[Authoress's Notes: Because there's nothing like a good war to stir things up…
[Random aside to Christine – I'm so glad you thought this was worth waiting for! (Because you readers are going to be doing an awful lot of waiting until I finish this).
[Random aside to Kristen – That was the bloody longest review ever at all in the history of the entire world. (I'm not prone to hyperbole!) And now my bloody review page has a higher safety rating than the story itself. And it *was* a rhetorical question, you twit.
[Random aside to Jade – there's a reference in one of the early chapters to Cassadraine bringing home a wolf cub. That's Amani. He's also archetypal… well, you'll see.
[Random aside to Spirit – Thank you for being a very faithful reader and reviewer. You're a doll. :)
[That said, read on, intrepid adventurers!]
Chapter Ten
"Torn from forth that pretty little cage"
~~Titus Andronicus, III.i, Marcus
"M-Mother? Is that you?"
Of course it is. And you needn't speak out loud. I know what you're thinking.
That's a little creepy, to be perfectly honest.
I know.
You… You are what they said, then? You are… the Goddess Kaistar? Or Ivlana?
In a way. In My tongue, they call me Dela. I am the Red Goddess Chaos, Lady of Fire and Flame, Mistress of Storm and Turbulence, Queen of Revolution and Discord.
Cassadraine quaked a little. Hearing the Goddess's voice inside her head was more than a little disconcerting. And I am… Your Daughter?
Yes. My first. My very first Human creation. You are my Cassandra.
Cassandra…
You may call me Mother, if you wish. Or Sa'del. The breeze around Cassadraine shifted oddly. Teira zei Kaindel, zunek Kaindel, lir nafan ro zei xissad. Bainda zes qell vilarad Ai'lara.
Cassadraine had not learned this language, had never heard it before, yet she knew what it meant. The words were in her soul and echoed in her mind. Yi, Sa'del… yi…
Go on, my Daughter. Go about your life. I shall call for you when the time is right.
Cassadraine felt a little tug at the back of her mind. A strange force was pressing at her, tearing her between the Goddess and something else entirely. Zei Sa'del… I… I do not think I can…
A red light flashed in Cassadraine's mind before she could finish the thought. You are my Daughter and you will obey!
I am your Daughter… Cassadraine thought, and the glow from the Necklace dimmed a little. And it is my life.
In Her realm, Chaos paced back and forth furiously. "My damn Sisters," She muttered. "Damn Them… damn Them… They've done too much good to her…"
Go now! the Goddess sharply ordered. You will hear from me when I need you.
~~*~~
Etien had become somewhat accustomed to seeing Cassadraine's flushed face and bouncing curls when the curtain covering her home's doorway was flung open. Indeed, he had been looking forward to nothing else for days. Instead, he got a middle-aged woman with silver-and-black hair. "Uhm… greetings, Madam… where is Cassadraine?"
"We haven't a clue," said a darker voice from behind the short woman. "She's hardly come home these past few days."
"Try looking in the grove by the brook. Or at the top of that ridge she's so fond of," Selma offered. "We really don't know."
"If you're around," Tessan cryptically added, "I'm sure she'll find you."
Etien turned away as the curtain swung closed again. "Hmm." He looked at the sun and realized it was just after noon. He thought to check for Cassadraine at the grove first, as she tended to prefer that place of shade and cool during the hot mid-day hours, and the sunny ridge at twilight.
Etien trotted down the woodland path towards the grove, whistling a little tune to himself. He stopped short when he suddenly noticed a large, bristling canine standing in his way. The wolf's yellow eyes flashed as he bent close to the ground and growled. "Err… stay… good doggie…" He reached over his shoulder for his sword. He'd fought dangerous beasts before, but something about this wolf's eyes told him this would be a harder fight to win.
"Etien, stop!" Cassadraine suddenly leapt forward and flung her arms around the wolf's neck. Etien briefly reflected that he was a bit jealous of the wolf. "He's just protective," Cassadraine explained. "I told him to keep a lookout for me."
"This… wolf… is your pet?"
"No, not really… when I was six I saved him from a trapper. I raised him for a while after that, then returned him to the forest. His pack is around here somewhere… but he still follows me around the woods every once in a while."
Cassadraine suddenly got a very far-off look in her eyes. Keep away from him… he will ruin you… no! No, he will save you! She shook her head and buried her face in Amani's fur. That had been happening more and more frequently, as though her mind had halved itself into two warring factions. Fortunately, Etien had been too distracted to notice.
"Err… I'm back!"
She smiled. "I noticed."
"The General's said I'm to spend another week here, scouting, and then I'm to come back to base – with you."
"Really? Oh, that's wonderful!" She leapt up, feeling a sudden urge to embrace him but keeping it in check. Yes… he'll lead you to power… follow him for a while, then cut him loose when you're on your own… what? No! Go away, you!
"Yeah… the, er, the General really thinks a lot about your knowledge of the land… he's very impressed."
Cassadraine smiled brightly. "Truly?"
"Truly."
"Well, let's not disappoint him, then."
~~*~~
As their daily expeditions led them further and further from the town of Jivata, Cassadraine and Etien began riding rather than walking. Cassadraine rode Brianna, her loyal chestnut mare, and Etien was astride Tiernan, a grey-and-white dappled gelding. Occasionally Amani would meet up with them, trot at Brianna's heels for a while, then dash off into the wilderness again.
"So, how far is it from here to the White Alienor?"
"Twenty-five, thirty kilometers. If you head straight south. It's about fifty kilometers from Jivata to Queran. Forty, forty-five straight north to the Misokan border."
"And how far to the Taipan?"
