by Toni Cox
Once they were dismissed from the Elder Hall, Jaik walked Maia home. They took their time, enjoying the warm evening air and each other’s company. While they walked, Maia told Jaik about her day, describing in detail what had transpired. He laughed when she told him about how they had ended their adventure with a swim in the lake, but then he grew serious.
“I am glad that your instinct to save Wolf gave you the clarity to kill the bear. Yet I worry what would have happened, if you had not had something to save. What if it had just been you that you have had to protect? Would you have been able to kill the bear or would your…” He hesitated, “…affliction have prevented you from doing so?”
Maia looked up into his worried face, his green eyes dark with concern. She had not given it any thought, but thinking back now, she realised the only reason she had turned and fought, was because Wolf was hurt and was going to die, but for her intervention.
“I don’t know, Jaik. I had no intention of killing the bear until Wolf was in trouble. Then the choice was simple, although hard to accomplish.”
“Well, Father is right. You should not be out there by yourself. We will start to run patrols as from tonight, so the city should be safe. Promise me you won’t go out into the forest alone.”
Maia promised and they talked about various other things while they walked along the upper pathways of Shadow Hall, before descending to ground level. Jaik took his leave at the bottom of The Royal Steps to join the others of the Guard and Night Watch for night duty.
The next morning, feeling subdued, Maia made her way to Silas’ cave. She had not given her other task, that of finding a way home for Aaron and the children, much thought in the past few days, and she felt guilty about it now. She remembered what Dorien had said about Soul Reaping and it made her shudder.
When she walked into the cave, Silas was already there. He had just lit a fire and was putting on a kettle for tea. She helped him take down some cups and arrange some lanterns around the space where they would be working. The satchel with the books and scrolls from Dorien’s Library was lying on a stool nearby. Silas picked it up and carefully emptied its contents on the large table where they would be working.
Once the tea was ready, they both took their cups and sat by the table. Silas spread the scrolls and weighed down the corners with small stones to keep them open. They worked in silence then, both paging through the books and studying the many paragraphs and drawings on the scrolls. They were on their third cup of tea when Silas made a small sound, catching her attention. She looked up from the scroll she was reading and he waved her over.
She went to stand next to him so see what had captured his attention. He was reading a passage in one of the great, leather-bound books. She leaned forward a little to decipher the passage written in tightly spaced runes.
Elemental, beware thee of temptation
From it great sorrow will arise
Do not look beyond your constellation
The foreign will often mesmerise
Elemental, beware thee of temptation
From it great sorrow will arise
Do not alter any of their population
For it will lead to naught but their demise
Elemental, beware thee of temptation
From it great sorrow will arise
Even with careful preparation
They will eventually come to realise
Elemental, beware thee of temptation
From it great sorrow will arise
It is the greatest trepidation
That their hearts will memorise
Elemental, beware thee of temptation
From it great sorrow will arise
It is the most horrendous violation
That their souls shall ever despise
Elemental, beware thee of temptation
From it great sorrow will arise
Their hearts will rend with lamentation
So do the only thing that’s wise
Maia shivered and her skin crawled. She had no great love for poems and she often struggled to decipher their meaning, but this message was clear.
She looked up at Silas. He was watching her.
“The page was marked. Did you tell Dorien why you were looking for this information?”
Maia nodded. She briefly explained and relayed to Silas what Dorien had said.
“I am sorry, Silas, I was not sure if I was to tell him or not.”
“It cannot be helped, it is done now. Dorien is a friend. He will keep it to himself.” Silas sighed, then continued. “It is clearly a warning. It speaks of sorrow and heart break and a violation of rules.”
He rubbed his hand over his head, making his thin, white hair engulf his head like thin tendrils of smoke.
“It looks to me like this has happened before and it did not end well. If Dorien was aware of our predicament, then I am sure he has selected these scrolls with care. You have no other plans for the next few days?”
Maia shook her head. She had intended to work with the bearskin, so she could give it to Aaron as a Home Blessing gift, but that would have to wait.
Maia’s eyes were burning. How is it even possible to write in such small letters? she thought. This last scroll they were working on was not only the longest, but its script was small, spiky and tightly spaced. It also seemed to be the most helpful. It described in detail the various ways to Travel, how to transport goods and, much to their joy, how to transport people. They had been looking at this for hours now and a small headache was forming behind her temples. She had been making notes, and her fingers were cramping. And, in light of the difficulties described in the text, she now felt miserable and disheartened.
If it was really that difficult to transport people, how had she done it in the first place? She tried to think back to that fateful day, tried to remember what she had done. The memory was hazy, like it had only been a dream.
