Danger's Pull

Finn's speed picked up as she ran. It was difficult; the crowd was instinctively beginning to flee what were now clearly screams, and Finn had to push her way through. 

Still, she caught up to the General before he left the square. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. 

"What qualifies you to come?" He asked. 

"I am an honorary member of the military, remember?" She asked, a little cheekily. The joke didn't land, and the General frowned at her. 

"Then you are under my command, and I can command you to go home." 

"Please don't. You know I can be useful at the strangest times." She asserted. 

"Your babies…" He looked backward. 

"Are well guarded." She finished. 

He squinted at her, but nodded. Reaching down, he pulled a dagger from his boot and handed it to her. 

"I doubt you'll be able to do a thing with it, but it's better than nothing," He muttered. 

"Thank you," She said, holding it a little awkwardly. He was right that she wouldn't be too much better with it than without it, but she appreciated the sentiment. 

Their conversation fell away as the sounds of screams came closer. People were running away at an alarming pace now. 

A soldier ran up and saluted the General. 

"What news from the watchtower? What is happening?" The General demanded. 

"A monster!" The soldier all but cried. "It leapt over the city walls! A man rides it! It comes this way!" 

"And it has not been fought??" The bearded military leader gave the subordinate a look of censure. 

"It is fast, and seemingly invincible." The man's voice quivered slightly.

"How many casualties?" The General blanched. 

"None, Sir." The soldier replied. "At least, none were seen—"

"None? But–" The conversation halted as the creature came into view. 

Finn gasped. At a single glance she would have said it was a man riding a horse, but it wasn't a horse at all. 

It reminded her of a small snowy cat she had seen while climbing the mountains with Mayra, only enormous. It was a pale grey, with white spots, and yellow eyes set into a striped face. Long, pointed ears swiveled as it looked for threats in the crowd. It had six muscular legs with enormous paws padding through the snowy street. 

But her eyes only took in these things vaguely. For atop the creature's back–

"ROLAND!" She cried, running forward, tearing away from the General's attempt to hold her back and dropping the daggar. "ROLAND!" 

He leapt from the cat's back and hurtled towards his wife, oblivious to the scene of panic around them. 

She slammed into him, almost knocking him over as his arms came around her. 

Tears were nearly freezing on her face as she clung to her husband. 

"No," She said. 

"No, what?" He tried to pull back to look at her, but her arms were too tight around his neck. 

"I don't want to leave this dream. It's strange, but you're in it, and I want you to stay." She sniffled. 

"This isn't a dream, Serafina," A smile colored his voice. 

She finally pulled back, looked pointedly at the enormous cat, and then skeptically back at her husband. "Oh really? You're going to have a task convincing me this is real." 

Laughing, he took her face and kissed her soundly, pulling back only at the sound of a low hiss. 

"Judah! No, it's all right." He exclaimed. "Everyone, stay back please!" He pleaded. 

Soldiers with spears had surrounded the area, fencing in Roland and… 

"What is that?" Finn asked. 

"This is Judah. He's… a friend, I suppose." Roland grimaced. "I would not have survived without him." 

"Report?" The General approached the couple cautiously. 

"Sir!" Roland smiled, and held out his hand for a hearty handshake rather than saluting him. As an ambassador, and a prince of either one or two nations, he wasn't really the General's subordinate. "I have much to report, but the most important thing is this." 

He gulped and looked around. Finn did as well. The crowd had begun to settle now that Judah was still and surrounded by soldiers. There were many ears. Roland lowered his voice. 

"There are three enormous giants, followers of the Void, on their way to destroy Klain." 

The General's stoic face paled only a fraction. "How long?" 

"I last saw them a little over two days ago. Judah is fast, but I do not know how far behind me they are, nor when they left," Roland said. 

"I must convene the Council and prepare for the attack." The General said, gesturing over a soldier. "Gather the Council, King Duncan, and Caspian of Ceto," He told the man. 

"Caspian is at Lysander's house sheltering," Finn put in. "Perhaps King Duncan as well." 

