Chapter 14
*
Liara woke up, gasping, in a strange bed. The room was obviously in the House of Healing; it was small, white and extremely antiseptic. It also meant that she would have to dodge Healers on her way to the Herald's colegium.
Liara pushed the blankets aside and sat on the edge of the bed before getting to her feet. She tried to walk across the room and stumbled, falling to the floor.
Was the air always this heavy? Were ordinary people as death as this to everything?
Liara could walk across an untidy room in pitch blackness, knowing instinctively were everything was - but now, she was half blind and nearly death. There was no song of sunwarmed stone, no murmur of cloth of joyful, subliminal chatter of running water.
And Liara had work to do.
She pulled herself to her feet, and ran, or at least stumbled quickly, into the corridor.
She hurried to the exterior door, and out into the garden. She was wearing the traditional patient's gown of white linen, and would certainly mark her as a fugitive if she was caught.
She ran across the strip of garden, and into the Herald's colegium. Now, up the stairs, along the corridor - ah, there was Daven's room - and there was a person - a Herald - who had seen her -
Bloody damn!
"Liara!" It was the Dean, and he was obviously very shocked to see her awake. "You were asleep - what are you doing here?"
Liara ground her teeth. What could she say? Get lost, it's a matter of life and death? That would just worry the man. And she certainly could not get rid of him by force; right now, all she had the strength to do was to collapse.
Of course!
Liara smiled secretly as she allowed herself to fall on the floor.
"Oh, no . . ." whispered the Dean. He had no experience with injured people. "A Healer! Quick, a Healer!" He ran towards the House of Healing.
When he was out of sight, Liara scrambled to her feet and went to Daven's door, turning the handle futily. When the door remained firmly closed, tears started in Liara's eyes. She had not counted on the door being locked.
In her frustration, Liara hit the door with her fist. Time had no meaning in the empty Void, but Daven would be very close to death, and every delay took him one step farther away.
:Chosen,: A familiar, and very welcome voice filled her head. :Chosen, I will help you. I have the Fetching gift; I will unbolt the door.:
Liara blessed Deilan. How he had known the circumstances or Liara's predicament, she neither knew, nor cared. She flung the door open, and dropped to her knees beside Daven.
Liara's heart clenched; Daven's skin was a drawn, waxy white, and soaked into the carpet was an alarmingly large bloodstain. Liara grabbed his slit wrists, and noticed to her horrified greif that there was no pulse of blood against her questing fingers: Daven's heart had ceased to beat.
Tears choked Liara, and rose to overflow out of her eyes. The death of her parents, the destruction of her village - even that had not felt like this. She could deny that pain a claim on her heart, but to deny this pain would be to deny the unspoken love that she'd had for Daven.
Liara didn't know how long she had stayed there, clutching Daven's frozen hands, before an uneathly glow filled the room.
"My daughter, I am sorry." It was the Bright Lady, but her blinding light did nothing to ease the ache in Liara's heart. "It is beyond my power to make Daven live again." The Bright Lady leaned closer. "But I can offer you one gift." The glow faded from the Bright Lady's face, and for the first time, Liara could see her eyes. They were a deep, endless silver that caught and held Liara's gaze. "I give you the Void, the Havens, and all the worlds between."
*
Liara stood in a starless emptiness. Daven was opposite her.
"Daven!" Liara cried, throwing herself at him. He was solid, and seemed as alive as her ever had been. "Daven, what's going on?"
He smiled. "This is the final gift of the Bright Lady." He told her. "We can wander all the worlds, as long as we please, and we can be together."
A Companion mare stood behind him. Liara recognized Terrisse, and became aware of a great loss.
"Deilan - " she said in answer to Daven's anxious query. "He's Grove-born. He'll probably Choose again, and I'll never see him again."
:I would never leave you, Chosen.: said a familiar voice. Liara spun around, shocked and delighted to see Deilan behind her.
He was wearing the ornate black and silver saddle he had worn when he Chose her, and Liara leapt into it, seeing that Daven, too, was mounted on Terrisse.
"Let's go!" she called, and the pair laughed as their Companions galloped away, like four children riding away to discover the universe.
