Fifteen minutes later they were seated around the table with full plates. As Rhianna took her first bite of food, Kevin looked at Gwynn and said, “You haven’t asked how things went today.”
“No need,” Gwynn said. “I knew everything worked out all right as soon as I saw my daughter’s face.”
When Kevin frowned, Hayden laughed. “It’s a mother thing. Don’t try to figure it out.” Then he turned to Rhianna. “But I’d like a few details.”
Rhianna wiped her mouth and shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. I got there, sat down, and waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally someone came out and said they wanted to see me. When I got in there, one of the older elves, I’m not sure what his name is, said I’d acted in accordance with my oath. That was all there was to it, except Weldon did ask Chris to tell Myron to get the humans out of North Amden.”
Kevin raised his eyebrows at her.
“He hasn’t had a chance to tell you yet,” Rhianna said in answer to his look. “It’s not like it’s something you don’t already know.”
“You didn’t go?” Hayden asked.
Kevin shook his head and explained why Chris had suggested he go in Kevin’s place.
“It didn’t even cross my mind they might consider your presence an intrusion,” Hayden said. “Good thinking on Chris’s part.”
Kevin nodded and went back to his meal.
“So, tell me how things are going in Milhaven,” Hayden said, turning back to Rhianna. “I know you said things were going well when you were here Friday, but we want details.”
For the next hour, Kevin and Rhianna told Gwynn and Hayden about some of their adventures over the past week. By the time dessert was served, Gwynn was certain her daughter was well on her way to falling in love with the sorcerer. She sighed as she realized that even if she could do something to stop it, she wouldn’t. All she could do was hope they’d both be safe, no matter what happened between them.
When everyone was done, Hayden said, “I’m going to feed the animals. Myron, why don’t you join me?”
Kevin thanked Gwynn for the meal, and followed Hayden out the back door.
While they were loading hay on the wagon, Kevin said, “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” He told Hayden what Theresa had said about the council meeting.
“Think I’ll pay my brother a visit,” Hayden said as they climbed up on the seat of the wagon. “I’ll wait a few weeks. Wouldn’t want anyone to connect my visit to that meeting, but I’ll find out what’s going on. If there’s anything to be concerned about, I’ll let you know.”
~ ~ ~ ~
While Rhianna was telling her parents what had happened at the meeting, Weldon was reviewing the notes he’d made both before and after it. He shook his head as he reread his observations and impressions. Owen definitely had it in for Rhianna. He’d done everything he could to get the sister to implicate her in Saryn’s death. If anyone but his niece had been the focus of Owen’s wrath, he’d have intervened. With a sigh, he folded his notes and sealed them with wax. Then he called for Eldwyn.
When Eldwyn came in, Weldon handed him the notes and asked him to file them. Then he asked, “Have you talked to that man lately? The one who came to town looking for Landis? The one who was offering money for information?”
Eldwyn shook his head. “Not since I took him over to Chandra’s.”
“Is he still there?”
“As far as I know. I asked Chandra to let us know if he left.”
“Would you go get him? I think it’s time we sent him on his way.”
Half an hour later Eldwyn was back with Gildan.
When they walked into the office, Gildan asked, “Do you have some news for me?”
Weldon nodded.“The Council of Elders met today. Members come from all over North Amden and one of the things we discussed was this girl you and the other humans are searching for. No one had any idea where she might be, and there’s no way she’s staying with any of the elves without at least one member of the council being aware of it.”
“Are you sure? Maybe someone’s hiding her.”
Weldon shook his head. “That’s not our way. If one of us has a guest, everyone for miles around knows about it. We’re very open with each other. We may not seem that way to you, but you’re not one of us. You’re human.”
“All right, even if what you’re saying is true, do you really think the council members know what’s going on in each and every elf’s life?”
“The important stuff, yes, and having a human girl hiding in your home definitely qualifies as important.”
“So you think we’re wasting our time?”
Weldon nodded.
“But she was seen with an elf. Doesn’t that imply she’s somewhere among the elves?”
Weldon shook his head. “The elf she was with was hired by another human to be the girl’s bodyguard. That’s why they were together. But the girl’s been moved someplace else now, so the elf’s services are no longer needed.”
Gildan frowned. “Who hired the elf? Her family didn’t.”
“No, Myron, the Master Sorcerer of Terah, did. He asked a warrior elf to protect the girl until he could find a safe place for her. Apparently he’s done that since the elf’s services are no longer required, and I know that because I know who he hired.” Weldon stood up in an effort to end the interview. “I told you I’d check into it, and I did. I suggest you direct any further inquiries into the young lady’s whereabouts to Myron.”
Eldwyn, who had been standing beside the office door, opened it and said, “Gildan, if you’ll come with me, I’ll show you out and go with you to Chandra’s where you can pick up your things.”
Weldon walked around his desk and reached out to shake the human’s hand. As Gildan reluctantly shook hands with him, Weldon smiled. “Good luck on your journey. At least this is a nice time to travel, and from what I hear, Milhaven is lovely this time of year.”
