The Rambling Spy

by Mackenzie Morgan

  Kevin laughed. “With the way he feels about Rolan, I’m sure that could be arranged.”

  Chapter 18

  Federation of Terah

  Shortly before lunch Sunday, Kevin and Chris went to Federation Isle for the fall meeting of the Federation of Terah. Promptly at noon, Willow Canyon time, Glendymere called the meeting to order and asked if there was any old business. Caelan nodded, so Glendymere turned the meeting over to him.

  “The Council of Elders met last week,” Caelan said. “They asked me to express our gratitude to Myron for resolving our problem with Rolan’s men peacefully.” He looked at Kevin and gave a nod. “Thank you.”

  Kevin felt his cheeks go warm as he nodded back. “I’m glad things worked out.”

  Yanko, the goblin, looked at Caelan and growled, “Managed to do it without bloodshed?”

  When Caelan nodded, the goblin’s eyebrows shot up as he looked back at Kevin. King Merdin grinned, Klysa purred, and Hagar smiled as Ferdic said, “Well done lad, well done.”

  Tricie twirled around and dusted Kevin with pixie dust as she trilled, “And he managed to find a mate while doing it!”

  Kevin’s jaw dropped, but before he could say a word, Caradoc added, “And a fine choice she is, too!”

  Then Eryk squawked. “Aye, and she’s as pure of heart as his dear mother.”

  Conrad looked at Caelan. “I assume the girl’s family’s all right with her marrying a human?”

  Before Caelan could answer, Jinks spoke up. “Her family and the House of Nordin have a long history. She’s Hayden’s youngest, Duane’s sister.”

  “We wish the two of you well,” Hagar said. “Have you decided when to officially make her your bride?”

  “Soon, I hope,” Conrad said.

  Yanko nodded. “Even if they have children immediately, it’ll be thirty years before any of them are fully trained, and that’s assuming the first one has magic.” He cut his eyes at Kevin. “You need to sire an heir as soon as possible.”

  The warmth Kevin had felt at Caelan’s thanks was nothing compared to the heat spreading up his face now. “I … I …”

  Chris put his hand on Kevin’s shoulder and turned to the group. “Thank you for your well wishes, but they haven’t discussed any dates yet.”

  “Don’t wait too long,” Ferdic said. “Life can get complicated if you put the important things off.”

  Kevin managed a nod, but was too stunned to speak.

  Glendymere snorted to get everyone’s attention and asked if there was any new business. When no one had anything else to say, he said, “Thank you for coming. I look forward to seeing all of you again on the vernal equinox.”

  Several representatives offered Kevin their congratulations again before leaving, some for settling the problem with Rolan, and some for finding a mate. After everyone else had gone, Kevin looked at Glendymere and asked, “How do they know about Rhianna?”

  “Most of them have someone keeping an eye on you, and the ones who don’t get reports from the ones who do,” Glendymere answered. “It wouldn’t surprise me if King Merdin was the source of a lot of it.”

  Kevin shook his head. “That’s not good. He knows a lot of things I don’t want spread around.”

  “He won’t tell your secrets, only what’s out there for everyone to see.”

  “I hope you’re right. But why would any of them think Rhianna and I are going to get married? We’re just friends!”

  “Seems to me the two of you went to great lengths to convince Rolan you were involved. Why does it surprise you that others noticed, too? Sounds like your plan worked, maybe better than you expected.”

  Kevin frowned. “Unintended consequences. How do I get this straightened out? Should I tell them what we were doing?”

  “Why bother?” Chris asked. “As slow as you two are moving, it’ll be years before you do anything about it. Just let it go.”

  Glendymere snorted and nodded. Then he stood up, said, “See you Tuesday,” and leapt into the air.

  Chapter 19

  Visitors in Milhaven

  Tuesday afternoon Duane and Shelandra told Gwynn and Hayden that they were going to be in Milhaven for the next few days. “Shelandra wanted to go visit now that things have settled down a bit,” Duane explained.

