“Kind of,” Raiden replies. “It’s different in the sense that we don’t have to calibrate it before we want to go anywhere, which tends to be a lengthy process. We just have to say where we want to go and then step through it. It’s also different because we can call it back to us to bring us home. As far as I can tell, it can appear anywhere, in any of the realms. Except of course, Trieneliea, I got curious and tried it. It doesn’t work.”
I grin. Trust Raiden’s brain to immediately go to whether or not it could take us to Trieneliea and actually try it.
“Let’s go already,” River says, shifting from foot to foot. He’s already wearing fewer layers than the rest of us, choosing to only wear a t-shirt and a jacket and not adding a sweater, a scarf, gloves, or anything else really.
Raiden grins and steps up to the portal, “Just copy me.”
I watch, making sure I’m paying close attention, so I don’t end up completely in the wrong place. Raiden says the name of the road that Griff told us is the closest point that we can use to portal into, and then simply steps into the swirling vortex and disappears.
I hope no one happens to be driving down the road that we’re portaling onto right now because Raiden appearing out of nowhere would have just scared the shit out of them.
River practically runs through the portal, shouting the road name as he goes and making me shake my head at the pure chaos of it. After that, we all head through pretty quickly. Baz walks through like he’s walked through thousands of portals, and to be honest, he very well could have.
I know a little bit about what it’s like not to remember anything about a portion of your life, but I only don't remember anything before I was five, and to be honest, there are probably quite a few people who don’t remember anything, or at least remember very little, from before they were five. I can’t imagine how frustrating it is not to remember anything for decades of your life.
“Fucking hell, it is cold,” Reed mutters as we all gather on the side of the thankfully deserted road.
“Snow,” I mutter in awe.
I love snow, I always have. I like the way that it quiets the landscape. How everything feels softer, gentler.
It’s magical, and by far one of my most favorite types of weather.
Of course, it probably helps that I have never minded being snowed in for any length of time, because I have always preferred isolation over anything else. Now my isolation includes the guys.
Is it technically still isolation if there are people with you?
I’m pretty sure it is because we’re isolated from everyone else.
“So how far do we have to head down this road?” Baz asks as he pulls his jacket tighter around himself.
Griff winces, “We’re not going down the road. We’re heading that way.”
“You mean we’re heading across the vast and snow-covered wilderness into what looks like absolute nothingness?” Van asks, his eyebrow raised slightly.
Griff nods, “Yes.”
“Awesome,” Coen grins.
Coen has never been one to shy away from an adventure. If anything, he prefers to run headfirst into it. It’s quite honestly one of the things I love most about him, that and when he gets all growly with me.
That’s hot.
“How far do we need to walk?” Doc asks, giving a golden-eyed raised eyebrow look as he picks up that I’m turned on, I simply shrug and wink at him, making him smile as we start to head in the direction that Griff leads us.
“Probably about five miles,” Griff replies.
Doc nods, “Okay, not too far then. How long have we got until nightfall? I imagine that it’s going to get even colder when the sun sets.”
“From what I’ve read and researched, I think we’ve got enough time to walk there,” Raiden says, looking at Griff to confirm.
Griff nods, “Yeah, I think we should get there with about an hour to spare.”
“Can we fly?” Coen asks as we trudge through the snow. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the snow, but it would be so much quicker to fly.”
Thankfully, the snow is not too deep, but it is deep enough to hinder our progress and slow us down. I look around at the others.Alright, I take that back, it’s deep enough to hinder and slow me down because I have considerably smaller legs than the guys. Well, that’s not fair.
The Voices snicker.
