Mira's Hope (21 page)

Something more welled up in Tark. It was more
than anger or fear. Grabbing the tops of Taura’s arms, he pushed
her up against a tree and kissed her soundly. She responded with
both anger and passion, the results being that they lost the
momentum of their argument. All the lost months, fears of being
forgotten, and the companionship he felt stripped of, found their
way into that kiss. How he loved this woman.

After several minutes, he pulled away and
leaned his forehead on hers. He caressed her face with his fingers
remembering every line and discovering new ones. With his other
arm, he wrapped it around her waist and brought her closer.

“I’m sorry. Neither of us want to see the
other perish, but can’t stand the thought of not being there in the
end. I never appreciated the position Elenio and Galena have been
in until this moment.”

“You will train me then?” she asked, turning
her face so that she could look into his eyes.

“I will, I promise.” He felt a slight defeat
with this statement, but knew in the end, he would have had it no
other way. “Amrick is not joining the fight, for she chooses to
stay behind to continue her support and aide to the village until
the war is over or our lives as we know it. I’ll ask her to watch
over Silva and keep an eye on Venia and Jamin for us during your
training and if anything should happen.”

Taura’s eyes filled with tears, but she
nodded against his head in response.

Why did he have to fall in love with such an
independent elf?

Chapter
Twenty-Seven

Galena awoke the next morning feeling a sense
of urgency that had not been there before going to bed the previous
night. Instead of staying a couple of nights like she originally
planned to, she insisted they eat and head out. Elenio, who acted
much better after a good night’s sleep, still looked confused, but
said nothing in response to this new suggestion. They ate their
morning meal, collected their things and Twoit, and headed out.

They walked through the woods for most of the
day, not stopping at all if Galena could help it. She remained deep
in thought, replaying the dream repeatedly in her mind as they drew
closer to the dreaded cave. Elenio respected this and continued
with her, only responding to the questions she asked. Finally,
around twilight, they decided to stop for the night, as they would
be arriving at the heart of the western woods sometime the next
evening.

Galena felt extremely edgy and started at
every little sound. When Twoit went scurrying out of her pack and
down her legs, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Elenio had to
remind her to put up the protective barriers and even to light a
fire for their camp. He dug out the food and served it as she
stared into the fire, her thoughts consuming her.

“Why the sudden rush?” Elenio finally
ventured to ask.

“I had a dream with Mira in it last night,”
she replied as she continued to stare into the fire.

“And...” he asked, encouraging her to go
on.

Taking her eyes from the fire, she focused on
Elenio for the first time that day. He looked concerned as he
watched her and waited for a more adequate response to his
question.

“She told me I needed to hurry, because
Haulua was fighting to free himself from the prison she and her
other brothers created for him. It seems they devised a clever plan
that links his life with Rau’s. If one of them dies, they both
do.”

“How is it possible for a god to die?” Elenio
asked, eyebrows raised at this statement.

“I don’t think anyone other than another god
could do it,” Galena started, her eyes finding the fire yet again.
“It may be that he doesn’t die, but just goes into a deep sleep
that is similar to death. I don’t know for certain. I just know
what I’m told.” She started stripping the bark off a small twig
she’d found lying next to her on the ground, fear creeping up on
her again.

Elenio sensed the fear and reaching across
the fire, he put his finger under her chin, raising her face so she
was looking at him. “There’s more isn’t there.”

“Apparently, my fears will become a reality
in the cave. I’ll have to face them alone and I’m not really sure
what my fears are. What if I can’t handle it?” she nearly wailed.
Not the girly elf thing again,
she thought angrily to
herself.
The whole cave thing must really be getting to me if
I’m going to whine and complain at every turn
.

“You have to,” he said simply. There was no
doubt there, no fear, only the simple truth of it all.

“I know. I keep letting this get the better
of me and I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of hearing
myself whine.”

Elenio smiled at this, poking the fire with a
stick. Twoit came back shortly before Galena set up the protective
barrier, and chomped on a small bird, regarding the two of them
with bright eyes.

