by Eric Vall
Kalon let out a tiny growl from Cyra’s shoulder, and we chuckled at her fierce attitude.
“I suppose Cyra is the best choice,” Ashla hummed with a nod. “I’m much better at going up against a single, larger enemy.”
“Alright,” I murmured as I looked at Layla and Cyra. “You two can stay, and the rest of us will hurry back as quickly as possible. Please don’t do anything rash. The military platoon should arrive within one or two days.”
“We’ll be careful,” Layla assured me with a sparkling grin. “Don’t worry, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed reluctantly, though I knew I’d be consumed with concern until the soldiers arrived for backup. “If anything opens up, even a regular rift, please send a message to Varle as soon as possible. You guys aren’t a full team, and you’ll need a banisher if it’s a normal rift. If it’s a permanent rift … ”
“If it’s a permanent rift,” Cyra finished, “we send for the whole damn Academy, and hope to the Maker we can fight off a constant flow of monsters without dying.”
“Just be careful,” I warned as I sucked in a strained breath of air. “Don’t try to fix any monster activity by yourselves.”
“Of course,” Layla assured me. “We’re only here as a defensive force.”
“Let’s get back,” Erin added. “I can fly through sunset if we hurry. Besides that, I don’t want to be out in this forest when the bugs start coming out.”
“I’ve already gotten more than a few mosquito bites,” Ashla sighed.
“Sorry about that,” I apologized. “Of course, let’s get back to the inn. We should leave on the airship as soon as possible, anyway.”
It took us a while to get back to the inn, and all of us were feeling tired from the long day of hiking around. Layla struggled to keep up with her short legs, and Erin kept tripping as she favored her left knee. Luckily, it was nothing we couldn’t fix with a day of rest.
“Erin,” I asked, “do you really think you can fly us back safely tonight? It’ll be dark for most of the trip.”
“Of course,” she answered in surprise. “I’ll be totally fine, honestly. You wouldn’t believe some of the hours the military has had me pull before. I once stayed up for almost two days, actually. Well, morning on day one to evening on day two. I did get to sleep that night. Ooh, and that’s not even talking about commercial flyers! I’ve heard they pull some crazy allnighters just to make an extra buck on the side.”
“Comforting,” Ashla commented dryly. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I put faith in a pilot to get me where I’m going without us falling out of the sky.”
Layla and I laughed while Cyra let out a nervous giggle along with us, and Erin gave a sheepish smile as she shook her head.
“I shouldn’t have told you,” she replied mournfully. “Pilot secrets should remain only with pilots.”
“Do you guys have a code of honor, or something?” I snorted.
“Not really,” Erin replied with a grin. “We do like making fun of each other though. Don’t tell Almasy that I spilled the beans, okay?”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I swore to the mimic.
“I can’t promise anything,” Layla admitted. “What if the perfect moment comes up? I might just have to tell him.”
“I’ll accept the risks of what I said, then,” Erin agreed with a smile.
As Njordenfalls village came into view, Cyra apologized to Kalon before she recalled the little dragon back into her essence crystal. We were avoiding frightening the townsfolk on this mission, and we didn’t want to try to explain why armed mages were wandering the town with their monsters out. I knew many people in Njordenfalls were used to summoners like Maelor and me from how long we lived there, but they weren’t used to higher grade monsters like dragons.
We reached the village and got a few curious stares as we walked down the dirt street with our mage’s cloaks and travel packs. I recognized more than a few people, like the local baker, and the elderly wife of a wheat farmer, or a young man who had once apprenticed for making shoes at the cobbler’s shop. Maelor and I left before his apprenticeship completed, and I wondered if he’d gone on to be a shoemaker himself.
“It’s strange,” I murmured to myself. “I never really thought about everybody else’s life continuing on as usual after I left. Some people really do spend their entire lives in one place, huh.”
“I think it’s kind of nice,” Erin said decidedly. “I wonder what I would have been like, if I stayed in one place.”
