“She’s planning to go. She’s already packing.”
“Anything else I need to know?”
King Merdin shook his head. “The only other thing I can tell you is they’ve really talked this out. They talked as one big group, talked in families, husband and wife, two or three friends, every way you can think of. The only one who didn’t seem to have a lot to say one way or the other was a woman named Callie. From what I gathered, she doesn’t know the other wives, and she only knows a few of the men. For the most part she went along with whatever her husband said.”
“I’m not surprised,” Chris said. “She’s from Milhaven. The only reason she’s there is she and Petar just got married.”
King Merdin raised his eyebrows. “Did she know what she was getting herself into before she married him?”
Kevin nodded. “But she didn’t know any details.”
“Well, that’s about it,” King Merdin said. “Do you want us to keep listening?”
Kevin shook his head. “You found out what I needed to know, and the fact that none of them intend to hurt her is a bonus. I wasn’t expecting you to pick up on that. Thanks, Dani.”
“You’re welcome,” Dani said. “I thought you might want to know, so I did a little extra peeking.”
Kevin smiled. “I appreciate it.”
“If there’s nothing else, I guess we’ll be on our way,” King Merdin said. “If you need us again, hang the chimes. Ready, Dani?”
Dani jumped down from the top of Kevin’s dresser where he’d been perched. As soon as he put his paw on King Merdin’s shoulder, King Merdin turned the key and they left.
Chris got up to put King Merdin’s mug and Dani’s saucer on the tray and then sat back down to finish his scog. “Have you talked to Theresa about any of this?”
“Not yet, but I’m going to tomorrow. I want her to help Taelor make up a good supply of herbs, teas, whatever he might need out there. He’ll be it as far as medical help goes.”
“Are you planning to ask her to visit the island once in a while?”
Kevin nodded. “I don’t like the idea of people coming and going, but if a sister’s going to, she’s the one I want.”
“Do you think Sister Brena will have any objections? She might have plans for Theresa, you know.”
“She might, but I’ve got a key. I can go get her wherever she is and take her to the island for the day. Besides, I don’t think Sister Brena’s going to assign Theresa anywhere. She likes having someone she can send off to trouble spots at a moment’s notice.”
“Are you still going to let Torrey go home when she wants to?”
Again Kevin nodded. “That was part of the deal, and anyway, what can she say other than she’s on an island somewhere. And who’s she going to tell? No one in Walnut Springs knows anything about Landis.”
“As far as we know.”
Kevin paused. “Maybe I need to find out what Torrey’s telling people about where they are and what they’re doing.”
~ ~ ~ ~
After dinner Wednesday evening, Kevin shut his door, took off the key to Terah, and handed it to Chris. “I’m going to pick Theresa up and take her Elsewhere. If anything comes up, come get me.”
Chris nodded. “Anything you want me to do while you’re gone?”
“Make a list of things Taelor and Landis will need on the island. And we brought some stuff back from the cave Warren and Torrey will be living in. Do we need to take any of it back?”
Chris shook his head. “We only brought back kitchen supplies and linens. Torrey’s got all of that.”
Kevin nodded. “We don’t have any idea what Garen and his men will need until we know how many are going and what they’re taking with them, but I’d like to have everything set up for Taelor and Landis before I take anyone else out there. I want the caves I’ve picked out for them to be obviously taken.”
“Will we need to outfit kitchens for them?”
Kevin hesitated. “I think so. Taelor will need one, for the herbs if nothing else. I doubt Landis will do much cooking. Torrey will probably take care of her meals, but I want her to have what she needs if she decides she wants to fix something. And I imagine Rhianna will spend some time out there, too. She’ll stay with Landis, so we need to set up a bedroom for her, and we need enough of everything in the kitchen for at least two people.”
“Got it,” Chris said. “Full wood stoves for both kitchens?”
“I guess. Did you notice if either of the caves near the main one have natural chimneys?”
Chris shook his head.
“I’ll check on that, but not today. Put it on the list.”
Chris made a note. “Anything else?”
“Not that I can think of.” Kevin took out his gate key. “See you later.”
After he left the castle, Kevin stopped by Rainbow Valley to pick up Theresa. It was evening at the castle, but morning on the island. For the first hour they were there, he showed Theresa around. They walked along the cliffs on the northern end and on the beach on the southern end. When they were done exploring, Kevin took her to the main cave. After she checked it out, they settled in the sitting room and Kevin filled her in on his plans.
“So there’s going to be a whole community living here while Landis finishes her training,” Theresa said. “We need to get a clinic set up. Have you found a cave that would be good for that?”
Kevin nodded. “There’s one not too far from here that’ll work.”
“I’ll need to see it before we leave. How soon are you planning to bring the men out?”
“Next Tuesday.”
“That doesn’t give me a whole lot of time to get everything together. I’ll need to go back to Rainbow Valley tomorrow. We’ll need a good supply of prepared herbs and since everyone’s going to be here for several years, we’ll need to get a garden started. I’ll need to get some seedlings ready.”
“Taelor can handle most of that,” Kevin said.
