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Chapter 15: Last Goodbye

Adara walked. And walked. And walked. In the dusty, stuffy tunnel where it was extremely difficult to breathe, she had no way of knowing what time it was. She could only assume hours had passed. But she wasn't really paying attention. All she knew was that with each step, she grew closer to what she wanted most. Or, what she had thought she wanted most. She wasn't sure of that anymore. She wasn't sure of anything anymore, and least of all what she was considering in that moment.

With her thoughts all confused and her insides fidgety, she reached the end of the tunnel. She blinked repeatedly in hopes of seeing which stone protruded. Nothing caught her eye. She groped at the walls to no avail and hung her head in misery. She was so close, and the fact that she'd been up all night - combined with all the recent sufferings, exhaustion being foremost - reduced her to tears. Even when her hand finally felt a stone move underneath it, she didn't stop crying. She leaned against one of the walls, and probably would have collapsed right there if not for the hands that closed around her arms and pulled her up. In her minor delusion, she hoped it would be Patroclus she saw when she raised her head.

But though his embrace and this embrace were equally strong, she felt a difference. Besides that, another pair of arms engulfed her and squeezed any air she had out of her lungs. She heard the voice of her mother speaking, further ruining the moment by bringing her back to reality. "Adara!" she cried. "Thank the gods!" She felt wetness all over her face and was well aware that it was not all her own.

The arms that had gently pulled Adara out found a way to help her sit up despite her mother's extra weight. She didn't need to see Hector's face to know it was him. "Adara, are you all right?" he asked, pulling her attention away from her sobbing mother. "Are you hurt?"

Now safe, Adara fought to stay focused and awake. Her eyes glazed over the room. Seeing the window, she realized it was much earlier than she had thought; it was still dark out, even though she'd assumed morning's first light would have long ago made its way over the horizon.

"Carius," she mumbled, sleep finally taking over. His was the only name that made any sense. Wasn't he the reason Patroclus let her go?

Patroclus. That name made sense too.

"Adara..." Hector's voice caught a little at her brother's name. He cleared his throat and tried again. "You can't fall asleep yet. Carius...He's-"

"I know," she whispered, fighting to keep her eyelids open. She met Hector's eyes and saw the sadness in them. "It's not your fault," she added, making him wonder what she knew. "There was nothing you could have done." Finally, after seeing the shock on Hector's face, she let her eyes close. "Did you hold the funeral yet?" she mumbled.

"No, Darling," she heard her mother reply in a voice thick with tears.

"Adara, how-"

"Please, Prince Hector," her mother interrupted. "I don't think she can answer any more questions now. Wait until tomorrow, after she has slept."

Sleep, Adara thought. Sleep sounded good.

But she found no rest.

She was back at the Greek camp, on the sand hill with Patroclus, watching her brother and Hector fighting for their lives. The clang of swords and screams of men in pain made everything seem so real. Moments later, the battle ended, and all she saw was Carius and a pool of blood. Hector and all the other Greek and Trojan soldiers were gone, not a spray of sand or an ounce of blood to show they had ever even been there.

Carius, all alone, needed her there. She turned to Patroclus. "Go," he said, his blue eyes full of pain and sadness. She hesitated at the sight of him in such distress, but she took off towards her brother when Patroclus repeated himself.

"Adara?" Carius mumbled when he saw her. A smile spread across his pale face when he realized it was her. "I knew you...couldn't be...dead." His breathing was labored, but his eyes showed a glowing happiness she could never remember seeing on his face in life. "I knew it." His eyes then focused on something behind her.

She turned and saw Patroclus, standing on the hill. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Carius nod once. Patroclus nodded in reply.

"He's a good man," Carius said simply.

Still looking at Patroclus, she quietly replied, "I know."

After she spoke, Patroclus switched his gaze on her. His blue eyes seemed to shine in the sun, making them almost transparent. When he spoke, the words came out as clearly as if he was standing next to her. "Goodbye, Adara."

She didn't know what she had expected him to say, but that was not it. Her mouth opened and closed as she searched for something to say. She finally choked out, "No!" when she was able to spit out a word. But he was already gone.

"It's all right," Carius said, though there was sadness in his voice.

"No!" she repeated, tears in her eyes. "I can't lose you both!"

He shrugged, very slightly. "It's only distance."

She took a moment to breathe deeply. It didn't lessen the pain, but she was able to compose herself. "That doesn't help," she said, repeating what she used to say when they were children and he was trying to come up with something to get her out of a bad mood.

He smiled again, weakly. "Please, don't worry. I'll be fine."

She nodded and looked down for just a moment, eyes closed. When she looked back, he was fading; she could see the sand beneath him. "Carius..." But there was nothing she could say or do, and there never would be. "Go," she choked out after a breath.

He did.

"You're stronger than you think." His voice floated on the wind, surrounding her and ruffling her hair. "And don't forget it," he added in a brotherly tone. She let out a laugh as she wiped her tears. "Promise me."

She nodded, then said aloud, "I promise. I won't forget."

"Good girl."

Suddenly, a cold chill swept over her, and she knew he was gone. They were both gone, and she was alone, unsure of where she was or how to get out. She looked around; the sand dune hill was gone, and the massive walls of Troy were no where in sight. Just as she was starting to panic, a smell reached her. It filled her nose with a strong, pungent scent that was slowly pulling her away from where she was and into complete, safe darkness. The last thing she thought she saw as everything went black was a pair of bright, clear blue eyes.

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