by Toni Cox
During the afternoon, they were shown around the quaint little city and the evening they spent in the company of Lord Silverman and his family, as well the Elders that had greeted them when they arrived. The meeting in the Elder Hall had been scheduled for tomorrow, the feast, and the memorial on the following days. Maia was by now comfortable with the attention she received from everyone during the feast and she did not mind speaking to the people at the memorial; she knew now that her role in this was to strengthen her people, for the strength of the nation rested with them. But it was the meetings that concerned her; it seemed that the more meetings she attended, the more terrible the news became. She had not wanted to frighten Rothea during their conversation on the sailing vessel, but she was afraid. They had won the war of Greystone and their main worry had been the remaining Vampyres within Grildor. Although they had never been certain of their exact number, they had always assumed there to be a few hundred at most. But more and more reports of attacks were coming in and it seemed that their number was not only larger, and getting larger if Lord Swiftfisher was right, but they were also more widespread than they had assumed. It did, indeed, seem to Maia that all of this was not just random attacks by stranded Vampyres that needed to eat, but rather a planned strategy, working towards a goal Maia did not like to contemplate. She thought about what Rothea had said about the Vampyre’s wanting their planet. It was plausible and with everything that had developed over the past few Quarters, a distinct possibility. Maia did not know the situation on Naylera; she had never been there as trade with that planet had stopped almost a millennium ago. If it were indeed so bad that the Vampyres could not live there anymore, then the Elven race of Elveron would soon be fighting for their lives. She now longed to go home; she wanted to discuss these matters with her father and Jaik, as well as with Silas. Her father, although no longer part of the Regiment or Guard, was, nonetheless the best Commander Grildor had ever seen. Before he had taken over as Lord Regent from his father, Jagaer had been first Commander of the first Regiment and then, later, Commander of the Guard. Her father had seen two wars already; one in Grildor, centuries ago, and one in another country far to the south. She knew that, once her father had all the information, he would know what to do. Lord Swiftfisher had said that he had already sent a bird to Shadow Hall, so the information Braérn had gathered was already with her father. The letter she had written to him after the attack on her should also be with him and she hoped he had acted on it.
Feeling like she should do more, she rose from her chair by the fire and retrieved the box that contained her writing material. She needed to tell her father about what Rothea thought the Vampyres were planning. She also wanted to let her father know exactly how she felt about the situation; to let him know that the more she was involved, the stronger her feeling of unease became. She knew, deep down, something terrible was going to happen.
It was already late and Rothea was asleep on the other bed in the room. But she knew one of the Regiment was posted outside her door, so once she had finished writing the letter to her father, she asked the man to make sure it was delivered. Feeling somewhat calmer now that she had penned her thoughts to her father, she finally crawled beneath her own blankets. But sleep eluded her for a long time and it was Midnight’s gentle thoughts that eventually lulled her into sleep.
“It is the same wherever we go,” Maia complained as they rode across the gently rolling hills on the eastern side of the twin peaks that sheltered Crook Harbour. “Every meeting tells of more attacks, Vampyre sightings and,” she hesitated, “the black wolf. More people die every day and there is nothing I can do about it. I feel like I should be doing something else besides travelling the countryside to attend memorials.”
She was frustrated. The past few days, and nights, had been tiring. The people looked up to her as their saviour, but at the same time trembled in fear of what might become of them. She was supposed to reassure them but, as time went by, she found it increasingly difficult. The Lords of the cities had only bad news for her and, to make matters worse, she was now having dreams again. Dreams of him. Always lonely, always hunting, always angry and always in danger. She did not know how to interpret these dreams either and agonised over it all through the nights. The last time she had ignored her dreams of Death, over a thousand had died in a war she was still convinced she could have prevented.
“The people need you, Maia,” Riker said, then corrected himself. “My Lady.”
Rothea, riding beside them, briefly looked at Riker before averting her eyes again.
“They draw their strength from you and it is what keeps them going. It might not seem like you are doing anything to help them, but you are. Your mere presence among them is healing their hurt and losses from the war and at the same time giving them the strength to carry on fighting.”
Maia knew he was right; she felt it in the people’s Eläm every time she stood in front of a crowd; but it did not make her feel better. This passive assistance was not what she was meant to do; she just did not know what the alternative was.
Feeling desperate, she reached out to Midnight. Do you know where he is? She thought to him. But when Midnight’s answer came back negative, she was not surprised. She knew that Blaid had been close on numerous occasions during their trip, yet she had been completely unaware of him. It was almost as if he was hiding from her, but she had never met anybody who could hide his or her Eläm as well as Blaid seemed to be able to do. Maybe he does not have one. She thought. He is Death, after all.
“We will be reaching the swamp lands before nightfall.” Riker broke into her thoughts. “Commander Ridgewell has sent the Scouts to secure a location for us to camp. We will spend the night on this side of the swamps and only cross them during daylight.”
“That seems wise,” Maia replied, not really interested in where they would sleep tonight. She did not really sleep at night anyway, so it did not matter. She knew there was a guesthouse on the other side of the swamps, Midway Lodge, and that they would stop there tomorrow eve, before arriving at Arrow on the third day.
