Hessins Daughter

Rising from her fur mats Jae’lyn moved towards the tides in a slow, meditative trance. Her hands nimbly pulled free articles of clothing. Wool shirt, furs, leather...it all fell upon the snow and sand until she walked naked into the first lap of water upon feet. The cold did not matter, she did not feel the icy kiss as she continued to wade out into the depths. Step by careful step she went until she was all but covered, diving into the gentle waves and swimming down, down and further down she swam not even noticing the need of air to breath.

Eventually her fingers found the smooth surface of a stone. This stone was familiar to her and was quite a ways out from the coves beach, far beneath the surface of the water. It was here where she often sat to converse with the Mother sea, to meditate and listen.

‘...Why has the snow fallen....?’ she asked her mother ‘....why does the dead threaten? The wolves convene and the owls deliver a message from Hessin....what has happened to cause such events to arise?’

The only answer she got in return was the melodic song of the sea. That siren’s whisper calling her further down into the depths ‘...Just a little closer....’ the mother assured ‘come closer....’

‘Mother I need the answer. I cannot come deeper into your embrace yet...it is not my time.’ Jae’lyn scolded with her thoughts ‘You are the Mother, you are Hessin....You summoned me and the others...why?’

‘Phoenix, Rose, Stag, Raven, Tree, Tower, Wolf, Serpent, Dragon.......’ the mother’s sweet and blissful voice answered, the tugs and pulls of the tides jostling Jae’lyn in a soothing manner, she could feel herself growing weary, her body relaxing further, swaying with tides and gentle songs. When she was younger she didn’t have the strength, will and wits to refuse her call, and even now it was...difficult. ‘...The storms have awakened and the balance has been disturbed. Heal the source, lost in snow....come to me my child....come closer.....’

Lungs burned for air, the peace and tranquility that had washed over her suddenly vanished and her body ached with the pressure of the seas calling. Bracing feet upon the stones surface she forcefully surged upwards, the burning expanded, her heart beat slower and slower, the song grew louder until it roared into the depths of her very soul!

Crash!!!

Her head broke the surface and her lungs gasped for air,

Rohir’s mind began to panic, his hands gripping the sides of the boat as he stared wide eyed into the murky dark moonlight stained water. His breathing quickened, the song completely forgotten as he searched for his sister. “Lyn!” he shouted at the water, wondering if this was another of her ideas of a joke. But as the minutes passed he knew this wasn’t a joke. He wasn’t a strong swimmer, not by far, he couldn’t even lift himself in the water even if he tried. Those were the thoughts going through his wild mind as he jumped into the cold water and started to swim with all the strength that he could. It was dark, all around him the moon’s light just barely penetrated the water’s surface. Yet he continued to swim downwards, trying to find any trace of his sister. Salt burned his eyes and his mind continued to reel. His heart pounded painfully in his chest and his lungs already started to ache.

In his mind he felt a buzzing ring through his ears. A familiar, terrifying buzzing that plagued him his entire life. ‘This is the day you die. You can’t save her.. She isn’t your blood. Let. Her. Die.’ The dark little voice hissed, sending a chill down his spine that wasn’t from the cold water around him. Still he swam down, the voice was distant, as if it could barely reach him. Yet the terror of it pressed him forward. Where was Lyn?!

Inky blackness pressed in all around. The cold of the sea became warm, like an embrace pulling her in, tugging her small frame further down into the depths. The human body was a perfect machine. Everything was made for a purpose, a reason, when the air in her lungs became slack and the heart began to pound, panic set in. Panic to force the person to flail back up to the surface and take in that life giving air. The laments and songs of the sea whispered to her though, swaying and tugging as the heartbeat and blood pounded in slower and slower rhythms. She could hear it surround her. That soothing ‘thud...thud....thud....’ every part of her sunk deeper, muscles lost the ability to move, sinking further down...

A small hand locked on her wrist to stop her descent into the abyssal dark sea. Bubbles burst from Rohir’s mouth as his small lungs almost forced him to take in water to his lungs. Instinct told him to let go and rush to the surface for air but he wasn’t going to abandon his sister. The voices were still ringing in his ears telling him to leave her but his hands clamped down onto her wrist and tried to pull with all the strength he could. But he was so young, and he wasn’t a strong swimmer. No matter how much he tried to pull her up he sunk down with her faster and faster. Panic set into his mind again and the voices in his ears laughed. “Watch her die. Watch her die. You’ll die too. Just you wait. You’ll be dead and it’s all your fault.” Something in that voice sparked an unfamiliar feeling. He was a happy boy and in his panicked mind he couldn’t think of any other emotion besides fear. Yet there it was. Rage.

