by Orr, Krystal
Arizira looked again at Talliea and the smile that touched her lips was bright, happy, and a misleading sign that all was right in the world. "We both felt a pull to the other--" she started.
"It was a sense of safety and relief--" Talliea said at the same time, causing the two of them to laugh. Talliea cleared her throat and started again. "I was confused by my feelings, at first."
"And I was certain, yet wary, of mine," Arizira added, hand still firmly grasping her love's.
"We became friends, despite the circumstances. I risked punishment by leaving my clan and seeking Ari-sera."
Arizira smiled fondly, remembering their early days together. "Tah-li was the most fascinating and beautiful woman I had ever met. I could not have stayed away from her."
The three continued walking, Talliea and Arizira each telling D'jiira of their love and connection. "She tried to deny us before our first kiss," Talliea was saying a short time later.
Arizira poked her in the side and giggled. "I was so very in love with you and the fear of being nothing more than a test or curiosity was nearly crippling. When you kissed me and the taste of mint touc--" Arizira stopped suddenly and gasped lightly.
Both Talliea and D'jiira paused. "Ahmanae?"
Arizira closed her eyes and released a shuddering breath. Her hand came to rest against her stomach while her other grasped Talliea's arm for support. D'jiira called for a stop and Cynra, Taetylona, and Markahn all turned in their direction. "What is wrong, Arizira?" D'jiira asked, panic lacing her normally smooth voice.
Arizira opened her eyes and a shy smile could be seen. "Tah-li..." Talliea angled her body so that she could look into Arizira's face. "What is it, love?" Instead of answering, Arizira took Talliea's hand and placed it on her stomach, over her own.
"Feel," she whispered. D'jiira stood up straighter and watched the two of them, her face quickly changing from one of worry to one of hesitant disbelief. Could it be?
"She moves," Arizira said in a breathy voice, her tone one of awe. Talliea laughed, releasing a sigh. Now that she was not worried, she could feel what Arizira felt. Their connection flared and increased.
"Oh, love, "she said, unable to form any other words. Around them D'jiira, Markahn, Taetylona, and Cynra formed a circle. Cynra looked to D'jiira, whose eyes were wide, and smiled. Markahn appeared to be unable to accept what his mind already knew to be true. Taetylona came up next to Cynra, placing a hand on her shoulder, and smiled at the scene.
"She moves," Arizira said again. The smile on her face was one of the most beautiful sights Talliea had ever seen.
"Arizira? "D'jiira asked, stepping closer. Arizira looked up, happy tears in her eyes, and nodded to D'jiira's unspoken question. Talliea reached out and took the older woman's hand before placing it on Arizira's abdomen. A short time later, movement, very slight, met D'jiira's palm. She released an unsteady half sob. "Arizira? A baby..."
Arizira nodded again, the weight of her news no longer a burden. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you, lana, but I believe she," Arizira said, indicating her baby, "grew impatient." Everyone laughed, except Markahn, who was still unsure of what to make of the situation.
"H-how far are you?" D'jiira asked, tears falling down her face.
"Just about three months, but I do not know how long this pregnancy will last."
D'jiira smiled. She could hardly believe the news she had just learned. Her daughter was with life. A child. A new generation of hope. She could not keep the smile from her face. With Arizira's mixed blood, she had been uncertain if she and Talliea would be able to conceive children. "I am so happy for you. For both of you. I was not here for you during your own childhood, but I shall be here for this child."
Cynra came up to the three woman and wrapped her arms around D'jiira and Talliea, pulling them all into a warm hug. Taetylona soon joined them and, for a brief moment, they all rejoiced in the new life that was soon to join the world -- a world that, hopefully, would be one of peace, understanding, and acceptance.
No one noticed Markahn slip away and fall into the surrounding forest.
Chapter 28: Fury and Friendship
"This way. The tracks walk toward the west, but we can make haste if we move with purpose toward the northeast. Mayhap we will come before Talliea by saving time this way."
