The Custodian Chronicles: The Rising (Finished)

Chapter 29: A Father's Laugh

During the march the next day, Cedrick hoped Arylana would come by so he could tell her about the experience he'd had last night. He was lucky; she pulled her mount up to ride beside Cedrick. "For a march to battle, this is nice." She commented. She smiled at Elphacena. "Yet rather uneventful." She sighed. "I'm bored. I'm all on my own going about, doing nothing."

"Well, I can fix that." Cedrick smiled. "Learned something interesting."

"What? Did you figure out who the woman was?" Arylana asked excitedly.

"No." Cedrick glanced around. "You'll never believe me, but I had a vision, and in it, I saw..." Cedrick checked again to be sure. "I saw Mother."

"What do you mean?" Arylana asked; her face screwing in confusion.

Cedrick smiled and explained. Arylana listened with rapt attention. Her mouth slightly open. "A-are you sure it was her?" She asked. "What did she look like?"

"She looked... well, like me." Cedrick went on to tell her all the features he could remember and who they resembled.

Arylana stared at him with that enwrapped expression. "Wow." She said when Cedrick had finished. "It... it was really her. What did she say?"

Cedrick told her everything; apart from what she'd told him about the day he was born.

Arylana shook her head. "Father? That crazy? I can't even begin..."

Cedrick laughed. "You're telling me."

"Though," Arylana thought, "I do remember father being happier, not so... well, him as he is now. I have a hard time imagining him acting like that, but...but I do remember him happier. I remember him as Mother described him after I was born. He was very different then."

"Arylana, you should remember not being in the hut before I was born." Cedrick said. "Where did they go?"

"That's the thing; I don't remember ever leaving." Arylana confessed. "Nor do I remember Mother and Father leaving. Then again, I was very young."

"I wonder if Roxorim would remember." Cedrick pondered.

"I was thinking that, too." Arylana said. "But we'll have to wait until he returns to ask him."

Cedrick sighed. "And I hope that is soon. He's been gone almost a month."

"I'm sure he's trying." Arylana sighed.

"But Joel is a stubborn man." Elphacena joined in. "I'm sure it's not easy."

"No, it's not." Cedrick sighed. They fell silent, all pondering the problem.

Arylana got an idea. That night, she snatched Cedrick and Elphacena as fast as she could. "Come on." She pulled them on. "We never eat as a family anymore. I roped Father into it. Let's go." She forced them over to a fire, where Margorim sat already.

He looked up as Arylana ushered Cedrick and Elphacena over. He nodded at them. Cedrick nodded back. Arylana sat beside her father and dragged Cedrick down next to her. Elphacena sat beside Cedrick with Margorim on her other side. She gave him a quick glance before looking away.

At first, they sat rather quiet. "How was the march?" Margorim asked to alleviate the tension.

"Fine, not too difficult. All went smoothly on our end. You?" Cedrick answered.

Margorim shrugged. "Nothing. It wasn't bad. Not too hot, not too cold, and all in all, it was good. Let's hope the men hold up once the times get hard."