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As Hawk would not be accompanying them, there was no need to travel at night, so the following morning seemed to be the logical time to depart. Sam spent the night in Dean’s bed, though she did not manage to get much sleep. Ellen had given him some medicine to ensure than he rested well, so she spent the first few hours watching him, making sure his chest continued to rise and fall. Eventually, when it was obvious that sleep would elude her, she got up and went in search of Hawk. She found him in Tor’s room, along with Brodin and Patrick. Cirren had not returned and they were discussing whether Hawk should search for him.
“You look terrible,” the vampire told her. “You should get some sleep.”
“I’ve tried and given up. I thought you might need some company for a while, but it looks like you have more important things to do. Why is Cirren missing, by the way?”
Tor flashed a warning glance at the other men. Sam did not know that Cirren had been told he had to remain behind and he did not want her to find out the reason why.
“He is sulking,” he explained. “Brodin and I have decided that it is too dangerous for him to continue on the quest with us. He is going to remain here. Whatever you are given in exchange for the gemstone and seal you will have to keep hold of until we all return.”
Sam felt there was more to the story than Tor was letting on, but was too tired to question him.
“Maybe some fresh air will do you good,” Hawk suggested. “I will escort you round the city for a while. If Cirren is still not back by the time we return, I will go hunting.”
The night was cool, so he made Sam retrieve her cloak before they left the inn via Dean’s bedroom window. The inn-keeper had locked the front door and they did not wish to disturb him. The city was surprisingly quiet. All of the drinking houses had closed up for the night, so there were no drunken revellers in the streets. The occasional carriage passed them, driving the rich home after an evening spent partying, and they saw the odd soldier on patrol, but mostly they had the streets to themselves. Even the thieves had taken the night off, or were hiding themselves carefully in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
They walked in silence for a while, neither feeling the need to speak. They had become good friends during their travels and had learned to trust one another implicitly.
“Am I doing the right thing?” Sam asked, suddenly needing reassurance.
“About what?” Hawk asked.
“Dean. Is it fair to become involved with him once more while I am still in love with Brin?”
Hawk smiled. “You were still in love with Dean when you got involved with Brin were you not?”
“That’s different. I thought Dean was dead.”
“What difference does that make? Brin is just as much out of your reach as Dean was.”
Sam thought about what Hawk had said. From a certain point of view, he was right. There was one big difference however. No matter what happened, there would always be a part of her that secretly longed for a way to be found for her to reunite with Brin and she knew, deep down, that if that miracle ever happened, she would not hesitate in leaving Dean.
Hawk could see that there was more that Sam wanted to say, so remained silent. When she eventually told him what was worrying her, he shrugged, as if it was of no consequence. “You may feel like that now, but who knows how your feelings will change as time goes on. I suggest you tell Dean the truth, the complete truth, and let him decide if he is prepared to be your second choice.”
“That’s a harsh way of putting it,” Sam objected.
“Maybe,” Hawk agreed. “And I am sure Dean will not take it that way, but it is a possibility you need to consider.” He looked into the sky. Dawn was still a long way off, but Sam would need to get some sleep if she was going to depart in the morning. “Come on,” he said gently. “It is time I got you back to your bed.”
Cirren had returned by the time Hawk entered Tor’s room, having already deposited Sam in Dean’s. Dean was sleeping quietly, so Sam removed her cloak and slipped under the covers beside him, doing her best not to wake him. He moved slightly, making more room for her, but did not open his eyes.
Cirren was still sulking, but had accepted the fact that his brothers would be continuing on without him, temporarily. He agreed not to mention the reason for him remaining behind to Sam, then lay down on one of the empty beds, turning his back on the others. Seeing that his services were no longer required, Hawk bid the Princes and Patrick a good night and left the room.
The next morning, as soon as Dean awoke, Sam followed Hawk’s advice and talked with him. Dean already knew where he stood as far as Brin was concerned, but appreciated her admitting the truth to him. He assured her it did not matter, though he was not sure he was entirely telling the truth. His jealously would always be at the back of his mind, but as long as he never met the elf, he was confident he could deal with it.
