Portal to Arandor Ch. 23

With a heavy heart, Drahden saddled up the horses and got their gear ready for the last leg of the journey. The night before had been incredible. At last he got to savor her as he had dreamed about for many nights. The time at the elf cottage was nothing in comparison. She had opened herself up to him and he fell for her all over again.

It was a glum morning. The air had warmed overnight and a deep fog had settled over the valley. Rebecca had remarked about it when they exited the inn, but he was glad for it. The mist would provide much needed cover as they skirted Stonegate and made for the forest and the portal. He did hope that they could indeed find it as the fog was very thick. Caladhiel had described it with detail that only an elf could muster. He went over it again in his mind and visualized it. They would find it. The question was - would they be able to slip by any guards?

They were both lost in their own thoughts as they rode out of the village and onto a seldom travelled track. Drahden let his mind drift back to the argument he had had in his head over and over. When Rebecca had presented him with the choice to go back to their old world, he was tempted at first. Although it had been six years, there were things that he missed.

But when he was in Wales, he was a nobody. Just another nameless guy working for a nameless company creating software in his tiny cubicle. He was a lot different from his current incarnation. His old self wore his hair short, was clean shaven and needed to lose about 10 pounds. He was shy around women and the only fun he had was his role playing group. Arandor had finally made a man out of him. He lost the weight, grew his hair and beard and most of all, gained the confidence he needed to survive in this new world.

He wondered how he would have fit in if he went back. The thoughts of crowded cities, fast moving cars and pollution made him slightly ill. He stole a glance at Rebecca riding silently beside him. Surely she would have little problem going back – she had only been here less than a year. A half a year, really. And she missed all those comforts of home. And she was a lot different then he had been. She was confident and strong.

It was going to be difficult to let her go, but he had to. He knew she would try for Fairfax if he didn't keep a watchful eye on her. She had the skills needed to make a long trek in rough country. One night on their trip out of Wessex, she had told him about all the survival classes she taught in the American Rocky Mountains.

"Rebecca," he said, breaking their silence.

"Yes?"

"Was their anything good that came from your life here, short as it was?" he asked, curious.

She took a deep breath and focused on something before answering.

"I would have to say it was some of the men I met here," she said with a half smile. "Not only you, Drahden. But Robert...and Jack. They were good men."

He nodded and knew that she had slept with both of them, but that didn't bother him.

"And Chadra too," she added. "She really helped me when things were bad. Yes, I will miss them."

He noted the melancholy in her voice.

"But I really miss my family. I can't stay here and let my parents suffer through the loss of another child. It was bad enough when my brother was killed in Iraq," she said sadly. "I just want to go home and live my life. I will always remember this place...and you."

"As long as you remember it in your mind and never tell a soul. You know what we discussed."

She nodded solemnly. "On my brother's grave – I swear. I know you love this world, Drahden. I wouldn't destroy it for you."

Her words warmed his heart immensely.

"Thank you."

They rode on in silence again. The mist hung about them heavily and they were coated with it. Water dripped off his hair and clothes but he was numb to it. His only thoughts were getting Rebecca to the portal safely then sprinting away to the elf village where Brego and his new life awaited. His plans were to slip deep in Maludara and eke out a life there. Maludara had its own society of Protectors and perhaps he could join them. They wouldn't know about Rebecca as they kept to themselves. He just might be able to pull it off.

After a while he saw a track veer off to the right. He guided them to the left and the plunged into a dense forest. He knew they were close. And the track would disappear. He would have to use his sixth sense of tracking to find it. He looked for the landmarks that Caladhiel had told him about. Their pace slowed as they picked their way through. Finally it was so dense they had to dismount and lead the horses to a little clearing.

"We will have to leave them here and go the rest of the way on foot," he explained.

Rebecca nodded and looked very tense.

"You have all your gear, right?" he asked.

Before they left he made sure she had adequate food and water to get her to the nearest civilization once she crossed over. He was hoping that the population spread closer to where she was going through since the years Caladhiel and Rothan crossed.

"Yes, and my dagger," she said, patting her leg under her cape.

