Chapter 50: No Good at Goodbyes

Despite being nearly out of breath, Nienna kept up her sprinting pace as she jumped over what was left of a door laying on the frozen path. The cables looped around her shoulder started to slip, but she hoisted them back up and continued running toward the northern side of Deep and Troubled Waters. She had just finished speaking with Deep Song. The kodan Voice was skeptical of Nienna’s plan and not thrilled about the idea of using her people and their home as the focus of the battle. In fact, she thought Deep Song was going to bite her head off after hearing her plan, but Nienna assured her people would be there fighting along-side them. They would not dare abandon the kodan at such a desperate time, and this effort was for them all. If the Byrnes were to continue on, the threat would grow, and more lives would be taken: human and kodan alike.  

There was a spot near the back of the sanctuary where they could dump the cables without being seen by their enemies. Tuborg was already there connecting the previous cable to the one he had carried in. He twisted the outer ring until he heard a click then tossed most of the bundle overboard while holding onto the other end.

“You think it’ll be enough?” he asked as he handed her the end of his cable.

Nienna dropped her coil of cable on the ground and grabbed the end of Tuborg’s to connect to hers. It took her a minute to get them to connect, but they eventually clicked together. She dropped the bundle onto the iced-over wooden deck. “We need it to at least reach Alena’s ring at the edge of the floe. It may be close, but I think we’ll make it. We have to. Danae doesn’t have any more cable on the Raven.”

“Then it has to work, simple as that,” he replied.

Nienna had expected him to leave to go get another cable, but he just stood there looking awkwardly at her.

“What is it?” she asked, eying him. By the way he avoided her eye contact and fussed with the end of the cable, she could tell he was nervous.

“There’s something I need to tell you. Something—I saw,” he replied.

Nienna furrowed her brow in concern. “What did you see?”

He opened his mouth to speak but paused before trying again. “It’s—I can’t explain it really. It’s just a feeling—and an image.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have to let her go with you.”

Nienna’s face twisted in confusion. “I don’t—what do you mean? Who has to go with me?”

“Seren.”

She recoiled, her eyes growing wide. “No, absolutely not. I can’t take her.”

“I know it doesn’t make any sense, but she has to go, otherwise, it won’t work,” he insisted.

“What won’t work?”

“I…I…,” Tuborg tried to explain, but he couldn’t find a way to explain the visions his Wyld Hunt had presented him. “I don’t know exactly, but the light and the dark need to be together when the blade is whole again.”

Nienna stared at Tuborg, unsure of what to say. She shook her head. “Absolutely not. I can’t and I won’t risk her life bringing her with me.”

The sylvari’s verdant bark started to pale. “But she has to go. The flames, the light…if she’s not there, it can’t happen.”

She didn’t know what to say. His explanation was so cryptic. She didn’t want to disappoint him. “It’s not happening, I’m sorry. End of discussion.”

She left him behind, standing there with his mouth agape, as she ran for another cable. She hated leaving their conversation with such an abrupt end, but there was no time to argue and certainly no time to figure out cryptic visions. She had a plan, and she had to stick to it. Should couldn’t let anything or anyone deviate her from what she had to do.

On her way back for the next cable, Nienna ran into Dee. The norn had been jogging her way with a bundle slung over her shoulder. As they met, she stopped and handed her the precious cargo with the two Eternal Blade pieces packed inside. “Jumping into an experimental portal is practical?”

Nienna shrugged and made a face. “Seemed that way in my head.”

“I’m startin’ to wonder if that cocoon of yours changed more than your hair.”

She flashed Dee a smirk, and the two started to part, but then Nienna paused. “Dee, wait.”

She stopped and turned around. “What is it?”

“While I’m gone, you and Falee are in charge, like always. Watch their backs, okay? Especially Seren. She’s been through a lot. And don’t forget what I said outside of Hoelbrak, okay? Lions Arch. Xunlai agent Amal Price. It’s all set up.”

Dee furrowed her brow, wrinkling the dark tattoo over her eyes. “I remember. Anyways, it’s just until you’re back, of course. We don’t have to worry about that other stuff.”

Nienna managed a smile, even though it was a little sad. “Right.” She wanted to stay and continue the lighthearted exchange, but she forced herself to turn away from her friend and continue on along the frozen path. She told herself it was better this way.

On her way back to the Raven for another cable, Nienna stopped by the leaning shack to check on Quint. She stepped inside and let her eyes adjust to the dim light cast by the warming braziers. Her former adviser was alone, sitting on the edge of a makeshift cot and pulling on his leather coat. He looked up at her and smirked as he touched the bandage on his head to make sure it was secured in place.

“Thanks for pulling me from the water,” he said. “I can’t believe I got taken out by a piece of wood.”

“It happens to the best of us,” she replied with a grin. A loud cacophony of voices and weapons rose up from outside before dying down again. Her grin fell. For a brief moment, she had managed to escape reality, but the ongoing skirmish unfolding outside the sanctuary destroyed the illusion that everything was okay.

Quint looked past her and through the doorway. “They’re coming?” he asked.

Nienna nodded.

“And the plan?”

She quickly filled him in on what they were doing.

“Well,” Quint started to say as he ran his fingers through his greying hair, “you’ve all been busy while I’m out.”

“No rest for the weary. Speaking of which, I need to go and get another cable. Are you feeling okay to be on your feet to help out?”

