Peacebringer

Chapter Thirty Five - Raza's Return

After their brief hello to Asha, Havi and Raza headed back to the house. Havi figured food and a place to sit after the long walk would be a good idea. He would also send someone to get Tana. That probably meant sending Natalya, as the little ones would still be asleep and they weren't quite responsible enough yet anyway.

Luckily Natalya was right inside the door when they returned, grabbing a pear from the basket of fruit Havi's mother always kept on the kitchen table. She had enchanted the bowl so that food inside it would always stay fresh and ready to eat.

"Oh hey, where were y-" Natalya stopped herself short when she noticed that someone was walking with Havi.

"Natalya, this is Asha's mother."

"I'm Raza," Raza smiled. "Are you Havi's sister?"

"Um, yes." Natalya wasn't sure what else to say.

"Can you get Tana? We kind of need to talk to her," Havi broke the awkward moment of silence. Natalya took a huge bite of yellow pear and nodded. She squeezed past her brother and headed out the door.

Havi ushered Raza into the house and sat at the kitchen table. He politely offered her fruit while they waited for Tana.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" Raza asked quietly after selecting an apple.

"Not entirely," Havi started explaining. "We came here when I was about five years old. That's when they started really looking in the town where we came from."

"And where's that?"

"Over the mountains, on the eastern side of Karda. I remember the journey being really long. Quite a few people came from our village with us, and we made a long procession over the mountains. My three younger siblings weren't born yet, it was just me and Natalya."

Havi hadn't thought about that journey in a long time. It was very shortly after they got here that he met Finn and Tana suggested that he move in with his family. It had been so wonderful to have a friend so quickly, and one who became more like a brother.

He heard Natalya open the door, quietly chatting with Tana. They both entered the kitchen and Natalya waved awkwardly.

"Okay, I am now fully awake! Nice to meet you," She stuck her hand out for Raza to shake. Raza gladly took it and laughed warmly. She immediately loved Natalya's blunt but friendly personality. That warmth and honesty was something she kept with her the rest of her life, through good times and bad.

"Havi was just telling me a little bit about your journey here," She said. "I am so glad to meet another one of my daughter's new friends!" Raza turned to Tana.

"I am Asha's mother, Raza," She said, offering the same gesture of greeting to Tana. Tana accepted the handshake heartily.

"I am Tana, General of the Resistance. I am so glad to finally welcome you. We have so much to discuss." Tana took a seat at the table.

Natalya and Havi looked around, not sure if they should stay or not. "Uh, is this a meeting we can be a part of?" Natalya gestured to her brother. "If this is top secret-y stuff we can leave...."

"Yeah, don't want to intrude..." Havi added.

Tana looked briefly at Raza and smiled. "I think the two of you ought to stay. Besides, I don't think anything we're about to discuss is exactly a secret from you two." She smiled slyly. "I think everything we need to talk about at least one of you already knows."

"I think the same is true on my end," Raza said, looking at Havi with a small smile.

"Let us begin then," Tana pulled out the black stone. "Finn and Asha brought this stone to me. It was Finn's mission to bring it here, and he picked up Asha on the way."

"So I've heard. He's the next one I need to have a discussion with," Raza gave a small, but mischievous grin. She wasn't truly angry with him. She knew that Asha was strong-willed and spirited. Something like this was bound to happen eventually.

"This is no ordinary stone," Tana flipped it over, revealing the markings on the back. "It can only be opened by a fire spinner and two other spinners. It contains a prophecy. I would show you, but we need a fire spinner..."

"That is not a problem," Raza said slowly. "Asha got her spinning from me."

"Not from her father?" Natalya said in confusion. "Asha said she must have gotten it from her father."

"Asha has never seen me spin, considering the circumstances I thought it was best to hide it from her."

Tana's face contorted in thought, but soon softened. "Natalya and Havi, will you do the honors please?"

Once Raza placed her finger on the stone after the other two, the prophecy came to life, and all in attendance listening to it closely.

When it was over, Raza was the first to speak. "So Asha fits the prophecy, she very clearly has an important role to play."

"That's what we thought as well," Tana said, returning the stone to her pocket. "She has been training very hard and progressing faster in her spinning technique than anyone I have ever trained before. She is truly gifted. She single-handedly saved a failed mission that resulted in the release of many prisoners."

"Not exactly single-handedly," Havi said. "Finn did turn into a dragon to make it work."

"And Havi and I kept the flames going with wind spinning," Natalya jumped in. "But the idea was Asha's. Her fire spinning drove away all the rangers, making the attack a success."

"It was a marvelous piece of teamwork," Tana corrected herself. "Asha is a natural born leader and uses her gifts well."

"Is that why she's on another mission right now?" Raza asked.

"Yes, with the princess." Tana gave Natalya and Havi a little bit of a side eye before continuing. "I'm honestly surprised neither of them told you anything about it, but you were going to find out soon enough anyway. Their top secret mission was to scout out the castle for a secret entrance. We are hoping to then break in later with a bigger group to free the remaining prisoners."

Havi looked at Raza, suddenly terrified. Natalya caught the expression. 'What is it? Something I don't know?" she said quickly.

Raza started to speak slowly, her voice wavering. "Sending Asha to the palace might be more dangerous than you thought." She looked at Havi.

"Asha and Valda are sisters." Havi revealed after a long pause. "Raza is the Queen."

Natalya and Tana both looked stunned, Tana even afraid.

"You're not dead...SHE'S not dead." Natalya exclaimed, with accompanying wild hand gestures. "No WONDER she got along with Valda so well!"

"But this means...." Tana started

"That Asha might be recognized." Havi finished.

"And if someone there realizes she's the prophecy and a princess," Natalya began.

"She's the biggest threat to the King that could possibly happen." Raza said with resignation. Suddenly, the fear in her eyes turned to slight amusement, and then she let out a small chuckle.

Natalya and Havi looked at each other. "Stress?" Natalya mouthed. Havi shrugged.

"I know this shouldn't be funny at all, but I can't help it," Raza said through her laughter. "I raised my daughter on a steady stream of magical books where the hero swoops in to save everyone. There were princesses and prophecies and spinners in every story."

"How is that funny?" Havi asked.

"Well, she finally gets to be the hero in her own story." Raza smiled. "She's going to get the fairy tale she always wanted."