A Second Tyranny

Meeting Up With Old Friends

ELSA

The bodies of dead magicians strewn all over the deck caused a wave of nausea to overtake Elsa. Janine, Emmet and Byron climbed up through the trapdoor after her.

"The hydra is dead," Pearce told them.

"That creature was a hydra?" Elsa said. Pearce nodded. She looked around at the corpses. "Your people..." She covered her mouth and stammered, "W-what were the casualties? H-how many w-were killed?"

"Two hundred," said Whit.

Elsa wished she had heard him incorrectly, but she did not. She could barely get the words out. "T-two hundred?" she repeated.

Whit looked away. Elsa never hated herself more than she did now. She felt as if she was teetering on the edge of a black hole of guilt. "I'm really sorry for shouting at the two of you earlier," she apologized to Pearce and Whit. "I was distressed and scared and just so angry, I—"

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine," interrupted Pearce. "I am entirely to blame. I should have let you know about the soldiers when I spotted them at the port of Diffinus. If I had told you and if Whit and I had killed them, those magicians would still have been alive. You had every right to shout at me, Elsa."

"I had no right!" she said. "The hydra was here because of me. Hans wouldn't have sent it just to kill any army. It was me that he wanted to annihilate. Those witches and wizards were dead because of me."

"No, Elsa, they were dead because of us," Anna corrected. "We brought danger upon you all."

Elsa said, "Whit and Wisty, you guys have done so much for me and Anna, helping us to conquer Hans, and all I did to repay you was by pushing the blame on you. I deeply regret that. I was such a...a..."

"...an ungrateful bitch?" Wisty raised an eyebrow and filled in.

"Yes," Elsa confessed. "Yes, I was." She surveyed the sailing ship. The dragon figurehead had been badly burnt, the bow mast was fractured, one of the ballistas had been crushed, and three large gaps were knocked in the port bulwark. Elsa turned to the captain and said, "I apologize for the damage inflicted on your ship, and for the horrible death of one of your crew."

The captain said, "My sailors and I will be mourning for him. He was a good man. I liked him very much. There is no need for you to waste your concern on my ship. Nightwind can repair itself, though rather gradually."

Elsa began, "If there is anything I can do..."

"There isn't," the captain replied, not unkindly. "You and Anna need to accomplish your mission. You have a kingdom to take back, so quit punishing yourself. It won't do you any good. Be forgiven and cleansed of the troubles of your past and move on to the things ahead."

Anna was baffled. "You're letting us off? Just like that? We don't have to pay a price or suffer the consequences?"

"No." His answer could not be plainer.

Anna sighed in relief. "I thought you'd be furious."

"I have every reason to be, but somehow I am not, probably because your loss is greater than mine. It'd be silly of me to demand anything from you, Anna. I know you and Elsa have nothing to give. The medallion is the greatest gift. By the way, don't worry about the corpses. My crew and I will clean them up."

The ship came to a halt. Forests on green hills lined the distant shore, behind which were tall snow-capped mountains. Returning to familiar territory at last gave Elsa a sense of peace and comfort.