The Watchers in Exile

by Barbara V. Evers

  Adana looked over her shoulder at Elayne and gestured for her to join them. Elayne hurried over and settled beside Joannu in front of the small fire.

  “What did you hear?”

  “I listened for as long as I felt it was safe, Your Majesty. I heard three people talking. Unusual for the time of night.”

  “What were they talking about?”

  “A cart arrived in the middle of the night. A woman, possibly the innkeeper, was not happy about its arrival. I think one of the travelers knew the innkeeper. He sounded tired. They might have traveled a long distance.”

  “Are you positive the traveler was a man?” Adana wrinkled her brow and turned toward Joannu. “Did you see these people?”

  “We stayed in the fields, so we didn’t get close enough. There were a few lights in the distance. But Lady Elayne heard their voices. She interpreted a lot from what she could hear. She said one of the travelers sounded like a noble.”

  Elayne nodded in agreement. “One of them had a deep voice, and he spoke in proper tones.”

  Adana contemplated this information, unable to accept that a Listener might detect something a high-ranking Watcher couldn’t. “How could you have heard so much when Joannu didn’t?”

  Elayne’s cheeks flushed under Adana’s scrutiny, but she smiled. “From what you’ve told me, I’m aware of sounds, just like you’re aware of what you see. You hear the sounds but don’t interpret them as I do.”

  Adana stared at her. She wanted to ask Montee her opinion but suspected the woman would agree with Elayne. “I wish I knew more about Listeners and how they work.”

  “I can only go by what I’ve done and heard in the past.” Elayne tilted her head to the right as she looked at Adana. “When your father or mother returned from an outing or trip, did you know they were home before you were told?”

  “Of course. Any child knows their parents’ return.”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say you heard certain sounds or clues. You just didn’t realize it.”

  Adana stared at the lady as she recalled a time when her mother had stayed away for half a season. She had been in her rooms at the estate when a maid bustled in to straighten the chamber and check Adana’s attire.

  “I saw people reacting.”

  Elayne tilted her head to the side, a gentle smile on her face. “What did you hear? Horses? Footfalls? You must have heard something.”

  Adana placed herself in the room again, focusing on everything but her sight.

  Horses’ hooves clopped on the stone inside the gates, gear jangled, voices called out commands. Servants’ feet pounded as they scurried around. Logs were plunked down on fires to build them up.

  “I never noticed before. Watchers spend so much time focused on what they see. I believe we might have much to learn from you, Elayne.”

  Elayne’s smile broadened, and her eyes sparkled with moisture.

  Adana wondered at Lady Elayne’s transparent joy. Her whole demeanor had changed once they discovered her skill. Could she trust her? Was her information accurate or meant to set a trap?

  Kassa’s, and even Quilla’s, voices floated through her mind:

  Do not trust anyone until you have several reasons to do so.

  You must be able to explain your trust.

  Once trust is given, it is hard to protect yourself from that person.

  Still, the woman had saved her life when Maligon’s traitors attacked their camp. What else could she do? She needed a Listener.

  “Do you think it could be Maligon’s forces?” Adana turned to Montee.

  “From Sinti and Veana’s scouting, it would be doubtful. They are further south than this.”

  “As far as we know,” Adana said. She turned back to Elayne. “Were you able to detect if others arrived with them? Could it be a large party?”

  Glancing at Joannu, Elayne said, “I believe Joannu would have heard something if there had been several. Two arrived on the cart. One person met them.”

  Adana stared at the Listener, astounded at this gift so casually added to her company. In childhood, she had dreamed she might be one of those rare people who appeared in bedtime stories, the ones blessed with dual gifts. Some nights, she imagined the Seer’s truth telling. That would help tonight. Most nights, she dreamed of joining the Listeners even though she could not fathom what it would be like to possess a fine-tuned sense of hearing.

  “Do you have anything else to report?” Adana turned back to Joannu, still feeling the need to confirm Elayne’s report.

  “I did notice one oddity as we neared the village. The fields were bare, as if they harvested everything early.”

