Dreamer's Redemption

Chapter Twenty Three

            Torrin didn't have far to go. He found a man with a cart not far from where he'd left Dominae, Sara and Eddie. A little money convinced the carter to come with him, and by evening, the cart was headed for an inn, with passengers. Dominae carried the tiny bundle that was her son at her side. Torrin had promised her he'd find a spot for her child's grave near the inn that the carter said was only a couple of hours distant. The ride was long and bumpy, but Dominae spent most of it either asleep or in her own little dream world, thanks to the medicine that Torrin gave her.

When they arrived at the inn, Torrin went in to engage the rooms, then came out to help Dominae up to hers. She and Sara were sharing lodgings while the werewolf shared with Eddie. When Dominae was suitably settled and asleep, Torrin and the boy went out to find a place for the babe. The innkeeper had told them of a small grove nearby. They had little trouble locating it.

Torrin made quick work of the hole for the body and interred the child gently. Eddie said a prayer over the body, then helped Torrin bury it. Eddie returned to the inn while Torrin spoke to the groundskeeper about a small stone, so that Dominae might know where her son was, should she desire to see the grave before she went home. That settled, Torrin returned to the inn.

The next few days passed in a blur. Torrin seldom left Dominae's side and Sara joked that the werewolf was sharing their room. Torrin paid her little mind. They were still at the inn when Fern arrived.

Dominae's body had begun to heal, but her mind was another matter entirely. Some days, she seemed convinced that she was still pregnant, and that her friends had not died. Torrin feared for her sanity. He sent progress reports to Perry, though he didn't expect the wounds she still carried to be the sort the dragon could fix. Fern spent a few days at the inn, dropping words of comfort where she could before she moved on. She learned of the Minion's fate from Torrin and of her brother's fate from Sara. She promised to wait for the others at the Coiled Serpent, then she went on alone.

The days became shorter and shorter, and Dominae started spending her time looking out the high window of the room she'd claimed as her own. She would look out into the darkness, humming and rubbing at her flat stomach. Sara often found her in this position, which only served to make Sara more and more concerned. She pulled Torrin aside after a couple of weeks.

"She's not getting any better," Sara told the werewolf. "And I don't know what to do about it."

Torrin lowered his head. "I agree," he said. "But short of doing something drastic, I don't think she'll get over this."

"I need to take her home," said Sara, "where she can recover."

"Or at least go to doctors who think she's crazy?" said Torrin, his lips curling in disgust.

"They would know she had retreated to avoid a loss, yes," said Sara. "Only I suspect they would think it was the loss of her brother, Bill, and not the loss of... well, Cacia and Minion and her child." She frowned. "Though they might see that she lost Cacia, provided that Cacia existed in our world."

"Aye," said Torrin. "She mentioned that you didn't know what would happen, should any of you die here." He shook his head. "I don't think she's ready to go back yet, Sara. We have to make her understand that they are truly gone, or she won't get any better. She'd never recover, not even in your world."

Sara sighed. "I suppose you're right," she said. "But how do we get her to let go?"

"I'll take her to the grave tomorrow," he said. "She won't like it, but there's no arguing with a grave, is there? That way, she can see that the child at least is gone."