Chapter XXXVIII

The moon was at its highest when a large crowd gathered to see Meshif's ship off even though the hour was very late. With Talina, Barak, Geldar as well as Jonash and Skera—a cabin boy and first mate Meshif had hired for the journey—the ship, a small but sturdy vessel named the Tirurel's Lady, was loaded and watered for the trip.

Jerryn made an aspiring speech, Elzix gave wild war whoops, girls were crying, calling out to Barak and adorning the heroes with garlands of desert flowers.

Finally they were away, the lights of Lut Gholein behind them, and before them the never ending expanse of the Twin Seas.

Yet rather than look ahead, Talina was looking south, standing on the starboard side of the ship and looking out as far as she could. She looked rather sad.

"What are you doing?" Geldar asked, standing next to her.

She started at his words, then let a mask drop over her emotions.

"This is where I should be going," she murmured. "South, along the Twin Seas rather than across. I though I would be going home tonight."

"How long has it been since you have been home?" Geldar asked.

"Two months," Talina replied.

"Well we are going to my home," Geldar told her, "and I haven't been there for close to three years now."

"Three years?" Talina asked. "You were that long in the West?"

"Yes," the Paladin answered, "the last time I crossed this sea I thought I would be back in a matter of months. Yet something happened to delay my stay."

"What?"

"My brother died," Geldar replied. "I'll tell you the whole story. I was with a few other Paladins, including my old mentor Pentheus. We had come to Aranoch—not here but further south—as we had heard about the Evil that had risen beneath Tristram." Geldar looked out to sea, it was as if he had forgotten that Talina was there at all. "We were crossing the desert when we met another caravan, they gave the news that Diablo had been defeated and my brother was dead. I continued West, but I was the only one."

"How did you find Sinclair?" Talina asked.

"I asked around," Geldar told her. "Apparently my brother Lemnar had left him behind at the inn they were staying at and when he didn't return Sinclair tried to contact the Zakarum. I found him at an abandoned Zakarum chapel, the clues led me there."

"And now he's gone," Talina said, glancing at Geldar to see how he would react, she then continued, "and this is the journey you would have made together."

"Yes," Geldar agreed, thoughtful for a moment. "But I will find him," he said solemnly. "I gave Lemnar my word that I would look after him if anything happened. I failed him."

"No, you haven't," Talina said severely, putting her hand on Geldar's arm. "Listen, you are going to continue to search for him, to right what has happened and that is not failure."

"What is it then?" His eyes were on her, Talina found herself faltering under his gaze.

"That's called loyalty," she said stoutly, "it's also called honour."

"Mmm," Geldar didn't say anything more, deep in thought.

"What are you two doing?"

Talina and Geldar turned around to see Barak, grinning at them.

"Nothing," they chorused.

"Oh, I see," the Barbarian said, looking from one to the other suspiciously.

"Lovely night," said Meshif, walking up with Cain.

Geldar couldn't help but smile, the little he had seen of Meshif back in Lut Gholein compared was a dramatic change to the way he was acting now. Back in Aranoch he had been polite, but distracted, here he was in his element in more ways than one.

"We have a shortage of room," Meshif said with a sly grin, "but a problem that can be fixed easy if any of you are willing to bunk out here."

"I am," Geldar said with spirit, and to his surprise Barak volunteered also.

"I am not expecting you to volunteer," Meshif said politely to Cain.

"Your intentions are well me, friend," Cain replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"There's three cabins forward, including mine which you can have," Meshif said to Talina, "and Jonash and Skera are taking the other."

"Well if you don't mind," Talina said, stifling a yawn, "I'll be turning in."

When the others had left, including Meshif to settle a few details with Skera, Barak cornered Geldar.

"So what were you talking about?" they were lying side by side, examining the multitude of stars above.

"She wants to go home," Geldar replied, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Don't we all," Barak said, stretching his arms back. "But this is big now, bigger than all of us."

"I was there as well as you," Geldar murmured, "but I had another purpose beforehand." He propped himself up on one elbow. "Do you think we'll be seeing through this to the end?"

"The end?" Barak asked. "You mean facing the Three?"

Geldar nodded.

"I don't know," Barak admitted, "we may. But my hope is that it doesn't happen all at once."

Geldar spread his cloak over him and was asleep within minutes.