Sage
I was dragged along the dirt. Each spec of gravel, cutting through my skin roughly. I was thrown onto a boat, similar to the one I came on. Only one day after I had arrived. Bear ran after me, holding onto my arm, trying to sooth me. "I will not let her do this to you." He spoke harshly. "She's your wife Bear." I didn't have much will to speak but managed that much. "I will stop this. Just wait on that boat Sage. I will be back." He disappeared as I was thrown roughly onto the wooden architecture. I slumped my body, letting my face fall onto a panel in defeat. I had no energy for this and I was beyond the point of suffering at the hands of others. I just didn't care anymore. Treat me as queen or kill me like a peasant. It made no difference to me now. I had no tears left to cry. I felt rocking as someone entered the boat but had no energy to see who it was. "Sage." Bear's voice touched my ears. I didn't answer. I couldn't. "You can stay. I will never let her hurt you again." a few years ago, his words would have meant the world to this little inexperienced child. But now, as a queen who had experienced her fair share of rejection, hurt, fear and loss of love, It had no meaning to me now. "Bear... I can't stay here. This is not my home anymore. I am not welcome and she will stop at nothing to make my life miserable. I need to leave." I picked myself up, shaking and lethargic. I had been beaten down, but I had to move on. It was the only way I could possibly survive, mentally and physically. "You do belong here!" He scurried across the small proximity between us so that he could meet my eyes. "Sage, please stay. I need you." My body rocked with the waves, "I can't."
"Then take me with you!" He begged desperately.
"I can't. Goodbye Bear." I hoped my words would remove him from the boat, but they did the opposite.
"No." He stood firm.
"Then I have no choice." with tears streaming, I zapped him with all of the energy I had left in me, knocking him off the boat and onto the sand. I heard only shallow breathing but it was enough for me to know he was okay. I pushed off the earth until the bottom of my boat was fully submerged in the water. I heard Bodel's screams, accompanied by footsteps, many of them coming toward Bear. They would make sure he was alright. He was better off there.
"Bear is dead!" Bodel screamed in agonizing howls, shooting me through the middle of my entire body. I fell forward from the jolt. Scrambling up to see if it could be true. I hung over the boat to peer at the scene unfolding. Bodel was hung over his body, like it was her child's death all over again. My body rocked and heaved as waves of emotion took over me and I fell into a painful sleep.
I woke up still in pain. Pain at the realization that I had killed my friend. My best friend and the only person that had ever believed in me. It was dark and the water rocked roughly underneath me. I didn't deserve to live. I didn't deserve anything good in my life. Everyone thought so. I didn't have my bag of scrolls, it had been left in Sugarland when I was banished and quickly moved to Västerbotten, but if I thought hard enough, I could probably memorize a place. I closed my eyes and honed all my power to flick through my memories. The maps flipped through as though I was flipping through them with my fingers. I tried to think of a place that I hadn't been. Really, the only map I had followed was Sugarland, and I had three maps to go on. I picked at random and set the image in my head, thinking of nothing but the destination.
3 days later
I stopped my boat short of the destination, because it was filled with people. I watched them work and live for a full day. I started to step foot out of my boat when I noticed an empty patch of land a bit further up. I took my boat there and got out. The ground was dusky and white. It was almost like the first of my own home but lighter. It wasn't Västerbotten and it wasn't Sugarland, but it would do for the unwanted princess. I looked around, taking paces and stopping. There was produce growing in patches like someone had put it there purposefully. Starving, I rushed to a patch of corn and ripped off the husk, biting as fast as I could and slumping in relief as it hit my belly. The taste of food could curb my thoughts of reality momentarily, but I would have to face it sooner or later. I dropped to the ground, taking in my surroundings. A cat sounded loudly in the distance and I jumped, suddenly afraid for my well being. I picked up as much food in heaped arms as I could manage and hurried over to sit by the water. If anything were to come for me, I would jump back into my boat. I ate more, slowly taking my time to chew now that my hunger was easing.
I leaped into the boat, without any regard for my food as I heard galloping paws coming toward me. A large leopard sounded as I made every effort to push my boat off the dirt, but it was to no avail as the large feline got its paws into the boat. I jumped out the other side into the water, knowing I was going to be eaten alive. I let my body sink into the ripples, caring less and less about what happened to me. "Stand back." A voice roared through the water and the leopard stepped backward, easing back into the dirt. I glanced up to see my mother, as though she was an angel, beaming light through the water. I continued to sink into the water, knowing it couldn't be real. "Mother." I uttered quietly as I continued to drift into unconsciousness. Swimming was never a gift of mine. As I let the dreams take me away, I was regained, sun shining in my eyes as I was lifted from the water and placed onto the ground. I squinted, lifting my head back to see the leopard sitting l a few paces from my head. I brought my head back, staring straight up above me to see my mother. Her eyes bore into mine, "are you real?"
"Very much so." She responded, stroking my wet hair from my face. "Why are you here?" I responded, still half convinced it was a dream and half convinced I was going crazy.
"I realized something." her voice was soothing and motherly.
"What?" I couldn't take my eyes off hers.
"I realized that I am a mother. I'm your mother."
Her words sent me into a fit of laughter. Her eyebrows knitted together, "You only just realized?" I could barely get the words out.
"Well, yes." She stopped pushing the hair from my face and paused, looking right into my eyes. "Of Course I knew I was a mother, but I never accepted the responsibility. Now I am ready to be your mother."
"What if I don't want you to be?"
"You need me, Sage."
"What makes you think that?" I was sitting up now, somehow ready for a fight.
"I know how to handle this place." It was at that moment that I realized that it was her that stopped the leopard in its tracks. "How did you stop that Leopard?"
"This was my place. I lived here long before you did. I know the terrain and what it's capable of. You could have stopped that leopard yourself if you knew how... You have the power to." She smiled, and it looked earnest.
"How did you find me?" I eyed her suspiciously, just now realizing that she had.
"A mother's intuition."
I glared at her. "I don't want to let you in." I mumbled pathetically, knowing there was no point fighting her off.
"I thought the same thing, daughter. But we need each other. It's the only way we will survive and flourish. Our kind were made to be together. I knew what she was saying was true. I needed her as much as she needed me. I fell into her, letting her embrace take all of me. It felt like home. I was finally home.
