“Are you calling those trees?” he asked Olyva.
She lowered her arms and looked at Tiberius. There was sadness in her look, but not fear.
“I did,” she admitted. “It’s time.”
“You’re going to become a tree then? You’re just going to desert Rafe and the rest of us.”
“I think you know me better than that,” Olyva said.
“So what are you going to do?” Tiberius said. “I don’t understand.”
“I want you to bring Rafe to me,” Olyva said.
“No,” Tiberius said loudly. “No.”
“Ti,” Lexi tried to calm him down.
“You’ve done all you can for him,” Olyva said. “He’ll never be the man you knew. He’ll just waste away and die. Is that what you want for him?”
“No,” Tiberius said, the tears flowing down his face. “But you don’t know he won’t wake up. He’s strong.”
“He is, and that is why he’s still alive. But now, he can have a different kind of life. He can be with me. You know I’m changing. I can’t stop that now.”
“I can’t let him go,” Tiberius said.
“You don’t have to,” Olyva said. “He will still be Rafe—he will still be here. He’ll just be changed.”
“Come on, Ti. It’s for the best,” Lexi said.
Tiberius wanted to scream, to rage, to burn down the Hosscum grove that was inching its way slowly toward the camp, but he knew Olyva and Lexi were right. And Ti didn't want to control his friend's life any more than he wanted his father to control his. He knew he could stop Olyva from taking Rafe, but he couldn't bring his friend back, despite all his magical power. Rafe had sacrificed himself for Tiberius, and now it was Ti's turn to sacrifice what he wanted so that Rafe could be with Olyva.
He sat with his friend the rest of the day, then just before sundown he helped carry Rafe to the grove of Hosscum trees. Olyva was already waiting inside the grove, standing with her feet among the tangle of crawling roots. She looked happy to see him. The men, all officers from the earl’s war band, laid Rafe in a small space between the roots that seemed to be just the right shape for his body. Then the other men hurried away, and it was just Tiberius, Lexi, Olyva, and Rafe.
“I wanted to say thank you, Tiberius,” Olyva said. “You and Lexi befriended me, helped me, accepted me when I changed, and believed in me always. I can never tell you how much that means to me.”
“You are the bravest woman I’ve ever known,” Lexi said.
“He loves you so much,” Tiberius said. “This is what he would want. To be with you. It’s what he always wanted. Not the fighting, not to explore the blighted lands. He wanted to make his father proud and he did. He wanted to be the champion of Avondale and he was. He wanted to lead the earl’s war band and he did. And he wanted to be with you forever, and now he will.”
“We aren’t dying, Tiberius. You of all people know this is true,” Olyva said.
“I do. But I will miss you both terribly.”
“We will always be here, at the foot of Mount Avondale, living as one.”
“Will you be part of this grove?” Lexi asked.
“No,” Olyva said. “We will start our own grove. And maybe one day more people will join us.”
“You will be protected,” Tiberius said, “and remembered.”
“Thank you,” Olyva said. “And will you be the Earl of Avondale after your father?”
“No,” Tiberius said. “Lexi and I have decided to explore the blighted lands. My father is fit and well; he can lead the survivors. Our future is out there. There’s so much to learn.”
“Then I wish you the best of luck in your travels,” she said. “And my hope is that you return to us often.”
“Goodbye,” Lexi said, hugging Olyva.
“Farewell,” she replied.
“Goodbye, Rafe. You were … are, my best friend," Tiberius said. "We did it. We saved the kingdom, just like we always dreamed. Your story will be remembered, I swear to that. And I will come back, I promise.”
Lexi took his hand, and they backed out of the grove of trees. Night fell suddenly, and Tiberius stayed nearby through the night. When morning came, the grove of trees was gone, and in their place were two new trees. The trees grew close together, their branches entwining as well as their roots. Tiberius went to the trees and put his hands on the trunks. One tree was slender and tall, the other broader and very straight. There was no breeze, but as Tiberius stood by the trees, the leaves swayed gently, the leaves rustling and the branches creaking.
“I’m glad to see you on your feet again, old friend,” Tiberius said. “I guess Olyva has filled you in on our victory. We lost the city but won the war, at least for now. Someone has Leonosis, but that’s not our concern, is it? We’re finished saving people. Now we can just live our lives.”
“That sounds good to me,” Lexi said, slipping up beside Tiberius and wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Tiberius said. “The world is wide open, and there's nothing we can't face together. Let’s go see what wonders are waiting to be discovered.”
The End
Author's Note
I want to thank all of you who have read this series. Avondale and the Kingdom of Valana, including the blighted lands, became a much richer world than I ever anticipated. I fell in love with the characters, relating with their struggles and journey into the unknown. There is so much to discover and explore, so perhaps one day I'll return to their world and see what Tiberius and Lexi have been up to, but in the meantime I have many more tales to share with you. I appreciate your support and encouragement. And I hope you'll join me in the stories that lie ahead. Thank you again for making my dreams come true.
Toby Neighbors
August 14, 2015
Learn more about Toby Neighbors and his books at www.TobyNeighbors.com
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