The lead Esu man, who had been at Li'nas Dei some time ago, only nodded his head in agreement. "Move with caution. The savage women could be close, but we have a chance to come upon our brothers in this direction." The other three men secured their gear and weapons and turned along a more northeastern path. If Esuval proved to be with them, they would intersect Talliea before the day's end.
* * * * *
Arizira smiled, truly happy, as she was hugged by Cynra, Taetylona, and D"jiira. Though this was not the way she had envisioned telling her mother of her pregnancy, she was overjoyed nonetheless, that D'jiira finally knew of her happy news. To her left, Talliea stood, a joyous smile on her face and a hand still on Arizira's stomach.
The baby no longer moved as before, but that did not stop the other women from continuing to try to feel her presence. D'jiira took a step back, her light brown eyes taking in Arizira's face. "Arizira," she started at a loss for words.
"I know, lana."
D'jiira opened her mouth to say something, but a confused look suddenly came over her features. "Three months?" she asked in a deliberate tone of voice Arizira nodded, her face still happy. A furrow formed on D'jiira's dark brow as a frown touched her lips. "That would mean you were with life when..."
Cynra, Taetylona, and Talliea all held collective breaths. The older women stepped away from Arizira to give her more space, while Talliea continued to stand close. D'jiira studied the faces of the women around her and knew the answer to her question without any other confirmation. She released a shaky breath and swallowed a nervous lump in her throat. Arizira had been pregnant when she had been pierced by the arrow. Both she and her baby had nearly been taken away from D'jiira.
Forever.
D'jiira shook her head. Her current thoughts were no longer important. Arizira was alive, as was her unborn baby. The two of them were safe, despite past events. Attempting to force a smile onto her face to erase much of the unease she felt, D'jiira looked from Arizira to Talliea and asked, "Do the both of you have a name decided?"
Arizira looked up at Talliea, who still stood on her left side, and smiled shyly. "W-we have not been able to...to give the matter any thought. Esu take a name after the family, yes?" Both D'jiira and Talliea nodded, noticing the hesitation in Arizira's musical voice, as well as the tight lines of worry near her eyes.
"Arnira do not take this custom, however," Talliea said meeting Arizira's gaze and smiling reassuringly.
"No," Arizira said and shook her head.
D'jiira stepped closer, her keen sense regarding her daughter picking up on Arizira's obvious discomfiture. "A name does not need to be decided just now. Io and I each gave you a name. You have neither a family name nor a taken name as is Esu and Arniran custom. The choice will be for the both of you, despite what is proper to our peoples."
Arizira smiled and nodded toward her mother. The truth of the matter was she was terrified of what kind of mother she was going to be to her unborn baby. She knew only Arniran customs and beliefs, nothing of Esu behavior. Knowing her child was likely to appear more Esu, be predominately more Esu, than Arniran was intimidating to Arizira.
"There is a ceremony Esu perform when a woman becomes pregnant. It is a way of welcoming the new life, blessing future endeavors, and ensuring a safe entrance into the light and grace of Esuval," D'jiira said, breaking Arizira out of her ruminations.
Talliea nodded. "My clan has a similar ritual, but it is performed in the hopes that the child shall be born a male to continue the teachings of Esuval."
D'jiira shook her head, appalled at Talliea's information. "This ceremony is one of joy and welcome, not one meant to favor one sex in the light o
f the sun while the other dies in the shadow of subjugation. If the two of you will allow it, I would be honored to perform this rite for your child."
Before Arizira or Talliea could respond, Taetylona's raspy voice sounded. "Where is the boy?"
Cynra, Talliea, Arizira, and D'jiira all turned and looked in the direction Taetylona was facing. There was no sign of Markahn. Only the wind blew where once he had stood. "I knew he was not to be trusted," Taetylona growled. Her eyes scanned the immediate area in front of her.
Cynra came to stand beside her. "Let us not be too hasty in our accusations."
Taetylona turned to face Cynra and her face was resolute and without conflict. "He is a leading member of the Lat'sa'val, a group he recently learned comes with a past stained in blood rather than in virtue. The woman he desired for five summers, who rejected him at every opportunity, loves another -- a woman. A woman he now knows carries life. There is nothing hasty in my accusations. The boy has made flight."
