An End
He was gone… it was plain and simple. This was the problem. Tristan was taken, the castle was on full alert. The problem was not figuring out WHO took him, Tayela had figured it out already. Meera… the former slave girl, who was raised up by Tayela, the ever-loyal servant to Tayela, who had been taught everything by Tayela and the bitch would not live to see this to the end.
Tayela had figured it out, even before finding the note from Meera.
“Dearest Lady,
Your son and heir is in my possession, he is being treated well and fairly… for a toddler’s standards. If you are looking for answers, then you will have to claim them along with your son. The place where we met. Come alone, I am watching.
-Lady Meera”
If Meera had learned anything, and she had, Tayela would be outnumbered and likely wounded before anything would be done. Tayela made her way to her room, she dressed into her combat gear, taking out her swords; Mercy and Betrayal. It had been sometime since they were last used. Having her gear and weapons ready, she moved to her desk and sat for a long moment. When she decided on her words, she quickly wrote
“If I stayed long enough to speak to you, then something worse might occur. I cannot allow that. I go to retrieve Tristan. In my absence, you are named regent of Redcliffe and in the event of Tristan returning alone, you are named Tristan’s guardian, regent and protector until the time comes when he is of age. In the event of my return with Tristan, please arrange my death if I do not speak the word ‘Trueman’ to you immediately. Keep safe.
-Your loving daughter, Tayela”
It was a day and a half before Tayela had reached the border of Westfall, she had ridden straight on from writing the note, without stopping to eat or sleep. It had never been one of her more favored areas due to its emptiness but Westfall had some appeal to those hoping to find others to help. Perhaps that had been why Tayela rescued Meera those years ago, took her under her wing and did as Tayela did. It did not matter anymore. Mounted on Serroco, Tayela had only a few thoughts, among them that nothing mattered if anything happened to Tristan. The Burning Legion did not matter, the politics of Stormwind did not matter, whatever damned religion the Light or Elune did not matter and Redcliffe did not matter. Her child mattered. Serroco seemed to know where they were headed, he also seemed to know of his mistress’ near exhaustion and slowed himself despite Tayela’s urging on. It allowed her to recover some, but not much in the way of sleep. Tayela dozed here and there, finally she saw the camp. She dismounted Serroco and took a few steps from him, Serroco whinnied softly and followed. Tayela gave a smile and patted his head, telling him to stay. From there she turned and strode, unsheathing Betrayal.
The sun was setting as Tayela walked into the camp of two tents. A small fire was going, three guards tended to it and watched Tayela approach. One of the guards had a crossbow aimed at her, one with a bow aimed and one carried a sword and shield. The one with the bow spoke “Lady Meera, she’s here.” A moment later, Meera exited a tent, holding Tristan. Meera smiled widely. “Hello Tayela, I’m glad you came and alone to boot, I really did not expect it.” Tayela stood silently, Betrayal in hand. Tristan seemed to notice his mother and made some happy noises, it made Tayela’s heart skip a beat. Meera rolled her eyes on noticing. Meera handed Tristan to the man with a sword and shield. “Take him back to Redcliffe, just tell them their Lady will be along shortly.” The man nodded and the archer placed the arrow back into the quiver. They mounted their horses and began to ride away with Tristan, Tayela’s eyes followed them but she did not turn her head from Meera. “Oh come, come. Do you expect me to shoot you in the back? I wouldn’t do that.” Meera chided as she snapped her fingers and the guard with a crossbow fired, bolt placing itself into Tayela’s abdomen. Falling to a knee, quickly placing a hand near the bolt, Tayela heard Meera’s laugh. “No, I would shoot you while you faced me.” There were footsteps approaching as Tayela held her eyes tightly closed, trying to block the pain. The footsteps stopped and Tayela opened her eyes to see Meera’s boots about a foot from her kneeling position. “See, no matter what happens here, a Lady Blackfyre will be returning to Redcliffe. If you somehow make it back from here, then Redcliffe gets you back BUT if you do not make it back, then Redcliffe gets me. If I had to say what your biggest mistake was… it’d be training someone to be you while you were away and glamours can do wonders.” Meera took a few steps back. “Now come on get up, its time.” Tayela saw her hand, covered in blood. She looked up to Meera’s familiar smirk. Tayela swallowed a time or two. “Come now Lady Blackfyre, put up an effort worth a song.” Meera mocked. Tayela pulled Betrayal in an upward slashing motion, causing much pain but forcing herself to her feet. Meera took steps back to avoid the slash, she snapped fingers again and the crossbowman began to reload. Meera drew a sword from a tent and began to engage Tayela.
