Lilly struggled to enter the dream, her emotions shattered by what had happened. When she finally reached the temple of Ulustrah, she nearly lost her focus twice as she waited for Ayawa. Ayawa finally appeared, and Lilly ran to her with tears in her eyes, her hands trembling as she broke down.
“Lilly, what’s happened?” Ayawa asked as Lilly fell into her arms.
“I couldn’t stop them!” Lilly sobbed. “They made me do it! But I don’t love him!”
Ayawa's heart froze to hear that combination of cries as a terrible image of what had happened played through her mind. An icy chill crawled across her skin as she hugged Lilly tightly and urged her to calm down.
“Please, child, calm yourself and tell me what happened,” she urged.
Lilly did her best to calm, but the pain was so recent it was hard to set aside. She finally managed to slow her speech and told Ayawa that the Doan had betrayed her. She had been forced to marry a Doan man and very nearly had to marry one who had very dark desires for her. Ayawa was shocked and nearly faded out of the dream, but she managed to hold on and press Lilly for answers. Lilly explained the festival and the singing and how she didn't know it was some form of public declaration of intent. She found herself trapped in a situation where if she defied their ways, she would be killed and the wise ones disgraced. All the power would go to a beast of a man who only wanted savage war, and it would begin before Lilly had located the missing army.
Ayawa asked why she didn't take her dragon form and assert her dominance, and Lilly had to hang her head in shame. She told her of the collar and how she couldn't get it off, trapping her in an unwinnable position.
“You poor child,” Ayawa cried and hugged her.
“Ayawa!” Lilly sobbed. “What am I going to tell Gersius?”
“Shhh,” Ayawa insisted and steadied her heart for the next question. “Has this man soiled you?”
Lilly nearly burst into tears again and explained that Hurrock was a very good man. He had made her a separate bed and refused to lay with her. He insisted that Lilly was indeed his wife and she should lay with him but would not force it on her.
The wave of relief that washed over Ayawa was intense, and she steadied her heart to hear the rest. This Hurrock was a chieftain of the stone maw clan, and Lilly was now a wife of it. By some strange Doan custom, she was bound as a wife to his line until she died, meaning that there would always be a Doan man who claimed her as his wife.
“None of that matters,” Ayawa insisted as she felt Lilly's emotional pain. “They can claim whatever they want; all that matters is your binding to Gersius. A song and duel aren't going to change the fact that you share one soul with your true husband.”
Lilly nodded in understanding and knew Ayawa was right. She was joined to Gersius in a way that no other being could challenge, and that power was a part of her being. Still, she felt shame that another man could claim to be her husband, even if it was done in such a backward way.
“There's more,” Lilly said and stepped out of her arms. “And I don't want to tell you because I fear it will break Gersius's heart.” She saw the concern and uncertainty in Ayawa's aura, but the woman insisted Lilly explain herself.
“Gersius’s sister, Sophia is alive,” Lilly began. “She is Hurrocks first wife.”
Ayawa nearly faded from the dream, but she focused her will on the temple and managed to cling to the connection. Shed came back and demanded to know more about Sophia. Lilly said that the woman had been captured at Illian by Hurrock, and as part of their culture, he had the right to claim her as a slave. She was quick to explain that Sophia was treated like a wife and even stood as a member of the wise ones. She was happy and helpful, though she wondered why Gersius would take a dragon for a wife.
Ayawa shook as Lilly explained how Sophia and Hurrock had warned her that the wise ones were planning to betray her. Days ago, they had sent a messenger to alert the dragons to her presence so one of their kind could come to deal with her. They were playing a game by accepting her in, using it as a pretense to keep her occupied. The collar was part of that trap, used to ensure Lilly didn't run before a dragon got there to kill her.
“Lilly, you have to flee now!” Ayawa said. “Run on foot if you have to, but go!”
“I can't,” Lilly sobbed. “They watch me night and day. If I try to run on foot, they will catch me. My only hope is Hurrock can get the collar off.”
“How is he going to get it off? Does he have the key?” Ayawa asked.
“No, the wise ones have the key,” Lilly replied. “But Hurrock stole some tools and said he could break the lock. But it will make a lot of noise, and he is looking for some way to get me out of camp or disguise the noise. Even if he can break it, I still can't go. I have to learn where the missing army is. They are waiting for a messenger to arrive today or tomorrow. The dragon might be three days away, I have to take the risk or everything I have done will be a foolish waste.”
“If you die, Gersius and the others will die with you,” Ayawa insisted.
“If I run now, they may die anyway,” Lilly argued back.
“What do you mean?” Ayawa asked as Lilly’s demeanor changed.
