Melody turned away from the gate, hugging Releeshan to her. It was safe. She had finally gotten it back. She moved toward the stairs that led down to the Tomahna linking book.

Saveedro's heart-wrenching cries echoed, each one like a knife wound in her heart. He had brought this on himself. He would have done the same thing to her. He had almost killed everybody. He had almost killed her. Saveedro was no different than Gehn had been, full of anger and hatred and revenge. A man like that didn't deserve pity.

Then why wouldn't her feet move? Why was she stopping? Why didn't she just walk away?

If she lowered the inner shield, she had no doubt he would kill her.

All he wanted was his family back… his world that was taken from him… his wife and daughters.

She covered her face with her hand as Saveedro's cries turned into racking sobs. She couldn't do it. She couldn't just leave him like this. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

There had to be a way…

And suddenly, she saw that there was.

With the power still off, she switched the router to the other side, so it would only power the inner shield. Then, heading back upstairs, she gripped the power switch.

"Goodbye Saveedro," she murmured and turned the switch.

The outer shield fell.

Saveedro gasped and stood, staring dazedly at the open world around him. He looked up at her in wonder. She smiled and held up her hand.

He nodded, tears in his eyes. He placed a hand over his heart and held the other one up to her. She guessed that was a Narayan farewell. She watched through tear-filled eyes as he climbed into the gondola and sailed along the cable toward the tree in the distance.

Catherine stood and stretched. It had been two days since the fire and Melody's disappearance. Two whole days of worry.

They had seen Trace only rarely when he stopped in between his search of the Ages. He was never going to give up until he found her. Was she alright? Or had the horrid man that Atrus had described harmed her? Why hadn't either of them returned?

Atrus stepped over the charred remains of his desk. "It's going to be quite a task cleaning this mess up."

"What else can we do with the time we have to wait?" Catherine asked. "I pray she is safe."

"As I said before my love, Melody is a very resourceful young woman…"

"But against such a man? How can she possible hope to defend herself from someone so strong and wild? He could hurt her Atrus. Maybe he already has…"

Atrus held his wife as she started to cry.

They heard footsteps. Trace came into the room. "No sign," he said before they could ask.

"Trace, you must rest," Catherine told him. "How many Ages have you searched by now?"

"Not enough considering I haven't found her yet," he answered and swayed where he stood.

Atrus moved to help him. "I was afraid of this. Too much linking in a short period of time can cause an illness similar to motion sickness."

"You could have mentioned that before."

"I forgot," Atrus said sheepishly.

They heard Yeesha crying. Catherine moved toward the door. "I'll go this time."

As she opened the door, she gasped in shock.

A figure stood on the landing. A girl with red hair that was dirty and tangled, a smudge of dirt on her cheek and forehead. Her clothes were messy and torn in several places. Dried blood formed a scab on her knee. She was breathing heavily, her eyes look tired. Her cheeks glistened with tears.

"Melody!" Catherine cried and hugged her close. "The fire burned the linking book you used. We had no way of following you."

Atrus and Trace were beside her instantly.

"You have returned!" Atrus exclaimed.

"Are you alright?" Trace asked.

"I'm okay now that I'm here," Melody answered, pulling back and holding up a book. "Atrus! I got it! I got Releeshan back!" She handed him the book excitedly.

"Where have you been Melody?" Catherine asked concerned. "You look exhausted and filthy. Are you hungry?"

"Later Catherine. Is everyone alright?"

Atrus had taken a key from his pocket to open the book. He smiled in relief. "Thank goodness. It's undamaged. Everyone should be fine."

"Are you hurt?" Trace asked.

"That doesn't matter," she answered. "You will not believe what happened to me…"

She was cut off when strong hands gripped her shoulders and spun her around. Trace was glaring down at her. "Are you alright?!" he demanded.

Melody blinked, looking at him blankly. "I'm fine… Trace, really I'm alright."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Melody looked at Atrus and Catherine, hoping they would explain what was up with Trace. Catherine only smiled and Atrus looked just as confused as she was.

When Trace finally looked at her again, she squeaked inwardly at how serious he looked. "Don't… ever… do that… again."

"Is that what this is about? That I went after Saveedro without you?"

"Saveedro?!" Atrus exclaimed but Catherine shushed him.

"This is about you being unbelievably stupid! I had no idea where you were or how to find you! You could have been attacked by that man! You could have gotten trapped in an Age where I couldn't find you! You could have been…"

"But I wasn't!" Melody insisted. "I'm sorry, but there wasn't any time to think. I just had to act. If I hadn't, Releeshan would have been lost forever."

"At the cost of your life?"

"One life for many more sounds about even to me. The D'ni need Atrus. Atrus and Yeesha need Catherine. The people of Tay need you. I'm expendable. It had to be me."

He looked, if it was possible, even angrier than before. "You are not expendable to me," he said in a dangerous voice.

It was then she really looked at him and saw that behind the anger in his eyes, there was concern and… was that fear? Had he been afraid that he had lost her? That was so… sweet. It touched her and she couldn't help but smile.

"What's so funny?" he asked sharply.

"Nothing. I'm just glad that you missed me."

He snorted and stepped back. "If anything had happened to you, Catherine would have nagged me about it."

Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Well now that that is settled, you must tell us everything."

"I watched him sail away on the gondola and then I linked back here."

It was hours later, after Catherine had fed them, that Melody finally finished the whole story.

Atrus looked troubled. "I deeply regret the hardship my old friend suffered because of my sons. But I can rejoice, for not only has Releeshan returned to me unharmed but you my dear friend have returned as well. I rejoice also that Narayan is safe. The secrets of its past have been unlocked and old wrongs have finally been righted. I know now that we can't escape the past, nor can we re-write it hoping to lessen our pain. The best we can hope for is to continue to learn, and take from the past only that which is good, and move on. Perhaps in the process, we will build a brighter future."

Yays! The end of Exile! What do you think of Melody's choice? I never could bring myself to leave Saveedro there, even though he killed me multiple times until I figured out what I had to do to save him. -_-

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and stuck with me this far. See ya'll in Revelations! 3