The Last Falcon: Book 1 of the Cael Stone

by Colleen Ruttan

CHAPTER 16

  They moved quickly, trying to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the castle. Erynn wondered if Krystalix had broken off his attack now that they were across the field. If he hadn't, she couldn't tell. The forest was quiet around them, the only sounds she could hear the steady labor of their breath and the crunch of dried leaves and twigs beneath their feet.

  They hadn't been in the forest long when Erynn noticed that she was feeling better. The rushing sound and the ache across her brow had once again vanished almost as abruptly as they had arrived. It still didn't make any sense, especially since her hunger and exhaustion had only grown worse, but she didn't give it any more thought. All that mattered was that both ailments were gone.

  Up ahead, Adena was gazing around at the trees, and up at the branches above — something she'd been doing off and on ever since they entered the wood.

  "Still worried about elves?" Erynn asked.

  Adena returned her attention to the path. "I guess."

  "I never saw any on our trip to Galia and we were in the woods a lot."

  For a while Adena said nothing, but she continued to glance around at the trees. "You said your father went by the Bryan Forest on his way to Highcastle. When he saw those elves. Will we have to go by it to get there, too?"

  "I think so. The Ring Road runs by it. But we won't have to go into it."

  "I guess it would be marked on the map? A forest that size?"

  "What map?" Erynn asked. And then something Adena had said in the study came back to her and she stopped. Something about the king's map. "You didn't …"

  Adena shrugged and lightly patted her pack. "I figured we might need it. More than the king does anyway."

  Erynn couldn't believe it. "You stole his map? The one in the cabinet? Do you have any idea how much he loves that thing? What Holden would do to us if he found out?"

  "Lower your voice," Adena said, casting an even more nervous glance around. "Or we will have the elves on us."

  Erynn didn't care. She raised her hands to her face, imaging the king's reaction when he went to his cabinet and found his precious map gone. He'd probably want Holden to find her, just so he could get it back. "You shouldn't have done that, Adena."

  "Erynn, Queen Naedra wants to kill you. If the map can help us get to Highcastle and find this Paddon guy, then I think it's worth taking. Besides, the king should have done something. At least warned you the minute the Galians arrived. I think he owes you a bit more than an apology and a few gold coins."

  "But that map means a lot to him, Adena. With Gareth gone he —"

  Adena threw her arms up. "Who cares? Why are you always protecting him?"

  Erynn lowered her hands. "I'm not."

  "You are, Erynn. Ever since the Galians arrived. You couldn't tell him the truth about the falconry because you were worried what might happen to him, and you couldn't tell him about Gareth, either. Maybe if you had, he would have said something sooner. Maybe you would be in Highcastle by now."

  Erynn crossed her arms over her chest. "So this is all my fault?"

  "No, I'm not saying that. Just that you think about him more than you think of yourself."

  "And what do you think will happen to you if they catch us? When they find the map in your pack? That you'll just go back to working in the stables?"

  Adena sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I was just trying to help us, Erynn. Have you been to Highcastle? Do you know how to get there?"

  "It's the biggest town in southern Brye, Adena. I'm sure we'd find it sooner or later."

  For a moment Adena just stared at her. Then she hiked up her pack on her shoulder and brushed past her, not saying a word.

  Erynn rubbed her forehead. This wasn't about the king, or about not telling him the truth. It was about stealing something that didn't belong to them. Why couldn't Adena see that?

  Neither of them said anything further, and just focused on their path through the trees and moving as quickly as they could. And as the morning wore on, that path took them further and further down into a valley where eventually the trees thinned and the warm light of the sun reached them through the leaves.

  Erynn couldn't stop thinking about the king as she walked, and how he would now forever think of her as a thief, but the more the day wore on and the more miles they traveled, the more bothered she also grew at the continued silence between her and Adena. She was angry at her friend for taking the map, but knew they were going to need each other's help if they were to get out of Alyria.

  "The Bryan Forest is on the map," she said finally. "But I'm pretty sure most of it is north of where we're going. We won't have to go through it."

  Adena glanced over at her, but a few seconds passed before she spoke. "The farther north the better, if you ask me."

  Erynn kicked at a stone lying on the path, trying hard not to be mad. "I always think of Queen Sasha when I hear about the Bryan Forest."

  "Naedra's older sister?"

  Erynn nodded. "She managed to escape the castle in Tallon after the Galians invaded but died not long after. A Bryan knight was executed over her death, but some think it was the elves in the Bryan Forest who killed her. It's said she was pregnant and that they might have stolen her baby to raise as their own. Or killed it, too."

  "That's horrible," Adena said, but then a moment later she laughed. "You don't suppose that's you? The lost princess of Tallon?"

  "That was a few years before I was born. I don't think I look nineteen."

  "Do you know how many Daughters there are in Valentia? Besides you and Naedra, I mean?"

