It isn’t uncommon for visitors to wander into my inn in the middle of the night, seeking a room for the evening just before the day rises. There are the men with freshly cut battle wounds who need a place to stay after a long voyage, there’s the lost traveler needing to know how to get to the other side of town, and there are the occasional runaway children from right up the street who look for no more than a small space in the back office where they cannot be found. The staff members of our little public house and myself have come by just about every face there is to see, and have heard just about every sob story that there is to hear, simply because we share the evening shift; the night-to-night influx of distraught people seem to be no more than routine for us now.

I am familiar with practically every customer confrontation, and every woeful tale; they seem to have sewn themselves into my life as thread to fabric. To be honest, it was becoming rather dull, actually. After the first few near-death legends from weary sailors and fallen faces of dispirited women, certain situations start to become a bit repetitive, and though I do not mind my service to those requiring its use, some things just begin to sound a bit hackneyed. But, then again, it isn’t exactly my job to be entertained by the very people who are providing the money that I need in order to keep my home, so I suppose that I should cease the complaining.

But then he walked in. He walked in… and everything around me began to fade as fresh tears welled in my eyes, and a smile tugged at my lips as memories flooded back to me in heavy waves.

---

“Please don’t go,” she pleaded again, tightly embracing her beloved in a hug as she wept upon his shoulder, visibly shaking with sobs, “What if something happens to you? You may have years and years of practice, but anything can go wrong! Please don’t leave. I don’t know what I would do with myself if I lost you! I- I-”

He encircled her waist with one arm and used his other hand to rest against her lower back, pressing her closer to him as he tried to console the aching woman, “Ceerea, you cannot worry yourself over that, love. I understand your grief and uneasiness, but you mustn’t let it keep you troubled senseless while I am away. I’ll be fine; I promise.”

She shook her head against him, sniffling as she clutched onto his shirt, “You can’t promise me that, you have no control over destiny. No one knows what may come other than the Good Father.”

“Who will ensure that I am safe and returned back to you,” he replied with a kiss to the crown of her head, “He looks down upon us now and sees you, weeping worriedly with a heavy heart in my arms. Your pain is enough to sway anyone, Ceerea,” he laughed quietly, attempting to lighten the mood, “And the thought of you, a loving woman with a heart of pure gold, breaking beneath the weight of a grave burden, such as my death, would devastate the world and be completely unfair. You don’t deserve such torment, but a lifetime of reassurance… which is why I strongly believe that the Good Father will keep an eye on me and bring me home. Would you doubt his abilities?” he smirked, though she could not see it.

Ceerea rested against him for a moment longer, content with the rhythmic pulse of his heart beating against her chest. She stood in silence before loosening her grip on him and shaking her head once more, sniffling again, “No.”

He rubbed her back, “Of course not. It’s all perfectly planned out, and so I promise to come back to you. No matter where you are, whether you’re a million miles away or still in this little inn of yours, I will be back. Do you trust me?”

“I trust you,” she whispered, feeling slightly more at ease with his soothing words of certainty. Ceerea pulled out of his hold and gazed up at him with misted eyes, “If you are going to join in this war, then, will you promise to do me one favor while you are gone?”

He nodded, “Anything.”

She offered a weak smile and rubbed against her arms as though she were cold, “Write to me every chance you get, and I will respond. It will abate my anxiety if I know that I am still able to keep in contact with you throughout this one year.”

The Ka-neen soldier kissed his human maiden on the cheek as he gathered the last of his belongings from the nearby desk. He could hear whistles of the Commanders coming from the distance, signaling a few minutes until their departure, which meant that it was time for him to get going, “Every day, my love. As for now, I must bid you farewell, but I will return as soon as we make leave to come back.”

She breathed shakily before nodding, knowing that it was best to just let him be on his way. He was off to do what he loved most: fight for his home and family, and she would not keep him from that, “Alright,” she whispered, taking him into one more brief hug, “I’ll be waiting.”

He nodded, and with one final admittance of love, the warrior gave Ceerea a soft kiss to the lips before making his leave.

. . . . . . . .

Ceerea’s first letter did not arrive until a few days after January had presented itself. The time she had waited between his departure and the arrival of the letter was almost nerve wracking, but once it had come, she had never been so relieved.

January

Dearest Ceerea,

We’ve finally made it to the base and have settled in. For now, we aren’t doing much of anything other than gathering needed materials that we have to stock up, and unloading the ship to store equipment. The men are very tired from the excessive moving, myself included, but the adrenaline coursing through our veins is what keeps us moving. The sooner we find Tsora and get to him, the sooner we can finally get back home. How are you fairing?

All my love.

She replied with haste.

