by Tamie Dearen
As the stone tumbled though the underbrush, the men ran rapidly toward the crash. Jireo slipped away in the opposite direction on soundless feet. Veering a long way around the camp and back toward the road, he hoped the two men would assume they were chasing an animal and not check the road where Surefoot was tethered.
His luck held and Jireo mounted quickly, riding to relative safety away from the treacherous camp. His heart continued to pound at a furious pace until he was a league or more away. He cursed himself, as he hadn’t brought a larger supply of arrows, for he could now foresee needing them for more than hunting.
Stopping only to water his horse and stretch his legs for a moment, Jireo rode through the night and into the morning until exhaustion forced him to rest. Now fearing discovery, he moved well off the road and found a secluded place to rest near a small spring bubbling from beneath a rocky outcropping.
Feeling rested enough to continue, he forced his aching body onto the horse’s back. Not for the first time, he regretted riding alone rather than with Kaevin. The two had been inseparable friends, almost since birth. Playing together as children grew into hunting and working side by side as teens until the constant companions had developed an unbreakable bond. So familiar were they with each other’s actions that, when hunting in tandem, they coordinated without the need for speech. They had always shared everything. Until now.
Since Alora had entered their lives, everything had changed. Jireo could not help the bite of hurt and jealousy he felt over her interference. And with Kaevin convinced the two were soulmates, he felt he’d lost his friend forever.
Without his companion, the only thing left for Jireo was to prove himself of value to the clan. Perhaps he would be allowed to train early as a warrior rather than being forced to wait until he had the customary nineteen years. Without Kaevin by his side, he couldn’t continue as before. It would simply be too sad.
Abruptly, Jireo was aware of hoof beats thundering behind him. He hurried off the road to hide with Surefoot and see what rider or riders were advancing at such a pace. He saw a pure white horse fly past him with a small rider, wearing a green cloak, long blond hair flying behind.
“Arista? Arista! Stop!” he called, running out onto the road.
The rider slowed the horse and came to a halt, turning around to walk back to Jireo.
“What’s wrong? Why are you here?” he asked. “Has someone attacked Laegenshire?”
“No,” she said, panting to catch her breath, “I was trying to find you.”
“But why? What happened?”
“I didn’t want to be left out. You and Kaevin always do everything without me. You get to do all the exciting stuff, and I’m stuck cooking and gardening and washing clothes with Mother. I’m just as good a rider and even better than both of you with a bow and arrow.”
“You have only sixteen years—and you’re a girl.”
“We have plenty of female warriors.”
“Yes, but Mother doesn’t want you to be a warrior. And anyway, why would I want to hang around with my little sister? You’d only be in the way.”
“I wouldn’t be in the way, and you’re just being selfish.” She stuck out her tongue.
“Well, I can’t send you back by yourself now. It’s too dangerous. There’s an enemy party between us and Laegenshire.” He stomped back to retrieve his horse. “You’ve been nothing but trouble since you were born.”
“You were too young to remember when I was born,” she bit back, looking down her nose at him.
“Did you leave a message for Mother? If you make it back home alive, she’s going to kill you.” He swung his leg up to mount and gave Surefoot a gruff kick.
“Yes, I left a message. Hopefully, I’ll accomplish something really grand, and she won’t be able to stay angry.”
“More likely, you’ll simply tear your new cloak, and she’ll make you wear it with patches to teach you a lesson. You’d better not slow me down,” he warned, setting Surefoot into a canter.
“You’d better not slow me down,” she retorted, kicking her white horse ahead of Surefoot.
Jireo gave a merry chase, as her laughter rolled back into his ears.
*****
Kaevin felt all the tension melt from his body as they rode almost noiselessly across the snow-covered fields. Everything was cushioned in a soft white blanket that dampened the noise of the hoof-falls. But for the horses breathing and snorting, no sound invaded his ears. By unspoken consensus, no one was speaking, instead riding in companionable silence, alone with their thoughts.
