by Toni Cox
Like the last time they had fought together, the power that now coursed through Maia was too much to contain. She unleashed it upon the foe, unafraid, relentless. Like a tornado, she whirled through the throng of Vampyres, Werewolves, Elves, and Battle Dragons, placing her Twin Blades with such precision that with each swipe an enemy fell.
She did not see the stunned faces of the warriors around her, nor did she notice how they rallied around her. All she felt was Blaid in her mind and all she saw were targets. Tirelessly, she fought on and on, slaying the Vampyres by the hundreds. How much time passed, she would have been unable to say. Nothing else mattered, but to save her people. She cared nothing for the small cuts she received from passing blades, nor did she care about the gash on her forehead from a club. She felt no pain.
The sun rose higher into the sky, now peeking through the cloud cover in some places, shining bright spotlights down upon the battlefield. It was grotesquely beautiful; the sunlight illuminating the bloodied and mutilated bodies left in Maia’s wake. Those who watched Maia dance through the scant sunlight, dealing death as if she were born to it, were left feeling awed and somewhat richer for having been allowed to witness it.
By noon, the Vampyre army was decimated. What was left of them, were either desperately fighting to escape, or had surrendered and were huddled amid the shattered stones. Slowly, Maia came back to her senses, the danger over. For a moment, she stood, in a pool of her own blood, surveying her surroundings. The stench of blood and gore was suddenly all she could smell and the familiar feeling of nausea settled over her. Fatigue draped her like a heavy blanket. Her multiple injuries pained, as if she were receiving them anew. She gasped as the senses overwhelmed her and with a long, rasping sigh, she collapsed to the ground.
For a while, all she felt was the pain. The world around her did not exist. She did not hear, nor see, so she was oblivious to the commotion around her. However, after a while, the shouting became louder, intruding even through the heavy fog of pain.
“…ever touch her.”
She was not sure if it was her father who had spoken, but the anger in the voice was unmistakeable. She drifted off again for a moment.
“…not here while she was fighting,” she was sure it was Aaron who was speaking this time. “Maia was the one who won this battle for us.”
She felt nauseous. The world spun behind her closed eyes. The pain burning within her like fire. For a while, the ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing more. Then she heard her father speak again.
“You have done this to her. Look at her,” he shouted. “She is almost dead because of you. I hereby banish you from Grildor and forbid you to see Maia ever again. Leave at once. Do not ever come back. I shall put a price on your head should you ever step foot in our country again.”
Maia wanted to sit up to find out what was going on, but she was unable to move. She tried to lift her head, but to no avail. She tried to speak, but no sound came out of her mouth. She was so tired. So sore. She felt herself drifting off again and she fought it with what will she had left. She must have failed though, because what she heard next was only the end of a sentence, spoken by Blaid.
“…then I will leave and never bother your clan, or Maia, ever again.”
She thought it would have been impossible for her to feel any more pain, but as she heard Blaid utter those words, her heart ripped asunder and her world shattered. How could he leave her? She was only whole if they were together. She needed him. The sob stuck in her throat and she felt the salt of her tears sting the cuts on her face. Finally, tired of fighting the pain and exhaustion, she gave in to her weakness and drifted off into a feverish sleep.
A Moon had passed since they had defeated the Vampyres for a second time. Many had given their lives for the victory. Lord Longshadow had decreed that day an official day of mourning, which he added to their calendar and it was to be observed every year from now on.
The twelve traitors had been sentenced to imprisonment. Many had voted for them to die, but Jagaer hoped to get as much information about the Vampyres from them as he could. The threat of the Vampyres remained.
Maia had been unable to attend the burial of their own fallen, due to her injuries. Silas and Luke treated her in the cave, with her family and Aaron, Jasmin and Rothea often sitting by her side. They were worried, as she was taking too long to get better. Although some of her injuries had been severe, with the medicine administered by Silas and her own healing powers, she should have been back on her feet within a few days.
Yet, day by day, she lay on her cot, feeling like the world had ended. She had no motivation to get better. Blaid was gone from her life. He would never come back.
At first, she did not even speak to anyone but, as she started healing, she could not avoid it any longer. Everyone came to visit her. Family, friends, the warriors whose lives she saved.
And Aaron. He was with her every day. Sometimes the entire day. As she got better, she also noticed that Aaron and her father had become close and they would often sit around the fire in the cave, deep in discussion.
Yet Maia cared little about what was happening around her and it was many more days before she spoke in more than one-word answers.
“It is time for you to get up,” Silas announced. “You have been here for a Moon already and there is nothing further I can do for you.”
He sat by the fire, his back turned to her, and had not even looked up to speak to her. His back was hunched and he looked old and tired. She knew that her state of mind weighed heavily on him, but she could not change it. Her heart was broken and no herbs or powders could heal it.
“And you should really see to Fire,” he added. “We have done what we could for him, but without your magic, I don’t believe that he will ever be the same again.”
