{"id":1529,"date":"2012-12-05T00:00:38","date_gmt":"2012-12-05T05:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1529"},"modified":"2012-12-04T21:30:55","modified_gmt":"2012-12-05T02:30:55","slug":"winter-chapter-26-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1529","title":{"rendered":"Winter – Chapter 26 – 06"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThe balance shifts,\u201d one voice said softly.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt no longer favors one or the other.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>There are chances now.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThe dead god joins them,\u201d another voice said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBut will be fight for more than the protection of a Wanderer, a Dragon, and a Lady?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThe Seers are powerful in their abilities to persuade,\u201d a third voice added, traces of wry humor alive in the speaker\u2019s tone.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBut his presence does not guarantee success.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Nor does possession of the sword.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAh yes, the fabled and fated blade.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Broken once and remade, will it happen again?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDoes the king rise again?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>So soon?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNo,\u201d the first voice said softly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThere will come another.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The custodian is a guardian, nothing more.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A crownless king, a knight errant.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He is not the one.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Another will come.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cA crownless king.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Could he be?\u201d the third voice asked.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCould it come to pass?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Might he be the one?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNot on his current path.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Not unless things change.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The voice sounded vaguely sad.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd I fear they will not.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He will not see his son as a man.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou have said the same of many in the past.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You were oftimes wrong.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI have been,\u201d the first voice agreed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd I hope I will be again.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But I fear I am not.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThen we share that fear and that hope, Lady.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPerhaps if we hope hard enough, it shall come to pass.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSomeone is watching.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Eyes turned and the world exploded in shards of silver light.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I jerked awake, gasping raggedly and soaked in cold sweat.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Thom stirred, one eye cracking open followed by the other.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d he mumbled in the darkness of our room.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I whispered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI saw something.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I threw back the covers and started to get out of bed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>His fingers wrapped around my arm and squeezed gently.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cTo check on the newcomers,\u201d I murmured.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline and J.T. had Neve and Cameron cloistered in one of the nearby sheds.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd Phelan.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s probably with them.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cUnless he\u2019s drinking the mead that Rory made with Thordin,\u201d Thom said, rolling onto his side and watching me for a moment as I yanked on jeans and a sweatshirt.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A moment later, he levered himself out of bed to join me.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou can go back to sleep,\u201d I said.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd miss this?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He smiled at me in the dim.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNot a chance.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He was still getting dressed when he asked, \u201cSo what was it?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat was what?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat you saw.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What was it?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I frowned, thinking of the trio of voices\u2014two women, one man\u2014that I hadn\u2019t been able to quite see.<\/span>\u00a0 But you could hear them and feel them.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIf I didn\u2019t know any better, I\u2019d say I was eavesdropping on the Morrigan and then that lady that showed up here and warned us about her many times son of her son or whatever.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom frowned and slid his arms around my waist.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI can\u2019t be sure of anything anymore,\u201d I said, leaning against him and resting my forehead against his neck and jaw.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAs if I was ever really all that sure of anything I was seeing in the first place.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou certainly sounded like you were.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He squeezed me gently.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cLet\u2019s go talk to Phelan.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Maybe he\u2019ll be able to make heads or tails of all of it.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What were they talking about?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>After a moment\u2019s hesitation, I said, \u201cThey were talking about balances shifting.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I heard\u2026something about us maybe having a chance now.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I think.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Maybe.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom blinked at me, then shivered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOn second thought, maybe we shouldn\u2019t say anything to Phelan.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBecause he\u2019s worried enough about this whole Cariocecus thing as it is.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bloody hell.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI hadn\u2019t thought of that.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDidn\u2019t think so.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Come on.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Let\u2019s check on the newcomers.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>We stepped out into the darkness of the makeshift hallway and headed for the pale sliver of light further down that marked where J.T. and Jacqueline were sitting up with our latest guests.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The door opened as we approached and Cameron, the man that Neve had been asking for, the man with the bright silver sword, stepped out into the dim.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He stared at us for a moment, our faces illuminated by the glow from beyond him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I could see his brows knit in the dimness.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI have a message for you,\u201d he said quietly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIs there someplace we can talk?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhy not here?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Thom asked, tilting his head to one side.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYour cousin\u2026I think it\u2019s your cousin, anyway.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Kira?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She wanted me to tell you something.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom took a sharp breath.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I squeezed his fingers tightly.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019ve seen her?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Thom whispered.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron nodded slowly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cShe said she loves you and she hopes that you\u2019ll see each other again someday.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She also said something else\u2014and this is the important part.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron took a deep breath.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cShe said that we all make our own destinies and nothing\u2014nothing\u2014is written in stone.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThere\u2019s always hope.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Always, always hope.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe balance shifts,\u201d one voice said softly.\u00a0 \u201cIt no longer favors one or the other.\u00a0 There are chances now.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe dead god joins them,\u201d another voice said.\u00a0 \u201cBut will be fight for more than the protection of a … 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-1529","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-oF","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529","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=1529"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1530,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529\/revisions\/1530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}