As they crossed a bridge, Beth grinned at him, pointing with her chin. “Hey, Kaevin. Race ya to the gate?”
“Let me ask River.” He leaned forward to whisper to his horse. “She says we will win.” He sat up, carefully maintaining a relaxed posture before prodding his horse forward without warning.
Beth squealed, kicking her blue roan into a gallop. The two were neck and neck, but as they neared the gate, River surged ahead to pass through first. They stopped to rest the horses until Wesley and Alora caught up.
“So what did you do to get that push at the end?” asked Beth, breathlessly.
“I didn’t do anything. River simply hates losing a race, so she did it on her own.”
“You wouldn’t have beaten me if I’d been riding Petra. He doesn’t like going slow or being beaten, ever. I think he’s A.D.D.”
“What’s A.D.D.?”
“Uhmm, it’s when someone can’t sit still, and they have a short attention span, and they’re kind of always in hurry.”
“That sounds like my friend, Jireo. I should introduce you—he’s an amazing rider.”
“He rides without a bridle, like you?”
He shrugged. “It’s just the way we ride in Stone Clan. If you come and visit us, you’ll have to ride without.”
“And when you say ‘visit us,’ who do you mean by ‘us’?”
“Alora and me, of course. And Raelene. You and Wesley could both come, although you might want to wait until we know Alora is safe from Vindrake,” Kaevin said.
“Are you talking about my father?” asked Alora, as they caught up to the racers.
“You know who your father is now?” asked Beth.
“Yes, I actually met him,” Alora said.
“He’s her father, but she’s nothing like him. He’s evil.” Kaevin’s stomach turned at the thought of Vindrake. Though he’d never encountered Vindrake in person, Kaevin’s father had given graphic descriptions of his vile deeds.
“Vindrake does evil things. He forces his citizens and captives to accept a bond, and if they refuse, he uses their bodies to create wendts.”
“What are wendts?” Wesley interrupted.
“They’re mindless, soulless, winged creatures that feed on human flesh. They look rather like enormous scaly bats with vicious teeth and long tails.”
“That sounds like a dragon,” Wesley replied.
“What’s a dragon?” Kaevin asked.
“It’s a huge fire-breathing, flying beast with sharp claws.”
“Your dragons sound even worse than our wendts. At least a wendt can’t breathe fire. Wendts are difficult to kill. Their hides are scaly and hard, and arrows often bounce off. When these dragons attack, how do you kill them?”
“Dragons aren’t real.” Wesley’s face, already rosy from the cold, turned a deep shade of red. “They’re just pretend creatures... mythological. Someone made them up and told stories about them.”
“Ah. I certainly wish our wendts were pretend creatures, as well, but Vindrake’s evil is all too real.”
“I know he’s done some bad things.” Alora’s voice was soft as she contemplated her fingers. “But surely he’s not beyond redemption. When he talked to me, he seemed kind of... sad or hurt. He begged me to give him a chance and let him prove himself.”
Kaevin stiffened and reached out to grab Alora’s arm. “You can’t believe that—he only wants to use you. I’m telling y
ou, the man is truly evil. He kidnapped your mother, Wendelle, and returned her to us dead. He’s killed countless people.”
Alora wrenched her arm out of Kaevin’s grip, kicking Willow into a gallop.
“Come back, Alora!” He turned River, prepared to make chase.
Beth pushed her outspread hand in front of his face. “Wait! Give her a minute, Kaevin. How would you feel if someone told you things like that about your father?”
“But I had to tell her—it’s true. She needs to know the truth about him.” He choked the words out of his suddenly dry mouth as he watched her fleeing form.
“Yes, but it still hurts to hear it. He’s still a part of her.”
“But she’s not like him—she’s like her mother. Wendelle was good and pure and brave. She sacrificed herself to save Alora.”
“That may be true, but Alora never got to meet her. She probably feels like she ought to give her father a chance, no matter what he’s done.”