  "Sasha was the only other Daughter my father ever mentioned. I asked the king once, but he said he didn't know."

  "Or maybe he didn't want to tell you."

  "Maybe."

  Erynn gazed up at the cloudless sky, wondering if she might eventually see some sign of Krystalix. But all she saw was a couple small birds dart by overhead.

  "Have you thought about what it might be like to meet your mother?" Adena asked.

  Erynn was silent, thinking back again on that one warm summer day many years ago. "I think maybe I have. Met her I mean."

  "What? When?"

  Erynn told her about the woman on the dapple-grey horse she had seen as a child.

  "You never told me that story before," Adena said.

  "It never came up. It was just some woman I met in the woods once, and I had no idea my real mother was even alive anyway. But now that I think about it, my parents did seem upset when I told them about her, and we did move to Caraden not long after."

  "Maybe they suspected who she was?"

  "Maybe."

  It was well past mid-day when they came to a narrow river winding its way south along the valley floor. Although it didn't appear more than a couple of feet deep, it moved swiftly, and they followed it downstream until they found a calmer area with enough large rocks they could cross. On the other side, they found a row of bushes bursting with ripe blackberries and stopped to feast. Then they returned to the river to drink and wash the juice from their hands.

  "I wish we could have grabbed something from the kitchen," Adena said as she sat back along the edge of the river. "Even some bread. I'm still hungry."

  "We can buy food in Farglen," Erynn said. She cupped her hands and took another long sip of the cool fresh water.

  They rested there for a few minutes before Adena finally sighed and pulled herself to her feet. "I guess we should get going. Do you think we should follow the river south? Or keep heading west?"

  Erynn gazed downstream, and over to the trees on the far side of the valley. "I think we should keep heading west. The road from Caraden crosses this river south of here, but it's really open along that stretch and its probably best we don't go too close. The road on the other side of this valley would be better. Maybe we can get there before dark."

  Adena headed back to the blackberry bushes to grab her things.

  Erynn was reluctant to leave.
She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to rest there in the sun for a while longer, but she knew they needed to keep going. So she pushed herself up with a slight groan and brushed the dirt and grass from her cloak. She had just turned to follow after Adena when she heard a noise. A noise that sounded very much like a distant screech.

  Erynn spun around, her eyes scanning the eastern sky. "Did you hear that?"

  "Hear what?" Adena replied, grabbing a few more blackberries.

  "I thought I heard something."

  They both stood still. Listening. But all Erynn could hear was the babble of the river against the rocks, the chatter of some birds nearby, and the drone of a dragonfly overhead.

  "Think it was Krystalix?" Adena asked.

  "Maybe." Erynn scanned the tree line, but all she could see was blue sky and a few wisps of cloud. Still, she felt uneasy. She grabbed her pack. "We better go."

  They continued west in silence, too focused on finding a good path across the valley and listening to sounds behind them to talk. Eventually they came to the edge of the valley and headed back into the trees, soon discovering that this side was much steeper than the other and the further west they traveled the steeper the valley wall became.

  Erynn paused to take a breath some time later, wondering if continuing west had been the right decision after all. Or if they should have followed the river and taken their chances with the open road. The climb was growing even more difficult, especially considering how tired they already were, but she knew there was no time to change their mind and go back. The light was already changing and soon it would be dark.

  She turned back to the hill and continued to climb, but hadn't gone more than a few feet when she heard a sound that stopped her cold.

  Somewhere across the valley behind them, dogs were barking.

  Several feet above, Adena stopped and glanced back. "You don't suppose Holden gave up and decided to go hunting?"

  Erynn started to climb. "Only if we're the game."

  They scrambled up the hill as quickly as they could, propelled by a new sense of urgency. But with every step they took, every rock they scaled, and every fallen tree they navigated, it seemed the valley wall grew steeper — steeper and more difficult to climb. At one point, a sheer cliff-face rose up almost twenty feet above them and they had to work their way south until they found a better place to climb. Several more rock faces, although not as high, forced them even farther south.

  "I think we're getting close," Adena said some time later, pausing to take a breath and glance up the hill.

  Erynn grabbed a nearby branch and looked up. She could see more light ahead, about thirty feet above. The hill appeared to level. Below her, the barking was louder now. She gazed back down, searching the trees for movement, but saw nothing. She knew the dogs were getting closer, and could tell by the excitement of their barks that they knew it, too.

  "At least their horses won't get up this," Adena muttered, starting to climb again. "Maybe that'll slow them down."

  Erynn continued climbing. She knew her friend was right. The hillside wasn't just steep, it was covered in loose rock and strewn with fallen logs and branches. Too dangerous for horses. But it wouldn't stop the dogs and she didn't even want to think about what might happen if they caught up to them. She slipped on a log but pulled herself up and kept moving.

