Reunion

Julius seemed a bit disappointed by my refusal, but said with a heavy sigh, “I understand. In that case, we should make haste. The letter says that they’re set to convene in just a few days, a bit to the north. I’d like to start by following up with my niece; there’s only so much that can be said in a letter, after all.”

To the north? I guess that means Marik was making his way up to Lakeside after all, I told Rill telepathically.

Looks like it. I guess we should be thankful that this Umbra was able to get him to agree to a meeting. If nothing else, it’s at least bought Jensen some time.

Gesturing to Rill, I responded to Julius, “I agree, but I’m not sure that Rill’s ready to travel. She still has trouble hobbling around here.”

The man regarded her, rubbing the stubble on his chin while he considered her condition. For her part, Rill merely waved a hand to placate the two of us, arguing, “Please, I’m right as rain! At least I should be…tomorrow. Yeah.” Her words did little to assure us, and as we looked at her with expressions that made our doubt clear, and she added with a lighthearted giggle, “Besides, if it turns out to be too much, Leo can always just carry me!”

I sighed, smiling at her cheerful demeanor. Even after everything that had happened, it seemed Rill was still as carefree as ever. “Well,” I said to Julius, “you heard her. It’s getting late anyway, so you might as well stay with us here for tonight. We can set off at first light.”

“Or slightly past,” Rill chimed in. She had been sleeping a lot over the last few days, likely as an result of her healing process.

Julius nodded, a wry smile on his lips, “Then, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

We chatted over a meal thrown together using the roasted remains of a wild goat I had found the day before, along with some wild tubers that Rill had guided me in picking. It wasn’t much, but it was at least filling, and sleep seemed to call to all of us once our bellies had been satiated.

Rill was the first to fall victim, hobbling back to her nest in the alcove and curling up after a short, “Goodnight, Leo.” Watching her struggle to get around, I began to worry about her ability to travel any sort of long distance. But the girl was tough, and if she said she could do it, I was not about to stop her.

I turned to see Julius stretching out a piece of parchment upon a nearby rock he had found to be sufficiently flat, retrieving a quill and a tiny vial of black ink from inside his armor. Noticing my gaze, he said, “I can tell you’re tired. Go ahead, I’ll take the first watch. I want to write out a response anyway.”

“Thank you,” I replied, and laid down on my own bed of leaves and moss towards the entrance of the cavern, sleep quickly claiming me as well.

The next morning, while Rill and I made our preparations, Julius let out an ear-splitting whistle which echoed across the treetops. Moments later the hawk from the day before returned. Slipping his own note into the vial it carried, he sent it soaring back into the sky, explaining, “There. Now she knows we’re on our way. Also, I asked her to send word to Jensen in Lakeside. I hope you don’t mind that I told her to use your name in the request?”

I shook my head, chuckling, “It’s no problem. He did say that he would gladly face down death with me if I ever asked him to. I guess we’ll see if he was serious about that.”

If felt a bit strange to be heading north after all of the time we had spent going south, almost as though we were undoing the progress we had made. I had suggested that we avoid the road for fear of any unwanted encounters, but Julius had insisted that, short of running into Marik himself, who was going to stop us? I could not help but admit that he had a point.

Things went smoothly, but it quickly became clear that Rill was definitely not up to the task of travelling just yet, and it was not long before I actually did end up having to carry her on my back. I had somewhat expected it, but I had also expected her to laugh at the turn of events. Instead, she was oddly silent as she clung to me, the occasional sharp twinge of embarrassment coming through our bond.

At one point, Rill growled into my shoulder, and thought, Hey, Leo? I’ve been thinking. I know I talked a big game last night, but really, I can’t even begin to compare to you and Julius, and Jensen. Let alone the monsters we’re up against. I have this supernatural gift that makes me really good in a fight, but it’s practically useless when I get so easily overpowered! It feels like there’s nothing I can do. I want to help, but I’m afraid that I’m just going to get in the way. I just want to be useful…and more than anything, I don’t want to let you down, Leo.

I see, I replied slowly, You’re right, some of the people we’re up against are out of your league in terms of physical strength. The fact that you’ve done so much up until now is incredible! But Rill, you don’t have to feel obligated to help us fight. I don’t expect you to hold your own against people like Marik, or even his cronies like Nervin and Tirel. I won’t think any less of you for sitting it out. I’m just glad to have you around. I mean, we’re partners, aren’t we? No matter what happens, we’re in this together.

