The Journey
Tatyanna delayed leaving the castle until she knew Cale was completely healed and strong enough to travel. She knew Medo didn't agree with her, and spent his time away from her and Cale. Tatyanna was glad he stayed out of her way and didn't try to argue with her. Dimitri and Emmett, on the other hand, spoke to her once about the need to hurry. They tried to convince her Cale would be fine, but she refused to hear it. A part of her was content getting to know Cale. She partially did not want to deal with her journey to this mysterious Marek. Tatyanna had to admit, after the third day still at the castle, she was procrastinating.
At breakfast on that third day, she told everyone they could leave that day. Tatyanna figured Medo would be ecstatic with the news, but all she got was a grunt. At least he made eye contact with her. Tatyanna brushed it off. Whatever he thought of her wasn't her concern, as long as he kept her safe from the danger everyone said was after her. She gave herself a shake as she heard her tone of voice. Who was she becoming? She was never like this. She was sweet and understanding. Maybe she should have taken this time to sleep, instead of spending so much time with Cale. She couldn't help admitting that he made her laugh and feel good about herself.
“Tatyanna, are you ready?” Emmett asked, interrupting her thoughts.
She stood outside her castle doors, wondering if this would be the last time she saw her family home. “Yeah, I'm ready.” With one last glance, Tatyanna memorized everything about her home, knowing in her heart she would return, one day.
They walked in a comfortable silence, with Dimitri taking up the rear, and Cale constantly circulating the group as he scouted out for potential dangers. During their time together, he had told her he used to be in the military, and even before that, he was a hunter. His skills and his specialty for tracking were what got him voted to be a part of her escort team, because he would be able to detect if there was anyone following them or a trap ahead.
Tatyanna still found it all hard to take in. She was just one person. How could her life possibly be in danger? Asking would prove futile. As she had been told before, all would be revealed. They walked on, and she observed the landscape in silence.
Tatyanna was in shock by how big everything was here. The trees were at least ten times the size she was used to seeing; the flowers were as tall as she was. It was all so surreal. Even the color of the earth and vegetation were more vibrant than back home. Why was everything so different? Before she could turn and ask Dimitri or Emmett her question, Tatyanna felt a small swoosh of air, and then a light foot fall beside her. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised when she saw Terran beside her.
“If I didn't know better, I would think you were following me?” she said, teasing him, feeling like her old self.
“You already know I've been following you, so why hide it?” He grinned back at her. “I heard your thoughts, and thought I'd come talk to you, like a normal person, instead of telepathically. Figured I could answer any other questions you might have.”
“Don't say that. You may never be able to hide in the trees again.”
Terran squinted ahead at her companions. “You aren't the only one with a lot on your mind. Maybe hiding out all these years and pretending to be dead wasn't the best idea. I can help more when I am here with you than if I am hiding in the shadows.”
A huge smile lit Tatyanna’s face. She felt a kinship with the other prince. He grinned back, and then turned back to their surroundings. “You have the power to control water. My power is to control the earth. I can't move mountains, or anything like that, but I can communicate with all living vegetation. The earth around us is more vibrant because of the power I yield and my presence. If I spent any time in the world that you grew up in, the vegetation would start to change, becoming bigger, stronger, more alive. It's the power that helps feed everything here. Nothing is unaffected. Always remember that. What you think you know, you don't.”
“Oh no,” she groaned. “Not you, too.”
“Not you, too, what?”
“Talking in riddles. That's all Emmett does. Can't you just say what is on your mind? Why these damn riddles all the time?”
“I could tell you what I really want to say, but without the lessons behind the words, they won't mean anything to you. Unfortunately, you have to experience things for yourself in order to heed the warnings for the future.”
She sighed. “I hate you.” Terran arched an eyebrow at her. “That actually makes sense. But just because I understand what you are trying to say doesn't mean I dislike you any less right now.” Tatyanna turned back to Terran. “Tell me your story. How did you end up alone with no protection?”
“Who says I grew up alone and with no protection?”
“Well, I just assumed…” she trailed off.
