29. Home Free

The Eluvian gives us a little bit of trouble at first; stubbornly refusing to be anything other than a mirror. I finally grab Jowan's loose hand and press it and my own hand against the glass. Sigrun grabs my elbow as the mirror slowly begins to warp under our touch. I can't help but notice the even sharper than usual contrast between my skin and Jowan's as the room at the end of the tunnel materializes around us. I feel a fresh rush of fear, but squash it down ruthlessly. He's gonna be okay. Declan said he'll be fine.

"So..." Sigrun clears her throat and I hastily let go of Jowan's hand. "Mal first, then Lily?"

I nod. "Makes sense. We have to pass his cell to get to her."

We toil up the sloping, ill-paved tunnel in silence for the most part, all three too tired to curse when we trip, though from how hard Sigrun's grinding her teeth together, I'm beginning to wonder just how bad her leg is.

Still, she suffers in silence, both of us aiding Declan when he needs it. By the time we reach Mal's cell block, all of us are tired enough to curl up on the stone floor and take a nap.

Declan and Sig wait out in the main hall while I go to get Mal. He's still standing exactly where we left him, hands fidgeting nervously with the empty lyrium vial.

"Mal?" I'm careful not to say it too loud, but he's still startled, nearly dropping the vial. "It's okay, it's just me. Declan's friend."

He nods, eyes flickering back and forth as if searching. "Where's Declan?"

"In the hall, waiting. You ready to go?"

"Aye." He holds out a hand, which I gently guide to rest on my shoulder. "Walk slow."

"I will," I promise. "Trust me, we're too tired to walk fast."

"Soun's lieke et's was quite a task," he comments as we begin our walk to join the others.

"You could say that," I chuckle. "I'm Rahna, by the way."

"I know," Mal replies. "Declan an'...an' yer mage both said yer name."

"Well, yeah, but I figured a formal introduction can't hurt, right? Just to be sure." I shrug. "And the mage's name is Jowan, by the way."

"Thank yeh."

"For what?"

"Tha's th' ferst tieme I've been treated lieke a person en four years."

I'm honestly speechless at that, so I don't say a word.

oOo

It's amazing how long hallways feel when you're tired. I know the corridor with the cell blocks wasn't this long coming in, but it seems to take forever to get to the room where Lily's waiting.

She obviously heard us coming, face pressed against the bars of her cage. "I can't hear it anymore. You-You killed it?" she demands.

"Jowan did," I reply, shifting Mal's hand to Sigrun's shoulder so I can pick the cage's lock. With the magical barrier gone, it proves to be relatively easy. Which is a good thing, considering how badly my hands are shaking from fatigue.

Lily seems to wilt a little in relief when it clicks open. "Oh, thank goodness..." It's not until she steps out of the cage that she registers Jowan's condition. "What... happened?"

"He pushed harder than he should've killing that demon," I reply. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"You don't have to tell me twice," she agrees, and our ragtag group makes tracks for the exit.

oOo

Almost as if on cue, a breeze kicks up as we step out the door and onto the dock. Mal tilts his chin up, and he and Lily both close their eyes and take a deep breath.

"Et's salty," the mage comments, sounding almost surprised.

"We're right off the Waking Sea, Mal," Declan explains, shifting his grip on Jowan's belt. "There's prob'ly enough salt en th' air tae coat a decent size fesh."

"Now you're makin' me hungry," Sigrun complains good-naturedly shuffling toward the boat. "Let's hurry up an' get back to camp, yeah?"

"I ken only move sae fast, Seg," the warrior retorts with a dry chuckle.

"Same here, salroka." Despite her pronounced limp and the occasional grimace of pain, the dwarf makes surprisingly good time to the boat and clambers in. "Lily next, and then you help Mal," she directs. After the former initiate and the blind elf are settled in the boat, she motions for me to help Declan with Jowan. It's beyond tricky to get the unconscious mage into the rocking boat without tearing open his side again, but somehow we manage.

Rowing across the channel is pretty much left up to Declan and me as well, seeing how we're the only ones in shape to do it. Much like the hallways from the basement to the cell blocks, this trip seems to take far longer than the journey out did. My arms feel about ready to fall off by the time we reach the mainland docks.

Getting out of the boat without re-injuring Jowan proves to be just as hard as getting in. I am, however, oddly encouraged by the small moan that escapes his lips as Lily and I help Declan resume his pseudo-carrying position. If he's there enough to feel pain, I'm that much less likely to lose him. I hope.

