Will shook his head, "The current wasn't strong enough for that back where we were. If it was a sloped river, it would have been stronger right there. We could see the slope approaching. This part was a corroded cliff. Also, the water was clean."
"The water was clean?" Sean asked blankly, "What?"
"In the river, that's what I was checking for," Will panted. "The water cleans as it's coming down. The debris falls out on the way down. It's a natural purifying system."
"Where'd you learn stuff like this?" Janice asked.
"My father taught me," Will responded, "He taught me a lot. He said that learning was important for a prince, so that I could take care of the kingdom properly one day."
A sound outside the falls brought him to a halt in the whispered words.
Sean put a finger to his lips and edged towards the side of the waterfall, trying to hear better.
"-- Where they'd go?" one voice was asking another.
"Their trail ended in the water," a second said.
"-- Probably went -- and--" several words of the third man's voice were cut off.
"Yeah, water back trail," the first voice said, "Come on, get the men, we're doubling back."
Sean turned to Will, "Your father's lessons just saved our life."
Will smiled but his heart was still hammering and he suddenly felt very lonely. His father had taught him a lot, and Will hadn't always been grateful. He missed him now more than ever. He missed them all; his father, his mother, his sister, and the rest of the castle staff. He felt tears burning in his eyes.
He could tell Janice and Sean though. They would understand. They wouldn't think less of him for missing home. He also knew he didn't need to tell them. They already understood. Janice stepped forward, hugging him beneath the waterfall. Sean's arms came around them both, and they huddled together, cold, wet, and alive.
Later that evening, the three of them dried off in the late sun. Janice had wanted to start a fire, but Sean had talked her out of it. It would create too much smoke, he said, and they didn't want to attract anyone. None of them knew how close the soldiers from earlier were.
Instead, they ate dried meat out of the packs they'd brought. The packs were soaked, and they had to lay their things out to dry, but the food had been well-wrapped and still mostly edible.
It didn't compare to fresh game, though. They'd been trying to live off that since they left Stini's camp so they could save their supplies for emergencies. Sean considered spending three hours beneath freezing water, unable to really speak or sit, or move to be an emergency.
"We need to talk about a plan," Janice said, "We haven't really discussed that since we left. We've just been running."
"The plan is to return to Arinford," Sean said immediately. "We need to find someone in the castle that specializes in prophecy."
Janice shook her head, "That's not what I mean. I know where we need to go. I'm talking about how we get there."
Will frowned, "We're going to the coast, are we not?"
"I've been thinking about that," Janice said, "and I'm not sure it's a good idea. Even if the coast is no longer in contention, there are still bound to be thousands of troops there. There's going to be fighting between Arinford and Lamonte men and we don't want to get in the crossfire."
Sean had thought about this too, "We don't want to risk another incident like Stini's camp either. We don't want a pack of soldiers deciding they know what's best and keeping you with them."
"If they're on the shore, then they can take me home," Will said.
Janice shrugged, "You can order them to, sure, but what's going to force them to listen? If they're anything like Stini, they're going to decide what's best and order it done."
"Something tells me we're going to have a lot harder time escaping from any troops on the beach," Sean said, "They're bound to be large sizes."
Will sighed, "What do you suggest then?"
Sean turned to Janice, who sat up a little straighter. He thought he knew what she was going to say, but he decided to let her explain anyway.
"I think we should head to the mountains," Janice told them.
"The mountains?" Will said dubiously, "There's a reason troops aren't sent through there. The terrain is dangerous, and cold. We could get lost. There aren't really any man-made trails."
Janice shrugged, "I think we'd be fine. We can spend some time hunting before hand, for extra cloaks and food. It's just the three of us, so we don't have to take a lot, like a large force of men would. We'll be able to move faster too."
Sean nodded, "She's right. With a large division of men, it can take three times the amount of time it would take one man to travel alone. We could get through the mountains in a matter of days."