Terran smiled weakly. “Don’t worry about it. I know it is what everyone is thinking. I may not have had a lot of contact with other people, but I had shelter and food. Nowadays, that’s all that matters.”
Before Tatyanna could ask him to clarify, he continued, pointing to the trees, “The tree provided me with shelter and helped to disguise me from those who would have done me harm.” Pointing down to the plants, he elaborated further, “The plant life provided me food to eat when I needed to eat. I had everything I needed.”
Tatyanna knew he wasn’t telling her the full story. There was sadness in his voice, and she wished he’d open up to her. Terran was a very private person and would speak when he was ready.
Deciding to change the subject, she gestured to her companions. “What do you know about my protection team?”
Terran smiled at how she referenced everyone. “That’s a good description, and very accurate.” Then he frowned.
“Do you not trust everyone?”
“I don’t really know anyone, outside of Dimitri and Emmett.”
“You already know and trust Dimitri and Emmett, otherwise you wouldn’t be here right now. So, it is the other three you are unsure about.”
“It is.”
Tatyanna looked over to where Cale was walking ahead of the group. “He was an ass the first few times I met him, but I am starting to see him differently. He isn’t as bad as I thought he was. But I’m confused because Dimitri and Emmett don’t like him, and I feel like I am missing something but no one will tell me anything.
Terran also looked at Cale, and his lips twitched slightly as he contemplated his next words. “I can give you the facts and the basics, but I can’t tell you how you should think or feel. You need to learn to trust yourself, and your instincts.”
Tatyanna growled, “Yippee, another lesson.”
Terran laughed at her. “Lesson, advice, take it as you will,” he said, shrugging, “You say you want to help and be a part of this world, yet you hold yourself back. You haven’t truly embraced who you are. You second-guess yourself, and the people you surround yourself with.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t trust Cale, or the others?” she asked, mixed up.
“No, I’m saying if you truly embraced the person you are meant to be, you wouldn’t be asking me such questions. You wouldn’t have doubts, because you’d be able to trust your instincts. You’d already know who you could and could not trust. This world is at war, and everything around you can be deceiving.”
Tatyanna took what he said to heart. She did second-guess herself, especially after she lost control of her power. How could she become the person she needed to be, when she was scared to use her powers again?
“That would be the million-dollar question, as your people would say. So you lost control one time and you were tempted. Now, think about all the other times you have used your power and you did not lose control. You believed in yourself once and have lost sight of that woman. You need to find her again,” he said, in response to what she was thinking.
Tatyanna hated that he was right. She did feel like a different person now and wasn’t sure who she was supposed to be. There were too many people counting on her, and she didn’t know what to do. As they walked, Tatyanna thought over everything. They traveled over rough terrain, and as the sun started to lower, the cool air brushed against her skin, giving her goosebumps. She longed to talk to someone who could help her to see inside herself, but she didn’t know who that person could be. Tatyanna already knew Dimitri, Emmett, and, now, Terran would be of no help to her. She felt herself getting frustrated. As Tatyanna decided to focus on the path in front of her, she stumbled over a tree root.
She was heaving and gasping for breath. While she was lost in her thoughts, the group had started to climb, and the air was thinner. Tatyanna felt a tightness in her chest at the change in altitude. The more they climbed, the slower Tatyanna walked. She couldn't believe how out of shape she was, considering she thought of herself as an athlete.
At one point, Tatyanna stopped, leaning against the side of a rock and bent down taking deep breaths. “There has got to be a better way to travel,” she said, more to herself than to anyone else.
“There is,” Terran said cheerfully, bending down to her level.
Tatyanna lifted her head at the annoying tone in his voice, raising her eyebrow at him hesitantly. “Oh?”
“Sure. You can swing on the tree branches, instead of climbing,” he responded back, with laughter in his voice.
“Oh, so, instead of climbing to my death, I can fall to my death instead. Gee, thanks,” she said sarcastically, standing up and bending to the left and then to the right as she stretched out her tired body.
Terran laughed and slapped her on her back. “That's the spirit.”
Tatyanna continued to stretch doing head circles, taking pleasure in hearing her neck pop.
“Why'd we stop?” Medo grunted behind her.