  By the time they reached the top of the ridge, they were both covered in dirt. Their clothes were littered with bits of leaves, moss and twigs, their hair twisted and tangled, and their hands and arms covered in scratches. But they didn't stop, and kept on running until finally they broke through a line of brush and found themselves on a wide and well-worn dirt road. The road ran north as far as the eye could see, and south about a quarter mile before disappearing around a bend in the trees.

  Erynn bent over to try and catch her breath.

  Behind them, the barking had grown labored.

  "They're climbing the hill," Adena said, almost out of breath herself. "Now what?"

  "Head south," Erynn said, stumbling forward down the road. "Maybe we can get to that bend before they see us."

  "They're dogs, Erynn. They don't need to see us."

  Erynn just ran, not seeing what else they could do. She could barely feel her legs, her lower back was stiff and sore, and she had a burning stitch in her right side and a fire in her lungs and throat. But she refused to give up and continued on down that road as fast as she could, the heavy coins in her pack slamming noisily against her hip.

  Halfway to the bend, she heard the sound of horses.

  She glanced back, amazed the men following them could have climbed the hill so fast, but she saw nothing. The road was clear. Confused, she turned back and nearly ran into Adena, who had stopped in the middle of the road and was staring at something ahead of them. Erynn gasped.

  Six riders had just come around the bend and were now galloping toward them — and out front rode Quinn.

  Erynn froze, unable to believe her eyes. What was he doing here?

  Then the barking changed — growing louder.

  Six large black dogs had emerged from the trees. The same dogs she had seen with Holden and Lord Caden only two days earlier. They quickly caught sight of their prey and leapt down the road toward them, their paws tearing up the dirt and sending chunks flying into the air.

  Erynn couldn't move. They were trapped!

  Adena grabbed her arm and yanked her back toward the trees.

  Quinn was shouting to his men, but Erynn couldn't make out the words. All she knew was he was headed in her direction — and fast. And so were the dogs.

  "Don't let them catch you, Erynn."

  Tears burned Erynn's eyes as she raced after Adena, dodging low branches and leaping over rocks and tree roots. She had tried so hard. Come all this way. And now it was over. Even if they could outrun the dogs or somehow throw them off their trail, how would they get away from Quinn? He would catch her and take her back to the castle. Or wait for Marik and whoever else was hunting them to show up. And then Lord Caden would take her to Galia. She looked up at the trees. Where was Krystalix? Didn't he know she was in danger?

  It didn't take long. Quinn and his men reached the trees around the same time as the dogs, but were closer to the girls and intercepted them first. After splitting up and spreading their horses out around them, the men quickly closed in, cutting off access to the ridge so they couldn't escape down the hill.

  Erynn grabbed Adena's arm and pulled her back as one of the horses came dangerously close. They whirled around, trying to find a break in the circle that they could slip through, but each time they tried, one of the men promptly rode forward and cut them off. And soon it was no more use trying.

  The dogs raced towards them through the trees and brush, their barks deafening.

  "Quickly," Quinn said, riding closer. "Why does Marik hunt you?"

  Erynn glanced at Adena, but neither of them said a word.

  He pulled out his sword and pointed it at Erynn. "I won't ask you again."

  "I – I don't know," Erynn said. "We're on our way to Farglen to visit a friend."

  "Awful long walk," said a blonde-haired man that Erynn knew was named Briggs Colson.

  The dogs reached the horses and tried to get through them to their prey.

  "Hold those beasts back!" Quinn shouted to his men. The horses shifted, uneasy, and some stomped their feet and snapped at the dogs. But the men kept the dogs back. Quinn returned his attention to Erynn. "You still haven't given me the truth. Marik's been watching you lately. Why?"

  Erynn was amazed he had even noticed, but still refused to say anything.

  "Did you steal something?" Briggs asked.

  "I didn't steal anything!" Erynn snapped.

  "I'm losing my patience," Quinn said. "Let the dogs through."

  "Because she knows what Holden's really up to with the Galians!" Adena blurted out.

  Quinn held up his hand, signaling to his men to still hold th
e dogs back.

  Erynn shot Adena a look, not sure if it was a good idea to tell Quinn anything.

  "It's not like this can get any worse!" Adena said.

  The dogs were still barking and circling the horses, trying to get at their prey.

  "Quinn?" Briggs said, looking concerned.

  Quinn's eyes shifted from Erynn to the dogs, then he set his jaw and slid his sword back in its sheath. "Fate brings them to us, Briggs. I say we act now and take our chances." He turned to the others and motioned with a quick jerk of his head toward the dogs. "Take them. Quickly. We'll meet up later at the old wood."

  Before Erynn could even register what he'd said, one of the men slid down from his horse and grabbed her from behind. She struggled, but soon found herself roughly hoisted in the air and set down in the saddle in front of Quinn. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

  "Hang on," he growled.

  And then his horse leapt forward, galloping off through the trees.