Before Cassadraine could get out an answer, she was utterly broadsided by a medium-sized, cloaked form. She tumbled from Brianna's saddle and hit the ground roughly, the brigand toppling nearly on top of her. "Cassadraine!" Etien shouted, drawing his sword and dismounting quickly. He went for the assailant, but his blow was deflected by another blade. "We're under attack!" he bellowed.
Cassadraine grunted and kicked her aggressor in the stomach. "I noticed!" she snarled. She flipped to her feet and grabbed her bow from where it hung at Brianna's side, quickly notching it with an arrow. The number of attackers had by now increased to five, though one did not make it out of his tree before being shot down by Cassadraine. Etien sliced one through the stomach, then held another with locked swords while Cassadraine fired an arrow into its back.
Etien hacked at another, wounding him in the arm. From underneath the bandit's hood came a distressed hissing noise, reminding Cassadraine keenly of a cockroach. Etien growled and stabbed him through the stomach, then kicked him down to remove him from the blade.
The remaining assailant took to the trees, howling something in an incomprehensible tongue. Cassadraine fired an arrow at him, hitting him squarely in the shoulder. He faltered, but did not fall, and disappeared. "Damn it!"
Etien sheathed his sword and rushed over to her side. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Yes… bruised, but otherwise alright…" Cassadraine was still looking off in the distance. "What was that all about?"
"Highwaymen, most likely," Etien commented. "Though I can't imagine we look like a particularly rich catch."
Cassadraine shook her head, walking towards one of the fallen corpses. "I don't think that's…" She pushed back the hood from one of the attackers with the tip of her bow, then gasped. "Mercy heavens!"
"What? What is it?"
Cassadraine flipped back the hood entirely, revealing a rubbery grey face, lips frozen in an eternal snarl, red eyes bulging and fierce even in death. Crooked teeth poked out from the mouth, similar in shape to the twisted and pointy ears.
"But… what on earth is a goblin doing this far south?" Etien wondered aloud.
"I didn't think they ever went south of Misok… they hardly ever go there anymore! I thought they'd all been driven further north, to the Wastelands…"
"You and me both."
Cassadraine looked up at Etien, wide-eyed. "What on earth would they want with us?"
He shook his head. "Something about this isn't right… a group of five is an odd size… usually they're either alone or in huge packs… they'd never be this far south, and I can't imagine why they'd randomly attack two travelers."
"You… you don't think the Misokans might've allied with the goblins?"
"Nah… not even they would stoop that low." Etien scratched his head and tousled his hair. "It doesn't make sense…"
"We should probably see if there are any more out there."
"Yeah… we'll have a look around… but I think if there were any more, they'd have been with these."
The two scouts jumped back on their horses and started making their way through the forest. Cassadraine elected to take a few winding routes to check out the area and see if there were any more signs of goblin activity. When no such evidence was found, Etien and Cassadraine turned north again and headed back for Jivata.
They were still five kilometers outside the city when Cassadraine heard a voice in her head. Cassandra.
My name is Cassadraine.
No, it isn't. I named you. I made you.
Maybe so, but my name now is Cassadraine.
Who is that boy with you?
What's it to you?
I don't like the look of him.
Cassadraine scoffed audibly, causing Etien to look over at her in wonder. She just shook her head and kept up the psychic conversation with her Mother. Sorry, but a Mother who hasn't been around my whole life doesn't get to have a say in who I choose as my companions. I don't even let my aunts get away with that.
For which you should be commended. They are weak and mortal and should be treated as such.
I'm mortal, too.
That's what you think.
Come again?
You're only… partially mortal.
How is that even possible?
Well, you could be killed, theoretically. But you won't die on your own. I don't even think you'll age past a certain point.
…Right.
It's true, Cassandra. I created you at the age of twenty. I think my Sisters may have overlooked a few things when they put you in mortal form. After all, you have no mortal mother. Why should you have other marks of mortality? Like the abysmal prospect of aging? Cassadraine paused to consider this, and Chaos knew. You know, you would never have to age or die.
If what?
If you came back to me.
How do you propose I go about
doing that?
Well, you'd have to sever all ties on the mortal plane, of course. Those meddlesome aunts and whoever that boy
is.
Look, whatever your plan is, leave them out of it.
Your aunts knew what they were getting into.
Etien didn't. Doesn't.
Oh, so that's his name?
Cassadraine cursed herself a few times under her mental breath.
Surely you can see, Cassandra…
Leave me alone. I've got work to do.
It isn't important. I am.
Go away.
Cassandra! I am your Mother and Creator! Listen to me!
No.
You don't have a choice. I'm in your head now. You can't escape me.
But I can ignore you.
Try it, dear girl. See how long you can, with me in your head every hour.
I've got other things to occupy my attention. Cassadraine's eyes flickered over to Etien unconsciously. So you can just go straight to hell.
I own hell.
Well, stay there, then.
You can fight it all you like, Cassandra. But you are my Daughter, my exquisite creation, and I will control you again, no matter your will.
But in the back of Chaos's mind flickered a hint of doubt, as She tried to remember the ingredients which had gone into Cassandra. That had been a very long time ago, especially for a Goddess with such a short attention span. She found herself hoping She hadn't put in anything which would give Cassandra an undue predisposition towards rebellion and stubbornness. Kaza kres… I must have a list somewhere… what did I put in her? I'll find out… and hope it isn't too late to fix it!
[Authoress's Notes: Whee-hee-hee… so… pop quiz! What *did* Chaos put in Cassadraine? (please don't actually tell me, *I* know, I want to make sure you do). Any guesses about what she might have to be afraid of? (Not you, Christine, or really anyone who read and paid attention to Regina Perditorum).
[Next time! More random attacks! Cassadraine gets a clue! And… regarding Etien… well… ::plays "Let's Get It On" in the background:: Hehehehehe.
[REVIEW! I live off of reviews! I wither away without them!]
