Callen walked with the border guards towards the main camp. They walked until they saw others on horseback coming towards them. Lien was at the head of the second group, conducting a search for Ky who’d been missing for over a week. Lien had been searching for him since his return from the City. As Lien’s group approached he couldn’t believe the sight of Callen and he kicked his horse into a gallop. When he neared, he pulled up sharply and jumped from his saddle to run, flinging his arms around the young man with all the warmth and sincerity of any father welcoming home a wayward son.
Callen was given food and water before Lien felt comfortable enough to find some privacy to speak alone.
“I didn’t know. When you left, I went to the Elders to tell them what had happened. I’m ashamed to say I was more worried about Eve than anything else, but I had no idea about any of it. Gerda asked me to come with her. When I found out where we were going, I was shocked.”
“I believe you,” Callen said.
Callen’s forgiveness brought relief to Lien.
“I know one person who’ll be pleased to see you,” Lien said trying to raise Callen’s spirits. Callen hardly moved. His head stayed still and he never once looked up from the ground.
“Ky’s dead,” he said softly in confession. Lien’s distress was evident, as he asked for details. The two sat for almost an hour as Callen retold the events that led to Ky’s death. As far as Lien was concerned, it was something brought about by Ky and the city, not by Callen’s journey. Ky had made his decisions and had paid the ultimate price. Callen appreciated everything Lien was saying, but he was a long way from forgiving himself for a trip he considered a failure. The fact that Ky lost his life as a result only compounded his guilt.
“You have nothing to feel guilty about,” Lien assured him. Callen wasn’t convinced.
“I thought I’d be making a name for myself,” Callen almost whispered, finally admitting his darker motives out loud. “That’s why I did it. I mean, good if I can help people, but I was going to be rich and famous and live exactly the life that causes all these problems.”
“You’re not the first person to be ambitious.”
“Would you be saying that if Eve was the one who died?”
Lien looked to Callen. They both knew the answer to that. Lien paused then tried to find a positive spin.
“She’s fine and so are you. Learn from it. Move on. It takes a long time to unlearn what we learn as children. It’s especially hard when it comes from people we trust and respect, but there isn’t a better place to do it than here.”
Hours later the large wooden gates to the camp swung open as Lien’s party returned from their search. Within the camp, heads turned in astonishment to Callen’s presence. Lien and Callen dismounted and ran towards the opening that led down to the main building at the camp’s centre. They entered and passed quickly through to Lien’s office, coming to a halt at the door to Eve’s room. Lien gently knocked as Callen bounced from foot to foot in anticipation.
“Sweetheart, it’s me,” Lien said, trying to sound as comforting as he could. There was no reply.
“Can I come in?”
“Did you find Ky?” a timid, wavering voice asked. Lien turned the handle, opening the door. He could see his daughter lying on her bed, her face away from him. She hadn’t moved for days, lost in a haze of grief and despair.
“No. We didn’t find Ky,” Lien said.
“He found me,” Callen called out, unable to restrain himself any longer. Eve spun around at the sound of his voice, a look of astonishment on her face. It was the first time since her return her head hadn’t been buried in her pillow crying. Her eyes snapped back to their usual bright, lively sparkle that Lien knew so well.
“Callen!” she screamed, jumping from the bed and throwing herself into Callen’s arms. They kissed, then hugged, then kissed again with total disregard for Lien who, for once, found himself happy to see them embrace. Lien slowly backed out of the room, closing the door on the young couple to give them some privacy to begin their new lives together.