A Warrior's Legacy

by Guy Stanton III

  As one the audience pivoted to me extending their fists shouting, “No one!”

  The old leader wasn’t finished yet though. “I believe you have made a wise choice in making this man your leader into battle, but consider this that I am about to tell you. After this battle, after the war what then, when our people are free to go into the light of day and enjoy the warmth of it? Who will lead us then? We are neither the East nor are we the North. We are the people of Lanoria! Every kingdom needs leadership and a channel of command. This man is a man of enduring legacy and yet he has no place to call his own. I say if he is fit to be our leader in a time of war then he is also fit to be our leader in a time of peace and to seal this bond I say we give him our princess’s hand in union so that the strength and honor of the Ta’lont name will be forever among our people!”

  A deafening roar erupted of approval for their leader’s advice. Raya’s face had been one of elation as had the rest of the people, until the old leaders last words had registered to her.

  Before I knew what was happening we were pushed together by the crowd to stand in front of the old leader. Raya gazed at the old man reproachfully, but he seemed to ignore her.

  “Zevin Ta’lont will you lead us in war and in times of peace and assume the leadership of our new nation by taking the daughter of our people as your queen?”

  “I will!”

  There was a burst of applause and general merriment throughout the cavern, as backbreaking slaps by warriors abounded as they anticipated meeting new females.

  It was a lot to take in and I wasn’t quite sure what had happened. I was the king of these amazing people. The odd thing was that it felt unbelievably right to be so.

  Where was my dream girl?

  We had become separated in the general hubbub of the crowd of jubilant people. I found her retreating form pushing through the crowd away from me as hot anger governed her every movement.

  “Give her some time and she will cool down.”

  I glanced to the old leader, who had come up beside me.

  “She must hate me!”

  He nodded matter-of-factly, “Perhaps a little, but it is a good thing.”

  I looked at him as if he’d gone crazy. How could Raya hating me be a good thing?

  He chuckled at my consternation, “I’ve been around for a long time Zevin. I know more about these things than you do. Hate is a powerful emotion that can often turn into another powerful emotion. I’ll let you guess as to which one that is. Besides Zevin she already likes you far more than any hateful anger she may be feeling.”

  “She likes me?” I hadn’t known that.

  “Raya has been virtually alone all her life and she needs the companionship of a good man even more than you desire her companionship.”

  That I doubted. I’d never wanted to be with anyone more than I did with her.

  Several hours passed by before I managed to get away.

  I gazed up at the stone dwelling that was Raya’s, even as the woman who had led me here departed giggling at what she saw as a funny occurrence for some reason. For myself I was completely serious as I climbed up over the boulders to the narrow doorway.

  I slipped past the heavy blanket covering the doorway and entered the single room that lay within. The room was surprisingly well lit just as the old leaders had been.

  Colorful crystals, unique pieces of rock and even some softly glowing plants adorned the room. There was little else in the room.

  The bed was literally a narrow stone slab with some blankets thrown across it. Raya sat on the one end of it her back to me.

  I advanced into the room and stopped when I came to a narrow shelf along the wall. The little bottle of perfume I had gotten her sat proudly displayed on the mostly empty shelf.

  My heart squeezed softly at the knowledge that there was little to show in terms of belongings in the little room. A woman should have more than this I thought and one day she would I promised to myself.

  “Have you come to claim your prize?” She asked sullenly still facing away from me.

  I approached where she sat, “I don’t think of you in that way Raya. You mean far more to me than a possession or prize ever could.”

  I sat down beside her on the bed keeping a little distance.

  “You haven’t answered my question. Do you mean to claim me?”

  “Only if you’re willing.” I said softly.

  She bolted off the bed and stood with her back to the wall across from me her arms folded across her chest.

  “I am not willing! I am not some object that can be simply traded away for someone else’s amusement! I am a warrior first and a woman second and if you lay one finger on me I swear I’ll cut them all off!”

  She was even more beautiful when she was angry. I didn’t let my attraction to her in her current state of anger show though; instead I leaned down and began taking my boots off.

  “Raya since coming to Assoria sleep has been a hard thing to come by and Raya I’m tired! Very tired. I’m going to lay down and get some rest, but before I do I want to set the facts of our new existence together down.”

  I tossed one of my knives at her and it landed handle first at her feet.

  “In the not so distant future Raya I intend to touch you a lot and if you have a problem with that than you have my permission to murder me in my sleep, otherwise deal with it! I am not a cruel or hard uncaring man Raya, but I will not stand to be threatened by my woman. And you are my woman just as I am your man. I’ll touch you when and how I want and you’re more than free to do the same with me. If you don’t like that there is the knife and it’s in your hand to change your future with me to one of your liking. Now I’m going to get some rest and you probably should too, you look tired.”

  I lay back and closed my eyes wondering if I would have my knife snapped off in my chest at any moment. I heard a slight sniffling.

  Oh darn I had made her cry!

  I felt like scum.

  “Have you no honor or respect for a fellow warrior?” She asked softly.

