Hey guys! Hope you all had a great whatever it is you celebrate! And have a happy New Year, too.
I'm also opening myself up to beta-reading so be free to ask me to proof-read a story you have. I'd be honored to work with any of you.
I guess that's all unless I decide to come back and change this author's note.
"Maralian?" Alevia tried as she stepped through the door and into the strange threshold.
It was smaller than she was used to.
Shelves with various corked bottles and other herbs lined the walls.
Of course, after all Maralian was a mid-wife as Margenir had said on their way here.
Sparse, yet comfortable looking furniture perched on the ash wood floor. Small windows with flowing lace curtains opened to let in the valley air and sunlight. It was feeble compared to the Palace but it held a homely and loving air to it and it smelled of fresh flowers.
Alevia glanced around the room and saw a rickety table topped by a green-glass wine bottle containing golden wisteria.
Oh, that's why it smells so nice, she thought. Approaching it, she single handedly-for the other hand held Jaenirra-she place the periwinkles that had been given to her in the jar.
For a moment she stared at them. The girl had given them to her and then lead her through the town, which had changed much since Alevia had last visited it. After trekking up and down the emerald hills that lay just outside it, the girl and women arrived at a small cottage atop a hill were the wind blowed forcefully, tugging the grass into sweeping waves.
It was like a green ocean, stretching out to the azure morning horizon. It was beautiful the way the world looked in such a moment, when you felt insignificant but everything you did threatened to change the world in a heartbeat. Was she strange to feel that way?
"This is where our journey ends." Margenir paused and looked at Alevia in a way that made the Queen shift uncomfortably with her child. Those eyes seemed to know so much, more than even the timeless Muses could possibly understand.
"I see." Alevia replied.
They were about ten feet away from the front door now. The windows were open and Alevia wished to crane her head inside to take a look around.
"No, you do not." The gypsy replied sharply, her eyes burning with such sudden ferocity. Alevia backpedaled immediately.
"Everything will be different when you come out of this dwelling." She gestured to the house behind them. "Things will occur that you will not be able to control as you walk into here."
"I-I'm sorry." The woman stuttered. "But I'm a-afraid I don't understand what it is you are saying."
"No, you do not." The girl's voice was hard and emotionless. Where was the girl that had lead her here, that had laughed and given her that smile? Where was the girl with the burgundy braid and the pretty periwinkles?
Not here, her mind whispered, she never was.
"There is to be a darkness someday and it will not involve you but her." She pointed to the baby in the Queen's arms. Alevia instinctively clutched her child to her chest. "A darkness more violent than anything seen before. Now, I will tell you something I ought not to. Listen carefully." She beckoned for Alevia to come closer and the woman timidly obeyed.
Margenir spoke hurriedly and in hushed tones, her hazel eyes darting around as if afraid someone would over hear.
Her soul is a shattered thing, Alevia thought, she has many different forms changing all the time.
And then: Where did I ever get that idea?
"Three souls bound by the heart
One from mortal heritage will take part
Another from the fire and one from the ice
Debt will be paid for a crimson price."
Alevia's head shot up.
Mortal heritage?
One of ice and one of fire?
And what debt with a crimson price?
"From bleeding lips comes a lingering kiss
As the broken fall into the forgotten abyss
The shadows come from deep inside
Now longer will the demons hide." Margenir continued, oblivious to the woman's shock.
"Spilling forth from lonely eyes
One will fall and two will rise
From the golden sword will come unbreakable sorrow
Unfit to be found in the promised child's tomorrow."
What this girl was speaking made no sense. She should be in a loony-bin, she's absolutely mad.
"I'm not lying." Margenir snapped as if sensing the Queen's thoughts. "I myself do not know what it means. The future may always be changing and showing only the smallest of glimpses but this is absolute. And you will be able to do nothing about it."
The girl finished on the dark note and they stood in silence, the wind buffeting around them with quiet whisperings.
What did all of it mean?
Was this girl really crazy or did her words ring with truths? Alevia glanced down at Jaenirra who yawned in response to her mother's worried gaze. The fire part was an easy one. There was only one kind of peoples who controlled fire in the world of the Guardians. But what did all that other mortal and ice bullshit mean?
