WIND WARRIORS

Chapter Seven: Don't

Rafer took it upon himself to take Merle to the Braeden Castle. If they weren't going to be able to be together – thanks to his father – Rafer was going to be with Merle all the way, till he could not follow her any longer. Merle and Donovan weren't happy when they found out it would be Rafer the one in charge of taking Merle away, but there was nothing Donovan could do about it – just like he hadn't have a say in the matter of his daughter betrothal in the first place – and Merle, though unhappy, did not argue; the whole situation seemed to have knocked all the fight and the life right out of her.

It would be a three days/two nights ride. Usually it would have been a short ride, just a day, but the main road wasn't safe anymore. I n the last few years, more and more dangerous creatures were crawling out to the main road, killing travelers; and the unicorns were having trouble controlling them. So Merle and Rafer took the Old Enchanted Path that went in zig zag through the Forest, it was the long way, but it was safer.

It was a quiet ride. Merle seemed to have fallen mute and Rafer – though the well constructed walls he had placed around his feelings over the years, to avoid being hurt by his father scrutiny, helped him not to let show how much he was hurting – looked like an empty shell. In fact, Donovan had noticed that Rafer had that empty, haunted look that some soldiers got sometimes after being in a big battle. It was that look which came with the little death someone suffers when they realize that nothing will ever be the same, no matter what they do or where they go.

Oh, Rafer had changed a lot in the past week and a half; and Queen Dana feared there was nothing out there that could reshape him into the happy young man he used to be.

------

Rafer

"We should rest here." I said in a dense part of the woods, moments before nightfall.

"Fine." Merle said dismounting her horse.

I started a little fire to keep us warm. "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?" I asked; she hadn't eaten much since we left her house in the morning.

"No, I'm fine. But I can cook something for you if you want." She offered.

"I'm not hungry." I was starving but I didn't want to eat alone.

She shivered as a cool breeze blew by, I caught her hands. "Your hands are cold." I declared.

"My hands are always cold." Merle said softly as I put her hands between mine to warm them up. "We… We should take turns to sleep and stay awake, in case something comes this way to attack us." She blurted out.

I sat down in the ground, resting my back against the tree, and pulled her down till she was seating between my legs. "You sleep; I'll take care of you."

"I can take care of myself." She said, but she rested her head in my chest, relaxed her body against mine and closed her eyes.

I wrapped an arm around her; one of her hands was still on one of mine. With one of my fingers I traced the pale ghosts of scars in her hand, she had the hands of a soldier but her touch was gentle.

Merle's breathing was even, she was already asleep, I tucked a stay lock of hair behind her ear, my hand brushing her pale cheek and I breathed into her hair.

"I believe that fate has brought us here," I began to sing softly as if it were a lullaby. "And we should be together babe, but we're not… I play it off but I'm dreaming of you

And I'll keep my cool, but I'm fiendin… I try to say goodbye and I choke, I try to walk away and I stumble, though I try to hide it, it's clear: My world crumbles when you are not there…"

I kissed the top of her head. Then I closed my eyes and fell asleep reveling on the knowledge that I didn't have to let go… not just yet.

…

At dawn I tried to wake her, shaking her shoulder gently. "Five minutes more," She said in a voice rough with sleep, her eyes still closed, as she snuggled closer and nuzzled my neck. Five minutes? I let her sleep for another half an hour.

When she did wake up, I asked: "Did you sleep alright?"

"Yes. I think this was the first time I have slept a night through since my mom died." Merle confessed, her head still resting on my chest. It was a sweet moment but of course I had to ruin it. Well, my stomach more likely, since it chose that exact moment to make a very embarrassing sound, protesting the lack of food. Merle chuckled. "I believe there is a river over there," she said pointing to her left, "Take the horses to drink some water while I make breakfast."

I nodded and we both stood up. I did as bid and when I got back she had managed to produce breakfast… and it looked good.

It tasted good. "That was great!" I said enthusiastically.

"You have always hated my cooking; I think you were just hungry." She said while she fed our horses with a couple of carrots.

"I've always liked your cooking, Buttercup, but sometimes I lie to you just to see you get all worked up." I said smiling.

"Really?"

"Yeah, like when I told you your purple eyes were hideous. They are not."

"I always wished I had eyes like mom's and Marit's." She said softly while petting her horse.

