The High Queen's Vow [The Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book IV]

by Robbie Collins

  She looked down at the Young One, “Ready, Future Supreme Sovereign of The Realm?"

  Sele’ looked up at her and nodded, unfazed by the potential danger to her, “Of course, Highness."

  The High Queen nodded, pleased with Sele's detachment from the danger, “We will go to My eighth meditation together. I will guide our way. And then we will jump into another meditation, long from The Realm. One I have not used for long, long prior."

  "The eighth, Highness? You will allow me there with you?"

  "It seems the moment, Young One."

  The High Queen crouched down so that Sele’ could place her hand upon her head. It was a difficult position to obtain such remoteness away from The Realm, but San'lr'in’ thought it necessary so that Sele’ could have a close attachment. She began taking them through the meditations, as The Healer placed her hand lightly on The High Queen's head, following their progress. Sle'nel’ watched from just outside the crater, hearing the sorcerer's chanting and watching as her Birth-daughter, her lover, and The Healer entered into a place far from her.

  "What do they do now, Elf?"

  She sensed Ann'wn next to her, but kept watching the intensity of her lover's concentration, “They move to the edge of The Realm toward the OuterRealm."

  "The OuterRealm, Elf? What is this?"

  "A place where few can go. The edge of all sorcery and magic. A most dangerous of places. It is said to be the beginning of much magic and sorcery."

  "How do you know of such?"

  "The memory of it was given to me, most recently."

  "The Healer goes with them?"

  "No. She is there to bring them back, if necessary. She watches over them.” She turned to Ann'wn, smiling gently to her for the first moment in many, “Concerned about your lover, Force Leader?"

  Ann'wn looked at the gentleness of Sle'nel's face. It had been long since she had seen it provided to her. Her heart melted at its kindness, “It is as you say. That and The High Queen and the Young One's safety, my Elf."

  "It is not easy to stand on the border, Ann'wn. It is something you will have to learn."

  Ann'wn was surprised, “You know that we have come together, then?"

  Sle'nel’ laughed lightly, “As do all in our camp. It is a small camp, after all. Treat The Healer well, Force Leader. Our Queen loves her well and would have it that nothing harms her. Not even you. Our healer is not wise in the ways of love, and has not ventured onto this path in many turns. Betray not her trust. She will take it as hard as I did with The Highest. Her heart is hard-won, but when given, is almost as strong as an Elf's. No Mystic can get closer to an Elf-kind than with this Healer."

  Ann'wn touched Sle'nel's shoulder, “I have been a long moment in coming to this love. I am not about to throw it away. Lying in her arms is like lying on a cloud."

  Sle'nel’ looked for a moment at Ann'wn's hand upon her shoulder, thinking she was hard on this Force Leader, “Much is required of you, Force Leader. And you give much, as well. You deserve this happiness. I am glad it has come your way."

  The High Queen and Sele’ had moved their way into the eighth meditation, where sensing was the only awareness present. Sele’ had never prior experienced as such, anxious in learning more of it, yet having no fear of it. The High Queen gave her thoughts to Sele’ occasionally, guiding her along the long passage. The High Queen could also feel that The Healer remained observing, present, but distant, as needed of her.

  As San'lr'in’ moved into her eighth meditation, she remained there for a moment, merely sensing. Sensing the crater. Sensing any sign of another's presence upon this land. Sensing any remainder of their sorcery. Using Sele's growing powers and strength, she sensed even deeper, trying to remain in the eighth meditation rather than jump to another realm, a place she didn't wish to go. After many long moments in this state, The High Queen sensed all she could, sensing far deeper than ever prior, with Sele's assistance.

  She could sense the dark powers, but could sense nothing more. She could bring their smell to her, but nothing more. She knew the Dark Powers had stood upon this spot, and could sense their being, and their aliveness, but nothing more.

  And she needed far more. She needed their identity. She needed to know what they looked like. She needed to see them. To know them. She moved back slightly from her sensing, moving to the far edge of the eighth meditation, taking a deep breath, something seldom done in this stage, then jumped her senses to the edge of The Realm, into the edge of the OuterRealm.

