Through the Portal

Over the next few days, the children settled into a routine. They would do their various activities and get together for meals. It was a little strange not to see each other that often, at first, but they adjusted quickly enough, knowing they would likely be together constantly when they started travelling again.

By the fourth day, William was able to make it through his lessons without needing the mysterious orange liquid, much to his relief. He didn’t like drinking something without knowing the contents.

It was a little over a week before Katherine woke up. She blinked her eyes open and stared at the ceiling, trying to remember what she was doing in a wood elf hut. It wasn’t the kind of place where she usually spent a lot of time.

“You’re awake. Good.” Tristan stood nearby. He walked over and sat on a chair, which had been placed beside the bed. “How are you feeling?” His words were formal and his voice was cool, despite the fact that he had barely left her bedside the whole week.

She considered the question for a moment. “Hungry.” She smiled at him. “How long have I been asleep?”

“A few days,” he replied. “You had us worried.”

“A few days…” She remembered what had caused her to lose consciousness and sat up, a little too quickly. She put a hand to her spinning head. “The children I was travelling with…are they okay?”

“They’re fine,” Tristan assured her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “You should lie down and rest, some more. You’ve spent a lot of energy.”

Katherine frowned. “It was a strong beast.” She sighed, but lay back down on the bed, knowing there was no point in trying to get up, yet. “I would like to see my travelling companions. Will you bring them to me?”

Tristan looked at her, uncertainly. “You are still weak. Perhaps, it would be best to wait.”

“No.” Her voice was adamant. “I will not be able to relax until I confirm, with my own eyes, that they are unharmed.”

“Do you not trust my word that they are, my lady?” His voice held a touch of sadness.

Katherine sighed, again. “I trust you, completely, Tristan. However, it will comfort me to see they are alright, since I am responsible for them. I brought them to Mirra and I need to see that they get to the palace, safely.”

“Why did you bring them to Mirra?” he wondered. “They are just children. What use could they possibly be?”

“They will be a deciding factor in our war,” Katherine replied. She looked at the ceiling, feeling rather guilty, since they were just children, as he had pointed out. “I had a vision and went to fetch them. Mind you, I didn’t know their ages before I left.” She looked at him and offered a little smile. “But remember, I was just a child when I came here. Sometimes, the young can surprise you.”

Tristan looked at her, considering the point. He didn’t like it, but he nodded. “I will trust your judgment, as I always have, my lady.”

“You need not call me that when we are alone, together.”

“I believe it is best that I do, my lady.” He stood. “I will fetch your companions for you, if you promise to rest after seeing them.”

“Very well.” Her smile was, now, a little sad. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“You know I will always look after you.” He paused for a moment, before adding, “My lady.” He pulled back the vines and left the hut to find the children, as she requested.

Katherine stared up at the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts.

It was lunch time, so Tristan found the group at their usual table. He watched them for a minute as they happily chatted away. They were very young, even by human standards, he knew. The youngest one seemed too small to affect the fate of a room, let alone an entire realm. He wondered if Katherine could be wrong about them, but knew that was unlikely. Despite his reservations about the group, he had to feel a bit sad for them, knowing the danger they would soon face. However, he pushed those thoughts aside and walked over to them. “Our lady wishes to see you.”

They all looked at him, needing a moment to process the information. William was the first to speak. “Katherine is awake?” After several days of waiting, it almost seemed too good to be true.

The elf nodded. “So, if you are done with your meal, I would have you follow me.” Instead of waiting for a response, he turned and started walking away, forcing the group to catch up.

“So, she’s alright, then?” William asked, having been worrying almost nonstop, although he hadn’t said much to the others for fear of troubling them.

“She needs to rest, still, so I expect you not to cause her too much trouble or stay too long,” Tristan replied, brusquely. He brought them to the hut, which had been set up for her, and pulled back the vines.

William stepped through, first, and was relieved to find her sitting up. He noted that the place was nicer than theirs, but was untroubled by the fact. It seemed only natural she would receive the best treatment. He smiled at her. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Indeed, I did. Thank you for asking.” She was glad that she had been able to sit up to greet them, even if she had to lean against the headboard, a bit. She was doing her best to look strong, hoping that would make them feel better. “I trust you lot have kept out of trouble while I slept.”

“We’ve done our best,” Meredith commented, as she entered, holding Josie’s hand. The twins followed closed behind her. Tristan entered last and walked over to Katherine, handing her a piece of fruit he had surreptitiously grabbed from the table.

She gave him a grateful smile as she accepted it. “Thank you.” She took a bite and looked back at the group, glad to see they all seemed well and in good spirits. “I’m very sorry for my absence of late. I promise we will continue on our journey as soon as I am able.”

“You still need time to recover,” Tristan warned.

Katherine smiled at him, again. “You are kind to worry about me, but we should really get to the palace as soon as we can and we still have many miles to travel before we reach it.”

