had only imagined it. He
motioned for Tressa to follow him out. They were being overprotective of her, probably concerned someone would still blame her for
the plague. Tressa stepped lightly, careful not to jostle her pack with Nerak hiding inside.
The crowd had dwindled. She glanced to the
square. The only remaining body was the dragon. The three villagers had already
been moved to their final resting place in the fog. Geoff’s wife was gone and
he wasn’t far behind. Their son would make sure someone knew and could care for
the bodies the way they deserved. It was unlikely they would be the only ones
who would need such help.
A group of ten people stood to the side, off by
the fog, near the town square. Tressa recognized all of them. Connor’s wife and two children. Three elders. Three
villagers Tressa vaguely knew. Udor.
Instinctively, she reached back, touching her
pack. Nerak had to be quiet around Udor. She feared
what he would do to her if discovered. Through the pack, she felt the peck of
the owl’s beak. Acknowledgement that it understood? Whatever it was, it would have to do.
“This is it?” Tressa whispered to Connor.
Normally the entire village showed up to say goodbye to those walking into the
fog. Often, everyone from Hutton’s Bridge offered gifts of medicine, jerky,
honey, or anything they could spare. “Their gifts won’t be enough.”
“It’s never enough,” Connor returned. “No one’s
come back, no matter how much they’ve received.”
“You’ll received nothing today,” Udor told
them. “No one is willing to help you. We’re only here to make sure you leave.
Death awaits you whether you stay or go, Tressa. Connor and Bastian, I ask you
to reconsider.”
“No.” Hazel stepped forward, her hand on the
shoulder of her toddler, another baby in her crooked arm. “I will give what I
can.”
Connor enveloped his family in his arms.
“You’ll do no such thing. Save it for yourself and the children.” He glanced
around the village. “You don’t know when you’ll need it.”
“He’s right, Hazel. Take care of yourself and
your children, just like we’ll do for ourselves out there.” Bastian set a
strong hand on her shoulder. The look in his eyes was grim, but Tressa noticed
he didn’t look around for his own wife and daughter. Her heart fell as she
realized he must have assumed they wouldn’t show. Coupling didn’t always
produce a loving life bond, but she couldn’t believe Vinya wouldn’t even come to see him off.
Tressa
nodded , mute . There was no
one there who loved her. She and Bastian didn’t have the caring words Connor
was getting whispered in his ear. She kept her eyes away from Udor, not wanting
to give him one moment of her precious time. There wasn’t much left. Instead,
she chose to focus on Bastian’s back. If she couldn’t tell him how much she
loved him before they walked through the fog to their deaths, she could at
least spend her last moments memorizing every inch of him.
Connor broke away from Hazel. He made eye
contact with Bastian, then with Tressa. “Ready?” Always the gentleman. Always giving them a way out.
“Of course.” Tressa shifted from one leg to the
other, surprised how heavy the little owl was on her back. Nerak couldn’t have weighed more than a few pounds. Or maybe it was the weight of
knowing she was about to face the unknown. A shiver raced through her body,
ending in a cold sweat on her brow.
Bastian sheathed the sword he’d been carrying
at his side. He looked over at the fog, then at Tressa. He opened his mouth,
but then closed it before he could utter a word. Tressa yearned to tell him to
say something, anything, but held back. They’d said everything they needed to
say to each other, two years ago, on the first night of their coupling. She
knew she hadn’t changed her feelings and by the look in his green eyes, he
hadn’t either.
Udor’s laugh scratched at her ears. “What are
you waiting for? Afraid?
motioned for Tressa to follow him out. They were being overprotective of her, probably concerned someone would still blame her for
the plague. Tressa stepped lightly, careful not to jostle her pack with Nerak hiding inside.
The crowd had dwindled. She glanced to the
square. The only remaining body was the dragon. The three villagers had already
been moved to their final resting place in the fog. Geoff’s wife was gone and
he wasn’t far behind. Their son would make sure someone knew and could care for
the bodies the way they deserved. It was unlikely they would be the only ones
who would need such help.
A group of ten people stood to the side, off by
the fog, near the town square. Tressa recognized all of them. Connor’s wife and two children. Three elders. Three
villagers Tressa vaguely knew. Udor.
Instinctively, she reached back, touching her
pack. Nerak had to be quiet around Udor. She feared
what he would do to her if discovered. Through the pack, she felt the peck of
the owl’s beak. Acknowledgement that it understood? Whatever it was, it would have to do.
“This is it?” Tressa whispered to Connor.
Normally the entire village showed up to say goodbye to those walking into the
fog. Often, everyone from Hutton’s Bridge offered gifts of medicine, jerky,
honey, or anything they could spare. “Their gifts won’t be enough.”
“It’s never enough,” Connor returned. “No one’s
come back, no matter how much they’ve received.”
“You’ll received nothing today,” Udor told
them. “No one is willing to help you. We’re only here to make sure you leave.
Death awaits you whether you stay or go, Tressa. Connor and Bastian, I ask you
to reconsider.”
“No.” Hazel stepped forward, her hand on the
shoulder of her toddler, another baby in her crooked arm. “I will give what I
can.”
Connor enveloped his family in his arms.
“You’ll do no such thing. Save it for yourself and the children.” He glanced
around the village. “You don’t know when you’ll need it.”
“He’s right, Hazel. Take care of yourself and
your children, just like we’ll do for ourselves out there.” Bastian set a
strong hand on her shoulder. The look in his eyes was grim, but Tressa noticed
he didn’t look around for his own wife and daughter. Her heart fell as she
realized he must have assumed they wouldn’t show. Coupling didn’t always
produce a loving life bond, but she couldn’t believe Vinya wouldn’t even come to see him off.
Tressa
nodded , mute . There was no
one there who loved her. She and Bastian didn’t have the caring words Connor
was getting whispered in his ear. She kept her eyes away from Udor, not wanting
to give him one moment of her precious time. There wasn’t much left. Instead,
she chose to focus on Bastian’s back. If she couldn’t tell him how much she
loved him before they walked through the fog to their deaths, she could at
least spend her last moments memorizing every inch of him.
Connor broke away from Hazel. He made eye
contact with Bastian, then with Tressa. “Ready?” Always the gentleman. Always giving them a way out.
“Of course.” Tressa shifted from one leg to the
other, surprised how heavy the little owl was on her back. Nerak couldn’t have weighed more than a few pounds. Or maybe it was the weight of
knowing she was about to face the unknown. A shiver raced through her body,
ending in a cold sweat on her brow.
Bastian sheathed the sword he’d been carrying
at his side. He looked over at the fog, then at Tressa. He opened his mouth,
but then closed it before he could utter a word. Tressa yearned to tell him to
say something, anything, but held back. They’d said everything they needed to
say to each other, two years ago, on the first night of their coupling. She
knew she hadn’t changed her feelings and by the look in his green eyes, he
hadn’t either.
Udor’s laugh scratched at her ears. “What are
you waiting for? Afraid?
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