The Breath -Sixth Whale Book 1

*12*

Thandre had overexerted himself and he knew it. His head throbbed like an axe had been embedded deep into his skull. Even now he was struggling to maintain the barrier, but he couldn't let Shae and Vern see that. They had already been pushing themselves too hard too soon. What he needed now was some time in the caverns, but he'd barely been able to get to the cabin let alone down the ladder. The sound outside was making his brain scream and not for the first time he wondered if the pain could kill him. He was vaguely aware that Vern and Shae were watching him as he collapsed onto his bed. Well onto the rug next to his bed, he didn't care overly about those specifics.

Thandre's memories of the next 48-hours were at best patchy and at worst an incoherent mess. Someone gave him water, and food though he really wished they hadn't. If he closed his eyes and covered his ears he could let himself bathe in belief. It wasn't easing all the pain but it helped enough. It also had the added benefit of convincing his new apprentices he was sleeping. He knew at some point they bought Agretina in because she had known him longest. He knew at one point he did fall into a blissful sleep because he was dreaming of Derys again. 

Shae had waited until Vern had gone to sleep before she snuck into the caverns. Derys was waiting for her by the ladder. She watched the whales as they went past the illusion.

" He overexerted himself again. I can feel it." Derys told Shae off before she had the chance to speak. " Just let him sleep it off. It won't kill him." Shae blinked owlishly. 

" But... He's not eating or drinking properly." Shae replied. She was shaken, too much had happed too quickly over the last few days. Derys raised a ghostly eyebrow. 

" Do you know how old Thandre is?" Derys asked her softly. Shae shook her head.

" No, no one knows not even Aggie. How old is he?" Shae answered tagging on her own question.

" I haven't a clue. I can tell you that I died when I was around 168 years old, a premature death he called it. That was 1286 years ago." Shae stood in stunned silence. Eventually, she asked a question in a voice so quiet it could barely be heard.

" You've been down here 1286 years..." Shae was horrified. Derys smiled to himself a little. 

" I'm not planning on spending the rest of eternity down here." He reminded her, his golden eyes glittering. Shae reigned in her horror.

" Don't you hate him?" She asked. Her mind was still reeling from the information.

" No. I can't hate him, our life together was everything I could have wanted or needed. He just doesn't perceive time like we do and thinks this is what's best for us. It was for a time but he just can't accept that's changed." Derys looked sadly up at the stone ceiling.

" How did you meet him? He's always seemed so closed off that it's hard to imagine him being anything other than he is now." Shae tried shifting the subject. She had started to feel guilty. She wanted Derys to hate Thandre because that would make those times she thought she might hate Ofrin easier to process.

" I can show you, it's a good memory." Derys offered, holding out his hand. Shae took it and closed her eyes when Derys asked her to. When she opened them again she was in a forest and Derys was flooded with colour. 

Together they watched as a hooded man darted through the trees. His red robe kept catching on the branches and thorns growing around him at all angles. It seemed like the forest was trying to slow him down. As they watched roots began to reach out from the ground, coiling around the hem. Eventually, he just tripped over a stone and into the debris of the forest floor. The man rolled over with a groan and Shae got a look at his face, golden eyes looked through her. The man's head was shaved and the insignia of the guild was embroidered on his robe.