“Which house belongs to Shae, the plant oil purifier?” Leal asked the boy.
“The last house on the left,” the shepherd boy answered before yawning once again.
Jarold flicked the reins, and the wagon began to roll forward. Rian had been told that the village Shae lived in was small, but he had not understood how small it was until now. It was really no more than a collection of artisans’ homes that the local farmers used as a gathering point to sell produce and buy supplies. There wasn’t even a road sign with the village’s name on it. The people who lived and worked here knew its name—along with a handful of particularly detail-oriented mapmakers—and that was good enough.
Rian had expected that the arrival of a group of strangers would attract a lot of attention, but the residents seemed so studiously engrossed in their tasks that they hardly noticed them pass. Several times he briefly made eye contact with someone, but each time they turned back to their work as if they had seen nothing. It was almost as if they were intentionally being ignored. Odd, Rian thought.
The houses and workshops were modest in size and construction, but well kept and charmingly decorated. Children played unattended in the yards while colorful laundry flapped gently in the wind from clotheslines. Shae’s house sat on the edge of the village, next door to the woodshop. Gardens filled with herbs, flowers, and other plants surrounded the house. Jarold brought the wagon to a halt and left the reins with Cole before approaching to knock on the front door. The door swung open a short time later, and Shae appeared.
“We have come to deliver the book that you ordered through our partner in Niamh,” Jarold said loudly. The neighbors might be pretending not to see the visitors, but that didn’t mean they weren’t listening.
Shae’s brow furrowed in confusion, then a look of understanding spread across her features. “Ah, yes,” Shae answered smoothly. “I did not expect the delivery to come so soon.”
Leal smiled as he walked up the stone pathway. “We were told you may have some antique items you are interested in selling,” he said. He offered the book to Shae.
“Yes, I think I may have a few things for you to look at,” she said, taking the book. “Won’t you come inside?”
Rian dismounted and tethered Keme and the extra horse alongside Raysel’s and Caeneus’ horses. Cole and Eloc had already tethered theirs on the opposite side of the wagon. They now busied themselves tending to the currently-hitched pair. Caeneus and Raysel stood behind the wagon chatting, but Rian didn’t feel comfortable joining them. Since there was nothing else to do, he crossed his arms and leaned one shoulder against the back of the wagon, waiting.
“Why hello there, strangers,” a woman’s voice called out cheerfully. “What brings you to our humble village?” The tight curls in her dark hair bounced as she approached the wagon.
“Hello, good lady,” Raysel answered. “Our patrons are merchants, here to deliver an antique book that was ordered from their partner shop in Niamh.” He spoke so smoothly and naturally that even Rian would have believed the tale if he didn’t already know it was a lie.
The woman rubbed her hands together eagerly. “I see,” she replied. She looked Raysel up and down, eyeing the sword at his hip. “You must be the merchants’ guards. It was not so long ago that merchants had no need for guards during their travels in Chiyo.”
Raysel nodded to confirm her observation but said nothing more.
“May I see the wares your patrons have available for purchase?” she persisted.
“This village is the first stop on a journey to the northern regions to acquire new inventory,” Raysel said. “I’m afraid our patrons have few wares for sale right now. However, if you have any antique items to sell, books in particular, I will pass your message along once they have concluded their transaction here.”
The woman gave Raysel another appraising look. “I wonder why merchants would need five men to guard an empty…” she continued talking, but a man’s booming voice drowned out the rest of her sentence.
“Gladys! I stepped into the bedroom for just a minute to fetch the last shirt for you to mend, and by the time I came back, you were gone. What are you doing out here?”
“Erik, dear, you do say the silliest things sometimes,” she said, giving him a withering look and waving her hand dismissively. “You must not have heard me say I was stepping out.”
Erik’s facial expression was one of obvious disbelief, but instead of arguing he merely sighed in resignation. “Yes, dear,” he replied.
