Dragon Born: Book I of the Tendaaren Chronicles
Chapter 17: Come Back To Me

“I look at you and I’m home. I see nothing worse than to be without you because with you my soul feels complete, you are the other half of me and I love you. You are my home no matter where that is.“--Unknown

Their arrival within the veil was a blur. How they got there was a bumpy hazy memory. Clouded with pain and fear. Aly was oblivious to the moment they crossed the magical barrier of the veil. She cared not for the hustle and bustle of these wispy Elven strangers. Her eyes locked on her elf limply dangling over Aria’s neck. His silver hair hiding his unconscious eyes.

A group of skinny ethereal people fussed about him and his horse. Roxanne hissed at the intrusion but jumped away allowing the spindly hands to take him. Alyenna tumbled off of her mount desperate to get to her friend. She landed hard on her injured ankle. Gasping she stumbled and rose desperately to stand. She ignored the crippling pain of her shattered ankle. That ludicrous injury got in the way of her saving her friend. It kept her from fighting. It had interfered enough. Enough was enough she refused to allow the pain to get the best of her now. Broken bones could wait. Her friend was dying.

She struggled to force her way through the crowd so she could check his breathing. She had been keeping count as they rode feverishly toward the veil. Aagi kept trying to distract her from Baellnar’s lifeless form but it did not work.

She forced her way through the sea of strangers. She grabbed Baellnar’s limp hand. Holding as tightly as she could. She desperately counted his slow shallow breathing. One, two, Three . . .

Hands were grabbing at her trying to tear her away from her friend.

“Leave me alone!” She howled in pain and fury.

She swatted at them. Refusing to let go. She felt fingers prying their hands apart and she flailed desperately trying to retain her grip. She reached out for him in a vain attempt to touch him one last time. Instead, she was dragged away from him. She thrashed as she watched his body being carried off into the distance.

Sometime later after she had been forcibly bathed, dressed, and bandaged. She hobbled through the elven infirmary building. Despite multiple reassurances he was okay and healing quickly, she did not care. She had to see for herself.

Aly shambled through barren halls. She past silent white cloaked elven figures. She was lost but that did not matter she could search all night if that is what it took.

psssst a strange feminine voice whispered grabbing her hand.

Shocked she stared into the cloak of the figure who assaulted her. She was greeted by a plume of fiery red hair. She tried to break the grip but the girl’s hand on hers was surprisingly strong.

“Shut up, I am taking you to your friend you ungrateful brat.”

Aly stopped struggling and obediently followed this strange girl around the hallways of the infirmary.

“Who are you?” She whispered.

“Names Celeste!” She turned to face Aly beaming. This time Aly caught the site of bright sparkling emerald eyes cloaked in long luxurious lashes. Celeste then spun around and continued to drag Aly through the hallways and then stopped in front of a nondescript door.

“Why are you helping me?” Aly asked.

“Cause that little show out there earlier was pathetic enough that I pitied you. then seeing you hobble around her like a lost ghost . . . Anyway you needed help, so I helped.” Celeste said matter of factly and shrugged.

“Well, This is it! See ya later” and with that Celeste vanished into the shadows.

Aly shrugged and quietly opened the door. The room was small and scantily decorated. A modest fire burned in the corner of the room. A large but simple bed was in the center. Her friend slumbering within it. His delicate features and pale skin resembled snow white in the coffin.

She couldn’t replace a chair or anything in the room so she sat on the bed beside him. Delicately placing rebellious silver strands of hair away from his face.

She watched him carefully. His breath was soft and slow. She picked up his hand and held it to her lips tenderly kissing it. She held his hand in her lap and stared at the fire. Lost in its mesmerizing dance.

I cannot lose him. She thought to herself. Despite his verbal jests, He was still kinder to her than she ever knew.

A small tear trickled down her cheek.

She recalled the night she was kidnapped. Despite her utter sense of terror, he made her feel safe. His casual air eased her fears enough to make her brave. He had single-handedly raised her self-esteem by training her to fight, to understand the world around her, and in some strange ways protecting her. It was his guidance and knowledge that allowed her to see there was more to her than the mouse Paul had molded her into. He brought who she was back from the brink of extinction.

A raspy cough broke her reverie. His body spasmed as he struggled to breath. She carefully touched his forehead and monitored his breathing until the coughing subsided. As he slipped back into an easy slumber her eyes wandered back to the fire. Imagining its reflection on her friend’s face.

It took many nights of traveling but Baellnar finally told her what his role was in bringing her here.

He was her helpless guardian. He watched her grow in the caring arms of her adopted family. She watched the pain in his eyes as he relived the terror he felt as he watched Paul snake his way into her life, taking advantage vulnerability.

She remembered his eyes growing misty as he elaborated the heartache of helplessly watching Paul slam her body into walls holding her by the neck. She did not know why but somehow his empathy helped her heal. Helped her understand that what she suffered to was not meant to be. That she did not deserve the pain. The only thing that kept him sane was knowing that one day he could pull her out of her private hell.

Baellnar moaned lightly in pain. Breaking her daydream. She squeezed his hand. Her clothes damp with her silent tears.

She whispered gently to him. “You are not allowed to leave me. Not when you’re finally here with me.”

She remembered how he softened that day she revealed all of the things Paul had done to her. When she said Paul’s words of “No one will care for you as I do.” Baellnar cut her off and whispered, “I have more care for you in my left pinky than he ever could in his entire life.”

She chuckled between her sobs recalling that the expression on his face was an ugly clash between murderous rampage and solemnity.

The memory caused her to look up and blink rapidly. She bit her lip fighting the fresh wave of fear at the thought of losing her closest friend.