Sigrun outright yelps when her injured leg bumps the edge of the dock, and I frown in concern, truly worried how bad she's hurt. But she waves me off, assuring me it's nothing that can't wait until we've made camp.

"Camp? How... How far's the nearest town?" Lily asks, picking nervously at the fraying sleeve of her dress.

"A day that way," I answer, jerking one thumb over my shoulder, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Why?"

"I just... I wonder if it might be best for me to just go," she mumbles.

"Et's almost dark," Declan points out incredulously. "Yeh can't travel now, especially alone. Where's yer head, woman?"

Her gaze darts to Jowan and back to the ground. "I-I just think it might be awkward. If I'm still here when he... wakes up."

Heartened as I am that she said 'when' not 'if', I feel a need to make something clear. "Lily, he's the whole reason we came to get you out. Don't you think you at least owe him a chance to talk?"

Her eyes widen incredulously. "Owe him? Commander, I owe him nothing!"

I grimace and nod. "Okay, yeah, I see your point. Poor choice of words. He's trying to right a wrong. Will you please stick around long enough for Jowan to have a chance to talk to you?"

She sighs, looking uncertain. "Does he really think an apology is going to be enough?"

"Depends on how you would finish that sentence," I reply as we start walking toward where we stashed our extra gear. "Enough to what?" Fix things between you an' make it all sunshine and rose petals? No. He knows you might not-probably won't-forgive him."

Another sigh, and Lily rakes her hair out of her eyes, bunching it in a ponytail. "He... He's not wrong."

I tug a cord free from one of my pigtails and hand it to her. "Here. Sorry it's so grimy, but it's the best I've got."

She smiles. "Better than nothing, right?" She deftly twists knotty auburn locks into a decent bun and ties it with the cord. "Much better. Thank you, Commander."

"Not a problem," I smile back, tucking my freed hair behind my ear.

"Don' walk sae fast," Mal chides lightly, stumbling and tightening his grip on my arm. "I still cannae see, Rahna."

"I know, sorry." I wince in apology even though he can't see me. "You're so quiet I kinda forgot you were there."

"No harm done. Carry on. Jest... slower," he request.

"Of course."

"How far's it to your camp, anyway?" Lily queries.

"'Nother... mm, ten minutes, would ya say, Declan?"

"Rate we're travelin? Fifteen," the warrior corrects, maneuvering a tricky bit of hill far better than I would've with an extra person's weight.

"Fifteen minutes," I relay to the initiate.

"I heard, but thank you all the same," she replies. "I suppose... I could stay with you until we reach town. More safety in numbers, right?"

"Exactly," I nod. "You'd be a fairly easy mark if you tried to reach town on your own. Especially right now."

"I-I think I may be more capable of handling myself than you give me credit for, Commander, but I also see your point." She holds up a warning finger. "However, I make no promise about talking to Jowan."

"Understood," I concede. I know I can't make her; short of tying her up and forcing her to listen to Jowan, and I know her last memory of him is far less charitable than what I know of him. But I still hope she'll at least listen. Eventually.

oOo

Fortunately, nothing's disturbed the hollow where the four of us hid our extra supplies before heading into Aeonar. I didn't think that would be a problem; the area's rather barren. Still, it's a relief to see our stuff untouched. I credit the makeshift shelter Jowan and Declan put up. The outside is comprised primarily of leaves and branches, making it excellent camouflage.

I guide Mal to one of the fallen logs that we used as seats before scrambling for the pile of supplies and dragging out a bedroll. I don't care whose it technically is, I just know Declan needs somewhere to put Jowan before he can take care of Sigrun's leg. Between her tattoos and the dirt and blood, I can't see much of her skin, but I'd still swear she's nearly white with the pain.

And Declan can tell, I know, from the way he glances at her with concern as she sits down next to Mal. He rather anxiously shifts his grip on both Jowan's wrist and his belt. I take that as my cue to hurry, hastily unfurling the bedroll. I can't help but chuckle when I realize that-by sheer luck-I actually grabbed the right one. This way, Jowan won't feel guilty when he wakes up. After the bedroll is ready, I help Declan as he very carefully lowers the unconscious mage to the waiting blankets.

"Could yu help Sigrun get off her armor, please?" he requests, already working at the buckles on his vambraces.

