She glanced down at her stone as, before her eyes, it horrifyingly turned another shade darker.
And even more terrifying, she could hear the Anghenfil taunting her.
"Lauren?" Cefin said. "What is it? Is it your stone?"
Lauren dropped the stone and forced a smile on her face. "But you're better?"
"Lauren, you looked concerned."
"Nope, I'm good," Lauren said, not looking at him as she scrambled to her feet. "But I think I need to get back to Aerona. See you later!"
And before Cefin could say another word, Lauren was halfway back to the village.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lauren didn't go back to Aerona's house after talking with with Cefin. Instead, she wandered around the village, chewing on her lip and wracking her brain for ways to pull herself out of the low spot she found herself in. But she could no longer hide from the truth: she needed to talk to someone about what she was going through, if only to get it off of her chest.
So for the past hour, she paced in front of Siors' house, practicing her speech.
"Hi, Siors, I can hear the Anghenfil in my mind. Have any ideas on how to fix this?" Lauren said and immediately rolled her eyes. It sounded stupid in her head, and it definitely sounded stupid out loud. Siors may have been more knowledgable on the subject than most, but she wasn't sure she should start with telling him that.
Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the door and knocked. When he didn't answer, she pushed the door open and poked her head in. As before, the room was thick with heat from the fire and the smell of perfumes and spices, filled to the brim with books and scrolls. There was barely any room for the old man to sleep. She called for him again, but didn't hear him in the house. She supposed he might have been tending to Mairwan, and she also supposed she should wait for him to return before poking around.
But a book caught her eye. Or rather, the image of a ruby on the page. Pulling the book closer to her, she began to read.
The fire-stone ruby is one of the rarest healing stones known in this realm. It has been used as a talisman against sadness and foolish thoughts. A symbol of the sun, it glows with an inextinguishable fire that shines even in the darkest of places.
In the hands of an empath, it can amplify the already sensitive powers. For one with empath tendencies, it can allow the penetration of the mind of another, and cleanse of dark thoughts or sickness.
She saw a scribbled note in the corner, and she presumed it to be Siors writing.
Bring back from the dead?
Lauren hadn't told Siors about what really happened when she'd saved Mairwan, afraid that if she strayed too close to the truth, she'd come clean about it all. So, of course Siors would think that she could revive the dead.
She flipped to the front of the book titled The Compendium of Stones, then leafed through the pages, each showing a different stone. She saw no more mention of empaths or empathy, but rather a glittering array of different gems and their alchemical uses. She stopped again on the ruby page and lifted a hand to her necklace.
…a talisman against sadness and foolish thoughts…
Maybe her ruby was defective, because she was often filled with sadness and foolish thoughts. Or maybe, because she was an empath, it didn't work on herself.
Or maybe, she thought with a nervous bite to her lip, it didn't work because the stone was growing darker.
She began rummaging through the other books on the table, ranging in topic from gardening to philosophy to mathematics. Siors was truly a varied individual, but it didn't help her figure out more about the Anghenfil.
She was about to turn around and leave when she saw an open letter on the ground. It must have fallen off the table when she was mucking around. Figuring she'd already invaded his space enough and a little more wouldn't hurt, she picked it up to read:
Brother Meirion,
Intriguing news about the arrival of the empath. Please send her to Traegaron as soon as able.
Brother Probert
"Traegaron?" Lauren murmured to herself.
She looked around the small hut, and at all the books that lay before her. When she first arrived in this world, Siors said at the king's castle, that there was a great library, one that might contain information about her powers. So she'd wager to guess that it would probably have some information about the Anghenfil as well. And maybe, even a way to get home.
Folding the letter, she walked out of Siors' house and scanned the village before her. Traegaron was at least a day's journey, so Cefin had told her. She'd probably have to walk it as well, as she hadn't yet seen a car here in Rhianu.
She could always take the Anghenfil for a ride.
The image was so amusing to her, she snorted. Well, that was the first step, she thought. Laugh at the beast and perhaps she would stop fearing it.
She spotted movement at Aerona's house, and Cefin emerged, his spear on his back. Aerona was grasping his shoulder and had a smile on her face. It warmed Lauren's heart a little bit, knowing that she had been able to help Cefin make amends with Aerona.
And it also made her hurt a little.
After all of this, could she ask any of them to accompany her? Mairwan was still recovering, so Aerona wouldn't even dream of leaving her side. Cefin, he had his position as the village watcher. And Siors might have accompanied her, but the trip could be too much for him.
"You don't want them to know."
"Shut up, stupid monster," Lauren growled. It was bad enough she had her own running commentary in her mind, but she didn't need more from a fire-breathing peanut gallery.
She looked through the village, faces and names of villagers she had seen but didn't know very well. Could she ask any of them to put their lives on hold to take her to the great castle?
Would they go with her knowing she could lose her grip and call on the Anghenfil at any moment?
She imagined the great beast in the village, the same way it had landed in her vision with Mairwan. Only this time, it would endanger everyone in Rhianu. Aerona, Mairwan, Eddy, Siors. Cefin would step forward to give his life without hesitation. He had escaped the Anghenfil twice now. Would he escape a third time?
