Chapter 7

The wind whipped across the barren land, making the long grass at the banks of the river thrash violently from side to side.

'Are you sure you don't want to come?' asked Kurt, nervously fingering the pommel of Pippin's saddle.

Blaine sighed dejectedly, looking down and away from him. 'I do,' he said quietly. 'I really do want to come. But I just… I can't.'

'Why not? What's stopping you?'

The tension between them – the knowledge that this was ending, that the friendship that had so easily grown up between them might crumble and that they might never see each other again – had grown as they neared the edge of the Forest. Kurt had first brought up the question of Blaine coming to visit him two nights ago, but Blaine had been reluctant, not giving his reasons. Kurt didn't understand, he wanted to know why his friend, who seemed so free to roam the Forest at his leisure, didn't want to visit him in his home. And now they were here, by the bridge that led over the river, at the final decision point. The river marked the border between Kerajan and the wild realms of the Forest. And somehow, it also seemed to mark their ending point, too.

Blaine looked up at Kurt, a dark shadow hanging over his usually bright features. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and shook his head. 'I can't,' he repeated.

Kurt could hear the sorrow in his voice, the regret. He was telling the truth. But that didn't explain why he wasn't telling Kurt what was holding him back, what was preventing him leaving the woods and visiting Callahan.

'You don't even have to stay long, just a couple of days,' Kurt said pleadingly. 'I could show you the village, and introduce you to my friends, and show you round the school.'

Blaine glanced back at the woods, eyelids dropping as he sighed again. He stayed silent for a few moments, then let out a gruff laugh. 'And to think, I was the one begging to come with you just a week and a half ago.'

Kurt smiled at the memory, then remembered that he might never see Blaine again, and the smile fell. 'How… how am I going to see you again, though?' he asked quietly.

Blaine reached across and took his hand. 'I told you, Kurt. We'll work something out. But for now you need to get that necklace back to your teacher and I need to get back home. I want to come with you, Kurt, I really do. It's just… My da – I can't. I can't explain why, not without… I just can't. But I promise you, we will see each other again, okay?'

Kurt nodded slightly, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He didn't want to let go of Blaine. Not when they had become such good friends in less than two weeks, not when he hoped they could have the potential to be so much more. He squeezed Blaine's hand, wiping his eyes, and smiled a watery smile. Blaine smiled too, and leaned forward and hugged him.

It was a strange angle, both of them on horseback, but it still meant something. Kurt buried his face in Blaine's neck, breathing his scent of woodfire and grass and that horsey smell Kurt loved and something… something that was just Blaine. After a few moments, they pulled away, Kurt feeling a blush dust his cheeks, and simply looked at each other. Then Blaine smiled again, grinning this time, and squeezed Kurt's hands in his.

'I'll see you again,' he said. He pulled Kurt into another hug and whispered beside his ear, 'I promise.'

Then they pulled apart and Blaine began to turn Merry back towards the treeline. 'Travel safely,' he said. 'And remember, Kurt, when it comes to those bullies? Prejudice is just ignorance. Stand up to them, let them know how brave you are.'

Kurt nodded, wiping a hand through the tears that were now falling freely down his face. 'Bye, Blaine,' he choked.

Blaine shook his head, squeezed Kurt's hand one last time. 'Don't ever say goodbye,' he said softly.

And then he was gone, cantering back towards the treeline, Merry's hooves flying over the grass. As he reached the trees, he turned back and waved at Kurt. He waved back, and watched Blaine's dark form disappear into the woods.

And then he was alone again.

Kurt smiled as he turned into the school courtyard, Pippin snorting happily as he smelt his home. He trotted over to the mounting block and swung himself down off his horse's back, grinning at Rory as he approached him.

'Kurt! Good to see you!' he pulled him into a rough hug. 'How was the trip? You succeed?'

Kurt nodded, smiling, and trying to ignore the pang in his chest as he thought of leaving Blaine behind. 'Yeah, it was great. A bit grim and dirty, being in a forest and all, but great.'

'Good to hear. Can I take Pippin for you?'

'Oh, thanks. Who else is back?'

'Er… Rachel got back from the mountains this morning. Artie and Finn got back from Varrod a couple of days ago, and Quinn sent a message ahead of her from the plains saying she would be back tomorrow. We don't know about the others.'

'Oh, ok, great – or not, I don't – sorry, do you know where Rachel is?'