William took a breath as he heard that, not liking the idea of travelling so far with just their little group. If such a beast attacked again and they weren’t able to get to safety, he didn’t like their odds of survival. However, he said nothing since everyone seemed certain that Katherine knew best. He decided they may as well trust her. “Well, you should definitely make sure you are fully recovered before we leave, if we have such a distance to travel.”

Katherine looked at him and cocked her head, slightly. “I will be sure that I am up to the task before I take it on, I promise.” She looked them over, once more, and allowed herself to relax. “You may return to your usual tasks, if you like. Thank you for indulging my concern.”

William nodded, remembering what Tristan had told them about making their visit brief. “Let us know if we can do anything else for you.”

“I will,” she promised.

Josie pulled away from Meredith and ran over to the bed to hug Katherine. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Katherine raised her eyebrows, surprised by the sudden show of affection. She wrapped her arms around the girl and spoke, softly. “I won’t leave you until the end of our journey, if it is within my power to avoid it.” She pulled back and smiled. “Take care, now, and stay out of trouble.”

“I will,” Josie promised before returning to the group. They exited the hut, leaving Katherine alone with Tristan.

“They seem to be very kind,” she commented, a little sadly.

“They seem to be,” Tristan agreed. “However, if they are as important as you say, you may not be able to protect them from everything.”

“Do you think they are capable of becoming warriors?”

Tristan considered the question for a moment. “I think, with the right motivation, they may be capable of just about anything.” He looked back at her. “Finish eating and get some rest, now. I will stay nearby in case you need anything.”

Katherine smiled at him. “You are very kind, as well, Tristan.”

“You do me too much honor, my lady,” he replied, stepping outside.

Katherine bit into her fruit, thoughtfully, as she watched him leave.

Valda knocked William to the ground and looked down at him. “I think you’ve gotten worse, today.”

“Sorry.” He dusted himself off and stood.

“You’re distracted,” she noted, scornfully. “That’s no good. If you can’t focus, you may as well not be here.”

He frowned and nodded his understanding. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about Katherine. I’m worry she might get hurt when we leave since using her powers leaves her so drained.”

“Using her powers won’t kill her,” Valda told him. “She’s just not at full strength because of the war.”

He stared at her, blankly. “What war?”

“With the dark sorcerer,” she replied, simply. When he continued to look confused, she sighed. “Hasn’t anybody told you anything? The dark sorcerer is seeking to control Mirra. He’s made the land sick and that makes our lady weaker, since she is bound to Mirra.”

“How does that work?”

“She’s a guardian.” Valda shrugged as if that explained everything. “At any rate, the sorcerer won’t kill her because a guardian dying without a successor is dangerous for everyone. That binding works both ways. If the land dies, she dies. If she dies…” She let the sentence trail off. “That’s part of why we all treat her with so much respect. In a way, she is Mirra.” She paused. “Well, half of it.”

“Because there is a male guardian, as well.” William felt glad that he knew something.

“So, you’re not completely clueless. Good.” She held up her stick. “Think you’re ready for another round, now?”

William nodded and set his feet. “Whenever you are.”

Jake was morose as he stood next to Galen, helping him crush herbs. He was relieved that Katherine was alright, but he knew her waking up meant he would have to leave, soon.

“You shouldn’t frown so much,” Galen told him. “You have perfectly nice face and that ruins it.”

Jake gave him a sad smile. “Thank you for being so kind to me. You’ve taught me a lot.”

Galen nodded. “You’ve helped me so much that I should be thanking you.” When Jake looked away, the elf sighed. “You don’t need to be so sad. The Blue Palace is a perfectly nice place.”

“Right.” Jake focused his gaze on the herbs he was crushing. He never argued when switching homes because it was pointless. He would be sent wherever he was told to go and that was that.

Galen watched him, a moment longer. “Of course, if it doesn’t suit you, you are always welcome to come back here after you fulfill whatever duties you have there.”

Jake looked at him in surprise. “You really think that would be alright?”

“I see no reason why not.” Galen smiled. “I don’t like the idea of permanently losing my best helper.” He gave a dramatic sigh. “Of course, you’ll probably forget your old teacher when you are meeting with all the important people at the palace.”

Jake smiled and shook his head. “I would never do that. I never forget anyone.”

Galen smiled at him, again. “I’ll hold you to that and I expect you to come visit me at your first opportunity.”

“I will,” the boy promised, feeling like an immense weight had been lifted. He returned to his work with a relieved sigh.

Galen watched him for a moment and nodded to himself, glad he was able to help the boy out, even if he wasn’t really so sure that they would see each other again. He knew that dark days were ahead and he just had to hope that Jake would be alright.

“You’re getting pretty good at this,” Theron told Meredith at target practice, after she hit the center several times in a row. That was high praise from an elf to a human.

She smiled at him. “Thanks. You’ve been a really good teacher.” Like Jake, it had occurred to her that she might not have much longer to find a chance to show her gratitude.

