Bliath: Shattered (20 page)

Vance got down on his knees and leaned into her, “Fera, Fera, sweetheart, it is ok, it will be ok, you are not alone.”  He waited for her to move, to yell at him, to anything, but nothing, her eyes were open, but she was catatonic.  Vance frantically looked around, nothing was out there, he sent out a wave of his energy and felt nothing. 

Vance was running out of options, if she didn’t move she would freeze, nothing was out there he reiterated in his mind, so his next bet was to start a fire so she could have some warmth.

After a few moments he had a small blaze started.  He sat down next to her and picked up her hand as if willing her back to him would be enough.  He had tried to wake Oren, but the stupid horse slept like the dead.  The only think he could do was wait, and that was a bad game to play when you are being hunted. 

Vance spent the rest of the night torn between keeping the fire going, but not going to the point it could be easily spotted, and holding Fera’s hand and brushing his fingers through her hair, telling her how strong, beautiful, and loved she is, but she made no sound other than ragged breaths.  Just as the sun was peeking up Vance felt Oren stir.  He stood up and waited for the beast to show signs of awareness. 

Vance’s patience was getting the best of him, he shoved Oren hard with his foot.  The horse jumped and prepared to recoil, Vance held up his hands and in a slow and as calm as he could make his voice sound, “Oren, stop, Fera is in trouble.”  He gestured to the ground.

Oren’s brain had not caught up, he looked from Vance to the ground and back, then it clicked, Fera was in a ball on the ground.  He leaned his head down, sticking is nose to her cheek. 

“Fera, a'mael, what is wrong?”
  He knew she heard him, but there was a wall, it wasn’t her normal wall, this one was put up by her body to protect her mind.  Oren looked back at Vance, he wanted to scream, he needed to know what happened and could not talk to him to get the answers he needed.  He seriously wanted to kick him.

This time he forced his thoughts harder into her mind,
“A'mael, I need you to come back to me, I need you to tell me what is wrong, please Fera?”
  

Fera blinked she felt something in her tumble, without hesitation she shot up and launched her arms around Oren.  His thoughts swept back into her mind,
“Cormamin lindua ele lle, a’mael Oio naa elealla alasse', Lle naa vanima.  Manke nae lle melamin? A’mael amin khiluva lle a' gurtha ar' thar! ”

His steady calm voice in her head was warming her from the inside out, though she had no clue what it meant, in that moment it didn’t matter, it was just him, filling in the desperate hole that was tore open.  Her soul melted into his, he could feel it, the warmth took him over as well and in this moment it was as if they were in their own universe where he was hers and she his. 

For once Oren was the first to step back, he could feel her loss in her mind, how everything was effecting her, catching up with her, but he could not be there, things would change soon enough and he was not what she needed and, he pushed his thoughts in again,
“A’mael, Vance is out of his mind with worry, I know you are hurt, but you just need to push it down a little longer until you are safe. Please Fera you have to be ok.”
It sounded more like a prayer than a demand. 

Fera glanced back at Vance.  He took a hopeful step forward, but Fera faltered and reached back for Oren, but Oren took another step away, confusion set in on Fera’s face, Oren was always there, no matter what, something was not right.
“Go to Vance
.” Oren sounded sad in her head.  Her mind was still trying to process, then it all was crashing down again, her legs started to give and before she hit the ground she found herself in Vance’s arms.

“I got you sweetheart, it will be ok.”  Vance felt a sense of calm come over him, he felt right being the one to comfort her, his arms around her.  As their eyes met, he could tell there was a storm brewing in her eyes. “Fera, tell me what is going on, what are you thinking, I can’t be in your mind I need you to tell me, please.”  Vance implored, this not know was driving him nuts, and the fact that Oren knew was making him crazy. He set her close to the fire and went about making breakfast.

Fera was lost in thought and emotion she was trying to sort through it all, but it was just making her feel foolish for being weak and that was making her angry.  She was running through all the advice Markus or her father had given her over the years, trying to pull a sense of reasoning from it.  When she finally spoke out loud her voice was shaky. “I can’t live in the past I have to learn from it, I can only go forward.  All of this, all of this mess, was set in motion for a better future and that is where my head needs to be.  My mother’s note said I could get my memories back.  My guess is that they contain you Vance, but that does not matter.  You are here now, and we can move forward, now is not the time for memories, maybe someday.  Let’s just work on getting through the day, and the day after.  I think we have wasted enough time on my pity party don’t you think?” 

Vance was looking at her like she was a dangerous animal, he could see the fire in her soul, she was burning bright.  “Fera…” Vance started but Fera cut him off, “No, I know what you are going to say, I am fine, lets pack up and go, I caused us to lose enough time, and I have this feeling that something is going to happen tonight, I have goosebumps.”

“Fera, I was going to say happy birthday, but now I am intrigued, goosebumps are telling you the future.” He teased her as he handed her what look like oatmeal. 

She elbowed him playfully, “Every time I have gotten them not from cold and my arm hair stands on end something happens, you will see.”  Vance couldn’t help but laugh at her logic.

Chapter 29

They ate for the most part in a comfortable silence, Fera’s thoughts were wavering between a steadfast determination to keep moving forward, and worried about why Oren pushed her away, it wall like a paper cut on her heart, not fatal, but an annoying sting.

As Vance and Fera started packing up the blankets and getting ready to go, Fera tried to reach out to Oren. 

