by H. L. Burke
She shrugged. “I’m more afraid he’ll want to come along, to keep me safe. He’s sacrificed so much to protect us, but if the water continues to call to me … it would only take a splash to extinguish his core.” She shuddered.
“So you want to leave with us? In the dead of night?” Gabrin raised his eyebrows.
“My mother still keeps the Late Litany, rising after midnight to pray and make an offering to the Creator.” She glanced back at the house. Trea’s infectious chuckle rang out over the familiar and friendly voices. “After she goes to sleep, though, we’ll have several hours before sunup when we can slip away unnoticed. By the time anyone realizes I went with you, it’ll be too late to catch up, especially if we take the River Pass.”
“The River Pass?” Gabrin asked. “Do you have a boat we don’t know about?”
“Dad helped Brode and Trea burn out a canoe last year.” She rubbed her arms and edged closer to their fire. “Dad can’t take the water route, and we’ll be able to go faster than he would on foot, so we will get a head start. We’ve never traced it past the first few miles, but we suspect the river eventually joins with the ones that lead into Fork Vale Valley.”
“I know that place from before the war.” Eanan nodded. “It’s a little out of our way, but perhaps we can leave the river before we reach it. What do you think, Gabrin?”
Gabrin shrugged. “All the charts I have of Forra are dated, but rivers shouldn’t have changed much, even in two decades. I can figure out how to get us where we need to go.”
“I better get inside before someone gets suspicious. I’ll join you after the Late Litany.” She trudged inside, trying not to think about how her sudden disappearance would hurt and worry her family. Better Father worried than be extinguished.
Book Two
Chapter Eight
The rooster crowed, and Willa’s eyes fluttered open. Karvir lay next to her, in his solid form, one arm draped over her shoulders. She savored the weight of him. He usually preferred to sleep within the fire; however, some nights, like last night, he stayed with her so they could take comfort in each other’s presence.
She rolled over and found his eyes glowing at her. “Did you sleep at all?”
He shrugged. “A little.”
Karvir’s body lacked the need for sleep, but he’d gained the ability to put himself in a trance of sorts. It seemed to help his mood when he did, chasing away the darkness that sometimes tainted his aspect.
She ran her hand down his cheek. Love spread from his being into hers, with a tinge of worry.
“Eanan’s leaving today,” she said. “Everything will be back to normal soon.”
“And you’re fine with that? With possibly never seeing him again?” His fingers worked into her hair.
“It’s for the best. After all, I lived without him for nearly twenty years. What’s another twenty?” She slid out of bed.
Karvir stood and placed his hand on the back of her neck. His rough fingers slid down her spine. “I never intended to drive a wedge between you two.”
“You weren’t the one in the wrong.” She let out a long breath. “At least I can cook him a good breakfast and maybe part on friendly terms.” She strode out into the main room. The pallet beds she’d laid out for Eanan and Gabrin were empty. Perhaps they’d already gone. If so, she didn’t know whether she’d be relieved or disappointed.
The grass-woven curtains divided the side rooms from the main portion of the house, offering at least a little privacy for the inhabitants. Willa supposed Brode would eventually want his own cabin. Freda had mentioned the desire for her own space more than once as well, but there had always been more pressing matters—food and firewood, mainly. Trea stumbled through her curtain, her shirt untucked and about her knees. She rubbed her eyes.
“Morning, sleepy girl,” Willa said. “Could you please fetch some eggs?” She hung the kettle over the fireplace. Karvir fed the fire until it rose from a few flickering coals to a steady flame.
Brode shuffled out next, Pet yawning at his heels. Without needing to be told, he headed straight out the door to start his morning chore, milking their goat. Pet sat at the table with her face in her hands.
“Let’s not work today,” she said. “It will be our first day without fighting since the strangers came. We should all do something fun.”
“The work still needs to be done, kiddo.” Freda pushed through her curtain, already fully dressed and with her dark hair neatly braided. “Are our guests gone already?”
