While You Were Gone

Watching Rune and Midori leave the village, Gilya could not help but feel a small pang of regret that she could not go with them. She had never had children— fate had not woven that thread into her tapestry of life—but she suspected that it was a similar feeling mothers had when seeing their children go off on their own.

For only a brief moment Gilya let herself languish in the feeling, along with the pride she felt seeing Run step into the role she knew he was destined for. But as the moment slipped away she tucked the feeling aside for later and turned her attention back to the task at hand.

Yanara would prepare for battle.

The village was small but expertly chosen for it’s defensive capabilities, making it so there would be only one route in. Although that also posed the alternative trouble, with only one way in there would be no where for them to escape to.

It was for this reason she moved through the hidden tunnels in the mountain that led deep into the earth and close to the lake, a place chosen as shelter in times of danger.

Though it had only been a few days since the arrangement was made the enormous cavern was already showing the changes agreed upon.

Bio-luminescent moss and plants had been moved into the chamber, replanted to cast a beautiful blue-green glow over much of the area. Dried bedding of moss and leaves had been brought in to establish a space for sleeping and medical issues. And overseeing it all from a podium-like stalagmite in the centre of the chamber was the knightly nixie she had come to know as Juri.

“Ah, Lady Gilya!” He said with a deep and respectful bow, “what news from the lands above?”

She smiled at him, grateful for the podium he stood on that prevented a need to crouch or bend the parts of her body that had long ago started complaining when used.

“I’m afraid the tiding are grim, Juri. For the threat of war looms over us now.”

“War?” The lobster-like nixie spoke the words with such gravitas. “That is grim indeed.”

“Rune and Midori have set out to meet it, but we must make plans in the case they should fail to quell this invasion.”

“What invasion?” The soft, musical voice of Kalleira interrupted them as the new nixie queen floated across the chamber perched atop a bubble. Her appearance had changed slightly from when Gilya last saw her, with a brilliant crown of coloured coral resting atop her head now and a bident that symbolized her status.

“I’m afraid so my queen,” Juri said while immediately dropping to one knee.

“Please tell me everything, Lady Gilya.”

It didn’t take long for her to catch them both up on what she knew, and what the plans were going forward. The hunters and defenders of the village had already mobilized to form a barrier around the only entrance to Yanara.

But those who could not fight would need a place to shelter.

“Which is what brings me here, Queen Kalleira. I request you allow our young and old to shelter here, and protect them should the worst come to pass.”

The small nixie woman chuckled slightly.

“My Lady Gilya, of course we will protect your young and old. But if you thing that is all we shall do you have misunderstood how seriously we nixies take our oaths of cooperation.”

A look of surprise fell over the older woman’s face and she watched as the nixie queen turned to her knight with a smile.

“Gather your most formidable warriors, Juri. Have them accompany those who currently guard our borders, offer them all the support we can.”

“Yes, my queen!” Juri said before vanishing into the shadows beneath him, his booming voice resounding from further within the labyrinthine cave system that made up their home.

“You are too kind, Queen Kalleira. We would never expect-”

Kalleira raised a hand to silence Gilya, but wore a kind smile.

“Please, Lady Gilya, speak more freely. I know that my mother and you had a tenuous relationship, but I do not carry old grudges with me.”

Relief spread through Gilya’s chest and felt as if she could breathe a bit easier knowing that.

“You are as kind as you are cunning, dear queen.”

“I’m sure I could say the same of you, wise woman.”

They shared a knowing smile before setting out to finish the preparations that they would hopefully never have to use.

-----

It took them only four days of travel to return to Yanara, and Midori could only wonder if they might have saved more lives if they ditched the cart from the beginning.

“So you’re pregnant?” Kalia asked after seeing Midori suffering with her morning sickness.

“I am, yes.”

“Yet you still fought for a land you’ve never known?”

It sounded accusatory, but Kalia’s golden eyes shone with a kind of reverence that made her suspect mockery was not the case.

“You shall surely give birth to a great warrior. What of the father is he-”

“We’re here!” Rune called from his vantage point in the trees. He had insisted to do reconnaissance in case something foul had happened.

Though it was just shy of a fortnight they had been gone there was a clear change to the village.

Jewellery was not entirely uncommon in the village but had to come from wood or braided fibre, but walking in Rune was surprised to see several hunters bearing shell necklaces. Midori wondered why for a moment but she suddenly saw a nixie moving between the shadows to perch on the shoulder of a villager, some kind of bond had formed between the two tribes.

“Lady Midori, it is good to see your safe return!” The bravado laced voice of Juri echoed over the village as the brightly coloured and carapaced knight raced to greet them all, though seemed shocked by the two new arrivals. “Visitors?”

“Something like that Juri, it’s good to see you too. The village looks good,” Midori looked around and was pleased to see the smiling faces of the villagers around her.

“I’m afraid credit must go to the queen for that and of course…other parties,” Juri’s eyes shifted momentarily to Rune before clearing his throat—and act that caused small bubbles to form near his mouth.

“What was that shell-fool?” Rune had caught the look and glanced over at Juri with a smirk.

The knight grumbled for a moment before being surprised as Rune knelt suddenly in front of him.

“I thank you, for protecting the peoples of this village.” His face was stoic and lacking in any mockery, something that left Juri near speechless before uttering a near silent ‘welcome.’

Gilya came to greet them next, a bright smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around Midori almost immediately, her eyes only briefly glancing down at the new and visible wound on her chest.

“I’m glad to see you are safe,” Gilya spoke in the northern dialect to her and Midori wanted to give her a fun surprise.

“And I’m glad you and the village are safe,” she spoke in the language of Moana Mau’u which she had become highly fluent in. Midori suspected her experiencing Sahaela’s memories had something to do with it.

A laugh of surprise as the older woman looked her over.

“You continue to surprise me.”

She turned to Rune and embraced him in the same manner as Midori, holding him tightly like a mother reuniting with a child that had come back from war. In the back of her mind she wondered why her own mother had never held her like that, followed by a mental declaration she would never make her own child feel that way.

“Kalia, it is a surprise to see you but a pleasant one.” Gilya gave a nod of acknowledgement to her before turning her eyes to Sahaela, “and you? I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting you.”

It only took a few minutes to catch her up on who Sahaela was and their meeting, but took even longer to detail everything that happened in Nythe. She seemed particularly interested to see the architectural plans for the rebuilding effort, paying detailed attention to the structures of northern inspiration and what role they played in the city.

“Well, this definitely is a major development happening within our lands. I am not sure how well the Khan will take to your decision Rune.”

“I know, but I’m prepared to defend my choice should it come to that.” He sat cross legged in front of her like a small child patiently listening at story time.

“And Midori felt this could serve as your second token?”

“She did, it’s sweet but I don’t think it will work.”

“Well,” Gilya said softly. “With Kalia’s support it could be the perfect token.”

“How so?” Rune asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Look around Rune, you see the changes that have been made here just from the pact you made with Kalleira. Whether you intend it or not you are making long lasting changes to Moana Mau’u, these are the decisions a Khan would make.”

He was silent then, and Midori watched in confusion silent until her question could wait no longer.

“What would it mean? You’re talking like there would be dire consequences.”

Rune smiled sadly at her and took her hand.

“Should I fail in this battle, that will mean complete exile from Moana Mau’u, I will never be allowed back.”