'I think she went up to her room.'

Kurt thanked him, heaving his packs off Pippin to take them up to his room. He stopped at Mr Schue's office on his way up, poking his head round the door to see his teacher busy sorting different coloured powders into bowls.

'I'm back,' he said brightly.

Mr Schue spun round, grinning. 'You succeed?' he asked, wiping his hands on a towel.

'Yep,' said Kurt, pulling out the necklace from his topmost pack. 'Had to fight off a couple of wolves for this, but I made it home safe and sound.'

'Great,' said Mr Schue. 'Why don't you go put your bags up in your room, then come back down here and tell me how it went, okay?'

'Sure.' Kurt bobbed his head a couple of times then hurried out of the room.

He reached his corridor and heard loud singing coming from the room beside his. He sighed, dropping his bags beside his door, then tapped on Rachel's.

'Rachel?' he called over the loud lyrics of I am the greatest star, I am by far but no one knows it! She was constantly singing, songs of her own creation, melodies she picked up from the school's band or the town fiddler. Unfortunately, she had a tendency to come up with either very self-centered or very bad lyrics – this was no exception.

The door was flung open as Rachel squealed and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He laughed, rubbing her back awkwardly, and gently managed to pry her off him.

'Okay, okay,' he said as Rachel continued to try and squeeze him. 'Calm down.'

Rachel released him and led him back into her and Mercedes' room, pulling him down onto the couch beside her. Kurt landed with a 'hmpf!' and straightened his tunic.

'Sooo…' Rachel began, 'how did it go? You have to tell me everything!' She bounced up and down excitedly, watching his with gleaming eyes.

Kurt smiled at her – despite the fact that Rachel was insufferable and that he had greatly enjoyed being away from her for a bit, she was his best friend and he had missed her.

He opened his mouth, about to start on a long and very flattering description of Blaine and how he helped him, but refrained. Something was telling him that he should keep Blaine a secret from the others, for now at least. Maybe he could tell Mercedes when she returned (at least he knew he could trust her with secrets; the same could definitely not be said for Rachel).

'It was good,' he answered simply. 'Not much happened. I had a brief run-in with some wolves, but I got away in time. How was your trip?'

'Wolves?! Oh my gosh, Kurt! Are you okay?'

'Yes, Rachel, I'm fine. I managed to climb a tree to get out of their way. Tell me about your trip, I want to hear.'

For once, Rachel ignored the invitation to start talking about her life and continued staring at him in shock. 'But wolves, Kurt! Wolves!' she exclaimed, grasping his face and looking into his eyes with a concerned scrutiny. 'You're sure you're okay?'

Kurt laughed, patting her hands. 'Yes, I'm sure. I probably wouldn't be here if I wasn't. And seeing as you don't want to tell me about what happened to you, I'm going to go put my stuff away then go back down and talk to Mr Schue. I'll see you at dinner, okay?'

Rachel nodded, still looking worried and slightly stunned as he left the room.

He unlocked his door and dragged his bags inside before sinking face-first onto the bed. He let out a groan of content at the soft mattress and kicked his boots off, shuffling on further and burying his face in the pillows.

He lay there for a few minutes, feeling drowsy, then pulled himself up before he actually fell asleep. He put his things away, glad to be finally back in his familiar bedroom, had a quick shower and grabbed his necklace before setting off to find Mr Schue.

He knocked gently on his magic teacher's door, stepping in when his name was called. Mrs Schuester-Pillsbury was dusting a row of books and Mr Schue was at his desk, frowning as he graded homework.

'Have a seat,' he said, pushing the thick wad of parchments away and leaning across the desk towards Kurt. 'How are you?'

'Um… okay?'

Mr Schue nodded. 'Good. Okay. So you've shown me your necklace, why don't you tell me some more about how your trip to collect it went?'

Kurt relayed the story to him, again, omitting Blaine. He still didn't know why he was doing it, exactly – Blaine was just a harmless scout, for goodness' sake, and a very respectable one at that – but whenever he considered it, it was as if there was something physically stopping him talk about it. So he just continued with his story, which sounded very dull without Kurt's main source of interest included.

When he was done, Mr Schue watched him over his clasped hands before nodding and raffling through the sheets on his desk until he found what he was looking for. 'Well,' he said, 'you're almost an apprentice.' He tapped the parchment on the desk, Kurt recognising it as his official apprenticeship certificate. 'One last thing though. I want you to unColour that necklace for me.'

