5. Sacrifice

SITARA

“What does this mean?” He asked.  

“I don’t know.”  I answered in a daze.  

But before we could say anything else, I could hear a commotion coming from outside the hut.  In the next heartbeat, two hooded figures entered the hut.  Johan and I jumped out of bed and in no time at all, he’s dispatched one of them.  He was magnificent as he blocked and parried, blow after blow.  He fought with the easy grace of the warrior he was.   

I held onto the blanket around me for dear life, unsure of what I should do.  He delivered a blow to his opponent’s thigh, bringing him to his knees.  He was about to deliver the killing blow when I felt the cold edge of steel against my neck.  

“One more move and I cut her down.”  Edain's voice spoke from behind me.  

Johan turned, a disbelieving look on his face and  gasped out,  “Why?”  

“Because,” I answered in a far away voice, “He wants to be laird.” 

“You are a sorceress.”  He sneered next to my ear.  I watched Johan’s struggle as he tried to figure out his next move.  I could see the question in his eyes.  Could he make it to me before his uncle stabbed me?  Could he risk it?  

The man struggled back to his feet and was about to stab Johan in the back when I felt a surge of power unlike any I've ever known before.   

I instinctively reached out a hand and screamed out “NOoooo.”   

I  watched in astonishment as the man was thrown back against the firepit.  I was as shocked as Johan and his uncle by this little power display.  Johan used his uncle’s momentary shock and moved forward.  His uncle, anticipating this, stabbed me in my lower back and threw me to the ground.    

“NO”   Johan screamed and looked down at me.  

His uncle took  full advantage of his distraction and buried his sword up to the hilt in Johan’s chest.  I watched in stunned silence as he fell to his knees, blood pouring out the side of his mouth.  

My father and Johan's father burst into the hut as Edain was about to take Johan’s head and cut off his instead.  Hjalmar dropped to his knees and took Johan’s dying body in his arms.  I tried to crawl over to where Johan lay dying in his father’s arms, but my body wouldn't move.   

“Father?” I plead, indicating Johan’s body.   

He picked me up and carried me to Johan without question.  I can always count on my father. 

At that moment, so very close to death, I no longer feared my power.  I looked within and embraced the light as well as the dark I felt resonating deep within and found limitless power.  My senses opened and I heard everything, felt everything.  I felt my father’s grief as well as Hjalmar’s.  I was a part of everything.  I felt the stars move and shift way up in the night sky as if holding their breath in anticipation.  In anticipation of what I would do.  I suddenly realized it wasn’t so much my power I was afraid of,  it was what I could do with it, what someone without morals or empathy could do with it.  

I raised my hand towards the bed and the dagger flew to my grasp.  I took Johan's hand and made a cut on his palm.  Then did the same to mine.  I looked up into my father’s teary face as I took Johan’s hand in mine and drew a circled triquetra on the floor with our commingled blood.   

“I call upon the power within and around me.  Bind our two souls into one.  When and where one is reborn, so too shall the other.  This is my dying wish.  Bonded in blood, we will always find each other in every incarnation.”  I vowed, pressing our bloody hands to the floor.   

As my words were spoken, I felt the universe rearranging itself to make my will happen, felt it release its breath.  The bloody triquetra lit up and the symbol floated up into the air, exploding into a flash of light, leaving thousands of fireflies like tiny orbs hanging in the air, then faster than the eye could see, they paired up and darted out into different directions.  Leaving one lone, pale orb hovering near the roof of the tent.  

“Eternally yours.”  Johan replied, drawing his last breath.  I lay in his arms as I felt my lifeforce leave my body.  My father fell to his knees next to me, holding on to my bloody hand for dear life.  

“I'm so sorry, father.” I gasped.  

“You knew?  And still agreed to the union?”  

“I wasn’t sure about the outcome, just one of my hunches.  But I know that the treaty is the only way to save our people, both our peoples.  The treaty between our tribes must be honored.  Edain was not working alone.  Promise me, both of you.”  

As I drew my last breath, I saw the look of disbelief on Hjalmar’s face as he held onto his son’s hand.  He nodded briefly to me, silent tears running down his face.  I turned to my  father’s grief stricken face and he nodded his agreement as well.  I felt the life drain out of me then, as if it was waiting for their agreement.  Felt my essence rise to form another orb and join the lone orb hovering near the ceiling.  

I could feel Johan’s and my essence in every single orb.  I was surrounded by a myriad of colors.  Vibrant blues, yellows, reds and greens.  One orb was traveling faster than light or sound, seeking, searching.  Looking for a place to call home.  I followed it to a bloody battlefield.  It slowed high above, somewhat drawn to the unfolding scene below and  flew straight at a warrior’s head.  I was about to follow it when I was sucked into another warrior’s head and felt my essence merge with theirs.   

I came back to my senses in the middle of the battle, disoriented and covered in blood.  I could smell it as well as taste the blood that covered my armor.  I am a warrior princess.  Literally, I’m a princess and a warrior.  But something feels wrong.  I know instinctively, we’re not supposed to be fighting each other.  This war was someone else's doing.  I looked up in confusion in time to see a 6’5 giant in a skirt cutting a swath through my soldiers.  My soldiers?...