Gladys smiled with satisfaction. “I don’t have any antiques to sell, but some of the other villagers may. After the visit from Queen Echidna back in the spring, everyone is hesitant to pay too much attention to strangers.” Gladys babbled on, without leaving time for anyone else to get a word in. “Not that we get very many strangers in this little place. Your wagon looks nothing at all like the Queen’s fancy carriage, so I could tell at first sight that you folks weren’t associated with the Royalty.”
“Of course, because royalty always travels in elaborately decorated carriages,” Caeneus agreed flatly.
The irony in Caeneus’ statement was entirely missed by Gladys, who had no reason to read anything into it beyond face value. The woman blithely blabbered on without hesitation. Rian smirked to himself. He admired people who were quick witted. That wry sense of humor was familiar too—it was one of the qualities that he had found charming about the girl at the masquerade.
The front door of Shae’s house opened, and Leal and Jarold stepped out with Shae close behind. “Hello, Shae,” Erik said as the group drew near. “Since we have no business for these men, we should return to our own affairs.” Erik gently tugged his wife’s elbow in a not-at-all-subtle attempt to lead her back to their house.
Gladys craned her head around to address the group as she and Erik walked away. “I will let the others know that you are looking for antiques!”
“I’m sure you will,” Shae muttered under her breath. She glanced around at each of the group members. When her eyes fell on Rian, an unreadable look passed across her face.
“I would appreciate that,” Jarold called out before Gladys and Erik disappeared inside their home. He leaned toward Raysel and murmured, “We returned the book to Shae, but a small matter has been brought up that you will need to address.”
Raysel looked questioningly from Jarold to Shae. “What is the issue?”
“We should speak in private,” Shae said softly. She indicated toward Gladys and Erik’s house with a sharp twitch of her head. “People in small towns have an uncanny way of finding out everyone else’s business.”
“Very well,” Raysel replied. “Let’s continue this conversation inside.” He and Jarold started toward the house. Shae, however, did not immediately follow them.
She turned to Rian and looked him straight in the eye. “We haven’t been introduced yet, so I don’t know your name.”
Rian cocked his head as he answered, but he didn’t break eye contact. “I’m Rian.”
Shae’s look became unfocused and for a brief moment Rian felt like she was looking through him rather than at him. Then, just as suddenly, her expression sharpened and she smiled. “I think that you should join us as well,” she said to him.
**************************************
The woven back of Rian’s chair crackled as he shifted his weight. Shae had dragged in an extra chair from the kitchen since the furniture in her living room only provided enough seating for four people. As he surveyed the room, Rian couldn’t help but notice that Shae seemed to have a fondness for glass knick-knacks. The shelves and table in the humble room were covered in an array of baubles. There were colored jars and bottles of various sizes and numerous decorative pieces in styles that ranged from simplistic to sophisticated. In the center of the table, a transparent sphere glinted in the midday sunlight. Desta sat on the other side of the table, nervously picking at one sleeve of her blouse and watching Raysel with a hopeful expression.
Raysel’s brows were furrowed. “Why do you want to come with us?” he asked Desta.
“Until we went to Niamh, I had never been farther from home than the village down the road. This tiny place was the center of my world, and the only places I knew of that were different from here were those I read about in stories. I was amazed by everything I saw in Niamh. There were so many people! The buildings were so grand! There were more shops than I could ever have imagined! And the performance we saw at the theater…” Desta’s voice trailed off wistfully. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet, but I don’t feel like I want to stay in this village forever. I need to see what the rest of the world is like.”
Shae exhaled a shaky breath and dabbed at the corner of her eye after Desta’s last comment.
Raysel frowned. “You do realize that we will be going to many cities. Our journey will be long and, most likely, hazardous. We will not be able to bring you back here when your wanderlust wears off and you become homesick,” he warned.
“This isn’t something I’ve decided on a whim!” Desta exclaimed. “I have been thinking about this ever since we met.”
“That was less than a week ago,” Raysel said. His tone was surprisingly patient.
