The High Queen's Vow [The Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book IV] (12 page)

Uthrn was concerned, “What is happening? They look overly concerned. What do they do with The Highest?"

For many moments, all had appeared normal. The High Queen had remained in the middle of the crater, crouched next to the Young One, with Sele's hand upon her head, and the sorcerers had remained chanting. But suddenly, The High Queen's image began to phase out of The Realm, not fully in The Realm, but not fully gone from it. Her form shimmered slightly as if trying to decide where it should be. Yet she didn't move, nor did Sele'.

Sle'nel’ held her breath, knowing that her lover now stood at the very edge of The Realm and the OuterRealm, neither in one nor the other, but in both. From her Elfin memories given by her Mother and Birth-Mother, she knew that being nowhere in either realm, yet being in both realms at the same moment was as difficult in the sensing of it as it was physically. Now she understood why as she watched her lover move back-and-forth from one realm to the other. She thought that there must be great pain in this effort.

Black Uthrn was overly concerned for her lover, The Highest. Ann'wn was concerned for her lover, The Healer, as well as for her Queen, and Sle'nel’ was concerned for her lover and her Birth-daughter, knowing that The Healer and Sam would be fine. Caitha had come near to Sle'nel', just placing her hand on the Elf's shoulder, “Your lover is a strong one, M'Love."

Sle'nel’ raised her own hand to Caitha's in acknowledgment, but said nothing as she helplessly watched her lover's body shimmer in and out of The Realm. Everyone grew rigid as they watched The High Queen finally stand, holding herself as if in great pain, but with one arm fully outstretched, as if holding onto something, while the Young Future Supreme Sovereign held tightly onto The High Queen's other arm.

San'lr'in’ gave a groan as if in great pain at the effort of breathing, and Sele’ screamed as she brought both her Queen and the long prior teacher back into The Realm. Suddenly, The High Queen's body became whole once again, no longer shimmering and phasing in-and-out between realms, while another form emerged upon the ground in front of her. Sele’ let go of The Healer, breaking their connection, then, along with her Queen, fainted at their great effort, falling to sandy ground.

The Healer didn't know who to tend first. In front of her lay her High Queen, breathing slightly, unconscious and in great pain, the Future Supreme Sovereign, also breathing, but also in great pain and unconscious, and a new Mystic lying near The High Queen, breathing, but slightly so.

Sele’ began to stir, so The Healer made her decision and tended to her first, helping to remove the great pain from her. Sele’ was crying from the pain, but trying not to, not yet able to control this emotion. As she saw that Sele’ was returning unharmed yet in pain, The Healer motioned to the sorcerers to help remove her pain.

The Healer then went to her High Queen, trying to enter into her mind. It was an impossibility to re-enter The Realm from the eighth meditation without extreme consequences, but to re-enter directly from the OuterRealm was beyond all that was possible. Yet here lay her High Queen in front of her, yet breathing, and yet with them no matter how uneasy her presence remained. The Healer entered her mind lightly, removing pain as it came to her, for many long moments. When she had removed much of the pain, she removed herself from her Queen's mind, unable to help further. She knew that her Queen would have to rest before she could move fully back into The Realm.

She moved over to the other person that now lay unconscious in The Realm, realizing she had no clue as to the identity of this woman. She entered into her mind very lightly, sensing much pain. She drew her breath to her, removing her own pains gained from helping the others, then began to remove some of the pain from this unknown Mystic. As she did, she sensed that this woman's life yet hung between realms. She looked to Sele', hoping for help, but saw that Sele’ was yet far from being able to provide more of her own powers. The Healer entered into her first meditation, then her second, and into her third, in an effort to help this woman, who must be very important to her Queen. She moved more deeply into her third meditation, then helped the woman come more into her senses, helping her to come more fully back into The Realm. As she did so, and as the woman began to enter into The Realm, The Healer again sensed immense pain. She struggled for what seemed an eternity, working to remove the great pain, working to help keep her Queen's effort alive.

