Her attention flicked to the front of the ship as Grim rose from the co-pilot’s seat and headed for the door. He seemed perfectly at ease, as did Shade, but she wasn’t certain she could walk on her shaking legs and Dray still hadn’t chosen to stand.
“Welcome home.” Shade smiled brightly at her as he followed Grim to the door. He paused as he noticed Dray’s scowl and gave her a questioning look.
“We aren’t used to Spell Hawk travel.” She informed him quietly and to her embarrassment there was a quaver in her voice.
Shade nodded in understanding and smiled brightly at both of them. “Lucky you. I’m the best pilot there is. At least you didn’t have to deal with a rookie. That would have been terrifying with the weather we had to face.” There was a scampering noise from behind him as the goblin crawled from under his pilot seat and hurried after him. The creature paused long enough to sniff both of his hands making certain that Shade didn’t have food before rushing to the door and disappearing through it. “Walking stomach.” Shade muttered with a faint smile.
A low growl rose from Dray’s throat with Shade’s casual dismissal of the flight. The goblin may have succeeded in distracting Shade, but it hadn’t worked on Dray at all. The Blight stood from his seat finally and continued to glower at Shade. “I would have liked to have had time to speak with Grim on the flight. Instead I found myself grasping the seat like a child and trying to keep my panic from overwhelming me. Was all of that truly necessary?”
“Got here quick didn’t we? Time is precious today, I don’t have much of it to spare.” Shade returned with a shrug and followed Grim down the steps from the ship. “I think we should speak with Neph and see what information he has on the Rivasans. I’d like the information we have to be as current as possible before we face them.” Shade said as he stepped away from the ship. His voice grew fainter as he walked and Zoey pulled her attention slowly back to Dray.
“Are you really going to go with them?” She asked quietly. Even with anger clouding his features Dray seemed far too young for the mission Grim was going on. His tan skin still held the shine of youth and his hazel eyes were clear and innocent.
His anger faded at once with her words and he gazed around the ship once before looking back at her. A rueful smile curled his lips and he nodded slowly. “Maybe that’s why Shade flew the way he did. He was trying to guarantee I didn’t get back on his Hawk.” He mused in a soft voice.
Zoelyn smiled faintly but shook her head slowly. “I don’t think he even realized he was scaring us. I was watching him as he flew for lack of anything better to focus on. I guessed that as long as he didn’t look alarmed I had no reason to be alarmed, and for most of the flight he had an expression of pure joy on his face.”
“Then it’s true. He is insane.” Dray grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced toward the open door and then back to her with a questioning look. “Why are you hesitating? You are home.”
A faint chuckle escaped her lips and she took a hesitant step toward the door. “It seems stupid to be afraid now doesn’t it?” She observed softly. Turning back she shrugged at Dray and leaned against her seat. “I’m home, but I can’t admit to anyone I’m home. They would kill me if they knew what I truly was. Then of course there are the memories. Remembering them and seeing them in my mind isn’t the same as actually seeing the place it occurred. I have good memories of my brother, but very little about the city itself is pleasant.”
“Why not stay with Jala then? You know she would have found a place for us.” Dray sighed. The expression on his face was almost one of understanding, but she knew he couldn’t quite grasp what she was saying. It was simple to him, if you didn’t like a place, you didn’t go there.
“It’s not a matter of where I want to be, Dray. It is where I need to be.” Zoelyn frowned as she spoke the words. There didn’t seem any other way to convey the feeling that had been in her gut for weeks. She needed to be at Delvay and it was more than just a longing for her brother.
“Zoey c’mon please.” Shade called from beyond the ship. She could hear both impatience and understanding in his voice, and knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Shade knew what she was feeling better than anyone else did. Neither Grim nor Dray could understand what it meant to go home and know you wouldn’t be welcome. Grim was avoiding home to save Micah’s secrets, but if he were to walk into Lord Elijah’s throne room he would be welcomed as a returning hero, and from what Shade had said of ,Onvalla Dray would be just as welcome were he to return to the Blights.
