One of Arethin's first conscious thoughts was to realize that his side no longer hurt. As he walked along with the rest of the company, he touched his sides cautiously, and his eyes widened in surprise. Not only was he no longer in pain, his ribs seemed to have healed. Completely, and well. He smiled at no one in particular, and picked up his pace a little bit.
His smile turned into a full-blown beam when his gaze landed on the Jadae's pack, where the book was. It would save his mother. It had all been worth it--the broken ribs, the danger, the frustration.
He ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair, and took a deep breath of the crisp air. They were almost to Dale, now. Soon they would be back in the city. He would be back with his mother and brother, and he would show everyone who had mocked him that his adventure had been worth something. And now it was over.
He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He had developed such a close bond with all of these people--Jadae especially--and he would be saddened to lose it. And, somehow, though he had shouted at Jack for saying it, life in Dale would seem monotonous compared to the time he had spent with the company. His broken ribs may not have left a mark, but the trip had. He had to realize that he was not the same man who had left Dale.
Arethin moved over to Jadae. "If you ever find a reason to need another adventurer sometime in the future," he said with a smile, though only half-joking, "you know who to call." She smiled back at him, and they entered Dale.
[ May 09, 2003: Message edited by: Orual ]
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"Oh, my god! I care so little, I almost passed out!" --Dr. Cox, "Scrubs"
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