k_a_webb | The World Walkers: Athare: Frane: An Uncomfortable Landing (part 3) (Reply)

Frane studied Leolin. “How old were you when you started?”

Leolin smiled. “Sixteen, I think. I’d been travelling before that, but it wasn’t until I was sixteen that I started really looking for her, because that’s when I found that I had a connection to Athare. Athare is the reason I’m here, actually, so I could be here for someone who’d need me, and, even though I should have known better, I didn’t believe her. No one has ever willingly travelled to one of the other continents of Athare. Stupidly it never crossed my mind that you might be travelling here unwillingly.”

“It was a mix of both, really.” Frane found himself smiling back. “I stepped through the door willingly, but coming here…” He looked around. “This definitely isn’t somewhere I would have come if I had a choice.”
“The first time I found myself here I felt the same way, but it’s nice here.” Leolin removed his arm from around Frane’s waist, but stayed close, and that was something Frane was immensely grateful for. “You get used to the quiet and the ghost towns are fascinating.” Leolin bit his lip. “Emrys was here once.”

“How do you know that?”

“He left his journals here. I’ve read through some of them, but there are so many of them, and Athare told me that he comes back here every so often to leave another one. They’re copies, just in case something happens to the originals, that he wanted me to see, because he knew about me before I was even born… or, at least, he knew I was a possibility. If it hadn’t been me there would be another someone travelling the worlds, doing their best to learn about all the doors.” Leolin shrugged. “He seems to be happy that it’s me, even though I’ve never met him.”

“You’ll probably meet him in the future.”

“Probably.” Leolin looked at Frane. “Do you think you can walk?”

“Maybe. I’ve never know a door journey to be that turbulent.”

“With so many people using it the door was trying to send you all to where it thought you should be and that would have been difficult for it. They aren’t meant to be used by that many people, especially not when they’re only temporary, but considering the circumstances it does seem to be the only option that you all had. I’m not surprised that you’re the only person to end up here, although I’m not certain why it’s you.”
“Do you really believe there’s a reason for everything?”

“After spending so much of my time talking to Athare I can’t not believe it. She spends so much of her time planning everything out to make certain that the right people are in the right place at the right time that I know there’s a reason for most things.”

“Including the disappearance of your sister?”

“Yes, even that.” Leolin sighed. “Athare hasn’t told me what it is or if I’ll ever meet her again, but I accept that my sister had to go somewhere else, because she wasn’t in the right place or the right time. It’s one or the other.”

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.