The Raie'Chaelia (Legend of the Raie'Chaelia, Book One 1)

by Melissa Douthit

  “Alright,” Kirna replied.

  Tycho turned to Chalice. “Well, good night there, child of prophecy,” he quipped. Chalice rose from her seat to hug him and Kirna goodbye. Kirna took Chalice’s face in her hands.

  “You are a brave woman!”

  Chalice smiled at her. Regardless of everything they had learned that evening, it was comforting to have her best friends with her. They gave her strength. She hugged her friends and they left.

  “Bunejab will stay with me tonight,” Ben said. “We’ll see you two in the morning.”

  “He is coming with us?” Jeremiah asked.

  “Oh yes. He has accompanied me on many journeys. We will need him on ours.” Ben turned to Chalice. “It in is an honor to finally meet you, Chalice. It has been a long time.”

  “The honor is mine,” she said and smiled. “And thank you. I forgot to thank you for helping us downstairs in the dining room.”

  “Don’t mention it,” he replied. Then, Chalice and Jeremiah collected their things and left.

  The walk back to their room was silent. Jeremiah was still sullen. When they entered, Chalice removed her bed garments from her bag on the small table next to her bed and went into the washroom, shutting the door softly.

  Jeremiah dressed quickly into his nightclothes. Placing his bag under his bed, he thought about the moonbow and the shooting star they had seen that night on the mountain. He also thought about the wish he had made.

  Careful what you wish for, he told himself and found that he was staring out the window again.

  Chalice came out of the washroom and joined him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

  She didn’t have to ask him what he meant. She knew. “I didn’t think it applied to me.” It was a lie, but what else was she going to tell him? That she had been lying to herself?

  “I know what you will choose, Chalice. I know you.”

  She gazed at him, unable to ease his pain, unable to reassure him that he was wrong.

  “I don’t care about the law,” he said softly. “I will never leave you.”

  She reached up to stroke his cheek and he lowered his head, peering into her eyes. Suddenly, a dark movement from outside the window caught her eye. She could see two figures in the shadows made by the window light of the tavern.

  “Jeremiah, look.” They watched as a cloaked man and a woman dismounted their horses next to the stream to allow their animals a drink. After a minute, they led them around to the front of the inn. “Who would be arriving here this late?”

  “I don’t know. Should we tell Ben?”

  “No. I don’t see how anyone would know we were here. Not this soon.”

  “You’re probably right.” He shrugged. “We better get to bed. We don’t have much time to rest tonight. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight,” she replied, sliding into her bed. She stared up at the dark ceiling. Her mind would not shut down. Her thoughts and emotions roiled over one another. The decision she had to make stewed in her gut, though she had already known what she would decide the moment she accepted who she was. Jeremiah was right. He knew her. Finally, the turbulence inside her abated and she fell asleep.

  Jezebelle's Gift

  Chalice awoke to the clicking of the bedroom door lock. She realized with a start that someone was trying to break into the room. She slid out of bed without a sound as the image of the two riders in the night formed in her mind. Nudging Jeremiah, she saw him open his eyes and hear the noise. He understood. Before she could move, he was in front of her, holding a water jug from the bed stand with one hand and pushing her back toward the washroom with the other. They were positioned behind the door, hidden and silent. Suddenly, the noise stopped.

  “Here Nolan, try this one,” a woman’s voice whispered. The clicking recommenced and then the lock snapped. As the door slowly opened, Jeremiah gently pushed Chalice farther back, and with his right arm, raised the jug just above a dark head that appeared behind the door. CRASH! It shattered over the man’s head, drenching him and knocking him to the floor. He was large and corpulent and his fall shook the whole building.

  Chalice heard the woman running away in the corridor. Before Jeremiah could stop her, she jumped over the man’s body and bolted out the door. By the moonlight from a window at the west end, she glimpsed the dark profile of a cloak disappearing around the corner into the stairwell. She leapt to pursue the woman, but halted as soon as she heard footsteps coming from the other direction.

