Violence & Roses

3. Present Day-3

“Which one should I choose?!” Mina begged Layluna for an answer, but ultimately knew only she could make the call.

“I can’t tell you that, bunny,” Layluna said through her own burgeoning tears. “Freya is your mare, and I can’t be the one to tell you what to do. I can tell you this, as a mother, I would have gladly given my life to save you. I truly believe any mother would tell you the same.”

This seemed to resonate with Mina, who bit her quivering lip to the point of drawing blood, and told her mother, “Save the foal.”

Layluna acted immediately and brought Beauty out from the sheath on her hip. She took in a deep, ragged breath and began an emergency cesarean on the mare. “Grab hold of the colt’s neck and front leg, Mina,” Layluna instructed. “When I tell you, pull as hard as you possibly can.” Mina positioned herself and grabbed hold of the foal as her mother split Freya’s belly up the center in order to free the tangled colt within. “NOW!” Layluna screamed, and Mina, sobbing, hauled the troubled foal out with all her might. The umbilical cord broke, and Layluna went to work cleaning the colt as soon as it was clear of Freya. Mina rushed to cradle Freya’s head in her arms and reassured her softly that she loved her dearly as the life left her eyes. Crushed, Mina wept from deep within her gut and refused to let go of Freya’s head. Layluna was able to get the foal up and standing right away, so she led it over to the barn and put it inside.

Upon returning, Layluna saw Mina still sitting there with Freya. She gently placed her hand on her head, stroked it a few times and gave her time to process. After a few hours, Layluna came back out with a blue, bear skin fur and draped it over her shivering daughter’s shoulders. “It’s getting cold out here. Can I convince you to come inside?” Mina did not answer, rather she hugged Freya’s thick neck and continued to whimper. Layluna had her answer.

The next morning, Mina was still out by the barn holding Freya. Layluna quietly came down and let the colt out to run free and frolic in the early morning fog. Then she brought Mina some water and pressed oats, but she refused both. “Eventually you will have to move past this Mina and lay her to rest.”

“How can I? I chose for her to die,” Mina finally said.

“You chose for her colt to live. That means he will live to grow up into a stallion and bring his mother’s and father’s essence into future generations. I’m very proud of you.” Layluna had never felt such pride. “Now, you’ve made the choice, and it’s time you stand by it. I think you should help me bury Freya.” Layluna was comforting, but firm.

“I killed her! How can I ever forgive myself?” Mina screamed inconsolably.

Layluna wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. “Let me see your hand; there’s something I want to show you,” she whispered into her ear. Mina allowed Layluna to take her hands and placed them softly on Freya’s head. “There’s a simple, but very powerful little spell I learned back when I was a child, and I want to teach it to you now. You can only cast it three times in your lifetime, and this will be my third; but I can’t imagine a more appropriate instance to use it. It’s called the undeniable truth, and that’s exactly what it will show you.”

Mina wiped the tears from her red and raw eyes, then tilted her head towards her mother. “What can the truth show me?” Mina sniffled. “The truth is, I killed her to save her colt.”

“The truth is not always a straight line, bunny.” Layluna squeezed Mina tightly. “There are many facets to the truth, but context and understanding can oftentimes be elusive.” She kissed the top of her head. “Here, let me show you. Close your eyes…” Mina closed her eyes along with Layluna. “Now picture Freya.”

“Okay, I am…” Mina wrinkled her brow in concentration.

“Keep your hands on her head and think really hard about what you want to know. Any questions you want answered, or memories you want explored…” Layluna said gently.

“I want to know— “ but Layluna silenced her.

“Shhhh, think about the question and memories; internalize them…”

Mina did as she was told, and Layluna began quietly chanting words repeatedly that were forever etched in her mind. Their hands began to glow, and Freya’s eyes shot open with twin beams of light that began projecting images on the fog. They were Freya’s memories with the stallion, Woe, who fathered the colt; and it was memories of Mina with them. The images struck her heart deeply, because she remembered seeing them from her own perspective. After a moment, Mina saw herself playing with the two horses in the summer moonlight, feeding them apples and pears and grooming them lovingly. Then it wasn’t just the images compelling Mina, it was the feelings and affection associated with them that suddenly flooded her senses. The love she felt for Freya and Woe, and the love they felt for her filled her with such an overwhelming sense of joy, she thought she might float away.

Then things darkened, and she saw Woe, cold and still on his side in the opposite stall to Freyas. Mina remembered how she felt when Layluna told her he had died, but it was absolutely soul crushing to feel that coupled with Freya’s sadness and loss as well. Tears streamed down Mina’s cheeks as her heart fluttered and wavered from the melancholy of the memory.

