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Ellen was having trouble accepting what she was being told. After drinking enough water to drown a fish, as Nosmas had put it, she had said she remembered being tied up by the bandits and watching the sunlight approaching, but then everything went blank. Between them, Tor, Ria, Nosmas and Quartilla filled her in on all that had happened since her ‘death’. Despite attempts to shut her up, Ria took great delight in talking about how badly Patrick had reacted to losing her, especially when she described how disgusting he looked when he stopped taking care of himself. An unwashed body and dirty clothes was not a good look for him. They told her everything, ending with Sam’s suspected miscarriage and her desperate flight with Hawk and Salabine to Mama Rose’s cottage.
“I still do not understand,” she said. She was dressed in one of Ria’s dresses, which was too big for her, but better than nothing, and a black silk jacket that could only belong to Patrick. Every time she took another spoonful from the bowl of stew she had been handed, the sleeve became covered in gravy. She tried pulling the sleeves up, but they just kept falling down again. Surprisingly, Patrick did not say anything, though he must have noticed. “How can I be here if I am dead? And why am I able to eat?”
“The second question is easy to answer,” Tor said. “You are obviously no longer a vampire.”
That statement posed more questions than it answered, so Ellen turned to Zenda. “Can you please explain?”
“I reincarnated you,” the witch said matter-of-factly. “I vowed that I would free Patrick of his curse if he ever fell in love and it seemed a little pointless to do so if the object of his affection was dead, so I returned you to him. I had no way of knowing what form you would take as I have never tried it on non-humans before. Now if I am ever asked the question again I will know the answer.”
“What?” Ellen asked, even more confused than before.
“The spell that reincarnated you also fixed your affinity for blood and your aversion to sunlight,” Ria translated.
“Oh,” Ellen said, looking at Zenda. “And you are?”
Patrick took it upon himself to explain. All hostility towards Zenda had gone from him and he spoke unemotionally about what she had done to him, as though the centuries of hell she had put him through no longer mattered.
“I am not sure whether to thank you or kill you,” Ellen told Zenda when Patrick had finished. “What you did to him was cruel.”
“It does not matter now,” Patrick informed her. “I have you back and that is all I care about.” Ellen looked at him suspiciously, but did not say anything.
“It is time I was leaving you,” Zenda announced, picking up her belongings from where she had left them. She was about to walk away, but turned back to regard Patrick, her face pensive as though she was trying to decide whether she should speak or not. “You may want to start taking better care of yourself,” she eventually said, smiling slyly. “I have made you mortal again.”
“But you gave me a choice, Ellen or mortality,” Patrick stammered. “I chose Ellen.”
“I may have lied just a little bit.” She patted his cheek. “Call it a test, if you like.” Her face turned serious. “But if you even think about cheating on this young lady, trust me, I will find out.”
Patrick smiled, taking Ellen’s hand in his. “There is no chance of that happening.” He kissed the back of her hand before letting it go. He then took Zenda gently by the shoulders and kissed her forehead. “I cannot thank you enough,” he whispered. “If ever you need anything, come and find me.”
When he released her, he thought he could see a tear in her eye, but she quickly turned away from him, so he could not be certain. “I will leave you now,” she announced to the others. “My task is complete. I wish you well in your quest and hope that you find your companion is safe and well when you arrive at Mama Rose’s cottage. Please pass on my regards when you see her.” Without another word, she turned away, walking down the road in the direction Tor and his company had come.
When Zenda was out of sight, Ellen turned to Patrick. “Did you really give up your chance of mortality for me?”
Patrick nodded. He was longing to say all of the things he should have said to her before she died, but now that he had the opportunity, he found himself unable to put them into words. Quartilla came to his rescue.
“One thing that he has neglected to tell you is what he had to go through for you. He had to experience the agony you felt when you died.” She looked at her feet, embarrassed by what she was about to say. “His screams were so terrible they made me vomit,” she confessed.
Ellen was too stunned to speak. The man she had been in love with ever since she had met him had finally demonstrated his feelings for her, in quite a dramatic fashion, and she was not sure how to react.
Patrick took Ellen in his arms, pulling her close so he could whisper in her ear. “I am so glad you are back,” he said softly. “I am running out of clean clothes and you know how much I hate having to wash them myself.” Ellen punched him in the ribs, but she was still smiling.
“We should get moving,” Tor said loudly. “We have a long way to go and the sooner we get started the sooner we can find out how Sam is.”
––––––––
Sam was bored. She was recovering well; her strength was slowly returning, she had not been in any more pain since drinking Mama Rose’s revolting potion and she could feel frequent movements from the baby. Mama Rose was continually checking on her and was pleased with her progress, yet she was still forcing her to spend most of her time resting.
Dean was being wonderful. He was attentive without being suffocating, gave her space and privacy whenever she asked for it without complaining and kept her entertained as much as he could. He described in great detail all of the events he had summarised for her in the various messages he had sent via animal couriers and she did the same. He skipped over the part where Oak was murdered, not wishing to upset her, for which she was grateful. He was even getting on well with Hawk.