  There are more of them?! she thought suddenly and spun in place, prepared to fight. She was immediately relieved to find Ben standing in front of her. Apparently, the crashing sound that came from their room had woken him, along with many other guests at the inn. Doors flew open and light flooded the hallway.

  “Ben!” Chalice exclaimed.

  “What happened?”

  “A man and a woman just tried to break into our room. The woman got away, but Jeremiah managed to knock the man out.”

  “Show me.” As they turned toward the room, tired faces stared at them in alarm.

  “Do not worry,” Ben said. “You can all return to your rooms. The situation is under control.”

  They complied immediately. They seemed to recognize him from the evening before and didn’t want to cross paths again. He followed Chalice into the room where Jeremiah was studying the unconscious man, holding a lamp up to his face. The stranger was scruffy and smelled of tobacco and alcohol. Ben shut the door behind him.

  “I placed a seal on this door last night before going to bed. It woke me the second it opened.”

  He knelt down next to Jeremiah and began to rifle through the man’s pockets. He pulled out a small sack of coins from the man’s inner coat and poured a handful of gold coronals into his palm.

  The coins were odd, Chalice noted. They were engraved with the Red Flame of Maalda. She reached down and plucked one from Ben’s hand to examine it.

  “These are strange. I’ve never seen coins minted this way.”

  “You’re right. Most coins in the Realm are minted with the Star of the Ielierian.”

  “The Star of the Ielierian? Is that what that is? I always thought it was just a wheel or something.” Chalice had never known what the symbol was. All she had ever known was that all the coins used as currency in the Realm were engraved with a circle that contained five lines, equidistant from one another, extending from the center of the circle to its perimeter, shaping what appeared to be a wheel.

  “No, it is not a wheel.” Ben chuckled. “It is a star that is the sigil of your house, Chalice. The coins you carry are the ones that were minted while your family was in power. These coins, however, were minted by Dar’Maalda. Most people of the Realm quietly refuse to use them for that reason and so the coins usually have little value unless they are secretly sold to a smith to be melted and re-minted. This is something I am happy to say Dar’Maalda has no control over. In any case, the fact that this man is carrying them tells me that he is an agent of the white palace.”

  As Chalice handed the coin back to Ben, she could see worry etched into his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I am wondering how they found us so quickly?” He dumped the coins back into the sack and returned it to the pocket of its owner. Then, he rose to his feet. “We’ll have to figure that out later. Now, we must hurry. They know we’re here. Gather your things and get ready to leave. We are going. We will have to meet up with your friends along the road.”

  They swiftly collected their belongings and readied themselves for the road. In minutes, they were headed down the stairs. Halfway down, they met the innkeeper who was dressed in grey night robes, holding a lantern. His face shone with concern.

  “I heard a noise. Is everything alright?”

  “Master Duncan,” Ben said, “we will be leaving early. A man and a woman attempted to break into one of our rooms. The man is still there, but he’s unconscious.”

  �
�Oh my … my apologies! I am so sorry! I will be sure to take care of this immediately. Are you certain you want to …”

  “Master Duncan,” Ben interrupted firmly, “for your own safety and that of your establishment, be on the lookout for strange visitors. Make sure the inn’s strongmen are alerted and ready.”

  “Not to worry, Master Graeystone. We have always managed to weather the roughest of storms here.” He chuckled as if the thought amused him. “Will you be needing a stable boy to help you prepare your horses?”

  Ben moved past him and motioned the others to follow, irritated that the man was not heeding his warning. “No, thank you. There is no time. We must leave now. Be sure to remember what I told you.”

  “I am so sorry for what has happened during your visit here. I hope to have your patronage again someday. Please do take care on the road.” And with that the innkeeper rushed up the stairs, not noticing Bunejab who darted behind Jeremiah’s shadow to avoid being seen.

