Valkyrie (Complete)

19: It Was An Honor

The woman stops momentarily. "Mother?"

Valkyrie can't help but stare. "I thought you were dead," she chokes out. "We all thought you died seven years ago."

Anger crosses her features suddenly and Valkyrie doesn't know what causes the change. "I am no one's mother." She hurls the boulder and Valkyrie holds her hand up, stopping the boulder in mid-air. It seems to float there as both of them try to force it one way. Her mother is trying to force it to land on Valkyrie, while Valkyrie is trying to keep it away from the cave.

"I'm your daughter!" She shouts, trying to keep her mother's attention on her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see Kaj leading their people out of the caves and into the forest. If she can keep the attention on her for a bit longer, they can all get away.

Phoenix's eyes meet hers and they're much clearer than they were a few moments ago. She can tell that he's struggling to not come over and help her, but it would break her concentration and give her another person to worry about if he did.

Sparks shoot from her hands and lightning cracks across the sky as she tries to force the boulder away, her energy draining fast. She's having a hard time maintaining the force to keep it away from her and her mother smiles evilly. "I've had more years of practice than you've been alive," she sneers, her eyes glimmering darkly.

"I'm younger," Valkyrie bites back. "I have more energy."

Her mother laughs. "If that's what you think, then it'll be easier than I though to take you out."

"You can't take me out," she says, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "You can't stand to lose anyone else."

"What do you mean?"

"The Ankathians killed Dad," she says. "They tied him to a post, whipped and beat him, and then shot him. I came back eight days later and he wasn't buried."

Her mother's hard exterior begins to crack. "Your dad?"

"Yes," Valkyrie grunts out, sweat running down her face.

"My husband?"

"Yes!" Her voice is rising in pitch and the boulder begins to come towards her.

"He's dead?"

"Yes, Ankathian soldiers killed him."

Fury crosses her mother's face again and the crack in her facade is covered up. The boulder flies at Valkyrie and she throws herself out of the way in the nick of time. She lands harshly on her side and pulls herself shakily to her feet.

"You killed him!" Her mother shouts at her. "It's your fault! You and your stupid powers forced them to attack!"

"You have the same powers!"

"I only have one! You have them all! You're the one who led them here, the one who drew their attention and made them feel the need to take you out! All this death is your fault!"

Valkyrie closes her eyes briefly and refuses to allow her mother's words to affect her. This isn't her fault. The Ankathians couldn't have known about her powers, and she only had one when her mother was taken. How could they have known?

A sudden pain pierces Valkyrie's side and she opens her eyes. An arrow has cut through her clothing and skimmed her ribcage. The pain allows her to concentrate on what she's doing and as much as she hates to admit it, the woman in front of her is not her mother. She might look like her, but her mother would never have said any of those things to her.

Valkyrie draws her swords from her back and lunges at her mother, swinging quickly. The older woman blocks with a knife suddenly pulled from her back.  She seems to have trouble keeping up with her daughter's rapid speed of attack and Valkyrie is able to inflict several painful but nonlethal blows. As much as it pains her, she does not want to kill her mother. The memory of the woman she was, how caring and loving she had been, lingers in her mind. It's hard to see her differently.