Page 122 of A Tale of Ice and Ash
“Onyx…”
“Sacrifice is a strange thing, you know. It’s utterly selfless selfishness. In the moment, it’s the right thing to do, but honestly, it’s easy to be brave for a moment. It’s easy to die. It’s the people that love you that pay the real price.”
“Why didn’t any of that go through your mind when you came down here,alone?”
“Who said it didn’t?” He sighed. “It did. It was just a lot clearer when I thought it might be you paying the price.”
Eirwen stilled, the weight of his words toppling over her.
“Ah,” he groaned. “Look at me. I resolve one issue that’s haunted me for centuries and I get all sentimental. I must be getting old.” He rolled over in his pallet, pulling up the furs around him. A few minutes ticked by in silence. “Eira?”
“Yes?”
“I’ll do my best not to do anything self-sacrificing in the next few decades, because I’m rather invested in watching you grow up, but… I really don’t want to have to watch you die. It’s not the right way around.”
Eirwen smiled. “Yes, Da,” she said.
∞∞∞
They returned to the camp before midday the following morning. Garnet and the twins raced out to greet them. Onyx hugged both of his children before flinging them towards Eirwen, marching up to his wife, and yanking her into his arms. He kissed her so deeply that, for a second, their faces seemed to morph together.
“Jasper’s dead,” he told her. “I killed him myself. The underground is free of him.”
Garnet swallowed. “I want to punch you for leaving,” she said. “But I won’t, because I’m too happy to see you. But if you ever do anything so reckless again–”
“No next time,” he said, his hands on her cheeks, “I promise.”
“Good,” she said, and punched him.
Onyx swore, clutching his nose. “Dammit, woman, I already said I was sorry!”
“No, you didn’t!”
“You said you wouldn’t punch me!”
“I changed my mind.”
“Damn,” said Cole, “why didn’t we bringherinto the Underground? I reckon she could have given the shades a run for their money.”
Wren clapped him on the back, moving towards the weapons tent to unpack. “Wouldn’t be fair to the shades. They wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Garnet turned her attention to Eirwen, wrapping her in a hug. “Anyone see Wistal on your travels?”
“No, why?”
“Haven’t seen him for a while. He said he was going back to the city but we thought maybe he went after you.”
Eirwen shook her head. “Must still be back in the city.”
“Must be.” Garnet patted her cheek. “Are you all right, dear? You look different.”
Eirwen’s cheeks prickled. She hoped she wasn’t blushing.
Garnet grinned. “Well, you look healthy enough, but you’re covered in muck. Take a seat by the fire for an hour, pet. I’ll boil up some water for a wash.”
∞∞∞
Eirwen wasn’t quite sure how she spent the next hour as Garnet filled a bathtub for her. People must have spoken to her. Food was pressed into her hands. But her mind was a strange, blurrish whir. She kept thinking of the Mirror, of what she had yet to face, of the absolute ruin of the dwarven underground being caused by one man’s ambitions, of a power she was desperately trying to seize and didn’t want, not at all.