Once again, she focused on the blaze. There was something soothing about it. She took several deep breaths fighting her own emotions. He did not need her to be weak now he needed her to be strong. Please come back to me ’nar. Please, I cannot do this without you.

Baellnar slowly opened his eyes and he smiled. His heart warmed seeing his favorite charge perched on his bed side. How could he not? Though her position was a bit strange, she was gazing at the ceiling. He looked up nope nothing interesting. He looked back at her and smiled.

He glanced around the room. It was familiar. Then after a more detailed examination, it was actually his from when he was training in the veil. He sent a prayer to the gods. Thank mother, Gaia, we made it.

Though how they got here was a mystery. He mentally took check of his body. Wincing as he realized the immense pain in his chest. Odd? I thought I hit my head.

He remembered falling from his horse then immense pain in his head. Then nothing. A sweet sea of blackness slowly creeping shutting down his mind.

There may have been yelling. Yes, there was! He again looked at the feisty little girl at the end of his bed. It was in that moment he realized she was crying.

He remembered absolute darkness then a white light. It was lovely warm and welcoming it had a song to it. A song that sounded very much like the voice of the girl sitting before him. He felt the light push back on the dark sea in his mind.

Then he recalled immense pain in his chest. He took another inventory of his body. His head was fine but his chest definitely was not fully healed. Fuck that hurts! If she was going to heal me couldn’t she have done the whole thing without breaking my ribs?

His reverie was broken by the sound of gentle sobbing. He could not let her suffer anymore. Despite her methods, she had saved him and now she needed him. He somehow knew she wept for him but he did not fully understand why.

He sat up and gripped her hand just a little tighter.

Alyenna jumped a little. Probably surprised by his sudden movement. She turned to him. Baellnar reached his other hand up and gently stroked her cheek brushing a wisp of auburn hair away from her eyes.

Immediately she launched herself on top of him squeezing the remainder of his precious oxygen out of his chest. She buried her face in his shoulder and he winced at the immense pressure of her embrace.

he coughed loudly while simultaneously laughing at her zest. Alyenna quickly pushed herself off of her friend apologizing.

“Think nothing of it. He said eyeing her softly. He leaned a bit closer to her, gazing into her eyes meaningfully. “Yours is the only face I would ever want to wake up to.”

She grinned sheepishly then spun away from him shuffling to the edge of the bed. He smiled realizing it was her awkward attempt at hiding a blush.

Baellnar chuckled trying to calm her he said. “Aagi is far too ugly I for sure would have died of fright if it was his face next to mine!”

Suddenly his cheek stung and his head spun to the side at the impact of a well-aimed slap. He continued to laugh.

She glared at him all fire and brimstone. Realizing she wasn’t feeling very humorous at the moment he gently tried to pull her to him. “I am fine really.”

She swatted at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

He smiled. Aly was ridiculous when it came to emotional moments. He knew that after a long time of traveling with her. He could see her face contort in a strange form of fury.

He wasn’t sure why but that did not matter. She turned from him and glared at the fire it jumped in response. He raised an eyebrow. The element of fire does not normally respond to children of mother Gaia. He tried to gently turn her to him again.

“Aly, c’mon by some miracle I am actually fine” he soothed.

“Fuck you! and your miracles!” she said haughtily.

The infinitely patient he chuckled “I am pretty sure that miracle was you. So is that an invitation?” He waggled and eyebrow at her suggestively. Humor was her safety zone this should work.

She lightly chuckled

Success! He thought to himself.

“You’re not allowed to be funny right now!” She said attempting to maintain her ridiculous tantrum.

“Oh? And pray tell Alyzon what am I allowed to be?” A nickname he had been toying with calling her. He liked how it sounded as it left his lips.

“Alyzon?” she questioned meekly.

“Yeah. It suits you. You are like an Amazon warrior but you are you. Hence Alyzon.”

Delicately she turned to him. Suspicion scrawled over her visage. “How do you know what an amazon is?”

“Aly, I spent over a hundred years observing you and your culture. I know what the Amazons are. I also know that it is one of your favorite superheroes because you are, as your culture calls it, a nerd. ”

“Nerds are awesome,” she said defensively.

He gently nodded in agreement. “If half of them are like you I would agree with that.”

She turned to him smiling brightly. Her eyes still sparkling from tears. Her hair was a glorious mess draped around her shoulders. Mother Gaia, she is beautiful. He thought to himself. Still hazy from the remaining concussion he leaned in. He closed his eyes inches from her face.

SLAM! The door to Baellnar’s room burst open. The force of the action shattered a nearby vase. In strode, their favorite lava haired Mighty Mouse. He punched Baellnar lightly on the shoulder “boy it’s good ta see those babeh blues!”

Baellnar was both angry and relieved that his kiss was interrupted. He could never let that weakness happen again. It would put his cherished heroine at risk. He had to protect his Alyzon at all costs. Her success was all that mattered. Having feelings for her put her in grave danger. He could not let it go further.

Aagi bounced onto the bed with the pair. He boisterously regaled Baellnar with the whole story of the battle with the Tyroslag. .The earthen demon whose soul had been shackled by Scelestra hundreds of years ago. He was not shy in sharing how he single-handedly saved them all and brought them to safety. He smiled letting his friend drone on and nodding when it mattered. But his eyes never left Aly especially as he heard about what she did to save him. He knew for sure in that. Alyenna was responsible for the warm white light that pushed the darkness away.

Maybe it is a power from mother Gaia?

He chuckled though. Even her healing was clumsy judging by the immense pain still in his chest. What mattered though was that she could and did. Even if she did utilize some crude mortal methods. She had saved him. All this time he thought it would be the other way around.