She stuffed that vision in the back of her mind, and rushed down the mountain path before anyone noticed she was gone.
***
Lauren reached Heulog just as the sun was setting on the mountain range, and just as she convinced herself she was doing the right thing. Even at the end of the day, the village buzzed with activity. With the tyllwyllwch gone, people milled about, talking and chasing their livestock. Children ran up and down the street, laughing and calling to each other. For the first time, Lauren realized how barren and empty Rhianu was. The Anghenfil—
No, she told herself firmly. She was not going to think about that stupid thing. Not until she reached Traegaron anyway.
She wandered through the streets, holding her arms closer around herself as the sun and temperature dropped. Right above the tavern, she spotted the inn where she and Cefin had stayed and hoped she could sweet talk her way into staying another night for free. After all, she was the empath who had saved the village from the tyllwyllwch, that had to count for something.
The tavern smelled like old beer and body odor, something she hadn't noticed the first time she was there. Then, it had been filled with people and happiness, now it was quiet, with a scullery maid cleaning tables with an old rag.
"H-Hi," Lauren said. The maid stopped in her scrubbing and looked up at her, giving her the once over. Lauren immediately knew the maid didn't recognize her.
"What'ya want?" the woman barked.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the owner is?"
"He ain't here. Out buying bread for dinner tonight. You looking for a job?"
"No, I was hoping that…" Lauren trailed off. She was sure the woman would laugh at her for even thinking about asking for another free room. "Well, I just need to talk to him, all right?"
The scullery
maid sniffed and continued scrubbing, muttering something unpleasant. Lauren turned on her heel and walked out the door into the frigid air outside. She shivered for a moment, looking around the city, and for the first time, began to second guess her decision to leave Rhianu without anyone to accompany her.
She didn't know the land. She was still relatively new in this world and didn't even know what kind of money there was. Dollars? Gold coins? Of these she had none, and it was starting to get very dark.
She turned to look back towards Rhianu and the dark mountains. Even if she wanted to go back, it was too dangerous in the dark. She was stuck here.
Just like she was stuck in this world. And—
"It's you!"
She twirled around at the sound of a young voice behind her and was relieved to see Tomos. He was carrying a basket in his hand that was nearly bigger than he was.
"It's me!" Lauren smiled, bending down to his level. "How's your mom, Tomos?"
"She's well, thank you," Tomos said nervously. "Is it back?"
"Is what back?" Lauren asked, before her brain connected the dots. "Oh, no. The tyllwyllwch isn't back, don't worry."
Tomos' face relaxed into a smile.
"I'm actually on a little bit of a road trip," Lauren said.
"A road trip?" Tomos said, confusion crossing his face.
"A…quest, I suppose. I'm headed to Traegaron."
"Ooh!" Tomos' grin grew wider. "I've never been, but the travelers tell stories of a great castle! Are you going to see the king?"
"Maybe?" Lauren hadn't considered that she'd be a guest of the king. "But I obviously can't go any farther tonight. I was hoping maybe I could find a place to stay."
"You shall stay with us!" Tomos announced, quelling Lauren's anxiety immediately. "It is the least we can do, after you saved my mother's life."
Chalk one up for being an empath, Lauren thought to herself, happily following him.
Lauren hadn't gotten a chance to take in Tomos' house the last time she was there, but she was glad to see it completely free of darkness. Tomos' mother Cadi was kind and gentle, hugging Lauren before the empath could stop her and giving Lauren a glimpse into the goodness inside. She made sure to give Lauren three helpings of stew, filled with more vegetables and meat than any Aerona had made.
"Heulog seems to be busier than Rhianu," Lauren said, swallowing her mouthful of food. "And richer."
Cadi smiled and ladled more stew into Lauren's bowl. "Travelers do not venture up to Rhianu often to trade. The climb is very hard and then there's the…" She trailed off and looked at Tomos who was reading a book in the corner.
"The monster," Lauren finished quietly.
"I've never seen it, myself, but I've heard tales."
"The tales aren't as impressive as the real thing, I can assure you." Lauren said it under her breath, but Cadi heard and gasped.
"So you've seen it?"
"Y-yeah," Lauren nodded, looking down at her stew. "Cefin…the guy who came with me the last time…when I first arrived here, I made him take me up to the caves."
Cadi's eyes widened in fear. "Why would you do a thing like that?"
"Because I didn't think it was real." Lauren shrugged. "I mean, who believes in fire-breathing dragons, right? They only existed in movies where I came from."
"Movies?"
"Moving…pictures?" Lauren tried, wondering how to explain it.
"Tell me of your world," Cadi said, a wistful tone in her voice.
"My world is…." Lauren trailed off, the memories too painful to talk about. "Somewhere that I'd like to get back to very soon. Which is why I'm going to Traegaron. Siors, our village….elder, I guess, he said that there is a great library there that might have something to help me get home." Without having to go through the Anghenfil, she added silently.
"Traegaron is a day's journey from here," Cadi said, standing and walking to the wall. She pulled a long rolled up piece of paper from a stack of them and spread it across the table. Lauren ran her fingers along the map, fully taking in the world that she had only seen the tip of.
