UNGLOVED

Chapter Seventeen, part two - Homecoming

At dinner that night, both Ergin and Adina looked thoughtful.

"Will you go back to the front to fight, Lorenzo, or return to Madrezza?" Ergin speared a morsel of pickled cabbage for his plate.

Lorenzo swallowed his mouthful. They had talked a long while about what to do next. "Liriel and I will go to Madrezza to speak with my father. I think he needs to communicate directly with the king in order to achieve peace. We've seen where Valran's heart lies. He won't be supportive."

"That's an understatement. He tried to kill you, and double-crossed Liriel, his own sister." Ergin glanced at Liriel.

She was excited to go to Madrezza to meet Lorenzo's parents, but her stomach churned at the thought of the reaction people might have to her. She hoped they would be more open than her brother had been, and less defensive than Lorenzo's soldiers. "I hope they will be more welcoming to me than my brother was to you."

Lorenzo drew in a breath. "They won't be warm at first, I'll wager, but I'm their only living son, and they need me to carry on. I can't see them disowning me and sending me away, not even for marrying you."

The image gave Liriel a shiver. For some reason, the idea of him being disowned had more credence for her. People could be stubborn beyond reason and sense. Certainly, Valran had been.

Adina rose to fetch a pitcher. "When will you leave?"

"We need to pass near the border before heading to Madrezza. I left in a hurry, and my people will be wondering what to do without me."

"They'll be wondering how you left." Liriel gave Ergin a conspiratorial wink. "I think your cousin, Marcusi, will have things under control."

Lorenzo nodded. "He usually looks after all of the details, whether I'm there or not. He steps in whenever I'm not available."

Liriel remembered the man. He had been angrier than the others, more aggressive with her. She couldn't shake the feeling he might be trouble somewhere in the future. "Has it ever occurred to you, Lorenzo, that your cousin might be an adequate replacement for you?"

#

In the end, they decided against going to the front. People were dying everyday in this conflict, and stopping the war would bring the senseless waste of life to an end sooner.

Ergin lent them the use of the horse once more. Lorenzo rode behind Liriel with the baby tucked away in his sling. When they reached the shore, Lorenzo called for a break. He sung down from the saddle. Liriel noted his movements were unrestricted by pain. He held out his arms to assist her. She swung a leg over and let him carry her to the ground.

"You're as light as a feather."

Liriel peeked into the sling to find Liran sleeping peacefully. He looked so sweet with his hands curled up into tiny fists.

"He's a good traveler." Lorenzo smiled as he watched. Liriel looked up and smiled back. "Come see the ocean." He took her by the hand, leading her along a dry beaten path through a scraggly pine stand. The air turned suddenly fresher and cooler where the trees ended and a vast field of azure stretched out as far as she could see. She held her breath as she glanced from left to right, seeing water all around. The sound was deafening too, as frothy white waves pounded the rocks which they stood on. Over and over the water beat a rhythm like blood pounding in her ears. She tasted salt on her tongue.

Liriel exhaled. "It's beautiful!" Lorenzo grinned at her reaction. "This is your land?" She shook her head. She had never seen water so huge that it filled her vision. The immensity scared her a little. It made her feel especially small, but the wind rallied her courage and she stood there, silent and impressed.