#annarix

From [here]

–

3. I’m not sure I can face them.

The dragoness silently closed the tent flap behind her.  The dimness of the room did not bother her dragon eyes, darkness never a hindrance.  Her mate sat cross-legged across the one-roomed hut on top of a ceremonial bead blanket.  The multitude of bright, decorative colors of the beads contrasted harshly with the drab browns and greens of the catfolk’s robes.  Ceremonial itself, his robes bore fine bead and feather work cascading across his shoulders and chest.  Dressed well for the occasion, yet his posture spoke otherwise.  Hunched over, Arren seemed to be inspecting his grandfather’s staff, his fingers gingerly handling the hawk feathers which adorned the top.  His head hung with a frown, concern and worry plastering his face.

Stepping over to him slowly, Annarix gently sat down and leaned into him.  Although rigid at first, his body quickly melted into hers.  The catfolk’s soft head rolled into her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m not sure I can face them,” Arren admitted quietly, his voice strained.  “I am no Chieftain…  I am not my grandfather…”

Annarix tenderly rocked him, her mouth pressing against his soft hair with a kiss.  “You are right, you are not your grandfather.  Yet he is not what your people need,” she calmly replied.

“They need a Chieftain.  Not a coward who ran away years ago,” Arren protested, burying his face into her neck.  She could feel a sudden wetness against her skin as his shoulders shook with a sob.

“Cowards do not face and defeat the shadow that haunted him and his people for decades,” she soothed warmly, petting the back of his head.  “You have what it takes to save them from evil, and I know you have what it takes to save them from themselves.”

“It’s not that easy,” he whimpered through a choked sob.  “I ran away, and now I want to come back as a hero?!  It doesn’t work that way!”

Annarix squeezed him gently.  “Yes, many will balk at your past, yet how many of them chased down the root of the wars?  Rather than finding a solution, they all merely searched for the next battle.  You were the only one who found Garthizar.  You were the only one who faced him head on.  You were the only one who defeated him to bring peace upon the tribes which had been warring for generations,”  Placing her hands softly on each side of his face, she pulled him up to look her in the eyes.  His fur was matted with moisture and tears, his green eyes searching hers for strength.  

“You are a worthy leader,” the dragoness promised him.  “Even with your whole past included, your deeds against Garthizar and his forces more than proves your love for your people.  Your grandfather is proud of what you have accomplished—he told you that himself!”  

Arren’s ancestral connection to the outer realms allowed him to speak to his deceased grandfather weeks ago.  Although his divine power had been growing more and more each day, accomplishing a connection to the dead was an amazing accomplishment.  Yet another aspect many other Chieftains failed to share, having taken power with little to no formal training during the wars.

The catfolk’s eyes lowered slowly.  “I can’t—”

“Arren,” she said firmly, his eyes darting back up to hers.  “No great leader ever knows all the answers.  Worrying means you actually care, which is much more than you can say for half of the Chieftains out there.  Uniting the tribes is the first step to bring safety and an enduring peace onto your people.  You can do this.  I believe in you, as does the rest of your tribe.  You are a worthy Chieftain.”  She felt a surge of love for him course through her body, warming deep within her.  The taste of tears filled her mouth as she pulled his face close, laying her lips on his.  His lips pressed into hers as he hugged her tightly.  Withdrawing, Annarix smiled warmly, using her thumb to brush away the tears.  Arren’s eyes had softened and his frown had disappeared, replaced by a subtle determination.  “Throughout everything we have been through, you have always stood strong and courageously when your people needed you.  Find that strength within.  Your people need you now.”

“You are my strength,” Arren replied softly.  “I couldn’t do it without you.”