Yeah, I guess. But losing to them really pisses me off! I wish I was stronger so I could do more to help out, that’s all.

Hmm. You know, I hadn’t really considered it, but how do they develop that immense physical strength. Are they born with it, like I was? Somehow, I don’t think that’s the case. From what you said about your grandmother, she used to be incredibly strong too, right? So if nothing else, you’ve got the genes for it, and I think you’ll get there eventually.

I felt a spike of genuine gratitude flow through our bond as she chuckled, That’s true! I’m Hedrya’s granddaughter, after all! There’s no way I’m gonna stay weak and helpless forever! Thanks, Leo. I feel a lot better now.

I wouldn’t ever consider you to be helpless, I laughed, but on a more serious note. If I do end up agreeing to join the fight, we don’t know what the battle or the situation might be like once we get things started. I want you to promise, Rill, that if things look like they’re going bad, you’ll prioritize your life over mine. If that means you have to run away, then you run and don’t look back. Got it?

I expected the spike of irritation that my words elicited from her, but it was brief, and quickly replaced by something I could only describe as, begrudging acceptance. All right, I promise. But only as an absolute last resort. Besides, all you have to do is beat him, and it won’t be a problem.

That depends on Umbra. But don’t worry, I don’t intend to lose to him again, I assured her.

We travelled for three days without seeing another soul on the roads, which was strange. According to Julius, Marik had put out a bounty of sorts for Rill and I, a fact that seemed to greatly amuse her. Around midday on the third day of travel, Julius suddenly pointed up towards a secluded hilltop nearby and said simply, “That should be the place. Follow me.”

We trekked up the slope, and shortly before we crested the top, the man held a hand to his mouth and made a loud, undulating sound in imitation of a birdcall. Moments later, the same sound returned, easily identifiable but also easily disregarded if you were not explicitly listening for it. He waved us onward, and we entered into an open space to find a small group of mostly familiar individuals standing around a blackened firepit, long-since doused.

“Captain!” Nora cried, and upon seeing the two of us trailing behind him, she added, “And Rill and Leo?”

I had no more than let Rill down from my back before Nora rushed over, flinging herself upon the girl and wrapping her in a tight embrace. Face buried in the woman’s bosom, Rill mumbled wordless protests as she flailed about in an attempt to free herself, to no avail. Soon enough, she accepted her fate, and stopped resisting.

Lassan and Tark followed, the brown-haired man clapping me on the shoulder and saying, “Goddess, it’s good to see the two of you after all that craziness!” Tark merely grunted, and although his stony face conveyed very little, it was clear that he had been worried in his own way.

“We thought you were dead!” Nora bawled, holding Rill’s lifeless frame out at arms’ length to get a better look at her.

“Not…yet…” Rill croaked weakly, and Nora frowned at her pallid face and dazed expression.

“You’re hurt!” She exclaimed, finally noticing the giant hole in Rill’s shirt, and the improvised padding underneath. Gently running a hand over the area, she asked, “Do you mind if I take a look?”

Rill shook her head that she did not, and I could feel the waves of discomfort through our bond as Nora carefully lifted her shirt and stripped away the moss dressing to reveal the wound underneath. She gasped upon seeing it, and immediately held her hands over the area, the familiar white glow of healing springing to life as she focused her full attention there.

“That’s a nasty lesion,” Lassan noted uneasily, “What happened?”

“Crossbow bolt,” Rill grunted, her face scrunched up as Nora’s magic began to knit shut the hole in her side, starting from deep within. I shuddered along with her.

The two men looked at me for a better explanation, and I told them, “It’s a long story. Suffice it to say that things did not go well after we parted ways.”

Tark surprised me as he let out a guffaw, “That’s putting it mildly! Things had gone to swill even before the dragon showed up!”

“That’s true,” Lassan agreed, apparently also taken aback by Tark’s outburst. “Did you see it, Leolyn? We caught a glimpse, but it was hard to make out any details in all that smoke. It just looked like a giant shadow.”

I laughed awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. Might…as well tell them the truth, Rill gasped, having trouble even forming her thoughts around the squirming sensation in her side. Eww, it feels gross, Leo! Make her stop!

Ignoring her discomfort as best I could, I slowly said, “Well, about that. That dragon…was actually me.”