It was exhilarating being pulled through the night at such speed. After a few moments, Gwen stopped and turned to Finn, seeming to melt down into her more familiar human form.
"This is far as I can take you. The Fae have decided that further interference would be..." She seemed to struggle for the word. "Unwise."
"Why?" Finn demanded. "What could be so terrible about helping us more?"
"It is not for you to know. Please remember that I want what is best, no matter what happens." Gwen looked genuinely regretful that she couldn't help.
"If you want what is best, then do what is best!" Finn stubbornly insisted. She realized she was being horribly ungrateful after Gwen had just rushed her across miles of terrain in the space of a moment. The stress of the city being attacked had put her on edge, but it wasn't fair to take it out on Gwen.
"Fine, you don't have to help me physically, but... the way you pulled me just now. Titania did the same thing. How is that possible? I didn't even see her use herbs to do it!"
Gwen's face was open with sorrow and apology. "I cannot interfere further before the appointed time. I wish you well."
She disappeared into a doorway of light, leaving Finn alone to sigh and toss another puzzle piece into the mental pile she accumulated every time she interacted with the Fae. The appointed time?? It was entirely frustrating, but for once it was comforting knowing Gwen was probably listening to her irritated thoughts.
Finn looked around, disoriented by finding herself so far from where she'd been a moment ago. Just behind her was the town of Marim, where she, Roland, Riley, and Mayra had stayed in an inn the night before they had reached Klain. It was perhaps an hour's run from the city and was the chosen meeting place for the hurried wedding.
"Thank you," She whispered to Gwen, a bit belatedly.
The town was utterly deserted; all residents had been evacuated to Klain in the previous days. That gave it a creepy sort of atmosphere, like a ghost town. Only the sound of chirping insects kept it from holding a level of discomfiture on par with the Darkness.
At least she knew that the people from this town were safely in Klain. Well, as safe as anyone in Klain was. She frowned.
Finn walked to the edge of the Marim, looking toward Klain for any sign of progress or peril. She could tell the battle raged, but not who was winning. She wrung her hands and paced slightly, then decided that a fire might be nice.
It would be romantic to get married by firelight, wouldn't it? She had the time while she waited to make whatever small efforts she could to make this a little more idyllic and less harried. She borrowed some wood from an obliging woodpile and used the flint and some grass to start a little fire.
The food she had prepared was now cold, so she put it back into the pan over the fire to warm it. It wasn't necessary, but it passed the time as she anxiously waited. Was there anything else she could do? She tried straightening her dress and fixing her hair.
She was still wearing the gown she'd been trapped underground in. It was filthy with dust from the cave-in. She could only imagine what her hair looked like. This was the absolute opposite of how she wanted to look when she got married. She hoped Roland wouldn't regret his bedraggled bride.
The sound of footsteps startled her, but she turned with a timid smile and faced into the darkness. Maybe he wouldn't care how she looked.
"Roland?" She called softly.
A gaunt figure staggered closer to her. His beard and long hair spoke of neglect, but his face was familiar under the dirt and grime of travel. Reaching the firelight, he nearly collapsed. Finn rushed over to catch him.
"Sir! Provider, are you all right?" She gasped under his weight. Although he was too thin, he was still larger than she was.
"You know me, child?" He spoke hoarsely and hesitantly, as if unused to the sound of his voice. She helped him sit and gave him some water.
"I've had several run-ins with your imposter. You and I have never met, but I recognize you. Mau's disguise was flawless." Finn explained, confusing Lysander further.
"You know his name, and that he was an imposter?"
"Yes, I did my best to help reveal him for who he was. Ashley and Dierdre also did a great deal to take him out of power and have him thrown in jail. Roland, who freed you, is my fiancé, and he played the largest role in everything." Finn smiled encouragingly, hoping the man wasn't too confused by her condensed explanation. "There have been Klain soldiers out trying to find you, but they were withdrawn for the defense of the city."
Lysander's gaze fixed on Klain in the distance. "I see. This is my fault."
"No, not your fault. At least, not entirely. Titania's manipulations have been orchestrating all of this for a long time." Finn recognized his role in things while also feeling the urge to comfort him.
"I gave her a foothold in the city. I... she must be stopped! I haven't even been able to tell anyone!" He coughed weakly. This was more than he'd spoken in over a year. In the Darkness, there was no reason nor benefit in speaking. Titania was his only visitor, and she came more to torture him than anything else. The food and water she gave him was barely enough to ensure he still lived.
"She's... not human. You know that?" He asked after drinking more water.
"What's that?" She wasn't sure how much a year in the Darkness could drive a person mad.
"I've seen it. She's not human. She's something else. I think it's why she's so powerful. It amused her to terrify me in the Dark. I think she's... " he broke off again.
"Don't speak for now, just rest. Roland will be here soon to help break the curse on Rhone. Whatever else needs to be handled after that, we can deal with. One thing at a time, all right?" She smiled encouragingly at him.
He rested with his back against a large stone, seemingly exhausted from his efforts at communication. Finn was shocked he'd been able to travel so far on foot in his condition. Feeling sympathy for him, she took a few of the spare ingredients she hadn't used for the wedding meal and gave them to him to eat.
Smiling gratefully, he tried to regain his strength while they waited for Roland's arrival.
At last, Finn heard something from the shadows. Spinning around with a smile on her face, she froze as her brain belatedly identified the sound not as footsteps, but as a low growl.
"Not again. Please, not the wolves again." She took a deep breath. Was her life to come full circle, ending in the way her adventure began?
"Wolves?" Lysander asked in alarm, struggling to his feet.
Finn took a long, burning stick from the fire. It was as thick as her forearm and sturdy. She regretted giving all the wolf repellant to the General and not keeping any for herself. Having identified one wolf from the noise, she stood with her back to the fire facing the sound.
"Get behind me," She told the weak older man. Having little strength, he obeyed without question. The indignity of a young girl defending him was nothing compared to the treatment he'd endured at Titania's hands.
Finn eyed the nearest structure. Roland would see her campfire and know she was somewhere nearby. Could she run for it and get inside, then bar the door? Not with Lysander. He was too slow to make the dash without being caught. Maybe if they edged slowly....
She side-stepped in the direction of safety, only to have another growl come from that side.
She edged back closer to her source of light, keeping her fiery weapon at the ready. Not that she knew how to use it, at all. With all the people around her who were trained in the use of weaponry, she should have asked for tips or lessons at some point.
"Lysander, you were a soldier, right?" She asked.
"Yes, for years," He replied.
"Any tips on how to fight?" Finn nervously inquired.
"Not that would help right now," He said, causing her to sigh in frustration.
It was too late for regret. A gaping maw filled with teeth lunged from the darkness. Finn stepped to the side and swung her weapon, missing the wolf but succeeding in fending off the attack.
"HELP!" She screamed. There could be no one else around for miles, but maybe the sound would carry. An idea suddenly entered her mind. She bit her lip and shifted the wood to one hand.
"Lysander, could you reach into my bag for me?" She spoke in a steady, confident voice.
"Your bag? What's in it?" He bent slowly and reached for the satchel to hand it to her.
Finn hoped this would work.