  “You’re going to see Rhianna?” Hayden asked. “Why don’t you tell her to come up here if you want to see her? I’m sure Myron would bring her. That’s too long a flight for Shelandra to make in her condition.”

  “We’re not flying,” Duane said. “Myron’s picking us up.”

  “And Rhianna’s not the only reason we’re going,” Shelandra said. “I want to see Miranda and Cryslyn, and Laryn.” Shelandra put her hand on her stomach. “I want to go before things get hectic with the baby.”

  “I’m looking forward to that kind of hectic.” Gwynn’s smile spread from ear to ear. “But are you sure it’s safe for you to travel by key?”

  “Myron said he’s taken pregnant women through the energy field before without any problems,” Duane said. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

  “How long are you staying?” Gwynn asked.

  “Until Saturday.”

  “Are you staying with Rhianna?” Hayden asked. “Or at Fenway’s?”

  “We’re staying at the castle,” Duane answered. “Why?”

  “Think I’ll go with you. When are you leaving?”

  “Myron’s picking us up tomorrow morning.”

  Hayden nodded. “I’ll be ready.”

  After Duane and Shelandra left, Gwynn asked, “What are you up to?”

  “Just visiting my daughter.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I want to see where she’s living and meet the people she’s living with. Any father would.”

  “Don’t do anything to mess things up for her.”

  “I thought you wanted her home.”

  “I do, but by her choice.” Gwynn got up from the table. “She has to follow her own path, Hayden. We can’t interfere.”

  “I won’t do anything.”

  “See that you don’t.”

  ~~~~

  When Kevin got to Duane’s house the next morning, Hayden answered the door. “Come in.” As Kevin walked inside, Hayden said, “Hope you don’t mind, but I’m going, too.”

  “Not at all,” Kevin answered with a smile. “You’re always welcome to visit. Would Gwynn like to come, too?”

  Hayden shook his head. “She said she was staying home this time, maybe next time.”

  “Are Duane and Shelandra ready to go?”

  Hayden pointed to three bags sitting on the couch. “They’re in the kitchen. They’ll be out in a minute.”

  “I’ll go ahead and take the bags.” Kevin scooped the bags up in his outstretched hand. “Back in a minute.”

  When he got back to his office, he set the bags down. “Ariel, let Cryslyn know we have one more guest.” Then he looked at Rhianna. “Did you know your father’s coming?”

  She shook her head. “I wonder what he’s up to.”

  Kevin shrugged, turned his key, and went back to Crinsor Run. By the time he got back, Duane and Shelandra had joined Hayden in the front room, along with two baskets, another bag, and a box. Kevin raised his eyebrows.

  “I told her she didn’t need to bother,” Duane said, “but there was no stopping her.”

  “It’s just a few gifts,” Shelandra argued. “If it’s too much for you to handle, I’ll ask Xantha to take them.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Kevin said. “Have you ever traveled by key before?”

  Shelandra nodded. “But it’s been a long time.”

  “A lot of people get nauseous, and pregnancy could make it worse.”

  Shelandra nodded. “Did it make the other pregnant women sick?”

  Kevin shook his head. “But both of them had traveled by key a lot. The nausea usually passes in a minute or so. Just take slow, deep breaths and don’t try to move until you feel steady.
” As Kevin picked up the baskets, bag, and box in his outstretched hand, Duane slipped his arm around his wife. As soon as they were all touching him, Kevin turned the key.

  When they got to the castle, Duane eased a chair behind Shelandra and helped her sit down.

  Rhianna stepped up with a glass of water and a cold cloth. “Take a deep breath and let it out slow.” She mopped Shelandra’s forehead. “You’ll be fine.”

  Shelandra laughed. “I’m fine now.”

  “Why don’t you stay put for a little bit?” Duane asked. “Just to be sure.”

  “No, I’m fine,” Shelandra said as she stood up. “But that water looks good.”

  Rhianna handed her the glass and turned to her father. “Hello, Father. We weren’t expecting you. When did you decide to come?”

  “Last night, when Duane told me they were visiting for a few days. Things are slow around the valley right now, so I decided to tag along. I haven’t been to Milhaven in several years. Looking forward to seeing how much it’s changed.”

  Chris offered Hayden his hand. “It’s nice to see you again.” Then he glanced at Duane and Shelandra. “Your rooms are ready if you’d like to get unpacked.”

  Shelandra picked up the two baskets. “Duane, if you’ll get the rest, we can get out of here and let these people get back to work.”

