she had seen a wolf. Arizira had been so caught up in her body's reaction to the other woman’s closeness that she had not given much thought to the statement. She had not seen a wolf.
Now, however, things made much more sense. She knew Talliea had seen a wolf. She had seen Arizira’s mother. Had Iolirthas been watching them the entire time they had been on their journey together? Had she meddled in every affair they'd had? Or, had she been protecting them and keeping them safe?
Were that the case, why had she allowed their separation? What was the point?
"Everything that has happened? It was written out from the hands of fate? My entire life? Every experience? Every moment?"
Cynra sighed and sat down next to Arizira. Taking the younger woman's hand in her own, she said, "You are very special, Arizira. Of our people, you are the most gifted. You do not see any ugliness in the world, only beauty. You are loyal, honorable, and trustworthy. Aitla blessed you with a most pure spirit. Only you could love Talliea, for she was like you. Both of you were searching for something more. Your life has had meaning with every breath you have taken. Some of those breaths were known before you took them, but not all. The answers you seek from me, from all of us, can not be given wholly. There are still events that must take place."
Arizira looked down at her hand wrapped around Cynra's. She did not understand everything she was being told. Her mind was so confused, so convoluted, that she was unsure which question to ask first and which one to ask last. All she wanted was Talliea. Only she mattered. Everything else could be sorted through later. Her destiny, Talliea's destiny, Aitla and Esuval --All of those could wait until after she was reunited with Talliea.
"Honored One," she started in a soft voice, "will I get to see her again? Will I be with Tah-li once again?"
Looking sad and grave, but trying to appear otherwise, Cynra squeezed Arizira's hand and smiled. Light, purple eyes lined with tears. "Yes, child. You will see her again. She will hold you in her arms and tell you she loves you."
Arizira laughed and smiled as happy tears slipped down her cheeks. Of all the news to receive in the world, she felt as if she had just been given the best. Destiny be damned. All that mattered was that her suffering did have an end. She was going to get to see Talliea again. Her heart felt lighter than it had since her separation from her love. They were going to be together again!
The events of the day finally caught up with her. As she smiled happily, her body grew tired and weak and she felt herself being laid back. The wolf, her mother, quickly came to her side and laid down next to her. She still had questions. So many questions...
Her eyes closed. She heard whispers. Her mother's head came to rest on her chest, over her heart. Her pain became slightly less but she still felt as if she was falling. Falling away from herself, from Cynra, from everyone.
It did not matter, though. Cynra had told her she was going to get to see Talliea again. Her predicament was only temporary.
Soon, her spirit would rejoice. Soon, she would be with the woman she loved.
Chapter 5: Compatriot
After Talliea's argument with Markahn, the days blended into one another in an endless stream of time forgotten.
One day became two. Two became three and then three turned into four. During that time, Talliea was cared for by the healers assigned to her. They washed her hair and body and, when she was more lucid, fed her and allowed her cool water. Markahn did not return while Talliea slept. He and the other Lat'sa'val, assuming a preemptive search of the forest would yield answers on the nature of who, or what, Arizira was, began to prepare groups of men.
Their goal was a simple one: wide spread searches for any creatures like Arizira. If such beings were found, the men were to apprehend them and bring
them back for questioning. Though a month had passed without incident, the Esu were a people used to war. If a group of savages was living in the forest, they were determined to gain the upper hand in any future conflicts.
The last days of winter were already upon them. Snow was a rare sight now. The days grew longer and brighter and the Esu feared their potential enemies were only waiting for clear weather. With their camp continuing to grow, crops expanding, and homes becoming more elaborate the Esu felt that defending themselves and their beliefs was imperative.
On the night of the fourth day since her lapse into unconsciousness, Talliea awoke suddenly. Her body was covered in a cool sheen of sweat and her heart raced. She did not know what had caused her to come to. Her eyes tried to clear themselves as she looked around the room she was in. Small hand-crafted wax candles sat on rounded wooden tables at each corner of the room and provided light in the darkening night.