Kaevin clutched River’s mane with now-sweaty palms. “What can I do? He’ll kill her—I’m certain of it. I have to protect her.”
“She’s got to see it for herself. For now, I’d just change the subject. She needs some processing time. In a week’s time, everything she thought she knew about herself has changed. Add that on top of just being a girl, and you’ve got a recipe for an emotional volcano.”
“This proves what I’ve always believed—horses are a lot easier to understand than girls.”
“You’ve got that one right,” Wesley agreed.
“And this conversation proves what I’ve always believed.” Beth twisted her mouth in a smirk. “Boys don’t know when to keep their mouths shut.”
The girls set up the picnic lunch, while the boys practiced shooting arrows at targets. Alora couldn’t help feeling proud as Kaevin’s arrows flew unerringly toward the bull’s-eye. But she was still stinging from his harsh words about her father.
“You know Kaevin’s just afraid for you, right? He’s afraid your father will kill you if he gets the chance.” Beth’s words were soft and hesitant; her best friend knew her so well. She knew how much Alora had always longed to know her real father. No one had ever spoken of him, and her hinting questions had only drawn vague explanations from her aunt and uncle, who claimed no one really knew anything about him.
“I know. And yesterday when we were hiding from him in the storeroom, I was afraid of him. But I wasn’t afraid for me—I was afraid for Kaevin. I don’t believe he’d actually hurt me, because I’m his daughter. He said he loved me. I think it’s possible I could actually change him if I spent some time with him.”
“You know, my dad was an alcoholic,” Beth’s words came out in a strained toned as she unpacked the sandwiches. “He used to beat my mother and scream at me. And my mother gave him lots of chances. She always believed he was going to change, and I did too. I always thought I could make the difference. I thought if he saw how much I loved him, if I kept my room really clean, if I made good grades in school, if I cooked for him, if I did everything just right... I thought he would be the father I needed him to be. Our lives were a living hell before he ran his truck off the road and ended up killing himself.”
Alora nodded. Although the accident had occurred six years earlier, she remembered it well. And she recalled what Beth’s life had been like prior to his death.
“I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve a chance, but I’m telling you not to risk your life and Kaevin’s life for it. It’s not your responsibility to fix him.”
Alora blinked at her tears as she hugged her friend. “I won’t be foolish. But if I ever get the opportunity to talk to him, I’m going to try. I have to.”
Beth sniffed as she nodded, hugging her hard. “I know you do. You’re kindhearted and forgiving, and I love you for it. But I’m scared for you. I’m not so afraid he’s going to kill you as I am he’s going to hurt you. On the inside, where it counts. And I know from experience how bad that kind of hurt is.”
*****
At two p.m. the four returned to Alora’s ranch house, where Beth hitched a ride home with Wesley, since the roads had been plowed.
“The dance is at eight o’clock, and we’ll leave at seven-thirty,” Beth yelled out the truck window. “And it’s casual. You can wear jeans and boots.”
“We’ll see,” Alora called after the departing truck.
“We don’t have to go if you don’t wish to,” said Kaevin into the awkward silence. Alora had been a bit stiff with him since the conversation about her father. He desperately wanted to pull her into his arms and apologize for hurting her.
“You can go, even if I don’t. I’m sure you’d have fun with Beth and Wesley.”
“I’d prefer to be with you, whether or not I’m at the dance.”
“You barely know me, Kaevin. You said you love me, but you don’t even know who I am. For all you know I’m evil like my father.”
He flinched at her words. “I do know you, and you’re nothing like him. And I didn’t speak those words of love lightly, so I refuse to take them back. I believe love is a commitment. If you don’t like the fact I love you, that’s unfortunate. Because I will continue to do so, and nothing you do or say will change it. I will love you until we die.”
“And if I decide to try to talk to my father and influence him to change?” she asked, crossing her arms and jutting out her chin.