The story took another turn, and she was seeing Freya’s memories from the night before; the pain she felt, the fear for herself and her colt, and the sadness…it all hit Mina at once and she cried out. She tried to pull her hands off the mare’s head, but Layluna kept careful pressure on them so she could not. The sadness Freya felt was directed entirely at the weighty decision Mina had to make, and the mare desperately wanted to spare her that pain. This was like a massive load being lifted from her chest, but it was Freya’s certainty that she wanted Mina to save the foal—at the cost of her own life—that unburdened her heart profoundly. Freya’s dying wish was that Mina save her foal, and that’s exactly what she had done. Mina collapsed in her mother’s arms.

Layluna was also privy to the images, sensations and emotions, which gave her incredible insight into her daughter’s poignant lesson. They released their hands and Freya’s eyes went dark again, the two hugging each other tightly in the deafening silence. Layluna held Mina for a very long time, carefully choosing her moment to speak. “A mother wants nothing more than their children to be safe and loved. It’s all I ever wanted for you, and it’s all Freya ever wanted for her colt. You gave that to her.”

Mina turned and hugged her mother fiercely, crying tears of joy. “Thank you, Mommy. Thank you…”

“Of course, bunny. I would do anything for you.” Layluna kissed the top of her head again. “It’s how I knew Freya’s undeniable truth.”

Out of nowhere, Mina suddenly felt a cold, wet nose nudging her hand. It was Freya’s colt, tentatively probing her for need, while simultaneously showing her his trust and love. Mina scooped up his head in her hands and kissed him right on the lips, before almost hugging his head off. “Oh, you sweet boy!”

The colt then nudged his mother’s muzzle pitifully, but Mina was there to reassure him, “Your mother gave her life for you, and I will make sure that’s not for nothing. You are safe and loved.” The colt began to nudge Mina again, prompting another forceful hug from the girl.

“What will you name him, bunny?”

“His name will be Heartache,” Mina said confidently.

“I think that’s an absolutely beautiful name.” Layluna hugged her sweet child, knowing if any of the clans came looking for trouble, they would find it in her and Vasser.

Eighteen years passed in Val Tebrae and Reclon, where a hundred and eight had passed in the Mandala realm. The war between the clans raged on in Reclon, while in Mandala, Mina had become a fierce warrior, blessed with the advantage of both Pentavi and Sinteverete training. Choosing to remain a gorgeous thirty years of age, with long, straight jet-black hair and piercing emerald eyes, Mina flourished and shared a loving, wonderful and fulfilling life there with her parents. However, always looming was the reality that they might be discovered, or at the very least they would soon have to face the Elders again, and try to put an end to the war.

Vasser and Layluna cast the Eonian over Mina on her third birthday, and on her eighteenth, informed her of their complicated plans to unite the clans and kill the remaining eleven Elders. They explained where Vasser and Layluna’s trophy case containing the three collected heads of Layluna’s Elders was located; deep in the dark lands of Val Tebrae, within a magnificent slab of pale Pentavi granite, marked with a simple rune. Layluna had Vasser repair Beauty’s shattered granite blade and handed her down to Mina shortly after explaining her destiny. Mina took to Beauty like a bird to song and mastered her in no time at all. Beauty’s new blade still had the fatter, half spear-tipped end, and narrow neck carved from white Pentavi granite, but with serrations on the top side and poignant symbols etched into the surface. Beauty retained her original handle, which fit into Mina’s grasp like a lover’s hand.

Layluna was a proud, loving mother who beamed with pride every time Mina walked into view. She taught her absolutely everything she knew, and Mina was like a thirsty sponge, absorbing every detail.

Vasser was also a wonderful, patient and kind father. He loved Mina more than anything in the realms and it showed. He would spend hours upon hours training her, educating her, and teaching her about the Sinteverete—good and bad.

Mina couldn’t ask for more attentive, dedicated and loving parents. She flourished with them in the Mandala realm.

Many years later…Mina was in the garden with Layluna, toiling in the surprising heat of the neighboring blue dwarf sun, when a snowflake lazily landed on her nose. “What’s this? A snowflake in summer?” Mina proclaimed. Then it hit her like a bolt from the blue. “Nevuscar,” she screamed! Layluna snapped her attention towards the sky, and there, swirling above them, was the growing Nevuscar portal. Snow began pouring out of the massive black hole, freezing their crops, as well as their hearts.

“Well, well, well, there’s my favorite pussycat,” a familiar voice called out from between the blue corn. Bael, Vasser’s former second in command of the Nevuscar—now last in command—emerged from the center row n***d and covered in thick, corded scars, with a coarse coppery mohawk growing through the asphalt of his head as best it could. The only thing he was wearing was what looked like a sleek, maroon plate of etched armor around the back of his head that covered his ears. His filthy presence wilted the crop of corn with his toxic aura. “And look here. A Yasmani Ro.” He wagged his finger at Layluna, scolding her. “That’s a no no.”