The Four Tales

by Rebecca Reddell

  Once the door closed behind her, Maezy sighed so hard her shoulders dropped and her head dangled forward, chin resting on her chest.

  This day, she thought.

  Looking down at herself, she spotted the splotches of blood. Disgusted, she turned and marched over to the dresser. As she suspected, clothing filled each drawer. Pulling out the necessary items, she tromped into the bathroom and swung the door closed.

  It was time to shower. She just hoped a good, hot deluge of water hitting her in the head would make her feel more alive. So far, the first few moments she’d spent with Brandalfr made her think she was still dead. Or dreaming.

  She really hoped neither was the case. Real kisses were so much better when you were awake to enjoy them.

  Going from complete strangers to something more, who knows what, in a couple of days was intense. She wasn’t sure how it had happened, but knowing her mother’s True Love’s Kiss spell had brought them together was --

  “Weird. It’s super weird. Just weird,” she whispered to herself. Sighing, looking down at herself, she shook her head. “This needs to change.”

  She took her clothes and headed to the bathroom, a warm shower sounded like Heaven. Thinking of Heaven made her wonder who had sent her back. In her world, sorcerers and deities and elves made up her understanding of what comes next and their beliefs on the afterlife. Unfamiliar with the other realms and their beliefs, she wondered what they would say about her experience. Was it something she wanted to learn more about?

  The mirror revealed the reflection of a stranger.

  “Death doesn’t help your looks. What in the world?” Pulling a bottom piece forward, from under her ear, Maezy grasped a small chunk hair that was no longer red. Instead, it was white. From root to end, it was nothing but pure white. She glanced in the mirror, back to the hair in her hand, and up again. It was still white.

  “This cannot be happening,” she told her reflection. “I wonder if mother has a spell to make this go away?” she cried out.

  Tearing off her blood-stained clothes, deciding to ignore her hair, she jumped under a steady stream of steaming water. Pelts hit her wounds and stung. “Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

  The thought of using soap made her cringe, but she knew she had to clean the bites. Bites. It was so awkward thinking of that word. She was certain no one outside of her world would ever understand what she had just been through.

  “I wonder what would happen if I told someone outside of our realm this story. Hey, how was your week? Good? Mine? It didn’t go as planned. I had to go to a Mermaid Lagoon to save a friend’s - is he a friend? Well, to save his father and the mermaids bit me. Then Atropos decided to kill me. So, what sport season is it?” Having this conversation had her laughing over the situation.

  No, it wasn’t normal. Her life wasn’t normal. She didn’t even know what sports were. She’d only heard it once in passing. A warlock friend of her mothers had come to visit and told them of the Earth realm’s obsession with sports. She didn’t get it.

  “Ow!” Soap contact had been made. Cleaning up, she was clean and out in minutes. She applied salve and dressed quickly. Leaving her hair down to dry, she brushed out the wavy locks. Tucking the white stands beneath the red, she tried to hide it as much as possible. Apparently, death always came with a price. Thankfully, this might be one thing she could remedy later.

  Hearing voices in the hall, Maezy tightened her belt around her waist and anchored the sword through its scabbard. Closer to the door, she heard her mother’s voice and Brandalfr’s. He didn’t sound happy. Pulling on her socks and boots, her hand was on the door when she heard him angry whisper her mother’s name.

  What’s that about? She wondered before opening the door just in time to see her mother disappear through a wall.

  “Brandalfr?” Maezy saw his shoulders slump when she called his name. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like what he would tell her. “Brandalfr, what’s going on? Why are you yelling for my mother through that wall?”

  “Well, your mother just left.” His voice sounded strained. As if he were talking through gritted teeth.

  He couldn’t do anything else. He turned and faced her. Faced a girl with the reddest hair and the brightest green eyes he’d ever seen. She was already dressed for a fight. Leather pants, a black shirt tucked in, tall boots, belt and sword around her waist, she looked like a beautiful mercenary.

