Surface World 2

by Ed Montalvo

  “Here…, let us share…,” she lifted the blanket. Dregous laid in front of her and trembled with fear. The warmth was settling yet frightening. His heart pounded as she innocently pulled closer. Her warmth and scent was calming. He felt comfortable as she molded against him. Tatiana thought her heart would beat itself out of her chest.

  Moments later Seeker returned and found Tatiana against Dregous’s back. He sensed Seeker and gently pulled away from the princess ensuring not to wake her, covered the beauty, then sat in the curl of her belly and thighs. He looked over his shoulder, ‘Anything?’ he signed.

  ‘No, but things looked quite,’ she started signing.

  He interrupted, ‘Leave it be.’

  Seeker smiled, “As you will,” she whispered. He resumed his studies.

  They awoke to Dregous’s and Tuke’s soft conversation. He prepared the morning meal, the priest sat opposite him. “Good morning,” greeted the priest.

  Seeker responded in kind, as she wrapped her blanket tighter sitting in front of the fire. Tuke offered her a serving. She thanked him then glanced at Dregous. He regarded her indifferently as he served Tuke.

  Tatiana noticed the look Angelique gave him, “Good morning,” she glanced at Seeker feeling embarrassed, avoiding eye contact.

  The morning was silent as they broke their fast. Tuke held a pleasant conversation with Seeker regarding her daughter. Rem broke the silence between Dregous and Tatiana. The princess said she had other things in mind and Dregous preoccupied with what awaits.

  Rem wished they admit their feelings for one another. Tuke sensed their embarrassment and thought a cheerful tune would lighten the mood as they cleared camp while humming. Rem erased all traces of them being there.

  The day was bright, the air cold and crisp. The mountain was littered with snow patches. The trees thinned as they exited the woods. The wind hit them with little resistance. Loose rocks and uneven ground hidden by snow, hindered their progress.

  Rem got his bearing and thought, He was right, you never know what will happen. The ranger stopped on an earthen mound overlooking the gentle slope below to survey the scape beyond. The others came on either side of him as he glanced at them.

  “We continue to the crest of those rocks…,” Dregous pointed. “…Impressive,” he suppressed his fascination of the venue.

  “North northeast,” Rem commented.

  “It is beautiful,” Tatiana inhaled the cold air deeply. She unconsciously removed her cloak and spread her wings. The strong breeze gently lifted her a few centimeters.

  Tuke was exhilarated he got to see her wings again. He felt blessed for witnessing the majestic Ayrian, “Oh agreeable, words do fall short.” The princess gazed him with a beaming smile. Her wings surprised Seeker and wondered if Tuke was attracted to her as well. Rem seemed uninterested.

  The ranger looked at Dregous and thought, Yeah, it is impressive. He addressed Tatiana, “That it is…,” and located a path.

  The princess looked to the sky and felt a pinch of sorrow and homesick. Back home the sky would be filled with Ayrians. They noticed her sudden change, “Tatiana, are you well?” Rem gently touched her shoulder.

  She looked at him blinking back her tears nodding, “I miss the sun gazers.”

  He gave her a curious look, “Sun gazers?” She explained, selected Ayrians would adorned their wings with reflective stone dust and fly. The sun’s reflection form a delightful display colors much like crystals. On rare occasions it would display against the clouds. It was a reminder of their God Ukko, birthing Ayrians to share the beauty and splendor of the world. The have yet deciphered from Ukko’s scriptures when is this fantastic day. So, they randomly select days of the week to celebrate. Tuke complemented the beauty of her religion.

  Tatiana glanced the group then settled on Dregous. Her eyes seemed to call him. His chest throbbed looking at her. The princess’s long hair flowed in the breeze. The way her eyes caught the sun, the paleness of her skin absorbing the sunlight. He didn’t realize he was staring.

  “Zeho neh, weh fayhan,” Seeker asked.

  Tatiana noticed his distance and how quickly he addressed Angelique. She lost his attention. Perhaps he prefers his kind. The thought crushed her. Why would he want someone as pale as me? she wondered.

  He whispered to Seeker, “Deceh yen ad nage, fa nei aga fouwanho,” he addressed Tatiana, “Shall we?” his voice soft.

  Tuke smile at his gesture. Dregous surprised her with his gentleness. She wanted to refuse, but her etiquette forced the lady in her and accepted.

