Macha's Journey

The way his broad shoulders turned slightly while he held her hand, as they strolled down the hall, hypnotized her. She realized he frequently cared about her safety. Her mind raced through all the times he left an impression on her. After the many memories they made together, she carried powerful feelings for him that were undeniable.

A slight resistance came from Macha as Tyr walked down the hallway with her. He glanced back over his shoulder at her. Her eyes appeared wide as they looked up at him. Putting a hand on her cheek, he asked, "Are you all right?" She had been traveling for weeks and he worried that she pushed herself too much.

When his warm hand lightly touch her face, she reeled backward. Her voice shook, "I... I don"t know. I think I just need some rest. Can we get ready for bed?"

Love was something she swore she did not want in her life anymore. She had no qualms about being in a relationship with Tyr, but love would leave her vulnerable.

In her late twenties, she had been engaged. Her fiancé promised to love her forever, but in the end, his words were a lie. She ended their engagement because she found out he was cheating on her with a mutual friend.

The pain practically broke her. She spent months feeling like a gaping hole remained in her chest. Macha trusted her ex and loved him with all her soul. After the ordeal, she realized she had been a fool. She swore to herself to close her heart off and never love again. Her emotions were almost the end of her and no man was worth dying over.

The way Macha looked at him caused Tyr to worry. It made him feel as if he sprouted wings. Her request to get ready for bed seemed reasonable and he could wait until tomorrow to make love to her. "If you"re too tired that"s fine. Go get washed up. Did you want me to grab dinner from the mess hall for us?"

She nodded her head. She wanted to take a shower and have some time alone to sort out her anxieties.

A little while later, the warm water trickled down her body and she closed her eyes. Tyr"s face appeared in her mind and she gripped her chest above her heart. "Girl, get a grip," she mentally scolded herself.

People in this world lived so long, and she wondered if it was possible to be with the same person for hundreds or thousands of years. Despite living in this world, she refused to conform with their ways. Any man she married would not be able to date or marry other women.

She asked herself if she really believed Tyr could be with just her and no one else. A small ray of hope in the depths of her heart answered, "Yes."

Macha ran her fingers through her wet hair and looked at the green bottle that held his minty soap. Opening it, she breathed in the familiar scent and sighed. She did not want to fall in love again. By now she should have learned not to believe in that magical feeling.

Whenever she began to get attached to a man, they always wanted to break it off with her. Her loneliness was not anyone"s fault, that was just the way her past worked out. She had been tossed aside too many times to be so naïve. True love seemed to be an elusive dream for her.

She heard Tyr call her name, and she quickly finished up her shower. When she entered the living room, she saw that he already cut her steak up for her. She realized everything he did showed the depth of his affection. Macha gave him an uneasy smile and took her seat. "Thank you."

While they ate, her heart pounded against her chest. She felt her willpower being drained away and her emotions upset her. When she tried to list the reasons she should not love him, she found her excuses shallow.

The wine and mental stress caused Macha to become tired after dinner. She did not realize that she had been so exhausted from her travels and was thankful that Tyr was fine with her resting for tonight.

The bed was soft and his body warmed her heart. She fell asleep in an instant.

Tyr read a novel while Macha slept. He wondered what went through her mind tonight. She appeared to be on edge and worried about something. Eventually, it grew late, so he put the book down and turned off the light on the nightstand.

When he adjusted himself, so he could rest his head on the pillow, Macha snuggled closer to him. Like always, she slowly crept onto his side. It had been what seemed like an eternity since her body lay against his, so tonight he let her invade his part of the bed.

Tyr pulled the covers up, so she would not be cold. Leaning over, he gave her a gentle kiss and whispered, "I love you." As he leaned back down and closed his eyes, she murmured, "Love you too..."

A broad smile spread across Tyr"s face. He suspected that she loved him for a long time now, but she had never said those words to him. All of her actions proved her love for him and hearing the words, even if it was in her sleep, caused his heart to swell.

He turned back on his side to watch her dream in the darkness. Macha"s faint heartbeat could be heard in the still of the night and her soft breath tickled his chest. Tyr wondered what she dreamed about.