Desta’s face turned red, but when she replied, her tone was calm. “When you were in Niamh, Cole and Eloc had to pose as women to help you blend in. If I came with you, I could pretend to be Jarold’s daughter. Having me in the group would make it easier to maintain your cover.”
“I’m not old enough to have a sixteen-year-old daughter,” Jarold blurted out. His eyes were wide, and he was uncharacteristically flustered.
“You’re thirty-six. Technically…” Rian trailed off. He met Jarold’s sharp look with a teasing grin.
“Regardless, I’m not sure that it would be wise for a young girl to accompany us on our journey,” Raysel said. “I also cannot imagine that you would be comfortable with your daughter traveling with a group of men you hardly know, Shae. Yet, you have not said anything about accompanying us yourself.”
“No, I have no intention to go with you,” Shae stated. “I would like to say that I had no knowledge of Desta’s desire to travel with you before today, but that would not exactly be the truth. Though my daughter told me nothing of her thoughts, I have had recurring dreams about her leaving with a group of merchants. When we first met, I suspected you may have been the men in my vision. While I was surprised that you came to return the book so soon, I was not shocked to see that you were pretending to be merchants.”
“I am glad that you are on our side,” Raysel said. “Your abilities would be a formidable tool in Casimer’s hands.”
Rian agreed with that sentiment. He had an idea of where Raysel’s train of thought was headed. Because she was the one to find the first book, Shae had more knowledge of their plans than anyone outside of Darnal. She was their ally, but if Echidna or Casimer returned they could pressure her into revealing what she knew. Yet, as long as her daughter was with them, Shae had the ultimate motivation to keep their secrets. Perhaps it would be best if both Desta and Shae came with them.
Shae nodded in agreement with Raysel’s comment and continued on. “I am not comfortable with allowing my daughter to leave. However, as much as it pains me, I have already seen that she will go with you. My dreams and visions have never been wrong, and they have never led anyone into danger. I believe in the accuracy of my gift, and because of this, I will not let my personal feelings interfere with what is meant to happen.” Shae’s matter-of-fact tone was belied by the damp handkerchief she clutched in one hand.
Rian could feel the floor vibrating slightly as Raysel tapped his foot. “If your visions indicated that Desta is meant to come with us, then I will allow it. We already have an extra horse and sufficient means to provide for an additional party member, so she would not be a burden. When our journey is over, we will bring her home. I want to reiterate that our trip may be dangerous. You must understand that protecting Caeneus will be our first priority if there is a confrontation.”
“As a mother, I wish for my daughter’s protection over anyone else, but I do understand your reasoning. I will leave the final decision to Desta,” Shae said. She opened her fist and stared down at the crescent-shaped marks that her fingernails had left in her palm.
Desta was perched so precariously close to the edge of her seat that Rian was surprised the chair didn’t tip over. “I understand it could be dangerous. I may never have another chance to see the world. How could I miss the opportunity to be a part of the group that helps the One save Renatus from disaster?” Her eyes sparkled with naive ebullience.
Raysel stood. “We plan to continue on toward Niamh today. If you are coming with us, then you will need to pack quickly.”
“I’ve already started!” Desta exclaimed. She popped to her feet and headed into the hallway without hesitation.
“A bit presumptuous, isn’t she?” Rian said wryly. “She reminds me of Aravind a little bit.”
Raysel scratched his head. “It hadn’t occurred to me before. But, now that you mention it, I do see the resemblance.”
Shae turned away from the hallway and straightened her shoulders. “While she finishes packing, there is something I would like to show Rian.”
“Meet us outside when you are done,” Raysel said. “In the meantime, will you make sure that Desta packs properly, Jarold? I will go out and let everyone else know about our new traveling companion.”
Rian rose from the creaky chair and remained silent as he followed Shae down the narrow hallway to her bedroom. The door hung slightly crooked in its frame, forcing Shae to give it a little shove with her shoulder to close it behind them. Rian folded his arms across his chest and looked at her expectantly.