  Why would the village clear their fields early? Adana turned to Montee. “Does harvest come sooner here than in Adana’s View?”

  “No, my lady.”

  After pondering this bit of puzzling news, Adana said, “Two travelers shouldn’t be a problem. I think we need to go into the village. Rest a few hours, then we’ll head out. I want to get there by early morning.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 11

  Just outside the Monian village of Roshar, Adana’s group stopped in a small clearing hidden from the road. Tall trees separated them from travelers and disguised the giraffes’ presence. The village was only a short walk up the road. Glume, Sinti, and Veana settled down to wait with the giraffes and horses.

  Adana, accompanied by Montee, Joannu, and Elayne, entered the village on foot, just as a small squad of Watchers would do. Each one, except Elayne, had their bow and quiver slung on their back. Since trainees often did not carry a bow without the approval of the squad leader, they knew Elayne’s lack would not give her away. In order to conceal Adana’s identity, Montee walked in front as the leader. For the hour of the day, few people traveled the main road.

  They walked past a few homes, and the nearly barren fields stretched in the distance behind them. In Moniah, most farmers shared the arid land, the only way to yield sufficient crops. These fields should be heavy with produce waiting for harvest.

  A man wearing dusty pants and a fringed, dirty blue coat, sat on the steps in front of the inn. The structure was simple—earthen walls on the first floor, with a wooden porch and second floor above. It appeared tidy, if not large. The farmer stopped chewing on a twig, his eyes bugging out when he spotted the four Watchers walking toward him.

  He pulled the twig out of his mouth and jumped to his feet.

  “Esteemed Watchers!” He made an awkward bow, never taking his gaze off them. “How can our village serve you?”

  Montee regarded him with a commander’s stare. “We seek food and information. Where is your village guard?”

  The man swallowed. “Our guard is gone, Watcher. He responded to the call from Adana’s View.”

  Adana fought the urge to step forward at his words but remained in place. Had someone alerted Linus to their troubles? Hope beat in her chest that her home remained safe from Maligon.

  “We come from Belwyn and are not aware of this call,” Montee said. “Who is in charge here?”

  “That would be me.” A plump woman stepped out on the inn’s porch. Her billowing green pants and white shirt identified her as the innkeeper.

  From her vantage point behind Elayne, Adana saw her companion stiffen in recognition. Was this the woman’s voice overheard in the night?

  Adana studied the innkeeper more closely, noting how her sharp eyes swept over them. Adana was positive she had caught every detail of their weaponry in one glance.

  “Come in. We have little news to share, but maybe you have news to swap?” The innkeeper turned and walked through the doorway without checking to see if they followed.

  Montee hesitated, but nodded, and they entered the inn.

  The main room was small with just a few tables and chairs. A fire burned on the hearth, and the delicious smell of fresh baked bread permeated the air, causing Adana’s mouth to water. The fish the night before was good, but she’d become accustom
ed to eating heavier meals indoors and prepared by others. She glanced around. Where were the inn’s customers? She had never entered the common room of an inn without at least a few old ones gathered for a smoke and gossip.

  The innkeeper stood by the fire, arms crossed in defiance. Adana examined their surroundings, unease creeping up her back. Why would a Monian exhibit disrespect toward a Watcher? She reached out to Am’brosia, sharing the view of the empty common room with the giraffe. In return, she saw the clearing where the giraffes waited. All was quiet and peaceful there. Her shoulder responded with a faint tingle.

  The man wearing the dirty, blue coat shuffled in behind them.

  The innkeeper nodded in his direction. “Did you bring horses with you? Clart can go retrieve them if you like.”

  Montee turned toward the woman. “We travel faster without them.”

  The man stopped shuffling from one foot to the other and skirted past them. The door to what must be the kitchen squeaked as he shoved through it. “I’ll tell Cook to bring you some food.”

  “Please, sit,” the innkeeper said.

  Elayne slumped into the first available chair but jumped up when no one else sat. She blanched under the reproachful look Montee cast her way.