He nodded and pushed himself off the cot and stood up. If it wasn’t for the bandage, Nienna wouldn’t have been able to tell he had been injured at all.

“I’ll be fine. What do you need me to do?” he asked.

“You still good with a bow?”

He smirked. “It’s been a while, but I still think I can hit my mark.”

“Good. Clarkus and the kodan could use your help out on the bow to keep the mercenaries at bay.”

“You got it.”

Nienna meant to leave, but she couldn’t bring herself to turn away. She just stood there and stared at him, committing every detail to memory. When she didn’t leave, Quint flashed her a curious glance.

“What is it?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. Just glad you’re okay.”

“For now, at least. Who’s to say how much time I have left in my hourglass.”

“Enjoy it while you can.”

An unsettled look came over his face. “Please don’t tell me you’re still going through with it.”

“This has to end,” she replied, somberly. She looked down at the frozen floor. “You know as well as I do that it’s the only possible option I have.”

He shook his head and crossed the space between them. “I-I know I’m the one who gave you that parchment. Believe me when I say I didn’t want to. I wanted to hold onto it, but it just didn’t feel right. There has to be something else. You just got a second chance at life after surviving gods knows whatever that was.”

“You don’t think I see the irony in this?” She offered him a sad smile. “I want nothing more than to stay, but I will do whatever has to be done to keep you all safe.”

“If we just had a little more time to find something else,” he offered.

“We don’t have it.” As if making her point, a chorus of rifles rang out from the eastern side of Deep and Troubled Waters. “It is what it is. The others don’t know, do they? You haven’t told them?”

He shook his head. “No, they don’t know, and they’ve been so distracted with everything that not even Alena has been able to give it more thought.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way. I’m no good at good-byes anyway.”

Quint reached out, offering his hand. Nienna looked at it for a moment before taking it in hers.

“It’s been a pleasure, Commander Valar,” he said.

She looked up at him and managed a smile despite the tears filling her eyes. She sniffed and forced them to stay at bay. “Likewise, Mr. Blackwell.” She could feel her chin start to quiver as the reality of the future awaiting her made its presence known once again. Letting go of his hand, Nienna tried her best to compose herself, taking in a breath and letting it out slowly.

Voices rose from outside, and both Nienna and Quint stepped out to see what was the matter. They were nearly run over by Clarkus and Jakob who sped by with bundles of cables hoisted up on their shoulders. Nienna watched them go, taking a mental count that now totaled the length they needed. Nearby was the chamber her parents had voluntarily locked themselves in. Dee had joined a pair of kodan guards in bracing the door as it rattled and shook against its hinges. The norn looked over her shoulder at the approaching pair and grimaced.

“They’ve gotten pretty active in there,” she said between clenched teeth. “Are they going to be okay?”

Quint looked over at Nienna, who was growing increasingly anxious at the sight. “We’ll take care of this. You need to get going.”

Nienna stared at the rattling door. “They should know. Will you tell them?”

“I’ll tell them,” he promised.

Nienna looked up at him. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

She hated leaving her parents without saying good-bye, especially after having to lock them away, but their behavior now made her feel justified in her decision. If she could just get Lord Byrne and his cursed blade far enough away, it would ease their suffering. She offered Quint a silent nod and forced herself to traverse the frozen paths to the predetermined spot where she was to meet up with her aquatic contact.

A rounded head poked itself up from the surface of the water and blinked its large eyes. “OoooOOOooo, you made it. We connected the last cable and stuck the pokey things under the ice where the smart asura told us to.”

“Thank you. We certainly owe you one.” Swinging her legs over the rail, Nienna retrieved the diving mask from her belt and jumped into the water.

***

Seren marched along the frozen paths, looking one way then another and grumbling when she didn’t see who she was looking for. She turned a corner and saw Tuborg looking out over the water. “Where is she?” Seren demanded.

He looked over at the young guarding storming his way and swallowed hard. “Who?” he asked, his voice wavering.

Seren narrowed her eyes. “You know who I’m talking about. She just up and disappeared without a word. I know she’s up to something.”

Tuborg remembered Nienna’s rejection of what he had seen. His vision clung to him so tightly, he couldn’t ignore it, and now Seren had found him while searching for Nienna. It was as if his vision was starting to unfold in front of his very eyes, despite his desire to honor Nienna’s request that Seren have no part in it.

“I-I, uh,” he stammered, not sure what to do.

She cocked her head to the side and placed her hands firmly on her hips. “Where is Nienna, Tuborg?”

Torn between betraying Nienna or his vision, Tuborg finally decided it was better to act now and ask for forgiveness later, if that meant he was following his path. His thorny whiskers flexed as he flashed Seren an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. She was just trying to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” she asked, her cheeks starting to flush from the anger and frustration brewing inside.

He shrugged.

“I didn’t go through the business of being a hostage and then being rescued just to be pushed aside. I’m not going to let her do this by herself. Please just point me in a direction.”

Tuborg reluctantly raised his hand and pointed at the cable in the water. Seren looked over the edge, and not wasting a single second, jumped over the rail and into the water. The sylvari closed his eyes, uttering a silent prayer to the Pale Tree that Nienna’s retribution for going against her wishes would not be as harsh as he imagined it to be.

The loud sound of cracking and splitting wood rang out through the sanctuary as another catapult load made its mark, covering the sound of a second splash in the waters below.