by Cathi Shaw
Thia raised her eyebrows.
"Turns out he knows a lot of strategic moves," Kiara admitted.
Thia watched the way her sister’s face was lighting up as she spoke of Caedmon.
Kiara nodded. "You know he trained in the military?"
"Did he?" Thia said then mused aloud. "Are you sure that's right? Mina said he's only 17. If he's already trained in the army, how young do you think was he when he started?"
Kiara stared at her. "Are you sure he's that young?"
Thia nodded. "Yes, Teague told Mina. I know he seems older but I guess he's just one of those people who looks more mature than his age."
Kiara looked troubled.
"What is it?" Thia asked.
Kiara shook her head. "He told me he'd been training with the army for ten years." She paused. "Who sends a seven year old boy to train in the military? And how old was he when he received those tattoos?"
Thia was shocked. She tried to imagine a small boy in the barracks with soldiers. Kiara looked upset and Thia couldn't say she felt any better about it.
"There's something else, Thia," Kiara said slowly.
"What?"
"He's Marked."
Thia stared at her sister in stunned silence. How could that be? "Are you certain?"
Kiara nodded. “I saw the Mark myself when we were training." Her sister reddened. "He removed his shirt as it was hot. And there’s more. He told me Teague is Marked as well."
Thia bit her lip as disbelief flooded her. Brijit had always told them they were the only Marked Ones.
"What does it mean?"
Kiara shook her head. "I don't know. And neither did Caedmon." She paused, seemed to be considering her next words. "Thia, what if there are others?"
"What do you mean?"
"Other Marked Ones?"
Thia noticed that Kiara was gripping the blanket a little too hard.
"What do you mean, Kee?"
Her sister seemed to be struggling with something. Then she forced a smile. "Never mind. I'm just tired. We should get some sleep."
Kiara then turned down the lamp and pulled the covers up. Thia lay in bed turning her sister's words over in her mind. What did it mean that Caedmon and Teague also were Marked? And what had her sister meant about others?
****
The next day as they prepared to set off from the inn, Teague was missing.
"Where is he?" Kiara asked.
Caedmon shook his head. "He was here this morning,” he said, “he needed to take care of something. I assume he's selling his instrument."
They soon discovered that in addition to the missing brother, his horse and Thia's were also missing.
"Why would he take the horses?" Kiara asked impatiently.
Ten minutes later she had her answer as Teague came down the dusty dirt road driving a cart pulled by a sturdy pony.
"What is this?" Caedmon asked as Teague brought the cart to a halt.
"A cart," Teague said with a self-satisfied smile on his face. He jumped down from the seat and began piling their things in the back.
"I can see that," Caedmon muttered darkly. "What are you doing with it and where are your horses?"
"I've traded the horses and my mandolin for the cart," Teague informed him. "You and Kiara can ride your horses but Thia and I will travel this way from now on."
Caedmon looked about to argue. But Teague shook his head.
"Thia is uncomfortable riding, Caedmon. She is never going to make it to the mountain passes if we keep trying to make her ride at our pace."
"Teague," Thia protested, her face heating with embarrassment. What he said was true but she didn't want them altering the trip to accommodate her.
"No, Thia, you were exhausted last night and I'm willing to bet that you are feeling the effects of a full day in the saddle more than the rest of us." Teague looked at them. "What I suggest is you go ahead, do some tracking and hunting and then we'll meet at mid day break."
Kiara tilted her head considering for a moment. "It's not a bad idea. We may not be able to procure mid-day meals from all the lodgings we stay in and if we are keeping a low profile we may not even want to do so. If I hunt, Caedmon and I can prepare the meal so it's ready when you two catch up."
Teague nodded in agreement. "And having a cart makes the grandmother story more believable. After all most families going to visit Granny won't be riding the quality of horses we had."
Caedmon didn't look happy but he agreed. Teague helped Thia up into the seat beside him and they set off.
After they had been travelling for a few minutes Thia turned to him. "Thank you," she said softly.
Teague smiled. "You're welcome."
Thia licked her lips and swallowed. "Teague?" she began hesitantly.
He looked at her, "Yes?"
"I'm sorry I’ve been so hard on you for not telling me about being a Draíodóir."
He looked at her in surprise. "It's alright, Thia. I know it must have been an additional surprise on top of finding out I was actually a real person. I do understand why you were upset."
Thia shook her head. "It wasn't alright," she argued. "It's just that we have been hearing stories about the Draíodóir our whole lives. Not many of them are good."
Teague nodded grimly. "I know. How do you think I responded when they told me I was a Draíodóir?" he asked. "I wasn’t too impressed."
"How old were you?" Thia asked curious as to when he was given such news.
"Six," Teague said grimly.
Thia gasped. Even at six years of age she'd known what being a Draíodóir meant. She could only imagine how difficult that would have been for Teague.
She was silent for a few minutes, thinking about the upbringing the boys had received with Weylon. Both of them had been sent off to train in their respective professions, if that's what you called them, at an early age. It hardly seemed that they’d had childhoods at all. She was suddenly extremely grateful for the life she'd had with Brijit.