Talliea shifted in bed and groaned. Her condition was getting worse. She felt weaker. How long was her suffering supposed to last? Was there no end in sight? The only good thing that had come from her illness was that neither Markahn nor Lao'dahn could claim her. Knowing she was, inadvertently, denying both men what they wanted gave Talliea a small measure of satisfaction.
If she died, she would die knowing Arizira's hands had been the last to touch her. That was enough to give her peace.
"This has all been very clever of you."
The voice startled her. She had thought she was alone. Sitting up, Talliea did her best to look in the direction of the voice. As her eyes grew accustomed to the darker areas of the room, she noticed a broad figure sitting in the far corner across from her.
Lao'dahn.
"Get out," she said with as much venom as she could muster.
"Defiant to the end, hm?" Lao'dahn retorted as he stood up to walk closer to her. "Did your pet like such talk from you? Did it excite her?"
The mention of Arizira coming from Lao'dahn's foul mouth caused a surge of strength to come to life inside Talliea. It was not overly powerful, nor was it lasting, but is gave her a small burst of energy she, otherwise, would not of had.
"Keep her from your thoughts! You do not get to mention her or speak ill about her. Have you so soon forgotten how she bested you in battle while you did nothing more than swing your little stick at her?"
The words were the wrong words to say. Lao'dahn, still greatly embarrassed by his defeat at the hands of a woman, did not wish to have the event recounted by another woman. Especially when that woman had, only known to him, been intimate with the one who had bested him; the woman who he greatly desired to claim as his own.
As the last of Talliea's sentence left her lips, Lao'dahn finished crossing the room quickly and leaned down in front of her. His hands fisted the bedding on either side of her head and his eyes bore into hers with a heated disgust. "I do not fight like an animal. Like a heathen! It was like engaging a rabid beast. There is no shame in such a defeat."
Talliea, heart thudding inside her chest, only smiled crookedly at Lao'dahn. "Beast or not, you lost," she whispered.
Enraged at Talliea's continuous impudence, Lao'dahn reached up and firmly grabbed her face in his hand. His fingers dig into the sides of her jaw as he turned her to him. "I will enjoy having your flippant mouth choking on my manhood. You laugh now thinking your insolence will grant you banishment, but you are wrong. You were away from us for a long time, Talliea. There is no banishment. Not anymore. You comply willingly or we take what we want by force."
Lao'dahn paused to gauge Talliea's reaction. Seeing that he had her full attention, he continued. "Markahn has grown tired of your disrespect for him. How long do you think he will continue to allow your abuse? When he withdraws his claim, all that shall remain is mine. I do not care if you can bear my children. You are tainted and not worthy of my seed."
Lao'dahn smirked at the look on Talliea's face. Still holding her face in his left hand, he used the fingers of his right to undo the ties holding her blouse together. When her breasts came into his view, his smile grew more lecherous.
"You have other uses, Talliea. Even if you are sick, there are still services you can provide me. In fact, I would much prefer that you not be a willing participant. You can lay just as you are now and I will still enjoy myself."
Lao'dahn's fingers moved to cup Talliea’s left breast but before he could do anything more, voices outside alerted them both to newcomers. Lao'dahn quickly fixed Talliea's blouse and backed away from her. Sitting himself back down on the stool in the far corner of the room, he made a show of watching over her.
The flap on the doorway was pushed back and a figure was briefly illuminated in the light of the candles. Markahn looked from Talliea's flushed face to Lao'dahn's smug one. He did not know what had happened but he did know something had just transpired. His feelings for Talliea, those of protectiveness, flared inside him at the sight of Lao'dahn sitting watch.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone stating he was not in the mood for games.
Lao'dahn stood up and adjusted his clothing, his eyes cutting to Talliea. "Talliea and I were going over the day of the savage's attack. She has provided me with some useful information."
Markahn raised a disbelieving eyebrow at the words. "She gave you information on the woman?"
Talliea swallowed her nerves and began to re-tie her blouse. It still felt too loose after Lao'dahn's hands had been on her. She watched the two men stand-off against one another and, suddenly, realized that the both of them were different. There was no longer an air of peace and friendship between them. Lao'dahn was more brusque and ostentatious while Markahn appeared suspicious of every word that left his former friend's mouth.
