Immortal

by T Nisbet

When we were full, the serving girls left with their platters. Not long after Ivy had drawn the arrow out of Toby’s leg and healed him, Durmack came back into the tent.

  “Did my wives see to your needs?” he asked, looking at us each in turn.

  We nodded.

  Holy crap! All of those women serving us were his wives? I was speechless. It was every guys fantasy to have a harem of women seeing to his every want or desire. Never did I think I’d actually see one in person.

  The truth is, it might be every man’s fantasy, kind of like being with two girls at the same time, but it’s a short-term fantasy that is completely unrealistic and against everything we’re taught from the time we are little. Society tells us to find that one perfect girl, a soul mate to create a family and grow old with. We hear that message in church, in school, and from the media. It’s a part of what we hold as sacred. It is sacred because there is truth in it. Women aren’t objects, but equals.

  I looked at Durmack and though a visceral part of me envied him, the deeper part of who I was rejected his life style and felt sorry for him.

  We followed Durmack out of the tent into the relative darkness, where our horses stood waiting. I found my horse, and checked the cinch, then mounted. A warrior walked up to me and handed me my bow and quiver of arrows. I had assumed they had been left back were we’d been attacked. I thanked him and accepted both, slinging them over my back and attaching them in place so they wouldn’t get in the way while I rode.

  Once we had all mounted, Durmack and ten of his warriors led us out of the encampment the way we’d come. The warriors fanned out around us as we hurried towards an immense red ruddiness on the horizon.

  It wasn’t long before I could see the flames shooting up into the air in the distance. Durmack slowed his mount to a walk and looked back at Ivy.

  “The wind carries the flames faster than a man can run. How close do you need to be?” he asked. I noticed he didn’t say ‘woman’ this time. Perhaps that was his way of apologizing to her.

  I could see Ivy take a deep breath, and sigh.

  “This should be close enough,” she said stopping her mount.

  We all stopped and sat there watching, as she dismounted and walked out in front of our group. Despite the bright red flames in the distance, I watched as Ivy’s normally light purple glow deepened. The surge of magic rushing into her sent a chill up my spine. She lifted one of her hands, the other held tightly to something hanging from her neck. The wind that had been blowing into our faces, carrying with it smoke and ashes slowly, eerily died. The warriors of the plain mumbled something under their breaths and made some intricate sign over their hearts. I guessed it was some strange superstitious gesture to ward off evil.

  Ivy stood still, radiating purple energy, her hand still held above her head. I could feel her drawing and releasing magic, as a light zephyr blew past us towards the fire, then another. The zephyrs became gusts, until a steady, strong wind blew from behind us towards the fire.

  Despite their superstitions, the warriors cheered. Durmack watched in awe, shaking his head.

  Ivy swayed slightly.

  I jumped off my mount and ran to her, catching her as she collapsed. I lifted her in my arms. Where we touched skin to skin our auras combined and a soft white glow replaced the blue and purple. Her eyes opened and she looked up at me.

  “I love you, Jake,” she whispered softly, then went limp in my arms.

  Durmack, Toby, Gill and Carla were suddenly next to me.

  “She lives?” Durmack asked his brow furrowed in concern.

  Gill checked her pulse and cupped a hand before her mouth.

  “She sleeps,” he said relieved.

  “She can’t ride,” Carla whispered, “and we don’t have a wagon anymore.”

  Durmack clapped me on the back grinning.

  “She can ride with her husband, I’ll show you this.”