"Are you sure?" Mrs. Sherman pressed.
"Yes, I need to do this," Finn responded. She appreciated the older woman's concern, but there were larger things at play.
Ivan gurgled pleasantly and reached towards the sunlight streaming in the window. Victoria giggled and shook a small rattle to get his attention. He complied with her desire and her face lit with joy.
"Such a sweet baby," She cooed. "What a good, sweet boy."
"Boys aren't 'sweet,'" Gabe said authoritatively. School was out for the day, and the two children doted over their niece and nephews. "They're strong and brave."
"And kind," Finn added to her brother.
"Sure, yes, kind, but not 'sweet'," He made a face at Victoria, who stuck her tongue out at him.
"Boys can be sweet if they want to. Ivan will be sweet." The girl retorted.
Mrs. Sherman sighed as the children continued discussing feminine and masculine qualities. "I have plenty of help here, I suppose, contentious though it may be. Gladys asked if she could drop by with some jam she's making, so if things get really out of hand she'll be here to help too."
"Thank you," Finn smiled. "I'll be back as soon as I can. They've just been fed, but in a pinch they will take goat milk."
"I know, Dear," The older woman smiled tolerantly. Finn realized that she had been around the babies just as much as herself, almost, and needed no instruction whatsoever on their care.
"Be good, Gabe. Mrs. Sherman will send you home to Papa if you're naughty. Victoria, be a big helper for the babies, ok?"
"Yes, Finn!" The two chirped in unison, then shared a look of truce. There could be no fighting with such responsibility placed on them.
Ducking her head to kiss each of the babies' heads, she put on a coat and left. She saddled her horse and packed the wrapped butter tarts into the saddlebag alongside Roland's letters.
She had plenty of questions for Jimmy today.
____
"But you've mentioned other worlds before!" She sighed.
"Doesn't mean I know much about 'em. Only been to my quiet place, and now cain't go there no more since you banished that darkness-monster there forever." Jimmy spat in the dirt, as was his habit when he was irritated.
"I'm very sorry about that." Finn wasn't really, but she was sorry that Jimmy was too irritated or ornery to give much information to her. She held up the list of questions she'd compiled from Roland's descriptions. Much had happened by the sea.
"Is there anything here you can help me with?"
Maybe coming here was fruitless. Roland would probably figure things out on his own without her interference... she was just so desperate to help, to feel a part of things... perhaps it was selfish to come here.
"That man o' yours is right about a few things. Portal-openers take herbs from one place and a thing from the other. I never heard of using animals to travel between worlds. You gotta remember, Halflings belong to this world just as much as humans. We hadn't come from anywhere else. Just happened to stumble upon the dark place by accident when we tried to use magic to leave."
"Was it an accident?" Finn's brow furrowed. Far more in this world seemed designed than accidental.
"Well now that woulda been a long time afore I was born. But so they say." Jimmy frowned at the implication.
"Do you know any way to undo what Brenna's done? The enchanting herbs?" She asked next.
"Curse like that's hard to break." Jimmy chewed the inside of his mouth. "I wouldn't rightly know how to, myself, aside from the obvious."
"The obvious?" Finn blinked at him.
"Well, your man was victim to it too. Probably some true love garbage. People always talking about how true love conquers all or whatnot. Course, I can't rightly get around it myself cause that's how grandmama got away from slavery." He shrugged, "Or so Mama Millicent always said. I suspect she was just trying ta get me to find a wife and give her grandbabies."
"Your grandmother fell in love, and that's how she got away from the Void's curse?" This was new information to Finn.
"She never spoke about it. Mama Millicent didn't say much either, other than the manipulative garble about love freeing her from slavery." He shook his head. "Course, there's the other obvious way to free somebody from a curse."
"What's that?" Finn blinked at him.
"Your fire monster, o' course. Ain't she good for anything?"
Finn hung her head. Still nothing from Gwen. It was disheartening.
"The mysteries keep piling up. I want so badly to help." Finn's throat tightened. "But it seems for now, I'm not terribly useful."
"Your babies'd disagree, I'd wager. Tell ya what, Girl. Good ol' Jimmy'll help. Never been to the sea, but maybe I've got a hankerin' to take my boat on down there and see what's what."
"What?" Finn's back straightened in surprise. "You're going to go to the sea?"
"Business here ain't what it used to be. Maybe I'll check what products those Sea People have." He said nonchalantly, but Finn's eyes narrowed.
"Wait a moment. You need an object from one world and herbs from another to create a portal. Are you trying to get another world to escape into now that you can't go back to the Darkness? You're hoping to get objects from other worlds there, aren't you?"
"That'd help everyone, now wouldn't it? Be downright priceless." He eyed her. "Course, you cain't really stop me, but since you did bring me these tarts I'll do you the courtesy of hearin' any objections you got to it."
Finn opened her mouth, but nothing came for a moment.
"What if there's something even more dangerous than the Void in those worlds?" She asked.
"I avoided that well enough for plenty o' years. And if the Sea People been to a world and back and made it out fine, can't be too terrible a place for someone like me, can it?"
She was silent again. Her brain didn't seem to work nearly as quickly since she'd had children. Surely there was something wrong with his plan, but she couldn't see it.
"Mayra's there. Please help her." Finn pleaded. "If the Void is back in our world, it'll be dangerous for everyone."
"If that thing's here, it might be trying to get other places too."
The ominous warning settled in Finn's heart as she bid the man goodbye. Her body would soon be reaching its limit on how long she could spend away from her babies, and they would be getting hungry.
"Can you come see me again in Klain before you go?" She asked hopefully.
"Mebbe. Mebbe. Hafta think about that." He said, and then he was gone. She sighed, and went back to her horse.
Her mind hurt from trying to think through the muddied waters of events she didn't understand. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or the strains of motherhood, but she just couldn't keep up with things the way she used to. She hoped it would all come back someday soon.
"Gwen. I haven't heard from you in a while. I hope you're listening. I know... or at least I hope... we're not in any sort of imminent danger. There's no creature knocking a mountain over onto the city... but still. I'm scared, and a bit lonely as well. I would really love some help, or even a visit. It would be helpful to see your face as an assurance that we're not completely alone."
"Really? That alone would be helpful?"
Finn smiled broadly, and turned around to face the grey-haired woman.
"Yes. I feel very helped already. Are you alright? It's been two years, and I worry." She chided.
"I know you do. You're very sweet, and so are those babies of yours. Precious, each of them." Gwen smiled.
"Will they be ok?" Finn fretted. Gwen did not react. Had she been working on her neutral expression for two straight years? It was much better than it had been before.
A corner of the Fae's mouth twitched.
"I may have practiced, yes."
Finn smiled in spite of the seriousness of her question. Surely Gwen wouldn't feel comfortable making the joke if her children were in grave danger.
"I know you don't really give advice, even though that would be extremely helpful," Finn sighed. "I don't suppose you would give me any more magic-cancelling herbs to help the Commodore's son? I asked before and you didn't answer, so I assumed that was a 'no'."
"You and your friends have gotten more help from the Fae than most entire nations have throughout their history. Yet, you yearn for more."
"I accept your 'no' as an answer, but does it hurt to ask?" Finn felt a little cowed by the implicit condemnation. It did feel very selfish to constantly be asking and offering nothing in return, but what could she possibly have to offer the Fae?
Gwen smiled softly. "No. It does not hurt to ask. And truth be told, it is lovely to see you in person. I have been very worried for you as well."