Chapter 54 Just Get Across The River

• The night drags on, heavy with anticipation as we wait for the soldiers to arrive. Mother and Father don’t let go of each other for much more than a moment. When they aren’t holding each other, they’re simply gazing at each other. Mother looks at Father like he’s the most precious thing in the world, which is probably true after all these years apart. Father looks like a starving man who’s been offered a buffet. For their sake, I wish I could just tell them to go back home and let us take care of the threat. They will never leave, though. As travel-weary as Father must be, he stays up all night, watching and waiting with us.
• The first light of dawn creeps over the horizon, bathing the riverbank in a soft glow. The night felt like an eternity, but the sun brings little relief. Father told us a bit of Kieran’s plan, and we know the army will be coming soon. We just don’t know when. And I don’t know where Kieran is in all of it. Is he safe? Is he even alive? If his father has gotten even a whif of his plan, he’ll be running for his life, just as Father was.
• The morning dew settles, and everyone is back in position, watching the horizon for any sign of a disturbance. The pale sun begins to rise, but a dense fog settles over the river, so thick that we can barely see over the water. I command it away, giving us a clear line of vision. My heart beats at a steady, eager pace until I hear the voice I’ve so dearly missed.