She sighed in frustration. She desperately wanted to go out and do something. Salabine had departed the night before so she could not even spend time in the garden talking to the dragon.
“Why don’t you send an update to Brin’s friend, Nasse did you say his name was?” Dean suggested.
“Nisse,” Sam corrected. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Dean kissed her on the cheek. “Of course not. You promised to keep him informed so you should tell him about what has happened. I will go and find you something to write on.”
Sam couldn’t help smiling. Since they had been reunited, their relationship had gotten better and better. When he mentioned Brin or the baby, he no longer had a look of disgust on his face and he had started to speak positively about the future. If he had any doubts about their relationship, he was hiding it well and she was beginning to believe that they really could make it work.
It did not take him long to find what he was looking for and he soon returned with writing equipment and paper. “It is a nice day. Why don’t you sit outside in the sun? Mama Rose needs more firewood so that will keep me occupied for a while.” Sam agreed, so Dean placed a chair in the garden, close enough to the wood pile that she would be able to attract his attention if she wanted anything, but far enough away that his chopping would not disturb her too much.
By the time Dean had finished with the wood pile, the sun was high overhead and he could smell wonderful aromas drifting from the kitchen. Sam was surrounded by screwed up pieces of paper. Writing to Nisse had been a lot harder than she had expected. She wanted to tell him everything, but not in a way that would make him panic.
“Finished?” Dean asked as he walked up to her. He had removed his shirt and was covered in sweat. As he leaned in to kiss her, she pushed him away.
“You need to take a bath,” she said, laughing.
“From what I remember, you used to like me like this,” he replied playfully.
“You smell,” she said. Dean noticed that she had not contradicted him. “Yes, I think I have finally managed to put everything into words,” she said in answer to his question. “How do I get it delivered?”
“Mama Rose is going to the village this afternoon. She has promised to take it with her and organise a courier. Now, time for lunch.” Ignoring her protests, he picked her up and carried her into the kitchen.
On Mama Rose’s orders, Sam tried to have an afternoon nap. She insisted that she was not tired, but it did not take long for her eyes to become heavy. The next thing she knew she was sitting in the garden, watching her young son play by the stream. He had a ball, which he was kicking then chasing, laughing as he played. She could not help smiling at him. Hearing Dean call her name, she turned round. His head appeared at the open window and he asked her if she wanted anything to drink. Before she could reply, she heard a splash and turned her head back, ready to call out to her son that she would retrieve his ball for him.
To her horror, she could not see him. “Dean,” she screamed, jumping out of her chair and running forward. The stream was not very deep, but deep enough for a child to drown in. By the time she reached the bank, Dean was by her side. Looking at the water, they spotted a strange man, waist deep in the water. Her son was in his arms. Much to her relief, the man was wading towards them and she could hear the child crying.
“This is yours I believe,” he said, handing the wet child over to her. “I was walking past on the other side when I heard him fall in. He appears to be unharmed, though a little shaken.”
Sam recognised the voice, though she could not place it. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, hugging the boy tightly.
“I’ll get a blanket,” Dean volunteered and ran back to the house.
“I was happy to help,” the strange man said. “Now I must be on my way.”
“But you are soaking wet,” Sam protested. “The least we can do is offer you a place to get dry.” The man was dressed in dark green trousers with a grey cloak, the raised hood obscuring his face.
“I am fine, I assure you. It is a nice day and my clothes will soon dry.” He started to walk away, but paused to address her once more. “I am your friend. I am here to help you. Trust me.”
It seemed a very strange thing to say and Sam was puzzled by its meaning. She heard movement behind her and turned to see Dean approaching, blanket in hand. Once her son was wrapped up in it, she looked to see where the strange man had gone, but he was nowhere to be seen.
A short while later she woke up, feeling refreshed and relaxed, all memory of the dream wiped from her mind.
A few days later, Sam was once more in the garden when she heard a familiar voice calling out.
“Hello, is anyone home?”
“Seth,” she shouted. “We are round the back.” Her face lit up when she saw Seth appear, closely followed by Dal; Brodin and Cirren strolled leisurely after them. Sam made to stand up, but both Seth and Dean instructed her to remain seated. Dal hugged her tightly, enquiring after her health, while Dean welcomed the men. Hearing voices, Mama Rose exited her cottage. Seth and Dal she was already acquainted with and greeted them like old friends. Dean introduced the two Princes, who both bowed their heads at the witch. As royalty, they outranked her, so it should have been she who was bowing to them, but they had both heard of her reputation and knew this was a woman worthy of deep respect.
“Welcome to my home,” she said. “Come inside and I will make tea.”
For the remainder of the day, and well into the night, they talked. Initially the new arrivals listened to Sam’s tales of what had befallen her travelling companions since the team had split into two. Dean had already told Sam and Mama Rose about his adventures, so the rest of the time was taken up by Brodin and Cirren entertaining Mama Rose with all that they had done since the beginning of the quest.