  Hating what he was about to tell her, he gave a shrug. “Well, your mother just left.” It was a good start. He didn’t feel like telling her the truth. Yet.

  “She did? Where is she now? Are you two okay?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine. I think she likes me,” this last part was said with some conviction.

  She laughed. “That’s good to know. Mother doesn’t often like anyone. What did she want?”

  “Oh, nothing much. I think it’s getting close to the noon meal. Or the evening meal. Or whatever you call it. We need to keep up our strength.”

  “Bran-dalfr?” She had caught on, and her tone told him so.

  “Yes?” He tried to stall. She wasn’t going to like this.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Time to eat?” he tried.

  “I’m sure it is. I think it’s supper time by the light, but I know that isn’t what you mean. Brandalfr, what did my mother say? Does she have a plan?”

  “Yep,” he evaded.

  “And?” She started to frown.

  “She agreed with me,” he detoured.

  “Agreed about what?” She sighed and leaned against the door jam.

  “That soulmates should be together.”

  “You talked about soulmates? Really?” Her brows quirked up, and her mouth created a small “o”.

  “Yes, she agreed. Don’t you agree?” he stalled.

  “Well, yes, I do. But what does that have to do with anything? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Uh,” he had to say it. “YourmomwenttogetmyfatherfromGorgónaLimnothálassa.”

  “Wait.” Hands on hips, Maezy’s eyes narrowed and glared. “Do you mean to tell me that my mother went to Gorgóna Limnothálassa alone? By herself? And you’re just now telling me?”

  “In my defense, she just came and told me, and left before I could talk her out of it. Then you came out, and I had wanted to talk about our future and what would happen after we take care of everything with our fathers, and now there’s this.” Out of breath, Brandalfr swallowed.

  He kept his gaze on the floor, so he couldn’t find out if Maezy’s eyes turned the same spooky green as her mother’s.

  “Brandalfr, I am only going to ask this one time. Please listen and answer very carefully. What. Did. My. Mother. Say?”

  “She told me to take care of you,” he paused at her snort. “Then, she said she would go and take care of it, as she should have done from the beginning. Oh, and she might have mentioned our staying here and not going after Ingvar.”

  “Leaving the last part alone for now and not even deigning to discuss the first part, can you tell me why she thought it would be a good idea to go herself when the experience cost me my life? Not to mention the point where she didn’t even say goodbye!” Maezy’s timbre was even and quiet.

  “I don’t know. I think she has a plan,” Brandalfr attempted to placate her.

  “Brandalfr, I’m going to go after my mother now. Please excuse me.” She spun on her heel and entered her bedroom.

  In five long steps, he was at her side and holding onto her wrist. Jerking her to face him, he saw her frown and clenched jaw. Her arm felt tense beneath his hand, but he had to stop her.

  “Maezy, you need to give her a chance.” Catching her flinch, he let go of her wrist and looked down. A band aid peeked out from the bottom of her black sleeve. “Are you well?”

  “Yes, I cleaned all the bites and put on some salve. Right now, I need to get to my mother. She can’t do this by herself! If Atropos wasn’t there, maybe, but that isn’t the case. I can’t af
ford to let her die. She’s all I have.” Maezy shrugged.

  Taking her hand with care, he pulled her to him. He wanted to protect her. He didn’t understand how to do so but tucking her close to him made it feel as if he were doing something. His chin rested on her head, his arms wrapped around her, he began to grasp how much she meant to him.

  In less than a week, he had come to care for someone who was like a stranger to him. Unfathomable, he couldn’t adjust his brain to the truth. His desire to love her beat against his reasoning and logic. He didn’t know her. Or did he?

  “You have me,” he whispered, letting the sparks inside of him form words. Putting aside logic, he just went with what made sense to his soul. “You have me.”

  “She’s all I have.” Maezy turned to look at him and shrugged. Fighting tears was not her usual way of handling a crisis. This day was not getting any better.