Ellen would not allow Dean out of bed, so she delivered a tray with enough breakfast for him and Sam to share. It took a while to say goodbye and Sam was relieved to see she was not the last to arrive in the courtyard; Patrick had yet to make an appearance.
“Maybe he changed his mind,” Dal suggested. “After all, not only is he leaving Ellen behind, but, as we are not taking the wagon, most of his clothes will also have to remain here.”
“Well if he does not show up in the next two minutes, we are leaving without him,” Tor declared.
They were just about to depart when the side door of the inn opened and an extremely tired looking Patrick emerged. “I take it he did not stay in your room last night,” Seth whispered to Tor.
Ellen, who had followed Patrick out, blushed furiously, confirming what Seth had been suggesting. Without saying goodbye, Patrick mounted his horse. “What are we waiting for?” he asked.
Chuckling, Tor urged his mount forward, beginning the last leg of the quest.
“Look after yourself,” Ellen called out. “Remember you are mortal now.” Patrick leaned forward and whispered in his horse’s ear. As instructed, the animal turned around and walked up to where Ellen was standing.
Patrick reached down and took Ellen’s hand in his, bringing it up to his lips and gently kissing its back. “And I now have something to live for,” he told her.
Her sarcastic reply never made it to her lips, stopped by the serious look on his face. “Hurry back,” she said softly before turning and running back into the inn.
A few days later, Sam decided to send a message to Dean. She was unsure whether he would receive it, as he was probably still not being allowed outside, but she saw no harm in trying. Nothing of interest had happened, but she could at least let the others know how far they had managed to travel. The mountains were still many days ride away, but she decided that if she sent messages regularly, one was bound to eventually reach its intended recipient.
They had stopped by a river for a midday meal and conversation was flowing when she returned. Her friends had their backs towards her, so her approach went unnoticed. What she overheard made her stop before anyone became aware of her presence. Knowing that it was rude to eavesdrop did not stop her hiding behind a bush so she could hear the rest of what was being said. They were talking about Dean and Cirren and she did not like what she was hearing. When she was certain she was not misunderstanding, she stormed out from her hiding place, shouting angrily.
“What the hell do you mean ‘I hope that neither of them have turned’? Are you saying that Dean and Cirren are at risk of becoming zombies? Is that really possible? Why was I not told?”
“Calm down,” Tor said, jumping to his feet. “It is just a very remote possibility. None of us truly believe that the creature that attacked us could really have infected either of them, but Nosmas remained behind just in case.”
“So this is the real reason Cirren could not come with us. You are worried that his scratches did a lot more damage than just drawing a little blood. You had no right to hide this from me. I would never have left Dean if I had known.” She then stared at Tor in disbelief as realisation dawned on her. “That is the reason you didn’t tell me, isn’t it? You had to have me along so you withheld the truth. Dean doesn’t know either does he? You have lied to us both.”
“Technically no lies have been told,” Patrick pointed out diplomatically.
Sam ignored him. “Who else knew?” She looked at her friends, all of whom dropped their gaze, refusing to meet her eye. “All of you?” she asked incredulously. “None of you had the decency to speak to me?”
“It was for your own good,” Ria said. “It was better for you not to know.”
“Better for who?” Sam yelled. “I’m going back.”
She called to Thresnine, who was drinking from the river. Picking her backpack off the ground where she had left it, she pulled it onto her back and watched her horse approach.
“Are you sure that is a good idea?” Dal asked her. “What if Dean has been transformed into a monster? Do you really think he would want you there to witness it?”
Dal’s words made Sam pause. She had not looked beyond her desire to be with Dean if he needed her. It had not occurred to her that he might want her to keep away. Thresnine muzzled her arm, demanding her attention. The horse knew something was wrong, but had no idea what.
“Sorry Thresnine. I need to think,” Sam said, affectionately stroking the horse between the eyes. “Go back to your drinking. I may be a while.” She walked back to where she had found the bird who had agreed to be her messenger. It was peaceful inside the trees and she wanted to be alone for a while.
“What do you think she will do?’ Seth asked. “There is no point in any of us continuing if she goes back to Camal.”