"You know, Thia, one of the nice things about you was that you didn't know I was a Draíodóir," Teague said after they driven a while in silence. "Mind you, I didn't know you were a real person but it was still nice to have someone, even in my dreams, who just liked who I was without the Draíodóir label attached."
Thia studied him for a moment. She could see how lonely he must have been growing up with the title of Draíodóir hanging over his head.
"I do like you, Teague," She said softly. "I'm sorry for how I reacted. I was being foolish. We have been friends, of a sort, for a very long time. It was silly of me to react the way I did."
Teague shrugged. "I didn't blame you."
"Well, it was wrong. I like you for who you are and that's something that will not change no matter what."
****
Even though they’d travelled for about 8 hours on the second day, Thia was much more comfortable in the cart. Teague and her had a companionable day, sharing stories and laughter. But they fell into silence as they approached Silver Vale. They were in strange territory now and there was almost a sinister feel about the land surrounding the town.
When they arrived at the Black Sparrow Inn in Silver Vale, they were all wearing their rings. Once again it was after nightfall when they arrived and Silver Vale was dark and unwelcoming. Unlike the previous night when it felt like they were visiting a friendly neighborhood, Silver Vale seemed to be locked up for the day and unwelcoming to strangers.
The Black Sparrow was located in the centre of the town and Thia was dismayed to see it filled with rough looking men. From their clothing she guessed they were miners on leave from the mines that were deep in the mountains to the northeast of the town. Their route did not take them through the mining mountains – Silver Vale was the closest they would come to that range, which was heavily mined for coal and precious metals.
Thia followed closely behind Teague and tried to ignore how the men were looking at her and Kiara. She made sure her hand with her
"wedding" ring was visible.
"We are in need of lodging for the night, my good man," Teague said with a winning smile to the innkeeper. He was a thin, sour-faced man who had an air of bone deep fatigue about him. He didn't reply to Teague for a moment, just looked them up and down and Thia wondered if he was going to refuse their request. This was one of the lodgings that Weylon had specifically printed on their map.
"What brings you our way, Outlander, at such a time of the year?" he asked warily, his eyes shifting nervously to where Caedmon was towering.
"A woman, of course!" Teague said with a laugh, attempting to warm up the man. Thia wondered if it was even possible to warm this man up.
"My wife," Teague gestured to Thia. "Well not Thia, herself, mind you but her grandmother. She lives at the foot of Blackpaw Mountain and refuses to leave for the winter months," he said with a grimace. "Stubborn old dear," he added affectionately.
Thia hid the surprise from her face. The story Weylon had given them was to say the grandmother lived at the foot of Pinefrest Mountain, much further to the north. Blackpaw Mountain was at the eastern end of the Dark Hills range of mountains, where the mining took place. She wondered why Teague was changing the story but didn't question it. She would ask him when they were in their room.
The Innkeeper still looked suspicious but seemed to soften slightly.
Thia forced what she hoped was an apologetic smile to her face. "Granny is a dear but she is just so set in her ways. She doesn't like to leave her home."
The Innkeeper looked at her, then nodded as if he knew the type of woman.
"Anyway," Teague said, "My wife is close to her granny. We'd planned on visiting her on our way back to the Outlands but Thia here, I don't know how she did it. She talked me into spending the winter with Granny before we head for home." He lowered his voice. "We're newly married, you know."
The Innkeeper seemed to be believing their story.
"And my good friend here, Caedmon and his bonny wife agreed to accompany us to the old lady's home. " He leaned closer to the Innkeeper. "I'm hoping to talk them into staying for the winter as well. It's an isolated place, I understand."
The Innkeeper nodded. "It is that."
"Well I thought at least having another man present would save me from being snowed in with a houseful of women!" Teague said in a tone of male conspiracy.
"That's it would." The Innkeeper cracked a smile. "A bit of winter hunting to keep you sane, eh?"
Teague nodded.
"So you'll be needing two rooms then?" The Innkeeper asked, finally getting down to business. Relief washed over Thia. She hadn't been sure he would give them rooms and then where would they have gone in this dark town? She didn't want to think about it.
Teague nodded again. "We will. Just for the night – I want to try to beat the weather to Granny's house."
"I'd recommend a private dining room since the ladies are with you, sir." The Innkeeper suggested before lowering his voice. "There's a bit of a rough element here tonight with the mine shutting down. Some of them are determined to drink their last pay away, the fools!"
"The mine has closed?" Caedmon asked, speaking for the first time, surprise in his voice.
"Aye." The Innkeeper nodded, his expression grim. "It generally runs even through the winter but the owners have shut it down without a word of explanation. There are rumors that it won't be reopening even when spring rolls around. It's put some of the lads in foul humors."
Teague met Caedmon's eyes and the brothers seemed to be exchanging a silence communication. After a moment Teague turned his attention back to the Innkeeper. "We'd be very grateful for that private dining room. Thank you for suggesting it, sir."
The Innkeeper nodded and directed them to their rooms, which were adjoined by a small dining room.
