Six

Departure From Egypt

That evening, Rawnie, Kioni and Niara walked us to the train station. It was an exceptionally quiet walk, and I wanted to keep it that way. When we reached the train station, I almost stopped and demanded we stay, but I knew the three sorceresses would object and throw us on the train anyway.

"Two tickets for the train to France in fifteen minutes," Kioni told the ticket seller, and he handed her two slips of paper. She gave them to Tintin, and I bit my lip. This was really happening. We were really going home. Rawnie led us to our train car, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying.

"Now, right after you get to France, you get right onto the train for England, all right? No hesitations or anything, got it?" Kioni said, tone strict. Tintin and I nodded. Everything was silent until a conductor shouted there was ten minutes until the train left.

"Will we ever see you again?" The words just spilled from my mouth after the conductor finished talking, and Rawnie smiled sadly.

"I don't know, Nollie," she said, "But I hope so—one day. Maybe after I become a sorceress."

"We all will," Niara said, and I looked at the young woman in the ugly hag's body.

"Five minutes 'till departure!" Yelled the conductor, and I hugged Rawnie, sniffling.

"Oh, don't cry, dear. Goodbyes aren't forever," she murmured, "Everything will work out all right in the end." She smiled softly to me before parting. I went to Kioni next, who hugged me gently.

"You're a strong girl, Nollie. I wasn't that surprised when you escaped those men," she whispered, "But I mean it about finding a doctor. We sorcerers can only do a little bit." Then I went to Niara. Afraid I would hurt her frail body, my hug was cautious.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about hurting me," she laughed, reading my mind, "It's only the outside that's old. My bones are as young as you." I hugged her tighter. "I would've loved to have known you better," she murmured.

At that, the train conductor yelled, "All aboard!" and Tintin grabbed me, pulling me on the train. I looked out the window, waving to the three sorceresses and wiping the tears from my eyes.

We reached France with no problem. Nobody bothered us or tried to kill us. When the train arrived at the station, we bought the tickets for the train to England that left the following day and went to find someplace to sleep.

There was a nice forest adjoining the station, and Tintin and I set up camp there. It was late afternoon when we found a spot under the trees, a stream not too far from it. He built a fire while I went to get water from the stream.

After I had filled the canteen with water, I lifted some of the icy liquid from the stream, cupped in my hand, to my forehead, wincing as it stung the still open wound. I dropped the canteen in the water when I winced, and I had to reach to get it out, shaking off the droplets.

"Need help?" I turned to see Tintin, and I shook my head, standing up and holding the canteen out to him.

"No, I've got it."

"All right, well I got the fire started, so you can dry yourself off," he chuckled, and I noticed my skirt was wet from when I reached to get the canteen out of the stream. I blushed, following him back to the camp.

It was silent for a while as we sat, facing of the fire, watching it dance. I shivered, and he must've seen it.

"You okay?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No," I murmured, "I'm cold and tired and hungry, and my cut hurts." He took off his trench coat and put it over my shoulders.

"I told you it'd be dangerous."

"But you knew I wouldn't take no for an answer, and I didn't."

"I'm glad you came, though."

"Me too." It was silent before I finally asked the one thing that had been on my mind for two days now. "Why didn't you find Kioni and Rawnie before coming after me?" He froze, and I expected the worst.

"Because… Because you're my best friend."

"So Rawnie and Kioni aren't your friends?"

"They are, it's just…"

"Just what?"

"Rawnie and Kioni can fend for themselves. I knew they'd be okay, but you were kidnapped by the enemy, and I knew—"

"So you think I can't fend for myself?"

"No, I don't think that…"

"Then what do you think?" He was silent, and my heart sank. Whatever Rawnie wanted us to be, he was far from it.

"A few weeks before this, I realized something," he finally spoke, and I worried what he would say next. "I realized how beautiful you had become, since the day I met you, and how much stronger you had grown to be from that little girl in the street. I also realized that I—that I love you." My heart skipped a beat and I looked away, blushing.

"I love you, too," I murmured, and as he kissed me and I kissed him back, I realized everything that had happened during that trip between him and me was because he loved me and couldn't bear to see something horrible happen to me. It was the best feeling in the world, kissing him. The whole world seemed to spin faster and faster around us. It was so perfect, I never wanted that moment to end. His lips on mine, my arms around his neck, the fire crackling in front of us... When we broke, he smiled at me and I smiled at him before snuggling up against him and watching the fire.

The next morning, I woke up beside him on the ground, Snowy curled up beside him. I sat up and stretched, looking around at the gray world surrounding me, as the sun hadn't yet risen. The fire had died long ago, now it was just embers in the middle of the blackened, charred blocks of wood. I heard rustling from behind me and turned to see him sitting up, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning, Nollie," he smiled sleepily.

"Morning, Tintin."

"We should get to the station," he announced, "the train leaves at sunrise." He stood, helped me to my feet, and we went to the station, where we boarded the train and headed for home.