The Summoner

Chapter 5: Goodbye

When Kaylen woke it was to an empty bed and a headache.

At one point in the night Talon had joined her. She remembered him murmuring so she would know it was him as he slid under the sheets next to her, but somehow she had missed him leaving. That wasn't like her. Of course, the dreams that held her prisoner till dawn lightened the sky from the dark shades of a bruise to soft pinks and oranges were also not like her.

She dreamed of Tain and Brekk. Of Daren and Althain. Mikael and Grekkar. Hagard and Letacia. Nerron and Breton. She dreamed of her time with the Knights. Of a family joined by more than blood. Of connection and welcome and acceptance.

Waking to its absence was like waking without a cloak in the heart of the Ice Wolves' domain.

She shivered violently. Looking around she was almost surprised to find herself in Talon's room. The curtain was parted and the window cracked to let in the cool morning air, but the gentle breeze wasn't enough to account for how cold she was. Not with the warmth of well-established spring tempering the air.

She buried herself under the covers curling her knees to her chest and vigorously rubbed her hands along her arms as she wondered at the dream and her reaction to it. What in Glafain's name was this? She hadn't dreamed about her brother's team in years. Was she that afraid she'd lose Talon completely? Had she already given up hope on Auden?

She felt so alone.

So isolated.

She wanted to cry. When was the last time she'd actually cried?

Had seeing the blade and talking about her brother unsettled her so much?

The dream felt like back then: the comfort and closeness she shared with Tain and Brekk. The connection she shared with his team. Waking felt like losing that all over again. It gutted her.

She lay curled in fetal position and just focused on breathing and letting her emotions flow away. By the time her hands stopped shaking and her teeth stopped chattering she felt empty. Worn out.

If she didn't have to meet the soldiers she'd stumble down to check on Auden and return to bed. Dawn continued to lighten the sky. Soon the first rays would strike the window. Instead of dwelling on how much she didn't want to get up, Kaylen hauled her body into a seated position. Glancing at the small table to the right of the bed so she wouldn't accidently knock into it, she noticed a pitcher and cup of water. Next to the pitcher was a small vial. Kaylen smiled. Bless Talon.

She reached for the vial first. The tonic was as bitter and unpleasant as all headache remedies and she shuddered as she swallowed. Ugh. Pouring a glass, she downed the water and let it wash away the taste. She rose and stretched. The wood floorboards were pleasant beneath her feet even where the rug did not cover. Thankfully her earlier chill was fading. It seemed the more she shook off the remnants of the dream the warmer she became.

Talon had brought her saddlebags up, Glafain bless him. She walked over to them lying at the foot of his chest of draws. Frowning, she studied the piece of furniture. Opening the top draw, she ran her hand over her clothes. She had two shirts, a set of pants, and her lone dress amongst his belongings. Well, she owned another, but it was the one her mother married in, and Kaylen never wore it.

More hesitantly, she touched Talon's shirt. She'd borrowed it a few times over the past year. It was white, slightly coarse, and overly large on her. It laced loosely from mid-chest up and fell nearly to her thighs. He kept it and a few other clothes in the top draw where he'd given her room because they were pieces she could almost fit if needed. He liked seeing her in his clothes and she never minded so long as they wouldn't fall off.