“I was wondering when you would notice what
an infant you’ve turned into,” Elenio said, laughing quietly.

“Don’t make me kick your butt the last night
we may be together,” Galena said as she chucked a small pebble at
him.

He dodge it easily and moving with the grace
of a cat, stood and lightly leaped across the fire, seemingly in
one fluid motion before knocking Galena onto her back. She rolled
back, bringing her legs up to her chest before thrusting them out
in a snapping motion, putting herself on her feet, and facing him.
He grinned wolfishly at her before crouching low and swinging a leg
out and around, knocking her feet from under her. She started to
tip back, but threw her arms behind her and did a somersault,
allowing her to land on her feet once more. Sticking a hand out,
she thought of wind and raised Elenio up with it. His grin faded
and he looked at her in an irritated sort of way as he floated
above the ground, supported by the wind Galena controlled.

“You used to be so much more fun to wrestle
against when you weren’t using magic,” he said, sighing heavily for
emphasis.

“Maybe this is not as much fun for you, but I
happen to be enjoying myself.” She grinned wickedly at him as she
made him do several summersaults in the air before placing him
gently on the ground. He wobbled from side to side until he
promptly plopped down on the ground, his head bobbing around in
apparent dizziness. Galena couldn’t help it, she laughed. His
expression was a mix of indignation and nausea, which Galena found
extremely humorous.

Shaking his head slightly, he shot an arm out
to grab Galena’s arm. She was laughing too hard to react and
continued to do so even as he pulled her to him. He ended her
laughter by giving her a brief kiss.

Grabbing their packs, he pulled them behind
him. Lying back, he pulled Galena with him so she could lay her
head on his chest. She still laughed in sporadic bursts, but the
fits were definitely fading. Taking a deep breath, she fought for
composure. This task alone seemed to be more than she could handle,
because the more she tried, the harder it seemed. Elenio just shook
his head in amusement at her giggling outbursts, but said nothing.
He patiently waited for the fits to subside as he stared at the
fire and stroked her hair and back.

“I’m sorry, I think I’m more tired than I
realized,” she was finally able to say after several minutes had
gone by.

“I’m glad to hear you laugh. You had me
worried today.”

“Why was that?” she asked, flipping onto her
stomach so that she could look at him.

“You managed to shut me out so I couldn’t
hear your thoughts or feel your emotions very well,” he said
simply.

“Hmm. I didn’t know I could do that,” she
said, pondering the implications of this.

“I didn’t hear anything from you and I have
to say, I didn’t like it. It felt too much like when I thought I
had lost...” he let the sentence trail off, but the pain in his
eyes was clear.

She scooted up and kissed him gently before
laying her head back on his chest. She knew there was nothing she
could do to change what had happened in the past and she wasn’t
going to apologize. She did what she had to in order to save them
and in the end, it worked out. Now, she would go in the cave and do
it again in order to save everyone she loved. There was no one else
who could. With this new resolve in mind, she snuggled closer to
Elenio and closed her eyes. Tomorrow, she would face the cave and
all the terrors within. She would do what she had to; come what
may.

The following day they started out early.
Elenio even managed to wake up before the sun, surprising Galena.
She didn’t complain however and toward the evening of the second
day in the western woods, they reached what they considered to be
the heart. It was then that Elenio and Galena slackened their pace.
Galena felt they were getting close for reasons she was unsure of.
It was almost as if there was a presence in the air, causing her to
turn and look around her for the feelings of being watched
constantly nagged at her. Elenio felt none of this so he simply
fell in beside Galena, trusting her judgment. The light was growing
weak in the surrounding forest and Galena was beginning to think
they’d passed the cave. She stopped and looked around her; sure
there was someone there, just out of her sight.

“What are you looking for?” Elenio asked not
unkindly, but with a hint of impatience in his voice.

“Don’t you feel it? There’s someone here,”
she said, still scanning the forest around her.

“That would be me and Twoit. Now quit, this
place is strange enough without you stopping to sight see every few
minutes.”

