“I missed you,” Kelly said into Loch’s shoulder.
He squeezed her tighter, feeling the arms of their children around them both. Tears flowed down his cheeks, not caring who saw. He knew a crowd was gathering around them but didn’t care. Somehow Kelly was back and he had no intention of letting her go again.
He didn’t know how long they stood like that, the four of them just holding each other. Who was holding who changed. Kelly grabbed Harper, then Piper, back to Loch and then the girls again. But Loch never let go of his wife. She may not have been fully wrapped up by him, but one hand was always touching her, an arm around her. He needed to feel her, to know she was still there, to know she was real.
Finally they released each other, stepping back to look at one another. Loch smiled, reaching up and wiping a tear off Kelly’s beautiful face. He’d always thought she was beautiful but at that moment, it was more. She had changed, just like he had. She’d gained muscle, maybe some height. There was a weight to her, a strength she had always possessed but was fully manifested now.
She reached up, running a finger down his beard. It had grown longer than he used to keep it. His hair was longer, barely combed. Hers wasn’t much better. She’d usually kept it shoulder length, but now it was a couple inches past, held up in a loose ponytail.
“Hey stranger,” Loch said, earning a chuckle from Kelly.
“Mom,” Harper said, holding Kelly’s hand.
Piper was still sniffling.
Kelly ran a finger down Harper’s face, smiling.
“Look at you,” she said, turning to run a hand down Piper’s hair. “Look at you both. You’re so much bigger. My beautiful, amazing girls…” She turned back to Harper, looking her oldest daughter up and down. “Harper Elizabeth Brady, what is that you’re wearing?,” she asked, stepping back and glaring at Harper’s armor. “There’s nothing to it.”
“Like you’re one to talk,” Harper responded, pointing at Kelly’s own armor.
Where Harper’s was all leather, Kelly’s had some metal plates in strategic locations but neither had much coverage, leaving their stomachs and sides exposed. Kelly had always been stricter about what the girls wore and it had led to many arguments between her and Harper. It was such a familiar site that Loch started laughing. He couldn’t help it.
Harper and Kelly both turned to glare at him, but stopped, looking at each other and smiling. They started laughing too. Piper, not quite sure why it was funny, just hugged them all tighter.
Kelly stepped back, holding both girls hands.
“Harper, you’re melee? And Piper, you’re wearing robes. So some kind of caster? But how is that possible? Neither of you are old enough yet.”
She looked questioningly at Loch.
“We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
***
“You could stay here,” Loch said, pacing around the room.
He’d taken his family, just the four of them and Cerie, to the meeting room, closing and locking the door. There was stuff he knew that would need to be discussed with the Council, but for now it was family time.
They’d been in there for hours, Loch calling for food and drinks to be brought to them. Loch had told Kelly what he and the girls had been through, both jumping in with comments, talking excitedly. Kelly had been a little briefer as her journey hadn’t been as eventful. Leading a column of three hundred through Massachusetts had been exciting, but each day was more of the same. It was when Kelly had gotten to the part about the Natural Resource that Loch had stood up, starting pacing. Both girls had started to cry.
Kelly couldn’t stay and wouldn’t be there that long. She had to go back.
“There’s no reason to go back to that column,” Loch said, knowing what the answer was going to be.
“I have to,” Kelly said, squeezing both girls' hands. She had taken a hold of them during the stories. “I promised.”
Loch wanted to protest but couldn’t. She couldn’t go back on her promise to protect those people anymore than he could his promise to protect Clan Brady. He wouldn’t abandon them, as much as he wanted to go be with Kelly. He knew she felt the same.
“Could we portal them here?”
“It’s three hundred people. Even if the portal had that kind of power…”
“We can barely feed and house our people,” Loch finished, sitting back down. “And if it had the power, we couldn’t bring Clan Brady there either.”
Kelly and her guards were doing a good job of protecting the column but the whole group was forced to find a new place to sleep each night, ration food even more than the Clan was. The column was spread out and in constant danger. Life at the school was perfect, wasn’t completely safe, they didn’t always have full bellies. But it was better than anything the column faced. Loch couldn’t take Clan Brady to join the survivor column.
He sat down in the chair across from Kelly. He couldn’t sit next to her as the girls were there so they could hold her hand and Loch would not take that away from them. Kelly gave him a sad but warm smile. If their time was limited, they would make the most of it.
“I’m thankful for the Ranking Board,” Kelly said. “I could keep track of you all through it.” She turned to look at Harper and then Piper, smiling at both of them. “I’m so proud of you both. It’s amazing what you’ve been able to accomplish.” The pride in her eyes was replaced with sadness. “I just wish you didn’t have to fight…”
“I didn’t want them to,” Loch said, smiling at his daughters. “But there was no choice…”
“I know,” Kelly said, letting go of both girls' hands, reaching across the table to take his. She ran her fingers over the familiar shape, feeling the new callouses. Different but the same. He held her hands with the familiar strength. “I don’t blame you. I blame the Connected System.” She sighed, shaking her head sadly. “I’ve seen so many young people forced to fight and die. I’m just surprised that they were able to get Classes at their ages, especially Piper.”
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“Cerie was surprised too,” Piper said. “She thinks it has to do with the Unfettered trait.”
Kelly leaned forward to look past Piper at the small fairy. Cerie sat cross legged at the end of the table, keeping her natural shine low. She hadn’t spoken much during the Brady family’s catching up, only responding when directly spoken to.
“Thank you,” Kelly said, nodding to the small fairy. “For all your help and being there for Piper.”
Cerie stood up, smoothing out her leather-looking skirt. With as serious a face as Loch had seen on her, Cerie bowed low.
