Green Eyes

Selene awoke with a sudden start, shuddering. It was still dark out and there was a small fire warming them. What had awakened her was that familiar cold feeling that signaled the presence of a sorcerer.

“What is it?” Mara asked from somewhere nearby.

“I can feel him,” Selene reported.

“Close?” the older woman inquired.

Selene closed her eyes as if she were listening. “No, not real close,” she decided. “It’s like hearing a whisper across a room. How much rest did I get?” She was feeling markedly better.

“About five hours,” Mara answered. “I relieved Jared about an hour ago and he was on for four. You’re saying we should probably get going?” she inquired. Selene nodded.

“Get the others up then,” Mara ordered as she went over to Deborah’s sleeping form. “Deborah honey, it’s time to get up,” she softly said as she gently shook her.

“I don’t wanna,” complained the six year-old sleepily.

“I know honey but we have to keep going before the bad people come,” Mara chided as she rocked the child again.

To her credit, Deborah stretched and stood up, eyes bleary in the low firelight. “The sun’s not even up yet,” she observed pointedly.

“We’re racing the sun to see if we can get started before him,” Mara offered.

“What do we get if we win?” questioned Deborah getting straight to the point.

“You get to ride on Barak today,” Mara supplied. Selene wondered if Jared would be okay with that but she figured he wouldn’t have a choice.

Despite her misgivings, Mara actually turned out to be a pretty good mom. Deborah had had the time of her life in the Amazon camp as the various women practically fought over getting a chance to babysit while the War Master was training. Often Deborah had accompanied Mara in a training session, surprising the Navi with how naturally good a shot the young one was. She wasn’t bad with a sword either, despite the weapon being almost as tall as she was.

Deborah still cried sometimes at night, Selene knew, but Mara was always right there to comfort her. Mara had gone out of her way to make sure her new charge was cared for both physically and emotionally. In return, Deborah was softening the tough ex-slave.

“Okay,” Deborah agreed and began collecting the bags to be strapped to the horses. Mara had taught her to always be useful too.

Jared was grouchier than usual, having gotten an hour at best of sleep. Micaela was surprisingly chipper and quickly got the horses packed. All in all, it took them twenty minutes to get everything ready for the next day’s hike.

“We beat the sun,” Deborah declared triumphantly. “That means I get to ride Barak.”

“Wait, what?” Jared snapped his head around.

“Miss Mara said that we were racing the sun to see who got ready for the day first,” Deborah explained. “If we won, then I got to ride Barak.”

“Is that so?” Jared shot Mara a questioning and accusing look. Mara returned the look with a challenging glare of her own. Another silent conversation ensued and in a few moments Jared relented.

“Very well,” he said as he grabbed the girl by her waist and hoisted her into the saddle. “There you are. But I still hold onto the reins, got it?”

“I understand,” Deborah nodded as she grabbed the horn.

“Not to be pushy, but that sorcerer is getting closer,” Selene interjected as the cold feeling began to slightly intensify.

And with that, they were off.

*******

The rest Selene had gotten saved her because the other three pushed even harder than the day before. Maybe it was Selene’s comment about their tracker getting closer or it was just their habit to push hard, but they were certainly making time.

Micaela’s wood guiding wasn’t much help either. She knew where she was going to be sure but didn’t bother explaining the route to anyone else. Not that it would’ve done much good in Selene’s case as she was very quickly lost in the sudden and random twists and turns that Micaela executed before her. It was getting so bad that the trees were beginning to run together.

Yet the cold feeling persisted: faint but unmistakably there. Their pursuer wasn’t really gaining ground but they weren’t really losing him either. That just added to her discomfort.

“You must have known the Royal Family,” Micaela interrupted Selene’s thoughts, distracting her temporarily.

“What makes you say that?” Selene was startled by the sudden question.

“You’re necklace,” Micaela informed, pointing to the sapphire pendant around Selene’s neck. “I’ve seen that necklace before, a long time ago. Except Queen Ariel, the former Kalashonian queen was wearing it then.”

“Are you sure?” Selene’s hand went instinctively to her neck.

“Esthorians have very good memories,” Micaela nodded. “Unless that is an exact copy, that is the Necklace of Beth Yarack, an heirloom of that house that has been passed from queen to queen.”

“Oh,” Selene suddenly felt uncomfortable wearing it.

“Do you remember where you got it from?” Micaela pressed.

“Not really,” Selene shook her head. “I was very young when a girl with blue eyes gave it to me. My mother was holding me in her lap and it’s really the only memory I have of her.”