“Do not fret, Maia,” Riker said softly. “Everything is being done to keep the people safe. The best we can do now is to gather as much information as we can. Soon we will be home again. Maybe talking with your father and brother will bring some peace to your heart.”
Maia turned slightly in her saddle so she could look at him. How did he know her so well? They had been travelling together for a Moon and a half, but it seemed to her much longer than that. He had been her escort right from the beginning and as things developed and became more dangerous for her, he had not left her side. Only at night did he let Rothea take over the watch.
“…like to speak with your father as well. There are matters that need to be attended to before things can progress.”
Maia blinked; she had been in thought, and had only caught the end of what he was saying. The sentence could mean a hundred things, but somehow, she knew that it had to do with her. He was going to ask for the right to court her. Her heart fluttered briefly. Did she want him to speak to her father? Did she feel the same about him? Unbidden, the memory of her night with Blaid was suddenly vividly clear in her mind. Fire snorted and pranced beneath her as he felt her shiver.
Riker noticed the change in Fire’s behaviour and, surely thinking that it was his statement that had made Maia lose her calm, smiled at her and then reached over to lay his hand on hers. She tried to control her feelings, but the thought of Blaid and the touch of Riker’s hand were stirring strange feelings deep within her. She had already broken their laws on intimacy, courtship, and the relationship between Primes when she had been with Blaid; she should be ashamed of what she had done. If Riker knew, he would surely despise her. The only reason Silas had not told her father about Blaid, was that he thought it had been an after effect of their magic. But she could not help the feelings within her. She wanted him so badly. She missed him so much. But she had responsibilities. Maybe it was time fo
r her to put aside her own wants and needs and submit to their custom. Riker was a good match and she genuinely liked him. Maybe, with time, she could be happy with him and she would forget about Blaid. Reluctantly she made the decision to try. Vaguely she felt Midnight’s approval in her head. Heartbroken, she bravely looked over into Riker’s face and smiled at him encouragingly.
They crossed the swamps without incident the next day. One could, of course, travel around them, but that journey would take an extra two to three days. The route through the swamps was well mapped and, in places, reinforced with gravel. The beauty of their surroundings was lost on Maia; she was too unmotivated to care. Riker tried many times during the day to draw her out of her sullen mood, but eventually contented himself with silently riding by her side.
Midway Lodge was a small, unassuming inn, and although the owner welcomed them personally, they were left alone for most of the evening. Maia retired early; hiding beneath her blankets even before Rothea had changed for the night.
They reached Arrow on the evening of the third day and, as Maia had expected, the people of the small city all lined the streets as they rode through to the stables. There were some shouts of My Lady and My Princess, but overall the crowd was eerily quiet. Then they were greeted by Arrow’s Commander of the Guard and then taken to their Grand Hall; which was the smallest Maia had ever seen; to be met by Lord Leatherman and a whole host of Elders, Nobles and other folk. First, there were the formalities and some general discussions. Maia endured them, but struggled to contain her yawns; somehow, the people of Arrow had managed to host the most boring meeting yet.
Then it was Lord Leatherman’s turn to speak and the tone of his voice brought Maia back to full alertness.
“Yes, Lord Leatherman, we have been made aware of the situation,” Commander Ridgewell replied. “I am sorry to hear about your losses. It is frightening that the Vampyres have managed to spread this far across our land.”
“The people are concerned as to what is being done to protect them. Crook Island does not have a fighting force such as the bigger cities. We would already feel a lot safer if Lord Longshadow were to send some of his forces to protect us. I believe the Legions of Shadow Hall and Braérn to be the largest in Grildor. Surely they would be able to spare some warriors.”
Lord Leatherman was not in a good mood and Maia did not like the tone of his voice. She felt animosity from his Eläm; something which she had not felt with any of the other leaders. She wondered why the people of Arrow were so ill disposed towards her father. Maia almost flinched, as Lord Leatherman turned towards her.
“My Princess,” he said, a sneer in his voice, “can I count on you to bring our urgent need to the attention of your father? Although we are pleased with your visit,” Maia doubted that very much, “it does not help our immediate need. We would appreciate it if you would attend the planned memorial with the people tomorrow, and then be on your way the next day. We do not want to delay you here, as the people of Crook Island need more than just your spiritual assistance. Please forgive me for being so direct, but we have suffered hardship of which My Lady surely knows very little about.”
Maia noticed both Rowlean and Riker shift beside her; not ever had any Lord spoken to her in such a fashion and she felt their temper rising at the man’s rudeness. She made a small sign with her hand, forestalling her escorts’ need to protect her.
“My Lord Leatherman, I understand your situation better than you may think. I am aware of your own, personal loss,” she saw him flinch, “and I am sorry for the loss of your son. And I am not offended by your directness; it is something we could all do more of; but I am, however, offended by your tone of voice. I suggest that you moderate your temper, treat us with the courtesy and hospitality that is due to us and then I will see what I can do for you and the safety of your city.”
She rose, gave a short bow towards the centre of the Elder Hall and then, without another word, walked out of the meeting before it had even finished. Commander Ridgewell and Riker hurried after her, both with smug smiles on their faces.