Kurt smiled – this was, again, simple Telepathic magic. He concentrated on the necklace as the blue slowly began to fade until a simple, silver necklace was left in his hand. He examined it, glad to be finally able to see the details that the blinding light had hidden. The pendant was oval, embossed with an elegant K. H. and set with a sparkling sapphire. A little clasp held two of the sides together; Kurt pressed it and the locket fell open in his palm. There was a small frame to hold a picture on one side, the other engraved with tiny cursive writing: Though the miles may keep us apart, you will forever be in my heart. Kurt smiled at the slightly cheesy line.

'It was your mother's,' said Mr Schue. 'And her mother's before her. I had it embossed with your initials when your father gave it to me to use. He was going to keep it until your birthday, but this opportunity arose, so we decided to use it. It even inspred your classmates' necklaces.'

Kurt's lips twitched again, this time a little more sadly, and clasped the locket shut. His grandmother's. His mother's. And now his. It felt warm in his fingers, as if it belonged to him. He supposed it did.

'Thank you,' he said.

Mr Schue patted him on the shoulder, handing over the certificate. 'Well, you did well, Kurt. Welcome to your apprenticeship!'

Kurt grinned, trying to ignore the idea of how proud his mother would have been, or the fact that Blaine wasn't there to celebrate with him.

Life at Callahan Academy resumed. Kurt and all of his friends were now apprentices, learning restoration magic and how to harness the energy of the earth. He was still competing with Rachel, still the best in the class at Telepathic, still the only one who could name all the different cleansing spells in under a minute. His life outside of magic class was fairly unchanged – hanging out with Mercedes and Tina and discussing the fashion plates from Varrod which the traders brought every month, discussing the fine details of Kinetic magic with Rachel, avoiding Karofsky. His other lessons – philosophy, English, tactics, rhetoric, Latin, alchemy and history – were still not as interesting as his magic class. He still helped tutor Brittany with her tactics and rhetoric and still visited Pippin every evening.

But it was as if something was missing, something was off. Ever since he had returned, he had a dull feeling of agitation, of... waiting for something. It gnawed at him when he was alone in his room, studying or singing or embroidering the hem of his tunic. He would stop whatever he was doing, and just stare into the distance. Visions of dark curls and bright eyes would swim in his mind, clouding his other thoughts until he shook his head and resumed his task.

He put it down to the stress of apprenticeship, but deeper down he knew it was because of Blaine. Not only because he missed him – whenever he thought of him, his smile, his expressive eyes, his trusting face that just forced Kurt to tell him his deepest, darkest secrets, he would feel a sharp pang in his chest – but it was like he was different. Blaine had changed him, somehow, and he was still coming to terms with it.

A sharp knock on his bedroom door drew him from his daydreams of dappled light painting tanned skin and fresh laughter echoing through the trees and he hurried over to answer it. Santana was leaning against the wall, checking her fingernails.

'Yeah?' asked Kurt.

She glanced up at him, apparently uninterested, then went back to checking her nails. 'Some dude down by the horse yard says he wants to see you. Wouldn't tell Rory his name, but he said it was important. Although why he came in that way and not through the front gate, I have no idea.'

Kurt felt his curiosity mounting, wondering who it could be. He didn't know many people – Oh no, he thought, what if it's about Dad?

He ran down the corridor, bedroom door swinging shut behind him. His father had had a heart attack about a year ago, and his health hadn't been quite perfect since. Whenever Kurt was around him he tried to stop him eating the fatty pork and dripping that he loved, but living at school, he knew his dad ran a much higher risk of relapsing – thank goodness Carole was there to keep an eye on him.

He skidded round the corner into the horse yard, eyes searching frantically. The place was deserted, and Kurt suddenly got a horrible twang of what if this is a trick by Karofsky? – but then no, Santana would never do that to him, would she? – until he spotted Rory talking to a figure wearing a dark cloak, standing in the shade of the carriage barn.

Kurt approached nervously, steeling himself to hear the worst. Rory spotted him.

'Oh hey, Kurt! Um…'

The person in the cloak turned around, hood raised. Kurt felt a jolt of deja-vu. The stranger lowered the hood.

Kurt felt like his heart was going to burst free from his chest.

Blaine.