Discoveries

28

Our swords clashed.

It was a day later, and I had a short training. Laura was watching over Asia, even though I wasn't supposed to leave her. Otley was on the field with me, with a few people standing around and watching our swordplay.

I delivered a blow to his ankle, bringing him off balance, and my foot shot between his legs, making him drop his sword and bend over forward, clutching his private parts.

He tried to gasp, "That's not fa–" but I drove my elbow into his back, causing him to sprawl on the floor. I placed my foot on his back and flexed my biceps in mock victory.

"Everything is fair in a fight, dearie," I told him. "If you were my enemy on a battlefield, I wouldn't have been courteous either, so get used to it."

I removed my foot, and offered him my hand. He kneeled, kissing my feet, then took my hand and kissed it. With large, fearful eyes Otley looked up at me, clutching my hand.

"Oh mighty queen, hereby I swear to You my loyalty, for I fear for my life if I would not. I pray You to forgive me for my past stupidity, oh queen of beauty and power. You are my high superior," he wailed. Around us people snickered.

Looking down at him, with my nose high, I said, "I accept thy loyalty, thou piece of scum. Forgiveness I shall not grant thou, but for each blow thy hit upon my holy skin, thou will satisfy me by removing a piece of thou clothing."

His face drained of blood.

"In front of all these people?"

"In front of all these people, your majesty. Yes, do it now."

The people were in tears. I left him in agony just long enough to remove his shirt.

"Just kidding, brother. Come here." I gave him a hug and a pat on the back. He looked rather relieved. It was the first time I'd been able to twist one of his jokes, making me the leader of the play, and him unsure if I was actually still joking.

Draven came up to me and smiled.

"Good one, girl. Time for a stroll through the woods, I say. You still can't move through them silently."

Yeah.

That wasn't exactly my strongest side. I just couldn't keep those twigs from snapping and those leaves from crunching. That's what they tended to do, you know, when one stepped onto one. Somehow Draven could make them bend or something, without breaking them. And it didn't really help that I found Wood and Earth the most difficult Elements.

We went off into the woods, but after fifteen minutes of hopeless trying we gave up. I had only progressed the tiniest bit in seven moons. Today wasn't my lucky day.

Draven put his arm around my middle and kissed me on the crown of my head. I looked up into his pinkish eyes.

I still didn't love him. In a way I did, of course, but I wasn't in love. He wasn't either, I could feel it. We both just needed someone, and one day the time would come for us to part, and find something more substantial.

After a bit of strolling around I returned to my tree. I checked on Asia before going to my bathroom and summoning some water from a nearby stream. A motion of my hands tugged at it, making it fly through the air and into my basin until the basin was filled. I didn't really need my hands, but they helped me, beginner that I was. An outsider would have thought it magic, but truly, it wasn't. It was a deep connection with Nature, a respect, a friendship, that allowed Niandori and Liras to control the Elements. Most used existing forces, but the Silera and the Ring could actually create. I wasn't at that level yet, though.

The water was refreshingly cold. I washed my face and hands, and looked up, into the mirror.

I just couldn't deny my beauty. Not that I would ever tell anyone; they would probably think I was a vain prick. But, really, I did look good. Never as beautiful as say Laura or the Rose, but still. I was happy to be. One less thing to worry about. Not that I did, anyway.

Asia groaned. She was asleep, looking pained. I sucked in my breath when I saw the state of her wound.

Gods.

It was horribly infected, with pus and ugh, it looked disgusting. At first it'd been bad, improved a bit, but now... I needed Rosalinda's help.

I ran to her tree and swiftly climbed up to her chambers. She was nowhere to be seen. I found Fiona, who said that she had gone for a few days.

Damn.

I quickly explained the situation, and the look on her face was grave.

"Hmm. Let me look," Fiona said.

We walked to my tree, and upstairs she took a step back when she saw and smelled it. She made a closer inspection.

"Well, this is... pretty bad. How come you only just noticed it?"

"I wasn't that bad yesterday, I swear, today it somehow became worse, much worse." I frowned, "Please help. I've done my very best, but it's just not good enough. I don't want her to die."

"No, of course you don't. I'll ask Ajala to come, as she's Earth. Don't worry, all will be well."

Ajala arrived a few minutes later, and set to work immediately. Each step she explained to me what she was doing and why. I learned quite a bit that afternoon.

When she left, Asia was completely cared for and wrapped up. Asia had a fever and was in a bad state, but better than before. Tonight she would either die or live.

That evening Ajala came again, refreshed the dressing and made a brew for her to drink.

I stayed up all night, Ajala coming and going, Draven bringing me some food. Even though I tried so hard to stay awake, I dozed off somewhere in the early morning.

When Iawoke she was dead.