Willa shrugged. “I thought they planned to stay at least 'til after breakfast. Maybe they’re seeing to their gear.”
“I thought they finished that last night.” Freda frowned. She pulled out a chair and sat across from Pet. “If you’re making tea, I’ll take some.”
“I’ll go see if their gear is still outside. Maybe they did leave.” Karvir floated out the door.
Trea returned with three eggs. “I think one of the hens has stopped laying.”
“You just want chicken for dinner tonight.” Freda scoffed.
“Their bags are gone,” Karvir called.
The teapot whistled shrilly. Willa took it off the fire and dropped a leaf-filled strainer bag into it. She then strode out to check on Karvir.
Karvir stood beside the feed shed where Eanan and Gabrin had stashed their packs.
“They must’ve left before sun up.” He shrugged.
She bit her bottom lip. That’s not how I wanted this to end, but at least life can return to normal now. Maybe he’ll give up on the quest and go back to Mother.
Karvir glided over to her. He stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“You mean you’re relieved.” She smiled. “Well, let’s go in and have some breakfast.”
Brode emerged from the animals’ shelter lugging a pail of milk.
Trea poked her head out of the house. “Hey, Brode, is Quill with you?”
Brode’s brow furrowed. “No, I haven’t seen her this morning.”
A sensation like spider’s legs on the back of her neck made Willa shudder.
“Quill?” Trea shouted. “It’s your turn to feed the animals. Don’t try to get out of it.”
Willa’s heart throbbed in her ears, and her throat tightened. “Quill?” she called, her voice cracking.
Freda emerged from the cabin, Pet on her heels. “She can’t be far. Maybe she went to get some herbs for the tea.”
Karvir’s fingers squeezed into Willa’s arms. Cold prickly fear rose off his aspect, accompanied by a swelling anger.
Willa grabbed his hand. “He wouldn’t … no, it doesn’t matter what he would do.Quill wouldn’t. Karvir, calm down.”
“Do you really believe that?” He scowled.
Willa felt her head shaking on its own.
Freda approached, her lips pursed. “Are we thinking what I think we’re thinking? Eanan took her?”
Karvir nodded. “Let’s not panic, but we need to act on the possibility.”
“Did he take her by force?” Brode stammered. “He wouldn’t, would he? I mean, she’s not in danger, is she?”
“By force or by persuasion?” Freda fiddled with her braid. “Quill’s young, and Gabrin’s handsome. Is it possible they’re involved?”
“After three days?” Brode raised his eyebrows.
“Not everyone moves as slowly as you, Brode.” Freda smiled a slight smile, but kept her eyes on Willa.
Willa shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’d noticed Quill was anxious over the last few days, but I thought it was just the fighting between Eanan and the rest of us. She hates conflict. I never caught a hint of anything that would suggest she was in love … but maybe my empathy is failing. I never … she couldn’t have just left us, without a word.”
“We’ll see which way they went,” Karvir said. “They don’t have much of a start on us, and Eanan’s old. Trea, Brode, come on. Freda, you want to help?”
“If you don’t need me, I’ll stay with Willa
.”
“That’s fine. The three of us can handle this. Let’s spread out and see if we can find any tracks.”
Trea, Karvir, and Brode disappeared into the trees.
“Get the milk inside, Pet,” Freda ordered.
“But what about Quill?” Pet’s eyes widened.
“Allowing the milk to spoil won’t get her home any faster. Karvir will take care of things.”
The girl grimaced but toted the bucket inside.
Freda stepped up to Willa. “You all right?”
Willa wrung her hands. “How could I have missed this? I’m supposed to know things like this, know people, but apparently I don’t even know my own daughter.”
“Don’t assume the worst.” Freda shifted from one foot to another. “There’s something I should’ve told you, but I had promised Quill not to. She’s been hearing voices in her dreams, Willa, like Meghil did.”
Willa’s blood drained to her feet, and she wobbled. “The Fire Folk?”