The soldier nodded gratefully and ran off to carry out his orders. Another was sent to coordinate the defense of the city and arming of reinforcements. 

"What day is it?" Roland asked Finn, looking around. "I feel as if I've interrupted something." 

"It's the festival," She answered, "Caspian just finished signing Ceto into the alliance of nations. We were celebrating…" 

"And I ruined it." Roland frowned. Interrupting a celebration of peace with news of a coming attack was hardly going to be good for the people's spirits. 

"I have something extra to celebrate, now." Finn responded, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist. She suddenly realized how bulky it was. "What are you wearing? And why did you grow a beard?" 

"Shaving on a boat seemed too difficult to manage, and I'm wearing all the clothes I brought to the other world. I didn't expect to come back high in the mountains, and almost froze to death. I slept in the same giant's skull you did when you were there, I believe." He grinned at her. 

"I did that in the early autumn! It's coming up on midwinter! How did you…" She shook her head. "How long ago was that?" 

"Night before last. Judah, as I said, is swift, and thankfully, fluffy," He confided. 

A loud chirp of protest escaped the animal's mouth, startling Finn. 

"Is that the sound he makes??" She asked. "I expected… a roar? Or something?" 

"Everyone please stand back from him," Roland reminded the soldiers. They stood down at the General's nod. 

"Is it dangerous?" The General asked quietly. 

"That's… a complicated question. He hasn't hurt me, but he did rip apart a halfling and eat him in two bites." Roland winced. 

"Jimmy??" Finn asked in alarm, looking at the creature with wide eyes and an open mouth. The enormous cat stretched his neck and let out a low belch, as if remembering. 

"No! No… although he didn't particularly like Jimmy, he didn't hurt him at all." Roland assured her. "I don't suppose he's made it back yet? He had a letter and series of reports to deliver." 

"He hasn't," Finn said. "Do you think something happened to him?" 

"I'm not sure," Roland appeared to consider the possibility.

"Let's take this inside," The General pursed his lips. "We're getting a lot of curiosity." 

"I would prefer Judah stay with me," Roland frowned. "If that's all right… I'm not worried about him, it's just… he's not been around people before, that I know of. I'd hate for anyone to get hurt." 

Judah yawned just then, exposing three rows of gleaming teeth. The General's eyes hardened. 

"Whatever you think is best, Roland. Your good judgment has gotten us all through some difficult circumstances." 

"Thank you sir." Roland nodded. "Judah, want to go inside?" 

The cat, who had looked about to lay down, perked up and strode over to Roland. He took a moment to sniff at Finn, who held perfectly still in fright at being so close to the great creature's teeth. 

Judah nudged at her with his great nose, and she realized she had a wrapped meat pie in her pocket that she had bought for Gabe a short while before. He had been too busy to eat it at the time. 

Slowly, Finn pulled it out and unwrapped it, then held it up with a flat hand. Roland moved as if to intervene, but Judah licked the treat from her hand and swallowed it whole. Purring loudly, he nudged the top of his head against her until she scratched it obligingly. 

"Thank you, for saving my husband," Finn whispered. "I owe you." 

"Come on," Roland took her hand and pulled her along behind the General, who unlocked the City Hall for them to go inside. The rest of the Council had almost finished gathering, not having gone far during the festival. 

Caspian was waiting inside, apparently having been brought in through a back door. When he saw Roland his face bloomed into an enormous smile. 

"Roland! You're back safe!" He hugged the man tightly. "Does that mean everyone…?" His question faded as the enormous cat strode into the room with Finn. "WHAT IS THAT?" 

"It's a very long story, but I'll have to summarize. Haf and most of the Cetoans are safe. Two thirds of the ones that left with Edmar perished on the journey, but most of the rest should be on their way back within a week or two, if Jimmy's portal-maker works. The most important part is that The Void now has giants as followers, and they're coming to destroy Klain. If that doesn't work, Edmar is trying to convince the Goblins to be the backup."