She stared at me in shock. "I…… I…… I always wondered," she breathed out at last.
Nodding I added, "Now you see why going to face this Witch under the direct guidance of Kuri is the same as if he was right here beside us. All these years away from Kuri I have never truly been apart from him, because I have never stepped out of the Father's will for my life."
"Then what gives you the sadness I see in your eyes?"
I dropped my eyes from hers to stare once more into the flames in brokenness of spirit, "Despite all I have done I am at heart a man of emotions like any other. I miss my family and more and more I fear that I may never see them again. I do not deny El Elyon anything He asks of me, but the cost of doing so can be great. The thought of dying does not bother me as I do not fear the life to come after this one, but dying and being without the ability to protect my family gives me great distress. So you see, I am a man of faith and yet one who is faithless."
In disgust at my lack of trust in El Elyon to provide for my family, I buried my head in my hands and asked for forgiveness of this continued weakness of mine.
Mayrin stared at the man across the fire from her.
How he had changed since she had first met him as a girl and yet he was the same in many ways. Perhaps it was only her that had changed.
Drawing her sword free, she brought out a honing stone and began to pass it down the already sharp blade. She doubted how much a sword would be of use against a powerful witch, but it was something to do to pass the time.
She did feel better about the coming confrontation though. Her mind ran full of what might happen, but such musings were worse than useless. She would just have to trust in El Elyon that the impossible could be accomplished.
*****
I had come close to Vella years before when I had rescued the children of Crona, but never had I passed over its borders. Vella was its own kingdom, but in actuality it was more of a system of clans than any united leadership under one banner.
All the clans were hostile to outside intervention and had little to do with the neighboring countries. For the most part Vella had been left alone through the years and little was known of it. Over the years I had managed to learn that the principal population center was gathered around a temple in the northern foothills of the country and it was to this temple that I headed.