Macha's Journey

The dirt tunnels were tight here, causing the team to walk sideways. As they walked along, Tyr felt a click come from below his foot. His body immediately descended, and he looked up, watching his sister"s terrified face become smaller as he fell. Rocks and soil sc.r.a.ped against his armor, slowing his fall. As soon as he landed, a wall of spikes flew at him.

His eyes became wide, and he quickly moved to dodge the pointed spikes that threatened to impale him.

"Tyr!" Luna cried from above. She had seen her twin disappear in front of her. It was too dark to see anything below, but she heard a loud crash. She fell to the ground and stretched her head into the hole, "Tyr!"

Krystof grabbed the chain that held her spell book, fearing that she would slip and follow her brother.

The spike stuck in him firmly, eliciting a growl from Tyr. It had gone through the gap just below his collarbone and it frustrated him that he did not dodge it. A brown aura engulfed him and he kicked the wall away from him. The spikes swung backward and released his shoulder.

"I"m fine," he hollered to his sister. He looked up at the opening and shook his head in dismay. It would be best if he jumped back up, but the hole seemed too tight for him to do so. He doubted he could gauge the correct path in the darkness and did not want to hurt himself trying. "Stay there as long as you can. I"ll see if I can find a way back to you."

Being alone in the tunnels was dangerous. He was not adept at finding traps and worried that he would set off every one he came across. For the most part, he possessed good reactions, but would only take one to kill him.

His shoulder bled, and he heated up the tip of his lance to cauterize the entrance and exit holes that the spike had made.

A long time pa.s.sed and Tyr sent Aži back to check on the party. He wanted to ensure that they were still doing fine. As he waited for his friend, the sound of shuffling came from the darkness behind him. Without delay, he spun around and turned off the light that hung from his neck. The lights were helpful for finding traps and seeing what surrounded you, but they also acted as beacons for any attackers.

While he could use magic to sense the heat given off the bodies that were approaching, the soft glow would also reveal his location in the darkness. Instead, he waited for the enemy"s light to give away their position.

A few moments after he turned off his light, he saw a faint red line appear around a bend in the distance. It came from the direction Aži had flown.

The pa.s.sageways were wider here, so he crouched down and drew his lances.

He heard whispers, but could not make out what was being said. Now he worried that Aži would fly into them on his way back. He had sent the wyvern out a while ago and knew his friend would be back shortly.

Deafening his footsteps, he made his way to the party that approached. Tyr crouched down and pulled his lance back. If he lined it up properly, he could impale four heavily armored soldiers. By the sound of the footsteps, he judged that there were at least three, but he was unsure how many people actually headed towards him. They all stepped lightly, barely making any sound.

Just as he was about to envelope his arm with magic to strengthen his attack, he heard a familiar speech pattern. Fear gripped his heart and his face became white in the darkness. The party continued to come closer with every second and he held his breath, straining to make out the words being said.

"It says he straight in front of us. Hopefully, that means we"re getting close." Macha"s hand shook, and she felt as if they were nearing their goal. Since they entered the tunnels, she found it difficult to keep track of how much time pa.s.sed. Based on their sleep patterns, she guessed they had been below ground for at least a week.

A faint red line glowed before them and everyone stopped, drawing their weapons. "Macha?" Tyr"s voice cut through the darkness. It was filled with hope, worry, and longing.

Macha pushed Alcinous out of the way and ran towards the illumination while keeping her ring in front of her. "Tyr, is that you?" she cried out. Although she asked, she already knew the answer to her question. She broke out into a frenzied run, headed for the red light that matched her"s.

As she drew closer, Tyr lit his necklace and saw the woman he fantasized about every single day. She fell into his arms and he hugged her, scared that she would disappear like a wisp of smoke. She was crying tears of joy and pulled him down so she could shower his face with kisses.

After a few seconds of bliss, he remembered that she was with him, which meant she was in the middle of the war zone and her life was in danger. He pulled her back, having to rip her away from him. She began to protest, but he interrupted her, "What are you doing here? You should never have come!"