"I will go now, your friend is expecting you." Margenir smiled, completely changing character as she flounced away down the hill and back to the the bustling folks.
"Oh, I'm sorry just one moment." came a familiar voice. The royal woman's head shot up, placing the spoon she had subconsciously been fiddling with back onto the tabletop. Alevia turned to see a walking basket. What?
No, there was somebody behind the large mass and the Queen had a feeling she knew who it was.
"Ack! Pan'nuck just give me a moment, Mommy has to work for a second."
The woman stumbled over something but Alevia could not see what it was.
"Hold on just let me set this down and I'll be right with you." Her head appeard from behind the woven container a smile on her face. It then turned to one of shock and she dropped the basket on the floor, sending various fruits and vegetables everywhere.
The woman's mouth gapped. Her hair was done up in a messy bun and she wore a brown, long-sleeved cotton dress with a white apron.
"Oh my MiM, Alevia?" Her ruby eyes widened as she stared at her best friend.
"Yes." Alevia whispered. There were tears in her eyes. It had been so long.
Too long.
And now they were standing here, face to face. She could reach out and touch her friend.
Suddenly Maralian rushed forward and embraced her with a hug.
"Oh my MiM. Oh my MiM! It's really you!" She sobbed through happy tears. "Oh, let me look at you."
She pulled away suddenly to grasp Alevia's face with two calloused hands. "Mhmm," she scrunched up her nose. "A bit skinny and a little too pale."
Alevia laughed and pushed her friend away gently but still held her by the forearms. "Oh, Maralian, it is so good to see you again."
"And you." her friend replied, "I hear there was a little princess born."
Alevia held up her daughter, "There was." and handed her over to Maralian.
She gasped as she looked down at the sleeping girl. "She's beautiful." Maralian sat down at the table chair.
Alevia smiled and was suddenly gripped with a feeling of goodwill. "Here let me help me with these." She began to pick up the fruits and vegetables that strewn the floor.
"Oh no." Maralian protested. "I was just making dinner but now I want to spend time visiting with you. After all, you won't be staying long will you?"
"Don't worry. I have the entire day off."
"The Muses allowed it?"
"They put up a fight but I put a better one." Alevia grabbed a rogue lychee and rolled it around in her fingers as she smirked at it. They fell into a silence as Alevia neatly placed the items back into there respectable places and Maralian cooed over Jaenirra.
"She looks exactly like you." The herbist said. "If only I could see her eyes. I bet they're like her father's."
Alevia paused as she set a full basket on to the table next to her, a faraway look on her face. It had finally come up. The father.
"Yes," she whispered. "Exactly like her father's." His golden eyes. His eyes burning into her as he held her close, burning with love. She might never see that look again. A drop of water splashed against the wood of the table. Alevia raised a shaking hand to her cheek. It was wet and before she knew it she was sobbing into Maralian's shoulder.
"Shhh, shhhh." Her friend whispered. "It's okay, it's okay." She pulled away and held Alevia at arm's length. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Oh, no." The Queen chuckled darkly, wiping her eyes with her dress sleeve. "It's fine. Where's Jaenirra?" She asked changing the subject and looking over Maralian.
"She's in Pan'nuck's crib." Maralian showed Alevia over to her child, where the babe lay peacefully in a carved crib. Alevia reached down a stroked a stray curl of fiery hair from Jaenirra's face. It was strange, seeing her child like this while remnants of tears stuck to her face. One moment they had been tears of joy and now they were ones of sorrow. She had not cried like that since she had found the letter. Such a beautiful letter too. The paper was snow white, the ink dark and thick like the sea at night and a red ribbon wrapped it tight. It was amazing what a small thing like ink and a piece of paper could do to the heart, to the entire outcome of a future.
One without a father or a husband.
"I forgot to ask you." Alevia mused. "I heard you had a child but I never saw him. I mean, I've heard you call his name but never actually seen his face. Where is he?"
It was an innocent question but the moment she turned to Maralian she could see something was wrong. Her ruby eyes darted around like a trapped animal, like Alevia had just pinned her like a butterfly to a board.
