by Jamie Murray
Finally, Louisa coughed, but her cough was clearly a disguise for the much needed advice Baloric was seeking. She distinctly instructed, Kiss her, in a muffled choke, which she promptly excused herself for. Baloric glared back at her for her failed attempt at subtlety, but Johanna tried to laugh a little bit.
"It's all right," Johanna said. "I'll wait. I'll wait right here, and when you guys come back like you said you would, then you can tell me what you think. I'll just wait until then."
Baloric nodded very slowly. Finally, he only said, "We'll come back. And you and I can talk then, all right?"
"Okay," Johanna said somberly.
Baloric put his hand back by his side and began to climb up onto the carriage. He stopped midway and faced Johanna again. Following a second of hesitation, and then he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. An outside might not have seen the implications of the kiss; in fact, it was a kiss identical to the one he gave Erestina only a few minutes earlier. He did not linger or offer an opportunity for her to return the gesture. The instant passed, and then Baloric pulled away from her and climbed back onto the cart.
"Let's go," Baloric muttered as he picked up the reins and urgently encouraged the horses to get moving. Jameson caught sight of Louisa grinning as she returned to the inside of the cart.
They traveled progressively further away from the complex, moving at a fairly enthusiastic pace that would be ambitious to keep up for very long. Jameson stopped briefly to check back as William entered the closest building of the complex, and Johanna remained where she stood. He imagined she would stand there until she couldn't see them anymore, and probably long thereafter.
He didn't know what Baloric's answer to her was going to be. He didn't know how long it would be until they returned to the complex. He didn't even know if it was the right decision to leave them behind.
But, he did know it would not be the last time he would see them. He knew he would be successful in his journey. He knew he would fulfill the destiny outlined in the Prophecy.
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