Chapter twenty six

Maya pushed a wet cloth to Mathew's forehead and he moaned softly but it was lost in the echoing cavern around them. She didn't let the tears clinging to her eyelashes fall, she wouldn't lose Mathew, he would be fine. The physician had said there was a chance. It was her only chance.

"Princess?"

Maya turned to face a man with a wrinkled face. He was old, maybe sixty with a beard curling over his chin and a surprisingly full head of grey hair. "Yes," She said,

"I'm Ser Dryden, you sent for me."

Maya stood up; abandoning the bed roll Mathew was on too walk closer to the man. She twisted the ring on her thumb nervously. She had sent for him, just like Luke wanted. She knew the name Dryden, there was a Jon Dryden who served as commander for one of their armies. It was a noble name.

"Yes, I did. My brother," She paused, "I was hoping you could help me."

The old man nodded and sighed. "The people sing that you have come to help but I fear you only bring bad news."

"The kingdom was taken; I tried to tell them that. We need to leave soon, I am sure they are coming to find us."

Dryden nodded, guessing who 'they' were, "I have already sent word to prepare to leave, I am as much of a leader that they get here. Me and a few of the other retired knights,"

A retired knight, it made sense now, the name ringing more of a bell. Maya made the courageous decision to trust the man.

Dryden's eyes showed no fear only weariness. "I imagine you have much to tell me child, best give me the story quick so we can decide what to do next."

Maya gave him the tale over the echoing of the people packing up in the cavern, heading to somewhere they did not yet know. It took an hour maybe two; to give him details he was satisfied with. Someone brought a small bowl of soup that Maya slurped gratefully in between sentences.

"You don't know if the Princes are still alive?" He asked softly, he had not taken the death of her father well.

"No." Maya said sadly, thinking of not only her brothers but William, Jade, Grace, and many more, "They were when I left."

"Hmm," He said thoughtfully, he seemed to be thinking for a moment, he had done that a lot throughout their conversation.

"We need to leave at first light." He said finally, as if that decided everything.

"Where?" Maya asked.

"Kernos, it is closest kingdom, we may not have the best relationship with them…but I think they might help us. They should take the people in and with a little persuasion, they may fight for us."

Maya heard the edge of doubt in his voice and the words "should" and "may" but those weren't the ones she was most concerned with. "Persuasion?"

He nodded and set his gaze on her, his green eyes scanning her face. "This will not easy."

"I know," Her brother had said the same thing.

"Gods, you are just a little girl." He said sadly.

Maya narrowed her eyes. That struck a nerve. "I am not a little girl."

He raised his eyebrows. "So you say but can you prove it? Because getting back your kingdom is not a task for a child such as yourself."

"I can prove it," Maya said, getting frustrated. She had not come all this way just to be told she was too weak to handle it.

"Are you willing to do anything to get it back?" He asked, daring her.

"Yes." Maya promised.

He seemed satisfied. "Good, the gods are likely to take everything before they give," He paused and stood up. "It may be that even after you give everything, you might not get what you so desire."

-X-

Maya stood before the hundreds of people before her, old and young, the ones who left to try and stay safe. She wondered if she could save them. The hope on their innocent faces was almost too much to bare. She was their hope and she must act like one. All of them knew where they were headed but Dryden was convinced she needed to play the part of a leader, even if she wasn't one.

"People of Elowyn," She started, hating the way her voice echoed. It made it sound so weak. "Your courage has been strong and so has your faith. Our homes are overrun by monsters, we lost the battle, our king has died, are loved ones are left behind to a fate we do not yet know, our wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, and friends could be dead. Our hearts grieve for those who have been lost in this evil," She realized that she had sent some in to tears and the mood in the room had turned from hope to grief. She glanced at Dryden who made a 'keep going' gesture. She swallowed and continued. "However, Elowyn is still here. Home is where its people are. You may not have a king but you have me and I will lead you through the trials ahead. We will have time to grieve for lost lives when our kingdom is back. We will march to Kernos and rally forces. I promise you, I will get Elowyn back. I will do anything it takes."

The hope seemed to return as the cavern was filled with cheers and clapping of hundreds of hands. A few shouts of "Queen Maya!" started up. She frowned at that, she was no queen but quickly turned it into a smile and caught Dryden's eye. He wasn't smiling, his lips had twisted slightly. Maya wondered what she had said and when things had died down some she shouted. "Let us begin our journey and take back Elowyn!" Of course, they weren't really. They were just moving from the Mine to Kernos in hopes that they would take them in. But the people filed out the widened door to begin their week long journey with lighter hearts then they had had before.

Maya stepped off the rock she had been standing on, suddenly feeling very tired. She had only gotten a few hours sleep after her conversation with Dryden and the echoing of the cavern had kept her sleep light. Dryden walked towards her, going fast for such an old man.