  The OuterRealm was a place where the physical being was both slightly detached, yet attached to the mental being, but neither alive nor dead, and neither fully present or fully absent.

  Where are we, Highness?

  Think not. Sense. Move not from this moment.

  Sele’ gave her senses over to her High Queen, now knowing The High Queen's concern. San'lr'in’ saw the edge of their realms collide together. She had been this far only one prior moment, but knew of its danger well. It was at this edge that long prior, one of The Realm's long-prior teachers of one of The High Queens had willingly stepped into the OuterRealm to rid The Realm of the long-prior dark sorcery powers. She had never returned, and no trace could ever be found. It was at this place that the recently returned Dark Sorcerer had to have come to retrieve the long-prior, long-hidden dark sorcery.

  San'lr'in’ walked about, searching for what she knew not. She kept her mind opened for anything, hoping for any clue. She sensed Sele's slight fear, but moved away from it, as she moved Sele’ slightly back into their own realm so that she could remain connected to The Realm through her.

  The OuterRealm wasn't a dimension understood to any. It wasn't a place, and it wasn't within understanding of the living. It was; and it wasn't. It had no appearance in any known regard, and it had no elements to sustain life, but it also had no elements to take life. It was a state of eternal nothingness, and a state of all. Life came from it, and life came to it, but it neither cared nor took notice. To enter into the OuterRealm was to remove oneself from everything sensed or thought. It was a state of stasis, yet of eternal change.

  She stood where she was, far enough into the OuterRealm, yet connected to The Realm through Sele'. Without the powers of the Young One, she couldn't have come this far. To move further was to risk losing her way back to The Realm. So she stood, watching and sensing. As she merged slightly more into the ways of the OuterRealm, she began to somehow move herself into its way of being. She began to see some long-lost ones who had entered, but never re-emerged, and began to see paths. Paths that led somewhere, but nowhere. San'lr'in’ knew better than to think these paths as real, having learned through her teachers that these paths were simply of sorcery to compel the living deeper into the OuterRealm.

  She could sense Sele's and The Healer's thoughts as they tried to keep her in her own realm. She knew they were there, so took one step further into the OuterRealm, hoping that Sele’ would be able to hold on to their connection. One step is all it took, and all that was needed.

  She found the long prior lost teacher who had so willingly given her life to remove the Dark Sorcery from The Realm. The teacher came to her, neither seeing her, but seeing her. Neither speaking nor sending her thoughts, but giving her what had occurred with the one who came and stole-back the dark sorcery. Giving her in some unknown fashion to San'lr'in', the identity of the Dark Sorcerer. As the tale was completed, The High Queen reached out her hand, trying to take hold of the teacher, to lead her back into The Realm.

  A clear message came into her mind, You are coming overly into the OuterRealm and are at great risk of losing your way. You cannot return with me. Go. Go now.

  She tried to send a message, Take My hand. Come with Me.

  She could feel Sele’ and The Healer pulling her, yelling at her to return. She kept her arm held out to the teacher, Take My hand.

  She felt herself being pulled back, as she struggled against it. It was peaceful here, yet she knew she couldn't remain, Come
with Me.

  The long prior teacher held out her hand, struggling to touch this Mystic, this living entity in the place of the non-living, I cannot. Go. I am having forgotten how.

  Try. Take My hand. Touch Me. I can hold you. The Realm needs you.

  The long-prior teacher struggled. As she finally got near to San'lr'in', The High Queen moved forward slightly and grabbed onto her just as Sele’ used all her unknown powers to pull her beloved High Queen back to the edge.

  As San'lr'in’ sensed herself now back at the edge, she also sensed that she was now holding onto the long-prior teacher. She sent her thoughts to Sele', Now, Future Supreme Sovereign! With all the powers you and The Healer hold, pull Me. Pull Me hard. I hold onto another.