“I don’t think so. The way she described it … This theory Eanan has about Water Speakers, it sounds a lot like that.”
Willa closed her eyes. If Quill were going through that, and Eanan offered answers, even if they were simply his outlandish stories … “She should’ve told me.”
“I should’ve told you, and I’m so sorry.” Freda’s voice wavered.
Willa blinked. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Freda upset. Normally the woman was unflappable. “Freda, I could never blame you for this. We don’t even know what’s happened yet. Karvir will find her and bring her home. I know it.” She glanced over her shoulders at the woods, so thick and wild. The night before they had seemed so friendly and familiar. “They’ll find her.”
***
The sun flashed off the water, forcing Quill to squint. Her arms ached. Even going with the current, the water gave the paddles enough resistance that it felt like she were pushing them through mud. Her companions seemed as tired as she was. Eanan’s brow pinched, and Gabrin’s neck dripped with sweat, his paddle strokes less enthusiastic with the rising heat.
Doubt gnawed at Quill. She should've told her family why she was leaving, explain how she couldn't be near Father if there was a chance of hurting him … but would he have accepted it? Would he have let her go or insisted on following, putting himself in danger? No, telling him would've been too much of a risk. She needed to stay away from him until she rid herself of the water-curse … or learned to control it.
The water sang to her. If she concentrated, she could pick out the rush of the current and the waves lapping against the canoe. However, if her attention lapsed, the sounds blended together into a mournful hum. There were voices in it, not quite human but capable of music.
I can’t let them get to me. I need it to be on my terms, or else I lose control.
Up ahead the river’s path squeezed between high cliffs of red stone. A roar rose from the canyon.
“I don’t think we should risk the rapids,” Quill called out. “Let’s pull for shore. We can carry the canoe around them, maybe.”
“We’ve put enough distance between us and your home. I vote we take the overland path before this river takes us too far off course.” Gabrin glanced back over his shoulder at her.
“Agreed. Hopefully if we hide the canoe, they won’t know where we left the water and will lose the trail,” Eanan said.
Quill’s stomach twisted. Her father and sister were both excellent trackers. Still, she had taken so many precautions. Dad would have to give up the chase.
The prow bumped against the shore. Gabrin jumped into water up to his knees and pushed the canoe into the mud. Quill balanced her way out of the canoe, slouching forward to compensate for the weight of her pack.
“We could shove it into the water and let the rapids take it.” Gabrin nodded towards the canoe. “Save time hiding it.”
An image of her family stumbling onto a swamped canoe on the other side of the canyon flashed through Quill’s head.
They’d think I drowned. I've already caused them enough worry. I won’t cause them grief.
“No, we can put it in the underbrush. It will be good enough,” she said. “If you move it, I’ll hide the marks we make getting it out of the water.”
They pulled the canoe onto the bank. She grabbed a paddle and pushed the dirt around to cover the groove left behind. Eanan and Gabrin returned and refilled their canteens in the river. The three of them ate a quick meal of dried fish, while sitting on boulders above the water.
“How do we find this Evermirror?” she asked between bites.
“Well, we’ve gleaned clues from various stories.” Gabrin dusted his hands on his trouser legs. “For instance, we know that each sanctuary was relegated to a compass point. Apparently, conflicts have arisen between Realms from time to time, so the Speakers wanted to keep them well apart … Water was west. Also, most were kept away from populated areas but were still accessible by well-maintained roads. I found an old map that included a road to nowhere, a broad, well-marked highway heading west, under the Mountain’s Feet, into what we used to call the High Desert.”
Quill swallowed an oily fish flake. “Kind of ironic, water in the desert.”
“Well, beyond the desert, which is more a prairie, anyway, there’s a mountain chain, similar to the Mountain’s Feet … and a forest,” Eanan said. “So our first landmark is the old highway, then something called the Stone Span … and finally we are presuming the ruins of the Water Speaker Sanctuary will lie near if not directly on top of the Evermirror.”
Quill rinsed the fish oil from her hands in the river. “And you have no idea what it looks like?”
