5. Dividing Blood: Nugget's Song and Rebekah's Tune

Yay!!! Here is the aftermath of EvERyThiNg that happened in the past two chapters!!! Very heartfeels chapter!!!

Janner stared glumly over the campfire at his two little sisters and mother. Leeli was huddled in Nia's lap, snuffling, and Rebekah sat against her knees, staring into the depths of the fire, a dangerous replica of something burning in her eyes. Nia stroked their hair as she directed Podo on the correct way to make totato stew. At least it won’t taste like wood chips this time, Janner thought, but we have three members of our party either dead or missing.

The soup was almost ready when Leeli stirred, lifting herself off Nia’s lap and grabbing her crutch. Rebekah startled at the movement, but then picked herself up and followed as if divining Leeli’s mysterious purpose. Oscar fumbled with his glasses, trying to get them to stay on his nose after they broke in the rush. Janner smiled for a split second, remembering when they had realized that Nugget's healing had leeched through and healed his ageless mentor, but the reality hit him again. Seeking a distraction—and quite curious—he and Kalmar followed their sisters down the gentle slope to the edge of Fingap Falls.

Leeli raised her harp to her lips, and a gentle but heartbreaking tune flowed from her heart. Janner saw Nugget in his mind—first as a puppy, then grown, and lastly, he relived the moments right before his sacrifice. Then Leeli’s tune broke off, paused in the middle, and before Janner could wonder why, Rebekah’s harp filled the gap. Her playing by no means matched Leeli’s, and her tune was much simpler, but she played it flawlessly. Janner’s heart ached with memories when he recognized the simple, wailing tune. It was the tune Gracie had hummed that morning to Rebekah as she had been carried off. He heard words* and then saw Leeli singing along, somehow knowing the words to the tune, but they weren’t on the cliffs anymore. It looked like they were at the bottom of the dark sea, and as Janner gaped, three dragons swam past Rebekah and Leeli.

Leeli stopped singing along with Rebekah and began playing Nugget’s tune from where she had dropped it. The two tunes intertwined into a heartbreaking, yet fierce, defiant melody, a tribute to the evil that had stolen the ones close to them. Janner smiled as he saw the light swirl around them, but quickly looked back at the dragons to see what they were doing.

His mouth agape, Tink watched the dragons gently pick Nugget’s body up by the scruff of his neck and carry him to a small cave nearby. He could see every detail, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s, able to see far. He noticed the way the dragons swam, how the fish darted away when they approached, and how Nugget’s fur floated freely in the water. He noticed how Rebekah’s pocket seemed to glow with sparkling light and how Nugget still had a pack on his back... Gracie’s pack, still with Kadesh Hatil Neshach attached. Somehow, Kalmar knew the saltwater wouldn’t rust the blade, and that it wouldn’t hold it forever. A sword from the Maker can’t be lost... can it??? His fingers itched, and he knew he'd be drawing the scene in front of him, by either his or Leeli’s wish. Then the scene faded away, but Tink remembered every detail in his mind.

He looked over at his siblings—Leeli was smiling softly, Rebekah not smiling but looking much better, fingering the still-glowing Gem in her pocket. He turned to Janner, only to see him still staring off into space. This lasted about ten seconds, but then Janner gasped, stumbled back, and fell. Kalmar barely caught him at the last moment.

Nia took over and gently asked Janner if he was all right.

"Gnag!!! He's near, the dragon told me!!!" Janner hyperventilated for three whole minutes before Nia was able to calm him down, and then Podo began to talk sense into the entire situation, with unhelpful interruptions from Oscar.

Sorry if the way I formatted it is visually distracting... what do you think???

HONEST OPINIONS PLEASE!!! AND YES, TRAUMA CREATING STUFF WILL OCCUR SOON, BUT AS USUAL IN MY STORIES, IT WON'T BE LONGLASTING AT ALL BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN HAPPY, PEACEFUL ENDINGS FOR CHARACTER'S BRAINS IN STORIES LIKE THIS!!!

*Janner doesn't understand the words. It's English, not the Common Tongue. Gracie and Rebekah "magically" learned it, and haven't realized they are speaking a different language... yet. That will be much later, and pretty hilarious too!!!