Leaving - Part 2 |
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Chapter 3 |
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| I am sitting on a stone bench in a little copse of trees next to the maze. The air is warm and filled with the scent of flowering rosebushes. I lean against Rushton beside me, resting my head on his shoulder as we savour this brief moment freedom from our duties. I look up and see Maruman, dozing on a low branch in the sun. I smile fondly; he has just come out of another of his bouts of madness and needs all the rest he can get. I follow his example and close my eyes, relaxing in the combined warmth of the sun and Rushton. Enjoying yourself? Maruman’s scathing mindvoice breaks into my thoughts, as always slipping through my shields as though they don’t exist. Stupid funga, why are you tying yourself close to Rushton/mate now, when you know you must leave him; the time of your quest is almost upon you. Would you have Ruston/mate follow you to the blacklands? Tagging/following along, distracting you with fear/worries and grief/pain when he falls into the longsleep. This is your/ElspethInnel’s quest alone, and dangerous; not a sightseeing tour for stupid lovesick funga! Youmust leave him so why make it harder for both of you? End/finish it now; push him away and you can both get on with your separate tasks! I pull myself upright and glare at him. “Enough, Maruman!†The one time in days I have been able to relax completely, forget about my responsibilities to Obernewtyn and my quest, he has to come along and ruin things. “I will leave when I must, but until then I will enjoy what I have.†He just grins at me and walks away, seeming pleased to have broken my peace. A chill passes through me as I remember his words. Perhaps it is as well that he interrupted me; when the call comes for me to leave I must go without a second thought. My quest is too important for personal feelings. I jump slightly as Rushton reaches out to pull me back against him, his expression curious. “What was that all about?†“Just Maruman being annoying, as usual.†I thank Lud that Rushton of all people is not a beastspeaker and I am able to hide the truth. He frowns slightly and I realise with a shock that while Maruman beastspoke me, I replied aloud; perfectly understandable. “Talking about annoying, we really need to look at better ways of managing Obernewtyn’s increasing population at the next guildmerge meeting...†Words pour out of me as I try to distract Rushton, keep him from realising that one crucial word I have never dared to say to him. He smiles and nods as I babble on, but his mind is obviously elsewhere. A look of shock crosses his face and he turns to grab my shoulders, cutting me off mid-word. I have no idea what I was just saying. “When must you leave? Why?†I wince inwardly at his tone; the hurt, accusation and fear. I wonder if he has latent futuretelling talent, the way in which he instinctively understands the nature of my journey. I cannot answer his questions now. I need time to prepare; to plan for his objections and denials, and to strengthen my own resolve. Cool drops land on my skin and I pull away, walking back towards the house; Rushton still sitting there, oblivious to his surrounds. I call back to him gently, “Come, it is starting to rain.†And the rain falls, drawing a curtain of grey around us. |
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