Homecoming

by Tull Harrison

  Rebenna shook her head slightly, a faint smile coming to her face. I'll never understand men, how can they be this way one moment and that way the next? To keep Delmer from changing his mind, she strode off in the direction of the mountain.

  He quickly jogged after her and they continued together in silence.

  ***

  The snow crunched under Rebenna’s feet and the tree branches rustled softly in the wind. This whole land is so different than Noenna. It's so white... Before now I had never even seen snow, The Impenetrable Mountains only have snow on the very top of the peaks. This whole place seems so tranquil, although that could change at any time.

  Delmer broke through her thoughts, "A storm is brewing, look." He pointed to the east.

  "How can you tell?"

  "Those clouds only form when blizzards are coming. We'd better find shelter."

  Rebenna put her good arm on her hip stubbornly. "Why should we? Can’t we continue through the storm? We don't have time to waste."

  "You've clearly never been in a whiteout."

  "Oh, and you have?"

  "Yes. I have been here before, with a hunting party. A savage beast had been harassing the herders. Its lair was on this mountain. As we were hunting it, a blizzard came up. We only made it about a quarter of the way up Mount Slate."

  "What happened?"

  "Nothing. We managed to find shelter just time."

  "What about the beast? Did you kill it?"

  "No, we didn't. We barely made it back down the mountain again. In that snow, you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. Then the beast just vanished."

  Rebenna was convinced. "Fine, we'll find shelter. Wouldn't do us any good to get killed now, would it?"

  Delmer laughed. "No, I guess it wouldn't."

  They quickly scanned the landscape for options. She spotted a rock formation slightly uphill. There was a space between two of the rocks where they would fit.

  Delmer helped Rebenna inside, making sure not to jostle her too much. He was still afraid that she was more injured than they thought. She winced slightly when her shoulder hit the rock, but bit back a moan. He climbed in after her.

  Ensconced in the rocks, Rebenna realized she was wearing Delmer's cloak. She began to wonder about the details of her attack. "Delmer, why do I have your cloak on?"

  Delmer, who had been watching the sky, turned in her direction. "The cat shredded most of your clothes, like I said. I guess I could have left you like you were, though." He half smiled at her.

  "That answers my first question. Here's my second question: Earlier you said the cat's master called it back?”

  "Right as the cat was ready for a death strike, I heard a whistle. The cat retreated, and an arrow landed between my feet to keep me from pursuing it."

  "Who can control a mountain cat?"

  "That is the question of the day. Shh.... Listen, the storm is starting."

  The wind began to howl. It sounded like a pack of wolves nipping at a deer's heels. The snow came down fast and furious. Rebenna curled into a ball and leaned against Delmer for warmth. They were out of the snow, but that didn't mean they weren't cold.

  "I'm sorry, I should give you your cloak back now. You must be freezing," she whispered in Delmer's ear.

  "Keep it for now, but you better let me use yours."

  “It's a good thing we got cloaks this big." She laughed and handed Delmer her cloak. Even so, the hem only reached his shins.

  After putting it on, he held on to Rebenna more tightly. They were cold, but Rebenna's face felt flushed. She could hear Delmer's heartbeat, and she matched her breathing to his. She could not help thinking of the night of the Coronation Ball, which made her flush harder. Eventually they fell asleep and passed the storm that way.

  Much later, Rebenna shook a light layer of snow off and tried to stretch out. Then she remembered she and Delmer were nestled between two rocks. She tried to shake Delmer awake with her right arm, but cried out in pain. The cold had welded the bandage to her skin, and her shoulder joint was on fire.

  At the sound of her cry, Delmer woke up with a start. "Are you all right?"

  "The bandage is frozen to my skin."

  Delmer frowned. "I have something that will help, but it will hurt."

  "It's all right, if it allows me to remove the darned thing."

  Delmer took out a bottle. Amazingly, the liquid inside hadn't frozen. He took his hunting knife and cut off the part of the bandage that wasn't frozen and caked with blood. "Are you sure you're ready for this? It might burn your flesh."