Thia went into her room and looked around. It was a typical bedchamber; very similar to the ones they had in their own inn. Thia eyed at the big double bed nervously wondering what Teague's thoughts were for sleeping arrangements. While they'd got on well during the journey, she wasn't keen to share a bed with him.
But her worries proved unfounded. Teague followed her into the room, opened his bag, and pulled out his sleeping roll.
"I'll sleep close to the door," he told her quietly as he rolled it out. "I don't like the look of those ruffians in the dining room. The sooner this night passes the better." He glanced up, his expression grim.
Thia nodded. She should have known Teague wouldn't presume to share the bed with her. He was her friend but she still felt a sense of relief go through her. She couldn't help feeling a bit guilty that Teague would be on the ground.
"I feel bad that you are taking the floor though."
"Don't worry. I'm used to it on our travels. Sharing beds can lead to unique problems for me," he said seriously.
Thia remembered what had happened when she'd touched him.
"Unfortunately, Caedmon learned that at an early age." Teague grinned, his voice taking on a playful tone. "Weylon wasn't too happy about having to purchase beds for two wee lads but he got tired of finding Caedmon on the floor in the middle of the night."
"Oh!" Thia could imagine poor Caedmon and Teague sharing a bed and Teague kicking out his bare foot in his sleep.
"Ah, don't worry about Caedmon. He was happy to have his own bed anyway once he started to grow!"
They laughed together.
Straightening from his bedding, he patted his stomach. "Let's go find dinner."
Thia nodded and turned to the inner door that led to the dining area. As she opened the door, a pleasant odor teased her nostrils.
The table had been set for four and the dinner of some kind of root vegetable and mutton stew was already served. There was a loaf of crusty bread and some cheese on the table as well.
Both Caedmon and Kiara were sitting at the table, clearly waiting for them.
"Come on, you two," Kiara grumbled. "I'm starving and Caedmon made me wait for you. The sooner we eat and get to sleep, the sooner we can leave this place behind. It has a unsettling feel to it."
Thia nodded in agreement. It seemed that all of them sensed the strange aura of the place. The sooner this night passed and they were back on the road, the better.
****
Kiara raised her eyebrows at Caedmon as they entered their bedchamber. There was one bed, as was to be expected for a married couple. But this bed did not look nearly big enough for her and Caedmon, both of them oversized to begin with.
They had merely dropped their bags on the floor before dinner, both of them hungry and eager to get some food in their bellies. Now they would have to discuss sleeping arrangements. And as eager as she was to sleep in the cozy looking bed, Kiara was not going to let Caedmon think she was soft. She planned on taking the floor in her bedroll tonight. But before she could say anything he spoke.
"I'll sleep on the floor," Caedmon said matter-of-factly as he began to pull his sleeping roll from his bag.
Kiara raised her eyebrows. "You just assumed that you’d take the floor?" she said testily. "I'm not soft, you know, I can easily take the floor myself."
Caedmon straightened up and looked at her. "You can take it tomorrow night," he told her. When she looked like she would argue, he added, "Humor me and don't argue for once, Kiara."
Taken aback, Kiara sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I'll happily let you sleep on the floor tomorrow," he assured her. "Tonight I'd feel better if I was in front of the door. I don't trust anything about this place." He paused and looked at her, his dark eyes troubled. "My gut tells me that you were right at dinner. The sooner we get on the road tomorrow the better."
Kiara climbed into the bed with her clothing still on. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they might need to make a fast escape.
"If something does happen," Caedmon added, "Just remember that we are not supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves.
Kiara nodded.
Caedmon rolled
into his makeshift bed on the floor.
Kiara turned down the oil lantern that was on the bedside table.
"Good night," he said a few minutes later.
"Good night," Kiara whispered and then closed her eyes and was surprised when sleep overcame her.
****
It was still dark when Kiara felt a large hand covering her mouth in the darkness. She began to struggle reaching for the dagger that was under her pillow.
"Shh, it's me." Caedmon's voice in her ear reassured her for a moment. "There's someone breaking into the room. Lie still and pretend to sleep."
Kiara nodded, listening carefully but all was silent. A moment later she heard the sound of the lock being picked on their chamber door. There was a click and then silence again. The door slowly opened inward.
Kiara strained her eyes to see who the intruder was but it was too dark to see more than a shadow figure.
The intruder moved silently through the room and glided toward their bed where it paused and studied them. Kiara forced herself to relax in Caedmon's arms, hoping she looked like a wife sleeping with her husband.
The intruder spent a long while watching them. Then it sniffed deeply, almost as an animal would if it were sensing prey. Caedmon stiffened. Then the intruder turned to the door leading to the dining room and glided silently toward it. Thia and Teague! Kiara's heart began to pound in alarm. Caedmon held her tight in a warning grip.
The intruder glided through the door. Caedmon was on his feet with that remarkable speed and across the room. Silently he followed the intruder through the door. Kiara reached for the lantern and lit it. There was a screech from the other room. Kiara hurried into the dining room.
Caedmon had the intruder in his grasp. It was wearing a long black robe with a hood that made it impossible to see its features. As Caedmon pulled back the hood to reveal a white hairless head, Teague and Thia burst into the room, clearly awakened by the noise.