Maerads breathing was rough and shallow with pain. It was as if the air refused to enter her aching body. She couldn't get enough and was slowly falling farther and farther away from the place where she believed she needed to stay. A soft light beckoned to her with a gracefully sculpted hand. Oh how she yearned to go to it and hold it fast in her own small insignificant palm. But something held her back. The longer she stared at it, the more intense the ache became.
Maerad knew the hand offered peace.
Quiet.
A relief from the pain.
But, was that soothing lull right for her?
Deep inside a soft, velvety voice whispered no. But it was only a slight murmur, nothing significant.
Not something that couldn't be ignored.
Slowly, as if every step cost her something, Maerad began moving forward.
Then she heard music.
A song so sad, that it pierced her heart deeply. The deep baritone voice of the singer was haunting, the sorrow it conveyed was unreal, never had she heard something so alluring and deep, as the song. She had paused to listen to the singer, the song seemed never-ending.
The story the words weaved was of a man who never got the chance to tell the woman he loved with all his heart, that he loved her. That he needed her always and forever.
And now, he would never get to tell her.
He blamed himself for her death.
He spoke of not listening when she needed him to listen the most.
He preached of a heart wrenching woe, that would never go away.
He sung of how he could not bear the weight of such grief, and of how he too desired to die.
Soon the voice faded away, as if it had never been. Her mind cried out in loss, how could such beauty disappear without a trace of its smooth notes?
Maerad wanted to find the singer of such a song, but where was he? Was that golden hand responsible for striking the cords on the lyre that she heard weaving together that stunning melody? Somehow she doubted it, though the hand held beauty, it was a cold loveliness and could not put voice to such feelings.
No. The song and its maker had come from the opposite direction.
Back where I belong, Maerad thought quietly to herself.
Only iron will allowed her to pull her icy blue gaze away from the golden light. She didn't belong there, not now. Maybe later, when it felt right and she had nothing else to live for.
Maerad had to push her legs hard to get them to even take a small step in the opposite direction then where they wished to tread.
But soon the light faded and she was walking back into a world where sorrow could be all consuming, hate could be demanding and love was a pleasure sweeter than the sweetest wines.
Maerad could, again, feel the pain fully, a pain that hurt more with every breath.
She was still dying.
She had only put off the inevitable, unless she were to receive help soon.
As Maerad began to black out again, one name came to mind, and she softly mumbled it with all the feeling she could muster.
"Cadvan."
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
Cadvans thoughts were in turmoil, he could not live without Maerad. She was everything to him.
And now she's gone, his mind whispered pitilessly.
Just one more step, and then it all will end, he told himself. One more step and he'd meet the same fate Maerad had, he had taken the same steps, and now he stood at the edge. There was only one difference between how Maerad had behaved then and how Cadvan acted now.
Cadvan wouldn't look back.
Then he heard his name called out, it sounded eerily like Maerads voice, while one foot dangled in open air, nothing below it.
Startled, Cadvan lost his balance and began tipping forward, then something latched onto his black cloak and stilled his flailing.
"Darsor," he said knowingly, then Cadvan was dragged roughly back to the cave and dumped unceremoniously onto the ground.
"You are an idiot my friend," Darsor said coldly, "If you ever try to pull such a stunt again I will kick you into unconsciousness and drag you back to one of the schools, preferably Innail," Darsor was completely serious and anger colored his prophetic words.
Cadvan paid no attention what so ever to his friend, he was to busy thinking about the voice.
It was Maerads voice, Cadvan knew, and he didn't think that he was imagining it into being, a part of him, his Knowing, told him that she was still alive.
But how could that be? No one could survive that fall.
Could they?
Desperately Cadvan wished for his Knowing to be correct, that somehow she was alive, he didn't care about the 'how's' anymore. He only cared about Maerads heart beating.
Cadvan jumped as pain blossomed in his arm.
Darsor had bit him and bit him hard.
"Are you even listening to me, you stupid imbecile?" Darsor snapped as his hooves pawed the ground threateningly.
Cadvan didn't even bother to answer his question.
"I believe that Maerad is alive Darsor," Darsor halted his pawing and stared at him, Imi too, looked at him as if he was out of his mind.
"You think she's alive and you try to jump off a cliff?" Darsor said in disbelief.
Cadvan just looked at him. Darsor felt pity for his dear friend, he was truly out of his mind with grief. No one could have survived that fall.
"Maerad is alive, I know it, I heard her voice as I walked towards the cliff. My Knowing tells me that she still breaths, she has not crossed the threshold of the Gates of Unreturn. Please, Darsor you must believe me. We have to find her. I believe that she lies at the bottom of the cliff, we can make it there in a day and half if we leave now and hurry." Cadvans voice was pleading as Darsor looked at him without so much as blinking, he had to believe him.
"Please," he said softly.
"Fine then my friend, we will leave, but promise me this: if Maerad is not alive and all we find is a corpse, you will not try to kill, harm, or maim yourself in anyway. Promise me."
Cadvan couldn't nod his head right away. He hadn't even considered not finding Maerad alive. What if all they found of her was her body? He wouldn't be able to take it.
"Fine then Darsor, I swear by the Light I hold within in me that I will not kill, harm or maim myself in anyway." Cadvan said his oath solemnly. He would find a loophole in that promise if he had to. After all, he could just run recklessly into a battle or let a Hull kill him, many would love to claim that they had been the one shed Cadvan of Lirigons life blood.
Darsor eyed him, seeking a lie, but he found none. "Then let us be on our way."
Cadvan rushed to start packing up his gear, he was hard put not to just leave everything behind, but he knew that though it would spare time, they might need the equipment.
Soon though, they were traveling back the way they came at a fast pace, it was still snowing and they couldn't rush the way he yearned to, but they were doing the best they could. As he rode upon Darsors wide back, Cadvan thought about Maerad. He would tell her of his love if she did live.
But first, he had to find her.
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Hello people! I hoped you like this chapter. It took me a while to figure out how to start off Maerads point of view, but I finally did it. Well…..I will say to thanks to those who do take the time to review, as always I appreciate your input! Goodbye!