Shae met his gaze with a knowing half-smile. “You’re not the talkative type, are you?” She didn’t wait for him to answer before continuing. “I have had a vision about you. This information isn’t necessarily a secret, but I prefer to privately tell the subjects of my visions what I’ve seen and let them choose whether they wish to share it with others or not.”
“You had a vision about me even though we’ve never met?” Rian asked, incredulous.
Shae opened the top drawer of a rickety nightstand next to the bed and withdrew a tattered notebook. “I didn’t know when or where we would meet, but since I had a vision about you, I knew that we would meet someday,” she answered as she thumbed through the pages of the notebook.
“I knew that your gift was powerful. It is even more so than I realized,” Rian said, feeling slightly awed.
When Shae glanced up from the book, something about her expression made her look years older than she was. “My gift is a sword that cuts with both edges. I have no control over my visions—there is no way to summon them on command. My abilities bring me a great deal of happiness by enabling me to help others in a way no one else can. But, when there are tragedies that I don’t foresee, the arbitrary nature of my talent seems very cruel.”
Rian hadn’t considered that perspective, and he wasn’t sure how to respond. “What was the vision that you had about me?” Rian asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.
Shae flipped through a few more pages then stopped and skimmed what was written. “In this case, what I saw was not so much a vision as it was a warning.”
Rian’s hand reflexively drifted toward Bane, which still hung at his side. “What kind of warning?”
“Your father will attack a woman that you care deeply about. Her life will depend on how fast you draw your sword,” Shae said.
Rian clutched his chest just over his heart, squeezing the fabric of his shirt so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “You know who my father is?” he asked, alarmed.
“I didn’t actually see your father, but I know that he is the one that you need to beware of.” Shae cocked her head to the side, considering. It was strange that Rian seemed almost more alarmed by the possibility that she m
ay know who his father was, than by the warning itself.
Rian’s thoughts flew immediately to his mother and Alala. They were safe at home in Darnal. There was no way that his father would ever get to them unless the Senka found the city. “Did you see any details about where or when this would happen?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see any more details than what I’ve already told you.”
“My mother and aunt are both safe at home, so I don’t see how they would come to harm,” Rian said. “Nonetheless, I will make a point to practice and improve my drawing technique.”
Shae stared at him as he talked, and Rian once again got the impression that she was looking through him. “Are your mother and your aunt really the only women you care about?”
Rian felt like the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. It was unsettling when she looked at him that way. He twitched his shoulders to shake off the prickly feeling. “Yes,” Rian said, but the word sounded hollow even in his own ears.
Chapter 9
An Uncomfortable Night
Nerissa shifted her aching shoulder, trying to find some position—any position—in the bedroll that was comfortable. The air was pleasantly cool and filled with the distant, rhythmic chirr-chirr-chirr, chirr-chirr-chirr-chirring of katydids. There was no reason why she should be having trouble falling asleep. She was sore from riding all day and exhausted from sparring practice that evening. Yet, instead of soothing her, the soft insect sounds reminded Nerissa that there was nothing between her and the bugs. She stared over at Desta, who lay beside her already lost in dreamland. It had only been three days since the girl had joined their group, but she was comfortable enough with her surroundings to lay splayed on her back with her arms flung out at odd angles and jaw hanging wide open, oblivious to the world. She apparently wasn’t troubled by sleeping outdoors.
It wasn’t really the bugs that were the main source of Nerissa’s restlessness, though. Her mind had been jumping from one thought to another all night. What if Charis’ book wasn’t the one they were looking for? What if they were unable to find all of the books? What if she were never able to take back Chiyo? What if… She forced herself to stop that train of thought again. Sometimes she felt riddled with doubts and anxiety. She knew that the doubts were nothing more than an internal vocalization of her fears. Dwelling on them was useless and unproductive, but they still rolled on a continuous track through her mind anyway.
Reflection: Harbinger of the Phoenix (Records of the Ohanzee Book 2) Page 7