With a long slow breath Zoelyn stepped from the shadowed interior of the ship to the bright sunlit afternoon and gazed at the high stone walls of the city. “Valemuir” She breathed the city’s name as her eyes roved over every detail of her home taking silent stock of everything that had changed in her absence. Each repaired stone told her the story of the Rivasan attack and she shuddered. She heard Dray step down behind her, but didn’t glance back at him. Her eyes were locked on the city searching for signs of movement, but there wasn’t any. There should have been soldiers in the yard and snow cats on the ledges, but she couldn’t even find the shadowed forms of guards watching the gates. The entire place seemed deserted.
“Neph doesn’t have enough people left to maintain the outer city.” Shade explained as he watched her. “It’s not all abandoned, just this part. They stay in the inner city now and focus their numbers on guarding it.” He promised as he started toward the massive gates. His goblin scampered out of the nearby brush and hurried after him muttering growls and clicks as it held various objects up to him in an attempt to get his attention. To its obvious dismay Shade was ignoring it, and just as a human child would the goblin redoubled its efforts nearly tripping Shade in its attempt to get him to accept a dirt covered rock.
“Thank you.” Shade muttered as he unwillingly accepted the gift examined it quickly before tossing it over his shoulder away from them all. The goblin let out a squeal of dismay and immediately took off after its prize. Shade glanced after it and shook his head slightly but didn’t slow his steps.
Sympathy for the creature distracted her for a moment and Zoelyn watched it in silence. Its actions had reminded her of Legacy when he had found a new type of bug or something equally disgusting to fascinate him. Just as Jala typically did Shade had blown off the interest and continued with what he saw as truly important. She considered approaching the goblin to admire the rock but quickly decided against it. While Legacy typically reveled in her attention she doubted the goblin would. The creature seemed fascinated with Shade, and only Shade. It tended to growl at anyone else that approached it, and she wasn’t entirely certain that it didn’t bite.
Grim cleared his throat to catch her attention as he shifted his backpack to a more comfortable position on his shoulder. With a casual nod ahead he motioned for her to follow Shade. He seemed on guard despite the deserted look of the place. She felt rather than heard him fall into place behind her and Dray and knowing he was behind her eased her nerves a bit. It wasn’t that she was expecting an attack. It was the fact that he was still willing to protect her. After their talk in Merro she had wondered if Grim still considered her a friend, and now she knew he did.
Her steps slowed as they crossed the courtyard. She could remember the last time she had trained at swords there with such clarity. It had been right before her failed attempt at running away, right before her father had killed her. She didn’t even realize she had stopped completely until she felt Dray’s hand on her arm. He was watching her with concern and she tried to smile reassuringly, but she could tell by the look on his face that it was a botched attempt.
“Why don’t we go back to Merro?” Dray whispered and there was a note of pleading in his voice.
“RenDelvayon is dead.” Grim said flatly from behind her and she felt a steady weight in the small of her back as he urged her forward. “Everything he said, and everything he did is a memory. You are looking at your past.” Grim turned her gently fro
m the courtyard as he spoke and she found herself staring at the massive wooden gates set in the cliff face that were obviously newly constructed. The wood still gleamed with fresh varnish and the sigil of house Delvay stood out brightly with fresh enamel. “Look toward the future instead.” Grim suggested quietly and gave her another gentle push to urge her after Shade.
Shade had already reached the gate and after a quick examination he stepped back. “No smaller doors and no latch for this one.” He observed loudly then glanced over his shoulder at his companions. “I suppose knocking might work.” He mused hesitantly.
Between the obvious thickness of the barrier and the stone walls they were set in Zoelyn had her doubts if anyone inside would hear a simple knock.