Will continued to frown, "Or it could take weeks. We don't know. It's all guesswork."
"I know that," Janice said, "But I think it's our best guess."
"I know you want to get home," Will said, "Because of my dreams, and because it's been too long. Do you think you're maybe grasping at straws?"
Sean was sure if it had been anyone else -- Sheldon Eldrin for example -- that had suggested that, Janice would have taken offense. Instead, she sat quietly, considering the question. In the end, she shook her head. "No. I really don't. I have a gut feeling it's the best way to go."
"Alright," Will said, satisfied, "I'm asking the two of you to assist me based on a few dreams I've had. The least I can do is extend my trust to you. If you think it's right, we'll go the mountains. Sean?"
"I'm up for it," he said, "It'll be a nice change of scenery at the least."
Will smiled a little, "Have either of you been through mountains before?"
Both of them shook their heads.
"I have," Will said, "My father took me to Rafix once, when I was young. We went hiking through some of the mountains, exploring the caves. It's not nearly as simple as walking through this kind of land."
"I didn't say it was," Janice said.
"I know," Will said, "I'm just warning you. Are you sure about this Janice? Really sure?"
Janice nodded.
"Alright," Will said once more. He took another bite of meat and smiled. "There you go. Now we have a plan."
TWENTY-EIGHT
Beaten Way of Friendship
"I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CLEAN IT first," Penny said. She was speaking to a young woman, just under her own age. "It might not be pleasant."
The woman had come in with a long gash on her left calf. She'd tried to bandage it herself and the wound had become swollen and red. There was a smell to it too. A putrid smell. Penny didn't want to tell the woman how close she'd come to losing the limb, so she kept this little bit to herself.
"Alright," the woman said. She sounded nervous.
Penny reached out for her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "What's your name?"
"Lisa," the woman said. "Lisa Terrance."
"Well, Lisa Terrance, it'll be over before you know it," Penny promised. She stood up, moving to find the appropriate medical supplies. Once she'd found a cleaning solution, a rag, and some herbal antibiotics, she returned.
Lisa stretched her leg out so Penny would have room to work.
"What happened?" Penny asked, pouring the cleanser into a bowl. She dipped the rag into the solution and then began the gentle process of cleaning out the wound. The cleanser bubbled as soon as it touched the skin and Lisa let out a small gasp of pain and surprise.
"Tell me what happened," Penny said again, trying to distract her.
Lisa took a few deep breaths and when she spoke, her voice was trembling, "I was somewhere I shouldn't have been. Down by the docks. Soldiers were coming back around and I ran for it, so they wouldn't see me. It was night, and I didn't realize there was a fence. I ran straight into the barbed wire."
Penny frowned, "What were you doing down by the docks?"
Lisa hesitated, "There's something going on in the city," she finally whispered, "Something we're not supposed to talk about."
"Yes," Lisa said, "You know about it?"
Penny wanted to snap at the woman, remind her she was the one who started it, but she refrained. It didn't matter where the credit went. It only mattered that more and more people were joining on a daily basis.
"I do," she said.
"Oh good," Lisa said, "I would have hated to say something to the wrong person. I figured you're safe, because you're a Priest."
"I'm also part of the resistance," Penny said, "Who recruited you?"
"Joanna Whitetree."
Penny smiled. "She's a good woman."
"She is," Lisa agreed. She let out another gasp of pain as Penny once again wet the rag and resumed her cleaning of the wound. "So is Dalton, from what I've heard. I can't remember his first name, but everyone talks about the guy. He really knows his stuff."
"Craig," Penny supplied. She didn't say more. Her mind immediately turned to Eldrin. Though he'd admitted to her who he was, he'd eventually manipulated his face once more, returning to the visage of Craig Dalton.
He'd said it would freak people out too much, the sudden change. He didn't want Craig Dalton to disappear either. That wouldn't help the resistance members morale at all.