“I think we will know it when we see it.” Gabrin smiled. “After all, it’s a gateway to another world.”
“That’s been abandoned and forgotten for centuries.” She frowned at him.
“Point taken.” He chuckled. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew his compass and flipped it open. “We better get moving, though. We’ve lost too much time already.”
Eyes on his compass, Gabrin started into the woods. Quill lingered, staring back up the river's course, wondering if she'd ever see her family again.
A hand rested on her shoulder, carrying with it a tinge of self-satisfaction that made her wince and pull away.
Eanan blinked at her. "What is it going to take for me to gain your trust?"
"I'm empathic." Quill said, keeping her eyes away from his.
"I'm aware." Eanan smiled. "What emotion have I given off that's raised your suspicions so?"
She rubbed her arms. "Part of it is the fact that neither of my parents trust you. Even harder to ignore, though, is that you despise my father."
Eanan cleared his throat. "I wouldn't say I despise him. It's a difficult dynamic, between a father and a son-in-law."
She sniffed. “So my dad is doomed to hate whoever I choose to marry?”
Eanan shrugged. “All I know is that he wasn't too happy when he noticed Gabrin take an interest in you.”
Quill's ears burned. “Gabrin?” She glanced at his retreating figure. “He just flirts with everyone, doesn't he?”
“Casually, but you're the sort of girl who convinces bachelors to settle down. Your dad knows that. I know that. Anyone who has met your mother or grandmother knows that.” Eanan nodded towards the path, and they started walking.
“I don't think Gabrin's interested in anything but his mission,” she said.Besides, Eanan's obviously not a good judge of people. Look at the way he sees Dad.
“Gabrin is only an example. No matter who you settle down with, your father will loathe him.”
“Dad's not like that. He's a good man.” The moment the words hit the air, Quill regretted them.
Eanan's eyes widened, and his steps faltered. “I should probably take that personally … but I suppose I deserve it.” He sighed. “I hope I can gain some of your trust. You look so much like both your mother and grandmother. It almost b
reaks my heart that we're strangers.”
Quill concentrated on the path before them. “I do trust you a little bit, otherwise I wouldn't be here.”
Chapter Nine
Trea stared at the sun, already beginning its descent towards the horizon. They had at best a few more hours of good light to search. After not finding immediate signs near the house, she, Brode, and Karvir had split up to cover a wider area. Trea had chosen the hike towards the mountain pass, in case Eanan had taken Quill back to Northport. When she reached the pass, though, she’d been able to easily find their packram’s droppings and other tracks from her and Dad’s own journey of several days before, but no fresh markings.
She checked her bow, strapped to the side of her quiver. Violence shouldn't be necessary. Eanan wouldn't hurt Quill … she hoped. Still, she needed to be able to defend herself and Quill if danger did arise. For all she knew, Eanan could lead her into a den of wolves or a lair of bandits. He hadn't struck her as the careful type.
She turned and started towards the cabin, her feet dragging. No Quill … She had never spent more than a few days apart from her sister. How could Quill leave without so much as a good-bye? Trea’s stomach ached. She kicked a rock out of the path.
“Please, Creator, let her be safe. If You bring her home, I promise I won’t be jealous anymore, even if she marries Brode.” Shame swept through Trea as she remembered the relief she felt when Freda suggested Quill loved Gabrin. She’d wanted it to be true so badly, even if it broke Brode’s heart. He would come to her for comfort and finally be hers. Now, with no sign of Quill and Brode probably tearing his hair out with worry, it seemed the evilest thought ever. She loved them both. She should want them to be happy. No matter what that meant for her own selfish desires.
Trea ran through the woods, hoping the others had found something. The smell of roast chicken wafted in the air as she approached the cabin.
In the yard, Willa turned the chicken over an open fire while Pet sat nearby, peeling sweetroot tubers into a bucket. Mom tended to cook large meals when worried. She said it distracted Pet, but Trea suspected it also calmed Mom.