“She is not stupid. She will realise that going forward is the only real option,” Brodin said, though his words lacked conviction.
It did not take Sam long to arrive at the same conclusion. If she left the quest now, then everything she had been through would have been for nothing. People she had grown to care about had died. Their deaths would have been in vain if she did not continue. She wanted the quest over and done with as quickly as possible and the only way to ensure that was to continue on to Orion.
It took them another three days to reach the foothills of the mountain. While the paths were wide and easy to follow initially, Tor knew that they would soon become steep and impassable for the horses, so reluctantly they had to leave them behind. They were in a small village and decided to stay the night at its only inn before heading into the mountains in the morning. The inn-keeper was more than happy, for a surprisingly small fee, to take care of their horses while they were gone. He openly admitted that he did not expect them to return and would hold on to the horses for only two more full moons before selling them. This would give them plenty of time to find Orion and return, so Tor agreed to his terms. However, he did let the man know who he was and what would happen to him if he sold the horses so much as one day before the time agreed upon.
“Do you want us to stay behind at the inn while you continue into the mountains?” Seth asked once the inn-keeper was out of earshot. He did not sound happy about making the suggestion.
“Thank you for the offer, but I do not think that is necessary,” Tor assured him. “I am confident that the horses will still be here when we return.”
The next morning was bright and clear, perfect weather for walking. Patrick had purchased new boots in Camal and was now looking at them in disgust. While comfortable for riding in, they would rub and cause blisters after only a few hours of walking. “What am I supposed to do with these?” he asked whoever was prepared to listen. “They will not fit in my bag.”
“Leave them with the inn-keeper,” Seth suggested, grinning. “I am sure he will offer you the same terms he gave Tor with the horses.”
Patrick grunted in disgust at the suggestion, but seeing no other option, went off to speak with him. “They had better still be here when I get back,” he muttered when he returned. Seth disappeared on a last minute errand. When he returned a short time later, he could not keep the smirk from his face.
“What have you been up to?” his wife enquired.
Patrick was a short distance away, talking with Tor and Brodin, so Seth gestured to Sam, Ria and Dal that they should come closer. “I have just bribed the inn-keeper to pretend he has lost them if he still has them when we return. I just hope I am there to see Patrick’s face when he hears the news.”
“You are a wicked man, Seth,” Ria told him, but she too was unable to keep a straight face. She was still laughing when they joined the rest of the men.
“This is going to take a while,” Sam said apologetically, looking first at her noticeable bump, then up at the mountains. “I really hope my waters don’t break while we are up there.”
“There is no chance of that is there?” Seth asked in concern.
“No idea,” Sam said honestly. “I have no experience with human-elf cross breeds. Know anyone who does?”
“There is no need for sarcasm,” Seth said in a hurt tone of voice.
“I may be wrong, but I think elves carry their children for longer than humans, so we should be safe for a while longer,” Ria said
“Just take it easy,” Brodin advised. “We can rest whenever you need to. This is not a race.”
“Not anymore,” Patrick observed.
Sam took a deep breath. “Let’s get moving.”
The first day was easy going. Though steep in places, the path was easy to follow and involved no strenuous climbing. It was extremely tiring and everyone slept well that night. It had been a long time since they had walked any great distance and the muscles involved were different to those used for riding, resulting in them stiffening up while they slept.
The second day was tougher, as the path became harder to follow. Breaks had to be taken more frequently and they had to stop as soon as the light began to fade, not daring to continue on until the sun had risen the next morning. Firewood became scarce, resulting in their fire being smaller than they had wanted.
“This will probably be our last hot meal for a while,” Seth announced as he cooked. “So make the most of it.”
“I miss Hawk,” Dal said. “I think we should go out hunting later, provided the sky is clear.
Seth looked up and nodded his agreement. “It should be quite a light night. The moon will not be full, but it will not be far off. Will you join us Tor?”
Tor glanced towards his brother, who nodded. “Go ahead. Patrick and I can keep watch until you return.” He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and quickly added, “And Ria of course.”
The hunting party left as soon as the meal was complete, following the river upstream. Once they were a fair distance from their camp, they started looking for tracks leading away from the water. Dal was the first to spot some.
