20 Blissful Ignorance

Wrapped in a wool shawl, Lady Senisari stood on the wooden porch of the home she shared with Wylen and Jaelan. Her eyes were locked on the mountain range that stood like a bold tower on the horizon. Overheard the squawking of birds sounded as they flew in formation in search of warmer climates. The young woman drew the shawl closer over herself as a wind blew through the newly erected town. The air now cold and crisp, signaling the change of seasons.

Cool, blue eyes drifted to the ground, and a sigh escaped the former priestess' lips. A few wisps of hair flew free from their gathered bunch atop her head. The strands dull and lifeless. Dry skin stretched over her once plump and lively hands. She reflexively reached up and tucked the loose hair away before turning around and heading back inside the warm abode.

Jaelan watched her from several hundred paces away. His lips were drawn in a somber line.

"Jae, where's your head at?" Soral called out after realizing Jaelan wasn't following behind him. He turned around and frowned.

The slender warrior paused before turning and following his best friend. "I'm coming."

As the two of them headed down the mountain path, Jaelan silently gnawed on his bottom lip. The constant fussing and fidgeting he was partaking in were quickly getting on Soral's nerves.

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Alright, what is it?"

"What?"

"You clearly have something on your mind," Soral replied tersely. "If your mind is elsewhere, there is no way we'll be successful at catching something for dinner before the sun sets."

Jaelan scratched his forehead. "I'm sorry."

"What's going on?"

Licking his lips, Jaelan gave his childhood friend a sheepish look. "I feel guilty."

"For what?" Soral looked at him, astounded.

"Well," Jaelan stressed, "Here I am enjoying my life. I'm going on a hunt with you. I'm married to the man I have fallen in love with. We're expecting a child together…and everyone I love is safe and sound." He turned his head back to where they came from, "But she gave up everything. Her freedom, her life, and her family…"

Soral's features softened. He took a few steps closer to his friend and put his hand on a muscular shoulder. "Jae…"

"Do I deserve this happiness when in a few months she'll be dead?"

"Everything happens for a reason." Soral couldn't help but repeat the line everyone had been saying for months. "This was her fate."

"But why?" Jaelan's eyes grew hard. "I see her slowly wasting away day by day, Su."

"I kn—"

"She's a good person!" He gritted out and shook his head. "She shouldn't suffer this way!"

"Jaelan…" Soral didn't know what to say. It was the elephant in the room.

"She took my place." The young warrior finally admitted. His eyes closed, and he clenched his fists. "I was supposed to die that day. She saved my life in exchange for her own."

"She saved two lives." Soral reminded his friend, voice low. "Remember, it wasn't just your life at stake…but the bringer of nations."

"Yeah, that's what I kept telling myself all this time." Jaelan snorted.

A hawk cried in the distance, its shriek piercing through the chilly air.

"But are we sure?" He continued. "Or are you and the rest of them just saying that to excuse yourselves?"

Jaelan sighed and let his fingers play along the handle of his sword. He looked up at the grey sky. The clouds covered the large heavenly sea heavily that not even a trace of the clear, blue hue could be seen.

"What do you want me to say?" Soral grumbled, his hand fell away from Jaelan's shoulder. He crossed his arms and stared at the taller man. "Am I glad that it's her and not you? Yes!"

Jaelan flinched.

"I'm glad you're alive!" He shouted. "You can't imagine how happy I am that you can live, Jaelan." His shoulders shook as his emotions got the better of him. "When we were told you could die…do you know what that did to us? To your mother, sisters, me?"

The warrior remained silent, his eyes not meeting the other man.

"If they had told me I needed to kill seven freaking virgins so you could live…I would have done it," Soral whispered. "…You're my brother…I could never let you die—especially if there is something I can do to prevent it."

Jaelan looked up. His eyes wide as he stared at his best friend, mouth agape.

"So, don't you ever bring this up again." Soral hissed with watery eyes. "No one was forced into anything here. It was her choice to save you and the child. Remember that."

"Alright," Jaelan nodded. His guilt was still deep. "I won't bring it up."

"Let's go." Soral took a deep breath and began marching down the slope, his chest heavy.

Jaelan sighed and followed close behind.

It didn't matter what others said to him. The guilt was eating him up. Quietly he continued on the trail, deciding to push the matter aside for the time being.

A few hours later, Jaelan entered the home he shared with Wylen and Lady Senisari. In his hands two large rabbits.

"Hey," He called out to the young woman, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Jaelan," Senisari answered.

It had been about four months since the egg had been transferred into her, and finally, she was beginning to show signs of the child's growth. From her seat beside the fire, she watched the young warrior remove his boots and place the rabbits on a wooden table. He then walked over and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before taking a seat beside her chair.

Like clockwork, he picked up his small basket that contained his carving knife and a few projects and got to work—silently keeping her company while Wylen continued helping with the construction of the settlement. Her eyes fixated on Jaelan's latest piece of art.

For the next few minutes, she watched as the young warrior worked diligently at carving her an ornament for her hair. The knife moved expertly over the wood, making the task appear effortless. However, she knew that looks could be deceiving. It took a lot of work to carve masterfully.

The young woman watched him work fondly, one hand resting on her bulging belly while the other loosely played with the ends of her freed hair.

"Jaelan." She found herself saying after much time had passed.

The warrior looked to her, a smile on his face and eyes kind. "Hm?"

She bit her lip, wondering if she should let this beautiful man know of the last vision she had before the power of sight was lost to her. From when she had it, she still couldn't quite figure out the meaning behind the vision—that was the reason as to why she had kept it from everyone else.

Yet sitting here in the serenity of their new home and with the villagers bustling outside in their new mountain settlement, she decided it was best to let Jaelan know and make of it what he would.

She wasn't obtuse.

Even though Jaelan did his best to hide it, she could tell he was greatly bothered by her condition. And catching snippets of whispered conversation around the village, she was sure that the young warrior's heart was heavy.

No matter how many times she tried to reassure him, Jaelan was like a boulder, unbudging. He just sank deeper into the grime of guilt, unaware of how his countenance affected those around him. Lady Senisari thought he needed a good distraction to nudge him out of the slums of blame.

So reaffirming her resolve, she opened her mouth and spoke the last of her visions to the listening half-god warrior.