Rhydin, 2033
Dusk was slowly losing it?s nightly battle for supremacy over the city of Rhydin. Things had changed over the last seventeen years. Stores had come and gone, their movement noted only in the business section of the yearly phone book. One stood in the same place it had for over two decades. By now the neighborhood buildings had become so permeated with the smell of sulfur coming from Kruger?s Exotic it would take nearly as long for it to subside once the place had shut down. Other things hadn?t changed either, people still walked the marketplace browsing wares or just getting from one place to another. Their faces may be different, but the goals were almost eerily similar.
There were changes to the shop as well, rust coated hinges on a sign that announced the place?s name in weathered paint and wood. That of course would only be obvious to those who?d seen it long ago. The doors still stood wide open, faint light flickering within from the coals of the forge. The almost melodic ringing of a hammer on metal chiming its way to the world beyond. To any who approached, they?d hear a noise of a different sort inside.
?I don?t understand, this is supposed to be done already. You keep making promises and then don?t follow through.? The baritone voice barely carried over the hammering, but from it could be told that the speaker was still young, and that voice would deepen into the one which responded.
?You don?t understand? It?s simple Niko, none of this matters? not anymore at least. There will always be some emergency, someone whose needs outweigh my own. I?m just tired.? That voice, deeper but so similar in tone and tenor was certainly a close relative to the man with the hammer. The sound may have been the same, but the words held on to consonants just a little too long and every *S* held a slur to it.
?You?re drunk. Just be quiet and let me finish.? Frustration laced its way through the words that seemed to carry even more disappointment from the younger man. ?It?s been six months, Pop. You need to get out of this?? The voice trailed off as though unable to find an appropriate word.
By Averia?s estimates, she had exactly twenty-four minutes to get there and back without her disappearance being noticed. That was being generous. But before long, her mother would emerge sans Avy and oh there would be hell to pay for those who let her slip by without notice. She would have to thank Alexander later. He made the best distraction after all. The rooftops were the easiest way to run undetected and so they saw the little archer leaping and dashing from pitch to pitch until Dragon?s Gate gave way to the Marketplace. Vaulting a much too tall wall sealed the deal and so she descended to ground level for the final leg of her breathless journey.
No, we can?t spare anyone right now solely on a feeling, Averia. Her mother had said, wholly unaware of a blood bond forged years prior when she and Adelaide were but children. Who knew that dabbling in witchcraft at a young age would prove to pay off down the line? It was more than just a feeling, she was sure of it. Something was wrong with Addie, the second time she had been given such a feeling in a little over a year and a half?s time. The first she had brushed off, no small feat when she looked back on it. The second she couldn?t ignore. No matter how far Addie had gone, Averia was always aware at the very least of her godsister?s life force and for a few too long moments, it had been extinguished wholly, snuffed like a candle. It was a feeling she didn?t want to ever feel again but the fact she had been subjected to it to begin with unsettled her in ways that she couldn?t quite describe. So she went to her mother, certain that Claire of all people would understand the need to find her and make sure she was okay.
That had blown up in her face.
It also drove her to the front door of Kruger?s Exotic at a late hour in search of her last hope. The quiet disagreement deep in the shop?s forge didn?t quite reach her ears but the energy was unsettled just enough that she hesitated to enter. A few moments of contemplation had her deciding though that if something were truly wrong then she needed to step inside. So the archer crossed the threshold with one last look over her shoulder and followed her ears in hopes of finding the smiths within.
?Nikolai? Mister Allen?? Her voice lifted, a melodic and almost chime like sound that suited the choirs of angels of the highest orders. Perhaps it would serve as enough of a warning to tell of her coming.
?Nick?? He?d heard Averia before he saw her, that instinctive comeback going out at her without thought to the hardness of his tone. He felt a little like a giant when he looked up to see the girl, no she was more than that now. His dark eyes squinted slightly at her, almost recognition gave way to a full dawning that seemed to hinge upon those silver eyes, and perhaps more importantly the way her hair seemed to drink in even the low light of the forge. ?Avy? I don?t think I?d ever have expected to see you? not in here at least. It?s just Nick now. Sorry if I snapped at you.?
