The Guardians

Chapter 6

Talish didn't leave Lyra's side the entire time as she continued to fight for life. She was gripped by a fever that made her flesh seem like it was on fire and burned one's fingers if they touched her. He was at her side during the fevered dreams and chills that racked her body violently. It was a week and a half before the fever finally broke but she remained unconscious. Talish spoke to her, hoping that the sound of his voice would give her something to grasp onto. Mathros visited as frequently as his duties allowed him to and Talish could see the worry etched on his face and in his eyes. The healers tried to shoo Talish off more than once, but he wouldn't budge. Eventually, they stopped trying. Rumors circulated once more that Talish loved the spellcaster girl. It wasn't forbidden for a Paladin to have relations or to marry and his constant time with her fueled the rumors. No one knew what he and Mathros had been doing. For all they knew, they'd been questioning her. He didn't know if he could deny the rumors anymore. He was beginning to think that he did indeed love her, but he was sure her love for him was that of a brother. He didn't think she'd ever love him the way he loved her. He pushed the thoughts away. He didn't want to think about it. It would only drive him to madness. So he continued to share news that his friend, Corrin, would bring him. And pray that he wasn't talking to an empty vessel.

Lyra's eyes fluttered open. She was lying on her back looking at the ceiling. She blinked several times to focus her eyes. Had she succeeded? She didn't remember much after beginning the chant, just the pain increasing. Pain that she no longer felt. She slowly reached up toward her neck, her heart racing. She felt nothing. The other hand flew to her neck. It was gone! The cursed collar was gone! She wanted to dance for joy. Instead, tears of joy began to fall.

"Lyra?" She turned her head and saw Talish sitting next to the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she whispered. "Nothing." She slowly sat up, one hand still on her neck. "Everything is perfect." The tears flowed faster. "I am free. I'm free!" Lyra grabbed Talish's arms and pulled him towards her and she wept joyful tears into his shoulder. "I didn't think I would be able to do it. I did it! I did it! I'm free!"

Talish held her close. "What will you do now?"

She pushed away from him, hesitating. "I... I don't know. I never thought about it." Lyra frowned for a moment. What would she do now? She'd been doing the bidding for evil since she was eleven when she was bound and rebelling against Alora's whims even longer. She was fifteen now and free to do whatever she wished. She was free. The word still felt foreign to her but one she kept saying over and over in her mind as if to convince herself it was indeed true. "If Mathros will allow it, I'd like to be a Paladin."

Talish smiled. "We don't get many women in our ranks, but I'm sure he wouldn't protest to it."

Lyra smiled. She couldn't see herself anywhere else but in Paladin's Keep. She couldn't see herself doing anything else but being a Paladin. Where else would one of the most powerful sorceresses in the kingdom be able to use her gifts for good? And Alora would never think to look among the Paladins for her. She already saw Talish and Mathros as family. And she'd already gone through most of the Paladin training. This would be the perfect place for her. This would be home. Another word foreign to her but a word she wanted to be able to say.

Lyra became the first woman in many years to join the Paladin ranks. While many of the others resented her at first and questioned the collar's sudden disappearance, she soon proved her worth and skill to them. It was soon discovered that she was very skilled in healing, a discovery that had surprised Lyra, having never trained in the healing arts or ever having needed to use the ability. She made friends among her peers. Unlike most of her brothers, she fully embraced her gifts. While she didn't flaunt the fact she was the most powerful out of all of them, she saved many a life because she wasn't afraid of her gifts nor resented them. She was well respected and loved among her brothers and she moved quickly through the ranks, attaining the rank of Captain. Many spoke highly of Captain Mahariel, Talish most of all. It was no secret that the Major had a soft spot for her. As did the First Knight, sparking a rumor that he was really her father. A rumor he neither denied nor confirmed. Lyra never spoke of the ordeal of her teenage years, thus only the Paladins who'd been among their ranks when she first came to Paladins' Keep knew about her binding and the power she harbored in order to remove it. Talish joked that it was the family secret, which usually caused his best friend to smack him in the back of the head. Lyra was content and happy with the Paladin life until Mathros' death due to old age and Kalmin became First Knight. And the civil war began.