“Sari will be a lot of help, too. We’ll need bandages. I could get most of what I need along those lines in Milhaven, but I don’t want Sister Agnes to run short. Can you get us the material we’ll need to make more bandages? And I’ll need pouches for the teas.” Theresa thought for a few minutes. “Never mind. I’ll make a list of what I need and give it to Chris tomorrow before you take me to Rainbow Valley.”
“That’s fine,” Kevin said.
“Do you know how many people will be living here?”
“Not yet, but I should know by Thursday evening. Some of the wives are hesitant to commit because of their children. They’re afraid to be too far from a sister.”
“I can understand how they feel, but that won’t be a problem. We’ll have the clinic in operation by the time they get here.”
“I know, and most of them know Taelor, and they trust him, but he’s not a sister.”
Theresa frowned. “What am I? Chopped liver?”
“What?”
“I’m a sister!”
“I know, but...”
“But what?”
Kevin paused. “Were you thinking I was going to ask you to live here?”
“We’ve spent the last half hour talking about setting up a clinic. Of course I’m going to live here. What were you thinking?”
“Well, I was thinking Taelor could handle the clinic. Granted I was planning to ask you to come out maybe once a week to check on things and look at anyone who needed to be seen, but I wasn’t going to ask you to move out here.”
“Why not?”
“For one thing, you live in Milhaven, at the chapel there.”
“You already have a resident sister in Milhaven. There’s no need for two, much less three. I’m fully expecting Hayley to be assigned somewhere else before long, and I think the only reason I haven’t is because Brena thinks of me as part of your team or something. Milhaven’s not that big. One sister is plenty.”
“I think Brena considers you a reserve sister, one who can go anywher
e anytime to help out in an emergency. I doubt she’ll ever assign you a chapel, and I’m not sure she’d be pleased to have you stuck out here in the middle of nowhere.”
Theresa shook her head. “When she wants to see me, she sends you a note. As long as you have your key, I’m only a couple of minutes away. She won’t care.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Theresa nodded. “I’m ready to have my own clinic, my own patients. And I have to admit, I’m looking forward to living here.”
“And Taelor will be here,” Kevin said softly.
“There is that,” Theresa said. “He and I do work well together. It’ll be fun.”
“Are you sure enough about this for me to tell the wives there will be a sister in residence?”
Theresa nodded as she stood up. “And now I want to see the cave you’ve picked out for my clinic. Then we need to get back. I’ve got a lot to do if I’m going to be ready to move out here next week.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Cpt. Garen was waiting for Kevin when he arrived at the settlement in Nandelia Thursday afternoon. “Let’s go to my office and talk,” Cpt. Garen said as he led Kevin to a small room off the dining room in the main building. There were three chairs in the room and a table that the captain was using as a desk. Cpt. Garen sat down in one of the chairs and motioned Kevin to another. “Would you care for something to drink?”
Kevin shook his head. “I’m fine.”
“Well, let me know if you change your mind,” Cpt. Garen said. “I’ve talked to all of my men individually in the last twenty-four hours. Right now only four of us are definitely going. Two are definitely not. The other five are trying to decide.”
Kevin nodded.
“Raker’s concern is two teenage daughters. He and his wife don’t feel comfortable taking them to a secluded area at this point in their lives, and I can understand their concern.”
“I can, too.”
“Alyan’s got a similar problem. His son will be ready to apprentice in a couple of years, and he wants to be a blacksmith. None of us can teach him what he needs to know, so Alyan’s either got to find someone who will take him on before we leave or stay here. So although he hasn’t said no yet, I don’t think he’ll be going. Hayward wants to go, but his wife is adamant she’s not going. She’s still angry about having to leave Trendon. She wants to move to a town, get a house, and live a normal life.”
“So he has to choose between his job and his wife.”
Cpt. Garen nodded. “I imagine he’ll end up staying here and relocating to a town somewhere, although I’m not sure how he’ll earn a living. But that’s not my problem.”
“That’s three not going.”
“There’s another one who probably won’t go. Sean’s single, but he was betrothed when we were sent to Milhaven. The woman he was supposed to marry wasn’t rounded up with the families, so he thinks she may still be in Trendon. He doesn’t know if she married someone else or if she’s still waiting for him, but he doesn’t want to go away for that long without finding out. I think he’ll decide to go back to Trendon and see if he can find her.”
“I can arrange for someone to take him close to Trendon if he wants me to, but once he’s there, he’s on his own.”
“I’ll tell him and see what he says,” Cpt. Garen said. “The others who haven’t made a decision are concerned about not having a sister around. The wives are young enough there’s a chance they could become pregnant. They know Taelor and trust him for most things, but they don’t feel comfortable having a baby without a sister in attendance.”
“That’s one thing I wanted to talk to you about. I asked a sister I know pretty well to help Taelor stock a clinic. After I explained the situation, she insisted on going with you as the resident sister for the clinic.”
“She doesn’t already have a chapel?”
Kevin shook his head. “She’s been in Milhaven ever since I got there. She was one of the people who arrived with me.”