  "I'm ready, but why isn't it frozen?"

  "It's too dense. It would take an ice age to freeze this thing."

  Delmer continued to talk in a calm tone while he applied the medicine. It burnt so badly that Rebenna could only focus on Delmer's voice while silent tears streamed down her face. He finished the job and rebandaged her wound. Gently, he put it in a rough sling.

  "What was that stuff? I haven't hurt that badly in a long time."

  "Enicidem. My physicians came up with it. It can remove almost anything. The downside is that it’s extremely painful, as you’ve seen. How does your head feel today?"

  "Better, thanks for asking. Here, I'll change out of these rags so you can have your cloak back."

  Rebenna quickly climbed out of the rocks, ignoring her stinging arm. Delmer did not follow, and she was grateful for the privacy as she stripped and changed into her spare set of clothes. It was more than a little awkward because of the sling.

  Delmer was right. That storm had been horrendous. I'm glad we took shelter. I think he was also right about it not being safe for me to continue, but I can't let him know that. I can't let him think I'm weak, so I'll just have to grin and bear it.

  "Rebenna, are you done yet?"

  "I'm done, come on out. We should get going."

  Delmer climbed from the rocks and hopped to the ground. Rebenna handed him his cloak and Delmer handed her hers.

  "You're right. We should get a move on."

  Chapter 10

  The climb was treacherous. Delmer could see why so many people had never made it up the mountains. There were huge gaps in its face. Sometimes they were hidden by snow. No one knew exactly how many lives the mountain had claimed. However, Delmer did know that his uncle had died trying to make the same climb.

  King Rutherford had not been first in line for the throne. His brother Thomas and sister Delilah had been before him in line. Their father King James, king only by marriage, had died right after Rutherford was born. Queen Minna had chosen not to remarry.

  Minna had been the one to lead the revolt against Noenna. What had started the Revolution, Delmer did not know, but he suspected that it was the five items of power.

  His grandfather, James, had been Minna's top general. Minna and James had fallen in love and gotten married. Right before this time, Minna had been declared queen of the new nation. This action had infuriated Noenna.

  The Revolution was a bitter fight lasting for over twenty years. During the fighting, three children were born to the king and queen. Delilah was the oldest; she was eleven years older than her brother. Thomas had been born a year before Rutherford.

  Five and a half years before the end of the war, King James was killed in battle. Minna and the fledgling country grieved his death, but still fought on. It turned out that James left a legacy before he died: Rutherford was born nine months after his death. His birth brought new hope to the people.

  Had Delilah lived, she would have become queen, but she died at seventeen — a general in battle, just as she would have wanted. Noenna expected that this occurrence would break the rebels’ spirits, but it did exactly the opposite.

  One year after Delilah's death, the Revolution ended. Malzepher became a country, not just a dream. The heartache was not over, however, for fifteen years after the war ended, Thomas died trying to ascend Mount Slate. It was said this death caused Minna's heart to break: a year later she, too
, died. She passed away the day after Rutherford turned eighteen, a man before the eyes of the law. Perhaps she had been waiting for that exact moment. After his mother died, Rutherford became king, leading Malzepher into an age of prosperity.

  Delmer knew how his uncle had died, but until that moment had never figured out why he had tried to climb Mount Slate. Now the truth hit him. Thomas had died hiding the objects.

  "Rebenna, the items are here!" he told her excitedly.

  "You’ve said it before, but you can’t know.”

  "Before I suspected it, but now I know it's true."

  "Why are you so positive?"

  He quickly explained what he had just realized. A broad grin spread across her face. "Good, we're on the right track! The question is, where do we go now?'

  "My uncle was caught in a blizzard on his way down. His body was never found, but everyone said he must have died. The rumor was that he did not take the normal approach when trying to climb the mountain; he was said to have climbed the east side.” He gasped. "Rebenna, we're on the wrong side! My uncle climbed the east side of the mountain, not the west."