He took a deep breath. "Ok, then let us go in. Be as quiet as you can."

She nodded and pushed into the forest. The mist was just as heavy amongst the trees and he couldn't see that far away. Not having the sun to guide him was also an issue. They travelled slowly and silently and a few times he stopped to figure out where to go next. They even doubled back a few times.

Each time they did that, Rebecca looked at him with a worried face.

"We can go back and try another time," she whispered finally.

He shook his head. "No, the time is now. We might be followed as we speak."

She said nothing and clutched her cape closer to her body. It was cold and damp in the forest.

It was a good hour later when he saw the rock formations that signified the entrance to the copse of trees that housed the portal. He stopped short.

"This is it," he said softly. "Just as she described it."

He felt the tension build in his body along side deep remorse.

"All you have to do is walk through there and you'll pass into the old world," he said.

Rebecca turned to him and threw the hood off her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were red rimmed. She had to have been crying for the last hour and she didn't know it.

"Maybe...maybe I shouldn't..." she stammered.

"No," he said firmly. "You know you want to go. You must do it."

"I am afraid for you," she said. "What if they find you and kill you? It would have been because of me."

He stepped to her and grabbed her upper arms and shook her slightly.

"You must go. Don't worry about me. I will get through this."

They stood there staring at each other. As he watched her tears, I realized his vision was cloudy and that he was crying as well. It all came down to this.

"Well, this is touching," came a voice to his right.

Drahden whirled around and watched Rothan appear out of the mist, dagger drawn.

"Damn it," Drahden muttered. "I should have known."

"Did you really think you were going to get away with it?" Rothan asked with malice in his voice. "Stonegate and this land is my home base. I knew you would be here. It was only a matter of time."

"Rothan, we need to let her go. She promised she won't tell anyone."

He saw Rebecca looking at both of them with wide eyes.

"He's right," she said. "I wouldn't endanger this place. I know how much it means to both of you."

Rothan took a menacing step closer to Rebecca and Drahden saw the dagger.

"I don't trust you," Rothan said evenly. "Come with me and I will let you live."

"But...I...." Rebecca stammered again.

"Rothan, this is between you and me. Let her go home."

As he tried to reason with Rothan, he slowly slipped his dagger out of its sheath underneath his cape. Once it was in his hand, he was ready.

"Rebecca! Run! Go through and remember I love you!" he said as lunged for Rothan.

And with that he threw the cape from his shoulders and went after Rothan. The older man was stunned for a half of a second before he was able to get into position. Drahden swung high, going for his face but Rothan flinched enough that the blade missed its mark and merely cut a lock of his blond hair.

"Remember who taught you, boy," Rothan taunted. "You can't beat me."

"Drahden!" Rebecca yelled. "I'm going...remember me!"

At the sound of her voice he turned to get one last glimpse of her before she passed through. It was his gravest mistake for at that moment, Rothan reached out and sliced his dagger down Drahden's right side. He cried out in pain as the material from his shirt ripped and the sharp knife bit into his skin.

He heard Rebecca scream.

"Run!!" he cried out and sunk to his knees. The pain was searing.

And then he turned his head and saw her one moment and the next she was gone. He wanted to collapse but he had to at least keep himself alive and defeat Rothan. He forced himself up and faced Rothan again.

"Leave her be, you bastard," he said to Rothan.

And with all his strength, he lashed out and got a good cut on his arm. Rothan cried out and dropped his dagger as his forearm began to bleed.

Drahden gasped with the exertion and but Rothan wasn't done. He retrieved his blade but instead of delivering the killing blow, he turned suddenly and went through the portal. Suddenly Drahden was alone.

"Oh god, no..." he cried as he lay there.

His side was burning and it hurt to breathe. He looked around for his cape and crawled to it. Once it was wrapped around him could he pull out his pouch and make something to stop the bleeding and ease the pain. Many painful minutes went by as his hands were badly shaking. He applied a salve to the wounds and swallowed a potion. After a while he felt better.

And with all the strength and courage he had in him, he stood up and went through the portal after Rebecca and the man that would do everything he could to kill her.