A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! You guys are great!

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Chapter 18

I couldn't sleep that night. I went to bed, I closed my eyes, but sleep eluded me. Nothing helped---not reading, or warm milk, or counting sheep. Especially not counting sheep, for all that did was to remind me of that scene in Magic's Promise with the sheep, which brought me back to the charming little issue that Landon had dropped in my lap. Of course, being angry wasn't exactly conducive to a restful night of slumber, so I gave up trying at around three o'clock in the morning.

It was hard to get past the anger to consider the problem rationally. How could he do this to me? How could they do this to me? Hadn't I sacrificed enough for them all? I had given up my life once. Wasn't that enough for them?

I went over in my mind every good reason I had for rejecting their request, and came to the conclusion that I didn't really need a reason, good or otherwise. They had no right to ask this of me in the first place, so they were hardly entitled to a reason for my refusal. A simple "no" should suffice.

So why did I have no peace about it? Why did I feel so guilty?

I sighed heavily and stared into the glowing embers in the fireplace in my room. Leave it to Landon to throw my personal code of morality in my face. That was the problem with morals, I decided—by their very nature, they were in effect all the time, not just when it was convenient….at least, not if one wanted to be able to live with one's conscience. Damn.

Thunder crashed, and a bright light momentarily silhouetted the heavy curtains of my windows. I went over and pushed back the heavy tapestries, watching the rain pound against the windows. I knew springtime brought rain, but this had to be one of the worst storms I'd ever seen. As angry as he'd made me, I hoped that Landon was alright in the stables. What a storm!

I drew in a sudden breath. Storms. The Mage Storms.

As if by magic, the information from those books came back to me, and with it, a realization and sinking feeling that swept away all protests I might have made to Landon's proposal.

The Mage storms were coming. I didn't remember a whole lot from the books, and I didn't know when they would come, but come they would. They were the one thing that was not contingent on Vanyel. They were bigger than he was, and they were coming, regardless of whether he inhabited the Forest or not. The chill of horror crept over me. In the books, Valdemar had had Firesong and Vanyel and Karal and Need, and who knew how many others to help her fight off the storms and keep Valdemar safe. But here, in this Valdemar, there was no one to help, and there was no need to go seek it.

There was a good chance we were all going to die at some point in the near future.

I had a choice to make. I could sit here and do nothing and keep my life as it was and risk the very real probability that Lucia wouldn't grow old enough to be Chosen, to say nothing of Kyrah and the new baby, or any of the other children I would take care of here. Or, I could agree to the Companions' proposal, set things right, and take my chances in a Valdemar that I knew would survive the Storms.

In that light, there wasn't really much of a choice at all, now, was there?

I sighed heavily and returned to my bed. Maybe there was a chance that Elspeth and the other mages could fight off the Storms. I couldn't discount that possibility, but given what the books said regarding them and given that it took all those people to overcome them, it didn't seem so likely that Elspeth and the others were going to be able to pull it off by themselves. She didn't even have the advantage of a Groveborn Companion here.

If I didn't go, I'd be condemning her and Talia, and thousands of innocent people to death.

My petty little desires paled in comparison. My decision made, I pulled the covers up over my head and tried to get a little sleep. Even a few hours would be better than none.

The storm broke about midmorning and the sun came peeking through the clouds. I decided it would be a good time to visit Landon. I left the children (we'd gotten three more right before Landon came) in Marin's care for their lesson and headed for the stables.

He was standing in the stable yard, looking more forlorn than I'd ever seen him, or even thought could be conveyed by a horse-like body. His ears pricked up as I approached.

"Want to go for a ride?" I asked.

:Okay: he replied, and even his mindvoice sounded pathetic.

If he was looking for sympathy, he'd found the right person. Looking at him, I felt just awful for getting mad at him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and just stood there for a long moment.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you."

:No,: he said, perking up a bit, :you have every right to be angry, even if I wasn't so focused on myself.:

"You have a lot on your mind," I said.

:I'm sorry, Jaelle: he replied. :You should never have been asked to do this.: There was a long pause. :It should never have been necessary.:

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

:I loved Van: Landon said. :I still do. I always will, I suppose.: He stepped back to look at me. :That last year was just awful...well, you've read the books. You know.: He sighed. :I was so tired of fighting, and so tired of seeing how worn Van was. I don't know what happened...something in me snapped, I guess. I broke the Rules.: He twitched his tail and his mindvoice took on an annoyed flavor. :When I found out what was going to happen to him—not even to us, but to him—I was livid. After all he had done, that was how his life was going to end? I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. I brought Daniel back and—well, you know the rest.:

"Why did you take Daniel's name?" I asked. "Stefan said you always seemed uncomfortable around him."