“I have heard them bragging,” Lilly explained. “They have something planned that they are confident will not only destroy Gersius and his army but leave the empire defenseless. They boast that the empire's days are over and that it will soon be swept away. They are confident the empire will fall, and I will be helpless to do anything about it.”
“If they ever learn that you can warn us through the dream, they will not hesitate to slit your throat,” Ayawa stated. Lilly nodded in understanding but continued her tale. The Doan believed they had the means to destroy Gersius, and it all depended on that third army. There was something special about it that they hadn't revealed, but it filled them with confidence. They were sure that if they could close the trap, Gersius and his wives would be no more.
“I have already warned him that they are planning something,” Ayawa countered. “He has tripled his scouts, and we are arriving in our final camp tonight. Once we are dug in, they will find us hard to dislodge, and we will have plenty of warning.”
“I don't know,” Lilly replied. “They are so sure everything is going according to plan, and soon Gersius will be dead.”
“They are boasting to upset you,” Ayawa insisted. “This could be a ploy to demoralize you before handing you over to the enemy.”
“I can see their light, they are either telling the truth, or they believe they are,” Lilly countered. “They well and truly believe the war is won, and the empire is about to fall.”
Ayawa felt a tension in the pit of her stomach as Lilly explained the confidence of the wise ones. It was unlikely they would boast if the outcome was uncertain. This missing army was the source of all their problems, and Lilly was the only one who could find it. It was a terrible risk for her to remain, but she couldn't escape anyway. Until that collar was off, she was a prisoner and had to play her role. Thankfully she had two people she could trust who were willing to help her getaway. The only concern now was how she was going to tell Gerisus that Lilly and his sister were Hurrocks wives.
Ayawa started to feel the strain of being in the dream for so long and gave Lilly one last hug.
“Be careful,” Ayawa urged. “And escape as soon as you can.”
Lilly clung to her and cried as she finally lost control. She bolted upright as if waking from a nightmare to discover Gedris and Tavis asleep at her side.
Ayawa raised a trembling hand to her forehead and looked about the dark tent, wondering what to do. How would she stand before Gersius and relay what Lilly had told her?
“Gedris,” Ayawa whispered as she leaned over her sleeping wife. “Gedris, I need you.”
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The woman's eyes came open, and she slowly turned to face Ayawa. There was a soothing smile on the woman's face as she reached up with loving arms to welcome Ayawa into a hug.
“Did you see Lilly?” she asked.
“I did, and what she told me has dire consequences,” Ayawa replied, changing Gedris's demeanor immediately.
“Oh, what did she say?” Gedris gasped and sat up.
“Not here,” Ayawa replied and pointed to Tavis. “He has been training hard all day and needs his sleep. Will you come with me to stand before Gersius? I don’t have the courage to face him alone.”
Gedris nodded, and the two quickly dressed before heading out into the cool night air. Ayawa trembled as they crossed the camp holding hands while Gedris tried to reassure her. This was going to be a conversation she would rather not have, and she had no idea how he would respond. Too many sources of pain were at play, and he was already on edge about the warnings Lilly had already delivered. They arrived at the meeting tent and stood outside the door to hear two people talking. Thayle and Gersius were awake and just inside as if waiting for her to come.
“I have never had to deliver a report like this,” Ayawa said. “And never to somebody I cared so much about.”
“Be strong,” Gedris urged. “You are the strongest woman I know, and I love you.”
Ayawa took a deep breath and nodded before throwing up the flap to the tent.
----------------------------------------
Gersius stood at a long table in the center of the room reading reports that the north was quiet. There were no signs of the Doan, dragons, or anything to report. He had dared to send dozens of men and women out, scouring the land right to the foot of the mountains, and yet they still found nothing. If the Doan were here as Lilly suggested, they were still well hidden and biding their time.
Thayle sat on the table, watching him pour through the dispatches, and offered encouragement. She did her best to be his moral support as he felt the absence of Lilly deeply. He worried about her night and day, unable to sleep while she was gone. He had devoted many hours to planning her rescue by flying over the borders on Sarah with a contingent of soldiers on her back. He pondered how many men he would lose in the effort and if those deaths were justified. Lilly had chosen this course of action of her own free will, and sending men to their deaths over it felt morally objectionable.
“Because it is,” Thayle said as she read his thoughts. “We have to trust her and put our faith in the divines. They must have meant for her to do this.”
“I know that makes perfect sense,” Gersius replied as he considered how the divines had aided them in their journey. “But it does nothing to ease the worry. My Lilly is with our enemy on the eve of the bloodiest battles of my life breaking out. Will they take their vengeance out on her if I win these battles? If I lose, will they mock her for her faith in us?”