  Taking her hand with care, he pulled her to him. His chin rested on her head, his arms wrapped around her, and Maezy felt protected. It was such a strange feeling. Normally, she was helping her mother fight off realm hoarders and keeping the peace within their home.

  Her mother wasn’t too popular, so when she’d created her own realm with only close friends and servants, Maezy had done her best to make sure those who stayed were loyal. Sometimes fighting had ensued, but she usually knew how to deal with it.

  Now, she was on the verge of tears and in the arms of someone she didn’t even technically know really well. Swords flying at her, she could handle. People yelling and screaming at each other, she could handle. Dying on her realm walk… terrifying and not something she ever wished to repeat, but she could handle it. Having someone tell you they cared for you seemed a little surreal.

  Life didn’t make any sense.

  “You have me,” he whispered, letting the sparks inside of him form words. “You have me.”

  Hearing this, Maezy knew it was true. As awkward and inexplicable as it was, she believed him. She believed the words he spoke.

  “You have me, too,” she whispered.

  She meant it, and she understood why he didn’t want her to do anything. However, she wasn’t going to just give up. In fact, it had been too long since she had the opportunity to have a really good brawl.

  The urgency to take someone down was filling her entire being. Realm walking and helping set prisoners free was all well and good, but Maezy felt the need to strike out at her enemies. Sitting on the sidelines wasn’t her style.

  Sometimes, an eye for an eye really made the most logic.

  17

  Punching him in the larynx felt really, really good. Better than good. Better than really, really good. It felt superb. Excellent, exciting, right.

  Maezy threw in a kick before sticking her sword in his face and asking, “Where’s my father?”

  He wouldn’t talk. In his defense, the elf was crippled on the floor with his hands wrapped around his throat, gagging. She had taken him by surprise.

  Perhaps she should have skipped that last step?

  Sighing, she decided to make this easier. Hitting him on the back of the head hard enough to make him lose consciousness, she stood straight, and shifted her sword back to her right hand.

  “This is a really bad idea,” Brandalfr told her for the hundredth time.

  “I’m done running,” her only reply.

  “This is suicidal, Maezy. You’re going to walk into a trap and hand yourself over to your father. What are you thinking? Can we go back to your mother’s realm? Rethink this?”

  “My mother is going on a mission she has excluded me on, and since you won’t allow me to go there, I’m going to solve this problem. I don’t want to run and hide from my father forever.”

  “I get that, but this is suicide. This is you walking up to him and saying, Hey, Father! I’m here to defy you. I won’t help you, but you can kill me if you like.” He waved his hands around in the air while he spoke.

  Rolling her eyes, she shook her head at him. “Brandalfr, you’re being dramatic.”

  “I wouldn’t call this being dramatic. It’s called being realistic. This is you just asking for trouble.”

  “Will you please focus on what we’re doing and keep your spell going. Your complaining is getting distracting.” She crept forward, looking right and left.

  “Maezy, I’m not complaining. I’m trying to tell you as kindly as possible that you’re being an idiot.”

  “I can feel how much you love me,” Maezy sarcastically told him.

  “That’s the point. I do care about you. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. However, I’m trying to also talk some sense into you.”

  “Sticking up for yourself isn’t suicide. I’m turning the tables. He wants me, and I’m going to make it easy on us both. I’m finished running away like a scared little girl,” she huffed.

  “That’s what this is though. Don’t you see it? It’s suicide because he has the Seekers on his side.”

  “I have you,” she retorted.

  “Yeah, they’re ancient. They’re petrifying. They don’t have eyes. I’ve seen them! You haven’t!”

  “You know, for someone who has insane magical abilities, you are a wuss.” Marching through the trees, Maezy sliced a thick bush to pieces.

  “No, I’m cautious and think my battle plans out. I prefer to be alive before I jump into a fight I know I won’t be able to win.”

  “No. You’re a wuss. Now, get started. We’re almost there.”

  “Maezy--”

  “Now, Brandalfr!”

