The trees thinned out, and the trail became a path and then a road. Gath galloped when they could, and trotted when they couldn’t, and didn’t make eye contact with Euris when they had to walk the horses through extremely dense patches of the forest. He was quietly inside of himself, no doubt reliving the memories of his visit with Alisiri and whatever history they had. While her insides were churning to ask Gath about what had happened in Arbor-Sanctuary, Euris tried to give him some space as they wended their way southwards. She let Gath lead, and he picked out a path generally downhill and generally southwest, but Euris could tell that they were still headed far enough east of Pollar that they would not come to the village. Gath did not seem concerned about the wight, so Euris decided not to be either, unless he showed some reason for her to be. If any more mundane dangers lurked, and it was hard for Euris to concentrate on being a Protector at that moment, she did not sense them. No one was in the forest other than them.

The trail down from Arbor-Sanctuary that Gath had taken bent south below the cave where they camped with the elves. The descent was steeper for longer stretches, but the path became very well defined after a point and they traveled faster than they had on the way up. Gath seemed to know where he was going, and Euris wondered if Gath remembered this way from the first time he had visited the elves. Of course, even the least among pathfinders would realize they had to go downhill to get back where they came from, but Euris saw Gath was more than an adequate woodsman, another fact that surprised her. But why would it? What did she really know about him, after all? Looking at his curly black hair from behind, she realized they had a long time to get to know one another, and she found herself fascinated in a way she suspected Mattak never would have intrigued her. Most of the boys she had ever met in her life, especially those in the College of Swords, were open books, ones she could read in minutes. But, then, she had never particularly cultivated any friends in the College of Sorcery, perhaps because she felt intimidated by their learning, and realized she would never be able to talk to them or relate to them. She wondered, now, if they were intimidated by her size and strength. Still, she had done fairly well relating to Gath, if he had told her the truth, and she suspected he had told her the truth, that they made a great team. Gath was like a tangle of layers upon layers that might prove impossible to unravel. Yet now they had completed their Quest, and had the rest of their lives to begin living together and getting to know one another. For the first time since graduation, she realized that looked forward to that.

Evening fell, and the made camp in a small clearing well back from the southward road. They had steered completely east of Pollar, and had met up with the north-south road at a crossroads Euris vaguely remembered from the trip north. They had come a long way, making much better time with their horses than they had on foot, once they were out of the dense trees. Gath had still not shown any signs of opening up, and they ate mostly in silence. The saddlebags had been filled with some fresh food by the elves, and Euris enjoyed it immensely. She halfway joked to Gath that after eating such good food, no wonder he wanted to go back to the elves again, but that opening went nowhere. In fact, Gath had little more than a bite of food, and did not seem interested in eating at all. Euris decided to let him go, and to try to draw him out the next day if he had not done it on his own.

Euris woke up sometime in the night, and saw Gath had never gone to sleep but was still sitting staring into the darkness. The moon was bright, and it illuminated his face, which looked drawn and worried. Concerned, she went over to him and put an arm around him, drawing his head down to her shoulder. He did not resist, but sank against her.

“From the first time I saw you at graduation,” Euris whispered, “you looked like you were determined to accomplish something. I thought it was our Quest, at first, but after going to Arbor-Sanctuary, I don’t think the Book of Ages had anything to do with it. What was all this really about?”

Gath said in a low and measured voice, “I said I wasn’t always an apprentice. That’s true.” He slowly looked around, and then began to talk freely. “I was an orphan in the Morranreach. Living hand to mouth, stealing, and so forth. Earning money occasionally doing odd jobs in the villages along here. But my luck ran out one winter, and I was chased from a town, a little bit northwest of Pollar, for getting caught stealing from the city coffers. I was alone in the snow, and going deeper into the forest where no one would pursue me, starving. Then along came Alisiri. She was really young, and had snuck away from Arbor-Sanctuary to explore the woods. Definitely a dangerous thing. If humans had seen her, who knows what would have happened? But she put her cloak around me, and fed me. Neither of us understood the other. Naturally her parents were coming to look for her! And she was too young to know the full woodcraft of the elves, and her trail must have been easy for them to follow. They came upon us in the woods while I was still eating. Somehow she talked them into letting me go. I moved on, and found a new town where I could be a scullion and spit-tender at an inn. That was when my Master found me. An ash-shoveling waif wearing a dirty, tattered elven cloak that was getting too small for me. I told him the same story, and he said it was so unbelievable that it had to be true. He decided to make me an apprentice. He took me back to the Gray Tower and began to teach me. I was a quick learner, and soon made up for my lost childhood there. I was hungry to study.

