"What about Lauren," Sam murmured, looking conflicted. "Even if all of the rest of us get away, there's no guarantee that she won't die."
"I was already dying," I sighed. "I was dying in my own world when the Messengers sent me here, Sam. I've had the option for a second chance, and I'm going to use that second chance to broker peace with Sigrid and plead for Noah's life." I shrugged in response to his distressed frown. "One second chance is a hell of a lot more than most people ever get, so forgive me if I don't seem too upset at the prospect of losing my life when it could mean I'd save so many others."
Sam stood for what seemed like forever, head down, steeped in quiet indecision. Tamara and I both stared at him, holding our breath while we waited for him to decide how he felt about that revelation. "You realize that just about everyone is going to hate this plan, right?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Neither Burns nor Mack was very happy with the idea, but they each gave me their word that they would help me see it through if I felt it necessary."
"And, of course, you feel it's necessary," Sam muttered.
"Rolf's going to want to argue about this," Tamara chimed in.
Wynne startled all three of us when she chimed in, as none of us had seen her standing there. "Leave Rolf to me," she grimaced. "I've got a few things I'd like to say to him anyway."
Tamara shot Wynne an understanding look. "So, he's been avoiding you ever since you told him you're in love with him, huh?" Sam and I winced at the same time, but I felt like we each did it for different reasons.
"Maybe he just needs some time to process the idea," I offered, trying to be encouraging.
"Or maybe he's as thick-headed an idiot as I was about Tamara before you straightened me out," Sam quipped to me with a wry grin.
"Our personal issues will have to wait until after we make him see the sense in Lauren's plan," Wynne asserted. "While I don't particularly like the idea of Lauren walking into the enemy's hands alone with no way to defend herself, I do agree that the people of Tiernan should all relocate to the other side and start over."
"What do you need from me?" Sam blew out a resigned sigh, knowing he was outnumbered.
"Help us convince Rolf," I asserted, "And give me my phone. If I die, I want it with me." I turned my gaze to Tamara, then. "I need to ask a favor of you, too, and I know I have no right to ask you any favors because you already saved my life once."
"Name it," came Tamara's gentle, patient answer. I paused to think about how different she was than what I'd originally thought. I thought she was a skeptical, hard-to-get-along-with psychopath when I first met her, but it turned out that she was fiercely protective, loyal, and a genuinely good person.
"I want you to take care of Gabriel for me," I begged, my voice cracking with the tears that suddenly started leaking down my cheeks. "The Messengers told me that he can't come with me when I leave Daraglathia, and he deserves someone who'll take the best care of him. He's been so sweet, loyal, and helpful to me since the Messengers sent him to me. I want him to have a good life with good people, and you're one of the best people I know."
"I'd be honored," Tamara replied, her voice also thick with tears.
"Thank you," I gasped, giving her unburned hand a grateful squeeze. "I'll tell him this afternoon. I get the feeling he's going to be upset, and I don't want the news to come from anyone besides me."
Tamara nodded her understanding. "Why don't you three go take on Rolf, and I'll lie here focusing on my recovery in the meantime?"
"Let's do it." I nodded at Wynne and Sam in turn, and they both nodded back.
We made our way up to Rolf's office in an odd, turbulent-feeling silence. When we got to Rolf’s office, Mack, Burns, Gabriel, and Rolf were all there. Gabriel was pacing anxiously, and the men were deep in a heated discussion about the plan I’d suggested. Rolf jumped up out of his chair as we entered and rounded on me.
"If I'd known you had suicidal tendencies, I'd have suggested that we all run away and start over elsewhere before we incurred THREE-HUNDRED CASUALTIES!" He looked like he was going to pop a vein, and I sighed, feeling as if the wind had been completely taken out of my sails.
"I didn't want anyone to die for me, Rolf!" I half-shouted, half-sobbed it. "Don't you understand? That is exactly why everyone who's left needs to pick up and start over before anyone else gets hurt or dies!" Gabriel whined and whimpered as if my words pained him.
Rolf hung his head, and I could sense that he was searching for any kind of argument he could to keep me from going through with my plan. Wynne stepped up to him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"She's right, and you know it," Wynne murmured. "We can start over without any more innocent people getting hurt. We need to take this opportunity for the gift it is, and let Lauren make her own decisions."
Mack made a strangled noise, and I was startled to see that he was sobbing uncontrollably. I rushed over to him, wrapping him in a soothing hug on instinct. "It'll be okay, Mack. I know what I need to do, and I'm at peace about it. Go with them." I squeezed him a little tighter. "Help Tamara take care of Gabriel and spend the rest of your life enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, instead of cooped up in these old caverns."
Gabriel let out a mournful, wounded sounding howl at what I said to the dwarf, and no one in the room doubted that he'd understood what I said. Mack hugged me back so hard I had trouble breathing, and I felt a few tears trickle down my cheeks before he let me go. "I'll miss you terribly, sweet girl," he murmured, his voice hoarse with emotion.