  Adana stopped studying the room to consider her new companion. No lady would plop into a chair. They sat, the entire effort an elegant act.

  “You’ve come from Belwyn?” the innkeeper said.

  “Yes.” Montee walked around the small room, peering up the stairs and pushing the door to the kitchen open. “Where did the man go? There is no one in the kitchen.”

  “I imagine out back to the barn. Where Cook spends his free time. We don’t get many visitors lately, much less Watchers. It’s as if we’re not part of the kingdom.” The woman whipped out a cloth and swiped it over a table, scratching at an invisible spot.

  Most villages welcomed Watchers with excitement. People thronged to see them and brought them gifts of food and water. Was this odd behavior typical of a village on the border or was something else happening? Elayne’s report about the traveler rang a warning in Adana’s mind. He had arrived two nights ago and spent the night in this inn. Was he still here?

  The faint tingle in her shoulder pulsed stronger.

  She laid her hand on her knife and backed toward the stairs, giving her a broader view of the outdoors and access to the rooms above. She caught Montee’s attention and tilted her head toward the stairs. The First Vision nodded, and Adana ascended a few steps, still watching the upstairs and both doors in the main room.

  Joannu moved to position herself by the one small window.

  The innkeeper became silent and still as the Watchers surveyed their surroundings.

  In the silence, Elayne whispered, “Men.” She rushed toward the door to the street.

  Joannu stood to the side of the window and peered out. She nodded in agreement. “Our arrival has been marked. Several men are gathering down the street. They don’t appear to be welcoming us.”

  Their host paused and put her hands on her hips, exposing a long knife tucked in her belt. She glared at Montee. “We won’t let you steal our crops and supplies again. We may be a small village, but we protect what’s ours.”

  Adana turned toward the woman, shocked at the suggestion they might steal from these people. She hovered on the stairs, fighting the urge to take over while Montee edged closer to the innkeeper.

  “Why would you think that? Do you not serve the queen?” Montee said.

  “The queen?”

  “Yes, Queen Adana.”

  The woman looked askance at Montee. “You do not know? Or are you conspiring against us again? We know she’s dead. The poor child never lived to become queen.”

  Adana bit her lip and choked back revealing words.

  A movement at the top of the stairs distracted her from the lies the woman spoke.

  “Montee.” She nodded in the direction of the stairs. No one was in sight, but a shadow had crossed in front of the dim light filtering through a small, round window at the top of the stairs.

  Montee advanced on the innkeeper. She grabbed the woman’s pudgy arm, the one closest to the knife at her belt. “Who is up there?”

  Eyes bulging, the innkeeper sputtered. “It’s no one. My son. He isn’t right in the head.”

  Adana crept up the steps, trying to peer into the dark hallway above. Slow, focused breaths did nothing for her pounding heart. Her shoulder pulsed in time with the beats, but not in alarm.

  All five women jumped as a man appeared at the top of the stairs, his deep voice resonating with excitement. “Adana.”

  Adana leapt down to the foot of the stairs and turned, tensed into a fighting stance. Joannu and Elayne rushed to her, Joannu blocking the man from reaching Adana.

  The man bounded down the steps toward them, his steps clumping in the quiet room, his thick brown hair falling over his forehead. Days-old stubble could not mask the broad smile shining in his brown eyes. He wore peasants’ clothes, but Adana knew Belwyn’s young knight at once. She corrected herself, remembering the secrets disclosed by Montee two nights ago. Standing before her was Prince Jerold of Belwyn, not a knight.

  “Sir Jerold?” Montee maintained a hold on the innkeeper while scrutinizing the man.

  The man stopped on the last step and turned to Montee. “Montee. It’s a relief to find the two of you alive.

  He frowned as he noted the tension in the room and Montee’s hold on the innkeeper. “Talia, is everything OK?”

  “Do you trust this woman?” Adana said, pushing past Joannu to face Jerold.