:I was: Landon replied. :He was a reminder to me of what I had done. And I didn't take his name. It was given to me.:

"Why?" I asked.

:Eternal penance, I suppose: he replied, and his voice took on a haunted tone, as if he were contemplating having to live with this, over and over, for the rest of forever.

"Not eternal," I said softly. "I've decided to go back."

His head flew up and he turned to eye me. :You have:

I nodded. "I remembered something from the books last night—this morning, actually—and something is going to occur that will threaten Valdemar so much that, in the books, you and Vanyel and Stefan are needed to stop it. Actually, a lot of people are needed to stop it, but they're not here in this Valdemar, and there's probably no way to protect Valdemar without them."

I could practically feel Landon's horror as he realized what I was saying. :What have I done: he asked, but in such a soft voice, I suspected that I wasn't meant to hear it. He looked at me. :Jaelle, I—: He stepped forward and nuzzled my cheek. :I can never thank you enough. Can you possibly know what this means to me:

Reflecting on some of my past mistakes, I smiled at him. "I think so."

:You are my redemption.:

I just held him for a long moment. "When do we leave?"

:Rolan will contact me after the midday bell rings. I can give him a time to leave then: Landon replied. :When can you be ready:

I considered for a moment. I couldn't just up and leave without telling the household, nor was I going to leave this Valdemar without taking a few of my belongings with me. I glanced at my watch. It was about eleven o'clock in the morning. I'd need a few hours after lunch at least before I would be ready to go. I looked back up at Landon. "How about three hours after the bell rings?" I suggested. "I have to gather my things and tell everyone I'm leaving."

Landon nodded. :Very well. I'll let you know when it's time.:

I looked at my watch again. "We should forgo that ride. I've got too much to do to get ready."

:Of course: he replied.

"I'll see you in a few hours, then," I said, turning to go.

:Jaelle: he called.

I turned back. "Yes?"

:Thank you.:

I just smiled in return and headed for the House. While I wasn't angry with him any more, I was still angry in general at the whole stupid situation, and I rather doubted that I was going to get over that anytime soon. I loved my House and the families and the servants and especially the children. I had formed bonds with all of them, and the thought of having to give all of that up and start all over again, even though I knew it was necessary because of the Storms that were coming, just (in the words of my best friend) frosted my cookies.

What hurt most of all was that I couldn't take all of the children with me. For one, they wouldn't all fit on Landon. And I just couldn't start a new life from scratch with a handful of toddlers and little ones that I had to feed, clothe, and shelter without knowing even where I was going after this was all over with.

I skipped lunch, and packed up my and Lucia's things. She was ecstatic that we were going to Haven, eager to see Kyrah. I didn't have the heart to tell her just yet that we would not be paying a visit to the Palace. There would be no good reason for why Rolan Gated me to Haven. I certainly couldn't tell them what was going on, and there was no way to slip a lie past Talia and her Empathy. And, truth be told, I don't think I could have borne to see them, knowing that I was about to so completely alter their lives. And Kyrah...she would no longer even exist. Tears filled my eyes just thinking about it, and I had to fight down another wave of anger.

I packed some essential clothes, what I had originally brought with me to Valdemar, and what remained of Nestor's gold and any other money I could find. I wouldn't have the House to come back to once I returned to Valdemar, so any money to see me through until I could find a place for Lucia and myself to live would be welcome. It weighed down my bag tremendously, but it was a necessary burden.

Once I finished that, I dressed in my jeans and t-shirt and brought the bags downstairs. "Ila," I said, as she passed by, "please assemble the servants and children. I have an announcement."

She looked at my clothes and then my bags and her eyes grew wide, but she only nodded and a few moments later, everyone was present.

"I have to make a trip to Haven," I said, once they were quiet. "The Companion Landon will be taking Lucia and me later on this afternoon." I looked them over, and fought with every ounce of strength not to betray myself with tears. "I don't know how long I will be gone, but I'm sure you'll all be just fine in my absence."

The servants all looked among themselves, but none of them voiced the one question that was in all of their eyes:

Why?

