Into Taleria

Chapter Sixteen

"Time...travel?" Aduil asked with a slow shake of his head.

"Yeah, it's just what it sounds like. You stay in one place, but you jump to a different time, moving years ahead to the future, or back to the past."

He frowned. "Do you mean to say...that you come not only from a different world, but a different time as well?" he asked slowly.

"Oh, no," Kate said with a little laugh. "I mean, I don't think so. Though, there are some fan theories... But that's not the point, because no matter when I'm from, I still have knowledge of future events, so the first rule of time travel still applies. Namely, don't change anything. Because even the smallest change can have the biggest effect, something you might never see coming. Something you might never want to see."

"How do you mean?"

Kate paused, tapping a finger on her glass as she thought it over. The obvious answer was in the book, of course, in what Aduil wanted to change, but that might give too much away. The less he knew, the better.

"There's an old proverb in my world," she said at last. "For want of a nail, a shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, a horse was lost. For want of a horse, a rider was lost. For want of a rider, a battle was lost. For want of a battle, a war was lost. For want of a war, a kingdom was lost. And all for want of a little horseshoe nail." She waited until Aduil's thoughtful gaze fell to the book in his hands before she continued.

"Do you understand? You could follow the book to the letter, go exactly where Lindolir is to go, fight every battle he is to fight, talk to everyone he will, but how can you be sure you will stand in the exact same spot, look in the exact same direction at the exact same time to dodge an enemy blade? Can you imbue your words with the same lighthearted joy or passionate certainty, right when it's needed most, just from memorizing them from a book? Because all it takes it one misstep, and suddenly you've knocked away 'a little horseshoe nail', and all is lost."

Kate paused again to let the words sink in and watched as they landed, settling over Aduil like a heavy cloak, his shoulders sagging under the weight. Ignoring a prickle of guilt at the sight, she leaned forward, set to drive the point home, when he looked up.

"Then join me," he said.

"What?"

"You know this story well, do you not?" he asked, gesturing with the book. "You know that which must be and that which must not, beyond this book and into the others. So you will join me, we will see it done together. You can see us past any 'horseshoe nails', and all will be well." He grinned.

Kate opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again when nothing came out.

It was tempting. It was so tempting. How many fans had dreamed of this very opportunity, to travel Taleria, to see great sights, to do great deeds, to save the world? And more, to go with Aduil by her side? It was a dream come true. Better even, considering her dreams lately.

But that was part of the problem, wasn't it?

"I can't," she said at last. "I've stayed here too long already. And it wouldn't work anyway, because I don't know all the 'horseshoe nails', the books aren't that detailed, and even if they were, my memory's not that great. Besides, the amulet won't even turn up for another century or two. I won't live long enough."

Aduil's grin had held fast as she spoke, even turned knowing as if he was ready with a counter argument, but fell completely with those last words.

"Are you ill?" he asked.

"N—no, Aduil. I'm mortal," she said softly. "Human, remember? We don't tend to live past a hundred, if that, and I'm already twenty-three. I'm really not likely to make it."