  Summoning his anger, which was considerable at the moment after trying to talk logically to a ticked off red-head, Brandalfr concentrated the emotion into a protection spell which would take out anyone who tried to touch them. It was a ward which would even block the Seekers’ magic. It wouldn’t last long under their onslaught, but it might do the job for enough time.

  Reciting the spells, repeating to reinforce, Brandalfr walked in back of Maezy. His eyes focused on her black, leather vest. Her red hair had been pulled into some kind of bun, so he couldn’t stare at it rippling down her back.

  Was that white hair?

  Keeping an eye on her was essential. He didn’t trust her not to do something stupid. Okay, something even more stupid.

  “Halt!” another guard called out.

  The guard advanced from the right with an arrow drawn back. Flicking a hand in his direction, Brandalfr sent him flying into a tree. It felt quite good.

  “Well done,” Maezy flashed him a smile over her shoulder.

  He smiled back before refocusing his energy, which was a good idea since three more guards with drawn arrows appeared around the right corner of the castle.

  “Surrender,” one called.

  “Not going to happen!” Maezy shouted.

  “Stop, or we will shoot!” a second cried.

  “I don’t think so!” Maezy stalked forward without pausing.

  With a sweep of his fingers, Brandalfr sent them flying backward several hundred feet. They didn’t bash into a tree with a satisfying thunk, but instead, dropped to the ground and skidded a few more feet on their backs.

  “Nice.” Maezy veered left toward the open doorway.

  He came out of nowhere. Without waiting to draw an arrow, the elf rushed at them, toward Maezy. She didn’t even blink. Her blade hit him in the shoulder, using his momentum against him, and he fell to the ground with a howl.

  “Excellent aim,” Brandalfr exchanged a compliment.

  He watched her head bob, before he forced himself to put all energy into another spell. Knowing she could take care of herself, he put all focus into keeping them protected from the Seekers.

  Their presence was known by now. As soon as they walked through the stone doorway, they were surrounded by elf warriors. Bows trained on them, a few with swords at the ready, Brandalfr caught them in his peripheral and felt his strength being fought against.

  Pokes in his armor could be discerned. Subtle, but
persistent, he waited for them to increase in intensity. Now, he would let Maezy protect him.

  “I’m here to see my father,” Maezy told them.

  Not one moved. They stood poised to shoot. She looked from one to the other. They were beautiful. Dressed in leathers, like her, they were ready for a fight. Respecting their position, she allowed a smile to appear.

  “Daughter, this is a surprise. The Seekers were about ready to find your mother’s new realm. There’s always one loose thread.” His gaze traveled over her and Brandalfr, a grin widening his cheeks, as he came through his army. Stopping a few feet in front of her, he clasped his hands in front of him and stood waiting.

  “Sure. You were close. Blah, blah, blah. I’m here to talk about a deal.” Maezy crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the right.

  “A deal? You amuse me, daughter.”

  “Stop calling me daughter. I’m not. Not by choice or upbringing anyway.”

  “That is through no fault of mine.” His eyes narrowed. “I would have wanted you, if your mother had told me about you.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “You wanted what I could do for you.”

  “Maezy, this is getting us nowhere. Of course I would have wanted you, even without your gift.”

  “Nice way of showing me. Sending an army to kidnap your only daughter wasn’t your best choice. Also, the whole dungeon experience gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.”

  Jaw set, his eyes tried to hypnotize her, but Maezy was prepared for it. Brandalfr had put an incantation over her to defend her from falling under their lure. She just smiled back, with teeth.

  “I’m here to make a deal,” she told him.

  Grunting, he said, “You’re here surrounded by my men. There will be no deal.”

  “I don’t think so. They can’t do anything to me.”

  “Why?” he smirked. “Because of your friend there?”

  “Brandalfr? Yes, actually.”

  “Ha! He couldn’t do anything the last time. What makes you think this time will be any different?”

  “You don’t have his mother and sister locked up for one,” Maezy retorted.