Chapter 325 The border 1

Chapter 325: Chapter 325 The border 1

Talia’s POV

The days passed, and the forest began to change.

The trees grew taller, and the air grew cooler, and I could feel the mountains getting closer with every mile we traveled. The path was wider now, and I could see the familiar landmarks that told me we were getting close to home. I recognized the shape of the hills, the curve of the river, and the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves.

I looked at my mother, and I saw the wonder in her eyes. She was watching the trees, the sky, and the world that had been taken from her. She pressed her face against the window of the carriage, and I saw her drinking in every detail like she was afraid it would disappear.

"Mother," I said. "We are almost there."

She looked at me, and I saw the tears in her eyes. "I never thought I would see this place again, Talia. I never thought I would be free."

I squeezed her hand. "You are free now, Mother. And you are never going back to that place."

She nodded, and I saw the hope in her tired eyes. "I know, Talia. I know."

I looked at her, and I remembered something I had not told her yet. Something that had been sitting in my chest, waiting for the right moment.

"Mother," I said. "There is something else I need to tell you. Something that happened at Mooncrest Hall."

She looked at me, and I saw the curiosity in her eyes. "What is it, Talia?"

I took a breath, and I felt the weight of the memory settling on my shoulders. "Vivienne planned to poison me at the celebration. She wanted to make me lose control and embarrass myself in front of everyone."

My mother’s eyes widened, and I saw the fear flashing across her face. "Poison you? She tried to poison you?"

I nodded. "She put something in my drink. But I knew she was planning something, so I switched the glasses with hers. She drank her own poison instead."

My mother stared at me, and I saw the shock on her face. "She drank it? She drank her own poison?"

I nodded again. "The poison made her lose control. She could not stop herself from talking. She confessed everything, Mother. She admitted to trying to kill you, to drugging me, and to using black magic on Edmund. She confessed it all in front of everyone at the celebration."

My mother was silent for a long moment. I watched her face, and I saw the emotions flickering across her features. The shock, the disbelief, and then something else. Something that looked like justice.

"Everything?" my mother whispered. "She confessed to everything?"

I squeezed her hand. "Everything, Mother. She could not stop herself. The poison stripped away all her control, and the truth came pouring out."

My mother shook her head, and I saw the tears streaming down her face. "She finally paid for what she did. After all these years, she finally paid."

I nodded. "Yes, Mother. She did."

She looked at me, and I saw the love and the pride in her tired eyes. "You did that, Talia. You outsmarted her."

I shook my head. "I just wanted to survive, Mother. I did not know it would lead to all of that."

She reached for my hand, and she squeezed it. "You survived, Talia. And in surviving, you brought justice to everyone she hurt."

I felt the tears burning in my eyes, and I squeezed her hand back.

The carriage rolled on, and I felt the excitement building in my chest. I recognized the trees, the rocks, and the path ahead. We were so close now.

"Kaelen," I called out.

He turned, and I saw the smile on his face. "I know, Talia. We are almost there."

I looked at my mother, and I saw the tears on her face. "Mother, look."

She looked ahead, and I saw her eyes widen. "Is that... is that Blackmoor Valley?"

I nodded, and I felt the tears streaming down my face. "Yes, Mother. That is home."

She reached for my hand, and she squeezed it. "I cannot believe it, Talia. I cannot believe I am going to see it."

I squeezed her hand back. "You are, Mother. You are going to see it."

The carriage moved forward, and I could see the valley opening up before us. The mountains rose in the distance, and the sun was setting behind them, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.

Then I saw him.

Aldric was standing at the border of Shadowfang territory, his old eyes scanning the horizon. He was waiting for us, just like he always waited for everyone who came home. His back was straight, and his hands were clasped behind him.

He looked older than I remembered, and I felt the tears burning in my eyes. The years had taken their toll on him, but he was still standing. He was still waiting. He had been waiting for this moment, just like I had been waiting for it.

"He is there," I said, and my voice was thick with emotion. "Aldric is there."

Kaelen looked ahead, and I saw the smile on his face. "He is waiting for us."

The carriage stopped, and I climbed out. I helped my mother down, and I held her hand. She was trembling, and I could feel her nervousness radiating through her fingers.

"It is okay, Mother," I said. "He is family."

She looked at me, and I saw the fear in her eyes. "I have not seen him in fifteen years, Talia. What if he does not recognize me?"

I squeezed her hand. "He will recognize you, Mother. Trust me."

We walked forward, and I saw Aldric turn toward us. His eyes landed on us, and I saw his face change. The recognition, the disbelief, the hope. All of it flickered across his weathered face in the span of a heartbeat.

"Talia," he said, and his voice was filled with emotion.

I smiled, and I felt the tears streaming down my face. "Aldric. I brought her home."

Aldric’s eyes moved to my mother, and I watched them widen. He stared at her like he was seeing a ghost, and I saw the years of grief and loss reflected in his eyes. He had mourned her. He had believed she was dead. And now, she was standing in front of him.

His voice cracked. "You are alive."

My mother looked at him, and I saw the tears in her eyes. "Barely," she said, and her voice was soft. "But I am alive."

Aldric walked forward, and I saw his hands trembling. He reached my mother, and he stopped. He stared at her like he was trying to memorize every detail of her face.

"Seraphina," he said, and his voice broke. "I thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead."

My mother smiled, and I saw the tears streaming down her face. "I was, Aldric. For fifteen years, I was dead. But Talia brought me back."

Aldric looked at me, and I saw the tears in his eyes. "You did this," he said. "You brought her home."

I nodded, and I felt the tears streaming down my face. "I promised I would, Aldric. I promised I would find her."

Aldric pulled me into a hug, and I felt his arms around me. He was old and frail, but his grip was strong. I felt his body shaking against mine, and I knew he was crying.

"Welcome home, Talia," he said. "Welcome home."

I pulled back, and I looked at my mother. She was standing beside me, and she was looking at Aldric with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, and her voice was soft. "For taking care of my daughter."

Aldric shook his head, and I saw the emotion on his face. "She is the one who took care of us, Seraphina. She is the one who saved us all."

My mother looked at me, and I saw the pride in her eyes. "Yes," she said. "She is."

I felt the warmth spreading through my chest, and I looked at the valley ahead. Blackmoor Valley was waiting for us. The pack was waiting for us. And after everything, we were finally home.

"Let us go home," I said.

Aldric nodded, and I saw the smile on his face. "Yes. Let us go home."

I took my mother’s hand, and we walked into the valley together.