My Turn

It wouldn’t have been so terrifying if I couldn’t hear what was happening behind me. The fire had doubled in size before the Miletus could put it out. The others that weren’t putting the fire out and trying to find any other damage, were looking for me. I could hear their voices yelling for me, and the horses’ hooves in the forest behind me.

It wasn’t hard to keep moving forward when I thought about what I was doing for them all. I was saving them, and maybe saving others that they would have ended up hurting in return.

That didn’t make me feel any better inside though.

Windsor was calm when I met up with him ten minutes later at a small creek in the forest. He was quietly drinking the cool water, a pack strapped to his side. I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his broad neck. He stayed still as I buried my face into his warm mane, trying to hide my tears from myself.

Sniffling, I took Windsor’s reins and climbed on top of his back. I knew where I was going, and started the opposite way of the fire warriors. Once everything calmed down, Conway would act again, letting the other prisoners free when he could. The security may be doubled by then, and none of them may get out, but we had to let them all go.

If one nation’s prisoners were the only ones to escape, the Miletus would attack the Fire Nation at full force under the command of my father.

Windsor heard the pop of a firecracker being released behind me and sped up as he whipped through the trees. I clung to Windsor even tighter than before, his canter accelerating into a gallop.

“Windsor!” I hissed, pulling back on his reins before he seriously hurt me. The trees were flying past me so fast the little branches were striking me in the face, slicing little cuts into my cheeks.

I pulled back with all my force on his reins to try and get him to slow his pace. When he finally realized he wasn’t being attacked by anything, he slowed completely into a stop.

He stomped his hooves and snorted as I kept him still, my grip on his reins tighter than necessary. The sound of the Miletus was faint now, and none of them would have followed me this far. I was going to opposite way of the fire nation. If they thought I was kidnapped by a bunch of fire nation warriors, they wouldn’t think to come this way.

I clicked my tongue for Windsor to get moving again. He eagerly started to walk through the forest, his body moving with ease and grace through the trees. I let myself relax on top of his back, leaning back so I was actually lying down on his rump.

The earth nation prisoners wouldn’t be coming until morning. I had until the first sliver of light to get to the bridge between our two territories. If I crossed the border of our nation, I was safe—from my people. If anyone realized who I was, where I came from, I was toast. I was just not safe anywhere but in my little bedroom back at the castle. In the real world, there are people that would do anything to hurt family.

It was so faint, but I thought I heard a deep set voice call my name. My father’s voice. It didn’t make me want to turn around and comfort him like it should have. It made me want to vanish into the trees farther in, get closer to my goal. I had to prove myself to my father. I had to prove myself to my family. And I definitely had to prove myself to me, Maya Glyndwr. It was just something I needed to do.

I concentrated on Windsor’s muscles underneath me. They steadily pulled and loosened as he walked. His body was powerful underneath my hands as I reached down, trailing my fingers over his powerful form, to feel his legs muscles as he weaved through the woods.

In that second, I was at peace. I closed my eyes and kept my thoughts on Windsor as he ignored my weird behavior on his back. This is what I lived for, moments like this. The power of my friend by my side was something you just couldn’t get anywhere. It was what I wanted to feel all the time. Not the power Windsor had in his muscles, but the comfort I had now. I knew that Windsor could get me anywhere without hesitation and he would never leave me.

Another yell behind me, louder than the others. Someone was coming this way? I sat up on Windsor’s back, grabbing the reins again. I cocked my head to one side and listened to the voice as it yelled again, closer to me now than a second ago.

“Maya Kendall Glyndwr!” the voice screamed at the top of their lungs. Was that…no.

I squeezed Windsor’s sides harder than normal, trying to convey how fast I needed to go. He got it immediately, not even bothering to slowly move into a gallop, We were flying now, the tree branches whipping my face.

“Maya?” the voice screamed again, still at the same volume. They were coming up fast. It couldn’t be him, it just couldn’t be. “Please Maya, don’t do this!” he screamed after me.

“Go home Alton,” I whispered into the darkening air.

“Maya?” he screamed again. His voice fading as we sped ahead.

“Keep going,” I coaxed Winsor. “Don’t turn around.”

I may have been whispering it to Windsor, but it was really motivation for me. If I stopped now, I wouldn’t go through with it. Alton would have convinced me to stay. Every other second I wanted to turn around without someone to tell me this was insane. Disguising me as another person and going into enemy territory was not something a person did. What you did was stay at home and pretend that there isn’t a war going on.