“If only I had a battering ram to knock with.” Shade said with a smile. He raised an eyebrow as Grim moved past them all and walked purposefully toward the gates. Silently Grim dropped his backpack beside the stone wall and tossed his coat down over the top of it. Flexing his arms he examined the gates quickly before setting a hand to each near the seam in the center. “Oh look, I do.” Shade added dryly as he took a hasty step back toward Zoelyn.
“Shouldn’t they have sentries?” Dray asked quickly as it became more obvious that Grim had no intention of knocking. The Arovan had already set his heels and Zoelyn could see the muscles in his back tensing.
“They should, and probably do. I wouldn’t be surprised if Neph were on the other side of that door laughing at us, or using us to test his defenses.” Shade sighed. “Do you want some help with that Caleb?” he called in a louder voice.
Grim ignored the offer and focused on the doors as he applied pressure against the seam at one point and then raised his hands a bit higher and repeated the process. He had moved his hands four times before he seemed satisfied and Zoelyn watched in fascination as he planted his feet once more. The muscles of his back strained against his shirt as he put his full strength against the gates.
The entire area fell silent and she realized with shock that she had been holding her breath. Both Dray and Shade seemed just as captivated as Grim increased the pressure on the gates. Nothing happened for a long moment and then the air filled with the sound of groaning wood. Several loud pops resounded through the courtyard followed by a resounding crack as the gates pushed open. Traces of light flashed across the sigil that had been carved into the gates and Zoelyn gasped as the sparks centered on Grim and danced across his hands. She knew it was the magical wards that had been breached and most likely ones that were intended to be lethal, but Grim seemed unfazed by the magic. Still silent he stepped back from the gates and flexed his fingers before picking up his coat and backpack once more.
She could hear cries of alarm from within the city and the sound of running boots. It wouldn’t be long before they were swarmed by guards. Yet she seemed to be the only one troubled by that fact. Dray had faded from view with his camouflage and neither Grim nor Shade looked the slightest bit concerned. “I somehow doubt they are going to be happy.” She whispered to Dray, or at least where Dray had been. For all she knew he had already moved inside the city and she was talking to herself.
“He should have installed a bell or knocker or something if he didn’t want his gates broken.” Shade observed with a smile then strolled toward the gate with a nonchalance that she most certainly didn’t feel. “Damn, Caleb. You broke the bar holding the gates closed in two and It’s the size of a bloody tree.”
“When he repairs it he will put up more than one bar and reinforce it with iron.” Grim replied calmly. He motioned for Zoelyn to follow with a casual wave of his hand as he adjusted the backpack once more then stepped into the shadowed halls of Valemuir behind Shade. There was a flurry of movement by her legs then the goblin was past her in its frantic haste to catch Shade with the dirt covered rock once more clutched in its hands.
“Definitely the ugliest child I’ve ever seen.” Dray grumbled and she started slightly at his voice. He hadn’t replied to her earlier comment so she had thought he was already inside the city. “And you still jump when I speak.” He sighed and cuffed her gently on the shoulder. “C’mon might as well see what is going on. It would be nice to know if Shade is going to get us thrown into a Delvay prison.”
“The gates are actually intended to open outwards.” A man’s voice was announcing from inside. It wasn’t Neph talking. Zoelyn was certain of that. She had no doubt that her brother would have chosen more colorful language as a greeting. “And the wards should have killed whoever touched them.” The man added in a concerned tone as she stepped up behind Grim and peaked around him to get a look at the speaker.
She had seen him once before she realized with a start, and he wasn’t Delvay. He had been at the last stand in Arovan, and it had been his voice of reason that had prevented the alliance from falling apart there. She couldn’t remember his name, but she was grateful for his calm manner now. By the expressions on the guard’s faces around him they did not share his opinion on how to deal with the intruders. The man was dressed genteel in a long dark coat and his brown hair pulled back loosely at his shoulders and tied with a neat black ribbon. Compared to the burly armor clad guards beside him he looked harmless, and yet he seemed to hold authority over them despite how the Delvay typically despised anything refined.
