Reunion

Home was in front of me. It nearly made me cry just seeing the familiar sight of homes that I recognized. It felt like I had been gone for years with how long it took. Still, it looked the same as it did when I left. Which was a relief. Part of me did worry after everything I saw around my travels that something happened.

I wanted to believe that we would hold fast to reason and remain composed. And yet I’d known other settlements probably felt the same way. So I steeled myself for that chance. As much as Cathlin annoyed me for lying to the people, he was a devout man to logic. I knew he would do everything to keep things whole. And that proved to be the case. Though I don’t know if it was his efforts or that the villagers still didn’t know the whole truth.

But the moment I stepped into the village and for someone to see, I was spotted. “Announcement! Speaker!” I saw that it was the woodcutter Berth. He knew me quite well these days due to his donations to the temple for the Sanctum. His voice boomed out over the street drawing far more attention.

I had anticipated some welcoming, but I was coming home late into the day. So I was counting on that being tomorrow, not today. But it would mean that I might get a lot of the excitement over so that I could spend time at home. “Announcement, Berth! It’s good to see you again!”

“Eshikra!” Berth hurried over as others followed to block my way in. “You look like a grown woman!”

I grinned a little as he lifted up my hand. “Does that mean I won’t get Eriuma’s sweats anymore?”

He smiled wide showing off his teeth. His hand patted my hand, mindful not to get too eager with me. Not that I would have rejected it today. “Eshikra cracking jokes, now I’ve seen everything. What happened to you out there?”

A small giggle came out of me. I missed hearing his voice and seeing everyone. I didn’t realize how much I longed for this until now. I won’t waste a day that I have left. “Far more than I was prepared for, I’ll tell you that.”

“But Eshikra, why did it take so long for you to return?” Koruth asked at his side. A young man apprenticing under Berth, he still wore his apron and heavy leather pants from working with wood. I could see filings stuck to him in places. He must have run out hearing Berth shouting.

I don’t know exactly what Cathlin told everyone. I guessed that it had to be something close to what he said to my parents. “Understanding the truth of Ministra required more work than we expected. I was sent on a journey by the Rastron’s temple to aid in it.” There was far more that I knew and they had some expectations I suspected. “I’ll be speaking with Cathlin later so that we can discuss what I’ve learned.”

That seemed to stem a good bit of the questions that looked to hover on everyone’s lips. They were waiting for word on what the prophecy meant. So I was rather important. My talk with Cathlin was going to be complicated.

But Berth leaned in and put an arm half around me. “Good to have you back. Berthon and Alecia have been eager to see you. You should hurry to them.”

“That was the plan before someone organized a mob for me.”

We grinned back at each other and he turned, pushing his free arm out to open up a path for me. “I like you like this Eshikra, you’re a lot more fun! You were always a little too quiet.” He gave me a small push forward as everyone finished parting for me.

It was more than I could ask for honestly. A bit of tears gathered up in my eyes. I left home with just my parents, but it felt like the whole village was here. I swiftly started marching forward before I was lost too much in the emotions. I needed to get home.

Though I was only halfway there when I saw mother approaching. “Eshikra! Berthon, it’s true, Eshikra’s returned!” She ran up to me as father quickly appeared from behind a house. “Oh, Eshikra, you look so worn!” Mother leaned down a little looking at me closer, holding onto the edges of my jacket as she examined me thoroughly. “Did you get a little taller?”

“I didn’t have the chance to check. Walking the length of the kingdom and back put a few steps on my boots. So I might be shorter.”

She pulled me in hugging me tightly and I completely lost control of my emotions. My arms wrapped around her, missing this warmth. “No, you’re taller. I can tell.” I don’t want this to end. The Priest was right, this was what was most important at this moment. I didn’t need anything more.

“Eshikra!” father called as he came in, joining mother quickly. He muttered praise at me I think, but my heart was in my head and ears. There was nothing coming through. I was happy. Happy in a way that I hadn’t been in so long.

Minutes passed and I wanted hours, but they eventually pulled back. It snapped me a little free of my bleeding emotions. I looked around a little thinking that I was going to get mobbed again by the village, but they kindly seemed to have wanted to give us privacy. No one else was on the street.

“Let’s get you inside and free of all that weight!”

I nodded following mother. Father held a hand on my shoulder smiling, pleased. I think he was even happier now than when I left. “You look like a proper traveler. The road put some years on you.”

“It certainly did that. Far more than I thought it would.” I smiled back, putting a hand against his back. “But I will say I think you underestimated the distance to Rastron. Took me more than a day to walk there.” Though as I thought about it, it was less on the way back.

“Guess I was considering myself. But you look like you could go on a hunt with me now!”

“Found the son that you wish you had?”

He looked a little shocked until I smiled playfully back. Father squeezed me in tight laughing. “No, you’re the only daughter I could ever want. Mother’s got a hot stew still. You can tell us about the people you met!”

Dinner went late, long after I had finished eating. I ate more than I had ever done before, such that mother actually said she ran out. It was a little sad, but I knew I had a few months still to enjoy it. I would have peace in the final days. I just had one last matter to face, Cathlin.