Rakar's Second Chance

Chapter 7 part 2

He turned around, not daring to believe his ears, but he was right. Standing there, not 10 feet away, with a broad smile on her face, was his mother. She looked at him for a moment, then said," Hello, Rakar. It's been awhile."

  Without a second thought, he ran up to her and threw his arms around her. Tears of joy poured down his face as he really hugged his mother for the first time. He felt her embracing him back, her small arms wrapped protectively around him. He leaned down and buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in her warm, motherly smell, a smell that was unfamiliar on her, but was immensely comforting.

  Rakar, however, being half a head taller, couldn't stay in that position for long.  When he finally looked down at her, the amount of love and pride in her eyes shocked him. They looked at each other in companionable silence for a moment, then Priscilla said," You've grown so much, my darling. You were little more than a boy the last time I saw you." Rakar replied," Mother, two things. First, I was 16, second, was it you that talked me into staying, even when I could have left?" 

  Priscilla replied," Yes...." He sighed, the asked," How long have you been watching me without my knowledge?" She replied, "I've been following your movements for years." Rakar got an uncomfortable look on his face. " Y-years, huh?"

  She nodded. I was a bit disappointed in you when you became involved in... shady activities, but I'm glad that you've finally turned yourself around! And found a nice girl, much better than the last one. What was her name...?"

  "Nymph, Mother." "Right, Nymph. I never liked her. She just encouraged your bad behavior."  Rakar rolled his eyes. "It's the truth, my darling. But I didn't come here just to catch up." Rakar looked at her, a little confused. "Then why are you here?"  She continued. "I came to tell you that you're the only one who can save Aurora. The poison they used on her was Deathshade. It's the one poison I know you know the antidote for. You have to hurry! She's waiting for you..." Rakar blushed. "She is?" Priscilla nodded. "She is. She longs to be with you." He blushed even redder. She smiled at him, then reached into the sash of her dress and pulled out a ring, handing it to Rakar. He stared at the ring sitting on his palm in confusion. It had a gold band, with a ruby and a black diamond for the center stones.

  "What's this?," he asked. It was your father's. It was given to him by his mother, and he gave it to me for our fifth anniversary. And now it's yours. It's very special. It was hand-crafted by your father's father for your grandmother. It's been in the family a long time. Make sure to take good care of it. I always meant for you to have it, but I lost my life before I had the chance."

  Rakar's expression turned serious. "You should be alive right now, Mama." She replied," Perhaps I should. But we can't change what happened in the past, only what will happen in the future." A breeze ruffled her fur, which was so like his own. "You know I must leave." He nodded. "Yeah, I know." She put her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I love you, my darling son." How he'd longed to hear her say those words. "I love you too, Mama." She released him after a little while, then started walking out of the glade. He watched her go, a single tear finding its way down his cheek. Before she disappeared from view, Priscilla turned to him and said, "You'll have one more visitor tonight. Goodbye, my darling. I'll give your regards to your father."  With that, she turned and disappeared.

  Rakar was staring at the direction she had disappeared in, wondering who his other visitor was, when he heard an all-too-familiar voice say," Hello, Little Brother. It's been a while." Rakar slowly turned towards the voice, terrified of who he knew he was going to see. He kept his head down, facing the direction of the voice, but keeping his eyes on the ground. He saw a pair of dusty old boots on the ground in front of him, and felt a hand lift his chin. He found himself looking into the warm, familiar brown eyes of his older half-brother, Mortesen.

   The brother he'd loved, who'd always loved him, the brother that was his best friend. The brother he'd killed, on the battlefield of the war he'd started. The brother whose children had been left fatherless and whose wife had become a widow, because of him. All Rakar could think to say was," I am so, so, so, sorry."

  Mortesen smiled. "I forgive you," he replied, "for everything." Rakar's heart felt lighter than it had his entire life. Having finally obtained forgiveness from his brother, the last weight lifted from his soul, and he knew that he could finally be free of his past and start his life with Aurora with a clean slate.

  He smiled, a few tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Big Brother."

Mortesen grinned and withdrew his hand, saying, "So, I hear you found yourself a girl."

Rakar chuckled and nodded. "I did." "So, who's the lucky woman?," Mortesen asked.

Rakar replied," Her name's Aurora. She's a black-and-white hedgehog with sea-green eyes." "What's she like?,"Mortesen inquired further.

Rakar smiled." Smart, strong, kind, sweet, good with magic, not to mention completely and utterly gorgeous, much prettier than Athena."

Mortesen chuckled. "Are you really going there?"

Rakar replied,"Yes. Yes, I am." Mortesen mussed up Rakar's shank of red hair. "Sorry, but no one is prettier than my queen."

Rakar smoothed his hair out, then replied," I'm fairly certain that Aurora is much prettier, but then again, I am biased." Mortesen chuckled. So am I." He sighed. "I always wondered if we would have arguments about which one of us had married the more beautiful woman."

Rakar laughed. "I'm not married yet, Mortesen." His brother smiled. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before."

Rakar smiled back. "I've never really had reason to before. But I'm really happy right now."
Mortesen replied,"It's good to hear that you're happy. That's all I ever wanted for you, Little Brother." He paused. "Does she make you happy, Rakar?" He nodded. "Happier than I've ever been in my life. She's honest with me, and she's not afraid of me, either. She's willing the ignore my past and look towards our future. I really love her, Mortesen. And she loves me." Moretsen replied, "I'm glad you found someone to love you." Just then, a familiar face walked into the glade...