A Land Of Fire (Book 12) by Morgan Rice Page A

died,” she replied.
    She embraced him again, and he held her
tight. It felt surreal to feel her in the flesh, to smell her scent, to feel
the fabric of her clothes. For so long she’d been a fantasy in his mind, and he
didn’t know if he would ever return to her.
    Thor was suddenly struck by another
thought.
    “And Guwayne?” he asked.
    He felt Gwen tightening up in his arms,
and she pulled back, and his heart fell as he saw her face become drawn, pained,
her eyes downcast.
    She did not reply, but instead slowly
and sadly shook her head, tears dripping down her face,
    “What has happened?” Thor asked, worried.
    Gwen burst into tears, crying for a long
time, and Thor did not know what to say. His heart was pounding as he waited
for her response. Was his son alive?
    “The island was under attack,” Gwen
finally managed to say between tears. “I was certain we would all die. I wanted
to spare Guwayne our fate. So I sent him alone, into the sea. In his own boat.”
    Thor gasped, shocked, as Gwen wept.
    “I’m so sorry,” she said. “So, so sorry.”
    Thor leaned in and hugged her, holding
her tight, rocking her, reassuring her.
    “You did what was right,” he said. “You
cannot punish yourself. It was indeed likely you would have died—as many of our
people have died.”
    Gwendolyn slowly calmed, and stared into
his eyes.
    “We must find him,” she said. “I will
find him or die trying.”
    Thor nodded in understanding.
    “He will return to us,” he said. “What
is ours cannot be taken from us.”
    Gwen searched Thor’s eyes with a glimmer
of hope.
    “Mycoples?” she asked, tentative.
“Ralibar? Can they help?”
    It was Thor’s turn to shake his head
sadly.
    “I’m sorry, my love,” he said. “I alone
survived.”
    Fresh tears rolled down her face, but
she nodded, stoic.
    “I sensed as much,” she said. “I could
feel it, in my heart, in my dreams. I could feel Ralibar trying to talk to me.
I loved them dearly.”
    “So did I,” Thorgrin said.
    A long silence fell over the room, as
they both stared into space, lost in memories, lost in sorrow.
    “And then how shall we find Guwayne, without
a dragon to comb the seas?” Gwen asked.
    Thor thought for a moment, reflecting, and
a new purpose arose within him. He recalled his mother’s words, and he sensed
that what lay ahead of him would be the greatest quest of his life. It would be
a quest of greater importance than his search for the Destiny Sword, greater
even than his search for his mother. It would be more important than his own
life itself.
    “I shall find him,” Thor said. “Without
the aid of a dragon. Without the aid of anyone but myself. I will take a boat,
and I will embark to search for him right away.”
    “I already tried,” Gwen said, shaking
her head. “I feel certain he headed north. There is no land there, nothing on
any map. To lead our people there would be to kill them all. They need
provisions desperately. I tried it once, and I cannot do it again.”
    “I understand,” Thor answered. “But I
can.”
    Gwen looked at him, hope rising in her
eyes.
    “You lead our people to a new land, to safety.
Wherever that may be. And I shall find Guwayne.”
    Gwen looked pained again.
    “I hate the thought of parting from you
again. Not for anything,” she said. “But for our son…it must be done.”
    They both looked at each other and came
to a silent agreement to part ways, and Gwen reached out and took his hand.
They stood and faced each other.
    “Are you ready to greet our people?” she
asked.
    Gwen led him up the stairs from the
cabin, and Thor squinted at the harsh daylight as they came above board.
    Thor was surprised to see hundreds of
his fellow people waiting there to greet him, looking at him like a hero risen from
the ashes. Thor saw in their eyes such love and admiration, as if they were witnessing
the emergence of a God.
    They all rushed forward, and Thor
embraced them, one after the next, his heart