I kept my tears inside my eyes. Crying now wouldn’t do me any good. I let my senses dull and only focused on my plans. Who was I going to be when I was in the Earth Nation? I would have to change my name, obviously. Maya Kendall Glyndwr just screams water. So what would name be? Better yet, where would I stay? I couldn’t just go up to the castle as say “Hey, its Maya from the water territory who is undercover trying to stop the war, can I stay here with you for a bit?”

What could I do for them? I needed to somehow make sure that the Earth Nation wasn’t ready to attack the water nation. That was the first thing on my list. But how?

“Maya please!” Alton called, only a whisper now. “I don’t want you to leave. Don’t leave me here!”

How could I leave them? No! I had to leave them all behind. I was saving them…or dooming them. But if I stayed they would eventually be in danger. If this ended badly, I would only be speeding the process up. There was good chance I could fight this. I could win this, I could win.

So how could I influence the Earth Nation? That would take time. I would have to make a name for myself there. So I can’t hide. I can’t wave a flag to myself either. I needed to be discreet, and yet be so bold that it worked. Who could help me with that? I would need some else’s help. I could have to find a friend. Someone that I could tell the truth to and someone who has true influence in the Earth Nation that it would mean something for me to trust them.

All of the thinking and planning and not getting anywhere was making me physically sick to my stomach. I couldn’t do this. I pulled on Windsor’s reins. He yelled in protest, locking his joints in place to stop as quickly as he could.

Before he was even fully stopped, I jump off of his back and clung to the nearest tree. My head spun and I was losing control of my stomach. I was going to lose its contents any second.

I couldn’t do this. I didn’t have the skills to do this. Why did I believe I could save everyone from this? This was war! War! No one person could stop this from happening!

I let the sobs escape my throat just before the contents of my stomach made their appearance in front of my feet. I leaned over and let the fear consume me in the form of illness. Holding my stomach, I sat down on the nearest fallen tree, letting my jelly legs rest. I was going to doom everyone for this. I know I am!

Rustling behind me startled me, but I didn’t turn. I couldn’t. My stomach heaved again and I bent over my legs so I wouldn’t get sick all over myself. When I was done, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Tears I didn’t feel stained my cheeks.

I didn’t have to turn to see who it was. I knew it was Alton in the first place. So hearing another horse behind me now wasn’t a huge surprise. What was a surprise was the person I saw walk in front of me. The legs covered up by a cloak and the smooth skin with slender fingers and a beautiful multicolored ring on the ring finger of the right hand. The voice also startled me; its soft quiet assurance was so familiar and so alien.

“Oh Maya,” she sighed.

The hand coaxed my face up to meet the stranger’s face. But there wasn’t a face. A hood on the cloak prevented me from seeing the person’s face.

“You need to trust yourself. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. Trust your heart.” The women’s other hand reached out and brushed the medallion around my neck. Then she let her hood drop from her face so I could see who she was.

But I didn’t know. And yet…didn’t I? The eyes were familiar, and her hair was just like mine, but she was so foreign to me. The woman was beautiful. Her blond hair had a slight wave to it, falling down past her elbows. Her eyes were the color of the clear ocean, dark blue specs making them just as unique as mine are. Her skin a flawless pale, her lips a sweet pink, curved into a semi-frown.

“I know it’s tough,” she assured me, “but it will be better in the long run.” She sat down on the log next to me, reaching out again to touch the medallion. “This will help you along the way.”

“Who are you?” I asked her.

The woman took the ring from her finger, examining the five stones in it. “You will know that in due time. Right now, all you need to know is that I’ll be here to help you when you need it most.” She took the medallion in one of her hands, her ring in the other, and squeezed them both.

“There,” she sighed, slipping the ring back on her finger. She let the chuck of metal slip from her fingers to hit my chest. The pang of electricity that shot through me by its touch jolted my senses.

“Don’t be frightened, it was just a connection we had to make with each other.”

“I don’t understand—“

The woman’s eyes sparkled with the knowledge she was holding from me. Her lips curled up now, showing her true beauty. “But you will. Maya, just trust your self. Trust your heart; trust your knowledge, your power. And most importantly, trust your soul.”

“My soul?”

