章節 669: A Willing Sacrifice
"Repeat that," Isbora blinked.
"I killed Sir Taran. He turned himself into a monster and lifted me high into the air. I cut his wing and we both went plummeting to the ground. The only reason I am alive is because the fairy you met before helped me." Aurora explained as clearly and easily as she could.
Though there was nothing clear or easy about Taran's death.
"If you kill me, it will be like you killed him. Your mind can be at peace." Taking a deep breath, Aurora shed her hood and unwrapped her scarf.
Turning around, Aurora blew a kiss. "I love you," she said, knowing Devrim was listening. The woman held out her exposed neck. "My only request is that you make this quick."
Isbora nodded. She lifted her paw over the Empress's head. The sun glinted off her sharpened claws.
The Empress closed her eyes.
The bear roared. And then...
....nothing happened.
The woman waited. The roar turned into a growling that she couldn't understand. All the bears began to make noise.
Aurora began to shiver. Not from fear, but from the cold. At last, she felt a claw against her neck. But it was gentle and pulled her thick braid to one side. The Empress felt the gold chain slip from around her neck.
She lifted her head, genuinely shocked.
"Where did you get this?" The golden necklace hung from Isbora's nail.
Aurora hesitate, but chose not to lie. "I got it from my father, but it is originally from the Fates. They let me keep it since I am the leader of the human world."
"So it is a Fate's chain," Isbora's words caused the bears to break out into another frenzy of conversation.
"You know it?" the Empress was surprised.
"Know it! We helped the Fates forge them! My ancestors tended the fires and managed the steam to cool the molten metal. The effort turned us all black and filled us with unending heat. So when the work was done, the Maker gifted us with snow-white fur and a place which would cool our warm bodies." Isbora explained. "I have never seen one before, but the glimmer in the metal is the same as our fur in the summertime."
As it was not summer, Aurora would have to trust the bear's word. The corners of her lips turned up slightly. "Would you like to see another Fate chain?"
"You have another?" Isbora handed the golden necklace back to its owner.
"Not me. The Elven princess and the Fairy both have one."
"Three chain-bearers! Can it be?!" The she-bear fell on her bottom in shock. The ice reverberated and Aurora almost fell. As it was, the Empress was already getting very weak from standing.
"Brinn! Reyan! Please come and show the bears your chains." Aurora called over her shoulder.
Happy to have a reason to come to the Empress's side, both hurried with great speed. Before long, they were moving among the bears to show off the copper and silver that they possessed.
The snowy creatures all fussed over the revelation. Aurora tried to wait patiently, but eventually, her legs were ready to give out.
"I hate to bring this up, but I need to know where we stand. Or rather, my injured leg can stand no longer, and I must sit and find some warmth." Aurora tapped her wooden brace with her glove.
"You are injured! That explains your funny walk. Yes, we must complete our business. Now." Isbora lunged forward with frightening speed.
Aurora flinched. She had not expected such a decisive action from the seated bear.
Behind her, someone screamed. She believed it was Devrim. But there was nothing the Empress could do to stop the bear.
Two muscular arms wrapped around Aurora and pulled her forward. Suddenly, the Empress found herself in a furry embrace.
The scent of Isbora was clean and strangely comforting. Her belly felt like a fireplace or the sun on a summer day. It was warm and inviting. As Aurora adjusted herself, she found she was sitting in the she-bear's lap.
'How odd!'
"The way I figure it," Isbora lowered her volume so as not to hurt the lady's ear now that she was so close. "Yes, the way I see it, you avenged my child's death. How could I kill the one who took his murderer out of the world? On top of this, you have shown me a wonder of which my parents only dreamed. The Fate's chains are my kind's crowning glory, and you have brought us three to view. I can die happy now. So unless another really wants to sacrifice themselves by my hand, I will rescind my order for a human death."
"I do not think that will be the case," Aurora felt a great weight lift off of her shoulders.
And her weight being lifted onto someone else's.
"Come, Aurora," Isbora fell on all fours after placing the Empress's legs around her neck. "You need to return to your people."
The large bear carried her across the plain. When Isbora got to the fish, she stopped and sniffed at them. "What did you do to these fish?"
"We cooked, salted, and dried them." The Empress furrowed her brow. "I guess you don't like cooked food, do you?"
"You didn't poison it?" The bear continued to smell the food, looking for any contamination.
"Oh no! We were hoping you might fill your bellies on this and not eat...us. I can try a bite to prove it if you like." Aurora let go of her tight grip with one hand and held it out.
The she-bear lifted one of the small fish and turned her head to watch the woman eat it. Aurora did not realize how hungry she was as she gobbled up the small morsel in a couple of bites.
Satisfied, Isbora took one of the fish in her mouth. She chewed and grunted.
"It isn't fresh," the snowbear said at last, "but it isn't terrible. Thank you for the gift."
She communicated with the other bears and a few of them moved to try the peace offering as well. There would not be enough for all of them to feast, but that no longer seemed like it would be an issue.
When Isbora finally approached the barrier, Devrim only had his hand lightly resting on his sword. He still seemed wary of the monstrous beast, but the fact that his wife was alive and riding on the she-bear's back gave him hope.
The Emperor bowed. "Thank you for returning my wife," he said in human-speak.
"This is my husband," Aurora told the bear in the Ancient tongue. The more she spoke, the easier the words came. "He thanks you for returning me."
With Devrim's help, Aurora slid off the bear's back and returned to her sled. She was a little sad to leave behind the warmth, but the blankets felt comfortable and familiar.
"Who is pulling you along?" the she-bear sniffed at the small wooden sled.
"My men take turns." Aurora pointed to the soldiers. They had given the bear a wide berth when she came close.
"You all are walking to the South?" There was deep censure in the bear's voice.
"We have to restart the magic. We need to get to the Seed." The Empress wondered what Isbora was thinking.
"You will freeze to death before you get there. It is much too far for you two-leggers to walk. Did your...fairy...not tell you?" The bear still wasn't sure what kind of fairy was so large, but she had decided to accept the word for now.
"Reyan has only ever flown the path. He was unsure how long it would take to walk." Aurora pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
It was indeed very cold. Colder than it had been when they left the shore. She suspected it would be colder yet before they reached their goal.
"You need a better guide," the she-bear muttered. "And a better mode of transportation. I will be back."
Isbora ambled off.
Devrim leapt onto the sled and embraced his wife. "I am so glad you are well!" He was full of questions, but the biggest one came out before he could stop it. "I saw the bears' fascination with the Fate's chains. How did you know that the bears would know what they were?"
Aurora felt around beneath her and removed her favorite silk flower before getting comfortable. It had been sitting lightly in her seat holding her place for her.
"How did I know? I didn't. Isbora told me that the bears helped make the chains in exchange for the land they have here." Aurora watched her husband's face change.
Devrim furrowed his brow. "Wait, if you didn't know that they would spare you for the sake of the Fates, what exactly was your plan?"
Aurora smiled faintly. "I had hoped that my killing Taran would be enough to satisfy her. If not, I was fully prepared to rely on the Maker to return me to the land of the living."
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票