“Well now you know that they can open inward, that you need better wards and more than one bar across the gate, Madren. Better to learn those facts from friends than enemies.” Shade’s voice was pleasant as he spoke but there was a trace of confusion to his voice. “Why are you here?” he asked after a moment’s pause, obviously deciding that it was better to get the question out of the way quickly.
Madren Goswin, the name returned to her in a flash. The man before them was the High Lord of Goswin, and she found herself just as confused by his presence as Shade was. Grim had stiffened at the name and she pressed a gloved hand to the back of his arm. She wasn’t sure why his expression had darkened at the High Lord’s name, but she sincerely doubted attacking the only peaceful person in sight just after breaking down the entry gates was the best course of action.
“Delvay and Goswin are allies. Delvay needed support, Goswin answered.” Madren replied quietly and his gaze moved past them to rest on the gates. With a flick of his hand he motioned to the guards behind him. “Get a work crew up here and see to the repairs. Inform our builders of how easily the gates were breached and see that improvements are made. I will show our guests to Lord Delvay myself. I’m sure he will be eager to speak with them.” Madren’s tone shifted from casual to commanding without any hesitation and with a quick nod he motioned for them to follow as he turned toward the city.
Zoelyn had expected the guards to balk at his orders, but they moved to Madren’s command without hesitation. She noticed the continued scowls on several faces, especially when they saw the goblin, but it wasn’t their expressions that brought the frown to her face. It was the fact that she didn’t recognize any of them. She was home amongst her own people and they were all strangers to her. When she had been planning to come to Delvay it had been a secret homecoming in her mind. None of them would or ever could know her, but she had believed she would know all of them.
With a quiet sigh she pulled her mind back from those paths and fell in step beside Grim. There would be plenty of time to figure things out later, for right now she had more important things to worry about. Such as controlling Grim until he was out of Delvay. The memory of him so casually suggesting he might have to kill her brother was still very fresh in her mind, and the look she was giving the Lord of Goswin wasn’t much better.
“I thought Neph hated you?” Shade said. He was matching pace with Madren and looked perfectly at ease, but then it was Shade and he seemed to treat everyone with the same friendly acceptance he was showing now. From what she had seen of the man she knew she couldn’t trust his assessment of people. To Shade there was no such thing as a stranger, and he seemed to trust everyone until they
gave him a reason not to. In her mind trust wasn’t something given freely. It had to be earned.
“We have an understanding between us now.” Madren replied casually. All trace of command was gone from his voice and posture now that the guards were no longer in sight. Madren glanced back at Grim as he walked then looked to Shade. “Caleb Faulklin?” he asked apparently deciding that Shade was the friendlier of the two considering Grim’s continued scowl.
“Old prison buddy of mine.” Shade offered with a boyish grin.
Madren’s steps faltered, but he quickly regained his composure and glanced once more back at Grim. “The Sanctuary prison?” he asked hesitantly.
“Aspects no.” Shade shook his head quickly. “Glis. I paid a social call to the Blights and as it turns out they aren’t too social. They decided to keep me as an ornament in an old barn, and Caleb had the good fortune to be my roommate there.”
“I see. Perhaps we should wait until we are with Neph to discuss this further then. If it involves the Blights it involves Delvay as well.” Madren said and his pace seemed to quicken with his words.
As both men fell silent she found her attention straying to the city and some of her tension eased. The guards had been strangers, and the outer city had been recently rebuilt, but the area she walked through now was as familiar as an old friend. This was the oldest part of Valemuir and she doubted the Rivasans could have destroyed it even if they had wanted to. When the original city had been built her people had used the mountains themselves as the foundation. Each of the massive buildings around her was carved into the stone itself. Only the outward facing walls were mortared stones. The rest of the structures were raw stone walls that had been smoothed and shaped to fit the Delvay needs. To bring down one of the buildings would collapse part of the mountain itself. Valemuir was as solid as the people that built it, and just as enduring.
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