He returned the smile. “You have been an excellent student…for a human.” He winked, playfully. “Now, it’s time to work on moving targets.”

Meredith nodded, having practiced a bit before, and knowing she still had a long way to go, but little time to get there.

Theron pulled a string attached to a tree and a bag of dirt came swinging down. He tugged the rope and the bag swung side-to-side.

Meredith took a breath and aimed her bow. She let loose the arrow and smiled as it buried itself in the target.

Theron gave an approving nod. “Well, let’s do that a few more times and you may be ready to fight a sack of flour.” He said it in a joking manner and meant well.

Meredith nodded, noting that it was good to know flour existed in Mirra. She remembered that William had mentioned receiving a pastry and realized that it should have been obvious that there was flour. She took a breath, deciding it wasn’t an important topic, at the moment. She nocked an arrow and raised her bow. “Ready when you are.”

Henry finished a shirt he’d been working on for a few days and smiled at his work. It was a simple, red tunic, like the one he wore, but it seemed better because he had made it.

Pene smiled at his work. “That’s quite good.”

“Thank you.” He smiled up at her. “I never realized how cool sewing could be.”

She was uncertain about the slang, but chose not to comment. “Well, it takes patience, but it’s worth it to see something you made being used.” She looked at him. “I could show you how to add some trimmings. You could probably finish that before you go.”

Henry nodded, frowning as he remembered they would be leaving, soon. “I would like that. Thank you.”

After his meditation session in the evening, William detoured from the path to his hut and headed to Katherine’s, wanting to check on her, again. He knocked on the side of the door, fearing she may be asleep, already.

“Come in,” she called, alleviating the concern. She was sitting up and eating another piece of fruit when he walked in. There was a lantern on a nightstand by her bed, casting an unearthly glow on the room. She smiled at him, brightly. “William, how nice of you to visit.”

He nodded and returned the smile. “I just wanted to see how you were feeling.”

“I am much better,” Katherine assured him. “We will be able to continue our journey soon, I’m certain, so there is no need to worry.”

“You shouldn’t push yourself too hard,” he told her. “There’s no need to rush.”

“Well, now you sound like Tristan.” She gave him an amused smile. “At any rate, there is every reason to rush. You and your friends won’t be safe until you reach the palace and this village won’t be safe if we stay much longer. After all, the shadow master is still hunting us.”

“You mean the dark sorcerer?”

She nodded. “He has many names. Some call him the dark lord, but that title gives him too much credit. He is a dangerous villain, not a nobleman.”

“Right.” William stood, awkwardly for a second. “But, surely there would be a way to keep him out of the forest. You said it was safe here and we haven’t encountered any danger, yet.”

“Yet.” She sighed. “The forest is difficult for dark creatures to enter because the elves have strong wards. However, it is not impenetrable and something will get in eventually. The palace is safer.”

William nodded, again. “Okay. Well, I had better let you rest if you want to leave, quickly.”

Katherine smiled as she nodded. “Good night, William.”

He slipped out and headed to the hut he shared with his friends. What Katherine had said made him worry. He couldn’t bear the thought of bringing danger to the peaceful village, so he knew they would have to do as she said and leave as soon as possible. That thought gave him great sadness as he lay down, but he pushed it aside. Like the others, he was accustomed to leaving one home after the other. He had learned to deal with it, so he couldn’t let this bring him down.

The next day, Katherine was able to get up and walk around, a bit.

“You shouldn’t push yourself too hard,” Tristan reminded her. “You still need to rest.”

Katherine just shook her head. “I’ve been resting. I need to get moving.” She stumbled, but he caught her. “My hero.” She smiled up at him and righted herself. “I’m lonely, here, and intend to eat with the others. If you are so concerned, you are welcome to join us.”

The elf sighed, knowing he couldn’t argue with her. “Fine. I’ll help you get to the dining area alright, but you have to tell me if you feel weak, at all.”

“You will be the first to know,” she promised, allowing him to lead the way. She walked over to the group of runaways and smiled at them. “Miss me?” They smiled, in return, and made room for her at the table. She took a seat, but Tristan elected to stand farther away.

“What’s his problem?” Jake asked, glancing at the elf.

Katherine just smiled and shrugged. “He doesn’t trust strangers. At any rate, I heard you all have been quite busy. I’m glad. I look forward to seeing your new skills put to the test.” She paused. “Of course, I hope we are never in need of them.”

“I think we all hope that,” Meredith commented. “Hopefully, we won’t have any more excitement on our journey.”

“Hopefully,” Katherine agreed. “Give me one more day to recover and we will be on our way.”

The members of the group looked at each other, but nobody argued. Somehow, putting a time frame on their departure made it more real, but no one wanted to talk about it. Instead, they told Katherine all about their activities from when she was asleep. That way, they managed to keep the conversation pleasant and not worry about what was to come.