The Path to Destiny: Tia's Folly (8 page)

           
“
Seriously
?”
Tia choked in outrage.

           
“Yes, you see-“

           
“You
seriously
used this room as some sort of
pregnancy
test
instead of
asking
me to
allow a midwife to examine me?” Tia knew this was it.
She was going to strangle someone
!

           
At the stunned look Faye gave her, it obviously hadn’t
occurred to anyone to just
ask
her.
Barely resisting the urge to scream in frustration, Tia crossed her arms and
with a glare dared anyone to defend their actions.

           
“After so many years of war,” Cora, who had delivered her
here, replied sheepishly to the unspoken question. “The most obvious solution
to an answer is cast aside
because
of
its simplicity.”

           
“And I guess you tried to stop this from happening?” she
retorted, angry that her friend had allowed this.

           
“Of course!”
 
Cora gave the council an, I-told-you–so look
before she nodded at Tia and left the room.

           
“Tia,” Faye stepped forward and grasped her hands. “Your
anger is warranted, but right now there is too much we need to discuss.
Remember your training; Gatherer.”

           
The title was like a bucket of cold water being thrown on
a flame, she instantly calmed down. Seeing the worry on Faye’s face, Tia turned
and did a quick assessment of the whole room.

           
The signs of stress were present on every face she
examined. Tia felt her stomach drop. With a great amount of reluctance, she
asked the question she was sure she didn’t want answered.

           
“So… what have the Gods failed to tell me
this
time?”

***

           
“Tia! You must stop!” Roland hollered from his horse. He
had been alerted by the Falkeries – before she had even gotten out of the city
– of what had happened.

           
“I am going to the Centaurs!” Tia called over her
shoulder. “Come with me or stay!”

           
Catching up to her, Roland leaned over, grabbed her
horse’s harness and slowed them both down.

           
“The moment you step foot off of Falkerie land, the
Warlord will feel your presence,” Roland reminded her softly.

           
Pondering this dilemma, Tia wondered why it really
mattered anymore. It was obvious to everyone that her destiny was irreparably
linked to the Warlord’s.

           
Remembering that her best chance at survival lay with the
Centaurs, she shook off her hesitation and squared her shoulders.

           
“Then I guess we had best hurry,” she replied with a
furrow between her eyes.

           
“I love you,” Roland announced suddenly. “I will love
this child in your womb. You don’t have to do this!”

           
Tia briefly wondered if he was just telling her what she
wanted to hear after so many months of refusing to even see to her.

           
“The Phoenix will use this child to destroy the world.”
Tia shook her head; she wasn’t willing to let his words sway her. “I cannot
allow that to happen. I need the Centaurs to save me. I just know I will die
without them.”

           
Reaching over, Roland took her hand and raised it to his
face. Nuzzling the palm of her hand he took a deep breath and sighed.

           
“Then I go with you.”

           
“The Warlord will kill us if he catches us,” Tia reminded
him sternly even though she was secretly thrilled by his show of courage.

           
“I know.”

           
Threading his hand in hers, Roland pulled Tia closer to
him. Leaning over, he gently cupped the back of her head and kissed her.

           
“I will love you into the Afterworld,” he told her
between kisses. “I will love you no matter what. I am sorry I needed so long to
heal. I should have come to you sooner so we could heal together.

           
Tia felt her heart swell with joy at his words. She tried
to forget that his lips didn’t thrill her like Bylan’s once had. She really
tried
to feel the raw passion she had
been given a single taste of. With a mental shake of her head, Tia forced
herself to remember
that night
with
the Warlord. It was one endless blur of pain and humiliation. The raw passion
of the first time would
never
erase
the horror of the second.

           
“I love you too,” she whispered as she pulled back. “But
I have to do this. I don’t know if it is the right thing but the Gods have
forgotten
how
to show me my destiny.
If we do not do this, and I die, the Gods may further punish the Druid people.
I cannot live with more suffering because of me.”

           
“What if this
is
part of the Gods’ plan though?”

           
“They aren’t talking right now, are they?”

           
“Okay, Tia.
I love
you
and I will support you regardless,” Roland assured her. “We can stay
with the Falkeries. They will protect us.”

           
“We will talk to the Centaurs. If they refuse to help,
then we will return immediately,” Tia compromised. She was sure this had to be
the right thing to do…it made sense.

           
In agreement, they continued upon their way.
Companionable silence settled between them as they each considered how they had
come to be in this place and what the best course of action was. Shortly after
the sun set, they came upon the edge of the Falkerie land. Electing to go no
further that night, they looked for a safe place to make camp. They knew so
long as they remained on Falkerie land, they should be safe until morning.

Even so,
Roland decided that it would be prudent to forgo a fire
. They combined their bedrolls as they settled in for
the night.
Laying
on their sides, awkwardly snuggled
for warmth, neither found the rest they were seeking.

           
“I would like to bond with you,” Roland whispered huskily
in her ear.

           
“That is your right as my bonded,” Tia replied shyly.