I peek out of the shelter. "Lily's already helpin' her. Which means I get to help you. You need freedom of movement to properly treat her leg, don't you?"

"Ef et's as bad as I thenk et es, mos' definitely," Declan nods. Two pairs of hands makes the job go much faster, and soon our resident warrior-healer is down to the dark green shirt and tan pants he was wearing underneath.

"Yu know which a' those es mine, right?" he asks, nodding toward the pile of excess backpack.

"Yep."

"Could yu fetch th' supplies while while I see what kind a' damage our plucky friend sustained?"

"Sure." I tug out my remaining pigtail and rebind my hair in a single ponytail as I look. I finally locate the desired pack-Declan's is newer than mine but more worn than Jowan or Sigrun's-and haul it toward me. A thought occurs and I grab a pair of our spare cloaks before I head for where the former templar is trying to work off Sigrun's boot. Every time he touches it, however, the duster yelps, winces or both.

"Tha's likely broken," he mutters under his breath. "Eny special attachment to these boots, Luv?"

She quirks an eyebrow at the nickname-and I can sense a heart to heart in the not too distant future-but rolls her eyes. "Yeahh, Pretty Boy, they were a gift from my mother when I joined the Legion. No, there's not any special sentimental attachment. They're damn boots. I can get new ones."

He smiles at her ribbing. "Good. Then I ken do thes th' easy way." He pulls out a knife and carefully as he can slits the heavy leather.

"Here ya go," I chime in, dropping his pack next to him with a small 'whump'. "And these are for you..." I hand one of the cloaks to Lily, draping the other around Mal's shoulders. He gathers his hair and lifts it briefly to free it from the collar as he nods his thanks.

Sigrun sucks in a sharp breath and mutters a jumbled stream of oaths. "Stone, that hurts, Dec."

He winces in sympathy. "I know. Sorry." He sets aside the remains of her boot and gently rolls up the pant leg, mumbling a curse of his own at the condition of her leg.

"Stars an' sun above, Seg... How th' blazes ded yu walk on thes?!"

"Like I told the Commander, I'm tough."

"Well, ef yu want et tae heal proper, yeh ain't goin' tae be walkin' on et fer th' next few weeks," he retorts.

"Isn't J-Jowan a healer?" Mal asks, stumbling on the name as if unsure he's remembered it correctly. "Why couldn't he help thengs along when he wakes up?"

Sigrun chuckles. "B'cause I'm a dwarf, Handsome. Magic doesn't work s'well for us."

"How come he gets tae be 'Handsome' an' I'm 'Pretty Boy'?" Declan protests good-naturedly, mostly as a distraction as he feels out the bruised and mottled flesh of Sig's calf.

"Because those are the nicknames that assigned themselves to you in my head-ouch-Pretty Boy." The corners of her mouth twitch despite her best efforts to keep a straight face. "See? It just-ooowwww-slides right out."

"Mm-hm..." He sounds a mix of unconvinced and distracted.

"What? How bad is it?" Sigrun demands, flinching as gentle fingers brush over her ankle. "Ow!"

"Sorry," Declan winces in sympathy, jerking his hand back.

"I know it's not on purpose," the dwarf assures him. "Still hurts."

"Huh, Et should; consederin' th' state a' yer leg," he replies. "Et's broke en at least two places, an' I thenk yeh may've messed up yer ankle, too."

Sigrun sighs, wincing as she tries to wiggle her toes. "Lovely."

"Fortunately neither break came thru th' sken, an' I thenk I ken get thengs back where they should be easily enough."

"You're gonna need a splint, aren't you?" I chip in. He nods. "I'll see what I can find..."

I head for a nearby copse of trees to see if there's anything suitable there, trying not not to worry too much about Jowan and Sig.

Easier said than done.

A/N: Not much to say with this chapter, just that I'm glad we made it out of Aeonar. xD And that the next chapter's gonna be fun, what with trying to run with the little we're given of Lily's character and trying not to completely villify her. I love Jowan to bits, but the woman does have some right to be pissed at him. And I am so, so, so sorry about the delay. I've had a horrible time getting ffnet to cooperate recently, and it wasn't loading my Doc manager page whenever I tried. In the future, if a Tuesday passes without an update and I didn't warn you guys that was going to happen, you can always check my deviantART(user name is FyreQueen89). Posting usually cooperates over there, so updates don't usually get delayed like this. :)