In retrospect, a lot of their planning involved what would happen if they failed. It was particularly disheartening as the implication was that the situation involved the death of either or both Ral and his sister. He had to remind himself that none of this had happened yet and it was just necessary precautions.
“Perhaps you won’t like this.” Mikol was the one to approach him. “But Verne and Rask should go with you. I will stay to watch little moon.”
Verne and Rask were there too, along with Aris who was still too weak to move from her spot beside the fireplace.
“We discussed this briefly this morning,” Verne added. A look of slight disgruntlement crossed his face. “I have to admit I don’t like it but it would be the best way to use our abilities.”
“And to insure at least one person unaffected by the Gates stay behind,” Rask added. “A Yscian fills that requirement the best among us.”
“No offense, but Verne also fills that requirement,” Ral pointed out.
“He has strength power,” Mikol said.
“And Mikol has more knowledge of runes than I do,” Verne added. “Not that I think he’s at Laell or Aris’s level, but at least he’s better than me.”
Ral crossed his arms skeptically and glanced at Verne. “Are you sure? I would think you would rather stay beside my sister.”
“And I believe you would rather Mikol be by yours.” The corner of Verne’s lips quirked in a rare show of humor. It sobered quickly. “But we must stay by our strengths. I am better at hauling things and Mikol is faster at responding if this area gets breached. It’s just the reality of the situation.”
“I promise I’ll take care of him,” Aris said. Her amused voice sounded hoarse but stronger than it did half a day ago.
They had precious little time left of the night. Yepla and the rest of the manus students made last minute checks to their barricades and reviewed escape plans if the worst came to be. Gardlo checked the rune barrier while Laell started on a different enchanting circle on the roof of where they were staying. She explained it was basically the enchantments she used on Aris back when they first found her and her health was deteriorating as her solute was struggling from absorbing the Part. Ral didn’t fully understand the details, but it was something to try to keep her stabilized while Aris took on smoke form.
Rask, Verne and Ral made their final checks on the ‘ladder’ and determined what they could carry without hindering too much movement. While they tied together the segments after practicing one last time on assembling the structure, Ral caught Verne glancing at the dim glow through the window of where Aris would be. Rask caught it too. The Freerunner gave a short laugh and put down the bundle he was tying up and went over to slap Verne on the back.
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“Go,” he said. Verne blinked and was prepared to point out they had more to do, but Rask all but shoved the young man towards the building and waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t come back here. I got this covered.”
Ral grinned at his mentor and bent to finish tying his bundle when Rask also went over to wave him away.
“You too,” the Freerunner said. “Go find the Yscian. Talk to him.”
“We’ve mended things, there’s no need for us to talk more,” Ral said.
Rask straightened up and Ral caught the look in his eye. He’d only caught it a few times while during all those years traveling together when he was a boy. The heaviness. He never knew what it was. But now… perhaps he was old and wise enough to see it. “Nilda would have my head if you end up tying reeds together instead of spending time with someone you love,” Rask said. “She would never want you to end up like us. We were young and foolish, like you are now, but you most of all should know how short life can be.”
“I’m sorry, Rask.”
“Don’t be,” the Freerunner smiled. Ral barely remembered what his father looked like but he would like to think the Solaris frequently smiled the same way. Warm like the sun. “Don’t apologize. Just go.”
Ral found Mikol sitting on the top of one of the buildings next to the northern barricade. It wasn’t perfect but it gave him a decent vantage point. A straw mat was set there, probably by Mikol so that it was a little more comfortable to stay there for long hours.
They said nothing to each other after Ral settled on the mat next to him. They listened to the ocean waves as they sat side by side, shoulders pressed together. The sky brightened with the arrival of the moon rising over the water’s horizon. Ral broke the silence, talking about what he could remember about his father’s viewing parties. About how they would work with the sky gazers to figure out the clearest days and the ideal times to see both a sunset and moonrise in the evening. He even tried to describe the huge platforms they had for guests.
As he spoke, the moon rose high enough for them to watch it lying down and soon they were both on the mat, heads touching and hands laced together.
Ral realized he felt this once before, a long time ago when he was punished for breaking one of the Standing Sentinel stones and Mikol had found him in the desert at night. They were moon watching back then too, side by side. Perhaps he had alway belonged - not with the Somas, but with Mikol. It took him far too long to understand that.
“If the tribe won’t take you back, you can come with me,” Ral said. “If I survive closing the Gate with Aris, I’m… going to be a Freerunner like Rask. And you can join me.”
“When you return,” Mikol said. “I will follow.” He spoke a few words in Yscian, a familiar phrase that Ral heard so often but adjusted. Despite the changes, Ral still understood it:
My spirit melds into form by you.