“I like moving around,” Ashla spoke with a crooked smile. “I can’t imagine being tied down like that. Even the Academy was way too stagnant for me.”
We were close to The Roaring Cat, now, and we slowed to a stop in front of the door.
“Alright,” I said as I reached for the handle, “let’s order dinner before we pack up our stuff. If any of you have mission funds on you, give them to Cyra and Layla so they can pay for their extended stay.”
“Woo, money for us,” Layla joked. “I’m gonna buy a fur coat and a feather boa.”
“I’m going to buy food and not starve,” Cyra said innocently in response.
Layla snickered like an imp, and Cyra finally gave in and laughed at their shared joke.
“Very funny,” I told them with a smile, and I shook my head as I opened the door to The Roaring Cat.
When we walked in, Tabby was behind the bar, and she hummed as she poured out a few beers. She gave us a happy little nod as she saw us, and she tilted her head toward our corner table to indicate for us to sit.
This time, the inn wasn’t empty, and I looked curiously at the other patrons. One table was occupied by an elderly couple dressed in nice clothing, and a man in his thirties sat by himself at another table. He had the look of a laborer, and I recognized that he was a woodsman or a construction worker by the sawdust in his hair. His thin shirt was stained by sweat, so I guessed he was the latter. He was probably stuck in the sun as he worked instead of the cooler shade of the forest, and that thin shirt wouldn’t offer him any protection against the biting mosquitoes.
Tabby finished pouring the drinks, and she dropped off two of the beers with the construction worker before she gave the third to the elderly couple. Then she hurried over to us as she wiped her hands on her apron, and she stopped in front of our table with a relieved huff.
“I sure am glad to see you kids back from your mission,” Tabby told us as she smiled broadly. “You were gone all day, so I was worried something had gone wrong. Somebody went missing just a week ago, you know.”
“Oh, we know,” I replied with a rueful expression. “Thanks for worrying about us, but you shouldn’t have, really. Actually, Erin, Ashla, and I will be gone soon, since we’re returning on the airship tonight. Cyra and Layla will be staying for an extended period of time at your inn.”
“So soon!” Tabby exclaimed, and she looked slightly crestfallen before she brightened up. “Still, I suppose you mages have your hands full these days. Can you tell me what Cyra and Layla are staying for, or is that too much for me to ask?”
“I’m afraid we can’t explain it,” I replied reluctantly. “Rest assured, you’ll be safe with these two staying at your inn. They’re some of the finest mages I know.”
Layla fidgeted at the compliment, and Cyra blushed, but they both fought back pleased expressions of pride.
“Thank you,” Tabby told them both with a broad smile.
“We’ll protect this town, Tabetha,” Layla promised as her chest swelled with determination.
“Tell you the truth,” Tabby added, “I wanted you folks back here before I had to turn in for the night. I went looking for my old diary, you see, and I actually found it.”
“You did?” I asked with a surprised blink. “Can I see it?”
“‘Course you can!” Tabby exclaimed. “Why else would I spend hours looking? No, don’t get upset, I can see by the look on your face that you didn’t mean for me to go to so much trouble
.”
I shut my mouth and flushed as her words hit home. “Well, I admit I do feel a little guilty.”
“No need,” Tabby insisted. “This is about your parents and your family, and you can’t tell me that’s less important than a few hours spent rooting around in my cellar.”
“Thank you,” I said with overflowing gratitude, and my throat tightened as my feelings threatened to overwhelm me.
“I’ll go get it in just a moment,” Tabby said, “but I’m sure you kids are hungry. What’ll it be? I have wild rice soup, mushroom pasta, rosemary bread, and potato skins.”
My mouth dropped open as she said the last item on the menu, and a tiny gasp left my throat. I was sure my excitement was embarrassingly obvious, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“I thought you’d like that one,” Tabby chuckled as she winked. “I said last night I’d cook up something special for you, and I know how much you love potato skins.”