Not being inclined to offer an answer, I just smiled (I was getting good at that today) at them, and took advantage of the opportunity to burn each of their images into my mind. I was never going to see any of them again, and I didn't want to forget them. I had a disposable camera in my book bag that I'd brought with me, but I knew there was no way I could take their picture without having to explain something. And once I started to try to explain, I would probably just come unglued and make things all the more worse than they already were. Best just to leave it as it was.

I dismissed the servants, and they all went their separate ways—except, of course, for Marin. He made a beeline for me. I didn't even waste my time trying to avoid him.

"My Lady?" he asked, clearly waiting for an explanation. After all we'd been through, he, most of all, deserved one. I wished I could take him with me.

"I can't speak of it right now, Marin," I said. "When—if I can, I promise, you'll be the first to know."

"Why do I have the feeling you're not coming back?" He asked.

"I don't know," I replied, feeling the tears struggling to well up.

He just looked at me for a long moment, and then reached for his belt, detached his dagger, sheath and all, and handed it to me. "Take this."

I just looked at it, and then at him. "I can't. It's your favorite."

He took my hand and pressed the weapon into it. "Now it's yours." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and headed for the salle.

I picked up my bags and moved as quickly as I could to the library and shut the door. I dropped the bags and the dagger and burst into tears. Getting myself under control, I looked at my watch. It was almost three. I just wanted to go and get this over with. As if on cue, I heard Landon's voice in my mind.

:Jaelle, we're ready. Lucia's already here with me.:

"Okay," I replied. I dried my eyes and blew my nose and picked up my bags. Spotting Stefan's journal on my desk, I paused to tuck both it and the dagger in my book bag. I wanted some reminder of my time here.

I left the library, debating about whether I should inform the House. I decided against it. We were leaving by Gate, and I didn't want to draw any more attention to this departure, or cause any more worry than I'd already done. Besides, I didn't think I'd have the emotional fortitude for another goodbye.

Landon was saddled and ready to go, and Lucia was already astride him. I attached the bags to the saddle skirting, and then mounted.

"Where are we Gating from?" I asked.

:The stables doorframe: he replied. :I've sent everyone away just to be safe.:

"Good idea," I replied.

"What's a Gate?" Lucia asked.

:It's a fast, magical way to get from one place to another: Landon answered, trotting down to the stables.

"Why are we doing that?" she asked.

"It saves time," I answered, not feeling up to trying to explain what was going on.

"Oh."

The Gate was in place when we got there. Just before we went through it, I saw Marin standing outside of the salle, watching us. I waved goodbye, but I couldn't smile this time.

Neither did he.

A moment later, we were gone, and suddenly overcome with dizziness and nausea. I'd forgotten how awful Gating was. But it soon passed, and we found ourselves in and obscure corner of Companion's Field. Rolan and several other Companions were standing there, waiting. Lucia and I dismounted.

:On behalf of all of us, let me thank you,: Rolan said to me.

I said nothing. It was suddenly very real to me that I was about to leave the place I'd expected to spend the rest of my life in. I felt slightly overwhelmed.

:Are you ready to go: he asked.

"Not yet," I said. I detached my bags and unzipped my book bag. I took out my camera and headed towards the Palace. I had several pictures to use up, and had intended to do so my first day here. Now that I was leaving, I didn't want to miss the chance to capture what I could on film. My only regret was not doing this sooner, while Selenay was still alive, and when I could have gotten a picture of Kyrah. As it was, I took pictures of the Palace, the collegium, the Field, and finally, Landon. I also showed Lucia how to use it, and had her take the last picture of me and Landon together, with the Palace in the background. The other Companions probably thought I was crazy, but I didn't care.

That being done, I returned to my bags and put the camera away. "Now I'm ready," I said. "Where are you going to send me?"

"Mama, where are we going?" Lucia asked. "Can't I go see Kyrah first?"

I knelt down next to her. "I'm sorry, sweet, but you can't see Kyrah."

Her eyes filled with tears. "But why?"

"Because," I said, "Valdemar is in danger, and the Companions need me to help them. I have to go back to my world, the one I was born in."

"But can't I stay here with Kyrah while you're gone?" she asked.

I shook my head sadly. "No, sweetie, you can't."

"But I want to!" she cried. "I want to see Kyrah!"

"Lucia," I said firmly, picking her up, "now is not the time to have a temper tantrum."

"But I want to see Kyrah!" And she burst into tears.

:Child: Rolan spoke, :if your mother leaves without you, you will never see her again.:

That brought her up short, and she just looked at me.

