Underestimate Me

The leaves gently brushed across her shoulders and neck as she emerged from the thickness of the forest. They did not want her to leave. They wanted her to stay, but she couldn’t. Maa had taken ahold of her. She felt strong and invincible. Her feet did not touch the ground; they did not root in the fertile soil beneath her. The only thing keeping her from her flight was the weight of the soaked white gown around her. Its train dragging her back down as she tried ascending. She had fallen down that cliff, but Maa could make her fly. She felt it.

Her heartbeat, as the rhythm of batting wings, resembled a hummingbird. Dread was racing her pulse, urging her feet to fly on. A few powerful strides brought her to the front of her tent. Just before entering Falcon let go of her shoulder and lifted to the air, its strong wings reminding her of the power surging through her. He flew towards a high branch, facing their prisoner. As he sat there, he did not cock his head to the side as he did with her, he stared the man down with his piercing eyes. His look resembled her own as she had gazed at him passing. When Maa was housing her, meeting his glare did not hurt. Watching the perched falcon across the broken man, its upbringing was undeniably her own work. Josselyn was overcome with a sense of pride. She felt the last drips of blood tricking down her shoulder and even in her state of haste and worry, she grinned.

“Evelyn,” She said just before entering her tent “don’t let Falcon near our prisoner; he cannot learn to harm without my consent.”

Evelyn nodded before speaking words that Josselyn had expected, but dreaded hearing.

“Can I do the same with Sister Meredith?” She asked. “For her blade was yet again against his throat; had we not stopped her, there would be no prisoner anymore.”

“Did she harm him?” The power of Maa kept her calm and together, while the wrath of that same Goddess was writhing to get loose.

“A scratch,” Evelyn admitted. “Aldith already looked at it.”

“Show me,” Josselyn ordered. Her hand let go of the tents cloth and it fell down again, covering the entrance of her retreat again. Only a few steps brought her before Rowen. He was standing and she had forgotten that he towered over her by a heads length. It did not matter. She was not the one bound to a pole and he was not the one with Maa’s guiding powers. Falcon moved restlessly on his branch, fidgeting nervously. He did not like his Mother so close to the creatures he’d learn to despise.

Josselyn did not meet Rowen’s eyes; she was not acknowledging him as a person. He was their prisoner, and as such, he was not worth her looks. Evelyn stood beside her and grabbed him by his chin. His skin was pale and his eyes bloodshot. Josselyn wondered if it was the result of sleepless nights or if his shoulder was indeed infected and was stealing her revenge slowly from under her nose. Evelyn’s grip brought Rowen’s face to the side and stretched his throat. A thin scratch was seen just below his shackle. It moved with the breaths he made, revealing and hiding the scratch behind the metal in a gentle rhythm.

“Don’t let it get infected.” Josselyn said as her fingers wavered over the mark, not touching the skin. She thought better of it. Connecting with that spot would not do her any good. Maa was strong, but her demons had strengths that had driven her mad before. She would not submit herself to those again. Meredith would not always be there to save her.

Standing before Rowen, her fingers almost on that spot, Maa was starting to thrash inside her like a wild animal. A rage came up while she remembered the deep footprints she had just found nearby. So close to her sisters, so close to her family. Images of empty eyes, images of broken bones and broken bodies filled her mind as she watched her killed sisters on the ground. Their empty faces, painted with terror.

“Don’t let it get infected,” she hissed to Evelyn that had dropped Rowen’s chin and his eyes met hers. A plead was read in his eyes. An innocence he was so good at portraying.

“We don’t want our guest to have died before his brothers come and save him,” she whispered and removed herself from their sight. Striding towards her tent. The white dress still tucking at her, barely covering her scars.

Inside she found Meredith. She was sitting at the table. Her head in her hands, her sword next to her, leaning against the recliner she was sitting on. Josselyn moved up to her, knowing her sister had already noticed her return. Softly she dropped her hand to graze the light blond hairs that sprung from the crown of her head.

“I do not desire to burden you even more,” Josselyn whispered to her second in command. “But I carry grave news.” Josselyn knew the reason for Meredith actions. Josselyn knew the inner battle she was fighting all this time. She knew Meredith motives better than Meredith knew herself. Letting this man live, while he had harmed the one she loved so severely. Letting any man live that stood in her way, it was a favor Josselyn could not ask of Meredith. And still she did. And still Rowen lived.

Meredith looked up, pushing her head against Josselyn's hand. She returned the action with letting her fingers entangle in the golden locks of her sister.

“What is this news you speak of?” Meredith whispered. Her voice was exhausted and she closed her eyes while speaking. Josselyn brushed her fingers against Meredith’s head, entangling her fingers even more in the straight blond hair of her sister.

“We need to move. Yet again. At sunrise.” She said softly. A sigh escaped Meredith’s lips.

“What did you discover?” her second in command had found the strength somewhere to go on and take on her responsibilities as her delegate. A weak smile appeared on Josselyn’s face as she knew what to do and as she knew it would hurt this woman she cared for.

“Footprints, deep ones. Elrik’s men are close. I need to speak with Rowen and find out all he knows. I need that information.”

Meredith nodded. “Information we’ll get.” She said with a grave tone.

“Information I will get,” Josselyn continued and as she saw Meredith’s face, she disentangled her fingers from the golden locks that had her under a spell. Silently she waited for the storm to start, rooting her feet in the ground and giving up all hopes of flight.