Chapter 21

Glitch passed his seeing glass to Azkadellia as they approached the last crest before the valley. She put her foot up and settled her elbow on her knee to steady her view. The dead mountain was not far off, seeming frozen in time. Not even the wind stirred the snow on the mountain side.

"Just through that way, Your Highness. We'll be at the base of the mountain by nightfall."

She passed it back with a nod, pushing herself away from her rocky cover and heading back down towards her waiting horse. Glitch rolled the map he carried back up in his hands before breaking off to find Raw. She passed Commander Bowen on the way.

"Have the men rest and take a meal before we leave. Once on our way, we will not stop until we are at our destination," she informed him, slowing her pace only slightly.

Azkadellia was about to mount her horse when the black marble handle of a knife appeared in front of her eyes and she backed up from the piece.

"What is this?"

"A knife," Commander Bowen supplied unhelpfully.

"I can see that. Why?"

He sighed and flipped it, the handle now held in his grip. He turned and tucked the knife into the saddle bag of her horse, an uncomfortable look marring his features.

"You never know when you will find yourself in close quarters with an enemy and your magic exhausted."

"You think that likely?"

"I'd rather you have it and not need it, than need it and not have it," he replied, patting her horse before he walked away to give her orders to the men. She watched him go, his mercurial nature once again befuddling her. She peered into the bag after he had disappeared into the crowd and lifted the knife for closer inspection. It was small, the blade just slightly longer than her hand and still sheathed a black leather. She pulled it free of the covering and held it in the sunlight. The well-cared for blade shone brilliantly, sending a reflection bounding off her face; it was most definitely not regulation issue. She turned it over in her hand, wondering why he choose to give her this knife. Sheathing it once more, she tucked it into her belt and covered it with her coat before mounting her horse. Kong glided from his nearby perch to her shoulder and she scratched his head, pushing back the puzzle that was Commander Bowen. The rest of the day would demand her utmost concentration.

Cain and DG huddled in the shadows of the mountain, cloaks pulled tight around them as the last light of the suns died out. They had sent the message to Azkadellia hours ago, placed the mines, and choose their point of entry to the mountain. But for now, they waited.

They sat side by side, legs pressed against one another, both for warmth and comfort. Cain's face hadn't relaxed from its grim set all day. She wanted to speak but the weight of the next few hours made the silence stifling and heavy, the likes of which no idle chit chat would over come. And so it was she who jumped in surprise when he spoke.

"After this, what do you want?"

She glanced at him but his eye remained fixed on some point ahead.

"What do I want..." she repeated trying to make sure she understood the question, "as in from life?"

He declined his chin briefly in a nod.

"Well my family safe without the threat of civil war would be a nice change of pace..."

"For you," he interrupted, "what do you want for you?"

DG was quiet. Life had thrown her so many loops lately, she honestly stopped trying to plan for anything. A small part of her wondered if she was actually still back in Kansas, locked in a psychiatric ward while her mind spun half remember tales from her childhood. She again looked over to Cain, unable to contain a small smile.

As far as figments of the imagination go, I could do worse.

"I haven't given it much thought," she answered honestly, "On the Other-side, I was trying to finish college and intended to travel a year or two. Then I wanted to work on my art and experience a different culture... anything but the never ending fields of dream sucking boredom in Kansas. After that , I was thinking something different... Europe, New York... " she chuckled, shaking her head. "But now I'm in a magical land populated with witches and rockmen. I can heal trees and make rocks fly... Paris seems a little dull by comparison, now that I think about it. "

She paused, starting to fidget with her hands again. "I never saw myself getting married or having a family. Now, in this absolutely insane place, I just don't know. The thought of something stable and normal sounds really nice but this is the second time in as many years that there is a distinct possibility I could die...I already have once. I'm not sure if that's fair to bring anyone else into this."

She made a face as a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"My daughters would be in line for the throne. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Nothing but misery awaits that thing."

"It wasn't always like this," Cain spoke, only sparing a quick glance in her direction, "Before the witch there was years of peace, only the occasional skirmish in the Outlands."

"I hope this is it then. Living the rest of my life in relative peace sound amazing," she said, drawing her knees tighter to her chest and ducking her face to shield it from the breeze.

"Two in as many years with centuries of quiet before that..." his voice trailed off as he frowned to himself, a troubled look crossing his face but DG didn't hear him

"What about you?" she asked after the wind died down.

His eyebrows drew together in question.

"What do you want?" She clarified.

DG watched as a few emotions flitted across his face...pain, sadness, frustration... until they settled into the stony mask he usually wore.

"Don't right know myself anymore."

She laid her hand on his forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Maybe we can figure it out together."

He looked down at her hand, and followed it up to her face. His eyes searched her features, looking for what, she did not know.

"I'll stick around as long as you'll have me, Princess."

The moment was broken by a burn in her pocket and she fished out the offending tracker. It glowed steady in her hands.

She looked up at Cain, her mouth slightly open. He was staring at her hands as well, a faint twist of a snarl in his features.

"It's time."