"I'll miss you, too, Mack, but I have a feeling that the messengers will keep letting you take peeks into my life." I gave him my best encouraging look to go along with my hopeful logic. "You watched over me for years before I came to Daraglathia, I see no reason why they wouldn't let you keep watching after I leave...one way or another."
I watched Mack shudder at the last part of my statement and instinctively pat Gabe on the head before he turned his attention to Rolf. "I'd be honored to accompany you to the other side of the mountain, if you'll have me."
"The honor will be mine," Rolf insisted, finally resigned to my plan. He shifted his dark gaze to me, and I felt a whole new kind of gravity in his look. "Do what you can to save Noah, if it isn't already too late."
I gave a firm nod. "All part of my plan, Rolf."
"I know he wasn't my great-grandson by blood," Rolf sighed, "But I did love him. Tell him that, from me, if you can."
I nodded, swallowing hard to try to clear the emotional lump clogging my throat as Gabriel started whimpering and whining again. I didn't want to consider the possibility that I couldn't deliver the message to Noah. "I'll tell him." It came out a little firmer than I intended, possibly because I was doing my best to convince myself that Noah was fine.
Burns, who had been quiet since I arrived, cleared his throat, and I noticed that unshed tears were floating in his eyes, too. "I think, perhaps, we should go ahead and say our goodbyes."
I nodded, and Gabriel let out another mournful howl. It stabbed at my soul, and I knew there'd always be a Gabe-shaped hole in my heart if I made it back to my old life. I decided to say the hardest goodbye first, and sank to my knees with open arms, silently begging the cocker spaniel to let me hold him and love on him just a little more before we had to separate.
He moped over to me, head low, tail tucked between his back legs, whimpering all the way. I pulled him into my arms and buried my face in the soft fur on the top of his head with a shuddering sigh. "I've always loved animals," I murmured, "But you're the most special dog I've ever had, Gabriel. You've been my little angel, and there's no way I can thank you enough for all the joy you've given me." I rubbed and stroked his fluffy, curly, long ears. "I wish there were a way for you to go back home with me. I wish I could keep you forever, but I can't guarantee your safety in Sigrid's camp, and the Messengers told me that I can't take you with me when I leave this world."
Gabriel let out a mournful howl, and I petted him in as s
oothing a manner as I could. I held him close, not wanting to let go. "I'll make you a deal," I coaxed. "Help Mack guide everyone to the other side of the mountain, and see that Tamara gets well. If I, by some miracle, make it back to my life in my world, I'm sure Mack will see it. I'll ask the Messengers to make sure he knows. Once you've done those things, if you can find your own way to me in my world, I promise I'll give you a home with me forever, wherever I go and whatever I do."
Gabriel's tail gave a weak wag and he licked my face as he whimpered. I knew he was afraid for me, and I held him and stroked him until I felt him stop trembling. "It'll be all right, boy," I whispered. "I know it will." He gave one last, resigned whine, and trudged over to sit at Mack's feet.
I pushed up into a standing position and walked over to Captain Burns, taking his hands in mine. "I want to thank you for your kindness in spite of your initial doubts about me," I took a deep breath and plunged on. "You've been a friend and mentor, and I won't forget everything you've done for me."
"And I want to thank you," Burns said, his voice as hoarse as Mack's had been. "Thank you for reminding me what it feels like to have a family. Thank you for reminding me of my daughter. Take care of yourself, please."
I gave his hands a squeeze and threw my arms around his neck in a crushing hug. "I'll do my very best, Captain. I want you to promise me that you'll take care of yourself, too."
"I can escort you into the queen's camp, if you want," he suggested, and his gentle tone brought more tears to my eyes.
"No," I insisted without hesitation. "I appreciate the offer, but I want you to go with the others and start over somewhere new. I want you to have a good, quiet life, and I want you to always remember how it feels to have a family."
I heard a sniffle from Wynne at that, and turned to her, wrapping her in a gentle hug. "I want to thank you for being my first real friend in Daraglathia, Wynne." I looked over her shoulder at Sam, and he nodded. "I had Sam magically replicate my iPhone for you. It's got all my movies, tv shows, and music on it, and I hope you enjoy having that technology all for your very own."
Sam pulled the replica iPhone out of the leather pouch at his side and handed it to Wynne, who was staring down at it in awestruck silence. "I cleaned out all the contacts except one...me. I figured you should probably have my number just in case Sam ever figures out how to get these iPhones to talk to each other from one world to another."
Wynne gasped, hugged me tighter, and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you so much! I can't thank you enough for such a thoughtful parting gift!"
I shrugged and blushed. "All I did was come up with the idea. You should thank Sam. He's the one that did all the work and worked all the magic to replicate my iPhone for you."