Defenseless and scared.
"Well, um..." She paused and licked her lips nervously.
"Mum, when's lunch going to be ready?" Came a small boy's voice.
Alevia turned and gasped.
At first the child looked completely normal. Pointed ears, tanned skin and red hair. He wore a green tunic that stretched to his knees-odd, not very many colors like that were worn in Camalia-brown pants and boots. He was tiny, more of a toddler ,really.
But there was something off. His eyes. They were green, no emerald. Like a...like a mortal.
Suddenly it hit her. One of mortal heritage. This was one of the prophesied ones. Or was it a prophecy at all? But it didn't matter.
Alevia whipped around, mahogany eyes glaring at her friend who cowered in the corner.
"What have you done?"
His mother was outcasted but it was not one year later that his sister, Wenda, was born but with blue eyes.
Camalians were all very angry and the Council forbid Alevia to go anywhere near the 'filthy mundane breeder' as it was bad for the new princess. They probably would have executed his mother but she died three days later from excessive bleeding from childbirth.
Against the Council's bane, Queen Alevia took him and his sister in and gave them to Saro, who had always wanted children but could unfortunately not.
Pan'nuck was forever grateful to Jaenirra's mother. He enlisted to become a guard at two hundred and a half, which is somewhat close to him being twelve. And then Jaenirra's mother died and the three children became official orphans, lest they find their fathers but Pan'nuck knew he never would. His father and Wenda's father were long gone in ash and dust.
The boy sighed and pulled long-sleeved, green shirt and slipping it on. He would never fit in in Camalia but at least here, at the Pole with the rest of the Guardians, they understood his pain just right.
Pan'nuck closed the wardrobe door, grabbing his belt of knives before striding out into the industrious hallways of North's workshops. Skirting around a yeti driving a forklift and dodging a dodgeball practice shooting range, he stepped out into North's globe room. In the center of the Guardian symbol stood Bunnymund, Tooth and Sandy, all huddled together.
As he got closer he could hear Bunny say not so quietly, "Now I like Jaenirra as much as the next bloke bu' we can't afford to 'ave 'er runnin' aroun' an' hittin' people with fireballs. I'm wonderin' if it's even worth the effort of fightin' Pitch when she can't even stop fightin' Jack or the rest of us."
Pan'nuck cleared his throat. The trio whirled around to face the guard. Tooth immediately blushed before mumbling something about business with teeth and flying off with a couple of her fairies. Sandy simply waved cheerily but the Easter Bunny looked worst of all.
"Pan," He spluttered. " 'ow long 'ave you been standin' there mate?"
Pan'nuck smirked and casually walked over to him. "First of all, it's Pan'nuck with a 'nuck and second of all," He flicked Bunny playfully on his furry nose. "Just long enough Kangaroo."
Bunnymund's fur bristled with rage and reached behind his back to grab one of his bommerangs but then thought better of it. Pan'nuck would not allow anybody to speak badly of Jaenirra. She was his Queen, not to mention friend. Plus, he had a rack of some pretty nasty knives and though boomerangs were still good weapons to have, Bunnymund was not betting a block of wood against a pissed-off guy with blades.
The pooka turned away and stared at Jaenirra and Jack who zig-zagged across the workshop, Jaenirra screaming with her green mohawk and waving her sword after the winter spirit.
Pan'nuck almost couldn't suppress the chuckle that came out. They were getting along so well with doing each others hair and playing tag, not to mention glaring at each other for long periods of time.
Oh, it was like they were made for each other.
Pan'nuck felt a tap on his elbow. He turned to find Sandy offering him some sort white drink in a yellow chalice.
"Oh, thanks, Goldy." He took the cup and stared down at the drink inside. What was the stuff? He looked back down at Sandy who nodded encouragingly and gave him thumbs up.
Cautiously, Pan'nuck took a sip and immediately gagged.
"What the hell is this stuff?" He held it at arms length. It tasted like thick milk that had expired about two centuries ago. In other words, it tasted like crap.
"Eggnog." Bunnymund replied. The bunny held his own cup and sniffed at it before gagging as well. "That's been sittin' in the sun for more than three days."