“Wow,” Layla commented as she peered at my face. “He looks like he’s gonna faint.”
“Thank you, Tabetha,” I said in a serious, whole-hearted voice. “I’ll be grateful to you forever for this.”
“Nonsense,” Tabby replied with a wave of her hand. “Just give me your order so I can finish plating, and that’ll be thanks enough.”
The five of us gave her our orders, and she nodded as she jotted them down. Before she left, I stopped her with a nervous smile.
“Maybe the diary can wait until after dinner?” I asked hesitantly.
If this really affected me, I would be reluctant to sit through an entire meal without any time to think. I would much rather be back on the airship, where I could distract myself or pretend to sleep while I thought things over, if it was too much at once.
“Of course, Gryff,” Tabby assured me, and understanding filled her expression. “I’ll save it for afterwards.”
“Thanks,” I told her.
As she walked away, my heart welled with nostalgia. Tabby and I weren’t close at the level of family like Maelor and I were, but I certainly had missed her when I first moved away from Njordenfalls. Over the years, I thought I’d grown distant from everybody in my old hometown, but the truth was they still held a place in my heart. Tabby would always be important to me, even if I never saw her again from this day onward.
As she went into the kitchen, Cyra leaned forward curiously.
“She introduced herself as a Mrs. at one point, didn’t she?” the tawny-skinned summoner asked. “I haven’t seen her husband, though.
“That’s right,” I responded as I grimaced slightly. “From what I know, it’s sort of a tragic story. She got married in her twenties, like many people do, but her husband died from an illness only a few years later. She’s kept his last name, and she hasn’t ever shown an interest in remarrying.”
“That’s kind of sad,” Layla said quietly.
“It’s not that bad,” I disagreed. “I know she loved him very much, but she’s never let it affect her in a negative way. Tabby has always been very strong and brave, and she doesn’t mind if people ask about her husband. I think she just likes to live in a way that honors his memory.”
“What a great woman,” Ashla realized with a satisfied nod. “I’m glad to have met her.”
“Me too,” I agreed.
Dinner arrived with a short delay, and this time, Tabby was too busy to be able to sit down and eat with us. It was probably for the best, because my chest was tight with anticipation, and I was making for a remarkably poor conversationalist over the course of the meal.
Being able to eat Tabby’s delicious potato skins did cheer me up, though. She topped them with crispy, oily bacon as well as fresh chives from her herb garden. The wild rice soup and the rosemary bread were mouth-wateringly good, and the mushroom pasta was to die for. She’d clearly used fresh mushrooms picked from the forest, and it showed in the savory range of wonderful and unique flavors that blended with the cream of the pasta sauce.
All too soon, we finished our meal with our bellies completely stuffed. It felt good to regain the energy lost during our day of hiking, but it meant I could no longer stall on reading the diary pages about my family.
“I’m going to love having this kind of food every day,” Layla gushed as she sighed happily over her clean plates.
“I’m starting to get really jealous of you two,” Ashla agreed happily as she licked her fork.
Then Tabby emerged from the kitchen with a leatherbound journal clutched carefully in her hands. Her eyes were locked onto me, and I could see the worry and uncertainty in her face.
My gut lurched in nervous anticipation as she walked carefully over to our table, and I stared at the diary like a guilty man watching for his executioner.
“Do you want us to leave?” Erin asked in a hushed tone. “I get it if you want some privacy.”
“No,” I disagreed as I shook my head. “I don’t want to handle this like some kind of secret for just my eyes. No matter what it says, I want you guys to know, too. I want the record set straight on how Maelor found me and where I’m from. No more half-truths.”
“I’m glad you’re including us,” Ashla said as she leaned over to rest her shoulder against mine. “You shouldn’t have to face this kind of surprise alone.”
Tabby stopped and set the diary down in front of me, and I picked it up like it was some kind of delicate, wilting flower that could crumble away at any moment.