"There will be no more discussion about this," I said, and put her down. She said nothing in reply. She just gazed up at Rolan with wide eyes and took refuge behind one of Landon's legs.

:Do you know of a place called Maine: Rolan asked, returning to the subject at hand.

"Yes," I replied. "That's where my parents live. Where in Maine am I going?"

:To the mountain where Yfandes will be: Rolan replied. :We will send you there, at the time just before she arrives.:

"When does she arrive?" I asked.

:October 21, 2001: Landon replied:at just after noon. That's what Daniel said.:

That was just a few months after the time I had come into Valdemar. I turned to Rolan. "Can you send me back to the same place and time that I came from?"

:Yes, but—:

"Then do it," I said. "I'm coming back to Valdemar once this is over, and this time, I'm coming to stay. I'm going to want to pack a few things and write a few letters." There would be no surprises this time. I could say everything that I ever wanted to say to whomever I wanted to say it to, and I would have no regrets.

:How will you find the mountain: Rolan asked.

"My father took me mountain climbing all over the state when I was young," I replied. "I know where it is. I won't get lost."

:Very well: he replied. :Are you ready:

"Actually, could I have a moment alone with Landon?" I asked.

Rolan nodded, and the other Companions began to disperse. :Lucia, would you like a ride: he asked.

She was still staring at him, and for a moment, I thought she was going to refuse, but apparently, her love of Companions overrode her fear, and she nodded. I put her up on Rolan's back and he trotted off. I turned to Landon.

"So, this is it," I said. I hadn't wanted to think about leaving him, and even now, I still didn't want to think about it. He was my closest friend. I couldn't imagine being in a Valdemar without him. Tears filled my eyes, and he stepped over and nudged me with his nose. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his silky mane. "I don't want to go," I wept.

:I don't want you to go, either,: he said. After a moment he spoke again. :I would have Chosen you, you know, if I could have. You would have made a damn fine Herald.:

I laughed at that, and stepped back, wiping at my eyes. "If I would have been such a good Herald, why didn't someone else Choose me?" I asked. I shook my head at the thought. "I don't think so. Just as Healers aren't usually Chosen because of their need elsewhere, so I was not Chosen, if indeed I am Herald material." I really didn't think I was. I didn't really want to be a Herald, I had no Gifts, and the idea of riding circuit and fighting was certainly not my idea of a good time. "Who would have adopted Lucia, or taken in the other children?" I asked. "I like what I did here. Maybe I can do it again when I come back."

:Perhaps you're right,: he said.

"What happens if 'Fandes doesn't listen to me?" I asked, changing the subject. "What if she refuses? What do I do?"

Landon was silent for a long moment. :Say the following words to her: 'I know what happened to Sahm.':

I looked at him, confused. "What does that mean?"

:She'll know,: Landon replied. :Don't worry.:

"And that will work?"

:Yes: he replied.

I shrugged. "Well, you'd be the one to know about that."

:You should also know that she Gates herself to a point not far from the base of the mountain: he said. :It's just off the main path, in the brick archway of some old ruins.:

"I'll remember that," I said. Rolan was trotting back towards us—our time was short. I turned to Landon. "You won't know me, will you? When I come back, that is."

:I don't know: he replied. :I don't think so.:

I hugged him once more. "I'll never forget you. I promise I—" Tears closed my throat, choking off the rest of my words. They weren't necessary, however. We both knew that he understood.

:It's time,: Rolan said.

I nodded and released Landon, and helped Lucia down. I picked up my bags as Rolan built the Gate. When he was finished, I could see my parents' house, waiting for me.

"How will you know if I'm successful?" I asked.

:I'll know: Rolan replied. :Just stay on the mountain. I'll open up a Gate to you.:

I nodded my understanding and threw my bags through the Gate. I took Lucia's hand and a deep breath. I looked over at Landon once more.

Goodbye, I thought to him, unable to voice the words for the lump in my throat.

:Goodbye: he replied softly.

Tears filled my eyes, and before I could change my mind, I stepped through the Gate.

The next three months or so went by in a blur. I spent most of the time with my family and my favorite foods. I watched my favorite movies and took long showers, and started amassing a collection of Things That Must Go Back With Me To Valdemar.

It was hard to remember why I was here, and that I wasn't here to stay. My parents adored Lucia, whom I claimed to have adopted from Romania, and she seemed to have no problems adjusting to the differences in the worlds. Somehow, she instinctively knew not to speak of Valdemar around others. It was a good thing she was Gifted. If the deepest truth of my heart were to be told, I would have to admit that it was only because she needed training that I was going back, and it was only her speaking to me of Valdemar that kept me on track for what I needed to do. I never realized that it would be so hard to leave home once I came back. The temptation to just conveniently "forget"about a certain date in October was overwhelming.

