Chapter Two - Leaving Home

The snow had stopped and the fire had finally died away.  In her bed, Rebecca slept fitfully, tossing on a sea of strange and confusing dreams. She would wake from a fading dream only to drift helplessly into another. 1

Daenan had watched her for a while before slipping away to the dark and chilly sitting room. The cloud cover had thinned out and when he parted the curtains, a strong shaft of moonlight lit up the room.  Outside, he could see the snow lying crisp and white like a child's blanket.  The moon was full and heavy in the sky. To Daenan the light seemed weak and thin compared to the full and pale beauty of Fane's twin moons. 2

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Satisfied that all was well outside the house, he turned away from the window. With precision, he traced a sign of protection in the air. He had placed similar wards about the house while Rebecca had readied for bed.  She had gone to bed willingly with few questions.  He was thankful for that, time was short and he had taken enough risks already.  4

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The sign hung in the air, glowing with a deep violet light before fading away.  If anything untoward entered the house, he would know instantly. The same wards would ensure that their departure would go relatively unnoticed.6

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Daenan seated himself cross-legged in the middle of the floor. His breath hung like mist in front of his face and the coarse fibres of the carpet scratched at his skin. He let his eyes fall closed and forced himself to breathe slowly. Communication across such a distance was both difficult and dangerous. He needed all the concentration he could muster.8

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He reached under his shirt and pulled the chain over his head. The stone swung gently from the chain as he held it up. It glowed with the same purplish light as the ward he had traced. A throbbing amethyst light washed over the room, draining it of all other colour.  The stone seem to pulse to the rhythm of his breathing.10

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He let his mind drift free and reached for the first person he could find. ‘Mairwen?' He opened his eyes as he felt the link establish, everything around him seemed to have blurred, colours were sharper and he was aware of the heavy sound of his breathing.12

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The voice that replied was cold and sharp.  It was familiar and very distinct. She was in a bad mood, he could tell instantly.  Her reply was so terse he could have cut stone with it; he must have woken her.14

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‘You must wake the others and prepare them. ‘16

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‘You have news?' The hostility in her voice faded in the wake of eagerness.18

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‘Tell them...I have found her.' He smiled in triumph and his eyes deepened to aquamarine.20

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There was a long silence; he could sense astonishment, relief and worry. The moment passed and she recovered herself. Daenan felt suddenly aware of how far away he was and how bittersweet this news must be. ‘I will go at once,' she said finally. ‘When can we expect your return?'22

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‘In a few hours. I must make sure it is safe, but I want to leave before dawn.'24

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‘Be careful.'  There was an unusual note in her voice, tenderness mixed with confusion. Before he could reply, she broke the link. 26

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‘Always,' he murmured to himself. The purple stone had stopped glowing, it hung quietly from his hand and he tucked it away into his shirt.  Stretching, he rose and once more took up his station by the window, deep in thought.28

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☼☼☼☼30

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Rebecca woke just before dawn. The air was cold and a biting frost clung to the windowpanes. She dressed as hurriedly as she could, scrunching up her toes against the icy feel of the floorboards. She felt light-headed and lethargic after so few hours of sleep.32

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Even once she was dressed, Rebecca still shivered. It was a relief to leave the cold bedroom and venture into the warm, fire-lit sitting room.  Daenan was waiting for her, seeming almost feverish with energy and yet somehow pale.34

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‘We must hurry,' he said. ‘There is only so long before the door closes.' He took a step towards the door sitting room door and closed it.36

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‘Door? What are you talking about, what door?'  This was not what she had expected and she was beginning to wonder if his trust might only have been gained by the romanticism of the flickering firelight in the small hours.  Here in the pre-dawn light, feeling cold and uncertain, she was no longer so willing to put her trust in him. What if everything he had told her had been an elaborate hoax?38

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‘The door to my world,' he said, apparently not aware that she was feeling confused and uncertain. ‘I can't explain it any better than that. You won't see anything much, you'll simply walk into a space and find yourself somewhere else.'40

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This seemed such an inadequate response that for a moment she could not reply. ‘I thought you said moving from one world to another was easy.'42

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‘And so it is, that does not mean, however, that it is safe.'  He turned away and began sketching charms in the air.  44

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Rebecca stared at the luminescent signs scrawled in the air above her chair, fireplace and over the windows. ‘Not safe?' Her brow creased into a frown. ‘What do you mean not safe?'46

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‘I will not let anything happen to you, there is no need to worry...'48

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‘That's not what I asked!' Her voice rose slightly. ‘I have a right to know the risks!'50

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He shook his head. ‘The Council has decided that...'52

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‘Council! What Council?'54

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Daenan opened his mouth and then shut it again. He drew in a long breath and then let it out again slowly. ‘There is no time! I cannot explain everything now.'56

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‘Then start with this door? Am I going to arrive in pieces, or end up scattered in atoms across the stars?' 58

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His face was flushed, his mouth tightened and he nodded. ‘Very well then.' He walked into the clear space in the middle of the room and vanished.60

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Rebecca stared, the clock ticked steadily on, the sky to the east was growing lighter and a man had just vanished in front of her.  And then he was back, walking towards her calmly, but looking rather more aggravated.  ‘Does that answer your question? I am neither scattered like atoms across the stars, nor am I in pieces. Do you consent to my method of travel now?'62

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She nodded and opened her mouth to ask another question, but he cut her off. ‘The Council are a body of 10 men and women who govern and protect our realm. We did not just sit and wait in ruin for you to save us after your mother died. We rebuilt our lives, our world and our homes. It took us centuries and now all that is at risk, unless I can get you back to Fane within the next few minutes before sunrise. Any time after that and the Auron will be able to find us. Those are the things you see in your dreams. Better men than me have died trying to get half as close to you as I have. The Council felt this information might frighten you, that it would be best if you did not know. Now, unless you have any more questions, are you ready?'64

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Rebecca swallowed aware of a faint humming noise in her ears. It was a moment or two before she realised it was the strange signs that Daenan had drawn all around the air. They were pulsing with light and the patch of space in the middle of the room seemed to be getting thicker. It was almost as if there was nothing and something there all at the same time, as if the patch of nothingness was solidifying.  A very familiar prickling began to work its way up her spine, it was a sensation she had never had outside her dreams. She looked at Daenan and thought he looked very different from the man she had let into her house yesterday. He had seemed in control then, now he seemed on edge and rather terse. He seemed younger somehow and his eyes was a very unrelenting slate grey.66

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Something of her feelings must have showed in her face for he put his hands on her shoulders. ‘You have done remarkably well thus far. All will become clear, but it will take time and until then, I am afraid you will just have to trust me.'68

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For a moment, she wasn't sure how to respond. He was still a stranger and she was still trusting that what he said to her was true and that she would not be putting her life in terrible danger by following him.  The prickling intensified, reminding her of her vision.  She set her teeth and looked up at him. ‘I'm ready.'He nodded and she saw a hint of a smile and something like respect in his eyes. He let his hands fall from her shoulders and turned away. He walked firmly towards the patch of empty space and vanished into it. With one last look at her sitting room, she too walked into the patch of space.70

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