  Rem’s path shaved hours and reached the mountain base by midday. Tatiana spotted the red in the rocks leading to the path. The beige rock face of the mountain didn’t appear as bright up close.

  They hiked through, under and behind huge boulders. The wind whipped between the rocks reducing their visibility. “Cold meal this night!” Rem paused as the wind stole his breath. “The wind will not let a fire!”

  “We have jerky,” Tuke reminded, then noticed Dregous and Seeker huddling against the cold. Dregous wedged between large rocks to shield against the wind. The assassin joined him. The cold sapped their strength.

  Tatiana didn’t like Seeker getting close to him but couldn’t ignore she needed aid. She covered her with a blanket. The mage’s skin was tight, his eyes drawn back. “Are you well?”

  Dregous nodded. The cold had affected him and Seeker more than the others. She wanted to hand him a blanket but figures her wings would do better. “How is that?” she tried stilling her nerves.

  “A vast improvement,” he didn’t look at her. “The cold is not what ails me.”

  “No…?” she was surprised.

  “The air grows thinner as we climb.”

  Tatiana smiled, “You fear heights?” she ventured.

  “I am cold.” he said stubbornly.

  “And a fear of heights,” she probed.

  “I am cold,” he grumbled.

  Chapter 4

  O’f meidie fayhan f’appea’ti tocno ugg’umeh! Deg meidie wamu zowah ziki runehmo runehmo’ti fayhan cabeh. Lece weh chambi ad leahkeh, ti’tuoce’fe, ti’brev’fe, ti’marru’fe.

  To to eche zeho Dorian Von’Negrouc.

  She smiled seeing the little boy hidden behind cold white eyes. “As you say… Lord Hardhead,” she whispered in his ear.

  He motioned her closer. She gently pulled back, arced a brow, then leaned in, “I am grateful for last night,” he chanced a glance and saw her smile. “That was the warmest I have been since we began this journey,” he shyly looked away. For a hundred years, he searched for her, only to find her fifty years after he married.

  “Nothing to apologize, I needed you too…, um, I mean, I need your body, no, your heat…, um, your body heat I mean, I needed your body heat. I was cold too,” she blinked at him as her cheeks flushed.

  Tuke offered Seeker to join him so they can share their warmth, she nodded quickly. The cold didn’t affect Rem. His aquatic Elf blood gave him immunity. Dregous stopped trembling, “Better?” she asked.

  He nodded, “My gratitude.”

  Rem continued struggling to start a fire. The wind didn’t allow a young flame to take. Dregous crouched beside him and cast a spell drawing oil from the wood. “Now try,” and repeated on the kindling they carried.

  The fire took, “There we go,” Rem smiled and added more kindling.

  “Well done,” Tuke assisted Seeker over. He pulled another blanket from his pack and covered her and himself. “Agreeable?”

  “Much so,” Seeker shivered and scooted closer.

  Dregous and Tatiana sat by the fire. Drouwen protocol dictated fornication in close gatherings. His wife on occasion would participate. It was a practice the prince avoided. Open orgies didn’t interest him. So entranced by the princess he didn’t sense any danger. Seeker was also distracted with Tuke.

  Fist sized rocks rained as the Drouwen Prince cursed himself, immediately shielding Tatiana. Her wings were exposed,
several rocks struck him and one of her wings.

  Tuke pulled Seeker and Rem against the mountain face. A few fist sized rocks landed where Rem and Seeker sat. The priest was hit shielding the Elves.

  Dregous felt the hit through his cloak. His heart pinged when he realized Tatiana was injured. He hastened to shroud her completely. The rocks had little effect. Seconds later it ceased as swiftly as it started. He maintained his cloak on her as he surveyed above.

  “Is anyone injured?” shouted Tuke.

  “My Angel is hit…” Dregous and Tatiana exchanged glances. She saw the pain in his eyes and felt confident he had feelings for her.

  “Did anyone see anything?” Rem interrupted as he looked above.

  “Tuke is hurt,” Seeker shouted over her shoulder as she assisted him to the fire. “I am grateful you shielded me.”

  “None required my lady.”

  “Now it is my turn to nurse you,” she said, Tuke smiled.

  Dregous found nothing broken or dislocated on the princess. “It is my fault you…”

  She interrupted, “How so?”