But two things happened to change that. The first was September 11, 2001. Watching the planes hit, watching the towers come down, watching people jumping to their deaths from tens of stories up—it stirred up in me a longing for the simplicity of the life I had in Three Rivers that I could only describe as homesickness. I would never have thought I would have felt that way.

The second thing that happened, about a month after the attacks, was that Lucia began to instinctively Heal herself when she got minor scrapes and bruises. I knew then that I had to go back, regardless of what I wanted. She was my daughter. I had adopted her and bound myself to the responsibility of caring for her well-being. There was no backing out of that, ever. I, therefore, got her immunized against every possible disease I could, and took every other advantage I could think of that my world had to offer that might benefit her back in Valdemar.

And so, mid-October rolled around before I even knew it. I'd gotten some medieval-looking bags and crammed them full of stuff I wanted to take with me: mp3 player, batteries, books, clothes, chocolate, one last bag of Doritos, and, of course, the gold, among other things.

It was hard leaving home. I wrote a long letter to my parents, telling them the whole truth about what had happened to me, how I really had acquired Lucia, and where I was going, and why. I included copies of the pictures I had taken of the Companions and the Palace. I had a couple sets of them packed away in my bags as well, especially of the one Lucia had taken of me and Landon. It was a little lopsided, but it came out just fine, and it was one of my prized possessions.

I didn't know if my parents would believe me or not. I wasn't one to make up tales, especially over something like this, that involved my leaving and never coming back. I could only hope that in the coming years, it would give them some peace.

I also wrote a letter to the orphans in Romania, and included some of the pictures as well. I didn't tell them where I was, as they wouldn't have understood, but I did tell them that I wanted to come back and visit them soon. It wasn't really a lie, but I didn't want them to think I'd forgotten about them. They would find out soon enough that I was missing, and I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

The day was upon us at last. I told Lucia that we were going mountain climbing that day, but I hadn't told her why. Given her Empathy, however, I knew that she could sense from me that there was something different about this day.

My parents had gone to work early in the morning, so I just left the letter on the table, gathered our bags, and got in the car. The mountain was about a twenty-minute ride away, according to the map. It was around nine o'clock in the morning, but since I only had one shot at this, I didn't want to risk missing it, especially as I had to find the archway. It wasn't until we were on the road that I told Lucia what we were doing. She'd been looking at me very uncertainly all that morning, and once we were on our way, she asked what was going on.

"We're going back to Valdemar today," I told her, navigating our way through town.

"Are Gramma and Grampa coming?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, sweetie. It's just us." I looked off to the right of the street where the library stood. It seemed a lifetime ago that my librarian had handed me the newly-published Arrows of the Queen. I would never have thought back then that I would one day be living in Valdemar. I mean, who would?

"I don't get it," Lucia said.

I smiled at her use of American slang. It hadn't taken her long to pick up on that. "What don't you get?"

"Any of it," she said.

I tried to explain to her, in as simple language as possible, what 'Fandes had done, and why I had been sent back to stop her. She said nothing in reply, but I could see that she was processing it all in her young mind.

Finally she spoke. "Is the Storm going to hurt us when we go back?"

"No," I replied. "They'll have people now to take care of it."

"In the Forest?" she asked.

I nodded. "And other places."

She considered that for a moment. "Will we go back to the House?"

I shook my head. "The House won't be there anymore."

"Why?"

"Well," I began, trying to think of a good way to describe what was going to happen. "It's like a river that splits into two forks." I illustrated the image with my hands. "'Fandes is at the point where it splits, and before, we were on one fork that included the House. Now, we've gone back to the starting point where 'Fandes is, and we're going to be on the other fork, that doesn't have the House."

She mulled this over. "If I had stayed behind with Kyrah, you would have gone to the other fork without me?"

I smiled my pride at her quick grasp of the situation. "Yes. That's why I couldn't leave you behind."

She was silent for a moment, and I knew what her next question was going to be, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Is Kyrah on the new fork?"

I sighed, very softly. "No, honey. She isn't." I hated these "parent" moments when you had to disappoint and hurt the one you loved most. But I would have done her no favors by lying to her—and probably even damaged our relationship by doing so—especially when she would soon find out the truth for herself.