“You have only seen me after the wasting sickness began. I wasn’t always like this, but it began a year or so ago. Probably that is why you have not seen me around the College, because I stayed in the Tower, conserving my strength for this Quest. And I almost had enough. Almost. But I was a scrappy fighter, back when I was on my own, because I had to be to survive. I wasn’t strong, but I was quick and sneaky. When I went to the College my Master had me taught some about fencing, but I wasn’t very good. My Master always loved elves, and wanted to visit them. He knew I had an elf-cloak, and would at least not be shot on sight.

“I still had that old, tattered cloak, almost three years later. It was my only link to Alisiri, the person who saved me from dying in the snow. I took my Master back up the trail we just came down, and we were captured, but the cloak and my Master’s pendant were enough to get us taken to the earlking instead of being shot. Again, Alisiri interceded for me. She recognized me! How I must have grown, those years at the College, eating regularly and all. But she did. We stayed a summer there in Arbor-Sanctuary, learning the elvish language and exploring their archives of lore and wisdom passed down from ancient times. That was the happiest time of my life: Alisiri has been the greatest friend I ever had, well, other than you, now. We would stay up all night looking at the stars, talking. Some of the other elves would join us, but she and I had something deeper. When the summer ended, I left with a heavy heart, leaving behind my best friend in the world. That summer was the happiest time in my life.

“The next year, my wasting sickness began. No one really knows what it is, but I have times when I’m so weak I can barely stand, and other times I feel strong, like I used to. The times of weakness were getting closer and closer together right before graduation. I dreamed of seeing Alisiri one more time. You know? I just wanted to see her one more time. I knew I didn’t have long left, but this Quest gave me the chance. My Master knew of the legend of the Book of Ages, so he conceived of the Special Quest, which just happened to take me right next door to Arbor-Sanctuary. I never meant to flee there; I was going to tell you this when we finished the Quest, and went back to Pollar without the Book of Ages.

“We found the book; I did not even consider finding it. The Book of Ages was merely an excuse for a kindly Master to grant a dying apprentice one last wish. Now I’ve seen her, and said farewell, and now I can close that part of my life. I only ask that you keep this our secret, though, because no one else needs to know. Alisiri and I have our secrets which I will take to the grave and which she will take beyond human memory.”

Euris felt his frailness in her strong arms, and said, solemnly, “I promise, of course. I will never mention this to anyone. But what do you mean you are dying?” A creeping dread shivered through her, and she felt a keen sense of almost indescribable loss.

Gath signed softly, as if in resignation. “There is no cure for this wasting. Sooner or later, I will be too weak and can’t eat, and the end will come. Oh, but hopefully not for a while,” and his voice perked up, “because we actually did find the Book of Ages. I did not expect that at all, to be honest. My Master and I had merely rumors to go on, hints and oblique suggestions, and that was all I had to go on. I suppose the Quest itself gave me the strength to keep going for a while; but I feel much weaker now. I think my life is closer to the end than ever, and I doubt I’ll ever finish the translation and commentary of the Book of Ages that I’d so love to do. But that would be years of boredom for you.”

Euris almost choked. “No, not at all,” Euris said, stroking his hair, losing her fingers in the black curls, feeling his warmth against her. “I’d love to stay at the College while you finished your work. My life there was so complete and comfortable. I would love for it to go on forever.” She could see and feel that life at the college, so much so that it hurt her in its immediacy and impossibility. “We’ll live there as long as we can, and make our life as good as it can be, I promise. I’ll take care of you. I promise you I’ll be your Protector forever.” She trailed off in a whisper.

Gath chuckled quietly as he sat in her arms. “And you should know that Alisiri is no threat, to you or to anyone; human lives are barely a season for an elf, and she would never feel anything but a passing friendship for me. I’m afraid you’re going to be stuck with me for the rest of our lives.”

“I want that,” Euris whispered, mostly to herself. A welling of longing arose in her, for the life she imagined, at the College. She could not exactly picture what that life would be, other than the quiet days of Gath writing, and them going for long walks in the cool evening air along paths covered in the autumn leaves, and perhaps meals at the Knob.

After a while of sitting quietly together, Gath got up and stood, looking at the stars.

“Shouldn’t you get some sleep?” she asked him.

She could see a sad smile in the thin, pale moonlight that fell upon Gath’s face. “My sleep will come soon enough. Get your rest. We’re on civilized roads, now, so we can make good time back to the Gray Tower.” Euris did sleep again that night, dreaming of sitting by Gath in front of the fire in the Gray Tower, drinking elvish tea. She dreamed of the Book of Ages, and another book, a larger one, with its translation.

The next few days fell into a blur without much talk and with much hard riding. Gath began to be impatient, and irritable, and urged them onward at a pace she was surprised he could sustain himself. She had little eye for the lands they rode through, and instead watched Gath as he began to slump more in the saddle each day. He ate less and less, and began to drink only the thick elvish tea she made every night at their fire. Somehow, the elves had measured out just enough to last them on their trip back to the Gray Tower. Gath would not allow them to slow down, even when Euris argued with him about the pace he was setting, and he seemed to be racing against something, perhaps time, to get back to the Gray Tower.