           
“I don’t want you to bond with me simply because you have
to.” Roland rolled Tia over to face him. “I want you to bond with me because
you want to. I don’t want you to feel forced.”

           
Smiling, she leaned forward and gently kissed his lips.

           
“I have been waiting a long time for this,” she admitted,
softly rubbing his nose with hers.

           
Coming together softly, the pair made love gently. The
horrible night they had suffered through was slowly easing out of their mind as
they rewrote their physical memories. Though they would never forget that
night, this night was erasing the recall their bodies had. Clinging to each
other in the aftermath, each gently stroked the other.

           
Roland nearly hummed in satisfaction but Tia could only
sigh in disappointment.
Why
was Bylan
able to make her find a woman’s pleasure but
Roland was unable to?
Holding her bonded, she reminded herself that she was
joined to a kind, wonderful man, who deserved better than to be compared to the
man who had raped them.

           
“That was more perfect than I ever believed it could be,”
Roland whispered sleepily.

           
“It was gentle, we should always be so,” Tia replied a
little sadly.

           
She loved Roland, but the magic was missing from their
bonding. It had never occurred to her that the fire and pleasure of her first
time wouldn’t be repeated with her bonded. Unsatisfied and exhausted, Tia
closed her eyes and dreamt of Bylan; the man with the green eyes.

***

           
“There they are.” Roland pointed to a herd of Centaurs
late the next afternoon. “Let us go and greet them.”

           
Following his lead, Tia led her horse across a large
field towards the herd. Many of the Centaurs stopped to watch their progress,
too far away at that time to see their expressions, she brushed it off. As they
neared the herd, Tia saw first the large holes being dug and second, the
hostile looks being directed towards them. Only one Centaur galloped out to
meet them.

           
“You are not welcome here Druids,” he said, crossing his
massive arms across his chest. “We do not care what you have to say of our
plans now.”

           
“We are not here about your war plans,” Tia interrupted impatiently
as she moved forward, completely surprising the Centaur with her unexpected
statement. “I am here to speak to the midwives. It is well known throughout the
lands that Centaurs know more about pregnancy and birthing than any of the
other races.”

           
“Humph!” The Centaur replied even though he looked
pleased by her words. Turning to Roland, he asked. “What are
your
thoughts on our war preparations?”

           
“I don’t know what the holes are for, however, I know
very little about war strategy. Druids are the peacemakers; not fighters,”
Roland replied honestly.

           
“Will
you
be
here for the final battle?”

           
The Centaur’s question felt like a test. Hesitating, Tia
and Roland looked at each other for a few moments before turning back to the
man.

           
“We will, though we cannot say all Druids will be.”
Roland held the Centaurs stare unwaveringly even though his words bound him to
be present at the battle.

           
Squinting at them, the Centaur regarded them silently for
a few minutes. With a disgusted snort at their horses, he motioned for them to
follow.

           
“Druids are not the favorite among others right now,” the
Centaur informed them. “If the midwives decide to help you, that is their
choice, but do not be surprised if they will not even hear what you have to
say.”

           
“I understand,” Tia replied respectfully even as she
motioned Roland to stay behind her.

           
“Helena!” The Centaur called to a group of mares. “These
Druids
would like a word with you.”

           
With one last look of disgust, the Centaur rejoined his
men and was quickly replaced by Helena.

           
“Ironic,” Helena murmured, stopping in front of them. “We
have appealed to the Druids for help for the last five centuries but now that
we believe we can
win
this war…here
you are.”

           
“I am nothing more than an apprentice. I do not have the
power to talk to the Gods or decide what is right for the Druids,” Tia softly
informed her. “I am not here as a Druid but as a woman seeking help from
another woman.”

           
“I am intrigued.” Helena raised her eyebrows and took a
few steps closer. “Continue.”

           
“Forgive me for my bluntness but there is no pretty way
to say this.” Tia took a deep breath before continuing. “I was raped by the
Phoenix Warlord, Bylan. I have come to you for help because no one in all of
the lands knows more about birthing than Centaurs.”

           
Shock widened Helena’s eyes as the implications of the
statement set in.

           
“You cannot stay here!” She nearly shrieked. “Follow me!”

           
Turning and breaking into a canter, she called to her
group of mares to come to her. Tia and Roland rode behind the group to the edge
of the clearing before Helena stopped and circled back to them.

           
“You cannot come,” she ordered, addressing Roland. “There
are decisions to be made that men have no place in. Go back to the males, they
will see to you for the night.”

           
Tia nodded in what she hoped was a reassuring manner at
Roland and then followed Helena into the woods. The group ran at a grueling
pace that soon had Tia exhausted. The sun set and a few more hours of hard
riding took her to a small clearing where she was surprised to see a ring of
rocks. The mares ran straight into the ring and disappeared. Hesitating for
only a fraction of a second, Tia followed. She immediately had the sensation of
walking through frothy water only to emerge dry on the other side. As the sunlight
blinded her, she quickly drew her hood up over her head.