Mari returned, her pack on her back, outwardly casual even though Alain could spot the tension beneath that facade. “Are you ready to go?” she asked Alain.
Before Alain could answer, Flyn unbuckled his sword scabbard, knelt, and held the weapon hilt-first toward Mari. “My sword is yours, Lady Mari, now and for as long as I live. Whatever you command shall be my law.”
Mari stared at him, then gave Alain a suspicious look. “What did you tell him? Does he know who I really am?”
“He knows who you are,” Alain said.
“Then I don’t understand why—” Composing herself, Mari touched the hilt of the general’s sword. “I don’t expect to need a sword or a general, but thank you for your offer. Now, please get up. I don’t like having anyone kneel to me. Please don’t do that again.”
Flyn stood, smiling grimly as he refastened his weapon to his belt. “You have done me the honor of accepting my offer of future service. If you ever need me or my sword, just send word. Now, let me tell you of the route you should take.” He described the way, marking a piece of paper to make a map which Alain watched Mari study carefully. When Mari had memorized the path, General Flyn stepped back and saluted. “May the spirits of all who came before us smile upon your road, Lady. Keep her safe from the storm, Sir Mage.”
The common soldiers watched them as Mari and Alain walked back eastward toward where the secret route would branch off from the pass. Mari kept her gaze set forward, her discomfort making it clear she was aware of being watched, though she occasionally looked upward with a puzzled expression as if searching for clouds.
Then one of the soldiers raised his sword and began banging it against his shield in a steady rhythm. The soldiers around him began doing the same, swords, pikes, crossbows and even the two Mechanic rifles slamming into shields over and over, the thud of metal on metal resounding from the walls of the pass.
Mari had spun around at the first noise, her face wary, then stared before turning to walk away again. “Why are they doing that? What does it mean?” she asked Alain.
“I have been told that it is a sign of great respect which common soldiers render to those who they believe have earned such a gesture,” Alain replied.
“Oh,” Mari sighed with relief. “Then it’s for you.”
He glanced back, hearing some cries of “The Mage” mingled with shouts of “The Lady!” General Flyn and his surviving staff stood rendering salutes to the departing pair. Alain felt his heart stir, gladdened that these commons felt he had earned such gestures, but he knew that the display was not solely for him. “They were also impressed by you,” he told Mari.
“I doubt it. By tomorrow they’ll have forgotten me.”
She clearly did not believe that, but Alain let it pass.
It was not until they were out of sight of the soldiers and the noise of the salutation had faded that Mari gave Alain a sharp look. “What did you tell him? That general?”
“I told him of a vision I had as we spoke,” Alain explained. “It showed him saluting you while I and soldiers stood by.”
She rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t much of a leap into the future. He did that just before we left. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. That’s all you two talked about?”
“That, and who you were. I did not speak of anything that you do not wish spoken of, but he guessed much from what I could say.”
Mari made an angry noise in her throat. “I hate being on display like that. Look, all you commons, it’s a Mage and Mechanic together! Do you think they’re lovers?”
“Lovers?” Alain asked.
“In more than the emotional sense of the word,” Mari explained shortly. “I didn’t like that sort of speculation by others about my love life when it was about other Mechanics, and I like it even less now because there’s almost a circus sideshow quality to the guessing-games. You didn’t encourage that daughter stuff, did you? I cannot believe that you told him the prophecy included Mages and Mechanics.”
“But it does,” Alain said. “And you have told me that truth matters. I thought perhaps you had already heard that detail of the prophecy as well.”
Mari sighed. “Alain, I’d prefer not to talk about that prophecy. I’m already under a lot of pressure, and talking about that makes it worse.”
“I understand. I will not mention it again until such time as you wish to discuss it.”
“Then we’ll never talk about it again,” Mari said, her voice firm. “The last few weeks have been rough. I did tell you that, didn’t I? Rushing to find you, always worrying that I might be too late…let me relax for one day at least, thinking about nothing more serious than putting one foot in front of the other.” She took a deep breath, visibly trying to relax. “He should have offered you his sword,” Mari declared. “Just like those soldiers saluting you. You were the one who did so much to ensure they survived.” They were walking side by side, and Mari gave him a smile. She seemed vastly relieved not to be the object of worshipful gazes from common soldiers any longer. “What are you thinking now?”
“I am resolving to be worthy of being beside you,” Alain answered.
She laughed. “You don’t sound like you mean it, but I bet you do. A lot of guys I’ve met were the exact opposite. They’d sound completely sincere but I knew they didn’t mean a word of what they were saying.” Mari looked around. “Here we are alone together again, just like in the Waste. That seems like a million years ago.”
“It was just short of four months ago,” Alain said. “At least this time we have enough water.”
“Yeah.” The smile was gone and Mari appeared tired. “I’m worried. I’m really worried. And scared, for myself and for you. Most of my life has been spent trying to learn and understand things. Now, for the first time, I’m not sure that I want to know the answers, because of what those answers may mean. But I don’t have any choice, because our Guilds have already decided that you and I need to be dealt with because of what we’re going to do.”
“You wish to speak of the prophecy now?” Alain asked, surprised.
“No. What does— Will you just drop it? If those soldiers blab about me being that person we’ll have half the world trying to kill us!” Mari calmed as she looked at him. “As it is, I don’t know what I’d do if I was facing this alone. But I’d already be long dead in the Waste or in Ringhmon if not for you. It’s funny, but there have been plenty of times I’ve thought about what might have happened if things had been different: if you and I hadn’t met, or if you hadn’t come with me when the caravan was attacked, or if you hadn’t come into the dungeon in Ringhmon after me, or if I hadn’t talked to you again after we parted in Ringhmon. You would think that would have made things simpler, and it would have, because whenever I consider what might have happened in those cases I come to dead ends. Literally. Knowing you has complicated things a lot, but without you I’d have the simplicity of the grave.”
He thought about that. “This is also the case with me. You have saved me more than once. My path would have ended in more than one place without you.”
Mari frowned, looking ahead now. “You know, it’s because you’re a Mage. I mean, you’re a great person beneath that, but if you hadn’t had a Mage’s abilities I still would have died. Having a common with me wouldn’t have gotten me out of that cell in Ringhmon, and having another Mechanic along wouldn’t have helped either. If I’d been a Mage, with whatever special abilities I might have had, would it have kept you alive?”