“You can't think like that,” Thayle said, but her voice lacked conviction. She took a moment to clear her head, then urged him to be strong. “I miss her too, and every day she is away gnaws at my soul. I don't know what I will do without her. I need her back before I go mad with worry.”
“Sarah is suffering for it as well,” Gersius said and looked up to reach across the bind. He could feel his distant wife flying in the north as she searched the mountains for the missing army. Even from this distance, Gersius could feel her pain and knew she was likely crying in frustration over not being able to recover Lilly.
“We are all hurting inside,” Thayle said. “It's natural to feel this way when somebody you hold dear is in harm's way, and you can't do anything about it.”
Gersius let out a tired sigh when the tent flap opened, and two figures stood at the entrance. He immediately saw the worried look in Ayawa's eyes and the conflicted light that was her aura. Gedris was with her, holding her hand and likely acting as support. He immediately knew that she had something to report and was afraid of how he would respond to it.
“Let her speak before you jump to a conclusion like that,” Thayle urged him silently over the binding of souls they shared.
Gersius nodded and raised a hand to beckon them forward, waiting until they were closer before speaking.
“Have you spoken with Lilly?” he asked, in as soft a voice as he could muster. Inside he wanted to demand answers as the woman's light spoke volumes about what she was about to say. He noticed Ayawa grip Gedri's hand more tightly as she took a trembling breath.
“I did speak with her,” Ayawa replied and tried to settle herself. “And Lilly is in grave danger.”
“What?” Gersius snapped as Thayle dropped from the table. She was at his side in a moment, taking an arm and clutching him as if to help him stand firm.
“Let her finish,” Thayle urged as Gersius nodded again.
“Please, explain,” Gersius urged, but his voice was strained.
He listened as Ayawa began a report of how Lilly had discovered the Doan were planning to betray her. They had sent a messenger days ago to find their dragons and tell them of Lilly's presence. Thayle gasped and looked to Gersius as he trembled in fear for his wife. He asked why Lilly hadn't fled and come back and was double shocked by the answer. Ayawa explained that the Doan had forced a metal collar around her neck, and Lilly could not remove it. As a result, she couldn't take her dragon form, and fleeing on foot was impossible.
“We are going to get her tonight,” Gersius growled as Thayle tugged on his arm.
“Don't be so hasty yet,” Thayle demanded and looked to Ayawa. “There must be more to this we haven't heard yet. For example, How has she learned of this plan?”
“That’s something else I shudder to tell you,” Ayawa said and shook her head.
Gersius felt his anger building as Ayawa explained the next terrible situation. Lilly had run afoul of some Doan custom and been trapped in an impossible situation. She was given to the camp as a wife, and men fought over her to see who would become her husband. He seethed with an anger that made his aura glow bright red, and when Ayawa said that she had been taken by a chieftain, he slammed the table with a fist. The table cracked and crashed to the ground in a tremendous clatter, causing the guards outside to rush in. Thayle quickly sent them away, then turned to Gersius to hold him steady.
“Control your anger, please,” Thayle begged. “Sarah will feel that spike of rage no matter how far away she is. She might come racing back to find out why you are so upset.”
“Of course I am upset,” he roared. “Lilly is being raped!”
“No!” Ayawa quickly cut in and nearly withered under his angry gaze. “Lilly made it very clear that this man has refused to lay a finger on her. In fact, he and his first wife are helping her. They are the ones who delivered the warning about the wise ones and urged her to run. This man's name is Hurrock, and by Lilly's account, he has even gone to the lengths of stealing tools to try and get her collar off.”
“Oh, thank the divines,” Thayle gasped and took a moment to steady herself. “So, did she say why they are helping her?”
“It is probably another deception of Doan,” Gersius growled. “They must know she is talking to us somehow, and they are layering her with lies.”
“Lilly has the aura sight,” Thayle reminded him. “They can’t lie to her.”
“I have more to say,” Ayawa said as Gedris supported her. “Gersius, this is going to shock you to the core, and I am very sorry.”
He turned away and closed his eyes, doing his best to try and calm himself. If Lilly being claimed by a Doan chieftain as his wife wasn’t bad enough, then what was?
“What else did you learn?” he said in a voice that lacked all emotion.
“Hurrock's first wife is your sister Sophia,” Ayawa said.
Thayle stepped away from him as his anger became painful. He stood in silence, but every muscle of his powerful frame trembled with rage.
“You are sure?” Thayle asked when he didn’t speak.
“All I know is what Lilly told me,” Ayawa replied. “If it helps at all, it appears that Sophia is happy and thriving. Lilly said she was even a member of the wise ones, and this Hurrock treats her as well as you treat your wives. Maybe that's why he fought for Lilly and made her his wife. He might have been trying to protect her out of respect for Sophia and her connection to you.”