Somewhere in the initial shock of being called his full name, and the moment of epiphany to the young woman?s identity Nick missed the rise and approach of Kruger, all at once the hammer and tongs were no longer in his grasp. ?You?re overheating it, keep those things under control boy. She?s just a girl, you?ve seen them before.?
Nick rolled his eyes, but at least his father was actually doing something now. ?You?re one to talk.? The words were mumbled, not wanting to feel the smack on the back of his head for being sassy. ?Go, I doubt she?s here to see me.? Nick moved out of the way, and let Kruger get to work. He licked his lips a little trying to figure out the best way to find out exactly what brought Averia out.
?Are you? Here to see me?? Blunt may not have been it, but it was easiest to get to the point. He pulled the apron free of his torso, and reached for a shirt to cover up with, that half finished dragon tattoo on his shoulder and upper arm became half buried in a sleeve. ?Or are you here for him?? His thumb went over his shoulder, it was his shop after all. The only consolation that Nick could take in his own lack of finesse was knowing that had it been the mother and not the daughter, he?d be the one watching the tripping tongue.
?Nick huh? So you?ve graduated to a grown up name, have you?? Unflinching in the face of brash bluntness, the only sign of her impending impatience came with a gentle bob onto her toes, jostling her quiver as she rocked back onto her heels. There were few places as sacred as a forge, that much had been impressed upon her and her time was short so she knew she shouldn?t linger. ?I didn?t think I?d find myself here either? but circumstances have proven it necessary.?
As Nick neared, she took the briefest of moments to avert her eyes while he pulled a shirt on, thinking polite prudence was better than the inevitable blush that would have filled her cheeks otherwise. It gave her a moment to cast a vague smile toward the older smith, the curve of her mouth limned with inherent sympathy that needed no words. Nick?s question drew her back to him though and she blinked a few times, almost deer in the headlights in the widening of her eyes.
?Um. I, um. Both of you, actually? I need your help and I didn?t have anyone I could ask and trust to do what I need?? It was one hell of a hook, that was for certain. As she led with that, she took a deep breath to steady her thoughts before continuing. ?Something?s wrong with Addie and I don?t know what it is. But I can?t find out on my own so I need someone capable of finding her and making sure she and Kane are okay??
Grown up name? Yeah, maybe those other names make me feel like a kid. Nick only heard a few words from Averia before his own look of concern washed over his face. The hammering had quit behind him, a sure indicator that Kruger was paying far more attention to the pair of them than he was pretending. ?All business then, I should have known.? Kruger?s voice nearly made him jump out of his shoes. He was acutely aware of his father?s presence now, standing there at his side. He was much taller than the silver haired smith, but somehow it still felt like he loomed ever taller. ?What does your mother say??
It was a bit of a surprise to the younger man that his father had yet to say the woman?s name. He could be odd that way about some people. ?What do you need me to do?? Nick?s question ran roughshod over Kruger?s as though it was of lesser concern. Perhaps that was because to him it was. ?What can I possibly do that you can?t with all of your resources?? Maybe it was like she said, a trust thing. Somehow though, Nick felt like he was one of those resources now. So why did that suddenly make him happy? He kept that expression from his face, something made easier by needing to ignore the grunt that Kruger directed his way.
Nick fought the urge to reminisce, Avy seemed more than serious. His head was of a different opinion though, bringing thoughts unbidden. And what about you, Avy? Have you also graduated to a grown up name? He drove his fingernails into his palm and did his best to stay focused on the moment, knowing two things. His thought wasn?t real. It was a defense mechanism that had started not long after his childhood friend had disappeared. That was when he?d started deflecting serious thoughts about her with humor.
"If it were business I'd hire third parties to do this. This isn't business, Mister Allen, it's personal." Little as she may have been, there was no lacking confidence in her tone or the lift of her chin. Defiant to a fault, she set her jaw and squared her shoulders, almost as if she had expected this sort of pushback. No sooner was the m-word out of Kruger's mouth did she speak again. "She isn't here, is she? While I can't speak for her, I can only say that she won't allow me to go personally."