Penny understood all of this, she really did, but she also understood more than what Eldrin was saying. He didn't tell her, but she knew it was easier being Craig. He could keep up his cold, calculated demeanor and not have to worry about offending people he'd once been friends with.
She still didn't know how she felt about the whole thing. On one hand, she was ecstatic about the fact that Eldrin wasn't dead. On the other hand, she still couldn't quite forgive him for lying to her for so long. They were supposed to be on the same side.
She'd settled for something in the middle. She couldn't forgive Eldrin completely, but she could celebrate his life. If Matilyn was dead, at least she'd have Eldrin. It was better than nothing.
"Right, Craig," Lisa said, drawing Penny's attention back towards her. "I've heard he's very handsome. I haven't met him yet though."
"You will soon," Penny said, "Everyone will."
Lisa smiled.
"I'm going to heal this now," Penny said. She focused on the wound, willing the flesh to knit itself back together. As the painful procedure began, she thought of Eldrin's face and the way it had twisted, grinding and grating until it fell into place. She thought of George telling her about the animals that committed suicide.
She almost stopped healing. Then she pushed the thoughts out of her mind and focused on the task at hand. Soon, the wound had disappeared.
"That feels much better," Lisa said, "Thank you so much."
"I only healed the flesh," Penny said, "There's still an infection. I want you to boil these leaves in water three times a day for ten days. Drink the tea that it makes, no matter the foul smell from it. It'll heal. If the red criss-cross lines don't disappear, come back here in three days."
"Thank you again," Lisa said, accepting the herbs. "You're a godsend, Penelope Belmonte. I hope you know that."
"Oh," Penny said with a light, cheerful smile, "I do."
It was later that evening when everyone gathered together in the gardens to discuss what they and their groups had been up to, and what their future plans consisted of. Penny had been a little bit leery of everyone gathering together so late at night, but George had assured her that she could pass it off as a dinner party if anyone dropped by.
"Wealthy people are always having dinner parties," he told her with a shrug, "and you're one of the wealthiest, little lady."
"Dinner parties and a whole lot of other things they don't need," Joanna muttered under her breath. Penny shot her a curious look but didn't comment. Joanna had been in an irritated mood all day. Apparently the sourness had been happening for a few weeks; both George and Mike had separately commented on it. Penny didn't want to bring it up. Despite the few moments of closeness they'd shared, they still weren't friends.
George looked longingly inside. It had been a long day for him. He'd been practicing with a few different people, and he'd complained about being too tired to participate before anyone had even started to arrive for the meeting. While he wasn't a group leader, Penny thought it best if he were there to show his support.
She also knew he wanted to get back to Alicia. He had become quite infatuated with her live in maid. Penny was amused by this turn of events but was careful not to comment on that either. She knew how George would react if he thought she suspected anything more serious than a little bit of fun on the side. And, she had to admit, that was certainly a possibility.
"Go on," she told him with a laugh. It was pointless to try and keep a man like him in one place while he wanted to be in another.
As he left, Penny turned her attention to her brother and Erin. She had tried to insist that Robert stay at home, but he'd refused. Eldrin had told her it didn't matter. It wasn't a secret what the groups were up to. She'd reluctantly allowed Robert to stay. He held hands with Erin.
Joanna, Kevin, and Ryan were all there too.
"You didn't bring Catelyn?" Penny asked with a frown. It was unusual for Ryan to do anything without his wife by his side.
Ryan shifted uncomfortably, "No. She's not well."
"Well what's wrong with her?" Kevin asked. "You should have brought her along. Penny could have taken a look at her."
Ryan met Penny's gaze and then looked away. He shifted again, and then cleared his throat, "Catelyn is pregnant."
There was a moment of silence and then Penny smiled at him, "That's great, Ryan. Congratulations."
But there was something about the way he looked at her that made Penny realize he wasn't happy about the news. "What's wrong?"
"He doesn't want her to be pregnant," Joanna said, her tone sharp, "and why would he want that? It's too dangerous for anyone to be knocking their wives up right now. What were you thinking, Ryan?"