Chapter 17
Getting Settled
Rhianna joined Kevin in his office after breakfast Tuesday morning. “Are you going to the canyon lands this morning?” she asked as she sat down.
Kevin nodded. “Why? Want to come?”
Rhianna grinned. “Actually, I’d like to watch you and Glendymere go at it sometime, but not today. I want to go see Landis. I need to tell her about the Council of Elders before she hears about it from someone else.”
“Who would tell her? Glendymere won’t and no one else knows.”
“Glendymere knows?”
“I was distracted Sunday morning so he asked what was on my mind. I told him about the summons, but he’d probably already picked up on it anyway.”
“He reads your mind without your permission?”
Kevin shrugged. “He’s been in my mind so much my thoughts just filter over to him. I think he asks what’s wrong just to give me a chance to talk about it.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Not really. I’m used to it, but back to my question. How could she find out if you don’t tell her?”
“Aren’t you taking Laryn and Steve out to Rainbow Valley this week?”
Kevin nodded.
“And they’ll be there when the sorcerer who’s going to work with Landis gets there?”
Kevin nodded again.
“And the four of them will chat.”
“I imagine so.”
“And Laryn and Steve know about the council.”
“I didn’t tell them, but enough people know about it I think we can consider it common knowledge.”
“And they wouldn’t think anything about mentioning it, and that’s why I need to tell her myself.”
“I doubt it would come up, but I can take you on my way to the canyon lands and pick you up afterwards.”
Rhianna shook her head. “I’d like to spend the day with her, the whole day, as in come back tomorrow morning.”
“Then we’d better check with Chris and see if he has
us scheduled to be anywhere today.”
When they asked him, Chris said he’d left the whole week blank. He said between the council meeting Monday and the federation meeting Friday, there was enough going on already. What he didn’t say was he didn’t want to schedule anything involving Rhianna until after he found out what the council decided. It was a lot easier to not make plans than to cancel them.
After Kevin dropped Rhianna off at Wildcat Mountain, he met Glendymere at the canyon lands and filled him in on the council meeting.
“Sending Chris was a good idea. Now no one, including Rolan, can accuse you of interfering in any way.”
“He couldn’t have anyway. It didn’t involve him.”
“In a way, it did. It was his man who died and his men who stirred up the elves.” Glendymere uncurled and stood up. “Are you ready to get started? I need to get back before long, and I imagine you do, too. You’ve been out of your office a lot lately.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Glendymere was right about the amount of time Kevin had been away from his desk. The stack of messages Chris handed him when he got back to his office was staggering.
“I’ll see to it you’re not disturbed,” Chris said as he started out the door. As he was shutting the door, he looked at the pages. “The only person allowed to go in Myron’s office without my explicit permission is Ariel, and that’s only to fill his coffee cup.”
With a sigh, Kevin settled down to work. He’d been at it for a couple of hours when there was a timid knock on his door. Kevin called out, “Come in,” without looking up.
Ariel wasn’t sure where to put the lunch tray he had in his hands because Kevin’s desk had papers all over it, so he cleared his throat and waited for Kevin to look up.
“Lunch already?” Kevin asked as he started stacking some of the papers to make room for the tray. “I could have gone down to the dining room.”
“Chris thought a tray would be best. He said you’d probably get involved with something if you went down there and he wants you in here working.”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the tray, Ariel, and tell Simon Legree I’ll be done before long.”
“Simon Legree?” Ariel asked. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”
Kevin laughed. “Where I’m from, Simon Legree is a name we used for brutal taskmasters. I was talking about Chris. Tell him I’ll be done before long.”
Ariel nodded. “Anything else?”
“No, and thanks again.”
After Ariel left, Kevin moved a few things around on his desk so he could keep working while he ate. An hour later, when Chris opened his door, he was almost done with his paperwork, but his food had barely been touched.
“Didn’t you like your lunch?” Chris asked, looking at the full plate of food.
“What?” Kevin asked, looking up. When he saw what Chris was looking at, he said, “I haven’t finished yet.”
“More like you haven’t started,” Chris mumbled as he sat down. “Karl got a letter today from Gov. Shardin.” Kevin leaned back in his chair and gave Chris his undivided attention. “He wants to meet with Karl about finalizing the trade deal they discussed in January.”
“You think it’s about the slaves Gwendolyn gave Trivera?” Kevin asked.
“That would be my guess.”
“Have we heard anything from Bianca?”
Chris shook his head. “Do you want me to go talk to her?”
Kevin thought for a moment and then shook his head. “When she wanted to send me a message she went through Sandy. She didn’t involve her assistant or governor. There may be a reason.”
“Maybe one of us can speak to her at the next council meeting.”
Kevin nodded. “When is Karl going to send Gov. Shardin an answer?”
“He already has. He told him he’d be happy to meet with him, either here or there, and left the time and date as well as the place up to Gov. Shardin.”
“If Karl goes there, he could bring the slaves back and keep us out of it.”
