Previous Chapters

Light crept in over the eastern peaks of the glen, washing the travelers in the sun’s morning rays as they lay in each other’s arms on the shore of the glen’s lake. Kael’s uninjured arm was wrapped around Prea, her head on his shoulder. Her eyes opened in the growing brightness and she extricated herself from Kael’s grasp and sat up, brushing hair out of her tired face.

Kael’s eyes flickered open when his hand fell to the ground and he realized that Prea was no longer in his arms. He turned his head slightly and squinted up at Prea sitting beside him. She was unusually quiet in the morning light, her back and shoulders set in solid, unwavering determination.

The fairy tale was almost over; this magical place offering them a gentle reprieve from the seriousness of their journey. He waited for a moment, just watching her be, before he sat up. Then no time was wasted; they ate and readied themselves for the next leg of their journey. Kael’s arm was still bound, so Prea was charged with carrying both packs, at least for the next few days.

Kael stood. “What’s the plan to get out of here? We can’t go back the way we came.”

Prea walked off towards the eastern side of the glen. The southern slopes were less steep, providing a more realistic route over the mountains. She wanted to keep as close to a direct route as possible to limit travel time. Surveying the land, she formed a plan.

“I’m thinking we head towards that peak,” she said, pointing to the southeast. It wasn’t as high as some and would put them in a good location once they reached the summit. “Once we cross, we’ll be in Nodin, but close to the Alder border. Then, ideally, we could buy passage on a ship to take us downriver to the Bay of Aldin. Then we’ll be home.”

Kael kept pace beside her, considering her suggestion. “Are you sure you haven’t traveled before? You have good instincts, a natural sense of direction. That route should be good. It looks like our best option.”

* * *

Their progress was moderate and measured as they crossed the field and began climbing towards the trees up the eastern slope. They made good time in the morning while the sun was still rising, but once the heat began beating down on them, the trek slowed. They moved steadily through the trees for a few days, covering a lot of ground before the slope steepened and the journey became more strenuous.

The trees dispersed as the ground hardened into stone which left Prea and Kael struggling with every step. They were like snails now, creeping up the vertical slope as fast as they could. They had reached a higher altitude than on the climb to the waterfall in Rodor, officially crossing into new territory. Kael, arm healed, traversed ahead of Prea, turning to help her when the climb became too difficult which, given her height, was quite often.

Not only was the climb demanding, but making camp was nearly impossible. Kindling for a fire was scarce and few spots were suitable enough to rest.

One night, the two sat huddled around what they could scrounge up for a fire, eating the small dinner from the food they had begun rationing for the rest of the journey. They spent the evening cozied up beside each other against the rock wall.

“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” Prea murmured into the darkness.

The light from the moon cast a shimmery radiance over the mountain glen. From their position, they had an amazing view and it looked very different at night. The glow added an eerie quality and the surface of the lake was like a mirror in the darkness, the moon’s reflection sparkling on the smooth surface of the water. It was mesmerizing; the lake perfectly round and surrounded by picturesque nature, a pure convergence of three elements. Prea stared below, committing every detail to memory so she would never forget this beautifully secret place.

“I’m surrounded by beauty on all sides,” Kael muttered in response, eliciting a shy grin from Prea. “I wish we could capture it somehow and take it with us.”

“I know what you mean. I never want to forget this place, not ever,” she said emphatically. “And it should always remain this way: pure, untouched, sacred. Don’t you think?”

“It’ll always be our secret,” Kael promised, turning to look at Prea. The following silence extended as he quietly willed her to return his gaze. When she finally did, Prea saw the unending truth in his deep stormy eyes. She sat precariously high up a mountain and yet felt remarkably safe in his presence. “It will always be something that we share. Others may know this place exists, but no one has experienced it the way we have. And they never will.”

* * *

The higher the travelers ascended, the more dangerous their journey became. The slope wasn’t completely vertical, that would have been impossible for them to climb, but its steepness was tricky and problematic. They had reached a point where, no matter the power of the sun, the air still held a chilling cold that sunk to the bone, making them shiver and shake and unsteady on their feet. But this was a summer chill and, though it was cold for them, the ground continued to thaw, the snow melting underfoot. The rocks loosened, slipped and fell behind them as they moved.

