Thank you everyone for hanging in there with me. I have had a rough few months but I am back. So here is a little chapter for everyone, I will be posting again soon and please remember that I don't own these characters.
The warmth lasted for what seemed like only a moment before there was an ear piercing scream and I fell to the hard ground catching myself on my hands and knees. I braced myself for the next blow that was sure to come but I was shocked when nothing happened. Curiously I peeked open my eyes only to find I had landed on a road near and old broken down wagon. As I climbed to my feet and looked around I saw that this was where I had met the old man. Confused I stepped up to the wagon only to find a number of black raven feathers around it, it must have all been an illusion and a pretty good one at that. Mad at myself I kicked one of the wheels and watched as the old wood splintered and the whole thing collapsed, I couldn't believe I had fallen for that. I mean what kind of knight falls for such a foolish trap? Oh yeah – this one.
Frowning to myself I walked off, I was mad at myself for almost letting myself get killed for trying to help an old man that never existed. As I walked a smile came to my face as I realized that Ahiru would have pestered me constantly until we had helped the man and after all that she would have given me a sheepish smile as she wrapped my injuries and apologized for getting the two of us in trouble. Just the thought of that goofy grin melted my heart and made me feel better about what had happened though I still constantly thought back to the light and what it had been. All I know for sure though was it had come from the direction the raven had taken Ahiru and the direction I was heading. It was times like this that I wished I could have her strength or at least her dumb courage. That odd ability she had to charge into a dangerous situation without thinking about the consequences or if it was dangerous.
Despite all of the trouble that she had gotten us into Ahiru had always somehow managed to get us out of it and save the day. Come to think of it she saved us every time but once. There was just that one time in the lake where she let me save her, it is so ingrained in my mind and something I will never regret. As time wore on I found myself able to write but only when she was in the story, in that way she was still the hero that she was in her heart and then in mine.
The pain of watching her be taken thought that window had been more than the pain I had experienced stabbing my own hand to stop her tragedy from being written. I would have never forgiven myself had I written her into a tragedy, someone so sweet and innocent should not have to go through that. As it was it amazed me that she was still so innocent. I mean after everything she had gone through, all the love that she had been denied and all of the darkness she had had to fight through. I can only imagine what had happened to her in that underground lake, I only wish I had been able to protect her more that night. I was so relieved when I woke and she was there, still in one piece and still Ahiru.
Once more my feet carried me along the road for endless days and quiet nights. I was not alone though, I spent my days thinking of the girl I was going to save and what future lay ahead of the two of us. All I wanted was to bring her home and finally be with her in a way that we had only dreamed of since we had saved Mute and Rue. All those day sitting on the pier I watched her and waited for the words that so desperately needed to come out and when they did I still could do nothing but write her into such horror and pain. Even now I can't imagine what is happening to her and every night when I pull out my quill and paper I simply can't write her back into my arms, I only stare at the blank pages and wonder if I will ever be able to get her back. For the first time I am finding myself on my own, every time my writing has messed up a life this much I had someone to lean on but this time I have no one. It's frightening, not because I fear being alone but because when I am alone every fear and doubt comes out to haunt me. It is these voices that she keeps at bay, she tells me that she believes in me, or at least I think that's what she is saying, and that is what I need in times like this.
When I finally get her back I have no idea how I will ever apologize to her. I have messed up before but this was beyond anything that I could have thought up in even my worst nightmares. Actually my nightmares usually consist of her turning human again then leaving me, if that happens after I save her I don't know what I will do. Since that final battle with the raven she has become my whole world. Every morning I wake up and feed her then walk out to the pond and watch her while I try to write her story. Come to think of it what am I going to do once I get her back? I have spent the last few years devoting my life to writing her story, so what am I going to do with her back? Maybe I will start dancing again; that would be nice. I wonder if she is still a klutz like she used to be, it was cute. But thinking back to her face when she was transformed she looked so different and mature. My want to see hat face again pushed me on in my journey and into the next town.