  ~~~~

  Rhianna and the visitors from Crinsor Run spent Wednesday at the castle. Duane and Hayden went off with Darrell while Rhianna and Shelandra went to say hello to several people Shelandra knew from when she’d lived there.

  When it was time for dinner, Kevin, Laryn, and Steve joined them in the dining room. After dinner, Rhianna and Kevin left to take Nikki for a walk, Miranda, Cryslyn, Shelandra and Laryn went out to Laryn’s house, and Steve and Darrell invited Duane and Hayden to join them at Fenway’s for scog.

  Fenway recognized Duane as soon as he walked in and motioned the four of them to the table he usually reserved for himself. After they were seated, he brought over four mugs of scog and asked if they wanted anything else. When they said no, he left for a moment, returned with another mug of scog, and joined them.

  “Where’s that sister of yours?” Fenway asked Duane.

  “When we left, she and Myron were playing with his dog.”

  Fenway nodded. “They walk Nikki about every night. Come by here for scog a couple of times a week, too. Make a nice looking couple.”

  Hayden had been gazing around the room until Fenway’s last comment. He jerked his head back towards Fenway. “What?”

  “I said Rhianna and Myron make a nice looking couple,” Fenway repeated. “You should have seen them the night of the ministers’ banquet. Her dress was all formal like, and he was dressed formal too, complete with his sash. It was all the ministers who came down here afterwards could talk about. I bet they made some picture walking through the dining hall to the head table.”

  “That they did,” Darrell agreed. “And you’re right about the ministers, too. They were talking about them up at the castle according to my guards.”

  Hayden frowned. “She was at the banquet? At the castle? Why? It didn’t have anything to do with her.”

  Fenway grinned. “The way those two are, if it involves one, it involves the other.”

  Steve noticed Hayden’s eyebrows creeping closer and closer together. “Myron needed an escort for the dinner. Laryn escorted Badec after Yvonne died, and last year she escorted Myron. But this year she was with me so Rhianna filled in.”

  Fenway laughed. “Trust me, Rhianna’s more than that. A few days after Blair started cooking here, they brought Shelley with them. The three of them sat at one of the tables outside, and I swear, if I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn they were a family. My daughter asked them if they were out for a trial run.”

  Hayden strangled on a swallow of scog. After he managed to quit coughing, he asked, “Trial run? For what?”

  “For when they have a little one of their own,” Fenway said as he got up. “Anyone with eyes can see those two are in love. Not sure why they haven’t made it official yet. The whole town’s waiting for that day, and there’s more than one bet riding on it, too. I need to check on the rest of the room. Let me know if you need anything.”

  After Fenway left, Darrell and Duane started making plans to work out with some of the guards the next day while Steve quietly drank his scog.