“Oren, are we ok, did I do something wrong?” 

“You are fine, I am just, I just- A’mael, you are at a cross roads and you will need to do some navigating, I will always be here for you, but you need to figure out how to bend and not cave or break, find you again, and I am here, and will do what is best for you, always what is best for you. Do you understand?”

Fera could feel his sadness, things were going to change and he knew it too, this did not ease her nerves.
“I cannot pretend to completely understand Oren, but I know you will not give up on me as I will never on you.”

In the silence of that moment, the world around them gave way to live, in the distance Vance could see birds taking to flight, and that could only mean one thing, someone, was getting close to them.  He swore in his mind, he had hoped it would be an easy ride today.

Oren noticed the birds a moment after Vance,
“Get on we have to go now, and hang on, tell Vance we are taking point, I know the way to the tower, and then he can set a ward.”

Fera did not respond to him, but did what he asked. Vance agreed, and that made a pit form in her stomach.  Running was horrible and this was a twisted race, with what seemed a dash to the finish line.

Vance could see Fera hated this, it was not fun for any of them, but harder on her.  “Don’t worry Fera, once we get to the tower we can relax a little, and then form a plan from there, I should be able to set a ward to hide us in the tower, and then I have a birthday surprise for you.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need a surprise, I am not sure if I can handle any more of those. Let’s just get going.”  Fera half laughed she was trying not to think how this birthday was so different from her last.

They took off, Fera was pretty sure she had never rode at this speed, she was thinking if Oren got going any faster they would be flying, Vance and his mount were having trouble keeping up. 

“
Oren, I think we need to slow down just a little, Vance is having trouble keeping up?”

“
No, I will not gamble with you, and he would not want me to either, just keep your head down and hang on, I am fine as long as you are.”
His tone was brisk but he was trying to concentrate on the path ahead, he put up his mental barrier, she was by far his greatest weakness, and he was not going to let his blind spot for her be her undoing.

Two hours into their ride Oren came to an abrupt halt, almost knocking Fera off, his ears perked up as he listen. Fera looked around and saw Vance slowing beside her, she could see nothing else. 

“Oren, what is it?” Fera whispered out loud since she could not get past his mental wall.

“
The forest knows who you are, and is changing for you look behind us, our path is gone there is no trace of us crashing through it
.”  

Fera looked around again, “That is a good thing right?” she questioned aloud.

“We shall see.”
Oren sounded ragged.

“What is going on?” Vance was getting one half the conversation and thought he should be clued into the other half.

Fera turned to Vance, “The forest is changing behind us, like it is trying to cover our tracks.  We are just trying to figure out what it means, if it means anything at all.”

Vance retook a look around, and they were right.  The underbrush had seemed to cover the ground more densely behind them and the trees seemed closer together. 

“Devendra has been a mystery and strange stories have come out of it, let’s just be grateful it seems to be on our side, and get to the tower, we have a few more hours to go.”  Vance was uneasy, but would rather not dwell on what could be in the forest.

They took off, but Oren kept a slightly more even pace knowing that whoever was behind them was having a harder time following them.  He had his mental barrier back up and his thoughts were thinking thoughts he should not be thinking, he wanted to give Fera a birthday present, but it would be a selfish gift, and it also could back fire and ruin everything, not that it wouldn’t happen at some point.  His thoughts rambled on like this this for what seemed like forever. 

He was so lost in thought he almost missed the turn to the tower, but snapped out of it and made the turn followed by three more, a left, another left and a right, there is was, their safe point, where they could regroup and Fera could ascend in a safe place. 

Fera looked up and took in what was called the tower, it was not a tower at all, it looked like two massive trees fused together, and at the base a large door was carved, then her eyes went up to find what looked like a house nestled at the top with a look out deck all around it.  “Amazing” she whispered.

“Elven made, with magic, I am going to check for traps before we head in.” Vance said as if it were no big deal.  Vance started circling the tower with his palms up and out.  Fera could feel the energy waves coming off them.  He gave the all clear and moved to the door, when he touched the handle he flew back a few feet, and cursed loudly.

Fera could feel Oren laughing in her mind,
“What is so funny, he could have been hurt?”

“You have to be the one to open the door, A’mael, place the palm of your marked side on the door and say, Uuma ma' ten' rashwe, ta tuluva a' lle, while sending your energy signature into the door. Only elven magic will open it. The words are a key and your magic the turning element.”

“Well you could have told us sooner.”  Fera said curtly aloud.

Vance glared in their direction and shouted “What, what now, what little secrets is he keeping now, was this funny to you Oren? We are on the same damn team, and this is a joke to you, let the servant get knocked on his ass, well in case you forgot your place, you are a horse, right that is what you are?”

Fera was in a state of shock and her face was red, she slide down off of Oren and went to help Vance up, but he refused her hand and would not even look at her, but she could feel the energy building in him.  She looked back at Oren, and then back to Vance, now she could see the energy waves coming off of him.

Vance pushed himself off the ground, “I will be back.” And he fumed off into the forest.

“
Storm warning
” Oren thought with twisted amusement

Fera whirled back on him, and yelled, “Stop, just stop, he is right, but he needs to stop too, what is wrong with both of you? We are all each other has!” with that out of her system, she went over and took in the door, as lighting flashed in the distance.

She pressed her palm to the door, she did not get catapulted back that was good a least, “Ok Oren what do I say again?”