“I needed a break.”
“We are wasting time just standing here. We need to move.”
“We can take a few minutes to stop and let me get my breath,” she countered.
“We've already wasted several days doing nothing while we waited for that human to heal. We will not waste any more time. If I have to, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you the rest of the way.” He took a step toward her, causing Althea to come out of nowhere, taking a defensive stance in front of her mistress, growling. Medo didn't even look at the wolf, but stepped closer to Tatyanna, and all but growled in her face. “I let you delay us once. I will not let you delay us a second time. WE MOVE!” he shouted to the group, turning around without waiting for Tatyanna to say anything, and continued the uphill climb without any problems.
Dimitri and Emmett rushed to her side, and she waved them off. “We'll talk to him. He isn't normally so grumpy,” Emmett said, walking away from her, with Dimitri and Althea following at his heels.
It was now Cale, Tatyanna, and Terran. Tatyanna wasn't looking forward to this climb. They had trees surrounding them from all sides, but nothing she could firmly grasp. She wished for stairs, and a handrail.
She felt a warm hand on her back, and was surprised to see Cale standing next to her. “I'll help you. It is going to get steep before it opens up on top.” He was true to his world. Cale kept a steady hand on her back, gently pushing her along, or even letting go of her back to hold her hand as he helped to pull her up. The trio came to a soft landing, and they didn't see anyone else in sight. Tatyanna looked up the side of the mountain, baffled how she could have lost sight of the rest of the group, and wondering how they made it up the side of the mountain so fast.
“There is no way that I can do this,” Tatyanna said, afraid Medo was going to come after and belittle her again.
Terran walked a few steps away, bent down, and slammed his hand down on the ground three times. At first, nothing happened, and then she heard a deep rumbling. The earth beneath her feet started to shake. She thought they were experiencing an earthquake and almost fell off the landing, if it wasn't for Cale's quick thinking. He grabbed her and held her close to his body. Tatyanna closed her eyes and thanked her lucky stars as she reveled in the warmth of his. The tremors continued, and Tatyanna saw three giant trees walking toward them. She yelped and jumped at the sight, only to have Cale tighten his grip around her waist.
The trees were massive, with long, deep roots expanding over half a football field each. When they were within feet of Terran, the branches unraveled from themselves, and bowed down to their future king. Terran pointed to the side of the mountain, and without any word the trees laid down in a row, their roots burying deep and their branches stretched out wide on the ground, pointing horizontally toward the sky.
Tatyanna was amazed by the sight, because the trees had created the steps and stairwell she had wished of. She turned to Terran and giggled in delight at the sight before her. She pushed away from Cale, noting the loss of heat, and threw her arms around Terran. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“You need not be afraid. I may not be able to answer your questions, but I am here to help you.”
Tatyanna glanced back up at the tree staircase, feeling giddy and excited.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” she asked Cale and Terran. Terran opted to take the lead, with Tatyanna in the middle and Cale the rear. Tatyanna was amazed at the graceful way Terran climbed up the tree, as if he were a monkey. He barely even had to hold on to the branches. Tatyanna compared him to a squirrel, and wished she could be as graceful.
The makeshift staircase helped, but she still had to pull herself up to each branch as their angle continued to become steeper. She could feel Cale close behind her. The heat radiated from his body. Knowing he was behind her gave her some comfort. She hoped she wouldn't do something to embarrass herself. Tatyanna’s heart sped up, and she shook her head at the budding feelings for Cale.
Tatyanna, desperate for her sister’s advice, closed her eyes. She could see her sister's perfectly manicured nails running through her perfectly blond hair, wearing an outfit straight off the runway, accenting her thin figure. She was standing next to a boy, lightly touching his arm as she giggled. In her mind's eye, Tatyanna could see her sister flirting with the boy, and then coming home to tell her all about the new boy she just met. Didn't she mention butterflies at one time? Didn't she say it was a sign she liked someone?
Oh boy.
Tatyanna liked Cale. As the realization dawned on her, she lost her concentration and felt herself slipping, falling backwards. She would have tumbled to her death, she was sure, if Cale wasn't directly behind her and caught her for a second time that day.