Blinding, unforgettable rage that made his heart race faster than it ever had. His vision became clear, almost in slow motion as he pulled again with all his might, and this time he found that when he pulled her her face was illuminated by the moonlight. They were going back to the surface, he tried again to pull but in his effort to exert his strength his lungs gave out and he sucked in a painful lungful of water. The burst of energy disappeared but he tried to hang onto his sister, even as his vision started to darken.

It came as a sudden surprise that jolted him back into wakefulness when an arm went around his waist that pushed past his to grab Lyn’s hand. With one pull they were suddenly together again in the arms of... someone, and the sound of rushing water filled his ears.

They broke the surface of the water at the same time and found themselves next to the boat. Rohir coughed out the water in his lungs, tears welled up into his eyes as he painfully vomited the salt water and took in blessed air into his lungs again. He didn’t remain in the water long as he felt another pair of hands lift him from the water and into the boat.

Illuminated against the moonlight he saw himself looking up at his uncle, Agrippa the Fallen. His eyes darted back to the side of the boat to see who the other man was. He found himself looking at his other uncle, Arkhil the Husband as he went by in Sharkhead. He was lifting Lyn out of the water for Agrippa to take. Lyn was limp, motionless. Her body all but rolling and flopping into the boat. Visually it appeared as if there was no life in her, her breathing was so shallow. But those who knew how to look, feel and listen could detect that faint strand of life that was waiting for the last moment of embrace...suddenly snuffed away...

The monk wasted no time as he set his niece into the boat and laid her on her back. When Rohir tried to crawl to her side he was shoved away by Agrippa without even a backwards glance. The mystic was already hissing and muttering words in his backwards language of ancient Ruce. Tilting Lyn’s head back and opening her mouth he breathed into her lungs, trying to get her to start breathing again. Pulling back a thumb was placed to her forehead as his mutterings turned to familiar chants and incantations. His other hand fell to her chest, pressing down in a rhythm to get her heart to beat once more. Agrippa would not let the sea have his niece. The Mother could go to her own bloody and unforgiving depths before she took his kin. And even with these bitter words he begged the Mother Sea to bring her back. That was what the incantations were. Trying to get her to bring his beloved Lyn back.

The white glow of the large moon shone down to illuminate the face of the young Ruce girl. The silver in her hair seemed to glisten from the sea water that dampened it. Even as they worked to restore her the boat rocked and the waters splashed against the hull resembling a little girl that had just gotten her toy taken away. Suddenly Lyn gasped, her dark brown eyes opening wide to stare up at the large moon above. This was supposed to be a special night...

Coughing and hacking Lyn groaned and rolled to the side. Heaving up seawater that had greatly filled her lungs. She shivered, colder than she ever had been before. Her body shook and quivered as she sputtered and felt the weakness of exertion crawl over every inch of her body. The lights started to return to dark eyes as she looked about frantically “Wha-where am...I?” she muttered trying to catch her bearings. Her memories being the last to return to her recovering body.

“Back in the boat,” Agrippa growled as he shed his robe and cloak made of net and rags. Gently he placed the dry clothes over her to keep her from catching a chill. On the side of the boat, Arkhil was climbing back in, dipping the boat down as he whipped his hair about to clear drops of water. Rohir was left to shiver, clutching himself watching everyone.

“Back? In the...” Lyn tried to understand the words spoken to her. They almost sounded foreign at first, not of her language before eyes grew wide and tearful. “No....” she started so softly and quiet at first before she darted quickly up onto her feet “No!!!” She shouted, trying to shove the dry clothes off and move back to the side of the boat.

A strong arm kept her from going very far. The arm belonged to Arkhil who was more quick than his crippled elder brother. “Stay where you are, girl!” he growled viciously.

“No!!” Lyn cried and fought, struggling and clawing at her uncle, tears fell freely, large crystal beads as she looked out at the moonlit water as if it meant everything to her “Let me go! No-No!!”

Arkhil did not move his arm around her, he kept her steady in the boat and away from the water. “Stupid girl! You’ll stay in this boat if I have to knock some sense into you!” Arkhil shouted right back to his niece.

“This isn’t the night for you!” Agrippa hissed, helping to keep Lyn in the boat by grabbing onto her arm. “You are not yet ready to descend to the deep. You will not survive the rite!”

“No!!” Lyn continued to cry, it didn’t take long at all however for her to become too weak in the fight, sinking down into the boat as she sobbed and cried, dark pleading eyes looking to her uncle “Please!! I must go!” she gasped wearily “..Please...”

“I know the feeling, I hear the calling too, Lyn,” Agrippa said, biting back the anger in his voice to try and calm his niece, “But you aren’t ready. The Mother Sea cares not if you survive so long as you belong to her, life and death are meaningless to her. But you are still mortal, the rite will kill you. You cannot survive the drowning.”

