by Elisa Menz
“You remember her since you’ve gone through all this trouble to preserve her gift to you.”
Hakken tilted his head. “What gift?”
Maeve didn’t say a word. She straightened, sending a lopsided grin his way, and tapped her lips twice. Hakken laughed, delighted with the conclusion she’d come up with. And she was right. After all those years, the memory came back to him; a little boy, sneaking to the border, straining his ears to listen to the humans speaking close by. Only to keep the heritage of his family alive.
They fell in comfortable silence, working side by side. Whenever he got stuck with how to use a tool or doubted between a vegetable and a weed, Maeve came to his rescue. The way in which she guided him reminded Hakken of something pleasant. He couldn’t place his finger on what it was. A homey sensation, long forgotten.
After they finished their work, they sat under the shadow of the cliff to rest, sharing the remaining fruit. I’m eating a damn quince. Hakken smiled at the thought. He only ate fruit when hunger became unbearable. Slumped against the rocks, Maeve chewed the juicy pome by his side. As discreetly as possible, Hakken glanced at her and discovered a longing look in her eyes. What was troubling his beautiful ward?
“Hakken?”
“Yes?” Whatever it was, he’ll do anything to ease her mind. It kept baffling him, how leisurely he decided everything Maeve wanted, he would provide.
She sighed. “Last night... you said something.”
Oh, no! Anything but that! Maeve had figured out he believed her to be a child. Hakken cringed, trying to come up with a believable explanation on how he was not entirely an idiot, and he only acted how he did too—
“You said you thought it was a shame to live.” She grew quiet, and her last words came out as a murmur. “What did you mean?”
Did he really say that? He did, and there was a time in which dying sounded almost like a release—freedom from his constant pain. But the notion felt so foreign now.
Guilt was still very much present, though. “Maeve... we fought a war, long ago, and I can’t say I understand much of how it started.” This was the easy part. Nothing but context. What came after made his jaw clench. “I lost my mate in that war.”
Maeve remained quiet, but Hakken could swear he saw how she diminished a little, folding back into herself. He didn’t like it, but it was better than hearing the usual apologetic response.
Hakken carried on. “We both joined the fray, but we were kids, only a little younger than you, and I... failed to save her.” If he didn’t think of the words, talking became easier. “She died in my arms, and I failed her.”
It wasn’t until he finished the sentence he remembered why he hated talking about her death. This was the moment everyone would assure him it wasn’t his fault. It was fate. He should stop blaming himself. It was a matter of time before the same empty excuses bounced from his ears once more.
“What a pair of failures we are, huh?”
His head whipped so fast to the side, and he got a little dizzy. What did she say? Maeve’s eyes were lost in the distance, glistening with unshed tears. Her hands rested on her lap, fingers slightly crossed. Her lips formed a thin line, and it didn’t seem like she wanted to elaborate, but Hakken was worried stiff after her last words. With measured gentleness, he took one of her hands in his. “Maeve... who did you lose?”
Breaking up from her daze, she blinked at him before looking away. Hakken’s chest tightened. Was it a friend? A lover? She was young, but it was quite possible she—
“My mother.” Her voice trembled, but the tears refused to fall. “After my older brother died, she lost all will to live. For years I did nothing but watch her waste away.”
“How old were you?”
“Does it matter?” Maeve frowned, realizing where he was going with his question. “I heard so many times what happened to her wasn’t my fault. I was too young to carry the burden. There was nothing to be done.” Her eyes closed, and a tired sigh left her lips. “It’s not my fault she died, but nothing I did saved her.”
“But you tried. I’m sure you did your best, and there is no shame in—”
“I miss her.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “She withered and died because she blamed herself for my brother’s death. I needed her too. Why didn’t she try for me?”
Like a frozen river cracking under the unwavering push of water, Maeve’s hidden pain broke free and surged through her body. She gasped, letting go of the exhaustion that went beyond physical weariness. Her head hung limply to her side, finding shelter on his shoulder while her fingers curled desperately between his. He realized this was the first time she talked about her mother’s death, and Hakken tensed, worried about saying something thoughtlessly.