Late one afternoon, the road became extremely familiar, and Euris recognized every turn, every hill, and every building. They were back in the precincts of the capital, the outlying lands, which were familiar to her. Home! Gath slumped, and had a grip on the pommel of his saddle as if he was barely holding on. By the time they finally rode under the gates of the College of Sorcery Euris had to wonder if he was still conscious. She had taken the leads of his horse, and guided them, as Gath’s head rolled and his eyes stayed closed.

From day one, Armsmaster Fallir had drilled into them that their horses were their responsibility, and before he would allow them to pick up a weapon, he made them learn to care for their mounts. Now, Euris gave both horses to the College’s ostler, the only time in her life she had ever not unsaddled and cared for her horse personally. The horse seemed surprised at the treatment, and she gave it a pat to reassure it. Gath got down out of his saddle, but seemed to be unable to stand on his own feet without clutching the saddle. She realized that all pretense of him walking on his own was gone, and she carried him to the Gray Tower in her arms. She had to knock on the gigantic wooden door, since she had no way in and Gath was completely unconscious. Master Aeral opened the door after a moment, and a look of worry crossed his face as soon as he saw her standing there, holding Gath. He drew her into the Gray Tower, and told her to take Gath up to his room.

Gath’s room was simple and austere, with only a bed and a chest along one wall, and a writing desk and bookcase along the other. One side of the room had a fireplace, and the other a window that looked down upon the lawn. She laid Gath down gently on his own bed, and took off his boots, and pulled his blanket up around him. He had still not awoken. After arranging Gath comfortably, she went downstairs to ask his Master what they could do.

Downstairs, the Master of the Gray Tower sat in his large leather chair, staring into the fire, looking older than Euris had remembered. He gently told her to sit down, and she was surprised to find the loveseat had been cleared of books and papers. “He won’t get back up again,” Master Aeral told her as gently as he could. The old man looked even more worn and frail since they had come back. “This is the final stage. I’m sorry. I know this is a shock to you. But his life is ebbing now.”

“No, he’s just tired,” Euris protested. “He needs rest.” She tried to believe that. It was a hard journey, and Gath had been exhausted to begin with. Surely he only needed rest. Then he would get better, as he had before, and they would have plenty of time. Plenty of time.

The Master was quiet for a moment, his thoughts lost behind cloudy eyes and thick, white eyebrows. Then, he spoke: “Indeed he does, he needs rest beyond rest, but he will not wake up from the rest he needs. Be there when he awakens, Protector. I’m sure he would want his last moments to be with his Protector.” The Master talked in a singsong voice, as if he was thinking of another time, long ago, and another Protector. “Go to him.”

Euris mounted the steps and went quietly into Gath’s room, so as not to disturb him, but he had already awakened from his fitful sleep. She pulled the chair up beside his bed, and held his hand. Gath spoke to her weakly, “I’m sorry. I was fortunate beyond my wildest dreams to have you as a Protector, but now we won’t get to have the life together we wanted.” His eyes caught hers, and she stared into the inky depths, memorizing him, feeling his warm, sweaty hand.

“Shhhhh,” she said, placing a cool hand on his forehead. “It’s okay, we’ll worry about that later. Just rest and get your strength back now. The journey took a lot out of you.” She arranged his hair and the covers, then stood by the window. Below, lights came on and the night life of the Colleges unfolded after all the day’s studies. She heard distant shouts and other voices, as people ebbed and swirled through the lawn.

Gath drifted in and out of sleep. When he was awake, Euris went to him, holding his hand, kissing his forehead. She wanted to experience every moment she could have with him. When he drifted off to sleep, she would go back to the window. As the night progressed, lights began to go out all though the city.

Much later on, Gath woke up again. He whispered in a raspy voice, “I’m so cold.” Euris sat down beside him and held his hand tenderly. The hours passed slowly as the moonlight changed patterns on the stone walls and the fire crackled. He looked into her eyes one last time, and then she knew that he was no longer there. She stroked his hair one last time, and sat on the chair, hugging herself.

The morning sun poked its light into the room. Gath had departed his life, but his form was still in the bed. Euris did not notice her stiffness or how tired she was. She got up and stood by Gath’s window in the Gray Tower, looking down on the lawn which had been so central to most of her life, which Gath would never see again. She had fulfilled her duty as a Protector, guarding the life of her charge to its very end. Still, she felt empty, as if robbed of something most precious. The emptiness welled up inside of her until she thought she would be swallowed.

On to ... Chapter Ten: Decision