Though her argent eyed gaze lingered on the older Allen for a few unsettling moments of heavy weight, Nick's question snapped her back to him like a taut bowstring released and left to rest. Habit more than anything, really, it was easy to come back to him that quickly. Choosing her words carefully, she tried to frame her request in such a way that the elder of the two might be more inclined to agree. "I think I found the point at which she was sent back to. If I can just get someone there... they can make sure she's okay. But with everything going on, I need to make sure it's someone she knows and trusts. Someone I trust. Impartial enough to act accordingly but close enough to know just when that has to happen. I... I know I'm asking a lot, but I wouldn't do it if I didn't absolutely have to.?
With Nick?s question answered, she turned next toward Kruger, lifting a level eyed gaze to meet the old smith?s. ?You know as much as I do that it?s not what my mother says but rather what she doesn?t say that speaks loudest. And that little crease she gets in her brow when she?s worried and the pull of her mouth that says she?s chewing on the inside of her cheek? Those say far more than ?Blah blah blah, Averia, the balance comes first, no matter how much it pains us?. And you know that too. Don?t you, Kruger??
?Hmmh.. Sure, I know those looks, and the things that don?t get said.? Nick had moved while Averia spoke to his father. Slowly he had gravitated toward her, catching the wistful look on Kruger?s face and having no idea what it meant. He had already decided what he would do. Being close to Avy though, it made the room feel like a scale that had gone completely out of balance. Was there any wonder that he felt like he?d stepped into chaos itself?
?You can do it?? Nick had long ago learned the secret to his father. The man needed a challenge, something complex to wrap his head around. Even now he could see the gears spinning in Kruger. The nod was a barely perceptible thing. It would be missed if you didn?t know how to look for it. What might seem a tick to some, that to abrupt closing of his eyes, and twitch of his chin meant something else to him. He?d already figured it out.
?Before we go any further, I?m going to tell you what I told? What I told Claire when these questions were asked before. I can do it, what I can?t do what I don?t believe is possible is to hide the fact that I?m doing it. You can?t tear holes and not have it be felt. At the time it was better to leave things as they were. What?s changed now?? Kruger?s breath was sucked in, Nick could see him holding it there. He wanted to tell Avy that the man was halfway decided already. He might have if he hadn?t felt like he?d been slapped by discovering only now that there had been a way to go back. One that he?d never been told about. He?d begged for the opportunity only to be told it wasn?t possible.
?Did you know this when you came here?? That wasn?t his real question, that sounded more like. Am I the only one who didn?t know? There was no blame for Averia, just an intense curiosity that needed to be extinguished.
There was a need to reach for the younger smith when he stepped closer, to anchor herself to something or someone solid and present. So much was fleeting, even in the here and now, that for the briefest of moments, a reprieve could have made all the difference. Though her fingers curled as if she might, she instead drew her hands back to cross her arms over her chest instead.
"She died. I felt it. It was only for a few minutes, but she was gone and if that's the case, we have bigger problems than punching holes in the threads of time. Those will heal but she's only mortal." Demi-deified as she was, Averia's mortality was a tenuous thing at best, easily avoided and extended far beyond the span of even the most long lived humans. But that wasn?t the subject at hand, not with Addie in a far off time and place in conditions that Averia couldn?t verify for the sake of her own sanity. Niko?s tone stung, as if accusing them both of hiding things from him when it couldn?t have been further from the case.
?Niko? Nick? there are always ways to do it, it?s just a matter of the cost. What we lose when we do these sorts of things? it can be steep.? Though she may not have been quite an adult, there was an intrinsic wisdom in her words and the regretful look she bestowed upon him. It was then that she extended a hand, reaching for his wrist with a brush of her fingers. Briefly, fleeting, much like everything else was. She dropped her hand soon after. ?I?m running out of time? please, can you do this for me??
?Come on Dad. You have to, and here?s why. You?re here, Aunt Claire?s here everyone is here now. Where?s Kane? Where?s Addie? Don?t you think? I mean shouldn?t they be here? How many times did you tell us that you?d never let anything happen? She?s not here, something happened, where were you?? Later Nick knew he?d feel guilty about that last comment. He knew because despite being angry at the secrets his father was keeping he could still feel the guilt pulling at him. It had come from him though, nerves steeled by something so simple as the needful brush of dainty fingers roughened by that bow strung over her shoulder.