Maeve snuggled closer, squeezing his hand. “So you’re staying right here. I won’t go through that again, and you’re stuck with me for life, Hakken.”
What an unexpected and captivating idea. To live with Maeve for the rest of his—no longer miserable—life. But would that make her happy? “I know I didn’t exactly ask for your opinion when I brought you here—” he rested his head on hers— “but you’re not bound to stay with me if you don’t want to.”
The afternoon sun hid behind rainy clouds. A fairly common occurrence for summer, these short, refreshing rains caught you off guard and left you dripping wet in the middle of an errand. With the cave’s entrance only a few steps away, he could pick up Maeve and carry her inside before the downpour drenched them.
I need to stop carrying her and pushing her around. He scolded himself, now aware treating an adult like he treated Maeve was unbecoming. All his fondness had come for the fact he thought of Maeve as a little girl; nothing indecent about it. But since she was a woman, he should no longer take the same liberties.
“I’d love to stay with you if you’ll have me,” Maeve said.
The first raindrops fell thick and loud around them. One cold, nasty drop splashed right on his nose, but Hakken didn’t care. She wants to stay with me! How did she always say the things he wanted to hear the most? A broad smile tugged on his face, and he realized two things. One; with no effort on her part, Maeve had him eating from her palm, and two; he loved it.
Not even the weather would damp his joyful epiphany, so when the drizzle became a legitimate rain, it was Maeve who stood and pulled him towards the cave. “Hakken, come on! You’ll get soaked.”
He jumped to his feet, and with one swift movement, Hakken picked Maeve from the ground and cradled her, eliciting a little cry of protest from her. The human glared at him. “You need to stop doing that.”
He chuckled and kissed her loudly on the cheek. “Never.”
CHAPTER XIX
I WILL PROTECT YOU
Maeve
The weather had been lovely all week, and her little orchard thrived. The Forest soil was so rich, every single seed she planted had sprouted. Mynte sat close by, admiring the result of Maeve’s efforts. Little leaves peeked all around.
Despite being so early in the morning, Hakken left the cave as soon as the sun rose. A new habit he adopted last week. Sleeves rolled, Maeve ripped weeds while chatting with her friend, who had unsparingly denied her help.
Ever since the river incident, and the big fight-reconciliation with Hakken, things had been peaceful.
Well... no, not really.
Everyone tried so hard not to alarm her, Maeve didn’t know how to ask what was wrong. Would it be disappointing for them to learn she knew all along? Hakken and Mynte worked so hard to make her feel safe and welcome, but despite their efforts, Maeve had a hunch about what all the fuss was about.
“Another group arrived today. Are they from another tribe?” She learned from Mynte the term ‘tribe’, sounded much more polite than ‘pack’.
“Hey! You are not even trying. You must practice if you want to learn our language.”
Maeve groaned, noticing how Mynte dodged the question. She tried a different strategy and switched to the
half-breed language. “Who are they?” Ha! Let’s see if you can dodge this!
Mynte rolled her eyes before answering. “They came from the Gray Glade Tribe to meet with the matriarch.”
Ever since visitors arrived, Hakken insisted on having their meals inside the cave. And Mynte helped to keep her out of sight. She knew no one in the River tribe bothered about her presence anymore, so this had to be a precaution. Considering humans could not be in the Forest, half-breeds from other tribes might react poorly.
The isolation was unfortunate but necessary, and Maeve understood the harsh measures guaranteed her own safety. While the matriarch made her presence in the Forest known, it didn’t mean the Children of the River would brag about her outside their territory.
“Where is Hakken? I swear I’ll never understand the man. Until last week he was unbearably clingy, and now I see him only for a few hours at night.”
“Why? Do you miss him being clingy?” Mynte replied, a smug smile playing on her face.
“No, I don’t! Stop smiling and pass me the rake.”
