Moving On

Maya leaned against the window frame, gazing out the window had become a constant pass time, waiting for Dakran's return. There wasn't much else to do. When the message from Dakran arrived tied to Issares leg, her heart drummed in her chest, breathless, bubbling with angst and excitement. It didn't say anything special, but for some reason, she had found those few words scribbled on a tarnished piece of paper had affected her more than she would have thought. Dakran had become something other than the headstrong man who wouldn't stop pursuing her. Things have changed. The memory of those moments she had shared with Sylus reared their ugly head, and a pang of guilt unfurled in her stomach.

Little Dak put his little paws on the strut of the window and followed her line of sight, looked up at her and whined. Little Dak had been her sole companion in Dakran's absence, following her everywhere she went, soothing her with his presence in her time of need. Easing her loneliness.A faithful companion

" He will be home soon!' she sighed and scratched the little beast's head. The words were more for herself than Little Dak. Little Dak perked up his ears, peeking up at her.

Little Dak jumped on the stinder and plopped himself on it. His paw had healed nicely, but she still didn't have the heart to put him out in the vacuous land. There was nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see. The shikari had finally stopped crossing over through the portal, and she hoped that Ian and Iris were still alive. She didn't know them that well, but they seemed like kind people. They could have just wiped their hands clean, but they stayed and fought even though they weren't responsible for the chaos.

A knock broke her thoughts, and little Dak raised his head to look at the door.

" Come in!" Maya beckoned and turned to look at the door.

Sala pushed the door open and bowed but didn't say anything. She'd been doing that since Dakran left and hadn't spoken a word to her. She didn't know what she had done to offend the woman. Sala walked around the room, placing clean clothes and bed sheets where they belonged. May's lips itched to ask the woman why wasn't she speaking to her.

Maya bit her lip and dived head on" Sala!" she called the woman, trying her luck, but the woman paid no attention to her and continued doing her work.

" I would like to help you with your work!" Maya pressed, hoping that the woman would finally say something or at least look at her.

Sala remained silent and walked around the room, picking up things that needed to be washed. She had offered to help before, but the woman continued to ignore her as if she wasn't even there.

Maya pursed her lips " At least tell me if I have done something to offend you! If I did, I must apologise!" Maya humbled in front of Sala. The older woman remained silent. Alas, it was forlorn.

Seeing that Sala had almost finished clearing up things, she had one last item to take. Maya lunged towards Dakran's shirt, resting on the backrest and snatched it before Sala even had a chance to touch it.

" Not this one!" Maya hugged Dakran's shirt, and Sala gave her a deadly glare. And that was the way in. So far, she had done nothing of the sort. Her head remained bowed, and she hadn't spoken a word to her. This was good. We are getting somewhere.

" Good! I was beginning to think I was a wandering spirit, and you couldn't see or hear me!" Maya amusedly said, and Sala glared some more but remained silent. Obviously, she was displeased with something, but what?

" I would like to help! I don't know much about the North, and I would like to learn!" Maya said, ignoring the dirty look that Sala was giving her. At the end of the winding road, there will be a reward. Hopefully.

" You shouldn't be here!" Sala finally scorned, rooted in her spot. She was still holding the basket as if she was reading herself for a fight. Rigid and disapproval were written all over her face.

" Why is that? Maya smiled and ignored the woman's attitude towards her, not backing down. She was determined to get to the root of the problem.

" You and Lord Dakran aren't wed and shouldn't be sharing a chamber or a bed!" Sala scorned again, a little more forceful this time. Her displeasure was evident and a little disconcerting. Sala was scarier than the shikari at that moment.

" I know, but we will be soon! I understand your worries, but things aren't always what they seem, Sala!" Maya tried to appease her, but Sala didn't seem to be impressed. Headstrong appeared to be a quality that northerners shared.

" It doesn't matter. It is sinful and an offence to our Revered Mother! You should sleep in a different chamber. Bedding a man before you vow to each other in front of the Gods is an atrocious act!" Sala hissed, making her thoughts clear, huffing a little. Her distress was evident. This touched a sensitive cord. Or maybe it was just about religion, and Sala's views were personal beliefs.

