Mark looked up at Bobby, finishing Bobby's latest, disturbing, journal. Bobby with his head down and hands tugging at his hair was almost in tears. Mark had explained to Bobby how Nevva winter had fooled and harmed the travelers. Only now, completely understanding the depth of her treachery. Understanding of Bobby's involvement in her hideous crime. How could she? Mark thought. How could she go so far as to sacrifice her own personal life to trick the lead traveler into it? Trick him into a caring loving very deep very FAKE relationship? More important was why? Why would she do it? What could Nevva gain in having Bobby falling head over heals for her? Other than having almost complete control of his actions? Why did she make him do it? What was she planning? What was Saint Dane planning? How did this fit in to the giant puzzle that Halla had become? Why…?
Bobby finally looked up. Breaking Marks train of thought. Mark had been wrong before, Bobby was in tears. He was lost. Who wouldn't be after having their heart cruelly ripped apart by the person they thought they loved? Ripped apart by their worst enemy? Bobby was hurting, badly. But it didn't mater. Which probably made things a hundred times worse. Mark didn't know how to comfort him. Mark didn't know how to comfort himself after what he had just read.
"What should I do?" Bobby asked his once best friend softly. Breaking marks train of thought again. "How do I fix this?"
Mark was unsure. He had once thought of Bobby as infallible. The lead traveler who could do no wrong. Make no mistakes. Not mistakes like this. His lead traveler. The traveler who he was proud to be an acolyte for. Bobby once stood for all that was right and good. Bobby had stood against evil and Saint Dane. But Bobby had been led astray. Mark was crushed. His hero had been transformed into a week little lamb.
He couldn't blame Bobby though. It wasn't Bobby's fault. Bobby hadn't known what he was doing. What he was getting into. It could have happened to any of the travelers. It had happened to mark, though on a les dangerous scale. At least that was what Mark tried to tell himself. The truth was that Bobby was in the wrong. The very wrong.
"Mark?" Bobby pleaded. "Tell me what to do. You see things clearer than I do now. I'm lost. Pleas, help me."
Mark had never seen his old friend this way, in such a wreck. Bobby had been destroyed. In more ways than one. Destroyed by his own betrayal.
"Please Mark. Now you know why I did it. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't know what I was doing. It was a mistake. Please. You understand rite? That's why I came to you. You know what its like. Dealing with Saint Dane. How he manipulates people." Bobby was begging mark now.
Mark just sat there. Staring at bobby in aw. He wanted to help. Help to fix what had happened. Help Bobby make things the way the used to be again. Help Bobby be Bobby again. But he couldn't. He wasn't allowed. Even if he was, there would be no way to help Bobby now. Because of what Bobby had done. Bobby was a traitor now. As much as nobody wanted it to be that way, it was. Nobody except, perhaps for Saint Dane. At least now, Mark knew how it had happened. Even if he didn't understand why. Bobby was no longer the lead traveler. No one was. Their lead traveler had crossed over.
Taking the journal with him, Mark got up to leave. Turning his back on Bobby, who was begging him to stay. To understand. To forgive.
"Go back to her Bobby." He said without looking back, surprised that he could keep his voice steady. "There is nothing more you can do for us. She's waiting for you." With that he left.
Bobby sat still, dazed, for what must have been the longest moment of his life. All his good friends had turned their backs on him. As long as he stayed he was in danger. In danger from the people he cared about most. All because of something he had done wrong. Something he would regret forever. He had betrayed them. Without even realizing it at the time, he had done the worst possible thing he could have done. He helped his enemy and hurt his friends. No, not, his, enemy anymore.
Bobby had two friends left. Only two. He decided to go to them. There was nothing ells he could think of to do. Maybe he could still fix what he had damaged some how by going back. He doubted it. But it was worth a try. There was nothing ells left for him to do.
He whipped away the last of his tears, and sat up to write a note. A note to his two friends. To let them know he was coming. To let them know he was coming home. A note to Nevva Winter…And to Saint Dane.