Awakening (Born From Shadows #1)
Chapter Thirty-One

The bird felt a feeling of accomplishment fall over her as she flew above the group of people below her. She found them at long last, following them to here just like her friend told her to. It had been years since the blue bird had ventured so far North, especially without the protection of her friend. It was nice to feel the cool Northern air.

She stared intently at the group, at the Elf who did not sit alone on a black mare. There was no denying that the girl was an Elf, but she did not know if it was the one her Queen wished for her to replace.

“Find them and tell me the truth,” the woman had told her. She could not deny the command. This girl had to be the one, if it wasn’t her then she had weeks more of searching to do. If only she could get close enough, then she would be able to tell.

I found her, she said, casting her thoughts to another. She waited patently for the reply, landing on a branch not too far from the group. She noticed the girl’s wolf looking at her as if she was dinner and decided it may be best for her to avoid swooping close.

Good, follow her I want to know everything, was the reply she heard in her mind. The Queen’s voice so as unemotional as always, cold and distant even in her thoughts.

Ok my Lady, she obliged her friends request. She could not hear a word they said from the distance that she flew. She had to get in close. Watching the Elf interact with the wolf and the horse she had an idea go through her head. Perhaps she was being too cautious. After all, if everything said is true then the Elf will be oblivious to the birds intent. If not, then…well it had to be true. She was here in this realm of men, it had to be this Elf that she was seeking out.

Remember, if there is any signs get out of there and come back, her friend told her.

Don’t worry, I have a plan, she confidently told the Queen. And started to fly closer to the group of travellers.

Do not die, her friend ordered. There wasn’t worry in her tone, no she was never one for the strong emotional connection. It was more annoyance, as if the little birds death would cause an irritable alteration of her plans. Deep within the birds heart she wished that the Lady cared for her more, but it is not something she pondered on. Perhaps one day that will happen.

The blue bird beat its wings in time with its heart pumping. She then mad the dive and prayed she would not die to the wolf’s mouth.

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Tatianna was resting her head against Nik’s shoulder fighting the opponent of sleep whilst they travelled to Bellin. Her eye lids get fluttering involuntarily shut and a burn was present around the outside of her eye.

“Just go to sleep, I’ve got you,” Nik said and tightened his grip around her waist.

“What if something happens?” she asked.

“Then you will wake up, rejuvenated and ready to fight,” he replied. “Your no use to anyone about to collapse.”

Tatianna was about to reply when a small blue bird landed right on top of Ida’s head and chirped at her. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She blinked her eyes a few times to make sure the bird was real and that she hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

“Wow, still amazes me how much the animals love you,” Nik said staring at the blue bird. It was the same one she saw earlier moving through the trees, watching her. Perhaps it wanted to come over but had yet the confidence to do so.

Nylif growled at the small creature, raising her gums, and showing her teeth. The little creature backed away slightly but did not fly off. “Hello little guy,” she told the bird and stretched out her hand towards the creature. It rubbed its head against her, its soft blue feathers ticking her finger.

“You’re a friendly one,” she chuckled at the bird. The bird then stared at her face in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable, but then she just past it off as the creature being curious.

Ida shook her head annoyed at the presence of the blue bird on her head, causing it to fly away.

“That was strange,” Nik commented.

“It was adorable, I hope it comes back,” she replied with a yawn.

“You really need to sleep,” he told her and pushed her head back to lean on her. Sleep, sleep seemed like a good idea. It felt as if the goddess Lilyean herself was beckoning Tatianna into her arms. She closed her eyes and hoped for a happy dream, quickly falling into a deep slumber.

She could see herself, her hands her body her face yet she could not control her own actions. Looking around she wondered where she was, but that didn’t seem important as she moved through this dark cave.

A larger than most shadow moved and event though she wanted to run her body kept walking forward. How did she get here? Alone she stumbled deeper into this cave, dread increasing with every step. A soft grumble echoed through the cavern walls causing a few rocks to fall out of their place and fear threaded her bones, yet she kept walking forward. She wanted to scream out, to yell at herself for being so stupid yet it felt more like she was watching a play with herself as the lead actor. She could scream all she liked but her body still had to play the part.

The shadow moved yet again; it was too dark to see what was there. She looked done and saw a pile of skeletons laying on the rocky floor. Her body stepped over one as he mind pleaded that she leaved.

A figure appeared to her side, it was faceless, but she could tell it was male.

“What you seek you will not replace here,” he told her. What was she seeking though?

“It is here I know it is,” she replied for reasons unknown to her.

“Child, look around you. This is no place for those of nature and life,” he motioned toward the sense of death that radiated through this cave spinning through the air as if it were a convection current.

“I need to replace him. If it is true, I need to know,” she firmly told the figure and took another step forward. Another rumble went through the cave, and she almost fell as the sound shuddered the ground beneath her feet.

“What you will awake does not wish to be stirred. Leave it alone,” he told her.

“I want to!” she tried to scream at him, but no words left her mouth.

Perhaps this wasn’t real, she thought. Was she dreaming or something else was happening? She couldn’t remember falling asleep but the only explanation she had of this strange circumstance was that it was a dream. Despite the realisation she still didn’t wake up, watching her body move close to the shifting shadows.

“When you release this, there is no going back. I will not help you nor will my siblings,” the figure told her, but she didn’t care for his words anymore knowing that he was just a figure her mind had conjured up.

“I won’t need your help,” her body said confidently.

“You may not, but others would say differently after you do here what you wish,” he scorned her bodies action.

“They won’t,” she replied.

“Tatianna,” the figure said in a familiar voice. “Tatianna, you need to wake up.” Suddenly everything around her started to shake and fade away.

“Tatianna,” Nik’s voice called, and she blinked her eyes trying to wake up from that weird dream she just had. Never in her life had she dreamt something so unusual.

“What is it?” She asked her voice mumbling.

“You were shaking, I was worried you were having a seizure of something,” Nik said.

“No,” she responded. “Just a weird dream.”

“Well, we made it,” he spoke. Tatianna looked in front of her and saw a small town there.

“Bellin,” she muttered wondering how long she slept. She looked around and notice the sun beginning to fall when it had only just risen when she fell asleep.

“Took us long enough,” Freya exasperated. “Only a two-week journey.”

“I hope they have a healer,” Riley said. “My ankle is healing slower than a snail moves.”

“We made it. Soon we will be out of Haveenté,” she said in thought. Only in her dreams had she ever thought of making it this far from Avalla, yet here she stood.

“We don’t have much sunlight left,” Nik noted. Tatianna decided to put the weird dream at the back of her mind and focus on the journey ahead of her.