  “I was distracted, I might have sensed…”

  Again, she interrupted, “But, how so?”

  “My people can sense danger,” he finished.

  She mouthed, ‘oh’, it was an excellent talent and wondered what other skills he possessed she thought?

  “Is anything broken?” Rem asked as he scanned above.

  “No, nothing.”

  “Are you certain?” Tuke jumped in.

  “I believe the muscle is strained,” Dregous offered her a healing potion but she refused. He cleared snow away from his pack, retrieved the bandages and tended her wing.

  Rem climbed thirty meters to conduct a reconnaissance and found a landing with a rocky trail. There were footprints scattered about, amongst other hidden clues. Three human sized prints and two others he couldn’t identify. He looked over the edge, then scaled down.

  “Anything?” Tatiana winced as Dregous bandaged her wing.

  “No,” Rem crouched before her.

  “Forgive my nursing Angel.”

  “There were five. Three human size or smaller, the other two…,” he paused a moment, “…they looked like, paw prints. Nothing I have seen before.”

  “How could you tell?” Rem looked at the princess with an arced brow. “Discount me.”

  “It stands a good chance they would do it again,” Dregous stated.

  “Let us go and not give them the opportunity to thrash us a second time,” Tatiana stood with Dregous’s aid. “Is there another marker?”

  “Only the trail.”

  They haven’t gotten far when Seeker sensed danger, then glimpsed Dregous. He clenched his cloak as they stopped.

  Tuke leaned closer to Seeker, “What is the matter?”

  “Dregous?” His silence concerned the princess. He must sense something, she thought, grabbed her sword as she glanced at Rem.

  “We have company,” Dregous looked up.

  “Take cover!” Seeker warned.

  They evaded foot sized rocks. Tatiana and Rem used their shields. Dregous casted a spell and sprinkled a pinch of silvery dust on himself as he uttered an incantation when a rock struck him ruining his cast. Seeker and Tuke sheltered against the rock wall.

  “Dregous, what are you doing?” the princess went to shield him when a rock bounced struck her knee and stumbled. She managed to hold her shield while breaking her fall straining her arm.

  Her tumble startled the prince. A large rock struck him, almost sending him over the edge.

  “My lord!” Seeker shouted. Tuke wondered her address.

  “Take cover,” Tatiana growled from the pain. The wind howled with seemingly delight as snow dust whipped about. Rem attempted to help the princess when a rock struck his heel, tripping him. He managed to shield his head as the rocks banging against his shield disoriented him.

  Tuke and Seeker had no shields. “Stay here,” he leapt to aid Rem as Dregous made for the princess and stepped on a small rock throwing him off balance. He swung his arms to regain himself, exposing his upper torso. Another struck and crunched his exposed shoulder sending him over.

  Seeker saw him fall without a sound. “My lord!”

  Tatiana went to shield Dregous and saw him go over. The princess cried for him as she scrambled to the edge.

  Tuke returned with Rem as Seeker shouted. When he looked back Dregous was missing and Tatiana scrambling for the cliff.

  Rem heard the princess and sprinted after her, shielding himself against the thinning rocks, Tuke followed. He dove for her legs, “What the hell are you doing?” She screamed from Rem’s weight.

  Tuke recovered Tatiana’s shield to protect Rem, “Where is he?” asked the priest.

  “Let go!” Tatiana demanded.

  “I do not know; I am trying to keep her from going over!” Rem shouted.

  “Oh gods,” Tuke prayed.

  “He fell,” Seeker cried.

  Both men looked at her. Rem felt his old companion return. “Oh, dear gods no,” Tuke said.

  “Let go, I have to save him!” her voice wavered. “Let go!” she struggled.

  “Your wing, remember! You cannot fly!” Remmon grunted.

  She ignored him, “I see him! I can see…,” Dregous hung from a protruding rock on the sheer cliff, she looked back, her near white eyes reddened. Tatiana’s heart ached watching him dangle, “Hang on, we will pull you up,” she couldn’t steady her voice. “Give me your other hand love.”

  Tuke felt her emotions, it overwhelmed him. Seeker couldn’t see clearly through the snow drift and flurries. Her heart weighed heavy. Dregous’s promise to restore her house was lost and her growing attachment for the prince. It hurt her more than she realized.