Mynte laughed with malice before handing the tool. “I still can’t believe the idiot thought of you as a little girl! How dense can he be?”
Indeed absurd, but it explained a lot. Maeve would find it funny, if not for the fact thinking about it made her fluster. Hakken no longer acted goofy and touchy. They shared the bed at night, but he gave her some space now. He still took excellent care of her, but he allowed her more freedom and privacy.
Maeve appreciated the change, even though there was one complication. How fidgety they both acted around each other now.
Ever since coming to the Forest, they spent most of the time together. Even if his hugs and constant kisses made her shy at first, she had grown used to his clumsy tenderness. Learning he only treated her with such familiarity because he thought of her as a little girl made her happy. How sweet could he be?
“Come on now, you lovebird! You’ve done your work, now you have to help me with mine. Those roots will not boil themselves.” Mynte dragged her back to the village. Things were quiet, so she seemed confident enough to take her to the matriarch’s hut.
In the middle of the day, most hunters traveled far. Only their visitors gave her odd looks, while everyone else minded their own business. As they dodged the loud children, Mynte gave her a thoughtful once-over.
“You should get proper clothes soon. Your flimsy dress will not last much longer.” She was right; the soft fabric pushed its limits. “I don’t care about you being naked, but I’m sure Hakken would not be indifferent.” She winked before laughing at the sight of Maeve turning a deep shade of red.
“Oh please, shut up!” She nudged her shoulder. “The last thing I need on my mind is—”
Their bickering was abruptly interrupted when a tall man came out of nowhere and pushed her hard. Maeve hit the ground, and the bitter taste of dirt coated her mouth, as a burning sensation spread on her palms. This didn’t feel like an accident.
Mynte added a few words to her vocabulary while shouting at the man. This was not her imagination going wild, nor a misunderstanding. He attacked her. And even if a nasty push could hardly be considered a death threat, when Maeve stared up at him, her blood ran cold.
His unpleasant smirk partly covered the glare of disdain. Seeing her on the ground, hurt and vulnerable, was what he wanted. However, that wasn’t what scared her.
Hatred oozed from those eyes.
She scrambled to her feet, took Mynte by the arm, and gave the man one silent, defiant look before going on her way. He was trying to provoke her, and she was at a disadvantage. Maeve didn’t want to cause any trouble for the tribe.
“That man is dangerous,” Maeve whispered with a shiver. She thought of Hakken and yearned for his protective arms around her.
Mynte fumed by her side. “Paid the asshole no mind. If he were not a guest, someone would have punched some teeth out of his ugly face.”
“What?” Maeve looked around to find everyone in the village throwing murderous glares at the rude man. A group of children followed them, forming a wall between him and the girls.
She had lived among them for less than two months, but they were willing to protect her, an outsider. Gratitude overwhelmed her. It wasn’t only Hakken and Mynte. Everyone in the village was so kind.
Mynte noticed her struggling to hold back the tears and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you extra work so you can forget about this.”
Hakken
This turned out to be a lot harder than expected. After days of hard work, his mistakes were piling up, and Hakken admitted defeat. He dropped to the ground, surrounded by rocks and wood, aching everywhere and looking hopeless.
Kniv’s boisterous laugh startled him. “Giving up so soon? Considering the number of material you gathered, I imagined you were planning to build a palace.” Hakken growled in annoyance, turning his back on him. The sun hit, relentless; the sweat and dirt clung to his body. He was not in the mood to entertain Kniv.
“Come on! No need to be so sour.” Kniv sat beside him, still snickering. “First, tell me, why did you decide to build yourself a cabin? You have your cozy little cave.”
Kniv taunted him. He wanted to flip him off and remain offended, but he was also seeking the answer to the same question. Half-breeds lived in caves or community huts and only built their dwelling upon finding their loved ones and starting a family. So why was he building his own hut?
“She is lovely, Hakken. I’m sure everyone will be happy with your union. You most of all.”
