Daughter of the Rebellion

Chapter 41

A month later, and nearly nine long years from the time I was snatched away from my family, I was finally headed home.

The trip seemed to take ten times longer than the last one, but I knew that was just because I was so eager to reach our destination. I'd forgotten how large the country was. It stretched on and on for days, and we weren't even traveling the whole of it. After almost two weeks of near constant travel, I began to recognize where I was. There weren't any outstanding features, but the area as a whole just felt familiar.

We arrived in a village which looked completely different from the one I'd grown up in, but somehow it was still recognizable. Maybe it was the style of the houses or maybe it was the way they were separated enough to give privacy, but still close enough in proximity to allow friendly conversation while working outside. Or maybe it was the backdrop of the beautiful, perpetually golden forest. I couldn't quite put my finger on why, but there was no denying that I was home.

To accommodate everyone for the journey, we filled four carriages. People must have thought we were some sort of parade. I saw them peeking out of windows, unsure whether our presence was a good or bad sign.

Finally, we rolled to a stop in front of a house. It was larger and more luxurious than the one I'd grown up in, but there were several touches that let me know who lived there.

My mother was mere feet away! I wanted to burst out of the carriage and run to the door. I would have done it too, but Keira put a hand on my arm.

"Wait a minute," she said with a smile and then jumped from the carriage.

"Mother!" she called, trotting to the door. Stephen and Jeremy were right behind her.

A minute later, the door opened and tears sprang to my eyes as I finally saw her. She had aged as expected, but she was as beautiful as ever. Richard squeezed my hand, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene before me.

"Thank God," she said, pulling each of them into her arms in turn. "I've been worried sick! Where are the boys?"

"They're fine," Stephen assured her. "We had them go into hiding in case things went badly. But they're fine."

My mother nodded, looking relieved.

"We have a surprise," Keira said with a wide smile.

Taking that as my cue, I went to join them. I was barely aware of my feet touching the ground, feeling instead as if I might be floating.

Mother seemed confused by Keira's demeanor and I wondered if there had been any good news at all in the past years.

Stephen, Jeremy, and Keira looked at me, and our mother followed their lead. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open when she saw me. She stayed frozen that way until I reached her and I worried that she might be going into shock.

"Mother," I said, unable to stem the tears flowing down my face.

She gripped my hands tightly and her own eyes filled with tears as she hungrily looked my face over, unable to speak. Releasing my hands, she touched my face, wiping my tears as she felt along my cheeks, making sure I was really there.

"My darling girl!" she cried, fiercly pulling me into her arms. All at once, I was a little girl again, safe in my mother's arms. I cried and cried, never wanting to let go.

After several moments, she pulled away to look at me again. Pulling Keira close, her eyes darted between the two of us and she placed a hand on each of our faces.

"My two girls." She smiled through her tears. "My two beatiful girls together."

She looked at the boys and then back at us. "I've dreamed of this moment so many times," she said. "I never thought it would come."