The Last Falcon: Book 1 of the Cael Stone

by Colleen Ruttan

CHAPTER 28

  For several long moments, neither of the women moved or said a word. Even Voltan was quiet. Then Amara let go of his collar and started back toward the cottage.

  Adena went down to the cellar and fetched their things, depositing them next to the couch and closing the trap door by the time the old woman stepped inside.

  Erynn felt horrible and hobbled back toward the couch. She opened her mouth to say something, to try to apologize for not telling them about the warrant, but Amara walked right past her, her face blank, and disappeared into her room. Erynn sat down and lowered her head to her hands, not thinking it was possible to feel any worse.

  A second later the door opened and Callie stepped inside. She looked pale — and angry. Voltan trotted in behind her and went to lay by the hearth.

  "It's not true," Erynn said, looking up. "We had nothing to do with the king's death."

  Callie shut the door, not looking convinced. "They're saying you murdered him. I heard in town."

  "Holden's just saying that so people will help him find us," Adena said. "So you'll turn us in." She walked back over to the window and peered outside, as if worried Marik might return.

  "Why would he lie about something like that?"

  Erynn sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She wished she could explain, but had a feeling it was probably better that they knew nothing. "It's a long story. Believe me, we wouldn't even be here if I could walk. The last thing we want to do is to get either of you in trouble."

  "In trouble? Do you know what those soldiers would do to us if they found you here? If they knew we were helping you?"

  "Yes, I do," Erynn said. "But we'll go. We'll leave now." She stood back up and reached for her cloak and pack. She didn't want to leave — she couldn't — but it was also quite clear they could not stay.

  "We have to help them, Callie."

  Everyone turned. Amara was standing in the doorway of her room, holding something in her hand — what appeared to be an object of some kind, wrapped up in an old green robe.

  Callie looked stunned. "Help them? Aunt Amara, what are you talking about? Didn't you hear those men? They're wanted for murdering the king!"

  "Loren is a Daughter of Maegan, Callie. That's why they're looking for her."

  Erynn just about dropped her pack. "A Daughter?" She tried to laugh, but could tell it didn't come out very well. "What makes you think that?"

  Amara smiled. "My dear, I recognized her in you the second you walked in the door. It was like Sasha herself had walked right in out of the rain and spoken to me again. From beyond the grave. It gave me goosebumps."

  Erynn felt goosebumps rise up on her own arms. She sounded just like Sasha?

  Callie looked uneasy. "Amara, what are you talking about?"

  The old woman stepped further into the room. "I think she's the reason the Galians are here." She turned her head towards Erynn. "Aren't you?"

  Erynn glanced over at Adena, desperate for some sort of guidance, but her friend just shrugged. And then she decided there wasn't much point in lying. At least not anymore. She sighed. "You're right. The Galians did come to Alyria for me and that's why Marik's looking for me now. My name's not Loren. It's Erynn. And this is my friend, Adena. We're not from Farglen. We're from Caraden. We used to work at the castle."

  Callie's mouth dropped open. "You are a Daughter of Maegan?"

  Erynn nodded. "The king told me a couple days after the Galians arrived. Told me to leave Alyria. Paddon brought me here when I was a baby and asked the king to take care of me. He chose a couple to raise me, but they're both dead now." She paused. "My mother's Tara."

  "Tara?" Callie said. "Naedra's sister?"

  "I think so," Erynn said. "Unless there's another Daughter out there with the same name. I didn't realize Naedra had other sisters until last night — which is why I looked so shocked. Apparently she's been searching for my mother for years."

  Callie looked confused. "I – I don't understand."

  "Neither do I," Erynn said. "Just that I'm in a lot of danger if they catch me." She glanced over at Amara and saw tears had appeared in the old woman's eyes.

  "Your voice is so much like Sasha's," Amara said, a slight tremor in her voice. "When you walked in the door and I first heard you speak I thought for sure you were her lost child. But then you said your age and I realized you couldn't be, although I was still sure it had to be the same family. Sweet Tara. I can't believe it."

  Callie sank down in a chair at the table, still looking stunned.

  Amara walked toward Erynn, her milky white eyes shifting down to the bundle in her hands. "I have something I need to give you. I've kept it all these years, not knowing what I was going to do with it. But now I know it's why you're here. How you managed to find your way to our barn. She wants me to give it to you."