By all gods, the woman disliked that she and Dakran shared a bed.

Maya pursed her lips and heaved a heavy sigh " Dakran wouldn't have it any other way! I tried to make him sleep in a different bed, but he doesn't want to, and I can't make him Sala! You have seen the man, right? When I met Dakran," Maya paused for a moment and pushed Sala to the bed, and they both took a seat on it " I was with another man, and he died", Maya whispered, her gaze going downcast " when we got attacked, and I almost died, and since then Dakran had been by my side. Dakran and I just share a bed we haven't" Maya paused again and fanned herself. The mere thought of her and Dakran naked in bed made her blood rush to her cheeks. Maya cleared her throat and placed her hands over her face " We haven't done the thing that you think we did!" she could bring herself to utter those words in front of Sala or front of anyone. It was mortifying to share details of her private life.

" Lord Dakran is a respectable man!" Sala proudly stated, and for the first time, Sala's gaze on her softened on her. Progress. We are getting there.

Maya nodded with her hand still on her cheeks " Yes, he is handsome too!" Maya whispered, feeling the tip of her ears burn. But cleared her throat and blew air on her face to cool herself, but she already knew it wouldn't work. What Dakran stirred in her was something, something she hadn't felt before. The pit in her stomach felt like walking on air, and every time Dakran looked at her with those kind brown eyes, she melted like snow under the hot sun.

" I need to get back to my work!" Sala grumbled and stood up from the bed. Probably fed up listening to the nonsense she was spewing.

" Let me help you, Sala!" Maya pleaded, but Sala just stared at her and fell silent.

" Follow me! There is plenty to do, and there is just the cook and me in this place!" Sala conceded after what seemed like forever, walking towards the door hurriedly, and Maya followed.

Little Dak jumped off the stud, slipped past her legs and walked alongside them in the corridor. He looked pleased that he got to wander around Ironstone, and she was too.

" The volsa should be out in the wild!" Sala said over her shoulder, a little miffed, throwing Little Dak a disapproving look.

" I know, but I can't let him go, Sala. He is so small! Little Dak won't survive!" Maya said in a small voice and gave Sala a sheepish look even though she knew Sala wouldn't see it.

" Lord Dakran won't be pleased to see that he is still here upon his return!" Sala coldly remarked and walked into the chamber that Rom and Edýia shared.

Little Dak jumped on the bed next to Edýia and licked her face. Edýia was still asleep, and there wasn't much left of her. She was skin and bones. The only way they knew she was still alive was because her chest was still moving up un down, bearly.

Sala pointed at a pile of clothes in a corner and went to get clean bedclothes out of the cupboard. Rom finally pushed himself off the bed and gave her a weary look. He hadn't spoken a word since Dakran left. He didn't look any better than Edýia.

" How is she ?" Maya asked and sat beside Edýia on the bed, looking at Edýia. What has left of her anyway?

Rom raised his head to look at her but didn't utter a word. He picked her off the bed and sat with her in his lap in front of the fire.

" Have you eaten anything ?" Maya followed Rom and sat in the chair next to him. But Rom remained silent and stared at the fire.

In the faint glow of the fire, she could see in what state he was. He was on the verge of collapsing if he continued like this. He would soon follow after Edýia.

" You need to eat, Rom!" Maya pleaded, but Rom shakily sighed and glared at the fire.

" If she dies..." his voice broke, and he didn't finish his thoughts. Unable to, his jaw clenched and scrunched up his eyes, his grip on Edýia's tightened. It was a harrowing sight the way he clung onto Edýia desperately.

Maya fell silent and didn't say anything anymore, although she wanted to. She knew Rom wouldn't be himself unless Edýia recovered.

She hoped that Dakran had found Pelham and was on his way back home. Home, she thought. This was her home now! Hers and Dakran's. A smile threatened to split on her lips at that thought, but she stood up and went to help Sala. It wasn't the right time to goad.