An elf walked by, carrying a plate of more similar cups. Bunnymund placed the spoiled eggnog onto the tray, as did Pan'nuck.
"I'm never drinking anything ever again." The elf deadpanned and then shuddered. "I'll die from dehydration and then I'll go to Hell or whatever and then I'll drink spirit water, which doesn't taste like anything. Right?"
Sandy shrugged and Bunnymund simply shrugged, saying. "Do I look dead to you, mate?"
Just then, Varden trotted in and sat next to Pan'nuck.
"Hey, buddy." The green-eyed elf scratched the dragon behind the ear. Varden let out a rumble which Pan'nuck knew was purring.
The three men and dragon continued to watch Jaenirra chase Jack. She chucked a stream of flame at him but the boy simply dodged and sprinted off. The fire accidently lit a Yeti on fire. The Yeti proceeded to run around spastically, waving his arms and generally setting more things on fire.
"Where's North in all of this?" Pan'nuck asked. Sandy shrugged but Bunny replied.
"Bloke said somethin' abou' gettin' back ta work and waitin' 'til Pitch struck first."
"Oh. Wait there he is." Sure enough, the large, Russian man was shouting at elves to help clean the fire that was really, very small but Pan'nuck guessed that they weren't used to fires up here at the North Pole. In Camalia, if anything wasn't fireproof, it burn in about two minutes.
Pan'nuck sighed and stretched out his arms over his head. "I'm so bored." He let his hands drop onto his forehead. There was nothing to do here. It wasn't Camalia or the Palace or Helicon. He basically knew nobody here. Sure, he had heard of the Guardians and he had even met Tooth once but that was the one time that she had come to give a couple of forgotten memories of some long lost musician who nobody remembered. Apparently, he was a genius and wrote great music. Tooth had found his teeth tucked away in the Austrian sector and though it was against her rules, she took a peek at his memories and immediately went to Jaenirra. Jaenirra took the memories and turned them into ideas and planted them into some guys head named Mozzarella.
Or was it Mozart?
Anyway, he wasn't really familiar with any of them accept Jack and Jaenirra but that didn't count. He saw the two rivals on a regular basis.
Speaking of seeing regularly, where was Jaenirra and Jack? Pan'nuck looked around, his ears tingling. Something was up. He walked over to the railing next to the globe and scanned the many levels of work shops. The duo weren't high in the rafters nor down below in what looked like a bakery.
Huh.
"Hey, guys." Pan'nuck called. "Do you know where Frost and the Lady are?"
"Na, mate. They're probably somewhere in the back of the Palace." Bunnymund snorted. "Don' worry."
"Okay," Pan'nuck sounded unconvinced and frowned, eyebrows furrowed. "I'm gonna go check anyway. Sandy, you coming?"
The Guardian of Dreams nodded excitedly and followed after Pan'nuck in the hallways, Varden was not far behind.
"Hmm." Pan'nuck mused as he shut yet another door. "Where are they?" The trio had been looking for, like, an hour.
Okay, that was an exaggeration but it had been awhile. After looking through at least a hundred different workshops-you wouldn't believe how many people wanted banjos for Christmas-Pan'nuck was getting tired. Even Sandy's usually excited attitude was looking weak. Varden looked like he was about to pass out.
Suddenly, a light bulb appeared above Sandman's head. He tugged at Pan'nuck's sleeve.
"Whatcha got Goldy?"
A cookie floated above Sandy's head, followed by two people taking a bite out of either side.
"We've already looked in the bakery, like, three times. They're not in there."
The golden man seemed to deflate.
Pan'nuck rubbed his chin in a pondering way as they rounded yet another corner filled with more doors-seriously, how big was this place?
"Hmm. I wonder-" He though aloud but was cut off by a scream.
Jaenirra's scream.
Pan'nuck didn't even hesitate. He flew down the corridor, not caring that Sandy and Varden were being left in the dust. Another scream rippled through the hallways.
Good MiM, where was she? Where was she? He came to a two way.
Come on, come on, he prayed silently. Scream again. Well, don't scream again but tell me where you are.
The guard heard shouting coming from his left and immediately took off that way.