  "How are we supposed to get there? Take a day to walk around to the other side?"

  They scanned the mountain side briefly. Delmer pointed to a ledge that wrapped around the rocks. She nodded her agreement.

  They started to climb again in silence. This will be the hardest trial of my life. This mountain is a death sentence for most people. It will take everything we have just to stay alive, and Rebenna's hurt. I don't care how big an act she puts on. I've seen the injuries she has. I have also seen the pain on her face when she jerks her arm.

  "Rebenna, you don't have to do this you know. I won't think any less of you if you turn back."

  "Delmer, please trust me. I can do this. I will stay loyal to you."

  "I am not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. It's just that I'm worried about you."

  "I know..."

  Their eyes met. He looked at her tenderly and she reached out and clasped his hand.

  Well, despite everyone else's intentions, I wonder how I will continue ruling without Rebenna.

  Suddenly they seemed to remember how unsafe the mountain was. They let go of each other's hands. They had reached the ridge, and to continue they had to be able to balance.

  The ridge was only the width of a body. To its left was a drop that would kill anyone instantly.

  Delmer went first, and Rebenna followed. They treaded carefully until they came to an unanticipated obstacle. There was a large gap in the ledge.

  "How are we supposed to get past this?”

  Rebenna frowned. "If we can't make it over this gap, then we'll just have to go around the long way."

  "That should be our last resort. Is there anything in our packs that can be used to get across?" He asked, trying to problem solve.

  "I bought some rope, but it won't do us much good if we can't attach it to something,” she said, sighing with frustration.

  "Here, attach the rope to this arrow. Make sure you tie the knot tightly enough."

  Normally I'd let her use the bow. She surpasses me easily in archery, but her arm is too injured right now to help. Delmer growled in frustration over yet another unfortunate turn of events.

  She tied the rope to the arrow and looked uncertainly at him. "Are you sure this will work?"

  "No, I'm not sure at all — but we either do this or spend a whole day just getting around to the other side."

  He carefully took aim and let his arrow fly. It imbedded itself in the overhang all down to the fletching. Then he yanked on the rope to make sure it was secure. They exchanged glances.

  "Here it goes."

  He ran and jumped off the edge. Rebenna gasped. He swung across, stopping right on the edge of the ridge. He turned around and swung the rope back to her.

  "It's all right. Just swing across."

  Her voice rose in fear. "Are sure it's safe?"

  Delmer did his best to be reassuring. "It will be fine."

  She took a deep breath and swung across. A moment before she reached the ledge, the overhang cracked and the rope slipped.

  "Rebenna!" Delmer lunged forward, catching her by the hand.

  She screamed, her voice echoing through the mountain. Half her foot remained on the ledge as she clenched one of Delmer's hands.

  "Give me your other hand." She slowly raised her other hand and he clasped it. "I'll pull you back."

  Rebenna set her jaw and nodded grimly. Delmer slowly began to back up, his boots occasionally slipping on the ice. After what seemed like an eternity, they were both safely back on the ledge.

  Rebenna began to shive, and her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back. Delmer awkwardly took her into his arms. She brushed him off, clearly not wanting his solace.

  "Let's go. We just lost a lot of time."

  "Rebenna, are you all right?"

  He had lowered his voice, and she looked at him with false calm.

  "I'm fine. That was a really frightening experience."

  "If you are sure you will be fine, then let's get off this ledge."

  "Agreed."

  They began to walk again. From that point on, the ledge sloped slightly upwards. They walked in silence, reflecting on what had happened.

  A little voice nagged at the back of his brain. What about Rebenna? I can't let her die; this is not her problem. I will do everything I can to protect her.

  In the distance, the ledge came to an end, rejoining the mountain. Neither Rebenna nor Delmer noticed. They were absorbed in their own thoughts.

  Delmer spoke up, "A copper for your thoughts?"

  "I was just thinking how hard it is to do the right thing sometimes. It seems like we always have to make sacrifices to make the right choice."