Besides the vague explanations on how to transport people, the effects of bringing people against their will, was outlined in detail in the book with the poem. So far, none of her family had exhibited any of the signs. Aaron was the only one who was bitter in the beginning, but that had now changed and he seemed to have accepted his situation. Luke and Jasmin had taken to her planet as if they were born to it and did not seem upset or disturbed and showed no signs of hatred towards her. She wondered if that would change and how it would manifest. How would she deal with it if it happened? How would she feel if they started despising her?
The throbbing in her head intensified. She wanted desperately to just close her eyes and forget about all of it.
“Maia, wake up.”
Someone shook her shoulder.
“Mm?” She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. She sat up.
“Here, have some tea.”
Silas was looking at her with a kindly face, handing her a cup. She didn’t even remember putting her head down on the table. She wondered how long she had slept.
“I’m sorry, Silas, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“It’s all right. We’ve made a lot of headway today.”
Silas rolled up the scrolls they had been working with while she sipped her tea. The hot liquid burned down her throat, but she almost immediately felt revived. She tasted mint, sage and aniseed and something else she could not quite identify. It was sweetened with a bit of honey. In her mind, she ran through the properties of each herb and wondered how Silas always knew exactly what she needed.
When she had finished her tea, Silas took her cup and shooed her out of the cave, saying, “It’s time for you to go home and rest. It is almost midnight. Meet me here again after you have breakfasted with your family.”
For three more days Silas and Maia worked with the scrolls and books. Each day they spent their daylight hours in Silas’ cave. During late afternoon, Maia would sneak out for a bit to see to the bearskin. Then she went back to the cave to read yet another passage in a scroll, or a poem in a book.
Also, and here the books hinted that this was not supposed to be possible, she had not only healed their various ailments during Travel, but had also effectively changed their language, so that they were convinced that they still spoke the language they had used back on Earth. English it was called, Silas had said, but she had no recollection of speaking it.
The one thing they had so far not been able to figure out, was how to get them back to Earth, without Maia having to undergo the Change again. If she were to do that, then she would have to spend yet another two years, or twenty Earth years, away from home and she wanted to avoid that, if at all possible.
Silas and Maia spent the day by the small lake. Silas wanted to recreate the situation at the Gate in the hope that it would trigger something in Maia that would help them. It was frustrating work and they gave it up as the sun started to set. She wanted to join her parents for the evening meal, so she bid Silas goodnight at the bottom of The Fleeting Steps, while she carried on along The Median, before descending to Lower Walk to her home.
As she reached the top of The Winding Stairway, she saw Aaron stride towards her from the opposite direction. He was wearing leather pants, a black waistcoat over a brown cotton shirt and ankle high leather boots. Maia was amazed by how comfortable he looked. Not so long ago he had complained about having to wear leather pants. Now he was striding over the swaying bridges with confidence. He almost looked handsome in the twilight of evening.
It was still very strange between them and Maia often felt awkward in his company. She never knew what to say to him, especially not when he looked at her that way. Today, though, he made it easy for her. He talked about the house. It was almost finished. The plumbing was complete, the wooden shingles were on and the creepers were already accepting them, slowly making them part of the tree. He seemed very comfortable with the subject and it showed in his body language. She relaxed as they walked and he talked. No strange innuendos today then, she thought with relief.
During the following days, Maia spent most of her time studying the scrolls with Silas, or working the bearskin for Aaron. Often she was called into the Elder Hall to participate in the meetings, as was Silas. Three more reports of attacks had come in since their return from Braérn. The situation was worsening.
Already, Jagaer had set curfews and no-one was allowed out of the city after sun down. The people that tended their fields and fruit trees now went out with armed guards to keep watch over them while they bent to their tasks. Riders were sent out to drive the horse herds in closer to the stables and the Horse Masters now patrolled the herds every night. The Hunters went out every day, but not just to hunt. Every trip they went on, became part scouting mission. They ranged in all direction, looking for any sign of foreigners on their land, signs of attacks, dead animals and anything else suspicious.
A Quarter went by without any further news and slowly, the people began to relax again.
When the day came that Aaron’s house was finally complete, Jagaer announced that they would hold a feast. A Home Blessing.
Secretly, every family had been working on gifts for Aaron and his children and were looking forward to presenting them. Maia had finally finished the bearskin. With all the interruptions, it had taken her longer than anticipated, even with the new ways of tanning that they were using. Now, however, she was finally happy with the result. The evening before the Home Blessing, she laid out the various gift she had for her family and re-tightened a string here, put a finishing touch there, until she was happy with everything.
