Dreamer's Redemption

Chapter Nine

            "Where are you off to?" Minion asked, raising his brows at Dominae.

"Er, nowhere special." She smiled at the minion.

"Uh huh." He smirked and leaned against the door. "Then you won't mind if I tag along."

Dominae appraised the minion. "I could make you stay," she said.

"Aye, you could," he agreed. "But would it be in your best interest, Domi?"

"No," she said after a moment. "Fine. We're going to find Sara."

"We?" he asked.

"Cacia and I." Dominae took a deep breath. "And you, too."

Minion tilted his head. "I could look for her as easily from here," he pointed out, "and you wouldn't be at risk at all."

"Even so," Dominae said.

"Please think about it," Minion told her. "I'd hate to have anything happen to you, Dominae."

"I can't just sit around and do nothing!" she burst out. "Minion, one of my best friends is out there somewhere, and she needs me. I can't abandon her."

"How would me going to look for her be you abandoning her?"

"You don't really know what to look for," Dominae said.

Minion chuckled. "An off worlder, of course. Someone who doesn't fit in."

"But you have no idea what she looks like."

"Neither do you," he said. "She could look very different now, Dominae. It's been almost six months since you came here. A person can change a lot in that time."

"Yeah," Dominae said, thinking of Jason. "A person can become someone else almost overnight. Minion, I really do want to go. I-- I want to see Sara."

Minion appraised her. "There might be a way," he said after some moments. "Sometimes, a human master can see through the eyes of a minion. We could try that before we go running off into the wide world without any idea where she's gone."

Dominae nodded. "I could ask Lethe, too."

"No," he said. "Don't do that, Dominae. You don't know what it would cost."

"What do you mean?"

"You would be indebted to the river Lethe for help of that sort." He shivered.

Dominae's eyes widened. "You're afraid of Lethe," she said after a moment.

"Aye, and you ought to be, too," he said. "It isn't some peaceful pond, Dominae."

"Are the other minions afraid of it, as well?"

Minion stared at her. "I imagine they must be. Why? What are you thinking?"

Dominae dug into her pocket for the smooth pebble. "I'm thinking this," she said, holding the rock aloft, "may be worth more than I suspected."

"Where did you get that?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"Lachian gave it to me," she said, "way back when you met me in the dream for the first time."

"I did feel something then," he admitted, "when you left the dream. Some touch. So that water sprite friend of yours thought to protect you, did she?" He chuckled. "Good for her."