New Body, New Problems

Celeste

Right after the reveal the leader calls a council meeting. I'm surprised he didn't call Tara'li in as well with the information she just revealed to the council and her Wing. When he speaks I hear the distress in his voice. 'We have a big issue here. All of you heard her words. She is the daughter of a traitor and sees the traitors actions as her own. However... you all saw how she is now. Without a leader of the Dragon Guard wing we have no way to direct her efforts.'

The council member of the supply lines speaks softly. 'You knew her mother, leader. We all did. When we were younger and still out there... we all flew and fought with her. When I look at her daughter... I'm not seeing the same person. I'm unsure if that still is the case now that the queen of the Elves worked her magic, but she never seems to follow the rules.'

The Dwarf of the forges slams his hammer into the railing in front of him. 'Her mind of her own leadership is a different matter. We need to know if she is strong mentally again. If she is still fit to lead. If she falters in battle she could kill much more than just herself.'

The leader speaks softly. 'That she is. The queen did much more than just change her body. Her mind is no longer what we remember it to be. Almost all her early memories are no longer there. She now is an Elf. She can remember it all if she truly wishes so, but I suspect she doesn't. The queen and her decided it is best to rewrite her identity.'

The Elf in charge of the farms speaks very softly and has his eyes closed. 'To think that but two months ago we scolded her in here for letting the queen adopt her. We have fallen low to not foresee that the queen had an important role to play in her future. I'm ashamed of myself to even think the queen would break the rules without a good reason. And I'm even more ashamed to think we did all this to the daughter of the former queen. We could have pushed her right into the claws of the Demon Lord...'

The leader lowers his head. 'We have all made mistakes. Mine was not trusting her judgement. Both Tara'li and Sha'iva are next in line to the throne. I thought she could never balance leadership of a wing with leadership of an entire kingdom. However she needs both. I should have let her lose and let her discover her direction herself.'

I snake my neck towards the leader. 'She still cannot lead both. I know the queen wishes to face off with her sister as well. If she dies then Tara'li is the new queen of the Elven kingdom. This means she has to lead her wing into battle while also being in the kingdom. She cannot be at two places at the same time. No one can.'

The leader nods. 'That would be true, if we kept her in line as if she is any other Wing Leader. When the queen dies... she should be released. Her destiny was never to be a normal Dragon Guard. It was to be a unique one. We have tried to push her into line but that is not how she should be. She should be her own leader, in time. Her destiny is to lead the Elves from the back of a dragon. Her squad is the making of a legend. I could be wrong and will evaluate my theory in time, but this is my believe.'

Tara'li

Miss. How do I miss with my bow? I try again. I hit the target but not center. What is wrong with me? Another arrow. Finally a hit. Annoyed I collect my arrows and try again. I used to be so good with bow and arrow and now look. I'm missing shots. I then hear mom and Sha'iva approach me. Mom speaks softly. 'Less tension, Tara'li. You are tensed up. Let your emotions flow. Let your self be in the now.'

Once again I knock an arrow on the bow and draw the string. I take a couple of deep breaths and let the arrow fly. Now I hit. Next target. Empty mind, one arrow... hit. This is it. This is how I shoot. After three more targets I collect my arrows again. Then I turn to Sha'iva. 'Can we train with swords again? We have not trained like that for months...'

Sha'iva turns to mom for a moment, who then nods. As an answer she draws her sword and stands across from me. As mom steps back I slowly draw my sword and get into stance. Sha'iva starts circling me to which I respond by returning the favor...

'More control, Tara'li. Remain calm and keep your sword up.'

Sha'iva and I exchange another set of blows, though mine are way more clumsy than hers. I noticed I got speed on my side but my mind is not keeping up with that speed. I'm feeling very clumsy and almost rough in sword fighting. Of course Sha'iva slips past my guard and manages to end the fight. I step back and take the position on again. As I lift my sword mom steps towards me and gently pushes a bit against my sword arm. 'Your sword is an extension of your arm. To use it well is to feel your sword. Know where it will move and guide it. Do not fight it.'

As she steps back I start the match again. I instantly walk against the same problem of not being able to think quick enough to move my sword in response. The speed is there but the reflexes are not there yet. By moving the sword as if it is a part of my arm I do find myself able to respond better, though still not faster. Again it is Sha'iva who wins. As I get ready to start again mom steps up. 'No. You won't improve like this, Tara'li. You have to train your reflexes now. You need to build up your reflexes from the start. Sha'iva, though a trained swordsman and a strong fighter, always fights at the edge of her capability. You need to train with someone who can tone down so you do have time to improve.'

