Maidens & Killers

What's This?

     Craobh and I see a lot of each other in the next week, and I see very little of my husband. Everytime I lay eyes on Garrick, the weight on his shoulder looks heavier andI would do anything to take some of that weight from him. Anything. 

     Winter arrives with a vengeance just like Garrick said it would, one night I fall asleep with my window open to a crisp fall night and wake up shivering to a cold winter morning. The sun is high in the sky by the time I sit up in bed and  try to wipe the fatigue from my eyes. When they clear I see a now familiar willowy frame sitting on the foot of my bed with their back against the wall reading a book. I smile and watch her for a few seconds before speaking, “Reading anything good?”

    Gayle holds her finger up in the universal sign for one moment. She mouths the last words on the page before looking up on me, “I found a book on signets in Ridoc’s room. Fascinating stuff.” 

     I raise my eyebrows at my sister in law, “In Ridoc’s room you say?” I wiggle my raised eyebrows and dodge a pillow that gets thrown my way.

A blush creeps up Gayle’s olive tone face. “Anyways….. I think it’s really cool and I’ve been trying to learn more about them.”

“I loved signets too when I first got to Basgaith. I may even have a book here you’d like.” 

      I hop up from my bed, and head to the small      rucksack of things that I grabbed when we left Basgaith and begin to rummage through my things. I toss a few undergarments to the side, and stop dead in my tracks. In my hand is a small roll of lavender cotton, a roll that I have used every month of my life since I turned about 13. How long have I been in Aretia now? Sweat beads at the back of my neck and a wave of panic settles low in my belly. 

“Did you find it?” Gayle asks.

“What? Oh … no. No. I must've lent it to someone, sorry.” I stand up from where I am kneeling down and walk to my open window and lean my head out. The chill feels good on my cheeks as I count my breaths. ONE. TWO. THREE…

“Are you okay Mae?” Gayle asks me, concern in her voice. 

“Ya…Ya I’m fine. I think that cheese from last night has gone sour.” I mumble as an excuse. 

Gayle makes a horrified face, “Oh no! Ridoc ate like a whole triangle of it, do you think I should check on him?”

    I nod my head at her without turning around, focusing my vision on the line of tree tops I can see off in the distance. Garrick is somewhere above those trees, most likely, and my heart fills with a yearning for my husband unlike anything I’ve ever felt. 

     As I hear the door click shut to my room, I feel wetness drip down my cheeks, no longer able to hold it in. I’m late. Very late. My breath shakes as I release it and try to calm myself down. I need to go to see a healer, maybe the young blonde girl that I befriended a few nights ago Hannah could run a test for me. Should I talk to Violet? Can I trust her not to tell Xaden telepathically before I can talk to Garrick? My chest hurts as my nose begins to run, and I know that I I desperately need to get a hold of myself. I allow myself just a few more minutes to wallow before I grab a clean shirt and wipe my face and head to find a discreet healer. 

    That evening, after a harrowing day of avoiding as many people I know as possible, I lay in the quiet comfort of my bed reading a book that Hannah lent me by candle light with a mug of hot weak tea. My eyes are heavy, but I am gobbling up the information in the book too quickly to close them for the night. I hear the creak of my door and jump to hide the book under the covers before I see my husband's large frame fill our doorway. 

“Garrick!?” I scramble up from the bed and dive for him, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he will catch me no matter what. 

     In response he squeezes me tight and nuzzles himself into my neck, inhaling my scent. I mentally demand my eyes stay dry, and do not begin to leak and worry my husband. 

“I missed you so much, you have no idea.” I tell Garrick as I pepper his face with kisses. 

“Oh, I have an idea, I promise.” Garrick replies with a chuckle. 

With that sentiment I kiss him with as much passion as I can express right now, and allow him to carry me to the bed. I giggle as he tosses me lightly onto our bed and follows me without separating our bodies. 

“Ugh.” He groans as his hand hits something hard and my body tenses. “What’s this?” 

Garrick pulls the book I was devouring out from under the folded covers and his eyes fly open as he reads the cover. 

“Maeve? What’s this?”