Maia frowned. She remembered the horrific injury Fire had sustained during the fight. A Werewolf had slashed his rump and the flesh had hung off his rear, bleeding profusely. A rush of adrenaline shot through her at the thought that she had forgotten about her horse in her misery. And Midnight? She knew he had been injured during the fight with those red creatures, but he had not mentioned anything to her during their mind links while she had been in the cave.
She asked him now and, although he assured her that he was fine, she could tell that he was hiding something from her. She probed his mind, but he shut her out.
Could she feel any worse? Not only was her heart broken, but now the guilt of neglecting the ones she still had in her life and whom she did love dearly, completely overwhelmed her. She started to cry.
“Maia,” Aaron said gently and sat down on the bed next to her, draping his arm around her shoulders.
She leant her head against him and let herself cry. She had not shed a tear since she had overheard her father speak to Blaid. The pain had been too much. However, the thought of her neglect was finally bringing it all to the surface. She let it out, letting Aaron hold her. She did not know for how long she cried, but she felt better for it.
Finally, she rose from the bed.
“Thank you, Silas, for your care. I will be a burden no longer.”
She nodded to Aaron and then packed the few things that had been brought to the cave for her. Whether she liked it or not, she was still alive. Life had to carry on. Somehow.
Aaron accompanied her out of the cave and they walked together to her home. He carried her satchel for her. It was a beautiful day, so very different from the storm that had raged during the days of the battle. Sunlight dappled through the trees, birds flitted about in the canopy above, the stream gurgled to their right and she could hear singing from somewhere across the Gathering Grounds.
Along the way, people stopped and bowed when they saw her, a look on their faces she had never seen before.
“They revere you,” Aaron said to her. “You saved us all.”
“I did not do it alone,” she replied.
“Our armies were losing, Maia. Had it not been for y
ou, the ending would have been much different.”
She wanted to tell him that it was Blaid who had helped her save the people, but the words stuck in her throat. She could not bear to think of him.
Her home was empty and they dropped the satchel on the stairs and headed for the stables. Aaron had told her that Rothea was with the Regiment, for the moment taken off guard duty. Her mother was probably in the pottery workshop and her father had his affairs to tend to. Strangely, she felt relieved that she did not have to speak to anyone.
It felt good to be walking in the fresh air, but when they reached the point where, but a few Moons back, Maia and Blaid had made love in the forest, she almost lost her composure. Aaron was quickly by her side, assuming it was fatigue that had made her stumble. They walked the rest of the way with Aaron holding her. She did not mind; his calm demeanour was making her feel better.
They eventually reached the stables and she went straight to Fire’s stall. Her stallion whinnied when he noticed her and limped over to the door. She caught her breath at the sight of him and tears rolled down her face.
“Silas and Luke, with the help of some of the Horse Masters, had to cut off a fair amount of flesh, before they were able to sew the wound closed,” Jaik said behind her. “They are still treating it every day to prevent infection.”
“Jaik,” she said and he opened his arms for her.
It felt good to be in his embrace. No one else could ever make her feel this way; he was her brother and they had a connection so deep, that it could never be shaken.
“See to him first, then we can talk,” he said, then kissed her on the forehead.
With shaking fingers, she opened the latch to the door. Fire immediately came to her and stuck his head under her arm. She rubbed his soft nose and stroked his neck, then she went to see his hind leg. She moved her hand over the deep indentation, his skin puckered and still crusty in places. Fire twitched and she knew it was still sore. They had done what they could for him and he would live, but he would never be able to run again the way he used to. There was little she could do for him now, except finish the healing and take away his pain. Even she could not grow back what had been cut away.
She concentrated and let the energy flow out of her. After spending a full Moon in bed, she had plenty to spare. Maia talked to Fire quietly while she healed him as best she could. From time to time, he snorted, but he stood still for her until it was done. She was crying again. He was still a magnificent stallion and could still be used for the stud and produce beautiful offspring. However, he would never be able to gallop over the Grazing Ground or round up his herd of mares.
“I am sorry, Fire,” she whispered before she closed the stable door behind her.
That evening they all gathered at the royal home. Her entire family was there, including her great-grand parents and grand parents. Aaron and his children were there, as was Archer. Rothea had come and so had Silas and his life-partner, Becci.
Maia understood that they were trying to help her cope with what had happened, but it was difficult for her to smile for their benefit. The only time she felt truly interested, was when Jaik told her of his adventure at Tarron Heights.
“Once we had secured the city, we rode immediately for the Gate. I had a terrible feeling that something had gone wrong, which, of course, was confirmed once we arrived there.”
“Were you there during the fight?” she asked, unsure if she had seen him during the battle.
“No, we were still at Tarron Heights while you were fighting,” he said. “We only arrived two days later and helped dispose of the dead. By that time, you had already been taken home. We rode as fast as we could, but then came across the rest of the Vampyres that had attacked Tarron Heights. We managed to kill most of them, before the rest managed to escape. We lost five good men in the process, including Munnar.”
