From the Ashes

Chapter 33 ~ Trials on the Trail

    The following morning was spent preparing to leave. Morana stuffed a few packs full of travel-worthy food that had been provided by the library. She was grateful to find several full water skins too, although they shouldn't have to worry about that too much since they'd be traveling next to the river.

    While she fit as much into their satchels as possible, Tarion was busy sharpening their weapons. They would leave only with the weapons they'd arrived with; her dagger and Tarion's twin blades.

    Morana had pointed out that they'd have to find better weapons for him before they faced Astaroth, but she hadn't brought it up again since. An odd gleam had crept into his gaze, as if he already had one in mind, but it wasn't something he wished to think about.

    Aside from Janus' map, they were taking nothing else from the library. Morana had spent part of the night transcribing her ancestor's entries from the cracking black book and Tarion had copied down anything else he thought they might need. They would carry the pages with them only a few days, long enough to memorize them, and then they would burn them.

    By midday, they were ready to set out. They stood at the edge of the enchantment, Morana gazing back at the library. Would she ever see it again, she couldn't help but wonder? Tarion cleared his throat. "Still thinking about becoming a librarian?"

    Morana rolled her eyes and turned away from the library. "I thought that was your true calling, Prince Tari. Maybe I'll be King and you'll be the librarian."

    She closed her eyes and stepped through the veil of the enchantment. Cold air instantly brushed her skin and she shivered, tugging the folds of her cloak tighter around herself.

    "King Morana has a nice ring to it," Tarion answered behind her. "Maybe it is time for a change in power."

    "There's been a change the past nine hundred years. I think the people are ready to see a Cadhael on the throne again." She glanced at Tarion, sensing the tension that had locked into his shoulders.

    "I doubt they'll want to see a Corrupted one," he said when she arched a brow and gave him a prompting look.

    Morana pursed her lips. He looked away and for a while, the only sound to be heard was the whisper of grass beneath their feet. Morana inched closer to him and touched his arm gently. Tarion flinched, his eyes widening with surprise.

    She let her hand fall. "Perhaps there's a way to change you back."

    He shook his dark head, throat bobbing. "I looked while we were at the library. I was thinking that if we found your friend and she wasn't herself, maybe we could've..." He shook his head again. "If there was a way to remove Corruption, it would've been there."

    It was her turn to be surprised. He'd been looking for ways to remove Corruption...for Neeri's sake, not just his own. He'd been thinking of her friend. Of how to help her. Morana swallowed the lump in her throat and this time, brushed her fingers against his. Tarion didn't flinch, but his look of shock remained.

    "Thank you," she said, managing to keep the hoarseness from her voice. "Thank you for trying. One way or another, we will help her. And we will convince the people to accept you. I wish for your sake that you could return to the way you were, but you don't need to change. You're still a good male and you want to protect your people. They will come to see that, just as I have."

    Tarion halted so quickly that she didn't even notice until she'd gone a few paces and found the space beside her empty. "Morana," he called just as she paused. She faced him. There was a silent war raging within his garnet eyes. One she couldn't quite identify the source of. "I need to tell you something."