  “Of course.” He turned to Montee. “Whatever Talia has done to raise your suspicions, I assure you, she is loyal to the Seat of Authority.”

  Montee let go of the older woman’s arm and glanced between the innkeeper and Jerold. She pointed toward the street and the sounds of the gathering crowd. Her voice held no warmth. “Then, why do men gather?”

  “Forgive me, my lady Adana.” The plump woman bowed as best she could while rubbing her arm. “We thought you were part of the Watchers who attacked us the other day.”

  “Attacked you?” Adana stormed over to the woman. “Why would Monian Watchers attack a Monian village?”

  The plump woman shook her head. “We wondered the same thing.”

  “Let me alert those in the street to our safety. I’ll explain everything, Your Majesty.” Jerold rushed out the door. They heard his voice, tapering off as he walked down the road toward the group. “No worries. We are safe. They are known to me.”

  Joannu stood in the doorway, watching. “They are dispersing.”

  Jerold returned. “I think it’s best we don’t alert them to the presence of their queen yet, my lady.”

  She nodded and watched as this young knight—prince, she reminded herself—took charge. In little time, the innkeeper, Talia, produced food and drink and bustled around apologizing to everyone. “The queen, alive and here in my simple inn. I can’t believe it!”

  Jerold winked at Adana but turned to the woman and said, “Yes, but Talia, we must keep this to ourselves. Let the others believe she is dead for now.”

  Dead! Adana shivered. After all that had happened, it never crossed her mind that Maligon would announce her death.

  In short detail, Jerold apprised them of Empress Gabriella’s imprisonment in Belwyn.

  “I tried to save her, but she bade me escape and seek assistance.” His relaxed composure had shifted to sorrow and anger. Before, Adana would have considered him a very loyal servant to his empress. Maybe a bit too zealous. But now, aware this man was Gabriella’s son, hidden in front of everyone for his entire life, she ached for him.

  Noting her gaze on him, he turned and shared more news. “I’m sorry to tell you, my lady, but Maligon holds Watchers in those cells. The empress told me she overheard the guards talking about it. He keeps them blindfolded in the dungeons of Belwyn.”

  Stomach threatening to reject th
e food she’d just enjoyed, Adana rose from her seat and walked toward the window, strengthening her connection with Am’brosia. In her mind, she saw pure darkness, then one giraffe kicked and shattered the darkness, let in the light. She nodded. She must find a way to save her Watchers and the empress.

  “My lady,” Jerold interrupted her thoughts. “I know this news is troubling, but there’s more. According to what the Empress overheard, a Watcher turned them in. One of your own.” He whispered the last words.

  Adana stiffened. Her shoulder spasmed in alarm. She spun on her heel to face the group. “Not one of mine, Jerold. Maybe one who wears the uniform, but not one of mine. No Monian Watcher harms her sisters in this way. Or steals from my people.”

  She fumed as she paced the small room. How could her Watchers turn on each other? Images of Elwarian soldiers fighting each other flashed in her mind. Somehow, Maligon had infiltrated the Watchers. Cold dread stilled her pacing. How could any of her Watchers turn to him?

  In the silence, Elayne spoke. “Sir Jerold, how did you manage to leave Belwyn?”

  Adana swung around and gaped at Elayne. She posed the one question none of them had thought to ask.

  Jerold shook his head. “I would prefer to discuss that somewhere more secure.” He turned to Montee and Adana. “I’ve only arrived a day ago. Talia is known to me, so we can trust her. The others in this village are hurt and outraged. They fear any strangers, especially those dressed as Watchers. I think it’s best we sort out the details with my rescuer, Brother Honest.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 12

  Montee sipped her drink. Talia still bustled around with platters of bread and cheese and tankards of warm cider. It tasted watered down.

  “My apologies for not providing better food. The Watchers who attacked us…forgive me, Your Majesty…took most of my food stores.”

  Adana turned to the woman, but her face stiffened, and she bolted from her seat. Talia dropped a tankard as Adana rushed across the room, a wild look in her eyes. “Am’brosia.”