The older man looked from Nick to Averia but said nothing. For what seemed like an hour he just stood there looking at her. Then all at once he started talking. ?I?m afraid I can?t help you Averia? because you were never here.? Just as quickly he had his gaze focused back on Nick. ?Hang the closed for illness in the family sign Nick. We have to go visit a sick cousin.?
Impeccably hard to rattle on the best of days, she still winced at the thinly veiled barb jabbed by son to father. After all, how many times had Claire repeatedly said that what happened was nobody?s fault? They couldn?t have predicted it, they couldn?t have stopped it. But now they had a choice in the matter and the old smith before her was the dwindling beacon of hope. He seemed so close to saying no and truthfully, in his shoes she wouldn?t have blamed him if he had. Surely he understood the cost that she spoke of, of the potential for all that could go wrong. Just thinking about it almost had her wanting to backtrack, to take it all back and implore them both to stay. That she would find another way to fix things. But at last Kruger caved and her elation quickly overwrote any sort of hesitation that might have held her back.
?I wasn?t here,? she repeated, offering him a single nod. It quickly clicked just what he meant and it took everything she had to not spring forward to hug the old man. Instead she settled on the younger one, running right into him for the sort of tight hug that could crack someone?s back if they moved too much.
?Thank you.? Came the quiet murmur, soft words meant for both men but likely only loud enough to be heard by Nikolai?s shirt. When she let him go, she did so slowly, leaving him with parting words given only to him by way of a gentle mental knock, the offering left the doorstep of his consciousness for the taking. I?ve missed you terribly.
I?ve, I?ll. Missed, miss. The sentiment remained but she was out of time and if they didn?t hurry, Addie could be too.
Kruger had turned away, something that meant to him Averia was not there. He knew that his father saw her headlong rush into that hug. For once he was grateful to the man for acknowledging nothing of her presence. Instinct had Nick?s arms going around the young woman. One coarse hand smoothing the hair down the back of her head. He could feel that slight intrusion into his thoughts. It tickled, like spiderweb silk and remained fast in much the same way. The sensation was so innocuous that he wasn?t really sure if it were her or simply his wish for it to be. Either way Nick lowered his head and spoke into those light consuming tresses wondering not for the first time what else they drew into them. ?I?ll miss you too.?
Dusk was slowly losing it?s nightly battle for supremacy over the city of Rhydin. Things had changed over the last seventeen years. Stores had come and gone, their movement noted only in the business section of the yearly phone book. One stood in the same place it had for over two decades. By now the neighborhood buildings had become so permeated with the smell of sulfur coming from Kruger?s Exotic it would take nearly as long for it to subside once the place had shut down. Other things hadn?t changed either, people still walked the marketplace browsing wares or just getting from one place to another. Their faces may be different, but the goals were almost eerily similar.
There were changes to the shop as well, rust coated hinges on a sign that announced the place?s name in weathered paint and wood. That of course would only be obvious to those who?d seen it long ago. The doors still stood wide open, faint light flickering within from the coals of the forge. The almost melodic ringing of a hammer on metal chiming its way to the world beyond. To any who approached, they?d hear a noise of a different sort inside.
?I don?t understand, this is supposed to be done already. You keep making promises and then don?t follow through.? The baritone voice barely carried over the hammering, but from it could be told that the speaker was still young, and that voice would deepen into the one which responded.
?You don?t understand? It?s simple Niko, none of this matters? not anymore at least. There will always be some emergency, someone whose needs outweigh my own. I?m just tired.? That voice, deeper but so similar in tone and tenor was certainly a close relative to the man with the hammer. The sound may have been the same, but the words held on to consonants just a little too long and every *S* held a slur to it.
?You?re drunk. Just be quiet and let me finish.? Frustration laced its way through the words that seemed to carry even more disappointment from the younger man. ?It?s been six months, Pop. You need to get out of this?? The voice trailed off as though unable to find an appropriate word.
By Averia?s estimates, she had exactly twenty-four minutes to get there and back without her disappearance being noticed. That was being generous. But before long, her mother would emerge sans Avy and oh there would be hell to pay for those who let her slip by without notice. She would have to thank Alexander later. He made the best distraction after all. The rooftops were the easiest way to run undetected and so they saw the little archer leaping and dashing from pitch to pitch until Dragon?s Gate gave way to the Marketplace. Vaulting a much too tall wall sealed the deal and so she descended to ground level for the final leg of her breathless journey.