"You shouldn't have said that." He said when he had reached her, talking loud to be heard over the many footsteps receding off the stone walls.

"Said what?" Maya asked, wondering which part she had messed up.

"You shouldn't have promised,"

Maya looked at him, confused. "I am getting Elowyn back."

"So you say," He said stiffly. "What happens if you fail?"

"I won't." Maya said, pushing the edge of doubt away.

"Let's hope not, because you'd be letting down not just yourself but your kingdom. I don't take promises lightly."

"Neither do I!" Maya insisted, tired of the old man's strange attitude.

"Hmm," Was all he said, "Better get a move on."

-X-

All day travel was slow. Maya was one with a horse most did not. Leading nearly five thousand was no fast task, especially in the mountain terrain. Maya felt the urgency to hurry, knowing that the nether king had scouts looking for them and they were fairly easy to spot. Maya kept Dryden as a travel companion. Mathew was with his mother, Charlotte, who had thanked Maya a million times that she had brought him back and Maya had waved it off, said it was nothing because it wasn't, Mathew was her friend.

Sometimes people would come up to her and offer a blessing or a bit of food. They would ask her if she had seen their child or their wife or their husband and she would say no but to keep faith. They would thank her and maybe clasp her hand for a moment before moving back to walk near her.

Dryden approved of her behavior. He thought she needed a better connection with the people even though she had been the kingdom's daughter all her life it seemed they needed a mother now.

Maya thought of it like a pretend game, let them think she was the strong one. Let them think she could lead them through anything, that she'd protect them. That was what Dryden had said when he would whisper words of advice to her during their ride. Appear to be strong even if you aren't.

Maya felt weak though. Like a piece of glass, a shard of mirror. The only thing keeping her together was her will to save her kingdom and her will to save her brothers or avenge their deaths. Her anger held her together. She told herself that they could be alive. How much killing could happen in the time it took to finish conquering a kingdom? Wouldn't she know somehow if her brothers were dead? She liked to think she would, that she would feel something inside if they were dead, but the truth was she didn't know.

-X-

They made camp in that night, about a thousand campfires going up. Screaming. Find me, come on and see us. Here we are. But Maya could do nothing about it. It was cold in the mountains, even more so at night. They needed fire to warm themselves and their hearts.

Dryden had set a watch and scouts, guarding the people from hostile mobs and whatever else. He warned Maya that it wasn't the best and that if something were to happen, the scouts may not see it first. She thought that the mobs could get dangerous but prayed that they wouldn't.

Maya was given a campfire, a tent of cloth, and two women to be her maids, and a dozen people, old and young to guard her. One was a woman of fifty and the other was a young girl who was fourteen. It made Maya wonder what had happened to Grace. After the maids helped her with dinner and setting her bed Maya waved them away and was alone in her tent.

She could hear the fire and the faint noises of the guards talking and she lay in her bed and her eyes closed heavily.

Suddenly she felt fear seize her chest and she wondered what in the nether she thought she was doing. She was no leader, she was no queen. How was she supposed to keep these people together when she was just faking wholeness herself? She shut her eyes, squeezing them tight, begging her thoughts and feelings to be quiet.

Still she didn't sleep. Her mind wandered to her father, to her possibly dead brothers and her lost kingdom and instead of sleeping she cried. She let herself be buried in the grief she had been holding back ever since she left. The sobs didn't help the painful hole in her chest. She cried the kind of tears that made it sound like she was choking, the kind that made her whole body shake and tears pour from her eyes. Your father is dead. Your family is lost. You are alone. The kind that hurt to cry and made her feel absolutely miserable. Why did she have to be the strong one? Why didn't her brothers come with her? Surely the whole camp could hear her sobs now; surely her tears should have run out by now.

The gods were cruel. Notch must hate her; he wouldn't let this happen otherwise. Still she cried and she hated the tears and she hated the ache in her gut for the pain and most of all she hated the nether. She hated Morteus and she hated Laurent and she hated every pigmen that had ever helped them. Her loathing grew; she turned her grief to anger, she let that burn inside her, feeding the fire with hot, salty tears, until it was all she had, the anger. They would pay, she promised herself. Maya would be the strong leader they needed. She would do anything. She would get Elowyn back. She promised this to herself this time, not to the people. She would do anything it takes.

Take an all about Maya chapter. Sorry this has taken so long. I am constantly debating whether to just push through the writers block and write or wait for inspiration. I'm doing my best!

Let me just say you guys are awesome. Every review/follow/favorite boosts the inspiration level tremendously. Thanks!

Mindblank: I killed it! Unfortunately I don't think it stays dead for long. Damn zombie writers block! Laugh away.

xXLadyLaughXxs: Yes, humorous how clueless I make them sometimes, isn't it? :) Thank you so much! Just keep yelling at it, maybe that works even though I swear I've done everything.

Anyway, hope you guys are enjoying summer!

Wishing you nice even tans

-Bailey