What awaited for them on the other side of the portal wasn't so very different from home, or at least, so it seemed. They stepped out of the portal into a wood with a clearing in which stood a small cabin, not unlike the one they had just left behind, though there was no lake, only a dense wood as far as the eye could see. If one listened carefully, they could hear the sound of rippling water not too far in the distance. The portal closed behind them as Marissa stepped through, looking to make sure they had all arrived safe and sound.
"Welcome to Rhy'Din," she told them quietly. The trees rustled in the cool breeze, as if whispering a welcome. It seemed a peaceful place, a quiet place, a safe place, compared to where they had been.
Still hugging Rob protectively to herself, Mara stumbled a little as she stepped from the portal, her mind spinning with the new experience of passing from one plane to another for the first time in her life. Breathless, she looked around, glancing worriedly to her companions as Marissa spoke. "Rhy'Din?" she asked softly, her fingers stroking Rob's hair as he finally raised his head to look around, more curious than afraid.
"Yes," Marissa replied, her voice quiet and gentle as a summer breeze. "My home, my world. This is where I grew up." One of the Marissas inside her had grown up in this very place, but that was too much to explain or for them to understand at the moment. It was enough they were there. "You can stay here for now, until we can get you settled in a place of your own. It's not much, but it's warm and dry and safe. No one will bother you here." And perhaps most importantly, it was warded.
"Here?" Mara asked, but Elise was already moving. The older woman clearly figured that if Marissa could be trusted to bring them safely away from Dreven, then she could definitely be trusted to settle them somewhere safe. She bustled up over the porch and into the cabin, evidently pleased to have some role, despite her aches and pains. Easing Rob down onto his feet, Mara's eyes turned to Marissa, gratitude bright in her green gaze. "Thank you," she said softly. "I have no way to repay you, but ....thank you, for everything."
"There is no need to repay me," Marissa said, solely addressing Mara for the first time. She hoped perhaps they could be friends someday, but time would tell. "It is difficult to explain, but Duncan is family and so are you."
Not truly understanding anything that had happened over the course of the day, Mara nodded gently, her carefully trained manners keeping her from pouring questions onto the woman who had saved the people she loved. "Are you staying with us?" she asked quietly, one arm still wrapped about her son as Rob clung to her skirts.
Marissa frowned a little at the question, her gaze sliding to Duncan a moment before looking back. "No, I..." This was something else that was difficult to explain and perhaps even more difficult for them to understand. "We should see to your wounds," she said, changing the subject. "Come. You will be safe here."
A faint frown touched Mara's expression as Marissa trailed off, glancing between Duncan and this mysterious friend. She felt a stab of jealousy, wondering just how they knew one another. How close had they been before coming for Duncan's son"
Marissa sensed many questions brewing inside Mara, but there would be time to answer all those questions later. "I know a little healing magic," she told them both as she led them toward the cottage.
Duncan's hand reached for Rob's as the boy fell into step between mother and father. Neither had said much since they'd come through the portal, allowing Marissa to answer their questions in her own time.
Rob's hand slid trustingly into Duncan's, holding on tightly as he and Mara followed them to the cottage. By the time they were inside, Elise had already lit a fire to stave off the unexpected chill of the autumn season, and was making herself busy in the kitchen, investigating the unfamiliar stove with something quite close to delight. She had always been a woman who enjoyed having work to turn her hands to, happy to fall into the role of provider for the little family she was proud to have accompanied here.
The cabin was rustic but cozy and warm, as Marissa had said. It was obvious that either someone had lived here recently or had prepared it in advance and in anticipation of their visit. It was more than likely the latter, since it seemed Marissa had thought of nearly everything. "You can let the black go. This place is warded. He won't go far," she explained further as she moved up the stairs to the porch, turning back to see the curious looks on all their faces. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do," she told them. "For now, you will just have to trust me."
Glancing at Duncan, Mara nodded, prepared to follow along with anything so long as he was comfortable with it. It was taking all her strength not to limp in front of Rob, not wanting her son to worry about her now that he was finally calm, but she had to lean heavily on the railing to mount the stairs in Marissa's wake.
Rob hung back, tugging on Duncan's hand. "Papa ....is this our new home?"
Duncan noticed the limp, but didn't want to startle Rob by picking his mother up bodily and carrying her inside. He was about to let go of the boy's hand to slide an arm around her waist and help her up the stairs when he felt Rob tugging at his hand. Duncan looked down at the boy, a thoughtful frown on his face at the question he could not quite answer just yet. "For now, lad," he told him. "For now." The horse seemed to agree with a snort and a nod of his head, and he wandered off to explore and look for something to munch on.
Marissa noticed the young woman's limp with a worried frown and seeing as Duncan was busy with Rob, she offered a hand, sliding an arm around the other woman's waist and helping her up the stairs, whether she wanted help or not. There was an inner strength in her that belied the small slim figure. She seemed to have no trouble at all taking some of Mara's weight, if she trusted her enough to let her.