No, we can?t spare anyone right now solely on a feeling, Averia. Her mother had said, wholly unaware of a blood bond forged years prior when she and Adelaide were but children. Who knew that dabbling in witchcraft at a young age would prove to pay off down the line? It was more than just a feeling, she was sure of it. Something was wrong with Addie, the second time she had been given such a feeling in a little over a year and a half?s time. The first she had brushed off, no small feat when she looked back on it. The second she couldn?t ignore. No matter how far Addie had gone, Averia was always aware at the very least of her godsister?s life force and for a few too long moments, it had been extinguished wholly, snuffed like a candle. It was a feeling she didn?t want to ever feel again but the fact she had been subjected to it to begin with unsettled her in ways that she couldn?t quite describe. So she went to her mother, certain that Claire of all people would understand the need to find her and make sure she was okay.
That had blown up in her face.
It also drove her to the front door of Kruger?s Exotic at a late hour in search of her last hope. The quiet disagreement deep in the shop?s forge didn?t quite reach her ears but the energy was unsettled just enough that she hesitated to enter. A few moments of contemplation had her deciding though that if something were truly wrong then she needed to step inside. So the archer crossed the threshold with one last look over her shoulder and followed her ears in hopes of finding the smiths within.
?Nikolai? Mister Allen?? Her voice lifted, a melodic and almost chime like sound that suited the choirs of angels of the highest orders. Perhaps it would serve as enough of a warning to tell of her coming.
?Nick?? He?d heard Averia before he saw her, that instinctive comeback going out at her without thought to the hardness of his tone. He felt a little like a giant when he looked up to see the girl, no she was more than that now. His dark eyes squinted slightly at her, almost recognition gave way to a full dawning that seemed to hinge upon those silver eyes, and perhaps more importantly the way her hair seemed to drink in even the low light of the forge. ?Avy? I don?t think I?d ever have expected to see you? not in here at least. It?s just Nick now. Sorry if I snapped at you.?
Somewhere in the initial shock of being called his full name, and the moment of epiphany to the young woman?s identity Nick missed the rise and approach of Kruger, all at once the hammer and tongs were no longer in his grasp. ?You?re overheating it, keep those things under control boy. She?s just a girl, you?ve seen them before.?
Nick rolled his eyes, but at least his father was actually doing something now. ?You?re one to talk.? The words were mumbled, not wanting to feel the smack on the back of his head for being sassy. ?Go, I doubt she?s here to see me.? Nick moved out of the way, and let Kruger get to work. He licked his lips a little trying to figure out the best way to find out exactly what brought Averia out.
?Are you? Here to see me?? Blunt may not have been it, but it was easiest to get to the point. He pulled the apron free of his torso, and reached for a shirt to cover up with, that half finished dragon tattoo on his shoulder and upper arm became half buried in a sleeve. ?Or are you here for him?? His thumb went over his shoulder, it was his shop after all. The only consolation that Nick could take in his own lack of finesse was knowing that had it been the mother and not the daughter, he?d be the one watching the tripping tongue.
?Nick huh? So you?ve graduated to a grown up name, have you?? Unflinching in the face of brash bluntness, the only sign of her impending impatience came with a gentle bob onto her toes, jostling her quiver as she rocked back onto her heels. There were few places as sacred as a forge, that much had been impressed upon her and her time was short so she knew she shouldn?t linger. ?I didn?t think I?d find myself here either? but circumstances have proven it necessary.?
As Nick neared, she took the briefest of moments to avert her eyes while he pulled a shirt on, thinking polite prudence was better than the inevitable blush that would have filled her cheeks otherwise. It gave her a moment to cast a vague smile toward the older smith, the curve of her mouth limned with inherent sympathy that needed no words. Nick?s question drew her back to him though and she blinked a few times, almost deer in the headlights in the widening of her eyes.
?Um. I, um. Both of you, actually? I need your help and I didn?t have anyone I could ask and trust to do what I need?? It was one hell of a hook, that was for certain. As she led with that, she took a deep breath to steady her thoughts before continuing. ?Something?s wrong with Addie and I don?t know what it is. But I can?t find out on my own so I need someone capable of finding her and making sure she and Kane are okay??
