by Toni Cox
She released her brother from her contact. She immediately slumped forward, her heart beating out of rhythm and her breathing hard. She heard Jaik moan. Concern made her pull herself together and get up. Jaik was on all fours, breathing hard as well. After a moment, he too, stood and took his sister in his arms.
“How is he? Will he be all right now?”
“Yes, he just needs rest now. Can you ask the men to take him to Silas’ cave?”
Maia spent the night with Wolf. Her parents, as well as Aaron and the children, came to see Wolf and spent some time keeping vigil with her. Silas spent the whole night in the cave as well. He had acquired some meaty bones from the Butchery and cooked them overnight, adding some selected herbs such as Thyme, as well as garlic and onions during the cooking process, all of which would speed his healing process. In the morning, the broth was cooled. A bowl would be ready for when Wolf woke up.
“You should get some sleep.”
Maia knew Silas was right. She had fought to keep her eyes open all night, but had refused to give in. Although his wounds were healed, the abuse that the body had suffered had weakened him. He had had no water or food for a whole day and a whole night. During the middle of the night, he had developed a fever and for a while, she had thought he would not make it. She had given him what little energy she had regained since the healing, but it had left her even more tired than before. But it had helped. Within an hour, the fever had broken and he had finally slept. Now the Datura had worked its way out of his body and he was sleeping peacefully.
“Can I sleep here? I don’t want to leave him.”
“You can take the spare cot.” Silas gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t you worry, I will look after him. I will give him the broth when he wakes.”
Maia crawled under the blankets of the bunk and was asleep even before Silas had shuttered the lanterns.
Aaron worried about her. She always seemed so strong, but he knew that, deep down, she was as fragile as a bird.
He had been so elated. Meeting the dragon had been the most terrifying thing he had ever had to endure. He had watched at first, unwilling to admit his fear of the beast, but then he had watched Luke and Jasmin and they seemed to be so relaxed with the dragon, he thought he might give it a try. He had only taken a few steps towards him when the whole atmosphere had changed. The dragon had crouched, staring him straight into the eyes and this strange sound had come out of his throat that had chilled him to the bone. It was the most terrifying sound he had ever heard, but the only sound he could possibly compare it to, was the sound of the air brakes on their big mining vehicles on Earth.
But then, Maia had called him a rival male, and it had made the terrifying experience worth it. Archer had explained to him how Maia controlled the dragon, that it was their minds that were linked, and for the dragon to think that he was a rival, must mean that Maia thought of him as a suitor. It filled him with hope.
Then Maia had run out of the house with such haste. At first, he had thought it was because of him, but then he had heard the shouts as people ran past the house toward the north side of the city. He had gone out and followed the crowd. By the steps to Stony Lane stood a circle of warriors, facing an ever growing number of onlookers. He had pushed his way to the front and what he had seen there would stay with him for the rest of his life. It had cemented the feelings he had for Maia even more. She was amazing.
When he had gone to see her in the old man’s cave, he had seen the toll healing that wolf had taken on her. She looked gaunt, her skin was ashy and her answers were clipped. He was almost angry with the wolf for having done this to her. They had stayed for a while, sharing her concern for the animal, but then Silas had made them leave and he had been sitting on the veranda of his house, contemplating the mystery that was Maia until he got too cold.
There was a chill in there air that had not been there a month ago. A Moon cycle ago, he corrected himself. He was slowly learning the ways of this planet. Their calendar year consisted of eighteen Moons, or Moon cycles, not twelve months like on Earth. Each Moon cycle had twenty-four days, each divided into twenty-four hours. Each successive six days was called a Quarter Moon. Every two weeks, or two Quarters, they called a fortnight, just like they did on Earth.
Silas had told him only yesterday, that Fire Moon was almost at an end, and that Harvest Moon, the eleventh Moon of their calendar year, would begin in a couple of days. Then it was the Moon of Plenty, followed by Falls Moon and Still Moon and on the first day of the Moon of Darkness, winter had truly begun. He struggled to remember all eighteen, but he would always remember the Moon of the Dragon, for that was the Moon they had first arrived here. It was the seventh Moon of their year, the middle of the Elveronian summer. Our summer, he corrected himself again, for he had decided to stay, forever, even if Maia found a way to send them back.
Slowly she drifted out of sleep. She was still so tired, but Wolf’s persistent licking was driving her crazy. Wolf! Suddenly wide awake, she jumped out of bed, startling the wolf so he yipped and jumped backwards. Then he came to her, tail wagging madly and licking her hands. She knelt beside him on the floor and rubbed his shaggy coat, buried her face in it, tears streaming down her face.
“Oh, Wolf, I am so happy to see you up.” She kissed him on his nose. “How are you feeling?”
Methodically, she checked every part of his body, which proved to be more difficult than she expected, as he kept trying to roll onto his back so she could rub his belly.
“Hold still, will you? I need to make sure you’re all right?”
“I think he is quite all right. It is you I am worried about.”
Silas walked over and handed her a steaming cup of tea. She took it gratefully and sat back on the bed. Wolf sat by her feet, tongue lolling out of his mouth, watching her.