"You shouldn't have. Purple suits you. Believe me." I said and Merle gave me a smile.

After that we re-started out ride. But the second day wasn't like the first. The first day we both had been in silence, now we were both talking. In a weird way, I think we were trying not to think in what laid ahead. At night, when we stopped to rest again – only a fool would travel the Forest after twilight – she cooked dinner. And afterwards, when I rested my back against a tree just like I had done the night before, Merle came to me, sat down and snuggled against me like she had the night before. Once again, I kissed the top of her head and fell asleep right after.

The third day was a mixture of the previous two. At first Merle was kind of cheerful, but was our destination approached, she grew more quiet and contemplative.

I heard Merle gasp once the end of the Unicorns' Forest was in sight… beyond that forest the Braeden Castle rose… and my mother words came back to me.

"If you see a chance, even as small as it might seem, you take it, Rafer, because it might be the only one you will get."

And I knew what I had to do. I dismounted my horse. Merle saw me and stopped too. "What are you doing?" She asked when I grabbed her hips and made her get down. I ignored her question and grabbed the food bags from my horse and hers. Then I hit the horses and they went away in a mad dash.

"What are you doing?!" Merle asked again, looking at me as if I was crazy.

I took her hand and started to drag her back into the woods. "We just got attacked and killed by one of many of the dangerous creatures of the forest. Isn't that unfortunate?"

She smiled a little but then got serious. "Rafer, if I'm not there by night fall… who knows what Bolek is going to do…"

"I don't care; I'm not taking you there."

"And what are we going to do instead?"

"Live in the forest," I said cheerfully.

"Rafer, the forest is full of dangerous animals; you just said so, what makes you think we are going to survive them? And the food? What we are going to do once it runs out? And those are the least of our problems…"

"Well!" I snapped letting go of her hand. "Is the only plan I've got right now!"

We stood in silence for a moment, and then Merle took a step closer and took my hand. "We could build a tree house," she said, "I've always wanted to build a tree house."

It didn't make sense, it was possibly one of the worst ideas I have ever had but for the moment it was enough. As long as Merle didn't have to go and marry Blake, everything would be fine.

We walked back through the Old Enchanted Path; we stopped shortly after twilight in a clear part of the forest next to the Still River. Mere and I agreed that we better didn't start a fire because if Bolek's people were looking for us, that would be a give away. So we settled for cheese and bread for dinner. Then we heard a rustle in the trees behind us. Both Merle and I went into full alert mode… But it wasn't necessary, it was just Michael and William and…

"Nathaniel?" Merle asked confused. I looked at the third man; he was in his mid or late twenties and had purple eyes like Merle…

"Oh, hi, Mer. We were looking for you." He said smiling. "You must be Rafer," he said coming closer to me. "Merle speaks of you often." The lighting wasn't good but I could see Merle blush a little. Did she really spoke of me often?

"Yes, I'm Rafer Windam." I said.

"My name is Nathaniel." He said. "Now, let's get down to business." He added. "Jadzia, come here!" He called and soon enough a Unicorn appeared, followed by what I can only describe as an ethereal presence.

In the next couple of hours, Jadzia explained the legend of the Wind Warriors and the Phantom Army that supposedly protected the Windam Valley. She said it wasn't a legend and the "ethereal presence" I saw was none other than Rafaga, the commander of the Phantom Army. All in all, it was an unbelievable story. Apparently the Powers that Be weren't so happy with Bolek for his thirst for expansion and dominance was destroying the balance of our world. So they were willing to help –by allowing the Phantom Army to make its first appearance – to throw Bolek out of the throne.

The fact that that would free Merle from her betrothal to Blake was just a little added bonus. Well, at least for me. After explaining that first we should try to make Bolek understand and if not, we would attack, Rafaga retired, saying that he would go with us to the Braeden Castle in the morning. Then Jadzia and Nathaniel proceeded to teach William, Michael, Merle and me some basics about the magical powers that rested inside of us. At birth, the Powers that Be choose us to be Wind Warriors and the magic had been in a latent mode ever since. That was why I had burned Merle's hair that day twelve years ago; the magic had awoken suddenly out of my control. Something similar had happened to each of us through our lives, like the other day when it had snowed ice; that had been Merle's magic.

When Michael pleaded exhaustion, Jadzia said it was enough for the night and retired to the deep parts of the forest after providing us with a few blankets to sleep on. Nathaniel retired too, saying he would be back with horses in the morning. After all we had heard, none of us questioned anything.