Grown up name? Yeah, maybe those other names make me feel like a kid. Nick only heard a few words from Averia before his own look of concern washed over his face. The hammering had quit behind him, a sure indicator that Kruger was paying far more attention to the pair of them than he was pretending. ?All business then, I should have known.? Kruger?s voice nearly made him jump out of his shoes. He was acutely aware of his father?s presence now, standing there at his side. He was much taller than the silver haired smith, but somehow it still felt like he loomed ever taller. ?What does your mother say??
It was a bit of a surprise to the younger man that his father had yet to say the woman?s name. He could be odd that way about some people. ?What do you need me to do?? Nick?s question ran roughshod over Kruger?s as though it was of lesser concern. Perhaps that was because to him it was. ?What can I possibly do that you can?t with all of your resources?? Maybe it was like she said, a trust thing. Somehow though, Nick felt like he was one of those resources now. So why did that suddenly make him happy? He kept that expression from his face, something made easier by needing to ignore the grunt that Kruger directed his way.
Nick fought the urge to reminisce, Avy seemed more than serious. His head was of a different opinion though, bringing thoughts unbidden. And what about you, Avy? Have you also graduated to a grown up name? He drove his fingernails into his palm and did his best to stay focused on the moment, knowing two things. His thought wasn?t real. It was a defense mechanism that had started not long after his childhood friend had disappeared. That was when he?d started deflecting serious thoughts about her with humor.
"If it were business I'd hire third parties to do this. This isn't business, Mister Allen, it's personal." Little as she may have been, there was no lacking confidence in her tone or the lift of her chin. Defiant to a fault, she set her jaw and squared her shoulders, almost as if she had expected this sort of pushback. No sooner was the m-word out of Kruger's mouth did she speak again. "She isn't here, is she? While I can't speak for her, I can only say that she won't allow me to go personally."
Though her argent eyed gaze lingered on the older Allen for a few unsettling moments of heavy weight, Nick's question snapped her back to him like a taut bowstring released and left to rest. Habit more than anything, really, it was easy to come back to him that quickly. Choosing her words carefully, she tried to frame her request in such a way that the elder of the two might be more inclined to agree. "I think I found the point at which she was sent back to. If I can just get someone there... they can make sure she's okay. But with everything going on, I need to make sure it's someone she knows and trusts. Someone I trust. Impartial enough to act accordingly but close enough to know just when that has to happen. I... I know I'm asking a lot, but I wouldn't do it if I didn't absolutely have to.?
With Nick?s question answered, she turned next toward Kruger, lifting a level eyed gaze to meet the old smith?s. ?You know as much as I do that it?s not what my mother says but rather what she doesn?t say that speaks loudest. And that little crease she gets in her brow when she?s worried and the pull of her mouth that says she?s chewing on the inside of her cheek? Those say far more than ?Blah blah blah, Averia, the balance comes first, no matter how much it pains us?. And you know that too. Don?t you, Kruger??
?Hmmh.. Sure, I know those looks, and the things that don?t get said.? Nick had moved while Averia spoke to his father. Slowly he had gravitated toward her, catching the wistful look on Kruger?s face and having no idea what it meant. He had already decided what he would do. Being close to Avy though, it made the room feel like a scale that had gone completely out of balance. Was there any wonder that he felt like he?d stepped into chaos itself?
?You can do it?? Nick had long ago learned the secret to his father. The man needed a challenge, something complex to wrap his head around. Even now he could see the gears spinning in Kruger. The nod was a barely perceptible thing. It would be missed if you didn?t know how to look for it. What might seem a tick to some, that to abrupt closing of his eyes, and twitch of his chin meant something else to him. He?d already figured it out.
?Before we go any further, I?m going to tell you what I told? What I told Claire when these questions were asked before. I can do it, what I can?t do what I don?t believe is possible is to hide the fact that I?m doing it. You can?t tear holes and not have it be felt. At the time it was better to leave things as they were. What?s changed now?? Kruger?s breath was sucked in, Nick could see him holding it there. He wanted to tell Avy that the man was halfway decided already. He might have if he hadn?t felt like he?d been slapped by discovering only now that there had been a way to go back. One that he?d never been told about. He?d begged for the opportunity only to be told it wasn?t possible.
