The Past

Sailing once again

My self-imposed writing challenge is to write 1000 words a day. Do you have one?

"Why in the Realms would you say that to him, Nea?" Paves sat cross-legged on my bed as she told me off. "He's egocentric enough as it is!"

"I know, he's just so frustrating..." I joined her, flopping myself onto the small bed with a thunk as my head hit the headboard. "Holy Hathe, that hurt."

Paves had a fit of giggles as I healed the spot on my head to avoid gaining a bump. "You're an entirely lost cause. I thought you fancied Remor!"

"I do." I buried my face in the nearest pillow and screamed a little. "I think I fancy them both. I know that's ridiculous, but they're so entirely different."

"That much, I cannot deny." Her face turned a bright shade of pink. "Teirr is perfect, I'm glad I have him instead of your gods."

"I don't have them." I yanked my head up and stared at her. "It isn't as if I'm marrying either of them, unlike you and Teirr."

"Oh, you know Teirr and I can't be properly wed."

"Properly?" I raised an eyebrow at her, only half certain of what she meant.

"I mean, we're as close as, if you understand my meaning."

"Paves! You can't mean–"

"Shhh." She covered her face with her hands, pinker than a peach.

"What if you get pregnant, Paves?" I sat all the way up now, shocked by her foolishness. "What were you thinking?! He can't marry you."

"Not here... that's why we're going through the Mirror. I–" She swallowed down her saliva. "I am with child."

I felt as though she had just thrown a brick in my face. My best friend was pregnant with the baby of my childhood infatuation, and they were both going through the Mirror as soon as we found it.

"I see," was all I could manage to say.

"I realise that I should have told you sooner, I've known for a few weeks now."

"Does he know?" I sat up fully as she nodded. "Who else knows?"

"Remor does. He offered a, er, common solution that gods use." Her eyes left mine as she stared at the door rather than my face. "I refused. I want this child, and I want a life with Teirr. He has brothers, it isn't as though he's the only heir."

I understood the implication of her words. "Unlike I, you mean. So you don't think it is within my right to use the Mirror myself?"

"I think it would be selfish and prejudice your people."

"You bedding Teirr prejudices our people!" I snapped, pulling further away from her. "He is the rightful heir, and he has a duty, just as I do."

"He's a man, and he has the right to his own choices, to choose who he marries."

"He's not a man, he's a prince. Our lives go beyond our own feelings. I may not want to marry just yet, but I will when the time comes because it is my duty. Your actions have made me certain of that," I told her. "I will not be using the Mirror, because it would be selfish and foolish, just as Teirr was the moment he decided to take you to bed. Get out of my room, Paves, and think about how your impulsive emotions will affect all of the Three Kingdoms."

"Fine, Nea. Burn every bridge around you, push everyone away. See how well that works out for you. There's a reason you always wind up alone."

"Close the door on your way out."

I wasn't sure if the bitter taste in my mouth was from the foul wine I had after Athern left (a bottle which I took from Cook), but it surely was there. Paves was a right fool! She had no right to have this sort of relationship with Teirr.

Reaching under the bed for my bag, I reflected on their choice and my own. I would not use the Mirror, but my quest to find it was still an important one. For people like them, people who would be better off in different Realms. In my bag, I found the leather-bound journal I was looking for, to log the past few weeks of my journey. It had been tiring, but not quite perilous.

The she-wolf Athern had left me turned out to be quite helpful in protecting me from ferocious and dangerous beasts, such as a couple mice that made the unfortunate choice of scaring me. She was quite protective, though I figured it was due to some sort of instruction that he had given her. I had named her Machi, but I had no notion as to whether she already had a name. I made a note to myself to ask Athern why she had so defiantly insisted on staying in the caverns.

I wrote as much in my journal, making sure to detail Athern's deceit and Remor framing him. It had been an informative week indeed, though I could still not help but be disappointed when I wrote about not finding the Mirror. I feared I could search the whole world and still not find it.