Hawk joined them once the sun had set. Dal and Seth were glad to see him again. They had missed his presence greatly, and not just for the regular supply of meat he provided. When Mama Rose saw Sam yawn, she declared it was time to get some sleep and began to fret over where everyone would sleep. Seth, Dal, Brodin and Cirren were more than happy to sleep outside and Hawk accompanied them as they departed, flying off into the sky once he had bidden them all a good night.
Despite going to bed at such a late hour, Mama Rose awoke at dawn and was pleased to find a brace of wild geese and the bodies of half a dozen rabbits on her kitchen table, all completely drained of blood. Now that she had four more mouths to feed, the meat was badly needed. “Thank you Hawk,” she murmured to herself as she started to pluck the birds.
It took Tor and his friends almost another week to arrive at the cottage. It felt good to have everyone together once more and there was much rejoicing. Sam was not the only one crying when she saw Ellen; Dal too was overcome with emotion and Seth had to wipe his eyes when he hoped nobody was looking. There was a lot of catching up to do, but both Sam and Dean already knew the stories both sides would tell, so after they had heard about Ellen’s reincarnation, Dean insisted on Sam getting an early night, stating that the excitement of the day must have exhausted her. She wanted to protest, but knew he was right.
Although both teams knew the basics about what had happened to each other, thanks to Sam and Dean’s communications, they all wanted to hear more details. Quartilla shuddered when Dal mentioned the snake. Nobody commented when Cirren left the room, claiming he needed to relieve himself, but they could not fail to notice that he did not return until all conversation about the snake had finished.
“I knew that clue sounded too easy,” Patrick muttered when Seth told them about needing to pick the right gemstone, not just any one of the many present in the cave.
“Can we see it?” Ria asked. Brodin nodded and pulled it from his pocket, where he had placed it when Dean had handed it to him before climbing onto Salabine’s back.
“It does not look like anything special,” Ellen observed, looking at the dull black stone.
“May we see the seal?” Brodin requested. “It is sad that someone had to die to obtain it.”
“I, for one, will not be losing any sleep over it,” Dal muttered as Tor produced the item.
Once both objects had been observed by all interested parties, Tor took both, wrapped them in his handkerchief and put them in his pocket.
“Has Sam had any nightmares since she arrived?” he asked Mama Rose, wishing to change the subject.
“Not that I am aware of,” the witch replied. “Nobody has mentioned any bad dreams to me. There must be something more to this for you to bring it up.”
Between them, Tor and Nosmas told her about Sam waking up screaming, dripping with sweat. Mama Rose was concerned with their frequency and the fact that they seemed to have stopped did not put her at ease.
“This sounds like some sort of enchantment,” she said.
Nosmas nodded. “That is what I thought, but when I tested her, I could find nothing.”
Mama Rose frowned and pursed her lips. “You made her undress I presume.”
Nosmas nodded. “I have never heard of any sort of spell or enchantment being placed within clothes. Is it possible?”
“Not that I know of. Metal can hold magic, but not material. None of her clothes contain metal do they?” Everyone sitting round the table shook their heads.
“What about jewellery?” Ria asked. “She wears a necklace.”
“Was she wearing it when you tested her?” Mama Rose asked Nosmas, who shook his head.
“I made her take it off. It never occurred to me that it could be enchanted.”
“Where did she get it?”
“Dean bought it for her, from a man in an inn,” Ria said, realizing how suspicious that sounded as she spoke the words. She had never heard of someone selling things to strangers in an inn before. Except for specially commissioned pieces, jewellery was always sold in shops or from market stalls. She had thought it odd at the time, so why had she allowed Dean to purchase it?
“I see,” was the only comment Mama Rose made. “I think I should take a look at this necklace. Stay here,” she instructed before leaving the room.
She quietly opened the door to the bedroom Sam was sharing with Dean, wincing as it creaked a little. Sam was cuddled up in Dean’s arms and neither moved as she approached the bed. The necklace was clearly visible, the dragon pendant resting on Sam’s shoulder. Taking it in her hand, she whispered a spell and the chain broke apart. Jewellery in hand, she left the room as silently as she had entered.
She returned to the kitchen and threw the necklace onto the table.
“Well?” Nosmas asked.
“There is definitely something wrong with it. I felt it the moment it touched my skin. You should try.”
Nosmas did as instructed, a tingling sensation moving up his arm as soon as he picked up the pendant. He quickly dropped it. “The chain is fine, it is the dragon that has been enchanted.”
“Can you remove the spell or do we have to destroy it?” Tor asked. He knew that it meant a lot to Sam and did not wish to deprive her of it if there was an alternative.
Nosmas nodded. “It should be relatively easy.” He picked it up once more and started speaking softly and quickly. The necklace began to glow. Nosmas continued speaking until the light around the chain became so bright the onlookers had to cover their eyes. Nosmas spoke one last word and there was a blinding flash. When they were able to open their eyes once more, everyone saw that the necklace had returned to normal. “It is done,” Nosmas announced.
Somewhere far away, a man dressed in a hooded cloak howled in frustration.