Cadvan stumbled and fell. His eyes were raw and painful, the torment of the trek wringing his bones and causing his mind to blur. He was almost there, almost at the ice palace, only miles out of his icy realm. Maered swam before his eyes and he prayed, for the first time in many years, to the light to bring her back. He had cried, he had swore, he had even been sick thinking of her, and the fear he would never see her again. His heart hurt, like the rest of his body, the feeble vessel of his life, the one that he would give for another day with her.
Please Maered, be alright, he thought as he made his way to a rocky inlet, too weak to continue without a moment's rest. His beard scraped his chin as he rubbed his face, and he marveled at the sheer occurrence of the thing. Even clinging to life, the body still reminds you that you are human, and that it will continue to care for and waste energy on such trivial things as hair growth.
He slumped down and closed his eyes, his thoughts on Maered. He did not miss the noise of padded shoes though snow, or the small "oh!" that escaped her lips, but he would not make himself hope. He had run after her shadow for days, only to realize the wolf he saw was not her, or the girl was a Jussack. Only when she said, "Cadvan?" did he look up to see her.
She was dressed ridiculously, in thick fur leggings and wrapped up like some enormous furry animal, ice clinging to her coat and boots.
"Maered!" Cadvan cried, struggling to his feet. She ran into his arms and they collapsed, holding each other as if the world would crumble beneath their feet.
"Oh Cadvan!" she sobbed, clinging to his chest, her tangle of dark hair in her eyes, "I thought I would never see you again. I called for you, and you came! Look, you came!" She was laughing through her tears now, and Cadvan pulled her deeper into the cave, where they were sheltered from the worst of the elements.
Suddenly Cadvan's knees gave out and they collapsed together into the floor, still holding each other. It was relief, love and hope. It was joy, sorrow and pain. It was every emotion, and yet none at all. It was something deeper, something that touched the very core of his being and made him glad, through all the pain, the fear and the unbearable heartache, to be alive. It was the reunion he had always wanted with Ceredin but never got. It was the reunion he hoped for when he was called home to the Light.
"I missed you," he whispered into her hair, his voice sounding strained and foreign. "I missed you. Don't you ever leave me again, Maered."
Maered pulled away for a moment to look him in the eye and she smiled, her lazy morning, comforting smile; the one that made his heart leap and his mind reel with wonder.
"You have little to worry about," she replied, eyes trained on his, "I won't go anywhere. Promise." She began to sob then, and Cadvan joined her, the feeling of her, safe in his arms giving him strength to carry on.
"Alright, dearling, we must rest, and then we must go home."
Maered hugged him through the tears and nodded.
AN: This is a short chapter, and thank you for all the reviews. I will write more I think but I thought I should write tonight. I wanted this chapter as healing for myself, as my big brother, just graduated from high school, suddenly passed to heaven in a terrible car crash on Thursday. He was my world and I wanted a little tribute, the reunion I am praying for one day. Chase I love you, and this was for you. If you wish to review I would sincerely love it, as your reviews and my writing are what are keeping me from a very dark place. Thank you.
Live everyday like it was your last
Smile when you are happy,
Cry when you are sad,
And hold your family close,
Love Your Happy Place.