“Interesting,” Micaela mused. “Your family must’ve been well-liked by Beth Yarack to garner such a gift.”

“My dad was a prominent court physician,” Selene offered. “At least that was—”

The Navi suddenly stopped short, sucking in a quick gasp.

“What is it?” Micaela questioned in alarm.

“I don’t understand,” Selene’s breathing was short and shallow as she struggled to regain control. “He just got closer. A LOT closer.”

Micaela grasped the importance of that immediately. “Shit,” she snarled. “Jared, Mara, we may be in trouble,” she called to the other two who were taking up the rear for the moment.

“What is it?” the mercenary called back.

“Selene says our tail suddenly just got a lot closer and judging by her expressions, he’s closing fast,” Micaela informed.

“How?” Mara demanded.

“I don’t know,” Micaela answered with a shake of the head. “At least, I don’t think I know. It doesn’t really matter.”

“We can’t go much faster,” Jared pointed out. “Anyway we can lose it?”

“I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee it,” Micaela replied. “Especially if this guy is doing what I think he is, in which case we’re fucked.”

“Which is?” Jared queried.

“Flying,” Micaela flatly responded.

“That’s not good,” Jared observed.

“Like I said, if he’s doing that, we’re fucked,” Micaela repeated harshly. “But we don’t have much of a choice. Follow me.”

Without waiting for a response, Micaela picked up the pace to go as fast as her short legs could carry her without actually running. The rest of them, even Jared, had to push hard to keep up as the Esthorian began turning left and right and straight in no particular order, getting them thoroughly lost and thoroughly worn out.

“How we doing?” she asked Selene as they paused to catch their breath for a moment.

The feeling was still getting stronger much to Selene’s dismay. “He’s gaining,” Selene shook her head. What they were doing wasn’t working.

“Maybe we should just stop and make a stand,” Micaela suggested.

“Against that?” Jared scoffed. “Are you crazy?”

“We’re not getting away as it is,” Micaela countered. “We’re just wearing ourselves out which will just make us easier pickings when, not if, but when he catches us.”

“She’s got a point,” Mara put in. “Maybe we should split up too.” Mara was glanced subtly over at Deborah who looked nervous and confused on Barak.

“Probably a good idea,” Micaela concurred catching Mara’s drift.

“How far to the Ammonite border?” Mara inquired of the guide.

“We crossed it last night,” Micaela answered. “We’re well into Ammon now.”

“Good,” Mara nodded her mind racing. “Which way to the road?”

“South, that way,” Micaela pointed. “It’s about a day, maybe a day and a half south.”

“That’s fine,” Mara acknowledged. “I’ll take Deborah to the road and we’ll meet up with you guys on the far side of the Harosheth.”

“Maybe I should take her,” Micaela suggested. “I know the forest much better than you.”

“No,” Mara firmly refused. “Deborah is my charge and, no offense, I trust myself a lot more than you if we meet any unfriendlies.”

“None taken,” Micaela shrugged. “Just stay south. You know how to use the sun, right?”

“Of course,” Mara snorted. “I’m not an idiot.”

“Take Barak and go,” Jared told her. “Stay safe.”

“You too,” Mara faltered as she faced her brother. Then as if by silent agreement, they suddenly gave each other the fierce embrace that only siblings can give. “I’ll see you on the other side,” Mara promised.

“Yeah,” Jared nodded as they released each other. A moment later Mara and Deborah disappeared into the thickening forest with Barak.

“We’ll see them again,” Selene promised as she came up beside Jared.

“Yeah,” he repeated as he clenched his jaw. “We’d better.”

“How close?” Micaela questioned the Navi.

Selene took in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. “Very close and coming fast,” she reported. “It shouldn’t be much more than a few minutes now.”

“Any ideas how to prepare for battling a sorcerer?” Micaela asked Jared.

“Prayer,” Jared flatly replied.

“And they say you don’t have a sense of humor,” Micaela allowed a small smile. “Any actually useful ideas?”

“We could try hiding behind the trees and see if we can catch him off guard,” Jared suggested helplessly.

Selene watched her two protectors vanish behind the trees, leaving her feeling very much alone and exposed. She relied on Jared and Mara to be her defense and her brains. They always seemed to know what to do and when to do it. When it came to sorcerers, they were at a loss. It was a type of battle that was simply beyond their skills.

But not hers. This was her arena which meant the pressure was on her to save them for once. She could either crack under the pressure or rise to the occasion. Trying to still her beating heart, Selene took a couple of calming breaths.

