9 Chapter 8

Nevetharine swallowed a lump in her throat as she remembered the incredible pain that poor sacrificed woman must have endured.

She shut her eyes and felt her heart rate increase as she struggled to change her train of thought. She began struggling for breath.

Then, a blackness entered her mind. It was as if someone pulled the curtain down over the images and painful feelings. Instinctively, she knew who did it. She slowly opened her eyes, only to get lost in Meredith's black pools.

"Indeed. Great Mother, Old Mother, Earth, Life, whatever you want to call her. She has been named many things over the eons."

"She's real?"

"Aye. All you have to do is look around to see her. Look at the sky and you see her. Look at the ground and the trees and whatever is left in this wretched place and you will see her. She is everywhere, yet right now, she is nowhere. She is trapped, sleeping, and dying a slow, tortured death. And nobody can save her, except herself. My dear sister."

Nevetharine's eyes widened. "She's your sister?"

"She is my twin sister in fact. We are as opposite from one another as East from West and yet without one another there is no balance in the world, clearly…" she pointed to the forest outside. "Did you know that Vudreigh was once a beautiful green kingdom, filled with all manner of strange and wonderful beasts? The whole of Narana once looked as beautiful as Eryos, but look at it now. All that's left of it is a barren land filled with death and sorrow. She's dying, and so are all her thousands of children."

"Who's dying?"

An expression of melancholy set in Meredith's face. "The planet,"

Nevetharine frowned. She didn't quite grasp how a planet could have a gender. She then remembered the tea. She took the cup in her hands and took a sip. It tasted aromatic and flowery. The tea made her smile. "It's delicious."

Meredith had a strange smile on her face. "Really? You used to hate it."

Another frown. "What do you mean?"

Meredith shook her head and stood up from the table. "Nothing. I'm going to give you two potions to take with you back to town. Now, you must pay very close attention…" she walked over to the shelf on the wall.

She brought back two small bottles that couldn't have had more than a quarter cup of liquid in each. One had a clear blue fluid in it and the other had a clear red fluid.

She lifted up the bottle with the blue liquid, "This is enough for three doses. Take one dose every evening before you retire," then she lifted up the bottle with the red fluid, "This is a single dose and very powerful. You must only drink this when you are in danger, do you understand?" She put the potions in a small satchel.

"What is it?" Nevetharine slightly shrivelled her nose at the potions, or maybe it was because she was expected to go back to town.

Meredith handed her the satchel without answering her. Nevetharine took it without reluctance, which bothered her. How did this woman get inside her head so much, in such a short time, that she just blindly trusted her?

"Please forgive me for being rude, but you had better get back to town. They most likely already know you are missing. The longer you stay away, the bigger the punishment. I don't want you to endure more punishment than you already take."

"You're just sending me back out there?" Nevetharine felt offended that this woman went through all the trouble of having her come here, and now she's just sending her back out there to die.

"I cannot help you right now, Nevetharine. I know you won't leave Meena behind. Besides, you're just not…ready."

"Ready for what?"

"…Letting go of everything you know."

Nevetharine stood up from the table and walked out the door. Her body was responding to Meredith's command, but her mind was resisting. "What are you talking about? I'm fine!"

"We will see each other again when the time is right."

Nevetharine felt desperation setting in. If she was able to help her and Meena…"Please, don't do this…" But she didn't see an ounce of sympathy in Meredith's eyes. Seeing that it was useless, she walked out and Meredith closed the door behind her.

Nevetharine sighed. How was she supposed to find her way back through this never-ending maze of trees? Who does Meredith think she is anyway? And even more importantly, why was she even so angry with her? She seemed pleasant enough and she didn't owe her anything.

'It's not her you're angry with…'

The voice...She wanted to ask Meredith about it. Nevetharine swayed around to knock on the door, but the cottage had disappeared.

Her mouth fell open and disappointment set in, along with a deep-seated feeling of…loneliness? How was it possible that she could feel so attached to Death?

She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands. Was Vudreigh affecting her mind now, too? A sickening feeling set in. She wished Meredith stayed. The cold that's been there all along felt even colder now. She turned back towards the forest and all of a sudden she was staring at the city's stone walls. She looked back over her shoulder and saw the Hollow Forest behind her. The phials of liquid were still in the satchel that Meredith gave her. She sighed deeply as she looked up at the tall walls. Did she really want to go back in there? Deep inside she was screaming, screaming for relief, for freedom. A deep hidden part of her was revolting against going back, but she couldn't leave Meena here alone. They were each other's most prized treasures…

Where was she going to go anyway? There was nowhere left to go…Everything that happened with Meredith seemed to blur now.

She couldn't remember everything they had spoken. Where did she get the idea of leaving from? Was it from Meredith? Or was it an idea she came up with herself and Meredith just made it real by saying it out loud? Did she even say it out loud at all? What was it she said about the Celestial Souls, again? How is it that she had such difficulty remembering events that happened not fifteen minutes ago! Was she finally losing her mind, too?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the large iron gates opening. The guards came running and Nevetharine surrendered on her knees to them and hoped they wouldn't punish her too much. They grabbed her by the arms and yanked her along brutally. They tossed her across the stone path and, as she gathered herself and looked back over her shoulder, she saw the giant gate close and heard the lock shut.