“Then I will love you until we die, but our time together may be shorter.” He felt his throat constrict. “Honestly, I don’t know if there’s any way to keep you safe, unless we both hide here in Montana. And that’s not the kind of man I am. I can’t hide from my responsibilities. But I don’t know if I’m the kind of man who can sacrifice the one he loves for the good of the clan, either.”
“Oh, Kaevin—”
“There you are,” Raelene interrupted. “Come, come! We must be about our training. Kaevin, I’d appreciate if you’d allow us some time alone. We have much to learn.”
*****
Graely listened to Jireo’s account with growing apprehension.
“Could you see their eyes?”
“I thought their eyes were green, but I can’t be positive. The only light was the campfire and the moon.”
“You’re confident they didn’t see you?”
“I’m not certain, but I believe if they’d actually seen me, they would’ve checked the road. Since Surefoot was still tethered where I left him, I assume they weren’t aware someone overheard their conversation.”
“Good... good,” Graely mused. “I simply don’t know how to interpret this.”
“There’s something else you should know. I overheard the council discussing the strangers’ visit. No one seemed to believe her, but Alora thought one of the men was Vindrake. Perhaps they have some kind of disguise?”
“That seems highly unlikely,” Nordamen remarked. “Bardamen, at least, would have detected such a mask. But somehow these men must be in league with Vindrake. Ow! Morvaen, you stepped on my foot! Can you not be still for a moment?”
“Sorry. I have too much energy to sit down.”
“The council sent me to tell you Raelene now believes Alora and Kaevin are quite some distance from here. She spoke with them before Alora transported them back. Raelene says you should begin your search beyond the mountain pass.”
“Then we must make haste through the passage,” Graely said. “If it’s true these men you observed are in league with Vindrake, then he must be aware of Alora’s existence, although they are inquiring about a girl of a different name. It is unlikely there would be two missing girls of fifteen years.”
“I forgot to tell you one of the men spoke of Lena being Raelene’s granddaughter.”
“Then there can be no mistake.” Graely groaned. “He knows about Alora, although he doesn’t know her rightful name. It’s imperative we reach her before Vindrake finds her.”
“But what if she and Kaevin transport back to Laegenshire?” asked Jir
eo.
“If that happens, it will mean she has gained control of her gift. And if she had control, she could transport herself to safety. The real danger lies in Vindrake finding her before she can protect herself.”
“Raelene said it will take a long time for her to gain full control.” Morvaen continued pacing. “I assume that’s the reason she and Kaevin almost drowned in whatever freezing lake they were in. We must reach her before Vindrake does, to provide protection while she’s training.”
“Now what are we to do with you and your sister?” Graely asked Jireo.
“I’m sorry about Arista. I couldn’t send her back alone.”
“We can’t take them with us,” reasoned Morvaen. “They have no choice but to return to Laegenshire.”
“Perhaps being so young, they will not raise suspicion with the enemy search party,” said Nordamen. “If it were only Jireo, I wouldn’t worry. But with his sister along, I’m reluctant for them to travel alone.”
“And if they are stopped and questioned?” asked Graely.
“We would never betray you,” said Jireo.
“If they have a judge, you wouldn’t be able to lie,” Nordamen argued.
“We’re both good hunters and good riders,” Arista’s voice chimed in from behind a nearby tree. “We’d be a great help on the expedition.”
“And you’re obviously good at hiding and eavesdropping,” Graely shook his head in mock disapproval, but his lips split into a smile. He’d always had a soft spot for Jireo’s sister. She’d been following Kaevin and Jireo around like an unwanted shadow since she first learned to walk. She was impetuous, but brave. Despite her parents’ misgivings, she would likely join the ranks as a Stone Clan warrior someday... if she survived long enough.
“You could take us with you to the last shire before the mountain pass. We have a cousin who lives there. Darielle will see we’re with you, so our parents won’t fret when we don’t return.”
“You simply want to put off facing Mother and Father as long as possible.” Jireo gave a sideways smirk, and Arista stuck out her tongue.
Graely looked to Nordamen with a silent question. His answering nod lacked enthusiasm.