The women stood from the log, pulling the hood back over head, tucking her hair back inside. “Will you do something for me?”

I stood with her, stepping towards her. Even if I didn’t know this woman, I didn’t want her to leave. The presence she had calmed me more than anything. What would happen when she left me?

“Maya? Will you do something for me?” she asked again.

“I—yes, of course.”

The woman grabbed her horse’s mane and jumped onto its bare back. She settled into the curve of its spin. “Take good care of yourself. And don’t trust him. Please listen to your gut.”

“Don’t trust who?”

“Don’t trust him Maya, please don’t. I’m begging you.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

She turned her horse and led him away from me. She turned her head to look over her shoulder even though I couldn’t see her face. “Just don’t. Please.”

“I—I don’t understand—I, Ah—“

“Trust only yourself.” Her voice was nothing but a whisper in my ear now. I watched her go until I couldn’t see her more. Who was that woman? I kept asking myself over and over thinki9ng the answer would come to me. I grabbed Windsor’s reins and held tight.

A sharp, warming feeling came to me, filling my chest. I looked down and noticed the necklace pressed against my robes. The four symbols were glowing on its front, their dim shimmer distracting me for a second from its warmth. As quickly as it had happened, it was over. The metal cooled and the heat faded a long with the shimmer of the symbols.

I grabbed it and brought it closer to my face to examine it. Nothing had changed. I tucked it deep underneath my robes and out of sight. Had this night just gotten even weirder, or was that just my brain playing a trick on me? I mean, who seriously meets a mysterious stranger in the middle of the woods that seems to know everything about them?

I climbed onto Windsor’s back.

The woman had been so sure that I shouldn’t trust him. I should only trust myself, my…soul. Was this woman crazy? No, I didn’t think so. The real question here was who wasn’t I supposed to trust? And why was it so important that I didn’t?

Windsor craned his neck down to the slow stream underneath him, getting a good drink as we rested. The fire burned brightly in front of me, its heat something I welcomed now. The wind had picked up during the passing hours, and the chill bit at my hands and face, the spots uncovered.

I thanked Meredith for packing matches ever few minutes as I scooted closer and closer to the heat of the fiery madness. I couldn’t keep it burning for forever though. It had been burning for more than four hours now, the power of the flame diming. There wasn’t much left for it to burn besides the wet grass and moss underneath it. Slowly and regretfully the flame died out and I was stuck in completely darkness.

I laid my head down on my backpack, covering my face with the hood of my cover robe. I pulled my hands inside my sleeves of my dress and listened to the sounds of the woods around. The sound of water was heavy in my ears. Not from the soft stream of water running in front of me, but a few yards past my head was a complete drop off. A cliff a hundred feet high that led straight down into furious rapids. On the other side of that cliff was the earth territory. And I needed to get there. I needed to be there. All we had to do now was to follow the cliff until we reached the small unstable bridge across. That was the only entry that wasn’t watched.

Hardly anyone knew about it. It was so close to the main village no one even came close to this area. It was too far away from Nanami to get protection from them.

I pulled the medallion out from the inside of my robes and felt it with my fingers. I couldn’t see it so I used touch to examine it. What was so special about this thing? It had been Meredith’s before, so how had that woman known I would have it? And what had she done to it? Had it really glowed, or had that just been my active imagination?

The sound next to me didn’t startle me at first. Windsor moved in the brush of the woods, coming closer to me for comfort. But when he stopped moving, the noise continued. A horse was close to my other side, its hooves stomping the earth.

“Shhh,” someone quieted their horse. Then two human feet thumped on the ground. I held perfectly still in my little dark space. I stared a head and stopped my breathing. I watched as the embers of my fire moved, the person kicking them.

Then the person was on top of me, their arms outstretched on either side of me. I screamed as loud as I could, kicking out at the person. Who ever it was screamed too, their mouth close to my ear. The shrill, girly scream startled me even more. I pushed at the person and they fell away from me.

In my haste to catch myself as I fell back to the ground, I landed in the ashes of my fire. I scream out in pain, scrambling away from them only to stumble back into the person that was still screaming in my ear. I opened and closed my hand again and again, gathering energy and water from the air as I tried to find where my attacker was.

“What the hell?” the girl asked in astonishment.

I stopped my scream and stilled again, halfway standing, ready to get Windsor and flee. “Noelani?”

“Maya?” she asked with the same amount of surprise.