Redeemed

Ch. 53

My horse tossed her head, happy to finally be on the move again, away from the salty air, the briny water, the jagged cliffs that trapped its inhabitants inside. I couldn't help but agree, though our destination wasn't much better.

"How are you doing, dear?" Mom asked beside me.

I sighed. "As I told everyone last week, there is nothing left - only black ash and soil tainted with salt. I know you want to see home again, but it's not the same place."

"Honey, I know that. I watched it burn, its buildings melting like iron in the forge." I ducked my head, biting my tongue at my foolish words. "However, it's important that we see it together." Mom glanced back to where Devin and Shay were riding. "All of us."

She rubbed my back, a comforting gesture. "You've been through much this week. Use this time to reflect. I'll be riding ahead." With that, she was gone, leaving me with the cold absence of her hand. Reflection, yes, that is something I should do.

Our stay on the island had finally come to an end. I, for one, never cared to attend pointless tours and feasts meant to show how wonderfully the governor treated his subjects again. Before returning to Ara, however, Mom wanted to make one last trip to Tosach to say goodbye, to provide closure. After all of the stress and worry I had caused Mom when I was kidnapped, the least I could do was honor this wish.

Even if I didn't want to see my destroyed and desolate home again.

Last time, I had been so overwhelmed with grief and anger that I swore revenge on every Dragon soldier I saw, from which the only reward I reaped was the death of Kynthelig and Marduk taking me captive again.

Of course, home wasn't only where you laid your head as demonstrated by the townspeople of Tosach. The brick they had given me a week ago, a corner piece from the temple, weighed heavily in the bag on my back. It could have easily fit into a saddle bag, but I wanted to feel its weight, its significance, for the entire journey.

The weight on my back had replaced the one in my soul, and soon, all the weight would be gone. When the governor's aides had finally taken us to visit the townspeople, the change in their living was drastic. First, they were now living in houses, much like the one we were given, located in the eastern part of the city, far away from the refugee camp. In the middle of the houses was a platform meant for town meetings and other events. Next, the adults were supplied jobs, and they were given plenty of food to start out with. Finally, and not surprisingly, none of them were allowed to talk about how they had been living before or hint in some way that the governor was anything less than gracious and kind.

Not that that last part mattered since we knew the truth.

***

The townspeople had prepared a great feast for our visit, complete with favorites such as smoked chicken and fresh apple pie. A line of people formed to greet us. Many hugged and talked animatedly with Shay, Devin, and even Mom, but most were cool toward me, offering a handshake and congratulations on my engagement. I remembered Rhybolt saying that there were those who blamed me for what had happened, and their actions reinforced those words. My stomach grew queasy and flopped around as the speech I had prepared repeated itself in my mind. Now, more than ever, I knew that it was necessary to admit my actions and ask forgiveness, but actually seeing the faces of the people I had hurt made the entire ordeal all the more difficult.

During the meal, Rhybolt and Rita sat across from me with Gabriel on my left and Devin on my right. Noting my unease, they peppered me with questions about how my visit was going, what places I had visited, and what I had enjoyed. I talked about how the flowers in the Grand Garden, a park that boasted some of the prettiest and rarest flowers on the continent, were nice, but when I lapsed into silence, Devin picked up the dropped thread.