Page 115 of Earthbound

‘And what of Golan?’ Mia said and Alder winced. She was always so perceptive.

‘He’ll be scared of me once he knows what I’ve done.’

‘No, he won’t,’ Dart said firmly. But Alder wasn’t so sure.

Farhan snored into the silence.

‘Will you tell Farhan we’ve gone?’ Alder asked.

‘Yes, of course. We quite like him, though he sends Mortah mad,’ Mia laughed then sobered. ‘I think it was partly why she insisted on sleeping at the foot of the waterfall.’

That surprised Alder, as Mortah had said that Mia had insisted on it. He smiled.

She may feign ambivalence, but Mortah feels more than any of us.

The sheet over Mia’s stomach rippled and Alder gasped with delight. ‘Was that the twins?’

‘Yes,’ Mia said, patting her stomach. ‘They’re strong. Here, feel them.’

Alder put his hand against her swollen belly and felt the movements within. ‘So strong,’ he said. ‘It’s the first time I’ve felt a baby move beneath skin…’ his words petered off once he realised that was not true.

He sat up. ‘I wish I had known my children, I grieve for that,’ he admitted. ‘The rest I do not need to remember, but the babes, I would have liked to have known them.’

Mia was crying silently. ‘You will know these children,’ she promised. ‘They will be as though they are your own. Uncle Alder.’

He smiled. ‘Uncle Alder.’ It sounded good.

‘You’ll come back to us, won’t you? Bring Golan too,’ Dart asked.

‘Of course, the Nomads are my home, you are my home. I’ll be back when this is all over,’ he promised.

All over. It felt like a premonition of something more. They embraced for a final time, Alder holding on for longer than was necessary.

‘I’ll see you soon, take care of my nephews,’ he said.

‘How do you know that?’ Mia asked, and Alder hadn’t realised he did until he had spoken it.

He shrugged. ‘I just know.’

Because I am earthbound.

He closed the door of the resting room behind him and began to sob.

His tears had dried by the time he reached Caperly’s edge where Mortah, Lettle and Ajax were waiting.

‘I’m coming with you,’ Mortah said. She held a hand up. ‘Do not try and stop me. I’ve already decided, and I’ve spent the last fifteen minutes convincing her.’ She tilted her head sharply to Lettle. ‘Do not make me do the same with you.’

‘Are you sure?’ Alder asked. ‘It’s a very long walk.’

‘We’re not walking,’ Lettle said. ‘We’re riding. We’ll be back in Mosima in six weeks.’

Alder looked at Ajax. The obeah was big, but he couldn’t carry three. In addition, the fae had a strange custom about touching obeah.

‘I’ll ride Ajax,’ Lettle said. ‘You need to call on more obeah. The soulless obeah answer to you.’

‘How?’

‘Speak the words, or even just think them,’ she said.