Galena stopped looking for the eyes that
followed her from their hiding place to find something to throw at
Elenio instead. He was going to feel strange all right.

“Lose something?” a voice whispered in her
ear.

She couldn’t help it, she screamed, more from
absolute shock than fear, but still it was enough to shatter the
otherwise peaceful night.

Elenio’s response was no better and Galena
had to stifle the laugh that followed her initial surprise when she
saw him jump, spin in midair to face her, then landing badly,
causing him to fall flat on his backside. The voice she’d heard
moments before chuckled as well. She felt a warm breeze sweep past
her face. The smell of sweet bread and Elenio overwhelmed her and
she searched in vain for the body that went with the voice.

“You will not be able to see me for I am this
place and this place is me.”

“Are you the guardian?” Galena asked in a
voice calmer than what she felt.

“I am.”

Elenio was standing and brushing off his
backside as he too looked around. He must have felt the same breeze
as she, for she watched him lift his face upward and his hair stir
around him.

“How do I know that you are the one Mira sent
to protect the cave?” Galena asked, unsure how she would be able to
prove or disprove the being.

“Because you still live.” The voice was
wispy, like the wind blowing through the branches on a windy day,
but it gave Galena peace, much like speaking with Mira did.

Galena began to look around for the cave, for
if they’d found the guardian, the cave was nearby.

“You will not find it until I reveal it to
you.”

Well, that puts the hunt to an end,
Galena thought humorlessly to herself.

“Why do you search for the cave?”

“To find the Sword of Lumina.”

“Why would you have the need for such a
sword?” the voice asked from somewhere behind her.

“Because with it, we can finally bring Rau’s
reign to an end.”

“Why do you think you are the one who can
retrieve it?”

“I am Mira’s chosen one. I am the only elf in
centuries who can do magic without ill effects. I am the hope of
the elves.” Even as she said it, she felt confidence she’d never
felt before, run through her veins. She had hope the others did not
and for that, she would give everything she had to see her people
free.

“You will have to enter alone,” the voice
said much closer to her this time.

Glancing at Elenio, she nodded slowly,
seriously. “I know. You will protect Elenio and Twoit while I’m
gone.”

“I will. Nothing enters this area without my
help.”

“Even Rau?” Galena asked, fear for them
starting to choke her.

“Even Rau.”

Galena looked at Elenio and held his steady
gaze. She knew he would be able to defend himself well enough, but
she felt better knowing there would also be magic to protect him.
After all, he had her heart and mind with him. Reaching out a hand
to his, they entwined their fingers together, never taking their
eyes off one another. With his other hand, he caressed her face
before burying his hand in her hair.

“You had better come back to me,” he growled.
“Because I can’t lose you again. I can’t survive without you.”

Galena gave him a weak smile and turning her
face, she kissed his palm. Releasing both of his hands, she swiftly
turned; preparing herself for the cave she was sure would
appear.

“I’m ready,” she called out to the being.

“May Mira be with you.” With this, the cave
appeared directly in front of Galena.

Chapter
Twenty-Eight

It appeared out of seemingly nowhere, right
between two trees. First a mountain could be seen and then the
entrance of the cave. She couldn’t have found it without the
guardian no matter how hard she tried.
No wonder it stayed
hidden for so long
. Thinking it would be better to travel
light; she removed her pack and placed it on the ground. Twoit
sleepily poked her head out of the pack and looked around, blinking
furiously.

Making sure her sword was strapped securely
around her waist and glancing back once more at Elenio, she strode
forward into the mouth of the cave. She expected the light from the
outside to shine into the tunnel a little ways, but once she
crossed the entrance, she was consumed by an eerie light. She
turned back and could see Elenio standing in the clearing beyond,
but it was almost as if he was behind a sheer curtain. It blurred
and dimmed the picture behind it, but still allowed her to see the
outside world. She reached a hand out, but it was met with a
resistance. The sheer veil was as hard as rock and therefore
impenetrable.