Angel,

I’m glad that everything’s going well for you and the rest of the men. I am still a bit troubled since you left, but I’m doing fairly well. Things seem to be improving somewhat, so hopefully I should be fine soon. I know it has only been a few days, but it seems much longer, and I fear that a bad word is spreading about the city. They are saying that the town cannot be paid for thus far, and that everyone may have to move. The king cannot seem to get enough money to keep Gavatha running. I am praying that is only rumor, though. Has there been any news on Tsora’s location?

Missing you every day.

She sent the letter, feeling a lot more consoled, knowing that she was able to keep word with him. The second month came, after weeks of hunting and settling, with little time to write, he at last responded.

February

Dearest Ceerea,

It gives me great relief to know that you are doing better. As for the rumor, I would not be surprised. Your king does the best that he can to keep the humans safe and unharmed, but he never really struck me as being the most suitable for his position, not to be harsh, of course. I too am hoping that what you say is untrue, but we can only wait and see. My best wishes to all of you back in Gavatha. Tsora has been spotted, but has since fled since we found his whereabouts. It appears as though he is making his way back toward the Realms, but so help him if he makes berth in Gavatha for it will be all Hell to pay if something goes wrong there because of him. My letters may not come so quickly during the Spring, because by then weather conditions will be better and the Commander will probably have us out every day and night, making sure that we are prepared for when the time is right. How far has your sewing come?

All my love.

Ceerea received the letter sooner than she had expected and, at his last question, she smirked and turned the bundle of blue and yellow sitting in the far corner of her bedroom. He had come over to visit some time ago, after business he had to tend to back in the Magic Realm, and watched her sew a small quilt together that she intended to store away for if she every became cold, but she stopped after becoming tired of it; the blanket wasn’t shaping correctly and it didn’t seem able to cover anything but her feet. She wanted to toss it, but he had suggested her keep at in case it could be used for later purposes. He was very shy and uncomfortable with speaking on such a topic, feeling a slight blush rush into his cheeks each time it was mentioned, but he never had to explain exactly what he was referring to because she knew what he meant and it made her smile at his timidity; they had both always loved children, so there could indeed be a possibility for its use.

Angel,

I’m leaning more so toward it being a rumor because the king does not seem to be showing any signs of alarm, so I am thinking that all is well. My sewing is progressing steadily, and it looks like I may finally be done with it by coming autumn; I am very excited. I have been wrapping it around my pillows, cradling them like newborns. It’s so, so cute to see how perfectly it fits! Tsora has not been seen here in Gavatha, but I will surely be keeping an eye out for any misgivings amongst the town. As for your letters, I am feeling much better so far, and if you must stop… then I should probably still be able to hold out; I’m much calmer now. Thank you for keeping your promise, darling, and I will look for your letters in the summer of June; be safe.

Missing you every day.

Her final letter put him much at ease. He sighed, relieved to know that she would be alright for these next few months; the worst that he could have done was not mention to her that he would not be able to get back to her soon, and wind up having her go into a panic. At least now he knew that the waters were calmer for her in Gavatha, so now all he had to do was worry about finding Tsora and his men.

Back home, Ceerea occupied herself the best she could in order to keep her mind off of the soldier who was fighting for her and the rest of Gavatha all the way in a different world, practically. She tended to her daily tasks and practiced her hobbies, went out to spend time with her friends and even spent more time at the inn, working with the rest of the staff so that she could temporarily forget his absence for the next few months. It did not work completely, however, but it mostly did its job and Ceerea found that the months seemed to fly by before June finally hit… along with her beloved’s next letter.

June

Dearest Ceerea,

Tsora and his men have been found and we now have him trapped. Over the Spring, we scouted everywhere and came upon his settling right outside of Gavatha, as I assumed he would be somewhere near there. Our men have set up our stations and we are getting ready to fight tomorrow, but I believe that I will still have time to write you. These next few weeks or months could be crucial for everyone in Gavatha, because we do not know if any of Tsora’s men are hiding out anywhere; keep safe and don’t put yourself in any situation that could put you in any danger. His soldiers are very sly and can easily weasel into your house. I’ll be home soon.

All of my unconditional love.

Ceerea read the letter three or four times, and each time a frozen block of ice seemed to fall into the pit of her stomach as a sudden thought finally hit her. Of course she felt alright the first two and half months that he was away; they were only looking for Tsora! Right now, right at this very moment… they were at war, and that wave of fear that she had felt when he had left came rushing back. This was it, this is what he had left for… and there was no telling if he was going to come back.

