#bonded
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Bonded: Epilogue
Tomorrow.
One more, for goodbye.
Her plea echoed through his mind.
He couldn’t tell her no. He couldn’t tell her the truth. Rhain couldn’t tell her he was leaving.
He had asked his commander if he could go home while he waited for reassignment. He had agreed, mostly because Rhain knew there was little chance he would be reassigned. The war was going to be over soon. The Ylfray would decimate the valley and with it, the Kel. Winter was coming and it would bring famine. They all wanted to leave. They wanted to go and hold their families before they watched them whither away with hunger.
At the sea, his family might be safe. Maybe they could salt enough fish. The Ylfray wouldn’t make it all the way to Wilhaven to burn their crops too.
Rhain stood at the mouth of the pass and shifted the pack on his back. He could see the Ylfray camp over the hill. The twinkling of their fires and the sea of tents. Maybe she was around one of those fires. Maybe she was thinking about meeting him tonight.
What would she have said for goodbye?
He couldn’t leave her with nothing though. He had asked one of his most trusted friends to go tonight and deliver his message for him. The man was already skeptical, but Rhain had convinced him she wouldn’t hurt him. He trusted her to do that much. Even if she was Ylfray, she was honorable.
“Tell her-” Rhain had paused and his friend glance around them, as if they would be caught discussing this. “Tell her I’m sorry. I just-I just can’t do it.” He avoided the other man’s gaze. “Tell her I’m going home… Tell her… Tell her I…” Rhain had hesitated, the words caught on his tongue. You couldn’t say that to a woman and then leave her behind. “Tell her goodbye”
Rhain turned away from the valley and into the pass.
He had a long way to go, but he was going home.
It was too late to change his mind.
It was done.
~ Fin ~
It was tomorrow when she stood at the edge of camp, staring into the wood. The moon was creeping into its highest position but she knew she would not be going to the cabin. She was waiting. Waiting for -
“Vada?” Eiselda came up behind her, her arms holding her cloak tight around her in the chill of the night. “What is all the secrecy? What can you not tell me at camp?” Vada turned towards her and her eyes darted away, avoid her curious gaze.
“I need you to do me a-a favor, Eiselda,” she said, her voice a struggling whisper. “I can’t- I need- I need you to trust me. Please.” Vada said as she looked back to her. “The Goddess has been testing me and I…I have been failing.”
Eiselda’s head tilted and she stepped closer, drawing Vada into a hug. "It’s okay,“ she hushed, petting her hand down the back of Vada’s head to soothe her. “Whatever it is, tell me, and I will do it.”
Vada shook against her friend, her hand gripping the woman’s cloak tightly. Her eyes shut, blocking back tears that threatened to spill over.
“In the forest… there is a cabin.” she started, though the words fought not to be said. It was a struggle to force them out. “the scouts found it, near the river”
“I know of it,” Eiselda said as she gently pushed Vada’s shoulders back so she could look at her. “What is there?” she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, but not in suspicion, more in confusion.
Vada’s eyes darted away. “I cannot say. Only that… you will know… What to do when-when you get there.” From between them, Vada drew out her dagger. Her hands shook as she pressed it into her friend’s grip. Eiselda’s own steady ones wrapped around hers, stopping their shaking. She pulled the dagger from Vada’s grip. Her fingers almost didn’t want to release it. As if her own body fought against her scheme.
Eiselda drew herself away, tucking the dagger beneath the cloak and casting a gaze back to the camp for a moment. Her eyes switched to Vada and she nodded solemnly before turning to the forest disappearing into the trees.
She hesitated coming that night. She always hesitated of course, but this time the decision weighed like the stones in her stomach that had kept her from eating all day. He was sure to have heard the news as well. What would he say? Would he know what the Ylfray’s plan was? Should she warn him? Vada stopped pacing abruptly and quickly dashed the thought from her head. Meeting the enemy in the night was one thing, but releasing privileged information… That was treason.
The cabin door swung open and Vada started. Rhain entered and shut the door with more force than was necessary. His eyes landed on her and she knew that he had heard about the surrender. They were hard, angry, and sad, all at once. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword and then he nodded to hers.
“Spar,” was all he said as he pulled his free. Vada didn’t question it. She was relieved he didn’t want to talk about it. He only wanted to spar and she was happy to avoid the topic as well.