Cynra could not dispute Taetylona's logic. Instead, she turned to look back behind her. Arizira was already pulling her longbow over her shoulder and ensuring the arrows in her quiver could be easily grasped. "His tracks will still be fresh. I can--"
Arizira's words were cut off as D'jiira moved to stand in front of her. "No. You will do nothing."
Arizira looked taken aback. "I am skilled in tracking and am the fastest among us. No other knows this forest better than I. I can--"
Again, D'jiira interrupted her. "No. You carry something sacred and precious, Arizira. You can no longer walk along paths whose trails are unclear. I forbid it." Arizira turned her head in a curious manner, the gesture mirrored by D'jiira. D'jiira's face was stern and her jaw was set with complete determination. Her normally light brown eyes appeared darker and there was a noticeable fear in them. Mother and daughter stared at one another for several breaths, each taking measure of the other's resolve.
Finally, Talliea stepped around Arizira and moved toward D'jiira. "I will go in search of Markahn. He is of my clan."
“Tah-li, no," Arizira gasped. "I cannot allow you to travel alone, even with your powers.” Her voice become thick and heavy. "This could be a trap, elaborate and devious, all to lure you away for some nefarious purpose."
Cynra and Taetylona nodded, expressing their agreement. D'jiira, taking her eyes away from Arizira's, moved to stand next to Talliea. "I will travel with your love if the knowledge of such will calm your mind."
Talliea smiled at D'jiira and nodded her thanks. Arizira stood before them both with a pained and panicked expression on her face. She did not like staying behind while those she loved risked themselves. She was a huntress of her tribe. She was charged with protection. The protection of her people, their way of life, and the innocent women and children who lived in her village.
Always, she had been free to roam the forest, hunt, and be on the front lines of any conflict. Though she could understand Talliea's and D'jiira's concerns for her safety, it was still difficult for her to be the one receiving protection rather than the one giving it. She felt useless and that was not a feeling she agreed with in any way.
"Lana, I shall only be doubly worried with the both of you gone to some potential harm. I only just found you. I can not--" Arizira's words trailed off, the dismayed look in her eyes still speaking louder than mere words could. Talliea stepped closer to her and took her in her arms. Pressing their foreheads together, she attempted to calm Arizira's anxiety. "Do not despair, love. You shall be aware of my state through the bond we share. Knowing you are safe will ensure the use of my powers. I shall look after your mother. I will learn what I can and return to you. I shall always return to you."
Arizira, her slight panic causing her breathing to sound haggard, quickly kissed Talliea soundly. She placed her hands tenderly on the sides of her love's jaw and smoothed her fingers across silken soft skin. "I love you," she whispered as she pulled away.
Talliea kissed her softly again and echoed her sentiments. "You are my very soul, Ahmanae."
D'jiira smiled at the two women and looked toward Cynra. Bending down, she pulled a dagger from each boot and held them in one hand. She used her free hand to unhook the mace at her hip and tossed it to the older woman. "Leyaja, you still remember how to use one of those?"
Cynra caught the mace and smirked at D'jiira, her violet eyes shinning brightly. "Of course. Arnira never forget the feeling of a weapon in our hands."
Walking over to Arizira and Talliea, D'jiira spread her arms out before her daughter. Arizira stepped away from the warmth of Talliea's embrace and willingly fell against D'jiira. The same calming scent she had noticed the night she followed the sounds of Markahn and D'jiira came to her again. The scent of wood oil and leather and lavender.
D'jiira held Arizira's head against her chest. She could feel hands on her back where Arizira clung to her. "This is not a goodbye, my daughter," she whispered into Arizira's hair. "We will be safe. You shall see."
Looking over her shoulder at Cynra and Taetylona, she said "Remain alert while we search."
* * * * *
Markahn walked at a brisk pace. Hanging branches on passing trees scratched at his face as he moved. He brushed the leaves and twigs away from him and continued to walk. His entire sense of being felt heavy. There was something inside of him boiling and raging and hurting. He felt as if a part of him were trying to escape, to flee, to never see the light of the sun again.