He promised her that he would return; he promised, and he would never take back a promise. He promised! She sat on her bed with the letter pressed to her chest as thoughts zipped around in her head at unbelievable speeds. He said that the Good Father would keep him safe for her, he said that He would watch over him when she could not. Surely, it was true; it had to be true. She would not believe otherwise. For every time her stomach balled in fear, she allowed his words to pass through her mind again.

He was coming home… he promised.

. . . . . . . . . .

It was nearly August, and Ceerea had sent four letters to him, concerned as to why he was not writing back. It didn’t have to be anything long, just a simple “I’m fine” would suffice, but he was sending no word and she was growing frantic. Obviously, he was at war, so there would be very little time for him to sit down and write to her, but the thought of him possibly being physically unable to write was a completely different story; it chilled her and she found each passing day growing heavier when he still did not bother to write back.

At last, after having sent her fifth letter at the beginning of August, she received a response… but not from her soldier.

August

Lady Ceerea,

I am Nivian, a close friend of your loved one, and I know you must be growing worried after not having heard from him in so long. He has seen your letters, but is for the time unable to write back himself for he has been injured. The wound does not seem fatal, but it does not seem too petty either; he will have to be bed ridden for quite a while, but he should be on his feet after a while. Nothing is of certainty, since what may not seem big could be titanic, so we will keep an eye on him. He goes in and out of consciousness, but has asked me to send this to you so that you may keep your peace of mind.

Best to you.

She nearly buckled beneath the weight of heavy grief resting on her shoulders. Reading his letter was fine until Nivian mentioned just how bad her soldier could possibly be, as well as how he could not seem to stay conscious for long. The weapons that they used were no small tools, but destructive machines that could bring a beast to its knees with one shot. Knowing that he had been hit with such a machine, and could very well be dying without anyone knowing, nearly tore her apart. Ceerea had no idea what to think or feel; she could not see him, she could not help him. All she could do was huddle on her bed and cry… and so she did.

. . . . . . . . . . .

October had arrived and still she had no certain word from him. Periodically, Nivian would send her a short three-lettered note from time to time, saying:

Lady Ceerea,

He’s getting there.

Best to you.

It neither abated her fear, nor did it ease her anxiety. “He’s getting there” was not consoling in the slightest; she wanted a letter from HIM, not from Nivian, but from HIM. The least he could do was give her an exact status update, informing her of his conditions, but he apparently was not going to do that. Every time she demanded it, he refused, which only made her assume that he was a lot worse off than before. It hit her like a ton of bricks whenever she got a “he’s getting there”, and she wanted no more than to yell at Nivian for being so vague; yell and shake him so he could realize just how serious this was for her. But every time the thought came to mind, another came along with it:

She couldn’t do anything.

. . . . . . . . . . .

December. December had come, and her warrior was supposed to have been back weeks ago. After months of hearing from neither him nor Nivian, she was beyond frightened. Another three letters had been sent, and no one had responded, but chances are that they had either been lost… or the people sending them were not on duty. She leaned more so toward those, finding solace in simple decisions, which also meant that they were obviously not getting his letters to her either.
She sighed, allowing happy thoughts to cross her mind as she stepped out into the frigid cold of the night and went to work at the inn. The staff knew of her situation and, try as they might to reassure her, Ceerea wanted nothing more than for them to simply drop the subject and let her just focus on the customers; the last thing she needed was her spoiled personality ruining her chances of being paid. The night grew darker, and more distraught people were coming in to seek a room for the evening. She herself was becoming tired, but she knew that it would be a while before she was off and able to get back home, which only made her even more tired.

She found it amusing how each face she saw seemed just like that of the last she had seen just before. After so many stories that were the same and so many tears that fell the same way, one could easily confuse them all. She smirked to herself as she handed the next key off to yet another weeping woman, just a flash of red and brown caught the corner of her eye. Turning to look toward the entrance, a smiling silhouette in the doorway beckoned her forward, but she remained rooted with widened eyes; she couldn’t believe who was standing before her: bright eyes and dark wings.

---

“Hello, my love,” he smirked, slowly making his way to the counter.
I gazed upon him in shock, looking the man from head to toe, bandaged abdomen and dirty clothes. Tears welled in my eyes as he drew closer to me, and my heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to come meet him without falling to the floor with joy. A stray tear rolled down my cheek as we stood face-to-face… once again for the first time in a year since I last saw him.

I placed my hand over his heart, almost as if trying to convince myself that he was actually there with me. At feeling the familiar rhythm, more tears flooded as a smile stretched across my face; I gazed up into his gorgeous blue eyes, never having been so happy in my entire life, “Kaizen,” I whispered shakily, “You… you came back.”

He bent down and placed a sweet, loving kiss upon my lips before gazing down to me with an adoring smile as he used a hand to wipe my tears, “Of course I did,” he whispered back, “I promised.”