This moment was so perfect that he wished it would last forever. Whenever he was near her, peace filled him and he felt whole again.

****

The armor shop Tyr took Macha to was another off the beaten path establishment. This one had a small storefront with nothing but a front desk on the bottom floor. When they entered the doors, a woman greeted him warmly, "Captain Tyr, nice to see you again. What can I do for you today?"

He looked at his old acquaintance and nodded. Yejide shaved her hair since he last visited her. The short white hairs contrasted sharply against her dark tanned skin. "This is my girlfriend, Macha. I wanted to get her a custom-made armor set."

Yejide was surprised to hear that the Captain of the Obsidian Dragons found himself a new girlfriend. Being a long-term acquaintance of his, she knew that he was not an easy person to deal with.

When Fenrir broke up with him a few years ago, she a.s.sumed he would probably remain single. She made some equipment for his ex while they were together and Yejide quickly realized that the relationship was one-sided.

When she studied Macha, she noticed the woman held on to Tyr"s arm, not in a possessive way, but in a gentle manner. "h.e.l.lo. I"m Yejide, please come up." She led the two of them up a flight of stairs to a large sitting room.

"What type of fighter are you?" she asked Macha.

The shop had a different style than the one Tyr took her to last time. This store did not have any merchandise in it. Instead, there were many books that lined the walls. It almost appeared like a library to her. "I use daggers for now, but Tyr sometimes has me train with his lances."

Yejide got up and walked away without saying a word. After a little while, she returned, holding a stack of books. Putting them down in front of Macha, she flipped through them and pointed to a page. "I think this is a good style for you. Not this exact piece, but one that provides the same freedom of movement. I don"t craft any armor exactly alike and I tailor each item to the specific user."

Many people came to her shop expecting to order a replica of an armor she designed for someone else. When she refused them, they often got angry and left.

This woman seemed less like an armorsmith and more like an artist. Macha did not see any problem with her creating a custom piece. "You know more about armor creation than I do. If possible, I would prefer something in black because Tyr said it"s the best color for practical reasons, but if you disagree that"s fine."

After Tyr overheard her parrot what he declared months ago, his attention focused on the discussion. Previously he had been flipping through some files, seeing what armors Yejide created for other people. All the pictures in the alb.u.ms were records of her past works.

He quickly joined in their conversation, "Now, black was fine for the piece we had made, but you don"t need it to be that color anymore. You initially chose a dark blue, remember?" The last color he wanted Macha to get was black. He remembered how s.e.xy she looked in her armor and he did not want her looking that appealing while she was away from him.

Yejide understood that because of Macha"s small size and use of daggers, she would benefit from stealthier tactics. Many smaller framed people opted to learn magic or fight by surprising their enemies. "I think black is suitable for you. I"ll make it that color. What type of armor style are you using now and do you like it?"

The day continued and Yejide questioned Macha about her preferences. Eventually, she took measurements and talked with Tyr about any magical enchantments he wanted for the armor. She had been surprised when he ordered the pieces to be as good as the ones he uses.

When they left, it was late in the afternoon. The sun was setting, and the streets became lively with people heading home from their jobs.

Macha heard how much Tyr paid for the armor and felt guilty. The price he spent would have taken her years to gather even if she dedicated her entire salary to it. Each piece easily costed over ten year"s worth of pay for her. She tugged on his sleeve. "Are you sure you want to spend all of that money on the armor? You can use it for something more important."

Tyr patted her small hand that nestled in the crook of his arm. "There"s nothing else I wish to buy more than this. Besides, you have to be rewarded for what you confessed to me last night." He thought back to her confession of love. Although it had been declared in her dreams, it did not matter to him.

"What I said to you last night?" She did not understand what he was talking about. Her brows knitted as she tried to recall their conversation. In her opinion, she had been very distant.

After reflecting back on everything they said, she decided he must be referring to when she asked him if he missed her. Macha gave him a light kiss on his arm, "I did miss you while I was away."