Whether it was the adrenaline, anger, justice or some other driving force pushing her on, Tayela fought but she did feel herself draining away. This was now a battle of endurance in which Tayela had a horrible disadvantage. Tayela drew Mercy with her left hand, using both blades to try and gain an edge but was unable to use them as effectively as she usually did. Meera seemed to side-step or parry away almost any attack by Tayela. Meera knew she just had to wait until Tayela fell. That’s when Meera snapped her fingers again, another bolt went into Tayela’s body, this time into her back. She screamed, falling to her knees. Meera laughed happily again. “Come on now. You can do better than this. I warned you that _I_ would not shoot you in the back. I can’t say anything to the honor of that fellow though.” She laughed again, kicking Tayela in the ribs. “I wonder, how should I end your brat? Have him infected with something? Make it seem like a sickness?” It struck a nerve, Tayela used the rage given to her just then to rise to her feet, Betrayal lashing out. This time the sword found its mark on Meera’s face, a beautiful cut from left ear to the edge of the mouth. Meera cried out snapping rapidly, she resumed her attack. The crossbowman began to reload quickly, Tayela attempted to position herself in a way that Meera would block the crossbowman, when he finished reloading Tayela mustered up what she could. Tayela brought Betrayal up in a mighty swing and started down, Meera laughed and moved out of the way but a swing was not Tayela’s intention. Betrayal left her hand, Tayela screamed in pain as it did, the blade’s target was the crossbowman. It found him. The crossbowman flew back several feet from the force of the blade flying into him. Meera seemed genuinely surprised by Tayela’s action. Not missing a beat, Tayela swung Mercy at Meera, Meera parried it away and side-stepped, twisting around Tayela and driving her blade into Tayela’s back, the same place Warlund’s blade had gone through years ago. Mercy fell from Tayela’s hand as she dropped to the ground face first, breaking the bolt in her as she landed, mouth agape with a silent scream. Meera laughed happily. “Oh, it’s a wonder to kill.” Meera knelt beside Tayela and patted her head. “You certainly put a song’s effort into this.” Meera took a second then gripped the bolt in Tayela’s back and twisted it, resulting in a yelp from the fallen lady. Tayela gripped what she could in front of her and pulled herself forward. “Tsk tsk, you just don’t give up. Here I will help you with that.” Meera stood, picking up Mercy. She followed Tayela’s crawling with a smirk on her face. “I always thought ‘Mercy’ was a stupid name for a blade but now I suppose it is fitting.” To all Meera’s gloating she was falling victim to losing sight of Tayela’s goal: the crossbow. Meera stood over Tayela and flipped Tayela onto her back, breaking the bolt in Tayela’s back and making the wound worse. As she was turned, Tayela drew a dagger from the depths of her gear and quickly thrust it into Meera’s hand. Meera dropped Mercy in turn and clasped her hand, pulling the dagger out. Meera looked up and eyes went wide at seeing Tayela pointing the crossbow at her. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came from within, rather the sound of a crossbow firing was heard as the bolt went into Meera’s throat. Meera struggled for a few moments before nothing more.
Tayela used the last of her strength to prop herself up against one of tent posts, her hands held over her wound from the bolt in the front but nothing to stop the bolt or the sword wound on her back. She took in a deep breath the taste of copper apparent, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she was in a bed…
The bed seemed to be in her old room from her time with the Davington family. As if from nothing, the room was filled with people. The first and foremost was her mother, Leona. Leona sat by Tayela’s side in the bed and took her daughter’s hand. Tears filled Leona’s eyes but none dropped. “Hey honey… How are you doing?” Something was off… Tayela used her free hand to try and push herself up slightly but a pale yet soft hand prevented her from moving. “Tayela, darling, you need your rest. Let us take care of you.” Minandra Davington winked with a smile, a hand running through Tayela’s hair. A wave of calm washed over Tayela and she gave a soft smile. “What happened?” Leona’s teary eyes looked towards Minandra, a look of worry and concern. Minandra casts a soft, cool emerald gaze over Tayela, seeming to not notice Leona's tears. "There were pirates," she says, her voice wispy and calm, "You were badly injured in the fight. I--- did all I could, but..." she takes her eyes from Tayela to look up to Leona and sighs before looking down again. "The important thing is you're with us, now, dear." Minandra gently strokes Tayela's cheek. However, the room itself seemed to turn around as Warlund, her father stepped out of a corner of the room. He seemed focused on Tayela but not at her. “Get out of bed. You’ve had enough rest. You are a Blackfyre through and through. They can’t take care of you, only you can. Get up.” He knelt at her bedside. “Get up and survive. It is what we… it is what YOU do.” Leona looked towards Warlund and seemed to be yelling but no sound came of it. Instead, soft footsteps were heard and a familiar red-head come into view, Latilda Rommel. “You can fight whatever it is, I’ve seen you take on insane mages, some pirates are nothing. You got this.” Latilda smiled with a knowing glance at Minandra. Tayela smiled but again, something felt off. From behind her to the right, an armored gauntlet touched Tayela’s shoulder but she did not jump. Tayela did not turn but she most certainly knew the voice of Oklin Ravenblud, her loyal soldier. “My Lady. It has been truly an honor serving you...now you go where I cannot follow. My service does not end, your soul is safe, your fire is bright even hinged in the darkness.” When his voice stopped something clicked in Tayela’s head… that was it. Tayela felt the need to blink, when she did, Latilda was gone, then Warlund, then Minandra and finally her mother. Tayela blinked again tears, flowing to her eyes. This time she was in her room at Redcliffe, alone. The room was dark but not pitch black. Tayela screamed, but no sound. She began to cry, the tears overwhelming her. She wiped her eyes.
She was back in Westfall, leaning up against the pole of a tent, facing the sunset. She looked at her hands and she knew. She was paler than Minandra had ever been but it wasn’t from skin complexion this time. She started to panic, she sputtered out nonsense in an attempt to make any noise. She forced her eyes closed, squeezed her hands tightly, begging whoever, whatever there was, anything to take her back to that room of the Davingtons, back to her friends and family; anything to have her see someone again. She earned that much, she fought her whole life for that much… Throughout her short remainder… the shaking and panic would not subside, as she faded the last thing she saw was the beauty of the sun’s setting color off the coast of Westfall.