Things Lost and Found (a Waglington and Mianite fanfiction)

Chapter 35

The song for this chapter is "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons. This chapter was originally supposed to go a different direction, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. I hope you all enjoy. :)

*Donella's POV*

The "sky people" rushed out of the bar quicker than the apprentices fleeing the college on the holidays. I grinned as I thought to myself, James has some real friends here, and mortals, at that. Who would have thought? I relaxed against the bar as Echo, Kay, and Mot filed out too.

"Thank you for the potions, Martha," Tom said from his seat, raising his half emptied bottle in a toast. Phil and I seconded the toast gladly.

Martha laughed quietly before pulling another bottle from the leather satchel she had over her shoulder. "Here's one for Matt when he wakes up," She said, handing the pink potion to Tom. "I think I'm going to go rest. I'll talk to Wag once his friends are finished." She smiled and took her leave. Phil left with her to show her to an unclaimed house in the town.

I took another drink of the regeneration potion Martha had given me, relaxing more under its influence. James was alive, and two of the missing apprentices had been located. They knew where the others were. I'd worry about getting us all back home and assuaging James's broken heart tomorrow. Today was good.

I glanced over at Tom to see him staring off into space, grinning. I didn't think much of it until he said what was on his mind. "Echo told me that Winter is still alive." I could hear excitement and something else in his voice. I turned in my seat to better watch his face as he continued, "She was injured recently, but she is recovering. As soon as we're fit to teleport and fly again, we need to get to her and the rest of the apprentices."

The combination of regeneration potion and the beer he'd been drinking had him feeling good to be sure, but it couldn't account for the idiotic grin crossing his face from ear to ear. It looked so familiar, but I couldn't place the expression. Akatena grew frustrated with me and gave me a hint: a mental picture of two apprentices I'd caught flirting behind one of the dorms a few weeks ago.

Oh. Tom almost had a perfect "lovesick puppy" face right now. Tom has a thing for Winter? How long have you known about this? I asked Tena, who pretended to be distracted by a half-eaten plate of food one of the mortals had left behind and refused to answer me.

Those two might make a decent match. I wasn't one to play matchmaker, but I had seen other relationships blossom at the college. I had also seen relationships self-destruct. Mortals and wizards weren't that different when it came to relationships; both had courtship and marriage and heartbreak if they fell apart. Wizards were more cautious about them though. Wizards (aside from those with the athar) were not truly immortal; we could still get sick and injured and die from those conditions. Mortals were quick to fall in love and quick to fall apart. Wizards took a longer time to make a commitment, since it could potentially last for millennia. Unfortunately, we also took much longer to recover from a relationship too.

Judging by my familiar's behavior, Tom had had his crush for a while. I was happy for Tom; he had hope of seeing his love and returning home with her soon. At the same time, the realization that Tom was in love was bittersweet to me. Emrys and I had waited too long, been too cautious, and had lost our chance. I hoped for Tom and Winter's sakes they had a better ending. I thought of that vision James had had of those two with children. Maybe that future wasn't as far away as I'd thought it might be.

Tom had started talking about returning to the Realm and how Winter would likely want to visit her old home in the tundra. Winter's lucky she still has a place outside Laenadur to call home. I knew the athar wizards did not, and I certainly didn't. The war had destroyed whole cities and regions, not to mention trust and countless lives. More than a few kingdoms had completely vanished from history before the dust settled.