I lower my sword. 'I doubt anyone in Celaris is like that. Though I could get started with one of the human teachers, I would then reach the limit of what Celaris has to offer.'

Mom nods. 'I'll send for your previous teacher. He will train your reflexes. I will also stay for now to train your archery further. You seem to have lost your edge in the process of becoming my daughter...'

I sheet my sword and nod. 'I feel weaker and yet stronger. I... don't know what to think right now, though I do set my squad back quite a lot with this frankly terrible performance.'

She hugs me. 'I expected to find complications with your changes, Tara'li. Your perspective, your body's speed... it has all changed. You now are different to how you have been all your life. And as your mother I should be here to support you...'

I return the hug and softly cry. 'I feel so useless now... I lost everything that made me good...'

Mother strokes my hair. 'You lost your edge. However, you can sharpen that edge. Make it keener than it has ever been. Not all is lost yet, daughter. To be reborn is to start over again. If you bite through, you will come out stronger.'

Then Celeste joins us. 'Tara'li, how are you progressing with your training?'

Mother lets me go and turns to Celeste. 'We are pausing her training for now. Many things have changed for her. To fully get back into the groove she needs to be retrained to work with her changed body. I can help there, but it is not something I can do alone.'

Celeste nods. 'I have to thank you for brining our Wing Leader back to us. She has brought out a certain respect with a lot of people.'

Mother touches Celeste her neck. 'I know who you are, Celeste. I remember you from before I was a queen. You have changed so little on the inside though I never would have thought you would have changed so much on the outside.'

Celeste is surprised. 'I guess me speaking your name in your palace betrayed me? Please keep it between us.'

Mother nods once. 'You have come so far from once we met. Congratulations with your appointment to the council.'

Celeste her eyes become large as she understands what mother says. 'You remember that time? I thought you had...'

Mother smiles. 'Forgotten? No, my mind may contain many memories but you left an impression with me. Not enough to recognize you before but enough to remember. Your armor really went up with a leap.'

Celeste seems a bit uneasy. 'Please do not speak about our past in front of your kids. I'd like to keep my past where it is. Only a few rumors about it are going around about my past and I'd like to keep it there if not less.'

Mother shakes her head. 'As I said with Tara'li, your past forms you but it does not make you who you are. You became stronger and got accepted into the council. However you are still a different person than you were back then. You never cared about who knew your past then. What makes you so ashamed?'

Celeste looks at the sky. 'It is not shame. It is fear, Reshilde. I have seen and done terrible things in the past. To open up my past to the world could have terrible consequences. I'd rather keep the past buried.'

As promised mom stays around to help me with regaining my archery prowess. Progress is slow despite her being patient. Training with the squad is also going a lot slower, mostly because I keep slipping out of the straps meant to keep me in place. My saddle no longer works for my more slender frame. Eventually I'm to afraid to go into the air. While looking at my squad flying from the ground mom stands next to me. 'Why don't you join them up there? Your place is in the air...'

I point at Rashter and the saddle. 'That is my problem. The saddle doesn't fit me any more. During combat training I keep falling out of the saddle. I almost died a dozen times already. I can't fly...'

Mother looks at the saddle and then at my legs. 'You got thinner since you got the saddle, didn't you?'

I nod. 'Not just that. I'm a bit taller to. I just don't fit in the saddle any more.'

The queen starts inspecting the saddle. 'Why don't you just get a new one then? You should get it paid for by the Dragon Guard.'

I shake my head. 'Just the base saddle. To get it with just the straps that fit my dragon would make me broke. I only have one silver coin, mom. This is all the money I got.'

I hold up the one coin as I say that. Mom turns to me and then looks at the saddle. 'Leave it to me then. I will not send you out with a bad saddle. You are a princess and deserve the best equipment you can get.'

As I put my new saddle on Rashter I feel strangely conflicted. I know what mom thinks but... isn't this going a bit far? The saddle she got me is another two person saddle with saddlebags and leg straps but now it also has mounting points for armor, decorated buckles and several rings to grab during combat. It is a bit flashy for my taste. However Rashter seems to like it a lot. I then grab one of the rings and pull myself onto the saddle. As I sit there the rest of the squad looks at me. Then I speak. 'I will lead you in the air once again. My saddle issues have been solved.'

As I strap my legs in I test the straps. They are taut around my armored legs and I got one more hole to spare, and because this saddle is made for my thinner frame the back and front sleeves are not standing out as much meaning the straps actually hit my legs now. Then Rashter gets up.

