Epilogue

“And so, First Lieutenant Ishiah Fitzsimons from his posting in the Rapunzel Tower was able to discern the clever camouflage the mindless hoard had employed. He revealed the subterfuge to the Monrath Army as they arrived, and the battle was begun.”

Ishiah closed the book he was reading and shelved it before looking up at Zel, who was kneeling over the closed trapdoor. There was a slight glow to the area to Ishiah’s magical sight, but his regular sight only saw a stone floor. The trapdoor was gone. Zel stood and kicked at the rug so it unrolled to conceal the floor again.

“I’m amazed how quickly they’ve forgotten the magic,” Zel said as he brushed off his knees. “The spell is supposed to do that, but it usually takes more than just a few years. Maybe it exerted extra influence because the war was being recorded in a history book that would be shared for generations to come. I wonder what they changed the trolls to?”

He didn’t ask Ishiah to pull the book out again. They were heading to Ishiah’s home for a few months first anyway so Ishiah could see his family and resign his commission, and Ishiah was certain he would hear the tale of his supposed exploits a few dozen times. He didn’t doubt that at the end of the visit he would be extremely eager to embark on his and Zel’s plan to explore the world so Ishiah could get experience with all the different types of magic the world could offer.

It was going to be a lot of fun, especially with Zel at his side.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”

That had to be the most welcome sound Ishiah had ever heard. He hurried over to the window and stuck his head out to see who was there. The usual cadre of guards were arrayed below, but there was one empty horse and a young man—most likely Ishiah’s replacement—was climbing off another horse.

Ishiah pulled himself back inside and bent to throw the rope out the window. When the young man started climbing, Ishiah started pulling the rope up to help him, just as he had been helped his first day.

“Haines remembered you, at least,” Ishiah explained to Zel. “He sent an extra horse.”

“He could hardly forget about me, what with you writing your letters from the both of us these last few years,” Zel replied with an easy grin. He was waiting by their bundled belongings, out of the way of the now-exhausted man Ishiah helped through the window.

Ishiah sent the rope back down so the soldiers could hook the basket filled with Ishiah’s replacement’s belongings and started explaining everything the man needed to know about his new job. It was weird hearing the same words he had been told on his first day come out of his mouth, but it was nice to pass on everything he had learned. Hopefully the man was listening.

The young man looked completely overwhelmed, much as Ishiah must have looked back then, but unlike Ishiah, this man had definitely volunteered for the post. Ishiah continued explaining as he pulled the man’s belongings inside. He gently dumped the basket and helped Zel fill it with their things, before heaving the basket back outside to lower it. Zel followed after the basket, climbing down with the aid of some magic. Once Zel was on the ground, Ishiah turned to the young man.

“Do you have any questions?” he asked.

The man looked around and then glanced at Ishiah impatiently. He clearly wanted Ishiah gone so he could start his assignment. Ishiah knew it wouldn’t take long before he would regret not getting another five minutes of human contact, but for now Ishiah sat on the windowsill and swung his legs around. He grabbed the rope and started climbing.

After exactly seven years, seven months, and seven days—give or take a few hours—Ishiah swung himself up into the saddle of the waiting horse. Zel walked his horse forward until he was next to Ishiah. They shared a smile, and Ishiah signaled for his horse to start heading deeper into the mountains and home into Monrath.

He didn’t bother looking back at the tower that had changed his life. His life was ahead, with Zel and a bit of magic.