Mara leaned gratefully into Marissa, glad for even a little help, hoping that whatever healing the woman knew would be enough to keep from Duncan what Leandra had been trying to do before his arrival had given her the distraction she needed to break loose and fight back. "Thank you," she murmured gratefully to the woman, trusting her a little more easily now they were safe once again.
"Welcome to Rhy'Din," she told them quietly. The trees rustled in the cool breeze, as if whispering a welcome. It seemed a peaceful place, a quiet place, a safe place, compared to where they had been.
Still hugging Rob protectively to herself, Mara stumbled a little as she stepped from the portal, her mind spinning with the new experience of passing from one plane to another for the first time in her life. Breathless, she looked around, glancing worriedly to her companions as Marissa spoke. "Rhy'Din?" she asked softly, her fingers stroking Rob's hair as he finally raised his head to look around, more curious than afraid.
"Yes," Marissa replied, her voice quiet and gentle as a summer breeze. "My home, my world. This is where I grew up." One of the Marissas inside her had grown up in this very place, but that was too much to explain or for them to understand at the moment. It was enough they were there. "You can stay here for now, until we can get you settled in a place of your own. It's not much, but it's warm and dry and safe. No one will bother you here." And perhaps most importantly, it was warded.
"Here?" Mara asked, but Elise was already moving. The older woman clearly figured that if Marissa could be trusted to bring them safely away from Dreven, then she could definitely be trusted to settle them somewhere safe. She bustled up over the porch and into the cabin, evidently pleased to have some role, despite her aches and pains. Easing Rob down onto his feet, Mara's eyes turned to Marissa, gratitude bright in her green gaze. "Thank you," she said softly. "I have no way to repay you, but ....thank you, for everything."
"There is no need to repay me," Marissa said, solely addressing Mara for the first time. She hoped perhaps they could be friends someday, but time would tell. "It is difficult to explain, but Duncan is family and so are you."
Not truly understanding anything that had happened over the course of the day, Mara nodded gently, her carefully trained manners keeping her from pouring questions onto the woman who had saved the people she loved. "Are you staying with us?" she asked quietly, one arm still wrapped about her son as Rob clung to her skirts.
Marissa frowned a little at the question, her gaze sliding to Duncan a moment before looking back. "No, I..." This was something else that was difficult to explain and perhaps even more difficult for them to understand. "We should see to your wounds," she said, changing the subject. "Come. You will be safe here."
A faint frown touched Mara's expression as Marissa trailed off, glancing between Duncan and this mysterious friend. She felt a stab of jealousy, wondering just how they knew one another. How close had they been before coming for Duncan's son"
Marissa sensed many questions brewing inside Mara, but there would be time to answer all those questions later. "I know a little healing magic," she told them both as she led them toward the cottage.
Duncan's hand reached for Rob's as the boy fell into step between mother and father. Neither had said much since they'd come through the portal, allowing Marissa to answer their questions in her own time.
Rob's hand slid trustingly into Duncan's, holding on tightly as he and Mara followed them to the cottage. By the time they were inside, Elise had already lit a fire to stave off the unexpected chill of the autumn season, and was making herself busy in the kitchen, investigating the unfamiliar stove with something quite close to delight. She had always been a woman who enjoyed having work to turn her hands to, happy to fall into the role of provider for the little family she was proud to have accompanied here.
The cabin was rustic but cozy and warm, as Marissa had said. It was obvious that either someone had lived here recently or had prepared it in advance and in anticipation of their visit. It was more than likely the latter, since it seemed Marissa had thought of nearly everything. "You can let the black go. This place is warded. He won't go far," she explained further as she moved up the stairs to the porch, turning back to see the curious looks on all their faces. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do," she told them. "For now, you will just have to trust me."
Glancing at Duncan, Mara nodded, prepared to follow along with anything so long as he was comfortable with it. It was taking all her strength not to limp in front of Rob, not wanting her son to worry about her now that he was finally calm, but she had to lean heavily on the railing to mount the stairs in Marissa's wake.
Rob hung back, tugging on Duncan's hand. "Papa ....is this our new home?"
Duncan noticed the limp, but didn't want to startle Rob by picking his mother up bodily and carrying her inside. He was about to let go of the boy's hand to slide an arm around her waist and help her up the stairs when he felt Rob tugging at his hand. Duncan looked down at the boy, a thoughtful frown on his face at the question he could not quite answer just yet. "For now, lad," he told him. "For now." The horse seemed to agree with a snort and a nod of his head, and he wandered off to explore and look for something to munch on.
Marissa noticed the young woman's limp with a worried frown and seeing as Duncan was busy with Rob, she offered a hand, sliding an arm around the other woman's waist and helping her up the stairs, whether she wanted help or not. There was an inner strength in her that belied the small slim figure. She seemed to have no trouble at all taking some of Mara's weight, if she trusted her enough to let her.
Mara leaned gratefully into Marissa, glad for even a little help, hoping that whatever healing the woman knew would be enough to keep from Duncan what Leandra had been trying to do before his arrival had given her the distraction she needed to break loose and fight back. "Thank you," she murmured gratefully to the woman, trusting her a little more easily now they were safe once again.