Nentarli [COMPLETE]

~ Forty-four ~

I felt my heart beating erratically and it wasn't in a good way, not the way Blaike caused it to beat out of rhythm. I was terrified, it didn't matter that I had the skills and back up, this was it, the beginning of possibly the end.

"Now I kinda wish it had been audience invitations," Emy said with an attempt to lighten the mood except her heart clearly wasn't in it.

"We know this is a horrible situation and we are still so very sorry that you were brought into this in the first place. I just wish there was another way." My mum sniffled and I reached across the table to hold her hand.

"We agreed to this, we have to do it for the safety of every Nentarlian. We just have to take it one step at a time, first we make the most of things today, then pack for our journey in the morning. After that we think about the actual fight, I mean he's not through yet, is he?" I turned to ask Merkell who was sat back in his seat.

"No, he is not but we know it will not be long. The leader of the Eastern Sector will have a better idea of our time frame."

I tried to digest his words and put it all in some kind of order.

"Who will be accompanying us and how will we travel?" Kayle asked in a sullen voice, I could see he was playing with the edge of one of his Slingers.

Alacor pushed his glasses up his nose as he leaned against the table, "Myself and Orion, as well as the troops in the village. Colensa and Lorenna will be taking the children and elderly to Felenda, it may keep them alive longer should we fail in our fight. We will take every horse in Dumair to travel on. We can only hope the snow is a little more helpful and does not hinder our efforts."

I frowned when a few things occurred to me, "I have questions!" I started and every head turned in my direction. "Question one is, why don't you just send the children and elderly back to our world? They'd be much safer, and Mum and Colensa know where and what to do so it's not like they'd be lost..."

I watched the parents and Merkell closely, I couldn't tell if this was a new plan or whether they were actually considering it.

"It would be a very good idea, Cassandra but very few people here know about the crossing point and may not trust it enough to leave through one. Also, it takes time and planning to open a point, we would have to plot out the alignment to see when people would be able to go to that world.

"I do not have that kind of time, Felenda will keep them safe for a while longer than they would here and they will be able to stay in a world they know. It would be nice to send everyone who is not fighting, over there but sadly it is just not possible."

He looked truly heartbroken at his own words and fear began to rise inside of me again.

My mum was holding ever more tightly to my hand and when I looked at her, I saw that she was silently crying. There was a chance I may not come back to her, that I may get killed in the fight with Riltresik and it was all because her daughter just had to get mixed up in some ages old prophecy. I held onto her hand and focused my attention on my dad, who was speaking, before I broke down under the weight of my fear.

"Do whatever you like today, within reason and we will have a feast tonight to say our farewells... that will last only a short time." He added with a glance down at my mum, she was staring at our joined hands while the tears still streamed.

"Cass, what was your second question?"

I raised my brow and looked at Emy, trying to remember what I had wanted to ask. "Erm... oh, yeah I was wondering where the horses were in all this snow?"

Surprised reactions greeted my question and I guessed it might have sounded random to them, but it had been bothering me all morning.

"There are magical protections on the stables, to protect them against extreme weather conditions," my dad answered.