After taking to the sky we start the combat training. The trainers placed several targets in a course and challenge us individually to shoot all of them in as fast a time as possible. Of course the dwarves, female Ork and the brute have chosen to tackle it with their normal weapons. However I have a plan to do it with my bow. 'Rashter, we need to work together for this. We won't win this if we attempt to go for agility. Just get me in range of the targets and let me do the work. Warn me of movements you are going to do and targets I'm not seeing, then I'll direct you for what I need you to do and take care of the target shooting.'

Rashter looks at Treknal who is going at it two handed, both slamming targets with his axe as shooting them with his roughly hewn, thick bow. 'That will do. They said to hit the targets. They never said anything about us having to be in certain positions.'

As Treknal lands with his exhausted dragon Rashter takes to the sky. I grab my bow and start with an arrow on the bow. Then the trainer gives me a starting signal. Rashter and I start focussing, sharing our senses to the point where I have trouble seeing where he stops and I start. This does give me an issue with my aiming as Rashters lack of any archery skills does flow in with me, but after finding a balance we work as a team. I release an arrow to the first target and while Rashter follows it I start aiming for the second. This one is so low I have to take my time guessing the trajectory but when releasing I know I got it right. As Rashter flies above the course we work together to shoot the different targets. It isn't until the last target that Rashter starts diving down and gets me close to it, so I can shoot an arrow through the bulls eye and coming out the other side. Then we land.

As I step off of Rashter a trainer walks over. 'Can you do that all over please? This is a combat training. Not a sniping training.'

I smile. 'If this had been a combat situation only flying enemies could have targeted us. My dragon isn't a mobile dragon so we based ourselves on our strength. Our communication and my archery.'

The trainer walks away.

Not long after I find myself back in the saddle I also find myself looking at mother with a specific guard next to her. 'Your trainer for your sword fighting has arrived, daughter.'

As the guard takes off his helmet I run to him. 'Ra'iki! You came here for me again?'

Ra'iki smiles as I hug him. 'I couldn't pass the opportunity to continue your training, princess. Especially not on the invitation of her majesty.'

I nod. 'Shall we start our training right away? After all, I do wish to regain my combat prowess.'

Ra'iki drops a bag next to him and walks to the training field I was standing on before. Then he draws his own sword. 'Lets see if you remembered.'

He starts with several of the standard move sets, which we both do flawlessly. Then he returns to the sparring, at first going slow but then picking up speed as we go. It doesn't take long before I hit the limit again and find myself not utilizing my speed to my advantage any more. Even with the training with mother I'm not there yet. Ra'iki nods. 'You have become a lot faster, Shirley.'

As I hear my old name my smile falls from my face. 'Please don't call me that. That name has cost me to much. I'm Tara'li now.'

Ra'iki bows his head. 'Excuse the slip of my tongue, your majesty. Now... I see you have the speed but you cannot handle the speed yet. I guess we have to work up to it. Now... to get handy with your newfound speed you have to train what you can already do but then step up the speed slowly. Follow my lead.'

He starts doing the basic moves with me again, only now we slowly increase the speed. When we reach the point where I lose my grip on the speed he takes one step back. 'All right. Again.'

We repeat the same move patterns again and again until I get the moves right with the current speed. Then we spar once more, this time with Ra'iki dictating the tempo on the speed we just trained at. It is not going perfect but I'm finally feeling progress is being made. Finally I'm feeling good again.

In the middle of the clouds she is there again. Tresh'ta. My mother. She is looks straight at me. 'Shirley, my daughter. You look different...'

I close my eyes while taking a few deep breaths. Then I look at her with a tight look. 'I'm not your daughter, Tresh'ta. You have never been there in my life. You left me when I was born. Why would I call you "mother"?'

She looks surprised. 'I'm your mother. What else would you need? I'm your only family left.'

I step forward. 'Liar. Your sister is still alive. She was there for me. She takes care for me. Where you ran away from me she took interest in me. Supported me. She brought me to my potential and made me what I'm supposed to be. You mean nothing to me, traitor.'

She looks astounded. 'Daughter... nothing is as it seems. I'm not your enemy. Please let me explain.'

I move further towards her. 'You think that after twenty year you can show up and I will crawl to you crying, asking to take me in. But I'm not. The queen of the Elves took me in. I'm the heir of the throne, Wing Commander of the Dragon Guard and one of the best archers alive. No, Tresh'ta. I will not let you explain. I heard about the many people you killed. You would use me for nothing but murder and death. I have better things to do. I give you this offer: you stop haunting me and I will not hunt you down and kill you. You are nothing to me. Stand between me and my goals and I will run you down.'