Tyr"s words came out harsh and the scolding caused her lashes to lower. He had never spoken to her so sharply before and it made her nervous. Glancing up at him she explained, "But, they said you were dead and I knew you weren"t. Freyr asked me to come and get you." She realized she was pinning the blame on Freyr, but Tyr looked so angry.

When Macha mentioned that Freyr requested for her to come, Tyr shook his head in disbelief. He instructed his cousin to keep her safe.

The vein in his forehead popped up and without thinking, he growled loudly, "Why the f.u.c.k would he do that? Why would you even listen to him? Do you think I came out here and endured being away for three years just to have you come and get yourself killed? I could"ve had you join me from the start if I wished for both of us to die here!"

As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted saying them. He just reunited with Macha and now his temper had hurt her feelings. Her usually relaxed face contorted from trying to suppress her tears.

In a broken voice, she said, "I"m s-sorry. W-we just wanted to you alive..." Her lower lip quivered. This was not how she imagined meeting him would be.

Tyr drew in a sharp breath. He ma.s.saged her shoulders while he pleaded, "I"m sorry. I didn"t mean it like that. Seeing you is the best thing to happen to me in three years. It"s just so dangerous out here. Don"t you understand I never wanted you to come out here?"

He held her hands and kissed them enthusiastically. "Forgive my temper, please? I"ve been under a lot of stress."

Macha gave a little nod and hugged him. "I"m sorry. I knew you"d be mad, but I needed to save you if I could…" It was wrong of her to shove all the blame on Freyr. She decided to find him on her own.

The Gabris family stood stunned at the interaction. All of them had seen Captain Tyr at one point or another and did not expect him to act like this with the small woman. Alcinous stepped forward, "Lord Valois, I"m so glad to find you in good health. What happened to your sister?" he inquired.

Tyr"s eyes ripped away from Macha. They widened when he recognized Alcinous. With genuine warmth, he addressed the man, "Lord Gabris, you have my thanks for accompanying Macha and seeing to her safety." He did not know about the Sathar, so he asked with bewilderment, "But why would you come?"

The question was a tricky one. He and Freyr decided it was best to lie, "The King requested all of us to a.s.sist in the rescue mission. We"re not as strong as you, but couldn"t let her venture out here on her own."

His cousin"s hodgepodge group seemed like he was sc.r.a.ping the barrel. It only further annoyed him that Freyr would send Macha out here with such a thrown together team.

Speaking in his usual direct and cold manner, Tyr answered the man"s original question, "I fell down a trap. She"s above us."

Aži came flying past the Sathar and landed on the ground next to Macha. He was surprised but glad to see her. He licked her hand before turning his attention to Tyr. The wyvern gave a soft purr and used his tail to salute, indicating that the group was waiting in the same spot.

Tyr nodded with understanding. He rose from his knee and announced, "They"re still where I left them. It"s exceptionally risky to jump back up because the hole is small and there"s too little visibility because of the darkness."

Alcinous clapped his hands together, "All right. We"ll make our way back to your unit but stay behind us. The King has given us specific orders." Now that they found Lord Valois, they needed to ensure they got found his sister, Luna.

When Macha witnessed how Alcinous acted, she wrinkled her nose. His personality seemed to make a complete overhaul. She glanced at Tyr, but he did not seem to find anything off with the way the jerk acted. Despite wanting to say something, she kept her mouth shut. She had promised to keep their ident.i.ties a secret.

As they walked through the tunnels, Tyr reached behind him awkwardly. He yearned to feel Macha"s warmth. It was always a worry in the back of his mind that the years spent apart would make his affections odd between them.

When she saw him extend his arm towards her, she shyly reached out for him. It had been a while since they shared small interactions like hand-holding. His strong hand wrap around hers and filled her with relief.

Ullr"s words over the past few years made her fear that Tyr might not love her anymore. This simple action proved he continued to care for her.

He looked behind him when Macha"s fingers touched his. At first, he worried things would not be the same. They had been apart longer than they were together and he realized they both changed a little. Despite the years that pa.s.sed, he still loved her as strongly as he did when he left. It relieved him that things did not appear to have changed with their relationship.

The security that her small hand offered him caused the corners of his lips to turn up. Although they were not in Ma.r.s.eille, being with her made him feel like he was already home.