The cold feeling increased exponentially and the leaves above her began to rustle. Looking up, the Navi saw a figure fluttering through the trees as a person began to descend from the air.

It was a woman, not a man as they had initially thought. She was tall and beautiful in a frightening way with jet black hair and ivory skin. Gently she floated down to the ground in front of Selene and locked onyx black eyes on Selene. The woman radiated pure evil and hatred.

“I congratulate you on the merry chase you’ve led me on,” she greeted in a gravelly and poisonous voice. “But you did you really think you could run from me forever?”

“We’d thought we’d give it a try,” Selene returned, surprising herself with her own confidence. “As you can see though, I’m done running from you.”

“Excellent,” the woman’s face morphed into a twisted grin. “I’ve been looking for a chance to prove myself to the Viceroy. Hauling the Navi back to Lord Brutus will definitely do that.”

“Getting ahead of ourselves, are we?” Selene retorted flicking her fists on fire. “You have to beat me first.”

“A mere formality,” the woman shrugged as she crackled lightning in her right hand. “After what the Viceroy did to you last time, this should be child’s play.”

“We shall see,” Selene bristled and then fired her first volley.

The woman stepped to her left, brushing the flames away and returned fire with a blast of lightning aimed at Selene’s chest.

A month ago that blast would’ve killed or at least significantly injured Selene but she was prepared to defend herself now. She released a telekinetic wave that deflected the electric blast away to her left, exploding into a tree. Then tapping into both her fear and anger, Selene let loose simultaneously volleys of fire and ice, enveloping her opponent.

The sorceress raised up a shield that protected her from Selene’s onslaught before pushing back out. The expanding force field pushed Selene’s attack back on herself before launching the Navi into a tree.

“A valiant effort I must admit,” she acknowledged, sweat beaded on her forehead as she approached Selene. “But you’re not strong enough yet.” She then raised her hand to finish Selene off.

With a shout, Micaela suddenly materialized from her hiding places, bearing down on the sorceress. Reflexively the woman whipped around and fired off a TK wave at her, knocking the Esthorian into a tree, stunning her.

“Micaela!” Jared yelled as he bounded out, firing an arrow at their enemy’s head.

The arrow was tossed aside but this time the sorceress fired a blast of electricity at Jared, catching him in the chest. He convulsed a couple of times before dropping his bow and collapsing to the turf.

“Pitiful mor—” the woman started as turned back to Selene before getting tossed through the air and pinned twenty feet up a tree.

“Do. Not. Hurt. My. Friends,” Selene snarled her emerald green eyes blazing as she held the sorceress there with an outstretched hand. Suicidal as Micaela and Jared’s attacks had been, they had given Selene a chance to regroup and now she was on the offensive. And now she was mad.

With a flick of her wrist, Selene flung the sorceress around, slamming her into various tree trunks and branches. The battered woman tried to fight back, finally getting her arm up to push Selene back, forcing the Navi to drop her.

The sorceress scrambled to her feet, backing away from the advancing Navi whose hands were blazing, literally. Desperately she shot of a burst of lightning but Selene merely batted it away as if she were swatting a fly. Then Selene reasserted her telekinetic grip over her opponent, pinioning to her the base of a tree.

“I don’t say this very often,” Selene declared angrily as she locked her viridian eyes on the woman’s onyx orbs and held out her right hand, forming a molten ball of fire in it. “But you’ve got to die,” she finished.

Selene fired the fireball directly at her victim’s chest. It struck home, forcing out a brief scream of agony as the fire exploded outwards, reducing the sorceress to a pile of ash in moments.

As the last embers died away, Selene felt her world spin slightly as she came down from the adrenaline and power high she had been on. Sighing in relief, she scanned the battlefield and saw Micaela and Jared still lying prone.

Realizing that her job wasn’t done yet, she stumbled over to Micaela who was closest. Quickly checking over the Esthorian, she found that Micaela was stunned but not much more. She’d be fine.

Jared on the other hand was in trouble. His chest was burned and his was having trouble breathing. It was a miracle that the blast hadn’t stopped his heart but Selene didn’t have time to consider that. Knowing that her reserves were running dangerously low, she tapped into her power once more and held her hand over his wound.

She felt the life force flow from her and saw the familiar white glow as Selene began to mend Jared’s body. The tissues regrew and his skin began to close up as his breathing deepened and evened out.

Spots began to dance in front of her eyes as the world began to spin even faster. Then spots grew larger and larger until the filled her entire vision. Selene’s last conscious thought was feeling herself tipping towards the earth.