Lirigon was a large place, as Thenir had pointed out when Zelika told him what was going on. But she wouldn't let that stop her from turning it inside out to find the best friend she had been missing for so long. Sunara immediately volunteered her help in the search, to Zelika's chagrin; had her sister already forgotten the fact that she had laughed at her problem with Mik?
The three were standing in the hallway making final arrangements when the inevitable happened and Mik poked his head in from another room to ask what was going on. Zelika immediately made herself a tall, female, red-haired shield which didn't seem to enjoy being used, then stomped away from it when it suggested Mik come along to meet Hem. Zelika only had a moment to brood outside before the two problems followed her. She snuck a furtive observation of Mik while he asked Sunara where they ought to search first, but detected little regard for the happening earlier that morning. With any luck he wouldn't bring it up while they searched for Hem, although his thoughts were impossible to comprehend and he was thus unpredictable. The largest complications would probably spring from Sunara, who was beginning to seem to Zelika as if she enjoyed snooping and making life miserable.
The afternoon sun shed a golden light on the streets of Lirigon as the three set out, and their numbers were quickly made four with the addition of Nisrah. He had been playing in a small garden when he spied his siblings and new friend, then tagged along as little brothers tended to do and soon made a lovable pest of himself. However, the excitement of the search soon faded into a duller, more chorelike feeling, stifling Zelika's previous worries as well as her would-be giddiness at meeting Hem again. Instead, she began to worry: had he changed? Would he assume she and Mik had started something without him? Would he be angry? What if all the glory of saving Edil-Amarandh had turned him boastful? The last problem could be easily fixed with a casual slap to the back of the head and a scolding to stop being such a boy, but the others were more delicate matters.
Zelika was so wrapped up in her fidgety worrying that she didn't catch Sunara's question, and had to be elbowed. She glared up at her sister, who (infuriatingly) seemed amused by the response.
"You said Hem looks Pilanel and Saliman is from Turbansk, right?" she inquired in an unusually soft voice. It was generally the voice she used when she was delivering bad news, and Zelika's insides gave an involuntary wobble. She steeled herself and nodded. "Yes. That's right."
Sunara continued, "Well, I haven't seen anybody around who looks Pilanel, but a Turbanskian man in Lirigon is a pretty rare sight. Nevertheless, there's one standing just over by that oak tree," she smiled helpfully and lifted her chin to indicate the direction, something Zelika thought might mean an apology for her thoughtless giggles this morning. But if one of her old friends was about, then sisterly arguments could be overcome later. Zelika turned and leaned on her toes, cursing her slight shortness and trying to catch sight of the man. When she did, a rush of warmth overtook her and practically thrust her forward faster than her legs would move. Without any explanation she took off in the direction of the tiny patch of grass where four evenly spaced oaks stood, calling Saliman's name once then throwing herself into his shocked arms.
"You're here, finally, you're here!" she shouted into his shoulder, glad that her voice was muffled because her excited chatter might hurt the ears of those around her otherwise. Just as quickly as the joy at being reuinted with her old guardian had appeared, it was replaced by soaring breathlessness, and she could only squeak, "Where's Hem?"
"He was sitting at the foot of another tree," Saliman replied, both unnerved and overjoyed to be embracing the girl he buried months ago. He doubted many people had dealt with such an experience, and although he was eager to hear Zelika's tale, he knew that she would argue fiercely if he were to keep her from Hem any longer.
Zelika glanced over her shoulder, wide-eyed, and drew in a sharp breath when her eyes locked with those of Hem, who had been watching the exchange with unbelievable patience. He was even taller than she remembered, something Zelika could easily see though he was sitting with crossed legs, and his hair seemed shorter and choppier than it had been last, as if it had been cut and carelessly grown out, and had only recently begun to recieve proper care. She wanted to spring towards him and hug him with all her might, but the worries about his possible changes resurfaced like ugly eels, and instead she hesitantly took a single step towards him. Immediately a protective wall shot up and she held her head high-- she would not be hurt if he didn't want to return her friendship anymore. What Zelika didn't realize was that her expression was now quite similar to the wild, pride-ridden face she had worn for so long as a mask when she first met Hem, and that she herself gave off the impression that if he wanted to befriend her again then he would have to start from the beginning.
Hem was not cowed. He was unsure of the best approach, but that was the least of his worries. He was just glad to see Zelika again. For too long, a pulsing dark grief had filled the spot where she once was; it had yawned and expanded, and now that it was gone, he was all the more desperate to be with her again and have her presence fill the empty cavern where bleeding pain had once lived. One corner of his mouth tipped upwards, and the other followed shortly, until he was grinning from ear to ear and stood up as if a string operated by a puppeteer had forced him to.
Now that Hem had done something, even an action so simple as to stand, Zelika knew without needing an explanation that he had missed her just as much as she'd missed him. All her defenses clattered away as a well overflowed in her left eye and a tear streaked out, and she tottered into Hem's embrace like an exhausted adventurer who had finally made it home.
