Begin Again

Chapter 16

(TORIN)

The two men raced through the trees. Neither of them were thinking about the fire in their lungs or the burning of the muscles in their legs. They didn't take many breaks as they tried to catch up with the men in front of them. Torin expected them to catch sight of the men in front of them at any moment. That was what kept them going. They knew that they were gaining on the men. Torin could tell from the taste of salt in the air that they were getting closer to the water. It gave him a feeling of dread knowing that the water was so close and they still hadn't found them. 

A few moments later they were on the beach.

"No!" Rollo wheezed and Torin saw what he was looking at. Out so far in the distance that it was barely visible was a ship. "No!" Rollo said louder as he caught his breath. Rollo sunk to his knees in the sand with his eyes locked on the ship that was sailing away with his wife. Torin placed a hand on his friend's heaving shoulder. Rollo shrugged him off and lunged out to the water. 

"Stop!" Torin said as he jogged to catch up with Rollo out in the waves. Torin grabbed him by the arm and Rollo yanked his arm free. He was getting ready to dive through the waves when Torin crashed into his back sending both of them under the water. Rollo launched up out of the waves and shoved his soaked hair out of his face. He squared his shoulders to face Torin. "Your'e not thinking clearly you won't be able to catch them."

"I can do it." 

"You won't be any good to either of them if you drown, there are smarter ways to get them back." 

"We don't even know where they are going." 

"Then we will go back and get a ship. We will sail to every village that we know of until we find where they have gone." 

Rollo shook his head sending the water in his hair flying in every direction. He didn't say a word to Torin as he walked out of the waist deep water. Torin sighed and followed after him. Rollo took his soaked shirt off and draped it around his neck. Torin was wringing out his own shirt when he thought of Ryah. The day that he had been helping her cut down trees for her house and he had taken his shirt off. Her face had turned bright red and he had never seen someone turn around that fast. She had demanded that he put his shirt back on and he ignored her. Throughout the day he could feel her eyes watching him. Torin smiled at the memory. They would get them back. 

He could feel it. 

He knew that Anna and Ryah would be home soon. The thought gave him a feeling of calm. Torin knew that they would see each other again. When he saw her he would beg her forgiveness for kissing her without her permission. He was just about to go back into the trees when something caught his eye. 

Dangling from a branch was the pendant that Ryah always wore around her neck. Torin recognized it because it was Eric's. Torin had taken it from him to give to Ryah all those months ago. It was looped around the branch letting Torin know that it had been left there on purpose. He carefully unwrapped it and looked at the jagged cord that was on it. It had snapped with a sharp tug. Torin squatted down to look at the tree trunk where the necklace had been tied. He ran his fingers over the bark looking for a clue of what Ryah was trying to tell him. At the base of the trunk there was a rock placed unnaturally against the trunk. Torin could see the sand that was still crusted against the rock from where it had been on the beach. He threw the rock away and then he saw the writing on the tree. In uneven, smudged, rust colored letters was the word 'Gareth'.  

"Well done Ryah" Torin whispered as he brushed his finger against the clue that she had left. He stood and tied the necklace around his neck and took off running after Rollo. Torin knew where they were going.