Neledh || ONC 2023

Chapter 6 | Eira

Author's note

This chapter hated me. I looked at my planning for this story, and let's say I hope I'll be able to finish it on time.

The day Nadine had finally woken up would forever be one of Eira's most treasured memories.

It didn't matter how long it took for her to get her strength back. How many sleepless nights Eira had had during those long lonely years without her. Now she was here once more and she wouldn't disappear again.

Eira had travelled around during Nadine's sleep. When one year became two than three, Themis managed to convince her to leave the house on her own free will.

She went around the county, selling her expertise and weapons to whoever had a job for her. The once satisfying way of life had lost most of his colour after Eira stopped with the raids. But now that she was somewhere between heaven and hell did the money mean very little to her anymore.

The adrenaline from a good fight would satisfy her for a few minutes, till she would be on her way to the next fight.

That was when Themis stepped in.

As they kept watch over Nadine their own businesses had been put on hold, and though Eira couldn't do everything. Some jobs were absolutely within her area of expertise.

Finding and collecting objects, following and tracing certain individuals and the occasional murder of an opponent.

It kept her busy, but when Nadine was up and walking again Themis had done everything by themselves.

Well, until that particular day they were asked to follow Hugh the Great, the first Count of Vermandois to free the Holy Land. The man was in possession of an object Themis desired and couldn't get themselves, so Eira and Nadine were asked.

It was a disaster of extraordinary proportions.

Everything went well until the initial group slowly split up into more and more smaller groups. One here, one a bit slower, one a bit faster and one with the count leading.

Eira didn't know what it exactly was, but the same feeling that had encouraged her to stay in Rouen was rearing its head again.

She didn't like it one bit.

Nadine was right beside her and the pull had long been silent, why would she feel it now again.

Over the weeks travelling together with the humans, Nadine never spoke about a similar feeling of belonging. Eira hid it for a week, before she cracked and told Nadine everything. She was certain it meant something and she hadn't imagined it.

Together they tried to pinpoint the feeling, but never quite managed to do so. Nadine, after being told by Eira, did feel something but it was far from strong enough to find a human within the masses. Eira didn't fare any better, though she tried again and again.

The mission given to them by Themis, forgotten in the face of this new development.

During the long evenings when the humans slept to regain their powers, did Nadine and Eira sneak away from the camp to hunt. To stay healthy they had to drink everyday. A shared rabbit was usually the easiest, though sometimes hard to capture.

-

A few days ago their group had lost sight of the long stretched thin line of people following Hugh of Vermandois. Now their group was left with barely a thousand heads. Still big, but if someone would attack them there would be few warriors present to protect them.

A rival group appeared out of nowhere on a midsummer's eve, to attack them. Eira did her best to stay close to Nadine and any other helpless human she saw, but in the end there was little she could do without revealing the magic in her blood.

Nadine didn't have such concerns and let the grass shoot straight through the soldiers attacking her and the people around her. It was a spectacle Eira could watch for hours without getting bored, yet this was not the time for such.

It did give her the courage to take a bit more risk in her moves, to go a little bit faster, and be a little bit stronger.

It wouldn't be enough.

She knew it wouldn't be enough.

But she needed to try at least. Try to give at least one person a day more within this hard world.

-

Nadine and Eira were fighting back to back, the other humans had managed to run away to the relative safety of the forest.

Grasses and flowers shooting up from where they had been trampled into the earth, revived by Nadine's will. Her eyes reflected the glow of the setting sun in Eira's axe.

It wouldn't be enough.

The soldiers, no matter how bad they were at wielding their weapons, had been with many. They had gotten a few good hits, making Eira's clothes heavy with spilled blood. From the soldiers that had died and from the rabbits she had killed in the last weeks.

Even if she would win this fight, her body would give out. Trying to recharge before she died a second death.

She didn't know what came first. The retreat of their attackers, or her own body falling to the ground, trying to protect Nadine in her last conscious moments.

-

When she woke up the crusaders were long gone. Nadine was staring into her eyes from where she was being crushed by Eira's body weight and she quickly stood up.

They scavenged the abandoned bodies and drank their bodies full after going into a comatose state to heal.

Once done they left under the cover of the stars. Behind them the bodies that hadn't even made it out of France on their crusade, and the soft smell of healing herbs clinging to their clothes.

-

March 30, 2023