The Huntress

Chapter 25

A knock at the door broke through the silence of the Bates residence "Oh hello Mrs Majesty."

"Hello Mrs B, how are you today?" Dawn asked in a polite voice, Mrs B was one of the only people Dawn truly respected. She was originally from Nialow, but had moved to AutumnMill just before Terrasen fell. She and her family were lucky to have been on holiday at the time of the attack, but she lost her mate and daughter in an attack when the slave trader took over. Dawn made sure to always check in on her. The loss of a mate for a werewolf was deadly, most end up killing themselves in the pain or die from a broken heart. But Mrs B had powered through in order to take care of her grandson, Clive.

"I'm doing as well as I can, I suppose." She answered honestly, it was on the quiet days where it was the hardest.

"Mrs B, how many times do I have to say, you and Clive are always welcome in my home, I have many rooms, the warriors would be happy to have you living with them. The Mother Spirit knows that they need to be whipped into shape. You don't need to be out here alone."

"Oh I know dear, but this was our home. I feel if I left, I would be leaving a part of them."

"How about I move your home? I can place it on one of the branches of the Autumn Cedar Tree, that way you won't be alone, it would also be easier for you to get around, and you don't have to leave your home."

"I couldn't ask you to do that. You are so busy, it would be unfair to make you do all that work."

"Mrs B, I promise you, it is no trouble at all, I grew a forest from the ashes of war, moving the house you love so dearly would be no trouble at all."

"Only if it is okay with you, Your Majesty, I would like very much to live with you and the boys."

"I'll get right on it then." Dawn used her Ore to move the house, she was keeping to her promise to her people. No matter how busy she was in, how much pain, mental or physical, she would keep them happy.

"Rome"

"Yes Dawn."

"I'm going out for a little while." Dawn says quietly, sitting down on Rome's bed.

"Okay when will you be back?" He asked, not even looking up from what he was writing.

"Six days." She answered with slight hesitance. She didn't want him to blow up.

"Six days? Where will you be going for six days?" He questioned, finally looking at her with a slightly shocked expression. She didn't look very good, she looked tired, physically and mentally.

"I'm going to some of the main villages around us, I want to help them, maybe help myself. I just need to get away. I also don't really go around them as often as I should, I should be fixing their problems and answering their queries."

"Okay, may I ask why are you telling me? Why not tell Alpha or Bear?"

"Because we both know how they would react." Both immediately imagined the two men blowing a fuse, they would be very hesitant to let her leave alone.

"Yeah, good point. I'll cover for you so you can leave. But what about Myth?"

"I. . . Just need some space. From everything."

"Okay. I'll cover you."

"Thank you." She said, kissing his cheek before making her way out.

Dawn made her way to Beachforest first. The main village of the Merpeople, they normally are pretty reserved, but Dawn also freed them from being sold for their scales, as well as their beauty. "Shellina, it's been a while. I'm so terribly sorry that I haven't visited in a while, it's been quite a hectic time."

"Empress Dawn, this is a surprise, but do not worry yourself I understand your importance around here. How can we Merpeople help you?"

"Actually, it's the other way around, how can I help you? I mean that is my job, to protect and help my people."

"Well I must say, Your Majesty, I don't think we need any help," Shellina siad, but when she saw the slightly dejected look on her friend's face, she was determined to turn it into a smile. "but I'm sure the children would be very happy to see you if you're okay with getting wet." It wasn't a lie in the slightest, the children love hearing the stories of their Empress and how she scared away the humans.

"I'm always up for a swim, and the children, just a bonus." And so for the rest of the day Dawn spent her time playing with the children, telling stories and helping out around their underwater village. She also took a slight detour and visited the Krakens. Let's just say they were very excited to see her and a mini tsunami was not her fault.

After saying goodbye to the Merpeople in the morning Dawn made her way to Smoothspell the main village of the Fairies, where she ran into a friend. "MRS MAJESTY! It's so good to see you again."

"Hello Plume, it's wonderful to see you again, I see you're just as lively as I remember."

"Oh I have every reason to be happy, you on the other hand, don't look as happy as I remember."

"Oh no, I'm fine."

"We are both women, we both know that when we say we're fine. We're not. What is it Mrs Majesty?"

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"Maybe not, but I know that sometimes telling someone is much better than keeping it in."

". . .  I am. . .  very. . .  afraid."

"I understand that that is hard for you to tell people. Thank you for telling me. May I ask as to why you are afraid?"

"Months ago, a Kingdom by the name of Dulyvy. . .  declared war on us, and I want to finish it with negotiations, not with blood shed, yet they refuse to make any kind of negotiations with me. Two kingdoms I was in alliance with, broke the alliance to avoid war. I feel I am losing the trust of my people, and I feel I'm losing trust in myself."

"Yes I see how that is a problem. But I ask, do you trust your warriors?"

"Of course I do."

"Then I can guarantee that they trust you. Especially Octavius, I must say he is quite a pretty boy."

"Are you crushing on one of my boys, Plume?"

"Yes. I am." Other fairies came to join Dawn and Plume, and that's how Dawn spent her day, laughing with some of the women of the Smoothspell village. The same happened in Littlewall, the village of the Pixies. The children made flower crowns for Dawn and she helped around the village.

In Wolfgate, Dawn hunted with the people, and helped to train some of their fighters, told the children stories and helped the werewolves to prepare food for that night. In Ironcross she spoke with an elder Orc to help soothe her worries. He was wise in knowledge and quite the flirt, but it was relaxing to Dawn to be able to open up with her people, it also helped her to realise that her people don't depend on her as much as she believed, but not in a bad way, but in a way which she could relax, she didn't need to worry so much. When she visited the last place on her list, Elderfall, she was greeted slightly differently. It wasn't as welcoming as the other villages, she was greeted with much more hostility. It wasn't until she met the leader and introduced herself did they let up. She decided that she really did need to get out more. After conversing with some of the Elven people Dawn had a plan on how to hopefully end the war with as little bloodshed as possible. Of course she needed to get a Gathering approved, but at least it was a plan. On the final day Dawn made her way back to AutumnMill, and was greeted by Rome. Turned out she really had covered for her for the past six days. It seems days was over reacting when she thought her people were losing hope in her, especially when she walked down the main streets and they all greeted her with happy smiles.