After many long moments, The Healer felt the woman breathe what seemed to be her first true breath in The Realm. As this occurred, The Healer began to back herself out of her meditations. The woman would live, so she would tend more to her upon a later moment. When she finally arrived back into The Realm, she saw that her High Queen yet lay upon the ground fully unconscious, with Sle'nel’ and the sorcerers about her. She rose, exhausted, but having great need to tend once again to her High Queen. She looked at the sorcerers, “Move away."

She had always prior felt them useless when it came to the healing arts, in spite of their great healing spells. Knowing of her distaste of their abilities, and of her high position to The High Queen, they complied without question. She crouched to The High Queen, moving back into her mind gently, so as to discover where her Queen now placed herself.

She touched her Queen's head,
My Queen. Return to me.

Nothing. She could sense nothing. Her Queen was yet far removed from The Realm, in a deep unconsciousness.

She looked up at Sle'nel', “She is unconscious. She jumped from the OuterRealm directly back into The Realm, without having gone through her meditations. An impossibility."

"What can be done?"

Sele’ ambled over, feeling improved, but still with some pain, “I can help."

The Healer looked at her, “You have done all you can."

"No. This must not be so. The High Queen needs my powers to return. She holds not enough powers at this moment. She used all her strength to return with the long-prior teacher."

"Long-prior teacher?"

Sele’ looked at her Birth-Mother, “I will explain in a moment, Birth-Mother.” She looked to The Healer, “Connect me to her mind. You will have to control our powers to bring her back. She cannot remain where she now is. We must help her to return. Even then, she will have great difficulty for a long while. She is weakened beyond ever-prior. But we must also now leave this spot, as it holds great danger for us. Quickly Healer, use me."

The Healer nodded, doing as Sele’ had spoken. She connected to Sele's powers and used them to help restore her High Queen to The Realm. For many moments, she sent some of Sele's strength to The High Queen so that she could move fully back into The Realm.

"Talk to her, Elf. Compel her back to you."

As Sle'nel’ spoke to San'lr'in', The Healer used all the healing powers now available to her, through Sele', helping restore The High Queen. All The High Queen's forces looked on helplessly as they wondered who this new woman was that their Queen had returned with to The Realm.

When The Healer and Sele’ had given and done all they could, The Healer went to Ann'wn, “We are all in your hands, Force Leader. I can barely stand from the exhaustion now within me. The High Queen will remain in her unconscious state for at least the remainder of the turn, but will return to us. Young Sele’ will also sleep for the next turn, and this long-prior teacher will remain in her unconscious state for another turn. You are now the greatest strength we have about us."

Ann'wn held her healer to her, “We will camp here. You can rest."

The Healer moved away from her, startled, “No! We must not! There is great danger here. We must leave quickly. We will have to travel throughout the eve as well. Get us well away from this spot, Force Leader. It must be so before The High Queen can return to The Realm. We must leave now!"

Ann'wn was about to ask her lover of what kind of danger they now faced, but saw that The Healer was beginning to also faint from her exertions. Ann'wn caught her as she fell, then gave directions to An'ther'on to quickly prepare The High Queen, the new woman, and the young Future Supreme Sovereign and ride north with all possible haste. Ann'wn gave The Healer to a guard while she mounted, then two guards handed her gently up to Ann'wn. The High Queen was placed with the Elf, the new woman was placed with a guard, and young Sele’ was placed into Ern'seln's care. Then, without need of further motivation, An'ther'on led them away at a quick gallop.

They rode throughout the remainder of the turn, then throughout the eve, beyond their horses’ abilities to ride further, and beyond their own abilities to remain alert. As the sun's rise began to show them a new turn, The Healer woke, returning somewhat back into The Realm, “Where are we?"

Ann'wn had watched her lovingly, but with full concern throughout the long turn and eve, now gladdened for her lover's awakening, “We are well north of the spot you told as most dangerous. We rode with haste throughout the turn and eve. We must rest the horses now. Are we safe enough here?"

The Healer shook her head, returning back to exhaustion, “No. Ride until midturn. Then we can camp. We must be closer to the Sorcerer's Forest."