“I am sorry, Jaik.” Maia took his hand, knowing how much each of his Guard meant to him.
The evening progressed and they ate dinner and then had tea around the hearth. Maia was quiet as she listened to her family and friends. She loved them all dearly and she realised how lucky she was to have them all in her life. They were the ones who made her who she was. They were the reason she fought, they were the reason she was. She was their Prime.
Nevertheless, the heartbreak gnawed at her and she wished she could still it. It was like a black serpent that slithered its way around her soul, devouring her happiness. Without realising it, she leant against Aaron for comfort and he cradled her in his arms, his tenderness comforting.
Her father cleared his throat and stood. She looked up at him.
“There is a matter that we have been discussing since the war and I think now is as good a time as any to speak to you about it.”
She sat up straight, wondering what matter he could be talking about.
“Since the Humans have come to live with us, they have proven to be productive members of our clan. Aaron has built himself a reputation as a Builder and has done well for himself. In light of this, I see him as an equal to any good man of our own people. Considering all that has happened, your mother and I believe that it would be in your best interest that you marry. I have given my consent for Aaron to court you and, if you agree, a wedding date can be set for next spring.”
“Father, I…” She did not know what to say.
“Maia,” Aaron said and knelt down in front of her, “I know what you have been going through and how difficult this must all be for you. Let me take care of you. Let us be a family and make you whole again. I promise to respect you, cherish you and love you with everything I have. You have been my wife once and I would like that to be again. You can take as long as you need to recover, as long as you agree. I will wait, for however long it will take.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. “I know that this is a tradition we have on Earth, but will you accept this ring as my promise to you that I will look after you for as long as I shall live?”
Her body trembled. She looked at him. He had grown into a handsome man; the elven magic had wrought many changes within him. His hair was now long and dark, held together at the back with a leather band. His skin was smooth and youthful. His grey eyes sparkled with intelligence and the love he had for her was written all over his face. She thought about everything he had done to win her approval, not least winning his category at Spring Feast and then riding into war to save her.
She did not love him, but he was a good man. The man she wanted had been banished and wanted nothing more to do with her. Riker, whom she had genuinely liked, had been killed. What else was left for her? A life alone, in misery? If she married Aaron, at least she could be with Luke and Jasmin every day. A single tear ran down her cheek.
“Yes, Aaron, I shall be your wife.”
He walked. There was nothing else he could do right now. Being one with Maia during the fight had been the most amazing moment of his life. She was the other half of his soul.
Then to see her broken and bleeding on the battlefield had ripped his heart asunder. He had rushed to her, but the others had gotten there before him. The clouds above had darkened, as if in anticipation of what was going to happen. All he had wanted was to be by her side in her time of need, but Lord Longshadow had seen him as a threat. Somehow, Maia’s father was convinced that everything that had happened to Maia was his fault, yet everything he had done since he had come into Maia’s life was to protect her.
Lilith nudged him from behind. He had not heard her follow him and he was surprised to see her. At least she knew him for who he was. He stopped and took the bridle and saddle off her and dumped them on the ground. She deserved to be free. He carried on walking.
The emptiness he felt inside was consuming him; like a black hole, it was threatening to devour him, never to be seen again. He felt only pain and disappointment. What was his life without Maia in it? What had made Lord Longshadow react to him the way he had? He recalled every word that had been spoken on that
battlefield.
“She needs my help,” Blaid had said.
“You shall never touch her. Not for as long as I live,” Lord Longshadow had replied.
“I have only ever tried to help her. To help you. Do you not see?”
“You were not here while she was fighting. Maia was the one who won this battle for us. I did not see you do anything that helped us win this battle,” the Human, Aaron had said.
“You have done this to her. Look at her.” Lord Longshadow had then shouted. “She is almost dead because of you. I hereby banish you from Grildor and forbid you to see Maia ever again. Leave at once. Do not ever come back. I shall put a price on your head should you ever step foot in our country again.”
The announcement had taken him aback. Never to see Maia again would surely kill him. He could not live without her. Yet, there was nothing he could do about it right now. Lord Longshadow’s army surrounded her and they would not let him get to her. He had to let her go. For now.
“You cannot keep me away from her for ever. We are meant to be together. One day you will come to realise this and let us hope it will not be too late by then.”
Lord Longshadow had made a strange sound at the back of his throat, but Blaid had carried on before the King of Grildor could interrupt him.
“Only if Maia speaks the words herself that she does not want to be with me, then I will leave and never bother your clan, or Maia, ever again.”
He had turned, before anyone could speak again. He had needed to get away. The pain had been too great.
Lilith snorted behind him and brought him out of his reverie. He had not realised she was still following him. He did not even know where he was going. All he wanted was to get away from this pain and emptiness. Absently, he reached out and stroked her neck. Strangely, she was shaking with fear.