  “We will get him…. Tuke,” Rem shouted. “My pack has rope…!”

  “You will be stoned!”

  “Shit…,” Rem grunted. “Angelique!”

  Tuke yelled, “Quickly, Rem’s pack… the rope!”

  It took her a moment to register Dregous still lives. She slid to his pack and freed the rope. The wind howled and didn’t want to chance it would blow away. She shielded her head and ran. A rock struck her rear ribs, she grunted and stumbled against Tuke, “Here.”

  “I will shield you.”

  Did she call me love? The thought elated Dregous. “I cannot move…. The rock…,” the wind drowned him, “…y shoulder,” he tried, but the pain was immense.

  “What… please Dregous, please try,” she urged.

  He managed his elbow. “I cannot, my… …der.”

  “I think, I can reach,” she looked back, “Rem, I need to reach him!”

  “Hurry, I do not think I can hold you much longer,” Rem warned. A rock bounced and struck his temple forcing a groaned from him.

  She turned back to Dregous, “Please hold on.”

  “Angel…, listen to me,” Dregous said. “Do not risk… …life… …mine…. Let me go.”

  Tatiana’s eyes widened, “What?” She pleaded for him to try. He urged her again not to risk her life. It was better this way. The horrible visions of the future would die with him. She didn’t care about what hasn’t happened. They would face the future together. His hand was weakening due to the cold.

  Seeker straddled the princess while preparing the rope. Tatiana’s pleads for Dregous urged her. She was only inches away. Rem reached for Tatiana’s mail skirted belt. She slipped slightly from their grasp. The belt slid to her rump.

  A sense of peace washed over Dregous as the wind suddenly fell silent, “Princess, no matter what happens, I will always be by your side,” she touched his fingers as he lost his hold. He thought how much he loved her.

  He descended into the white abyss, and thought she heard his voice in her head, ‘I love you Angel,’ accepting his death. The gale returned stealing her voice. “No!” she cried. “Do not leave me… …Dregous!” she strained as her tears fell frozen on a rock ledg
e below her chin. Tatiana felt an emptiness. “No!” she sounded defeated. “Ukko, why did you take him from me?” the princess prayed softly. The wind carried her words away. The pain in her wing and legs vanished. All that remained was the awful pain in her chest. The look on his face was peaceful.

  They heard the princess shouting at Dregous, but couldn’t make out her words. “Pull her up pull her up, it is ready,” Seeker said.

  The rocks stopped, Tuke searched above, all looked clear and help Rem with the princess. “With haste, before they return.”

  Seeker tossed one end over, “Take hold!” she shouted.

  Tatiana wished she’d joined him, “It is too late…” she muffled. The lump in her throat burned. “He fell…,” her heartache was unbearable.

  “What?” Rem grew pale, “He fell?” He lost another friend, reopening his old wound. Seeker was shocked. If only she reacted sooner, they could have saved him and blamed herself. Tuke felt everyone’s heavy heart. It was always difficult accepting a friends’ death. He hated to admit it, but he didn’t like letting friends go either. It reminded him too much of his youth.

  A few hours passed since Dregous fell. The sun was past noon. Night would soon approach and the creatures that killed him gone.

  “Tatiana, perhaps…, …if we continued…” Remmon drifted.

  “Perhaps my lady, we should return,” Tuke offered.

  The princess stood facing Rem, then address the priest, “We set out for her artifact, though we are…” she couldn’t say they were short one. “…we will continue,” she said painfully.

  “He was…,” Rem shifted his gaze to her boots. The howling wind slowed.

  She took a deep breath then sighed, “He knew something was going to happen, and told me how to find that damnable thing.”

  Tatiana didn’t want anyone touching his backpack. They silently continued with heavy hearts till sundown, then struck camp. She held it while under the covers, wishing it was him, to feel his warmth. His scent was still on it, and wept herself to sleep. The groups heartache moved Tuke greatly, and silently cried for his fallen friend.

  They awoke with the rising sun. It was a beautiful morning. Seeker watched all night. Nothing was said as they broke their fast, cleared camp and proceeded. They continued the trail, by midday they reached a landing with a cave. Snow dust covered the rocks and patches of grass. The snow filled in the cracks and crevices, looking like white veins against beige and gray rocks.