He kept his hands around her waist as he made sure she was steady. Tatyanna hung onto the branches while she gained control of her wild thoughts. For the first time, she was experiencing something normal in her life. She liked someone, and she didn't know what to do.
“Are you okay?” Cale asked her softly, his mouth right next to her ear. She could feel his warm breath, and all the contours of his body against her back. Tatyanna was sinking into his warm embrace and tilting her head softly to connect with his lips. She felt her face heat up at the way she was acting but was relieved when she got her wish, and he kissed her gently on the temple. “You scared me.”
“I scared myself.” Stupid. Stupid. Could she not say something that wasn't so stupid? She could feel his mouth turn upwards against her head.
“I imagine you were. What happened? How'd you lose your concentration?”
Tatyanna stiffened, not sure what to tell him. There was no way she would admit her self-discovery, and instead glanced around. They were the only ones left standing on the deathtrap called the side of a mountain. Lying, she said, “I realized we are the only ones here. I don't see the others anywhere.”
“We're just slower than they are,” he reassured her gently. “They were born in this world and they know how to navigate it better than we do.”
“I was born here, too,” she said, defensively.
“You were, but you are more a part of my world than theirs. This is all new to you, just as it is new to me.”
Tatyanna relaxed in his embrace, knowing there was truth to his words. She pulled away from him, and felt the loss of heat as soon as she did. “We must continue our climb. I don't want to make the others wait too much longer, and besides, it's not safe to dawdle out here.”
“Yes, you’re right. We need to keep going. Just remember, if you feel the need to fall, I will catch you. I will always catch you,” he said, his gaze moving down to her lips, and Tatyanna wondered if she was even breathing.
“I won't lose my concentration this time, but I appreciate the help.” Without waiting for his response, she lifted her right arm to get a grip on the next branch and pulled herself up. She needed to separate herself from Cale and evaluate her feelings when her feet were planted on horizontal land. She wished she was given a chance to train her body for this journey, knowing she would feel the pain of this excursion.
Tatyanna finished the last several feet of the climb with new determination. She could lose herself in her own self-pity for making rash decisions and starting this journey before she was ready, or she could prove everyone wrong, including herself. She could do this without anyone's help.
As she made the final climb, her hands touched the top, and Tatyanna could feel grass, making her sigh with relief. She felt hands reach down to pull her up, and she let them, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Tatyanna glanced down as she watched Cale being pulled up, and saw the climb she had made. She was glad to be standing on ground and hoped she never had to make that climb again. She settled on her knees and panted, feeling Althea's wet tongue on her face.
“Althea! Wait, how'd you get up here?” she asked, forgetting about the animal for a while.
“We walked up the path,” Dimitri said, coming toward her.
“There was a path?” she shouted in outrage. “I almost killed myself, and there was a bloody path?”
Dimitri glanced at Medo. “I told you she'd be mad.”
Tatyanna saw red, and she ran to the dwarf, shoving at his chest only to have barely moved the man. “What the hell were you thinking, having me climb that?”
“Next time, you will think twice about wasting my time. You will listen to me when I tell you we need to move.”
Tatyanna couldn't believe this. “I am your queen. You will listen to me!” she demanded. “I do not listen to you!”
Medo got into her face. “I do not serve you, your highness. I serve the Phoenix Lord. He is the one who asked me to bring you to him safely, and I will. But, remember this. I don't have to listen to what you say. Demand all you want, but it will do you no good.”
He turned away from her, and Tatyanna saw red. She wanted to scream, she wanted to lunge at him, but what she really wanted to do was hurt him. She felt her hands vibrating, and she looked down as they started to glow blue. She knew she could blast water at him, but she wasn't that person. Her role was a healer. She took several deep breaths, and slowly her hands stopped glowing, but the anger was still there. She sent silent daggers at Medo's back.
Terran placed his hands on her, and his voice entering in her mind. ‘Calm yourself. You won't achieve anything by getting yourself worked up. He was only doing his job.’
‘You mean torturing me?’
‘He is a warrior. You should be lucky he didn't knock you out and carry you.’