  The Healer had called The Highest and the sorcerers over to her and Sele', connecting into their powers so that Sele's were greater. The sorcerers gave up their powers easily, but Sam didn't know how to do this. Quickly, The Healer sent Sam into a state of unknowingness, and channeled into her powers without Sam's awareness. It was finally enough for Sele'. Using all their combined powers, she concentrated on returning her Queen to The Realm. She could sense the weight and burden of more than just her High Queen's, but ignored it as she continued to concentrate and struggle, sending her Queen her own powers, Feel my strength. Come to me, my Queen.

  Uthrn was concerned, “What is happening? They look overly concerned. What do they do with The Highest?"

  For many moments, all had appeared normal. The High Queen had remained in the middle of the crater, crouched next to the Young One, with Sele's hand upon her head, and the sorcerers had remained chanting. But suddenly, The High Queen's image began to phase out of The Realm, not fully in The Realm, but not fully gone from it. Her form shimmered slightly as if trying to decide where it should be. Yet she didn't move, nor did Sele'.

  Sle'nel’ held her breath, knowing that her lover now stood at the very edge of The Realm and the OuterRealm, neither in one nor the other, but in both. From her Elfin memories given by her Mother and Birth-Mother, she knew that being nowhere in either realm, yet being in both realms at the same moment was as difficult in the sensing of it as it was physically. Now she understood why as she watched her lover move back-and-forth from one realm to the other. She thought that there must be great pain in this effort.

  Black Uthrn was overly concerned for her lover, The Highest. Ann'wn was concerned for her lover, The Healer, as well as for her Queen, and Sle'nel’ was concerned for her lover and her Birth-daughter, knowing that The Healer and Sam would be fine. Caitha had come near to Sle'nel', just placing her hand on the Elf's shoulder, “Your lover is a strong one, M'Love."

  Sle'nel’ raised her own hand to Caitha's in acknowledgment, but said nothing as she helplessly watched her lover's body shimmer in and out of The Realm. Everyone grew rigid as they watched The High Queen finally stand, holding herself as if in great pain, but with one arm fully outstretched, as if holding onto something, while the Young Future Supreme Sovereign held tightly onto The High Queen's other arm.

  San'lr'in’ gave a groan as if in great pain at the effort of breathing, and Sele’ screamed as she brought both her Queen and the long prior teacher back into The Realm. Suddenly, The High Queen's body became whole once again, no longer shimmering and phasing in-and-out between realms, while another form emerged upon the ground in front of her. Sele’ let go of The Healer, breaking their connection, then, along with her Queen, fainted at their great effort, falling to sandy ground.

  The Healer didn't know who to tend first. In front of her lay her High Queen, breathing slightly, unconscious and in great pain, the Future Supreme Sovereign, also breathing, but also in great pain and unconscious, and a new Mystic lying near The High Queen, breathing, but slightly so.

  Sele’ began to stir, so The Healer made her decision and tended to her first, helping to remove the great pain from her. Sele’ was crying from the pain, but trying not to, not yet able to control this emotion. As she saw that Sele’ was returning unharmed yet in pain, The Healer motioned to the sorcerers to help remove her pain.

  The Healer then went to her High Queen, trying to enter into her mind. It was an impossibility to re-enter The Realm from the eighth meditation without extreme consequences, but to re-enter directly from the OuterRealm was beyond all that was possible. Yet here lay her High Queen in front of her, yet breathing, and yet with them no matter how uneasy her presence remained. The Healer entered her mind lightly, removing pain as it came to her, for many long moments. When she had removed much of the pain, she removed herself from her Queen's mind, unable to help further. She knew that her Queen would have to rest before she could move fully back into The Realm.

  She moved over to the other person that now lay unconscious in The Realm, realizing she had no clue as to the identity of this woman. She entered into her mind very lightly, sensing much pain. She drew her breath to her, removing her own pains gained from helping the others, then began to remove some of the pain from this unknown Mystic. As she did, she sensed that this woman's life yet hung between realms. She looked to Sele', hoping for help, but saw that Sele’ was yet far from being able to provide more of her own powers. The Healer entered into her first meditation, then her second, and into her third, in an effort to help this woman, who must be very important to her Queen. She moved more deeply into her third meditation, then helped the woman come more into her senses, helping her to come more fully back into The Realm. As she did so, and as the woman began to enter into The Realm, The Healer again sensed immense pain. She struggled for what seemed an eternity, working to remove the great pain, working to help keep her Queen's effort alive.