“Not Sister Agnes. You mean Sister Theresa?”
Kevin nodded.
“And she’ll be able to stay there as long as we’re there?”
Kevin hesitated. “I can say Sister Theresa fully intends to live there as long as you’re there, and I’m in complete agreement with that. But at the same time, Sister Brena’s in charge of the sisters, so I can’t guarantee it.”
Cpt. Garen nodded. “Same as any sister, she could be reassigned.”
“But since she’ll be the only sister there, I can’t see Sister Brena moving her, and the sisters do have the right to refuse new assignments.”
“That’ll ease some minds,” Cpt. Garen said.
“One other thing I should mention. There’s a sorcerer who will be going with you too, so you’ll have him there to help with any building or cleanups.”
“We knew there would be a sorcerer there. He’ll be working with Landis.”
Kevin shook his head. “I’m not talking about him. He’s a teacher. I don’t want him working as a sorcerer while he’s there. His sole responsibility is teaching Landis. No, I’m talking about another sorcerer, one who’s there purely to assist you. He’s your sorcerer, the one you’ll go to when you need something done.”
“So there will be two sorcerers there?”
Kevin nodded.
“Will they both be there when we get there?”
Kevin shook his head. “The sorcerer who’ll be working with you will, but the one who’s teaching Landis won’t come until she does. I want you to be settled before she arrives.”
“Our families, too?”
Again, Kevin nodded.
“I know you said we can take anything we want to from here, but I’ve got some questions about that. When the men go, all we’ll take is what we brought with us from Milhaven. Our families will need their beds, tables, and so on until they leave. How do you want our wives to handle it? Do you want all the furniture stacked up in front of the houses? Do you want the beds broken down? My wife will be in charge of that, and I need to let her know what to do.”
“She doesn’t need to do a thing. All they’ll need to do is show me which pieces to take. The loose stuff, like kitchen stuff, will need to be boxed or bagged, but the furniture can go as it is, including the stuff in the drawers. It’ll take me a while to get it all there, but they don’t need to do anything with the furniture.”
Cpt. Garen nodded. “What about food? Do you want us to take whatever we have with us?”
“Your wives should, but as for the men,” Kevin shrugged, “if there’s something you particularly want to take, take it. But other than that, no. I’ll have food for you out there.”
“One of the women insists she’s going when the men do. She told me this afternoon.”
“Which one?”
“Callie.”
“I’m not surprised. She doesn’t know anyone here. It’s all right with me as long as it’s all right with the rest of you.”
“Actually, it’s more than all right with us.”
Kevin grinned. “She is a good cook. They miss her in Milhaven.”
Cpt. Garen grinned as he reached into his pocket. “And here’s a list of things she wants you to get together for her before we go. She said if there’s anything on this list you can’t get, ask someone named Miranda what you should take as a substitute.”
Kevin laughed as he took the list and put it in his pocket.
“When do you want us to be ready to go? I know you said next Tuesday, but when? First thing in the morning? After lunch?”
“After dinner,” Kevin said.
Cpt. Garen frowned. “Why so late? We’ll need to set up a camp before dark.”
“Before dark there isn’t at the same time as before dark here. We’ll go after dinner, around eight.”
“Same for the women?”
Kevin nodded.
“Do you know what day?”
“I’d like to take them the next Sunday night.”
“All right. I’ll let everyone know. Is there anything else we need to know?”
“I think that covers it unless you have some other questions.”
“Not that I can think of. Do you want to talk to the others?”
“Not unless you want me to,” Kevin said as both men stood up.
Cpt. Garen shook his head. “I think I can handle any questions that come up now. What about the people who decide not to go?”
“What about them?”
“Do you want them to pack up and leave before I do? Or does it matter?”
“They can live here if they want to, but I won’t be coming back to check on them. If they opt to stay, they’re on their own.” Kevin took out his key. “Ask your wife to make a list of things the wives want to have available when they get there, things like foods, material, extra furniture, anything they know they’ll need. I’d like to get the list when I pick up the men. And tell Sean if he wants me to take him back to Trendon, I will after everyone who’s going with Landis is gone. You may trust him, but I’m not putting anyone that close to Rolan who knows our plans until all of you are out of reach.”
Chapter 43
A Change of Pace
Theresa was sitting at the conference table having coffee with Cameryn and Elin when Kevin got to the office Friday morning. After she finished her coffee, she followed Kevin into his office and shut the door. “Have you told Taelor he’s leaving next week?”
Kevin shook his head. “As far as I know, he doesn’t know they’re leaving Wildcat Mountain. I haven’t said anything to him.”
“Why not?”
“No reason. Landis knows though, so she may have told him.”
“Want me to talk to him? I can tell him I’m setting up a clinic there and ask him to be my assistant.”
“That’s a good idea. Gives him a good reason to go. Thanks.”
Theresa nodded. “Do you have time to take me to see Sister Brena this morning?”
“Why? Does she have to approve this?”
“Not really, but since she’s in charge, it would be nice to let her know where I am and how to reach me.”
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