"Will, please, it's the only way to keep the heat!" Michael said.

"Michael, I'm not going to cuddle with you! Cuddle with Merle if you want!"

I threw both of them a look and Michael said hastily "I don't think so bro."

"Fine, but if this ever leaves this woods, I'll commit fratricide." William agreed grumpily as Michael cuddled up with him spoon-like fashion. "That better be your sword." I heard him mutter.

I lay down on my back, my arms behind my head. Merle lay on her side, her back to Michael's. I thought she had fallen asleep till I heard her sigh and then she scooted closer to me until we were both in my blanket. Then she rested her head on my chest, hugging herself to my side and closed her eyes. I reached over for her blanked and pulled it over both of us, and then I wrapped one of my arms around her, my hand closing over her shoulder.

As we laid there under the starts, I figured I should feel guilty or something for stealing Blake's wedding night – true, Merle and I were just sleeping but still she was with me and not him – but with Merle in my arms I couldn't muster any great sense of guilt. I did felt happy though. There were so many things I wanted to tell her but I would wait until she was free.

------

At the Braeden Castle

"We found two horses. But no sings of the riders, no sings of struggle or an attack." A young officer informed King Bolek the morning after his son's bride was supposed to be there.

"That bastard Roger! He didn't hold his word! Search the Woods; if you don't find her then we just got ourselves a valid reason to attack them." Bolek said to his officers in their own meeting hall.

"But father!" Blake whined.

"Oh, Blake, shut up! You will get the girl in the end. But don't make me change my mind about her; I'm only allowing your marriage to her because I saw how that Rafer looked at her. He wants her, but you will have her."

"I wouldn't be so sure." A voice cut the laugher of Bolek, Blake and their men. When he turned around he saw Rafer, Merle, Michael, William and Rafaga.

"Prince Rafer! What a surprise. I see you have brought with you my son's fiancée." Rafer could tell right away that Bolek was annoyed to see him; Bolek had thought he had a good reason to attack the Valley.

"I doubt is a surprise and Merle doesn't want to marry that wimp of son yours, and she won't. But that's not the reason why we came..."

-----

Merle

Everything happened in a blur. One moment Rafer had been informing Bolek of the message we had got from the Powers that be – that if he surrendered and abdicated calmly, his life would be spared – and the next the fighting had started. Rafaga called his men, ethereal presences like himself, to fight the dozen and those who were gathered in Bolek's meeting hall and were going to stand in our way.

Rafer kept telling me to stay behind him and don't expose myself, I was at disadvantage with a sword against any of the other men. I could handle a sword if I had to but not with any precision. I stood behind him, shooting with my bow and arrows to the enemies Rafer didn't' see when he fought.

I don't know how much time passed when Blake tired to strike against Rafer, and Rafer sank his sword into Blake's side and he fell immediately… if he was dead I wasn't sure but he didn't had much time left even if he was still alive. Bolek saw the whole thing and tried to strike, but he didn't go for Rafer, Bolek came for me.

I felt a sharp pain on my side and then Bolek threw me over a table, the momentum made me roll over and fall to the ground, banging my head against it. Suddenly I couldn't breath, I felt something heavy over my chest. People around me kept fighting but I couldn't move. I saw Bolek fall three feet away from were I lay; it had been Rafer's blade the one that killed Bolek, the last king of the Braeden line.

It was quiet after that. Next thing I knew the heavy weight has being lifted from me, it had been the table that had fallen over me and crushed my ribs and lungs with its weight. My head hurt, my side did too. I moved my hand over to where it hurt and I felt a damp spot on my blouse, it was my blood.

My ears were ringing but I thought someone was saying my name. My head hurt too much to think in anything.

Rafer knelt beside me.

"Rafer?" I asked weakly as he cupped my face with his hands.

"Shh… little love, don't strain yourself." He said sweetly, trying to sound calm. But for once all his guards were down and I could see in his eyes exactly what he felt. There was a look of naked panic in his eyes. Oh, yes, in that stormy gray gaze of his I saw panic. Panic and something else… something warm and vital that – even through my dazzled mind – I could tell it was just for me.

But then the pain grew stronger and I couldn't think of feel anything anymore.

Everything went dark.

----

End of Chapter Seven

----

Notes:

You can hate me now.