Gersius heard her explanation, but it did nothing to settle his anger. His sister and his wife were the prizes of some Doan warlord. He couldn't accept that he had failed so horribly or that anything good could come from this situation.
“You haven't failed!” Thayle shouted at him. “Gersius, stop blaming yourself for things you had no control over. You may as well blame yourself for bad weather and poor harvests while you're at it.”
“Is there anything more?” he asked while refusing to turn around so they wouldn't see him crying.
“Only Lilly's warning that the Doan are certain you will be destroyed,” Ayawa said. “They are so confident that they are boasting about it to Lilly. They talk like it's already too late.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Gersius replied and took a deep breath. “Now, I need to be alone.”
Thayle thanked them and hurried them out before going to his side. Gersius was grateful for her touch and silence as she hugged him. He was too emotional for discussion or words for the moment, but that quiet warmth she gave him did wonders. He stood there as the tears rolled down his cheeks, doing his best not to make a sound. Thayle stroked his chest, and she, too, began to cry, the pain of the news being too much to bear. It was no surprise when Sarah arrived an hour later, rushing into the tent to demand why they were so upset.
Gersius couldn't answer her question, so Thayle did her best to walk Sarah through what had happened and the danger Lilly was now in. She also told Sarah about Gersius's sister and how he had never forgiven himself for her loss. Finding out she had been taken as a prize by the Doan was a wound too far.
“We are going to get her?” Sarah asked. “She can’t be allowed to remain if the dragons are coming.”
“But Lilly was insistent the Doan were going to launch their attack at any time,” Thayle replied. “It will take us a full day to get there and another to get back. If that attack comes while we are gone, the empire will surely fall.”
“We cannot go after her,” Gersius replied in a voice that lacked any conviction. “We have to trust the divines to get her out. Maybe this man will be able to remove the collar, and she can escape.”
“You trust a Doan man who has taken your wife and sister as his own to save her?” Sarah snapped.
“What choice do we have?” Gersius asked. “Thayle is right, something is about to happen, and Lilly has been sending us nothing but warnings. We might lose everything if we are out of place when the blow comes.” He turned and stormed away, going into the landing tent only to stop as his hands curled into fists. A wave of remorse and anger poured over the bind like never before as Gersius threatened to break. “Why?” he looked to the heavens and cried. “What good can come from you sending our wife to our enemies?”
“Oh, Gersius,” Thayle sobbed and ran to his side. “They have not let us down yet. Please, trust in them a little longer.”
“I just want her back,” Gersius replied and turned to hug Thayle. “I need her back in my arms where she belongs.”
“We all need her back,” Thayle sobbed as Sarah joined their hug. For the next hour, they wept and shared the pain of Lilly being in such danger. It gnawed at them until Sarah broke, demanding to know why the divines had sent this punishment on them.
Gersius felt the same sentiment, but inside there was turmoil. He was reminded of when Sarah was wounded and trapped in the dream and how he had responded. He turned to her and took her into his arms, stroking her back as he tried to reassure her. He reminded them both of the terrible risks they took to save Sarah, flying into what was essentially a suicide mission.
“And look what came out of that,” Gersius said as he struggled to sound confident. “Not only did we recover some of the seals and fulfilled a step of the prophecy, but we found your daughter.”
“Rose,” Sarah said as she looked deep into his eyes. “But what good did finding her do us? We failed to reach her, and she flew off to join the enemy.”
“She gave you a flower,” Gersius reminded. “She had a chance to kill you, but instead, she longed to share in the simple experience of giving her mother a gift. We did reach her. It just hasn't broken the chains yet.”
“Do you honestly think so?” Sarah asked with a hopeful voice.
Gersius looked at Thayle, who was smiling in approval of his sudden return to his senses. Of course, they were in pain over the situation, but they had to see this through. Lilly's simple loving actions had proven to be the catalyst of good things before. He had to hope that it would be so again.
“I believe Rose is conflicted and looking for answers,” Gersius replied. “That she returned to the valley only shows she is desperate to learn more. If we can put an end to this war and find her again, I suspect she will be ready to talk.”
“If she survives it,” Sarah replied and clung to his chest, her eyes full of tears. Gersius picked her up and carried her to the middle of the yard, where they sat to look at the stars. How they wished to see Lilly flying through the sky, returning to the arms that needed her. He sat with Sarah at one side and Thayle at the other, his arm around his two wives as they watched. Somewhere out there was a piece of their heart, and they reached to the divines to beg them to bring it back.