A smile crept across her face, a tingle ran through her body, and a soft voice-a cloud's voice-whispered in her ear, 'Soon.'
Still tightly clutching Knucklebones and Candlemas, Sunbright blinked and cast about. Spring sunlight filtered through the tops of red pines and pin oaks. Scarlet cardinals and yellow goldfinches flitted through rhododendron bushes. A warm balm of pine sap and churned earth and oak tannin kissed the air. Somewhere close, a snuffling badger rooted under rocks. Behind was a low hillside cleft like a loaf of bread, marred by a shadowed crater. In the churned loam and sand before the cave were footprints of moosehide boots and warped sandals. The tracks went into the cave but didn't come out. Sunbright raised on tiptoes and peeked. Neither he, nor Candlemas, nor the star, were inside.
So they'd returned only moments after leaving.
They were home.
Blowing a great sigh of relief, Sunbright released his death grip on his two comrades. He laughed aloud, saying, 'Well, Candlemas! You're a genius! You not only brought us home…'
His merriment died as he remembered: there had been four people when their journey back had started.
Knucklebones grunted with relief and tugged her worn leathers into place. Curiously, she stared around at the northern forest, familiarizing herself with the terrain, wary of enemies, for old habits die hard. But just as quickly, she saw to the pudgy mage.
Candlemas slumped to the ground, landing with a thump on his fat rump. With sandy hands he rubbed a face still singed by Karsus's fire blast. He wept openly, blubbering and hiccuping like a baby.
Sunbright and Knucklebones said nothing, just sat on either side of him to catch their breath. Knucklebones stroked his knee, Sunbright his back.
Eventually the mage cried himself out. Then slowly, his voice cracked and broken, he talked.
'She didn't understand. She thought Karsus could save the empire. She was as blind as him, seeing only what she wanted. She had the same dream, that the empire would always grow, always expand, forever. But nothing lasts forever.'
'No,' Sunbright murmured. 'That was the death of the Netherese Empire, which the Neth thought would outlast the sun. In three hundred and fifty-eight years, and a few minutes, it's naught but a memory.'
'Like Sita.' Candlemas croaked. 'I loved her so…'
'And she loved you,' Knucklebones cooed. 'But it was not to be. The fates decided otherwise.'
'Oh!' The mage snuffled. 'Oh, you were right, Sunbright!'
'I was?' The shaman pondered. 'That's a first. About what?'
'Magic, knowledge, life.'
Candlemas sniffed and caught his breath.
'Magic is too great a force to control. You can only use a small portion of it, follow it, not bend it to your will. It's like trying to divert the tide. You'll only drown.'
The forest was silent except for the cheep of tree frogs and the carol of birdsong. The three companions basked in the warm sun, resting after their labors, for once not running, fighting, killing, dying. But Candlemas shriveled inside, his heart broken as surely as Karsus's, and he knew it would never wholly mend. He'd given his heart and lost it, and his chest was hollow but for the splintered fragments.
The sun was low in the sky when Candlemas finally rose, dusted off his hands, and smoothed his scorched, filthy robe of military cut. Sunbright and Knucklebones had dozed off holding hands. Gently the mage touched their scarred arms to wake them. Both were instantly alert and up, then wondering what to do.
Candlemas stared upward. Hovering in a blue spring sky, a mile high, was the enclave of Castle Delia, a stopping ground for the young Lady Polaris. Sunbright followed the mage's stare, asked gently, 'Ready to go home?'
A surprising shake of the head. Candlemas said weakly, 'I was in no hurry to return, for I left nothing behind. Some money, a spare robe, rooms full of trinkets and trash. I wanted to stay with Sita, and make a home there. That's gone, and I'm back, but there's less now than there was before. There's no place for me anywhere.'
Sunbright laid a broad hand on his shoulder.
'Where will you go?'
Resigned, not really caring, the mage nodded south.
'There's a small keep, leagues off, in the hills near the lakes. I know it from my stewardship. It's abandoned. Probably Lady Polaris…' He paused at the mention of her name, then continued, 'Probably Lady Polaris doesn't even know she owns it. I'll move there in lieu of pay. She owes me enough for my years of service. From what I saw in- the enclave-I have a notion how to cure the crop blight. Maybe Polaris and the nobles don't care if a cure is found, but many innocent people still suffer. It will be a worthwhile use of magic for once, saving crops instead of tinkering with hair curlers and gambling dice.'
He glanced at the high castle, then finished, 'I can walk there. It'll give me time to… think about Aquesita. I never said goodbye…'
Sunbright squeezed the mage's shoulder, said softly, 'I'm afraid you must say it now. To us.'
Candlemas turned woodenly.
The shaman smiled, but sadly.
'I'm bound north,' he said, 'It's time for me to go home, back to the tundra and my tribe. I've debts to settle and stories to tell, and my birthright to reclaim. I'm ready now to face them, now that I'm a proper shaman.' He looked a question past Candlemas.
Knucklebones hitched her belt, settled her black-bladed elven knife on her hip. Her one green eye stared back.
'I'll go.'
That brought a smile of thanks from Sunbright.
Slump-shouldered, infinitely weary, Candlemas only nodded.
'Then there's nothing else to say.'
'One thing.' Sunbright said, holding out a scarred, brown hand. 'Thank you, friend.'
Candlemas clasped hands, was dully surprised to find how strong his own hand felt in the barbarian's big one.
'Yes,' the mage said. 'Thank you, friend. You'll be a great shaman, for you've taught me much already.'
'And you'll cure the crop blight magically, and save simple folk from suffering, so they'll sing praises to your name. I can prophesy that.'
Candlemas smiled weakly in thanks.
They turned and walked away. Two north, one south.