He had hoped that he would make it to Braérn in time; he was, after all, travelling with Shard. Yet when he arrived in Braérn, they were already gone. After changing out of his black travelling cloak and into more common clothes, he went to make some inquiries and learned that she had gone to Crook Islands to visit the cities there. But it did not matter; he could wait. They would be back in Braérn in a few days; he could use a few days’ rest. Making arrangements for his stay in Braérn, however, proved to be a little more difficult. Although he had a place to stay within the city, his companion did not. He was also expecting some of the others and he agonized for a while as to where to accommodate them while he was in Braérn. He eventually managed to find them a small homestead located about thirty miles from the city. The owners had been reluctant to let them use it, but he had dealt with that; they would not complain ever again.
Being in Braérn was difficult for him; he had to pretend to be something he was not and the delegation was taking longer on their trip to Crook Harbour and Arrow than expected, which was making him impatient. He prowled the streets at night, unable to sleep, and often stared across the sea, hoping that in the morning he would see the sails that brought them to him. His entire body thrummed with the excitement of seeing her. He had such plans. Everything he had done over the past few Quarters and Moons had led to this point. Now that his mind was made up, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He knew it was not going to be easy, but he knew he had the power; the magic was strong within him. Now she just needed to return to him.
“I am glad we are leaving this place,” Rothea said as they rode out of the city. “Not even our children are as insolent as the lord of this city.”
“The people of Arrow did not deal with their losses well; it is not their fault. But I agree that Lord Leatherman could do with a lesson in manners.”
“I would be more than happy to teach him,” Riker grumbled next to her.
Maia smiled at him; he had taken more offence at Lord Leatherman’s treatment of her, than she had herself. His Eläm, which he no longer shielded from her, had glowed with the anger at the man who had dared to insult his princess. She found it irresistibly charming and it was distracting her a little from her decision to forget about Blaid.
That night they spent at Midway Lodge, but left very early the next day to cross the swamps. Maia noticed that the days were getting ever warmer and by the time they reached the wetlands, swarms of insects plagued them and their horses. It took a lot of Maia’s concentration to connect with that many living organisms, trying to keep them at bay. Much to her surprise, she felt herself suddenly joined by another mind, assisting her in her effort. When she reached out to the mind, she was even more surprised to find that it was Riker who was assisting her; she had never known he had an affinity with animals like that, it was relatively rare.
“You are an Earth Elemental?” she asked him, although she already knew the answer; only Earth Elementals sometimes had this additional power. These usually became Horse Masters, Bee Keepers, and such.
“I am,” he confirmed, “but I am not very good at it. Plants have never really responded to me. Animals, however, I seem to have a connection with. And I am glad for it now, these insects are a pest.”
It suddenly dawned on Maia how Riker had always been such a calming influence on her and how just a simple touch from him could put her at ease. Now, sharing this magic with him connected them in a way that made Maia a little uncomfortable. Their mind-touch was almost of an intimate nature and Maia made sure that she shielded all her other thoughts from him. After a little while though, she almost seemed to forget all else around her. The people she was travelling with, the horses, the swamp around her, all disappeared into the distance and all she was aware of was Riker within her mind. Together their magic was strong enough to ward off the insects and without their annoyance to plague them, they were both lost in the intimacy of each oth
er’s thoughts. Maia was starting to feel strange, her body responding to Riker’s mind in ways she had only known once before. The thought made their connection teeter for a moment and she noticed a frown flicker over Riker’s face. She quickly shielded all her senses, hoping he had not been able to see her deepest feelings.
Suddenly, there was a scream behind them that startled them both out of their trance. Maia was immediately aware of someone in distress and, flinging Fire around, galloped back down the line to where the screams were coming from. Within moments, everyone was milling around in confusion. More people started shouting. Maia saw horses go down, flailing their legs, and screaming in fear. It took her only a moment longer to discover what was causing the mayhem: bogferns! They were large, carnivorous plants; usually more active at night, devouring any small creature that dared come within reach of the plant’s long tendrils. Although stationary, they were very mobile; their tendrils sometimes up to ten paces long. The tendrils were covered in sharp hooks that could hold on to prey. These hooks were also coated in a liquid that could temporarily paralyse small prey.
Unconcerned about her own safety, she jumped off Fire and quickly told him to run away. She heard him squeal as a tendril touched his legs, but then he was running and she knew he would be safe. She flung herself at the nearest bogfern, which by now had Bronwe, one of the Horse Masters, firmly in its grip. Bronwe screamed as she struggled against the tendrils that held her, the hooks sinking deeper into her flesh, bringing forth a rush of bright red blood. Out of the corner of her eye, Maia noticed Riker slash at another plant, which had gotten hold of one of the horses pulling the materium platform. But then her attention was focused on Bronwe and at the grotesque plant that held her. Taking her Twin Blades, she hacked at the tendrils, chopping them off one by one. Much to her horror, the plant emitted a terrible hissing noise and Maia felt its pain as a dull ache within her own arms. With tears streaming down her face, she proceeded to mutilate the plant until she was eventually able to free Bronwe from her bounds.