“No thanks are necessary Lady Kelly. My role is to serve the Lady Piper and through her the family.”
“It’s more than that,” Kelly said. “You are her friend and I thank you for that. Now stop with the Lady stuff. I’m not Lady.”
“You are the wife of Lord Lochlan, the Clanchief of Clan Brady. That makes you a Lady as he is a Lord.”
Kelly laughed. Loch had missed that sound. He felt it in his heart and soul, thankful to hear it again.
“I guess that it does,” Kelly said with a sigh. “Just sounds so weird.”
“Tell me about it,” Loch chuckled. “I’m still not used to it. Hope I never get used to it.”
“Yeah,” Kelly agreed. “What is up with the trait anyways? I have it and discreet inquiries to others, and found out no one else has a trait so I kept it to myself.”
“We have to,” Loch said, turning to look at Cerie.
“Traits are not something low Leveled Adapted get access to. They come much later after the Adapted has developed some habits and signature styles to their fighting. It is still very rare. That the Brady family had a trait from the beginning should not have been possible. It is probably the reason that both of you attracted attention from some of the most powerful Divine Beings in the Connection.”
“The Trait is why we were separated,” Kelly asked, anger entering her voice.
“Most likely.”
“Seems I need to have a talk with Freyja,” Kelly growled.
***
“KELLY!”
Loch stepped out of the way quickly, seeing Susan Turner rushing toward not him but Kelly, who was directly behind. He smiled as the two women practically collided, hugging tightly. Kelly hadn’t even made it out of the doorway, the girls beyond rolling their eyes. Elora stood across the hall, watching the interaction with a little confusion.
Leaving his wife with her friend, Loch moved down the hall where Ed Turner was waiting. The hall was more crowded than usual, a lot of people watching Kelly and Susan’s reunion. Everyone in the Clan knew of Loch’s missing wife, news of her appearance was spreading through the Clan and everyone was curious what she looked like. Loch wondered how many were wondering how he’d landed a catch like her. Most days, he wondered the same thing.
“Ed,” Loch said, huge smile on his face.
“Loch, I’m so happy that Kelly is back.”
“For now,” Loch said, glancing at the two Valkyries standing in the lobby.
They leaned against the wall, their spears next to them, both looking nonchalant and calm, but their eyes were anything but. They constantly moved around the lobby, the hall and everywhere else they could see, focusing on possible threats, gauging and Evaluating everyone that passed. They occasionally passed whispered comments. As he walked down the hall, Ed at his side, Loch felt both of them staring at him, with both stares moving past and focused on Elora, who trailed behind. They were surprised, but didn’t appear to be alarmed. Which made sense, Kelly had said there was an elf traveling with them. Both of the other Valkyrie were dressed similar to Kelly, even with spears. The armor was a little different, sourced from different Dungeons, and each had a mix of different pieces, but the style was similar. Kelly had said that Valkyrie was a Class as well as a group title. In myth, Valkyrie were the handmaiden’s of Odin, helping ferry the warrior dead to Valhalla. Freyja, the Divine Being and Kelly’s Patron, had taken the term to mean the protectors of those she chose. Kelly had misgivings about Freyja from the beginning but had taken the offer as it was the only way off Martha’s Vineyard, what had become a Proving Ground. Cerie had been surprised that a Resource World like Earth had even developed Proving Grounds. Those were usually meant for non-Resource worlds, providing a way for the Adapted on those worlds to hone their Skills and Abilities as Dungeons were more rare.
Loch was just glad that Kelly had found a way off the island, but now as they learned more, he realized it had all been a set up. It was pretty obvious that Freyja had taken Kelly away from them and put her on that island, forcing Kelly to choose Freyja as a Patron. Loch started to question how much of what had happened to him and the girls had been Thor’s doing, setting him up on a path where he had no choice but to accept The Storm as a Patron.
It seemed the two Divine Beings were using the Brady family as pawns. But why?
“What do you mean, for now?,” Ed asked, pulling Loch back from his thoughts.
The shorter man held the door to the office open. Loch nodded his thanks, stepping in and glad it was empty. Darren and Kristin were busy elsewhere, which suited Loch. He knew both would have questions and he didn’t want to answer any more at that time. Ed took a seat at Kristins desk as Loch took his. The door closed with Elora standing just outside. She was slightly turned to face the newcomers, Kelly’s friends.
“She’s not staying long,” Loch said, sighing. He took a drink from the bottle that sat on the desk, glancing down at some notes that Kristin had left. He ignored them, they could wait.
“What? But… ,” Ed said, shocked.
“Part of the deal she made to get here,” Loch explained. “It’s only temporary and she has responsibilities back where she came from.”
He gave Ed a brief synopsis of what Kelly had been doing from the moment she’d been taken, glossing over some of the stuff about the Divine Beings and Unfettered Trait. When done, Ed leaned back in the chair, shaking his head.
“I’m sorry Loch, after all you’ve both been through to see each other and have it taken away…”
“Thanks.”
The two fell silent, Loch turning to look out the window. He had a good view of the broken up parking lot where not that long ago an army of Gaunts had laid siege to the school. He could see Route 4 heading west for a little bit before turning the corner. A group of scavengers were returning. They moved slow, all obviously wounded, one with an arm in a sling. Two of them pulled a wagon, with a person tied up in the back. The person was struggling, the last scavenger poking at the prisoner to quiet them down. Something about the person was off. Taller and slimmer, holding themselves differently.
Loch lined forward, pushing aside the blinds for a better look. Just before the wagon turned, moving away from the broken parking lot and down the path the Clan had created that led to the gate, almost out of sight from Loch, he realized why the prisoner in the back of the wagon looked odd.
It was an elf.