“Nor are you going to die for being depth damned insane,” Arkhil growl as he gave one last heave to set Lyn in the center of the boat and far from the edges. Rohir watched all three of them, trying keep himself as small as possible, hoping he wouldn’t be noticed. The shivering didn’t bother him too much, so long as no one yelled at him. He knew they were in trouble. Along with Lyn he was crying too.

Lyn’s cries weakened and she huddled in the center hugging her knees and crying. She was saying please. Please please please she begged in the words of the old Ruce but at least she didn’t try and make anymore attempts, for now.

The burning in her lungs subsided, the aching vanished, and her thoughts became clear once more. Sun shone in the sky now, bright and warm upon her cheeks as she closed her eyes and welcomed the rays kissing the tip of her nose.

“Hey! Jade!” A familiar voice called from the beach behind her. Treading water she turned and smiled. Cyrus stood there with her fox furred robe held in the crook of his arm and a large mug of steaming coco. “You're going to catch yer death out there! Come on! I got stew on that fire you made.”

Laughing at her second in commands thoughtfulness she struck out, moving arms to swim back to shore. “So? Did you learn anything?” Cyrus asked as he wrapped her naked form up with her warm robe.

“N-nothing too helpful” Jae’lyn admitted, shivering from the cold. “Somethings wrong in the North. ‘Heal the source, lost in snow’ but...I have no idea what that means.”

“Well. It won’t do any good if you freeze up into an ice statue.” Cyrus laughed as he helped her to sit upon the furs next to the fire “Come on then, eat up. Drink your coco and then we can figure out a plan. Your mother and the other lords and ladies are already convening in a meeting about the scroll-” he went on to explain only to be interrupted by a sputtering.

Jae’lyn was in the middle of drinking her coco when she heard the news and sea colored eyes grew wide “They what!? Without me!? I thought-”

“Woah! Hang on there Captain. Slow down!” Cyrus laughed, pointing a stick, red hot where the tip was burnning “You were told to rest and meditate...that didn’t mean they wouldn’t go do grown up things while you did. Don’t worry about it. Likely going to be extremely dull anyways, all that talking and bickering about what was right or wrong...Relax!”

Sighing Jae’lyn grumbled and hunched over her warm mug defeatedly “I still don’t like it. By the time they decide to do anything day’s will have passed. Those wraiths are still out there and the roads are all left unguarded...”

“Aye...and when we go on this mission...days and weeks more will pass everyone by. It’s a months journey just to get that far and we still need to pack, supply ships, horses...” He shrugged and picked up two bowls to fill with stew “Patiences, right? Tis what you always taught us ‘Arrows’ when going on the hunt. Can’t be too hasty.”

Jae’lyn shot in him a narrowed and playful glare “Yea, ok, ok I get it. Its a wonder why i chose you as my second.”

“Coz Im charming? And handsome?” he grinned back at her.

“Oh please!” Jae’lyn rolled her eyes.

“Oh then I suppose your tastes are more for...raven’s. Eh? No longer any room for the roguish Cyrus?” He quipped, holding the bowl out of her reach, curious to hear her answer and how the night with the Raven Prince Bao’vein had went.

Jae’lyns cheeks flushed a deep red and she bit her lower lip “Look. It was just one night and we didn’t get to do much due to the messengers...”

“Aye, and yet you still blush.” Cyrus pressed, shifting to crouch in front of her...his head tilting to the side as he held her bowl out towards her “Hey. Its ok, your not the only girl who finds the Raven tall, dark and mysteriously handsome. I understand, I just worry ok? We’ve been through a lot you and I... Just want to make sure you're happy.”

Jae’lyn smiled at Cyrus as she took the bowl offered to her “Aye. I know. And truly...it was just one day. I’ve more important things to worry about and I...I’m just not interested in settling down...marrying. I was forced to do that when I was only Twelve, most of my childhood was taken away...I just...” She smirked and looked down at the food “I just want to be me for a little longer, raise my twins before I go thinking about husbands and perfect fathers.”

“Eh! I can be a perfect father.” Cyrus protested with a teasing grin.

Jae’lyn laughed “Aye, for two hours in the day before you grow weary of it.”

Cyrus shrugged and sat on the furs next to her, watching the fire crackling in front of them as he stirred a spoon in the bowl of stew “Aye, perhaps. But I’ll still be your second...married or no.”

“I know, Cyrus....” Jae’lyn answered “I know.” The truth was that she did love him...but she still had many scars she needed to heal and while her thoughts weren’t anywhere near the idea of marriage. It seemed to be on the minds of everyone else.