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She couldn’t stop staring at it. Rayla knew they should be getting out of there, figuring out the next steps, but she just couldn’t help it.
The darkness was oppressive in the middle of the Sea of the Castout, the shine of the moon barely piercing the fog. Bait - and the baitlings - were the only source of light, although it was not enough to clear more than a few feet over the small boat. That made it even harder to ignore the pearl, ominously sitting in Ezran’s lap as if it was harmless. As if it didn’t contain the most dangerous being in their world, as if they didn’t risk everything to find it first.
She didn’t realize she was shaking until Callum reached out, joining their hands together. His hands were warm, which made her think hers must be impossibly cold.
“So,” began Soren, breaking the air of suspense, “is that it? The almighty Aaravos, trapped in a pretty pearl?”
“That's what Domina Profundis told me.” Ezran was also staring at it, although not as cautiously as Rayla, if the way he was also petting Zym said anything. “She said his prison was inside a shell, far away from the reach of humans or elves.”
Callum sighed, now playing with her fingers. Her gaze finally snapped away, focused on how four fingers fitted so well between five.
“You don’t think she would happen to show up in these parts, right? We could use a ride back to Storm’s Spire.”
“Not likely, but we got to keep moving either way.” Rayla began reaching for the paddles, but Soren was already there, pushing them back to Sea Crabs.
She didn’t complain. Not when Callum’s hands found hers again so quickly.
********
She had given up on sleep long before reaching Sea Crabs, so while everyone went downstairs to find somewhere to spend the night, Rayla stayed on the deck. She opened her sleeping bag, but only because laying on it was better than laying on the hard wood, and by the time she got comfortable, Stella was fast asleep and snoring on her pillow. She had every right to be exhausted, the wee thing. If it wasn’t her newfound portal making abilities, who knows how things would have turned out. Claudia might have succeeded. She might’ve-
She might’ve still had a leg.
At the time, Rayla acted on pure instinct, but when she heard the girl’s scream - when she saw her desperately swimming to the surface, all the tentacles shifting back into place but one… She knew she shouldn’t be grieving, the lost member of her enemy, especially when she was trained to do much worse. And yet, she couldn't forget the sensation of her blades cutting through flesh.
“I could hear you thinking all the way below deck.” She jumped, and it was a testimony to how distracted she was that she didn’t hear Callum sneaking up on her. But as she saw his own sleeping bag under his arm, her heart began beating fast for another reason. “Any reason why you chose to freeze up here instead of coming downstairs?”
“I couldn't sleep.” She tracked his movements as he laid by her side, getting up on one elbow to look at her. “Too much going on, I guess. What do we do now? Where do we even go? I get going back to Storm’s Spire, but is it really a good idea to waltz around Xadia with that thing?”
“We waltzed around Xadian with a baby dragon and it turned out alright.” He tried a confident smile. She wanted to punch it. She also wanted to kiss it. He probably got the first part from her face, because it dropped soon enough. “Look, I’m lost too, but I guess we’ll just have to take it one step at a time. Villards and Nix will take us as far as they can, and then it will be a quick trip to the Spire. You’ll see.”
She turned to look at the stars, and he soon followed. It reminded her of when they were camping on the way to Lux Aurea, just a few weeks ago. It made her smile, and gave her enough bravado to reach for his hand again.
They stayed like this for a while, gazing at the constellations they taught each other. She almost thought Callum had fallen asleep when he broke the silence.
“Rayla, can I ask you something? You can say no, of course, and decide not to answer, you know I trust you no matter what and you can take all the time you want to-”
“Callum.”
“Yes.”
“Ask it.” He turned to look at her, green eyes wide. “If I don’t want to answer, I’ll let you know. But you can always ask it, whatever it is.”
She thought she heard him exhale, maybe in relief, maybe anticipation or even fear, and then-
“When did you come to Scumport before?”
Well. She supposed the question would come up eventually. Honestly, she was surprised no one had asked for more information sooner, but her travels looking for Viren weren’t nearly as exciting as everything going on now.
“Actually, it was just before going back to Katolis. Maybe two months ago, now?” Galarth, it felt like a life ago. “Do you want to hear about it?”
“I want to hear everything. Everything you’re comfortable sharing, that is.”
It was almost funny, listening to him say this. As if she wouldn’t give him anything he asked.
So, she told him. She talked about how, after searching everywhere and being to most parts of their continent, she heard about a place where criminals and thieves went to buy and sell, where there were plenty of opportunities if you had no morals and need for money. Where renegade elves and exiled humans lived side by side, a darkened success of the peace they were trying to build between their two people.
She talked about following clues of a dark mage, of asking questions and being turned away. Her voice caught when she got to Redfeather, the moonshadow elf that - like Rayla - was a Ghost. She told Callum of her advice, of her offer, and of the fighting pits, although she left out the real reason she got distracted in her last fight. When she finally got to the trade she intercepted at the beach, of the blood coral and the dark mage who was not Viren, the sky was beginning to lighten.
Callum remained quiet throughout it all, holding her hand and looking at the stars. From time to time, she could feel his body tensing next to hers, but he never tried to interrupt or say anything. After she finished, he continued like this, the silence between them heavy and light at the same time. Her heart was tense, her eyes never leaving his face while waiting for a reaction, any reaction, terrified of his disgust or hatred over her actions. But she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she didn’t know if it was because she had never had anyone other than Stella to tell about her travels, or because she always felt lighter when Callum was around.
Eventually, he turned to her, eyes locking together. Suddenly, she felt dumb. Of course, after hearing all of this, Callum would somehow show only worry.
“Fighting pits? It sounds like people being excited over guts being spilled and brains leaking from noses.”
“You make it sound barbaric.”
“And isn’t it?” She thought of the Sunfire elf being dragged away, of the nasty bruise in her stomach that took so long to heal. In the end, her silence spoke for her.
Callum was still looking at her, the creases of worry in his face more visible as the sun began to rise. He looked down, then laid on his back again. Rayla followed, and when he talked again, still not meeting her eyes, it felt like a confession.
“When you were gone… I was terrified that you were hurt. That you were somewhere, hurting, alone.”
Her heart stopped. For a moment, she couldn’t breath, but then she pulled air in again and it was like she was doing it for the first time. Everything was sharper, clearer. And she gave a confession of her own.
“I heard your voice.”
Finally, he looked at her.
“When I was traveling. So many times, I heard your voice.” She couldn’t look away from him. “Eventually, it was what made me go home.”
She had no idea where they would go from here. But she was sure as hell never leaving his side again.
Home. That sounded about right.