A Kindred Spirit

Macha decided she preferred to help in the medical ward. Despite not being able to perform magic, she could assist the wounded and do menial tasks.

With all of the fighting going on, there many newly injured soldiers who were being rushed to them. From the rumors she heard, the Kochi army started off strong because powerful spells were set off before the battle ensued. Since then, the struggles continually move back and forth with neither side gaining ground over the other.

On the first day of the battle, an important man was admitted who had his own private room. Since he came from Marseille, the staff asked Macha to take care of him. They explained that he was a noble and a guild leader, so she needed to make sure he did not become angry.

When she entered she smiled warmly at a man who had his copper hair cut short in the back, but longer in the front. His long bangs had been slicked back, revealing a handsome chiseled face. He laid down on a bed and had a bandage over one of his cool grey eyes. Bandages had been wrapped around his right arm and leg, both of which were broken and set in a splint.

Upon seeing Macha, Tai Shan called her over. He used Kogian, which was the official language of Kochi. He thought she was a strange looking woman who looked vaguely familiar. Where he first saw her from was not important. He wanted to ask her for assistance with eating.

Macha approached his bedside but did not understand the words the man spoke to her. As she stared at him, she realized that he became annoyed. She looked behind her, confused because the Kochi medics claimed he hailed from Marseille. "I'm sorry, do you speak Yenafocee?" she asked in a soothing tone.

Tai Shan stopped his complaint, surprised that the woman responded in his own language. She spoke with an accent but used the honorific speech of the nobles perfectly. This puzzled him because he did not know who this woman was. Quickly picking up on how to communicate with her, he changed to the noble dialect as well.

Placing his left hand on his chest, he bowed his head, "My apologies, I wasn't aware you did not speak Kogian. I'm Tai Shan Swat, second son of Xuanwu Swat."

After hearing such a lengthy introduction that seemed out of place in a hospital room, Macha laughed. "Lord Swat, you don't have to be so formal. May I just call you Tai Shan? I'm Macha."

She hated using the exceedingly proper forms and did not know many nobles who used it unless they conducted business deals or talked to the King. This dialect had been something that she needed to learn while she managed the businesses for the Obsidian Dragons and Valois family. Freyr and Ullr both explained the finer nuances of the language, but she thought it sounded too wordy and cold. Part of her dislike stemmed from the fact that Hrod only spoke using this dialect. While she wanted Tyr to make up with his mother, she would never say his mother was her favorite person.

The name Macha sounded so familiar, but he could not recall where he first heard it. His eyes studied her face, trying to remember where he heard her name before. "Macha, have we ever met before? You look so familiar..." his voice trailed off.

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I fought in the tournament a few years back and I'm often seen with Tyr. Maybe that's where you remember me from?" She was fairly certain she never met Tai Shan because he had a warm aura that surrounded him.

When she mentioned Lord Valois his eyes widened with recognition. That was where he remembered seeing her. She had been sitting in the Valois box at Captain Jarnvid's trial. "Ah, I think that must be it," he lied. It would be improper for him to mention the outbursts that Lord Rosenkrantz's youngest son made at the trial. "Would you be so kind as to assist me with eating dinner? I haven't eaten all day since I was being transported here."

As Macha fed Tai Shan, she asked him about which guild he was the leader of. She did not remember meeting him before and realized there were still other guild leaders that she did not meet yet.

"I'm the new leader of the Carnelian Kumas guild," he replied. He knew the Obsidian Dragons had a rivalry with his guild so he changed the subject, "Do you have any children?" He wanted to know more about this mysterious woman who had rumors flying around about catching the King's attention.

This had been the first time anyone ever asked her that. Not even Tyr or Freyr inquired if she had a child back in her own world. Macha touched her hand to her chest, her voice sounded higher when she choked out, "Me? No. I always wanted one though." She took another spoonful of soup and blew on it. As she lifted it to his lips she inquired, "How about you?"

Talking with this woman came easily, and he felt a strong connection with her. He relaxed his speech and accepted the soup. Tai Shan gave a melancholy smile, "Yeah. I have a daughter. She was born a few days after we left for the war." His mouth twitched, and he continued, "My wife died during the childbirth."

Macha gasped, "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Now she wanted to kick herself for making an injured man recall such a sad moment in his life. Hurriedly, she blew on another spoonful of soup to feed him.

He was not upset at his wife's death. They were not in love and the marriage had been for familial profit. "No, it's fine. I gained a daughter but lost a wife. My only regret is that I didn't have another wife to take care of her while I was away. I'm disappointed that she won't recognize me when I meet her."

While they continued to chat, Macha realized Tai Shan acted differently from Jarnvid and the other members from the Carnelian Kumas that she met. He seemed like a nice person who wanted to be a good father. He was as easy to talk to as Krystof, but was intelligent like Tyr. A guild was shaped greatly by the Captain, so she hoped that his guild would change for the better under their new leader.

They spent hours talking and lost track of time. He enjoyed hearing what was happening back home and had been surprised that they shared the same viewpoint on the many issues that Marseille had. Tai Shan only realized it was late when she delicately stifled a yawn.

He appreciated Macha lingering to chat with him. The past few years had been difficult for him because he did not have anyone to chat with about his worries and hopes. Having this interaction helped him to relax, and he hoped he could talk with her the next day. Tai Shan gave her a relaxed smile, "Thanks for staying with me. Why don't you go and get some rest? I kept you for so long."

"All right. I enjoyed talking with you. Do you need anything else before I leave?" She really did enjoy herself and was glad to meet such an agreeable person.

He shook his head, "No, I'm fine. Thank you."

As Macha exited the room, his heart quivered, and he rested his hand over it. He wanted to get to know her more but did not understand why. She possessed a cute appearance, but not what he considered beautiful. Their conversation left him light-hearted, and he felt as if he found a kindred spirit.