Morgan Rice - A Land of Fire

It was telling her to turn around.

Gwendolyn, the only person left still facing the rear, standing there, clutching the baby, watched the debris bobbing in the waters. There was no sign of Thor anywhere, only black clouds looming on the horizon, getting closer and closer, and the endless ruins of what had once been the Empire fleet. Still, she realized, sometimes she just had to follow her instinct, however crazy, and do things that made no sense.

“Turn the fleet around,” Gwen suddenly commanded Steffen, surprising even herself.

Steffen stared back at her, eyes wide open in shock.

“Did I hear correctly, my lady?” he asked.

She nodded.

“But why?” Kendrick asked, coming up beside her, concern etched across his face.

“I cannot turn my back on Thorgrin,” Gwen said. “I sense that he’s out there. I sense that he needs me.”

All the others were now standing beside her, looking at her as if she were mad.

“Our people are desperate, my lady,” Kendrick said. “We may not find land for who knows how long. If we turn back for Thor, who might not even be there, then we might all die trying.”

Gwen faced him, her expression hard.

“Then we shall die trying.”

Kendrick lowered his head, silent.

“Anyone who wants to leave us,” Gwen said, her voice booming, “can join the other ships and leave us. I am turning this ship around.”

Her men all stared at her, silent, in shock, then finally they broke into action.

“Turn her around!” one sailor called out.

His called was echoed up and down the line, and soon sails were hoisted, and turned, and Gwen felt the huge ship turning back around. She immediately felt better as it did, felt a rock lift from her heart.

“My sister, I am glad you trusted your instinct,” Reece said. “Even if you’re wrong, I admire you for it. I wanted to turn around myself.”

“As did I,” Kendrick added.

“And I,” came the chorus of voices.

Gwen felt warmed by their support, and they all turned back to the rail and searched the waters. As Gwen stared, she heard a screech, high up, and she craned her neck and saw a familiar bird. There was Estopheles, soaring high. She screeched, swooping down then up again; Gwen felt she was trying to tell them something.

“Follow the falcon!” Gwen yelled out.

The men changed course and followed Estopheles as she led them in a different direction, through the sea of debris, their hull clacking against all the wood.

Gwen kept her eyes fixated on the water, searching everywhere, following her heart. She closed her eyes.

Please, God. Bring him to me.

Estopheles screeched, and Gwen watched as she dove down in the distance and landed on the ocean, behind a huge pile of debris. Gwen lost sight of her.

The ship sailed for her, and as Gwen watched the waters, suddenly, she spied something.

“There!” Gwen yelled, pointing to what looked like a body.

They sailed closer, and Gwen’s heart stopped as she saw the unmistakable sight of a body draped over a pile of wood. The body floated there, and seemed cold, stiff, perhaps even lifeless. She was afraid to hope, and yet, as they got closer, the body shifted in the current and Gwen for the first time got a look at his face.

She burst into tears: there lay Thorgrin, unconscious, drifting. Gwendolyn’s heart raced; she could hardly believe it. She had been right—it was really him.

“Lower the ropes!” called out a voice.

Gwen turned and handed the baby to Illepra beside her, then was the first to rush forward, grab a thick rope, and cast it overboard as they approached. Gwen didn’t wait for the others, but jumped overboard herself, grabbing onto the rope and lowering herself down.

Gwen’s heart pounded as she got closer, praying that Thor was alive. She reached him and jumped off the rope, into the water, landing by Thor’s side.

“My lady!” someone called from above, and several men scurried down the rope to help.

Gwen ignored them; she swam up beside Thor, and grabbed him, shaking him. She saw he was unconscious, his lips blue. But he was breathing.

“He’s alive!” she cried out with joy.

She wept, so relieved, hugging his limp body, clutching him, not wanting to let go. He was alive. He was really alive.

Thor opened his eyes to find himself lying on his back in a rocking ship, in a dim cabin below, sunlight streaking through the slats. He felt rested for the first time in as long as he could remember, felt as if he had slept a thousand years. He felt a presence in the room before he saw it, and he squinted and looked up, and in the dim light he was overcome with joy to see a smiling face looking down on him, as a woman reached out and held his hand with the softest touch he’d ever felt. Her face so filled with love, her eyes glistening with tears, at first Thor wondered if it was just another dream.

But as he sat up, his heart lifted to realize it was not. There, before him, was the love of his life, the woman he had prayed, time and again, that he’d have one more chance to see.

Gwendolyn.

Gwen leaned in and hugged him, crying over his shoulder, and he hugged her tight. It felt surreal to hold her in his arms again. Every wish, every prayer he’d ever had, had come true. He held her tight as she cried, never wanting to let her go. He could not believe that they were together again, after all they had been through.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wished and waited for this moment,” she said into his ear, between her tears.

“I’ve thought of nothing but you,” he replied.

“I did not think you’d ever come back to me,” she said. “I only dared to dream.”

Gwen pulled back and looked into his eyes. She laid her palms on his cheeks, and leaned in and kissed him, and he kissed her back, loving the feel of her lips on his. They held the kiss for such a long time, and all of Thor’s memories of Gwendolyn came rushing back to him—the first time they’d met…their courtship…Guwayne’s birth. Thor had never imagined loving anyone as much as her, and being here with her made him feel as if he were meeting her again for the first time.

Thor also felt a new strength within him, felt himself healed from all his wounds, rejuvenated, back to himself. He had rested and recovered on this ship, and he realized that once again, his life had been saved by Gwendolyn. He leaned back and looked her into her eyes.

“How did you find me?” he asked.

She smiled.

“It was easy,” she said. “You were floating in the sea. You were hard to miss.”

Thor smiled and shook his head, taking it all in.

“If you hadn’t come back for me, I would be dead.”

Gwendolyn smiled at him.

“And if I hadn’t come back for you, I myself would have died,” she replied.

She embraced him again, and he held her tight. It felt surreal to feel her in the flesh, to smell her scent, to feel the fabric of her clothes. For so long she’d been a fantasy in his mind, and he didn’t know if he would ever return to her.

Thor was suddenly struck by another thought.

“And Guwayne?” he asked.

He felt Gwen tightening up in his arms, and she pulled back, and his heart fell as he saw her face become drawn, pained, her eyes downcast.

She did not reply, but instead slowly and sadly shook her head, tears dripping down her face,

“What has happened?” Thor asked, worried.

Gwen burst into tears, crying for a long time, and Thor did not know what to say. His heart was pounding as he waited for her response. Was his son alive?

“The island was under attack,” Gwen finally managed to say between tears. “I was certain we would all die. I wanted to spare Guwayne our fate. So I sent him alone, into the sea. In his own boat.”