{"id":1518,"date":"2012-11-28T00:00:04","date_gmt":"2012-11-28T05:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1518"},"modified":"2012-11-27T23:25:00","modified_gmt":"2012-11-28T04:25:00","slug":"winter-chapter-26-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1518","title":{"rendered":"Winter – Chapter 26 – 03"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I startled awake, lying flat on my back on the slushy ground.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Snowflakes drifted down above me, landing on my cheeks and nose, melting quickly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I sucked in a quick, deep breath and blinked again.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom was there a moment later, crouching next to me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMarin?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I said, voice a little faint and shaky.<\/span>\u00a0 What just happened?<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>As he helped me sit up, I realized that the screaming had stopped.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My breath hitched.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDid it\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWork?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Thom smiled grimly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSeems like maybe it did.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Not sure what the price of that is, exactly, and not sure yet if it was worth it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He took my hand and carefully pulled me to my feet.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My knees felt a little shaky, but otherwise I seemed to be more or less intact.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>As I leaned against him, I looked around for Phelan.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline was crouched over him where he lay a few feet away from where I\u2019d fallen.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He was crumpled like a cast-off sheet of paper against one of the watchtower\u2019s supports, his staff still clutched tightly in one hand.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d I whispered.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Rory answered from the other side of Thom.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBig green light, all the fire suddenly turned this weird blue-green color, and the screaming stopped.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Then a mini-explosion.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You dropped like a walk and Phelan ended up over there.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He flexed his fingers, looking at Thom, not at me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m going to go check out the flaming corpse.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cTake someone with you,\u201d Thom said almost absently, watching Jacqueline with Phelan before he shook himself and looked back to me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I swallowed hard.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat was that?\u201d I asked in a bare whisper.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThe creature?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Thom\u2019s lips thinned.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m still not sure.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He wrapped both arms around me and pulled me tight against his chest for a moment.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you stay where you were?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>At least he\u2019s not asking why I collapsed and why I was there in the first place.\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s asking the questions I\u2019d rather answer.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI saw something,\u201d I said softly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI knew where I needed to be when I heard the screaming, so I came.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I stroked his jaw lightly, stubble rough against my palm and fingers.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He sighed and shook his head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCome on.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>There\u2019re people out there and something tells me that I need you with me when I meet them.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He raised his voice.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cKel!<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Come on.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ve got work to do.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kellin dropped from the watchtower to join us, her boots slipping a little in the slushy turf and mud.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cFinally going to go greet the visitors that at least tried to come to our rescue?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYeah,\u201d Thom said, squinting past the pile of what looked like sod that burned a few dozen yards away from the gate.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWait,\u201d Phelan\u2019s voice rasped from behind us.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Both Jacqueline and J.T. were crouched with him now, though he was feebly trying to ward both of them off.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cTake these two with you.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019re going to need you more than me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m mostly in one piece.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom and Kellin both looked at me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I could feel the solid weight of certainty riding behind Phelan\u2019s words.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHe\u2019s right,\u201d I said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe\u2019re going to need you two.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I looked around for the nearest set of capable hands and spotted Paul.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPaul, can you help Phelan back over to where we stashed Tala and your sister?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cShouldn\u2019t be a problem,\u201d Paul said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He headed for Phelan.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I tried to ignore the baleful look Jacqueline gave me as she straightened.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cRight,\u201d she muttered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cLet\u2019s go see what we\u2019re dealing with, then.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The look J.T. gave me was more worried than upset as he fell into step with us, heading through the gates and skirting past the burning pile of <\/span>something<\/span><\/em> that Rory was inspecting with Greg, Pippa, and my brother.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Matt gave me a brief nod as we passed and I nodded back.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPhelan did that?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I murmured, eyeing the pile as we walked past.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou both did,\u201d Thom murmured to me, shaking his head and turning his gaze to the landscape ahead and the figures beyond the burning carcass, which smelled like a mix of burning flesh and sod as much as it looked like the same.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I guess we did.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>I shuddered at the thought and tried to ignore the remnants of my handiwork.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>One of the figures sprawled on the ground rose slowly at our approach, a bow in his hands.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The string creaked as he notched an arrow and drew back to his ear, ready to let fly.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNot another step,\u201d he rumbled.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat are you, and how did you just kill that firbolg?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I startled awake, lying flat on my back on the slushy ground.\u00a0 Snowflakes drifted down above me, landing on my cheeks and nose, melting quickly.\u00a0 I sucked in a quick, deep breath and blinked again. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom was there … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,65,14,52,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-2","category-chapter-26","category-story","category-winter","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-ou","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1518"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1519,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518\/revisions\/1519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}