  Hayden leaned back in his chair with a long, heart-felt sigh. It was beginning to look like Gwynn might be right.

  ~~~~

  Hayden spent most of Thursday with his daughter. He watched her teach self-defense in the morning and went home with her after lunch. He and Doreen hit if off immediately, and Shelley charmed him as only a three-year-old can.

  Friday morning, Hayden borrowed a horse and spent the day exploring. He visited all the shops, had lunch with Wrenn and Jana, dropped by Doreen’s during the afternoon, and ended up at Tolliver’s shortly before time for dinner. Everywhere he went, everyone told him how much they liked Rhianna, what an asset she was to the town, and how pleased they were she and Myron were together.

  While Hayden was looking around the dry goods store to see if he could find something Gwynn might like, Tolliver asked, “May I ask you a question?”

  “Certainly.”

  “Do you have any idea when your daughter will move in with Myron?”

  Hayden didn’t trust himself to speak. He just stared at the shop keeper.

  “I only ask because there will be a ceremony for the signing of the register and I’ll need to be there.”

  Hayden cleared his throat. “I have no idea when or even if she’s planning to move to the castle. She hasn’t said one word about anything like that to me or her mother.”

  “Oh.” Tolliver blushed to the roots of his hair. “I’m sorry. I must have misread the situation. Please forgive my forwardness.”

  Hayden nodded. “That’s all right. From what I understand, they’ve been spending a lot of time together. Anyone could have drawn the wrong conclusion.”

  Tolliver backed up and started to turn towards the rear of the store. Before he made it, Hayden said, “I’d like to get a gift for my wife, but I have no idea what. Is there anything you’d suggest?”

  “Let me get my clerk to help you,” Tolliver said as he quickly walked towards the back of the store. “She’s much better at that than I am. She’ll be right with you.”

  A few minutes later, Nan walked out of the store room. “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so,” Hayden said. “I need a gift for my wife.”

  “Rhianna’s mother?”

  Hayden smiled. “You know my daughter.”

  “I live with her, at Doreen’s. Rhianna says your wife likes to work in her garden. Maybe we could find something for the garden.”

  Half an hour later, Hayden left the store with a set of wind chimes made with Neiven’s tiny silver animals. He felt sure Gwynn would love it, and with a bit of luck, it might make things easier when he had to tell her she was right, something was definitely brewing between their daughter and the Sorcerer of Camden.

  ~~~~

  Saturday morning came too quickly to suit Hayden. He really didn’t want to have a conversation about Rhianna and Myron with his wife. He couldn’t figure out a way to tell her about them without it ending up his fault.

  If he could find some way to put an end to things, he could avoid that conversation all together, but the only way to make sure things didn’t go any farther was to get Rhianna out of Milhaven and back to North Amden. He’d been up half the night trying to find a way to do that.

  Shortly after lunch, Kevin took them back to Crinsor Run. As soon as he got home, Hayden gave his wife the wind chimes and left to check on the horses before she could ask any questions.

  While he was wandering around the pasture, he came to a decision. He would tell Gwynn about the classes Rhianna was teaching, the house she was living in, the other women, even Shelley, but he was keepin
g his mouth shut about anything involving Myron. If Duane or Shelandra mentioned anything about the two of them, he’d just say he hadn’t notice anything. She’d believe him. She was always telling him he was blind where things like that were concerned. Might as well take advantage of it.

  Meanwhile, he was going to find some reason why he needed to go to South Port. His brother had gotten him into this mess. He could help him get out of it.

  Chapter 20

  The Boatmen of West River

  Saturday morning Marcus got to his sister’s house shortly after breakfast. After a quick hello, he borrowed her horse and buggy and left for Bridgeport to pick up Hayley and Sherri and take them on rounds. While they examined their patients, Marcus helped out around the farms, sometimes using magic, sometimes not.

  When they got back to Bridgeport, Marcus visited with Morris and Gloria while Hayley and Sherri put their supplies away. Then they went back to Marcie’s. Sherri disappeared with Rayne, Hayley joined Marcie in the kitchen, and Marcus and Caleb went down to his house.

  While they were there, Caleb told Marcus about the man on the boat. “He was the man in the woods that night, the one with the key.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Caleb nodded.

  “But the man in the woods wasn’t from Camden. We found the cave he took me to and it’s on the other side of Terah, across the Kitonian Ocean. How could he be working here?”

  “He had a key,” Caleb insisted.

  “But I grabbed the key, brought it back, and gave it to Myron.”

  Caleb shrugged. “I don’t know how he got back here, but it was him. If you’d seen him, you’d know it, too.”

  “Maybe, but I didn’t get a good look at him that night. I was focused on the key.” Marcus decided to change the subject. “Let’s check the room under the house and be sure nothing’s happened to Hayley’s stuff.”