  Delmer was not fooled by her words. "Malzepher is no substitute for your home, but you can stay at my palace as long as you wish."

  "Thank you," Rebenna accepted his offer graciously. "It's just that I'm homesick."

  "Who wouldn't be, on this mountain?" Delmer laughed, trying to relax her, but thought better of it. "I want you to know that I would have made the same decisions if I were in your position."

  "How you make your choices seems to depend so much on your upbringing."

  Delmer smiled slightly. "And your experiences in life. As much as it pained me when my father died, I have learned a lot since then. Still, I miss him so much."

  It was the first time Rebenna had ever heard Delmer talk about his father. "What was he like?"

  "He was a remarkable king and an exceptional father. I learned so much from him. It was cruel for him to die when he did. I still needed him."

  "My father died too. He was on his way to negotiate with some local farmers. They were infringing on Noennaan land. As he got to the farmer's lands he was attacked and killed by bandits, or so I'm told. The world is just not fair. Your loved one's lives can be snuffed out in just an instant.”

  "That's why I didn't want you to come." Delmer said quietly, looking over at her.

  Rebenna started.

  "I mean it, Rebenna. I care for you; I don't want you to get hurt." Delmer insisted after too long a pause.

  His ice-blue eyes probed her with an intensity that forced her to look away. When she looked back, his eyes were still on her, longing for her to say something.

  Rebenna met his gaze. "I care for you too Delmer. Don't die on me."

  Delmer smiled and nodded. "I promise I won't if you promise you won't."

  "I promise."

  Rebenna longed to say more but could simply not get the words out. I think I love him. Of all the people to fall for, why did I have to pick the one I can't have?

  Delmer laughed in delight at her words and ran the remaining distance of the ledge. Rebenna laughed too, and ran to join him. For the first time she was able to see the boy that Delmer would have been, if he had not been forced to grow up fast.

  By the time
Rebenna reached him, she was out of breath. She stopped, putting her hands on her knees. "Oof..." A snowball hit her on her shoulder. "Delmer, I'll get you for that. How dare you hit a lady of Noenna?”

  Delmer laughed. "You don't act like any lady I've ever met," he teased.

  "Why I've never..." At that point she reached down and scooped up a bit of snow for herself. She formed it into a compact ball, throwing it at Delmer. "It may be that I don't act like one, but I thought you were tired of ladies of the court anyway."

  "Yes, that's true."

  Two more snowballs were hurled at Rebenna, one of them hitting her in the face. Delmer's two snowballs were returned with three of her own, and soon they were flying back and forth. Rebenna was at a large disadvantage with one arm in a sling, but she didn't particularly care.

  The mountain itself seemed to be insulted by their lighthearted game. It roared in rage, sending clouds and winds to wipe them from its face, like it had done with all others adventurous enough to brave its slopes. In an instant it was snowing. Within a few more moments, it was almost impossible to see anything.

  They ran to each other. The game had been quickly interrupted and Rebenna was frightened.

  "Delmer, what can we do? This far up, there's no shelter!"

  Delmer's jaw locked as he thought. After a brief pause, Delmer opened his mouth to say something, but the wind ripped his words away from him. When he tried again, he was shouting, but she could still barely hear him. "Rebenna, we need to tie ourselves together and dig down into the snow. If we try to put our tents up, they will be blown away."

  Rebenna had to shout to be heard as well. "We don't have any more rope! What do we do?"

  All Delmer could do was stare at her wide eyed.

  A strong gust of wind blew Rebenna and Delmer off their feet and tore open Rebenna's pack. Near the top was Trouble's halter, which she had not left with the herders. Seeing it, Rebenna had an epiphany. They could use their horse's leads as ropes. The wind had grown louder, the snow driving harder. Instead of yelling, she took out her lead rope and fastened one end firmly around her waist. She then felt around for Delmer. He was sitting near her, already digging. She pushed the lead against him and he realized what she wanted him to do.