Eyes closed, Hal could still feel the impressive gazes of concern bearing down on her as she tried to sleep. Sighing through her nose, she muttered, "Baldor if you stare any harder, I'll start to get the wrong idea."
"It's not me, it's Albriech who's staring!"
"Shut up, you were staring at her too."
Smirking, Hal cracked open one eye to look at them both. "I'm all right. I promise. Just tired."
"We should reach the edge of Alagaësia in another day or so. We're making good timing despite our numbers."
Indeed they were. Hal had been stunned by the sheer volume of supplies Arya and the elves had shown up with. And considering how much time they had to prepare, it was almost unbelievable. They had come in numbers unprecedented — at least by Hal's standards — with wagons full of supplies. Although they had arrived mere hours after Thea's defeat, it had felt like days, and the group had already been preparing itself to turn back.
However, after Fírnen used his dragon's fire to create a hole in the blockade, the Sani were ushered through only to be greeted by elves carrying blankets, food, and medicine. Hal had taken one look at the sight and nearly burst into tears. But she did not want to embarrass herself publicly when there was still so much to do.
"You should not move so much, Miss Halen," Ysildea added, gesturing to her shoulder. "Your wound is still healing."
"Yes, of course."
Another reason for Hal's rather detrimental state. While the arrow itself would have been troublesome but fine enough to deal with, Thea had not been lying about the poison. Fortunately, because of the prominence of the Ra'zac these days, the elves had brought medicine with them. Now, all that was left was leaving the rest to heal a bit on its own until they were back within the safety of the mainland. They had been fortunate this time, but Hal would not risk any further exposure to what existed in these dead lands.
Admittedly though, Hal was rather relieved for an excuse to simply rest. She had been too…all over the place, for lack of a better phrase the last few days. Lulled by the smooth strokes of Ysildea and Irindriel who were alternating with the Horstsson brothers to paddle. They had all blatantly and repeatedly refused Hal's several offers to help, and she had finally collapsed in the corner underneath the blankets to try and rest like she had been told to do. And there she had more or less stayed, even now, with just her face exposed.
"If I fall asleep, can you promise to wake me just before we crossover?" Hal asked.
"Are you sure? You really should get some sleep —"
"Promise me."
Baldor looked over at Albriech who nodded and said, "All right. We'll be sure to wake you."
She smiled in thanks, leaning her head back to gaze up at the cloudy sky. The further along they traveled, the more the clouds had begun to split, the dreary overcast slowly shifting to reveal the blue sky hidden underneath. She could hear the boats that followed behind them, the quiet conversations and tepid whispers of her people as they nervously speculated as to what may come. Slowly, the noise began to blend together, blurring into a low hum as her eyes fought to stay open.
Just as it seemed like she had fallen asleep, Albriech was gently shaking her awake. "We're almost there, Miss Halen."
He looked apologetic, and she shook off her exhaustion so as ease his guilt. Rubbing her eyes, she nodded. "Oh, good."
"If you don't mind my asking, why did you want us to wake you?"
She shrugged. "Just wanted to see something."
When she didn't explain further, Albriech just nodded and sat back in his seat. Hal kept her eyes up towards the sky, noticing that it was surprisingly bright out. The warmth of the sun on her cheeks felt heavenly. She would never take such a thing for granted again.
Much of the snow had already been left behind, with only a few remnants left clinging to their small patches of ground. Bright green grass had already pushed through, long enough to sway in the breeze that helped push them along the river.
The further along they traveled, the more the whispers and voices of the Sani began to pick up. Hal closed her eyes, picking up the low roar of the falls they had passed on the way many months ago. As they drifted closer, more and more Sani were speaking, pointing to the growing abundance of natural wildlife that existed. She could hear children point out the flowers, the excitement in their voice as they leaned over the edges of the boats to get a closer look — much to the panic of the adults and the elves who guided them.
Then there were the trees, their tall statures making them easy to spot long before they actually reached them. Curiosity began to build and Hal felt her own nerves grow heightened with her own expectations. However, as the falls approached, the gasps and awe grew. The same sight that had dazzled Hal bore an even great significance to the Sani. They pointed out the small rainbow, the wildlife that lazed nearby, and laughed as the spray was blown in their faces by the breeze. The children tugged on the sleeves of their parents or guardians, pointing to the trees and spitting out questions faster than anyone could properly respond.
Hal heard all these things, eyes closed so as to better cherish such sounds. She had been afraid. Afraid of what their first impressions might be. But she had also hoped. Hoped that if such sights had held such wonders for her, then they might have the same influence on her people, who had had so much less for so long. And she had gotten exactly that.
She took a deep breath, throwing her head back before opening her eyes. For the first time, she allowed herself to smile, truly and deeply. As she was carried back into Alagaësia, back into Du Weldenvarden, she began to cry. Quietly, so as not to cause alarm. But enough to release the last bit of tension she had been holding onto. She knew there was still much work to be done. More hardships to face she did not yet know of. However, she gave herself this moment. These quiet minutes where it struck her that they had made it back. There was so much pain and heartache she wanted to leave in the north, never to acknowledge again. But she knew that could never happen. For now, she was just relieved. Grateful, hurting, and relieved.
As she lowered her gaze, she caught Albriech's gaze, his eyes watching her with quiet understanding as the excitement behind them continued. He gave her a proud smile and nod of his head, as if knowing exactly what she had been feeling and thinking. Knowing exactly what this moment meant to her.
Hal let her head rest on the edge, closing her eyes to rest for the final leg of the journey. And this time, when she did, Hal fell asleep with ease.