THE END
*
Liara woke up, gasping, in a strange bed. The room was obviously in the House of Healing; it was small, white and extremely antiseptic. It also meant that she would have to dodge Healers on her way to the Herald's colegium.
Liara pushed the blankets aside and sat on the edge of the bed before getting to her feet. She tried to walk across the room and stumbled, falling to the floor.
Was the air always this heavy? Were ordinary people as death as this to everything?
Liara could walk across an untidy room in pitch blackness, knowing instinctively were everything was - but now, she was half blind and nearly death. There was no song of sunwarmed stone, no murmur of cloth of joyful, subliminal chatter of running water.
And Liara had work to do.
She pulled herself to her feet, and ran, or at least stumbled quickly, into the corridor.
She hurried to the exterior door, and out into the garden. She was wearing the traditional patient's gown of white linen, and would certainly mark her as a fugitive if she was caught.
She ran across the strip of garden, and into the Herald's colegium. Now, up the stairs, along the corridor - ah, there was Daven's room - and there was a person - a Herald - who had seen her -
Bloody damn!
"Liara!" It was the Dean, and he was obviously very shocked to see her awake. "You were asleep - what are you doing here?"
Liara ground her teeth. What could she say? Get lost, it's a matter of life and death? That would just worry the man. And she certainly could not get rid of him by force; right now, all she had the strength to do was to collapse.
Of course!
Liara smiled secretly as she allowed herself to fall on the floor.
"Oh, no . . ." whispered the Dean. He had no experience with injured people. "A Healer! Quick, a Healer!" He ran towards the House of Healing.
When he was out of sight, Liara scrambled to her feet and went to Daven's door, turning the handle futily. When the door remained firmly closed, tears started in Liara's eyes. She had not counted on the door being locked.
In her frustration, Liara hit the door with her fist. Time had no meaning in the empty Void, but Daven would be very close to death, and every delay took him one step farther away.
:Chosen,: A familiar, and very welcome voice filled her head. :Chosen, I will help you. I have the Fetching gift; I will unbolt the door.:
Liara blessed Deilan. How he had known the circumstances or Liara's predicament, she neither knew, nor cared. She flung the door open, and dropped to her knees beside Daven.
Liara's heart clenched; Daven's skin was a drawn, waxy white, and soaked into the carpet was an alarmingly large bloodstain. Liara grabbed his slit wrists, and noticed to her horrified greif that there was no pulse of blood against her questing fingers: Daven's heart had ceased to beat.
Tears choked Liara, and rose to overflow out of her eyes. The death of her parents, the destruction of her village - even that had not felt like this. She could deny that pain a claim on her heart, but to deny this pain would be to deny the unspoken love that she'd had for Daven.
Liara didn't know how long she had stayed there, clutching Daven's frozen hands, before an uneathly glow filled the room.
"My daughter, I am sorry." It was the Bright Lady, but her blinding light did nothing to ease the ache in Liara's heart. "It is beyond my power to make Daven live again." The Bright Lady leaned closer. "But I can offer you one gift." The glow faded from the Bright Lady's face, and for the first time, Liara could see her eyes. They were a deep, endless silver that caught and held Liara's gaze. "I give you the Void, the Havens, and all the worlds between."
*
Liara stood in a starless emptiness. Daven was opposite her.
"Daven!" Liara cried, throwing herself at him. He was solid, and seemed as alive as her ever had been. "Daven, what's going on?"
He smiled. "This is the final gift of the Bright Lady." He told her. "We can wander all the worlds, as long as we please, and we can be together."
A Companion mare stood behind him. Liara recognized Terrisse, and became aware of a great loss.
"Deilan - " she said in answer to Daven's anxious query. "He's Grove-born. He'll probably Choose again, and I'll never see him again."
:I would never leave you, Chosen.: said a familiar voice. Liara spun around, shocked and delighted to see Deilan behind her.
He was wearing the ornate black and silver saddle he had worn when he Chose her, and Liara leapt into it, seeing that Daven, too, was mounted on Terrisse.
"Let's go!" she called, and the pair laughed as their Companions galloped away, like four children riding away to discover the universe.
THE END