“These look like hoof prints,” she called out softly. “Horses would not be able to get this high up would they?”
Tor and Seth joined her. “I do not think so,” her husband said.
“Goat maybe?” Dal suggested.
Tor shook his head. “These are too big for goats.” He inspected them closely. “They do indeed look like horses prints. I wonder what could have made them.”
“Whatever it is, it will not provide us with breakfast,” the ever practical Seth pointed out. He had noticed a fresh set of prints nearby, much smaller than those they were now looking at, and pointed towards them. “Now that is goat. Recent too. Anyone feel like eating chevon in the morning?”
They followed the tracks as quietly as possible until they crested a rise and found themselves staring down at a small herd of goats. Tor took his bow from his shoulder and loaded an arrow. Despite the darkness, he could still see enough to be able to kill one of the animals instead of just wounding it. He would not have taken the shot if he had any doubt of his ability. Choosing one that was small, but fully grown, he released his arrow, watching as it silently flew through the air and hit its target. The arrow pierced the goat’s heart, killing it instantly. The rest of the herd did not know that anything was wrong until its body hit the ground, at which point they all ran off, heading in the same direction as though a silent command had been given.
Once the area was clear, Tor, Seth and Dal climbed down to retrieve their next meal. “Only take what we can easily carry,” Tor instructed as Seth took out his hunting knife and began to slice the dead animal. He scanned the horizon, listening carefully. “I think there are some big cats around. They will eat whatever we leave.”
Seth cut off all four legs, snapping the bone half way down so he only took the fleshy part. He would have to place all of the meat in the fire before going to sleep as he was not confident he would be able to make another fire to cook over once they got higher into the mountains. They would be eating cold meat for the foreseeable future.
While he worked, Dal cut strips of flesh from the back and sides, storing them in a wax lined bag she had brought with her. On the way back to camp, she would see what plant life was growing near the river. If she could find the right type of leaves, the meat could be wrapped and left in the dying fire so it could slowly cook while they slept.
Once they had all of the meat they could carry, they headed back towards the river, Seth and Tor each carrying two legs, while Dal’s bag was bulging. A wild cat called from behind them and three others answered. They sounded very close. “Were they watching us while we dissected the goat?” Dal asked.
Tor nodded. “They had us surrounded, ready to attack if we did not leave them enough for a descent meal.”
“Thanks for letting us know,” Seth said sarcastically.
Once they reached the river, they followed it back down to where they had left the rest of their party. Dal found leaves that were large enough to wrap the meat in and Seth assured her they would add a nice flavour to the food as it cooked, so she picked a fair number, bundling them in her arms to carry back to the camp.
By the time they returned, Sam was asleep and Ria, Patrick and Brodin were in the middle of a discussion.
“So do you actually know where we are going?” Patrick asked Brodin.
“Not exactly,” the Prince reluctantly admitted. “Orion is the other side of this mountain range, that is all I know.”
“Wonderful,” Ria exclaimed. “Do you realise just how big this mountain is? Assuming we can actually get to the other side, we could be wandering around for the rest of our lives.”
“You worry too much,” Tor said as he strode forward, dropping the two legs he was carrying by the fire. “We will find it. Have faith.”
Ria snorted. “I am going to get some sleep. Wake me in a few hours so I can take over guard duty.” She moved away from the fire, lying down not far from Sam. The ground was hard and uncomfortable so she tossed and turned for a while before eventually falling asleep.
It felt like moments later that she found herself being kicked awake. “You could have been more gentle,” she complained as she sat up. She rubbed her eyes then stretched, yawning loudly. She opened her eyes again and gasped. She was looking directly at the point of an arrow. Moving slowly closer to Sam, she gently shook her awake. “Sam, you need to wake up,” she said in a hushed voice.
Sam opened her eyes and sat up. “What’s going on?” she asked, surprised that she was being roused before day break. Her eyes, too, fell on the arrow and she lifted her head as her gaze followed its length to the person holding it. Her eyes opened wide as she realised what she was looking at and she could not stop herself exclaiming, “It’s a centaur.”