  Without opening my eyes I said, “Raya I will always respect you as a woman and my wife first and a warrior second. As for honor, I have given you my family name. There’s enough honor in that name for both of us.”

  A little time went by and then she said softly, “You’re sleeping on my bed. Where am I supposed to sleep?”

  I held one finger up, “Correction, this is now our bed and there’s plenty of room right here.” I said patting a narrow space beside me which I heard her huff disgustedly in answer to.

  “Suit yourself then.”

  I drifted off to sleep then, confident that tonight wouldn’t be my last night alive.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Warmth

  Raya stood watching him sleep. It wasn’t the first time she had watched him sleep. Darkly she thought to herself that she should have crushed his head with a rock the first time she’d seen him.

  Now that was impossible because he was the leader of her people. She was stuck with him!

  She was tired and cold. Not only had he stolen her bed, but the big oaf was laying on all the blankets to. What did it matter anyway to resist?

  He had made it clear what the ground rules were going to be. She stepped toward the bed and her foot kicked the knife at her feet.

  Did he really trust her so much to believe that she wouldn’t kill him in his sleep?

  Some part of her said that he did. If he trusted her enough not to kill him could she trust the kindness that she had seen in his eyes ever since she had first met him?

  She’d have to find out.

  She stepped over the knife and carefully lay down beside him on the blankets careful not to touch him. The space was narrow though and her bottom lightly touched against his side. One thing became extremely apparent. He put off enough heat even in his sleep that it reminded her of the time she had stood next to a molten lava river.

  Carefully she’s eased backward more and la
y against his side fully, relishing the heat emanating off of him. At least there was one good benefit to this relationship for her. She would be warm at least.

  There was another benefit to she had to admit. For the first time in her life she wouldn’t have to face the nightmarish realm of sleep alone. Maybe the dream wouldn’t come tonight she thought sleepily, but later it did.

  “Mommy please stay back!”

  “What’s wrong with you Raya? Why are you like this?”

  “Stay back!”

  “Aahhh!”

  “I told you to stay back mommy I didn’t mean to hurt you! I’m so sorry! Please stay away!”

  “What has he done to you Raya?” “I don’t know mommy, but you need to stay away! What do you have a knife for mommy? No! Don’t go! He’ll hurt you!”

  Slam!

  “Let me out mommy! Don’t go! Please come back!”

  “Raya! Wake up Raya! Please honey wake up. Raya!”

  Raya’s eyes opened and her screams died off. Her eyes looked around frantically and then she dissolved into tears and curled up in a ball crying brokenly.

  “Oh we’re not having this honey, come here!”

  I pulled her out of her curled up ball and over against me. I wrapped one arm around her and with the other I pulled her long hair out of her face.

  “Shhhhh! You’re alright! You’re safe!”

  Her teeth started chattering uncontrollably and I pulled the blankets over top of us. It seemed to help some and a little while later the chattering stopped and she lay quiet on me as I continued to comb one hand repeatedly through her soft glowing hair.

  “Was it a nightmare?”

  Her expressive eyes glanced up at me from my chest, “A memory.”

  “Does it involve your mother? You were calling out for her.” I said by way of explanation.

  She glanced back down, “Yes.” Came the muffled reply.

  “Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes that helps.” But her head was already moving no.

  “Okay we don’t have to talk about it. You want me to let you go?”

  Her grasp on me tightened and I took that for the answer that it was.

  “Here let’s get you a little more comfortable. I slid her to the side a little and let her head lay on the crook of my shoulder while one of her legs and arms still laid draped across me.

  “Comfortable?”

  I felt her nod slightly and I said no more, but continued to stroke my fingers through her hair and hold her with my other. I said prayer after prayer for her silently and to my surprise she fell asleep and started to breathe evenly and deeply.

  It was then that I realized suddenly that I loved her and that I would do anything for her. I held her a little more tightly to me.

  Suddenly I noticed the curtain move to the side and then it fell back into place. Someone was in the room with us!

  “It’s just me Zevin,” Said the old leader, whose name I had learned was Malchiesha.

  His aged hand gently brushed a lock of hair I had missed to the side of Raya’s face.

  “You prayed to your God for her to have peace?” He asked softly.

  “Yes.”

  “Then your God must be real, as I have never managed to get her to go back to sleep, no matter how I tried. You’re good for her. Some may say that I gave her away too easily, but that is not so. Many have asked for her through the years, but always I said no. I’m glad that I did. She will be happy with you I can tell.”

  Unasked questions came up in my mind in concern to Raya. He must’ve read my mind, “Are you beginning to put the pieces together then?”

  “Why is she a princess? You have no king in Lanoria so how is she royal unless she’s…… I don’t understand the time problem.”

  He chuckled softly, “No, none do. That is why Raya is often alone even among her own people. You see Raya is over a hundred years old.”

  “How can that be possible?” I exclaimed softly.

  Malchiesha shook his head, “I don’t know. When she reached maturity she stopped aging or at least she ages only very slowly.”