She knew it had been perfect before, but the thought of the house finally ready, unsettled her. She had not forgotten Aaron’s request that she move in with them. Now the moment had come to make a decision and she wasn’t ready. She did not want to hurt their feelings, especially not Jasmin’s, but she felt if she took this step then there would be no turning back. Their entire community would think that she had finally consented to Aaron being her husband and to then leave him at a later time would bring dishonour to her family.
Even if she made it clear that she only lived there for her children’s sake, at some point it would become so common that she lived there, everyone would naturally draw the conclusion that she and Aaron were together. Besides, once she was under his roof, it would only be a matter of time that familiarity would draw them together, whether it was love or not.
When she woke in the morning, it was with a heavy heart. She ate a quick breakfast of oats and fruit and dashed out of the house before anyone else awoke. She called to Midnight as she ran though the Silver Forest, down one of the Workers Lanes. A few moments later, she heard Midnight land just past the trees. She hurried the last few paces and finally broke though the trees into blinding sunshine. Midnight was crouched low, trying to peer underneath the leaves of the trees, but when she stepped out into the open, he rose up to his full height, towering above her.
She ran to him, embraced his left foreleg and clung to him for a few heartbeats. With a quick, mental nudge, he made her release his leg and he settled down onto the ground, so she could reach him better. Maia briefly touched his cheek in thanks and then settled down against his chest. She just needed a moment of comfort.
“Sometimes I wish I could just fly away with you.”
Maia felt a deep rumble vibrating against her back.
“You are always so free. You can make your own choices, go where you please, do what you please and no-one will judge you for it.”
She sighed. Midnight growled.
“I can’t stay long. The feast is only this evening, but I promised my father I attend him today at the meeting. There is some new plan they want to discuss.”
Images and feelings flashed through Maia’s mind.
“Yes,” she agreed, “it’s about the attacks. More people have died and we don’t know what to do about it.”
Another image swept through her head. She gasped.
“You saw this?” As Midnight assent touched her mind, she jumped to her feet.
“Thank you, Midnight.” She kissed his great muzzle. “Stay close, I might need you later.”
Before Midnight could answer her, she was running. Running through the forest, up the stairs, over the bridges and finally into her house. Her father, her mother and Aaron, were sitting at the table, eating breakfast. They all looked up startled as she barged into the house.
Out of breath, skin flushed, she almost shouted, “I have seen the Vampyres.”
The Elder Hall was buzzing with the voices of everyone talking at once. She had explained to her father what Midnight had seen and then they had immediately left to wake the Elders and gather the Guard. Explaining to them had taken a little longer. Eleven Elders, eleven Guard and a few other high ranking members of the community, as well as the Commanders of the Warrior Houses were present. Everyone wanted to have a question or two answered. Although they all knew about Midnight, some were slow to believe that the dragon could distinguish between an Elf and a Vampyre, or that he could comprehend their situation of peril.
“And I tell you again,” Jaik stood tall before the muttering crowd, “I have spoken to the dragon myself and he is as intelligent as you or I. If he says he has seen the Vampyres, then I believe him.”
“As do I,” added Jagaer.
“And I.” Silas stepped forward, placing himself next to Jagaer.
Maia slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding as, one by one, the congregation accepted the word of her dragon.
“Emrik, send birds to all the cities. They must be made aware at once. Jaik, double the guards around the city and the herds, use anyone who is willing to help. Tell the Night Watch to keep the lanterns open the entire night, do not dim them. Maia, would Midnight be willing to fly patrols around the city at night?”
“Yes, Father,” she said after a moment of conferring with Midnight.
Jagaer continued to give orders and she watched as even the most revered Elders hurried to do his bidding. This is why he is leader, she thought, no-one would dare oppose him when it comes to the safety of his people.
“What about the feast tonight, Jagaer? Should I let everyone know that it has been cancelled?”
Jagaer studied Glark for a moment. The Dwarf had been with them for almost sixty years and he considered him as much part of their clan as he did any of the Elves.
“No, Glark. Let the Home Blessing go ahead. The people will be glad for the distraction and there is no need to worry them further.”
As dusk settled over the village, the torches were lit and the lanterns un-shuttered. The trees, bridges and walkways around the new house had been adorned with colourful flags and ribbons and they were fluttering merrily in the slight breeze.
A group of younger Elves had gathered by the centre trunk of the new abode and were playing a funny little tune on their reed pipes, Wolf running in circles around them.
The smell of food drifted over from the Gathering Grounds and Maia turned to see a procession of people, carrying tureens and platters heaped with steaming food, cross the grounds and then set their load on the tables that had been prepared earlier.
