Noble rose high into the clouds long before she ever traveled laterally. The flake-filled clouds overhead were frosty, though not nearly as bad as the ice bridge where most of the Awakened of Ravenheart lived and certainly less frigid than the palace where the Ki Song and her clan resided.
That did not mean it was warm. Ice crystals formed on her armor almost immediately.
"Are you alright?" Noble glanced at the man whose hand she was holding.
She did not need to be in physical contact with him to keep him afloat; she just liked the feeling of her hand in his, and she hoped it would give him some comfort as they moved.
"I'm better now that I cannot see how high we are." Fort's teeth chattered.
Noble nodded. "If we can't see them, then they cannot see us. Let's go!"
Pulling her husband close, Child of Promise took off at full speed. She flooded her bracelets with essence, further obscuring their presence from anyone who might wish to follow their movements.
While Noble didn't care if anyone saw them leave, she didn't want to be tracked. The clouds moved past them, coating them with their fluffy white frost.
"You had something you wanted to tell me?" Fort wanted a distraction from their travels.
"You mean about my Nightmare?" Noble pursed her lips as Fort nodded stiffly. "Well, it wasn't what I expected, not that they ever are. This time I wasn't a queen, but I did gain an unexpected title..."
Noble relayed how events had unfolded from the moment she plummeted to the ground until she found herself back in the forest outside of Bastion. While she didn't provide every detail, Noble gave all the highlights before waiting for her husband to ask questions.
However, he didn't ask any. Noble couldn't really see his face in all the frostiness of the clouds. She could feel his emotions were tense. Had she worried him too much?
"I think we are far enough away now." Noble expanded her second sight to scan the ground. When it was all clear, she exited the cloud cover and lowered them to the earth.
Shaking off the ice that had collected on her armor, Noble grinned. "Ah, I was developing a headache with all the clutter of other people's emotions. That flight really took the edge off and was fun too! I should take you flying more often. Now, what did you think of...oh!"
Noble looked at Fort with wide eyes. While she had some icy buildup, Fort had significantly more. He hadn't been able to speak, not because there was nothing to say, but because he was too cold to answer!
Thinking quickly, Noble summoned her [Fire Insurance] charm and looped it around Fort's neck. While the primary purpose of the charm was to prevent being burned, it had a lesser secondary enchantment that stored some of that heat to use when needed.
And Fort desperately needed it now. Hugging the man tightly, Noble helped expedite the thawing process. A warm sensation emanated from the small charm, helping Fort's body to regain its normal temperature.
"Ah, that's better." The man flexed the fingers in his gloves.
"I'm so sorry!" Noble rubbed the man's forearms to warm them. In her fervor, she almost tore his sleeve. "Oh! Double sorry. I'm still learning my strength, it seems."
"Don't worry, my love." Fort tugged at his wool cap to adjust it. "It's been a long time since you were mundane. I am told Saints hardly feel temperature changes at all. I'm fine."
"I feel the cold," Noble corrected him. "Actually, I feel it more keenly than I ever have if I focus. It just doesn't bother me."
All of Noble's senses were heightened, not just her second sight and emotional sensitivity. She was already having to ignore certain sensory inputs to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
This barren patch of land was like an oasis after a morning and partial afternoon around so many people. The noise in her mind quieted, so she was able to focus solely on the person before her.
"It's all clear. Not a creature or pilgrim anywhere nearby." Noble heaved a happy sigh.
"Ah, then that means I have you all to myself?" Fort looked around. "Not the most romantic spot, my dear."
The woman clicked her tongue. "It isn't meant to be. Did you hear anything I said on our trip over?"
"Yes, through the overwhelming cold and dizzying heights, I did hear a thing or two about your Nightmare—quite an ordeal! I am particularly interested in this belt you mentioned. It tethered you to another man?" Fort arched his brow.
"It allowed him to use my power of floating and made it so he couldn't stray too far from me. That second part annoyed Flint to no end. Pretty sure he used almost every curse in the book on me before he figured out how to break the bond. He had a wider vocabulary than you would expect at first." Noble allowed a small smile.
"Wanting to get away from my wife? Ah, he doesn't know what he is missing, then. If I ever run into this Saint Flint, I will give him a piece of my mind." Fort watched his wife's smile fade.
"Master Flint. And you won't run into him. He didn't make it out. The Others I told you about–his copy killed him just like my copy tried to kill me."
"Oh, Sweetheart, I am so sorry." Fort had meant it when he said he only heard bits and pieces as the wind and ice whirred past his ears.
He regretted his ill-timed joke deeply as he pulled the woman into a hug. Noble brushed away the quickly freezing tears from her cheeks. "It's not your fault. I should have chosen a better time to explain. I just..."
"Needed to get it off your chest, I know." Fort continued to hold her. "If you aren't telling anyone that you took on this Nightmare, then you cannot talk to a therapist about it. I am all you have. So, please, tell me again now that I am warm. I promise to listen to every word."
The second time around, Noble focused on different facets of the Nightmare. It took less time now that she had worked out the order of things in her head, and Fort's attentiveness made her eager to get to the end and get his reactions.
When she finished this time, his mood was more subdued.
"You had a solid cohort, and you all did your best. I'm proud of you, Bee. You've done what few have. I would tell the world about it if I could." Fort nodded seriously.
"But you cannot, so we will have to keep this between us." Noble could not let her cover be blown just because her husband wanted to brag about her.
"Those Others. Do you think they are a reasonable threat in Bastion?" The ambassador was worried not only for the populace living there, but also for Julius and Lena, who were prominent residents.
"I think Roan and Helie will raise the alarm if needed. But at the end of the Nightmare, Syrce spoke of making a barrier between the two Bastions so that the Others could not cross. My hope is that in the historical timeline, she was successful, and the Others are trapped. Or, better yet, the Others didn't get absorbed into the Dream Realm at all." Noble would love to believe that only False Bastion had made it to the present day, but she doubted it.
In due time, she would send a message to Roan to see if he had any updates. That was a couple of years down the road at least, though. For now, she would sit tight.
"Absorbed..." Fort tapped his chin. "Are you certain on that point?"
"I am. I witnessed the process myself without the Spell. Bastion was not part of the Dream Realm until after the Doom War. The waking world will soon follow suit."
"That...that's a problem. Though I am not sure what to do with that information without revealing my source. That kind of news will cause mass panic." Fort rubbed his forehead.
"And cause the rest of humanity to funnel into the Dream Realm before we are ready, I know." Noble sighed.
"I would like to think that kind of news would stop the Clan War, but I fear making it public would only expedite it instead." Fort shook his head.
"Even if we could tell people and make them believe, I'm pretty certain the powers that be already know. It may even be the reason they are going to war–each wants to be in charge of the singular human civilization that is coming..." Noble sighed.
"That's a chilling thought." The ambassador pinched the bridge of his nose. "So you propose we do nothing about it?"
Noble shrugged. "I propose we do nothing about it today. That news isn't why I brought you out here. I wanted to show you two things. The first one is...my transformation."