The sting of tears touched his eyes but he forced himself not to cry and continued to walk. Farther and farther. With every step, he was placing distance between himself and everything in his life of late that had changed or been altered or become different than what he knew.
When he had learned that Talliea's love was pregnant, he had been overcome with something dark and ugly. He had barely understood how such a thing was possible, but that had done little to deny the truth for him.
A baby. Talliea was going to be a mother.
It had been too much. Markahn had watched as the women, all of them, cried happy tears and hugged one another and spoke words of love and congratulations. He had not been able to handle what everything meant. So he had sought solitude in the forest. He was not a man who allowed his emotions to overcome him, especially while in the presence of others. He had just needed a moment to get away from everything. For so long, he had just accepted the changes happening around him. He had listened to Talliea when she had been ill. He had believed her. Helped her.
Then D'jiira had come upon him and her skill with a weapon could not be denied. He had been bested by a woman. A woman who, somehow, had turned his own gifts against him. Yet despite that, Markahn had helped her to find her daughter who, ironically, was the woman Talliea was so in love with.
He had helped D'jiira because, by helping her, he was helping himself. He was helping to find Talliea and ensure her safety. Then, his life had taken one tumultuous turn after another. Not only had he found Talliea and Arizira, but he had also discovered that Taetylona, a woman who had been banished from his clan, had been aiding the younger women. Taetylona had not been pleased by his presence and she had made no show of that distrust.
After D'jiira and Arizira's reunion, Markahn had learned that Talliea was responsible for the destruction he had witnessed and the crater that now marked the land. Somehow, her powers were related and linked to her love for the Arniran woman.
It had all been a lot to take in, but Markahn had attempted to do so. That is, until Talliea had begun to have visions and one of those visions hinted at a bloody and violent history that his Order was responsible for. Markahn knew of the past. The past that had been taught to him and all other young Esu boys, but that past varied greatly from what Talliea had mentioned.
All the while, Markahn had desired only to seek comfort from one of his friends, Lao'dahn or Jovan or Haldynn, but that was not to be a possibility. Lao'dahn had betrayed him and attempted, on more than one occasion, to rape Talliea. Jovan had been one
of the lead proponents in the societal changes the clan had recently implemented, and Haldynn was an old fashioned coward, willing to go along with whatever the majority thought best in an attempt to keep his place of power and importance.
As Markahn had stood and watched Talliea and Arizira and their friends rejoice over the news of their future child, he had realized how alone he was in the world. He had come to see that changes had been effect around him since he had arrived in the north and he had done absolutely nothing to stop those changes.
He had gone from being a person of influence, a man soon to be joined to his greatest desire, and a respected member of the Lat'sa'val, to being a man who had no friends, no power, and no ability to find himself again.
So he had fled. The need to clear his head and be alone for a moment had been overwhelming. The silence of the surrounding forest had been the comfort he longed for. As his thoughts crashed inside his head, he realized how erratic his breathing had become. His chest felt weighted and his heart was beating madly. He stopped and fell to the ground by a large boulder of rock jutting up from the grass. His throat tightened as he fought to keep his emotions inside himself, but it was to no avail. A strangled sob escaped from his lips and, a moment later, hot and heavy tears fell down his cheeks.
Markahn wept.
* * * * *
"My mind still refuses to believe that she is gone. Aitla had a plan for her, a destiny. How can it be that she has passed so senselessly?"
Bela'luin tried to ignore Sed'dya's constant and incessant gabbing. Since Talyn had come to her and requested that she attempt to seek Arizira's love in peace and friendship, Bela'luin had been far more quiet and reserved than was normal. When she had left the tribe, she had asked that Sed'dya accompany her. Sed'dya had been Arizira's friend and it was Bela's hope that the young and jovial woman would be of aid to her in handling Arizira's love.
The two of them had been searching the northern reaches of the forest for nearly two days. Several times, they’d been forced to take more indirect paths to avoid the increasing Esu patrols. Time was running out.