Avandor's Gift

For the second time, I lost him. Two times was too much. I love Gareth and I would give up any throne for him, human or not, mated or not, married or not. He was mine.

I heard a soft whine coming from beside me and a brush of fur. “Greyshanks?” I asked as I rubbed my hand through her thick fur. It gave another whine which I took as confirmation.

“We cannot let him go out there alone.” I said to Evander’s wolf. Again a low grumble escaped through its teeth. I didn’t need to possess the red gem and the gift of speech with the animal to know that it was agreeing with me. “Take me to him.”

“Princess you will do no such thing. Gareth left strict orders to take you out of the city.” said Alehondria coming to hold my hand.

“Orders I refuse to follow. I am not going to let him walk into his death.”

“So you plan to die with him then?” he asked.

“If necessary.” I said defiantly.

“This is absurd.” said Garima.”He said to stay and guard the city.”

“It is not absurd. It is called love. Which I am sure you don’t hold for him. He saved your life, made you queen, what you feel for him is not love Garima, but gratitude. If you loved him you would be out there trying to stand at his side not cowering behind walls.”

“I am not cowering! I am thinking of the thousands of people who will die if we don’t evacuate them now.”

“Fine, go and evacuate them, I am going after him and no one is going to stop me.”

“The witch said...” interjected Sonis.

“She said that I could choose not to listen and I am not going to.” I turned to the wolf. “Take me to him.” I felt her crouching and I climbed on to her back. As soon as we were settled she got up and started running out of the city.

I had no idea what I was to do when I got there but I had to be there with him, even if it killed me.

...

I sensed her presence even before I saw her. “Wolf what are you doing here?” I said to Greyshanks. I could sense that she was running quite quickly to catch up with me.

Saving your life.

“Evander will not forgive me if you die.”

Evander left me here to help and I will. She countered. Besides he might not forgive me if I let you die.

“I highly doubt that, but then you are the one who has been in his mind. I will take your help regardless.”

You are the only family he has left. Regardless of how you two feel now, you need each other.

“You are quite wise for a wolf.” I mumbled.

I am not just a wolf. I am the wolf. She said. I stopped running and watched her coming in. There was someone riding her. A proud figure with hair of ebony which thrashed wildly around her face.

Two thoughts came to mind. Number one: that it was the most beautiful sight that I had ever witnessed, this one I hid quietly in my heart. The second though escaped the second Greyshanks stopped beside me.

“Noräin, what in Avandor’s name are you doing here?”

You said that you would kill anyone who uttered his name, said the wolf reminding me of my promise.

“I might just kill you for bringing her here.” I growled.

“No need to blame the wolf. I would have come without her but she offered the ride and I accepted.” She said defiantly.

“I told you to stay in the city.”

“And I preferred to stay by your side.” She snapped back. There was the hard set of determination etched in her features. A face of stubborn determination. She had made her choice and not even I could change it.

By Avandor I loved this woman. That was what I wanted to say, but I summarised it in a single word, “Fine!”

“How much time do you think we have left?” She said.

Not much. But whatever you are planning to do. It is best you do it now. It will not be easy you summon large amounts of magic so quickly from the stones. said the wolf.

The river was just up ahead and had already started overflowing its banks. “The dam is already down and the wall won’t hold for much longer.” How was I to stop this I didn’t know where to start?

“I can hear the water hammering on the stone wall; it isn’t going to hold much longer. You should start at the northern tip of the wall. You don’t need to support the weight of the entire river. We just need another barrier to divert it away from the city.”

“You’re right.” I said. There was a slow rumble as one of the stones fell loose. One stone followed another and very quickly the wall was beginning to fall away.

The stones are funnels that take from nature the energy it needs, focus on all that is around you the river, land, trees, air and pull it all through the stones.

“You make it sound so easy.” I said as I focused on the stone. I could feel something stirring within the gems, like latent heat, slowly building.

A loud crash sounded through the valley and the wall fell. What followed was a huge wall of water which mowed everything in its way.

“It’s too late. I failed.” I said looking at Noräin who had placed so much faith in me and I had let her down.

“No you haven’t. You haven’t really tried yet Gareth.” She said climbing down from Greyshanks and held on to my shoulder.

The wave crashed closer and would soon overtake us.

Focus your energy on what you want. said the wolf.

What I wanted more than anything was to have Noräin alive and with me. I pushed her behind me. Air was the easiest to manipulate. I watched as the wall of water grew in front of me and battered on a seemingly invisible wall.

I drew from the earth large boulders and planted them along the river bank. By manipulating the land from by a few degrees, I changed the course of the river. Some homes would be damaged, but thousands of people would be saved. As the liquid wall in front of me fell I released the sea breeze barrier. I looked around me and breathed a sigh of relief. Noräin was alive and the city was safe.

“You did it.” I could feel her beaming at me.

“I did it for you.” I said as I touched her face once more. I looked up at the sun once and then my hand fell away from her face. The gems also rolled away crumbling into dust.

Magic, especially huge feats had a price and I had to pay it. My knees crumpled and I watched as her face moved further from me.

“Gareth!” she said. I couldn’t answer but at least I would die knowing that her voice was the last thing I would hear as I exited this life.