  Almost as soon as they reached the stable, they had the horses saddled and bridled and were on the road toward the village. The morning air was cold and damp with the dawn’s early light slowly replacing the darkness of the night. A cool breeze ruffled Chalice’s hair as the sound of the wind through the trees met the clop of their horses’ hooves.

  Their intention was to meet Kirna and Tycho along the road to the periphery, but suddenly, in the distance they heard rapid hoof beats issuing from a path within the dense thicket of trees to the right. Whoever the riders were, they were forcefully driving their steeds with total abandon. Within seconds, the dark outline of Kirna and Tycho swam into view, riding two red-brown Quarter Horses, their faces stricken with terror. Kirna reached them first, gasping and out of breath.

  “There are men … about ten of them … Draaquans we’re pretty sure … they burned my cousin’s farm … they will be here anytime,” she managed to force out, in between gulps of air.

  “This way.” Ben lifted the cowl of his cloak and heeled his mount into a gallop toward the back of the inn and over the shallow creek. Bunejab, who was seated in the front of his saddle, held tightly to the horse. The others followed quickly behind. He led them through the dense forest of silver firs that decorated the steep mountainside behind the inn and sloped upward from the stream. They crested the hill in a matter of minutes that, to Chalice, seemed like hours. Suddenly, they heard a huge explosion in the distance. Ben halted his mount at the top of the ridge and turned.

  “You smell that?” he asked, sniffing at the air.

  They did. It was an awful stink of charred flesh and burning wood. The strong smell permeated the clear mountain air. All of them turned their mounts in the direction of the inn. They could see it from their bird’s eye view, hidden in the shade of the trees. The sun’s first light was peeking out over the horizon and illuminated the terrible scene below. Many dark shapes scurried in the road, running for their lives as a ravenous blaze engulfed the inn.

  “Oh no!” Kirna cried in dismay.

  “Master Duncan! What will he do?” Chalice asked.

  Ben shook his head gravely. “I warned him. I feel badly about it, too, but there is nothing we can do.” He motioned downward toward the inn. “Take a good look, Chalice. Remember this. What you see here, this is the mercy of Dar’Maalda.” Then, he turned to Kirna. “Kirna, your cousin?”

  “He ran to a friend’s farm nearby. They didn’t see him.”

  “Good, at least he is still alive.” Ben paused, sighing, as he glanced down at the inferno below. “We need to press on. Follow me.”

  He reined his mount to the right and continued along the path. Ben’s stallion was a silver grey Appaloosa, strong and sturdy, with a lustrous coat. The others were amazed at the uncanny ease with which he rode his mount through the dense mass of trees and vegetation that blocked the trail. It was clear that he had made this journey before. He rode swiftly, making it difficult for the others to follow. Yet, they managed.

  Hours passed and they found themselves descending the other side of the ridge into a wide valley of heath land dotted with eucalyptus trees. A few hours after midday, they stopped by a small river for rest and water. It was uncomfortably warm, but the strong, cool breeze of the valley and the cold water of the river refreshed them and quelled their thirst. A hawk’s cry resounded in the distance, reminding them of how far they had just traveled.

  “What river is this?” Kirna asked as she bent low to plunge the mouth of her water skin into the water. Chalice, on the other hand, had pulled out her map and was searching for their position.

  “The Vayiesan,” Ben replied. “It is narrow and shallow here, but grows much larger toward the northern estuary. Fortunate for us since we need to cross here and head west.”

  As he spoke, he held a strange object to his eye that he had extracted from his saddlebag. It appeared to be an elongated eyeglass, with grooves along the tube that allowed one to fold it flat for storage. With it, Ben was scanning the horizon along the trees from which they had just come. Bunejab was standing next to him, squinting into the distance.

  “Yeah, here it is,” Chalice said, pointing to a fold on her map. Kirna walked over to study it with her. “And Cedarwood should be just over here.” She moved her finger to the left on the page.

  “Kedra’Paola,” Kirna said, pronouncing it awkwardly.

  “Yep, that’s it,” Chalice responded.