The cover was made of fine-quality leather, and it looked fine apart from the obvious wear. Inside, the pages were brittle and yellowed with age, and a few shifted loosely as they came free from their threaded string binding. It wasn’t as ancient as many of the books in the Academy library, but this had been sitting in a cellar in neglect for many years, and it hadn’t fared well against time. This diary had to be at least fifteen years old, I realized as I calculated it against my own age.
Hopefully, everything I needed was inside.
“This is the date Maelor found you,” Tabby said in a low voice as she helped me turn to a page in the late spring of the year. “He came into my inn and had a few drinks, and there you were, no older than five, sitting on a chair by his side and staring around like you’d never seen an inn before. You probably hadn’t, I suppose.”
“Maelor with a kid,” I said with a strained smile. “I bet that was a sight.”
“It was,” Tabby said with a chuckle. “He’d only been in town for two weeks, but I knew him alright by then. His story was certainly odd, so it’s no wonder I wrote it down in my diary.”
She pointed a wrinkled finger at the entry in front of me, and I obediently read her fine, cursive writing.
“Maelor brought in a small child,” I read out loud. “Perhaps four or five years old, though he himself seems to not know. He says his last birthday celebration was a long time ago. Perhaps his family wasn’t kind to him, and he fabricated this whole story about a village destroyed by monsters?”
“I wasn’t very charitable to you in this diary, I’m afraid,” Tabby admitted. “Children were alarming and chaotic to me, and I disliked having you in my inn.”
“Sounds like you,” I said with an amused nod. “I’m glad you warmed up to me quickly.”
Tabby nodded as she smiled sincerely at me, and it spread warmth through my heart.
“Skip this page, and there’s more,” Tabby directed as she flipped through to the next relevant entry.
“Maelor says he found him near the falls,” I recited. “I have told Maelor the child probably belongs to a family around here, so we asked him what his parents’ names are, or what his family has for a last name. He was confused until I asked about what other people call his mom and dad. He said other people call them Genevieve and Relaude, but I don’t know anybody here by those names. I think perhaps Gryff made them up, since he doesn’t want to go back home. Maelor says he will look for Genevieve and Relaude in surrounding towns in an effort to return the child.”
&nb
sp; My breath caught in my throat as the final words left my mouth. I couldn’t believe after all this time, my parents’ names were simply sitting on a page for me to discover them. Worse, I knew Maelor really had learned them as well, and for some reason, he hadn’t told me. I couldn’t imagine he had been told my parents’ first names and simply discarded them from his memory altogether. No, for some reason, Maelor decided on purpose never to tell me.
“Oh, Gryff,” Cyra said in a low, sad voice. “I’m so sorry.”
By the sound of her tone, I realized she and I both knew some grim possibilities for what this paragraph meant.
Maelor was lying to me, and the reasons ranged from slightly painful to downright awful. Perhaps he found out my parents were dead, and he didn’t want to tell me. Perhaps he found them, but they were hateful, abusive people who would treat me poorly, and he decided not to return me. Even worse, perhaps, was the possibility he’d found Genevieve and Renaud, and they simply refused to take me back at all.
Some of the better possibilities were that I was lying about my parents’ names, and Maelor never found anything. Or, maybe I wasn’t lying, and he still didn’t find anything. I was a little surprised that I failed to remember the names Genevieve and Relaude as I aged, so maybe it meant I really had made them up, as Tabby suggested in her diary.
In any case, the result was clear. Now, I had a lead on my past I never thought I’d have, but it came with a cost that hurt me even more than the knowledge of the names ever could.
The man I’d trusted for so long, the man I treated like a father, had hidden this reality from me for over a decade.
Why?
Chapter 9
As I followed Ashla and Erin back onto the airship, I felt sick to my stomach. On the one hand, I now knew information about my real parents that I never thought I’d have. I often claimed I had no memories of them, but the truth was I did remember them, and I missed them terribly. Over the years, I clung to the few pieces of memory I had of them, and I always believed in the story of monsters razing my birthplace.