“I am not...! She will never...!” He stopped and pressed his lips before giving Kniv more reasons to tease him. “I’m not planning on taking her as my mate. I just want to give her a beautiful place to live.”
Kniv smiled at him with a fatherly glint in his eyes, and it made him uneasy. It was the same smile he had given him eleven years ago when he announced he was in love. A pang of guilt pierced him while remembering his beautiful mate. Since Maeve’s arrival, he hardly thought about her anymore.
“We might go to war soon, so I’m happy to see you are planning for your future.” Kniv’s voice held so much sorrow. “I’ve watched you wither away with pain all these years, and my heart broke along with yours.
“When we lost her...” Kniv muttered. “You two were so happy together. My sweet daughter was so happy.”
Hakken kept his eyes fixed on the ground. They never talked about her. He couldn’t stand it. Ashamed, he realized he wasn’t the only one in pain. He had left Kniv to mourn on his own all those years.
But his friend was not as selfish as he was. Kniv patted his shoulder. “I’m glad to see you fall back in love once more. You have every right to be happy, and little Maeve is the sweetest and most caring companion you could have found.”
Hakken shrugged, his head hanging from his shoulders. “I fear I’m betraying her memory. I can’t shake the feeling I should have died alongside her.” How liberating, finally saying those words.
Kniv gave him an encouraging squeeze. “But you live, and you deserve to be happy. Honestly, I don’t know why you are still in denial. You are already head over heels for your golden beauty!”
Hakken chuckled. Love? Was it love what made him smile every time he laid his eyes on his little ray of sunshine? Too soon to tell, and he was not ready to analyze it. The only thing he was certain of was he cared about Maeve. And she made him happy.
Kniv cleared the air by slapping his back. “What do you say we call some experienced men and ask them for advice? You will never finish this alone.” Both men stood, dusting themselves off.
“Ugh... why not? I’m this close to giving up and building a new door for the cave,” Hakken said.
Kniv smiled before whistling, and in an instant, a large group of men came out of nowhere. Hakken gave his friend a dirty look.
“Don’t look at me like that! They were close by.”
Regn
He should
join a hunting party. He should ask the matriarch for a mission and travel the wild again. He should work on his skills as a tracker. Train with the warriors. Learn how to sew or cook.
Anything was better than unceasingly stalk a dumb human!
But he couldn’t help it. Ever since meeting Vorka, his threatening words unnerved him. Was he planning on hurting her? He wouldn’t dare, not in the village.
But he struck him as vicious enough, so Regn didn’t want to risk it. He kept telling himself she was his to kill, so that is why he was so worried about keeping her safe.
Yes. That worked.
He had spent the entire week monitoring her from a distance, as long as Hakken was not around. And on occasions, when Hakken was around too. He couldn’t be trusted.
That morning he kept watch while she worked in her garden, babbling with Mynte. She had been learning their language, and the words sound odd from her mouth. She pronounced a word incorrectly over and over again, frustrating him so much he had to fight the urge to throw a rock at her.
He almost lost it when Vorka pushed her to the ground, grinding his teeth while stopping himself from beating his abusive ass. The human deserved the punishment and humiliation, but not from a lanky, sinister outsider.
Fortunately, she was always accompanied by someone else, often Mynte. He didn’t need to intervene, and Regn couldn’t help to be dumbfounded after witnessing the entire village on the verge of jumping to her aid.
After dark, he joined everyone at dinner. It was early, so many were yet to arrive, and oddly enough, Hakken was not around. He would be the first to show up after a hunt, running like a lovesick pup to be by her side.
The thought made him grunt, but he didn’t want Hakken troubling his mind. Mynte dozed off after her meal, and Maeve held a friendly and pretty basic chat with a couple from another tribe who seemed curious about her.
The whole day he was on the lookout, and it tired him. Regn settled next to the fire, stifling a yawn, while he looked around, trying to locate Vorka and his men. After an unexpectedly hard day, he deserved some rest.