Circe's Gifts

Chapter 43

They had said farewell to Tiernan that morning when the Prince rode off with the army who hunted Leith. Dylan hadn't liked to see him go without them, but Druce had made a good point. If Tiernan was ever to have acceptance back in his home, he could not constantly be followed by the mouse, wolf, and cat.

So he rode away, and Dylan tried to convince himself that their work was done.

The enemy and his forces still moved through the woods, though now in a hasty retreat. King Gelban and his allies didn't intend to let them skulk all the way back to their lands and wait for the next strike.

Dapin explained that the cloud creature they had faced was something Leith had been calling into the world with magic.

"I doubt he had any idea what he'd brought into the world," Dapin had explained over a rather formal final meal with the King and Druce. "In fact, it seemed so single-mindedly interested in Tiernan, Dylan, Petkin and Kalliope that I suspect it had been the enemy of Circe and not the king. You four did defeat it. You broke the link, and I doubt even Leith will find it again."

Knowing they'd defeated Circe's enemy did not make the loss any easier to bear.

They intended to head home today. The King wanted to give them gifts, and they settled, finally, on Circe's lands. They would keep the domain safe from hunters though they would have to do themselves what Circe had managed with magic. King Gelban said that he would send people to help protect the place as soon as they were sure of the end of the war.

It was a kind gesture from a man who clearly had no idea of their loss or how actually to deal with them. To many people, nobility and servants, still glared when they passed and whispered when they left the room. Kalliope insisted that neither Dylan nor Pet wander around alone in either human or animal form. She obeyed the order herself which Dylan realized was a sign of both her cooperation with them and her worry. Having defeated the true enemy did not make this place safe.

So they walked home, alternating between animal and human, though they avoided the towns and villages. They stayed clear of the trail, and so avoided both the king's and Leith's troops. They no longer had a part in this war, though they would have gone to help if Tiernan had asked them.

Dylan couldn't decide if their duty to protect the prince had ended. Circe had said to keep him safe, but she had not specified for how long or from what enemy.

The war Circe had sent them had ended, though and what was left mattered only to the humans. They had done their part and knew Mother was safe in the world again.

Even Dapin had said that he could feel the return of her blessings. Walking through the world, Dylan and his companions could sense her recovery in a way the humans didn't feel. Life had banished the darkness, and that made him happy.

Until they reached the border of Circe's land.

Devastation.

Nearly every tree had lost limbs, and many had fallen. Dead creatures lay everywhere amid the debris.

"This isn't right," Petkin whispered. The mouse took one step forward and stopped again. "This isn't fair. I wanted to come home. I wanted a miracle for us."

Kalliope shook her head and stepped forward, her hand brushing against the blasted trunk of what had once been a tall, sheltering pine.

"This is our job now," Dylan said. He wanted to believe that the purpose meant something and for a moment he almost heard Circe reassuring him. "Let's go to the pond and see if there's anything of the cottage left."

"I don't want to see it," Petkin whispered. "I don't want to know."

"You can leave, you know," Kalliope said. Her words sounded harsh, and Petkin stepped back, eyes gone wide. "I'm sorry. I'm just angry with all of this. But you can leave. There are other places in the world. Tiernan might even welcome a companion instead of a guard."

"Maybe. Maybe later," Petkin agreed and took a deeper breath as he looked around. "I don't want to go forward, but I can't go back. At least there's work here to do."

And that, Dylan, though, was a poor substitution for the joy they should have felt at coming back home. They'd helped save the world by keeping Tiernan safe. The prince had saved the world, probably several times over by the end. He had told his father and unmasked Rolin. He had spotted the enemy from the air on his flight back from the army. It was his ability to tell Dapin where to concentrate the magic that had made the difference in the battle. He had been the strength that helped banish the smoke creature they could not have held back much longer. The three of them had saved him, and Tiernan had done what he'd been meant to do.

And this was their reward.

They made their way through the fallen branches and uprooted trees. Dylan thought about changing into a cat, but Petkin and Kalliope didn't change, either. Perhaps they stayed human because they were not really going home. Their lives were changed forever.

The wall of debris fell away at the edge of the glade. Dylan stepped out into the sunlight and stopped, staring across at the cottage. The building still stood, though part of the roof had blown away. Leaves had blown in through the open door, and weeds had grown up around the walls.

Home.

Dylan took a few steps closer and found himself by the pond. He looked down into the reflection and thought about the times he'd played here --

He sat down on the ground and wept.