A Million Roads to Nowhere

In the Arms of the Waves

In his dreams, Patrick sees Lena on a boat with him, stranded at sea. She looks so real and the dream is so familiar that he excitedly reaches out to grab her hands, grinning from ear to ear. Her hands are chilled from being out on the ocean, but they're soft and her cheeks are flushed red with cold. He looks at her and the eyes that stare back at him are brown.

"I had the worst dream," Patrick tells her, feeling more relieved than he ever has in his life. "You died in it."

"Oh, we'll that's stupid," Lena says, wrinkling her nose. "Why would you dream that up? I'm right here and I'd know if I was dead."

"I know." Patrick laughs. "It just felt so real, I was worried there for a second."

Lena leans over the edge of the boat and peers into the water, then pops back into her seat and points at the sky. "Those dumb birds are gone," she says. "They left while you were sleeping."

Patrick looks up at the starless sky, first wondering why there's no stars, then noticing that Lena's right. The vultures are indeed gone.

"Oh, that's good. We lost an oar."

"Good riddance," Lena says triumphantly. "Come on, you row this time. We still have a long way to go yet."

"Fine, fine."

Patrick takes the oar from her and wakes up feeling confused. He looks around for Lena, then is hit with the harrowing realization that she's not there and he won't be able to find anything other than a statue.

Throughout the whole trip to King Leif's, Patrick admittedly stays in a bit of a sour mood. He tries to be more cheerful, but once Leif gives Patrick his condolences about Lena, he has to really get a grip on himself and not start bawling in the throne room. Thankfully, Clementine does all of the talking and all Patrick has to do is stand there while Leif asks someone to go get Tove, who agreed to join them on their journey to storm the Castle of the Moon. Aodhan didn't want William to go, but he can't be the only healer out there.

They return to Chourmondeley with Tove, who Patrick introduces to Aodhan so the two can take inventory and make a vague plan of what each of them should handle come battle. Afterward, Patrick goes out to train with Brynjar until his whole body is sore and he can't think of anything but how tired he is. He grabs the cream Aodhan gave him and rubs it all over his muscles until he feels like he's not going to pass out. It's been a while since it was made, but it smelled fine.

Rozenn gets word that her soldiers have reached the Hoarfrost a couple days later and Clementine announces that it's time to leave Chourmondeley. She makes a door on the castle wall and she links hands with Isla, who links hands with Ewan. Erikur, Brynjar, Patrick, Aodhan, and Tove grab each other's hands and step through the portal into the winter wonderland of Clementine's road.

Patrick's stomach knots with nerves. He almost summons Ivo, then remembers it wouldn't work this close to the Above, so he reaches into his pocket to find the piece of green string, only to become aware he's forgotten it in his room at Chourmondeley. He tries to shove aside his anxiety, but that only serves to make it worse.

I'm going on a ship, then off to fight in a battle.

The thoughts are jarring, more distracting than Lena's absence. If he thinks of the war, he won't think of her, but if he thinks of her- Patrick takes a deep breath, realizing he zoned out. Part of him wants to grab Aodhan's hand, but he's loathe to do it with everyone around.