Jay Posey - Morningside Fall

“And you are free?”

“As much as anyone,” Painter said.

“We’re going back to Morningside, Chapel,” Wren said. “You could come with us and see for yourself. Or we could tell you where Lil is. She’ll be so happy to know you’re alive.”

“Lil,” he said. “…I had forgotten.”

Wren wondered exactly how much of Chapel was still Chapel. For a moment, he thought back to Jackson, the young man he’d met at the Vault, who had had the trouble. The one whose mind had temporarily left his body, only to return with others. But no, Chapel didn’t feel like that. There was stillness about him, where Jackson had been wild. Chapel was controlled, not full of chaos. Still, it almost seemed like there was a piece of him missing. Or maybe just out of place.

“I will consider,” Chapel said. He bowed his head to them and then walked away towards the bridge and returned to the spot where they’d first found him. There, he knelt.

“We need to move on,” Swoop said. Wren noticed there was a small, dark stain at the top of his pants, where he’d bled from under his vest.

“Not yet,” Cass said. “You’ve got some explaining to do. All of you.” Her breathing was more controlled, but hadn’t fully settled yet. Even so, the anger was evident in her voice.

“Still got a long walk.”

“Then you go ahead,” Cass said. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Swoop’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t reckon I’m the kind to get dealt with, ma’am .”

“I need a moment with my son,” she answered. “We’ll catch up.”

“We’ll wait on the bridge. Be quick.”

Swoop nodded at Painter, and the two of them moved off to the Windspan, giving Cass and Wren some space. But not too much. Wren hated watching them go, because he knew what was coming.

Cass turned Wren to face her. She crouched and put both her hands on his shoulders. The cut on her cheek was bleeding freely, but she didn’t seem to care.

“What were you thinking? How could you sneak off like that? How could you do that to me, Wren?” Her voice was low but intense. She looked angry, but there were tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Wren said.

“Sorry? What if something had happened to you? What if I hadn’t gotten here when I did? Did you think about what that would have done to me? Did you even think at all?”

Wren stood silent before her. He’d seen her this upset before, but not often. The last time had been when he’d snuck out of the governor’s compound. The night he’d woken Painter. But this time was different. Different for him. Before, the harshness of her voice had frightened him, and the guilt for having done wrong had brought him to tears.

But this time he didn’t feel sad, or scared, or guilty. Something had changed inside, and he saw her anger was misplaced, and it did not move him. He saw her fear, and he felt sorry for her.

“Why, Wren?” she demanded. “Why did you do this?”

“To protect you, Mama.”

“No, Wren. No. That is not your job. I am your mother. It’s my job to protect you .”

“Not anymore.”

Cass almost looked stunned at his words. She just stared back at him. But even as she did, some of the anger seemed to melt away.

“Asher wants me, Mama. He’s always wanted to get to me . I thought if you were somewhere far away, maybe you’d be safe from him. But I have to try to stop him. I have to go back to Morningside…” He didn’t want to say it at first. But then he realized there was no consequence he feared from her now, and no further pain he could cause her. “I have to go back to the machine.”

For a moment she just stared into his eyes, searching. Her breathing was back to normal.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” she asked, and her voice had lost its edge.

“Because you wouldn’t have let me go.”

She shook her head as he said it, but she didn’t reply. Wren could see she knew he was right. Tears finally dripped from her eyes, and she embraced him. He put his hands on her back to comfort her as best he could. She was squeezing both his arms though, so it was hard to do much. After a time she released him, and pulled away.

“You’re hurt,” he said, and he touched her cheek. Cass wiped the tears and… whatever her blood was now, away, and looked at her hand. Then she wiped her hands on her pants and stood.

“Swoop’s right. We better get moving.”

Wren shook his head. “Mama, I don’t want you to come.”

“I don’t want you to go,” she answered. “So we’re both going to be disappointed.”

She held out her hand. Wren looked at it. This wasn’t going anything like he had planned. Not anywhere close. But he knew he’d never convince her to let him continue without her. And though there was a part of him that had wanted to be a noble warrior, he couldn’t deny that he would be glad to be with her again. At length he took her hand, and together they walked to meet Swoop and Painter on the bridge.

The snow had dwindled to a light flurry of dust-like flakes. The wind gusted and Wren became aware of how wet his pants had become from being thrown down in the snow.

“Set?” Swoop said as they approached. Cass nodded, and without another word Swoop swiveled and started up the Windspan. Painter hesitated, but not quite long enough for Cass and Wren to catch up to him. He kept a few steps ahead, though Wren couldn’t judge whether it was because he was still trying to give them some privacy, or if maybe Painter was afraid of what Cass would say to him.

Chapel remained kneeling as they neared and Cass didn’t seem to have any intention of talking to him. Wren slowed his pace slightly, trailing behind his mother as she moved wordlessly past the old man. Wren stopped walking, but held on to his mother’s hand. She halted a step or two ahead when she felt him pull against her.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do, Chapel?” Wren said.

“I have,” he answered. “In my haste, I deprived your guardian of his weapon. In recompense, I will lend my protection until you reach your destination.”

“And will you stay with us when we get there?”

Chapel stood with such grace and ease it almost looked like he was falling in reverse. “After, I will go where I am led.”

Wren didn’t know what he meant, but he assumed that it was probably a no. Cass tugged Wren forward and they started on again. Chapel stayed in place for a few moments while they moved away, but in his own time he followed after them.

There was no conversation as they walked. Wren was still trying to process everything that had just occurred. It had been an utter whirlwind. Pursued, escaped, attacked, rescued, reunited. And completely confused.

If it had been anyone else, Wren would never have turned his back on the old man who was now following them. And he wasn’t certain how much of the man behind him was still the man he once knew. But one thing that hadn’t changed was the strength of Chapel’s word. Even with the strangeness, and the unbelievable nature of his tale, there was some comfort in knowing Chapel’s sword would be on their side. At least as far as Morningside.

Swoop had started out about ten yards ahead of everyone else, but he slowed his pace and let them close the gap to five yards or so before he picked it up again. The heavy cloud cover made the day seem later than it actually was. The degree of the bridge’s ascent hadn’t seemed too severe when Wren had just been looking at it, but as they continued upwards, he was surprised by the toll it took. And the Windspan was aptly named. The higher they climbed, the harsher the wind grew. They walked on in silence, hunched against the bite and bitter cold.