Tatyanna

by Lindsay Johnston

  “How will we do that? Can you wield water?”

  “No, but there is something in your castle that will help you.”

  “What's that?” she asked, intrigued.

  “You will see.” He looked at their surroundings and frowned. “Come. There’s nothing we can do here.”

  “Shouldn't we at least put out the rest of the fires?” she asked, wanting to do something...anything. She hated feeling helpless.

  “No. If we did, he will only come back and set it on fire again, as a warning. He scares the people into submission, and if they don't follow him, he will kill the weak and keep the strong. It is not the way one wants to live when all pray for death.”

  Dimitri gestured for her to follow. “We are close. Once we pass this village, we will be on your land. We should make it there by nightfall.”

  She was about to command the group to head out when she heard Cale behind her groaning. He must be in agony from Prince Larik’s actions. She instantly dropped down to her knees and reached for him, but was surprised to see him shrink away from her outstretched hand. “What's wrong? I am trying to heal you.” But Cale didn't hear her. He just started to shake violently.

  “What's wrong with him?” she asked the others, looking specifically at Dimitri and Emmett for answers. She saw the two eye each other, but neither said anything. She had noticed them giving each other particular looks before and didn't think anything of it, but it was obvious they knew, or at least suspected, something, and didn't want to tell her. She vaguely remembered Luka telling her that her subjects had to obey her, but now was not the time. Now was the time to save Cale.

  Tatyanna reached out again and grasped his hand in hers and placed her opposite hand on his heart. She was surprised he was burning up. She almost let go when she felt a cooling sensation overcome her. Her water power was putting out the flames from Prince Larik's touch.

  Cale slowly came to, but Tatyanna knew he wasn't completely healed. She felt sorry for him, but she vowed to keep trying whenever they came to a stop, until he was again at full health.

  As her companions were looking around for anything salvageable, Tatyanna saw it was still day. She wondered what secrets lay ahead, and just how far away home really was. She hoped they could spend at least one night there, and maybe she'd get to sleep in a real bed again. As she walked past the ragdoll, Tatyanna bent down at the last second to pick it up, hoping she might be able to connect with Larik again, and learn more about him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Home

  Tatyanna wished she hadn't gotten her hopes up about the closeness of her childhood home. She lost track of exactly how long they walked for, because everything around them never changed. Her feet were numb, her legs sore, and her eyes tired from seeing the same damn thing. She let out a sigh. Now she was starting to sound like Dimitri with all his swearing. She wondered how everyone could remain so upbeat when she felt like they were walking in circles.

  Tatyanna hadn't seen Terran, and she yearned to talk to him to get more answers about everything. There was so much she wanted to know, and she wasn't sure where to start, or even who to ask. She knew she could ask Dimitri, or Emmett, but she felt like they were keeping things from her. The two dwarves kept to themselves, or to each other. Tatyanna wondered if there was more going on between the two. They had been strictly platonic so far, but still, she could have sworn she saw Lilly glancing over at Medo, more than what was necessary.

  And then there was Cale. Tatyanna wasn't sure what to make of him. When they first met, he was a cocky jerk, and she couldn't stand him. She hated him after the hospital incident, but now, it seemed like he was trying to make up for his previous behavior. He has been nothing but nice to her, which creeped her out more than anything, because she wasn't sure what to think of him, or his sudden change in behavior. Maybe he felt like he owed her, since she saved his life…again. Or, maybe, it was something else. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel, because she couldn’t get a solid read on the guy. Eventually, Tatyanna put him from her thoughts. She had other stuff on her plate she should be thinking about, important stuff about saving the world. She shouldn't waste it on a guy pretending to care. Silly. She laughed at herself, blaming in on the sensation of walking in circles.

  The sky outside was starting to darken. They still had a few hours before it would be nightfall, but Tatyanna was hoping they would have gotten somewhere by now. But then, something changed. She couldn't place it. She felt like she had crossed an invisible line. The air became cooler, and for once since leaving the clearing, the scenery was changing. Everything around them was frozen. Trees were frozen in place, like someone had hit a pause button and forgot to hit play. The further they walked, the colder it became, and she hugged her cloak around her, wrapping her arms around her body. The ground crunched under her feet, and snow was everywhere.

  Tatyanna didn't understand how everything could be drastically so different. She wanted to stop and ask what was going on, but with the sudden drop in temperature, she just wanted to find a warm place where they could sleep for the night. She was so cold; she couldn't feel her toes and stumbled slightly. Cale caught her before she face-planted in the snow, and Tatyanna was surprised by the heat she felt radiating off him. He seemed embarrassed for touching her, and quickly apologized and fell back behind the group. She saw Dimitri glaring at him, and Emmett stood to the side watching the man, as if he was sizing him up. She looked around her, and sighed silently at the beauty before her. Everything might have been frozen, but it was a nice change from the death they had spent the last few days walking through. She wondered what made this area different.

  Before she could ask if they were going to stop for the night, Dimitri called the group to a stop and announced they would be making camp. He had found an opening to a cave, and they would sleep there. She was so happy the place was dry, but when she walked into the camp, Emmett let her down when he informed her they couldn't make a fire. That it would be too big of a risk. She could understand, but she was still so cold.