?Did you know this when you came here?? That wasn?t his real question, that sounded more like. Am I the only one who didn?t know? There was no blame for Averia, just an intense curiosity that needed to be extinguished.
There was a need to reach for the younger smith when he stepped closer, to anchor herself to something or someone solid and present. So much was fleeting, even in the here and now, that for the briefest of moments, a reprieve could have made all the difference. Though her fingers curled as if she might, she instead drew her hands back to cross her arms over her chest instead.
"She died. I felt it. It was only for a few minutes, but she was gone and if that's the case, we have bigger problems than punching holes in the threads of time. Those will heal but she's only mortal." Demi-deified as she was, Averia's mortality was a tenuous thing at best, easily avoided and extended far beyond the span of even the most long lived humans. But that wasn?t the subject at hand, not with Addie in a far off time and place in conditions that Averia couldn?t verify for the sake of her own sanity. Niko?s tone stung, as if accusing them both of hiding things from him when it couldn?t have been further from the case.
?Niko? Nick? there are always ways to do it, it?s just a matter of the cost. What we lose when we do these sorts of things? it can be steep.? Though she may not have been quite an adult, there was an intrinsic wisdom in her words and the regretful look she bestowed upon him. It was then that she extended a hand, reaching for his wrist with a brush of her fingers. Briefly, fleeting, much like everything else was. She dropped her hand soon after. ?I?m running out of time? please, can you do this for me??
?Come on Dad. You have to, and here?s why. You?re here, Aunt Claire?s here everyone is here now. Where?s Kane? Where?s Addie? Don?t you think? I mean shouldn?t they be here? How many times did you tell us that you?d never let anything happen? She?s not here, something happened, where were you?? Later Nick knew he?d feel guilty about that last comment. He knew because despite being angry at the secrets his father was keeping he could still feel the guilt pulling at him. It had come from him though, nerves steeled by something so simple as the needful brush of dainty fingers roughened by that bow strung over her shoulder.
The older man looked from Nick to Averia but said nothing. For what seemed like an hour he just stood there looking at her. Then all at once he started talking. ?I?m afraid I can?t help you Averia? because you were never here.? Just as quickly he had his gaze focused back on Nick. ?Hang the closed for illness in the family sign Nick. We have to go visit a sick cousin.?
Impeccably hard to rattle on the best of days, she still winced at the thinly veiled barb jabbed by son to father. After all, how many times had Claire repeatedly said that what happened was nobody?s fault? They couldn?t have predicted it, they couldn?t have stopped it. But now they had a choice in the matter and the old smith before her was the dwindling beacon of hope. He seemed so close to saying no and truthfully, in his shoes she wouldn?t have blamed him if he had. Surely he understood the cost that she spoke of, of the potential for all that could go wrong. Just thinking about it almost had her wanting to backtrack, to take it all back and implore them both to stay. That she would find another way to fix things. But at last Kruger caved and her elation quickly overwrote any sort of hesitation that might have held her back.
?I wasn?t here,? she repeated, offering him a single nod. It quickly clicked just what he meant and it took everything she had to not spring forward to hug the old man. Instead she settled on the younger one, running right into him for the sort of tight hug that could crack someone?s back if they moved too much.
?Thank you.? Came the quiet murmur, soft words meant for both men but likely only loud enough to be heard by Nikolai?s shirt. When she let him go, she did so slowly, leaving him with parting words given only to him by way of a gentle mental knock, the offering left the doorstep of his consciousness for the taking. I?ve missed you terribly.
I?ve, I?ll. Missed, miss. The sentiment remained but she was out of time and if they didn?t hurry, Addie could be too.
Kruger had turned away, something that meant to him Averia was not there. He knew that his father saw her headlong rush into that hug. For once he was grateful to the man for acknowledging nothing of her presence. Instinct had Nick?s arms going around the young woman. One coarse hand smoothing the hair down the back of her head. He could feel that slight intrusion into his thoughts. It tickled, like spiderweb silk and remained fast in much the same way. The sensation was so innocuous that he wasn?t really sure if it were her or simply his wish for it to be. Either way Nick lowered his head and spoke into those light consuming tresses wondering not for the first time what else they drew into them. ?I?ll miss you too.?