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When the shift came, Finn looked at Aein one last time before his hand disappeared and his face disappeared and all that was left was his eyes gazing into her soul, wanting her but knowing there was nothing she could give.
She turned onto her side and pushed herself to her hands and knees. Their brief rest was not enough, but who knew how quickly the Arnkell stronghold would mobilize and send people after them. Who knew if the time they wasted on a nap might cost Lars his life.
She tried to stand, but her legs buckled and collapsed under her. She punched the ground in frustration.
She felt a furry head work its way between her arms. She looked down, confused by what was happening. Finn wiggled until he was beneath her and then he stood, lifting her body with his. She leaned against his powerful shoulders, letting him support her upper body as her legs tried to follow. He walked her over to the horse, who was still saddled from their earlier ride. She rested her hand upon the stirrup and wondered how she would ever be able to climb up. She could see Finn realize this was something they should have addressed before the shift.
But the sight of his worry, of him taking the responsibility for this moment of difficulty, fueled her with strength. She hauled herself into a standing position, clinging to the saddle and praying the horse would not walk away. It seemed like the animal understood she was in dire need of gentle understanding. He stood patiently as she tried to figure out what to do next.
It was Finn, again, who came up with a plan. He nosed her foot. Mystified, she lifted it and he stepped beneath her, volunteering his back as a step. She straightened her leg and he stood, bringing her high enough that she was able to scramble over. She clung to the horse's neck, terrified she might not have the strength to hold on. She managed not to fall off that day.
As the miles and hours and days went by, Aein began to recover her strength. The access to food and water did more for her than almost everything else. She and Finn talked no more of what had passed between them. He insisted they travel by day when he could run alongside in wolf form, saying it would be easier on the horse to have only one rider, though they walked the horse together after the sun went down.
Finn was nothing but gentle and helpful. Their conversation was polite, but distant, and disintegrated into small talk and idle chat. He hid behind his mask of respect and duty, and the mystery of what could have been between them, what was once between them, made Aein's heart break a little.
But the drive to save Lars pushed them on and kept Aein from trying to heal the rift. If he was alive, this detachment would be for the best. And if he was dead, there would be other things to worry about.
They reached the marsh surrounding the swamp in less than a week and a half, faster than Aein had ever made the journey on her own. The wooden pier through the bog waited for them, but the sun was still high in the sky.
Aein dismounted and bent to stretch her legs. Finn waited for her patiently. She shielded her eyes with her hand. "Finn?" she said. "I don't want to make this rescue with you as a wolf." The thought of entering the forest and facing the fog on her own was terrifying. The thought of fighting a monster when she could barely run was even worse. "If Lars is alive, he'll be human now and there is no telling how badly they've hurt him. If we wait to rescue him after the shift, he'll have healed. He'll be stronger."
Finn regarded her for a few minutes more and then sneezed. She hoped that was his way of saying he would go along with her plan.
"It will also be dark," she continued, "and it will be easier for us to hide. This is the only road in or out. They probably have it well guarded."
Finn sneezed, but this time twice.
"Plus, it will be good if we're well rested before we go into a battle..." she finished lamely. Despite all of the good reasons to delay, she wondered if waiting to rush into swamp would mean they missed a crucial moment to save Lars. She could not tell if Finn agreed with her wholeheartedly or not, but he did not block her way as she led the horse into the brush and unrolled the bed. She took off the saddle and left the horse to graze freely. Finn sat on his haunches and watched unblinking. She crawled into the blanket and rested her head in her arm.
"So... you have first watch?" she asked him. She pointed towards the road. "You're supposed to look out there for danger, not stare at me."
But he did not move. She wondered what was going on. She closed her eyes, willing herself to get what sleep she could before twilight, when she felt soft footsteps tentatively creep beside her. She was so scared of frightening him off she didn't even breathe. She just waited, pretending to rest. And then slowly, gently, Finn lowered himself beside her, pressing his body against her belly so that she was spooning him tight. She inched her arm across him, burying her face in his dark fur. He released a heavy sigh. She realized this would be the last time they ever had this moment. No matter how things unfolded in the next few hours, their lives would change forever.
She woke as the sun set, feeling Finn's shift. Gently, he rose from the bed, trying not to disturb her, and she fought the urge to call him back. Aein could not help a twinge of sadness. She uncurled and sat up, acting as if she hadn't been awake all along. "Is it time?" she asked.
Finn stared at her in silence for what seemed to be an eternity. The thoughts running across his face were unfathomable. But he just nodded and said, "Yes."
Aein rose and went to put the bedroll away. Finn stopped her. "Leave it all here," he directed. "We need stealth, not speed. We'll go as far as we can on the road, past the bog, and then wade into the swamp through the trees."
Aein fought a shiver, thinking of the creatures who lurked off the path. "That's a death sentence."
"For those who have not been in the swamp," said Finn as he removed his armor and hid it beneath some brush. "But not you. You know how to survive."
He said it as a statement of fact. There was no hint that it was false praise to buoy Aein's spirit. It rang with as much truth as if he had said she had two arms and two legs. And Aein realized he was right. She did know how to survive. She faced the fog and had not gone mad. She fought a cyclops and a harpy and werewolves and survived. She had lived when everyone else around her died.
"Those soldiers riding with Lord Arnkell," continued Finn, stripping off his chainmail, "some of them may have been to the border before, but my bet is that most of them have not. If they had, they would have understood why holding the line was so important."
Aein nodded, beginning to see his plan. "They'll think we're creatures of the fog."
"They have no idea you escaped," Finn pointed out. "No reason to think you should be here. They'll think you're a ghost." He gave her a wink. "What do you say we give them a good haunting?"
The smile slowly crept across Aein's face. "I hope we frighten them to death."