---
After much hugging, excited chatter, and plan-making, Hem and Saliman parted for an unbearable few moments to go and find an inn where they could stay for a while. For the moment, they would stay until Eurës arrived, at which time he, Sunara, and Nisrah would return to Baladh while Zelika traveled with Saliman and Hem to Innail. She would stay there for a while before making her way back to her hometown as well-- Hem and Saliman had been planning on traveling to Turbansk, so they could drop her off at Baladh as a detour before continuing. But all this was in the future, and Zelika refused to even think about leaving Hem's side.
As they made their way back to Thenir's home, Sunara eagerly planning (out loud) what she would feed the two new guests and hoping her temporary guardian wouldn't mind the short notice, Zelika wondered how she ought to let Hem know that she loved him. Now that they were together again, it was hardly a problem of gathering courage, but delicate matters had to be handled delicately, something that irritated Zelika due to the fact that she would really rather turn in an instant and kiss Hem on the lips. This, however, could confuse him, which could lead to all sorts of unwanted chain reactions. So she was stuck turning over the puzzle pieces in her head for the moment.
Finally, Hem brought up a subject that would start a good long conversation that would give her time to think. He inquired, "We all thought you were dead; Saliman said he buried your body after he found it outside the Cur Camp, so how is it that you're alive and apparently quite healthy?" So Zelika plunged into much the same story she had recited to Eurës when she reached Baladh, though this time her speech was in choppy Annaren.
"So you have no idea why your body was uncovered?" Hem asked, utterly dumbfounded. This was one part of the story Zelika could not account for, and while it was true that she was nevertheless alive, an explanation would set his mind at ease.
Zelika shook her head cheerfully, despite the dark story she had just told. Nothing could tug her mood down right now. "I just stayed in the camp for a few days," she shrugged, going into more detail now. "The Hulls-- they looked like nobles, but they made their real persons no mystery-- they came to feed me twice a day with bad meat. I think it was parts from what the other children didn't eat. Then one came without looking like a noble and took me out of the room and we met another Hull then started walking through the hills and forest and they kept the creatures away with magic even though I said I could fight. They wanted me to be alive, I think. I never saw anyone who looked like me dead or anything," she shrugged.
Hem watched her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. "It is confusing, to be sure, but we can worry about it later. There's far more to speak about." Another great grin invaded his face, and this time it infected Zelika as well. "I told you how I am alive. But what did you do after I was captured?" she asked, tipping her head to one side.
"I ran in after you," Hem smirked. "Not immediately, because at first I was... dazed, you might say, by what had happened. Then I decided to follow you. I never knew that you left, and joined the army. I figured out what the Hulls were using to keep all the children brainwashed and made sure not to eat it, then followed the army all the way to Dagra. There was a huge battle there between Sharma and Imank, because Imank was rebelling, but he was defeated. During the fight I searched for you but only found your brother-- I tried as hard as I could to save him, but he slipped away..."
Zelika shrugged. "No worry. He is alright." She pointed ahead of them, where Mik had just dragged Nisrah out of an alley, saying something about fish not being good to feed to stray dogs when it smelled like that. Hem was shocked, amused, and thankful all at once, because at that moment it had seemed as if there would be no hope for the young boy, but watching him now, he didn't even seem to be troubled by the fact that he had been used as a mindless soldier for Hulls. Deciding to leave it for later, Hem continued, "Once we were seperated, I finally made it out of Dagra, and then I met Irc. He had been watching the fight, and stole a tuning fork that turned out to be of grave importance, but I'm sure you would rather be spared all the complicated notions of magery. Eventually I returned to Sjughakar'Im, where I met Saliman. I rested, and then he told me that you had been dead all along. I... I visited your grave, and said goodbye..." he trailed off, old grief emerging even though Zelika stood right beside him. He also felt a tremor of unease, recalling what he had said about his wish to marry her when they were older.
"Why did you say goodbye?" Zelika questioned, completely unaware of Hem's troubles. "If I had been dead, then I would not have been able to hear you, and as it was I was far away wasting in a prison and did not hear you anyways."
Hem smiled at her complete lack of understanding. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he said softly. He was just about to continue his tale when something collided with him from behind and knocked him off his feet. He was sure he was going to land on the ground, but whatever had hit him kept kareening forward and ended up under him. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a boy his age, the same one that had been berating Nisrah for feeding rotten fish to a dog. Hem quickly picked himself up, offering the stranger a hand which was thoughtlessly ignored. Hem thought this rude, and was even more insulted when the boy said nothing to him, but ran back the way he had come.
Meanwhile, Zelika was observing all this, and realizing that although she had been reunited with Hem and her journey was over, difficulties of a new kind were just about to begin.
A/N: I haven't edited this yet, and I'm posting it right now, so please forgive any mistakes. All that aside, hope you enjoyed it, and as always, reviews are appreciated. :)