  “I’m starving! What do we have to eat?” Tycho had just taken a large draw from his water skin and was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “Here, Tyke.” Jeremiah pulled out a portion of bread and cheese from his bag. “Eat sparingly right now, alright? We need to ration what we have.”

  Tycho frowned down forlornly at the small morsel that Jeremiah had given him and shrugged. “Bummer.” He sighed. “Well, if anything, at least I’ll lose some weight.”

  Kirna motioned to Chalice with her fingers in a sign language they had shared since they were children. They had developed the language together during school classes so that they could talk back and forth without their Shaunta knowing. Yeah right, the hand signal said and Chalice giggled. Kirna knew him too well.

  Tycho glared. “Hey! What did you just tell her? Stop that you two!” he said and they roared with laughter.

  Jeremiah, on the other hand, had been studying Ben. “Ben, what are you doing?”

  “Curse it!” Ben removed the glass from his eye.

  “What’s wrong?” Jeremiah asked as a hush fell over all of them.

  “They are still following us.” He stared angrily in the distance toward the ridge. “How can that be?!”

  “You can see them?”

  “Here, Jeremiah, look. Just there.” Ben handed him the looking glass and pointed him in the direction of the riders. It took Jeremiah only a second to spot them – dark shapes that moved noiselessly through the trees along the ridge in the distance.

  “You’re right! I can barely see them, but they’re there.”

  “And they’re following us. They have to be. There’s no one else out here. How …” Ben paused and turned to the others, speaking in a stern voice. “Before I found you, did you meet or talk to any strangers besides the innkeeper? Did anyone give you anything?”

  “Why?” Jeremiah lowered the eyeglass and looked at him curiously.

  “The Terravail have ways of tracking people using small objects. It would be something you would carry with you, like a coin or a ring.”

  Jeremiah shook his head. “I talked to a lot of strangers in town when I was shopping, but I gave them all exact change. I wasn’t given any coins, not even from the innkeeper.”

  “What about you three?” Ben inquired of the others and Kirna and Tycho shook their heads.

  Chalice quickly scanned her memory of the past few days. All that came to mind was the blind woman on the mat. “Well, we did meet an old blind woman in Woodrock, but she didn’t give us any coins. It was the other way around. We gave her mon
ey.”

  “Are you sure? She didn’t slip anything into one of your pockets?”

  “No, she was blind … although …” Chalice paused.

  “Although what?”

  “Although, she did call me princess and at the time I wondered how she knew I was a woman. Maybe she wasn’t blind after all. I’m certain she didn’t give us anything, though. She was sitting on a cloth, knitting.”

  “She called you a princess?” Ben asked curiously and Chalice nodded. “That’s interesting.” He glanced downward, scratching his chin. “If she wasn’t truly blind and was working for Dar’Maalda, she would not have been looking for a young woman. She would have been looking for a young man, but still, that’s interesting.”

  “What do you mean? You think she knew Chalice’s true identity?” Jeremiah asked, incredulous. “That can’t be possible. Not even Chalice knew who she was.”

  Ben shot him a sharp look. “You think so? You would be surprised at what the blind can see, Jeremiah.” He turned to Chalice. “When did this happen?”

  “It was when we went into town to get supplies before dinner. We saw the old woman right before we met … right before …” she stammered as her face lit up. Her chin dropped and it dawned on her. “It was her …” she said in a low, angry voice.

  “Who? Right before you met who?” Ben asked.

  “Jezebelle!”

  “Jezebelle? Who’s Jezebelle?”

  “The spice lady that we met in town. No wonder she was so nice to us. She helped us find the shops we needed to buy supplies and while Jeremiah went off looking for them, I had a conversation with her in her shop. She gave me this.” Chalice removed the broach from her shoulder and handed it to Ben.

  “That’s right! I forgot about that,” Jeremiah added.

  “I thought it was odd that she was giving me such a fine piece of jewelry. It didn’t occur to me at the time. I should have known, especially when Master Duncan didn’t recognize her name.”