  After many long moments, The Healer felt the woman breathe what seemed to be her first true breath in The Realm. As this occurred, The Healer began to back herself out of her meditations. The woman would live, so she would tend more to her upon a later moment. When she finally arrived back into The Realm, she saw that her High Queen yet lay upon the ground fully unconscious, with Sle'nel’ and the sorcerers about her. She rose, exhausted, but having great need to tend once again to her High Queen. She looked at the sorcerers, “Move away."

  She had always prior felt them useless when it came to the healing arts, in spite of their great healing spells. Knowing of her distaste of their abilities, and of her high position to The High Queen, they complied without question. She crouched to The High Queen, moving back into her mind gently, so as to discover where her Queen now placed herself.

  She touched her Queen's head, My Queen. Return to me.

  Nothing. She could sense nothing. Her Queen was yet far removed from The Realm, in a deep unconsciousness.

  She looked up at Sle'nel', “She is unconscious. She jumped from the OuterRealm directly back into The Realm, without having gone through her meditations. An impossibility."

  "What can be done?"

  Sele’ ambled over, feeling improved, but still with some pain, “I can help."

  The Healer looked at her, “You have done all you can."

  "No. This must not be so. The High Queen needs my powers to return. She holds not enough powers at this moment. She used all her strength to return with the long-prior teacher."

  "Long-prior teacher?"

  Sele’ looked at her Birth-Mother, “I will explain in a moment, Birth-Mother.” She looked to The Healer, “Connect me to her mind. You will have to control our powers to bring her back. She cannot remain where she now is. We must help her to return. Even then, she will have great difficulty for a long while. She is weakened beyond ever-prior. But we must also now leave this spot, as it holds great danger for us. Quickly Healer, use me."

  The Healer nodded, doing as Sele’ had spoken. She connected to Sele's powers and used them to help restore her High Queen to The Realm. For many moments, she sent some of Sele's strength to The High Queen so that she could move fully back into The Realm.

  "Talk to her, Elf. Compel her back to you."

  As Sle'nel’ spoke to
San'lr'in', The Healer used all the healing powers now available to her, through Sele', helping restore The High Queen. All The High Queen's forces looked on helplessly as they wondered who this new woman was that their Queen had returned with to The Realm.

  When The Healer and Sele’ had given and done all they could, The Healer went to Ann'wn, “We are all in your hands, Force Leader. I can barely stand from the exhaustion now within me. The High Queen will remain in her unconscious state for at least the remainder of the turn, but will return to us. Young Sele’ will also sleep for the next turn, and this long-prior teacher will remain in her unconscious state for another turn. You are now the greatest strength we have about us."

  Ann'wn held her healer to her, “We will camp here. You can rest."

  The Healer moved away from her, startled, “No! We must not! There is great danger here. We must leave quickly. We will have to travel throughout the eve as well. Get us well away from this spot, Force Leader. It must be so before The High Queen can return to The Realm. We must leave now!"

  Ann'wn was about to ask her lover of what kind of danger they now faced, but saw that The Healer was beginning to also faint from her exertions. Ann'wn caught her as she fell, then gave directions to An'ther'on to quickly prepare The High Queen, the new woman, and the young Future Supreme Sovereign and ride north with all possible haste. Ann'wn gave The Healer to a guard while she mounted, then two guards handed her gently up to Ann'wn. The High Queen was placed with the Elf, the new woman was placed with a guard, and young Sele’ was placed into Ern'seln's care. Then, without need of further motivation, An'ther'on led them away at a quick gallop.

  They rode throughout the remainder of the turn, then throughout the eve, beyond their horses’ abilities to ride further, and beyond their own abilities to remain alert. As the sun's rise began to show them a new turn, The Healer woke, returning somewhat back into The Realm, “Where are we?"