‘How does Lilly put up with him?’
‘Because, she is a warrior, and loves him. Although, I think he is too blind to see it. Now, come. We are almost to our destination.’
She felt the absence of Terran from her mind. All anger toward the dwarf had disappeared. She didn't have time to question Terran, because she was now staring at another deathtrap. This land was full of them. Across a chasm stood another mountain and she groaned at the thought of the brutal climb down. Connecting the two mountains was a precarious rope bridge. It swayed easily in the wind, and she noted several missing planks. Her eyes grew wide, and she started to shake her head.
“There's no way you expect me to get on that thing. I doubt it will hold any of us on it.”
“You will get on that bridge, or I will knock you out and carry you if I have to. I'm sure the Phoenix Lord will be amused meeting you like that.”
Tatyanna's eyes flashed red again, but this time it was Emmett who stopped her, laying a hand on her wrist. She turned to face him, the anger temporarily leaving her as she felt Dimitri behind her with his hand on her back. “Remember. Things are not what they seem here. Have faith. We won't let anything happen to you.”
Tatyanna felt all eyes on her. No one was going to be the first one to get on the bridge. She glared at Medo, and tentatively put her foot at the start of the rope bridge, surprised by how stable it felt. She took a few more steps. Dimitri's words were right. Even through the wind was blowing, the bridge stayed stable and strong.
As he continued to walk toward the other side, Tatyanna glanced back to see that everyone was now on the bridge. In the place of what she had seen before was a magnificent glass bridge. Gone were the ropes and the rotten wooden planks. Tatyanna felt like she could fly. She picked up speed and ran to the other side, with her arms held out at her sides.
When her foot touched solid ground, Tatyanna was disappointed because the glass tunnel had disappeared, not even the old rope bridge remained.
“What happened?” she asked, pointing at the empty space between the mountains.
“We are entering into the Phoenix Lord's camp. His land is protected. We have now crossed that bridge, and we will not be able to take that way to leave here. It is a way to protect the land and their people,” Lilly told her. “It is a test, for those who are true at heart. It is why you had to cross first. If you weren't true to your world, the glass tunnel would not have appeared for us, and we would have been stuck attempting to walk across a bridge that could fall at any moment.”
Tatyanna glanced at Medo and found him smirking at her. She wanted to punch him, but knew it would be like hitting a wall if she tried. She turned away from the group and looked down. She started to feel dizzy at the drop and wondered if it would be best for Medo to carry her after all.
“We camp for the night,” Medo called out to the group.
“Camp?” Tatyanna asked, unsure that she heard him correctly. He didn’t answer her, and dropped to the ground, taking off his sword and starting to clean it. “Okay, then,” she said to no one in particular. It was as if everyone had their orders. Dimitri and Althea left to find food, Terran left to gather firewood, and Lilly walked over and sat down next to Medo talking to him softly. Emmett was nowhere to be found, and Tatyanna found herself almost alone with Cale.
“I would have punched him,” he whispered to her.
“What?” she asked surprised.
“He purposely put you in harm’s way because he was mad I made you delay this journey. You could have gotten hurt, and he didn’t care. If I had magic, I would have used it on him.”
Tatyanna felt her heart heat up, and let Cale’s words sink in. He was right. She still wanted to hurt Medo and use her powers on him, but that wasn’t right.
“You are a princess. It doesn’t matter who he reports to. You are somebody, and he is nothing. Just a warrior, and there are plenty of warriors out there. We can replace him.”
“But, it’s not right to hurt him,” Tatyanna countered.
“It’s not? He did. He forced you to climb the side of a mountain, with no training, no rope, nothing. If it wasn’t for Terran, you wouldn’t have made it, or you could have fallen off the side. We would have lost you and this war would be over. He never once took that into consideration. He was just thinking about himself. He made a point. You need to make one back, and show him you can’t be bossed around.”
Before Tatyanna could comment, she saw Emmett walking toward them. He looked at Cale and then his eyes flickered over to Tatyanna, seeing her hands were glowing blue. “Let’s take a walk.”
Tatyanna waved to Cale as she walked in the opposite direction.