Forgotten Magic

Chapter 43

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I'm told Lance and Hookfoot brought back a sneezeweasel instead of a gopher. What in the world is a sneezeweasel? I have no idea. Someone also said that Cass and Raps argued. A lot. But I have no proof of that either. And soon we'd put Vardaros far behind us.

As I'm flipping through my journal, not reading, just flipping, I get caught on the page about Varian. When I had first met him. And then it occurred to me.

Varian should know what I was up to. Maybe I didn't forgive him yet, but I didn't hate him for it either. And I decided I wanted him to know that.

So when we stopped for the night, I wasted no time in running up to Cass.

"Hey Ann," she greets me. "How's Chance treating you? He'a not being a jerk, is he?"

I smile and laugh a bit. "No, he's fine." If I was telling the truth, he hadn't talked to me at all. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad one. "Um...can I ask a favor?"

She glanced at me. "Of course. What is it?"

I paused, knowing I was about to change her mood for the worst. "I was hoping I could send Varian a letter."

Sure enough, her face drops. She doesn't glare at me. Just frowns. "Why?"

"I dunno," I admit, averting my gaze. "I just thought...I wanted to apologize..."

"Apologize? For what, you did nothing wrong?"

"I know...but I...I-I wanted to at least check on him...I-I dunno...maybe it was stupid..." I turn and start to walk away when Cassandra grabs my shoulder.

"It's not stupid. Write down your letter and I'll give it to Owl when Chance is asleep, okay?"

I smile at her. "Thanks."

"Of course. It's what friends do, right?"

"Y-yeah." I grin. "Friends."

So I wrote Varian a letter. I told him I was doing well. I hoped he was too. I told him I hoped they weren't treating him too terribly and that I knew how much of a downer the prison could be. I told him I was sorry I hadn't said goodbye before leaving. Sorry that I hadn't tried to give him a chance to come. And that I hadn't spoken for him during the trial. I made sure to wish him an extremely belated happy birthday. And I sealed the note.

Cass snuck me out of the caravan that night. We stood in an open field and I met her owl. She told me he'd probably get the note there in a few weeks. That he'd take it right to the window of Varian's cell. If he did it right, the guards wouldn't even notice.

"We can expect him back in two months or so," she informed me, watching Owl circle us a few times and hoot his goodbyes before becoming another shadow in the darkness. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Thanks again, Cass, for doing that," I smile.

"No problem, kid. And I'll be there when his reply comes. To make sure my cousin doesn't interfere. Got that?" She smirked at me.

I smiled. "Yeah, got it. Thanks."

. . .

"They're gaining on us!"

So here we were. Getting chased by a pack of wolves. Completely normal Wednesday.

"What are these things?" Cass asks.

"Don't worry, it's just a pack of slayer wolves!" Eugene answers.

"'Just' a pack of slayer wolves?" I ask.