The Call of Home

CHAPTER 10

[SEREN]

I woke to Idris in a panic, "Elyse? Elyse wake up." He stood over Elyse's dishevelled blankets. Pure terror spread across his face. In a heartbeat I was on them, the commotion rising Arwen and Cerys from their slumber as I tripped and stumbled over them.

"What's wrong?" Urgency and concern overtook me as I looked at Elyse's pure-white eyes glassed over and rolling under her lids. "Idris, what happened? Tell me what happened."

"I don't know," He responded, putting his head to her chest, trying to find any semblance of a heartbeat. "She was just convulsing."

"Move," I knelt at her side, feeling for a pulse, my healer instincts jumping into action.

My hands trembled as I reached for her wrist. Her pulse was weak, and erratic. Her body lay still now, but there was no peace in her expression—her face was pinched and strained with silent battle.

"Idris, how long has she been like this?" My voice was sharp, edged with a panic I fought to suppress. Time was critical.

"I don't know!" His hands raked through his hair as he backed away. "I just—heard rustling so I turned around and she was... shaking, and I thought she was having a nightmare but then she wouldn't wake up."

I placed my hands at her temples. Steady yourself, Seren. This is what you do. Treat her like anyone else.

Doubts of her survival crept into my mind. I pushed them out aggressively, focusing on the task at hand. I went down a mental checklist of vitals, reaching for any shred of my power through the panic. The blue glow of my magic cast over her, illuminating Elyse's pale face as I searched for any sign of what had gone wrong. My magic skimmed over her body, assessing her physical state. Her heart still beat, barely, but something was amiss. Something I couldn't see with my eyes, only feel—as if part of her wasn't fully here.

"She's caught somewhere," I murmured, more to myself than to the others. My fingertips brushed her temples again, reaching deeper with my magic, seeking out the tether that connected her to her physical body. I looked at the group and noticed a different type of realization or shock on Idris' face that I couldn't read.

Cerys shifted beside me, her breath shaky. "What do you mean? Caught where?"

I said, swallowing hard. "She's not fully here with us. Her mind, her soul—" I did not finish my sentence. There were no ideas to carry the rest of my words, just the feeling.

Arwel's face went tight. "How do we bring her back?"

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice low, but there was no time for hesitation. I closed my eyes, my magic delving deeper into Elyse's aura. There had to be a way to anchor her, to pull her back to us. I felt the faintest thread, barely there, connecting her spirit to her physical form. But it was fraying, unravelling as whatever held her tightened its grip. My heart pounded in my chest. I reached at the thread with my power, reeling it like a fish on a line. It pulled taut, and relief bared down on me.

"I have her. She's there." The group went silent.

I could sense the dormancy within her, her pulse steadied, and her breathing slowed, but she was still with us.

"She is stable for now but we need to get back. I'm sure Carina can help her." I decided.

"Let's get going." Cerys agreed.

We swiftly packed up the camp, ensuring to gather Elyse's beloved dagger and bow. Idris wrapped her up in a blanket, opting to carry her, at least until she woke up. As the camp dismantled around us, Idris cradled Elyse in his arms with a tenderness that wasn't lost on me. His usual stoic demeanour had crumbled the moment he found her like this, and though he tried to mask it now, the tension in his jaw and the way his fingers tightened on the edges of the blanket betrayed his worry. I couldn't blame him—none of us knew what had happened to her, only that we needed to move fast.

As we began our trek back, the forest closed in around us, the soft rustle of leaves and occasional snap of twigs underfoot filled the air. Cerys led the way, her sharp eyes scanning for the path ahead while Arwel stayed close behind, occasionally glancing back at Idris and Elyse. His concern for them, while masked under a calm expression, mirrored my own.

I walked alongside Idris, my pace matching his, though my mind was far from the steps I was taking. I kept one eye on Elyse, watching for any sign that she might stir. She hadn't moved an inch since the episode, her face still etched with an unsettling pinched expression. It made my heart ache.

I glanced at Idris, seeing the way his eyes, usually so sharp and focused, now softened as they lingered on Elyse's face. The way he held her—it wasn't just out of duty. It was something deeper, something more fragile.

"She will be okay," I assured him, though I wasn't entirely certain. I couldn't bear to speak the doubt that lingered in my chest. Not when Idris looked at her like that. Not when the thought of losing her felt too heavy to carry.

"I know." His voice held firm, shaking me off, bringing up the walls within him instantaneously. I have only known him for a short time, about a year. Cerys and Arwel befriended him first when he came into her father's shop for armour and leathers. The two of them convinced Idris to come to my place for cards and we have all been together nearly every day since. I am so grateful for the people in my life, I love them all more dearly than they know. Elyse is now a part of my little family and I hope she knows how much I care for her. In time, I know we will be closer than ever if she would just let me in. I guess she and Idris are alike in that way.

I swallowed, my own emotions bubbling to the surface. "Carina will know what to do."

Idris nodded, though his gaze never wavered from Elyse.

I focused on keeping my magic ready, still reaching out to feel the thin tether of Elyse's spirit, hoping it would hold until we reached Carina. But it was hard not to notice the unspoken affection between them—the way Idris' usually guarded nature seemed to falter.

We pressed on, and the weight of our worry hung in the air.