Return to Camelot

For a moment, Aldrous just looked at Joraina. Seeing her safe was a great burden off of his mind, especially considering what had happened to her before. Placing her back on her feet Aldrous turned her head from side to side, looking for injuries.

"Stop that! Are you going to check my teeth next like some horse you're considering purchasing?" She laughed as she knocked his hand away. "Hmmm? Oh, just making sure you are unharmed. You are, yes?" Aldrous asked.

"Of course I am, I've, just had a rough time. How did you know where to find me?" "Well, first I found this." Aldrous said, producing Joraina's ring from his pouch, "I have never seen you without it, so naturally when I found it laying about I thought something was wrong." he explained, placing the ring in Joraina's hand, "Then it was a simple matter of tracking you. A little too simple, you make no attempts to cover your tracks, that could prove to be a dangerous habit to have."

"I wasn't trying to hide from anyone."

"Yes well, times being as they are, it is not wi-"

"Ald, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Joraina interrupted as she began yanking him towards the house. Aldrous began to say something, but decided to not let his arm be torn off instead. At the doorstep Aldrous came face to face with a man who was old enough to be Joraina's father.

"Ald, this is Lars Adelbern. He's been looking after the ranch while I've been away. Lars has been like a parent to me ever since my father passed away." This produced a gentle smile from Lars. "Lars, I'd like you to meet Aldrous.... ah." Joraina looked up at Ald, realizing for the first time she had never heard his last name.

"Just Aldrous. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." Aldrous said with a bow. "Nice to meet you too, lad. You seemed to cause some stir among the horses." Lars said.

"Ah, well, animals don't much care for my presence I'm afraid." Aldrous said as he gazed sadly at the ground. "Hmm, well, no sense standing out here, come on and have something to eat." Lars said as he led the way to the kitchen.

"Lad?" Aldrous asked Joraina.

"So, that's the whole of it?" Aldrous asked as he looked across the field. "I'm afraid so." Joraina stood several paces away, it was midday and the sun beat down on them. Joraina had finished telling Aldrous what had transpired in the past days and waited anxiously for his response.

"Joraina, you have a good head, use it every now and then. You acted without thought, without any consideration to the outcome. What if Mirage had not lost interest so easily? What if he had taken you away? A fine trip that would have made for me."

"You would have followed?"

"Do you honestly think that I would not come for you?"

Joraina just stared at him for a moment, her eyes filling with tears, "You could have been in great danger..."

"That wouldn't have mattered. My destruction would have been irrelevant so long as you were safe. Joraina, I have had a long life, I intend to see that you have a chance at one as well. But you must learn self control, you have to think before you act! Joraina, you cannot act on impulse!" Aldrous didn't mean to raise his tone, and he was sorry that he had.

"I'm sorry Ald, but I haven't had multiple lifetimes to learn patience over." Aldrous began to say something, but found that he couldn't, finally after a moment of silence he spoke, "No, Joraina, I am sorry. This time it was I who acted without thought. I forget, sometimes, it has been so long. I forget how much longer I have existed than other people...." his voice trailed off.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Joraina asked, placing a hand on his arm. Aldrous took a couple steps away. "Joraina, I'd like to show you something." Aldrous raised an open hand. Out of nowhere, a smoky, black mist appeared on top of his palm. The mist swirled, seeming to drain every bit of light near it. "What...is it?" she asked nervously.

"It is the pure essence of evil. It is the taint which lives on my soul. I cannot say for certain, but I do not think that even Ritzulu knew what it was when he placed it on me. Through the past decades it has seemed to take on a mind of it's own." Aldrous grimaced as he drew the taint back into himself, "Joraina, every day is a struggle. It continually tries to take over, and I use all the strength I have to stay in control. Joraina, should it ever seize control, it may become necessary to raise your sword against me, perhaps even slay me." "No!"

"Joraina, please..."

"Ald, I do not even want to think of such a thing. I cannot imagine ever harming you. Please, do not speak of it." "As you wish. However, promise me this. Should you ever feel that your legs can no longer carry your burden, come to me so that I may help with the load." "I shall, so long as you do the same."

Aldrous smiled, "Come, we had better head back to the house."

"But, it's still early."

"Yes, but you have to prepare for your trip tomorrow. I didn't come all the way here just for a visit, I'm taking you back to Camelot."

Joraina stopped, "Ald, I'm not sure that I can return after what I did."

Aldrous sighed heavily, "Joraina, you know what I am, you know what I was. Trust me, anything that transpired is a drop in the ocean. You belong to a family, and the best thing about families is that they forgive."

"I suppose you're right." Joraina smiled.

"I am. Joraina, you have a great spirit, never let it be weighed down by fear. Now, let us get back to the house."

The morning went as suspected. They had risen at the false, said their good-byes, and were soon on the road to Camelot. Joraina rode a black mare while Aldrous proceeded on foot. At present he was nowhere to be seen. It unnerved Joraina that he could disappear into the forest so easily, especially dressed in that blue cloak with the golden phoenix on the back. As she was thinking about this Aldrous landed beside her, apparently he had leapt from a tree. Upon landing he started to trot beside the mare as if that was what he had been doing all along. "The area is clear, we should not run in to any trouble." he said.

"Ald, how do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Disappear and reappear, without the use of magic."

"Oh, it's nothing really, just survival skills I picked up after living on my own for so long." Joraina only nodded.

"So many decades has it been since I last belonged somewhere, since I last had a home. You should count yourself lucky to have two."

"I do." Joraina smiled down at him, only to find he was not there, "I hate it when he does that." she said with a shiver.

"So, you were really worried about me?" Joraina asked on the third day of traveling. Aldrous nodded, "I was, particularly when your trail led back to the Gallant Prince. But, somehow I knew everything would turn out all right."

"Why's that?"

Aldrous grinned, "Because, while you may have run off, your heart never left there." Aldrous finished as he pointed over a ridge. Joraina looked up. White towers greeted her view as Camelot appeared ahead of them. The gates were open, like the arms of a mother, welcoming her children home. Indeed, home she was.

Aldrous
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