“I’m still a little tired, but I am fine. I am so happy Wolf is feeling better.”
“Healing him took a lot of your energy. And Jaik’s. Even he slept for a day.”
“A day? How long did I sleep for?”
“Three days.” Silas chuckled at the expression on Maia’s face. “You missed some interesting discussions, but do not worry, I will fill you in once you have eaten something. I have made you some broth too, although this one was made with fowl and vegetables.”
Silas took the empty cup from Maia and walked toward the fireplace.
“Your mother left you some fresh clothes. Why don’t you get washed up and then we can talk?” he said over his shoulder as he walked away from her, giving her the privacy to do as he suggested.
Once she was washed and changed; and had been to relieve herself; she settled by the fire next to Silas. Wolf lay by her feet, gnawing on a bone Silas had thrown him.
While Silas stirred the pot in which her broth was slowly heating, he told her of what had transpired the last three days.
“The men from Thala Yll left yesterday. You left quite an impression on them. They talked about nothing else that whole night. It was almost impossible for Jagaer to extract a complete account of their trip from them, as they kept telling everybody who would listen about how amazing you were.”
Maia blushed. She had never liked the attention her status got her.
“Did they catch the Vampyres?” she asked, seeking to distract Silas from his current topic.
“They did indeed. They were hiding out in a cave just below Mount Pluteas. Wolf had caught their scent and led the men there. Once the Vampyres realised they had been discovered, they fled. They chased them for over ten miles before they eventually managed to corner them. Jaik said they fought like men possessed. He has never seen anything like it. There were twenty-eight, twenty-nine including Wolf, of our men, but only five of them. It should have been over quickly, but somehow two managed to circle back during the fight and attacked Jaik’s group from behind. Archer said that one of them was about to deliver the killing blow to Jaik, when Wolf jumped at the Vampyre, clamping his teeth over his throat. The
Vampyre apparently let out a screech like nothing they had ever heard before and the rest stopped fighting with the men and turned to help their companion. You know the damage they inflicted.” Silas bent down and briefly patted the wolf’s head. “But it gave the men the opportunity they were looking for. With the Vampyres distracted, they converged on them and the fight was soon ended. Three were killed, but two of them they bound and Commander Arkenbay set to getting the information they were after. Jaik said it was not a pretty thing to watch, so he took some of the men and they saw to Wolf as best they could. He was going to leave the group, to take Wolf home to you, while the others dealt with the Vampyres, but the interrogation did not last that long. Just a few minutes in, the Vampyres both bit into something they had hidden in their mouths and were dead almost instantly. With the Vampyres dead, there was no reason for them to delay. They quickly built the stretcher and hurried home. The rest you know.”
Maia took a moment to sift through the information. She was glad, on the one hand, that her premonition had nothing to do with Death. However, if Commander Arkenbay had only been tracking two of them, then that meant that three of them had been hiding within a day’s walk from their city all this time. It was a terrifying thought. She had been right. Had she not sent Wolf along on the mission, something terrible could have happened to Jaik. She shuddered.
“Why are they here, Silas? What have we done to them that they raid our planet and kill our people?”
“We don’t know, Maia, but Jagaer is determined to find out. He has decided to send Somas to Naylera.”
“What?” Maia asked, shocked.
“He is to go in undetected. His elemental power is Air, so he is able to refract the light in such a way as to make himself invisible. You know the theory.” He nodded, as if to confirm it to himself. “He is to find out what is driving these attacks, so that we might find out what we can do to stop them.”
“But that is a suicide mission,” Maia whispered. How could her father do that?
“Somas is our best Tracker and he is exceptionally skilled in stealth, trapping, hand-to-hand combat and the Silent Knives. There is no-one better suited for this mission. He left for the Gate last night.”
Silas took the pot off the fire and placed it on the low table next to the pit. Maia took a bowl from the table and held it while Silas ladled the steaming soup into it. It smelled delicious and she realised for the first time how hungry she was.
They sat in silence for a while. Maia ate first one, then a second bowl of soup and then went to wash the bowl before she sat again next to Silas to continue their conversation.
“When is Somas expected back? How do we know he is all right?”
“Naylera time moves almost the same as ours. It is agreed that, if Somas is not back at Greystone within two days, the mission has failed and he has been discovered. Three Guard, Munnar, Boron and Aari, are keeping watch at the Gate with some of the Regiment. They have Aari’s falcon with them to send a message when the time comes. Jagaer is yet undecided about what he will do if Somas does not return, but he is preparing for war. Commander Arkenbay has taken messages with him to dispatch to Alea Yll and the north. Birds have been sent to Braérn, Tarron Heights, Rathaés and Dragonfort. Braérn will relay message to Crook Island and Stoneloft and beyond. Jagaer has given the command to produce arms and war machines. Even now, our Smiths are working on producing swords, arrowheads, spearheads, and various parts of armour. Our Carpenters, including Aaron, are constructing war machines. To my surprise, Aaron has been very helpful in this, even if our methods are different from his. He has a mind for tactics and I have never met a more talented Engineer.”