“Or Gov. Shardin could bring them when he comes,” Chris said. “At any rate, we need to figure out what we’re going to do with them once they’re here.”
“Have Joan find places for them?” Kevin asked.
“I don’t know how many people would be willing to have house guests again this soon, but I don’t know what else we can do.”
“Too bad Doreen doesn’t have her boarding house built yet. That would be the perfect place.”
Chris frowned. “I think the lumber is supposed to arrive this week. If Marcus and a few of the guards help her build it...”
“Good idea, if she’ll let them.”
“I’ll have Rigel talk to her.”
Kevin raised his eyebrows. “Something I need to know?”
“Not at this point, but he was the first one around here to see something in her. Remember that first trip to Bushwell? When he got back he said she had a good head on her shoulders.”
Kevin chuckled. “What I remember him saying was she had spunk. At that point I’d have called it something else.”
Chris grinned. “But he turned out to be right. Anyway, if he approaches her with an offer of help, she might take it.”
“Have him talk to her as soon as possible, and see if you can find out where that lumber is. If I need to, I can go get it.”
Chris stood up to go. “I’d rather not do that unless we have to.”
“Don’t want people lining up outside our door for delivery service?”
“Something like that. Let me see what I can do without involving you.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Shortly after Kevin got to his office Wednesday morning, Laryn knocked on his door. When he motioned her in, she and Steve came in and shut the door. “What time are you planning to take us to Rainbow Valley?”
“Whenever you’re ready to go,” he answered.
“We’re ready,” Steve said. “We packed last night.”
“Well, I need to see if Miranda has packed the food I asked for,” Laryn said.
Kevin frowned. “Why are you taking food? Ashni keeps the kitchen stocked.”
Steve shook his head. “The only ones who go down there now are Sari and Taelor, and they don’t eat there. There may be some cookies around, but there won’t be much in the pantry unless you’ve told her we’re coming.”
“I should have, but I haven’t.”
“But you have mentioned you’re bringing Warren and Torrey out there to live, haven’t you?” Laryn asked.
Kevin shook his head. “I meant to, but then Rhianna came and things have been hectic around here ever since. It’s my fault, but I completely forgot.”
Laryn nodded. “I’ll talk to her. I’m taking enough food to feed four people for a week. You can bring more when you pick us up.”
“By the way, when are you picking us up?” Steve asked.
“I’d like for you to stay until Sunday,” Kevin said. “Warren starts working with Landis Monday, so hopefully they’ll be all settled in by then.”
“You’ll check in with him Monday evening to see how things went, won’t you?” Laryn asked.
Kevin nodded.
“Then why don’t you plan to bring us back then?”
“All right, if you’re sure you want to stay that long.”
“I’d like to be there that first day when Warren goes off and leaves Torrey on her own. Steve can make himself scarce and I’ll have a talk with Torrey and see how she really feels about the whole thing.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kevin said. “If she’s unhappy, I need to know it, and I doubt she’d tell me. I’m not sure she’d tell Warren.”
“But she’ll tell me,” Laryn said. “One thing women are good at when they’re by themselves is complaining about whatever they’re not happy about. If she has any problems with living there, she’ll tell me.”
Kevin nodded. “And then I can make plans to move them.”
~ ~ ~ ~
A
fter Steve, Laryn, and everything they needed for their stay in Rainbow Valley were stashed away in the caves, Kevin dropped by Glendymere’s cave to pick up Rhianna. When they got back to the office, Alek, Rigel, Marcus, Brandon, and Chris were talking in the reception area.
“What’s up?” Kevin asked as he and Rhianna walked out of his office.
“Doreen’s lumber should get here around lunchtime,” Chris said. “It’s coming in on three wagons and Marcus has volunteered to unload them. The others are going to help out.”
“I take it she’s okay with some help?”
“She said she’d love some provided no one tries to change the plans. She wants the house up, but she wants it done her way.”
“Has she picked out a spot yet?” Kevin asked.
Rigel nodded. “She found a place on the other side of town. It’s a little past Fenway’s house.”
Kevin frowned. “I thought he stayed at the inn.”
Rigel shook his head. “He and Ainsley live in the last house on the right as you head out of town. It’s not far from the tavern, but he says it’s far enough.”
“Would you mind if I go with you?” Rhianna asked. “I want to see where she’s going to build.”
“Be glad to have you,” Rigel said. “But if you want to ride out there with us, we’re going to be leaving in a few minutes.”
Rhianna nodded. “I’ll go change and meet you out back.”
After she left the office, Alek said, “I’ll stay,” and Rigel nodded.
“There’s no need,” Kevin said. “I’m not going anywhere this afternoon unless something comes up, and if it does, I promise I’ll come get one of you on the way.”
Alek looked at Chris.
“I’ll make sure he does,” Chris said.
“All right, if you’re sure,” Alek said, looking back at Kevin, “but I want you to tell Cpt. Darrell yourself, and I want to be there when you do.”
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