Chapter 43

“Are you mad? He will never help you!” Agatha declared.

Naomi stared into Tavik’s eyes a few moments longer and then calmly turned away. She didn’t know what had possessed her to say that it was up to Tavik whether to help her go home, but she would stand by her decision. She would not force him to do anything else for her. She had already forced him to do enough, maybe even too much. Yula stayed out of the debate and cleared the breakfast dishes. Mr. Squibbles jumped into the old woman’s apron pocket to stay out of everybody’s way.

Naomi rose from the table and began putting on her winter gear. “Where are you going?” Tavik asked standing up also.

She shrugged. “Out for a walk.”

“I’ll go with you.” He swung Yula’s cloak onto his shoulders. Agatha turned her back on them. It hurt Naomi to see her do that. She admired the witch. She hoped they'd be able to mend their differences before she left.

“Wait for me,” Mr. Squibbles said as he struggled out of Yula’s apron pocket, but Yula knocked him back in and sealed it with her hand.

“Be back by lunch,” she said by way of farewell.

They picked their way across the plateau silently. It was an even bleaker place in the sunshine. Small twisted shrubs and prickly scrub grass were all that was up there. It was hard to understand why unicorns might want to roam there except for the isolation. They made their way to the edge of the plain and looked over the rocky drop. The wind whipped and tugged at them. Tavik put his arm around her waist to ground her. They stood like that for a while, huddled against each other.

“You won’t be able to come back if you leave will you?” he asked.

She shook her head and burrowed deeper into her cloak. Tavik pulled her into his arms and held her close, letting her put her face against him to escape the wind.

“I don’t want to let you go,” he told her.

She nodded silently and pressed herself closer. She hadn’t had a conscious thought since leaving the cottage. She was just going on instinct now as she waited for what happened next to occur.

“Naomi, look at me.”

She lifted her head and looked at him. He smoothed away the few loose strands of hair that whipped across her face. “What do you want?” he asked.

She scrunched her eyes closed and leaned her forehead against him to avoid answering. He lifted her chin back up to look at her. Naomi tried to move her head away from his hand, but he laid it the length of her jaw and held her steady.

“I don’t want to say,” she murmured.

“You have to.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and laid her cheek along his. “I’m sorry Tavik, but I want to go home,” she choked out. He held her tighter and nodded.

“I know,” he whispered. He turned his head and kissed her softly on the cheek. The tears slid sluggishly down Naomi’s face, leaving frost tracks on her face. His warm lips kissed them away.

She sniffled and looked miserably down the plateau’s side. She wanted to know when the idea of leaving began to hurt. The pain had begun gradually but when? Her mind flickered back through her memories, but she couldn't find the defining moment. She liked these people. She wasn't ready to let them go, but she wasn't the one letting go. She was the one leaving. It was her choice. She'd been so Gung-ho to go home once upon a time. Now, she stood on the brink of departure and was looking back with regret. She wiped angrily at her tears. She was almost at her goal. She hadn't asked to come here. She hadn't wanted to. She had every right to go home. Home was sane, safe, and had all sorts of comforts that didn't exist here. She shouldn't feel bad about leaving.

“Let’s go back,” Tavik said. He turned them toward the cottage, but she balked. She didn’t want to go back to the cottage. It wasn’t time. She wasn’t ready. Tavik scooped her up into his arms in a bridal carry and began striding back. She reflexively tried to wiggle out of his grasp. His hold tightened. It dimly reminded her of the last time he’d carried her. Their wedding day. She looked up at him and saw a muscle in his jaw twitching. She ran her free hand along the muscle to soothe it. He glanced down at her. He had frost tracks on his face too.

She emitted a small teary hiccup and wrapped her arms around his neck and drifted into a no man zone in her head. She was going home. This was supposed to be a happy day. She couldn’t stop crying. She came back to herself when Tavik stopped outside the cottage. She was in no state to appreciate the fact that Tavik had carried her a couple of miles without slackening his hold or slowing his pace. She wanted to know why he’d come back. He set her on her feet and gently pushed her forward. Naomi entered the building.

Agatha sat at the table, pouring over her map again. She looked up at their entrance and gave them a sullen glare. “Well?”

“Naomi’s going home,” he announced. Naomi bowed her head. Agatha blinked a moment in surprise at the news. She looked back and forth between the pair, then back down at her map.

“The best chance of attracting a unicorn is at night. You should rest up now. It may be a long vigil,” she said, still staring at the map.

Tavik wordlessly moved to the bed in the far corner. Naomi hung back. Yula sidled up beside her. “You should spend what time you have left with him.” Naomi blinked and looked at her.

“Did you find out anything about your sons?”

A spark of pleasure appeared in her eye. “I know where both of them are. Ryan, my oldest, has become a blacksmith for one of the armies, and Warrick is an infantryman in the same army and one of them is married. Agatha couldn’t tell which one, but I now have a daughter.” Naomi smiled, happy that Yula had learned good news. The old woman patted Naomi’s back. “Now go rest,” she said.

Naomi looked at the bed where Tavik lay. Yula and Agatha had used it the previous nights. Tavik had lain down fully clothed. His eyes were closed. She moved over and got into the bed as gently as possible to not disturb him if he were sleeping. Tavik opened his eyes, though and opened his arms. She slipped into them, and the two fell asleep holding each other.

Naomi’s phantom unicorn came back to taunt her. It stood perfectly still for her now as she approached. She reached out her hand to it, and the unicorn did not move. As her hand grazed the unicorn’s cheek, it lowered its head and rammed its horn through her heart.

Continue to Chapter 44.