"Yes, she did," Lao'dahn replied stepping into Markahn's face. "It would appear she appreciates a stronger man."
Markahn held Lao'dahn's gaze for a long time. Everything in him desired to wipe the vainglorious smile off the other man's face. He knew, at that moment, that Lao'dahn was lying to him. There was no way Talliea would have told him anything about the woman, Ari, he recalled. Talliea's devotion to her was unwavering. If what she had mumbled in her sleep was to be believed, then Markahn knew she would never betray the woman to anyone.
Especially Lao'dahn.
Or, he hoped what he believed was true. Talliea did not trust him anymore than she appeared to trust Lao'dahn. Maybe her words of love spoken in her dreams had be delusions or falsehoods. Maybe she did desire a stronger man. A man like Lao'dahn.
No, no. Markahn knew none of that was true. Whatever Talliea's feelings for the mysterious woman were, he knew she felt a sense of loyalty to her that could not be broken. As he looked into Lao'dahn's eyes, he knew everything the man had told him and the others had been a lie.
More than before, he wished Talliea would confide in him everything she knew. Matters were not as they seemed. Whoever, or whatever Ari was, she meant more to Talliea than him or Lao'dahn or any of the other Esu. She was important. She had caused Talliea to change. To grow. To mature.
"When a stronger man presents himself, I am sure Talliea will take notice. Until such an event happens, I believe it is time you take your leave.“ Lao'dahn became obviously agitated. His face reddened with anger and his hands fisted. "Run along and tell the others all your glorious tales, Lao'dahn," Markahn baited.
Fuming with rage, and seeing that he had no outlet for his feelings, Lao'dahn shoved Markahn aside and left the healers' hut. Once alone with Talliea, Markahn swallowed nervously and nodded his head at her. He looked around the room. A healer came in behind him and replenished Talliea's water jug. Once the man left, Markahn broke the silence.
"Did he hurt you?" Talliea looked at him suspiciously but said nothing. "Before,” he clarified. “Did Lao'dahn harm you in any way before I entered?"
Again, his question was met with silence. He took in the color of Talliea's face and the fatigued look she seemed always to carry these days. Her condition was ge
tting worse. Even without the healers telling him that much, Markahn knew the truth of it.
“Talliea," he started as he stepped closer to her. Once at the edge of her bed, he prepared her a small mug of water and passed it toward her. "I want to help you. You have no reason to take my words as truth, but I do not wish to see you suffer this any longer. If you know anything that could be of aid, please tell me. Did Lao'dahn hurt you? Has he threatened you?"
Talliea took a sip of the cool water as she stalled for time. Everything in her wanted to tell Markahn that, yes Lao'dahn had harmed her. More than once. She wanted to tell Markahn that she believed her condition was linked to Arizira's, that she had to reunite with her love if she was to be saved. Talliea wanted to tell Markahn that Lao'dahn was evil. He was vile. But, how could she? She was a woman who would be speaking out against a man. She would be making accusations against one, by her people's laws, above her standing.
She would have no evidence or proof of anything. How could she risk herself on Markahn's word alone? On the other hand, how could she not? She was dying anyhow. Would it really matter if she brought Lao'dahn's actions to light before she passed? As long as she kept Arizira, and any information about her, from the conversation all should be okay.
"You would not believe such words as I possess, poised on a precipice of black-hearted and nefarious ill-content," she whispered.
Markahn sat down next to her, his eyes pleading with her for the truth. She took another sip of water and watched him as he watched her. "I am unsure what to believe anymore. The man who was my friend summer after summer has betrayed me. Our people have turned our women into well-fed slaves. We teeter on the edge of rape with every claim a man lays. This was not our way, yet we have adopted it as just. The woman I love was believed to be dead only to return to us and slowly waste away by an unknown disease."
Talliea studied Markahn's face as she contemplated his words.. He truly did seem remorseful and regretful. His desire to help her, to obtain answers, appeared genuine. What gain would there be in him seeking answers about Lao'dahn's account of what happened a month before? If he was being duplicitous, then Talliea's words, if viewed as the inane ramblings of a woman, would only be beneficial to her. The Lat'sa'val would banish her, wouldn't they?