[b]Walter
Chapter 7: Rebirth[/b]

The Syren slowly faded out of view. Walter watched the gray blot of fog where he could see the pram of the ship lie, clouded in the thick gray mists. Like the melancholy of his heart, the fog lay as a sheet which hid all of his true desires from him. An uncertain emotion crept into his heart, he could not think rationally for this was not a puzzle that the mind could solve and the emotion he felt could not be described with words coherent. It was insignificant. The ship was no longer in sight and he had lost his chance. Yet he persisted to look into the fog where the ship had once been visible. Harsley paddled with determined vigour behind him and with each stroke the powerful man pulled they drifted further apart from the Syren, and from home. Walter was certain Harsley spoke to him, though he did not hearken and the words only came across as meaningless grandiure. The water blended together with the gray fog and it sloshed in pace with Harsley's rowing. Walter looked into the fog until he was no longer searching, he only stared numbly, expecting and awaiting nothing to appear. He remained sat like this, and for the remainder of the trip he wished he and Olive had remained with the man whom offered them rest all that time ago. He wished that they had never reached this point and finally he wished that maybe at the end of this fog lay awakening. And they would in truth, still be on the road. Forever walking.

This was only a dream. It had been an obvious ruse of the mind, but Walter still found himself dissapointed when he found reality at last. The shore that he stepped down on was not sand, it was a myriad of sharply cornered rocks that had by the sea's incessant power been whittled from the great cliff that sat before them. It was not particularly tall but due to the heavy fog its peak was not visible. The air was damp and the reek of seaweed littered the inhospitable shore. Harsley dragged their small boat unto the shore and joked something about Walter helping while twiddling the fingers on one hand in a mystical fashion. Walter watched the large man with dour expression, he wore a coat befitting the poor weather and had changed hats to one less ludicrous, in fairness he was a good man. Loyal and strong, undoubtedly useful. But Walter was only struck with dissapointment when he looked at him. How could anyone be excited to be here? To leave everything behind for the sake of death alone? If this was honour, then Walter wanted none. Walter looked down the beach past the man as he could stomach the thought no longer. It looked much the same as the rest of the landscape: gray. The cliff sat to their left, unwelcoming and pointy. Lazarus isle, the closest of Valentus' many islands to the mainland and to their enemy. Walter found himself following Harsley forward. Truly. they were in no rush, they were to meet the local garrison and prepare for the fleet's arrival in three week's time. This place would be the staging point for the war to come and preperations needed to be made by seasoned and willing officers. Harsley fit this perfectly and would no doubt be able to do so alone, even without an army the man would no doubt go to war if the King demanded so. Relying on determination alone. Walter was here because he was an annoyance. He had been forced to leave and-... Though had he? He stopped to think: Had he not accepted his duty without recourse or even argument? He had obediently shied to the orders of his lord and the will of his country and perhaps this was the reason it hurt him so. More than his bandaged arm did. That he had simply walked. 
	”Come on, Andalus.” Harsley said over his shoulder, holding a lantern before him which lit up his stoic face. ”Long way to walk yet.” The captain smiled in a brotherly fashion for the sorcerer. In a way that Walter imagined he smiled to all of his kinsmen. Walter pitied his sense of duty but respected the man's simple position enough to respond.
	”Yes... Lead the way.” He followed Harlsey down the beach and they were soon on the cobbled path, which would lead them to war.