Neledh || ONC 2023

Chapter 6 | Nadine

They didn't return to Balma.

Nor did they stay in the south of France.

Themis had been waiting for them on the road to Toulouse and had redirected them to a secluded house where Nadine had fallen into a deep sleep. Eira would join her sometimes, but more often did she travel the continent as a mercenary.

Nadine would wake for a few days at a time, but missed most of Eira, as they seldom saw each other anymore. Themis was always there when she would wake up and kept her world knowledge up to date as much as possible.

One day she woke up refreshed and didn't fall asleep within a week's time. Her body and mind had once more returned to the mortal realm, yet Eira was nowhere to be seen.

-

"I have a job for you."

Nadine was sitting in the window sill with a cup of tea between her hands, when the hurricane named Themis came through the door. She had been awake for a decade now and had left the house to walk around in the woods, but had not yet ventured further into the world that she could no longer recognise as her own.

Eira was apparently somewhere on the continent fighting in a war for a country that was not her own, and hadn't visited in a century.

"What kind?"

Themis was stalking the room in an attempt to make Nadine turn away from the birds she was watching and look at them. But when their attempts proved to be futile, did they let themselves fall into one of the comfy chairs by the hearth.

"I need you to find something, and take Eira with you."

Wasn't that always the case. Find something, never more information would be given, nor an explanation or reason.

"This quarrel between you two has continued for long enough."

That wasn't why Nadine kept her gaze fixated on the sparrows who were bathing together in the small puddle she could see from her window.

"I understand it wasn't your decision to disappear within a dreamworld, nor is it Eira's fault for trying to find herself without you. But you have been awake for a decade already! It's clear you won't immediately disappear from her again. Take the time you have been granted, not everyone is as lucky as you two."

It was the badly hidden longing that made Nadine look at the person that had been a constant factor in her life for as long as she could remember. The trees in the forest by Rouen, Camille's laughter faded to a distant memory.

"You know I haven't seen Eira in years, you'll know better where she is than I. And please do give me a bit more information than that you need me to retrieve something for you. Which, from where I am standing, should be an easy enough trip for you."

It's an olive branch, a chance to start this conversation again. With Nadine willing to listen and Themis willing to speak their distorted truth.

"You need to get out of the house and talk with Eira."

Themis was hiding their face from Nadine who let the silence fester.

"Fine! The last time I went looking for it it didn't end very well. But that doesn't contradict my first point. And you don't need to 'collect' it, only check if its current carrier is a good enough choice."

Nadine left her spot in the window sill and let herself fall onto the cushions of the chair at the other side of the hearth. Her feet casually draped over the side of the chair, her dress revealing her bare calves.

"The portal will take you to Rupert's land. I don't know where exactly the carrier is but it's somewhere around there. And yes, I know that it is an enormous amount of land, see it as a long vacation."

Somewhere in a forgotten memory, Nadine remembered Themis talking about land on the other side of the ocean.

"Its previous master disappeared not long ago, I kept tabs on him. Unpredictable fellow, his apprentice kept him semi-stable, but when the lad ran away with the artefact, all hell broke loose."

Themis was staring at the flames in the hearth, the burning flames making their fiery hair light up even more.

"I felt the power of the ring return to land. I need to know if it's still in the hands of the same person as it was last seen with. And if said person has not yet turned insane from its power. If everything seems stable, you can leave them alone. The ring won't go wandering around as long as it's satisfied, and with the increase of human inhabitants of earth there are less and less alternatives for it to choose from."

It sounded plausible enough, and was far more information than Nadine had ever heard coming out of Themis' mouth.

"What happened when you went to do the job yourself?"

What had been the reason this proud and capable person was shying away from such a mundane task. They weren't fooling anyone with their proclamation they could do it themselves.

"Bad things happened. People died, I killed another dragon, played with some divine powers."

That was very specific, yet it didn't tell Nadine a single thing about what actually happened.

"It was a long time ago, there were few human communities and magic ran havoc everywhere. We had just gotten out of a war between every magical being you could think of. I took decisions and made choices that weren't the best, even though I would do exactly the same if I could go back."

The flames danced inside the hearth, illuminating the contemplative look Themis was carrying.

"I knew it wasn't right what I was doing. The price that would be needed to be paid would be too high, but in that moment I thought it was the best."

The silence stretched only to be broken with the burning of the wooden blocks.

"For the greater good. Only a few would have to burn, to bring safety to all."

Nadine watched as the vulnerability left Themis' face as fast as it had appeared during her speech.

"It wasn't only my life I was gambling with, others paid the price. So here I am once more looking for the remains of that search."

Nadine would leave the house for real this time and find Eira. Together they needed to move forward in the knowledge that every day together could be their last one.

"That is why I want you and Eira to go. I trust your judgement enough, and this isn't something I should do."

They would be entrusted with something far bigger, than any of the small trips they had been on before were combined.

"I have done enough already."

-

Author's note

I really hope the conversation was cohesive, as it is way too late and I am tired. But I wanted to have this chapter out before tomorrow. 

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March 27, 2023