  Tatyanna’s companions had spread out that night. Emmett stayed close to her, as well as Althea, but the others were well-hidden keeping an eye out for any kind of intruder. She laid out on the hard surface of the cave floor, staring at the ceiling trying to will herself to sleep, but it wasn't working. She wondered if maybe she should count sheep, but in the end, decided it was too much effort.

  “What's wrong?” Emmett asked her, at long last.

  Tatyanna turned toward him, barely making out his form in the near darkness, thankful for the bright moon that shed some light on their sleeping quarters. She thought he was asleep, because he hadn't made any noise at all.

  “Why doesn't Terran heal the earth, if that is where his power lies?”

  “Because everyone believes he is dead. If the earth were to heal, then people would know either he was alive, or he had a child, and he would be hunted. So instead he hides. When the time is right, he will make it known to all he is alive and well, and has been this whole time. But until then, he will stay in the shadows.”

  Tatyanna thought that over, and it made sense to her. She knew she didn't like being a walking target and unsure of the unknown, but, for Terran, it was different. He knew what to expect, whereas she didn't.

  “Why am I being given special treatment?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I have all of you guys to help me, and you will eventually lead me to this mysterious Marek, who will ultimately protect me from everything. Why me? Why not Terran as well? What is so special about me?”

  “All four of the rulers are special. Your powers are beyond anything we have ever seen, so that makes all four of you special. But to answer your question, your mother put certain things in place before her death to ensure you would be kept safe. She knew what was about to happen. She foresaw her own death, and tried to warn the others, but they thought she was only overreacting. By the time her vision came true, it was too l
ate, and Terran and Seraphina were lost in the upheaval. The people haven't given up hope, but no one has seen either one in years, and it was easier to believe sometimes they are both dead. We now know Terran is alive, but eventually, you two will have to work together to find Seraphina.”

  “How are we supposed to stop Larik?”

  Emmett let out a long sigh, and Tatyanna could hear him rolling onto his side to answer her. “I don't know,” he said apologetically. “That is something the three of you will have to figure out on your own.”

  “Can it be done?”

  “Yes. Grandfather has told us it can be, but we have to want to save things, and prove we want it, in order to save our world. He is tired of coming in, time and time again, to save us, only to let it happen again. Now, we must prove we want to make a change.”

  Tatyanna was quiet as she thought of everything. His responses were resulting in more questions, and they were questions she didn't think anyone could answer. She would have to see, and experience, everything herself in order to find the answers, and she hated having to wait.

  “Is that the only thing bothering you?” Emmett asked, with a knowing certainty it wasn't.

  “No,” she said, sighing. “Why is everything in this land frozen, when everywhere else it was dead?”

  “Do you feel any different being here than where we were before?” he asked, not answering her question. She did feel a slight tug in her stomach, but didn't know what that meant, and she told him so. “This is your land. What you feel is the earth welcoming you back. You are slowly reconnecting with all around you. Don't close that feeling off. Open it up, and embrace it.”

  “But, how? How do I open myself up? What good will that do? Everything is still frozen, I can't change that, and until Terran comes out of hiding, the earth will still look this way.”

  “No, it won't. The earth is frozen, because when your parents died, and you left this world, your land froze itself as a protective mechanism. No one can touch the earth; nothing will grow and nothing will die. Your land is in mourning, and will continue to be until you open up and truly accept who you are. You are the only one who can unfreeze the earth. Terran can only bring life to the earth, but you are the one in control of water, and therefore can unfreeze the land.”

  “But, how?” she asked, almost begging him.

  Emmett shrugged. “I don't have the answers you seek. Your power is your own, and you are the only one who can master it. Once you unlock that secret, you will be able to do anything you want. Now, it is late, and tomorrow is a new day. Try to get some sleep.” He rolled away from her.

  “One more thing,” she said as she stared at Emmett’s back. When he didn’t turn back to look at her, she asked anyway, “Why did Prince Larik attack Cale?”

  “What makes you think he attacked him?”

  Tatyanna was confused by this question. “Because he did. We all saw what happened earlier. He stuck his hand through Cale’s body and grabbed his heart. He was going to kill him.”

  “I don’t think he would,” Emmett said softly. “Prince Larik despises humans. He doesn’t do anything without carefully thinking about it first. He attacked Cale for a reason. We just have to figure out what that reason was, and how it will affect us.”

  “Do you trust him?” she asked. But, Tatyanna was met with silence, and knew the answer. This confused her even more, because she had started to develop feelings for the man. She felt slightly ashamed, because of the lack of trust from Emmett.

  Tatyanna lay awake for several hours, willing herself to open up to the earth around her. She cursed herself silently for asking questions, and knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep now.

  “Come on, sleepyhead. Time to wake up,” she heard Dimitri, as he gently rocked her. She slowly opened her eyes and felt the warmth of the day, and was thankful she was able to fall asleep after all. She still didn't know if she had opened herself up to the earth or not because she still felt the same, but she was determined to figure it out as they continued on their journey.