Rhianu was drawn into the mountain range on the extreme right side of the map, Heulog right at the edge of the range. A vast plain devoid of cities and towns fanned around the mountain range, with a forest lining the northern edge of Heulog, and a sea to the south. On the extreme western edge of the map sat a large dot called Traegaron.
"Why aren't there any cities along the path?" Lauren asked, looking up from the map.
"The land is not fertile, and there are no rivers nearby." Cadi pointed. to the forest on the map. "I advise you to steer clear of the forests of Myf. Bands of thieves are known to attack travelers who venture too close."
Lauren nodded, dragging her fingers to the drawings of the trees north of the plains. "Roger that, no trees."
"Who is Roger?" Cadi asked.
Lauren sighed; she was getting tired of no one understanding her references.
"So steer clear of the trees," Lauren said, looking at the distance between where she was and where she was going. Even on the map, it looked quite a distance. "I don't suppose that I'd be able to find a horse to take with me, huh?"
"I'm afraid that horses are hard to come by, even for the great empath who saved the village."
"This is going to suck," Lauren whispered to herself. She remembered a trip to Washington, D.C. a few years back with her parents. The three of them had walked all day along the mall and through monuments and museums, and Lauren had felt like her feet were going to fall off. The shoes Aerona had given her were all right for wandering around the village, but for traveling this distance? She already dreaded the blisters.
"You have a long journey ahead," Cadi said. "You should get some rest."
Lauren nodded and rose from the table. Before leaving, she paused to smile at Cadi. "Thank you for everything. I was a little worried that I was in over my head."
"If it weren't for you, I would not be here," Cadi smiled, before adding, "You are welcome at my hearth anytime."
***
If Lauren had thought that walking to Traegaron was a good idea at some point the day before, she definitely did not think so by mid-morning the next day.
Her feet ached, her back ached, and the sheep's bladder that Cadi had given her filled with water was completely dry by mid-morning. The sun beat down on her unrelentingly, and she had a headache in a particular spot above her left eye which felt like someone had jabbed a knife in there.
Yet she continued on, with no sign of shade, and no idea how far she had gone or how much farther she had to go. The only thing she knew was that she was headed in the right direction—due west, based on the position of the sun above her.
Stupid, stupid, stupid was the chanting in her head. She should have brought someone with her. She should have gotten over her fear and asked Cefin to come with her, or Siors or someone who knew where they were going. Or perhaps, she should have tried a little harder to get a horse.
Or perhaps she should have just stayed in Rhianu.
She stopped in the center of a field, rubbing her face to clear her mind. Her eyes drifted to her right, to the blessed trees of the forest that lined the plains. Every time she looked at them, she remembered Cadi's warning. Thieves, she'd said. Mean and evil thieves who would probably do terrible things to her.
She turned her head forward and marched on. It was no wonder there weren't any farms out here; the low lying grass seemed barely alive as it crunched under her feet.
She reached for the bladder again, her throat parched, and whined when nothing came out. She stopped and unfurled the map under her arm, a parting gift from Cadi. She spotted Rhianu and the river that began at the mountain and passed through the village of Heulog before continuing down to the sea to the south. She was too far along to turn around and get more water, but she desperately needed some.
There was another blue line that ran through the forest, but—again, there were thieves in the forest.
; Thieves, she reminded herself, that would do terrible things to her.
She rolled up the map again before she made a stupid decision.
Five steps later, she stopped, unable to keep to the course.
Thieves weren't that bad. Maybe she could lie and tell them they had tyllwyllwch and heal them and they'd leave her alone.
Myf was a big forest on this map. Maybe they wouldn't even find her.
In any case, she knew if she didn't get to shade soon, she'd have much worse things to worry about than thieves.
***
Relief was immediate when Lauren stepped underneath the shadow of the forest. She allowed herself a moment to relish the coolness and the lack of the sun on her face. It was only a moment, though, because she needed to keep moving. She hiked up her skirt, keeping her ears open for the sound of men doing thieving things. She heard birds and crickets but no men, and she relaxed a little bit, looking up at the trees and the forest around her. The trees were unfamiliar, a mixture of tall trees falling over and shorter, newer trees, struggling to reach the sunlight above. Once or twice, she saw a small rabbit appear and disappear under a log, and it made her smile.
After a while, her ears picked up the faint sound of running water. A smile broke out across her face, and she headed farther into the forest towards the sound, focused on quenching her thirst. She stumbled through, her dress ripping on the branches and thorns growing out of the unclear path, but she carried on, seeing the split in the ground up ahead. Approaching the river, she sent a thankful prayer to the universe that it was flowing and looked relatively clean. She bent down and unscrewed the top of her sheep's bladder then dipped it into the cold water.
When it was full, she gulped it down, then repeated the action until she felt full of water. She sighed in happiness and relief, grateful that she had found shade and water and—
"Hey…."
She looked up, realizing she had stopped listening for the sounds of other people in her euphoria of finding running water. She was now aware of voices, men's voices, cackling and catcalling nearby, growing more numerous as the seconds ticked by.
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