Eternity

Chapter Sixteen

Sorry it's short, it's kind of a filler chapter. I wanted to wait until the next chapter to start the good stuff :) But anyway, here it is! Let me know what you think, and thank you so much to those who have read and commented or voted! It makes me so happy to see that you guys like it :)

Chapter Sixteen

Eternity

O lonely heart so timid of approach,

Like the shy tropic flower that shuts its lips

To the faint touch of tender finger tips:

What is your word? What question would you broach?

Your lustrous-warm eyes are too sadly kind

To mask the meaning of your dreamy tale,

Your guarded life too exquisitely frail

Against the daggers of my warring mind.

Courage-Claude McKay

          Darkness had settled over Decca but The Winter Queen didn’t seem to notice; her mind was in other places. Her mind was focused on battle tactics and weapon supplies. She had new armor and bows fashioned, ready for battle. She had been recruiting her armies all week and her numbers were growing. Her people were ready to defend their kingdom.

She paced as she went over the numbers of her army again and again. Devodie had no idea what size Tamsin’s armies were, but they could be too much greater than her own. Sorrow Star perched himself on the edge of her bed and watched her pace with curious eyes. He whined and Devodie walked over to him, stroking his head.

“I know Star, I know. But it’s for the best,” she murmured to him softly. He nuzzled her hand and she smiled sadly. The loving wolf always made her feel better.

A sharp rap at her door startled her and she twisted the knob of the door. It creaked open and Ellesis stood behind it. She was carrying a bulk of metal and a package. “For you, your highness, your armor and new bow.” Devodie took it gratefully and thanked Ellesis. “Are you sure you don’t need help with anything?” Ellesis asked with concern in her eyes.

Devodie frowned slightly and a little sadly. “No Ellesis, thank you though.” Ellesis turned to walk away but paused and turned back to her queen.

“You don’t have to do this alone you know. You have all of Decca right behind you.” She didn’t stop to hear Devodie’s reply but simply walked away. Devodie smiled ruefully after her before shutting the door and turned back to where Sorrow Star sat. She undressed and pulled on trousers and a long sleeved shirt, much like uniforms the warriors in her army wore. She slipped on the heavy armor over her head and it clinked as it fell into place.

She pulled back her night hued hair in a tight braid before winding into a perfectly coiled bun on the back of her head. With her mouth set in a straight line, she examined the armor. It fit her well and protected her most vulnerable areas. Going into battle would be simple when she was wearing this.

She pulled the bow from the package and slid her fingers across the sleek curve. It was smooth and light, easy for carrying around. Roses were carved into the handle and the wood was so white it was almost blue. She wasn’t sure what kind it was, but the wood was odd; supple yet strong with an almost transparent air to it. It fitted her exactly, made for her and only her.

Next she examined the arrows. They were odd things, made of the same material as the bow. They didn’t have an exact arrow head, just a pointed end that tapered down until it was almost as thin as a needle. The opposite end had thin wing-like pieces that would help it fly. She notched one in the bow and aimed it at the apple that rested on her desk. She let the arrow loose and it sliced straight though the apple and stuck itself on the wood of the desk, suspending the fruit in midair. She smirked and pulled the arrow free before wiping in off with her long fingers.

The weapon was perfect, as was the armor. Battle would be easy when her army was prepared. But she could fight a lurking sense of uncertainty that lingered in the back of her mind.

What if she couldn’t win this?

♦•♦•♦

Sable stood in her bedroom, staring out upon Sunder as night shrouded the Autumn Palace. Her expression was grim and her once lively chocolate eyes were dim. Her head ached dully from the inside out and her body felt as if she had been sleeping on stones. She had always been an anxious and worrisome child, and it was coming back to haunt her now. The stress was taking a large toll on her and the war hadn’t even fully started yet.

Sable crossed her room and sank into a chair before the fireplace. Ariux entered the room quietly and placed a cup of tea before Sable. Sable thanked Rux and placed a hand over her eyes, trying to get the headache to cease. She sipped the warm mint tea slowly and rubbed small circles in her temples. It dulled the pain slightly but not by much.

The brush of wings sounded beside her and Sable looked up to see her blazing red phoenix. Firelight perched on her arm and she gave her a small half smile. The pheonix brushed her soft feathers against Sable’s cheek and Sable relaxed, sinking back into the chair even further. Firelight’s rhythmic twitter lulled Sable too sleep.

When she awoke, the world around her was darker than midnight. The only light came from the hearth where the fire glowed softly. Sable padded over to her bed and slid beneath the downy blankets before she drifted off again. But her sleep was restless and filled with nightmares of war and death.

The hills of Sunder burned with a crimson fire as troops crossed through the Autumn Region. Some were wounded, some were dying. Many had already died and their bodies laid on the leaf covered ground. Sable was crying, trying to aid the soldiers, but they were too far gone. There was no way to save them.

Suddenly she sped forward in time. Sable and Lysander had been dragged into the war, Sable siding with Tamsin and Lysander with Devodie. Sunder’s inhabitants were suiting up for war; many of Tamsin’s men had already been defeated. More and more wounded were being brought to the Autumn Palace and not many left. Their chances of survival were dropping and there was nothing Sable could do about it. She could only watch as her world fell apart…

Sable awoke once again, but this time light flooded the room. Tears dampened her cheeks and her body ached terribly. Dreams like this had been haunting her all week, and it was affecting her badly. She winced as she climbed out of bed and put a hand out to steady herself. The room spun a bit and she shut her eyes.

Rux walked in and she shook her head sadly when she saw the queen. She walked over and helped her back to her bed.

“Really your highness, sometimes you’re almost as bad as Lysander. It’s back to bed for you.” Sable mumbled something in protest but Rux led her back to the bed and tucked the blankets around her. Sable’s eyelids drifted shut again and the endless reel of terrifying dreams began to spin again.

Sable woke up later again with tears running down her face. She sat up in the bed and took in heaving breaths, fighting back the nausea of seeing the destruction of homes and deaths of innocent people. She held her head in her hands and her breaths slowed to normal.

Please, she thought, let this all be over soon.