“Kael? Can we take a break, please?” Prea pleaded breathlessly. “I can’t feel my legs.”

He turned back and appraised Prea before stripping off his pack. “All right, we can rest for a while.”

Prea followed suit, releasing her pack from her shoulders and placing it carefully on the rock beside her. She considered the ground around her, decided on what she considered the safest place to rest and sat down on the uneven slope.

“How are you doing?” Kael asked.

“It’s just tough to keep my balance,” Prea explained. “And I don’t have much in terms of muscles.”

“At least we’re getting closer. It must make it easier to see the progress you’re making, even if it is a little slow.”

Prea thought about it for a minute before answering. “I suppose so. But I’ll feel so much better once we reach the summit and can finally see our way home. Only then will I feel like everything is truly going to be all right,” she said as the brisk wind whipped her across the face.

“You’re still worried?” Kael questioned as he sat next to her.

“Oh, of course. You’ll know what it feels like when you have children of your own. I’ll stop worrying when Carr is awake again in my presence,” Prea declared. “But it will only subside momentarily. There’s no true end to it really, Kael. I know I can only do so much to protect them and keep them safe. The rest is out of my hands. It doesn’t make it any easier, though.”

“They’re lucky to have you,” Kael muttered softly as he considered her. “They’ll never really know all you’ve done for them. But that isn’t the point, is it?”

“No, it isn’t…”

A faint rumbling began deep in the mountains, growing louder as the land vibrated beneath them. The two looked around as the sound echoed in their ears, finally looking up as a crack rang clear through the air. Time appeared to slow as Prea watched the large rocks break free of their prison and tumble towards them. She sat frozen in place, unable to move as the rocks gained momentum and drew closer to where they rested. The next thing she knew, Prea was being pulled by the arm and dragged aside just in time for the first boulder to skirt by behind her.

Kael threw Prea against the mountainside, covering her body with his own as a shower of rocks released from the slope above, bearing down on them. Prea followed Kael’s lead as he directed them out of the path of the earthly missiles. It was a dangerous dance they played where every step posed a precarious challenge. They managed to dodge almost all of the larger rocks, but one of the lagging stones tripped them up as they attempted to evade the last threat.

The uneven rubble shifted and their feet flew out from under them as they joined the rocks and began to tumble down the slope. Both Kael and Prea managed to halt their descent before they lost too much distance and, once they steadied their nerves, collected their dispersed packs.

They wasted no time and closed the gap between them, ending up in each other’s arms. Once again Prea felt safe, even after all that had happened; she would always feel safe in his arms. Kael pulled away and looked her over.

“How are you? How badly are you hurt?” Kael asked quickly.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just some bumps and scrapes. Nothing serious. What about you?” she countered. “Please tell me you’re all right. I don’t know…”

“I’m all right,” Kael interrupted, holding her by the shoulders. “Don’t worry, Prea. I’m fine.”

The companions started their hike again, refusing to stay in this unstable area one more minute. They trudged warily, higher and higher until they could go no further, the land changing to snow and ice. They worked hard over the next few days, carefully climbing the rest of the way to the summit. The two ascended the last elevation, exhausted and sore, and faced the land of Nodin under the warm vestiges of sunlight.

The icy land evened out for a stretch in front of them, a safe place to finally rest for the night. Prea let out a sigh of relief at being that much closer to Carr and a few tears escaped, freezing when they met the cold air.

“We made it,” Kael muttered into the coming night, his breath visible in the air.

“Yes, we did,” Prea added.

Though they had reached the summit, they were not without problems. There was no kindling for a fire anymore, not that the icy floor would have allowed the flames to ignite. Prea and Kael created a makeshift camp with the provisions that remained, managing the best they could in the freezing temperatures. They wore all the clothing available and still shivered in the darkness. Once they finished their rationed dinner, the two curled up together on what they had in terms of a blanket. Their combined body heat was the only thing keeping them warm throughout the night. Even so, the wind and cold were brutal and sleep was limited.