Tears filled her eyes. "I miss her."

"I know," I replied, turning down the side road that led to the start of the mountain path. "I know you do."

"Landon's not on the new fork, either, is he, Mama?" she asked. "That's why you were crying, wasn't it? Because he can't come with us to the new fork."

"Yes, sweetie," I said. "I miss Landon like you miss Kyrah, but sometimes—sometimes what you have to do isn't always what you want to do. Sometimes what you have to do is so important that, in order to do it, you have to give up what you want."

"It doesn't feel good to do that," she said sadly.

"No, it doesn't," I agreed.

I pulled the car to the side of the road and got out. Lucia got out and I got the bags and we started up the mountain. I told Lucia what to look for, and we made it a kind of game, trying to find it. Several times, we went traipsing through the woods, thinking we had seen some ruins, only to find that it was the shadows and fallen tree limbs playing with our minds.

About an hour into the search, Lucia squealed with delight and pointed off to the right of the path where stood the ruins of an old brick house. Upon further inspection, we discovered the archway, and we settled down to wait for noon.

It was not long in coming. The air within the archway began to shimmer and shift with that familiar swirl I'd come to recognize. A moment later, Yfandes stepped through opposite us, looking around with a quiet fury in her eyes that made me take a step back, and send Lucia to the other side of the ruins and beyond—as far away as she could go and still be in sight of me. Lucia didn't even argue. One look at the Companion had made her wide-eyed, and I could only guess what her Empathy was picking up.

"Hello, Lady Yfandes." One could never be too polite with an angry Companion.

She wheeled about at the sound of my voice, and eyed me critically. :Who are you: she demanded in a growl. :You're not the one I'm looking for.:

"My name is Jaelle," I replied. "I've been sent to stop you from making a mistake."

She threw her head back with a snort of derision. :You are going to stop me?: She laughed, but it was not a pleasant sound. :You can try, but I wouldn't advise it.:

I was beginning to doubt my chance of success, to say nothing of the sheer terror I felt being under her gaze. She was more than a little intimidating. I had to remind myself that she was facing Vanyel's death, and probably wasn't inclined to being very social, especially with someone who was trying to oppose her.

"Rolan sent me," I said, hoping that perhaps his name might have some effect on her.

It did.

:To the lowest hells with him.: She turned her back on me, scanning the area—for Daniel, I presumed.

Okay. Strike one.

I tried something else. "You sent me as well."

She looked at me over her shoulder. :I did no such thing.:

"Yes, you did," I objected. "Several hundred years from now, you are a Companion again, and you sent me back to stop yourself from doing this."

:And why would I do that:

"Because," I replied, "what you are going to do here will have dreadful ramifications that—"

:What I am doing will save Van's life: she snarled, interrupting me.

"It will destroy Valdmar," I snapped back.

She turned on me then, her tone dangerous. :I suggest you leave.:

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. You'd better be right about this, Landon. "I know what happened to Sahm."

A startled neigh escaped from her throat. :How do you know about Sahm: she demanded. :I never told anyone about him.:

"You told me," I replied softly. I took a hesitant step towards her. "Read my thoughts, my memories, even those of the Storm books. You will see that I am telling the truth."

Without reply, she turned her head and gazed into my eyes for a long moment. Finally, she looked away. :It's true, then: she whispered, her tone etched with resignation. :And Van—:

"I'm sorry."

She turned back towards the Gate. :He's waiting for me.: She looked at me. :I probably should thank you: she said, :but I can't.: Before I could respond, she leapt through the Gate and it collapsed behind her.

It was over. I didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or to sit down and cry. Landon, Kyrah, Kris—they were all gone now. I called Lucia back.

A few moments later, there was a rustling in the brush below us, and a young teenaged boy with a backpack came into view.

Daniel Landon.

He smiled at me, and I smiled back and he continued on his way up the mountain.

Five minutes later, another Gate opened in the archway, and I could see Rolan on the other side. I picked up my bags. "Come along, Lucia."

I took her hand, and with a final glance at my home world, stepped through.

A/N: The next chapter is the final chapter. I'm going to go through the reviews and answer any questions that were not answered by the story. If you have a question you want answered, feel free to ask and I'll try to answer it. Also, I apologize if this chapter seems rushed or if some things seems coveniently place (read: location of mountain...hmmm). I'm sure I could have stuck in Nepal or something and created more conflict, but end-of-semester duties call for expediency in fanfiction for me right now.