Finding Heathcliff

Twenty-Nine

"Where's Orion?" Astrid asked Rigel after they descended the stairs together, finally forgetting about her dream and focusing on reality.

Orion was nowhere in sight in the large room where a small fire burned on the grate, and the table was laid for breakfast.

Astrid despised the rift that this journey had torn open between her and Orion, the rift she could feel growing wider the farther they got from the castle. He was the closest person she had, they had grown up together, knew everything about each other... And even though they had been brought up not believing in love, she cared about him a lot. She wanted him to be happy. She hated it when they disagreed.

His mysterious absence now worried her. She could see his luggage by the front door where Rigel carried her bags, but where was he...?

"I saw Father and Mother before; they are outside, getting everything ready. But I did not see Lord Orion. Father said that he heard him leave a good while ago. Well, wherever he went to, he'll be back soon. He told me last night that he wanted us to leave early."

Astrid nodded, nibbling at a piece of bread half-heartedly, sipping at a mug filled with a steaming dark liquid which Rigel said was coffee, freshly brewed by Regulus-- she couldn't make up her mind if she liked its full, bittersweet taste while she appreciated the way it cleared her mind quickly from the leftovers of her dream-- until Regulus and Andromeda walked in, looking windswept and cheerful, followed closely by a very exhilarated Orion.

Forgetting all of her questions about where he had been, if everything was fine between them after their last night's disagreement, Astrid leapt to her feet and, giving in to his boyish excitement, let him wrap her in a bone-shattering embrace and kiss her deeply in front of everyone.

"We are flying, Astrid, have you seen that thing outside? Regulus, it's amazing!" he called, still crushing Astrid to him excitedly.

"Come have some breakfast, and you can tell me?" Astrid proposed, surprised by his behaviour, taking him by the hand and leading him towards the table where Andromeda and Regulus already sat next to their son. Only an unexpected display of technology could ever excite Orion this way...

"Yes, my lord, flying is the best way to reach Land's End. The roads are unsafe, most of those that were destroyed by earthquakes have never been properly repaired, and the land is treacherous, marshland and moors surround Vega. Beyond, the coast is jagged and rough, with dangerously high tides which only the locals, and there's precious few of those, can predict," Regulus explained, sipping at his coffee calmly. "Rigel is a skilled auronaut, he'll bring you to Land's End in a couple of days in that balloon..."

"A... balloon?" Astrid muttered, her mind producing a picture of a huge, colourful object floating in the sky, which she secretly believed, without telling her tutors, of course, had never existed. To her, those things were just as real as any mythological creature...

Like angels and demons, or love, right? A silent voice in her mind pointed out, making her feel naive.

Ignoring the voice, she forced herself to listen to Rigel, who, with Regulus' help, was trying to explain to Orion the basics of piloting a hot air balloon.

Andromeda chuckled softly, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated way when Astrid looked at her, making her giggle and try to picture how having a husband and a son crazy about forbidden technology must feel.

Orion finished his breakfast quickly, his mind on the balloon waiting for them, and while he preceded Rigel and Rugulus outside, all of them carrying luggage and chattering excitedly, Astrid accepted a sack of provisions from Andromeda.

"I've never been anywhere beyond Vega, Astrid," the woman said, "I have no idea what you'll find at Land's End. This food should be enough to get you there... Do visit again on your way back."