* * *

The cold chilled Prea to the bone as she trod carefully on the ice in Kael’s wake as the wind lashed at her face. A layer of snow coated the ground under their feet and Prea kept her eyes down to avoid the harsh sting of the air and the glare of the sun. Her jacket was wrapped tight around her body, her hair tucked into the collar protecting her ears. Kael’s footsteps in the snow were her current map down the mountain.

The air tickled Prea’s nose, unleashing a sneeze which caused her eyes to snap shut. In that second of blindness, she slipped on a patch of ice and toppled over, knees and elbows bumping and knocking against the unforgiving ground. Kael turned at the crash behind him and saw Prea in a heap on the ice, her clumsiness bringing a smile to his face in the thin mountain air. While on her knees, she looked up, peering past Kael downhill and saw that there was an end in sight to the ice.

“Are you all right?” Kael asked, stifling a laugh. 

“Yes,” Prea groaned as she scrambled to her feet, brushing snow off of her pants and jacket. “I’m fine.”

She remained still for a moment, catching her breath after the fall, when she heard something faint, a sound she couldn’t quite place. The noise became louder, clearer and ultimately distinguishable.

Chipping. Cracking. Splintering.

Her head flew up, listening close for clues as to where the fracturing was coming from. She realized the answer too late, her eyes shifting to her feet. She glanced up once more and her eyes locked with Kael’s for one second before the ground shattered. Instinct flooded through her and her arms flailed, hands groping for anything to hold onto as she plummeted. Her arms landed on the ice as a sharp stabbing pain hit her stomach and the breath deserted her lungs.

Panic rushed through her as she struggled to hold onto the slippery ice. Her heart hammered, her body shivered and her mind was paralyzed. Kael ran towards her and that movement was enough to spark her mind. He stopped only when Prea called out.

“No! I don’t want you to fall too,” she screamed as the cracking extended around her.

“Prea! You’re going to be all right. You’re going to be fine,” Kael yelled anxiously, fear stripping the color from his face as he desperately tried to think a way out of this mess. Prea levered herself up as much as she could while inching her right hand toward the opening of her jacket. Her fingers clawed at a pocket just inside the lining, ripping the stone from its hiding place. She used all her energy to toss the stone in Kael’s direction, relieved and absolved when he plucked it out of the snow.

“Prea, what are you doing?” Kael demanded, stepping towards her.

“Kael, listen to me. I need you to go on. I need you to save Carr. Please, do that for me,” Prea pleaded, her hands clutching at the ice for an anchor.

“I’m not leaving you, Prea. You’re going to be fine,” he assured her. “You’re going to save Carr yourself.”

“Kael, I don’t have much time. I can’t hold on much longer. And if you fall too, this will all be for nothing and I’ll have failed Carr completely.”

“Your family needs you, Prea. Don’t let go,” he begged, his midnight eyes shining.

“My family needs you now. I’m doing this for them, Kael. I’ve lived a full life. I’ve had friends, a family, I’ve raised a child. I’ve loved and been loved in return. Twice.” She paused briefly. “I never expected to feel anything again after Leal. But you ran straight into my life and burrowed deep into my heart. You helped me, comforted me, rescued me. In more ways than one. I love you, Kael,” Prea choked out the words, gasping for air, her stomach searing in pain.

“I love you and I need you to save my brother. Protect my family. Leave me. Never come back. Promise me, Kael,” she cried out, the sound of splintering ice echoed loud in her ears.

“Prea, I’ve loved you ever since you held your ground in the Ashton pub, I just didn’t know it. I never expected to want this. You’re unimaginable in all the best ways and you were someone I never expected to find. But now that I have, I can’t…”

“Kael,” Prea interrupted sharply. “Promise me.”

He took one step closer, saw what he needed to in her expression and whispered, “I promise.”

The cracking started under her arms, cleaving the ice right up to Kael’s foot, causing him to jump back. She watched him for as long as she could before the rest of the ice below her arms broke apart and she fell.

“I love you,” she breathed one last time.

Then…nothing.