Wynne nodded, gave me one more intense squeeze, and let me go to hug and thank Sam. I turned to Mack, and he held up his hands, shaking his head. "I feel like we've already said goodbye once. I don't think it's necessary to do it again. Just give me a hug and a kiss, and we'll leave it at that, okay?"
I nodded, gave Mack a teary-eyed hug and kiss, and turned my attention to Rolf. "I don't guess you're the hugging and crying type, huh?"
"I don't guess I am," Rolf shook his head. "But I can thank you for deciding to put the people who remain in this fortress before yourself. Thank you for considering their wellbeing, and thank you for being willing to do what is necessary to ensure it."
"That's good enough for me, and you're welcome." I stuck out my hand and gave him a firm handshake. "Take care."
I bent and petted Gabriel one last time as Mack opened the door to the secret passage in the back of Rolf's office. "Give us a few hours to fully evacuate," Rolf called over his shoulder. "Wait until you hear the first of the passages collapse before you do what you need to do."
I nodded, and Mack whistled for Gabriel. The spaniel gave me several sloppy puppy-dog kisses before making his way into the passage with the men, howling goodbye to me as the stone door slid closed behind them.
22
Godspeed
I went back to my room to finish preparing to turn myself in, and to wait for the first of the caverns to collapse. I realized that I was still wearing the armor Captain Burns had helped me pick out before Sigrid's army arrived outside Tiernan, and I shook my head. "If I'm going to go out," I muttered to myself, "I'm damn well going to do it in my own clothes."
I shucked the armor, piece by piece, and laid it out on the bed that had been mine while I was staying in Tiernan. It'll probably be looted sooner or later, came the sad thought, and I made a disgusted noise in the back of my throat. I chose not to think about it, instead stripping out of the clothes that had been made for me after I arrived. I folded them neatly and set them beside the armor.
I let myself into the bathroom and cleaned myself up, using the stream running down the wall like a shower. I washed my hair, found the shortest burnt-off length, and used a dagger Mack had left in my room to even the length out. When I was finished, I had shoulder-length hair, and I felt somehow more vulnerable than I had before I cut it. I shook my head, combed my hair, and tied it back out of my face before opening the trunk at the foot of my bed. I pulled out my clothes, noting that Mack must have had them laundered for me at some point, everything was clean.
"I'm getting ready to go home, that's all," I told myself in the most soothing voice I could muster. "I'm doing what I feel is right, and God will take care of the rest."
I pulled on my jeans, then my turtleneck, and laid my purple fleece pea coat next to me on the bed so I could put my boots on without getting overheated. I stood and slipped my iPhone, with the earbud cord wrapped neatly around it, in my back pocket. Once I was all dressed and ready, there was nothing left to do but wait for the distant rumbling boom of the first cavern caving in. I don't know how much time passed before it came. It could have been minutes or hours, but I didn't bother to check. I was too busy praying things would turn out right.
When I stepped out of Tiernan's entrance, I took a minute to look back at the massive, iron-studded oak doors. Wistfulness stole through me, and the realization came that I would never see them again. I grabbed a nearby torch that was still burning, and walked out into the dusk falling over the open ground between the fortress steps and the new, gaping fissure Sigrid's trebuchets had busted into the outer wall.
"God, please let Noah be okay," I whispered as I hoisted the torch as high over my head as I could get it and began waving it to signal Damon. He met me at the crack in the wall, and I lowered the torch with a grim nod in his direction.
Damon returned the nod. "I take it you wish to accept Queen Sigrid's offer of ceasing hostilities in exchange for you giving yourself up."
"I do," I nodded.
"Are you unarmed?" Damon's voice was cautious.
I unbuttoned my coat and opened it. "Pat me down if you want. I didn't see any point in showing up armed when I'm giving myself up."
"Sensible enough," Damon murmured. He patted the small of my back, my sides, and each of my legs from calf to ankle. He straightened up and nodded. "Seems you're clean. Come with me."
"Hang on," I held up a finger and shook my head. "Before you hand me over to Sigrid, there's something I want to discuss with you where nobody can overhear us."
Damon's smooth, pale forehead wrinkled with a confused frown. "What is it?"
"This is going to sound totally insane, but please hear me out," I begged. "I'm okay with whatever Sigrid decides to do with me, but I want you to stick close and keep an eye, or an ear at the very least on Adele."
"Lady Adele? Why?" Damon's confused frown deepened.
"Something about her makes me really uneasy, and not just for myself." I stared directly into Damon's eyes so he would see I was being sincere in the light from the torch. "When she was staying inside the fortress, she offered to send Noah and me back to our own world the same way Sigrid brought him into it. Something about it felt off. She sounded ambitious, and I've got a sneaking suspicion that ambition
might be directed at Sigrid's position."
Frost: An Otherworld Tale (The Otherworld Tales Book 1) Page 30