  I thought about what I had just learned for a moment. “Then she is the Northern princess who was given to the sorcerer?”

  “No, that was her mother and yes before you ask her father is the sorcerer.”

  I gazed down at Raya as she slept peacefully in my arms.

  “Does she know?”

  “Yes she does and a great deal more that she’s never told me. Her mother from all accounts died tragically. Not much is known, but I think she knows. When we were plotting to free the slaves a Western slave woman put in charge of caring for Raya came to me bringing her along. The woman made me swear to look after Raya and so I have. I will leave you now to your rest, thank you for caring for her so tenderly.”

  After he was gone I clutched her a little tighter to me and fell back asleep myself.

  Raya opened her eyes slowly. She was warm, so warm. She raised her head up off the firm muscled chest it lay on and looked up at its peacefully sleeping owner.

  She looked down to see one of his hands laying possessively across her hip and she carefully moved it to the side and sat up. She craned her head back around to look at the strong chest she had lain against all night.

  There were a few drops of dried blood staining the shirt and the material was slightly ripped. She glanced at her long pointed nails. She had done that!

  She quickly went over to the tossed knife and picked it up and then began to savagely saw off the tough points. It was hard and she feared that she was dulling his knife, but she was determined.

  “You don’t have to do that Raya.” I said.

  She jumped slightly and looked up at me, “I want to! I keep hurting you with them. I’m not used to touching people or being near someone.”

  I got up and was before her before she knew it with my hands on her shoulders, as her hand still holding the knife lay between us. She looked up surprised by my sudden nearness and I saw her swallow reflexively.

  Husky voice I asked, “You don’t really mind if I touch you do you?”

  Slowly her head shook negatively ever so slightly.

  “You’re so beautiful Raya. I’m going to kiss you. Think you can handle that?”

  Again she nodded only slightly but it was a yes. Slowly my head dropped lower to hers and our lips found each other’s.

  It was a new experience to be sure and one that I liked. I had pressed the kiss at first, but now she pushed back slightly with her own passion. After a long moment I drew back.

  “I’ve wanted to do that ever since you invaded my life in the night with your beautiful tempting presence.”

  She sighed a little and I could tell she was suddenly a little scared.

  “It’s okay Raya. Everything is going to be okay between us, you’ll see.”

  Her eyes searched mine, but I couldn’t ignore the temptation of her lips so near to mine so I claimed them again. Kissing her was as sweet as I had ever imagined kissing my woman one day would be. Life in general in this moment was sweet and I was cherishing every moment of it.

  I took the knife from her loose grip and said, “Let me help you with this.”

  Her eyes were somewhat dazed looking as I drew back. “And oh by the way good morning Raya.”

  She mumbled something in reply and looked down to where I was trimming her talon sharp nails.

  “They make me feel like a beast.” She said softly.

  I stopped what I was doing and stepped back and looked at her from her head to her toes keeping a serious expression on my face as I did so, “You sure don’t look like one to me, but if you are you are definitely the prettiest beast I’ve ever seen and I think I’ll keep you anyway.”

  I saw a small smile play at the corners of her mouth and pleased with myself I went back to work on her nails.

  “Seriously Raya the sharp nails, teeth, the glowing eyes, and hair don’t bother me at all.”

  In the semi dar
kness I could see her face flush luminously and I heard her say half jokingly, “That’s not all that’s different.”

  I about chopped one of her fingers off being lost in wonderment as to what she could be referring to. It was time to change topics.

  “Tell me Raya would you happen to have anything lying around that could serve as breakfast that isn’t related to apples?”

  She gave a small burst of laughter. “I think I could manage to find something. Afterwards would you like me to show you some more of Lanoria?”

  “I would love that Raya but after.....”

  “Breakfast.” We both said in unison.

  She looked so cute I had to kiss her again and she didn’t seem to mind in the least so I took full advantage and kept kissing her.

  About an hour later we got around to getting breakfast ready.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bolts of Thunder

  It was easy to see how these people were so fit with exercise like this all day every day. I was practically panting to keep up with Raya and I was in shape!

  I had seen wonder after natural wonder and still I was amazed at each new thing that was revealed about the underground land of Lanoria. There were seven gigantic caverns and the Lanorians occupied four of them, while they used the other three for farming and hunting.

  As unbelievable as it was there were all kinds of animals down here, but thankfully no snakes at least not in these cooler sections.

  Most of the animals were typical of the surface but some were not. At some point over the years they had wandered into the caves in search of water or food and had become stuck here just as the Lanorians had.

  The animals such as the horses, cattle, deer, and mountain goats were often smaller than their counterparts on the surface, with the exception to that being the predators. The predators were huge.

  There were big cats, wolves as large as small ponies, gigantic cave bears and an assortment of other monsters not known to the surface for a very long time.

  Amazingly there was an amicable relationship between the Lanorians and most of the predators. As long as neither bothered the other each left the other the space to live. There was plenty to go around.