When I wake up I notice the entire squad and mom in the room. Mom puts a hand on my head. 'You were speaking in your sleep. We heard a lot of what you said. It was her, wasn't it? Tresh'ta?'

I nod. 'Sometimes she comes into my dreams. She tries to talk with me, time and time again. Today I fought back. You heard what I said.'

Mom strokes my head. 'You should not have done that. She may have gone evil but it its still your mother...'

I shake my head. 'No. A mother is there for her children. She was never there. I choose not to let her close. I will not let her get close. You are my mom and no one else.'

Mom strokes my long hair and smiles. 'Just don't make her your enemy to soon. Make sure you got time to train for the fight against her. Don't take the risk yet.'

I spend months retraining my fighting skills. I spend a lot of time honing my reaction speed and getting my accuracy and drawing speed with my bow on par. Mom seems happy with my progress. Ra'iki has to be the one who needs his patience the most. Training my reaction speed with Ra'iki is a slow process. We train a lot, around the training schedule and the paper work, yet with little progress. Eventually Ra'iki has me duel with Sha'iva once again in front of mother.

As we circle each other again I keep my sword aimed at Sha'iva. Do not strike first. Let her start the fight. As she notices I'm not the one to strike first she lashes out with her usual speed and grace. I sidestep her strike and deflect the blow, the cape whirling around me as I step around Sha'iva. Sha'iva tries to follow me with the blade forcing me to block, however I already stand strong. As I block her sword I push it up and then strike back, this time forcing her into the defense and pushing her back. As she steps back one foot after the other I start striking with all my speed. I see her trying to limit her movement by arcing her sword as close to her body, which makes it quicker for her to respond. Then I lock blades with her.

As we have our blades locked she seems hellbent on not giving way. Then I turn my sword around hers, sidestepping her falling strike and with a fluid motion get behind her. As she loses her balance I aim my sword down at her. 'It was time I won this battle.'

Sha'iva looks past my blade to me. 'I was careless and didn't notice you finally got a hang of your speed. You did well, sister.'

I put my sword away and offer her my hand. As I pull her up she wants to grab her sword but mom stops her. 'No need to keep on fighting. You both proved yourself now. Tara'li, you showed you are using your gifts of speed and strength to their fullest. You are ready to show the world what a war master can do. Sha'iva, you have remembered all that has been taught, except improvisation. I'm confident that together you can face any storm and come out on top. Together you will win any battle.'

Ra'iki nods as well. 'You have been patient, as have I. It was like watching a flower coming to bloom. It is a slow process but the end result is worth it. I will look forward to seeing you on the battlefield, princess Tara'li. You make lethality look beautiful.'

As he bows they walk away. I guess they are leaving us. I turn to Sha'iva. 'I guess it is back to full on squad training now. If mom and Ra'iki are leaving us...'

Sha'iva nods. 'I'm sorry to say it, sister, but your collapse and rebirth have been a blessing in disguise. I finally understand mother. We spend actual quality time together. She strengthened me beyond what I believed possible.'

I look at Rashter and then at Sha'iva. 'What is most important is that she is our family. She may not know us as well as the dragons, but in the most important thing is she is there for us. She respects us and loves us both.'

Sha'iva smiles and hugs me. This is what family is about.

Later in the day I'm on my way to training when I notice there is no teacher waiting for us. Just the leader. As we approach him he turns to my Wing. 'I have news for all of you. With the recent developments and with the return to full capabilities of your Wing Leader you have been declared fully functional. You are now a Wing in active service. Tonight you can celebrate.'

I step forward. 'Does that mean the training of Sha'nok is also starting, leader?'

The leader nods. 'You can start training her now, yes. Though I would like you to keep her from active service, you can start training her now. With seven full riders under you, you should have an easy time training her.'

I nod. 'I will notify her of the proceedings then.' I turn to the squad. 'Go and celebrate. Drink, feast, celebrate life and your passing into the lines of the Guard. We will see battle soon enough. Enjoy life now that you can.'

Then I walk away, though followed by Sha'iva. I walk to the upper levels where Sha'nok lives. I then knock on her door. As she opens it and sees me she is confused. 'Who are you?'

I take the armor from my right arm and show it to her. 'The one you once called "sister", Sha'nok. Though I am now known by a different name.'

She looks at the intricate carving on my arm and then to me. 'You... are an Elf? Not a human? How can that be?'

I nod. 'I was half human to be exact. My name is now Tara'li, princess and heir to the Elven throne. I've come to train you.'