He ran passed a door and failed to notice it open up as he continued.
"Hey, Pan'nuck! Help me!" Pan'nuck skidded to a halt and turned.
It was Jack, dragging an unconscious Jaenirra out of a room on his shoulder.
Oh MiM, Jaenirra. Her eyes were closed and her head flopped uselessly as Jack readjusted her, awkwardly carrying both his staff and a deadweight girl.
"Pan'nuck, help. She started screaming and then just collapsed and started groaning something about apples." Jack repeated his plea for Pan'nuck's help.
Pan'nuck shook his head as if coming out of a dream and rushed over.
"Put her on the ground." He instructed and Jack obeyed, dropping Jaenirra on the ground unceremoniously. Pan'nuck glared at the winter sprite.
"What?" Jack protested and rolling his shoulder out. "She was getting heavy."
Pan'nuck just ignored him and turned to Jaenirra. She didn't look so good. Her forehead was sweaty and when he touched her forehead, he was surprised to find it hot, like she was running a fever or something.
"Jaenirra, hey, Jaenirra." Pan'nuck gently shook her shoulder.
The girl groaned and blinked open her eyes before crumbling back into herself and moaning in pain.
"Jaenirra, what's wrong?" Pan'nuck completely forgot about Jack and pulled her head into his lap and stroked her hair. Or at least he tried to with her green mohawk and all.
"Ow," She winced and clutched her head. "Apples."
"What?" Had she completely lost it.
"Apples, damn it. Get me a MiM damn apple."
"Oh, oh right." He reached to his belt and pulled out an emergency golden apple from a pouch. The golden apples had healing properties but why would Jaenirra need one?
Before he could say anything else, she ripped it from his hand and took a large bite out of it. As she chewed, relief seem to fill up her face and she smiled as she took in the sweetness of the apple's flesh. Slowly, and with the help of Pan'nuck, she stood up. Her mohawk was crumbled to the side.
"Um, what was all that about?" Jack's eyes darted from the apple in Jaenirra's hand to her to Pan'nuck.
"I can sense it when people need comfort," She explained calmly to Jack. Pan'nuck was taken back. Since when was she on such friendly terms with the winter sprite? "Sometimes I get extremely painful headaches when there are large masses of people seeking comfort all at the same time. It can happen with childbirth and stuff, so maybe it was just that. Besides, it's almost the beginning of spring which means I'll get like ten more or these." She moaned and pressed a hand to her head before stopping and glaring at Jack. "But I guess there won't be a spring this year with all this snow."
There's the Jaenirra Pan'nuck knew, just as hateful to Jack as ever.
But the white-haired boy simply gave her a wide grin and said. "Hey, it's what I do." He took a bow and then walked over to the two Camalians.
Plucking the golden apple from Jaenirra's hand, he turned it over, inspecting it thoroughly. "But you never explained to me why you need an apple to cure a headache."
Pan'nuck butted in, not wanting Jaenirra to say anything that would have them start fighting again. "The apples are from Camalia and they hold special healing properties. Taking one bite can get rid of poisons or stomach aches and headaches and other small stuff like that."
Jack grinned evilly. "So what if I take two bites?" Jack raised the apple to his lips.
Before Pan'nuck could do anything, Jaenirra shot forward and smacked the fruit from Jack's hand.
"You can't, it's poisoned!" She seemed to quake, as if having just experiencing her worst nightmare. "One bite heals a life, two bites steal a life." She said, reciting a long told rhyme about the dangers of eating a Camalian apple.
"Oh." Jack murmured.
Just then, the trio heard loud thumping noise coming from around the corner.
North, Sandy and Bunnymund appeared along with Varden.
"We've got trouble, mates." Bunnymung panted. "Pitch is attacking the Tooth Palace."
"Oh," Jaenirra whispered. "I guess it wasn't a baby boom after all."
And they're off to fight Pitch. YAY! Now I know I said I was discontinuing the story for the holidays but I had so much time I decided to finish the newest chapter. It may not be grammatically correct so please don't hate.
This story had a bit of foreshadowing, so yeah. Hope you liked it and don't forget to review!
Thanks!
*BIG hug*