Ann'wn knew that The High Queen hadn't yet woken, as well as the long-prior teacher, but saw that Sele’ now sat upon the horse on her own, safely encompassed in Ern'seln's tender care. Ann'wn knew that their horses were exhausted, but the threat of great danger was the more urgent of the needs, so she made all to continue their hasty journey.

At midturn, and at the heat of the turn, Ann'wn halted all her forces near some great boulders, knowing that they would provide at least a minimum of shade, an improvement over the now glaring sun that had followed them throughout the turn. They made camp and ensured that the horses had the first drink of the now diminishing water reserves, knowing that they would have to rely on their horses for another full turn of overly dry travel.

Ann'wn's forces placed their tent covers over and between the boulders, creating enough shade for all to rest under, including the horses. One of the guards who knew something, but little, of dry conditions busied herself and a few others digging and lining small holes, and then covering them so as to try to collect some water. The High Queen and the long-prior teacher were placed gently under their own private shelters so that The Healer could tend to them as needed. Neither had made any movement back toward The Realm, remaining fully unconscious.

Sle'nel’ was worried, as was The Healer, but Sele’ reassured them, “She risked much and spent all her powers and energies to do as she did. No one has accomplished such a feat as this, prior. No one. Many have stepped into the OuterRealm, but none have returned. The High Queen returned, and also returned with this long-prior teacher. It took great effort, but she will recover. Give her the moments she needs, Birth-Mother. I know her mind, and she will return. She now has much desire to rid The Realm of this Dark Sorcerer."

The Healer listened carefully, “This is why she felt it necessary to return with this long-prior teacher."

Sele’ nodded, placing her small hand lightly on her Queen's head. She moved into The High Queen's mind for a moment, trying to learn where her High Queen had placed herself until her powers returned to her.

She looked back up, “She is yet far from The Realm, but is trying to move closer. Her strength is returning slowly. She could use some nourishment, Healer."

The Healer made some of her healing tea and made The High Queen to swallow it, little by little. She also gave some to Sele’ as well as the long-prior teacher. Ann'wn stood nearby, wanting to be with her lover, but knowing that The Healer's place was now with The High Queen until her recovery. Sle'nel’ sat nearby, waiting, and at some moments, speaking to her Queen.

Ann'wn came to The Healer for a moment, “We will leave in the mideve so as to travel in the coolest part of the morn. We will then camp by midturn to avoid this intense heat, once again. Hopefully, by that moment we will be near the Sorcerer's Forest. When do you think The High Queen will return to us?"

The Healer looked up at her, “I know not, Force Leader. I wish I did. She removed all but the very minimum of her life's energies to return with the long-prior teacher. Even when she returns, I know not how long before she can call her powers to her once again. Even now, it takes all her energy to breathe."

"The long-prior teacher?"

"She lives. The High Queen will need to help when she returns to The Realm. I am afraid to bring this one back into our realm overly soon. She is not of this era, and will face a disorientation even in the knowing of it. She is from a long-prior moment, Force Leader."

Ann'wn bent down and gave her lover a soft kiss, “I miss you, but am fully amazed at your abilities. I will bring you and the Elf's eve meal to you when it is prepared."

The Healer looked into her lover's eyes, wishing she had the moments to spend in her strong and overly desirous arms. She replied softly, “Thank you."

Both Sle'nel’ and The Healer were leaning against the boulders, on opposite sides of The High Queen. They had tried to remain speaking so as to give their Queen a direction and focus for her return, but had finally run out of words. And they were exhausted. While much of the camp rested, The Healer and Sle'nel’ remained awake, trying to bring their Queen back into The Realm. But now they just sat, staring at her. The Healer began to drift off to sleep, as did Sle'nel', when suddenly, Sle'nel’ felt a hand upon her leg, and The Healer sensed movement about her. They both jerked wide awake, seeing that The High Queen's eyes were open and that her hand was resting on Sle'nel's leg.

"High One. You return to The Realm."

"San'lr'in'. You are returned to us."

She blinked slowly, unsure of where she was, but somehow sensing this Elf that sat close to her was important. She breathed in deeply for one moment, and then began to close her eyes.

"High One. Remain with us."

"San'lr'in'. Look at me. Remain awake, my Love. Come to me."