  Erynn felt a shiver, even though it was quite warm. "You mean Sasha?"

  Amara ran a hand lightly over the bundle. "Yes. She gave this to me after we ran into the Galians, thinking it might be safer with me if we were captured. I've never understood why, but she said it was very valuable and that if anything happened to her, I was to make sure it was delivered to the Order — and preferably to Carys. She did not want Naedra to have it. I always meant to find Carys, but the years went by and I never did get around to it. Perhaps I was too scared after what happened to Branen. Then I lost my sight and couldn't. It's been a terrible weight on my mind for years." She held out the bundle to Erynn.

  Erynn lowered her pack and reached out to take it. "What is it?"

  "A book of some kind, only don't ask me who it once belonged to or what's written in it because I never did learn how to read and I've never shown it to anyone. Not even my husband. Or Callie."

  Callie shook her head in disbelief. "I never knew you had that. I wish you had told me in case something happened to you."

  "I always meant to, Callie."

  Erynn felt strange holding something that had once belonged to the late Queen of Tallon. Something she had claimed was so valuable. She was curious to know what was written in the book and why Sasha had been so concerned about it — and didn't want Naedra to have it — but she was also a little nervous. She was in enough trouble as it was, with Marik and Lord Caden after her. The last thing she wanted to do was lose it. "If the Galians catch me …"

  "You can't let them," Amara said, her voice firm.

  "It's not as easy as it sounds. They already did once, but we managed to get away. And now my foot …"

  "We should go," Adena said, returning to the couch to grab her things. "In case they do come back."

  Erynn reached for her pack again and slipped the bundle inside.

  "Wait," Amara said, concern on her face. "What about your foot, Erynn? If you leave, you're just going to injure it again. Cathus told you to rest it for three days."

  "I don't have a choice," Erynn said. "I don't want either of you to get hurt."

  "But where will you go? Surely they'll have soldiers watching for you at the bridges?"

  Erynn glanced at Adena. "We're actually not going to Brye just yet."

  "Not going to Brye?" Amara said. "But don't you need to leave Alyria? The longer you're here —"

  "There's something we need to do first," Adena said. "Someone we need to find."

  "If we can," Erynn said, not feeling quite as hopeful as she had before. Not if she had to leave.

  "We can," Adena said. "We'll just be careful."

  Amara turned to her niece. "We have to help them, Callie. Can you take them in the wagon?"

  Callie looked aghast at the suggestion. "Amara, do you have any idea —"

  "She's a Daughter of Maegan," Amara said. "She has to survive."

  Callie just shook her head. "It's too dangerous. They need to leave. Sore foot or not. I'm sorry for their trouble, I truly am, but I think we've helped them enough."

  For a few seconds it was quiet, and then Adena let out the slightest gasp and a very uncomfortable loo
k spread across her face.

  "What?" Erynn asked.

  "I just thought of something," Adena said. "Marik's going to be looking for some sign of us down by the Elks River. And when he doesn't find anything, he's going to suspect they lied."

  Erynn sank back down on the couch.

  Over at the table, Callie went white.

  Adena didn't look like she wanted to go on. But she did. "And if he suspects they lied …"

  "He'll be back," Erynn said, finishing her friend's thought. "Maybe not today, but tomorrow for sure."

  Callie lowered her head to her hands, and Erynn could tell she was well aware of what this meant. Marik would be angry when he came back, and this time he wouldn't be threatening to seize livestock as punishment. He'd have the two women arrested. Or worse. So it wasn't just a matter of Erynn and Adena leaving the cottage and everything going back to normal. Callie and Amara were going to have to leave, too. Or risk facing Marik. She rubbed a hand over her face, realizing it was possible to feel even worse than she had a few minutes ago. These women had been kind enough to take her into their home and feed her, and in two short days she had completely destroyed their lives.

  "Then we don't have much choice," Amara said. "We have to leave, and we might as well go together. Won't make much of a difference now anyway."

  Adena looked at Erynn. "West is the last direction Marik would expect us to go. Maybe you're right. Maybe we could shake him off our trail."

  Erynn didn't know what to say, and could barely bring herself to look at Callie and Amara.

  For what seemed like a very, very long time, no one in the cottage said a word. Then Callie took a deep breath, wiped a hand slowly across her mouth, and nodded.

  "Where is it you want to go?" she asked.