Ryan's face flooded until he was a dull red color. "I wasn't," he admitted, "We were being careful, but I suppose we weren't being careful enough."
"Clearly," Joanna said.
"Enough," Penny said. She could see Ryan opening up his mouth to snap back at her. "We aren't gathered to discuss the wisdom of Ryan and his wife having a baby."
"Well perhaps we should be," Kevin said. He cleared his throat when everyone looked over at him. "I mean, we have to keep living our lives, don't we?"
"No," Joanna said. Ryan just looked unhappy. "No, we don't keep living our lives. It's dangerous out there. Bringing a kid into this only makes things messier. We don't want them messing this up."
Erin frowned and leaned forward, "Kids don't mess things up," she said to Joanna, "I have a kid. That's what prompted me to get involved. Without her, I don't know that I would be bothered. I want Valishna to turn around. For her."
"Great," Joanna said. She let out a derisive snort, "We've got the mommy of the year, right here. Where's the kid right now?"
"That's enough," Penny said again. "Joanna, curb your tongue. You aren't making any friends here with that kind of attitude. What's wrong?"
Joanna didn't respond but leaned back, looking angry and mutinous.
"Let's discuss what you've been up to," Eldrin said, before anyone else could speak up. He looked irritated at the turn of conversation and eager to move it onto something more agreeable, "Remmus?"
Ryan shifted on his feet at, once again uncomfortable. This time at being the first called on. "Well, we've been busy with... well, you know. But we've gotten some stuff accomplished. We started focusing on gathering information about the soldiers. We were looking for information about their wives, girlfriends, husbands, that sort of thing. But a lot of them don't seem to have anything personal."
"They're zealots," Eldrin said with a frown, "They give up their personal lives when they join the Lamonte military."
"Right," Ryan said, "well when we figured that out,
we knew that we wouldn't be able to follow that path any further. So we switched tactics. We started trying to find out information about where they've served. Where they're originally from. That kind of thing. We found out that a lot of the men here are from Serjya."
Eldrin nodded.
"Well, I started doing a little bit of research about that," Ryan said, "and it wasn't difficult, honestly. You just frequent the bars the soldiers go to, and listen in on their conversations. But these men didn't just give up their personal lives when joining Lamonte. Their personal lives were taken away. Sullivan had many of them execute their neighbors' wives and children."
Everyone exchanged glances, and Penny actually felt herself draw in a sharp gasp of air.
"Why?" she asked. The idea was disgusting to her, "Why would he do that? If they willingly joined?"
It was Eldrin that answered. "He wanted to set examples." His tone darkened, "he wanted to make sure that all of them realized just how powerful he is. He has to show them, so they can't refuse anything else asked of them. He doesn't just force them to kill. He offers them all riches and loot if they do it. They accept. Those that don't... they're executed."
Ryan nodded, "Dalton has the right of it. So my men have been combing through history books to find out the traditions of Serjya. We're planning a few different things, but the idea is to make them believe they're being haunted by the people they've killed."
Penny considered this silently. She tried to imagine killing someone and that was difficult enough. But if that person came back to haunt her, she knew she'd be terrified.
Eldrin didn't look nearly so scared. "You'll have to do it right," he said in a skeptical tone, "if you don't, they'll know what you're up to."
"I know," Ryan said, "but we've got some good ideas. None are finalized yet, but we're certain we can make it seem authentic enough. We're going to start it off tomorrow. We'll be painting their windows black while they sleep."
Eldrin considered and then shrugged, "If it works, it'll be good. Bishop. Anything?"
"We keep putting things in their food," Kevin said, "Laxatives, that sort of thing. We pour out their wine and spirits, but we can't do much about their drinking at bars. The thing we're focusing on is making them uncomfortable. It's getting a bit more difficult because they've started keeping a better on their stuff since we've started."
Revolution (Cartharia Book 2) Page 29