It was another day before she had completely regained her energy. She had not realised how much it had taken to heal Wolf. Silas had said that Wolf had been more dead, than alive, when she had set to work on him and, although healing was what she was born to do, fighting death could kill her. It had made her think. Silas talking about death had awakened memories of the other wolf. Was he truly Death? If so, what did he want from her? And why did he make her feel the way she did? Since her return, he had featured prominently not only in her dreams, but also during her waking hours. She had felt both fear and…She searched for the right word. Lust? He seemed to have a talent for appearing when she least needed him, causing alarm not only to her, but others as well. Maybe, in light of what was happening in her world at this moment, she should take more note of Death and his behaviour. Maybe he had been trying to tell her something and in her fear and…lust, she had overlooked it.
She had been on her way to the stables, but now she sat on a rock besides the path, feeling just as exhausted as she had been after she had healed Wolf. She tried to calm her breathing, wiped her sweaty hands on her pants and closed her eyes for a moment. Why was she so weak?
“Darr!”
The dwarfish expletive rolled off her tongue before she could stop herself. Her father would not be happy if he knew Glark had taught her such foul words. But the word seemed to be the only one fit to describe what she thought of herself. She hated herself for being so weak. She had no self-control.
Shaking her head, she stood up and carried on walking towards the stables. If war was indeed coming, then she would have to be stronger. It would not do to grow weak in the knees every time she thought of him. Nor could she afford to sleep for three days after healing just one patient, or throw up every time someone was in pain. She would have to be stronger.
“You want me to do what?”
She watched Jaik calmly as he paced up and down in front of her. She had met him and a handful of others by the stables and they had spent the morning helping the Horsemasters drive in the herds to the stables. It had been mayhem. Never before had Maia seen all their horses together like this, but they would need all the mounts for the coming war. The mares would need some training. They had spent most of their lives on the Grazing Grounds.
It was also the first time Maia had seen the filly Jaik had been talking about when she had first come back from Earth. She was now almost two years old and Maia could see why Jaik had mentioned her. Her coat gleamed as red as Fire’s, she had long, strong legs, a wide forehead and big, open eyes. The only difference in appearance, was that she had a wide blaze down her face, where Fire had none. She had also inherited her father’s fiery temperament and she had given them some trouble when it came to stabling her. Only after Maia had calmed her with her thoughts, had she been willing to go into the confined space and it had been another while before she had eventually settled down and started on her hay net.
“I want you to teach me how to kill.”
I want to defeat Death, she thought, but left it unspoken.
“But why? You know what it does to you.”
“That’s exactly it, Jaik. I cannot afford to be so weak. I must learn to deal with it. Otherwise I would be useless in a fight.”
“You are never useless, Maia, you know that. I have seen you do incredible things. You don’t need to be able to kill to be of help to us.”
Jaik stopped his pacing and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“You are, who you are, Maia. You cannot change that. What you have is not a weakness. Don’t you ever think that.”
“You cannot change my mind, Jaik. If it does come to war, then I will not let my people go without me. I need to be there for them. And Father will not let me go if I cannot control myself or defend myself. No,” she lifted her hand to stop Jaik’s interruption, “don’t say I can already defend myself. Sure, I can fight, but can I kill? What if I am face to face with a Vampyre and not just mine, but yours or someone else’s life depended on me killing him. Would I be able to do it? Would I be able to make that decision? I have to train harder, Jaik, not just the fighting, but also the killing.”
“You killed the bear.”
“Yes, I killed the bear. But had there been a second, would I have been able to carry on? Or would it have killed me in the moments that I lay on
the ground retching?
“Maia…” Jaik said, the anguish plain on his face.
“If you don’t want to do it, Jaik, just tell me. I will find someone else,” Maia said stubbornly.
She did not want to think about what this was doing to Jaik. She was always so weak; not wanting to inflict pain; she would have to be stronger.
“No, I would rather it be me, than anyone else.” He sighed.
He took her in his arms and held her for a while. Everyone else had returned to the city by then and they were alone now, the Stable Guards outside keeping watch. The smell of hay and horses was strong here in the stables and it was a comforting smell. Maia felt safe in her brother’s arms and she wished it could always be like this. But no, she would have to be strong. Reluctantly she freed herself from his embrace.
“I have already spoken to Egron. On average, he slaughters a score of chickens and a score of ducks per day and two cows every third day to feed the city. Deer and others animals are usually brought to him dead by the Hunters, but the domestic animals he slaughters himself. He has agreed to let me kill them. He said, as long as we bring the bodies of the animals back in one piece and it is done in accordance with our traditions, he does not mind who does it.”
Jaik stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. Maia watched him, eyes narrowed. She did not want him to make fun of this situation, this was serious.
“All right, you win. I will do whatever it takes to help you.” Jaik’s face grew serious again and Maia noticed the concern in his eyes. “But if I feel that it is too much for you, I will end it. No arguing. That’s my offer.”
Maia wiped the last of the blood off her clothes as best she could and stood up. It had been a long night and she was tired. She cast one last glance at Ätta and her new baby son, then hurried out through the door. They were both sleeping now and rest was exactly what they needed. Burindor was with them; Maia had given him some herbs, so he could prepare a tea for when Ätta woke up.