  Tatyanna walked out of the cave with Althea and Lilly by her side to wash up and take care of certain duties, before declaring herself ready. Instead of resting, she agreed to eat on the go, and held some form of hard bread and meat in her hand as they walked deeper into her land.

  Tatyanna didn't pay much attention to her surroundings, and tried to concentrate on opening herself up, like Emmett told her. Several times she walked into Dimitri's back, because he had stopped to help navigate through difficult terrain. He would give her a look each time it happened, but not once did he ask her why she wasn't paying attention. At one point, they stopped for a quick rest, and she found a huge boulder to sit on. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, discovering she could smell the faint whiffs of the ocean. Tatyanna breathed in deep again, and could smell other forms of water.

  In the direction they were headed, Tatyanna knew there was a huge waterfall they would be passing. In her mind's eye, she could see the waterfall, and hearing the rushing rapids as the water crashed into the rocks below. It was built into the side of a mountain, and she knew what lay ahead was a test of some sort. They wouldn't be walking around the waterfall, or by it. They would be going through it. She started to feel scared, and her heartbeat started to race. As soon as it began, it slowed down, as Tatyanna felt a wave of peace wash over her.

  ‘It will be okay,’ she heard a voice in her mind say. ‘Believe, and you will be fine.’ She didn't know where the voice came from, but she believed it. Her friends wouldn't do anything to hurt her, and she had to trust them, and the power within her. She could do this. She could do anything.

  When she opened her eyes, Tatyanna saw that her friends were getting ready to head out again, and she quickly picked up her pack. Everyone got into the same formation, with her behind Dimitri. “Are you going to be stepping on my heels again, or will you leave me with what skin is left on them?” he joked.

  Tatyanna laughed. “I'll try, but no guarantees.”

  As the group moved on, the earth around them was starting to change. The snow on the boulder Tatyanna had sat on was slowly melting for the first time in almost two decades.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Test

  Tatyanna tried to work on concentrating, and at the same time, being aware of her surroundings. Even though she didn't step on Dimitri's heels, she came close to it several times. She could tell they were getting close to the waterfall, because she could hear the rushing water, but their surroundings had hardly changed at all. As they walked, she swore she could hear music. The closer they walked to the falls, the louder the music became. At one point, she asked her companions if they heard the music, too, but Emmett chalked it up to her being awake for half the night, and imagining things.

  As the music grew louder, Tatyanna had to stop for a second to take a deep breath. The music was so loud, she felt her ears vibrating from the noise, and briefly leaned up against a tree. She could feel the soul of the tree singing out, rejoicing her presence and welcoming her home. She envisioned what the world had been like during her absence, and she vowed to change all of that, and bring peace to the lands again. When the music quieted, Tatyanna righted herself, and told her friends she was ready.

  Once again, as they continued on, the earth behind them changed. The tree Tatyanna had been leaning against was starting to thaw, and the snow beneath their footprints started to melt, revealing green grass. The change Emmett had told Tatyanna about was taking place, and she had yet to realize it.

  When they finally made it to the waterfall, the music was a soft buzz in her mind compared to the sounds of the rushing waves. Tatyanna stared in amazement at the sight before her. The water was a deep, electric blue, and the area surrounding the falls and mountain was a vibrant lush green. Here, there was life, and Tatyanna felt tears in her eyes to see not everything was dead. A little piece of heaven had been left untouched, and the beauty unmarred. As she studied the area, Tatyanna didn't s
ee any sort of opening, and wondered how she was supposed to walk through the rushing water with her life still intact.

  “Have faith,” Emmett said. Tatyanna glanced at him, and wondered if he could read her mind. “Have faith,” he said again.

  “What does faith have to do with any of this?” she asked, pointing at the waterfall.

  “You need to believe in who, and what, you are, in order to make it through. This is a test. In order to pass this test, you need to believe.”

  “Believe in what, exactly?” she asked, feeling scared because she didn't know if she even knew who she really was. She knew what she wanted, but was that enough?

  Dimitri was the one to answer her this time. Reaching out, he took her hand and yelled, so he could be heard over the falls, “Since we have met, your life has changed. This is the final test for you to put everything you once knew behind you, and to embrace who you really are. You are a princess, Tatyanna. You are the ruler of these lands. You were born with the power to control the waters. You are a healer. Believe in that. I know you are afraid of the unknown, but everyone here believes in you. And that is what you must think about as you walk through the waterfall.”

  With those final words, Dimitri gave her hand a squeeze and then let it drop back down to her side. He stepped into the pool of water surrounding the waterfall, and walked calmly toward the rushing waters. Tatyanna wanted to reach out and stop him, fearing for the worse. As he neared the raging falls, they opened up around him, and he walked through without feeling a single drop.

  “What?” Tatyanna asked in disbelief. She watched again as both dwarves walked toward the water together. Lilly stopped once to smile at her before walking through.

  “Are you ready for this?”

  Her heart was racing so hard she was afraid she was going to faint. Tatyanna couldn’t believe what she was saying and fearing all this was a dream.